Big thank you to KuriMaster13, dianekhri, Ulrich362, dvdryms, and Big duels for reviewing the previous chapter!
MEADOW – EAST – DUEL MONSTER REALM
The meadow was a glorious expanse of grass and flowers, grass rustling gently in the breeze. There was a narrow brook flowing through it choked with weeds. Tall water-mint with pale lilac flowers, like dozens of tiny bells were growing at the edge of the brook. There was a shallow ditch at the edge of the meadow. The grass was thick and lush grass, growing in dense tussocks. The oak tree provided sun-flecked shade, a cool and refreshing respite from the mid-summer sun. The rutted track, once boggy, was mud hardened and cracked. The meadow lay peaceful in the thickening light of late afternoon.
Odd-Eyes didn't know why he came here. When he fell from the ravine with Yuya, he was sure that they were going to die. He could only hug Yuya tightly as they fell. When he opened his eyes, he was back in his dragon form in the middle of a forest with Yuya by his side. From his form and the atmosphere of his surroundings, he could tell that they had somehow ended up in the Duel Monster realm. He quickly checked on Yuya, and to his surprise, his body was surrounded by a warm light. To add to his surprise, the light slowly blocked his injuries, including the fatal ones. The light was familiar. It was the same light that Ma'at's blessing emitted.
However, Yuya, hasn't regained his consciousness no matter how hard Odd-Eyes tried to wake him. While Yuya's injuries were healed, his heartbeat and breathing were so shallow that even the dichromatic-eyed dragon wasn't sure if Yuya was truly alive. It was already a miracle that he was still a human even though they had stumbled into the Duel Monster realm where living humans cannot enter. As it'll be dangerous to stay in the forest, Odd-Eyes carried Yuya and left the forest. He didn't have any place in particular to go to, so he just aimlessly walked to the path that he thought would be good for them through his hunch.
And that's how they're now at the meadow. This meadow is beautiful and serene, so he thought this place would be perfect for Yuya to rest until he knew what to do next. Odd-Eyes couldn't contain his tears when he saw his master. He thought he had lost him. He was so afraid, so scared, when Yuya fell. And now, his master is not dead, but he's not alive either. It broke his heart to see his master like this. He was afraid that his master would leave this world at any moment.
"Odd-Eyes! Yuya!"
Odd-Eyes raised his head, turning his head right and left when he heard his and Yuya's name being called. And the voices that were calling for him were...
Odd-Eyes beamed when he saw his sister and her master approaching them. He didn't know why they were here, but it doesn't matter. After everything that he went through, meeting them felt like a reunion after years of being separated.
"Starve Venom! Yuri!" Odd-Eyes shouted back, leaping to Starve Venom in joy. Starve Venom was taken aback, but gently nuzzled her youngest brother. She didn't show it, but she was as relieved and happy as he was.
"I thought you're dead!" Starve Venom told her brother.
"I know! I thought I was dead too when we fell!" Odd-Eyes replied cheerfully. He knew what he said wasn't supposed to be a good thing, but he was just so happy to meet his sister.
"What happened to Yuya?" Yuri asked, kneeling beside Yuya.
"In a coma...I guess." Odd-Eyes answered unsurely.
"How is this even possible?" Yuri inquired. He checked Yuya's heartbeat, pulse, and breathing. They were weak, but still there. Yuya was barely alive. But what Yuri was curious the most was that there's no injury even though the report said that Yuya received a heavy blow on his chest, causing him to bleed. But there was not even a bruise on Yuya's body.
"I think...it's Ma'at's blessing. When I woke up, Yuya was surrounded with this light, similar to when Yukiya used it for the blessing for the first time. The light slowly healed all of Yuya's injuries and prevent him from dying." Odd-Eyes explained. While he wasn't sure it was true, but it's the only plausible explanation he could think of.
"But it only healed his body's injuries. He's still at death's door. He better not opens the door any time soon." Yuri pointed out. He knew that Yuya was not completely out of danger yet. It was already a miracle Yuya managed to survive the attack, so Yuri won't count on a second miracle to happen. They need to do something fast.
"Why didn't you return if you're still alive?" Starve Venom asked.
"I'm not sure what to do with Yuya's condition. Something might happen if I move him around too much." Odd-Eyes answered sheepishly, lowering his head in apology for worrying her and the others.
"The blessing." Yuri said, interrupting the two dragons. Yuri could sense that there were still some of Ma'at's blessings in Yuya. It hasn't disappeared yet, and it is also what's keeping him alive in this realm, but not enough to wake him up.
"Maybe, if I combine my whole blessing with what remains in Yuya, we can save him." Yuri theorized, looking at both his hands. He barely used the blessing given by Ma'at through Yukiya, so there's still plenty of that power inside of him. If he uses them all combined with Yuya's, maybe it'll give more energy to bring back Yuya.
"But if you do that, you won't be able to defeat Apophis' offspring for good." Odd-Eyes reminded. Ma'at's blessing was the only thing that could defeat Apophis and his offspring, expelling the dark forces from the vessel and erasing them from the Earth. Without it, even if they won against them in a Duel, they'll still remain alive.
"We can think about that later. Yuya is the most important right now." Yuri replied sharply. He didn't wait for or need any permission, and he was sure that both Odd-Eyes and Starve Venom agreed that Yuya was their top priority at the moment. Yuri placed both of his hands on Yuya's chest. Closing his eyes, he concentrated, transferring all of his blessings into Yuya. White light moved from Yuri's entire body to Yuya's, surrounding the Pendulum user's entire body. It stayed that way for a couple of minutes until the light dissipated.
Yuri, Odd-Eyes, and Starve Venom stared at Yuya nervously, praying that the boy would show any sign of improvement. It didn't take a second for them to see Yuya's finger moved. His eyelids moved, frowning before slowly opening, revealing his red-colored eyes. The eyes blinking slowly before turning to meet Yuri's violet ones.
"Yu...ri...?" Yuya called out weakly.
Before Yuri could respond, he was pushed to the side by Odd-Eyes who tackled his master with flowing tears.
"YUYAAAA!" Odd-Eyes hugged his master while nuzzling his head.
"Ow! Ouch! That hurts, Odd-Eyes!" Yuya cried out. Fortunately, his dragon quickly let go of him.
"It's your fault! Worrying us like that!" Odd-Eyes retorted. He lowered his head until he reached to grass, tears continue to flow down. Yuya's gaze softened at his dragon's crying form. He instantly remembered when he was dying. The distraught expression on Odd-Eyes' face while he was holding him. If they were to switch position, Yuya would have reacted the same.
"That's right. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you guys like that." Yuya kindly hugged his dragon's head, which Odd-Eyes returned with a lick.
Yuri and Starve Venom sighed at the sight. It was like they were not even there. Yuri sighed, feeling tired all of a sudden that he sits down. There was a lot he wanted to tell Yuya, but for now, he'll let them be. He smiled. All that matters was Yuya is alive. He couldn't wait to see how everyone would react once they saw him.
"But...humans can't survive in the Duel Monster realm unless they die, right? So, how come I'm still alive here?" Yuya asked, inspecting his own body. His injuries were gone like they were never there. He was sure that Apophis had pierced his chest. It hurt a lot.
"You're protected by Ma'at's blessing. I combined our blessings to bring you back and also to protect you from dying in this realm." Yuri explained.
"I see. Thank you, Yuri. I owe you a big time." Yuya hugged his Fusion counterpart, feeling very grateful. He expected that Yuri would tell him to pull away, but surprisingly, Yuri returned his hug with a pat on his back. That was the first. Yuri would usually tell him to back off or push him back. Looks like Yuri was worried about him. Very worried.
"Anyway, let's go back. Everyone will rejoice once they see you alive." Yuri stood up, pulling Yuya with him, but his Pendulum Counterpart then pulled his hand away from Yuri's.
"No." Yuya said softly but firmly.
"What?" Yuri blinked in question.
"No. I can't go back yet." Yuya shook his head to make his point.
"What are you saying? Ma'at's blessing won't protect you for long in this realm. If you don't leave quick, you'll die again here." Starve Venom reminded.
"That's not it. I mean, I can't go back to where everyone is for a while." Yuya frowned sadly.
"Why is that?" Yuri questioned again.
"Yuzu...still can't get over with my death." Yuya answered, confusing Yuri and the others. "I-I don't know how to explain this, but, while I was unconscious, I saw Yuzu. She looked so depressed and almost lost her will because of my death."
"Yeah. That's why you need to go back so she'll regain her spirit again." Yuri retorted, but Yuya shook his head firmly in refusal.
"No, Yuri. That's precisely why I can't. Even if I go back, what then? If I happen to die for good in the next battle, Yuzu will be depressed again like the way she is now." Yuya argued.
"Just because you died once, now you're being so pessimistic? We have learned from the Duel last night, so no one will die again." Yuri argued back, his tone started to sound annoyed by his insistence. However, Yuya also refused to back down.
"I'm not being pessimistic. I'm being realistic. Even if we survived, we'll eventually die either by accident or sickness or old age later on. Death is something inevitable that we must accept. In this war, no doubt there'll be sacrifices, there will be people who will lose their lives and we're no exception to that possibility." Yuya reminded. It's not like he's sure that they're going to die, but being confident doesn't mean that they forget that one possibility no matter how painful it is. They're at war. That's a reality. Reality won't always go the way they hope.
"Don't be mistaken, Yuri. I really want to meet Yuzu, Yukiya, and everyone again. But not now. I know I'm being cruel, but Yuzu must have the resolve to let go of me when I die. If not, then, when the time come again, she can't accept my death like now." Yuya tried hard not to cry. He clenched his fists together. He didn't know how long it had been, but he missed his friends and family already like he had been gone for years. He wanted to meet and hug Yuzu in his arms. He wanted to play with Yukiya like they usually do. He wanted to train his D-Wheel skill with Yugo. He wanted to exchange knowledge of his Deck with Yuto to improve each other. He wanted to be with everyone's side. He missed them greatly. But he couldn't. Not now.
"The same also goes for all of you. We must steel our hearts for the worst-case scenario whether we like it or not." Yuya told his Fusion Counterpart. It wasn't just about him and Yuzu, but also all of them who were involved in this cruel war. "Once everyone has made their resolve, I will return without a doubt. Until then, please, don't let anyone else, especially Yuzu, know about this."
Yuya stared straight into Yuri's eyes without budging. Yuri narrowed his eyes, trying to force him into changing his mind. However, it's not use, Yuya won't turn away. He has made his decision. He was prepared for the consequence. Reluctantly, Yuri gave up.
"I don't like it, but you do have a point there." Yuri sighed, ruffling his hair. He couldn't deny what Yuya said was right. If something were to happen to Serena and Dennis, he's not sure he could handle it well. Imagining the same thing to befall on them, Yuri realized he hadn't made his resolve. "Fine. I'll keep this quiet for now."
"Thanks, Yuri." Yuya smiled gratefully mixed with guilt.
"Still, what are you going to do now? You must leave quickly before the time runs out." Yuri asked. Yuya only has around several hours or a whole day at best before the blessing can no longer protect him.
"Odd-Eyes knew another exit other than the one you used. We'll return through that one. But before that, there's a place I want to visit." Yuya said, riding on Odd-Eyes, but didn't stand like he usually did with his monster.
"Where?"
"I think you should come too, Yuri."
ENTRANCE – CAVE OF DESIRE – MOUNTAIN – MILLIA – CANTIDEL EMPIRE – ARC-V
When Sara, Reiji, and Yuhei arrived at the place Yuhei told them, they didn't expect to see Celica and Johan there as well. They waited until the helicopter descended and landed safely, allowing them to get off. Using the helicopter was the right choice, otherwise it would have taken a whole day to reach the cave. When she looked at it at first glance, Sara thought it was just an ordinary scary cave. But when she stepped closer, there was this chill that shook her entire body almost to the core. She quickly retracted her thought. This was not an ordinary cave.
"What are you doing here?" Celica asked, not expecting them to come.
"That should be our line, Mom!" Yuhei asked his now stepmother. While his siblings have still a little bit trouble calling Celica 'Mom', Yuhei didn't need to wait even a minute to call her so, immediately referring to her new family title right after she and Yuno officially made husband and wife.
"We're waiting for Yuzu to come out from the cave. She's undergoing a trial right now." Celica answered.
"Wait, Yuzu is in there?!" Yuhei repeated in shock, hoping he misheard Celica. Sara and Reiji quickly turned pale at the answer they heard.
"Yes. She's in a horrible state, so I brought her here to clear her mind. I did the same thing before in this cave." Celica explained.
"No! That's not good, Mom! There's an entrance to the Duel Monster realm inside that cave!" Yuhei revealed in panic. People who didn't return after entering the cave must have lost and entered the Duel Monster realm by accident, which usually resulted with them reincarnated into Duel Monsters.
"Wait, what?! There's an entrance to the Duel Monster realm inside?!" Celica repeated. She didn't stumble on such a thing when she last entered the cave.
"Yes! You and a few people were lucky not to end up there! What if Yuzu enters the Duel Monster realm?! She's not gonna coming back alive!" Yuhei held his head with both his hands. It was already bad enough with Yuzu being so depressed by Yuya's death, and now it was like she was going to follow him to the death.
"I'll go in! It's my responsibility as her mentor!" Johan volunteered to go but stopped by Yuhei.
"I told you, it's too dangerous for humans to go in there! I'll go! I'm a Duel Monster!" Yuhei pulled Johan back away from the cave.
Sara stared at the cave, worrying for Yuzu's well-being. It'll be too risky if all of them go inside. The best option was to let Yuhei go in there alone like he has suggested. Yuhei knew this better than them, so he'll be able to find Yuzu and bring her back safely.
"We have to go in there."
Sara gasped. Ray's voice was ringing in her head, urging her to go. Without even thinking, she just ran, ignoring the shouts that was trying to stop her. She just ran and dashed into the cave before any hand could reach her. Yuhei didn't need to wait and ran after her, leaving the dumbstruck Celica, Johan, and Reiji outside.
"It'll be too reckless if we go in as well. Let's try to contact HQ and asked Haruna-san. She should know what to do, since she's a Holy Elf." Reiji suggested, holding Celica's arm once noticing her movement. If he hadn't, she would have chase after Yuhei and Sara inside.
Celica couldn't argue with Reiji. She relented. She never thought that it would be like this.
She joined her hands in prayer, wishing for the safety of her family.
CAVE OF DESIRE – MOUNTAIN – MILLIA – CANTIDEL EMPIRE – ARC-V
Sara didn't think when she was running inside the cave. She just let her feet and the voice inside her mind guiding her. The cold darkness of the cave made her feel sticky and suffocated. Her clothes and hair, slick with perspiration, clung to her skin. Cold sweat rolled down her skin in thick, salty beads. She could feel her heart throbbing inside her chest. Her skin felt like it was freezing from the cold despite her constantly moving her body. She began bouncing slightly as she jogged, which wore her out quickly. But she didn't stop herself from continuing her way.
It was strange. Even though it was so dark here that she couldn't see a thing, she didn't hit any rocky wall or the sort. There was nothing in her way.
Then, she saw the light. She knew that the light could lead her to the Duel Monster Realm. It could kill her. But the chance wasn't zero that it'll lead to where Yuzu is. There's no time to think. She ran towards the light.
Yuzu fell on her knees, hugging herself while tears falling uncontrollably from her eyes. She sobbed as she saw more of her memories with her most precious person. Each and every one of them were so precious to her. She could relive this moment over and over again.
If it means she could hear his voice again. If it means she could see his smile again...
"I want to stay here forever..." Yuzu thought while watching more of her memories. She didn't want to leave. She wanted to be with Yuya. This place gave that chance to her.
"Now, that's a very sad soul you have. How disappointing."
Yuzu gasped when a loud voice echoed throughout the place. She almost fell from the shock.
There was a presence behind her.
Turning around, Yuzu saw the person she didn't expect to see.
"You're... Ray...?"
Sara blinked when Yuzu identified her. True, she was Ray's reincarnation and so identical to her, but she Yuzu should still be able to tell the difference and won't mistake her as her previous incarnation. But yet, the way Yuzu was staring at her was like she was seeing her past self. Sara opened her mouth, but then realized that her mouth moved on its own and the tone that came out was not hers.
"It's been a while, Yuzu." Ray answered.
Sara was surprised. She didn't know how, but somehow, Ray had taken over her body. She was borrowing her body to speak directly with Yuzu. Was this because of the influence of the cave?
"You can't go on like this, Yuzu." Ray told her Standard fragment. She looked down on Yuzu who was still staring at her in bewilderment.
Yuzu looked away from her stare, looking down at her hands while fiddling with it.
"It hurts so much..." Yuzu answered unconvincingly.
"People died, Yuzu. Me, Zarc, Father, and eventually your father, Ayu-chan, Tatsuya-kun, Futoshi-kun, and everyone else will eventually die. Yuya is the same." Ray said passively with a neutral tone that was neither gentle nor cruel. However, her words hurt Yuzu, nevertheless.
"That's not it! Yuya was killed! He was killed!" Yuzu tried to cover her ears, not wanting to hear what she feared the most.
"Then, if Yuya died because of old age, illness, or accident, you can accept it? I don't think so." Ray retorted. She kneeled, so she's at the same height as Yuzu.
"What you're doing right now, is no different than ignoring your pain. Trying to ignore your pain or keep it from surfacing will only make it worse in the long run. This is not something that Yuya would want. You must face your grief and actively deal with it." Ray placed her hands at Yuzu's, gently removing them from her hand, but Yuzu still refuses to look at Ray.
"I know how it feels to lose someone who is the most important to you. You feel like you want to just follow where he is. But that's not right. You mustn't think that losing your most important person is the end of the world. Especially, when your most important person left something precious behind." Ray recalled when she was forced to fight Zarc.
Her heart ached when she lost him and became a demon. She confronted him in the hope of vanishing together with him. This was wrong. She didn't save his soul. His soul was still tormented, and so was she. But, thanks to Yuya and Yuzu, they were able to find peace. And it's not like they were gone forever. They left their hope and dreams through their Duel against Yuya and Yuzu, and in return, their Duel inspired many and the new generations carried their hope and feelings.
"Yuya has left many things for us, for you. If you stay here, indulging yourself in this illusion, it'll be no different from forgetting Yuya." Ray added. Yuzu still won't budge, but Ray could sense the girl's heart slightly moved. Ray could see herself in Yuzu. It shouldn't be weird, since they were originally the same person. Yuzu was a part of her.
Ray carefully hugged the girl and caressed her hair. "Don't hold it in. Don't drown yourself in despair. You must be in a lot of pain, yet you're holding it them all back." Ray knew that Yuzu was a strong girl. Her not sharing her sadness with anybody was partially because she believed that she'd eventually forget her pain. But that was wrong.
"Even if you show your weakness here, you'll keep getting up again. You'll move forward and carry out Yuya's wishes."
Hearing Ray's gentle words, Yuzu couldn't hold it anymore. She held Ray tight. Tears brimming uncontrollably from her eyes.
"Ray! I...! I hate them all! I hate Apophis, I hate his offsprings! I can't forgive them! I don't want to forgive them!" Yuzu cried out loud, finally letting out the dark thoughts she had tried to keep away.
"Yuya did nothing wrong! Why did he have to die like that...?! Why?! Just why did it have to be him?!" The words came out before she could even comprehend them. Yuzu couldn't stop herself.
"I feel overwhelmed with all these emotions. I...! I...! Ahhh!"
Ray didn't say anything. She continued to caress Yuzu's back, allowing her to cry all she wanted. She stayed by her side until Yuzu's cry turned to sobbing and gradually quieted down. Now that she has let out everything, the load is off her chest. She'd still be sad, everything won't just go away, but Yuzu won't be bound on the same spot anymore. She'll get up and start to walk forward from now on.
However, the one who would be by Yuzu's side to support her, won't be her.
Ray closed her eyes, retreating to the deep sea of mind where she belonged. Sara regained control of her body, almost stumbling from the sudden switch. Ray didn't say anything more, but she knew what she must do. Ray left her to do the rest.
"Yuya-kun, had let go of Zarc." Sara told Yuzu gently.
"He has accepted that Zarc is no longer here. Moving on means you've accepted your loss—but that's not the same as forgetting. You can move on with your life and keep the memory of someone you lost as an important part of you." Sara has observed Yuya. From the way he spoke to Yukiya, from the way he acted, he no longer saw Yukiya as Zarc. He has learned to let go, accepting the fact that Zarc could never be replaced by anyone, and will always live in his heart.
"Yuya-kun has touched the hearts of many people. No one will forget about him. He'll always be remembered. That's why you don't need to be afraid. If you ever forget, we'll remind you about Yuya. There'll always be people who remember the wish and hope he left to us." Sara held Yuzu's hands together in hers and leaned until their foreheads touched.
"Yuya-kun wished to bring back peace to our world. He wished to protect us. We can't let his wish die along with him. If we are gone, then so is Yuya. There'll be nothing left of him. Yuya wished to protect all of us, so we must look out for each other, continue his wish in his place." She tightened her grip on Yuzu's hands, but still gentle.
"Sora-kun sent us an SOS message. He, Gongezaka-kun, Yuri-kun, Serena-chan, Yura, and Kino-san are in trouble right now. We must help them. You must help them. They need you, Yuzu. Don't let any more of our friends die. Don't let Yuya die in vain. Please. Stand up." Sara couldn't stop herself from tearing up.
After lowering her head for so long, Yuzu finally raised her head. She has been listening to it the whole time despite her effort to ignore it. The more she listened, the more she remembered of the moments she shared with Yuya last year until how he pushed her away from that critical attack that killed him. Since then, she regretted not doing anything back then. She thought she deserved to be punished for her failure to help him. But no matter how much she thought of it, she couldn't find the answer.
She thought of it since that night, but she couldn't find the answer to atone for her failure. And the more she thought of it, the more she wanted to see Yuya. She thought about Yuya, that she forgot something very important.
Her father was getting too worked up that she must hit him with her paper fan. Ayu, Futoshi, and Tatsuya are waiting for her at You Show Duel School. She's riding her bicycle while Gongenzaka is jogging. Sora teaching her Fusion Summon. Sawatari gloating on his so-called reputation. Yugo mistaking her for Rin that she must hit him. Serena asked her about common sense that she's not aware of. Rin teaching her D-Wheel mechanism. Ruri helped her cook. Johan introduced her more to his Duel Monsters. Celica teased her.
Even through all her grief, there's one thing that she can't throw away.
She wanted to protect them.
Now in the present and from now on, in the future, people who continue to believe in her are waiting for her return.
The time will come when she'll have to say goodbye to them. Death can never be avoided. That is part of life. However, their memories will always remain as part of the world even if they're gone. Accepting their deaths doesn't mean she'll forget them. In fact, as she moves through life, these memories can become more and more integral to defining the person she is.
For that reason, she must stand up.
She must fight.
It'll be painful when the time comes when death do them apart.
But they'll always be there in her memories.
To make sure they'll continue to live on...
Yuzu freed her hands from Sara's grip. She stood up and walked to where she dropped her Duel Disk. She picked it up and strapped it on her left wrist. She saw a few more bubbles that showed Yuya when he was dueling. Despite the pain, the agony, the sadness, he continued to fight for the sake of his dream, the dueling he believed in, and the people he loved. Even when there were times he fell; he would rise again.
She loved that side of him very much. She was such an idiot for forgetting that.
Now, it's her turn.
"I will fight and protect our friends."
NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW:
Winds of Synchronization – Yugo, who is trying to perfect his ability to synchronize his mind with his counterparts and monsters, tries to synchronize with his counterparts and Clear Wing. Meanwhile, the Holy Elves reveal the secret of the last Supreme King Dragon.
