Chapter 49

Figuring it was best the others had some idea what was going on, Yugi had sent Kisara and False off as messengers. At the same time he somehow managed to convince Arados to go out and get some fresh air, whilst he decided what to do with Duke's body. He knew they were going to need to bury him and that would probably require someone contacting the police. After all, he did die under suspicious circumstances and no matter how they looked at it there was going to be some kind of investigation. Unless they buried him themselves, but that just felt wrong somehow.

Carefully he began examining Duke's body. The wound in his stomach was obvious enough, but maybe…

'Do you always watch the dead so intently,' a familiar voice sounded from above him, making every hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

With his eyes wide he stared up into the faceless image of a woman, who simply tilted her head and allowed her appearance to morph into that of a rather healthy looking Duke.

'It's very rude you know,' the Duke double folded his arms, 'to treat the dead with such little respect.'

'How…?' was all Yugi was able to manage.

'That's an interesting question,' the double tilted his head, 'wouldn't a better question be who are you?'

'You're the…'

'No, I believe that would be you.'

Feeling completely caught out again, Yugi decided it would be a good idea to make sure everything about himself was still as it should be. Taking a moment to look inside he soothed himself in the knowledge that he was indeed the Face of Friendship. But as he looked within himself he realised there was something wrong with the being he was talking to.

'I can't read you,' he frowned, 'I can't sense anything about you, not even your emotions.'

'That's because I am nothing more than a reflection. Reflections have no depth of their own.'

'You're a reflection of the Face of Friendship?'

'Of what she used to be before she fully fused with you, yes, back when she was still faceless,' the being smirked. 'Although this is nothing more than a technique I'm using of course.'

The doubles image shifted again, this time into that of his son. For a few moments there was a blank nothingness from the double, then a wave of emotions hit him.

'Another technique,' he winced as he tried to filter through the unreadable strength of it.

'That's right,' the Lus copy nodded, 'I have a lot of those.'

'So then why are you using them against me? What have I done?'

'There is a war coming and I must make sure you're ready for it.'

'What…?'

'I'm sorry,' SK's voice suddenly sounded from behind him, 'I promise this won't hurt.'

Flipping round he was almost shocked to see SK's new appearance. The blond hair, the black fringe, the almost unrecognisability of his presence was a lot for Yugi to take in. What he could take in, however, what cut through the confusion like a clean knife was the sorrow SK was feeling for whatever it was he was about to do.

'You don't want to hurt me,' Yugi's voice was firm, 'you don't have to do this.'

'He's not planning on hurting you,' the Lus copy sounded almost bored, 'he's trying to help you. To make sure you're truly ready for what's about to happen.'

'Then why does he feel regret about it?'

'Because he knows its going to hurt,' the voice from behind him had shifted again, this time into SK's.

Glancing behind him he noticed the copycat creature had changed its appearance again. This time into what SK had looked like before his evolution.

'We need to begin and we need to be quick about it, there really are other things you should be doing right now SK,' the copy met and held SK's gaze.

'If you would just tell me what you mean by that…' SK started.

'I told you, you have to figure it out for yourself. But whilst you do this is a good way of… starting the preparations.'

'Right,' SK lowered his gaze as his eyes flickered thoughtfully from side to side, 'let's do this.'

Helen gave an almost embarrassed laugh, as she shifted her gaze away from Lus. He was sweet, kind, passionate and pretty much everything she'd ever been looking for in a potential partner. And the fact that it was her destiny to be with him just felt like the icing on the cake. For all of False's warnings nothing had been able to stop the inevitable, although they did have a good go at trying. Now all that was left between them was an embarrassed veil of spent hormones.

'Think we can get away with blaming this on the Nymph potion I took?' Lus gave a nervous laugh of his own. 'I mean, only False would rebuke the validity of that, right?'

'Even if we can blame it on the potion, it still doesn't change facts,' she pressed her lips together. 'So… how do you feel about it?'

'I'd say pretty good; I mean, it was destiny, right? And no one can argue with destiny.'

'I think I know a few people who'd have a good go at trying,' Helen shook her head. 'But destiny aside, how do you feel about this? About our future.'

'I can't even remember why I thought any other future would do for me,' a look almost too honest to be disbelieved filled his face.

'Ni's not going to be happy you know.'

'Screw Ni,' Lus rolled his eyes, 'I've won, he'll get over it.'

'What am I some kind of prize now,' Helen shot a look of mock insulted in his direction.

'Damn right you are,' he leant in to kiss her.

The feel of his lips made her melt in a way Ni's, as Nichee, never had. Suddenly the future felt right again. Suddenly everything felt right again.

'I should have known the Balance never wanted me to be evil,' she half smiled as their kiss ended. 'I just wish I hadn't come so close to giving into him.'

'The future felt bleak to you then,' Lus shot her an adoring look, 'you've nothing to be ashamed of.

'Doesn't she?' False's voice sounded, making Helen start in embarrassment.

'You can't argue with destiny hell boy,' Lus remained calm, clearly wanting to prove they'd nothing to be ashamed about. 'And anyway, I thought you'd be pleased I wasn't after Kisara anymore.'

'Well I might have been,' he folded his arms, 'had we not bigger problems to worry about right now, you hormonal driven Mortal God.'

'Why, what's happened now,' Helen did her best to remain unmoved by her embarrassment.

'The beast…'

'The what,' Lus frowned.

'The beast,' False repeated, 'it's given Ni its army.'

'Wait, what beast,' Lus's frown deepened, 'and what's the big deal about it giving Ni its army?'

'Don't they teach you Gods anything,' False rolled his eyes. 'The beast is the most powerful soul demon that's ever existed and it giving its army to Ni can only mean one thing.'

'What?'

'That we've got a fight on our hands,' Helen swallowed hard, 'because nothing's gonna stop hell from trying to rise now.'