Earthbound, Unbound
Disclaimer/Plot/Challenge Information/Author's Notes: SEE FIRST CHAPTER
Recommended Reads: Yugioh GX: Emperor of Darkness and Yugioh GX: Celestial War by YugiohFreak54, Harry Potter and the Duel Academy and Harry Potter and the Tri-Academy Tournament by A Pair of New Shoes, Harry Potter and the Crimson Magic by Matarra, Different Dimension Duellist by The Mad Prince, Death's Gravekeeper by TheSilverboar, Harry Potter GX, Harry potter GX season 2, Harry potter GX season 3 and Harry potter GX season 4 by diamondholder and The darkness returns by craighorner88
Key Pairing: Harry/Bellatrix/Luna; Jack/Hermione
Other Pairings: To be determined
Normal Speech
'Thoughts'
'Spirit/Shadow Speech'
/Parseltongue/
{OC Card Descriptions}
Review Answers:
Doctor3027: Get ready to find out…oh, and try not to have nightmares with the end of this chapter and arc;
"And, as a nice bonus to this episode, you, my sweet princeling, now get to have your wicked way with these wusses all over again!"
"Thank you, Luna," laughed Harry, striding through the dumbfounded crowd before he hugged Luna, soon joined by Jack, Hermione and Sirius.
Ron, meanwhile, was looking up into the pissed-off eyes of James Potter, who sneered at the downed boy before, to the shock of the rest of the hall, his voice rang out through the Duel Hall.
"MERLIN'S BLOODY BALLS! IS THERE ONE SON OF MINE WHO WILL NOT FAIL ME?"
ARC 1: LOST AND FOUND
Chapter 10: Brothers of Destruction
"Is it true?"
"Yes," said Harry, his voice edged by an almost-matter-of-fact sort of mannerism as he responded quickly, but sincerely to the question posed to him and the others by Ron, while the redhead, along with Jack – who, unlike Harry, was surprised by what had been revealed – Hermione and a curious, but also content-looking Luna were gathered in Sirius' office.
As for the Professor himself, he seemed stunned by Harry's frankness, while Ron, who was sitting in a chair near Sirius, gulped hard as he looked up at the emerald-eyed Ravenclaw, "How…how long have…have you known?"
"Ever since I met you," said Harry calmly, his voice edged by a note of surprisingly-cool emotion as he explained, "And before then: in fact, I've known the truth since Dad adopted me as his son and heir. You see, in order to do it, the goblins had to confirm my original identity, including all details that would soon become irrelevant. So, when I was revealed as Harry Potter, my examination also revealed the truth to me: that I had a bastard brother, born of the sickening thought of sex between James the Joke and Molly the Mouth, named Ronald Bilius Weasley…an irony, really, given the name Bilius comes from the word meaning nauseous or sickly."
"And now, everyone knows," said Jack, earning a slow nod from Harry, before Jack looked to Ron as he added, "At least this explains why I never really challenged the way you became like a brother to me, Ron…at least, when you weren't being a whiny, prissy little bitch with a Broken Record Complex longer than Hagrid's arm-span."
"You…you didn't know, J…uh…Potter?" asked Ron, his ears turning red as he spoke with such a calm, casual air to the boy whom, before Harry's return and Ron's ego trip, had once been a close friend to the boy.
But now, given everything that had happened, including Harry being civil with him now the Kneazle was out of the bag, and how Jack wasn't even trying to leave him in the lurch because of it all, Ron wasn't even sure he deserved the right to use Jack's first name, much less be a friend to him.
Certainly not a brother, not after how he'd treated Jack's true flesh-and-blood twin…sorry, ex-twin, Harry Black.
"No," replied Jack, before he sighed softly, the sound escaping his nostrils almost like the sound of steam blowing off of the engine and brakes of the Hogwarts Express as he quickly added, "And, listen, Ron, it's not Potter…it's Jack. We were friends before all this BS and, despite all the crap you've committed lately, I still think of you as something of a friend. So, no need to go all Malfoy on me; keep calling me Jack if you like."
Ron smiled weakly, though the smile quickly faded as he looked over to Harry, who was looking out of the window from Sirius' office, before he asked him, "Do…do you know why Mum and…and Mr Weasley were the ones to look after me, instead of…of him raising me with Jack, Harry?"
"No," said Harry, his hands linked behind his back as he explained, "But if I had to guess, I'd say Big Daddy Dickhead was trying to groom someone who, on the surface, would become his precious son's closest thing to a real sibling, but without ever revealing, or knowing, the truth about where you really come from. Sort of like making a spare part without being a spare part, so, unlike me, he wouldn't have to renounce you; he also probably paid your loving Mother for her silence, which kind of explains how she manages to send seven kids to one of the best schools in the world and afford a whole bunch of decks, M-Disks and D-Scopes."
"M…Mine are all hand-me-downs," argued Ron, again blushing from his ears as he admitted, "My Deck used to belong to Bill, my M-Disk was Charlie's and my Scope was Percy's; I don't even think I've ever been able to have anything that wasn't somebody else's. I mean, you guys heard about dress robes being essential this year?"
A chorus of nods answered him.
"I saw mine…and, let me tell you: whatever it's meant to be for, I'd just as soon as go naked compared to the thought of wearing…them!"
"Sounds like, as well as moulding you into a yes-man with problems, they were also happy humiliating you and breaking you down, Ronnie," argued Luna, earning a faint flicker of a smile from Harry, while Jack and Hermione couldn't help but agree with her statement, casual though it was.
"It certainly explains a lot," said Hermione, looking from Ron to Jack and, finally, to Harry as she asked, "But what doesn't make sense is, if you knew who Ron was, why didn't you try harder when you and Jack reunited, Harry? I mean: if you knew he was your brother, why didn't you try and help him cut the strings, like you've been doing for Jack?"
"My attitude probably didn't help," argued Ron, earning a jerk of the head from Harry, as though signifying that he'd just hit the nail on the head. "I mean, I accused him of cheating at every turn; I made him feel inferior and I did nothing to try and be a real brother. Even Jack willingly tried to be more like family, both when Harry was saving our asses and when he was duelling. I mean, you and him helped shield Harry's eyes from that dragon, Hermione, but me? I laughed at him, mocked him and then made it worse reminding him of it when we met again on the train."
"And now?" asked Hermione.
"Hey, come on: I'm still here, standing in the room with him and not making any barbs or negative comments after the life-changing humiliation he just suffered because his real Dad can't stand the idea of losing, aren't I?" asked Harry, as though it was the most-obvious thing in the world.
"He's got a point," said Luna.
"Not that it needed saying, least of all like that, Harry," added Jack, earning a dismissive hum and a shrug from the Black Scion.
For several minutes, nobody said anything else.
After a few tense, if not awkward minutes of almost-pregnant silence, however, Ron gulped hard as he looked again to his friend, as well as the brother he now knew he had, as he asked, "So…what do we do now?"
"That's up to you, Ronald," said Harry, while Jack nodded in agreement, as Harry turned to Ron, his expression cool, calm and almost-concrete-like as he seemed to be unable to show any emotion as he locked eyes with Ron.
"You know the truth, and right now, you're standing at the crossroads…so…who do you choose to be? Which road will you take? The one where you're basically a shamed soul who won't even get a second chance from the douchebag deadbeat Dad he now knows he has, or the one where you become your own man…whatever that may mean you choose to do to become it?"
Unseen by everyone else, Ron's eyes seemed to glaze over, before his expression grew cool, stern and focused as he nodded.
"I…I guess it's up to me, isn't it, Harry?"
Harry just hummed, before he looked to Luna, "Come on, Luna-girl; we're going back to Ravenclaw Tower. It's almost curfew and, sadly, Potter is the one on patrol tonight and he's likely to be begging for an excuse to show his Snivellus side now that his big secret's out of the bag."
"We…we should be moving too, then," said Hermione.
"Right," said Jack, looking from his friend, as well as his wayward twin, to their teacher as he asked, "Will…will you find a way to let Mum know about all this, Sirius?"
"That would imply Lily doesn't know James' secret," said Sirius.
Harry just scoffed before, as he walked towards the door with Luna in tow, he couldn't resist one final barb of his own.
"I think you mean that would imply she doesn't care about her deadbeat husband's dirty laundry, Dad."
EBUB
"Another woman?"
"Yes," said James, sitting in his own office with Lily, her expression stony and calm, while James seemed to be apologetic and even remorseful as he told her, "I've tried my hardest to keep it under wraps, Lily-flower, but…well…after what happened with Harry…and then, what with the impending arrival of that Death Eater scum, Karkaroff…and the stress and excitement…"
"You just scream about how you have another son?" asked Lily, earning a sorrowful look from James.
"I…I never meant to let it out like that, Lils…"
"James?"
"Yes?" asked James, looking up at her in hope and surprise.
Lily, however, looked right through him, her gaze still cold and emotionless as she rose from her seat before she shook her head.
"Don't speak to me…and don't bother coming home for at least the rest of the term…"
"What? Lily, you…you have to…"
"And one more thing," said Lily coolly, her voice edged by pain and rage as she looked down at her husband's apparently-humbled form.
When he looked up at her, Lily scowled darkly as she hit back with the only thing she knew would make James feel as awful as she did.
"Since you were shameless enough to reveal your secret, not just to me, but to a whole damn school of people who hate your bastard son, I've got a real dirty one for you, my love! For the longest time now, I thought you ought to know that I've always forgiven Severus for what you made him do. And, to be honest, right now, I'd sooner find comfort of my own in his arms than listen to any more self-serving bullshit out of your mouth. First your lie about Harry, then blacklisting Sirius, and then letting your ego overpower your fatherly sense of care for your own flesh and blood…and now this? Cuckolding me? Siring a child with another woman? And not just any woman, but the overbearing bitch of a cow who is always trying to bring her precious little girl, and our Jack together, just so she can feel like she is somebody…tell me, James: were you ever going to tell Jack the truth? That, apart from willingly calling his half-brother his best friend, he might as well be shacking up, and giving us grandkids, with his half-sister? What do you think this is? Star Wars?"
"I…I didn't…I'd never…"
"Whatever," argued Lily, heading for the fireplace in James' office as she told him, "At least one of us has the strength to honour the vows we swore to one another when we were married, Prongs! And, unlike the Muggle world, archaic as it is, I know I can't divorce you without affecting my son, not to mention possibly affecting Harry too."
"Harry?" asked James, a mixture of shock and rage lacing his voice as he asked, "What does he have to do with any of this?"
"Enough," said Lily, smiling fondly as she cupped her heart, remembering the sound and feel of her wayward son crying against her before he'd come to Hogwarts with Jack and friends. "Since, unlike how he feels about you, he still has enough light in his heart to acknowledge me as his loving Mum. And that is a love I will never turn away from him, never again; and as for the other one, the boy you clearly loved seeing as Jack's skivvy all these years, I only hope our boys are more-honourable souls than their Father, because, right now, thanks to your vanity and so-called accident, that poor child doesn't have a friend in the world."
With that, she vanished through the Floo, leaving James stewing as he saw his fireplace return to normal.
The little spare part was actually claiming Lily as his Mum?
Why?
He should have died years ago…paving the way for the Bastard to take his place and make Jack into the famous hero he loved being.
How could everything have gone so wrong for James?
EBUB
Darkness.
An autumnal cold.
A feeling of unease, edged by a whisper of dread.
All these things followed Ron into the Forbidden Forest as he crept through the night, having left his bed in Gryffindor Tower and, by some miracle, managed to find his way outside, where the feeling of darkness and night-time washed over him, making him feel more at peace than ever.
After that, he headed for the Forest, a part of him moving on some newfound instinct while some other part felt compelled to seek the solace of the isolated shadows, instead of the looks, whispers, sniggers and even pitying, if not disgusted looks he'd received from more than enough people in Gryffindor Tower.
Including, but not limited to, his so-called siblings, Fred, George and Ginny, the latter of whom had looked at him as though he'd just told her that Jack was gay, a eunuch and had sworn an Unbreakable Vow to never fall in love, which meant that they would never be husband and wife, let alone the parents to the future of the family.
Personally, Ron blamed their Mother for that delusion, though he was also thankful.
EBUB
To Jack, for giving him the second chance he knew he didn't deserve.
To Hermione, for being enough of a friend and kindred spirit as to make sure he knew he wasn't alone.
But, most of all, Ron was thankful to one person…
Or rather…one spirit; and that was the spirit of the whispering darkness that had guided his hand and almost won him the duel against Luna.
And, because of that, Ron had made the choice.
He was done being weak.
He was done being the joke.
He was done being plain, old, ordinary, unimportant Ronald Weasley.
Now, he was going to become more…
EBUB
As the darkness of the Forest swallowed him up, Ron stopped his movements before, licking his lips slowly, he looked around, not really recognising where he was, while his voice was barely audible, and more than a little cracked, as he gasped out two words to the night.
"I…I…I'm here!"
"I know," growled that familiar sibilant voice, before Ron's eyes widened when a familiar wall of purple-coloured flames rose up around him, trapping him in the eternal blackness that seemed to have consumed him.
At the same time, Ron's eyes widened in alarm, if not amazement, when he saw a lone shadow of a figure standing at the far end of the fire; the figure was tall, fierce-looking and, from what Ron could see, he was dressed in a suit of spiked, terrifying-looking, darkly-empowered armour, as well as a helmet and faceplate that covered pretty much all his face, especially his eyes.
On one arm, Ron saw a five-pointed star-like device, which he guessed was the spirit's Duel Disk, while a long, blood-red cape, emblazoned with a fierce-looking glyph shaped like a black dragon billowed out behind him, making the stranger look more like someone entombed in the folds of Hell itself, though the raw power he exuded also did a damn good job of that, on that point.
As Ron looked at the armoured figure, he gulped as he asked, "You…you're…you're him, aren't you?"
"I am," said the owner of the armour and the dark voice, his covered, helmeted face nodding in response, before he held out his non-disked arm to Ron as he explained, "And I have given you a mere taste of the power you could wield, Ronald Weasley."
"That's not my name anymore, whoever you are," argued Ron icily, his voice tinged with pain and darkness as he shook his head. "That surname belongs to someone who was nothing but the butt of their joke, their pawn and nothing more than a dog for them to yank around on a choke chain. So, for now, I'm…just Ron, I guess; Just Ron…okay?"
"As you wish," said the dark figure, before he unfurled his fingers, letting their dark-armoured form shimmer and shine in the light of the fire around them as he asked, "So…Just Ron…are you absolutely sure this is what you want? Once you give yourself over to the powers of Darkness, and the life-changing strength I offer you, there is no going back!"
"I don't want to go back," said Ron, earning an amused hum from his benefactor.
"Right answer…very well, prepare yourself, Just Ron…"
"Wait!"
Suddenly, the figure growled disapprovingly as Ron held up his hand, shaking his head as he explained, "Be…before you…you do whatever it is you're going to do to me, please…just…just give me one thing; give me this one thing and…and whatever happens to me, I…I promise you, on my soul that I'll accept it regardless…okay?"
"Very well," agreed the armoured figure, "What do you ask?"
"Show me who you are," said Ron, putting as much courage into his voice as he could muster, before he actually smirked as he added, "I…I don't know if…if my guess may be right or not, but…but something's giving me an idea of who you are under that mask, friend. And…and then, when you gave me a taste, and helped me fight one of the awesomest duels I've had in a long time, I…I felt something then, too…so…please, even if my guess is wrong, please, just show me and, I swear, on everything…I'm yours."
"I see," growled the dark master opposite him, before the darkling smiled beneath his helmet as he asked, "Then, tell me, Ronald…who do you think I am under this mask?"
"The only one I can think of who hates the Light, as well as Potter, as much as you seem to," said Ron calmly, before he indicated his benefactor's attire as he explained, "The only one who'd claim I had power, because they can feel it, and who has a thing for dragons like you do…not to mention the only one with the power to not only face, but survive and even master the Dark Magic you wield, mate…so, yeah…only one name comes to mind for me, and probably for anyone else who might sense the truth."
"And…" asked the dark figure, a note of almost-mocking amusement and curiosity in his voice, "Who is that, Ron?"
Ron didn't back down.
"Harry Black, formerly the boy known as Harry Potter!"
Silence followed his declaration…but only momentarily, before the dark figure smiled, then clapped his hands; as he clapped, Ron saw the armour and cape fade away, revealing a darkly-dressed young figure opposite him.
A darkly-dressed figure with eyes that had pure-black sclera, as well as two fiercely-glowing golden irises, which, like his apparel, made Ron think of the eyes of a predatory dragon. Around his neck, the new figure wore a black-and-silver pendant, which had an emblem shaped like a septet of scary, but also deadly-looking figures, all of which surrounded an eighth glyph, shaped like a large, fierce-looking winged dragon, whose wings rose up and enveloped the others in its thrall.
However, Ron couldn't deny who he was looking at.
"Bravo, dear brother," drawled Harry Black, his voice still tinged with that malefic tone that Ron recalled in his mind's eye, "I'm not too surprised you figured it out; unlike what the mortals believe, your mind may be one of the sharpest, most-observantly-strategic weapons in humanity's arsenal. Such a pity they would rather blacklist it, turning it into a joke, instead of nourishing its power and making you a true greatness in this world…"
As Ron stared, Harry crossed the space between them, before he ran the knuckles of his left hand down Ron's cheek, making the redhead shiver ominously as Harry went on, "But I see the truth, Ronnie; I see the sleeping dragon inside of you, left unchecked, bound and chained to the rocks of their egos and plans to make you their bitch…nothing, but an insect who they can tread on, cow and make their runt because it pleases them…"
As Harry ran his hand along Ron's face, the redhead's eyes widened when he saw a purple-coloured emblem glowing on Harry's left arm, which, after only a moment's thought and looking, Ron realised was shaped exactly like the dragon in the centre of Harry's pendant.
Seeing the realisation, Harry nodded as he explained, "Yes, brother: I am the one who, irony of ironies, our other brother believes I have returned to stop…ha! The truth is anything but clear, as it is the perfect game to play with the other humans who think themselves masters of this world…but, in order to take my rightful place in this world, I cannot do it alone: I need my true family, my real siblings in Destiny…and then, together, when our family are brought together, we can usher back in the Age of the Netherworld and reignite the fires that burned during the reign of the Immortals!"
"And…and I'm part of that family?"
"Yes," said Harry proudly, now removing his hand from Ron's cheek as he explained, "But, in order to join me and, one day, even have Jackie take his rightful place as one of us, Ronniekins, you have to be willing to sacrifice everything, even your heart, your soul and your future. You must also be willing to play this…this chess game, as I imagine you'd prefer to call it, with our enemies and those who would threaten the Second Coming of the Earthbound Immortals."
"I can do that," said Ron, his voice now cool, emotionless, but focused as he looked into Harry's eyes, "And not just because I promised; when it comes to chess, I'm something of a prodigy."
"So I've seen," said Harry, chuckling softly as he explained, "So, does that mean you accept this? Remember…once you do, there's no takebacks."
"I won't take it back, big brother," said Ron, earning a scoff from Harry, before Ron shook his head, "No, you said we're family, and you were given this power long before me, so, here and now, I'm recognising you as the big brother, Harry. Whatever you have to do…do it! Just promise me that I can stand there, watch and laugh if and when you reveal yourself to Potter and make him burn!"
"You have my word," said Harry, stepping back from Ron, before he asked, "Last chance?"
"No chance."
"Very well," said Harry, snapping his fingers.
To Ron's alarm, the flames around them suddenly wavered and shifted; seconds later, what could only be described as a swarm of very big, very scary and, to Ron's increased horror, very hungry-looking spiders formed in the fire, each one now advancing on Ron, who, despite his determination, couldn't help but tremble and waver as he looked at the faces of his darkest nightmares.
And yet, he also made sure to hear Harry's words as the Dark Lord of the Earthbound Immortals, the Dragon Dark Signer, addressed him.
"Now, in order to embrace the Immortals' powers, you must be reborn as an Immortal…and, to do that, you have to die!"
Ron shook like a little boy, even as he tried to draw himself to his full height before, closing his eyes, he opened his arms and splayed his fingers.
Surrendering to the nightmare.
"Do it."
"You heard him," growled Harry, pointing to the surrendered soul before him.
"Feast!"
The spiders lunged…
And only the roar of fire, as well as a dark, ominous clap of thunder, which was so loud, it sounded like the earth itself was being split in two, drowned out Ron's horrified, tormenting screams as his worst nightmare literally ate away at him, ripping him apart and disembowelling him before, to his disbelief, the same dark power laid down upon him, spinning webs of darkest-purple fire all over him.
As the webs enveloped him, Ron also felt one spider burrowing its way into his mouth, feeding him its dark, malefic power, while another ripped into his heart where, after only a moment, it broke apart into a bazillion smaller spiders, which began to burrow their way into his bloodstream, flooding his body even further with the dark power of the Netherworld.
And, unlike what had happened as he screamed and succumbed to death, this time, Ron did not cry out.
In fact, all he did was smile, before his eyes opened…
Revealing two blackened orbs, with a darkest-coloured shade of midnight-blue in his irises, as well as a broken, almost-exploded look to them that seemed to bleed into the sclera.
Like spiders spinning their webs from within his very eyes.
EBUB
As the spiders did their work, Harry looked down at Ron with fondness, as well as dark pride, before he eyed the Mark of the Abyss Dragon on his left arm, his golden-coloured eyes shining malefically as he chuckled to himself.
"Three down…four to go…and then, when we are one once more…the Age of Darkness can begin anew…and this world will be ours!"
Again, only thunder and the sound of night-time rolling over them drowned out the evil laugh that tore out of the Forsaken Potter as he watched his new brother being reborn as what he was born to be.
The newest generation of Dark Signers…
Chapter 10, and Arc 1, are over and done with and Harry has revealed his true identity, but what is this game he seems to be playing with the world and what role does his ex-twin have to play in it?
Also, three down, four to go, he said, but…hang on?
Counting the Dragon, aren't there eight Earthbound Immortal Masters?
Keep Reading to Find Out
Next Chapter: Arc 2 begins and Hogwarts gets ready to greet some very special guests, though not before Harry receives a challenge from another idiot who can't take a hint; also, Ron delivers a message of his own to his former family, especially a certain stalker who really needs a white padded cell;
Please Read and Review
AN: Harry
Also, as many YGO fans might recognise, Harry's armoured look is based heavily on the badass armour and mask of the Supreme King;
What can I say?
My mind went what the hell and the rest just wrote itself
AN2: Ron's 'rebirth'
Also, since the Dark Signers in canon were born of their own deaths, I can honestly say you'd best prepare yourselves for some scary shit in future chapters, not to mention when I show and tell you what happened to those already under the reign of the Dragon Signer;