After a long duel and chapter, we're getting to the near end of the story. Just a few more chapters...
Oh well, let's go!
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Between my Brother and Me
by Green Phantom Queen
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Chapter 22-Paradise Lost in Anguish
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"WHAT?"
That was what everyone cried once they made it upon one of the Kaiba Corp. copters. From what Roland told them, all of the shares of Kaiba Corp. had been sold. With that, Kaiba was no longer the owner of the company.
"How the heck did such a thing happen?" asked Tristan to the Kaiba brothers. "How could someone just buy up all of the shares without any of you guys noticing it?"
"They might've hacked into our accounts." said Kaiba, trying to think of a theory. "But to think...it's gone..."
"But sir..." said Roland.
"Save it." said Kaiba. "I'm not your boss anymore."
May stood up and lifed Kaiba by his trenchcoat, forcing the CEO to stare into her eyes. Everyone else stared in shock as May began to speak.
"Oh get over yourself!" She screamed. "We still have hope! And we still have some clues; somehow the connection of the monster sightings, the Orichalcos, Dartz and now Kaiba Corp. being sold...it must be related. So pull yourself together because we're not done."
"May's right!" said Max, standing up. "I've got a score to settle with the Swordsmen!"
"You see, Seto?" asked Mokuba. "We're all with you, and that's not going to change."
"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Joey while May released her grip on Kaiba's trenchcoat. "Let's get going; we need to decipher those ruins in Florida as soon as you can."
Kaiba smirked. "Not to worry." He said in reply. "My research is already there, and my security force will handle any unexpected guests."
"In the meantime," said Yami. "We have some work to do..." He then turned to May, seeing the Coordinator looking at her wounded arms. "The wounds she got from the Swordsmen looked fatal."
"I know." said Kaiba. "And they got aggravated from Raphael back at the plane. I'm going to take her to the medical team and make sure she's all right."
"Then take us with you!" said Mokuba as he and Max stood up. "We have to make sure she's okay, Seto. I mean...what if she comes back?"
"She won't be coming back." said May. "Rather, she's just waiting for me to screw up, and I can't allow that. And to think...I actually trusted the Orichalcos when my guard was down..."
"It's not your fault, May." said Téa. "If someone gave me an offer to heal me if I was wounded, I'd probably take it without a second thought."
"Thanks for your support." said May, standing up. "But...I'd like to be alone after the medical team rebandages me. That means, no brother, no friends...just me and me alone."
May removed her Duel Disk and handed it to Kaiba.
"Hold onto it." She said to the CEO. "I...I just realy need my head to be clear of any thoughts."
"I understand." said Kaiba, slowly nodding his head. "Now let's get going; if those wounds aren't treated now, they might become infected...and that's when trouble will arise."
"Got it." said May. "Let's get going then..."
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May was in the medical wing of the copter. After being checked by the medical staff, the doctors stated that she would be fine—as the cuts on her arms were superficial, and the bruises on her ribs weren't fatal—and that in a couple of days, there would be no more pain. The scars were a completely different story; she would have to keep them bandaged every now and them, changing the linen strips every couple of hours. They also recommended that she didn't exert too much effort on herself and had placed an icepack for her ribs. But all in all, she would make a good recovery.
Kaiba, Max and Mokuba kept an eye on her throughout the whole ideal. Max would talk about their adventures with Ash and Brock while Mokuba would chat about the whole ordeal. Kaiba didn't say anything, but May knew it was for the best. They then left May so she could get some rest, but she couldn't rest...not after what happened anyway.
Even the world's best medicine can't heal the pain... She thought to herself, recalling the look of anger in the Swordsmens' eyes. It hurts either way...
The Pokémon Coordinator closed her eyes, trying to recall what happened back on the rooftop of Paradius. When she told the three about her ideas, and how Dartz was using them as pawns...they got angry. To them, if they didn't obey Dartz's words, then they would die...the only thing May thought to herself was, "Were they that loyal to Dartz?" But another question that came into mind was, "Are they able to realize that they aren't in control?"
First, there was Raphael. He was the most loyal to Dartz from the looks of it. But at the same time, he was going after her against Dartz's wishes, but more for his own psychotic reasons. He needed to know all about the Guardian of the Sea and why it connected with her...but the Orichalcos kept taunting him, mocking him, controlling him, until he couldn't tell what was up from down. Was he afraid that he was going to lose someone he loved? Was he too blind to wake up from his own ideas of paradise and forced himself to focus on Yami's destruction? Raphael was a complex character; he was just so hard to interpret sometimes. But he was lonely because he had no one to talk to while on that island. This 'Guardian of the Sea', whether she was real or an illusion, was the only thing that kept Raphael from going insane. It was if the Guardian of the Sea was the only thing he had in his life, and that if he didn't have it...he would go crazy.
Second was Alister. Alister's reason for joining Dartz was to get revenge on Kaiba for what the kidnapping of his brother, Mikey. That, and because he wanted to bring out a mass genocide of every wicked person on the planet...even if that meant unleashing hate onto his own brother. To this, May thought he was demented. Alister went onto say that Kaiba was just like his own father, but May saw that he was kind, a bit stern, but he was kind enough to heal her wounds and give her those Duel Monster cards. At first, she thought he was a jerk, but during the time on the plane, Kaiba trusted her and helped her feel a bit better about herself. Whether it was because she was Mokuba's friend—or the fact that May stated that if the plane was destroyed, they would die—she couldn't tell. But from her perspective, Kaiba was definetly a better brother and person than Alister altogether. And now, recalling Alister explaining that he lost his brother made her feel sad. All Alister wanted was to end war...but he would do it with destruction, gunfire, blood...he was using violence to end violence and was blinded by his desires of pain and suffering that he would go as far as to even let his brother take in part of this evil.
Last but not least was Valon. He was similar to Raphael in a sense; he was obeying Dartz's words, but ended the Orichalcos duel between Mai and Joey without a second thought. He was also a monster; he would rather use his armor to deal the blows and had no remorse for crushing a ten-year-old girl's body. Armor is used to protect the body from wounds, it shouldn't be used to damage and crush the weak. He lost people in his life and was arrested for a crime that got him sent into prison for who knows how long, probably having to defend himself from all predators. He was fighting because he just wanted to make sure he could stay strong, because he probably felt weak for not saving the people who loved him. That must've been what he was thinking of when he was beating her up...he wasn't strong enough to save Mai from her fate and vented all of his anger out on the Coordinator.
As she let these thoughts go through her mind, she could feel Shadow staring at her, laughing at her, just waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Shadow's last words, about the game...the game of survival, it scared her a bit. She tried to block the sound by covering her ears with her hands...but it was in vain. Even if she defeated Shadow, she was still there. What would it take for Shadow to disappear for good? Or better yet, what would it take to get rid of the evil spell that had been cast over the Swordsmen?
In her mind, May thought about what she could do...but in the end, she got nothing. She wanted to forgive them, and she promised to become stronger...but she didn't know how. On one side, the thought of forgiveness and good will was an amazing idea...but on the other hand, giving the three their just desserts was more satisfying. She didn't want to hurt them...even with all that stuff that transpired after the attacks—her near broken spirit, her wounds, her bruises, her scars, her dark personality emerging—they were all doing this under Dartz's orders. They were sent to attack her, to kill her, to be used for the Great Leviathan to feed on. But at the same time, she was the Goddess of Joy...how could she spread joy onto others, if she couldn't bring these three happiness?
And more importantly, why? Why, did she have to suffer? Did she do something bad in a past life that caused karma to go attack her with a vengeance? Did she go too far with her speech to wake the Swordsmen up? Did she become too boastful and now this was just to break her pride? What was it? What was the specific reason that made her cry her heart out inside her mind.
It's just too much... May thought to herself as silent tears fell down her eyes. What am I supposed to do? I tried to tell them to listen and I tried to wake them up...but Dartz has full control of them now. In fact, if he told them to kill themselves, they'd probably do it because their 'obedience' to this man is so deep. They lost themselves to the glow of the Orichalcos, they're blinded by it. They never stared at themselves in the mirror and thought 'Is what I'm doing right?' I tried telling them that this is wrong, but it's too late. They'll never realize what they've done, and even if they did...why would it matter?
My words...couldn't reach them. I tried telling them about what happened and that they had to remember those happy times before they were brainwashed and taken away to become mindless soldiers to this man. What do I do? What will it take for them to wake up and realize what they've done?
Let me take over, May... Shadow hissed in her ear. You have defeated me, but I can still help you out. I have sensed your insecurity and your desire to be heard...that same desire to defeat the ones that harmed you. You want that, right?
"No!" May screamed, gripping onto her head. "I don't want any of those things!"
YES. YOU. DO! Shadow screamed, enunciating each word. You are sick of being weak, you are sick of being this cheery girl who has to hide all of her loneliness. You said that you were going to be strong and forgive them, but your mind says otherwise. You're conflicted, you don't know what to do. And here you are now: alone, scarred, confused, wanting revenge...what do you call yourself now?
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" May screamed. She began to pound a fist into her pillow, trying to imagine that it was her beating the Swordsmen. It felt good as she let out another barrage of screams, screeches and cries into the room. Anyone who was passing by might've thought it was some monster that was trying to strangle her, but they would've been entirely wrong.
Shadow could only laugh as she saw the situation, liking the chaos and confusion that was being created. With each and every punch to the pillow, the more and more influenced that May was becoming to Shadow. Distracted by her own thoughts, May's clothing became black and her eyes were becoming red...not from tears, but from her anger and malice. The lips of the Pokémon Coordinator's curled into a smile, finding delight in hurting the Swordsmen. Then she would attack all who hurt her! If they punched her, she would stab them back...
"May!" May turned around to see Max running in, panting for breath. She saw the look in his eyes when he saw his sister dressed in black, rather than blue.
"Don't do this!" said Max. "Don't do this!"
Max ran to his sister, tears falling down his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He continued to sob as May stopped her actions and stared at her brother for some time. Slowly, she reached her arms out to him, and hugged him.
"Don't give into the darkness, May." Max sobbed. "I don't want you to hurt anyone, and I don't want you to become that evil person. You're not evil, you're the Goddess of Joy...and the Goddess of Joy wishes for people to be happy, and she wishes for herself to be happy because she made people happy. She doesn't want to see anyone sad, and I don't want to see you sad..."
May stayed silent but she then let out a smile.
"I promise not to, Max." May whispered. "I won't disappear and I won't let the darkness take over me ever again."
"Really?" asked Max, sniffling a bit.
"Really." May reassured him.
"Thank you." Max replied. "Thank you!" He soon began to cry once more as May continued grasping him in their embrace.
As he continued to sob, Mokuba and Kaiba—who were waiting outside of the room—opened the door and stared at the scene. The two brothers saw May and Max embrace for a while, both of them silent.
"Hey, Seto." said Mokuba. "What's going to happen now?"
"I don't know." Kaiba answered back. "But all I can say is that things are going to be a lot tougher."
"Yeah." said Mokuba. "Say...did May ever tell you about the spirits in her deck?"
"Spirits?" asked Kaiba, staring at May's red and black Duel Disk in his hands. "She never mentioned anything about 'spirits'."
Mokuba took the Duel Disk from his brother's hands into his own and pulled out a card.
"I, Defender of the King, call upon Atem-The Ancient Pharaoh." He chanted. "Appear before us, and tell us all."
"Mokuba, what are you doing?" asked Kaiba, seeing the card in his hands beginning to glow. Soon in a burst of light, the spirit of the ancient Pharaoh appeared, slowly opening his eyes to adjust to the light.
"Atem," said Mokuba, bowing toward the Pharaoh. "I hope you are all right."
"I am, Mokuba." said Atem. He then noticed Kaiba—the CEO having a look of shock on his face. "So...you are the older brother of the Defender of the King, correct?"
"Wrong." said Kaiba in reply. "I am the older brother of Mokuba Kaiba, not some make believe ruler...Atem."
"Seto, Atem's talking about me." said Mokuba. "I guess May didn't tell you everything, huh?"
"How is the Goddess of Joy doing?" asked Atem. "Is she alright?"
"She's alright, Atem. In fact, she's feeling much better."
Atem stared as he saw May and Max walking out of the room...Atem soon wrapped his arms around May, whispering words in an Ancient Egyptian tongue. May just replied by hugging right back, a soft smile on her face.
"What's he saying?" asked Max to Mokuba.
"...He's saying that he's glad that his Goddess is alright." said Mokuba in reply. "He's glad that the darkness did not corrupt her, but he's really sorry about what had happened to her."
"Goddess?" asked Kaiba. "Mokuba, what's going on?"
"Well, it's sort of a long story." said Mokuba in reply.
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In the office of Paradius, Dartz was in deep thought. Even though he did not have the Winged Dragon of Ra, he was still close to his goal on summoning the Great Leviathan. It just needed one more push, and it would be ready.
Finally, after ten thousand years of exile, the mighty Leviathan is ready to return. But before he can reach his potential, there are several souls that must still be offered.
The lights slowly turned off, each of them shrouding the room in darkness. Raphael emerged from the shadows, his eyes shining in a green light.
"Master Dartz..." He murmured, his voice lacking any emotion. Dartz noticed the prescence of the Swordsman, but did not say anything. He knew what had happened...the Orichalcos brought him back to what was needed to be done. The Guardian of the Sea nonsense was getting a bit thin, and it was distracting the blonde Swordsman.
The screen in front of Dartz soon showed a line of square rectangles, each of them containing a lost soul that was taken by the Orichalcos.
"Apparently, your friend wasn't careful and got himself sealed away." Dartz explained to Raphael. "But don't sound so displeased; he's better off where he is now. Alister's energy—along with the energy of all of our captive victims—will soon be fueled to power the Great Beast.
"The Pharaoh and his friends will be arriving shortly; I trust you give them a warm welcome, hmm?"
Raphael slowly nodded his head in reply, but other than that said nothing else.
"Now," Dartz continued. "On to phase two..."
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"And that's the whole story." said Mokuba, finishing the tale. "And I know you don't accept this whole 'destiny' or 'magic' thing...but I was given powers like this for a reason. No, Max, May and I were all given these powers for a reason, just like you were given Critias."
"Mokuba is right." said Atem, leaning against one of the walls. "Even though there is destiny, the person given the destiny can somehow make his own destiny himself. One who can create his own destiny, despite obstacles, and despite all trials...they are some of the most powerful people of all."
"Wow." said Max. "I never thought of it that way. So that means Kaiba must be pretty powerful if he became the CEO of Kaiba Corp. at such a young age."
"He's powerful even without it." said May, staring at the mark on the back of her hand. "But that's not what we're here for; we're here to get prepared for the fight of our lives."
"She's right, Mokuba." said a voice. Mokuba turned around, seeing the Moon God approach them. Kaiba's eyes widened in shock; in front of him, was someone who looked just like his brother. Khonsu noticed this and bowed at the CEO.
"Greetings, brother of the Defender of the King." said Khonsu. "I am Khonsu, the Moon God, the guardian of the reincarnated Vessel Moka. It is nice to see you at long last."
"Mokuba," said Kaiba, looking to his brother. "Is this...?"
Mokuba nodded his head. "Yeah, he was the one who caused me to lash out at Duelist Kingdom." He answered back. "Sorry about that, but I was just getting used to my powers at the time. And he was the one who gave me my deck."
"Mokuba's turning out to be a good duelist." said Max. "It won't be long now until he can beat one of those Orichalcos guys in a duel!"
"Hopefully it'll come soon." said May. "The longer it takes for us to get to where we need to go, the worse it's going to be."
"I must get going, Goddess of Joy." said Atem. "I'm sensing dark energy close by."
"Me too." said Khonsu. "The Great Leviathan is getting closer and closer to arriving...and if we do not stop it, then all will be lost. Oh, and Mokuba..."
"Yeah?" asked Mokuba. "What is it?"
"Take this." said the Moon God, bringing out a Duel Monster Card. "Your deck is filled with the stars, but you don't have a monster to represent the moon. It is also to symbolise our bond; even though we have only known each other for two days, I am glad to have met you, Mokuba."
"Thank you." said Mokuba, placing the card into his deck. "And I'm glad that I could help you out."
Khonsu smiled as he and Atem soon transformed into motes of light and vanished.
"Well...that was interesting." said Kaiba. "But that friend of yours is right, Mokuba. All will be lost if we don't stop this."
"Guys!" said Tristan, running to the four of them. "We've got bad news; Rebecca and Duke got their souls stolen!"
"WHAT?" May, Max and Mokuba cried simlutaneously.
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"What happened, Professor?" asked May, staring at the professor through the camera of Kaiba's laptop. "How did they get their souls taken?"
"I'm not quite sure." said Professor Hawkins in reply. "But someone must've challenged the two to a duel and used the Seal of Orichalcos and defeated them. When I woke up, I found both Duke and Rebecca unconscious...clearly someone was angry."
"Oh no..." May gasped out. "Valon..."
"What did you say?" asked Joey.
"Valon was angry at me when Mai lost her soul to the Orichalcos." May answered back. "He was so mad that he beat me as a way to vent out his anger. I managed to escape, and he must've chased after me. But when he didn't find me...he must've vented his anger and frustation at Duke and Rebecca. It's all my fault..."
"No, it ain't your fault at all." said Joey. "It's Valon's; he's going to pay for what he did to them!"
"But what about Mai?" asked Max. "I thought you were going to duel Valon to get Mai back."
"...Getting Mai back isn't important right now." Joey answered back. "She'll come back, but right now, we need to stop that monster from arriving."
"I'll try and meet you at the pier as soon as possible." said Professor Hawkins. "But at the rate, we have to stop the Great Leviathan at all costs."
"We're on it." said Tristan.
"Love makes you crazy, you know that?" said Mokuba. "I mean, Valon went all that way to take Duke and Rebecca's souls to get Mai back...and Raphael's crazy and demented love for the Guardian of the Sea caused a lot of this mess..and Alister's love for his brother, in his rage he threatened to kill himself in the process and cause destruction to the rest of the world."
"I know." said Yami. "But it's just as Professor Hawkins said, we have to stop the Great Leviathan at all costs."
"And luckily for us, we got those pictures uploaded and will be taking them to the Kaiba Corp. Central Computer system to get them translated." said Téa. "But what then?"
"Easy, Téa." said May. "We go and defeat Dartz; it won't be easy...but we're going to have to find a way to try to stop them."
"That's why I'm going to Kaiba Corp!" said Max, standing up. "As the Prince of Wisdom, my knowledge should help us understand the menance."
"Oh no you don't!" said Mokuba, also standing up. "As the Defender of the King, it's my duty to protect the Pharaoh and make sure that these monsters don't go anywhere near us."
"Guys," said May. "You're forgetting me; as the Goddess of Joy and the wielder of the Winged Dragon of Ra, I'm a potential target to the Swordsmen. They're going to go after me, and I'm not going to run away. I'm going to fight back by any means necessary."
"Are you sure that's a good idea, May?" asked Yami. "After all, your arms..."
"My arms can wait, Yami." May answered back. "Right now, it's time to stop running and time to start fighting...
"Now, it's time to prepare for war."
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Arriving at the pier—and after Kaiba told Roland to take Rex and Alister to the Medical center (He stated he was in a good mood)-the group soon met up with Professor Hawkins. The Kaiba Corp. copter soon flew into the sky, heading towards its destination as the three Chosen stared at it with worry.
"I hope they'll be okay." said Max.
"They'll be alright." said Mokuba. "I'm more concerned about us right now."
"Is everything all right?" asked Professor Hawkins to Yami.
"Yeah," said Joey. "Except for the fact that both Rebecca and Duke were taken away by the Orichalcos."
"We'll get them back though." said May. "I just know it, but right now we have to figure out who was responsible for buying all of the shares of Kaiba Corp. The thing is, we need tech support...and our resident genius is out cold."
"I'll stay here and hold the fort." said Kaiba. "I'm not the CEO of Kaiba Corp. for nothing.."
"You'll need this back then." said May, handing Kaiba his cellphone. "And wish us luck."
"Are you sure you three are going to be all right?" asked Tristan. "Who knows what's going to be in store for you!"
"We'll be fine." said Max. "Now go and try to find some help; the more we can find, the better."
"Are you sure you don't want me to come also?" asked Yami. "You three are too young to go through this sort of ordeal."
"Yami," said Mokuba. "You, Joey and Seto all have had your chance to shine. Now it's ours. You have to get ready and prepare yourself to fight Raphael. We have to confront Dartz and make sure to help the Pharaoh, no, all three champions, in their finest hour. What would we be if we weren't doing our jobs?"
"We are the three Guardians of the Pharaoh." Max added. "And now, we must go and complete our destiny."
"Right." said Téa, nodded her head. "Good luck."
"Thanks." said May. She then turned to Mokuba and Max. "Now guys!"
The three of them lifted their hands into the air.
"I, the Goddess of Joy call upon my power." May chanted. "Mistress of Magic, Isis...please grant me your blessing!"
"I, the Prince of Wisdom ask for mine!" Max added. "Thoth, Keeper of Wisdom, send me your knowledge!"
"I, Defender of the King pray to the Moon for guidance!" said Mokuba. "Khonsu, Child of the Moon...I, your Vessel, ask for your help at this time of need!"
"So now we, the Guardians of the Pharaoh, unite!" The three chanted in unison. "Come forth, gods of Egypt and help us with our goal!"
The three soon were covered in bright light, their clothes being replaced with tunics. Everyone looked in awe as the light dimmed down, revealing the three chosen. May was dressed in a white tunic with a blue hooded cloak lined in red, wielding a sistrum in her hands. Max had a green tunic and cape with a seven star circlet on his head. Mokbua had a plain white tunic with a white crescent and black moon crown on his forehead, plus a giant curved blade weapon in his hand which he stared at with white eyes (he also had his special card locket worn around his neck).
The three children nodded their heads, knowing that it was time for them to fulfill their destiny.
"Follow me!" said Mokuba. "I know a shortcut."
As the three children ran off, everyone stared at them...each of them wishing, hoping, and praying for the best.
"Those three carry the fate of the world in their hands." said Yami. "I pray for their safety, and for the safety of the world."
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"This is it." said Mokuba, opening a sewer cover. He then grasped onto the ladder and slid down, followed by Max and May.
"Where are we?" asked Max, looking around.
"An underground passage connected to the Central Computer system." Mokuba answered back. "It was designed for emergencies just as this."
"Let's not dawdle around, guys." said May. "We have to keep running."
Mokuba and Max nodded their heads as the two ran through the cooridor and met up with the elevator. Mokbua brought out his card locket and placed it into the card reader. With a beep, the doors to the elevator opened.
"Cool." said Max, getting inside. "We can use this to get through all of the security!"
May and Mokuba soon entered as the doors to the elevator closed behind them. Then, it started to rise, the three waiting inside with looks of apprehension.
"But what would someone want with Kaiba Corp. in the first place?" asked May. "It seems too suspicious that one person could've bought all those shares."
"I don't know." said Mokuba. "But either way we should..."
Suddenly, the three felt the elevator shake, something landing on the top of elevator to slow them down.
"What was that?" asked Max. "An earthquake?"
To answer Max's question, something soon fell onto the elevator. A pale green winged creature with one eye, and the Orichalcos on its forehead. It then charged toward May, who dodged it just in time, the monster instead creating a hole through the elevator wall.
"That's not good." said Mokuba. "That Ocubeam is under the spell of the Orichalcos. And if it's that way, then we better get going."
He then slammed his blade through the elevator controls, causing the elevator to slightly open. The three then pushed the doors open, widening the space for all of three of them to escape. Unfortunately, they were then met up with monsters, all of them with the Orichalcos on their foreheads.
"Oh, man...not good!" said Max. "We're surrounded!"
"Not for long!" said May, drawing five cards from her deck as her Duel Disk activated. "By the power of Pharaoh's Prophecy, I sacrifice Ritual Raven for Atem-The Ancient Pharaoh!"
Ritual Raven appeared and let out a caw before being replaced with Atem. His red eyes glared at the monsters in front of him.
"That's not all!" May continued, placing three more cards onto her Duel Disk. "Seth, Jouno and Kura...aid the Pharaoh in his finest hour!"
To the left and right were the Priest of Dragons, Sorcerer of Dreams and the Thief Lord, all glaring at the monsters.
"So," said Kura. "It's about time for me to take a taste of new blood."
"These monsters..." Atem growled. "If they hurt my goddess, then they die!"
Atem immediately charged at a Dark Jeroid and slashed it in half with his Kopesh Sword. Seth blasted a beam of magic at a Barox, Jouno incinerated a Night Assailant, and Kura hacked his way through an Armored Zombie.
"Run!" said May, as the three Guardians started to run once more. Mokuba and Max also activated their Duel Disks as it happened.
"Help them out, Celestial Spirit-Orion!" said Mokuba.
"You too, Maiden of Macabre!" Max added. "Come on out!"
Two more monsters appeared: one being an archer dressed in a white tunic, sandals and longbow in his hands, the other a blue skinned geisha with a skull scythe. They charged through the monsters, destroying as many as they could.
"This way!" said Mokuba, pointing to the end of the hall. He soon stopped, swiping his card through the card reader. However, it was denied.
"What?" Mokuba exclaimed. "Oh no, not good!"
"Easy for you to say!" said Max, turning around. "Look!"
Dark Necrofear sliced through Jouno and Seth, while Rogue Doll blasted through Maiden of Macabre. An Earl of Demise stabbed Orion through the chest...and then Kura was destroyed by a Vampire Lord.
"Goddess!" said Atem, slicing through a Morphing Jar. "You have to get out of here!"
"I'd love to, Atem!" said May. "But how do we get out?"
"Need some help?" asked a voice through the speakers.
"Seto!" cried Mokuba. "You made it!"
Atem pulled his sword out of a slain Dragon Zombie...but was soon attacked by a stream of fire from Black Dragon Jungle King. He let out a scream as he was soon destroyed.
"Atem!" May cried out, seeing the card on her Duel Disk.
"He's going to be all right!" said Max, grasping his sister's hand. "Now come on!"
The three soon went through the doors...just in time as Dragon Zombie was about to follow them.
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"No monster is going to hurt my brother while I'm around!" said Kaiba, typing as fast as he could, trying to hack through Kaiba Corp.'s security. "This should give them an advantage..."
"I hope those three are okay." said Yami. "They don't know what's at stake..."
"I know what's at stake." said Kaiba. "My company, my brother, the world...don't get pessimistic on me, Yugi...now's not the time.
"Right now, we have to find out more about those ruins. Although something is bugging me..."
"What's that?" asked Joey.
"When May was captured, Raphael took her to a place called Paradius." Kaiba answered back to Joey. "I know I've heard it somewhere before..."
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Door after door opened for the three as they continued to run. Thanks to Kaiba's quick thinking, they were able to avoid the monsters just as theyw ere about to attack them.
"This is far as I can go." said Kaiba through the speakers. "The Mainframe for Kaiba Corp. is on another system."
"No problem, Seto!" Mokuba replied. "We'll take care of this!"
The three soon entered the Central Computer room, lined with digital panels and a giant, cylindrical type object that was most likely the main computer.
"This place is enormous!" said Max. "Look at all of this stuff!"
Mokuba immediately swiped his card into the card reader. The reader beeped in response.
"Intiating Retinal Check. Scanning subject: User authorized. Mokuba Kaiba confirmed."
"Voice recognistion, set." said Mokuba. "Shut down the old system. Reboot backup system!"
The monitors in the core room began to glow red, before returning to a shade of blue with a low hum accompanying it.
"All right!" said May. "That worked!"
Mokuba pulled out a floppy disk and inserted into the computer. Soon, the monitors showed photos of the inscriptions.
"All right, computer." said Mokuba. "Begin analyzing images! Reference every inscription, and cross reference with every archaeological database!"
"I hope this gives us the information we need." said May. "If not, then we're done for!"
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"So what does that say, exactly?" asked Joey, staring at the inscriptions on the monitor.
"After its ten thousand year long slumber, the black serpent will swallow the sun, and then paradise will rule once more." Professor Hawkins answered, translating the ruins.
"That's nice and all, but what does it exactly mean?" asked Joey.
"It must be speaking of Atlantis!" said Max, calling in from the Central Computer. "The Great Leviathan is going to help summon Atlantis once more!"
Kaiba then noticed one of the images on the screen: a yellow symbol similar to the Orichalcos, with a golden ankh bheind it, plus four torches. And he wasn't alone; May noticed the image also.
"That's it!" said May. "I remember seeing that symbol in the office room. Paradius!"
"Paradius?" asked Mokuba. "Hold on..."
He then typed something on the keyboard, the monitors replacing the images with some information.
"Paradius." Mokuba read. "A secret financial organization that people don't know about...but it holds a share of every company in the world?"
"OH NO!" The scream from both Kaiba brothers caught everyone off-guard.
"That must've been how they bought all the shares of Kaiba Corp.!" Max exclaimed.
"That's not it, though!" said May. "Dartz must be the president of the company, but it doesn't make any sense! He was the king of Atlantis ten millennia ago; how can he be the president of a modern-day company?"
"President or not, we're in big trouble!" Kaiba replied through the communicator. "Look out!"
Suddenly, the computer began to spark. Max, May and Mokuba soon shielded themselves as the monitors and computers began to explode, covering the area with smoke!
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"Oh man!" Joey exclaimed. "We lost connection! We have to go save them!"
"Hold on, Joey." said Yami. "We might be falling into one of Dartz's traps. And besides...even if we do find them, what's to say that one of Dartz's henchmen will be there to stop you?"
"I don't care!" Joey snapped back. "I have to do something; I can't sit here and do nothing!"
"Then we're going with you, Joey." said Tristan. "It's better if Téa and I did something rather than just stand here."
"We should all get going." said Kaiba. "There's no telling what's going to happen next."
"Agreed." said Yami. "Let's just hope those three are fine."
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Laughter filled the air as the Central Computer room disappeared. In its place was an empty void.
"You three were so close..." rang a voice. "Yet so very far..."
The three turned around, gasping to see a giant serpent staring at them. And what was worse, Dartz was standing on its forehead.
"Welcome!" He greeted. "It's nice to see you three: Goddess of Joy, Prince of Wisdom and the Defender of the King..."
"What do you want?" asked May.
"Did you not think it was obvious?" asked Dartz in reply. "You three have powers beyond those of the chosen duelists; I've come here to see if you really did have it, or to see if you were nothing but a couple of brats who wanted to play 'super hero'."
"Listen, you blue haired creep!" said Mokuba. "You better give us back Kaiba Corp. right now, or else I'll have to use full force!"
"And while you're at it, why not return all the souls of the people you sealed away!" Max added.
"And why should I?" asked Dartz. "From the looks of it, neither of you are in the position to make demands."
"Then let's make a deal!" said May, activating her Duel Disk. "Duel all three of us, and if we win, then you have to release all your prisoners at once!"
Max and Mokuba also activated their Duel Disks, drawing cards from their decks.
"I'm activating Samiya, the Sea Crown!" May exclaimed, playing the Ritual Card. "And now, I'll use it to summon Manaphy, Prince of the Sea!"
"I'm going to be playing Millennium Comet!" Max added. "So now, I summon Jirachi, the Wish Granter now!"
"I summon my newest monster onto the field!" said Mokbua. "I'm summoning Celestial Dragon Luna!"
The two Ritual Cards appeared, one depicting a star streaking through the heavens, the other a set of underwater ruins encased in a bubble. They were then replaced with both the Wish Pokémon and the Seafaring Pokémon, respectively. Then, a black dragon appeared with stars surrounding it. Its eyes were pure white and a white crescent moon was on its forehead as it stared at the Great Leviathan with anger.
Dartz began to laugh at the site of the creatures.
"This is the power of the Chosen?" He asked. "How pathetic! I was expecting more from the champions of Joy, Wisdom and the Moon. And to think...I actually had to go that far with those two creatures."
"So the Great Leviathan destroyed Samiya then?" asked May. "Oh my god..."
"And it was you who captured the Millennium Comet!" exclaimed Max. "How horrible!"
"I thought it would be a good way to neutralise the powers of the Goddess of Joy and Prince of Wisdom." Dartz explained to them. "But I wasn't expecting the help of a certain individual to save them."
"A certain individual?" asked Mokuba.
"Forget that!" said May. "You're going down! Manaphy, Hyper Beam!"
"Jirachi, Doom Desire!" Max added.
"Celestial Dragon Luna, Full Moon Beam!" shouted Mokuba.
Manaphy prepared an orb of orange fire while Jirachi began to glow in a bright light. Celestial Dragon Luna opened its mouth, an orb of white energy appearing.
"ATTACK!" The three Guardians shouted simultaneously. "Destroy that thing once and for all!"
The three monsters unleashed their attacks at the giant serpent. But instead, there was clouds of smoke when the attacks hit it.
"What?" asked May. "He's gone!"
"The ancient battle continues," said Dartz, his voice echoing throughout the void. "And soon your souls shall be mine!"
"Come back here!" Mokuba screamed. "And face us like a man!"
The monsters disappeared as the three soon found themsleves back at the Central Computer. Unfortunately, the door behind them was soon rammed open by the horde of monsters!
"Let's move!" said Mokuba, heading toward the elevator at the other side of the room. May and Max followed him as the elevator doors started to close.
"I can't believe it." said May, staring at her Samiya Ritual Card. "Dartz destroyed Manaphy's home."
"And he had half a mind to take the Millennium Comet away." said Max. "This must be what remains of them both...Dartz has sunk to a new low...he'll pay for his crimes!"
The elevator opened as the three found themselves on the roof of the Kaiba Corp. building. The three ran to the edge of the building, seeing monsters attacking and destroying it.
"We're surrounded!" said Max, turning around. The monsters were getting closer and closer, ready to attack and kill the three children.
"Not for long!" said Mokuba, bringing out a Duel Monsters Card. "Celestial Dragon Luna, help us out!"
The black dragon soon appeared, staring at Mokuba with curious eyes.
"Come on, guys." said Mokuba. "Let's get out of here!"
Max and May nodded their heads as the three positioned themselves on the dragon. It then flew into the air, escaping the blasts from some of the monsters.
"No more kiddy gloves." said May, staring at the destroyed Kaiba Corp. building. "We're in for a war."
"Look!" said Max, pointing to a sky. A black serpent silhouette began to fly in the sky, letting out a faint roar.
"Now things are serious." said Mokuba, as the black dragon continued to fly away. "Now, we fight."
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"The Pharaoh's friends are heading for your position." said Raphael to Valon through the communicator. "You know what you have to do."
Valon nodded, his blue eyes replaced by the green glow of the Orichalcos.
"Then it's time to extract my revenge." He hissed. "But before that...we're missing someone. After all, it isn't complete without the three Swordsmen of the Orichalcos.
"He'll awaken soon enough." Raphael said in reply. "In fact, he should be awaken right about...now."
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In the medical center, Alister slowly began to open his eyes. The tired grey orbs began to be covered by a green sheen, similar to the ones shown on Valon and Raphael. He sat up as he tried to remember what happened; he was dueling Kaiba and lost, then his brother was killed in front of his own eyes.
Kaiba...Kaiba was behind all of this; he instigated that plan with Shadow to distract him! How else would Kaiba state that he wasn't able to see his brother with that psycho back on the plane?
That's right... a voice whispered into Alister's ear. Take your vengeance...Kaiba took everything from you, but now, it is your time to strike back!
"It is." Alister said to himself. "Kaiba...you will pay for your crimes!"
That's it...succumb to your anger, succumb to your grief! Let it take over until the old you disappears forever!
It was then that Alister began to be wrapped in a green aura, as the Seal of Orichalcos appeared on his forehead. It was time to get back to where he started...
Back to the destruction of Seto Kaiba.
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May: Monsters are patrolling the streets like no tomorrow, policemen are brainwashed and crazy...
Max: Joey's fighting Valon...but it looks like Valon's changed.
Mokuba: He's not the only one, Alister's back!
Kaiba: How can that be? His soul got taken away back on the plane!
May: Either way, he's looking to take revenge on you, Kaiba. He wants to challenge you to a second rematch!
Max: And it looks like he got upgraded...I don't like the look on his face.
Mokuba: That's enough! Alister, it's time to fight Kaiba! Mokuba Kaiba, that is!
May and Max: Next time, "Between my Brother and Me" chapter 23-Watch out, it's Mokuba's turn!
Mokuba: I've been waiting for a chance to strike an Orichalcos duelist, and this time I'm not holding back.
Kaiba: Good luck, Mokuba. Show this clown why we were given the last name Kaiba!
Mokuba: With pleasure, Seto!