Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 13

Explanations

Well, this is uncomfortable.

I am currently sitting on the bed in my chambers, fiddling absentmindedly with the cards I was given; surrounding the bed are Chazz, Jim and Axel, Zane and Aster. They all wear similiar grave expressions.

After I was left alone with the cards, I must have fallen asleep again. I have no idea how long ago, exactly, that was and my best guess is somewhere between two and six hours. Then Chazz awakened me and told me that we had a major problem. Now, I'm not sure what's going on but I can tell, just by the atmosphere in the room, that my earlier conversation with him has them all scared.

Super Polymerisation ... just the name has the power to shake me to the core, because I have the vaguest memory of feeling so powerful when using it in a duel. Or maybe it scares me simply because I can tell that, somehow, it scares everyone else.

It seems to be the only one that does. None of the other cards - still in my hands - seem to bother anybody; when I told them that I sort of remembered Winged Kuriboh, everyone was pleased to hear it. I still don't know why exactly Winged Kuriboh seems so familiar - I can't remember him, really - but I don't let that particular card stray far. I have wondered if I should add my treasured Yubel card to the rest, but somehow it doesn't seem right. After all, that one card is the only thing I had for those four years from my previous life in this world; Yubel is somehow different to all the other cards, even Winged Kuriboh.

I look up at Chazz, who closes his eyes and clears his throat; clearly whatever he has to say pains him.

"Your Highness, if the only thing you can remember is Super Polymerisation, then things are worse than we thought."

"How come?" I ask, curious as well as afraid.

Chazz doesn't answer, so Jim jumps into the strained conversation. "You didn't always have that card, Your Highness; you created it. At great personal cost" he tells me. "It was your most powerful card but over time, you lost control of it."

"How can you lose control of a card?"

"They're not just cards" Aster says, sitting down on the bed next to me and plucking up a random card from the pile beside me. "Each card has a special ability. They're home to spirits and monsters, and strange powers. We don't understand fully how they work, but they have to be controlled by a duellist."

I don't understand, not really, but I nod nevertheless.

"Once, you lost control over Super Polymerisation. People got hurt, Your Highness; good people." Aster pauses, as if he wants to say more but can't. With a short sigh, he continues, "after you regained control over the card, you realised how powerful it really was."

"You had us lock it away, to be used only as a last resort" Axel adds.

I nod to show my understanding of this, but I'm still confused - if the card was so powerful that I was scared enough to lock it up, why didn't I just have it destroyed? I voice this question aloud, and they exchange odd glances.

"The Fiend army had just began to rise up" Zane eventually responds. "Even right after your moment of weakness, you realised the need to keep the card within your reach."

"Why?"

"You may have needed it. If you'd ever come up against the Darkness" Aster explains. "The one in charge of the Fiends. Nobody has ever seen it duel. Nobody knows what sort of deck it uses, and we don't like not knowing. Just in-case, you had Super Polymerisation stored safely; so you'd have a back-up, powerful card if you ever had to duel the Darkness."

"Hold on" I say. "What exactly is the Darkness?"

Everyone pauses, and they once again exchange glances - I don't like that, it's like they're silently conferring. Eventually, it's Axel who speaks up.

"We don't know. Nobody knows for sure. There are all sorts of rumours about who or what it else, where it came from, how it got here..."

"The only thing we know for sure is what it wants" Chazz interrupts. "The throne."

"The throne?" I repeat.

"He who has the throne controls this world" Zane says.

"And that used to be you, and that was alright" Jim says, smiling slightly. "Because you were tough, and strict and too harsh sometimes - but you were never a bad person. You lost control once, Your Highness, but you overcame that. This world ... it was better when you were in charge."

"But then you disappeared, right when we needed you most" Aster says, and it amazes me that his tone is so neutral when the words are an accusation. He notices the look on my face, though, and puts one hand tentatively on my arm, clearly not used to doing so. "It's alright, Your Highness. We know that you don't remember why you disappeared yet."

Yet?!

He says the right things but they mean nothing, because what he means - what they all mean - is that I'm useless to them right now, and I will be until I regain my memories.

"Listen, guys..." I start, not sure exactly what to say. "I only remember little bits and pieces. I can't even remember any of you." This saddens them - Jim's face loses its smile, Axel closes his eyes and Aster removes his hand from my arm. "If I can only help you once I remember, then I think we need a different approach."

"What sort of approach, Your Highness?"

"Um ... I don't know." I grin sheepishly. "Walk around outside, maybe?"

They all frown at the suggestion.

"Too dangerous, Your Highness" Axel says. "Hasselberry has the Fiends pushed way back from here, but so soon after an attack it would be foolish for you to go out. A rogue warrior could be lingering."

I hesitate. "Then, I can't think of anything else besides ..."

"Besides what, Your Highness?"

I feel so bad that I can't help them without my memories; they're clearly desperate. I suppose things have been hard for them for the past four years, assuming that time passes in this world as it does in the other world.

"Tell Jesse I want to talk to him."

Please R&R