A,N: I am so, so, sorry for the wait you guys. I don't even know how long you have been waiting to be honest, but it is surely months, and for that I am terribly sorry. Only good thing is that I am finished with this part of the chapter. Finally! I had a lot of trouble with it. After all how easy is it to write a depressed filled chapter when you are depressed at the same time? I tell you it is not easy. But hope you will like the chapter regardless. Have fun reading!

Tara's p.o.v.

Tara drove and drove further and further into the darkness sphere. It was like you were trapped in the ocean. You were forced down to the dark bottom and you couldn't escape. You were going to drown here! In this dark abyss However, Tara didn't really care here. She had meant to do this. She had already decided to go in here, the minute she saw the sphere up close. She wanted to free the people in there. She needed to trick Nightshroud in letting her in. Although she also sadly had to deceive her brother too. She didn't doubt that her brother was in deep distress over her disappearance, and she hoped Jaden could one day forgive her. She hoped that he at least realized that this was part of her plan though. She had left him Haou and those cards on the field. He was gonna be okay right? Tara shook her head a little. She couldn't doubt herself now. If she did Nightshroud would win. That she was sure of. She drove further down in the sphere. Everything turned darker and darker the further she came. She could see, but Tara was not completely sure why. Maybe it was because she was the vessel of the darkness, or maybe it was just the balance here. After all where there were darkness was also light. Tara didn't think much of it though. She had a mission.

Cards were at some point all in front of her. Tara at first wondered why, but when she touched it, the harsh reality came to her. The cards all resembled the people in here. This was all the inhabits of earth! Tara must admit she was rather horrified by that. Then she shook her head again. She needed to focus here.

"Hello everyone. Can you hear me?" she asked the cards at first, but there was no responds, so she continued "I came to rescue you for this dreadful place. We gotta get out of here before this world's creator comes back".

Silence was the only answer she got back. Tara sighed deeply and wondered if she had to gather all the cards and just take them out of here. However, then something happened. From a card emerged a being. A boy and Tara recognized him right away. The boy Tsutomu who she now knew had been Trueman's first victim. He was the boy she had seen in her dream after all. The boy looked up at her with a pained expression.

"Why? Why should we leave?" he then questioned in a monotone voice and an echo of voices around her all chanted the word 'leave' as well. Tara looked stunned at him.

"To live. To come back to the real world" she answered then slowly. She was about to say more, but Tsutomu didn't let her.

"We don't wanna!" he uttered angrily, and echo of the other cards added in 'Not wanna' in unison. "It hurts. It hurts. Don't wanna fight. Wanna stay here where it is safe, and nothing can hurt us".

An echo of hurt and safe echoed around Tara now. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. They didn't want to leave?! Another person emerged from one of the cards too, and as it did, Tsutomu disappeared into a card once again. Tara was staring in disbelief at the silhouette in front of her.

"Sartorius?" she questioned as the former light host were standing in front of her. He was sending her a smile that didn't go all the way up to his eyes.

"Tara... You shouldn't be here" he mused in a sad tone. Tara looked puzzled at him.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Sartorius sighed deeply.

"Even you... You and Jaden are our only hope" He whispered in a low voice "Without you... there is no hope. No hope at all". The word hope were soon an echo in here too, and Tara were staring in disbelief at her friend.

"I don't understand" she said slowly "What is wrong with all of you?".

"We are tired Tara. People don't want to fight anymore. They have thrown everything away. They have given everything up in return for not feeling this pain" Sartorius replied and sighed "They don't want to be saved".

Tara felt rather horrified. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. The words from Nightshroud ran through her head now. For many humans, my world is peace. She hadn't understood what he had meant by that, but now she did. It creeped her out completely.

"But Sartorius I..." she said and tried to approach him. She wanted to reassure him. To help him. However, her friend instead took some quick steps backwards.

"No! No leave!" Sartorius shouted and surprised Tara big time. "I stay here. I will repent for my actions in the past. You on the other hand have to leave. You are innocent. You are our only hope".

"Not without Zane!" Tara uttered and clenched her hands "Not without you all in here. I will help you all getting your hope up and will to live again".

Sartorius didn't say anything. Instead he turned back into a card, and now got replaced with another person. Tara was literally staring now. Of all the people she thought she was gonna meet, he wasn't the one she had thought she would meet. Her father Seto Kaiba.

"I can bring you to him" he said and looked at her with sad eyes "You remind me of someone I knew once. Not like I can do a thing about it though. I hurt them all and there is no way they will forgive me at all".

"Father, that is not true at all... I..." Tara began saying, but Seto Kaiba cut her off by sending her a depressed look. It was like he wasn't seeing her at all.

"I had a daughter like you once..." he then said and sighed "Maybe that is why I want to help you. Come, I will bring you to the Kaiser of this hell".

Tara wanted to ask him what he meant, but her father had already decided to leave. She wasn't sure he was gonna wait for her, since he didn't even have recognized her at all. However, a thought were wandering through her mind now. Why did he mean with he was the Kaiser of this hell?

That, Tara soon found out however, but she wished she didn't. Oh how she wished she didn't. As she swam through this dark ocean, she quickly realized that it was like layers of darkness in here. Each of how much darkness each card generated. All after how much pain or darkness each person was having in their heart. So the further she got down, the darker the ocean, and the darker the pain and suffering in each card was. Her father lead her through the ocean without saying anything. Tara tried to start a conversation. He did seem to know more than other cards did for some reason, but instead he was distant, and she could hear him mumble stuff about that it was his fault and other stuff that only made Tara's heart ache. She couldn't believe this was what her and Jaden had caused their father in pain. Then without warning he suddenly disappeared into card form and flew off somewhere. But then again, it was not like Tara couldn't find her way around here. Now she truly knew why her father had called Zane the Kaiser in here. This was clearly the deepest parts of this dark ocean, and right in front of her was Zane, her boyfriend, but unlike the cards, Zane was there as a living human. Only problem was he looked he was sleeping and surrounded in a dark, dark aura of some kind. Tara was staring horrified at the sight in front of her. It didn't help that he wasn't alone. Atticus and Yusuke was there as well, and they were in similar situations. Sleeping and surrounded in this dark, dark aura.

"Atticus, Yusuke, Zane!" Tara uttered loudly in hope that they would indeed wake up, but it did nothing.

Tara then approached them, shaking them all a lot in hope of getting a reaction out of them. Nothing happened. Tara let out a stuffed up cry, who had difficulties getting out of her throat, as she tossed herself at Zane's chest. He had been the last one she had approached of course. Her arms were around his neck. A way of anchoring herself to something, as she couldn't keep himself from crying. This was not what she had thought was going on when she entered Nightshroud's sphere. None of this had. She had been a fool to be thinking it would be easy to save everyone in here. She hadn't believed their suffering were that big a deal.

"Oh Zane, please, please wake up" she whispered as her tears fell down her cheeks "I am not sure what to do now. How can I go on and help my brother in this, when I can't even help any of you". She placed herself at her boyfriend's chest once again and just felt pretty miserable.

"Poor, sad little Tara Yuki" Said a voice suddenly and made Tara turn around pretty quickly.

There were no one there of course. However, she could still hear the voice haunting in the background. It actually sounded like it was mocking her, or was it all in her head? Tara didn't know, but she was pretty tired and annoyed over the games he was playing with her.

"Stop hiding and show yourself!" Tara then shouted firmly "I am tired of your stupid games Nightshroud!".

She could feel the darkness around her materialize and soon the skeleton being were standing in front of her. Or more like a hologram, but still he was there. He was staring her down with his creepy weird eyes.

"So you noticed me Tara Yuki? I could say I am to be impressed by your skills, but then I would be lying" The god replied and send her a cruel smirk "This is after all my world. My world you have been so rude to invade. Do you like my hospitality so far little Tara? I do apologies for not being here in person, but the duel with your brother occupies me at the moment". Tara hissed angrily.

"My brother would kick your butt. You just wait and see" She replied in a fierce tone.

"He is persistence. I will admit to that" Nightshroud replied "But soon he will also face my judgement and wander through the light and darkness for all eternity. I know of your brother's truest fear. Of being all alone. It is just a matter of time before he loses".

Tara froze slightly at that. If he knew then... But then she snort angrily inside. She was not gonna stay here and listen to a word this twisted god was saying. She was leaving. She was gonna go help Jaden in this duel once again. As hard as it was to admit it, she couldn't help anyone in here. At least not as long as the people in here didn't wanted to get saved. She was gonna tell Jaden this, and then maybe, maybe they could do something together. Jaden was usual the one who brought people hope after all. She began swimming upwards to where she had a feeling she could leave the sphere. Soon however Tara realized she actually didn't move one bit at all. It was like she was frozen to the place. She turned her head angrily towards the darkness god.

"Leaving so soon Tara Yuki?" Nightshroud said in his own mocking tone of voice "It would be rude not to greet their host a goodbye before leaving".

"Let me go Nightshroud!" Tara shouted angrily and tried to get free from whatever was keeping her here "You can't keep me here!". Nightshroud actually chuckled.

"Of course I can Tara Yuki" He then said "Why should I let such a chance escape me, when you were so foolish to enter the sphere without your protector. Without the king of gentle darkness, you are only considered a human Tara. You have no powers to protect you from my influence. You will receive my judgement now. Just as I predicted long time ago". Tara looked bewildered at him.

"What do you mean with just as predicted?" she then hissed at him.

"I knew from the beginning that you would end up in my world little Tara" Nightshroud said and smirked his cracked smile again "From the moment my Trueman told me about you two, I have predicted this outcome with clarity. You and your brother cleared all the obstacles I send you and would face me, where you both will fall and be judged. I knew you couldn't stand there and do nothing doing the duel after all. Your foolishness brought yourself to me and now your restly powers will fuel my world for all eternity. Just like those three are".

A skeleton finger was pointed towards the three boys in here. Tara couldn't believe what she was hearing. Atticus, Yusuke and Zane was fuel?! How? When? Why?

"They all three have their hearts tainted in darkness my dear" Nightshroud suddenly said.

It was like he had read her mind. He began moving her past the three boys and over some kind of pedestal. A pedestal she soon realized were similar to what the three boys were sitting on. She had only first realized that now.

"All of them have used the power of my world" Nightshroud continued and ignored Tara's struggle completely "Atticus used my mask, Yusuke came to me and your dear Zane...".

"Didn't use anything of your so called power" Tara sneered angrily "That I know".

"True, but he has a dark heart. It was easy to influence, as we brought him here" The skeleton god replied and sat her on the pedestal. Roots wrapped around on her body, keeping her there. Tara glared coldly at Nightshroud.

"I will not fuel your world. I still have hope, so you can't do a thing!" she said in a fierce tone "It doesn't matter what you make me see. I can handle the darkness in my heart!", Nightshroud actually just cracked an evil smile once again.

"Ha-ha you are such a fool Tara Yuki. I am not known for using the same method twice. You will see your boyfriend's darkness in his heart" Nightshroud replied as the black bean hit her, and Tara let out a terrified scream.

Jaden's p.o.v.

Jaden: 3000 Lp's.

Nightshroud 1300 Lp's.

"Come fought Neos wiseman!" Jaden shouted as the new combination of Yubel and Neos appeared onto the field.

With its 3000 att points it was an impressive monster for sure. Jaden of course made his new monster attack and destroy 'Darkness slime', making their life points hit 3000 while Nightshroud's fell down to 1300. Jaden were in totally control of this duel.

"Nightshroud! We will prove to you in this duel. That compared to your methodical meddling of the past, even if it made all four of us meet, that bonds with the ones I believe in, as well as love and care about, are far truer!" Jaden then shouted.

"You bastard!" Nightshroud sneered back. Jaden didn't care much about that.

"We'll be sure to save everyone in this world" The king and Jaden now said in unison. Jaden's eyes were shining brightly, in the color of amber golden eyes. However, after a while Nightshroud were actually chuckling evilly.

"What is so funny?" Jaden asked rather annoyed.

"Bonds with your friends? Saving them? But hasn't your friends heart and feelings for you already disappeared? Including your sisters. Your voice can't reach them" The skeleton god replied and cracked a smirk "Even so, do you still plan on saving them?".

Jaden tsked annoyed at that. Of course he did! He wouldn't stop trying. Even if his friends and sister didn't want to be saved. Even if his sister was not with him. He was not giving up. Inside he could also feel the king's determination. Haou also wanted to save Tara at least. The others were no importance to him, but Tara was. Jaden couldn't keep himself from smiling a little at that. At least Tara had changed the king a little. However, it was Nightshroud's turn and he drew. He started off his turn by summoning his "Darkness Necro slime" to the field in att mode. It had 0 att and def points. Then he activated his new monsters eff. If he send Necro slime to the grave, he could replace it with another darkness monster from the grave. Jaden looked in horror as Nightshroud summoned back his cherished "Darkness Eye".

"This is bad. Now he will be able to play those traps again. Jaden!" Jaden could hear Banner shout from his hiding place together with Pharaoh.

Jaden bit his lip worriedly. He knew that already. Nightshroud of course didn't waste any time and began activating his zero and infinity combo again. There was 2 darkness trap in between. Darkness 1 and Darkness 2. Jaden was praying that Nightshroud used the right one.

"Due to the effect of darkness 1 one monster on the opponent's field is destroyed" Nightshroud then told him and grinned evilly.

A blast got fired from the card and hit Neos wiseman, but as the dust cleared Neos Wiseman was still there. Jaden was sending the god a confident smirk. He had bit on the hook and used the wrong card.

"It's too bad, but Neos wiseman can't be destroyed by card effects" He then told him.

Nightshroud did look mighty displeased, but for some reason Jaden was sure something was off with the god. It was not like he had put his heart into this round at all. Jaden wondered what was going through his mind right now? Maybe... Maybe Tara was fighting him from the inside. Jaden really hoped that was true.

Nightshroud ended his turn and his traps reset once again. It was now Jaden's turn. He made Neos wiseman attack and destroy darkness eye. Jaden gained 1000 life points because of his monster effect. His life points were now back to 4000. Jaden clenched his hand. Just one more time and I... No I mean we. We have defeated him Tara. Together with Haou and Yubel. Just one more attack and we have fulfilled the prophecy. We have...

"Jaden. Don't let your guard down!" He could suddenly hear Haou say.

"What do you mean?" Jaden questioned inside his mind. Haou snort annoyed.

"This is too easy" The king stated, "He is planning something". Jaden was about to ask what, but then he could hear Nightshroud laugh a cold evil laughter. He turned towards him, as he could see the skeleton god's blue eyes glow at him.

"You seem to really think you can defeat me, Jaden Yuki. But that is unfortunately impossible" Nightshroud then said.

"What did you say?!" Haou and Jaden shouted in unison.

"The will of one mere human along with the spirit king is not enough to save the whole world" Nightshroud continued and cracked a smirk again. "I will admit that you fought valiantly, but that was only because I was occupied elsewhere".

"What do you mean by that?" Jaden sneered defiantly "What have you been doing?".

"Your sister..." Nightshroud mused out and made Jaden's blood freeze to ice. He sounded way to confident right now.

"Your sister gave me quite some trouble" Nightshroud admitted and grinned "But that is all in the past. She is now part of my word, and thereby be the seed to strengthening my world. Along with everybody else".

"Seed?!" Haou and Jaden shouted in unison. Jaden took over "What do you mean by...? ". Jaden got interrupted by Nightshroud who were chuckling evilly.

"Let me show you" he then said and drew.

Without warning the skeleton god activated the effect from the card called "Darkness seed" in the graveyard. Jaden remembered that Nightshroud discarded this card from his hand that turn where he wanted to take control of Yubel. The memories of that event still made Haou pretty angry in here, so Jaden quickly thought of something else. That was pretty easy since something really unbelievable were about to happen. Dark roots suddenly flew out of the dark sphere behind Nightshroud and impaled him in the chest. Just like that. Jaden, Banner and maybe even Haou was staring in disbelief at the display in front of them. Nightshroud groaned for some seconds before he was glaring at Jaden once again. An evil gleam was in his blue eyes.

"When darkness seed is sent to the grave, it can be special summoned to the field when the second standby phase approaches" Nightshroud began explaining.

A giant seed like create appeared on to the field in att mode. It had 1000 att and def points. But that was not what horrified him the most. Suddenly Nightshroud's life points rose from 1300 to 4000 once again.

"What? His life points just..." Jaden uttered and then grabbed around his chest. Pain was running through his body all of the sudden. He could hear Haou scream.

"Haou? Haou what is wrong?" Jaden asked inside his mind. He could see the king stand there in his armor and clench his chest. Just like Jaden was doing outside.

"The darkness" Haou groaned in painful matter "He is... using...".

"This is the divined power of darkness Jaden Yuki" Nightshroud now told him "Due to darkness seed's effect. At my end phase, if I have less than 4000 life points, I automatically receive an increase until they reach that point".

"What did you say?!" Jaden uttered rather shocked.

Then pain ran through his body again. He could hear Haou groan again as the king tried to tell him something once again, but the words wouldn't enter their shared thoughts. Then it dawned to Jaden. His eyes widened in even more honor than before.

"You... You are using Tara's powers!" he then uttered in disbelief. He couldn't believe he hadn't realized this from the get-go. The seed to strengthening his word. The taunt to Tara and getting him inside the sphere. This was all...

"Hmm You finally realized this Jaden Yuki?" Nightshroud mocked a little and a picture appeared in midair. He could see his sister Tara sit at this pedestal. She was sleeping, but darkness power rose around her. Jaden groaned in pain again.

"Haou are you okay?" Jaden questioned as he could feel the king getting weaker and weaker. Haou groaned and shook his head.

"Tara. I'm still connected" The king whispered weakly.

"You... You planed this! You planned all this from the get-go!" Jaden now shouted at the god in an accusing tone. He was really angry now.

"Ah yes. I did" Nightshroud replied. He sounded pretty satisfied right now. "I knew your sister couldn't stop herself from entering the sphere. The shooting star who tries to fulfil everyone's wishes. Her powers are now a tool to defeat you".

"What have you done to her?! What are you making her see?! Let Tara go right now! Let everyone go!" Jaden shouted angrily. "I will kick your butt for that".

"You can try defeating me, but without your sister you won't succeed. No matter how much you struggle"Nightshroud said and chucked darkly "But be happy I am merciful and let you live. You should be grateful. You two should be aware of my true identity. Isn't that right, Haou and Jaden Yuki?".

Jaden's eyes narrowed darkly as he was glaring at Nightshroud. He didn't want to admit it. He didn't want to say it. He didn't want it to happen no matter what.

"Nightshroud's identity?" He could hear Banner question from his hiding place. His voice sounded really confused now. Jaden clenched his hands a little.

"I... I won't accept such a thing!" he then shouted back to the skeleton god.

"But that is the reality Jaden Yuki. The prophecy will never be fulfilled without your sister, and therefore there will be no one to stop me" Nightshroud now said "My identity will be the future of human beings. I will be their savior!".

Tara's p.o.v.

Tara had never felt so horrified in her entire life. Finding out that the supreme king was Jaden had been dreadful too, but nothing could really compare to what she was seeing now. Funny enough the scenario was that of Domino city. It was sunny weather, and everything couldn't be better, so why was Tara so horrified? Well seeing herself in this... Dream? Memory? Future event? Or was this Zane's heart? Tara really didn't know. All she knew was that this was terrible. Terrible wrong! In this part Tara was a successful duelist. She had clearly taking all the advice she had gotten from Aster to heart and were now a pro duelist. That was all good and sweet, but Tara really hated how she had become in this. She was pretty stuck up as Aster was when they first meet him. Clearly the fame had gotten to her head. Tara wished she could intervene in this dreadful nightmare, but she was sadly only a ghost. All she could do was watch. Zane was of course beside her. This was after all his memory? Future event? Dream? Whatever the reason, he was also sharing the spot light, and everything was good. Or so it seemed. After all Nightshroud had made her see this for a reason, but Tara really wondered where the darkness were in this, besides a terrible version of herself. That however got soon revealed.

"Miss Yuki is it true you are currently dating the underground duelist Zane Truesdale?" one of the reporters who had surrounded Zane and Tara after her stunning fight just now.

Tara could see her stuck up self, smile a brilliant smile, who would clearly have made Aster proud. Her and Zane's finger also intervened with each other.

"Yes that is true" Tara replied eagerly. Zane even smiled one of his rare smiles now too.

"But why is that?" Another reporter asked and made this Tara and Zane looked puzzled at her. The reporter continued "I mean, with your status and fame, you could date anyone. Why settle for this underground dark duelist?".

At that statement, this present Tara could see herself stop up and was now only staring out in the air. Zane didn't look better, but P. Tara didn't know if that was because of the reporter's question, or her future self's lacking answer. In the end Tara turned around on the heel and walked away. She sat down in a prestige limo along with a confused Zane without answering any of the other reporters' questions.

The scene changed, and Tara soon found herself and Zane in this luxurious apartment. It reminded Tara of the one Aster had, when she was together with him there.

"What do you mean you break up with me?" Tara could then hear Zane yell, and she could see her future boyfriend state down her future self. She looked pissed.

"It is as I say Zane. I am breaking up with you" she answered firmly "I have an image to uphold and you are only dragging me down". Zane looked in disbelief at her.

"But I... I can stop" Zane uttered. He was having trouble expressing himself.

"Zane, we know that is not gonna happen" Tara replied firmly "You have been trying for a year already. Admit it, the darkness and shocks are calling to you. It is like a drug".

"That is... but you said it didn't matter" Zane sneered back "You didn't care what I was doing as long as I loved you...".

"That was the past Zane" Tara snort out and sighed deeply "We can't live in this dream world any longer. We have to face reality. We have grown apart. I have a career to think about". Zane eyes narrowed in a dark matter.

"You just want to be with Aster!" he then shouted back "Just because he is...".

"And what is he is Zane. What if he is more successful and good looking than you? He at least knows how to treat a girl unlike you. We are done Zane Truesdale!".

The present Tara could hear how Zane was growling angrily as he turned around and walked through the door. He slammed it shut behind him. Tara couldn't believe what she was seeing here. She couldn't believe her future self could be that horrible to him.

"No! Zane don't go!" she then shouted and tried running after him. Sadly, the scene changed in just that minute, leaving Tara in complete darkness.

Things didn't go well for Zane. No actually everything went worse from here. To Tara's horror. Without her as Zane's light, as Tara called herself in this dark twisted darkness world, Zane was changing. For the worse. She of course saw what happened to him. Nightshroud couldn't leave that twisted 'joy' out for her. Not that Tara really wanted to see what happened afterwards. Her boyfriend ended up having a drinking and drug problem. As well as hanging out with a lot of terrible people from the underground people in the underground dueling arena. Zane was of course still the king of the cage, but nothing of this was filling the void in Zane's heart. He was more brutal than ever and was truly falling into the darkness as Tara saw it. It didn't help that it was announced in the news that Tara and Aster was going to be married, this year either. Tara couldn't stop herself from crying while watching. This was apparently Zane's darkness in his heart. He was afraid of losing her to Aster or become the ruthless person he was when Tara broke up with him. Maybe a little of both. Tara let out a big cry. She couldn't help herself. She couldn't believe she was the darkness in her heart. If this continued... she had a feeling Zane would end up killing himself. At least in this world of dark memories. She didn't know what that meant in this world of darkness, but she figured he would just still fuel Nightshroud's world. Just as she was doing right now. She didn't think Nightshroud wouldn't use this opportunity after all. Tara rubbed her eyes and looked determined up in this dark sky. She couldn't lose hope now. She was NOT gonna lose hope. Regardless what dreadful this experience was. Regardless that this was ripping her heart to pieces. Nightshroud believed she was the weak link in this. That without her, Jaden couldn't win. She was gonna show him. Problem however was that she didn't know how she was gonna show him. She was after all captured in this darkness sphere. Just as everyone else were. She took a deep breath.

"You can't keep me here Nightshroud!" she then shouted, "You may hold my body and my powers, but you will never take my spirit!".

Tara was not sure what that outburst even were gonna do her. She just needed to let out some steam. She needed to do something after all. Then suddenly, without warning, a light appeared in front of her...

A,N: Well cut. I decided to split it once again. This duel is after all a boss battle so yeah it is longer than expected. Good news however, I am almost done on the third part, so I will soon update that part. Hoped you liked it so far. Please comment on what you think. Would like some feedback so I can get better. Thank you so much for the support in following this story. I appreciate it big time!