The Gift of Sight
Being forced to sit on the sidelines was a 'new' thing for Seto Kaiba. Being on the sidelines even was... 'New', depending on perspectives. After all, where else would she sit when the battle had no part for her to play? To be forced to do anything, or more accurately 'nothing' however was a rare if not foreign feeling, an action that she personally strived to avoid due to her distaste for the matter. There had been far too many things left out of control, things that she would hold on a tight leash for such a reason.
But the fact was that despite these thoughts, if she made a single move Mokuba was dead. And that fact alone would keep her standing there, no matter how much the thought bored at her every being. No matter how much disgust she felt as the blond she'd had working on her security staff acted in stark contrast of his usual self. No matter how much denied fear she felt as the blond acted similar to what she'd 'expected' upon discovering his backgrounds. To what she had, for a brief moment, seen from records dredged up for the required 'check-up' of his history.
Actions that despite this, she had grown used to considering 'non-existent', actions that Mokuba would never have to see from the blond, and actions that he would never be forced to watch.
Actions that held a chilling reminder of her 'old self', before whatever madness her rival had inflicted upon her. Before that 'coma' that somehow allowed her to clear her mind.
There were things that happened before her that she tried, despite emotions she preferred not to acknowledge, to pass off as a trick of the light. Things that while she watched the duel that was taking place before her were considered the stuff of hallucinations, dreams, nightmares even as she so tried to convince herself. Flames and thunder were simply her imagination extending the limits of the duel disk, stumbling a common side-effect of the 'Solid Vision', the blood merely the red light above catching Yugi's hand wrong. There was a reason why direct-attack spells had been made illegal in the tournament after all, and that was the increased damage to the player... There was nothing 'real' about it, nothing but the chains holding the two boys in place as they fought despite all previous interactions.
But the fact remained that she couldn't explain the apocalyptic vision of the sky before her as meteors fell from the clouds above. She couldn't explain the flames that filled the air as stones struck the seas to bring miniature geysers all about the dock, ashes floating on the waters as steam was left to fill the harbor in its wake. She couldn't explain the fact that Red-Eyes was hovering behind and around Yugi rather than before him in its rightful place, nor could she explain the smoke that filled the field after each attack struck his side of the field.
And the fact was, she didn't like being unable to explain things. It was something that she detested, something she loathed with all her being. Everything had a reason. It was the thing that held everything together, held everything rooted to the ground so that it could be worked with. The thing that kept control in place, that kept confusion and fear from arising. The thing that made certain she would be able to do whatever was required, whatever was wanted, whatever she wanted of the situation.
The thing that was missing now, as she stood with her hands on her head and stared at the steaming seas with wide eyes. And as she looked forward, something caught her eyes, the woman choking in silence as she watched Yugi stumble to his feet and walk toward his friend. He'd only just barely recovered from the last of the 'hinotama' attacks, a fact that was plainly obvious as he stumbled forward, but that wasn't what she found her attention drawn to. Around his neck... There was nothing. Nothing but the leather 'collar' he'd taken to wearing in the recent months or so, likely longer given her own 'absence', and the chain of his puzzle was gripped tightly in his hands rather than hanging around his neck. But what... What was he doing..? What could he possibly be doing with this..! Jonouchi was paying him no mind at the moment- Yugi was too weak to walk properly really, and he'd barely made it past the first support beam for the docks, leaving the blond's attention to the field as he made his move. But to have taken off the puzzle, after already switching back to the 'calm' side, leaving the 'fighter' within the device..!
"You fool," she hissed under her breath, voice unheard by the others. "You damned yourself..."
She didn't like not 'knowing'... But there was still more to come, wasn't there?
For Yugi to continue standing after the last attack was more than a surprise in Katsuya's opinion.
Hell it was a god-damned miracle he told himself, barely able to spot the boy from his location behind his 'body'. He could hear him coughing as the flames cleared from the air, steam hovering over the seas even while he pulled himself up the docks where he'd landed. It was hard to move... Being a 'ghost' was hard, so hard, and yet... "Ghn... Yugi," he whispered, struggling for breath as he clawed at the dock's wooden planks. The boy was walking... Stumbling slowly toward his side of the dock, but even now he'd barely made it to the support pillar before collapsing against the structure with weary and shaking limbs. "Yugi..!"
"Ooooh... So sad isn't it," the Millennium Rod said with a sneer, its flaming form and grin still hovering above the body that was so tightly within its grasp. "But don't worry," he reassured the blond, the body momentarily looking back at him to grin as well. "It's allllmost over... All I need to do is destroy that pesky little dragon of yours," he continued maliciously, "And it'll all be over..." Gh... And 'over' meant 'dead'... And he couldn't... Let that...
The blond's fingers dug into the wood as he attempted to regain his strength, bowing his head before a voice pulled his eyes back up to the docks. "Jonouchi-kun," Yugi rasped weakly, the chain on his wrist clinking across the ground as he moved across the wood. "Whatever happens... I just can't kill you," he cried, eyes having run dry from the amount of crying he'd already done. "I can't... So please," he begged through heaving breaths, "Listen to me..." His voice appeared to fade into whispers almost as his 'other' pulled back at him, actions ignored as the boy slowly continued forward. "Please," he rasped, barely half-way along the docks as Red-Eyes watched carefully from the side. "Please..."
Katsuya bowed his head at the words, shaking as sobs wracked his body. Damn it... He'd been listening the entire time... The entire hellish time, unable to say anything..! "Hnhnhnhnhn..." And instead, he had 'this' for his voice..! "My turn isn't finished yet," the Rod announced, the 'ghost' behind him continuing to pull his way across the docks with weakened movements thanks to the injuries sustained from the teeth and flames. "I'm summoning the Rocket Warrior," the monster called out, tablet appearing at his side before smoke wrapped around the outward facing carving. "And using his special effect," he continued with a sneer, "I can weaken your Dragon, taking 1500 points from its attack! Hnhnhnhnhn..." The ghost behind him grit his teeth as blood and dust stuck to sticky and burnt wounds, barely managing to pull his leg back out of the water from where he'd been thrown. Clearly...
The Rod had far too much time to get used to his body... Given the comfort he had in all of his smoothly made movements. Just slightly across from him now however, the item's opponent wasn't appearing to listen, instead continuing forward as his friend looked toward him miserably. "...Jonouchi-kun," Yugi was saying again, holding the puzzle forward on its chain with a wracking cough as he shuddered. "If I keep this," he whispered, "Then... When I..." When what..? The end of that sentence couldn't be what he thought it was, couldn't be what his mind told him it was, it couldn't..!
"Yugi," he whispered, pulling himself to his hands and knees as he collapsed to the dock's floor, "What're y' sayin'... What are y'..."
The Millennium Rod's shout for attack cut him off, a torpedo launching from the tablet with an echoing boom. "The Rocket Warrior attacks," the spirit announced, Red-Eyes roaring as the green and checkered flag marked rocket tore toward its charge. But wait...
That thing was supposed to attack a monster, not the player! "Gh- You can't do that... Yugi is-"
"Hnhnhn... There's been a change in plans," the spirit said with a nigh demonic grin. "Besides," he added with a laugh, the grin transferring to the human body as the 'eye's loomed above the blond, "What the rest can't see won't hurt them... Right?" No... He paled, staring in horror as the rocket spun and twisted in a dart-like motion. No... No, no, n-
NO! The blond shook his head, jumping from his place on the docks with renewed strength as he snatched at the spirit's eyes. "No," he cried, somehow appearing to the front of the body rather than the back as his bleeding and torn fingers clawed at eyes blossoming from his legs and knees. "You can't touch him! I won't let... I WON'T LET YOU," he roared, spiritual form enveloped in flames as it was tossed forward into the seas. "GLACK!"
The flaming eyes merely sneered, 'arms' flapping in the wind as they retreated back to the body. "Tch... Get off of me, PEST!"
Pest... He would show him more than 'pest', he growled from within his mind, using the key-box as a hand-hold before launching himself forward with the roars and growls of the dragon behind him. "I won't... I CAN'T LET YOU DO THIS!"
"GRNNNAAAAAAAOOOOO!" And with a pain-filled howl the attack was brought to a screeching halt, a dragon's roar pulling the blond's attention to the field as Yugi appeared to freeze momentarily.
Something had dropped, fallen to the ground, the sound of a splash catching his ears and Yugi's both as the boy turned to look at his side. From beneath the shadow above and beside him the waters seemed to run dark and red with blood, an enormous and black-scaled arm sinking into the seas. Even with that a steady stream of red continued to fall, tatters of what remained from Red-Eyes' right wing hanging on mere sinews as blood pooled beside him. "R... Red-Eyes," Yugi muttered, looking up into bright red eyes as he shook his head. "You... How..!"
Katsuya stared in horror as the dragon merely growled lowly in response, shaking his head. "No... No," he shouted, tears running down his fist. This dragon... He wasn't even supposed to be fighting now, this was his 'break', his chance to rest..! He shouldn't have been here, let alone suffering the most of all his monsters so far..! "Red-Eyes," he wept, body sinking into the solid version behind him as he cried. "Red-Eyes!"
"Gh... Ngh..." Flames again wrapped around Katsuya's form, the blond tossed off behind him as both the 'spirit' and 'body' both began to react to some unseen force of nature. "Pain," the Rod cried, shaking his eyes and 'head' both as he snarled. "Pain, pain PAIN... WHAT IS THIS PAIN!" The Rod clutched his right arm with a roar, nails digging into the body's flesh as Katsuya again stumbled to his feet from the side. "RGGAAARRRRGH! WHYYYYYY!" He felt stronger now... Even as blood was pouring from his arms, he felt...
Now... Now was the time...
Now was his chance! The blond again 'stabbed' forward in a spearing motion with his arm, ripping as much of the eye on his 'back' out as possible. Even as teeth closed over on his hands he pulled, digging deeper and deeper into the cold and vitreous jelly making up the object's form as his 'body' began to tremble and shout. "Get... Out... 'F... MY... HEAD," he roared, the spirit screeching in pain with each strike and shout.
"RAAAAAAAAAGH! GET... GET OFF OF ME," he wailed, grabbing at his head, fingers pulling at his hair as tears dotted the corners of his 'human' eyes. "GET... OUT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING," the item screeched, words jumbled between reality and his mind as he howled in pain. "The screams and struggles continued as Katsuya pulled and scratched, moving his arms toward the eyes covering his chest with grit teeth as he again managed to move positions from front to back. "AAAAAAAAGGH!"
It hurt... So much it hurt as the teeth clenched into his arms, and as the veins and nerves of the eyes themselves attempted to pull his arms tightly into the object's being as a last defense, but he couldn't stop, he couldn't... Not until it was all gone, not until it was completely destroyed..! The body fell to its knees as it attempted to physically remove the 'threat', still screaming as Yugi finally made his way to the blond. It was only a momentarily pause that the ghost gave as his voice and the appearance of his other caught his attentions, the Rod itself too pained to pay attention enough to expel him yet again. What... "Ghk... Yugi," he asked, literally arms deep in his problems as he turned, "What're... What're y' doin' here..?"
And of course as he stared, there was no answer, Katsuya's hands now entangled in the mess of nerve-fibers that held the Millennium Rod's eye together on his front. "J... Jo... Jonouchi-kun," the boy muttered weakly, grabbing the chain in two hands and holding it forward. The boy appeared to be ignoring the fact that the blond before him was tearing at his own neck and chest, instead continuing on as he moved close with the puzzle in hand. "I don't want this puzzle to sink... And I know that... That the other me can help you... And that you... You can help the other me," he continued, dropping the chain around the body's neck with a swallow. "Because only you and me can see him," he whispered through renewed tears, the teen before him halting his frenzied tremors to take the gold object in his hands. "So... Please... When I die... Keep it for me," he asked, the ghost of his friend growing pale and stiff enough for the Rod to take control yet again.
"Hgn... HGNA!" Gh-! Whips of fire and nerves both wrapped roughly around his arms, pulling him into the air before flinging him to the side with a loud and screech. "GET! OFF," he roared, flames rising and blazing to impossible heights as he pulled himself to his feet. "Hah... Hah... This puzzle..." Katsuya grunted as he fell to the ground, watching as his body stood and moved to the Rod's will. "Now... What should I do with this," he wondered, subconciously mouthing the words as Yugi left for his side of the field.
Chuckling came through the air with that question, Katsuya paling as he again forced himself from the waters he'd been thrown into. Would you look at this... If we break this, 'his' voice muttered, the blond's spirit growing pale. That voice...
And then... "Aibou," another voice called out, the source appearing to be the puzzle itself as the Millennium Rod chuckled. "Aibou! AIBOU!"
Oh god not that voice..! Not..! "Hnhnhnhnhn..." The Rod began to laugh almost manically as Katsuya stood, a number of feet away from the monster in his body. No... No..! "HnhnHAHAHA!" Yugi was across the field, watching with dead and miserable eyes... And for a brief moment as the puzzle was held, he could see the shocked image of the other one, the teen staring in horror as his gaze met with the ghost of his bloodied and scarcely recognizable friend.
"J... Jonouchi..!"
"Hnhnhahahaha... I win," the Rod hissed, ripping the central piece from the puzzle as the other Yugi vanished in a cut scream, the sound resembling that of the unseen wind that had blown the teen into dust. The small piece shone in his hand, and as he dropped the puzzle about his neck and turned to face the seas and Katsuya both he grinned. "Good bye..~ I'll wish you luck in Ammit's bowels..."
No... NO! He shook his head, ignoring the pain that was caused by his still constricted arms, 'blood' rushing through his head as he spat. "Like HELL!" The blond roared as he charged the arm that held the piece, launching himself into the air to spear the eye controlling it as the spirit moved to throw it.
"Gh- N... Again," the demon shrieked, the ghost hanging from the limb even as his legs 'vanished' into some sort of dusted wind. "Again!" The arm froze in place as Katsuya drove his hands in further, the body's hand clenched as the Rod attempted to move it with a snarl. This didn't work last time... Not really, all he'd been able to do was 'change targets' but... This time..! Flaming arms began to grab at him, the blond gritting his teeth as the fires seared into his skin. "Get off... GET OFF," the spirit roared, Katsuya pulling the arm toward him and toward the docks below. He couldn't let go... He... Couldn't... Let... Go! The fires continued to pull at him, arms loosing strength as the mantra ran through his mind. He couldn't... He wouldn't!
With the last of his strength he pulled himself forward, sinking his teeth as far into the eye as possible as his arm was viciously torn from the insides of the eye. Teeth sank deep into the muscles lining the object on his arm, the blond screaming within his head as the spirit's own fangs sunk into his face. His jaw was barely keeping closed... Teeth were boring through his cheek and throat both, and had he been 'alive' he'd have 'died' long before but he wasn't letting go..! He wasn't letting go, not at all..! Because Yugi was...
His friend..! "RGAAAAAAHHH! These aren't my memories," the monster screeched, the puzzle piece still tightly gripped in its hand despite him not wanting anything to do with it. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING! WHAT IS THIS," the Rod roared, bringing his arm back down to grab at his head with clenched fists and tightly closed eyes. Memories... He could see his memories, Katsuya realized with pained and shut eyes, tears running down his bloodied and burning face. He could remember tossing the puzzle's box back and forth with Honda, teasing Yugi about it... Mazaki... No, 'Anzu', taking it back just as he'd taken a single piece from the box, the 'center' piece, the 'eye' piece...
This piece! He'd felt... A need to have that piece, he didn't know why... So he'd taken it, and he'd tossed it into the... Seas..?
No, the pool. The school's pool, right outside the window and closed off until the summer months. But then the next day, when Ushio jumped him and Honda, Yugi had stood up for them... Getting himself just as beaten as the others, just as horribly injured. So he went... To the pool... "Something you can show, but can't see," Katsuya hissed as he brought his arms from the fires to the eye, mouth releasing the muscles as he tore himself from its jaws. "Something you can show... But can't see..!" And as he'd done on the back he pulled tightly at the strings and ooze of the Rod's eye, his own eyes wide with frenzied rage. "Something you can show, but can't SEE," he roared, the words his friend told him that day echoing through his mind.
"Ghra... RNAAAAAAHHH! RNRHAAAAAAAAGGGHHH!" He wanted to say those words aloud... Wanted to tell Yugi he was right here, but first there was something he needed to do..! With a single hand the blond dove further into the eye on his left arm, grinding his teeth as he continued the mantra in his mind. The depth of the eye was beyond impossibility... He was up to his shoulder, the feel of gold in his hand's now as he tightened his hold on the arm. Something you can show... Something you can... "GHRAAAAA! WHY," the Rod cried, his left arm coming down as he trembled. "WHY!"
"I'm getting control of this body back," Katsuya roared, moving his left hand toward his chest to force the puzzle piece back into the pyramid-like device around him. "I'm takin' what's mine," he continued firecely as he ripped the hand back from the arm, "No matter what!" With both hands the blond furthered his attack, the body hanging almost limp as it fell back under the force of the ghost's strike to its face. "EVEN IF I HAVE TO D'STROY BOTH OF US," the blond announced, fingers tearing to shreds as he pulled back on the jaws of the eye on his mouth. Let him speak, let him speak for himself, he roared in his mind, the Rod falling dangerously silent as the eye before him rolled about in terror. "BECAUSE I...
"I'm a duelist..." The jaw tore open with a sickening crunch, shards of teeth clattering to the ground and bursting into flames. The jaw that held the eye in place hung on limp strands of sinew and fibre as the eye hung forward in its flaming socket, the body's mouth moving with Katsuya's own. "...I'm a fighter... F'r myself, not anyone else. Th' hatred 'f endl'ss years doesn' concern me," he continued with narrowed eyes as he spoke to Malik and the Rod both, "So I'm-" The blond's head snapped back as the little control he'd regained was forced back, a near sonic-blast of flames sending him back down the side of the dock and against one of the support pillars.
"Ghng! Glrghk! Glack!" A mouthful of blood and some other substance flew out of his mouth as he struck the beam, gripping the beam beside him and struggling to his feet. "Ghnnn..."
"HRAAAAAHHH! AAAAAARRRAAAAAAHH! YOU..." Shit. It was pissed. The blond paled as the 'body' stared him down, what had formerly been a dead yet determined expression now filled with rage. "YOU THINK YOU'RE SO POWERFUL," the Millennium Rod raged as its eye ripped from the 'socket' over the mouth, jaw following behind it in a whirl of flames to turn on his former host. "YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN BEST ME WITH MERE POT SHOTS," it snarled as the eye itself opened to reveal nothing but shadows and flames, the teen before it stepping back with horrified chokes, "THAT TO FREE A SHARD OF MY BEING MEANS YOU WIN!"
The ghost swallowed back a wave of fear as he stared forward with wide eyes, stumbling back as the Rod began to do two things at once. "It's your turn," the body was shouting with a snarl, the 'eye' beside it spreading its flames. "So draw a card!" But even as it did this, Yugi nodding nervously and doing as told the spirit itself was approaching its former host with wide and leering teeth, disembodied jaws nothing compared to that of the eye's own 'mouth', snapping... Snarling...
But if this meant he was close... "Tch... Yea, I think I can," the blond spat, lunging at the body again with a feral cry. "An' seein' how attackin' th' head is gettin' th' most results," he snarled as he 'misted' above his own body in a roar, "I think I'll keep at it!"
Squelches and crunches hit the air as Katsuya pulled at the hair and teeth near his eyes, ignoring the nearly skeletal remains of his hands. "GRAAAAHHH! And I told you... It's FUTILE! You stand NO CHANCE," the spirit snarled, forcing the blond to slip down the body's back as he continued his attacks. "RAAAAAGHHH! GLK-"
A handful of 'eye' was ripped from the 'throat's joint', tossed to the side where it burst to flames as Katsuya breathed haggardly. "Y' say that now... But yer screams 'r tellin' me otherwise," the blond spat, wincing as teeth clamped his arms into place. "Gn- GHA!" Ghn... Move... It..!
"What on earth..."
Katsuya's eyes flung open, jaw still clenched tight as he turned. That voice..! "Gh... Y-Yu... Other Yugi!" The voice was there, but where was-
"Jonouchi," the other Yugi shouted more clearly, a 'mist' appearing to rise from the side as his voice echoed. "You... Is that-"
The shade appeared just to the side as Katsuya freed his first hand to gain a grip on his body's hair, the firey spirit of the Rod continuing to snarl as its shard and eyes turned on the newcomer. "Oh look," he hissed, teeth widening in the face of the shadowed spirit beside them. "The PHARAOH... Here to join the party," he spat, Yugi taking his turn from across them in the meantime.
The other Yugi appeared frozen on the spot in light of what he could now see, his eyes wide with terror at the firey 'monster' and the haggard, shredded form of his friend's spirit. "What in the name of the Gods..."
"Gh... There's no time t' explain," Katsuya cried, pulling at jaws covering his eyes despite the teeth that were burrowing into his skin. "I can't... I won' let Yugi die... Gh... Little help be nice," he added with a strangled and questioning choke, the freed shard of the Rod attempting to pull the blond off with flaming 'arms' once more. The fires were wrapped and threaded into his neck, his arms forced from the toothy 'eye' as he attempted to free himself. "Gh- Please..?"
The darker spirit immediately nodded, responding with a swift knife-hand to the eye that was strangling his friend. A hissing scream shot through the air as the monster was buffeted away, the other Yugi hovering in the air with a determined nod. "Tch! Gladly," he shouted, watching as his friend continued attacking the eyes before him. "But Jonouchi..." The teen paused, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the 'ghost' before him. "When this is over... You will explain, understand," he 'warned', Katsuya nodding furiously as the teen behind him was again distracted with the floating 'eye' above them.
"Anythin'... Anythin'," the blond shouted, adjusting his grip on the eye he was getting rid of. "Jus' don' let Yugi die," he begged, before freeing the last of the jaws on his face with an echoing snap. "Don' let 'm-"
"GRNAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" The Millennium Rod gave a howling cry, his attackers momentarily pausing as the shorter watched his target flail and struggle with rage. "SFFFFFFF... Youuuuu SCUM! FILTH of the NILE!" Tch! Blood dripped from Katsuya's hands before a larger blast of fire blew the blond back, his friend barely protected by the confines of his own puzzle. "I WARNED YOU... I WARNED YOU!" Gh- Some warning..! "I don't care what sorts of powers this body holds now," the spirit snarled, the Other Yugi re-appearing to look back at Katsuya's fallen form with wide eyes. "As far as I care, you can BOTH die! All I need to do is make sure that you kiddies sit tight and enjoy watching your own deaths," he cackled, the two 'ghosts' both looking at the flaming monster with nausea and distaste, "So sit back... ENJOY THE SHOW," he roared, a tablet appearing to his side as he switched back to 'reality'. "I summon the Panther Warrior," the Rod announced, carving filling with smoke for the monster to step out, "And I attack!" Gh...
NO! The black-cat stood at the side, the ghosts attacking the Rod's form powerless as the monster made its decision. What happened in the duel was out of their control... What happened next would kill Yugi, and what they did to the Rod meant nothing. But rather than charging forward as he normally would the cat merely hissed, hairs standing on end as he looked to the blond at his side. "You... You're NOT my partner..!"
They were... Partners? The ghosts continued to watch with wide eyes, the fires around the Rod's eyes flickering in annoyance as the body grit its teeth. "I wouldn't complain if I were you," the Rod warned, the Panther quickly growling and snarling in response.
"Tch! So you take his form and DARE to ask THAT? No wonder the Alligator was in such a foul mood," the cat spat, backing away as it leered at the other monster by his 'summoner's side. "You can count me out- I don't fight against the 'rules of combat'! In fact," he added, Yugi activating his trap from across the field as an idea formed, "How about I do this instead?"
As the panther charged toward the Rocket Warrior on his own side of the field the 'Other Yugi' stared, eyes wide in confusion. "How," he 'asked', both himself and Katsuya momentarily pausing out of shock as the tablet holding Rocket-Warrior's prone and torpedo-like form launched the monster out toward its attacker. "How is this happening..?"
"I'll tell y' what," Katsuya said with a swallow, watching as the Panther warrior crumbled to the ground from the Rocket's wounds, a nasty and bleeding gash on the monster's side as it struggled to keep conciousness. "I'll explain after... But f'r now," he continued, cracking his knuckles as he tore at the body again, "Next target... Th' chest! HRAAHH!"
"Tch! Fight all you want," the Rod hissed, flames wrapping around its remaining eyes as it struck the two boys attacking him. From across the field Yugi was sacrificing his Magnet Warrior for 'Gilfer', attacking the Rocket Warrior to destroy it easily... The tablet was crumbling into dust as the boys attempted to push through the fires, the flames forming a bizarre shield of sorts over the eyes. But even as the monster was destroyed the spirit paid it no mind, instead continuing to glower at the two boys. "Tch..." With a wave of violent and hot flames the two were thrown back, the 'Other Yugi' to one side and Katsuya to the other. "Like I said," the 'demon' snarled, "I no longer care... Whether you take control or not, BOTH of you will DIE, mark my words! Hnhnhnhnhn..." Both of them..? And how did he... How did he expect to do that! "Hnhnhahaha! I wonder... When that happens, I wonder... 'Little Pharaoh'... Will you end up waiting for another host," he asked, the other Yugi currently batting the fires on his clothes off to glare at the Item. "Or will both of you end up stuck in this puzzle," the spirit continued with a dark laugh, the ghosts both jumping with confused shock and horror at the statement. "After all... This is MY body now," he cackled madly, "And I still have plenty of life points to spare! The demon's flames mean NOTHING," he spat, even as the ghosts behind him stared at the flames still burning across the ground, swallowing back their fear and attempting to steady themselves. "Now... It's MY TURN! And now I can just sit back and wait for the time to pass... And with only ten minutes left, that won't be long at all!"
Wait for- He was going to just let them both drown! Tch! "I told y'," he spat with a roar, knuckles cracking, "That ain't gonna happen No matter what... NO MATTER WHAT," the blond roared as he charged, his friend doing the same with grit teeth. "I'M GOIN' OUT FIGHTIN'"
"IN THAT CASE," the Millennium Rod announced with a grin, "LET'S MAKE IT A FIGHT YOU WIN! I'll make my own decisions this time around... If it's a fight you want then so be it! It'll be a fight that costs you the life of your most precious friend, and your own body! HNHNHAHAHAHAHA! THIS will be INCREDIBLE!"
Not if he could help it god damn it..! "Jonouchi-kun," Yugi was asking from across the field as both spirits charged the body across from him. "Do you remember our promise in the duelist kingdom," he continued, unable to see that his friend was currently partially merged with his own body, arms elbow deep in the 'eyes' lodged to his shoulders as his 'other self' shielded the blond from the flames. "You fought hard to save Mokuba and Kaiba-san! You fought fair and square," the boy called out through his tears, "And in the end, you gave up the battle to keep that promise! So... When I gave you the prize money for Shizuka," he continued with wide eyes, "While we were going home, we promised each other... Until the day you beat me, you can 'owe me one', alright? And... Didn't you enter this tournament to keep that promise," he shouted, unable to see the wave of flames that were blowing his friends back from the body yet again, both boys landing at either ends of the dock and in the seas with chokes and coughs. "Didn't you enter so that we could fight fairly!"
Katsuya swallowed, weakly pulling himself up the dock as the other Yugi did the same. "Gh... This 'thing'," the spirit spat, streaks of blond hair curiously falling at the sides of his face to make him resemble his lighter half as he choked. "This...
"Th' Millennium Rod," the blond hissed, swallowing as his friend stared. "You... You think I'm gonna let y' go through with this," he growled, the body in question setting two cards face down as he ended his turn. The eye above it turned to look at the ghost, the body as well narrowing his eyes to glare at him. "I told you that this... Is my body," Katsuya snarled, running forward even as his 'partner's' eyes widened. "An' I told you... THAT I WON'T LET YOU KILL HIM! RGHAAAAAA!"
"J-JONOUCHI," the other Yugi shouted, abruptly vanishing from sight as he was re-called to the puzzle.
With a clawed gesture the blond charged head first toward the body, forgoing original tactics in his desperation. It was his body damn it... His... And he wouldn't let...
Fires erupted in his vision as he ran through the form, eyes clenched shut momentarily as he blindly swung at the beast he'd targeted. But instead of screams, he heard laughter as he opened his eyes, abruptly halting his movements as the voice of the Millennium Rod became clear and booming in tone.
"Hnhnhnhnhnhnhn... Hnhnhahahahaha..." Laughter echoed all around Katsuya as he swallowed back a shout, body restored to its 'original' state as he began to grow pale. "Well now," the 'Rod' said with a low chuckle, "This is an interesting development..." For a moment, the blond thought he was back where he started. That he was back under the 'thumb' of the Rod in his mind, back to watching without the ability to move. Before him, through a curtain of flames, he could quite clearly see Yugi attacking his monster with the Archfiend of Gilfer, only for Graceful Dice and Skull Dice both to activate at once from crumbling tablets. But instead of pulling through with their magic, a 'De-spell' from Yugi's side was activated to dispell the Graceful die... With the Skull die failing horribly as the demon put his Panther out of his misery, lowering the Rod's lifepoints considerably. There was no time left though...
There was no time... And it was with that thought in mind that he realized he wasn't looking through a curtain of flames, and that his body was still under control. It was a window that stood before him now, and at his feet hot and steaming sand that was burning from between his toes. "Where is this place," he found himself muttering, staring through the window with wide eyes as his and Yugi's lifepoints both became identical in number. The fires licked around the 'window' in an almost framing motion, as though what was through it was far out of reach for its source. "Where..."
"Hnhnhn..." Slowly Katsuya turned to the voice behind him, seeing nothing but flames and ruined, charred wood around him as he swallowed. "We're in the remains of your MIND," the Rod hissed, the remains of what looked to be a stable house or loft collapsing around him. A stable... Why was he in- Hell, how did he know this was a- "A horribly simple room," the spirit continued with a sneer, "And yet even as simple as it was, it was so difficult to conquer..." Gh... "But of course," it added, still invisible to the blond's eye, "Everything comes to an end at some point..."
Gh..! "Where are y," the blond roared, eyes narrowed as he looked around the sandy and blistering room. The dog-tags around his neck dangled and gathered the heat of the flames, sweat evaporating off his skin as he stepped further inward. "SHOW YERSELF!"
He quickly regretted saying that, as chuckling sounded around the room in response. "Hnhnhnhnhn... As you 'wish'," the Rod hissed, a section of the flames appearing to move forward as it continued to laugh. "I've drawn the 'winning' card anyways," he said with a sneer, footprints appearing in the sand as his target paled. "I doubt you'll stand much longer after this... There's three minutes left now, and when that happens the anchor will fall and take your dear friend with it... Hnhnhnhnhn..."
"You..." Katsuya stumbled back with trembling eyes, watching as a charred and blackened skeleton stepped through the flames. From the fires wrapped around its body the blond could see a single golden iris staring toward him, the large eyeball jammed in the skull's right socket as ashen bone reached forward. "What... What th' hell are you," the blond hissed in fear, the flames around the skeleton forming a twisted silhouette of his own body as it pushed through the sand.
"I'd have thought it was obvious," the 'monster' whispered, flexing its hands as his 'host' shook. "I'm 'you'," it announced, pulling its hands back and cracking its neck. "I am your 'thoughts', your 'HATE'... I am that which lurks in all MINDS, the darkness that lies within all HEARTS... I... AM the Millennium Rod," the demon cackled, the blond shaking with rage. "And I am that which will consume ALL things as I see FIT!"
'Him'? "Yer sick," the blond spat, shaking his head as he swallowed. "Yer... Tch!" Katsuya clenched his fists, charging forward as the skeleton laughed. "Yer d'spicable..! You don' d'serve t' exist," he roared, swinging his fists blindly forward as the skeleton dodged with ease. "You're a MONSTER!"
"Hahahahaha! Yes, yes I AM, AREN'T I," the Rod howled, ducking another swipe as what appeared to be organs formed within its skeleton. Katsuya paused momentarily, standing back as he watched the intestines and stomach develop in front of him before snapping himself out of it.
This thing... He had to destroy it..! "Stand still... Die... Die... DIE," he roared, charging after the beast with blind and aimless strikes. "My memories... My friends... You tried t' take everything," he cried, finally sending the skeleton across the room with a strong fist as the beast grew muscles over his form. "WHY WON'T YOU JUST LEAVE US ALONE," he screamed, standing as shouts of 'kurose' echoed around him, the monster standing to reveal that of all the things it developed a heart was missing from its musculature. "WHY DO YOU HAVE T' TARGET US!"
And still the dark chuckling came through the air, Katsuya launching himself at the monster with a roar as his body as well screamed in reality, as the two Yugi's, the Kaiba siblings, and all those at the docks watched and listened to the blond howl in conflicted rage. "You have to ask," the flaming copy asked with a laugh, skin and hair now appearing on its form in a darkened, shadowed mimicry of Katsuya's own being. "YOU REALLY HAVE TO ASK! All I want is for HIM to DIE," he roared, cackling grin on his place as he stared through his sole, golden eye. "THAT'S ALL!" Shut up... "And deep down you want that too 'KATSUYA'!" Shut UP... "You're just as bad as the rest of the world when it gets down to it, ADMIT IT! My faults are just as much YOURS!"
"URUSEIII! THAT'S IT," the blond roared, grabbing his head as as he cried, the 'monster' that now bore his face vanishing to stand by the window with a grin. "I DON'T... I don't want that in my memories," he wailed, eyes clenched shut as his voice was mirrored in reality. "I CAN'T PUT THAT IN MY MEMORIES!" And yet already on the disk, that card was...
The direct attack was... "Hnhnhnhn... It's futile 'Black one'..." The Millennium Rod walked toward him, stopping a number of feet away as flames licked around the hole in his chest. "Face it! You've lost... And this," the beast continued with a sneer, gesturing to his body. "This is mine..." No... NO!
"It's not," he shouted, eyes flying open with bloodshot rage as he screamed. "I WON'T LET YOU!"
"Go ahead and shout then," the beast called with a grin, black hair flying wildly in the fires and wind. "You only make me stronger... Didn't you hear me? I am every dark thought that lies within you, and every shred of hate you dredge up is also MINE! The more you SCREAM the more you give IN! YOU. HAVE. LOST! HAHAHAHAHAHHAAAAA!" Monster...
This monster..!
"MALIK," Yugi was saying from outside the window as his friend grit his teeth and wept, "I know you're possessing my friend right now... So listen to me," he roared, voice cutting across the air with ease. "The real loser of this duel... It's not Jonouchi-kun," he continued. "It's YOU!" What? He was saying... "Open your eyes," Yugi shouted, eyes wide with anger. "Jonouchi-kun has been forcing you out of his heart since the beginning... You can't make him give in! He's beaten you! So try your best Malik! Because in these final minutes of the duel," he shouted through his tears, "I know he'll break free! And even if we BOTH die," the boy went on, not once stumbling over his words, "The memory that you LOST will forever be branded into your thoughts!" Yugi..!
"What are you doing," he found himself whispering with fear-filled eyes, shaking his head. "Yugi what are you-"
"Hnhnhnhnhn... Such strange friends you have," the Rod drawled, crossing his arms with a leering smirk. "My master really hates him now..! He's putting all his hate into this next card," he continued, the window moving to reveal his duel disk as a card was slipped into place. "This card that will destroy him... And then it's all over... Hnhnhnhn..." Gh...
"No... I WON'T LET YOU," he snarled, the Rod appearing to move further and further away despite his body remaining perfectly still. "I-"
"Please! You can't do anything about this," the Rod sneered, villainous grin on his face. "Besides... You shouldn't argue with your friend!" Argue..-
"Attack me," Yugi was shouting, the blond unable to do anything but stare at the 'window' and his 'copy' both as he fell to his knees. "Now, with all you have!"
No... He couldn't, he couldn't...
This heartless bastard... "With pleasure," the Rod sneered, the card on the disk activated with a single touch.
And as the 'Rod' turned around to watch his handywork, he realized it. Maybe it was too late... Maybe he'd realized it far too late to change everything. The card was set on the field already after all, the seas already converging as the skies and waters both ran red... It was probably too late...
But if he was going out, he'd at least try and turn the tables. "You were right..."
"Hnn..?" The Rod turned, a look of confusion on his face. "What's this now..?"
Katsuya's expression of rage died down to a look of stern realization, the blond shaking his head. "Th' 'hate', th' 'anger'... It really is powerin' y', isn' it," he continued, hands hanging limp at his sides. "I can't kill y'," the blond admitted as he shook his head, "Not like this... But what yer missin'... A heart... 'Kokoro'," he muttered, looking down at his shirt as the dog-tags gleamed in the firelight. "I wasn' lookin' in th' right place at all... Th' whole reason yer here, th' reason you can do this... It's righ' here ain't it," he shouted, holding out the arm that Malik had cut with his blade. The copy paled immediately as the blond leered at the eye blossoming from his arm, shaking its head as what had formerly been invisible to the teen's eyes became clear as day.
"No... NO," he screamed as he ran forward, eyes wide with terror, "DON'-"
"TAKE THIS MALIK," the blond roared, grabbing the eye and ripping it from his bleeding arm with a snarl. The squirming eyeball appeared to 'scream' as the blond held it in his hands, the humanoid form across him wailing and collapsing as Katsuya crushed the eye between his fingers. With a howling cry the monster before him degenerated, hands held out in pain as it went from skin to muscle to bone to ash... "I B'LONG T' NO ONE!"
The flames continued to whirl, as though a vacuum was pulling them from the room around him... Shouts filled the air, his head pounding as he squeezed his eyes shut under the fires. Hurt... It hurt so much... Ahhh... AHHHHH...
"HAAHHHHH!" The attack... If he'd won against the Rod, then he had to stop the attack, so if this shout could please make it... "NO!" Storms sounded above him, the blond wrenching his eyes open as tears ran freely down his face. The sunlight almost blinded him despite the pale shine it gave, Katsuya shaking his head as the blocked tears were allowed to run at last. Meteor of Destruction was on the field, a direct-attack spell, a fact he knew only because of that accursed ability that had so likely saved his ass. But the fact was it was already in effect, an enormous, sun-like object appearing in the center of the sky and hurricane like clouds as he cried. Too late... Too late..! "YUGI! Yugi..! You can't die," he begged, shaking his head as rumbling filled the air from the approaching comet above. "You can't!"
The boy immediately broke into a smile, voice briefly overpowered by the winds around them as he activated his spell. He still knew what he was saying though... He still knew..."Jonouchi-kun... Hah... Activate the trap Mystical Rift Panel," he announced, the tablet beside him shattering as an angel arose with a mirror. The meteor's power was siphoned into the glass at exactly the last minute, filling the mirror with raging storms as its summoner smiled through his tears. Two minutes of time left... "Jonouchi-kun... You... You woke up," he cried with relief, shaking his head. "I'm so glad... Even if it took this long, I'm so happy..."
"I... I know I... ...I..." He couldn't... The blond crumpled to his knees, shaking his head as he held it in his hands. "Yugi," Katsuya cried, tears running down his face. This card... It would save Yugi, and thank god for that but... "I'm so sorry," he shouted, unable to hold back the tears in what were revealing themselves as his last moments. "This fight... It wasn't supposed to happen, never supposed to happen, I'm sorry..."
Yugi merely shook his head, clicking his duel disk off and placing it on the ground before him. "It's alright... You're back," he said with a smile, the dragon beside him appearing to nod in agreement to this despite his grievous wounds. "That's all that matters... And besides... We were never really fighting anyways," he said with a tear-filled laugh, the blond across from him weeping at the sight. One... Minute left... Fifty-nine seconds... Fifty-eight... "We've both won," Yugi said with a sad smile, a slow and calming breeze blowing past as he spoke. "This card here bought us just enough time, so that I could say everything... So that I could make sure you heard everything... Jonouchi-kun..." He was sorry... So sorry damn it, that he had to leave like this, he... ...Why... Why did he take the disk off, he still needed to activate the second half of the spell..! If he didn't... "You have to listen to these words, no matter what," Yugi cried, his friend shaking his head in realization. "You taught me that I wasn't alone here... You showed me courage, even if I didn't understand at the time!"
"Don't... Don't," he begged, shaking his head, "Not after all this..." The card would automatically eliminate itself and allow the attack through in twenty more seconds... Nineteen...
The boy choked, still smiling as the angel's mirror above began to crack while he cried. "Jonouchi-kun... You're my best friend... And I love you," he continued with tear-filled eyes, the angel above straining under the force of the spell. "But I won't let you die! I TAKE THE HIT," he shouted with stone determination, the mirror turning on him as the world grew silent.
"NO! NO," he shouted, the cries appearing mute to the world as fires blocked Yugi from his sight, the flames launching from the mirror as the angel disappeared into dust. "YUGI! YOU CAN'T DO THIS DAMN IT, YOU CAN'T! YUGI!"
-click-
He couldn't see Yugi through the fires, and even if he could see anything he could only see the shadow of Red-Eye's bleeding form, the monster's black scales providing just enough contrast in the light. And although he knew the box at his feet was open now, all he could hear was Yugi's last few words as he begged him to live, before finally loosing consciousness. 'Take the key', he whispered. 'Live on...' No...
NO! "You idiot," he muttered, shaking his head. "Y' DAMN IDIOT!" Katsuya's voice echoed across the waters as the fires dissipated, tablets crumbling to dust before him as he cried. "HOW COULD I JUST LET YOU DIE," he roared, ripping his duel disk off and dropping it to the side as he gripped the chain around his neck. The duel was over... Yugi was going to die but...
"Groooooooo..." The blond's eyes continued to fill with tears as he looked at Red-Eyes, hands still gripping the chain of the Millennium Puzzle as their eyes met. Thirty seconds left of the minute he'd been given. Twenty-nine... Twenty-eight...
He pulled himself to his feet, pulling the puzzle from his neck and lightly dropping it to the ground beside him. "...Red-Eyes," he called out, swallowing as the dragon stood before him on bleeding and broken limbs. "If this is real," he began with a choke, "If any of this isn' a hallucination, an' you're really there..." He shook himself, watching the monster rear to its full and incredible height before him. "...Attack me," he shouted, the dragon giving a short and shocked growl in response as his 'true' owner held his arms open for attack. Come on... Come on! "ATTACK ME!"
"Gr... GRAAAOOOO!" The monster raised his head with a curt nod, a blast of flames spitting across the field as Katsuya gripped his chain for support. Life-points to zero... He was on fire but he didn't care, even as the flames vanished with the dragon's own tablet and form...
Biting back the pain he dove forward into the water, swimming the remaining feet he'd missed with the jump to get to Yugi. Thank you, he whispered in his mind, the remaining monsters vanishing from the field along with the tablets. Thank you!
Five seconds left. Katsuya grabbed the edge of the dock before him, pulling himself up to snatch the key from Yugi's own box with a swallow. Three left. He just needed to unlock the cuff around his wrist he told himself, hopping up and running along the dock at a stumble toward where the boy had fallen. That was all, he just needed to-
Shit. Zero. With an enormous splash the anchor fell, slack vanishing in a near instant as Katsuya turned in horror to watch his and Yugi's chains slink into the water. With a sudden jolt the two were pulled back by the chains on their wrist, The air was knocked right out of his lungs as he fell. Yugi's own body left a trail of bubbles behind him as he was pulled under almost right beside him, the blond attempting to think clearly in the resulting panic. The key... He had to unlock him..! He had the key in his hands, so he had to...
Yugi's wrist was snatched toward him by the chain around it, floating slightly like some bizarre balloon as they sank. Come on... The key was jammed into the hole, jiggling and turning as Katsuya grit his teeth. Come on...
Though he couldn't hear the click as he sank, he could see the cuff come loose, Katsuya pulling Yugi's wrist free before pushing the boy's body upward with a rough and desperate shove. He was floating... Floating...
Floating away to the surface above. For a brief moment, he could see his eyes open, the boy blinking sadly as he weakly reached forward. Sorry Yugi, he thought with a sad smile, the same 'flash' and gut feeling telling him that the key he'd now dropped was useless on his own cuff. But yer a real friend...
I can't let y' die...
The anchor was still pulling him down... He was running out of what little air he had now, he knew that much, despite the lack of panic he held for some reason. This was it, he told himself, the last of his air released from his lungs as he continued to hold his 'breath'... Spots were filling the blond's vision as he was slowly pulled down, closing his eyes despite the panic his body was running in without oxygen to feed off of. He was dying. Just like that stupid Millennium Rod had said... 'One will die', and that 'one' was him. He'd never see Shizuka again, never see Yugi, see his friends... See Mokuba...
Seto...
I wonder what you'd 'v said, he wondered as his eyes opened blearily to the distant sky above. If I'd 've told you I...
With those thoughts in mind, he could no longer hold consciousness, water filling with lungs as a shadow passed over his form...
The final events of the duel had passed in a blur, once the 'Meteor' had been summoned. She'd known she had no time, even with the timer well out of view across from them. But she couldn't do anything about this, she realized bitterly, teeth grinding as her eyes narrowed. Nothing... Nothing at all.
But as her hands brushed against the thin cord around her neck, an idea formed, a crazed, scarcely plausible plan that she would likely berate herself for in the coming days no matter how well it did or didn't work. She only had one chance... Looking back in the corner of her eye, the ghouls were more or less watching the duel before them, rather than paying attention to the cord now weaving in and out of her fingers as she pulled it upward. One chance, she told herself, fingers pulling at the cord around her neck with subtle movements. Only one...
Now. The card-shaped pendant was pulled from around her neck, and as Yugi's trap was activated she made her move. With a swift step back the pendant was thrown, the ghouls momentarily distracted by the shine it caused as it gleamed in the light, the one holding her brother pulling back with a scream as the sharpened corners of the locket struck him in the eye. "GRAAAAGH!" Mokuba dropped to the ground, knife clattering at the side as the ghoul reached for his face with a scream, former captive turning to his sister with wide eyes.
"S-Seto-n-"
"Get down," she shouted briskly, the boy ducking without an argument as his sister's long legs connected with his captor's skull. That kick was not enough... Not to knock him out the woman thought as she charged, nor for her to sufficiently pay the scum back for their actions. The woman's leg was pulled back for her to charge forward, fist swinging in a smooth arc to knock the ghoul's head back further as a crack came through the air. "HRAH!"
Snapped neck left 'asshole-1' either paralyzed or dead not that she cared about the first. The second ghoul however paled, another knife in hand as Seto ignored him. "Y-You..!" The woman turned with a near demonic glare as the likely dead ghoul at her feet stared blankly upward, fists clenching before she turned back and ripped the locket from the ghoul's socket. To think... She'd thrown it with enough force for it to get stuck...
"You snakes are more than dead," she spat, grabbing the extended fist and knife her opponent threw forward in her free hand. Such a piss-poor way to attempt an attack... The woman pulled on the fist with an audible snap, slamming the locket-holding hand into the man's face a number of times as the ghoul's nose bled profusely. "You take my brother, you take Jonouchi, you take their friends..!" Die, die die..! She released the arm, pulling her fist back again to land another, solid punch as she snarled. "If you're still alive, don't expect to be for too long," she sneered, spitting on the ground the ghoul now collapsed on as she wiped her locket clean. The pendant was fastened back around her neck, rage-filled eyes still staring at the bodies as she made no effort to calm herself. "Tch..."
Now... To deal with that ti- "Attack me," a familiar voice shouted, the tone and speech patterns matching to the familiar ones she'd grown so used to hearing from the other end of her table. Jonouchi... She turned, Mokuba following her gaze as the shout was repeated at a louder level, both siblings swallowing at the sight that met their eyes. "ATTACK ME!"
With an ear-splitting roar the blond was answered, steam filling the air from the seas and clearing to reveal the now soaking teen half-way to the other side of the dock. The timer above them... Seto squinted momentarily, her brother coughing in the resultant smoke and steam before following her gaze. It read... "No..."
The siblings ran, the timer counting down regardless of what they wanted. Three seconds... She was at the 'entrance' to the impossibly long dock, Mokuba barely half-way along it, and Jonouchi grabbing the key from the box as he ran for Yugi. Two seconds, Anzu's eyes abruptly closed over, her body collapsing to the ground. One second, and the blond was turning in horror as...
Zero. The anchor was released with a sudden and emotionless drop, the splash briefly stopping Mokuba and his sister in their tracks before they ran forward, expressions of horror on both of their faces as the chains began to pull forward. The anchor had sunk... As Mokuba reached the edge of the docks he arrived in time to watch as Yugi and Jonouchi were pulled under, a look of cold horror on the blond's face as he disappeared below the waves. "Y-YUGI," the boy screamed, eyes wide as he fell to his knees at the edge. "KATSUYA-NII!" No...
NO! The woman swallowed, charging to where the blond's disk still stood. Yugi had directed the attack toward himself, so how... The puzzle was there on the ground, the duel disk beside it, and in the box... It was right there... Shining in the light of the dying sun, the key..! "You idiot," she hissed, snatching the key up from the box as she looked to the water. Jonouchi had quite clearly grabbed something from the other side... Idiot... IDIOT! A shadow began to rise from the waters, Seto turning to her brother with a stern shout as she pointed toward it. That moron had managed to free her rival and leave his 'greatest treasure' at the side... While forgetting his own key! "Mokuba! Get Yugi out of the water," she roared, tightening her grip on the key as she moved to dive forward.
"Nees-" The boy paled, watching his sister back up for a running start. "But what about-"
"Do it," she shouted as she jumped, a resounding splash piercing the air as she held her breath. Idiot... The woman's eyes stung slightly as she opened her eyes, the sea-water blurring her vision as she swam forward. Idiot, idiot idiot! She wasn't letting him do this... She wasn't letting him kill himself! The woman moved forward in a smooth, streamlined fashion, soon switching into a breast-stroke as she pulled herself further into the seas. The water wasn't 'infinitely' deep here... She could make it... She could- The blond's floating body met her gaze as she narrowed her eyes, a small bit of air escaping her as she made her way toward him. There... There he was...
A small stream of bubbles had escaped his mouth as she approached, and were still escaping from the pockets in his shoes and clothes from what she could see through the blurred ocean water. Seto swam toward the chain and snatched out at it with her free hand, pulling his wrist forward and unlocking the cuff holding it down as she wrapped an arm around the limp teen. Please... Please don't be dead, she mentally cried, jaw clenched as she adjusted her grip and kicked up through the waters.
Up... Up and up and up she swam, turning her eyes toward the light as she swallowed and released more air. It was getting harder to keep calm... And it was far more difficult now, swimming with one arm, to swim. But it wasn't that far... It wasn't... She could see the light above her, and- "PHAAH! AHHHhhh..." The woman choked as she broke the surface, adjusting Jonouchi's body so his head was out of the water as she headed for the dock. There! There... Alright... They'd come this far now... Now...
He had to live..! Seto pulled herself onto the dock, dragging the blond out with an expression of mixed worry and coldness as she pulled him further onto the wooden floor. On the other side, Mokuba was helping Yugi up and out of the water, attempting to wake him... Anzu had collapsed herself, wind lightly brushing over the girl...
But she had no time to think of these things she told herself as she moved, pulling the jacket flaps on Jonouchi's chest out of the way as she laid the blond's body out flat. No time... Tilt the head, she told herself silently, quickly doing just that as she brought her own head down and checked for breathing. It was probably a forgone hope to think that the Mutt hadn't been under long enough to be rid of that though, despite the pulse that was thankfully still present beneath her finger tips. It had been a hope though, she thought with a swallow. It had been... The woman sat up, one hand folded over the other as she began chest compressions on the unresponsive teen, pushing down roughly above the heart with grit teeth. Come on... "Five... Ten... Fifteen," she muttered under her breath, eyes wide with desperation as she mentally counted out thirty compressions. "20... 25... 30..." Re-adjust airway... Plug the nose, administer two breaths, no time to bother with something to use as a barrier...
Check for results... Repeat. "Five... Ten... Fifteen..." Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud... Twenty... Twenty-five... Thirty," she half shouted, moving back to re-adjust the head and give the blond two breaths. One... Two... No response.
"Wake up," she 'growled', water dripping from her hair as she checked for the pulse, cursing the fact that breathing was still nonexistent despite the beating heart. Behind her there were shouts... Anzu was waking up, screaming at the sight of where she was, and what was happening.
'Oh my god... Where... WHAT..!'
"Wake UP," Seto almost begged, counting the compressions again in her mind as she gave two breaths and continued on. Five, ten, fifteen... Please... Twenty, twenty five, thirty... Wake up...
PLEASE! Screeches from a cars tires filled the air, along with more shouts, but she pushed them from mind as she looked at the blond before her. All she could hear behind her were muddled shouts, drowned out footsteps and damn it... He couldn't die...
He couldn't..! Two breaths... No response. "Five," she muttered under her breath as a slight 'crack' came from the air, a rib likely fractured from the pressure she was putting on them. "Ten... Fifteen... Twenty... Twenty-five... Thirty..!" Two breaths... 'Jonouchi,' they were shouting, the sound of car doors slamming over the air before footsteps and mutterings followed. 'Jonouchi..!'
Shut up... Just shut up, for the love of..! "Five! Ten..! Fifteen..!" Breath... BREATH damn it, just breath..! He'd sworn he wouldn't do this damn it, if he would just BREATH! "Twenty... Twenty-f-"
"Klugh! Kack!" Coughing hit the air as Jonouchi's body gave a shudder, Seto tensing momentarily as the sound cut her thoughts short. Choking... He was... The woman pulled herself out of the stupor before hurriedly rolling the blond away as the teen began spilling out whatever water and food had been in his lungs and stomach beforehand, choking sounds echoing around them as his airway cleared. "Kuck... Hah... Hah... Wh... W..." He... He was alive...
Hah... The woman wiped her mouth as she sat back up, moving to help the blond to a sitting position against the support beam as he continued to cough. "Hah..." Thank god...
Now just open his eyes... "Ghk..." Jonouchi stared, eyes barely open as water dripped off of his body. "Wh... Y'..."
"Come on mutt we don't have all day," the woman growled, watching as the blond before her blinked the sea water from his eyes. Not when they had an 'audience' damn it... The light scowl on her face faded as she watched the blond attempt to steady his breathing, briefly distracted by something as she moved to get up. There... Something was shining in the setting sun around the blond's neck... Something...
...The dog tags. He'd kept... More coughing came through, the blond looking up somewhat as he squinted. "S... Se... Seto-ch-"
"Bite your tongue, you moronic duelist," she muttered, shaking her head as she stood. "If you can't stand you can't speak." Or at least shouldn't, she added mentally, narrowing her eyes as a grin broke on the blond's face.
"Hah... So yer sayin' I'm a duelist," he rasped, laughing as the woman stared at him incredulously.
"...Is that really all you can think of right now," the woman asked dryly, Katsuya merely shaking his head as he continued to laugh.
"Hahaha... I guess," the teen muttered as he attempted to stand before Seto lightly pushed him back down. The blond collapsed somewhat under his own weakness, looking up through blurred vision with a frown. "Nyh..?"
"You just about died a few seconds ago," she growled half-heartedly, moving to walk away from the 'mutt' as she shook the water. "You can sit there until you're looked over by a doctor," she continued, moving to grab Yugi's puzzle from the ground with as blank an expression as she could manage. People were shouting all around them... Mokuba was running over, his words barely meeting her ears as he handed her the coat she'd been forced to leave at the side an hour or so prior.
From one side she could distantly hear one of Yugi's friends muttering... 'What was that,' they were saying, Seto merely pulling her coat on again as she blew wet strands of hair from her eyes.
"Nii-sama," Mokuba was saying amid the chaos, the woman walking toward Yugi as he spoke, "Anzu's calling for help and-"
"Mokuba! The phone's dead," Anzu was shouting 'distantly', "I can't call any one!"
"Yugi," still another voice cried, "Jonouchi!"
And beside that voice that of the other woman who had become familiar with the group, Mai... "Oh my GOD..."
"What the hell happened here," yet another of Yugi's friends shouted, running toward the docks as Seto moved to stand above Yugi. "What..!" Tch... Shouts, shouts, shouts... Nothing but shouts...
The woman dropped the puzzle at Yugi's feet, the boy blearily looking up as Seto met his gaze from where the boy sat. "Never do this again," she growled, coat hanging loosely off her shoulders as her rival slowly took the chain from the ground. "Understand?"
Yugi merely stared, eyes wide and possibly questioning as he looked the woman over. "Kaiba-san..."
She turned away, merely watching as the dock quickly filled with people before moving to take her leave before the chaos turned to him. "Just give me the last word this one time," she whispered darkly, narrowing her eyes as she walked away. Just this once damn it... The boy stared, clutching the chain that was now in his hands for a short, silent moment before pulling it over his neck...
And nodding, before watching the woman leave in silence.
The most accurate description for what Keiichi saw as the car arrived was 'chaos'. As the car screeched to an immediate stop from the breakneck speed that had been crushing him against the side of the wall all they could see in the dying light was panic, terror, pain... To one side of the massive dock Yugi was screaming, held back barely by a young, black haird boy who was shouting just as loudly to 'stop' and 'wait', and that it would 'be alright'. In the center, on the far side of the docks, the woman that Yugi was more or less always with was holding her head, looking around before questioned and panicked shouts streamed throughout the air as she dug for something in her purse. 'An ambulance,' she was crying, pulling out a phone with wide eyes, 'An ambulance..!'
And as the boys and Mai both hurriedly jumped from the car, Keiichi standing near it as they stared and ran closer to the docks, it wasn't long before still more questions were raised. "Oh my God," Mai whispered, bringing a hand to her mouth as they looked at the opposite end of Yugi's side of the dock.
"That... What the hell is Kaiba doing to Jonouchi," Honda muttered, the group momentarily frozen with shock. The teen before them seemed to be sitting at the blond's side, pushing on Jonouchi's chest with rigid arms and a bowed head before moving to tilt it back and bring his ear down by the unresponsive victim's lips for a brief moment after bringing his own lips to that of the blond's.
This... You couldn't laugh at that. You couldn't make a 'kiss' joke... Because this... "I don't know what he's doing completely... But I'm pretty damn sure that's CPR," Otogi said with a swallow, before running out to the docks. "Gh- YUGI," he shouted, the boy in question not looking or moving from where Mokuba was holding him back.
"Jonouchi..! Yugi! What the hell happened," Honda shouted, following behind as Mai and Keiichi both made their way down the docks. "What's going on!" Coughing filled the air part way through those words, Kaiba appearing to roll Jonouchi forward before wiping his mouth off and dragging the blond to the side. Alright... So Jonouchi was alive, but-
Yugi stopped screaming at that moment as a shocked expression or relief came over him, Mokuba letting the boy go with a sigh before he running toward his brother with something white in his arms. Anzu was shouting something about using her phone... About it not working rather, before running over to where Yugi stood with worried eyes. Keiichi took a step forward, glancing back at where Shizuka sat in the car with a swallow. She had no clue what was going on... And where could he even begin to answer her questions when they came? Hell, he had no clue what was going on himself! "Y-Yugi," Otogi was saying across from them with a swallow, Mai merely looking around the dock with disbelief as they walked over. "Yugi what happened here, what..."
The group moved back as Kaiba abruptly approached the boy, Yugi's puzzle in his hand. He was saying something... He couldn't hear him, but as he dropped the puzzle...
"What's going on," Shizuka said with a clear frown, stepping out of the car as Keiichi turned back to her. "What's going on," she repeated somewhat worriedly, "Why is everyone screaming..? Why..?"
The boy swallowed, about to answer before freezing as his friend stumbled blindly forward. Gh- Shit! "Sh-Shizka..!" Keiichi hurriedly caught the girl, steering her away from the dock's edge with wide eyes as she gave a slight shocked shout. Ahh... How to explain... He... "Shizka," the boy began somewhat nervously. "We're at the pier but..." The boy froze, watching as his friend carefully pulled at the bandages from her face. One slip... Two... His grip on the girl's arm loosened, eyes widening in shock. "Wh... Shizka," he sputtered, shaking his head as he attempted to help the girl down the docks, "What're you doing..."
"I... I want to see what's going on," she said with a determined swallow, those on the dock as well looking toward them as Keiichi continued to help his friend on the walkway. "I want to see him," she continued, turning to the boy beside her as the bandages hung loosely on her face.
"S-Shizka," he muttered, swallowing as he stared.
The girl merely held the same determined frown, bowing her head just slightly. "Please... I need..." The bandages continued to pull away, slowly un-ravelling as she stumbled forward on the dock with a swallow. Sh... Shizu...
"Shizka..."
"K-Katsuya-nihan," the girl shouted, stumbling away from Keiichi as she blinked and squinted at what were merely blurs in her eyes for the moment. All she could see was the 'red' of the evening sky, the 'black' of the ocean below it, and in the center a mosaic of the dock, her friends, and the pillars supporting the dock itself. "Katsuya-nihan! I... I came to see you," she called out, Keiichi following close behind lest she fall, "So I..."
"He's over here," a soft voice said, Shizuka's hand lightly taken by the same boy who had been holding Yugi back before. Keiichi stopped following after the girl while she was led away, briefly turning to frown as the same teen who had revived the blond walked past. Why... Why was he leaving..? "Katsuya-nii's over here," the boy was saying quietly, leading the girl over as Keiichi turned to look at the group again. "Alright..." He slowly let go of the young woman's hand before stepping back, briefly staring at the two before retreating after the tallest of the group. Right there...
'Katsuya' in question was leaning against a support pillar at the side of the docks, coughing occasionally as water dripped from his face. As a shadow appeared before him however he had to look up, his own water logged vision blurring the shape of whoever it was that was standing there for a moment. "Ngh... W... Shizuka," the blond whispered as the form cleared, voice sounding almost broken as the girl nodded.
"Yes... That's right," she said quietly, "I... ...I..." Shizuka fell to her knees, the gravity and severity of the situation revealing itself as their vision both cleared. Covered in water, with tears in his jacket... The screams, the worried shouts for help, the questions of 'how', of 'what', of 'why'... "K-Katsuya," she cried, launching forward to wrap her arms around the blond. "Katsuya..! You... N..Ngk... You..!"
"It's okay," the blond said through his own barely hidden tears, returning the hug in full strength after the initial flinch and cough. His head was hidden in the girl's shoulder, lip clenched in his teeth as he choked on the tears. "It's alrigh'... I'm still alive," he whispered, closing his eyes. "I'm still here... An' that's all that matters, ain't it..?"
The only response was for the hug to tighten, the last of the suns rays vanishing in the distance as it finished setting the path for the evening. Of course it was...
Of course...
AN: And in the meantime, a small shard of flame vanished into Anzu's back...
MUAHAHAHAHA. In any case, as you've probably guessed, Ryuzaki's going to be tagging along for the remainder of Battle City, but, as a note, he will not be involved in the Virtual World Arc. At least not from a computer's side. Lots and lots of notes here to explain about changes that were largely made because they really really bugged me as well, just as a warning...
Also lots of scary fan art below!
And in other news, there are two random points for you here; one is that I found a name for RyuzakixShizuka! I call it... Secretshipping! And it's not a really obscure/stretched name either; Ryuzaki would want to keep a relationship with Shizuka as much a secret as possible given relations with Jonouchi, at least by Canonical standards.
Also, for some reason, my head has taken to calling this fanfic the 'Anti-Abridged', due to how insanely long it is, along with how seriously heightened I made all the violence and such in regards to realisim. You know the irony in that?
I got back into Yu-Gi-Oh because of the Abridged Series! ...I wonder if anyone from that community (As in, helping with the makings of) reads this fanfic...
That would be cool. Like having a manga or book author read and enjoy your fanfic.
Now! Off to business!
Anonymous Review Responses
Today we have two from Iona, since both the last chapter and the chapter before it were reviewed while I was typing this.
New updates are my way of saying 'I live to please', hehehe~ And hey, being busy is always an acceptable excuse! The fact that you're up to date is enough for me!
And aaaaahhh… So that's where the saying is from…
And hey, I'm literally as tall as Anzu, which is only two inches more, so it's okay~ Pitting masked people against each other is always fun.
As for the creepy… Oooh boy, if you thought that THEN… As for how it 'entered', it's not so much that he had to get in through cuts as Jonouchi was offering too much resistance; so the spirit took a short-cut to the brain and heart by essentially cutting through the blond's body…
And Malik's own logic there was that the sharp stinging pain would distract Jonouchi long enough for him to take control. So he was… Kind of right?
On to the next review! You now have your answer there, which I personally checked and double checked in terms of throwing things. The fact is, anything can hurt if you toss it with enough force, and getting between Kaiba and Mokuba warrants a lot of force… I switched cards out with the locket-fist combo because cards are too thin and flimsy to be thrown like that though.
And yes… What's with all these dead-guys and being homicidal? At least he'll get his explanation soon, even if Jonouchi mostly lies about it because of his nerves in the next chapter… The truth will come, just not now sadly enough.
Oh! This is something I forgot to mention last chapter. Jonouchi doesn't have crazy, shadow-game inducing powers. He can't make the monsters affect his opponents any more than a normal person could. What the Alligator was referring to however, was that Jonouchi was more 'in tune' than normal, so he figured the effects would spill…
And they did; this is because Jonouchi was unknowingly acting as an amplifier for the Millennium Rod, which, as more and more control was gained over the body, began to effectively make it his. In other words, had the Rod 'won', it would have been in 'two bodies' at once. The Rod, and the blond's, effectively making him a god/demon/thing-on-earth… As Jonouchi was locked out.
In any case, long story short, the Millennium Rod instilled a shadow game without realizing it… The mortal brain wasn't doing nice things to it, as this chapter likely highlighted.
And for our next review, Cynical Gamer!
First off, as you can see above, I had actually forgotten to make a point on that 'power'; for Jonouchi to actually 'spread' his power to another person, he needs to be tied directly to a shadow game. In other words, someone needs to start one for his ability to 'spread'; since the Millennium Rod triggered such an event, and had a loose control of this ability, the 'duels are real' bug there-by caught to Yugi for that moment.
As for Yami's shouts, they were shouts of worry, to Yugi. So no, he couldn't see… Not until he was in the body at least; for once, it's not so much a 'sense' deal as a 'body' deal… Since it's Jou's mind and spirit being torn out of his control in addition to the ability, he's the only one who can see the Rod; had it been any one else miraculously pulling off the fight, he'd be able to see or hear it.
This is why Yami Yugi suddenly gets thrown into things; while they obviously wouldn't be able to switch or any thing, Jou's body still serves as enough of an amplifier for him to escape the puzzle as a spirit… It also means he's temporarily tied to the body, thereby giving him a nice clear view of the Rod.
And yes, at least you got a laugh. In any case… Besides Kaiba's inaction being upsetting, you can find a bit more to the hint in this chapter as well, though it'll likely help either less or more than the one in the last chapter… Oh well. You'll be getting more snippets through dreams as we go through Battle City thankfully, along with a nice visual hint in the Virtual World Arc.
And OH. Well, we're still on the same page then with the Millennium Items, haha. Any ways, yep! Crazy! And I have set a point now; Jou's lying about it next chapter, and spilling the beans after the Virtual World Arc. Mostly because he gets away with it until shortly after that arc. (D'OH)
BWAHAHAHAHA! The cliffhanger will never die! And as for Shizuka… Well, just look up; she came in after all that was resolved, so nothing could really happen concerning that theory...
Well, that's all… Enjoy the chapter you guys!
Usagi's Manga & Japan Guide/Corner
The section that says Battle City HO! ...Right after Mai deals with the next quick problem they run into, 'ahem'.
The title for this chapter is partially drawing from the manga chapter that concluded this very 'arc', or 'duel' as it were. Though not all of what happened in it has technically happened this chapter in that a few bits of dialogue will move to the next one, the large bit, Shizuka removing her bandages, did.
The chapter was called, rather accurately, 'The Courage to See', of course referring to Shizuka... However, a lot of the sight in this chapter was 'blocked', kept separate from various people depending on ability and 'location' (Notice how being 'tied' to Jonouchi's body for a brief moment allowed him to see the Millennium Rod as a result.), so...
It becomes the 'Gift', rather than the Courage.
Originally, Jonouchi had the piece of puzzle in his right hand before trying to throw it. But the left was closer for Jou in this case... And luckily for him, soul-scars don't transfer. ...VERY lucky actually.
Obviously the scene with Panther Warrior went completely different in the manga and anime; first, Jonouchi's 'reborn' judgement had him attack Yugi's stronger monster, the summoned Magnet Warrior 'Beta' rather than the weakened Red-Eyes Black Dragon, only for Yugi to activate the card he'd taken from Jonouchi; shield arm. This pulled Panther Warrior into the Rocket Warrior, taking 1500 points from the cat's attack, leaving the monster with only 500.
Another REALLY big change (besides the obvious) is the fact that originally(since Jonouchi was legitimately switching between 'evil thoughts-good thoughts' in canon of course), after Yugi mentioned Jonouchi going to the Duelist Kingdom for Shizuka he remembered going to the hospital with her for the operation… And then Shizuka telling him that she was still afraid to take off the bandages, along with the idea of giving her courage by dueling... A thought that obviously didn't exist this time around, due to him being unaware of the fact until a few hours prior.
Still another change is the reason why the duel is continuing; see, Malik originally ordered Jou to just wait the time out, a fact that was forced back by Jonouchi, whose 'real self' wouldn't want to let that happen.
But the Rod, in this case, is defying that order despite normally being incapable of such… Partially because he's suddenly able to make that decision, and partially because this actually ticks Jou off more... Mostly however, it's because in addition to that, had the Rod 'won', he would have walked away with his 'own' body, a fact explained above in the review responses.
Cards! Or in this case, sharp-edged lockets. In the manga and anime, Kaiba threw a card at the ghoul, which got stuck in the ghoul's hand. While Mythbusters (God bless them) proved you can cut someone with enough force (They used a machine though), and damage their eye, you can't get it stuck in a person's hand... Particularly not with human strength! In fact, I don't think a human can make the throw Kaiba did, at least not with the card...
Now, a sharp-edged locket on the other hand... Well, that would be akin to chucking a shuriken at someone, and the eyes are extremely vulnerable; hence why Fanfic Kaiba aimed there.
Of course, much like how pissed Kaiba was about the card being Blue-Eyes in Canon, having to throw her locket when she was already in a silent rage was NOT GOOD... And quite ironically it was only Jonouchi's shout that snapped her out of it completely.
Unlike pool water, salt-water doesn't sting your eyes as much believe it or not. For some it hurts for a very brief moment, but otherwise, it's really not all bad.
However, since it's dirty sea-water in Japan, it is blurry as hell.
And this... This is where my being a lifeguard ticks you off. ENDLESS FACTS FOR YOU!
Breast stroke (think of how a frog swims), first off, is the underwater stroke. For 'rescue dive' situations, that's the one you use while you're beneath the waves, with front-stroke and back-stroke for above.
Next up… As heavy as people are, it's actually not too bad to carry someone underwater. That's because water, being denser than air and all that, is actually going to help with the weight somewhat, though wearing clothes will indeed drag you considerably, and it's obviously not a walk in the park; it's simply easier than it would be on land. Case in point, I can ordinarily lift maybe 100 pounds maximum above water. I can lift almost twice that beneath, though both examples are obviously not something I would regularly be able to do, let alone do without exhausting myself...
Particularly since this amazing 'super strength' just dies once you hit the surface. (Ever wonder why I'm an unemployed lifeguard? It's because I know that if I apply, I'll never be able to lift a victim safely out of the water without endangering myself.)
And CPR! Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation! Also known as chest compressions when you aren't bothering with the breaths (Despite that kinda being required). It is not clean, it is not pretty, and it will very rarely get the victim conscious before Medical Help arrives. CPR is meant to keep the blood pumping through the body, keeping it oxygenated and alive. Yes, it's GREAT when someone wakes up, but the fact is, it's unlikely. You CAN NOT STOP because you figure they're 'dead'! If the ambulance isn't there, you keep going, even if it takes hours. This is why it's recommended that you switch out with someone every once in a while, so that the blood can keep pumping and you don't collapse.
Now, as for what brought this particular ending, I had been balancing my options for quite a while; I've been planning this since before the Duelist Kingdom! ...Well, the 'ending' anyways. Most of the Millennium Rod was relatively recent. Now!
In the manga, the car arrives after Jonouchi pulls himself out of the water, Kaiba having 'saved' him by dropping the key in the water before the blond passed out. This wouldn't have worked for a number of reasons, one being that by the time the key got to him (Given that Kaiba just kinda… Walked over, said a few things and dropped the key) he'd have probably been too out of it to see the thing… And more importantly because the key was dropped from his side of the field, but Jonouchi fell from Yugi's side. The two sides are at least twenty feet apart!
In any case, the anime version has the car arriving just after Jonouchi sinks, with Shizuka taking off her bandages, grabbing the key, and diving in as everyone's shouting about doing just that. As moving as that one is, there are flaws here too... One, how did Shizuka know about the key and chain deal before they said anything! All you could hear was that Jonouchi 'didn't grab his key', but by the time Mokuba moved from one end of the dock to the other, Shizuka was diving in... The fact is, by the time anyone explained it, someone else would have done it! Though this isn't much of a 'flaw' as a 'damn, that's a REALLY solid gut feeling!' Number Two which is more serious however, is that Shizuka shouldn't be able to see so clearly that quick, which you can tell from the manga and fanfic both; due to the time she's had those bandages on, her eyes would need to adjust to the light. And the fact is, blindfolded for so long, it's likely her eyes were shut the entire time, which means…
Well, more adjusting. Which there would be no time for.
In the end, I picked Kaiba as the 'saviour', but using a more Shizuka-like approach of diving in…
And then the life accurate/fluff/romance inducing one that is CPR. Yea, you can see what I did there...
FanArt and My Art Section
WARNING; the image I have for the Millennium Rod, while only a sketch, can in fact be considered graphic... Mostly because it's down right terrifying, but points aside, you have been WARNED!
Now on a lighter note... Take out the spaces and paste the link for your image!
Reference: The Millennium Rod – http : / / i5. photobucket. com/ albums/ y153/ natasha_unos_1/ YGO% 20Fanfic% 20-% 20Skin/ TheMillenniumRod. jpg - And why wasn't Jonouchi scared shitless? He was; but he was too angry to care enough to be all petrified, and by the time he'd gotten 'past' that (he didn't 'really'...) it was really just resembling a flaming, naked him with black hair... And... A hole in his chest revealing his rib cage, but really, that's not the point. The point is HOLY CRAP- frightening.
And with that, I'll leave you with this ending filled of manly tears, normal tears...
The next chapter should come either this weekend or sometime next week really, and so, I say 'good night'!