Series: Paladin's Quest||Title: Rebirth of Kaiser
Characters: Ryou, Yuusuke||Ship: N/A
Chapter: Thirty||Words: 61,940
Genre: Drama, Friendship||Rated: PG-13
Challenges: Diversity Writing Challenge: YGO GX: canon: K5, 20+ chapters; Slots: 2,000-67,000, 1st person past tense, rated T, reincarnation, gen-fic; One Character Boot Camp, Marufuji Ryou, #44, fade; Epic Big Bang
Notes: And here we are at the end!

"So where is Tesni now?" Chaos Hunter asked, lounging backwards in her chair and fiddling with the card between her fingers. A satisfied smirk settled on her lips any time that she looked at it.

"Currently taking instruction in how to be a good servant to me," Ruin replied. "It will take some time for her to be what I require of her, though. But it won't delay our plans."

Law Guardian tilted his head to the side. "We need to complete those plans as soon as possible. They know about you – they'll know about us."

"Oh, you're quite right on that." Ruin agreed. "But they won't be able to do anything about it until I allow it. Knowing won't accomplish anything if we don't strike until they're not expecting it."

Her gaze swept around the room, touching on Chaos Hunter, Law Guardian, and Skull Bishop. "I expect you all to listen to my orders. We will achieve our vengeance if you do."

Golden Pegasus's hooves struck hard against the ground and the group turned towards him. "I know that Law Guardian seeks the life of Yuuki Juudai. I wish him to return to his true station."

"We know," Ruin replied, a hint of weariness in her voice at that. "The two of you will work together on this. We know how his deck works – find ways around that. But work carefully. There have been many who sought to deny him Fusion and its ilk. They all fell against him."

Skull Bishop shifted for a moment, until all eyes rested on him. "I've heard that one of his old friends resides with the Amazons. We could use him for information."

Sparks of interest flickered to life in Ruin's expression. "Then I want him here. The sooner the better."

She turned back toward Chaos Hunter. "And I believe that you have an acquaintance who might be useful towards our cause. Demon Tamer."

Chaos Hunter tensed at once, the corners of her mouth turning downward. "What do you want with her?"

"I think she would be a fine ally. Bring her here as soon as you can. We can speak to her, if nothing else."

Ruin picked up the silver goblet in front of her and examined the rich wine carefully before she took a sip. "In fact, I want to talk to everyone in this world who ever encountered any of them or their friends – everyone who has the slightest bit of information about them whatsoever."

"Shouldn't you also be deciding who fights the shadow mage?" Chaos Hunter suggested, lip curled for a breath at that. "Or did you want me to take care of him?"

"No. We're going to fight fairly – for now." Ruin's smile did not falter in the slightest. "But you're right on that point." She took another sip, thinking. "Did you have anyone in mind? They are fighting on your behalf – somewhat."

Chaos Hunter said nothing at all for several minutes, her eyes dark and serious, before a sudden smile broke across her features. "Oh, I think I know exactly who it will be. I'll have to talk to him about it, of course."

"Of course." Ruin traced a design on the table before her. "I think that we all know what we need to do for now. While you're at it – send me your servants. The small spies. The ones you inherited from the Death Duelists. I have plans for them, too."

"Did you get it back, at least?" Johan glanced at Shine Angel. The angel turned his hand over, closing his fingers and then opening them up again to reveal his card there.

"I could do that much. But retrieving Tesni was beyond my power, my lord." Shine Angel's head bent for a breath. "I can't even be certain of where Ruin took her. Her defenses are too strong."

Johan let out a long breath at that. "Not surprised. She probably knows ways to keep me and Juudai out." He leaned back against the moss-covered rock and ran his fingers through his hair. "At least we tried. And she's still alive, we know that much."

"For how long?"

That got another sigh, deeper and longer than the rest. "Probably longer than she wants to be if she stays with Ruin. But that still gives us time to figure out how to find her and get her back. And to figure out what else Ruin is up to."

Johan sent a quick look towards Shine Angel. "Are you going to stay here or go back to the village? Or the Sanctuary?"

"Here for now. This is where my brother is and we haven't finished everything yet." Shine Angel's gaze tilted up towards the sky. "I do plan to return to the Sanctuary soon, though. I have a few people I need to speak to there. And elsewhere."

A brief nod from Johan. "Juudai's going to get some of our friends – the ones that Ryou should meet again soon. He's getting more and more of his memories back and that'll help in the long run."

"If we have a long run. Is this shadow mage a good enough duelist to win against whoever Ruin sets against him?"

"I've only dueled against him once myself and he was really different then." Johan's gaze flicked out over the green grass meadow spreading out in front of them. "I really couldn't say but I think he is. I've heard that he's at least as good as the Kaiser is. Or was."

Shine Angel nodded. "And Cyber Hell Paladin himself? I know the spirit that he's become, not the human he was or the person that he will be."

"There weren't that many people better than him. Once he gets it all back, he could probably tear through Ruin's army and never break a sweat." Johan's lips twitched for a few seconds. "I'd almost be tempted to let him. He's going to need to work off steam somehow."

"He's not the only one. Herald-sama is quite unhappy, I've noticed."

Johan nodded, eyes raising up briefly. "He wanted this to end the whole war. We're not going to get involved more than we have to, but we were keeping an eye on the situation. Juudai – he's furious at Ruin. When he finds out who's protecting her from him, he's going to be even worse."

Shine Angel's wings twitched and Johan shook his head. "I can hold him back. So can Yubel. No one's in any serious danger. But still, Juudai being unhappy isn't good for anyone."

Juudai didn't want to be angry. He wanted to have seen the end of a war – even if it was just a little war – and to be celebrating the victory of the people he'd determined were in the right of things. He usually let people work out stuff like this on their own with only minimal support, if just by where he decided to eat and sleep. Sometimes he didn't even give that much, departing an area entirely until the matter settled.

He'd supported the Hail Cybers mostly because he'd decided that they were on the right side. Something drove a wedge between them and the Knights and the Knights didn't seem fully in control of themselves anymore.

What do you plan to do about this?

He could feel Yubel's fingers in his hair, an intimacy that they seldom indulged in unless they were the only ones around. Or Johan. Johan remained an exception to a lot of their habits, for a lot of different reasons.

"I don't know. Haven't decided yet."

Juudai knew that he needed to. He hadn't gone too near the Knights and maybe that was why people like Ruin and everyone she'd recruited got tangled up in the situation. He hated to blame himself but the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to think he at least carried some blame for it.

You can't watch everyone. You can't even fix everything. You know that.

That got a very long look from him to Yubel. At least the sort of look that came when Yubel didn't feel like appearing where he could use his eyes. He could feel their awareness turned towards him and that an undercurrent of amusement ran all through Yubel's thoughts. As always, they believed that he took too much on himself.

He knew why, though. He'd gone so long never taking any kind of responsibility whatsoever, letting it all fall the way it wanted and seldom even noticing when things crashed into ruin, so long as he continued to amuse himself. He knew now that couldn't keep on.

"Maybe I can't," he muttered, "but I need to do something."

Yubel didn't seem bothered by that. Yubel wasn't often bothered by him choosing to do things, even if those things didn't involve Yubel. Since he hadn't yet come up with something that Yubel didn't get involved with on some level, he hoped that would never change.

What did you have in mind?

That was where he wasn't sure. He'd already tried to get into Ruin's fortress and take Tesni out again. That hadn't worked at all. He had no idea of what sort of defenses she had, but he came out right where he'd started, and after trying two or three times, he'd decided to try something else.

Exactly what this something else might be was also on the list of 'he had no idea of what it would be' but he guessed he'd figure it out later.

He sighed and jerked himself to his feet. "Let you know when I know. But first I think we need to go pick up a couple of people. At least let them know what's going on before we bring them here."

Juudai took three steps away from the rock he'd lounged on, then turned around and walked into the shadow cast by it. He hoped Principal Samejima wasn't too busy. Was it even the school year?

Guess I'll find out.

Shadows grew over the valley as the sun slid down behind the mountains. Ryou stared out over it. He'd never seen this place as a human, but he remembered now. He remembered three months spent here when it had just been him and Edo and the day and night could almost not be told from one another save for how bright the comet sparkled.

Such a different place now. He'd known that before this became his home; he'd been there for the first sunrise. But living here made it a part of himself, like nowhere ever had been before.

"Does Shou still have the tapestry I had from the Cyber Dojo?" Ryou asked. Yuusuke, standing next to him, nodded.

"He wouldn't have given it up for anything. But I think he'd give it back to you if you asked for it." Yuusuke smiled in thoughtful sadness. "He misses you more than you can imagine. That's probably why he asked Juudai to bring you the deck."

Ryou glanced to where he'd set it on the chipped marble table. The stronghold of the Hail Cybers was a mixture of old and new, battered and burnished, and he found that he liked it like that. There his deck rested; he still needed a duel disc, but the deck was there, and many of the spirits of the monsters curled up around the courtyard. Cyber End admired the sunset with him. Cyberdark lounged in a deep swath of shadows. Cyber Phoenix perched on one of the trees in the courtyard, preening their claws.

Other spirits scattered here and there. The courtyard always seemed big enough for them, no matter what. He hadn't met them all yet but he knew that he would in time. The newest powerful monster in his deck still hadn't emerged, though he could feel the presence in there, watching and waiting.

And amused. He could never forget amused.

Comfortable silence grew between the two of them as the sun fell out of sight and the stars shimmered one by one into place above. The moon would rise late tonight, so for now, starlight was all that they had.

"You're putting your life on the line for me," Ryou said. They'd both been so quiet for so long that hearing the words sent a small shiver all through him. Yuusuke turned towards him.

"Why wouldn't I?" Three simple words, with far more meaning behind them than Ryou thought he'd heard in either of his lives. His heart warmed in a fashion that he didn't think he'd ever had towards anyone else. He still didn't have all of his memories, but perhaps that didn't matter so very much.

"Are you sure that you can succeed?"

"No."

At that word, Ryou opened his mouth to protest, but Yuusuke shook his head. "I don't know who I'll duel or what tricks they'll use. I think we've learned that Ruin can't be trusted. But whatever they do, I'll fight for you."

Ryou could not find it in his heart to protest. Juudai's words came back to him; he would need his friends and he would need to develop his strength in dueling all over again. Those memories wouldn't do enough. He needed to be himself again, and to learn just who being himself meant.

Now that he'd had time to think about it, he looked forward to everything that lay ahead in their future.

The End

Notes: At least it's the end until I do another story in this world. I don't know when that will be though. Sorry this is later than I wanted: my roommate and I finished KH3 the other day and I was busy decompressing from that. But here is the chapter at last! Hope that you've enjoyed this as much as I have. I have Such Ideas for the rest of it!