Chapter 95

Pharaoh,' Yugi said softly in their shared mindscape, 'what we just saw…'

'Yes Yugi. It is… concerning that Edwin's past self might have been a threat to my people. But what we must remember is the man he was then is not the man he is now. I can not see Edwin doing the things that this Endymion was said to have committed in his quest for power.'

He shut his eyes. Back in Duelist Kingdom? Yes… yes he might have believed that. Back when he questioned Edwin's honor and thought him to be a scoundrel thanks to the arrival of Selene and his more underhanded tactics. But he had fought with him in Battle City to try and save Cabal and seen his drive to protect someone who was guilty of many things but didn't deserve the dark fate that had nearly been handed her. Edwin had killed, yes, but he had also seen the horror written on his face when he had seen the results of his actions. His friend had felt far more grief than the Pharaoh had for his actions when he'd first joined with Yugi. And twice they had braved the insanity of the multiverse and he had seen, time and time again, that versions of Edwin would fight to the bitter end to protect others.

'We will have faith in Edwin,' the Pharaoh told Yugi. 'We will not allow those visions to blind us.'

'Of course!' Yugi said quickly. 'But I was talking about something else, Pharaoh!'

He stared at his partner and raised an eyebrow. 'Oh? And what is that?'

'That man we saw… the Pharaoh?'

'Yes?'

'Pharaoh… I think that was your father.'

The Spirit within the Millennium Puzzle froze at that.

'My… my father?' he whispered. 'I…'

It was such a strange concept to him. He had never thought about the fact that he must have had parents. It just… never occurred to him. With his lack of memories his focus had been upon dealing with the gaps in his mind and dealing with the threats that were coming at him. But now that Yugi had said the words… it was all he could think about. He had a father. Had seen him. He could not remember him but he desperately wished he could. Was he a good man? Had he held him close and read him stories like Yugi's grandpa did to him when he was a child? Had he come to his father when he had nightmares or skinned knees? What was the man's favorite things to do? His favorite meals and drinks? So many questions!

And… if he had a father… he must have a mother. It sounded stupid the moment he thought it because of course he had to have a mother too but who was she? What was she like? How could he find out? He longed to know her, to remember her. To remember them both…

'Pharaoh,' Yugi said gently, placing his hand on his partner's shoulder. 'Let me finish the duel, okay?'

'I can-'

'No… no you can't,' Yugi said but it was with most gentle of tones that he denied him.

'…very well,' the Pharaoh said softly. Yugi nodded and disappeared while the Pharaoh sat down in his mind palace… and pulled up the vision once more, watching it play again.

~MC~MC~MC~

Yugi took a breath, settling himself as he took back control of his body. It was always a strange sensation but it had gotten better as he and the Pharaoh had learned to basically co-exist rather than one being shunted to their mindscape while the other was in control. None of the startling confusion at finding himself in a situation he had no knowledge of. Still… it always felt odd.

"Alright!" he called out, deciding it was time to get back to the duel. "Now with my two spellcasters on the field I can deal with your Executor of the Underworld-Pluto! My Mahad gains 1000 attack when it faces a dark-type monster, meaning it will easily steamroll right over that fairy!"

Tea though smiled. "And it won't do you any good with my Sanctuary on the field. That reduces all battle damage take to 0."

Yugi though shook his head even as Mahad leapt forward and sent a wave of ancient magic at the Executor of the Underworld, shattering it completely. "Battle Damage… when there's a monster on the field! You have no more Agents on the field but I still have my Apprentice Illusion Magician! And so now I'll have her attack you directly."

"I was hoping you'd forget that," Tea muttered before shielding herself, letting out a cry as the blast of magic from the female mage sent her lifepoints tumbling down. (Tea-500)

"Told you," Edwin said with a touch of smugness. "Never count Yugi out."

"Tea is in trouble," Renard admitted. "Yugi has two powerful monsters on the field and she just lost some heavy hitters."

Yuri though wasn't as concerned. "Yugi isn't the only one that can pull off some sudden big moves. I know my sister and her deck and trust me when I say that when she wants to she can make a duel go a complete 180! Don't count Yugi out? Well, don't counter a Gardner out either!"

Tea glanced at her sister and smiled before narrowing her eyes and drawing her next card. "She's right, of course. You shouldn't count me out of this Yugi. I promised you that I would give you the best duel I could, to make sure we are both ready for the likes of Ishizu and Marik."

"Aw, isn't that cute," Marik taunted. "They are thinking about us dear sister."

Ishizu didn't say a word, too busy staring at Yugi.

'She doesn't like that I'm the one dueling and not the Pharaoh,' he thought to himself. 'To her this is a dangerous move… I can't be trusted. But she forgets that it was the last card I laid on the field in our duel against Pegasus that allowed the Pharaoh to defeat him. I've not been a mere observer… the Pharaoh and I are partners, working together. Right now he needs time to deal with what we all saw in that vision so I am going to stand up and win this duel!'

But… it wasn't his turn.

"So far I've shown you what my Agents can do," Tea stated as she looked over her hand. "How they can call upon the lesser angels to aid them. The ways they can combine their powers in order to allow greater Agents to appear… even those whose tasks mean that can't merely use the title of Agent. But now…" she held up a card, "its time I show you their master."

"Oh this is going to be good!" Yuri cheered.

"I banish from my graveyard Executor of the Agents-Pluto to summon forth the lord of the Agents… MASTER HYPERION!"

A giant sun appeared above the combined field of the Sanctuary and the Magician's Salvation, shining its rays down upon all gathered.

"The sun. The life giver but also the destroyer. Its light can illuminate or it can blind. Give life… or burn it up. That is the Sun… and that is the leader of the Agents!"

The burning sphere sucked in on itself, forming into Master Hyperion who settled onto the field, staring out at Yugi's magicians who both tensed and readied for battle.

"Wait," Edwin whispered, "why did she banish Pluto… oh."

"Next I normal summon the Agent of Miracles-Jupiter!" On Tea's side of the field the planet Jupiter briefly appeared before it to transformed into an Agent, this one a large, muscular Agent who bowed to his master before turning towards Yugi's side of the field. "And now I use his special ability: by sending one Fairy monster from my hand to the graveyard I can bring back one of my banished monsters!"

"Pluto!" Renard exclaimed.

Yugi's eyes widened as the Executor of the Underworld appeared once more on the field, moving to stand with Master Hyperion and Jupiter. 'Tea has already gotten three monsters back on the field! She went from having nothing to having a fully stocked field!' Out loud he called out, "Tea… that is amazing!"

"Thanks Yugi!"

"Ugh," Marik complained. "If they begin to talk about how amazing the other is I think I'll just kill them both and forget about the revenge against the Pharaoh."

"…no Edwin," Mai said quickly.

"What?"

"You were thinking about the deal."

"I was not."

Renard huffed. "None of us believe you."

"…okay so if we get to pick the way they die there are ways we could kill them, give them CPR and defib them, and they are okay and Marik disappears forever. Its worth looking into if he's willing. I'll throw myself into the mix even."

"No you won't," Renard commented.

"No I won't," Edwin admitted.

"If you mention killing my sister one more time I'll send you to the Hell you keep 'bringing with you'!" Yuri snapped.

"By the way, Yugi?" Tea said, holding up another card. "I'm not done yet. I activate Sacred Waters In the Sky!" A great fountain, showing Hyperion surrounded by his Agents, appeared on the field and began to rain down a fine holy mist. "This card allows me to add one Agent or Hyperion monster from my deck to my hand." Tea took out her deck and searched it before selecting just the card she wanted. "But that's not all. See, right after that effect activates I can use the second effect, which allows me to claim 500 lifepoint for every Agent and Hyperion card currently on the field."

"Whoa!" Tristan exclaimed. "With her having her two agents and Master Hyperion on the field that means Tea's lifepoints jump up by 1500!"

"That wiped out nearly all the damage Yugi did to her last turn!" Duke added as the waters from the fountain rained down, coating the three angels on Tea's side of the field. Their bodies briefly glowed and Tea's lifepoints rapidly jumped up. (Tea-2000)

'This isn't good,' Yugi thought to himself. 'Tea now has most of her lifepoints back. And she has three powerful monsters on the field.' He looked over his own cards and forced himself not to react. 'But in her rush she's forgotten about the spells I've laid down… and that might just be my way of turning the tide in this battle!'

~MC~MC~MC~

"Hey Joey."

Joey started, nearly falling out of his chair before he scrambled to stand up. "Serenity!"

His sister smiled softly as she entered his room, looking about. "I had heard they were keeping you locked up somewhere… I'm glad that you were able to go back to your room."

"Yeah, after everything that happened…" he frowned, his mind a bit… fuzzy… when he tried to think about all that had happened between Marik and Ishizu going nuts and that morning. He knew that he and his friends had fought someplace else but it was all hazy, like a dream he could just barely remember. Snippets of it floating in his head. It was frustrating to say the least. "Well, Kaiba figured that I couldn't cause too much trouble."

Actually the rich boy had informed Joey that everyone now knew exactly what kind of person he was and would make sure not to ever trust him again so it wasn't like he could sneak up on them and cause any more pain of violence.

As if sensing his thoughts Serenity said, "You aren't him."

"…yeah."

"Joey, I mean it." She moved to sit down on the bed, Joey remaining in his chair. "You aren't dad."

"I'm not?" he asked. "I heard one little rumor and went and attacked an innocent person."

"You had a goddess messing with your brain, Joey," Serenity told him. "That isn't your fault. Anyone else would have fallen for it."

"Nah, they wouldn't have," he weakly stated.

"Joey," Serenity said with a sigh, "she targeted you in particular. Played on your every fear."

"Exactly. Everyone else would have seen it."

Serenity though shook her head. "And if it had been Tristan she would have made Edwin out to be controlling and dominating and telling her what she could and couldn't do with her life. With Tea it would have been that Edwin was corrupt and secretly working with criminals. With Yugi it would have been that a threat to one of us, spreading from her and to you and your friends."

Joey though merely looked down at his hands. "But what would their reactions have been? What would they have done? Cus I' m bettin' they wouldn't have lashed out."

"…maybe not," Serenity admitted.

"See?" Joey exclaimed, pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes. "I'm just like him! I grew up with him and it… rubbed off on me. Everyone has always said it. I can't fight it-"

"Then I must be just like her!" Serenity snapped and Joey started when her accent slipped from the more demur tones she had been using to the harsh Brooklyn accent he had.

"Serenity?" he said in surprise. He hadn't heard her talk like that in ages. Not since their mother had demanded she go to speech therapy (none for Joey… couldn't afford it for him…). "Who are you-"

"Mom!" Serenity shouted, throwing her hands in the air. "She's a callous, manipulative bitch! Only caring about herself and appearances! And I'm gonna be just like her! Using people and tossin' them away!"

"Don't say that, sis!" Joey exclaimed. "Mom isn't-"

But Serenity jabbed her finger at her brother, too worked up to listen to his defense of their mother. "You ain't seen her in nearly a decade, Joey! I have! I've been forced ta spend every day with her and deal with her tryin' to twist me into her perfect little princess. Her little knickknack that she puts out for her friends ta see before she shoves me back in a drawer!" She shook her head in disgust. "We did a fuckin' fundraiser, Joey! When we found out my eyes were goin' bad. Everyone at school donated. Ma would only tell me that there weren't enough for the surgery but I don't trust her. I ain't blind no more, Joey and I bet when I get home she has all sorts of new clothes and purses she bought. Help her deal with the 'pain' of havin' a broken kid!"

"Don't call yourself broken, sis!" Joey demanded.

"SHE CALLED ME THAT!" Serenity screamed.

"…what?" Joey asked quietly.

"Ma." Serenity's face twisted into a bitter scowl. "Said I was a broken kid. Complained about havin' ta help me out if I couldn't be fixed."

In his mind Joey could see a plaster bust of his mother falling to the ground, shattering to a thousand pieces.

"And I've lived with her my entire life… so I guess I'm gonna be just like that fuckin' c-"

Joey cut her off. "No, sis. No. No way could you ever be like that."

"Like you could ever be like dad?" she pressed.

He snapped his jaw shut.

"It occurs to me," Brom Bone said, startling the two, "that you two need to realize that you are not your parents."

"Aw man, what are ya doin' here!?" Joey complained. "Ain't ya caused us enough grief?"

"I caused you no grief," Brom said, moving into the room but making no move to sit down. "I merely revealed what was already there."

"Eh?" Joey said, confused.

"You've had pimples, right?" he asked. "Sometimes they won't be whiteheads. They will be swollen red bumps that look worse than a white head because they are so obvious but can't be gotten rid of easily. You need to press them from all different angles. It is never quick though… sometimes you can squeeze so hard that your face hurts but nothing happens. Because it wasn't ready. Other times you are going about it all wrong and need to come at it from a different angle. Eventually though, if you take your time and have the patience, you are able to finally get it to release. But you never know what you might find inside or how it will end. Sometimes it's a slow process and just when you think you've gotten everything you remove the scab that's formed and more comes oozing out. Other times you squeeze and there is a light pop and a bit of puss and blood and you are done. Sometimes it whistles and sometimes it's silent. Sometimes there is hardly anything and you are shocked that something that was so big and sore could have been caused by something so little. Other times there is so much that was buried in there you can't believe that there is move."

"First off… yuck man," Joey said, screwing up is face while Serenity mimicked him. "Second off we're the pimples in this situation?"

"You are the face," Brom clarified. "I was the fingers that were trying to deal with the pimple. The pimple… that was all of your burdens and emotional issues."

"Caused by what we buried," Serenity said softly. "Our fears and our worries."

"And your lies," Brom stated. "Born out of the best intentions, yes, but lies all the same. Ones that didn't need to be told but you felt you must maintain. Because of your fears and worries." He gestured at the two of them. "Here you are now. Talking. Dealing with what happened. And doesn't it feel better to talk than to keep it bottled away?"

"Like popping a pimple," Serenity murmured.

"Still think that metaphor is grow," Joey said.

"Therapy is gross," Brom admitted. "Self reflection is gross. Self improvement is gross. It is taking things you want to hide from and forcing them to the surface. But leaving them there? It makes things hurt longer. It allows festering. And they could still burst out… only when you don't want them too."

Serenity stared at Brom for a long moment. "…will you help?"

He smiled. "Of course." He looked to Joey who finally sighed and motioned for him to take the couch. "This is amusing, I must admit," Brom said as he laid down on the couch, his knees raising up so he could fit. "Now then, the two of you were concerned about becoming like your parents…"

Joey though frowned. "This ain't one of those things where you just ask us questions and never actually help?"

"Oh no!" Brom said with a laugh. "I hate that style of therapy. No… I'll try and guide you as best as I can so we work together. Now, parents do influence their children… nature and nurture, no matter how you look at it, means that parents play a large role. But you aren't robots that have instructions programmed into you. Both of you are your own people! You Joey, for one, deserve all the praise in the world!"

"Me? What for?"

"For breaking the cycle!" Brom declared. "You admit yourself that you were a bully only a year or so ago. You picked on Yugi." Joey ducked his head at that. "But you have changed. Greatly so. Do you think if I could bring that Joey to us right now people would confuse the two of you?"

"Well… I mean we look alike… but I guess if people talked ta us…." He trailed off.

"Exactly," Brom praised. "You changed yourself. Decided you didn't like the person you were becoming and decided to be different. That is something that is to be applauded. It shows your strength. Now then, let's examine that, shall we? Let's see how you made those changes so, perhaps, we can help both of you make changes you want to make as well as reinforce those parts of you that you wish to remain…"

~MC~MC~MC~

'Tea has gotten so amazing at dueling,' Yugi thought to himself. 'I know she probably thinks that its just what Edwin's counterpart on Earth-2 did to her that's letting her duel so well… but I don't think so. I think that might have opened the door but the ability for her to duel like this? That's her.'

He looked over his side of the field carefully. 'The only problem is… how do I get out of this? I have a few cards I can use to fill up my field but she has shown that she can just keep destroying what I set up… she isn't going to wait and allow me to just counter her. I am going to have to battle back.' In his mind he imaged Tea as a great windstorm, pushing against him, forcing him to dig in his heels as he raised his arm up to try and shield his face. 'It will be a struggle… but I can do it.' He paused though as he looked at the card that would net him the win.

Slifer the Sky Dragon.

'If I summoned my Egyptian God Card I would be able to win this duel. Slifer's effect would reduce the attack of any monster that she summoned. And since she has so many of them with less than 2000 lifepoints that means they'd be instantly destroyed. And it grows more powerful each turn. And the God Cards can't be targeted with effects like Master Hyperion's destruction effect.'

He saw himself summoning Slifer, the great Egyptian God Card coiling around the blimp, looming in front of Tea… and then attacking against his own orders, Yugi screaming as Tea was reduced to nothing just as Bakura had been.

'No… I can't do that. I can't risk it. The Egyptian God Cards… they are too powerful to be used like that. As much as I want to win this duel and help the Pharaoh defeat Marik we can't risk Tea. If I am going to win this duel it will have to be without my Egyptian God Card.'

"And I'm not done yet!" Tea declared. "I activate Master Hyperion's effect, removing from my graveyard two Shine Balls in order to give Master Hyperion the strength needed to banish your Apprentice Illusion Magician and Mahad from the game!"

"That' leaves Yugi with nothing!" Duke exclaimed as Master Hyperion fired off two flares of power, causing the two mages that were on Yugi's side of the field to turn to dust before being blown away. "The duel is over!"

"I don't think so," Edwin muttered though Yugi did his best not to react to that.

"That's right, Edwin!" Yugi declared with a grin. "I activate my Palladium Mahad's final ability! When he leaves the field he is able to special summon his future self. So come forth my Dark Magician!"

From his graveyard there was a flash and on the field the Dark Magician appeared, arms folded over his chest and a cheeky little smile on his lips.

"I should have known that you'd have a way to get him out," Tea said with her own smile. "But I can still power right through him… what?" She stared in shock as Master Hyperion fell to one knee, gasping on in pain.

"You were focused on my monsters, Tea… and forgot about what I had set up on my side of the field. A good magician knows how to lay out everything for the best performance… and the same is true of my Dark Magician. With the Dark Magic Circle on the field still when he is summoned he is able to banish your Master Hyperion from the game!" The lord of the Agents let out a final cry before the Dark Magic Circle finally formed around him, wrapping around his body before flashing… then separating into two, one rising up and the other down, and as they moved Master Hyperion disappeared from sight. "And Tea? I'm not done yet!"

One of the portals on the field began to glow.

"Magician's Salvation isn't just a cute name for my field spell. It speaks of exactly what it is. The very air is charged with magic… and it lets me pull off tricks that are no illusion!" The Dark Magician suddenly stuck his hand into one of the portals, arm jerking slightly when he did so. "I brought forth Mahad's future self… why not the same for his apprentice? I summon back from my graveyard my Dark Magician Girl!"

The Dark Magician gave a hard tug and from the portal came the Dark Magician Girl who tumbled into his embrace, letting out a sigh of relief before resettling herself, looking embarrassed over what everyone had seen. She quickly moved to stand on her own but the Dark Magician merely smiled, allowing her to hide her embarrassment.

"And for every Dark Magician on my field or in my graveyard I am able to increase my Dark Magician Girl's attack by 300, making her a match for your Executor of Pluto."

Tea frowned at that before nodding. "Then there is little I can do this turn." She smirked. "But next turn Yugi? You aren't going to enjoy what happens next."

'And I believe her,' Yugi thought as he looked over his hand and field. 'I can destroy her Agent of Miracles and her Executor of the Underworld but that won't do much to her lifepoints… and with how quickly she has shown she can build back her field I can't risk it.' He looked to his deck, hand slowly going towards it. 'My only hope if I want to win this duel is to defeat her THIS turn! And there is only one card that can do that… I must believe in the Heart of the Cards…'

Yugi drew, lifting the card up in the air, staring at it for only a moment before he narrowed his eyes, a smirk forming on his lips.

"Tea… you can hold your head high. I don't think I've faced anyone in this Tournament that pushed me harder than you have during this duel."

"Well, she's boned," Edwin muttered only for Yuri to smack him.

"I activate Secrets of Dark Magic!" Yugi declared, slapping the card onto his duel disc. Before his Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl two ritual urns appeared, letting off faint smoke. "This card allows me to perform one Ritual or Fusion summon this turn!"

"Yeah, definitely boned," Edwin said again only to yelp when Yuri hit him once more.

"I was wrong before, Tea. I said that the Dark Magician was the future. And while he is Mahad's future… he isn't the final destiny of the Dark Magician. There are so many possibilities, so many different outcomes that he can take. And I will show you one now! l fuse together the Dark Magician in my hand-" the ghostly form of the Red Dark Magician appeared on the field, "-and my Black Luster Soldier to summon from my extra deck the true future of the Dark Magician: The Master of Chaos!"

Black and white lightning began to shoot down from the sky, striking the field seemingly at random but soon began to focus on a single spot. That area charged with energy until, with a burst of power, the Master of Chaos appeared. He was the Dark Magician but his skin was a pale greenish-blue and his hair was a pale orange. His robes had become far more armored, gilded in gold. A long cape with golden trim and a red inside flowed behind the monster, waving in the breeze caused by his summoning. In the monster's right hand was the Chaos Sword, the weapon of the Black Luster Soldier, while in his left hand was the Luster Shield, gleaming and ready for any attack that might come.

"Yugi's two strongest monsters have been merged into one!" Tristan declared.

"And for something that powerful it has to have an amazing effect!" Koyo added.

Yugi tapped his duel disc. "When the Master of Chaos is summoned I am able to special summon from my graveyard one Light or Dark monster. So I bring forth once more Mahad!" The ancient Egyptian magician appeared on the field once more, standing with the Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, and the Master of Chaos. "But he won't be staying for long. Because The Master of Chaos can gather the energy of the Light and the Dark and use them to create an energy surge that will cause all your monsters to be banished! So Master of Chaos, convert the Dark Magician and Mahad into the power needed to remove every monster on Tea's side of the field from the game!"

The armored mage nodded before thrusting his sword into the ground and hanging his shield upon it before holding out his hands, the Dark Magician and Mahad beginning to glow; one light, the other dark. The two of them turned into pure energy that gathered into his open palms, crackling and burning before, with a sudden slamming of his hands together, he merged the two conflicting powers together.

There was a great explosion that threw everyone back, sprawling on top of each other. It was only when the light generated from the blast faded away that they saw that Tea's field was entirely empty.

"Dark Magician Girl! Attack Tea directly!"

Tea refused to back down, head held high as the Dark Magician Girl fired off her attack, the enchanted flames burning all around her as her lifepoints turned to ash. (Tea-0000)

"Tea Gardner has been defeated!" the ref declared. "The winner of this match and the first duelist to head to the Semi Finals is Yugi Muto!"

"Hmmmpf," Marik muttered, turning away and stalking off. "While I would have enjoyed watching you fail, Yugi, there is something to be said about destroying you with my own hands. Enjoy your little victory here… you will not be gaining another one!"

Yugi moved to give his congratulations to Tea, not wanting to dwell on Marik's comment, only to find his way blocked… by Ishizu.

"Why did you risk the world?"

"Excuse me?" Yugi asked, confused by her sudden comment.

"That duel… I know that you drew Slifer the Sky Dragon but refused to use it. You nearly lost because you feared its power."

"I won, that's all that matters," the teen said, moving to try and get past Ishizu only for her to block his way once again.

"We face a growing darkness. You know this. The Spirit of the Millennium Ring remains."

"You brother-"

But Ishizu let out a laugh. "You believe my brother could defeat the Dark One? Even with a god card he is too great. You know this too, you just don't want to admit it. The Spirit chose to disappear, to allow the Shadow Realm to claim him so he might return when you least expected it. We must be ready for him and the only way to do that is by defeating my brother and claiming his Egyptian God Card. And the only way to do that is to win the Battle City Tournament. And yet you once more allow your feelings to get the better of you, Yugi Muto. Your caring for this meaningless child led you to take control over the Pharaoh, refuse to use Slifer the Sky Dragon-"

The Millennium Puzzle flashed and the Pharaoh was in control. "Yugi is my partner. We have warned you time and again that he has my trust and yet you still degrade him. I will not stand for this any more, Ishizu."

"I will not allow him, or anyone else, threaten this world, my Pharaoh." Her eyes began to glow. "I do what I must."

Her hands grasped the puzzle and there was a flash of light.