“Fifteen Years Ago”

A Fan-Fiction by Neomage

(AUTHOR NOTES: This fan-fiction is tied in with my ongoing story, “Yu-Gi-Oh! Eternal.” Specifically, it is tied in with Alexis Rhodes’s memory sequence in Chapter 79 of that story. To get the full gist of this tale and the aftereffects of the events that occur here, read that story up to Chapter 79, then read this, and then continue from Chapter 79 of “Eternal” onwards.)

(RATING: This story is rated M. It is not to be accessed or read by anyone under the age of 16. It contains strong coarse language, very mild violence, and strong adult themes. In accordance to the guidelines of this site, the language used to describe the actions that take place will be as non-explicit as possible without losing their overall meaning.

This story contains fem-slash themes and erotic interactions between women. If this kind of content offends you, or you are not old enough to view this content in accordance with the story’s rating, then please do not read this story.)

(DISCLAIMER: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, its characters, and all other Yu-Gi-Oh-related media do not belong to Neomage. They are all the creations and property of Kazuki Takahashi.)

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2003, 15 years before the timeline of “Yu-Gi-Oh! Forever” and “Yu-Gi-Oh! Eternal”

The night was cool. The night was quiet. Only a few stars twinkled in the sky above, but starlight as a means to illuminate the darkness was not necessary. Tonight was a full-moon night, so the landscape was brightly shown, albeit in shades of gray. Only in the deepest crevices of Mother Earth did darkness, at least for now, remain dominant.

Moonlight shone down brightly on a particular house in the vicinity. This house was in a remote area, really, but not so far removed from civilization that contact with the outside world would be impossible. The nearest town was only a few minutes’ drive away; what made this house seem separate from society was the fact that it was built on a hill, overlooking a well-planted forest on one side, the ocean on another side, and on another side the aforementioned town could be seen at a distance. The house itself was a two-story building, not quite a mansion, but from the outside it was clear that whoever lived here had some degree of affluence at their fingertips.

And anyone who knew the people living here would know why that was. For this was the home of newlywed couple Jaden and Alexis Yuki.

During his young years as a pro-league duelist, Jaden had always had a desire to live somewhere where he could stay in touch with the beauty of nature. His travels in search of such a spot had led him here, to the site where the house currently stood. Liking what he’d seen, he’d begun construction of his future home here. The construction took three years to complete; by the time it was done, he had established himself in the dueling circuit and had won the admiration of his fans and the respect of his rivals.

Then, he got married and moved his bride here, to his paradise. The former Alexis Rhodes, at that time, had carved a niche for herself as a teacher, and was in fact serving a contract to be an instructor at the well-revered Duel Academy, her and Jaden’s alma mater. It had come as a surprise to many, even some of those who knew both of them, when the duo announced wedding plans; nonetheless, the well-wishing had been much, and the young couple was certainly smitten with each other.

And now, a year had passed since the couple had first come to Jaden’s “palace,” their permanent home.

And on this moonlit night, something was going to happen here—something that would change the couple’s lives, something that would remain a constant in their marriage until the day they would take their last breaths.

-----

Out of the shadows of the forest that lay on the eastern side of the house, a mysterious, sinister-looking figure appeared. The forest’s animal denizens, those who lurked around this area at night, looked at the figure curiously even as she strode forward with determination, toward the house.

She looked up toward the house’s second story. Near the top, toward the back of the house…only two lights could be seen. The rest of the house was shrouded in darkness. She glanced toward the driveway, noting that only one car was parked there. She was aware that the couple that lived here had two cars, one for each; and the one for the husband was currently missing. Which meant, likely, that only the wife was here now. Alone.

Perfect.

She approached the perimeter fence that separated the house and grounds from the rest of the surroundings. Fifteen feet high, it sported barbed wire at the top of its design. No doubt, any criminal who sought to enter this place would have significant trouble getting over this fence. And assuming that said criminal did manage to scale the fence—albeit with cuts and scrapes from the barbed wire—he’d have to contend with the four dogs that the couple kept here as pets and as guards, currently dozing close to the driveway, twenty meters away from this section of the fence.

But she wouldn’t need to scale the fence at all.

She took a deep breath, and then—previously hidden by the shadows that had enveloped her being, assisted by the obscurity provided by the surroundings—a large pair of bat-like wings, with talons at the tips, sprouted out from her back. Flapping them lightly, she stooped down a little and then, effortlessly, leapt the fence in a single bound. She landed softly on the other side, her feet making only the slightest sound as she landed on the grass.

But that slight sound was enough to rouse the dogs. With grunts at having been roused, all four of them looked up in her direction as one. Then they began to growl, softly, but with enough menace to make their intention known.

The stranger wasn’t bothered by them in the least. She merely looked back at them, raised a hand and waved slightly to them.

The dogs, in the process of getting up to rush her, saw this gesture and hesitated uncertainly. They took in her appearance, now better illuminated by the moonlight since she was out of the shadows…and all of them yawned, wagged their tails a little, and then settled back down to sleep, as though reassured.

Nodding, the figure flapped her bats’-wings once and went skyward. Noiselessly, she flew in the direction of the two upstairs-lights. One of these lights would be the one that illuminated the couple’s bedroom, that she knew. The other would be the one that lit up the adjoining bathroom. And she was close now to the window of the latter room.

Pausing at this window, she looked in, careful not to allow more than her eye to be seen through the window lest the wife might be in there and see her. But there was no need to hide, she soon saw: true to her speculation, the wife was in the bathroom shower, her back to the bathroom window. She was currently lathering her hair with a soapy substance…what was it called again?

Ah, yes. Shampoo. That was what her partner had told her it was, when showing her the ways of the human world, way back when.

She studied the wife for a little bit. The shower was lined by glass walls and a glass door, but at the moment it was not fogged up; likely because the wife was using cold, not hot, water. This afforded the stranger an interesting, voyeuristic view. Contrary to the often-perverted descriptions of women she’d had to bear from her partner in his less-than-mature moments, this one was actually fairly average. Her chest was only slightly average in size; her hips were well-defined and feminine; and…there was a slight bulge around her stomach.

Ah, yes. The stranger could see what would have attracted her partner to this woman, at least physically. But given his general personality, of which she herself was well aware from their interactions together, this wife of his had more than an average, acceptable body. She had a personality. A good one. A kind one. A loving one. Stern sometimes, yes, but fair.

So it would have been no surprise that those two would be husband and wife, she mused. And that they would have gotten intimate, beyond intimate.

Speaking of which…it had been four, going on five months since they’d actually done that, hadn’t it? By her recall, at least. That would account for the bulge around the woman’s belly at this time.

But then again, it wasn’t as if the stranger was unaware of all this. She’d seen it all through her partner’s eyes. This woman was certainly a good one to be his wife…to be the one who made him happy.

She looked up at the full moon and smirked a little. A night like this didn’t happen very often, only once a year in fact. For it to happen on a full-moon night was rarer. But she was glad it did. She’d heard that the moon had a way of affecting humans who were in certain physical states. Perhaps she could test that out. Maybe.

Floating away from the bathroom window, she headed to the adjoining bedroom and looked in. The window was open. This made her intentions even easier to fulfill. Cautiously, so as not to alert the still-bathing woman in the next room to her presence, she slipped in through the window and looked around. Again, she’d seen it many times through her partner’s eyes, but…to be here, in her own form, was new for her. She’d never had cause before to come in this place in times like this, when she could be free to do as she liked for this one night of the year.

She did now.

She observed the closet, off to the side, a few feet away from the bed. The closet was open. In full view, right there on the inside, was a white robe. Crossing over to the closet, she put her hand forward and felt the fabric curiously. Cotton. Soft. Smooth. Easy on a woman’s skin. No doubt, placed here for her partner’s wife to wear once she was done bathing in the shower.

The figure smirked. This would certainly be fun.

-----

Alexis emerged from the bathroom, a small towel wrapped around her head to contain her still-drying hair and a larger one wrapped around her body to conceal her nakedness. “Whew…that was a pleasant bath,” she sighed contentedly. “Now, where did I put that robe of mine…”

Crossing over to the open closet, she began to rummage through it for the robe she was trying to find. “Nope…nope…nope…dammit, where’d I put it again?” she growled, frustration clear in her voice as her searching became more impatient. “I could’ve sworn I had it here…I know I put it on THIS side of the closet so I’d have it handy…”

“Looking for this?”

Starting at the sound of the voice, Alexis spun around. “Who…!”

In reply, there came a soft chuckle of amusement. “My, humans are so easy to scare, it seems. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten about me already.” Then, in one corner and seemingly out of thin air, there emerged a being with long, spiky hair done in white on one side and dark blue on the other, large black wings on her back, claws on her fingers and toes, and a large third vertical eye in the middle of her face. In one hand she held the missing robe.

Alexis recognized the figure instantly. “You’re…Yubel!”

“So, you do remember me, then,” Yubel remarked. “Good…then this won’t take a lot of time.”

“What are you doing here? And…how is it that you’re even here, anyway?” Alexis demanded. “I thought Jaden fused you with his own soul, or something like that…?”

“He did,” Yubel nodded. “However, I AM a Duel Spirit…and there is one day out of every year, in this dimension, when Duel Spirits can gain physical flesh and interact with humans. And that day happens to be today.”

“Oh, yeah…I’d almost forgotten about that,” Alexis said sheepishly. “Who’d have thought it was today…” Then a thought struck her. “But that still doesn’t tell me why you’re HERE.”

“Impatient, now aren’t we?” Yubel cocked an eyebrow. “Very well, then, let me get straight to the point, if you so wish. Listen carefully…I won’t repeat myself.”

“Uh-huh…” Alexis looked at her expectantly.

“You have been married to Jaden a year now, yes? And he has told you about his past heritage?” Yubel asked.

Alexis nodded. “He’s the reincarnation of a prince from many years ago, who was destined to defeat the Light of Destruction…and in order to help that prince, you allowed yourself to be transformed into a Duel Spirit. From that time, you and that prince have been long connected…and that connection continues today between you and Jaden, since he is the only hope of defeating the Light of Destruction once and for all.” She sighed. “At least, that’s what he told me…but wasn’t the Light of Destruction taken care of when he defeated Sartorious, back when we were at Duel Academy?”

“Would that that were the case,” Yubel sighed. “However, what Jaden exorcised from Sartorius in that confrontation was only a fragment of the Light of Destruction. It still exists out there…waiting for its time when it will wreak havoc on all reality. With the passing time, it has grown ever stronger…and the more negative emotion that radiates from all reality, through emotions such as anger, hatred, sorrow, and such, the stronger the Light of Destruction becomes. Eventually, even with the inherited power of Haou the Supreme King running through his veins, Jaden will have a difficult battle against that malevolent power. Chances are, he may even lose that battle…and then everything will be lost.”

“So…if that’s the case, what’re we supposed to do, then?” Alexis asked gravely.

“That’s why I have come here to you, tonight,” Yubel said softly, turning to look at Alexis. “I have a plan, one that may very well aid Jaden in that battle when the time comes. However, I cannot implement it without your help…as it depends rather heavily on the child you are carrying.”

Alexis blinked. “My…baby…?” she asked, unconsciously putting a protective hand over her inflated abdomen.

“Answer me this. You are five months along by now, yes?” Yubel asked pointedly.

“Uh…yes…why?” Alexis asked guardedly.

Yubel nodded. “Your concern for your child is understandable, but hear me out,” she said. “The power of Haou the Supreme King was given specifically to his reincarnation, Jaden…however, since Jaden was a reincarnation of Haou and not his descendant, the power will not be passed on to any offspring he has. Thus, he alone bears the power of that ancient king, which is needed to defeat the Light of Destruction…but as I said before, even with that power flowing through him and even with my added assistance, that may not be enough to fend off the Light of Destruction. So, my plan is this: find a way to somehow double my power, a way that will neither endanger Jaden or any of his loved ones, nor put the world at risk inadvertently. And…that is where your child comes in.”

“And what exactly are you going to do to my baby?” asked Alexis.

“Simply put, I intend to infuse a portion of my power into the child, while it is still in the womb,” said Yubel. “No need to fret—it will only be a tiny fraction, since this is a fetus we’re speaking of…but, as the child grows to maturity and comes of age, that power will grow as well, until it reaches a level on par with, or close enough to my own power or the power of Haou the Supreme King. And since that power will grow naturally within the child, it will be all the more powerful. That power within the child will be dormant until such a time as it shall be awakened…but when it is awakened, it will protect and nurture the child, and the child will learn to harness that power…as a force for the darkness of the universe’s justice, to combat the Light of Destruction. And…at this stage in your pregnancy, this is the best possible time for me to share my power. Truly, it must be fate that this moment falls on the same day when we Duel Spirits can gain corporeal form.”

As she spoke, Yubel reached a hand out and gently placed her palm against Alexis’s abdomen. “Uh…is that how you intend to transfer your power?” Alexis asked warily. “Because from what I remember, your power corroded whosoever you gave it to…I mean, granted, you were under the Light of Destruction’s influence back then, but still…”

“Again, maternal instinct speaks.” Yubel chuckled. “Yes, I am mindful of that also…but the method I have in mind is quite different, one which I have never before used to share my power with anyone. And since I have never used this method previously, I feel that it will be safe for your child.”

“And this method is…?” Alexis cocked an eyebrow.

Yubel smirked. “This method will require that you and I…copulate.”

“Copu…?” Astonishment emerged on Alexis’s face as the term’s meaning sank in. “Uh…that’s a bit…freaky and…unexpected…and how exactly do you intend to…well, you know, do THAT…without, um…”

“You’ll soon see.” Yubel nodded. “However…right now whether I do or don’t, depends on your answer. Will you allow this? Will you allow me to grant my power to your child?” She looked intently at Alexis. “You do not need to feel as though you have no choice here. If you do not wish to put your child through this, I can always try to find another way to prepare for this inevitable confrontation with the Light of Destruction. So…what will you do?”

Alexis seemed indecisive for a moment. She looked at Yubel, then down at her abdomen where, deep within her womb, the new life she was carrying continued to grow and mature. Again, she put a protective hand over her belly, and swallowed.

Then, as Yubel watched, Alexis reached for the corner of her towel and undid it, allowing it to fall to her feet.

Yubel smiled. “That is your decision…thank you.” And then she took a step forward, reaching out with one hand and caressing Alexis’s cheek. “Now, then, let us…play…for a while.”

Then something happened—something that Alexis would never forget, that would always remain in her mind’s eye, that would haunt her and taunt her in her dreams. A slight throbbing of Yubel’s most private region caught her eye—and then, as she watched in ever-growing astonishment, something seemed to…grow…from somewhere below and inside Yubel’s nether-regions, resembling a plant-stalk that was only just beginning to grow toward the light. It had Yubel’s own mixed skin-tone—consisting of gray plant vines roped together into a coherent shape, with a dark-blue mushroom bulb adorning the tip of the stalk. Alexis’s eyes widened in utter shock when she saw it. She looked up at Yubel, then down at the plant-like stalk, then at Yubel again. “You’re…insane…” she managed to speak.

“You agreed to it. Deal with it.” Yubel smirked and put her hands on Alexis’s shoulders, pushing the human backwards toward the bed.

As the back of Alexis’s thighs hit the edge of the bed, she lost her balance, yelped, and fell backwards, flat onto the mattress. Before she could think to remove herself from that spot, Yubel was hovering over her. Grabbing both of Alexis’s wrists with one hand in two swift movements, she pinned them above Alexis’s head. “Ow! Hey!” Alexis protested. “I agreed to this, didn’t I? What’s the idea?”

Yubel’s smirk became a real, gentle smile. “I know you agreed to it. But you still have the capability to back out. And…” Her grip on Alexis’s wrists loosened a little. “It’s not too late to back out now, if you so wish. You may have made your decision in rash haste…it wouldn’t be unlike you.”

Alexis narrowed her eyes and scowled. “Seeing as you’ve been fused with Jaden, I would’ve thought you’d have seen enough of me to know how I am.”

“Feisty…strong-willed…determined…” With her free hand, Yubel cupped Alexis’s cheek. “But also meek…tender…given to emotion…and not one to let anyone just have their way with you.”

“True.” Alexis nodded once. “But once I’ve made up my mind about something, I don’t change it easily.” She now glared daggers at Yubel. “Of course…I haven’t forgotten how you manipulated my husband, those years ago, back at Duel Academy. You sought to cause him pain…and, directly or indirectly, you caused a lot of hurt and pain to people he knew and loved…including yours truly.”

Yubel looked searchingly at her. “And you still haven’t forgiven me for that, nor do you trust me, deep down inside your heart.”

Alexis sighed. “Logic always interferes. Yes, you were yourself manipulated by the Light of Destruction…yes, you came on to our side after you fused together with Jaden. Doesn’t change what you did, though, whether it was really you who was responsible or not. And even now, for all I know, you could be lying to me about your motives…just seeking to hurt Jaden in a different way. I am his wife now, after all…the one who takes your place in his heart.” Again the glare focused on Yubel’s face.

“I can’t argue with that.” Yubel narrowed two of her eyes, while the third in the middle of her forehead twitched slightly. Her grip on Alexis’s restrained hands tightened again, more than before, causing the human to flinch a little. “But then, if your distrust and resentment toward me still linger, why did you agree to my offer?”

Again Alexis narrowed her eyes. “Nursing a personal grudge…against taking a chance to help my husband save the world…it’s a no-brainer. Besides…like it or not, you and he are together now, maybe not physically like he and I, but in a way I may never truly understand. He trusts you. And I trust him. That’s good enough for me.”

“Hm. A fair answer.” Yubel removed her free hand from Alexis’s cheek and brought it down between them, resting her palm on the human woman’s stomach. “Well, well, well. Your little one is quite active…it can hear everything that’s going on out here…it can sense what you are feeling.”

Alexis looked indignant. “It?”

Yubel smirked. “Well, you wouldn’t exactly want me to spoil your child’s gender before the time comes, would you?”

“…I guess not,” Alexis admitted reluctantly.

“Good.” Yubel’s smirk disappeared. “All right…I warn you…this may very likely hurt.”

“Anything to do with you involves pain in some way, from what I remember,” Alexis said huffily.

“From what you remember,” Yubel replied. “Well…” Again the smirk came on her lips. “I said we would play…and now we shall play. I’m going to play with you, dear human…as a child would play with a doll…only in this case, the doll will be aware of all that happens. And…the pain you’ll experience from this…I doubt you’ll be able to handle it.” Her smirk became a little more devilish. “Now…”

Automatically Alexis’s eyes shifted from Yubel’s face to further down, much further down, between their bodies. She tensed and held her breath as Yubel’s free hand parted her thighs and nestled in between them, and as Yubel’s mysteriously-grown plant stalk prepared to be planted into the fertile soil that was Alexis…

Then Yubel made one swift movement.

-----

Out in the yard, the dogs lifted their heads, their ears lifted up and keenly listening, as a sharp cry shot out from inside the house. They recognized the cry as that of their mistress. They looked up toward the source of the noise, the room where their master and mistress always slept, and listened intently. For a moment there was silence; then, to their ears there came several muffled grunts and groans, in quick succession.

The dogs looked up curiously at the bedroom window, then at each other. From what they could tell, there was no noise of struggle to accompany the grunts and groans; such sounds would have indicated that their mistress was in danger. But there was no danger present, not to their senses anyway. Even the strange visitor that had come over the fence a short while earlier, they had recognized the scent she carried—the scent of their master. It was puzzling to them, as they knew well enough that their master was not here. All the same, they recognized the noises currently coming from the bedroom—they’d heard similar sounds before, several months earlier, when both their master and mistress were home together. Perhaps the same source of the sounds then was responsible for the sounds now.

Settling down again, the dogs licked their chops and yawned, but nonetheless, every so often their ears would prick up at the slightest sounds from the bedroom, though now they were not alarmed. Their mistress was fine.

-----

The plant was buried deeply into the soft, warm soil, then almost completely uprooted, then buried deeply once more, again and again. With every movement, the soil was plowed, without gentleness. Yet the plant did not take root, but was repeatedly yanked from the soil, only to plow into it once more.

As she worked on plowing the soil, Yubel looked at Alexis’s face and smirked. Alexis was biting her lower lip, making every human effort to stifle herself. Her eyes were boring into Yubel’s, still with the same glare of earlier. Her hands, still restrained by Yubel’s single stronger hand, twitched as her fingers flexed back and forth. But her true feelings were betrayed in other ways: the blush that featured on her skin; the soft openness of her womanhood; her legs clenching Yubel’s waist in a tight hold that refused to let go.

Yubel’s hand, the one not holding Alexis’s wrists, was still free; this one she placed on Alexis’s stomach. She smiled at what she felt. “Want to know what your little one is thinking?” she asked.

Alexis was loath to open her mouth, lest she betray herself; even so, she was curious. She simply nodded.

“Well…” Yubel paused in her soil-tilling. “Your child is VERY active…it hears the cries you stifle…it wonders what’s going on…why its inner sanctum is being disturbed like this. Well…” Her eyes narrowed a little. “Before long, your child and I will get better acquainted than…this. But for now, this will have to do.”

“…please…”

“Hmm?” Yubel looked directly into Alexis’s face. “‘Please,’ what?” She plunged the plant into the hole in the soil of Alexis again.

“Unngh…” Alexis couldn’t help it; the grunt slipped out of her firmly-pursed lips. “Don’t torture me like this…” Her eyes blazed as she glared at Yubel again. “Sadism is in your nature, isn’t it? Even before the Light of Destruction…”

Yubel gave a playful smirk. “Maybe.”

Alexis’s glare didn’t relent…but now the blush was prominent on her face. Her voice was stronger, though, when she spoke again. “I look at you…doing this to me…and one word comes to my mind to describe you.”

In response, Yubel leaned her upper body down so that her face was only a few inches above Alexis’s. “And what word is that?” she whispered. “Tell me.”

Alexis spat the word out with all the vile emotion she could conjure. “Bitch.”

“Heh.” Yubel seemed amused. “Well, while you think of more foul names to call me…I’ll take my time playing with you a little longer.” Then, as she sent her plant crashing into Alexis’s earth once again, she lowered her head and captured Alexis’s mouth in a hard, brutal kiss.

Alexis’s eyes widened in shock as she felt the intruding tongue swiftly and roughly explore her oral cavern. Jaden’s kiss hadn’t been like this at all—his had been gentler, more exploring, more patient. But then again, since Jaden and Yubel were one, most of the time anyway, she figured that one would have picked up something from the other. The night when she’d given herself to Jaden for the first time to consummate their marriage, even though it had been his first time, he’d displayed a certain boldness and knowledge that she knew didn’t come from a merely perverted nature. Likewise, now, Yubel’s roughness with her was tempered by care for her well-being. Perhaps that care was centered more toward her unborn child than herself, but her well-being was being taken into consideration all the same. Yubel certainly wasn’t doing anything to her now that would deliberately endanger the precious life growing within her womb…

Suddenly her eyes widened some more as she felt the tip of Yubel’s plant bury itself even deeper, touching something inside her—something that she knew had to be the entrance to her child’s temporary domain. She let out a scream into Yubel’s mouth, but had to fight to resist the urge to bite down, lest she accidentally bite her own tongue. She tried to move her arms again, but her hands were still being held strong above her head by Yubel’s grip. Only her legs, unrestrained, could move freely; she kicked her heels into the back of Yubel’s legs, though she couldn’t kick hard enough in her current raptured condition. Again the stalk withdrew, then invaded her once more, its tip touching her womb’s entrance; the sharp pain shot through her again. At the same time, Yubel’s tongue seemed to stop just short of going down Alexis’s throat, instead clashing against Alexis’s own tongue in an aggressive duel. Yubel bit down with only the slightest pressure on Alexis’s bottom lip; Alexis responded in kind, capturing Yubel’s top lip in between her teeth and applying only the slightest pressure, resisting the urge to apply more and break the skin. Again, and again, and yet again, her womb’s entrance was hit hard, and the growing pain of it threatened to overwhelm her.

Presently Yubel broke the kiss and looked down at Alexis. “Has your opinion of me changed?” she asked huskily.

Alexis was breathing heavily, trying to catch her breath after the deep kiss and enduring the pain of Yubel’s lower action. She managed to shoot a searing look at the Duel Monster spirit. “No.”

“Am I still a bitch to you?” Yubel pursued.

“Yes.” Alexis’s response was unwavering.

Yubel grinned. “Good.” She lowered her face a little, so her three eyes were looking right into Alexis’s two. “I told you that you’d experience pain, didn’t I?” she continued. “Pain so delicious, so bittersweet…you’ll want it to end, yet you’ll want it to continue…you won’t know which one you really want.” Her enduring grip on Alexis’s wrists tightened a little more. “Jaden may have plucked the fruit from your tree long ago…but now that I’m here in my own form, on this night, I’ll ravage the tree itself, right down to the root.” Her forehead-eye narrowed a little. “And I want to hear the tree scream, like the cursed mandrakes of old. Only difference is, unlike the mandrakes, this tree’s screams won’t drive anyone insane…except, perhaps, the tree itself.” She licked her lips. “And the tree can scream as loudly and as long as it will…there’s nobody else close by who’ll hear.”

The sharp pain that had been deep in Alexis’s belly was now a dull ache; even so, its endurance broke her own. Now tears formed in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. “You sick slut…thriving on pain like this…” she whispered.

Yubel regarded her for a long moment. Then she placed her free hand on Alexis’s belly again. “You needn’t worry…your child is quite fine, though very bewildered,” she reported. “The pains you feel from my actions are but for a moment, yes?”

Alexis nodded.

“Exactly. And even in the midst of this, I have not forgotten my original reason for doing this. Causing your child to suffer to the point of death would be against my objective.” Yubel lifted her hand and, with the flat of her thumb, wiped Alexis’s tears aside. Then she leaned down and gently kissed the human’s cheeks, first one, then the other. “Besides…Jaden would never forgive me for causing his child’s death, anyway.”

“And he’d forgive you for defiling his wife?” Alexis managed to spit out.

“His wife chose that defilement.” Yubel cocked an eyebrow. “Didn’t she?”

Alexis swallowed at the reminder. Slowly, she nodded.

“And does his wife now want it to stop?” Yubel asked, a look of real honesty on her face as she asked the question.

In response, Alexis shook her head. “It hurts…but…it hurts too good…” she whispered. “You’ve already started it…you may as well finish.”

Yubel nodded. “I thought you would say that.” She lowered her face again, so her lips were only half an inch above Alexis’s. “Scream.”

-----

On the house’s eastern side, a stag was peacefully cropping grass from the base of a tree. He leaned down to take another bite—but then he lifted his head and looked up in the direction of the house suspiciously. He had heard a loud cry coming from the human dwelling. He’d eaten close to the place numerous times, but had never heard such a tortured sound. And yet, the cry didn’t sound like that of a being in pain. In his animal mind, he wondered what it meant, if it was a sound peculiar to the humans that lived up there.

In a nearby tree, an owl cocked her head in the direction of the house as well. She, too, had heard the screams coming from the house. Ah—there it was again. And again. The scream was repeating itself, over and over, almost in a rhythmic fashion. And now…intermingled with the screams were some queer sobs and groans, loud enough to carry this far into the forest.

The owl glanced down briefly at the stag, who in turn looked up at the nocturnal bird. Then, as one, they looked back toward the human dwelling, even as the loud shrieks continued from thence.

-----

How long this bizarre fixture of Yubel’s had been drilling into her, Alexis had no idea. Not that she really cared about watching the time, anyway—her mind was all over the place, though mainly focusing on the luscious anguish Yubel was subjecting her to. Another deep penetration that lightly grazed her womb’s opening caused her to emit an earsplitting howl. Another dig—another scream. Her body was shining from the perspiration of her effort; her inner soil was desperately grasping at the plant that kept avoiding being fully rooted.

Her toes curled tightly as another mix of sharp pain laced with shameful pleasure rippled through her body. “Ooohh…” she moaned. “Use me…use me!”

For her own part, Yubel was beginning to feel the effects of what was to come. The effect coursed through her; she could barely keep her composure now, as her breathing was becoming deeper by the second. Nonetheless, she smirked at Alexis’s plea. “I wonder what others would say if they knew you used such language,” she whispered.

Alexis leveled another glare at her—though this one wasn’t quite as effective, the anger being mixed now with desperation. “Please…” she choked out.

Yubel nodded. “As you like.” Then, for the first time, she released Alexis’s now-swollen wrists—and suddenly stood up so her feet were firmly planted on the bed; she then grabbed Alexis’s ankles and forcefully yanked Alexis into a position where only the back of her head and shoulders were against the mattress, with her knees bent back toward her head and her feet pointing skyward. Yubel then held her hard and proceeded to ravage her again.

“Aaaahhhh!” Alexis cried out as her now-tender womanly earth was assaulted once again. But it was different now, her rational mind informed her—the plant seemed to be growing, swelling, as though it was going to spout roots or vines from its stem. The thought quickened her breath. She wanted for the seed to be planted in her soil; in the soil where another seed had been planted months before. Should the new seed and the growing life borne of the first seed be merged, as Yubel had said, then…

Harder and deeper the plow struck into the soil. Its tip hit again and again at the entrance to Alexis’s sacred inner cavern—and then, on the final plowing push, the tip hit the entrance hard and stuck there.

Alexis’s eyes bulged as the sharp pain of this last push coursed through her body. Her ears picked out a loud wail; a strangled scream; but they failed to recognize that that shriek was coming from her own throat, her own mouth. And in the midst of that lengthy bawling, her ears picked up grunts coming from Yubel even as the Duel Monster spirit emptied all her lust into the human woman’s body, as deeply as it would go.

-----

Alexis’s screaming went even further. The dogs outside lifted their heads again and looked in wonder toward the bedroom where their mistress was. The forest animals looked toward the human dwelling where the strange noises were coming from, and wondered what was going on. And, it seemed, even the rest of Nature had heard Alexis’s cry—the nearby sea crashed against the beach, the wind sang through the forest’s tree branches, and even the full moon, already shining brightly, seemed to glow even brighter than ever.

-----

For a moment, neither woman moved; Alexis because she couldn’t anyway, Yubel because she wanted to prolong the moment of her plan’s conclusion. Then, ever so slowly, Yubel eased her plant-appendage out of Alexis’s soil; the soil clung desperately to the plant, so the removal was difficult, but eventually it was done. Yubel released her hold on Alexis’s lower body; Alexis, exhausted, could do little more than drop down hard onto the bed. The pain she’d experienced was subsiding now, leaving only the afterglow behind. “Oh…my god…” she managed to whisper.

Yubel’s plant stalk slowly withdrew itself from sight, sinking back into her own depths from which it had come. She took a deep breath, a pleased look on her face, and then sank down in a sitting position on the bed, next to Alexis. She placed a hand on the pregnant woman’s stomach for a moment, then grinned. Alexis noticed it. “What…?” she asked quietly, breathing heavily as she asked.

“Your child…it’s playing with its new visitors.” Yubel sighed. “I can certainly understand now why Jaden would never cheat on you.”

Alexis eyed her. “And…what happened just now…” She paused uncertainly. “Should I consider it cheating on Jaden…? I mean…you and he are fused together, yet…he’s my husband…”

“Think of it however you like.” Yubel regarded Alexis. “Will you tell him?”

“It’s my responsibility. Besides…even if I didn’t, I suspect you would anyway.” Alexis shook her head. “I’d rather he heard it from me, though. I’m his wife.”

Yubel nodded. “Fair enough.”

Suddenly, before Alexis’s eyes, the Duel Monster spirit began to fade. “Yubel!” Alexis exclaimed, reaching out for her.

“Do not worry,” Yubel said soothingly. “The hours of this day are almost up…my time to have corporeal form for this year will soon expire.” She smirked. “But at least I was able to enjoy the time while it lasted, tonight. Well…” Her body disappeared from sight altogether. “We’ll meet again, bride of Jaden…and if you so desire, we just may do this again next year.”

And then Yubel was gone.

Alexis blushed at the Duel Monster spirit’s offer. Then her eyes caught the bedside clock, which until now she hadn’t even noticed. Her eyes widened when she saw the time.

It was 11:55 p.m.

“11:55…?” Alexis asked in bewilderment. “But…” She began to recount the time in her head. “Wait a minute…I went into the shower at 8:30…spent about twenty minutes in there, and then came out…” Realization crept across her face. “Does that mean we were…for…?”

“Million-volt” would not be enough to describe the blush that came over her face just then.

-----

The dogs, still lying down, wagged their tails back and forth as they watched the bedroom upstairs. Then, very briefly, they saw their mistress appear at the window, and she closed it shut. Watching the window, they saw the light go out. Satisfied that their mistress was all right, and that her yowling had finally stopped, they settled back down on the ground and relaxed again.

END

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Neomage: Well…I managed to write all this in a single day. What a record. Whew!

Just to let my loyal readers know: A couple of weeks ago, my hard drive crashed, and all my data—including my fan-fics—were wiped out. As well, my archive of all the English-version Yu-Gi-Oh card images got wiped out. Fortunately, I’d backed up my information to DVDs, at least up to a month or so before the crash. Unfortunately, I have to be rebuilding, very slowly, and the computer I have at home at present is very slow and doesn’t store as much information as my own computer did. But I have to make the best of what I’ve got.

So, you have an idea of how Janus, my main character in “Eternal,” got his strange abilities. I’ll soon update that story in due time, so no need to worry, readers!

Reviews are the life-blood of an author! As always, review soon, please!