Lucy: …Well finding those two idiot referees isn't going so well, so we might as well work on something. I'm feeling Crimson Fall. What about you guys?

Meri: Heck yeah!

Shade: I agree.

Joseph: Eh, I woulda said Code-V, but whatevs. Crimson Fall it is!

Angel: Don't I get a say in this?!

S-S: When have you ever had a choice?

Rudolph: Hey so we don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds, but we do own our OCs and stuff! Enjoy!

***This chapter is brought to you by Living Spirit from Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky, though to be more accurate, I mean the piano version of it composed by Bespinben on YouTube***

Chapter 5

The next thing I know, the scenery is back on Earth, but… well, it doesn't look good at all. An endless wave of the Netherworld's soldiers—humanoids with bat-like wings, everything else obscured with black armor lined in similar patterns to some of the Earthbound Immortals—have Martha's orphanage surrounded. I have no idea where the children are, but I can see Akiza, Leo, and Luna inside of a circle made by Kalin, Misty, Yusei's parents, Roman, and my mother. All of them look worse for wear—and I can't see any of the other Signers or Dark Signers.

And then the wave of creatures suddenly parts, Sky walking though the space. She's definitely changed—both of her eyes a cold blue surrounded in black. It hurts to see her like this because I know that isn't really Sky but Sythini, the Queen of the Netherworld and the one who ordered this attack.

Both Ryuu and Ayame Fudo lower their weapons, shock writing itself onto their faces. They'd thought all of their children had perished in Nether—but for Sky to be here… "Sky…?"

"I am not Sky anymore. I am Sythini, Queen of Nether. That said, Shimi Nolidae, Choco Airutan, Uru, Ccapac Apu, Ccarayhua, and Dai Aurelius." Sythini paused each time, looking pointedly at each of the Dark Signers whose Immortal she had named. "Please, stand aside. My qualms lie with the Crimson Dragon, not the lot of you."

"Tch. Like hell we will!" Kalin shouts, charging at the Queen. His fists glow a bright violet for a second as he attempts to punch the woman. Attempts being the key word.

Sythini simply shakes her head, eyes closed. "I was afraid it would have to be the hard way." She opens them, and they flash gold for a moment before returning to the blue-in-black. "But no matter your own beliefs, my blood runs within your veins! As Queen of Nether, you cannot disobey my orders!"

Kalin stops mid-strike, his eyes wide and all the breath sucked out of his lungs as if someone had just punched him in the gut. His mark glows a bright purple and he screams in pain for a brief moment. Then his limbs fall limp, and he stands up straight. Too straight, too rigid, like a puppet almost. "Forgive me," he mutters, standing aside.

"Kalin, what are you…?" Misty begins to ask.

"It's as I said. The Earthbound Immortals cannot disobey me," Sythini says, eyes narrow. "Therefore, the lot of you, stand aside this instant. The curse of the Crimson Dragon ends today."

I hold my breath, watching as they try struggling against the command as much as they can. I want to look away from the sight, all of them writhing in pain and screaming, but I can't. I'm fixated on the scene, much as I don't want to be. And the forces of the Netherworld along with Sythini, they just stand there…

Misty is the first to fall, with nothing more than a single tear portraying her real thoughts.

Ryuu follows her shortly after, mumbling, "Yusei… Natsumi… Sky… I'm sorry… I couldn't…"

"Ryuu! S-Stop, you know this isn't the right—" Ayame's frantic plea cuts off, and she joins her husband on the side of Nether.

And then a miracle happens. A rift in the sky opened up, green fire spilling out of it. The flames barrel towards Akiza, Leo, Luna, and the only two Dark Signers still fighting for control, Roman and my mother. And… for some reason, I feel like that fire isn't going to harm them, so I feel bothered by it.

The fire hits the ground and vanishes, taking those five with it.

Sythini stares at the spot that used to hold those that used to be her greatest friends and were now her greatest enemies. The impassive look on her face melted away slightly with her frowning, eyes clearly sad now. "They just don't understand… why this has to be done…"

"What should we do now, Grandmother?"

Behind the Queen stand all of the Earthbound Immortals in hybrid form, bar Uru, Wiraqocha Rasca, and Dai Aurelius. Looks like Kalin, no, Ccapac Apu wasn't the first one she forced to her side. Wholeheartedly devoted to destroying the Signers… it hurts to see them like this. They're my friends…

"Return to Nether for now. We will come up with a strategy to find or draw them out of hiding soon enough," Sythini declares. After they all follow her orders, Sythini looks up at the sky one last time. It had been completely clear before she arrived. Now thick clouds block out the sun, casting shadows on everything. "It's inevitable, then…?" She sighs, looking down. "Uru, Dai Aurelius, I will find you soon enough. I don't wish to fight either of you… but…"

The scene fades away before she finishes.

XXX

I blink a few times before I realize that my eyes are full of tears and I'm also not staring at another scene but instead at the thin mask covering Athena's face. She stands up, focusing on the space behind me. "Jose? Miles? What's happening there?"

A disgusting feeling settles in my stomach. We're inside a rift of the space-time continuum, but those two are the ones that stayed behind to protect the others. Something's… not right back on Earth, is it?

"…I see, very well. Pearl, Paradox, and I shall come to assist the both of you. We'll be there momentarily." She turns, motioning to the two others she'd named.

Paradox stands up immediately, adjusting the black-and-white mask on his face. "Some of Nether's forces are attacking them, aren't they?"

"Just a small number, but enough to cause trouble. They seem to underestimate our power," Athena answers.

Pearl, on the other hand, shivers. "Ooooh, I don't want to fight. B-But… Miles is fighting, so…" She stands up, taking Athena's hand. This girl is too young to be in a war—any sort of war. She shouldn't have to think about things like this. How much more ruined is the future than what we've already seen?

"Lucciano, Placido, please behave while you show them the rest of our future."

I can tell that Placido is scowling even if I can't see his face. I don't see why he hates Yusei so much… nothing we've seen so far shows anything of the sort. Lucciano, on the other hand, shrugs his shoulders. "Whatever you say, Athena," he says, leaning back slightly.

When Athena, Pearl, and Paradox leave, the scenery fades back to another vision…

XXX

Rainbow sparks dance across the floor of the room, the only source of light other than a dim bulb from the hallway. It's empty for a moment—enough for me to recognize it as the Original Reactor, the place where Ayame defeated both my uncle and my father in the Signer-Dark Signer War. This place brings back bad memories… but I can't focus on that too much because the green fire reappears—this time as the outline of Daigusto Tornado Dragon—before disappearing, leaving behind Akiza, Leo, Luna, Roman, my mother… and future Angel as well, all six of them unconscious.

Everyone stirs almost simultaneously, well, everyone except Angel.

"Where…?"

"Angel!" Miyuki shrieks upon seeing the future version of me still unconscious. She crawls over to her daughter, lifting her head onto her lap, cradling it gently. Miyuki's eyes narrow sadly. "If Angel is here… then that must mean…"

"Nnn…" Angel groans a little before her eyes lazily open. She blinks a few times. "Mother…? What's going on… where are we?" But before anyone has a chance to respond, she jolts out of her mother's lap, eyes wide and mouth open in a silent scream. Her entire body shakes. "N-No… I remember… Oh god, I remember…! They-They're all dead…!"

Akiza flinches, completely turning away. It's clear she was trying to pretend Yusei hadn't died, but Angel just confirmed the truth.

"But… But…! How am I here? I shouldn't be here. I should be dead. I-I… I shouldn't… He shouldn't have…" Angel closes her eyes, pulling at her hair. "No, no, no! This is all wrong! Crow should be the one alive right now, not me. It should be him. Why did he have to…? Crow… Crow…! WHY DID HE HAVE TO LEAVE ME TOO?!"

Her sobbing fills the silence of the expansive room. In fact, it is the only noise made until Akiza suddenly spins around, her eyes dry but wide in horror. "Bruno! And Martha, and Shoshan, and the other children! They're still at Martha's house, aren't they? Th-They're in danger!"

XXX

As expected, the next scene takes place back at Martha's house, specifically in her secret basement. It doesn't look like anyone is injured or anything, but the door is barred and Martha stands with her back to it, her ladle ready to whack something as though it would make a difference. Shoshan is trying, but failing miserably, at keeping Bruno, Vincent, Athena, and the various orphans Martha cares for from crying. It's like they know something wrong just happened—

Oh god. I actually feel myself gag; they haven't exactly moved Toby's… Toby anywhere, just covered him with a sheet. And there's dried blood that seems to have seeped out from under the sheet. No wonder the kids know something is wrong.

Athena sobs, then hiccups almost immediately after. She looks at the sheet and reaches for it. "I-I wa' D-ddy!"

Shoshan catches her. "No, Athena. You can't… You just can't. I'm sorry." His voice cracks as he continuously apologizes to the now-screaming three-year-old. She struggles in his arms, but there's no way a little girl can beat an adult.

…At least, not until Sky—no, Sythini, I remind myself—suddenly shows up in the room. She looks no different than she had last I saw her in these visions, well… no, she's carrying herself differently now, shoulders raised higher, back straightened, and head held high. Like… Like a proud ruler who has been alive for milennia.

"Sk-Sky!" Shoshan shouts, releasing Athena as he stands up immediately. He readies his Duel Disk—as much good that will do against an ancient deity—and attempts a glare that fails miserably. "I won't… I won't let you hurt the kids, and I won't let you hurt my friends either!"

"Friends… you mean the remaining Signers, do you not?" Sythini narrows her eyes. "But Shoshan, don't you know? You're the one who must stand by my side: Xithyl, the King of the Netherworld. Won't you come peacefully?" She eyes the Duel Disk, which he hadn't put away yet. "I take that as a no. Wishful thinking, I suppose. Then, you intend to Duel me with this on the line?"

Shoshan swallows. "If that's what it takes to keep everyone else safe… even if I know I'm probably going to lose…"

"You'll fight knowing you'll lose and cease existing as Shoshan Fudo as a result?"

He bites his lip a little, trembling as he replies, "If I didn't go down fighting, I wouldn't be me. Besides…" At this, his green eyes filled with determination. "…If I win, you have to give me back Sky. A-And the Dark Signers, too. And—"

"Bring those I've killed back as well?" Sythini finishes. She shakes her head. "You ask for too much. I can grant my descendents their free will again, and perhaps revive those who've died, but… are you sure that you want Sky back? What if she isn't the same as the one you know?"

"She's… She's still my wife, and I know the real her is in there somewhere! I won't let you tell me anything different!" The background of the orphanage fades away, and now the the two adults are alone in a darkened world filled with ice. Shoshan stands tall now, not flinching in the slightest at the bittercold now digging into his skin. "We'll Duel here, Sythini! I'll win for sure now!"

The Queen observes her surroundings with a touch of surprise. "Creating your own dimension…? And forcing me into it? Yes, if I hadn't been sure before, this proves that you are indeed Xithyl…" The surprise vanishes, and she extends her arm. A violet-colored gauntlet appears on her arm, with a blackened Monster Card Zone sticking out of it. "However, you've made the mistake of leaving me with my powers…" Then she snaps her fingers. Above the two appears a cage made of shadows. Vincent, Bruno, and Athena are all inside.

Shoshan stares at it in horror. "Wha—this is just between the two of us! How dare you take hostages?!"

"Another stake in our game," Sythini answers. "They carry the blood of the Crimson Dragon due to their parents; therefore they are my enemies regardless of how old they are. I will kill them should you lose… and set them free should you win. Need I remind you that you created many more conditions for this game than I and this evens it out?"

He grits his teeth, clenching his fists. "Fine. Then, this Duel settles it!"

Shoshan's Life Points: 4000, Sythini's Life Points: 4000

"I'll go first!" Shoshan declares, drawing a card. His eyes narrow at one card in his hand, and he looks at Sythini. "Yes… I couldn't have asked for a better card to bring Sky back. I pay half my Life Points and discard all the other cards in my hand in order to activate the Field Spell Dragonspiral Tower!"

Shoshan's Life Points: 2000

Instead of the world of ice, the two now stood atop a very tall, spiralling tower made of stone. The walls, blue, and the floor, tan. Though, some of the pillars that should hold up the ceiling have collapsed; the tower seems to be in disrepair.

"I can only activate this card by paying those costs when I control no cards," Shoshan explains, "but, my Field Spell's effect more than makes up for it! It lets me mill cards from my Deck equal to the Level of a monster I wish to Summon from my Deck or Extra Deck, ignoring the Summoning conditions. I mill twelve cards… and Special Summon Reshiram, Goddess of Light!"

A burst of light appears in the sky above, and then a dragon descends from it. It is white, claws attached to its wings, and tail shaped like a generator. Though the one thing that surprises me about this dragon is the fact that it's covered in fur instead of scales.

"And as I'm sure you're well aware, Sky, Reshiram's ATK and DEF are equal to the number of cards in my Graveyard times 500!"

Reshiram, Goddess of Light ATK/DEF: 8500

Sythini stares at the dragon in some form of awe. "You kept that card, after all this time? Even though you could never use it?"

"Of course I did!" Shoshan retorts. "She's… the last card you gave me—other than Celestial Dragon - Quasar—before… that incident after you were arrested."

The woman's eyes harden. "After Sky was arrested, not me. Do I need to remind you again that I am not Sky?"

"…I can't attack on the first turn, so that's it for my turn."

Sythini shakes her head. "You've already lost."

…

"MY TURN! DRAW!"

To be continued…

Angel: …And of course that all happened.

Faith: Hey, at least no one died this time.

Angel: *Glares at her*

S-S: …*Far-off sigh*

Angel: *Stops glaring, looks at Shimmering-Sky* Something wrong?

S-S: Huh? Oh… no, it's just… marching band season is officially over now, so I'll have more time to write, but… it's just… *Cries*

Piano: She's gonna miss the people who are seniors next year when marching band starts up again next year. That's what's wrong..

Angel: Huh. …Guess that explains why you're working on this story. The insanity goes unregulated.

Lucy: Pfft, no, that award goes to Code-V, but for some reason Kaito is so friggin hard to write properly so the next chapter isn't getting done as fast as we want to. But, like, the insanity for the upcoming arcs in that story…

Meri: Wait, wait… let's see… I think, including the [SPOILERS], the death toll is, what, at least twenty now? Most of those occurring in our Xyz Dimension arc but a few saved for the Synchro arc?

Muse-Jack: Sounds about right.

Angel: …

S-S: *Stops crying* Yeah, at some point I just decided to stop trying to contain them, at least for that story. Guess the fact that it's a Code Geass crossover didn't slip them by.

Angel: You're… a really bad person.

S-S: Oh well. …So, I hope you guys leave a review!