Aoi nodded and turned back to her puzzling. Selena looked at Aki worridly. "You sure you're--" She cut herself off when she saw the few red drops in Aki's hand. "What's that?" She asked instead, pointing at the girl's hand.

---

Yusei shook his head. "It's all right...I am kind of wishing that I'd known I'd had a brother, even if he hadn't survived." He said.

Aki gasped when she saw the red drops.
"It's.....blood" she said, "my blood."

---

"I see. He always have a grudge against you. Please tell me what happened in that duel? Why did you end your turn without attacking" Ms Fudo asked.

Aoi got up to take a look. "That looks like when Sora coughs really hard...." She said. Her eyes filled with concern. "Usually...right before she has an attack....."

---

"It's....I did something I wish never happened." Yusei replied, looking to the ground. "I still feel guilty over it. All of it."

Aki coughed again, but with more blood this time round.
"I must have caught a virus or something. I need a mage or something to check me out" she said.

---

"Oh? What happened?" Mrs Fudo asked.

"Someone, or something, brought out my evil side." Yusei said. "I...I hate myself right now. I hurt my friends...I nearly killed Judai......" He leaned up against a nearby wall and slid down. "It's all too much...I'm already dead, but I still want to just die..."

---

"I should be able to do that much," Selena replied. "I'm not a mage, but I'm a psychic, and a powerful one." She frowned when Aki coughed up more blood. "But...you might need a doctor instead of a mage, if that's what I think it is."

Aki nodded as she coughed up even more blood. She didn't speak since she doesn't want to loose her voice.

---

"Maybe there is a reason why you're here then" Mrs Fudo said, sitting next to him, and pointed at a rock.
"You heard of the story Sword of the Stone before?" she asked.

"I'll call a doctor," Selena said as she got up. "From what I can sense, this is a medical problem, not a psychic problem."

---

"Yeah," Yusei replied, still staring at the ground. "What about it?"

Aki nodded as a thanks before coughing again.

---

"Well, right ahead, there is a sword up right up there. It will only be pulled by one with a troubled soul who flew on Stardust's wings" Mrs Fudo replied.

A few minutes later Selena came back into the room, doctor in tow. "Hold still," he said, placing the stethoscope on Aki's chest, about where her heart was. He frowned. He pulled out a smal device from his coat pocket and used it to take a small blood sample from the girl's arm. As he studied the readout, his frown got deeper. "This isn't good at all....."

---

"What do you mean?" Yusei asked.

"What is it doc?" Aki asked.

---

"Why not try and pull the sword?" Mrs Fudo asked.

Yusei rested his chin on his knees. "I'm not sure if I should. Not now, at least...." He said.

---

The doctor shook his head. "This...looks like the same heart condition that Mr. Bakura has." He replied.

"Come on, give it a go" Mrs Fudo encouraged, "You never know unless you try your hardest."

---

"What?" Aki exclaimed. At that point Aka woke up, who is now covered in Aki's blood.
"Ewwww! I be covered in blood monster's blood" she said, not knowing it was Aki throwing up.

"I guess," Yusei replied. "All right, I'll give it a go."

---

"Calm down; you're not in any of the advanced stages yet." The doctor replied. "This is a rather odd condition; the more active you stay, the slower the progression is. Well, up to a point...."

"That's my son" Mrs Fudo said as Yusei got up and walked to the stone.

---

"Why not ask Ruby to come and to see what she thinks?" Aka asked, still a bit disgusted of the blood.

Selena handed her a hankerchief. "Sounds like a good idea," she said.

---

Yusei paused. "Aren't you...coming with?" he asked tenatively.

"I need more of a shower than a hankerchief" Aka replied.

---

Mrs Fudo stood up.
"I can go as far as the bottom of the stone. You have to go alone after that" she said.

Yusei nodded and continued on. Within about ten minutes they were at the base of the stone. Yusei stared up at it, a knot in his stomach twisting and clenching in apprehension.

---

"Go ahead," Selena said. "I'll keep you posted on what's going on."

Aka nodded and headed towards the bathroom.
I wish I was in my spirit form when that happened. Poor Aki she thought.

---

"You can do it" Mrs Fudo said, "Rikuo tried but failed. I know you can get the sword out."

In the meantime, Selena sent Ruby a text message: Got problem. Aki coughing up blood. Doc says shes got same sickness as Bakura. Need u down here.

---

"Right," Yusei said with a nod. He stepped onto the stone, and immediately heard a low hum in the back of his mind. What is that? He thought.

Just before the spell being recast. Ok. B there soon Ruby texted back.
"Guys, I have an emergency back at HQ. I hope I be back soon" she told Yugi.

---

Mrs Fudo watched with vigor.
I hope he pulls the sword out she thought.

When Yusei reached the sword, he hesitated when gripping the handl. What if I can't pull it out? He thought. What if I---no, don't think like that. He gripped the sword, and something burned on his arm. Looking down, he saw the shadow of his Signer mark.

---

Yugi nodded. "Right, let's get this over with." He said, leading the three to their room. Crow stopped suddenly and looked down at his right arm. His Signer mark was burning.

"Yusei?" he whispered.

"You say something, Crow?" Yugi asked when he noticed Crow wasn't there. "Your mark!"

Crow nodded. "Yeah..." he said. "Something's happening."

---

Ruka paused in their training when she felt something burning on her arm. "My mark's glowing," She said, looking at her twin. "I wonder what it means...."

---

"Ow!" Aoi said as her arm burned. She looked down just in time to see the Dragon's Head mark dissapearing. "What the heck..." She looked up and saw that the mark on Aki's arm was burning too. "What d'you think this means?"

---

Jack looked down as he felt his arm burning....just in time to wind up with a heel to his face. "OUCH!!!"

"Then pay attention!" Melhana retorted. She frowned when she saw Jack's signer mark burning. "What does that mean?"

"Something to do with Yusei," Jack replied. "As for what, I'm not sure...."

"I think something's happening to Yusei. It seems that you are still connected" Rua replied

---

"It must be Yusei. But how can that be?" Ashleigh asked, stunned.

---

Ruby came just as the mark began to glow.
"Looks like the prophecy has been fourfold" she said.

"What do you mean, fourfold?" Aoi asked.

---

"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure you're right." Crow replied.

---

Ruka nodded. "But, how?" She asked. "Isn't Yusei...dead?"

---

Yusei pulled at the sword. The handle burned in his hands, getting hotter the longer he held it. He ignored it and pulled harder, with both hands this time. Come on! He thought as he pulled.

Finally, the sword moved, and then slid out all at once. The blade was crimson, and the crossguard had the symbol of the Crimson Dragon on it.

"There is something called the Crimson Sword. The prophecy goes: 'It will only be pulled by one with a troubled soul who flew on Stardust's wings.' That means one person" Ruby explained.

---

"I just hope that it's only good news" Ashleigh said.

---

"That's what I'm thinking!" Rua exclamed, "How can you guys still be connected to a dead guy?"

---

Mrs Fudo looked stunned.
"You....you flew on Stardust Wings?" she asked.

Yusei nodded. "Yeah, I...." he reached for his deck, then remebered something. "I...don't have Stardust Dragon anymore. I gave it to Aoi, when....it happened."

---

"I don't know!" Ruka replied. "But we still are, apparently."

---

"Yusei." Selena said. "That's Yusei's ace card. It must be him."

---

"You and me both," Crow replied.