Chapter 45

Taylor wasn't sure exactly what it was he'd sensed, but he knew he'd sensed something. For a long while he tried to ignore it, but for some reason it kept eating at him, to the point where he knew he had to trace the feeling to its source to find out what was wrong. The source led him to Drake, who appeared to be in a state of great distress. Uncertain of what else to do, Taylor wrapped his arms around him, then stared up at his Parto, who was wearing an almost clueless expression.

'What's wrong with him,' the question was out of his mouth before Taylor realised it wouldn't be heard.

Sighing heavily, he turned his attention fully towards Drake and hoped his concerned petting would get the question across to his Parto. But still his Parto remained in an uncertain silence. Studying his expression again Taylor realised it was more than just clueless, it was completely zoned out. For an anxious moment Taylor wondered if maybe it was to do with his memory problems. What if he couldn't remember who any of them were? What if…?

Swallowing hard, he got to his feet and took a hold of his Parto's shoulders. He then gave him an almost violent shake, instantly this caused his Parto to start blinking strangely.

'Taylor,' he murmured, 'where did you come from?'

'Giya,' he knew he wouldn't be heard, but he felt compelled to answer anyway, 'I was looking for Lus when I sensed something was wrong. Are you okay Parto?'

'No,' his Parto's voice was strange and slow, 'Mokuba's dead.'

'What,' Taylor gawked, half shocked by his statement, half amazed his Parto had heard him speak in the first place.

'Mokuba's dead,' he repeated, his expression becoming more alert. 'He was… was killed by a blue bolt of lightning, of all things. Him and Serenity.'

'Did you see it happen,' Taylor stared at him in concern. 'Did Drake?'

'No,' he shook his head, 'I felt it. I felt it as he became a part of me,' he placed a hand above his chest and began gripping at the material. 'Almost the second he died I felt it. There was so much pain…'

'He was a Win part,' Taylor lowered his head understandingly, 'and you're Win, I guess when he died he didn't have anywhere else to go.'

'His whole life…' his Parto's eyes darted about strangely, 'everything he'd ever been through… I know it all.'

'Parto…?'

'The hell future,' his gaze flickered up to meet Taylor's. 'In the hell future he was the only part missing from Win and in this future he's the only part that I have.'

'Wasn't he evil in the hell future,' Taylor tilted his head curiously, remembering the stories he'd been told.

'He was evil now too, how come we didn't see that?'

'What…?'

'We knew he had changed, but we'd forgotten. Forgotten what he'd become in hell. He'd forgotten what he'd become in hell. What he'd promised never to become again. He was so scared he would end up evil and then he just forgot. He just forgot…'

'Maybe he didn't know that he was.'

'In the end he knew,' his Parto blinked slowly, his gaze appearing to lose sight again. 'In the end he knew exactly what he'd become and he knew… He knew that hell was coming.'

'What?'

'We didn't avert the hell future, it's still coming.'

'No,' Taylor shook his head, 'I won't let that happen. None of us will let that happen. We'll stop it.'

'I'm not sure we can. I'm not sure it's possible to. No matter what we do, eventually it will come.'

'Parto,' he gripped hold of him, 'you and the others didn't go through all that crap when you were younger to let hell rise. And what's more, me and my Ohpayo Cousins have a Kingdom of Light to inherit, do you really think we'll standby and watch that fall.'

'You will if it's not your kingdom. You will if you're destined to rebuild, like Jo and Crovell. Hell is coming.'

'No it's not,' he half screamed at his father, 'I won't let it. Do you hear me? I won't let hell rise and nor will anyone else.'

'Why is Crovell…' was about as far through her sentence as Kisara managed to get when she spotted Duke's lifeless body. 'Oh… gee… what happened?'

'He sacrificed himself in order to save Joey from the Teen,' Kaiba's voice was mute. 'We're just trying to figure out how to break the news to his family,' as he spoke his hand moved uncomfortable above his chest.

'Are you okay?' False frowned.

'He's been like that for a while,' Arados glanced towards him. 'He knows something's wrong with Tristan, but he refuses to find out what it is. I think it's because he's too much of a coward to face Drake right now.'

'That's not it,' Kaiba gritted his teeth.

'Then what is it?'

'He doesn't want to see me right now,' he turned his head away, as though the thought was too painful to stand. 'If I couldn't sense that I would be there for him and for Drake.'

'Why wouldn't he want you there right now,' Kisara tilted her head curiously.

'I don't know. I just wish I could find out.'

'Well at least we know now why Crovell's doing a number on hell,' False sighed, 'Duke was his Daiosen, right?'

'Right,' Yugi nodded, 'and what do you mean by doing a number on hell exactly?'

'Blue lightning mean anything to you,' Kisara shrugged.

'It's like he's blaming my father for this,' False indicated towards Duke. 'Not that I blame him exactly. I mean, my father was responsible for the Teen.'

'But Crovell doesn't believe Duke is dead,' Arados protested, 'why would he be blaming your father for something he doesn't believe has happened?'

Kisara watched, as False attempted to answer. After a few moments of silence, it was clear that nothing was forthcoming.

'I don't know,' he eventually folded his arms. 'Maybe a part of him does believe Duke is dead and that part of him is blaming my father.'

'Or he thinks your father is hiding Duke down in hell,' Kaiba pointed out, wincing slightly as he did. 'He knows the devil as well as I do and if I were in Crovell's shoes I know I'd be thinking the same thing.'

'Look, why he's doing it is unimportant,' Kisara shook her head. 'What matters is that we stop him, before he's killed by the entire Army of Sen Pay.'

'The what?' Arados frowned.

'The beast is after Crovell,' Yugi stared at Kisara in disbelief, ignoring Arados's question as he did.

'No, not the beast,' she sighed. 'Well… I don't know, maybe the beast is involved somehow. But it wasn't the beast leading the army we saw.'

'Why now,' Kaiba shook his head. 'Why after all these years of resisting him would the beast choose now to make itself loyal?'

'That's exactly what I was wondering,' Kisara nodded in agreement. 'The beast has always taken such a great pleasure out of being his Achilles heel, I don't get why it would choose now to…'

'Tristan…' Kaiba murmured strangely, before disappearing.

'Why did he leave,' she frowned.

'Because he suddenly realised what it was Tristan is so afraid of,' Yugi murmured. 'The reason Tristan didn't want him near him. It's because he's scared… terrified that hell is rising and that there's nothing any of us can do to stop it.'