Chapter 43

Within minutes of finding himself surrounded by the others, Jay had already discovered just how twisted the little game they were playing was. Or at least how twisted it was if you believed Tristan. As Jay found his tongue skating across his lips more than once during the explanation he couldn't help but think two things; the first was how he'd never wanted to be this close to SK again and the second was how the hell someone had decided swapping identities was easier than swapping bodies.

Then again there was something about this place which seemed to seamlessly blur the lines between reality and fantasy. It was almost like being awake in a dream. But was the infantile Crovell really powerful and smart enough to have created a space like this all by himself? Jay had to admit it was a more believable idea than thinking the gods were the ones to create this place. But then the question really had to be asked; why the hell stage all this in a dream-like world to begin with? Was it really just so anything would be possible?

The idea was almost unreal, but that's what made it so interesting.

'So,' he gave a strange half laugh as he followed Catilin and the others through the thick forest the sixth challenge had landed them in, 'these things been particularly hard so far?'

'Nu-uh,' Catilin shook her head, 'they've been like playing a game show.'

'Well that's fine by me,' he grinned. 'So, any clue why we're all mirrors?'

'No,' she pressed her lips together, 'but I think it has something to do with the last clue; to walk a mile is to know the truth. When boundaries blur the line becomes clear.'

'Well that at least suggests we're supposed to break this little spell we're under somehow,' Jay folded his arms. 'But I don't know if we're supposed to do it by learning something from the person we think we are or by showing just how much like them we are. Personally I'm hoping it's the learning something from them one.'

'Why?'

'Because I'm not sure I really want to be that much like SK,' he licked his lips. 'Don't get me wrong, the guy's alright as far as people go. But if we didn't both work for the Mistresses I doubt the two of us would even move in the same circles.' '

'You think?' Catilin blinked at him.

'No, I pretty much know. I mean, I'm not saying either of us are judgemental people, but... let's face it, if it wasn't for Octan I would never have been selected to become one of the Mistresses Guardians, never mind anything else. On my own I'm nothing special and I certainly can't boast any real level of intelligence. I think I'd have probably made it onto Dee's Council, but... SK and I were made for two completely different worlds; the multiverse just conspired to bring us together.'

'I didn't know you thought of yourself in such a sad way,' Catilin pulled a face. 'You are special Jay, with or without Octan.'

'Yeah, well...' he licked his lips again, 'never mind that, tell me how did Kaiba do it? Break the spell I mean?'

'I don't really know,' she tilted her head to one side, 'he didn't really explain it and what he did say was just confusing. But then most of what Kaiba says gets confusing, he's kinda weird like that.'

'I can't believe you of all people think Kaiba is weird,' Jay couldn't help but laugh.

'Kaiba is weird. Weird and scary,' she frowned. 'I'm pretty sure he doesn't like me.'

'As much as I hate to say it, you're probably right there,' he gave a heavy. 'So do you think you could run all these clues by me again?'

'Uh-huh,' Catilin nodded. 'I am. Reflection. I reflect. You are. Reflection. You reflect. The dreamer sleeps, the sleeper dreams. What once was sees what now is. To walk a mile is to know the truth. When boundaries blur the line becomes clear.'

'Why do I feel like I should understand the meaning behind them better than I do,' Jay shook his head. 'Maybe I really am SK, I mean, I know for a fact he wouldn't know what to do with any of this.'

'I feel like that every time I tried to think,' Catilin bounced on her heels slightly as they walked. 'It's like my brain wants to do one thing but I'm telling it to do something else. Like in a dream.'

'Huh?'

'When you're asleep asleep and not just a little bit asleep and your inner mind is controlling what happens in your dreams, you can think one thing and do another. It's like... like when you dream you can fly but you remain close to the ground. Or, or, or when you...'

'I think I get it,' Jay cut her off. 'I guess all roads are pointing to this being some kind of dream reality no matter how much we try to analyse it.'

'Is that bad?'

'No, but it does leave us with just as many questions as we had to begin with,' his tongue skated across his lips. 'Like why set a game in a dream reality? Why not set it in the real world? What does having us all think we're different people than who we are really have to do with anything? I mean, seriously, this situation is insane.'

'I don't know,' Catilin pressed her lips together, 'I think its...' she hesitated, clearly trying to find the word she needed, 'poignant.'

'Okay, you're going to have to explain what you mean by that,' Jay cocked an eyebrow at her. 'How is all this craziness poignant?'

'Maybe I used the wrong word, but... it feels like this could only be a dream. Dreams make you face things whether you want to or not, that's why they can be scary. But they can be happy and fun too. And safe and... lots of things. I don't know what the word is I need, but I can see how making us play here makes sense. Especially if we have no powers.'

'Yeah,' his tongue glanced over his lips again as he stared down at his own hands, 'I guess I can see a little bit of logic there. But wouldn't it have been better not to take our powers away completely? I mean, if we think we're someone else anyway wouldn't trying to use someone else's powers prove difficult for us? Octan told me once that even if you have the same abilities as someone else you might use them in a different way because of how you bring them out. It's why he made me learn how to use my own powers properly before he let me try to use his.'

'I didn't know you could use Octan's powers,' she stared at him.

'That's because I was never any good at it,' his tongue skated across his lips, 'even the basic powers which were similar to my own handled weirdly. In the end I gave up and Octan made some innocuous comment about it being harder to learn how to use someone else's powers when you have powers of your own.'

'Huh, so that's why hiet braysta relies on his own and not on the First's,' Catilin tilted her head back and forth, 'I did wonder. But I've never had any trouble with Win's.'

'Probably because you're a Calicaccu,' he licked his lips again and rolled his eyes, 'there's probably something instinctive about it for you. Or... I don't know; you're just weird Cat.'

'Maybe, but... maybe a lot of things,' she shrugged and pulled a face at her own incoherent statement.

It was now a large stone wall came into view. Sat neatly into the wall almost directly ahead of them was a large metal gate.

'Okay,' Joey came to a stop, 'anyone else think that was way too easy?'

'And you're complaining?' Tristan folded his arms.

'No, just slightly worried. I mean, I don't think walking through a forest is much of a challenge; there has to be some kind of catch.'

Almost in response to his statement a loud screeching roar ripped through the air.

'What was that?'

'That, Wheeler, would be the dragon you wanted to face in our first challenge,' Tristan rolled his eyes.

'Ha, ha, ha, very funny.'

'Who said I was joking?'

The beastly cry was heard again and a blast of cold air shot down at them to the beating sound of descending wings. Straining their gaze upwards, they witnessed the graceful landing of a large white dragon and his knighted rider.

'Paladin of White Dragon,' Joey took half a step back, 'no wonder the redhead told you to hold onto your dueldisk Kaiba.'

'Who here wishes to pass my gate?' The Paladin's voice was deep and booming.

'We all do,' Catilin shot him a sweet smile.

'And who of you is willing to put your soul on the line in order to get through?'

'I think it's safe to assume at this stage we all do,' despite his earlier concern, Joey's voice was now calm and level.

'Then choose your strongest warrior and let them prove their worth against me.'

'What do you mean, prove their worth?'

'You mean in a battle don't you,' a grin stalked its way across Catilin's face, 'like knights of old.'

'Wait,' Joey blinked, 'you mean one of us has to fight a duel monster.'

'Uh-huh hiet braysta, but more too,' she flicked the Duel Soul card out of her pocket, 'one of us has to become a duel monster.'

'But not all of us have our own cards,' Ahna shook her head.

'We do, we do, we do, we're all mirrors, remember? Bet you anything when Kaiba activates this card I'll become Duel Soul.'

'And if you're wrong, I'll be the one having to fight him,' Yugi shot her a look.

'But that's okay because you don't mind, right?'

'I…'

'We're not playing Duel Soul,' Tristan cut him off. 'It might be a strong monster, but it's a spell caster, not a warrior.'

'And?' Joey half glared at him.

'I believe we've been asked to put our strongest warrior up, not our strongest spell caster.'

'But we only have four warriors.'

'Then I guess it'll have to be one of them,' Tristan smirked as he activated the dueldisk on his arm, 'and I vote for the…'

'I don't think so Kaiba,' Joey grabbed hold of his arm, 'if anyone is going to challenge him then it's going to be…'

'Don't make me laugh; I'm the one with the dueldisk so I'm the one who decides,' he snatched his arm back. 'And I choose the Blue Eyes Knight.'