Chapter 11: - Betrayal
"Team Galactic! Do you understand your mission?" Commander Mercury asked as she finished her briefing, tossing her imperial blue hair back over her shoulder defiantly.
"Hagh!" The assembled grunts saluted, and departed in ones and twos to go about their new mission until there was only one left.
"You have a question?" Mercury smiled at the remaining girl as she approached. The youngest Grunt in Mercury's operation sometimes required special treatment, but her special knowledge was invaluable when dealing with the injuries and maladies that cropped up so often in this new world.
"The master ball... will it accept you..?" Miko asked, shuffling her feet a little and ducking her head. "I mean... if it's not registered..."
"It'll be fine. I can control it." Mercury reached out to pet her grunt's head, mussing up her black hair. "You won't let me down, will you, Nanoha-chan?"
"N-no!" Nanoha Miko shook her head, looking up at her master with a slight blush. "I would never let you down. Dialga will be yours, Mercury-sama."
"Good." Mercury smiled, dropping her hand to her side. "Go. Let your insects search."
"Un!" Miko nodded, and ran out of the room.
"That girl... she's too young for this. What was Phobos thinking?" Mercury muttered to herself as she watched the bug trainer go. "Blasted man. Well, as long as she's here, I may as well use her." Mercury shook her head and sighed as she went back to her control centre to monitor the situation.
In the aftermath of Battle City, the streets were somewhat chaotic, but while the finalists flew off to Palkia knew where in that ridiculous balloon, it offered a perfect opportunity to her Galactic minions. If only Dialga wasn't such an important part of Cyrus' plan, they would be launching an attack on the undefended Day Care Centre already.
Mercury was loyal to Team Galactic, and believed in the New World with all her heart, but sometimes – just sometimes – she wondered if Cyrus had his priorities straight. Surely destroying their enemies was a far more important task than acquiring the means to complete their so-risky plan, when those same enemies were the main reason that the New World might fail to be realised.
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"Jamie. Jamie!"
Jamelia growled and rolled over, trying to go back to sleep and ignore the person shaking her awake.
"Jamelia Francis wake up or I'll steal your Pokeballs."
"Go'way 'Kura." She groaned, then paused and opened her eyes to look at him, "'Kura? But you… Slifer!" She sat bolt upright, "Are you alright?" Concern flowed from her, causing her to miss their surroundings.
"I'm fine." Bakura nodded at her and looked around, "You have the biggest Soul Room I've ever visited."
"Soul Room?" Jamie paused to look around, leaning into him. "'Kura, how did we get to the Day Care?"
"This isn't the Day Care, just an image of it." Bakura explained, "I have to say that I'm surprised that this place had become where your soul rests in this short an amount of time."
"What do you mean?" Jamie asked, watching a Butterfree fly past.
"I was expecting to find your soul room was a Pokémon Centre, or the league halls of residence, not this mockery of your world. It shouldn't be. Or are you happy to live the rest of your life in this cage?"
"Of course not!" Jamie protested pulling away quickly, "How dare you? You have no idea of how much I hate being trapped in this glass prison!"
"You must enjoy it somewhat, or your Soul Room wouldn't mirror it."
"It's the closest thing I can ever get to home, ever again 'Kura, you know that." Jamie sank in on herself. Bakura had to suppress a hiss as her hand automatically went to the rope that held the Millennium Ring…
He had to get it away from her before it started tainting her mind like it had his.
He needed her angry, not miserable. Miserable wouldn't get her to give up the Ring, miserable wouldn't have her fighting, miserable wasn't how he could bear to see her…
"So you've given up completely?" Bakura asked, cringing mentally as she just sank lower. 'No, Jamie, get your head together, don't lose it now, not with everything that's going on.'
"You know as well as I do that there's no path home." Jamie couldn't even muster up enough venom to glower at the floor. "Team Galactic hold the only key, and I'm not strong enough to fight the might of a Legendary. If only there was another power, one that was strong enough…"
So that was what was warping Jamie's mind, knocking all of the self confidence out from under her...
"Jamelia Francis, I thought you were better then this." He snapped, "Retreating to your soul room at the slightest sign of danger, snivelling because you can't think of a plan…"
"Shut up Kura, I'm exhausted." Jamie snapped.
"Why? It's not even like you've had to fight Marik or any of his goons…"
"Please." Jamie glowered at him, "I've spent the entire day chasing down Rare Hunters and Galactic Grunts, defeating both! And that Arceus damned Guardian of the Millennium items had the audacity to force me into a Shadow Game because I was guarding your Ring!"
"Shadi was here?" Bakura's snarl startled Jamie as she watched him get to his feet and pace the bank of the lake. "And he played you?"
"Uh huh."
"Just wait until I get my hands on him." Kura snarled.
Jamie couldn't help the smile that invaded. "Is there a reason you thought you'd come and disturb my sleep, or do you enjoy trying to pick fights?"
Bakura hesitated, deciding the truth was easier in a place where souls were bared, "I need you to give the Ring back to Ryou."
"No." Now she decided to disagree with him?
"You have to."
"Not while he's injured, your host nearly died!" Jamie snapped, "Speaking of hosts, why didn't you tell me?"
"There's some things even you wouldn't believe."
"You could have tried me."
"Even you have a limit on how much you can believe, Jamie. Now give Ryou back the Ring."
"No."
"Don't make me take control. You won't enjoy being a passenger in your own body."
"Arceus damn it 'Kura, what's so important that you can't wait until your host is completely recovered?"
"You wouldn't understand!"
"You're as bad as the Pharaoh!"
"Don't you dare compare me to him!"
"Then tell me what's so important!"
"No." Bakura stormed off.
Jamie beat him to the door. "You're not going anywhere, I'm not giving up the Ring yet and if you think I'm going to let you take control easily, you've got another think coming."
"Get out of the way."
"Why?"
Bakura glowered at her. So she wouldn't fight him on issues he wanted to fight about, but was perfectly willing to stick her big oar in his business? "Last warning. Move." He growled dangerously.
He saw her hesitate, but she stood firm.
He shoved her to one side, and exited the Soul Room, seizing control of her body and looking around. He could feel Jamie's anger and had to fight to keep control, as he spotted Tea, who was watching them… him… closely.
"Marik." Bakura snorted, sensing concern from Jamie when she actually heard what he had said. "I didn't realise you still had your talons in Tea."
"And I see that your toy was more useful to you then I thought she would be." Marik laughed, "Though I have to say that you sound strange in that body."
"What do you want?" Bakura scowled, firmly holding the doors of Jamie's soul room shut, "Don't you have more important things to do, like irritating the Pharaoh?"
"Unfortunately my dark side has taken over my body and I cannot seize control back," Marik growled, "If you want the Millennium Rod, you're going to have to work with me."
"I could easily take the Rod by force, I don't need you."
"You do if you want the secrets of the ancient scriptures." Marik snorted, "Or have you forgotten that I know of a power greater then that of the Millennium Items?"
"I won't duel for you in this body."
"Fine, give me the Ring and I'll hand it to your host."
"You can't!" Jamie forced her way out and gasped.
"Francis." Marik, nodded, sounding amused.
"Ryou almost died in that Duel, you can't…" Then Bakura was back in control.
"Stubborn, isn't she?" Marik laughed.
"Ridiculously." Bakura snapped, trying to work out how to hold Jamie back long enough to get the Ring from her to Ryou. 'If you don't settle down I'll send you to the Shadow Realm myself.'
He sensed sarcasm, she obviously didn't believe he'd do it.
Well he had one answer, but he was loath to do it. She had her deck on her; he knew which card was her favourite too. He pulled her Frostbite Fox out of the deck, looking, for a moment, at the icy blue fox shown on it. 'I will seal you inside this card if you don't behave.'
Worried now… Jamie backed off slightly.
Bakura growled at Marik, put the fox card on top of the deck, face up, and lifted the Ring from around Jamie's neck.
Jamie found herself back in control abruptly.
"I'd put it on him." Marik snorted, "Unless you want to be a fox whose fur is the same colour as your hair."
Jamie snarled at him, put the Ring on Ryou, snatched up her deck, Duel Disk and backpack, and left.
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Miko sighed to herself as she walked along the deserted, dusty alleyway. Mercury wanted Dialga... she didn't know if the slight administrator was really planning to hand it over, though. Dialga was the sort of power that Mercury had been seeking for since Saturn had been given Palkia to guard. It was well known that the commander of the Otherworld expedition was jealous of her home territory equivalent. If she got Dialga... no, it mustn't happen. Dialga would have to disappear. Miko realised that it was up to her – if she didn't find Dialga before another Grunt did, Cyrus would have won and she would never see her home or the Professor again.
Failure meant living in Team Galactic's world, a madman's paradise without freedom or love. Without Raven or any of Miko's extended family who lived in the meadows of Goldenrod. Losing them would just be too painful. It hurt already, but at least if she succeeded now, she would be able to go back to them.
Since her father had left them six years ago, the young Miko had spent almost all of her time playing in the meadows of the game park. Her mother hadn't had time for her, always absorbed in her work or with the latest in a string of boyfriends. Despite being a normal, unattuned human, Miko had befriended the insect pokemon of the meadows through sheer childish innocence and perseverance, though her relationship with them hadn't crystallised until she had taken Fuujin, who would have otherwise been left to the elements, and raised him where his mother had been unable to.
Only the most stubborn of Farfetch'd would attack her in her home where she was protected by Insects and Birds of all kinds, but here she had never felt more alone.
"Fuujin... Demise... Hiryu..." She called forth the three flying Pokemon. "Please... lend me your strength... find the Master Ball." She told them, and her three loyal friends nodded before scattering.
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Jamie found herself wandering the corridors of the blimp.
Sure she could go to her friends for the night, sleep on their floor, but she didn't want to disturb Yugi or Joey and she didn't really feel like being on the receiving end of their 'I told you so' when she told them when happened.
She wasn't really sure what to do. In theory she should go to Yugi, warn him that Tea was still under Marik's control and that Bakura was going to fight Yami Marik… but she didn't want to disturb him, not considering it was likely that Yugi would have to fight Marik's dark at some point if 'Kur…Bakura… lost…
She growled in frustration and stopped to think.
She really had three choices, go and wake up Yugi and tell him what was going on, go and wake up Joey and try to squeeze into his room with the others and try to avoid telling them what was going on, or sleep in the corridor.
The options were taken out of her hands as Tea rushed past, stopping outside one of the doors.
"Tea!" Jamie snapped.
"I have to tell Yugi."
Jamie shook her head, "Tell him in the morning."
"But Bakura's missing!"
Damn it, why did everything come back to that irritating, self absorbed, git? Jamie could bet her last 10 Pokedollars that Marik had sent her to wake Yugi up and throw him off of the duel tomorrow. "I'll find him." Jamie hissed. "Go get some sleep and don't," She heavily emphasised the word, "Disturb Yugi. If he's too tired he won't play well tomorrow and he has to win."
"Jamie…"
"I'll find him. I promise."
"Alright…"
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"This is..." Miko smiled, softly. "Thank you... Kaida." She looked up at the Dragonair that was curled around a lamp-post. It was dark, the lights were just coming on, and Kaida had just dropped the black, white and pink Master Ball into her waiting hands. Miko frowned, suddenly, then looked up at her. "Shouldn't you be with the Wheelers..?" She asked, concernedly.
"Aaa." Kaida sang, uncurling herself and doing a little dance in the air before giving Miko a disgusted look.
"Of course, I'm sorry. You can travel that distance in no time at all..." Miko had the grace to blush and drop her gaze to the small orb in her hand. "Wait..." An idea came over her, and she smiled before looking up at Kaida. "Would you... do me a favour?"
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Dartmoor, England.
Well… this hadn't been quite what they'd been expecting when they'd been sucked up by that vortex…
Colwyn looked around, taking in their surroundings.
The greater majority of Cyan City had transferred with them, though it didn't look like they'd weathered the transportation well, and he wondered… no feared… to know just how many people had been inside…
"Col!" Colwyn, long used to his friend's nickname since they'd been friends before they'd been trainers, just turned to look at Awena.
"What Awena?" Colwyn poked, careful not to call her Dia, which was her nickname for her friend, the Chosen of Dialga, since she'd been sensitive about it with the attacks, not that he, as Palkia's Chosen, had much to say about anything at the moment.
The Chosen were beginning to go into action, having been in hiding for the last month or so, joining the resistance groups who were springing up around the Pokémon World.
The Cyan City group had been the second oldest of the network, two and a half months old, beaten only by the Celestic Town branch, which had been set up almost three months ago.
That one had been founded by Kayla, Ho-oh's Chosen, who had since disappeared, and to their knowledge, the branch was still going, just as they had been until they'd been ratted out and their base attacked by Team Galactic.
The question was now, where exactly where they and how, exactly could they find out.
Awena had another one; she wanted to know how her Pokenav still had a connection.
Colwyn looked around, assessing who was here and who was injured. "Role call" He snapped, running a hand through her hair.
Awena watched the twelve year old take a head count, wondering when they had become the leaders of the group, and then started organising teams to help those in the buildings.
Colwyn had been a lot less confident and competent back before the attacks, but he'd had to become stronger to face up to the other Chosen of the CSL, when his Legendary had been captured.
"Col?" Awena saw the look on her friend's face.
"I'm fine." He sighed, "But we need to find out where we are."
"Col…"
"We have a responsibility to these people, to make sure that they're alright before we go exploring."
"But…"
"No. We'll help these people first." Colwyn smiled wearily, "Come on, let's go."
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Jamie didn't want to watch, but she couldn't leave, not now.
Kaida had come flying down the corridor, badgering Jamie until she'd let the Dragon type into Joey's room, and by the time she had reached the Duelling Platform, Marik and Bakura had already been playing a Shadow Game.
The Shadows were much thicker then before, and Jamie had been freezing and finding it hard to breathe, at least until Bakura, who had shouted at her for a while for coming up here, had done something that had caused the Millennium Ring to glow, and created a glow around her.
Bakura had been winning too, right up until Marik had summoned Ra from the graveyard and was now about to win.
There wasn't much left of her friend… Bakura had been fading away during the Duel, the more life points he lost or gave up, the more he vanished into the darkness…and if Ra attacked…
"Bakura…"
The Tomb Robber heard her worried cry. He hadn't wanted her here, had fought with her to stop her being worried about him, had even threatened her with being trapped in her Frostbite Fox card to make sure that she stayed well away while he fought with Marik… but she had somehow ended up here anyway…
And now he was going to lose…
"Say goodbye to your girlfriend, Bakura!" Dark Marik was laughing, "I sacrifice all bar one of my life points, to increase Ra's attack by the same amount!"
Ra's attack points rose to 2999, more then enough to defeat Bakura in one fell swoop.
"No…"
"Ra, destroy him!"
"Bakura!" Jamie cried as the flames incinerated the Tomb Robber. He cried out in pain, but it cut off as he vanished along with the last of his life points.
The Millennium Ring hit the Duelling Platform.
Jamie scrambled onto the platform as Marik stepped forward. "No you don't!" Jamie snatched the Ring up, "You're not having it."
"You know the rules, child." Marik laughed, "The spirit of the Millennium Ring taught you the Rules of the Shadows to the point that you know them better then the Pharaoh does. That Millennium Item belongs to me now."
"I don't care." Jamie scowled, putting it on. "I'm not letting you take Bakura's item."
Marik smirked, twisting the top of the Millennium Rod and pulling the dagger out of its sheath, "You will hand it over." He said, pointing the dagger at her, "Or you'll end up where the spirit of the Ring went."
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"What?" Mercury shrieked, standing up from her chair and slamming her hands down on her steel desk. "You let it get away?"
"I... I'm sorry, Mercury-sama..!" Miko cringed, whimpering. "I... it was your Dragonair... the one that..."
"Pfeh." Mercury scowled. "It's no Pokemon of mine if it showed such blatant disloyalty." She straightened and started pacing. Miko could almost see the darkness gathering around her master as Mercury's battle aura started to flare up. Miko dropped to her knees and bowed low.
"Please... I meant no disrespect... I..." She stammered, trying to deflect her master's fury away from her.
"You what?" Mercury wheeled to glare at her.
"I... think there may be a way..." She mumbled without looking up. "To get it back..."
"Oh?" The older woman asked, dangerously, moving closer.
"The Dragonair... has chosen a human... his name is Joseph Wheeler." Miko told her, praying that Mercury wouldn't ask how she knew. "He's a Duellist..."
"A Duellist?" Mercury frowned. She thought she knew where the bug trainer got her information – after all, insects could get everywhere. "Ah, that card game they play." Mercury smiled, darkly and slowly, seeing where this was going. "They like to play for stakes, do they not?"
"Yes, Commander..." Miko dared to look up at her, eyes wide with fear and hope. "It's... likely that Dragonair will have given the Master Ball to Wheeler by now... if someone were to challenge him to a Duel for the Master Ball..."
"He would be forced to give it up!" Mercury punched her fist into her open palm, smirking evilly. "This may be better than my original plan... no-one will question my right to watch over Dialga if I take it from my enemies personally." She reached down to ruffle Miko's hair and smiled at the glasses-wearing girl. "Nanoha-chan... I have a little task for you. I'm going to need a duel disk, and a deck to go with it."
"As you command, Commander Mercury." Miko bowed low again, before rising and stepping away.
"Oh, and Miko?" Mercury called after her, making the trainer turn in curiosity.
"Yes, Commander?" She asked, pausing.
"Make it... a cute one." Mercury smiled, innocently.
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Dark Marik actually looked frightened as Jamie held the blade of the dagger to his throat.
"You die, Mai and Bakura come back. Why shouldn't I put you down right here, right now?" Jamie snarled.
"Because you're not a murderer." Jamie's gaze snapped to the side of the duelling arena, where Yami was stood with an odd expression on his face. "You shouldn't stain your soul with his blood."
"When did you get here, Yami?"
"Give me the dagger, Jamie."
"When did you get here?"
"Just before you picked up the Ring." Yami answered, walking forward carefully. "Give me the dagger."
"He's the cause of all of this." Jamie scowled, "I let him up, he'll just hurt more people. He dies, you and Yugi are safe and Bakura and Mai come back."
Yami hesitated. He couldn't let her do it. He didn't think she would, if he was honest, but he'd been expecting her to crack at any moment, had been expecting it for weeks, but now it had happened, he had to tread carefully. "Jamie, I'll deal with Marik. Just give me the dagger."
"And what if he goes after Yugi next and you can't help him?"
"I won't let it get to that." It didn't help that he could understand her reasoning, though he wouldn't have admitted that had Yugi been awake.
Marik was watching them, as Yami extended his hand to take the dagger from Jamie, unsure how, exactly, he had ended up on the floor with that crazy teenager pointing his own dagger at him when a moment before he had been threatening her with the aforementioned weapon.
The vessel wouldn't let the Pharaoh kill him, Marik was certain of that much.
The teenage Trainer, on the other hand, had lost the plot…
"If you kill him, you'll get the Death Penalty." Yami warned her, aware that she was too young to receive such a punishment, but also aware that she wouldn't know that. "I will stop him, I swear on my honour as a Duellist, just give me the dagger."
Jamie scowled and handed Yami the dagger. "Duellists' Honour better mean as much to you as my honour as a Trainer does to me." She said.
"It does, now go." Yami dismissed her, watching as she took the Millennium Ring with her. Then it was him who had Marik at dagger point.
"You won't kill me." Marik was unafraid now, and was beginning to get angry that he had let the girl intimidate him. She wouldn't have done it. Her hesitation once the Pharaoh had appeared had shown him that…
"No, I won't." Yami agreed with a dark glare that made the looks Marik had been getting from Jamelia look tame in comparison, "But only because there are too many cameras around here and it would be Yugi who ended up in prison."
"You're supposed to be a good, kind ruler."
"There's a reason I have Yugi." Yami smirked, his best 'I'm evil, don't underestimate exactly to what lengths I'll go' smirk, that threw Marik for a loop. "Be grateful to my hikari, since he is only one who is stopping me from finishing what Jamie started."
"You wouldn't…" Marik hesitated.
Yami felt Yugi stirring, he needed to end this quickly, "This is a last warning to you to stay away from all of my friends, Marik, because I only have to be careful when Yugi's awake. That doesn't mean I can't hunt you down later…"
Marik watched him turn and leave, tossing the dagger to one side of the blimp before he vanished into the lift.
Marik scowled as he picked himself up and recovered the two pieces of the Millennium Rod, twisting them back together.
The Trainer had more then startled him; he'd made the mistake of underestimating her, since she looked younger then her actual age, and didn't look like much of a threat. He certainly hadn't expected her to threaten his life.
The friends of the vessel of the Pharaoh were normally a lot less likely to do something like that, inflict bodily harm yes, actually try to take someone's life, no… the child from the Otherworld wasn't to be underestimated…
But then she wasn't really the Pharaoh's friend, was she? She was the friend of the Tomb Robber he had just banished to the Shadow Realm, and he obviously befriended a more dangerous group then the Pharaoh did…
Speaking of the Pharaoh, that had been unexpected.
He'd always been taught that the Pharaoh would be a good and benevolent ruler… in other words, weak and pathetic, but 'Yami' had certainly shown a side he hadn't done so far in any of their previous clashes…
The Pharaoh thought that he could scare Marik, and for a moment, he would admit that he had been frightened. But he wouldn't allow himself to get into that situation again. Tomorrow he would eradicate the Pharaoh once and for all, along with his host.
And then the next would be that Trainer bint.
Then his hit list got very long, very quickly.
And why stop at ruling one world?
If Team Galactic wanted the Shadow Magic so much, they would have to work for him…
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"Jamie." Jamie's head shot up as Yugi entered the room, pausing to consider her. "You ok?"
"I don't know." She said, "How much did Yami tell you?"
"Marik defeated Bakura." Yugi said, sitting next to her, "And you took the Ring before Marik could."
"Marik didn't hurt me." Jamie reassured the teen, who was older then her by just a year, "Can I speak to Yami… privately?"
"I'll stay in my Soul Room." Yugi nodded, giving her a small smile, hoping that this was a step towards Jamie forgiving the Pharaoh. Yami opened his eyes and looked at her with an odd, calculating look. "Are you alright?"
"Is Yugi listening?"
"No, he's shut himself in his Soul Room, giving you the privacy that you asked for."
"He's a good kid."
"I know."
There was silence for a moment and then, "I… I need you to know that…I wouldn't have… I've never…" She shuddered, "Weapons aren't… I've never been that close to actually… I would have…"
"I understand. Marik threatened your life and sent people you like and respect to the Shadow Realm." Yami nodded, "You've been so calm about this whole ordeal."
"Ha." Jamie snorted. "That's what you think."
"You wouldn't have gone through with it. You don't have the darkness in you necessary to be a murderer."
"I've used scare tactics before. I bet Tristan told you that I threatened to have Iblis and Tsunami eat the Death Eaters who were chasing Duke, Tristan and Serenity."
"He hadn't, but thank you, for protecting them and getting the information that saved Joey's life."
"You're not going to…"
"There's a reason I didn't wake Yugi up."
"You're not as nice as you let the others think, are you?"
"I'm darkness, and Yugi knows it. That's why I have my hikari, he's the light to my darkness."
"Light and Dark, the balance, right?"
"You don't know the yin and yang?"
"Bakura told me about it, light cannot exist without darkness and vice versa." She sighed, "Yami…"
"I don't blame you for threatening Marik, but it would be a good idea for you to stick close to us until he's defeated."
"You didn't kill him then?"
"No. I couldn't risk it."
"Because Yugi would have been put to death…" Jamie understood, "You promised me you'd stop him."
"I will, I keep my promises."
Jamie nodded and looked around as Yugi took over again, "Can I sleep here tonight?"
"Sure, you can have the bed."
Jamie frowned at the voice change, then smiled slightly, Yugi looked like he wanted to do nothing more but go back to sleep, "No. I'll be fine on the sofa, they're more comfortable then some of the beds I've slept on. You're competing, you need the bed."
"Jamie, if you want to talk…"
"Maybe tomorrow, once you've gotten some sleep. Now go to bed." She said, settling on the sofa.
"Night Jamie." Yugi led down on the bed.
"Sleep well, Yugi."
"Hagh!" The assembled grunts saluted, and departed in ones and twos to go about their new mission until there was only one left.
"You have a question?" Mercury smiled at the remaining girl as she approached. The youngest Grunt in Mercury's operation sometimes required special treatment, but her special knowledge was invaluable when dealing with the injuries and maladies that cropped up so often in this new world.
"The master ball... will it accept you..?" Miko asked, shuffling her feet a little and ducking her head. "I mean... if it's not registered..."
"It'll be fine. I can control it." Mercury reached out to pet her grunt's head, mussing up her black hair. "You won't let me down, will you, Nanoha-chan?"
"N-no!" Nanoha Miko shook her head, looking up at her master with a slight blush. "I would never let you down. Dialga will be yours, Mercury-sama."
"Good." Mercury smiled, dropping her hand to her side. "Go. Let your insects search."
"Un!" Miko nodded, and ran out of the room.
"That girl... she's too young for this. What was Phobos thinking?" Mercury muttered to herself as she watched the bug trainer go. "Blasted man. Well, as long as she's here, I may as well use her." Mercury shook her head and sighed as she went back to her control centre to monitor the situation.
In the aftermath of Battle City, the streets were somewhat chaotic, but while the finalists flew off to Palkia knew where in that ridiculous balloon, it offered a perfect opportunity to her Galactic minions. If only Dialga wasn't such an important part of Cyrus' plan, they would be launching an attack on the undefended Day Care Centre already.
Mercury was loyal to Team Galactic, and believed in the New World with all her heart, but sometimes – just sometimes – she wondered if Cyrus had his priorities straight. Surely destroying their enemies was a far more important task than acquiring the means to complete their so-risky plan, when those same enemies were the main reason that the New World might fail to be realised.
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"Jamie. Jamie!"
Jamelia growled and rolled over, trying to go back to sleep and ignore the person shaking her awake.
"Jamelia Francis wake up or I'll steal your Pokeballs."
"Go'way 'Kura." She groaned, then paused and opened her eyes to look at him, "'Kura? But you… Slifer!" She sat bolt upright, "Are you alright?" Concern flowed from her, causing her to miss their surroundings.
"I'm fine." Bakura nodded at her and looked around, "You have the biggest Soul Room I've ever visited."
"Soul Room?" Jamie paused to look around, leaning into him. "'Kura, how did we get to the Day Care?"
"This isn't the Day Care, just an image of it." Bakura explained, "I have to say that I'm surprised that this place had become where your soul rests in this short an amount of time."
"What do you mean?" Jamie asked, watching a Butterfree fly past.
"I was expecting to find your soul room was a Pokémon Centre, or the league halls of residence, not this mockery of your world. It shouldn't be. Or are you happy to live the rest of your life in this cage?"
"Of course not!" Jamie protested pulling away quickly, "How dare you? You have no idea of how much I hate being trapped in this glass prison!"
"You must enjoy it somewhat, or your Soul Room wouldn't mirror it."
"It's the closest thing I can ever get to home, ever again 'Kura, you know that." Jamie sank in on herself. Bakura had to suppress a hiss as her hand automatically went to the rope that held the Millennium Ring…
He had to get it away from her before it started tainting her mind like it had his.
He needed her angry, not miserable. Miserable wouldn't get her to give up the Ring, miserable wouldn't have her fighting, miserable wasn't how he could bear to see her…
"So you've given up completely?" Bakura asked, cringing mentally as she just sank lower. 'No, Jamie, get your head together, don't lose it now, not with everything that's going on.'
"You know as well as I do that there's no path home." Jamie couldn't even muster up enough venom to glower at the floor. "Team Galactic hold the only key, and I'm not strong enough to fight the might of a Legendary. If only there was another power, one that was strong enough…"
So that was what was warping Jamie's mind, knocking all of the self confidence out from under her...
"Jamelia Francis, I thought you were better then this." He snapped, "Retreating to your soul room at the slightest sign of danger, snivelling because you can't think of a plan…"
"Shut up Kura, I'm exhausted." Jamie snapped.
"Why? It's not even like you've had to fight Marik or any of his goons…"
"Please." Jamie glowered at him, "I've spent the entire day chasing down Rare Hunters and Galactic Grunts, defeating both! And that Arceus damned Guardian of the Millennium items had the audacity to force me into a Shadow Game because I was guarding your Ring!"
"Shadi was here?" Bakura's snarl startled Jamie as she watched him get to his feet and pace the bank of the lake. "And he played you?"
"Uh huh."
"Just wait until I get my hands on him." Kura snarled.
Jamie couldn't help the smile that invaded. "Is there a reason you thought you'd come and disturb my sleep, or do you enjoy trying to pick fights?"
Bakura hesitated, deciding the truth was easier in a place where souls were bared, "I need you to give the Ring back to Ryou."
"No." Now she decided to disagree with him?
"You have to."
"Not while he's injured, your host nearly died!" Jamie snapped, "Speaking of hosts, why didn't you tell me?"
"There's some things even you wouldn't believe."
"You could have tried me."
"Even you have a limit on how much you can believe, Jamie. Now give Ryou back the Ring."
"No."
"Don't make me take control. You won't enjoy being a passenger in your own body."
"Arceus damn it 'Kura, what's so important that you can't wait until your host is completely recovered?"
"You wouldn't understand!"
"You're as bad as the Pharaoh!"
"Don't you dare compare me to him!"
"Then tell me what's so important!"
"No." Bakura stormed off.
Jamie beat him to the door. "You're not going anywhere, I'm not giving up the Ring yet and if you think I'm going to let you take control easily, you've got another think coming."
"Get out of the way."
"Why?"
Bakura glowered at her. So she wouldn't fight him on issues he wanted to fight about, but was perfectly willing to stick her big oar in his business? "Last warning. Move." He growled dangerously.
He saw her hesitate, but she stood firm.
He shoved her to one side, and exited the Soul Room, seizing control of her body and looking around. He could feel Jamie's anger and had to fight to keep control, as he spotted Tea, who was watching them… him… closely.
"Marik." Bakura snorted, sensing concern from Jamie when she actually heard what he had said. "I didn't realise you still had your talons in Tea."
"And I see that your toy was more useful to you then I thought she would be." Marik laughed, "Though I have to say that you sound strange in that body."
"What do you want?" Bakura scowled, firmly holding the doors of Jamie's soul room shut, "Don't you have more important things to do, like irritating the Pharaoh?"
"Unfortunately my dark side has taken over my body and I cannot seize control back," Marik growled, "If you want the Millennium Rod, you're going to have to work with me."
"I could easily take the Rod by force, I don't need you."
"You do if you want the secrets of the ancient scriptures." Marik snorted, "Or have you forgotten that I know of a power greater then that of the Millennium Items?"
"I won't duel for you in this body."
"Fine, give me the Ring and I'll hand it to your host."
"You can't!" Jamie forced her way out and gasped.
"Francis." Marik, nodded, sounding amused.
"Ryou almost died in that Duel, you can't…" Then Bakura was back in control.
"Stubborn, isn't she?" Marik laughed.
"Ridiculously." Bakura snapped, trying to work out how to hold Jamie back long enough to get the Ring from her to Ryou. 'If you don't settle down I'll send you to the Shadow Realm myself.'
He sensed sarcasm, she obviously didn't believe he'd do it.
Well he had one answer, but he was loath to do it. She had her deck on her; he knew which card was her favourite too. He pulled her Frostbite Fox out of the deck, looking, for a moment, at the icy blue fox shown on it. 'I will seal you inside this card if you don't behave.'
Worried now… Jamie backed off slightly.
Bakura growled at Marik, put the fox card on top of the deck, face up, and lifted the Ring from around Jamie's neck.
Jamie found herself back in control abruptly.
"I'd put it on him." Marik snorted, "Unless you want to be a fox whose fur is the same colour as your hair."
Jamie snarled at him, put the Ring on Ryou, snatched up her deck, Duel Disk and backpack, and left.
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Miko sighed to herself as she walked along the deserted, dusty alleyway. Mercury wanted Dialga... she didn't know if the slight administrator was really planning to hand it over, though. Dialga was the sort of power that Mercury had been seeking for since Saturn had been given Palkia to guard. It was well known that the commander of the Otherworld expedition was jealous of her home territory equivalent. If she got Dialga... no, it mustn't happen. Dialga would have to disappear. Miko realised that it was up to her – if she didn't find Dialga before another Grunt did, Cyrus would have won and she would never see her home or the Professor again.
Failure meant living in Team Galactic's world, a madman's paradise without freedom or love. Without Raven or any of Miko's extended family who lived in the meadows of Goldenrod. Losing them would just be too painful. It hurt already, but at least if she succeeded now, she would be able to go back to them.
Since her father had left them six years ago, the young Miko had spent almost all of her time playing in the meadows of the game park. Her mother hadn't had time for her, always absorbed in her work or with the latest in a string of boyfriends. Despite being a normal, unattuned human, Miko had befriended the insect pokemon of the meadows through sheer childish innocence and perseverance, though her relationship with them hadn't crystallised until she had taken Fuujin, who would have otherwise been left to the elements, and raised him where his mother had been unable to.
Only the most stubborn of Farfetch'd would attack her in her home where she was protected by Insects and Birds of all kinds, but here she had never felt more alone.
"Fuujin... Demise... Hiryu..." She called forth the three flying Pokemon. "Please... lend me your strength... find the Master Ball." She told them, and her three loyal friends nodded before scattering.
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Jamie found herself wandering the corridors of the blimp.
Sure she could go to her friends for the night, sleep on their floor, but she didn't want to disturb Yugi or Joey and she didn't really feel like being on the receiving end of their 'I told you so' when she told them when happened.
She wasn't really sure what to do. In theory she should go to Yugi, warn him that Tea was still under Marik's control and that Bakura was going to fight Yami Marik… but she didn't want to disturb him, not considering it was likely that Yugi would have to fight Marik's dark at some point if 'Kur…Bakura… lost…
She growled in frustration and stopped to think.
She really had three choices, go and wake up Yugi and tell him what was going on, go and wake up Joey and try to squeeze into his room with the others and try to avoid telling them what was going on, or sleep in the corridor.
The options were taken out of her hands as Tea rushed past, stopping outside one of the doors.
"Tea!" Jamie snapped.
"I have to tell Yugi."
Jamie shook her head, "Tell him in the morning."
"But Bakura's missing!"
Damn it, why did everything come back to that irritating, self absorbed, git? Jamie could bet her last 10 Pokedollars that Marik had sent her to wake Yugi up and throw him off of the duel tomorrow. "I'll find him." Jamie hissed. "Go get some sleep and don't," She heavily emphasised the word, "Disturb Yugi. If he's too tired he won't play well tomorrow and he has to win."
"Jamie…"
"I'll find him. I promise."
"Alright…"
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"This is..." Miko smiled, softly. "Thank you... Kaida." She looked up at the Dragonair that was curled around a lamp-post. It was dark, the lights were just coming on, and Kaida had just dropped the black, white and pink Master Ball into her waiting hands. Miko frowned, suddenly, then looked up at her. "Shouldn't you be with the Wheelers..?" She asked, concernedly.
"Aaa." Kaida sang, uncurling herself and doing a little dance in the air before giving Miko a disgusted look.
"Of course, I'm sorry. You can travel that distance in no time at all..." Miko had the grace to blush and drop her gaze to the small orb in her hand. "Wait..." An idea came over her, and she smiled before looking up at Kaida. "Would you... do me a favour?"
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Dartmoor, England.
Well… this hadn't been quite what they'd been expecting when they'd been sucked up by that vortex…
Colwyn looked around, taking in their surroundings.
The greater majority of Cyan City had transferred with them, though it didn't look like they'd weathered the transportation well, and he wondered… no feared… to know just how many people had been inside…
"Col!" Colwyn, long used to his friend's nickname since they'd been friends before they'd been trainers, just turned to look at Awena.
"What Awena?" Colwyn poked, careful not to call her Dia, which was her nickname for her friend, the Chosen of Dialga, since she'd been sensitive about it with the attacks, not that he, as Palkia's Chosen, had much to say about anything at the moment.
The Chosen were beginning to go into action, having been in hiding for the last month or so, joining the resistance groups who were springing up around the Pokémon World.
The Cyan City group had been the second oldest of the network, two and a half months old, beaten only by the Celestic Town branch, which had been set up almost three months ago.
That one had been founded by Kayla, Ho-oh's Chosen, who had since disappeared, and to their knowledge, the branch was still going, just as they had been until they'd been ratted out and their base attacked by Team Galactic.
The question was now, where exactly where they and how, exactly could they find out.
Awena had another one; she wanted to know how her Pokenav still had a connection.
Colwyn looked around, assessing who was here and who was injured. "Role call" He snapped, running a hand through her hair.
Awena watched the twelve year old take a head count, wondering when they had become the leaders of the group, and then started organising teams to help those in the buildings.
Colwyn had been a lot less confident and competent back before the attacks, but he'd had to become stronger to face up to the other Chosen of the CSL, when his Legendary had been captured.
"Col?" Awena saw the look on her friend's face.
"I'm fine." He sighed, "But we need to find out where we are."
"Col…"
"We have a responsibility to these people, to make sure that they're alright before we go exploring."
"But…"
"No. We'll help these people first." Colwyn smiled wearily, "Come on, let's go."
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Jamie didn't want to watch, but she couldn't leave, not now.
Kaida had come flying down the corridor, badgering Jamie until she'd let the Dragon type into Joey's room, and by the time she had reached the Duelling Platform, Marik and Bakura had already been playing a Shadow Game.
The Shadows were much thicker then before, and Jamie had been freezing and finding it hard to breathe, at least until Bakura, who had shouted at her for a while for coming up here, had done something that had caused the Millennium Ring to glow, and created a glow around her.
Bakura had been winning too, right up until Marik had summoned Ra from the graveyard and was now about to win.
There wasn't much left of her friend… Bakura had been fading away during the Duel, the more life points he lost or gave up, the more he vanished into the darkness…and if Ra attacked…
"Bakura…"
The Tomb Robber heard her worried cry. He hadn't wanted her here, had fought with her to stop her being worried about him, had even threatened her with being trapped in her Frostbite Fox card to make sure that she stayed well away while he fought with Marik… but she had somehow ended up here anyway…
And now he was going to lose…
"Say goodbye to your girlfriend, Bakura!" Dark Marik was laughing, "I sacrifice all bar one of my life points, to increase Ra's attack by the same amount!"
Ra's attack points rose to 2999, more then enough to defeat Bakura in one fell swoop.
"No…"
"Ra, destroy him!"
"Bakura!" Jamie cried as the flames incinerated the Tomb Robber. He cried out in pain, but it cut off as he vanished along with the last of his life points.
The Millennium Ring hit the Duelling Platform.
Jamie scrambled onto the platform as Marik stepped forward. "No you don't!" Jamie snatched the Ring up, "You're not having it."
"You know the rules, child." Marik laughed, "The spirit of the Millennium Ring taught you the Rules of the Shadows to the point that you know them better then the Pharaoh does. That Millennium Item belongs to me now."
"I don't care." Jamie scowled, putting it on. "I'm not letting you take Bakura's item."
Marik smirked, twisting the top of the Millennium Rod and pulling the dagger out of its sheath, "You will hand it over." He said, pointing the dagger at her, "Or you'll end up where the spirit of the Ring went."
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"What?" Mercury shrieked, standing up from her chair and slamming her hands down on her steel desk. "You let it get away?"
"I... I'm sorry, Mercury-sama..!" Miko cringed, whimpering. "I... it was your Dragonair... the one that..."
"Pfeh." Mercury scowled. "It's no Pokemon of mine if it showed such blatant disloyalty." She straightened and started pacing. Miko could almost see the darkness gathering around her master as Mercury's battle aura started to flare up. Miko dropped to her knees and bowed low.
"Please... I meant no disrespect... I..." She stammered, trying to deflect her master's fury away from her.
"You what?" Mercury wheeled to glare at her.
"I... think there may be a way..." She mumbled without looking up. "To get it back..."
"Oh?" The older woman asked, dangerously, moving closer.
"The Dragonair... has chosen a human... his name is Joseph Wheeler." Miko told her, praying that Mercury wouldn't ask how she knew. "He's a Duellist..."
"A Duellist?" Mercury frowned. She thought she knew where the bug trainer got her information – after all, insects could get everywhere. "Ah, that card game they play." Mercury smiled, darkly and slowly, seeing where this was going. "They like to play for stakes, do they not?"
"Yes, Commander..." Miko dared to look up at her, eyes wide with fear and hope. "It's... likely that Dragonair will have given the Master Ball to Wheeler by now... if someone were to challenge him to a Duel for the Master Ball..."
"He would be forced to give it up!" Mercury punched her fist into her open palm, smirking evilly. "This may be better than my original plan... no-one will question my right to watch over Dialga if I take it from my enemies personally." She reached down to ruffle Miko's hair and smiled at the glasses-wearing girl. "Nanoha-chan... I have a little task for you. I'm going to need a duel disk, and a deck to go with it."
"As you command, Commander Mercury." Miko bowed low again, before rising and stepping away.
"Oh, and Miko?" Mercury called after her, making the trainer turn in curiosity.
"Yes, Commander?" She asked, pausing.
"Make it... a cute one." Mercury smiled, innocently.
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Dark Marik actually looked frightened as Jamie held the blade of the dagger to his throat.
"You die, Mai and Bakura come back. Why shouldn't I put you down right here, right now?" Jamie snarled.
"Because you're not a murderer." Jamie's gaze snapped to the side of the duelling arena, where Yami was stood with an odd expression on his face. "You shouldn't stain your soul with his blood."
"When did you get here, Yami?"
"Give me the dagger, Jamie."
"When did you get here?"
"Just before you picked up the Ring." Yami answered, walking forward carefully. "Give me the dagger."
"He's the cause of all of this." Jamie scowled, "I let him up, he'll just hurt more people. He dies, you and Yugi are safe and Bakura and Mai come back."
Yami hesitated. He couldn't let her do it. He didn't think she would, if he was honest, but he'd been expecting her to crack at any moment, had been expecting it for weeks, but now it had happened, he had to tread carefully. "Jamie, I'll deal with Marik. Just give me the dagger."
"And what if he goes after Yugi next and you can't help him?"
"I won't let it get to that." It didn't help that he could understand her reasoning, though he wouldn't have admitted that had Yugi been awake.
Marik was watching them, as Yami extended his hand to take the dagger from Jamie, unsure how, exactly, he had ended up on the floor with that crazy teenager pointing his own dagger at him when a moment before he had been threatening her with the aforementioned weapon.
The vessel wouldn't let the Pharaoh kill him, Marik was certain of that much.
The teenage Trainer, on the other hand, had lost the plot…
"If you kill him, you'll get the Death Penalty." Yami warned her, aware that she was too young to receive such a punishment, but also aware that she wouldn't know that. "I will stop him, I swear on my honour as a Duellist, just give me the dagger."
Jamie scowled and handed Yami the dagger. "Duellists' Honour better mean as much to you as my honour as a Trainer does to me." She said.
"It does, now go." Yami dismissed her, watching as she took the Millennium Ring with her. Then it was him who had Marik at dagger point.
"You won't kill me." Marik was unafraid now, and was beginning to get angry that he had let the girl intimidate him. She wouldn't have done it. Her hesitation once the Pharaoh had appeared had shown him that…
"No, I won't." Yami agreed with a dark glare that made the looks Marik had been getting from Jamelia look tame in comparison, "But only because there are too many cameras around here and it would be Yugi who ended up in prison."
"You're supposed to be a good, kind ruler."
"There's a reason I have Yugi." Yami smirked, his best 'I'm evil, don't underestimate exactly to what lengths I'll go' smirk, that threw Marik for a loop. "Be grateful to my hikari, since he is only one who is stopping me from finishing what Jamie started."
"You wouldn't…" Marik hesitated.
Yami felt Yugi stirring, he needed to end this quickly, "This is a last warning to you to stay away from all of my friends, Marik, because I only have to be careful when Yugi's awake. That doesn't mean I can't hunt you down later…"
Marik watched him turn and leave, tossing the dagger to one side of the blimp before he vanished into the lift.
Marik scowled as he picked himself up and recovered the two pieces of the Millennium Rod, twisting them back together.
The Trainer had more then startled him; he'd made the mistake of underestimating her, since she looked younger then her actual age, and didn't look like much of a threat. He certainly hadn't expected her to threaten his life.
The friends of the vessel of the Pharaoh were normally a lot less likely to do something like that, inflict bodily harm yes, actually try to take someone's life, no… the child from the Otherworld wasn't to be underestimated…
But then she wasn't really the Pharaoh's friend, was she? She was the friend of the Tomb Robber he had just banished to the Shadow Realm, and he obviously befriended a more dangerous group then the Pharaoh did…
Speaking of the Pharaoh, that had been unexpected.
He'd always been taught that the Pharaoh would be a good and benevolent ruler… in other words, weak and pathetic, but 'Yami' had certainly shown a side he hadn't done so far in any of their previous clashes…
The Pharaoh thought that he could scare Marik, and for a moment, he would admit that he had been frightened. But he wouldn't allow himself to get into that situation again. Tomorrow he would eradicate the Pharaoh once and for all, along with his host.
And then the next would be that Trainer bint.
Then his hit list got very long, very quickly.
And why stop at ruling one world?
If Team Galactic wanted the Shadow Magic so much, they would have to work for him…
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"Jamie." Jamie's head shot up as Yugi entered the room, pausing to consider her. "You ok?"
"I don't know." She said, "How much did Yami tell you?"
"Marik defeated Bakura." Yugi said, sitting next to her, "And you took the Ring before Marik could."
"Marik didn't hurt me." Jamie reassured the teen, who was older then her by just a year, "Can I speak to Yami… privately?"
"I'll stay in my Soul Room." Yugi nodded, giving her a small smile, hoping that this was a step towards Jamie forgiving the Pharaoh. Yami opened his eyes and looked at her with an odd, calculating look. "Are you alright?"
"Is Yugi listening?"
"No, he's shut himself in his Soul Room, giving you the privacy that you asked for."
"He's a good kid."
"I know."
There was silence for a moment and then, "I… I need you to know that…I wouldn't have… I've never…" She shuddered, "Weapons aren't… I've never been that close to actually… I would have…"
"I understand. Marik threatened your life and sent people you like and respect to the Shadow Realm." Yami nodded, "You've been so calm about this whole ordeal."
"Ha." Jamie snorted. "That's what you think."
"You wouldn't have gone through with it. You don't have the darkness in you necessary to be a murderer."
"I've used scare tactics before. I bet Tristan told you that I threatened to have Iblis and Tsunami eat the Death Eaters who were chasing Duke, Tristan and Serenity."
"He hadn't, but thank you, for protecting them and getting the information that saved Joey's life."
"You're not going to…"
"There's a reason I didn't wake Yugi up."
"You're not as nice as you let the others think, are you?"
"I'm darkness, and Yugi knows it. That's why I have my hikari, he's the light to my darkness."
"Light and Dark, the balance, right?"
"You don't know the yin and yang?"
"Bakura told me about it, light cannot exist without darkness and vice versa." She sighed, "Yami…"
"I don't blame you for threatening Marik, but it would be a good idea for you to stick close to us until he's defeated."
"You didn't kill him then?"
"No. I couldn't risk it."
"Because Yugi would have been put to death…" Jamie understood, "You promised me you'd stop him."
"I will, I keep my promises."
Jamie nodded and looked around as Yugi took over again, "Can I sleep here tonight?"
"Sure, you can have the bed."
Jamie frowned at the voice change, then smiled slightly, Yugi looked like he wanted to do nothing more but go back to sleep, "No. I'll be fine on the sofa, they're more comfortable then some of the beds I've slept on. You're competing, you need the bed."
"Jamie, if you want to talk…"
"Maybe tomorrow, once you've gotten some sleep. Now go to bed." She said, settling on the sofa.
"Night Jamie." Yugi led down on the bed.
"Sleep well, Yugi."