Of Heart And Home

📔📖📚🧓🏻👴🏻👵🏻Tale As Old As Time🕛⌚⏳⏱️🕰️🕧

"I think not!"  they hear a voice say then they see a white Duel Runner (known as D-Wheel)  fly in their direction and see that the masked man Yugi and Isra saw earlier was sitting on it "you listen here! we know what you're up to, and we're not going to let it happen got it? so why don't you just make it easy on yourself and go back to where you came from!"  Yugi says "he's too much like Seto to be that smart! and if you tell my sister I said that so help me Yugi Moto....!"  Isra mutters teasingly Yugi chuckles "where I can from is why I'm here perhaps it's time...."  the man says then he takes off his mask and continues "we get acquainted the names Paradox"  Yusei asks "Paradox?"  Paradox replies "I doubt that you've heard of me in fact I'm very much certain that you haven't after all I don't come from any of your eras in time I come from the future"  Isra mutters under her breath "and I come from the past you don't see me trying to ruin the lives of others just because something "bad" happened to me!"  Atem looks at her sadly and she shakes away her dark thoughts by shaking her head "what's that supposed to mean?"  Yusei asks Paradox for he didn't hear what Isra had said "forget him he's just trying to get into your head"  Jaden says "oh I doubt he wants to go there!"  Isra jokes Yugi and Atem chuckle Yusei smiles "we don't care about your backstory we just care about keeping our world safe!"  Yugi says "sometimes Yugi.... just like Seto a persons backstory is why they do things, why they become the monsters they are today sometimes you can help them change like I hope someone can do for Seto and sometimes they're too far gone to even acknowledge the fact that someone is trying to help them"  Isra replies softly with a calm tone Yugi nods sadly "smart woman you got there! though that last part is utter nonsense!"  Paradox says "I'm a 5,000 year old "queen" I'm bound to know a few things! and just because YOU don't believe that last part is true doesn't make it nonsense!"  Isra says with a slightly sarcastic tone Paradox smirks Atem smiles at the fact that she called herself a queen and Yusei and Jaden look at her with wide eyes "and apparently I don't exist in their future!"  Isra thinks to herself as she looks over at the two boys who stand at Yugi's other side Atem frowns "no my heart that might be a good thing perhaps the fact that I don't exist means that we succeeded and were finally allowed to go home!"  she tells him in his heart which makes him smile and gives him hope that she is right "nobody thought to keep me safe, or those I loved, and now I will finally have my revenge"  Paradox says as Isra and Atem talk "you can't blame one man for the mistakes of many especially when that one man doesn't exist in your future"  Isra tells him "oh yes I can!"  Paradox replies she looks at him sadly as he continues "I'm going to rid the world of what caused all my pain and suffering that is why I am here, because I've realized something about this game you love so, this Duel Monsters the world would be a far better place without it the monsters, the spells-- what good has come from it? true, you've all saved the world many times over with your precious cards, but against adversaries who were using the same cards to destroy it"   Isra asks him "aren't you doing that very same thing!?!"  Paradox asks "so!?!"  she asks "you're pretty much becoming the people you claim ruined your life just so you can get your way!.... what's the matter did your mother not give you enough attention as a child!?!"  he growls "oops I embraced my inner Seto didn't I!?!"  she asks Yugi who nods with a smile and Atem laughs "go me!"  she softly fakes a cheer which makes Atem's laughter and Yugi's smile grow "he's going to be so proud!"  she gushes playfully "stop it!"  Yugi replies with laughter in his tone "yes please!"  Atem adds as he tries to catch his breath from laughing so hard she smiles then says "on the other hand he might be disappointed he didn't get to show off his dueling skills and play hero for a change.... should I call him!?!"  Yugi lifts and waves his hand in a formation that matches his words when he says as he watches her pretend to get her phone out "NO!"  she asks "why not!?! you afraid he might join Paradox just so he can attempt to defeat you once again!?! I don't believe my sister would allow that!"  she says "true!"  Yugi says with a smile as he watches her place her phone back into her pocket "he wouldn't believe this futuristic time travel stuff anyway!"  she says with a shrug he chuckles then repeats "true!"  she chuckles he smiles "what are you two bickering about!?"  Yusei asks "I wanted to invite my brother-in-law to the duel that's about to happen but Yugi got scared so I....!"  Isra replies "I DID NOT!!"  Yugi just about shouts "who's your brother in law!?!"  Jaden asks "Seto Kaiba"  she replies Jaden's eyes widen and he says with a surprised excited tone "I KNEW you looked familiar!"  then he says with a much softer tone "though your name, hair and eye color are different"  she nods then replies "yeah we're identical twins"  he nods as though her answer explained everything "are you senseless dolts done talking!?!"  Paradox asks "no!"  Isra replies he smiles at her then says to the three men at her side "don't you see? instead of trying to stop me, you three should be doing your best to help me!"  Isra asks "now why would we do something stupid like that!?!"  he smirks then replies "I've told you-- where I come from is the reason that I'm here where I come from is a doomed future!"  Isra says "that's the people who lives within its fault not the "creator of Duel Monsters"! he created the game he has no power over what people do with it! it's his livelihood, the monsters he created have become his children but once they are "given" to others in a manner of speaking they've "grown up" and are in charge of their own lives! he no longer has any "power" over them the people who hold them in their hands everyday and fight their made up wars as a vie for power and control do!"  Paradox replies "you have no idea what you're talking about!"  Isra says "oh really just a few minutes ago you were calling me a "smart woman" and now that I once again spoke truths you do not want to listen too I have "no idea what I'm talking about" you truly are pathetic aren't you!?!"  he smirks dangerously at her "I don't fear you boy so if I were you I'd do the smart thing and drop that smirk before I rip it off your face!"  Isra says darkly "ISRA!!"  Atem scolds with a surprised tone but then he realized she's "picking up on" his darkness and it is seeping into her heart and soul as the darkness of another has done countless times before and he begins to worry about her "I come from a desolate place, so desolate I could no longer bare to see it through my own eyes I took to wearing a mask, and it was through this filter that I finally began to see-- see why things had ended this way, and the answer was Duel Monsters so what better way to destroy this virus than by traveling back to the beginning and not letting it spread?"  Paradox tells her "a bit demented isn't he!?!"  Isra whispers to herself Yugi looks at her sadly as Paradox continues "time travel is no a easy feat, but where there's a will, there's a way and there was a will"....

"But don't you realize? you're not just wiping out Duel Monsters, but people too! you're destroying everything and everyone ever touched by the game!"  Yusei says "I don't think he cares!"  Isra mutters as Paradox replies "of course I realize that, Yusei as a matter of fact, that's what I'm looking forward to the most"  Jaden says "you're one sick puppy!"  Yugi adds "maybe the game's not perfect, but it's created more good things than bad!"  Yusei says "and another thing-- the future isn't written yet there's still time for it to change!"  Isra replies "not for you maybe but for him it's a much different story! though there is a way for him to attempt to fix what the people of his time have broken he's going about it the wrong way! I think it's time we teach him a thing or two about the heart of the cards not the humans who hold them for unlike humans the heart of the cards will always stay true especially to those who believe in it!"  Atem and Yugi smile at her "well, then, it seems we all have a difference of opinion, since I doubt any more words will settle our impasse, perhaps we should settle it a different way"  Paradox says as though he agrees with SOME of what Isra said for he believes she knows where this whole spiel was headed towards even Yusei seemed to agree with it/him for he says "if you're saying you want to duel, bring it on, Paradox!"  Paradox replies "fine, then I think it fitting to destroy the three of you with the very cards that you're trying to save"  his Duel Runner turns on and floats up into the air with Paradox on it as Isra mutters to herself "I think I prefer Seto's delusions of grandeur to his!"  Atem and Yugi chuckle "Paradox, get ready to get your game on!"  Jaden says Isra looks at him oddly which makes Atem laugh she shrugs which makes his laughter grow "your twisted time crusade stops here let's rev it up!"  Yusei says "I guess everyone's got a catch phrase!"  Isra whispers Atem smiles then says to Yugi "Yugi, out of all our duels, this may be the toughest"  Isra mutters "so far!"  Atem chuckles "then let's rise to the challenge"  Yugi says softly he takes Isra's hand in his as he becomes Atem "don't leave me!"  Atem whisperingly begs "I'm kinda stuck at the moment so I can't!"  Isra replies looking down at their entwined hands he chuckles as she gently pulls on his hand pretending to try to break free from his light grip then he turns his attention to Paradox and says "I have just one thing to say to you, Paradox it's time to duel!"  Isra laughs Jaden and Yusei look at her as Atem smiles "sorry I may have mentioned something about catchphrases then he goes "all out" with his so....!"  she explains the two men smile at her then they chorus as all three of their duel disks turn on "let's go!"  Isra looks at Atem sadly and says softly "I'm not sure how much more of the darkness he carries with him I can handle but I will do my best to uphold my unspoken promise.... so you can let go of my hand now!"  he nods with a smile then lets go of her hand and slides his deck into his disk