Empire of Shadows - Elementianhero22 (2024)

Chapter 1: Emergency!

Chapter Text

-Months after the events of 'Christmas of Memories'-

"Hurry up, Mokuba! We gotta go!" Seto stage-whispered in a panic. "Pack only the essentials. We have to get outta here, now!"

"Mmnh?" Mokuba groaned, waking up from a good dream. "Nii-sama? What are you doing? It's the middle of the night!" The raven-haired teen rubbed his eyes and yawned hugely, watching his brother in confusion as the latter raced about the room- gathering and throwing random items into a huge suitcase. Somehow all the objects were landing neatly in the baggage tool, but then Mokuba remembered that Seto had magic of his own now.

"No time to explain, kiddo. Just get up and pack the first essentials you find." Seto hissed in a kind but strained tone. Mokuba realized with a jolt that his brother was scared. Why is Seto afraid? He's never been scared of anything! As he thought to himself, the boy grabbed all of his jeans from the closet and yanked them off their hangers. If Seto was in this much of a panic, they had to hurry, and- from the sound of things- they were going to be on the run. As such, they would need durable clothes. Next he packed all of his t-shirts and underwear, not knowing how long they'd be gone. As he stuffed all of this into his smaller suitcase, he was shocked that it all seemed to fit neatly. Then he realized. Seto must be helping me fit it all in. For someone who's never believed in magic before, he's really good at it! Next, he crammed in his long-sleeved shirts, not knowing what the weather would be like. He raced to the bathroom, then snatched his toothbrush, toothpaste, brush and bathroom kit from the drawer and shoved it in the front pocket of the bag.

Doubting that his brother would think this last item to be 'essential', Mokuba secretly stuffed their dueling decks into his vest pockets. Who knew if they might need them? When he was ready, he nodded to Seto, then the two brothers raced out of the house. Looking at his brother, Mokuba wondered why Seto had donned his armor, but then he shook his head. He's just taking extra precautions to protect us both. As they raced around the corner of the block, Seto sensed that they had walked right into a trap.

"Leaving so soon, boys?" A familiar voice drawled. Seto wordlessly took his brother's hand and transformed his cape into wings to escape, but before he could- both he and Mokuba were grabbed from behind. Two rather large thugs had snuck up behind them- surprising, considering Seto's enhanced senses. Their supposed leader stayed in the shadows of the dark alley, so that not even Seto could see his captor's face. The only thing that he could tell about the assailants was that they were all robed in black and had gruesome masks on their faces. Seto struggled against his captor's hold, but even with his strength- the strength of a dragon- his attempts were futile. Beside him, Mokuba was struggling as well. Seto was rather impressed with his skill. Had they been restrained by normal humans, Mokuba's captor would be out cold by now. However, this was clearly not the case. It's no use, kiddo. Seto thought at his brother gently. If I can't get free by myself, you certainly can't. Save your strength.

Mokuba nodded silently, glaring at his unseen captor and wary of what he might do next. "I suppose you're wondering how my subordinates got so strong. Strong enough to restrain a 'Blue-Eyes'." Seto snarled at the man's clearly mocking tone. "Ooh, scary." The man laughed sarcastically, not frightened in the least. "I wonder: can the 'dragon knight' still be hurt by weapons made by mere mortals?" The leader asked, pulling a gun out of his robes. Mokuba gasped in horror, but Seto didn't even blink. No need to give this idiot any ideas about the one thing that could hurt him now. Mokuba. The kid had always been his weakness, but also his greatest strength. That would never change, no matter how powerful he himself became.

His captor seemed not to notice Mokuba's gasp, so focused was he on the elder Kaiba. "What's this? Not even a twitch? You're just the same overconfident egomaniac that you were when I first met you, in that duel that ruined my life." The man spat through his mask onto the ground at Seto’s feet, and Seto had to try hard to resist rolling his eyes. If only he knew- how wrong he is, how much I've changed.

The mysterious masked man walked right up to the CEO and put the barrel of the gun to Seto's left temple. Although he knew that the bullet wouldn't kill him, Seto was still cautious about what would happen should the man pull the trigger. It won't even break the skin. Seto thought resolutely. But it'll probably still hurt. Will it knock me out? Or will I just get a concussion and a killer headache?

The man must have come to a decision of his own, because the hammer suddenly clicked back and Seto heard the trigger hit the handle of the gun. A millisecond later, he heard the shot and felt the bullet hit his temple. Another half-second passed, and the dragon warrior collapsed to the ground. Just before losing consciousness, he heard Mokuba scream, "Seto! No!" Those monsters better not hurt him, or I'll make them wish they were never born! was Seto’s last thought before the darkness claimed him.

Mokuba struggled all the harder in his captor's hold when Seto collapsed. "You monsters! What’ve you done to him?!" He cried, shouting at the mysterious masked leader. Wordlessly, the man walked up to the captive teen and struck him across the face with the back of his hand, snarling, "Shut up, you stupid brat! Your precious brother is fine. Unfortunately. That shot just knocked him out. You, on the other hand-" The man chuckled evilly. "Let's just say I have a special fate in mind for you. With Kaiba out of the picture, there will be no one left who can stop me!"

Mokuba stopped struggling when he heard this, knowing that it was pointless anyway. What's this maniac planning? It better not be another 'take-over-the-world' scheme. We've had enough of those to last five lifetimes. Then he started. "What d’you mean, 'with Seto out of the picture'? What’re you gonna do to him?" The boy cried, fearing for his brother's life.

The villain laughed maliciously, and Mokuba could see excitement gleaming in his eyes behind the mask. "That's for me to know and for you to guess at." He chuckled, continuing, "And before you ask- no, this isn't a 'take-over-the-world' scheme." Not this world, anyway- He thought to himself. "This is mostly about revenge, but it doesn't concern you. All I need from you is information." He poked Mokuba's nose when he said 'you', almost in an endearing fashion. "Now, where is Marik's Millennium Rod?"

Mokuba gasped silently to himself. Why would he need- How'd he know about the Rod? Another silent gasp. Could this man be one of Malik's 'mind-slaves' from Battle City? That rules out Strings, he was a mime. So is it that one guy, 'Seeker'? Or Bandit Keith? Probably the latter- Out loud he said, "Why do you need it?" an expressionless mask on his face, just like Seto had taught him.

"None of your business, brat!" Keith hissed, striking Mokuba across the face again. "Just answer the question!" The card shark started pacing back and forth in the narrow alleyway, seeming agitated and distracted for some reason. "Look, kid, I don't have a lotta time. The police are bound to come snooping around here after that gunshot. Now tell me where that stupid ancient stick is, or I'll send you to a place not even the great Seto Kaiba can save you from!" He pulled out the handgun again and pointed it at Mokuba, who flinched a little at the sight of the weapon. Even though he knew his life was in danger, Mokuba decided to play dumb. "You mean that gold ax-thing with the eye? I think it fell into a bottomless pit with the other Items. Sorry."

Keith laughed humorlessly. "Nice try, kid." He opened his robe, and the Millennium Ring gleamed in front of his chest. Ryou! Mokuba thought in horror. No! "I've got the other five Items too. All I need- is your brother's Rod." Keith whispered menacingly. "What’ve you done to my friends, you fiend?!" cried Mokuba, fearing the worst. "Those idiots? Well that information's classified, so no comment. But don't worry. If you don't cooperate, you'll see them very soon." Keith chuckled. "Oh, and I 'took care' of the other 'Bearers' too, so no hoping for a miraculous last-minute rescue, twerp." He added with a grin.

"No-" whispered the boy, not wanting to believe what he was hearing. "No! You- you monster! They never did anything to you!" He cried, tears breaking through his emotionless mask.

"Wrong! Remember Wheeler? He humiliated me not once, but twice in Duelist Kingdom! And Yugi- he nearly burned me alive in a warehouse just before Battle City! I'll never forgive him for that!"

I seem to remember it being the other way around- Mokuba disagreed, but he kept that observation to himself. He didn't want to push the duelist's sanity any farther over the edge than it already was.

There's no hope- Mokuba realized sadly. No way out. Seto's unconscious, and the others- all my friends, my family- gone. Maybe dead. With a sigh of defeat, Mokuba admitted, "It's at the mansion. We left it behind."

"Heh. There's a good boy. Now was that so hard?" Keith snickered, patting Mokuba's head patronizingly. "Y’know, that was a pretty stupid move, leaving it there. Anyone could get it then." He mused, enjoying the teen's obvious hatred for him. Then without warning, he hit his captive hard over the head with the handle of the gun. He smirked as he fastened a single manacle-like device to the motionless teen's ankle, locked it in place with a small key and pressed a light green stone on the outer edge. Immediately the stone began to glow and a strange seal appeared on the boy's forehead- his blank, gray-blue eyes dilating until almost none of the iris could be seen. "Throw him through to my new kingdom with his brother." He instructed his two henchmen, walking deeper into the alley. "There's a new 'Thief King' in town-" He laughed as he and his cohorts disappeared into the night, "-and his name is 'Bandit' Keith Howard!"

-Hours later-

Unnh. My head hurts- Seto groaned mentally when he regained consciousness. Understandable, given what happened. Wait a minute! Where's Mokuba? The young man looked around frantically, but could not find his little brother anywhere. What he did find was that he was imprisoned in some type of dungeon, and that he was sitting on a cold metal slab chained to the wall- obviously meant to be his bed. His left ankle was chained to the wall under his bed, and his armor had been removed and confiscated by his captors. At least, that's what he'd assumed.

Oh great. I'm back at Duelist Kingdom, locked in the dungeons again- He guessed, surveying what he could of his surroundings. Which wasn't much, considering what little light there was. Suddenly he heard footsteps and looked up to see a vaguely familiar face leering at him from between the bars. "So, you've decided to join us. How are you feeling?" The man asked his captive with a sneer. Seto had to admit that the man was rather good-looking- in a Hollywood kind of way- but he couldn't remember where he'd seen him before. Maybe in a movie? Seto shook his head to clear his thoughts. It wasn't important right now. Unbidden, a memory from his childhood came to mind- a memory of one of the painful lessons Gozaburo had literally pounded into him.

-Flashback-

"If you're ever taken captive by an adversary, not likely-" His stepfather snarled at him after a particularly brutal punishment for trying to see Mokuba. "Don't give them an inch, no matter what. You are a Kaiba now, boy, and we bow to no one."

-End Flashback-

Seto glared at the man, whose false concern quickly melted into anger. "A lowly prisoner should show respect to his masters. It seems I'm going to have to teach you some manners!" The man spat, his voice gradually rising to a shout at the end. He gripped something around his neck with his left hand, and upon studying it closer, Seto realized with a jolt that he was holding the Millennium Key. Wheeler! Seto thought in horror. The man didn't give him time to think more about this, snapping his fingers on his right hand. Suddenly Seto felt an unbearable pain in his heart and unbelievable pressure on his shoulders. The pain and weight forced him down on one knee, and he unwillingly bowed his head as if showing respect to this man.

"There. Was that so hard?" The man teased in a patronizing tone. When Seto didn't answer, the pain returned and the jailer snarled, "Prisoners and slaves will address their Captain of the Guard immediately when asked a question. Now repeat after me, 'As you wish, Captain Magnum'," He smiled, obviously enjoying the torment and humiliation of the young hero.

Though Seto resisted with every fiber of his being, a strange, abnormal force made him say the words given to him. "As you wish, Captain Magnum." Seto growled through his teeth. So that's where I saw him before. Jean-Claude Magnum, the hack star of all those bad ninja movies- Seto realized with a grimace. As soon as the words left his mouth, the pain vanished as quickly as it had come. The Captain of the Guard laughed heartily- clapping his hands in mock praise- as if Seto were a two-year-old who'd just learned to walk. "Very good, Seto! See what happens when you obey the rules? Ha! This is more fun than I ever would’ve imagined! I'm glad the boss decided to give me this position! Thank- you- Thief- King!" He crowed, putting emphasis on every word. Still chuckling gleefully, the actor called back as he walked off, "I'll send someone down with your rations later, if you're a good boy!" Then the dungeon door slammed shut, and Seto was plunged into total darkness.

When Seto was sure that the footsteps were long gone, he tried to free his leg from its chain and fetter. "Don't bother." A ghostly voice echoed from somewhere next to him. Seto looked around wildly, but fruitlessly. The room was black as pitch. Yet he definitely recognized that voice! "Yugi?!" Seto breathed incredulously. "Yup. I'm here too." The voice muttered again. "Imprisoned, just like you. Well, maybe not exactly like you-" He allowed, and a furry ball landed in Seto’s surprised lap. "Kweee!" It cried, and Seto jumped in alarm. After he recovered from the shock, Seto snorted. "Kuriboh? You were turned into a Kuriboh?" He asked incredulously, roaring with laughter. The Kuriboh scowled, and Yugi's indignant and rather annoyed voice mumbled, "Glad I amuse you." Then his tone brightened. "Actually, I'm surprised you can hear me. Not many can."

"What do you mean?" Seto asked, confused.

"Only ‘Black Magician Girl’ and 'Hono no Kenshi' have been able to hear me so far. No one else here at the Castle can. I dunno why. Maybe it's some magic that we possess?" Seto felt Kuriboh shrug. "Or maybe it's something else entirely. I'm not sure." Yugi's ghostly voice faded, and Seto guessed that his friend was deep in thought. After a few minutes, Yugi advised, "Oh, whatever you do, don't go into the Castle courtyard if you can help it. It's too painful, even for someone as strong as you."

"Why not?" Seto asked, now even more confused. "And another thing. Why does your voice sound so- distant? It's like I'm talking to a ghost."

At this, Kuriboh shifted uncomfortably and averted its large purple eyes. Yugi sighed sadly. "Everyone's soul has been forced into the body of their Ka, as the Bearers call it. So- technically- I am a ghost. If you're wondering why, I'm only down here because I 'refused' to show respect. I really did do it, but they couldn't understand me!" At this, Kuriboh let out an annoyed "Kyu!" and Seto couldn't help but smile. "As to your first question- just trust me. Don't go out there." Kuriboh made a sad sound, almost as if the creature was in mourning.

"Oh." Seto answered, feeling slightly awkward. How should he respond to that? He sat quietly on the edge of his 'bed' for a few moments, then Kuriboh suddenly hopped off his lap and down to the floor. "I just got an idea! Brace yourself, this might hurt a little-" Yugi warned, and Seto tensed. When Kuriboh started to glow next to his left ankle, though, Seto shouted, "Wait! What’re you-"

KABOOM! The Ka self-destructed, breaking the manacle around Kaiba's leg and leaving a shiny burn above and below the previously shackled area. Seto winced, but he was more concerned with what his friend had just done. "Yugi! YUGI!"

"What?" The duelist asked, a huge grin evident in his voice. "I always have a backup plan ready." "Kwee!" Kuriboh added happily, bouncing onto Seto's lap again. Seto smiled and sighed. "Never scare me like that again!" He mock-chided, ruffling the Ka's fur affectionately. Kuriboh purred gently at the gesture, enjoying the attention.

"What I don't get-" Yugi continued as Seto absentmindedly petted the fuzzball, "-is why you didn't change when you came here. Everyone else became a Ka, so why didn't you?" He asked in a confused and bewildered tone.

"Maybe it's because I'm part Ka already. My body and spirit are permanently fused with Blue-Eyes." Seto explained. "For everybody else, this must be temporary. But I've got a lifelong bond to my most trusted and favorite dragon.” Yugi opened his mouth. “It's not a curse, it's a blessing." He added, anticipating and countering what Yugi was about to say. "I can protect the ones I love. Family and friends."

"Hm. That could be. Oh well. We'll figure out more of this mystery tomorrow. For now, you should sleep." Yugi suggested, and Kuriboh hopped off his lap and bounced away into the darkness. Seto nodded, and- as he laid down on his side to sleep- his final thought was of his kid brother. Mokuba. Please be all right.

Chapter 2: Unexpected

Chapter Text

Mokuba woke with a groan when he heard a strange crowing noise. That doesn't sound like a rooster. More like a 'Koke'- Ow. Did he really need to hit me that hard with the gun? He groaned again as he rubbed his head. Sensing his body position, he asked himself, Did I fall asleep on my feet? Why am I standing up? Mokuba slowly opened his eyes, not knowing what to expect. However, whatever he was expecting, it definitely wasn't what he saw. "AAAAAHHH!"

"Hey! Wake up!" A voice shouted in the echoing dungeon, hurting Seto's ears as he rose from slumber. "Slaves rise at dawn. You got chores to do!" Magnum ordered, gripping the Key and preparing to snap his fingers again.

"As you wish, 'Captain Magnum'." Seto growled with as much venom as he could manage, already in a bad mood. As he got up off the metal slab, he heard a cell gate opening and the Captain snarling, "You. Up. Your punishment's over. Get upstairs!" Seto looked out of his cell just in time to watch Kuriboh bounce past him, offering a "Kwee!" of encouragement as it did. Seto smiled slightly. So that wasn't a dream- He thought as Magnum unlocked his cell and clipped a strange bracelet to his wrist. "In case of a stupid move like an escape attempt." Magnum explained with a sneer. The bracelet was made of some kind of metal, and a red stone was set in the middle of it. Magnum pressed it and it glowed briefly before dimming again. Then Seto followed Yugi's path out of the dungeons.

As Seto made his way up to the main floor of the Castle, he noticed that the air felt- heavier than it normally did. It was hard to breathe, as if he wasn't getting enough oxygen. On top of that, a faint and unpleasant scent filled the air. Also- when the room should have gotten brighter- darkness remained. Seto reached the top of the stairs, pushed open the large oak door and left the bleak dungeons behind him. However, the scene that now met his gaze was even worse. He had entered the Great Hall- a room he had seen many times before- but the room was now almost unrecognizable. The sky outside was dark and stormy, and torches burned in braziers all around the massive hall. Tables and benches were still set up like the last time he was here, but now the sight before him almost made him sick. Plates and platters of all manner of unfamiliar creatures now loaded the tables, and seated around were at least five hundred men, garbed in black robes and shoveling food into their mouths as if they did not know the meaning of the word 'etiquette'.

As Seto watched in disgust, another guard near him shouted, "Hey, you! New slaves report to th’ kitchens! Don't you know nothin’?" Then he laughed and joined his comrades at the table. Eager to escape this revolting scene, Seto turned and started for the kitchens without a word. Entering the room, he was met with another surprising sight- though this one was not nearly as unpleasant. 'Hono no Kenshi' was preparing dishes at an incredible rate, using his blade as a carving knife and his FIRE-attribute to cook the food almost instantaneously. As if that wasn't strange enough, Seto saw that where the Ka's usual face should have been, he recognized Joey's instead! 'Black Magician Girl' and other female Ka were carrying the prepared platters out as serving girls, and Seto turned red with anger and a bit of embarrassment when he saw what they were forced to wear. This is worse than what Leia wore in Star Wars: Episode VI! He thought in revulsion.

"Whaddya doin' jus' standin' dere? I could use some help, y’know!" Joey stated hotly, not looking up from his work. Seto jumped a little, coming back to his senses. "You can wash da dirty dishes. I always end up evaporatin' da water." Gee, I wonder why- Seto thought with a smirk, but did as he was asked anyway- to help his friend. As fast as Seto washed the dishes, Joey gave him more to wash. Half an hour of this frantic-paced work passed, then the Guardian exhaled heavily and leaned against the counter, cleaning off his sword and returning it to his back. "Whew! Done wid breakfast. Good ting it's on’y sammiches fer lunch today! So, new guy, wat's yer name?"

Seto had his back turned to Joey, so the latter couldn't see his face as he finished up the dishes. Uh-oh. I'd better make up something. If I say my real name, there might be trouble. Out loud, he said the first thing that came to mind. "Uh- Ryushiro."

"Huh. 'White Dragon', right? Cool name. Mine's ‘Hono no Kenshi’. Nice ta meet ya." Joey smiled, patting Seto on the back in a friendly manner. Unfortunately Seto wasn't used to Joey's newfound strength, and that gesture shoved him face-first into the soapy water. "Whoops! Sorry!" Joey laughed, handing him a dry towel. Seto laughed too as he dried off his face, answering, "No harm done. Don't worry about it."

As Seto let the water out of the sink, the serving girls came back through the kitchen to go to the dressing rooms and change. Seto frowned in both disapproval and sympathy as the girls passed, politely looking away to give them a little privacy. "Yeah, I don' like dat eider. It's humiliatin' enough bein' enslaved like dis. Why should da girls look like- like- well, y’know wat I mean." Joey mumbled, red in the face just like Seto was. "Least I convinced ‘em ta have 'Harpie Lady' an' 'Seijo Jannu' do diff'rent jobs. I didn' want my li’l sis wearin' dat!"

"Serenity? She's here too? And Mai? Who else-" Seto asked without thinking, and the words were out before he could bite them back. Great. Now I blew it.

"Who?" Joey asked. "Who's dis 'Mai'? An’ 'Serenity', wat's dat? Some kinda virtue? I jus' know 'em as ‘Seijo Jannu’ an' ‘Harpie Lady’. Yer new here, ain't ya-" Then he gasped when he finally saw Seto's face. "Wat da- Wat da heck! Wat's da Prince doin' workin' like a slave in a place like dis?" He spluttered, flabbergasted. Just then, ‘Black Magician Girl’ came out of the dressing room in her usual armor and gasped, "My Prince? It- it is you!" She cried, running up to the confused CEO and embracing him like an old friend.

"I- I beg your pardon?" Seto stuttered, flummoxed. Prince? He thought incredulously. I'm not- what is she talking about? His face was once again red, but this time it was only with bashfulness from the hug.

"Yer- yer Highness!" Joey stammered, dropping to one knee. Seto opened and closed his mouth a few times, but no words came out. "Wh-what’re you talking about?" He managed after a few seconds.

"You mean you don't remember? Oh no! This is terrible! The Prince has lost his memory!" Black Magician Girl cried, and Joey assumed a sympathetic expression. "There is a prophecy-" Mana continued, and Seto thought to himself, Oh great. Not again.

“‘When dark and shadows veil the land,

The Prince shall come with mighty hand.

And with his power of Dragon of White,

Restore the land to purest light.’

“Thus has it been foretold, from the Knights of old." Mana explained, her countenance falling as she thought of her friends' fate. "A Hero shall come from a distant land and free us from this darkness and oppression. Ever since these- 'Shadow Hunters' came, Ra has not shown on the Castle once. Please, my Prince. You must find a way to free this land and restore it to the glory it once knew!"

Oh. I get it. I'm the Prince of Games. Seto remembered. That's what they must be talking about. Seto nodded, agreeing to try to help the Ka regain their home. Mana clapped and laughed gleefully, then became serious once more. "It is not safe to talk here. Let us go to the Prince's chambers. No one will bother us there. Follow me." She urged, and Seto and Joey followed closely behind her. She carefully peeked out the kitchen door and whispered, "All right, the coast is clear. Come on." and the two boys followed their friend out into the Great Hall.

Just as they were halfway across the room, Seto heard hoofbeats on the marble floor and several sets of footfalls close behind it. He looked up in the direction of the sound and was horrified at what he heard and saw next.

"He's loose! Quick, restrain ‘im! Get ‘im back to the post!" A robed guard shouted, and ten others threw ropes and chains around the escaping creature. With another horrified gasp, Seto realized that the creature was actually 'Kentauros', but- instead of the Ka's usual humanoid half- Mokuba's upper body was in its place. "Mokuba!" Seto cried, running to help his brother. However, Joey and Mana held him back, shouting, "No!" "Stop!" "Ya can't save 'im!" "You will be killed!" "Dey're too strong!" Their words did nothing to dissuade the enraged Dragon Warrior, and he fought them with all of his strength, yelling, "Mokuba! MOKUBA!"

"Seto!" The boy/centaur shouted back, "Catch!" and he threw something to his brother just before a lariat restrained his arms. Seto caught it with his left hand and realized that Mokuba must have brought his deck to this world. It was bound with a rubber band, and Seto glanced at it briefly before returning his gaze to his brother. "Find the Fountain! Save the Guardian! There you'll find what you need-" Mokuba called as he was finally subdued and dragged away. "MOKUBA!" Seto roared, but it was too late. His brother and the guards had already disappeared.

"I'm sorry." Joey said after he released Seto, his eyes downcast. “Kentauros is my friend too, but it can't be helped. Da only way ta save 'im now is ta save da world. An’ ta do dat, we need ta get yer power back. Yer jus' an ordinary human right now, yer Dragon strength was taken when dey stole yer armor. An' gettin' it back won' be easy. Dere's thugs an' goons all over da place. I'd bet da strongest ones ‘re keepin’ yer armor pieces hidden somewhere on 'em."

"Hono no Kenshi is right, my Prince. Like it or not, you are no match for them right now, as you are. You must free this land and each of the twenty shrines that guard the territories." Mana explained. "Only then will you be strong enough to return here and defeat the 'Shadow King', the man who calls himself 'Bandit'." She concluded sadly, thinking of all her friends who had been enslaved because of him and his dark army.

Seto nodded slowly in understanding, thinking to himself, So it was Keith. I knew I'd recognized his voice- Out loud he said, "I see. Thanks for explaining things, Mana. I know what I have to do." He smiled gratefully at her, and she returned the expression with a friendly smile of her own. "Now, to business." Seto stated. "What’d my brother mean, 'Save the Guardian'? I know where the fountain is, but what am I supposed to do once I'm there?"

"I am sure all will be made clear to you when we find the Fountain." Mana suggested, not quite knowing herself exactly what would happen. "The realm has changed so much. I do not even recognize it anymore, and I have lived here for centuries! The Dominion of the Beasts is no longer the wondrous, beautiful land we once knew. Now it is cursed, stained by the evil of our oppressors." Mana growled angrily, clenching her hands into fists.

"I agree. Something has to be done about those Rare Hunt- I mean, Shadow Hunters and the false 'King'. But before I can even begin on this quest, I need to get this dumb alarm-bracelet off." Seto said quietly, raising the arm on which the restraining device was fastened.

"Allow me." Joey offered confidently, drawing his blade from his back and pointing it perpendicular to Seto's wrist. When Seto looked at him in alarm, Joey reassured with a quiet laugh, "My aim's even better dan my cookin’ skills. I know exactly how much power's necessary fer every swing a' my blade. Dere's no reason ta be nervous."

Seto slowly nodded after a moment, involuntarily tensing for what was about to happen. Hono no Kenshi raised his weapon over his head, and- bringing it down with both hands- broke the bracelet cleanly in two without even touching the skin underneath. "Dere! See? No sweat!" Joey crowed proudly, rubbing it in a little for fun. "I told ya it'd be fine!"

"Yeah, you did." Seto answered, smiling. "Thanks."

"Nyeh, don' mention it. You'd do da same ting fer me, I'm sure." Joey laughed, shrugging as he returned his sword to his back. "Of course. I've always considered you a friend, Joey, for as long as I've known you." Seto stated.

"Whaddya mean by dat? We jus' met, not half an hour ago!" Joey asked, bewildered. "Oh! Is dis one a dem tings wid dese manacle thingamajigs? I got dis fuzzy memory a’ some goon lockin' it on my ankle an’ sayin' dat it's some kinda 'memory modifier' er sometin' like dat." He explained, gesturing to a strange metal cuff on his left ankle that had a green stone set in it.

"That looks like one of those Orichalcos stones." Seto observed, kneeling down to study it more closely. "I see, this device erased your memories and replaced them with new ones. Luckily you still remembered your friends and your sister. I saw one of those things on Mokuba's leg too. I guess they did it to all our friends that they captured."

"Are you referring to the Guardians? The Ka who have been merged with souls from another world?" Mana interjected, curious. "That is why I have been having those terrible headaches! I have been remembering things from another life!" She exclaimed as the three of them walked to the enormous doors of cedar that led into the Castle courtyard. "How many of us are there, anyway? Guardians, I mean?"

"Well, you said before that there were twenty shrines in this realm, one for each territory. I'm guessing that each one of them has a guardian spirit that watches over that shrine. So I'd guess that there are twenty Guardians, not including myself." Seto offered, not entirely positive if he was correct. "I guess 'royalty' here is based on one's status in the dueling world. But Yugi is the King of Games, why wasn't he chosen to save the world?"

"I dunno. Maybe it's 'cuz ‘e was changed inta a Kuriboh when ‘e came here, jus' like I musta become dis." Joey guessed, gesturing at his altered appearance. "You didn' change ‘cuz you were already merged wid 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon'. Dat's wat da prophecy said, anyway." Seto nodded in confirmation, and Mana slowly echoed the movement. By this time, they had reached the doors, and Mana put a hand on the handle and looked back at her companions with a mournful expression.

"Before we go further, I must warn you. These 'Shadow Hunters' are ruthless. Their crimes are unspeakable. What you are about to see, Ryushiro, is the least of the horrors they have committed. Prepare yourself." She pleaded and Seto nodded, masking his emotions as he had done so many times in the past. Mana slowly opened the giant door, and the three walked out into the courtyard.

-Commercial Break-

"No-" Seto gasped when he saw the terrible sight. "How could they? How could they do this? This- this can't be happening!"

"I am afraid so, Ryushiro. It has happened. And much worse. In just a few short weeks in your dimension- but years in ours- the Shadow King has completely destroyed our world and made it into the cursed land you see before you." Mana whispered, silent tears running down her cheeks. Before the three heroes stood- at first glance- what appeared to be a sickening sculpture, but closer inspection revealed the carving to be encased in crystal. Seto ran up to the nearest figure and gasped in horror once more.

A black, cracked obelisk stood tall and proud against the blood-red sky, its point as sharp as any double-edged sword. To the base of it were chained three figures, all encased in crystal and impaled through the heart with huge broadswords. The figure at whose feet Seto now knelt was clearly the tallest, his head bowed in defeat and his blond hair falling from its place under his helmet- which was askew. On either side of him, his two 'brothers' were similarly chained- the three ancient Knights of Atlantis, imprisoned once again by the evil power of the Orichalcos.

"They tried to protect us, as they have for millennia. They fought valiantly against the forces of darkness, to prevent the committing of unspeakable atrocities. But they were overpowered. I have never seen Sir Critias so angry." She shuddered in fear at the memory. "The enemy's strength and numbers were too great, and the demons chained and imprisoned them in this way as a message to all who would dare oppose them." Mana explained. "I am sure you have been wondering how these fiends could have overpowered you, the Dragon Prince. How they gained strength enough to defeat ‘Blue-Eyes’." Seto nodded. "Remember the feast in the Great Hall this morning? And did you remember that- before the Shadow Hunters came- no flesh of any animal was ever consumed by the humanoid Ka?" Another nod.

"Dere are creatures other’n Ka in da Dominion a’ da Beasts." Joey continued in his friend's place. "Small ones, big ones, you name it. In fact, one a’ da huge ones actually inspired 'Grendel' in dat epic, 'Beowulf'. Long story short, dey get deir strength from eatin’ da bodies a’ dose creatures- an’ not jus’ dat kind eider. Dey also eat- us. Ka."

Seto cried out at this ultimate act of horror and depravity- righteous anger and loathing burning in his eyes as he glared at the window to the throne room, where he knew Keith was sitting. There are no words to describe them anymore. They can't even be called humans for what they have done.

"Some a’ da worst ones actually try ta kill da humanoid Ka. Dat's wat da three Knights were tryin' ta prevent when dey were defeated an’ chained. Dey were protectin' 'Toon Black Magician Girl'. Luckily, I managed ta lop off one a’ deir heads, so he's not eatin' any a’ my pals!" Joey added with a grimace. "Even tho I hated ta kill 'im. He was still human, an' now I'm a murderer."* He realized, guilt and despair washing over him.

[Joey didn't actually kill anyone. That Shadow Hunter was only sentenced to a Penalty Game in Duat. This little plot point has been bothering me for months, so I changed it a bit.]

Pegasus would go absolutely nuts if he heard about this. He wouldn't stop until every single guilty member of the Shadow Hunters was caught and put on Death Row. Actually- when I get home, that's just what I'm gonna do. If they aren't all dead by the time this realm is back to the way it was- Seto resolved, vengeance and justice roaring in his mind and heart to be unleashed.

"You're not a murderer, Joey. Your actions were completely justified. He deserved to die for what he did, what he was doing. Those Shadow Hunters aren't human anymore. Now they are nothing but mindless, soulless monsters. You did the right thing." Seto said, putting a hand on his friend's pauldron, below the blade. Turning back to Critias, Seto whispered, "I can only hope- when this is all over- that we'll be able to free them and that they'll be all right. Critias is my brother, just like Seth, Noah and Mokuba."

Mana and Joey gave their new friend a few minutes to pay his respects to the Knights who had helped him many times now. Then Seto got to his feet and turned to his companions. "Well, we can't do anything to help them by just standing around here. Let's go find the fountain, free the Guardian- whoever it is- and come one step closer to defeating that Orichalcos Overlord and saving the world!"

Chapter 3: Surprises

Chapter Text

-Flashback-

"Reports of odd disappearances have been surfacing all over our beloved city of Domino. Police are baffled as to the cause and manner of the kidnappings, and also to the whereabouts of the unfortunate victims. However, the authorities have discovered a connection between the missing persons. Most are reported to be 'duelists' of a high caliber in the popular card game, 'Duel Monsters'. If you or one of your family members fits this description, Domino’s Chief of Police has advised security measures that are asked to be taken. These suggestions can be found on the official 'Home Security' pamphlet that officers of the law have been distributing for the past few weeks. That being said, stay safe, and hopefully the perpetrators behind these kidnappings will be caught and stopped."

"We now turn to our weather report with Mr. Storm-"

Click. Seto Kaiba turned off the television at his home, relaxing on the sofa with his little brother Mokuba beside him. They had just finished watching a movie that Mokuba had picked, 'Star Wars: Episode VI', and Seto had wanted to check the news to see what was happening in the world. Of course, it was just a repeat of the news yesterday. No new leads on the mysterious kidnappings, and his friends and companions disappearing one by one. His own family was being targeted, and Noah, Seth and Kisara had left on a forced vacation of sorts to Egypt to see what had become of the 'Land of the Pharaohs' in the last five thousand years. Seto had suggested it, not wanting any of his family to get hurt. He had stayed behind in Domino to oversee Kaibacorp., and Mokuba had insisted that he would stay wherever Seto was.

Actually, Seth, Noah and Kisara should’ve been back by now. Their 'vacation' was only supposed to last a week. I hope they didn't get lost in a pyramid or something- Mokuba thought worriedly as he curled up closer to his brother. Or worse! They could’ve been kidnapped like all the others! He mentally exclaimed, horrified at the thought. "Seto? Why didn't you read that pamphlet yet? You're the best duelist in the world other than Yugi. You're bound to be one of their next targets!" He asked his big brother, who looked perfectly at ease next to him on the sofa.

"Mokuba, I have been taking precautions. You just weren't paying attention. The reason I'm so relaxed right now is that I am positive that no one can get through the mansion's security system without proper clearance. You can rest assured. No one will take me down without a real fight." Seto answered confidently. "And that goes for you as well. I won't let anything happen to you, kiddo." He added affectionately, ruffling his brother's black mane.

"Why me? I'm not that good a duelist. Why would they take me?" Mokuba asked, stumped.

"Well, one: because you're my little brother. They'd try to use you to get to me. That's happened a few times now. And two- there's another connection between some of the kidnappings that the police didn't see. Most of the victims were Bearers, either from the past or the present. The only Item that hasn't been counted as 'missing' is the Rod, which I have. And don't worry- it's safe, and so are we." Seto assured, putting an arm around his little brother and giving him a gentle side-hug. Mokuba smiled a little at this, seemingly comforted by his brother's words. But on the inside he was distressed and worried about his friends. Where were they? Who was the maniac behind this? What did they want? How were they doing this, making all their friends disappear? So many questions, and no answers to any of them. Mokuba sighed sadly. The only clue we've got is that this person is someone with a grudge against us. But that doesn't exactly narrow things down- Mokuba thought dejectedly. There's no end to the possibilities of who it could be. But this I know for sure: It's not just one person. No one person could cause this much panic, no matter how powerful they are.

"Well, I think it's time you went to bed, Mokie." Seto said with a smirk when his little brother yawned involuntarily. "I'll come up in a minute, I just want to check our security system one more time. Go up to bed and sleep. You've got school tomorrow, remember?" Seto said kindly, gently nudging Mokuba to the side so that he could get up. Mokuba nodded sleepily, and Seto smiled as he watched his little brother climb the stairs to his room.

Once Mokuba was out of sight, Seto's mask of calm melted away to reveal the tense, strained expression that he’d been suppressing all day. He’d felt uneasy since this morning, when he’d sensed that something had happened to his other brothers and sister-in-law. Something bad. He felt behind his back and gripped the handle of the Rod, which was hooked into his belt-loop under his trademark trenchcoat. Yes, something had certainly happened to the former Bearer of the Rod. Seto couldn’t sense him any more in this dimension, though he’d felt their faint presence this morning as they toured Egypt. They’d better be all right- Seto threatened mentally- or those fiends will regret ever being born!

Walking to the nearest security keypad, he removed his locket and slid it into the appropriate slot. Then he pressed his thumb to the scan plate and said ‘Seto Kaiba’ in a clear tone. "Voice recognition and fingerprint scan verified. Security status: Unchanged. No breaches detected in the last five hours." The computer-voice stated matter-of-factly. "Set alarm to night-watch." Seto commanded, and the computer beeped three times before replying, "Night-watch program initiated. Goodnight, sir."

Seto smiled a little at the computer's wish, realizing that Mokuba must have programmed that in as a little surprise for him. That sneaky little rascal. He's just as smart as I am when he wants to be. Why doesn't he show it more often? Seto thought with a smirk, shaking his head a little. Then he ascended the staircase to his own room and changed into his pajamas, setting the Millennium Rod on his nightstand.

-Hours later-

Seto awoke with a start to the crash of thunder and the flash of lightning just outside his window. What's going on? It's supposed to be clear skies all week! He thought in confusion. Glancing at his clock, he saw the red digits displaying 3:15 am. A millisecond later, the security alarm started wailing, and Seto realized that the lightning was caused by no ordinary storm. Glancing outside his window to the backyard, he spotted a gigantic figure shuffling toward the house- its red eyes gleaming and a strange yet familiar seal glowing on its forehead. Oh no. Seto realized. I thought we were done with this two years ago! I guess some pieces survived- Then he cried mentally, Mokuba!

-End Flashback-

Seto woke with a groan as he stood up from the hard ground. Ugh. What a nightmare. I never had a dream about my memories before. I didn't even know such a thing was possible- He surveyed his surroundings blearily, and his heart lurched when he saw the destruction that surrounded him, remembering what he had seen and heard about the day before. The once beautiful forest had all been razed to the ground, and ash coated the barren wasteland that now stood before him. "Dey forced me ta cut down all dese trees, fer da bonfires an' such. 'Elf Swordsman' wasn' too happy wid me fer dat, but I didn' have any choice. He's da guardian a’ da Forest, see, one a’ da Guardians a’ da shrines, I tink. He escaped from da Castle a few months ago an’ is livin' in wat's left a’ da Forest ta da northeast." Joey had explained sadly, angry that all his friends had abandoned the Castle and were forced out of their homes by the Shadow Hunters.

"I'm sorry." Seto said quietly. "We'll find a way to save this land, no matter the cost." Then the trio ventured out to where the Fountain stood. As they journeyed, Seto looked through his deck that Mokuba had given him and gasped. "What happened to my deck? All the monster cards are blank! I still have my spell and trap cards, but the monsters are all gone!"

"Wat?" Joey exclaimed, walking back to where his companion stood. "Oh. I guess dis is part a’ da magic a' dose creeps. I guess ya hafta fight wid us instead a’ yer regular deck. Hope yer good at improvizin’, Ryushiro!" He added, patting Seto on the back again.

Confused, Seto looked from his altered deck to his friends and back again, not knowing exactly what to say. "Do not worry. We will help you to battle without using your deck. Each and every Ka has a special ability. You will discover what they are in time." Mana assured, promising to offer her aid whenever and wherever Seto would require it. "Every one of your friends from your world is a Guardian, correct?" She asked the still bewildered CEO. Seto nodded, and Mana smiled. "So whenever you free or save a Guardian, they will accompany you on your journey and act as your 'monster cards'. They will add their power to yours, and- in time- you will regain your former strength, defeat the Shadow King, and save our world!"

Seto nodded again with a smile, grateful that his friends agreed to help him in this quest. If he was honest with himself, he probably wouldn't have been able to do it alone. He was a bit worried, though. "But- won't you be in danger? What happens if you're- y’know- defeated? Will your spirits be lost forever?" Seto asked, horrified at the thought of losing any one of his new and old friends- or worse yet, his family.

"Dat's wat 'Resurrection of the Dead' is for! Ya do have one in yer deck, don'cha?" Joey laughed, both reassuring Seto and teasing him a bit.

"Of course. Every duelist with an ounce of talent has at least one in their deck." Seto stated, as if such a fact were blatantly obvious to anyone. "But how’m I supposed to use them? Without a Duel Disk, I can't do much of anything."

"Sure ya can!" Joey disagreed. "How’d people in yer world battle before yer Duel Disk tings? An’ before decks, fer dat matter? Dey used magic."

"And our DiaDhanks, do not forget those." Mana interjected, reminding her friend of the ancient devices used by the Bearers in Egypt.

"Nah, I'm talkin' way back. Like in Atlantis, before da Orichalcos showed up. Dey relied on magic alone. Dat's how we'll duel. You can teach Ryushiro da basics a’ summonin' traps an’ castin' spells. I'mma scout ahead. We should be gettin' pretty close ta da Fountain by now." Joey explained as he jogged ahead of where his other two companions were walking.

"Basically, you merely have to think the spell in your mind and seal the spell with magic. Like this: 'Thousand Knife'!" She cried, concentrating her energy and pointing her staff in front of her. Suddenly a thousand throwing knives appeared out of thin air and surrounded the young spellcaster, all of their blades pointing straight at the Dragon Hero. As they disappeared, Mana turned to Seto. "Did you sense how I did it?" She asked, and Seto nodded. "Traps are basically the same. You simply imagine your opponent- or in your case, your opponent's Ka- falling for the trap that you want to summon. Then just seal it with magic, and- 'Ta Da'!" A pitfall opened right in front of them. "The trap is set!"

"I see." Seto nodded, grateful for her explanation. Then he asked his companion about something that had been bothering him for a while now. "Mana? What happens when a player loses a duel of magic like this? Is it like a Shadow Game where the player has to face a Penalty? Or worse, like an Orichalcos Duel, where the loser loses their soul?"

"I am unsure. It has never come up before. At least, not that I recall. In this world, our enemies have once again revived the cursed magic of the Orichalcos, so I guess the same rules apply. Why are you worrying about it anyway? You are the Prince of Games, you never lose!" Mana stated confidently, mock-punching Seto's arm.

"I wish that were true. When Yugi- um, Atem- and I fought Dartz, I- I lost, and my soul was taken by the Orichalcos." Seto shuddered at the memory. "That was the most painful experience of my life, even worse than when Pegasus trapped me, Mokuba and Yugi's grandfather in Duat*. In a very real way, it was like I- died- that day, and Atem brought me back when he defeated Dartz. I hope that's not the case this time. If it is- and I'm defeated- how will this land ever be restored?" Seto asked, worried for the sake of all the Ka who were suffering under the oppressive hand of the Shadow King.

[‘Through the Darkness’]

"In the highly unlikely event that something like that happens, we will do our best to defeat the Bandit King by ourselves. Depending on how many Guardians you free, we will all fight to dethrone the false king and get you back. But I highly doubt that will happen. Do you really have that little faith in our power, and in your own?" Mana asked, slightly hurt at his words.

"No, no! Of course I believe in you! And I know there’s something to be said for believing in the 'Heart of the Cards', as Yugi calls it. You're right, Mana. I can't afford to have doubts now. If I’m confident in my abilities, there's no way I can lose!"

"That is the spirit!" Mana exclaimed joyfully. "Now come on, let us find the Fountain and save our first Guardian! I wonder who it will be?" She wondered out loud as she skipped off after Joey. Seto followed after a minute- smiling a genuine smile for the first time in weeks- calmed and collected thanks to Mana's reassuring words.

-After a few minutes of walking-

Mana asked shyly, "Um, my Prince? It seems that you are very recognizable in your current form. Would you allow me to alter your appearance slightly for your safety?"

"You can do that?" Seto asked, surprised. The thought had never occurred to him before. "Sure. I guess. But make it a look that people would never guess that I’d adopt. Like, longish hair- maybe a different color- and a mustache. Actually, scratch the mustache. I don't wanna look like Gozaburo."

"Sure!" Mana nodded with a smile, then she pointed her staff at her duelist and started chanting a spell under her breath. Seto felt his hair growing longer, and when he looked at it over his shoulder, he noticed that it had turned to a light auburn and extended all the way to his thighs. When the spell finished, Seto looked in a nearby puddle, and it took more than a moment to recognize himself. "You cannot act as yourself either, my Prince. Adopt mannerisms that the enemy would not expect. Instead of your true identity, you must become 'Ryushiro', Dragon Hero of the Dominion."

-Hours later-

The two friends caught up with Joey, who was staring at the remains of the Fountain in disgust. "Look wat dose creeps did! Dey completely destroyed it! When I get my hands on whoever did dis- I'll-" Joey growled, wringing his hands around an imaginary neck.

"Easy, Joey. Save your strength for real battles, not imaginary ones." Seto cautioned, putting a hand on the Guardian's shoulder. He didn't like what had happened to the beautiful structure either, but he was more skilled at concealing his emotions.

"Hey! What’re you doing here? This area's off-limits to tourists, and especially to inferior Ka!" A robed guard shouted, appearing out of nowhere in front of the travelers.

"Inferior! Why I oughta-" Joey shouted, drawing his sword and advancing on the man who’d insulted him.

"Calm down, Joey. That's just what he wants you to do. Let's settle this the right way, with a duel." Seto cautioned, tapping into his magic that flowed through him and taking a stance facing his opponent.

"Ha! What’re you trying to do, duel? You don't even have a Duel Disk!" The masked man laughed, casting off his robes and activating his own version of the technology that Seto had created. If he had to describe the device, Seto would say that it most resembled the 'Duel Disks' that Dartz and his minions had used, only this one was pitch-black with red card plates and sickly yellow-green runes carved all over it.

"I don't need a Duel Disk to defeat a weakling like you!" Seto retorted, frowning at his opponent across the field.

-Elsewhere-

"Where is it?" Bandit Keith shouted, ripping out another drawer from Mokuba's dresser. "That brat better not have lied to me! I've looked everywhere in this god-forsaken mansion, and I can't find that stupid stick anywhere!" He threw the empty drawer against the wall- where it left a large dent before falling to the floor in a heap.

"AAARRGGHH!" The duelist roared in fury after a few more minutes of searching without success. "That's it! When I get back to my kingdom, that- ponyboy is gonna get a beating he'll never forget!"

Brrrriiinnnngggg! Keith's cell phone rang at just that moment, and the card shark was so surprised that he jumped a foot in the air. "YYEEAARRGGHH! WHAT THE HELL?" He yelped. Grabbing the device from his pocket, he snarled, "You IDIOT! I thought I told all of you never to call me at this number!"

"-F-forgive me- Master-" Umbra wheezed. "I've- failed you-"

"WHAT?" Keith shouted, completely taken by surprise. "How the hell did that happen? Who defeated you? How did anyone defeat you? You guys are supposed to be the best of the best!"

"Ryu-shiro- beware- the dragon- Ryushiro-" Then the line went dead.

"What? I already imprisoned that wench, Kisara! She's the only White Dragon! Unless- NO! It can't be!"

-Back in the Dominion of the Beasts-

"Aaarrrggghhh-" Umbra gurgled as he was defeated and fell to the ground. Both Joey and Seto were breathing hard, exhausted from the battle. Mana was using her magic to heal Joey's wounds, as he’d acquired quite a few in his battle against the Shadow Hunter. Seto had stubbornly- but politely- refused her aid, answering that his strength would return on its own. Suddenly a greenish-black cloud appeared above the defeated Hunter, and the man woke up screaming, "No Master! Please, have mercy! I- I can defeat him! Give me another chance! NOOO!" He cried as he was trapped in a crimson ray of light and dragged down into the depths of the earth.

Joey started and jumped back a few inches, exclaiming, "Yikes! Man, I wouldn' wanna be dat guy! I guess dat's wat happens when ya sell yer soul ta da Devil. Or da Orichalcos in dis case." He shuddered.

Seto- who was more concerned with the destruction of the Fountain- was not really paying attention to his friend. Or his rather amusing expressions. Mana couldn't help giggling at the face he was making though, and this action earned her a raised eyebrow from Seto that clearly said, Are you feeling okay? Mana snickered again and subtly pointed to Joey, who still had a humorous expression on his face. Seto smirked a little and shook his head, then he exhaled and knelt down next to the remains of the Fountain.

"Do you guys remember what this statue looked like? I've only seen it a couple times." Seto asked, looking at his two companions.

Joey shrugged, shaking his head sadly. However, Mana smiled and nodded. "Not to worry, my Prince. I remember how it was. Just give me a minute." She raised her staff and closed her eyes for a moment, then started twirling the wand like a marching baton and reciting a complex sounding spell. An orb of rose-colored light the size of a volleyball burst out of the tip of the staff and quickly circled around the ruined Fountain, rebuilding the structure in minutes when it would otherwise have taken hours. When it was finished, Mana stepped back to admire her handiwork.

A young maiden holding a large urn on her shoulder stood proudly in the center of the Fountain, and crystal clear liquid flowed out of the pot and down her hourglass figure. The stone statue had long wavy hair and was dressed in the fashion of the ancient Greeks. Gold bands and bracelets adorned her slender arms, and hoops of gold and silver hung around her ankles. The figure wore a smile on her face, and tiny diamonds sparkled in her eyes as she gazed down at any being that might approach her spring.

The Fountain itself was about fifteen feet in diameter and was made of bricks of limestone. The figure of the girl in the center was carved from a single piece of white marble. Joey whistled appreciatively at the statuette and Seto rolled his eyes, admiring the sculpture in spite of himself. Suddenly the wind blew softly from behind the travelers and an ethereal voice whispered, "Thank you." Joey, Mana and Seto spun around, and before them stood the Guardian that they had been seeking- 'Holy Elf'.

"Isis!" Seto whispered to himself, for the Ka looked just like the Bearer of the Millennium Necklace from the past.

Holy Elf nodded, indicating that she had heard his quiet exclamation. "I am the Celestial Guardian of the Stars, and I thank you for restoring my Shrine, my Prince. The Fountain of Life shall once again provide healing for the wounded and refreshment for the faint. Come, regain your strength. It is the least of thanks that I can give to you." Isis offered, holding out a crystalline bottle of the pure water. Seto shrugged and accepted it with a nod of thanks, taking a small sip. Almost at once, his fatigue vanished and his strength returned- greater than it had been before the battle.

Mana was the first to notice that something about her friend's appearance was different. She shyly asked about it, and the Guardian smiled warmly. She removed the abnormality- which appeared to be a pauldron- from her right shoulder and presented it to Seto, saying, "For the destined Hero, to aid in the final battle." Seto smiled and accepted the armor piece gratefully, buckling it onto his own shoulder. Almost immediately, he felt somewhat stronger- as if the small piece of armor had stored some of his power inside itself. As soon as he buckled the piece of armor on, an aura of blue-white light surrounded him for a second, then faded away.

"Whoa." Joey stated, awed for a moment. "Dat was cool. If you were a Ka, I’d say yer Attack points jus’ increased. How much d’ya tink it added, anyway?" He asked his friend, who was deep in thought. The group left the restored Fountain of Life, Isis following shyly behind them.

Seto shrugged. "Um, I'm not really sure how to explain it, but- in ‘Ka’ terms- my strength just jumped from 0 to 120 Attack points and 100 Defense points." He answered, unsure if the statement was correct or not. "When I regain all the pieces of my armor, I'll be as strong as Blue-Eyes. Maybe even stronger."

"Whoa." Joey repeated, obviously impressed. Then he chuckled nervously. "Heh. In dat case, we got a ways ta go yet, huh?" He asked rhetorically.

"Yeah." Seto answered with a sigh, walking beside his friend as they journeyed through the ash-covered wasteland that was once a verdant forest. Isis and Mana followed along behind their two companions- silent and shy on the Elf's part- gleeful and skipping on the Magician's. After a few minutes, Hono no Kenshi looked back at his unusually cheerful friend and asked incredulously, "How can ya be so happy when we're surrounded by so much death an' destruction?"

"Easy. Take a close look at the ground!" Mana suggested with a smile. Both Joey and the Prince knelt down on the ash-covered land to see what Mana was talking about. Before Seto's eyes, a tiny sprout of a plant was poking its way out of the ash. "The curse is already beginning to weaken. By restoring the Fountain of Life, our Prince has made it possible for this forest to grow back. In time, the woods we loved so dearly will return, grander than they were before." She explained- beaming a smile of deepest thanks to her Prince- whose only response was a nod of the head and slightly pink cheeks. He was beginning to like the perky young spellcaster from ancient Egypt, and was eager to get to know her better. Their newest companion didn't say much at all, but Seto guessed that she was a lot like her present counterpart Ishizu Ishtar. Both were rather soft-spoken, but whenever they did have something to say, it was always a sentiment full of wisdom and understanding.

The group traveled for a few more hours, trying to guess who the next Guardian would be and where his/her Shrine would be located. Joey and Mana didn't remember anything about their own Shrines, and when Seto asked Isis, she merely shook her head and shrugged- indicating that she did not know either. "Well, I guess we will just have to keep traveling until we bump into another Shadow Hunter!" Mana chirped brightly, still happy about the eventual return of the forest. As they walked, the travelers heard a strange, faint growling noise. Seto and Mana looked around- expecting an attack from a wild beast- but when their gaze fell on Joey, the swordsman's face was as red as his helmet. "Wat? I'm hungry!"

Mana and Isis laughed. "I have never heard someone's stomach growl quite that loudly before, Hono no Kenshi!" Mana giggled, causing her friend's face to flush even redder with embarrassment.

Seto chuckled a little bit too, thinking, He hasn't changed a bit. He's just like he was in the human world. Out loud, he said, "Give him a break, Mana. We haven't had much in the food department since I got here." He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out an apple. "Luckily I anticipated this, so I snuck a few pieces of fruit from that- 'banquet table' at the Castle when no one was looking." He tossed the fruit to Joey, who caught it with one hand and bit into it with relish. "Tanks!" He called back with a mouth full of apple. As Joey ate, the four traveled on- heading southeast to look for a sign of the next Shrine.

-About an hour after noon-

Mana grew thoughtful and quiet as they continued to trek through the area. "This- seems so familiar-" She muttered to herself. "My friends? I think we should head due south now. I just have a good feeling that we should go there."

Seto raised an eyebrow, but then shrugged and turned in the correct direction. He'd had a feeling about that direction as well, and would have turned that way anyway if Mana hadn't suggested it. They walked for about two miles in the new direction when Isis warned timidly, "The terrain has suddenly changed. Beware, my friends. I feel an evil presence in this place." Mana looked down at her feet and saw that what Isis said was true. The ground was coated with a thick, sticky substance- strings of the stuff interwoven with one another in complex patterns. "Isis, Mana, Joey! Use your power to hover off the ground! We're standing on a giant web!" Seto warned, and the three Guardians obeyed without a second thought.

A strange, faint clicking noise sounded from high above them, and Seto looked up right into the face of a gigantic brown spider. Good thing I don't have arachnophobia- Seto thought to himself as Joey breathed in horror, "Dat’s 'Landmine Spider'-" Astride the giant arachnid, a robed Shadow Hunter rode down to the ground and grinned at them from behind a half-mask that left his mouth exposed. "Well, well, well. Haven't seen you in a long time, Kaiba. When was that, Battle City? You humiliate me with that god card of yours, then you manage to lose it to Yugi? Pathetic!" The Hunter spat, glaring at his opponent.

"Nagumo? You're Koji Nagumo, right?" Seto asked, trying to identify the masked figure before him. The giant spider clicked its pincers menacingly and venom dripped from its snarling mouth. Joey and Isis stood straight and strong in front of their companion, waiting silently for a command to attack the monstrous insect. Mana, however, was hiding behind Joey, not daring to look at the creature that opposed her. Seto didn't blame her. ‘Landmine Spider’ wasn't one of the more appealing Ka. If his little brother were here, he'd probably react in the same way. Mokuba hated spiders.

"Duh! Who else do you know that has an insect deck as great as mine? And don't even mention that beetle-boy!" The Shadow Hunter snarled, activating his Dark Disk. Seto took a deep breath and prepared himself mentally for the imminent battle. Opposite him, Koji began to laugh. "Ha! How do you expect to fight me? You don't even have a Duel Disk! I mean, I can see how you beat Umbra, he was the weakest one of us. But if you expect to beat me in the same way, think again!" Nagumo stated belligerently.

Seto just rolled his eyes, then called back, "Is it okay if we start this duel at 2000 Life Points? I'm kinda in a hurry." He growled, eager to get this over with as quickly as possible. Then he thought of something else. “Battle City rules, but no tributes to summon stronger Ka.” He stipulated, not wanting to sacrifice his friends.

"Fine with me, it makes it easier for me to kill you!" Koji agreed with a malicious grin. Then he pulled a card out of his deck and set it on his Disk. "I summon one monster in facedown Defense position. Your move." He chuckled, confident in his strategy.

"Isis?" Seto asked over his shoulder. The elf looked up and smiled, then walked in front of her duelist, knelt down and began praying. "I summon 'Holy Elf' [100/2000] in Defense mode and set one card in facedown position. End turn." He thumbed through his hand, picked out the necessary card, then levitated it in the air with his power. Almost at once, it grew in size and appeared just as its holographic counterpart would.

"Aw. Too bad. If only your monster wasn't a four-" Koji whined sarcastically, trying to goad Ryushiro into attacking. When he saw that his opponent wouldn't budge, Nagumo growled to himself and played a magic card right out of his hand. "I activate 'Defense Sealing', so your Elf shifts to Attack mode!" Koji laughed. Isis tried to resist the spell, but failed as she was forced to her feet. "Now I flip my monster to Attack mode, activating its special ability. '4-Starred Ladybug of Death', [800/1200] destroy that Elf!"

Isis cried out in pain as the beetle's effect removed her from the battlefield, and Ryushiro could only watch in helpless horror. Koji Nagumo laughed loudly in triumph and sneered, "Did you enjoy that? I'll just add to the fun and summon 'Killer Bee' [1200/1000] in Attack mode!" A giant bee appeared in front of the Shadow Hunter and flexed its large abdomen threateningly. "End turn." Koji grinned, beckoning teasingly with one hand.

"Why dat li’l-" Joey fumed beside Ryushiro. "Lemme at ‘im! Lemme at ‘im!" Ryushiro nodded, and Hono no Kenshi ran at the oversized bee and chopped it in half with a vertical slash. The bee buzzed in shock once before it exploded and was sent to the Graveyard. Due to Hono no Kenshi's attack, Koji lost 600 Life Points and a string of energy twisted itself out of his back and disappeared into the sky. So it's like Atem's duel with Anubis. The player loses life energy when he's attacked- Ryushiro thought to himself.

Koji doubled over as his energy dropped, and Joey snickered, "Whatsa matter, Nagumo? Bee in yer bonnet? 'Cause it ain't here no more!" Mana snorted quietly to herself, appreciating her friend's witty remark. Ryushiro shook his head, then looked to Mana and nodded. "I summon Mana [2000/1700] in Attack mode and end my turn." Ryushiro growled. Mana flew to the front lines and hovered next to Joey, who grinned in greeting.

"Fine! If that's how you wanna play it, I summon 'Landmine Spider' [2200/100] in Attack mode!" Koji spat, waving forward his gargantuan spider-mount. The arachnid hissed angrily at its opponents, and Mana shivered involuntarily. "Now! Attack Ryushiro's other girlfriend and take a bite out of his Life Points!"

"Not so fast, you overgrown bug!" Ryushiro shouted. "I activate 'Curse of the Hexagram'! It stops your insect in its tracks, freezes it in that position and docks its Attack points by 700!" Mana sighed with relief as the spider froze, reared up on its back four legs and screeched as the ring appeared around its thorax, decreasing its strength.

Desperate, Koji panicked and made a rookie mistake. "I end my turn! No wait! I-"

"Too late! Your turn's over!" Ryushiro interrupted, seizing his chance. "Joey! Attack his Ladybug! Mana, attack that Spider! So long, Nagumo!"

Joey happily dispatched the bug that had destroyed his friend and fellow Guardian, and Mana almost enjoyed slicing a 'Black Burning' attack at the source of her phobia. As both Ka screeched and exploded, Koji was gripped by the same red light that had taken Umbra, and the Shadow Hunter dissolved into the ground. As all of this transpired, Seto looked at one of his magic cards and recited the spell written there. A shower of gold sparks fell from the sky and Isis reappeared in a ball of golden light.

Mana gasped in delight as her friend got to her feet and nearly tackled the taller Guardian in a hug. Joey grinned at Ryushiro, and the Dragon Prince shook the warrior's hand in thanks. Suddenly the ground began to shake and the giant spiderweb vanished, leaving room for a monstrous structure to rise out of the ground. An emerald hedge of bushes grew from the recently restored grassland, and fruit and nut trees of every kind sprang up within the hedge in seconds.

"It's- a garden." Ryushiro realized as a gateway in the hedge appeared in front of him. He lightly touched the handle on the golden gate, and it swung open noiselessly of its own accord. Mana floated in ahead of him, then stopped at the base of the center tree- whose trunk was at least fifty feet in diameter. She raised her wand to the heavens, and an odd, silvery object fell from the branches of the tree and bounced to Ryushiro's feet. He bent down and picked it up, then- realizing what it was- strapped the piece of armor to his left shoulder. It was his other pauldron. Now he had both shoulder-plates.

A few seconds after equipping the piece, the four companions heard a chorus of howls from nearby packs of 'Flower Wolf' and 'Silver Fang', and they realized that night had fallen. "Do not worry. 'Eden's Garden' is a sacred shrine. Nothing will attack here, not while its Guardian is present." Mana assured, and Joey rather reluctantly sheathed his blade. Then Mana nodded to Isis, and the two Guardians combined their power and conjured four sleeping bags and pillows for themselves and their companions. However, Joey refused his, saying, "I get da firs’ watch."

Ryushiro didn't argue, knowing that he was already exhausted after today's events. He removed his armor, placed it near him, then slid into the dark-blue sleeping bag. Two Guardians in one day. Not bad. Only nineteen more to go- He thought with a sigh. And it'll only get harder from here. As sleep overtook him, his thoughts strayed to his brother. Mokuba, be safe.

Chapter 4: Fire and Water

Chapter Text

Clang! Clang! Clang! "Rise an' shine, Sleepyheads! C’mon, up an' at 'em!" Joey called, banging a wooden spoon against a skillet. Mana and Ryushiro groaned, but Isis was already up, reciting her morning prayer. Ryushiro sat up and rubbed his eyes, then stifled a yawn as he looked around. "Unnh. Joey-" He complained, "It's the break of dawn. Five more minutes-" He muttered as he flopped back down.

"Wat am I, yer Ma? C’mon! Up! I made fruit scones!" Joey teased in a sing-song voice. "You made what?" Ryushiro asked, still half-asleep.

"I used some fruit an' nuts from dis Garden, mashed da acorns inta flour, got water from Isis' Fountain, an' I made scones! Y’know, kinda like fruit biscuits? Thought dey might come in handy on our quest." Joey explained as he tossed one to his friend. Ryushiro nodded in thanks, then bit off a corner. Beside him, Joey did the same. "Hmm. Could use a li'l sugar-" He commented with his mouth full.

On Ryushiro's other side, Mana still hadn't woken up. "Sousho-sama- no-" She muttered, and Ryushiro guessed that she was having a nightmare about Black Magician. Or Mahaad. He gently shook her shoulder and whispered, "Mana. Wake up. It's just a dream. Come on, Joey made us breakfast."

That woke her up. Her emerald eyes snapped open, and she sniffed appreciatively and turned to her blond friend. "Mmm! That smells delicious!"

Joey tossed her an apple scone and took a mock bow. "Why, tank ya, miss! Jus' call me 'Chef Blaze'!" He laughed as he took a scone to Isis, who had just finished her prayer. Then Hono no Kenshi started packing the rest into a huge sack. "I did da math las' night, an' I made enough scones ta last us da whole trip aroun’ da Dominion. I factored in each Guardian, an' I made some a’ every type a’ fruit dat was here. Dese should last us 'til we get back ta da Castle!" Joey stated with a grin, obviously pleased with himself. Ryushiro smiled as well, then he rolled up his sleeping bag and pillow and Mana stored it in a small pocket dimension that she’d created long ago. Joey carefully put the sack of scones through the portal as well, glad that he wouldn't have to carry them all the way. Plus, time didn’t flow in that pocket dimension, so those scones would stay fresh forever. That was definitely a bonus.

[I put the scones in for the sole reason that I’ve been craving one for forever now. Anyone got a good recipe? 😅]

When everyone was ready, the four friends left the sacred Garden and journeyed east into the sunrise. Ryushiro took one last look back at the enchanted Eden and gasped at what he saw. "What is it, my Prince?" Isis asked in concern.

"The- the forest! How- how’d it grow back so quickly?" Ryushiro stammered, shocked by the sight before him. Thick green trees of all widths and heights stood like a wooden barrier between the Garden and the Fountain, partially blocking the view of the Castle.

"Oh, that is easy!" Mana laughed, waving her hand. "It is one of the effects of the Water of Life. Since you restored the Fountain, everything will grow back twice as fast until our land is returned to its former glory."

"So this is where Ponce de Leon's 'Fountain of Youth' was! Heh. No wonder he never found it." Ryushiro realized. At Mana and Joey's confused look, he explained, "He was a Spanish conquistador that went searching for the Fountain of Youth in the late 1400s and never returned. He was from my world. He believed that the water from the Fountain would grant eternal youth to the drinker."

"Oh, I see!" Mana exclaimed, now understanding. "Well, he was partially right. Our Fountain does work that way, but the 'eternal youth' is only granted to Ka. It does not work on humans." She explained, smiling sadly at her friend Ryushiro, who was only human. What she didn't know was that his body and spirit were fused with that of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

"Mana? I- I have another question. This is a hypothetical scenario, but- say a human was somehow fused with a Ka- body and soul- and retained some of the qualities of both. How would the water from the Fountain affect them?" Ryushiro asked, a little apprehensive concerning her answer.

"Hmm. I am not sure about that one. Maybe you should ask Holy Elf. If she does not know, my teacher surely will. He knows just about everything about our Realm. If anyone could answer your question, it most certainly would be him." Mana replied, pride shining in her eyes as she thought of her Dark Magic master. Ryushiro nodded, then they continued on.

Ryushiro and Mana hadn't been paying much attention to the scenery as they walked, so engrossed were they in their conversation. But now as they looked around, the two saw that Joey had led them to the base of an active volcano. The pyrotechnic monstrosity was spewing a column of fire into the sky, turning it red with heat and grayish-black with ash and soot. Joey took a deep breath in through his nose and sighed, "Ahh. Home, sweet home." At his friend's quizzical looks, he answered, "Wat? Dis is da Fire shrine, Fire Mountain. It's perfectly safe fer everyone most a’ da time, 'cept fer now, obviously. Follow me closely, guys. I'll lead us safely through da lava flows." With that, he lithely hopped over a small rivulet of molten rock.

About an hour later, the group had reached a point where they could climb no higher, yet they were far from the rim. "I know it's aroun’ here somewhere-" Joey muttered to himself, closely inspecting the featureless rock wall in front of him. "Aha! Found it!" He declared, and pressed in a flame-shaped stone that was slightly redder than the rest. An untrained eye would never have been able to spot it, and Ryushiro surmised that the Guardian had used it hundreds- if not thousands- of times in his long lifetime. As soon as the button had been pressed, a door-shaped section of the rock wall split in half and slid open with a low grinding noise. "C’mon in, guys! It's safe, I promise! Nice n' warm, too!" Joey encouraged, running through the doorway. Ryushiro, Isis and Mana followed and the doors ground shut behind them, plunging the group into darkness.

"You're not as bright as I thought you were, 'Ryushiro'. Then again, both of your opponents so far weren't the sharpest tools in the shed, either." An evil, familiar voice chuckled in the darkness. "However, I think that you will find that I am far superior to them, in both intelligence and skill." The voice continued, contempt and hatred permeating the ash-ridden air like a smog.

"I know that voice from somewhere-" Ryushiro muttered to himself so that only he and his friends could hear, and then quieter, "Who do I know that talks in a formal manner like that?"

Suddenly a speck of light appeared to Joey's right, then started growing bigger as it drew closer to the group. Joey was the first to recognize it. "Hey! It's a 'Sting'! I'd wondered where all da FIRE-attribute Ka disappeared to!" The small flaming ball hovered next to Joey for a bit, drifted over to their robed opponent, then drifted back, communicating in a strange dialect all the while. "Wat? [Pause] No! [Pause] He didn't! [Pause] Oh, dat's it!" Joey stated, sudden anger burning in his brown eyes- which looked almost orange now. Turning back to the group, Joey explained, still seething, "Dat creep extinguished almos’ all da FIRE-attribute an' Pyro-type Ka dat lived in dis volcano! Dis 'Sting' is da only one dat survived!"

Ryushiro gasped in horror, and the flaming orb Ka nodded sadly. The masked Shadow Hunter answered smugly, "I don't deny it. It was far too stuffy in here for my tastes. However, that candle-flame is not entirely correct. I merely snuffed out those monsters that refused to serve me. Those who agreed still burn brightly in my deck." The Shadow Hunter patted his pocket so that the hero and Guardians could see. "Pardon the puns." He snickered.

"I'll make ya pay fer dis, ya snake!" Joey shouted, drawing his sword from his back. Looking expectantly at Ryushiro, the Guardian waited for his duelist to set the terms and conditions for the battle. It was a known law that Ka were forbidden from harming humans- even if provoked- outside of a duel. Ryushiro nodded back, then called, "We'll play according to Battle City rules, at 2000 Life Points each. Sound fair?"

"Fine with me, shachou-sama." The masked Hunter grinned, finally removing his hood and face mask.

"Johnson! I knew I recognized that oily voice from somewhere. But how’d you get out of the VR world? I thought Noah destroyed it!" Ryushiro asked, puzzled at Kaibacorp.'s former lawyer's return to the physical world.

"The same way Gozaburo-sama did, by means of the arcane. But that's not important right now. Once I defeat you, the Shadow King will sentence you to a place from which there is no escape!" Johnson laughed, throwing off his black cape and activating his Dark Disk. "I shall go first, with your permission, shachou." He sneered with a sarcastic bow, drawing five cards from his deck. "I call 'Demon-Equipped Knight Dragoness' [1200/900] to the stand by tributing the necessary two monsters from my hand. End turn." He stated, raising an eyebrow at Ryushiro and adjusting his glasses.

"My turn! I summon Joey [1800/1600] in Attack mode! Joey, attack his 'Dragoness' with 'Flame Strike'!" Ryushiro called, pointing at Johnson's fusion Ka.

Joey was only too happy to oblige. With one diagonal slash of his sword, Dragoness was rent from the right shoulder to the left hip and disappeared into the Graveyard. Red-orange flames were dancing all around Joey's blade, and Ryushiro noticed that it had grown slightly hotter in the volcano- as if Johnson's Life Points were connected to the temperature of the shrine. The lower his Life Points dropped, the higher the temperature rose. Johnson growled as his Life Points decreased to 1400, then drew a card from his deck and added it to his hand. "I sacrifice two witnesses, 'Watchman of the Underworld' [1000/1200] and 'Guardian of the Throne' [800/1500] to summon the prosecution, 'Magic Knight Giltia'! [1850/1500]" Two shadows of Ka appeared for a moment, then faded as their cards were sent to the Graveyard. In their place stood a blond knight garbed in blue and green armor and wielding a large staff. "I think I shall let the defendant 'sweat' a little before I pass judgment. End turn." Johnson chuckled, clearly enjoying what he thought was Ryushiro's discomfort, but in reality was merely impatience.

Ryushiro rolled his eyes at the courtroom labels, then answered, "My turn. I summon Isis [100/2000] in Defense Mode." He looked back at the Guardian, who smiled, nodded, then knelt down in front of him and began to pray. "And I set one facedown. End turn."

"Ha! I thought the first instance was a joke, but it appears that you have actually named your monsters! I thought such childish actions were better suited for the brat, not the president, Seto-sama." Johnson laughed, and Seto merely frowned back in silence. "You call them your friends? Ha! You didn't even trust them with your real name! Giltia, attack the defendant's swordsman and lower his duelist's energy!" He continued, ordering his Ka to destroy Joey.

As Giltia charged forward, Joey looked back at his duelist with a wounded expression, his pain-filled eyes clearly asking, Is dat true? The hurt eyes were the last thing Seto saw before Joey was eliminated and sent to the Graveyard. The loss of 50 Life Points hardly affected the Dragon Warrior, even though the pain was akin to a knife wound. I'm sorry- Joey. I should’ve told you. It was selfish and pointless anyway. Everyone knows who I am. There's no point in hiding it. With a bit of moisture collecting in his eyes, he turned to Mana, who looked up. "I'm sorry, Mana, Isis. I should’ve told you the truth from the beginning."

"Objection! The prosecution does not rest yet, defendant! The honorable Judge Johnson dismisses Giltia and calls 'Big Bang Dragon' [2200/1700] to the stand!" Giltia bowed his head as he was sacrificed, a look of apology in his eyes as he looked at his opponents for the last time. Seto realized that the Ka hadn't wanted to destroy Joey, but had had no choice in the matter. As the new double dragon growled at its weaker, defensive opponent, its commander stated, "Now the prosecution rests. The defense will now present its next argument." Johnson taunted confidently.

"Gladly. I activate 'Resurrection of the Dead' and bring back my friend Joey!" Seto answered, revealing his face-down card. The Guardian reappeared on Seto’s left, curled on his side in a fetal position. Looking around, he got to his feet, dusted himself off and drew his fireblade once again. He was decidedly ignoring Seto, clearly still hurt over the deception. Seto averted his eyes and bit his bottom lip.

"Why would you bring back that useless monster? In case you haven't noticed, he's 400 Attack points short!" Johnson laughed, momentarily forgetting his 'courtroom jargon'.

"I'm not done yet. Isis?" Seto asked, turning to the kneeling elf. When she met his gaze, he nodded. "It's time." Holy Elf also nodded, and a beam of golden sparkles arced from her form and transferred to Joey, who stretched and flexed at the influx of power. To Johnson's dumbfounded expression, Seto explained, "In case you haven't noticed, Isis has been reciting a prayer this whole time. That prayer- or spell if you will- allows her to increase the Attack strength of any Ka by 500, and I chose Joey." Seto looked over at his friend and smiled, and Joey reciprocated with a smaller smile and a nod. "But that's not all." Seto continued. "To complete my strategy, I also activate the spell ‘Cost Down’ to summon Mana [2000/1700] in Attack Mode!" Mana floated between Isis and Joey and awarded each with a beaming smile of greeting. "Now Joey, destroy his Big Bang Dragon- and Mana, attack his Life Points directly!"

Joey nodded, dispatching the dragon with a jump slash. Mana frowned with grim determination, shooting a 'Black Burning' attack at her opponent. She really hated attacking humans, but- to save her world- it was a necessary evil. As Johnson faded away screaming like the others, the volcano grew nearly unbearably hot in a matter of seconds- the molten rock below the stone bridge glowing a golden shade of yellow. Sensing his friends' discomfort, Joey snapped his fingers. Immediately a barrier-dome appeared over the area and transparent tunnels surrounded the paths to four doorways out of the Shrine, one for each compass direction.

Now that light had returned to the volcano, Seto saw that he and his friends had entered through the west door, and that the eastern door had opened for them. Everyone followed the Guardian of Fire out of the volcano and stopped at the base to look at the peak. Seto saw that the column of flames had disappeared and that the sky was a natural topaz-blue once again. "Yup. Jus' as it should be." Joey remarked, then he walked east a few paces and sat on a boulder, facing away from the group.

Seto took a deep breath and sighed, then walked over to where his friend sat and stood just behind him. "Joey- I-" He began, not really knowing what to say. "I'm really no good at this. My stepfather taught me to never apologize, even when you're wrong. But- I'm s-sorry, Joey, everyone. It was stupid and selfish of me to keep my true identity a secret. I was only thinking of my own safety when I hid my name from you guys, and it was pointless anyway. Every one of our enemies knows my name. Please accept my poor excuse for an apology, and know that I am truly sorry." He finished lamely, bowing his head.

Isis and Mana nodded right away, forgiveness in their eyes. Joey didn't rise from his position or turn around, but after a minute he muttered, "Dat's okay, Ryushiro. I know why ya did it. I guess it jus’ takes a while fer you ta trust people. I understand. Sorry I reacted da way I did."

"Nah. That's only natural. I should've told you from the start. So- are we- friends- again?" Seto asked, holding out his hand. Joey turned around and stood up to face his duelist. Then he gripped his friend's forearm, and Seto did the same. "Friends." Joey agreed, smiling.

Seto smiled as well, relieved, and the two boys walked back to where the girls were standing. "Oh. One more ting. Dat Johnson creep seemed ta tink dat our names were jus' part of a joke. Why do ya call us by dose names, anyway?" Joey asked as the group re-formed, the girls wondering about the answer too.

"Because those are your real names. Every Guardian's soul is in fact a real person from my world. You can't remember that life because Keith erased your memories somehow. Once the Shadow King is defeated, it is my hope that everything will be normal again in the human world as well." Seto explained to the shock and surprise of his team. "That's why all of you have those strange nightmares and headaches from time to time. Your hearts remember a different life in my world, but your minds know only this life. It's- kinda hard to explain." He finished awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

Isis, Joey and Mana all nodded anyway, indicating that they understood. Suddenly the volcano began to rumble and Joey shouted, "Hit da dirt! She's gonna blow!" The four of them ducked and each curled into a ball to minimize the target. A large, white-hot piece of metal shot out of the summit of the volcano, then landed with unnatural precision squarely in the center of the traveler's circle.

"Wat's dis?" Joey asked after it had cooled, picking it up. "Oh. It's a piece a' yer armor, Ryushiro." He realized, handing it to its rightful owner. Seto took the piece, then equipped it to his back. It was his backplate. Now he had regained three pieces of his Dragon armor. "Ah- Joey? As you might have guessed, 'Ryushiro' isn't my real name. It's Kaiba. Seto Kaiba. You guys can call me Seto."

“Dat’s 'Seahorse', right? Eh, I liked 'White Dragon' better. Ah well. Nice ta meet ya Seto." Joey joked, holding out his hand in a mock-introduction. Seto smirked and shook his head, but played along and shook his friend's hand again. A thought suddenly occurring to him, Seto turned to his friend and imparted, “Actually, according to the mythology back home, all seahorses are supposed to be young dragons in another form. So, technically, both my cover name and real name are references to dragons.”

“Really?” Joey asked in surprise, then he grinned. “Heh. Guess ya really do learn sometin’ new ev’ry day.” Seto looked in the direction that the sun had risen and suggested, "Well, it looks like we're all done here. Let's continue on to the next Shrine."

"Sounds like a plan ta me, Kaiba!" Joey agreed enthusiastically, following his duelist and friend as the four adventurers journeyed ever east.

-Hours later-

After hours of walking, Mana's feet were beginning to hurt, but she didn't say anything about it. She didn't want to burden the Prince with such trivial matters as blisters. The sun blazed down on them from overhead, and Mana took her helmet off and started fanning herself with it. "Whew! Why is Ra in such a bad mood today? It is like he is scorching us on purpose!" She observed, glaring in the sun's general direction. "I mean, we are on his side. Do not get mad at us! We are trying to save the world!" She shouted into the sky.

"Yellin' at da sun. Dere's a bright idea-" Joey muttered to himself. Louder he said, "’Ey Kaiba, I tink BMG's got sunstroke. She's yellin' at da sky fer no reason!" Seto turned around and looked at the teenage magician. The Guardian was definitely showing signs of heatstroke, and was scowling at the ground now. "Hang in there, Mana. We're almost there, I can feel it." Seto assured, causing a small smile of relief to appear on Mana's face. In a moment of childishness that was quite uncharacteristic of her, Isis grinned, "Come on, Slowpoke! I will race you to the shore!" Then she took off, running ahead of Joey and Seto.

"Oh, you are on , Holy Elf!" Mana laughed, excited at the mention of a beach. Then she raced off into the distance as well. The boys followed at a slower pace, wanting to conserve their energy. At last they reached the beach, and the crystal clear waters gently lapped against the pristine white sands of the shore. At least, that was how the boys would’ve liked to describe it. Instead, garbage and junk littered the beach, and- when Joey inspected the waters- he found the normally clear liquid to be murky and tainted with pollution.

"Ew. Look at what those pigs did to this place. One used to be able to see the Undersea Temple from here. Now I can barely see five feet!" Mana stated angrily, outraged at what the Shadow Hunters had done to yet another part of her home.

"Well, there's only one way to fix this: defeat the Shadow Hunter and save the Guardian." Seto explained with a sigh- removing his armor, shirt and shoes and changing his pants into swim trunks with a quick spell. Then he buckled on his pauldrons and backplate. Better to have some protection than none at all. Mana, Isis and Joey gasped in dismay when they saw their friend's back, chest, arms and legs, but Seto just shrugged and waited for his companions to change as well. Mana ducked behind a huge boulder and reappeared a second later in a pink and blue one-piece swimsuit with a small pink skirt around her waist. Joey removed his helmet, then Seto changed his orange tasset to trunks. Joey then removed the rest of his armor and looked at Isis, who hadn't moved.

"Whatsa matter, Holy Elf? Not comin'?" Joey asked the Guardian.

"No, Hono no Kenshi. I- I shall stay behind and guard your belongings until your return. I wish you all a safe journey and good luck." Isis answered, slightly pink in the face with embarrassment.

"Why don't you come along, Isis? We could use your help." Seto kindly invited, but ‘Holy Elf' shook her head. Mana grinned impishly. "What is the matter? Shy about your swimsuit?" The spellcaster jokingly teased her fellow Guardian.

"No, it- it is not that." Isis answered with a red face. "I cannot swim." She muttered, drawing in the sand with her bare foot.

"Oh!" Mana reacted with surprise, not expecting her friend's answer. "Um-"

Isis smiled and waved her hand. "It is fine. I will stay behind and await your return. May Thoth* guide you and may Amen** smile upon you." She wished, kneeling down in a clear area of sand to pray. Her companions nodded, then waded into the water of the ocean and dove below the surface.

[god of wisdom/magic]

[goddess of victory]

Seto squinted as the murky saltwater stung his eyes, and- when he looked to his right- he saw that Joey and Mana were similarly afflicted. He concentrated his energy and summoned air pockets in front of his friends’ eyes so that they could see. Mana grinned her thanks at him, then cast the same spell for her Prince. Seto nodded in thanks, then the three continued to the Undersea Temple.

Just as Seto felt he was running out of air, he spotted the temple a few feet in front of him. He signaled to his friends, then pointed to the doorway a few feet below them. The trio landed on the stone bridge, then walked through the bubble-like portal. As soon as the three made it inside, they found that it was completely dry inside the temple. However, the travelers were still soaking wet from their swim. Joey dried his hair in the same way a dog would, shaking his head violently. Seto and Mana used spells to dry themselves off, then the three proceeded to the heart of the temple where they knew both the imprisoned Guardian and Shadow Hunter would be waiting.

When they entered the next room- the main part of the temple- a disturbing scene was playing out before their eyes. Braziers burned with greenish-blue flames on every column, and an enormous bonfire blazed in the center of the room- the driftwood stacked over a large fountain. A short man in a gray suit sat on a golden throne, and beside him on his right was chained a kneeling Ka slave that Seto recognized as 'King's Knight' [1600/1400]. The Guardian looked up as the three newcomers entered, but then returned his gaze to his captor- who had pulled the chain around his neck.

"Eyes on your master, slave!" The old man growled, brandishing a short whip in his left hand. The Guardian narrowed his eyes, but otherwise did not react to the threat. Seto, Mana and Joey glared at the Shadow Hunter, disgusted at his actions of enslaving a Ka, even a Guardian! "Akhenamkhanen." Seto breathed quietly, appalled that even a former pharaoh of Egypt was forced into slavery by the Shadow Hunters.

Atem's father lifted his head once again, shocked that anyone would address him directly. This simple action was followed by a single lash across the knight's shoulders, and a bark of command. "Well, don't just sit there, slave! Fetch something for our guests! I'm sure they are hungry after their long journey."

'King's Knight' stood slowly, then walked to the back wall and pulled a hidden lever. Almost at once, a fake wall sank into the floor, revealing a table adorned with a feast fit for a king. There were platters, plates and bowls full of various sea creatures prepared in an ornamental fashion. 'King's Knight' bowed his head and closed his blue eyes, and the three heroes knew that he had been forced to kill his fellow Ka to serve this Shadow Hunter.

"I appreciate your hospitality, 'King's Knight'-" Seto answered politely, trying to contain his anger and disgust and sympathizing with the enslaved Guardian. "-but my companions and I refuse to partake in the consumption of our fellow Ka." Joey and Mana nodded in agreement, but then glanced back at Seto in confusion for a moment, thinking, He considers himself a Ka? I thought he was human-

Akhenamkhanen nodded with something akin to approval in his eyes, then pulled the hidden lever again. "’Sides-" Joey added nervously, "-we already had breakfast an' lunch ‘fore we came down here. So we're good." Mana nodded, affirming her friend's statement.

After a moment, the masked hunter stood to his feet and began to pace around the room. "So." He sneered. "I suppose you're here to challenge me to a duel?" He scoffed as he approached Seto. Seto didn't move at all but continued to stare at the back wall, not meeting the Hunter's eyes. "The thing is, I kinda like it here in this position the King granted to me. So I refuse your challenge." He stated smugly, sitting back down in his stolen throne and crossing his legs.

"Rule-breaker! The law set down by the Creator of the Domain dictates that once a challenge is declared, it cannot be refused under any circ*mstance! You have no choice, usurper! A battle must be waged!" Mana shouted, surprising her companions with her knowledge and ferocity.

"Oh fine then!" Gansley growled back, removing his mask- then muttered under his breath, "Know-It-All." Mana simply frowned back at him, then readied her wand as her opponent activated his Dark Disk.

-Meanwhile-

"Where did that blasted kid leave it?" Keith roared in fury as he searched the Kaiba Mansion for the nth time. "There's only one other place it could be, seeing as that brat lied to me. Kaiba must have it somewhere with him. That's the only explanation. The question is, where would he have hidden it? It wasn't on him when we captured them, so he must’ve hidden it somewhere, a place no one would think to look-" The card shark was already in a bad mood. Three of his Hunters had already been defeated and the Guardians freed. Seto was regaining his draconian strength bit by bit, and by the time he faced him at the Castle again, he would be more powerful than ever-

No. He couldn't think that way. Victory is impossible if one considers all the ways one could fail. That overgrown albino lizard was no match for his power then, and Keith would only grow stronger over time. The Millennium Ring, Eye and Puzzle had granted him more power than he'd ever imagined, but it wasn't enough. He wanted more. He wanted complete control, wanted people to recognize him as the king he was. Once he'd exacted revenge on Marik for brainwashing and controlling him- and once he'd gotten rid of this new upstart, 'Ryushiro'- then he would be the supreme, all-powerful ruler of the Dominion of the Beasts, and his glorious reign would last for a thousand years, for he was the Millennium King of the Shadows!

At that moment, while Keith Howard was lost in his fantasies of the future, the deep-sea duel was approaching its crest. Both Dragon Prince and Shadow Hunter were down to their last 100 Life Points, at the end of a duel that had started at 4000. Joey was bravely defending Seto's Life Points, and Mana was awaiting an order to attack the Ka before her, 'Humanoid Drake' [2200/2000]. She and Joey had already defeated Gansley's 'Ghost Wall' [1000/1850] and his 'Octoberser' [1600/1400], but not before the latter had managed to strike Seto with one of his poisoned spears. The poison restricted the victim's ability to breathe, so Seto was having a difficult time issuing commands to his friends. On top of that, the wound hadn't stopped bleeding, and Seto needed to keep his right hand over his heart to stem the flow.

"Ac-activate Magic c-card." Seto whispered, barely able to speak the necessary words. "'Book of t-the Arcane'. It-"

"'It raises da Attack an' Defense strength a' any Spellcaster-Type Ka on da field by 300 points'." Joey interrupted, saving his friend the trouble of wasting precious air on the explanation. "Right?" He asked, looking back at his duelist. Seto nodded with a weak smile of thanks, then Mana glowed with a bright, multicolored light as the spellbook increased her strength. At a nod from her duelist, Mana shot a powerful 'Black Burning' attack at the slimy Fusion Ka, and the overflow of power struck Gansley in the chest- causing the old man to double over in pain as his remaining Life Points decreased to 0.

As soon as the corporate businessman disappeared, so did the bonfire over the fountain. Without the flames to cover it, the structure once again produced a stream of crystal clear water from its top. The shackles and chains that bound the 'King's Knight' also vanished, and the Guardian ran over to where Joey was supporting his liberator- who had lost consciousness from loss of blood and lack of oxygen. Akhenamkhanen immediately removed his cape, then bound it around Seto's wound- halting the flow of lifeblood at least for a time.

"We have to hurry. Holy Elf is waiting back up on shore. He won't last much longer down here." Mana worried, wringing her hands as Joey and Akhenamkhanen supported their unconscious duelist by his arms and carried him to the bubble-door. As soon as they left the temple, Mana conjured spheres of air around her companions' eyes and her own so they could see the way to the surface. Akhenamkhanen used a bit of his own Guardian magic to temporarily transform his armor into a pair of golden-yellow swimming trunks. Slowly the four made their way to the surface and the shore.

Two minutes later, Seto's wound had been completely healed and the poison had been removed from his body. However, he still wasn't breathing. Just then Mana's memory returned for a brief instant, and she asked sharply, "Does anyone know CPR besides me?" When her question was met with one head-shake* and two looks of confusion**, she sighed to herself, I guess it's up to me. With that, she plugged her friend's nose and breathed air into his lungs. Then she folded her hands into the proper position and started doing compressions, counting up to fifteen as she did so. On the fourth repetition of this process, Seto coughed and spat out a mouthful of water. When he was done, he laid down on his back with a weak "Thank you- Mana-" before falling unconscious again- this time from fatigue. The others decided to follow suit, as the sand was warm and the night was clear. The stars twinkled in the navy-blue sky and watched over the four sleeping Guardians and young Dragon Prince, the heroes resting until the dawn of a new day.

[Joey]

[Isis and Akhenamkhanen]

Chapter 5: The Warring Plains, part 1: Cirque d'Ésotérique

Chapter Text

Seto woke as the morning dawned, stretching his stiff arms and rolling up his sleeping bag. He glanced over at Joey- who had been sleeping right next to him- and chuckled a little at the Guardian’s comical sleeping position. Beside him, Mana slept soundly as well, dreaming of happy things- judging by the smile on her face. Looking around, Seto noticed that Isis and Akhenamkhanen were already awake- reciting a prayer and sharpening his blade with a whetstone respectively.

"Ah, you have awakened, my Prince." Akhenamkhanen whispered, not wanting to rouse their friends who were still asleep. Seto smiled at the royal Guardian, grateful for his help the day before. "I have been guarding something for you. It is time that I returned it." He remarked quietly, removing a piece of armor from his thigh that didn't quite match with his other armor. King's Knight gave the piece to Seto, who thanked him with a nod and equipped the cuisse to his left leg. Almost at once, a power surge coursed through the Dragon Warrior's body, and Seto knew that his strength had once again increased.

About an hour later, both Mana and Joey had woken up and everyone had finished breakfast. Seto tried a blueberry scone this time, impressed with his blond friend's culinary skills. After the group had packed up their campsite and stored their possessions in Mana's pocket dimension, they traveled toward the rising sun.

-A while later-

"A’ight! Ya may be da Hero dat's destined ta save da world, but yer gonna need some battle trainin' if ya wanna stand a chance against some a dese other Shadow Hunters." Joey remarked to Seto as he and the rest of the group continued eastward from the beach, journeying to the next area where the Guardians knew there were bound to be Shadow Hunters and imprisoned Guardians: the Warring Plains. This area had a reputation not unlike that of the Bermuda Triangle in the human world. Due to this, the travelers were a bit apprehensive about their next destination.

"How am I supposed to do that?" Seto asked his friend, shooting him a confused look. "I don't have a sword. Well, I did, but one of the Shadow Hunters has it now. Knowing my luck, it'll probably be one of the last pieces I recover."

"Don' sweat it, pal." Joey laughed. "We'll train wid wooden swords. I'm not too bad at whittling, so I'll make some trainin' blades fer us. If ya want, we can change our 'blades' inta real swords later on. But at da beginning we'll start wid wooden ones. Ya need some instruction in battle. An’ from wat I know a’ duelists, deir world don’ teach fencing anymore. Right?" Hono no Kenshi asked, turning to his friend.

Seto nodded. "That's true. Most of the world doesn't know the ways of the sword. But I had a few fencing lessons when I was growing up. Our stepfather wanted his successor to be well-versed in all aspects of life: artistic, athletic, academic, as well as business. I know the basics, but I'm sure I'll need more instruction than that. I would be honored if you would teach me." He answered, bowing.

"A'ight! Let's get started den!" Joey finished, tossing a fake blade to Seto. The Prince caught it reflexively with his left hand and the two warriors began their mock battle; one gauging the other's skill, the other trying to glean as much as he could from his sparring partner's movements. Mana, Isis and Akhenamkhanen watched in awed interest as the two warriors displayed their skills with the wooden weapons. The boys continued to dodge, parry and swing at each other's blades for hours, and couldn't help showing off just a little to their captive audience.

-Around midday-

The two warriors finished their sparring session and continued traveling east to the plains. "Nice work, Kaiba." Joey praised as they walked. "I can tell ya got talent. Wid a li'l practice- 'cuz yer kinda rusty- I'm sure ya could defeat almos’ any one a’ dese Shadow Hunters. Soon you'll be good enough ta take on da Shadow King an' kick his sorry tail!" Hono no Kenshi laughed, clapping his friend on the shoulder and pushing him forward several feet once again.

-After a few moments-

"So how far exactly do we have to walk, Joey?" Seto asked the blond Guardian. The five had been walking toward the direction from which the sun rose, but they could see nothing but darkness, a darkness so thick that it seemed almost solid.

"Eh, I'm not exac’ly sure. I know da Plains ’re around ‘ere somewhere, but I can't see squat through dis darkness. 'S like someone cast a 'Darkness' field spell over da whole place." Joey answered, removing his helmet and scratching his head, confusion his most prominent emotion at the moment.

"Fear not, my companions." Akhenamkhanen interjected, causing everyone to turn around and look at him. "We are surely headed to the Warring Plains, and it is not too far now. However, we must be on our guard. Many of the Warrior-type Ka reside here, as well as thieves and other disreputable beings. The Warriors only recognize strength as the final authority, no matter how much of an eloquent leader one might be. I feel that we will remain here for a while, before we are able to continue in our quest."

Seto nodded, turning back to look at the wall of darkness that loomed before them through the narrow mountain pass just ahead. If that's the case, then Mana and Isis won't be much help in this land. Akhenamkhanen and Joey are both Warrior-type Ka- I think- and I'm a duelist. These Ka should listen to me- Seto thought to himself as he considered the former pharaoh's words. Still, I wonder what's causing this darkness. It's barely four hours past noon, and the sun is still above the western horizon. What's going on? He continued musing to himself as he and his allies ventured forward through the pass and into the anomalous blackness.

As the Dragon Prince stepped onto the Warring Plains, he couldn't believe the scene before his eyes. The area was swarming with Shadow Hunters- some robed and masked, some not- but all looking like they were enjoying themselves in some twisted pleasure, crowded around fenced areas that were confining some unidentified beasts. Large tents made of various multicolored fabrics dotted the landscape, and chained Ka outfitted in ridiculous costumes were being forced to cartwheel around and basically act like total buffoons. As the five travelers entered the encampment, a shackled 'Darkness Clown Peten' [500/1200] greeted them with a bow and sweep of his ostentatious hat- just as he would normally when summoned into battle. But Seto could tell that the Ka's heart was not in the greeting. As if to prove this, two shining tears ran down the masked clown's face and Seto put a sympathetic hand on the entertainer's shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll put a stop to this." The Prince whispered to the bound Ka. As the group entered the circus, Peten's eyes glimmered with an emotion he'd not felt in a long time: Hope.

The five travelers made their way to the center tent, where they expected to find the next Guardian. Seto was surprised that none of the Shadow Hunters had noticed and apprehended them yet, but- when he looked back at Mana- he answered his own question. Her staff was glowing with a faint pink light, and Seto noticed that he and the others appeared somewhat transparent. She must be casting an invisibility spell over us. Good thinking, Mana! He praised. As they passed the fenced-in corrals and the Ka trapped inside them, Seto grimaced in disgust and pity. The things the Ka were forced to do to entertain these- Seto couldn't even think of a fitting name to call the Shadow Hunters, so great was their depravity.

Finally they reached the centermost tent, and Seto assumed one of his many masks to hide his true emotions. A tumultuous roar of male and female voices rang out from all around the Big Top, and Seto was faced with a crowd larger than any he'd ever seen. The hooded, robed and masked spectators cheered and pointed up toward the apex of the tent. Seto glanced upward and saw a young woman in a ringmaster's outfit walking on her hands on a tightrope half a mile above the ground. The woman wore a red top hat and a green-and-black harlequin over her face. She had long purple hair that was pulled back into a ponytail, and her suit was red. Have I seen this performer before? She seems familiar- Seto thought to himself as he studied the masked acrobat.

Suddenly the woman in question flipped onto her feet and stood on the rope to survey her audience. When she spotted the newcomers, she grinned. Ah, fresh meat. Out loud she called, "It appears we have a few new guests! Welcome to 'Cirque d'Ésotérique'! I am Pandora, your Mistress of Ceremonies. Allow me to greet you properly!" With that she flipped off the high wire, somersaulted, then swung down the flying trapeze and rings to land with inhuman grace in the center ring- not one hair out of place.

[Rather like Captain Amelia in 'Treasure Planet'.]

"Whoa." A surprised Mana muttered to herself, impressed by the strange woman's flexibility. Beside her, a wide-eyed Joey nodded- too dumbfounded to speak. The ringmistress held out her right hand in greeting, and a skeptical Seto shook it- not expecting such politeness from an elite Shadow Huntress.

"Allow me to introduce my handsome assistant, ‘Black Magician' [2500/2100]!" Pandora called, gesturing grandly to a doorway behind her- out of which walked Mana's Dark Magic teacher, his blue eyes cold, lifeless and hard- devoid of any emotion whatsoever. "Sousho-sama-" Mana gasped as Mahaad took his place at the right hand of the Shadow Huntress, refusing to believe what she was seeing. Black Magician had heard her gasp, but no sign of recognition sparked in his eyes as he surveyed his former student and her companions. He turned his blank gaze to his mistress, who gave him a single signal in the form of a nod. Mahaad nodded and bowed once in understanding, then left through the doorway from which he came.

"What have you done to him?" Mana cried, shouting at the smirking ringmistress. "What happened to my master? Answer me!" She screamed, flying at the performer in a rage. Seto stopped her as she flew past him, putting a restraining hand on her shoulder. "Calm down. We all know how you feel. If you attack, you'd be playing right into her hands." At his words, Mana landed softly on the ground and bowed her head in submission, knowing that the Prince was right.

"Aw, what a pity." groused the acrobat. "I was really hoping for a volunteer for my next trick. Ah well. I suppose my assistant would be more than willing to participate." She smirked and clapped her hands twice, sending a secret signal to her associates behind the scenes. A pack of 'Dream Pierrot' and 'Murder Circus' Ka flipped and jumped out of the doorway behind her, pulling and pushing a sarcophagus-shaped box that was supported in an upright position with chains and steel rods. Seto recognized it as the trap card 'Black Magic Revival Casket'. What's she planning to do with that? He wondered to himself. Behind the sarcophagus, more devices made their way to the center of the arena- all of them looking like instruments of torture.

"And now- the moment you've all been waiting for- the main attraction: 'The Tragedy of Ryushiro'! This will be my opponent's greatest and final masterpiece on the stage of his life! Bring out the 'Wheel of Torture'!" Pandora cried, throwing her hands up in the air. As if on cue, the audience started clapping, stomping and chanting as if to a drumbeat: "Wheel of Torture! Wheel of Torture! Wheel of Torture!" Mahaad emerged from the back doorway- pushing a giant multicolored wheel to the center ring- then he untied it and set it up, displaying it for the crowd and heroes to see. Then he walked up to his slaver and stood at her side, his arms folded behind his back.

The Wheel was decorated with nine pie pieces, all depicting some type of torture method. From what Seto could see of the Wheel, the methods were the spell card 'Ectoplasmer', the trap card 'Tragedy of the Guillotine', the trap card 'Chain-Attached Boomerang', the spell card 'Magic Box of Death', the trap card 'Nightmare Cross', a strange rack that looked like it stretched its victim until they were pulled apart, the spell card 'Thousand Knife', and the last one depicted a picture of a 'Leogun' attacking a 'Beast Tamer' Ka.

"Thank you, my assistant." Pandora purred, and the magician nodded humbly. She then summoned a Dark Disk out of thin air and slid her deck into the appropriate slot. Seto looked to his left and right and nodded to his companions to prepare themselves for the impending battle.

"We'll start at 4000 Life Points each and play according to Battle City rules. Sound fair?" Seto called to his opponent, knowing the painful consequences of his proposal.

"Sure. Why not?" Pandora laughed, activating her Duel Disk. "Let's duel!"

Just as the duel started, Black Magician disappeared from sight with a startled look of confusion- despite the spell he was under. "Hey! What happened to my master? He's gone!" Mana cried, searching frantically for the other magician.

"Oh don't worry. You'll see him soon enough, my friend." Pandora laughed. Then she drew a card from her hand and set it on her Dark Disk. "I summon 'Murder Circus’ [1350/1400] in Attack mode! Which- incidentally- is just what I’m gonna do to you, Ryushiro! Come on out, my clown!" The nightmarish Ka that appeared was beyond description, even though 'a rotund humanoid creature balancing on a ball while brandishing a baton' was as close as Seto could get in his mind. "And now I will set a face-down card to protect my servant. Your move, Kaiba!"

Seto called forward the newest addition to his ever-expanding group of friends- 'King's Knight' [1600/1400]- in Attack mode. Akhenamkhanen was vastly superior to Pandora's clown, but her face-down card proved an incalculable risk for the Guardian.

As if she had read his mind, Pandora gloated, "Go ahead, strike down my monster! Those who cannot defend their monsters do not deserve them. Come, let me show you that I am worthy!"

"You're just trying to scare me, but I'm not buying it." Seto stated confidently, rolling his eyes.

"The mind of a magician is unknowable-" She retaliated with a hiss, the corners of her mouth drawn up in the fiendish grin of a woman who had traded away her soul and sanity in exchange for power.

"Sorry guys, but I can't take this risk and possibly allow you to be destroyed while I don't have ‘Resurrection of the Dead’ in my hand.” He apologized to his companions. “I end my turn by placing one face-down card on the field!" Seto muttered, reciting the necessary spell to summon the card image in front of him.

Pandora threw her head back in a fit of maniacal laughter, devoid of any of the feminine grace she had displayed on the high wire. "I knew that sense of obligation toward your monsters would keep you from attacking. Now it's my turn, and I will show you exactly what these pathetic monsters are good for! They're not to be treated with kindness, but used as weapons! In a game of ‘Duel Monsters’, the duelist holds all the power. Power is not a shield that protects the weak, but a weapon that only those who are worthy may wield!"

"Now you're sounding like that magician, Arkana. He too only thought of his Ka as disposable tools. Which did not end well for him, as I recall." Seto mused aloud.

For the first time since they had entered the tent, Pandora's smile withered and what little of her face that was visible below the mask turned a ghostly white. "You dare to mention him in my presence?" She whispered in disbelief, her voice increasing in volume as she spoke. "You of all people, you, Seto Kaiba- You who knows better than anyone else that it was your accursed tournament that set the stage for his death- you dare speak ill of him in front of his only sister?"

For a moment, everyone stood still in complete shock. "His sister-" Isis repeated, stunned by the revelation.

After a few more seconds, Seto tried to explain the true story of Arkana to Pandora. Apparently the magician had spent all those months of plotting his revenge on Marik in hiding, without contacting his family or anyone else he knew. Much had happened since then. After Marik's defeat in the ruins of Sodom, Kaibacorp. had paid for state-of-the-art plastic surgery to restore Arkana's face, and after that he had traveled all the way back to Europe- where he had planned to apologize to the love of his life*. But all of that had happened after Pandora had joined forces with 'Bandit' Keith Howard and his gang, which had left her brother with no choice but to set off for France without telling his sister. Pandora, alas, did not believe Seto. The hatred she felt- which had grown and festered for so long- left her blind to reason. In her eyes, only the death of those responsible could quench her thirst for destruction at this point.

[See ‘Brothers in Time’]

Pandora continued the game by switching her 'Murder Circus' into Defense mode, forcing Seto to return 'King's Knight' to the waiting area behind him- leaving him open to a direct attack. "While my Clown remains in Defense mode, another artist shall take the center stage- come on out, 'Djinn Death-Satan' [1400/1300]! His monster is gone, now deliver the pain!" The tuxedo-clad fiend struck with precision, and 1400 of Seto’s Life Points ticked away. Ugh, now I hate that phantom even more. Seto thought in pain as his life energy twisted itself out of his back.

As Seto's Life Points decreased, the Wheel of Torture began to spin, finally landing on choice number four, the 'Magic Box of Death'. All of a sudden, Mahaad reappeared from Limbo- just in time to float back into a tall box with doors marked with question marks. Seto had seen this trick many times before, and he knew that Mahaad would be all right. However, one thing still bothered him. What is he replacing himself with? His question was soon answered for him as double-edged swords rained down from the air, drove themselves through the box and stuck out the other end- red lifeblood staining their tips and shafts. Through the box, all who were present could hear the Guardian's muted cry of pain, and the Ka shattered and was sent to the Graveyard as the Magic Box disappeared into nothingness.

"What have you done to him?!" Mana cried, horrified at what she had just seen and heard. The audience of Shadow Hunters cheered and applauded at the tortuous display, and Pandora took a bow. "Oh don't worry, he's fine." Pandora smirked to the irate spellcaster, then announced to her audience, "Now if I may direct your attention to this ornate sarcophagus, my handsome assistant will return from beyond the mortal coil! Come on out, Black Magician!"

Just as she said, the sarcophagus opened and Mahaad returned to hover by his slaver's side as if nothing had happened. However, Seto could see that the magician was watching his enslaver with distrust and pain behind his turquoise eyes, clearly questioning her sanity.

Seto was far from beaten, however. He had deduced by now that his opponent's face-down card was most likely nothing more than a feint, and Seto Kaiba had never been afraid of a simple decoy. He used his 'Cost Down' spell card in order to summon Joey [1800/1600] in Attack mode without having to offer one of his friends as a tribute. Pandora's Ka were clearly outclassed, and a mighty swipe of Joey's burning blade turned her 'Djinn Death-Satan' and 400 of her Life Points to ashes. As her Life Points decreased, so too did her life energy- and purple sparkling threads twisted out of her back and floated up to the top of the tent.

Despite Seto's momentary victory, Pandora quickly managed to turn the tide of the game on her next turn. By playing 'Cross Soul', she sacrificed her rival's 'Hono no Kenshi' along with her own 'Murder Circus' in order to bring forth her best Ka. "And now it is time to dispose of these pathetic monsters! Phantoms and clowns are beneath me. I prefer to perform alongside true professionals- like him: the real 'Black Magician'!" Seto could only watch helplessly as one of his best friends was dragged down into the Graveyard, his life sacrificed to summon the powerful spellcaster.

The man that appeared from Pandora's card certainly resembled Mahaad in his attire, but was garbed in dark red instead of purple. His long, straight hair was a light gray, and his eyes were dark blue. He was quite a bit more tanned than his brother Black Magician, and he appeared to have black scars* under his eyes- not unlike Seto's dark side once had.

[Or perhaps they were lined with kohl. You never know. 🤷♀️]

"Since I played 'Cross Soul', I am not allowed to mount an attack just yet. It doesn't matter, though. I've been observing your progress through this world- four monsters, that's all you've got! And none of them can match my Black Magician! You cannot win. Ah, revenge tastes so sweet. ‘The troupe is ready, the stage is set, we're here to dance the dance of death’." Pandora singsonged as she ended her turn.

"Spare us your ramblings, Pandora. I know how you felt when you thought you'd lost your brother forever. I have a brother myself, and he's waiting for me to rescue him as we speak. But what you lived through does not make up for your blatant sadism and cruelty. You threw away your own humanity for revenge. That's just pathetic." Seto explained coldly. "And that’s why you're going to lose. For what you’ve done to my friends, much shall be avenged this turn! First I play 'Resurrection of the Dead' to bring back my friend Joey in Attack mode, and then I’ll play my Spell card 'Devil's Sanctuary'! It summons a token, which I will tribute immediately to activate my face-down card 'Enemy Controller'!"

"NOOOO!" Pandora screeched, but to no avail- her Ka was taken from her, leaving her completely defenseless.

"Now, Joey! Red Black Magician! Attack this phony performer and end this duel!" Seto called. Joey was only too happy to oblige, and Pandora fell to his 'Flame Strike' and her own Black Magician's 'Black Magic' attack.

"No! How could I lose like this?" Pandora shrieked as her Life Points ticked down to zero. "It's impossible!"

"You know what they say, Pandora. 'A magician never reveals his secrets'!" Seto answered, raising an eyebrow at the gibbering duelist. Beside him, Mahaad reappeared and wagged his index finger at the ringmistress- just as he had once to Seto so long ago in Duelist Kingdom. As the defeated Shadow Huntress disappeared in the shaft of red light, the throngs of spectators crowded around the group of six heroes- intending to subdue and capture them. Thinking quickly, Mahaad cast a 'Absolute Nonaggression Area' trap shield over himself and his liberators, and the group left the tent to the outside world.

As soon as they stepped outside, the Big Top tent vanished like a mirage in the desert- and in its place stood an impressive looking temple that Seto instinctively knew was dedicated to the study of Dark Magic. A dark aura that resembled the 'Darkness' field spell card surrounded it, but it did not appear menacing like it had before. "My friends, I thank you." Mahaad expressed, relief in his turquoise eyes. "Not only have you freed me from the Shadow Huntress’ curse, you have also restored my sacred Academy of Dark Magic. I am forever in your debt, my Prince." The spellcaster bowed and knelt on one knee before his duelist. Seto nodded and indicated that it was nothing.

"Sousho-sama-?" Mana breathed as soon as Mahaad got to his feet. Glancing at his former student, Mahaad smiled and allowed her to embrace him in a hug. Tears of joy ran down from the female magician's emerald eyes, and Mahaad had to wipe away a few of his own. "Thank you, Black Magician Girl." He stated simply, returning the embrace.

After a few minutes, the travelers had reached the edge of the fairgrounds and Peten bowed low to them with a flourish- removing his hat in respect and thanks to the Dragon Prince. Seto nodded again with a small smile, and the clown laughed and flipped backwards into thin air. "I guess he an' his friends 're free now. Nice work, Kaiba!" Joey surmised, putting a comradely hand on Seto's shoulder.

Just then- as the six friends looked to the east- the sun rose from beyond the mountains and from somewhere far away, a ‘Koke’ could be heard crowing- greeting the morning. Behind them, the Academy of Dark Magic shimmered and vanished as the darkness fled. Mana gasped as her teacher's shrine/school disappeared, but Mahaad smiled calmly. "Do not worry. My Academy only appears on the physical plane on the night of the new moon. It will appear again when the moon grows dark."

Their fears assuaged, the company decided to rest for a few hours before continuing on. As the Guardians sat down to rest for a while, Mahaad removed a silvery piece of armor from his right leg and handed it to Seto. Now the Dragon Prince had both his left and right cuisse, which left sixteen more pieces to reclaim. After their rest, the heroes would turn north to their next destination, the Colosseum.

Chapter 6: The Warring Plains, part 2: The Golden Colosseum

Chapter Text

"Where could mister Kaiba and master Mokuba have gone?" Roland agonized to himself as he paced from one end of the foyer to the other. "They have been missing for nearly a week! I fear they have been captured like all those other poor souls." He worried, dabbing at his temple with a white handkerchief. "Masters Seth and Noah and Miss Kisara have not returned either. Oh- oh dear me-" The man moaned as he continued his frantic pacing. Just then the telephone rang, causing the Head of Security to jump three feet in the air. He quickly recovered, then answered the communications device.

"Hello? This is the 'Kaiba' residence, Isono Roland speaking."

"Oh, hi. This is Malik Ishtar. I'm glad I finally reached you." Malik replied, sighing in relief. "You're Kaiba's bodyguard, right? Could you tell me where he is? I really need to talk to him. It's about his brothers and sister."

"I wish I could tell you, but I don't know where Mr. Kaiba is either. He and master Mokuba just- vanished without a trace five days ago." Roland answered, silent tears flowing from behind his black sunglasses. "What is your news concerning master Seth and the others?" The worried bodyguard demanded, fearing the worst.

"Well, I wish I could tell you more." Malik sighed. "My family and I were supposed to meet them at the Great Sphinx to tour the pyramids, but they never showed up. Did they return to Domino without telling anybody or something?- Hello? Is anyone there?"

"Hello? Mr. Roland? Hello?" The phone was swinging from the receiver by its cord, where it had fallen from nerveless fingers. It's worse than I'd feared. Mr. Kaiba's whole family has disappeared. Just like all the others. In a daze, he returned the hanging phone to its receiver, unintentionally hanging up on a confused Malik.

Something is very wrong.

"Ugh. Look at this place." Seto observed in disgust. "It's completely lifeless, like a desolate wasteland!" He continued, scanning his surroundings with eyes full of pity. Thin, brittle branches of bone-dry trees snapped off in the lightest breeze, and dust blew in tiny whirlwinds across the landscape. A tumbleweed bush crossed the path of the six travelers, and skeletons of unfortunate animals dotted the barren plains.

"The arm of the Shadow King reaches far, and a curse falls upon every area over which it passes." Mahaad stated sagely and sadly. Ever since he had been freed from Pandora's spell, the magician had been pensive and nearly silent, speaking only to answer a direct question. Even then, he would answer only when no one else could, and use as few words as possible. He would surreptitiously study the Prince, averting his gaze when Seto would look back at him. This man is an enigma. He appears to be human, but bears an incredible power no normal human could ever possess. What could it mean? The spellcaster thought, crossing his arms across his chest.

Ahead of him, Seto was also pensive. Because I'm fused with Blue-Eyes, does that mean I'll live as long as a dragon would? I can't bear the thought of outliving my family and friends. And that water from the Fountain of Life- because I drank it, does that mean I'm now- immortal? Seto shuddered at the thought. On the one hand, he would be a powerful Dragon Warrior- able to protect his friends and family from any danger. But what would happen when everyone he knew was dead?

Guess I'll live here. Seto resolved. Timaeus, Hermos and Critias seem to manage. And Mana and Mahaad lived this way for five thousand years. Who knows? Maybe after another five millennia, one of Mokuba's descendants will find a way to release my spirit. As Seto considered these thoughts devoid of hope, his own countenance turned hopeless, and his blue eyes dimmed.

"My Prince? Is something wrong?" Mana asked, concern in her eyes and voice. Seto started- jolted out of his defeated musings- and answered too quickly, "No. I'm- fine. Nothing- nothing's wrong."

Liar. Isis shook her head to herself, sensing the Prince's turbulent emotions battling just under the surface. This calm façade was merely a mask- a barrier thin as rice paper between his strong outward appearance and the terrified, confused, overwhelmed teenager within. She carefully placed a gentle, calming hand on the despairing Warrior's shoulder- silently communicating to him that everything would be all right.

Through all of this, Akhenamkhanen knew exactly what was going on, but Joey remained clueless. "Hey, guys, why da long faces? You'd tink somebody jus' died or sometin'." Hono no Kenshi laughed nervously.

"No Joey. It's not that someone did die, but rather that someone can't know the release of death. Ever." Seto answered grimly after a minute of uncomfortable silence. "And that someone- is me."

Seto's comment caused everyone in the group to gasp aloud. "But- but I thought dat you were human, Kaiba!" Joey stammered, completely nonplussed. Seto turned slowly to face his friend, and- when he was eye-to-eye with the Guardian of Fire- Joey saw that his fearless duelist had tiny tear droplets in his eyes. Casting his gaze to the ground, Seto slowly shook his head.

"He is a hybrid, a human that has merged body and soul with a Ka." Mana realized with a gasp, remembering his question to her just after they had restored the Fountain. Behind her, Mahaad nodded, indicating that his apprentice's assumption was correct. "I have never seen anything like this." She breathed, her emerald eyes bright with curiosity as she studied her friend. “I mean, I have seen ‘soul fusion’ before- because that is what we did- but not our physical bodies as well.” She continued, referring to herself and her teacher, who had both fused their respective Ba and Ka to serve the pharaoh long ago.

"Black Magician." Isis whispered, catching the tall spellcaster's attention. "You have experience in these matters. Perhaps you can assuage our Prince's doubts and prove his fears to be unfounded."

"Yes, but how to broach the subject? I do not wish to cause our Prince any more pain than he bears already." The Guardian whispered back, concern in his light-blue eyes. Before he could begin to approach him, though, the Dragon Prince commented dejectedly, "I guess everybody here knows about my- problem. What d’you think about it, Mahaad?"

Mahaad cupped his chin and looked thoughtful for a moment. Finally he answered, "In your case, the fact that you are still human works to your advantage. As you may already know, the Water of Life only works on true Ka- in that it grants us immortality. For you , it will at the very most increase your strength temporarily. As far as I know, no permanent effects of the Water of Life will stay with you."

Seto sighed with relief, the huge burden on his heart lifted somewhat. "And what about my dragon powers? Will I live as long as those dragons in legend?" The Prince asked, apprehensive again.

"Well- as I said before- you are still human and as such are subject to the limitations of humanity. No offense." The magician added with a somewhat abashed grin. Seto simply shrugged and motioned for the Guardian to continue. "Therefore- concerning your unique situation- I would say that you will be what they call ‘functionally immortal’. You cannot be killed, and you will retain the strength of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon until the day that you leave the worlds of the living- but you can still die from natural causes, such as age or illness." Mahaad explained to the young Warrior. Seto could hardly believe what he'd heard, and had to try hard to keep from collapsing to his knees in relief.

“However, there is a drawback to all of this." Mahaad continued, causing Seto to tense up again. "As you grow and progress, you will notice that your ability to transform will become more difficult. Even if you wear your sacred armor, you will feel the pain of the transformations more and more every time you change. It will cause you no injury, but the pain will make it seem so."

Seto nodded in understanding, remembering the second time he had transformed from human to dragon. Mercifully, he’d been unconscious for the first time. Giant white wings literally tearing themselves out of his back- Seto shook his head to clear his thoughts. "If a little pain is the price I must pay for my family and friends' safety, then so be it. It's worth it."

"Spoken like a true, noble Hero." Mahaad nodded, smiling.

By this time, the company of six had traveled so far east that they could no longer see the mountain pass through which they came. Or the mountains themselves, for that matter. Far away to the north, the sound of faint cheering could be heard. Seto could barely make out a faint, blurry structure in the distance. As he regained his armor piece by piece, his strength and senses grew sharper as well- though they were nowhere near their full capabilities. The group decided to travel north to ascertain the mysterious source of the cheering.

As they neared the anomalous structure after hours of walking, the six companions found that they could distinguish sounds other than the tumultuous cheering that grew louder with every step. Deep roars of apparently gigantic creatures reached the group- as well as faint, clearly human cries of agony. Upon hearing these, the travelers raced toward the enormous structure with all speed- forgetting their weariness and sore feet for the moment. If Seto had to describe the structure before him in one sentence, he would have said it resembled a completed Roman Colosseum- only this one was at least ten times the size.

When they finally entered the monstrous arena, the cheering from the throngs of Shadow Hunters was so loud that Seto had to cover his ears. The scene that was playing out in the center of the arena was the stuff of nightmares. Crosses of wood were staked around the edge of the arena, and to the crosses were nailed the limp forms of defeated Warrior-type Ka. Every second cross was aflame to light the arena as the Roman Colosseum was in ancient days. In his studies as a boy, Seto had learned that the Romans had martyred Christians in this manner- using their burning bodies as light sources for their twisted entertainment- among other horrors. In the box where the Roman Emperor would have sat, there instead lounged a completely relaxed Rex Raptor- garbed in a black toga and crowned with a gold laurel instead of his usual red beanie. Some female Warrior-type Ka were acting as his slaves, fanning him with fans of peaco*ck feathers and waiting on his every whim.

Seto's eyes flashed with anger at this display, but it was nothing compared to the main event taking place in the epicenter of the ring. A gigantic dinosaur that Seto recognized as 'Black Tyranno' [2600/1800] was literally tearing its opponents apart, mercilessly slaughtering Warrior-type Ka with its massive bloodstained jaws and razor-sharp teeth. Back in the Emperor's box, Seto noticed with a gasp that 'Master Monk' [1900/1000] was chained to a steel block just behind the dino duelist, forced to watch as the warriors of whom he was Guardian were being massacred.

"Akhenaden." Seto breathed, empathizing with the trapped Guardian. Even though he knew that this Guardian was Rock-type instead of a Warrior-type, the spirit within was a warrior if there ever was one.

"This has got to stop." Akhenamkhanen growled, also glaring at the Shadow Hunter that had imprisoned his twin brother. Although he and all the other Guardians had been made to forget their past lives and relationships to one another, King's Knight still felt a strong connection to Master Monk, as if he somehow sensed or faintly remembered the connection between them.

At this point, Rex looked over and spotted the newcomers that had entered the arena. Ah, perfect. Another victim eager to get stomped by my destructive dinosaurs- He stood up from his throne, waving away the annoying slave girls that had been attending him. Theatrically raising his hands above his head, he shouted in his rough voice, "Citizens of the Shadow Empire, I bring you the next production of entertainment in this glorious stage: I present to you our challenger- none other than the White Knight himself: 'Ryushiro'- also known as the once-great Seto Kaiba!" He mocked, laughing at the ridiculous name Seto had chosen for himself. As he pointed to the challenger and his companions, five rays of sunlight shone on the group from the heavens, causing Seto's armor pieces to sparkle and shine magnificently.

When everyone noticed the Dragon Prince, the remaining Warrior-type Ka knelt to one knee in respect while the dinosaur merely paused in confusion and the crowds and Shadow Hunter jeered. Ignoring the laughter and derision around him, Seto descended the stone staircase nearest him and vaulted over the stone fence that surrounded the arena. Raising his right palm toward the colossal Tyrannosaurus Rex, he immobilized the stunned dinosaur with a well-placed 'Curse of the Hexagram'. Turning to the enraged usurper, Seto called, "I challenge your Emperor to a duel of Ka! By the laws of this realm, you have no choice but to accept my challenge, you cowardly snake!"

"I'm no lousy snake! I'm a dinosaur!" Rex roared, standing on the balcony of his special box. "Fine. If that's how you wanna play it, then bring it on, hero!" He leaped from the box and vaulted into the arena just as Seto had done. Vaguely, Seto thought to himself, Hmm. He's gotten a bit taller since the last time I saw him- but then was pulled from his musings as his opponent approached. As Rex activated his Dark Disk, Seto called, "We'll play according to Battle City rules, at 4000 Life Points each. Okay?"

"Fine with me, dragon-boy!" Rex hissed back nastily, still sore about the 'snake' insult. "I'm gonna start this off by playing the Spell card 'Greedy Vase'! Everyone knows what this does by now, so I'll just go ahead and draw my cards- one of which just happens to be 'Fusion'! I unite my 'Trakodon' [1300/800] and my 'Flame Viper' [400/450] to create the primeval monstrosity 'Pragtical' [1900/1500]! I will also summon another one of my unstoppable dinos in face-down Defense position. Since I can't stomp you just yet, I'll place one card face-down and end my turn!"

Seto found himself faced with an enormous purple dinosaur which- despite moving on four legs rather than two- was probably a formidable hunter. Its movements betrayed great strength and its sharp, needle-thin teeth- as well as the protruding spikes that covered its skin- bore witness to its carnivorous nature. Still he remained calm, at least on the surface. His companions were few, but all were vastly superior to Rex's 'Pragtical'.

"My turn!" Seto called confidently. Mentally reciting the necessary incantation, he continued, "I activate the spell 'Ancient Rule'! This card- among other things- allows me to summon Mahaad [2500/2100] without a sacrifice." At his words, Mahaad walked forward to the proper place in front of his duelist, lowering his staff threateningly at his Jurassic opponent and smiling grimly.

When he saw this, the dinosaur duelist broke into a fit of hysterical, high-pitched laughter. "You fell right into my trap, Kaiba! Activate 'Paradox Fusion'!"

Almost at once the purple dinosaur's form began to wither in a cold, colorless light as it slowly faded from existence.

"Uh, what exactly was that supposed to do? It's your own Ka that's about to disappear!" Seto inquired in confusion.

"That statement isn't quite accurate, Kaiba. My 'Pragtical' leaves the field for an entire two turns, but at the same time it allows me to destroy your special-summon! Bid farewell to your new friend Mahaad! And now that your turn's over, I'll switch my 'Cannibozaurus' [500/400] to face-up Attack mode and summon yet another one of my terrible Jurassic beasts: Come forth, 'Sabersaurus'! [1900/500]"

The Ka that materialized from the surface of Rex's card resembled a light-red triceratops, but its eyes burned orange with anger and hatred. As it pawed the ground- eager to attack- the razor-sharp blades on its shoulders, head and tail gleamed in the midday sun. "Now, my Triassic terrors, attack Kaiba's Life Points directly and show this upstart how ferocious dinos can really be!"

Seto grit his teeth and winced as 2400 points of his life force was drawn out of his back and twisted itself into the air beyond recall. After Seto had regained his breath, Mahaad turned to his duelist and communicated mentally, My Prince, cast the spell 'Silent Dead' after you have recovered, and place its effect on me. Do not worry for my safety, I will be fine. Seto nodded and cast the appropriate spell, frowning as its magic surrounded the noble spellcaster. "Mahaad- are you sure you want me to go through with this?"

"As I am now, I will be useless to you, my Prince. After all, I have grown practiced at sacrificing myself in order to protect those I love. Just be sure to cast 'Resurrection of the Dead' before or after this duel is over so that I may continue to lend you my power. Black Magician Girl-" He turned his head to make eye contact with his former apprentice and fellow Guardian. "I bequeath my powers to you. Use them wisely!" With that, Black Magician disappeared in a flash of golden light- out of which stepped Mana, her attack elevated to 2300. Seto called, "Now I attack with my 'Black Magician Girl'! [2(3)00/1700] Mana, destroy his 'Cannibozaurus' and decrease his Life Points as well!"

Mana was only too happy to oblige, considering that this Shadow Hunter's trap had made her teacher's most recent sacrifice necessary. The giant lizard roared in pain as it exploded and was sent to the destination of all defeated Ka: the Graveyard. Rex growled as his Life Points dropped to 2200, but he recovered quickly and set two cards in his magic/trap slots.

"Is that all you've got, Kaiba?" Raptor sneered, activating his two face-down cards. "I activate the spell cards, 'Shield in the Right Hand, Sword in the Left Hand' and 'Burial from a Different Dimension' to recall my mighty 'Pragtical' back into the fray!" The purple lizard materialized and growled menacingly at its new opponent, licking its lips with a forked tongue. "Now my 'Pragtical', attack Kaiba's 'Black Magician Girl' and reunite her with her precious master in the Graveyard! 'Sabersaurus', attack Kaiba's Life Points directly!"

Mana screamed as the purple lizard defeated her with one sweep of its long tail, and she too was sent to the card Graveyard. The giant triceratops thundered across the field and rammed its head into Seto's chest, the blades piercing his shoulders as easily as a hot knife through butter. The Dragon Prince cried out in agony as the blades tore through muscle and bone, rendering both of his arms useless. In response, his life energy dropped to 900 points- rendering the already injured Warrior nearly breathless.

Joey and Isis moved to try to help their wounded friend, but Akhenamkhanen held them back, reminding them that Ka that have not been called into battle could not interfere. Both of the younger Guardians slowly nodded their heads in reluctant understanding and continued to watch the fierce battle in trepidation.

Still breathing heavily and gritting his teeth, Seto managed, "I ac-activate the s-spells, 'Resurrection of the Dead' and 'Magical Regeneration', t-to bring back- my two spellcasters- the Black Magicians." Immediately, both magicians reappeared in a shower of light-blue sparks, and both Mahaad and Mana leveled their magic staves at the two dinosaurs on their opponent's side of the field.

"Mahaad- Mana- At-attack." Seto commanded weakly, barely managing to stand up straight. The Guardians seemed to realize the necessity of speed, and both shot powerful 'Black Magic' attacks at the enormous reptiles- bringing their master's Life Points down to 1500. "I s-set one card in f-face-down position. End turn." Seto concluded, mentally reciting the necessary spell to summon a trap just as Mana had taught him.

"Hm, you're not looking so good, Kaiba. Do you need a break?" Rex teased, earning himself a glare from the injured Warrior. "Well too bad! I activate 'Fusion Recovery' and 'Ha Des’s Leading Question', bringing my 'Pragtical' back to the field with a new Attack power of 2700!" As he said this, his Life Points decreased to 700- a fact that did not go unnoticed by his opponent. "Now my supreme dinosaur, attack Kaiba's 'Black Magician' and end this duel with a victory for your Emperor!"

The giant lizard roared in obedience, then started to charge at the tall spellcaster. "I don't think so!" Seto called suddenly, his energy miraculously returned. "I activate my trap, 'Contraction'! This card makes your already pathetic lizard even easier prey for my magician! Mahaad, counterattack!"

Mahaad grinned and leveled his staff at the still charging Ka, which was now half its original size. With a swift, well-placed 'Black Magic' attack, the dinosaur was frozen in its tracks, then exploded into thousands of shards and disappeared to the card Graveyard.

"No! My dinosaurs! How could you?" Rex shrieked, sounding almost girl-like as his voice shot through three octaves. Mana had a hard time containing her laughter when she heard this, but she managed to concentrate on her current task- healing Seto's left shoulder while Isis healed his right. This process took no time at all, and- as Seto got to his feet- he remarked as Rex disappeared like his cohorts, "And so ends the Mesozoic Era." He smirked as the Shadow Hunter audience disappeared and the Colosseum changed shape before their very eyes. When the transformation was complete, the Roman amphitheater resembled a gladiator's arena, and the tortured and defeated Warrior-type Ka returned from oblivion and celebrated- hoisting their six saviors onto their shoulders and rejoicing in their freedom from oppression.

As the sun descended below the western horizon, Seto and his friends were invited to spend the night in the Colosseum’s adjoining barracks as thanks for their deed earlier that day. The six travelers accepted gratefully, happy to sleep in real beds for the first time in a week. Exhausted, Seto fell asleep immediately after removing his armor, his hand resting on his newly reclaimed greave- which he would equip to his left leg on the morrow. His last thoughts before falling asleep drifted to his younger brother. Soon, Mokuba. Very soon I will have freed all of the Guardians- our friends- and return to the Castle to defeat Keith and rescue you as well. Good night, little brother.

Chapter 7: The Warring Plains, part 3: The Lunar Temple

Chapter Text

Sigh. I hope Seto's okay- Mokuba thought worriedly as he paced in his stall in the Castle stables. His right hind leg had been shackled to the back wall- which was made from immobile stone blocks. On his left foreleg hung a strange metal bracelet that kept him at the strength of a normal human teenager. That is, a human teenager who hadn't eaten for almost two weeks. Mokuba's human stomach growled loudly, and the young centaur flushed in embarrassment. His other equine companions- 'Firewing Pegasus' [2250/1800] and the steed of 'Gaia the Darkness Knight' [2300/2100]- looked out of their stalls in a moment of curiosity, but then dipped their heads below the half doors, losing interest.

Suddenly the stable door creaked open, and a shaft of glowing sunlight penetrated the shadowy darkness of the building. A tall figure crept in silently, followed by a slightly shorter woman with six white wings. 'Wingweaver' [2750/2400]- Mokuba thought to himself as he recognized the angel-like Ka. In her slender arms, she was trying her best to hide a single red apple from sight- but Mokuba smiled when he glimpsed the fruit through a gap in her arms. When the winged Ka handed the boy the apple, the centaur bowed as low as his horse half would allow and thought, Horakhty bless them. They would risk their own safety- for me.

"Wingweaver, 'Silent Swordsman' (LV. 7), I can't thank you enough. You both risked your lives for this. I- don't know what to say-" Mokuba trailed off- going red again- but his eyes were still shining with boundless thanks. Wingweaver nodded and flew off with a smile, and Silent Swordsman put a comradely hand on the teen's elbow- which was as high as he could reach- also leaving with an encouraging nod. After they had left, Mokuba took a large bite out of the juicy fruit, reveling in the sweet, tart taste. He finished the apple within ten bites, then wiped the evidence off his mouth with the back of his hand. Feeling a burst of energy, the teen gasped. Must've been from the apple- He reasoned. Cautiously surveying his surroundings to make sure no one was looking, he carefully retrieved a small item from the thick mane behind his back and held it almost reverently in his hands.

Clicking back the small button on the edge, Mokuba opened the locket that held a small picture of a ten-year-old Seto as he was playing a game of chess at the orphanage. Mokuba smiled sadly, then closed the locket and held it close to his heart as if he were hugging the object. Seto- be safe.

-Two weeks later-

"Wow! Da moon is huge tonight!" Joey exclaimed, looking up at the night sky. Following his friend's gaze, Seto looked up at the full moon, observing the truth in Joey's statement. The lunar body provided so much light that it was as bright as the day. Isis and Mana merely nodded, speechless in their awe of the gigantic celestial orb.

"Hey, what's that?" Seto asked after a minute, studying a tiny, odd anomaly in the distance. "Wat's what?" Joey reciprocated, staring in the same direction but seeing nothing. "It's hard to make out, but I think that there's some kind of temple on the surface of the moon." Seto answered after a minute.

"Wow. You can see that?" Mana exclaimed in amazement. The Prince's Dragon armor must not only gradually improve his strength, but his senses as well. Incredible. Suddenly a ray of moonlight beamed from the celestial body and connected to the ground, creating a circle of light in the distance to the north of the heroes' makeshift campsite. As soon as the beam appeared, Seto felt a gentle tug near his heart, urging him to travel in that direction. As he voiced this suggestion, the two female spellcasters wordlessly packed up the campsite, storing the sleeping bags in Mana's pocket dimension. Then the team of seven made their way to the ring of light.

-Meanwhile-

"Let go of me!" Hana cried as the Orichalcos-powered beasts stretched out her arms and legs. She bravely bit back her cries of pain as her joints cracked from the pressure. If this torture continued, she would be ripped apart. Literally. She struggled futilely in the monsters' grip, but the mindless beasts merely growled and pulled harder.

"Aw- poor princess." Keith drawled, fingering a sharp dagger lovingly. "I really hate to do this to a royal family member." The card shark sneered, the statement in complete conflict with the wide grin on his face.

Despite her pain, Hana snorted. "Yeah right. You're enjoying every minute of this, you sad*stic fiend, and you know it. Don't bother with the lies." She spat, contempt burning in her hazel eyes.

"You got me." Keith surrendered, holding up his hands in mock-defeat. "However, I may be willing to offer a trade. Your freedom- for information." He purred slyly, eyeing the former adopted princess of Egypt with greedy eyes. "Come on, princess. Just give me a few answers, and I'll let you go."

Hana sighed and hung her head in seeming defeat, muttering, "You win. The answer you're looking for is 1.77245-"

Keith slapped his captive across the face, cutting her lower lip in the process. "I don't want the square root of pi, you stupid wench! I need to know where the Rod is!" He cried, glaring at his surprisingly calm captive.

"I'm impressed that you actually knew what that was." Hana muttered under her breath, her insolence earning her a lash across her already bleeding back. "I'll never tell you anything." She continued. "Torture me all you want, but you'll never get any information out of me. I would never betray my friends." She stated loyally, audibly clamping her mouth shut for emphasis. This only served to anger the already enraged Keith even more. He snapped his fingers, and the four monsters restraining Hana's limbs pulled harder. With four simultaneous, sickening cracks, all of Hana's limbs were dislocated from their sockets, causing the young woman to scream in agony.

"I'll ask you one- last- time." Keith snarled through his teeth, grabbing the barely conscious girl by the hair and pulling back, forcing her to look at him. "Where- is- the- Rod?" He demanded in a deadly whisper, his voice and body shaking with anger.

Hana set her jaw and didn't move a muscle, merely continuing to stare at the irate card shark in contempt. "I'll die before I tell you anything about my friends, and I would go willingly to the deepest circle of Duat before I betray my family."

Despite his wrath, Keith had to admit that he rather admired the young woman's courage. He was one of the most powerful men in the world, with an army of beasts and monsters ready to act on his every whim. Still scowling at the defiant girl, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the Millennium Eye, then pressed the symbol of Wdjat to the center of Hana's forehead. The Item burned its mark into her brow, and Hana gritted her teeth and shut her eyes, unable to hold back tears of pain as the symbol was permanently branded into her skin.

As the Item continued to burn its mark into the front of her head, it glowed with a golden light and pulsed like a tiny heartbeat. As it pulsed, the smoke coming from Hana's forehead formed into wispy characters that spelled out two simple words. 'The Dominion', it read. After the smoke had faded away, Hana hung her head in shame, knowing that she had betrayed her friends and endangered their very lives.

"There." Keith mock-consoled, patting Hana's head patronizingly. "That wasn't so hard, now was it?" Turning his back on the now unconscious Hana, Keith commanded, "Toss her into the portal. She's a feisty one, but with a little attitude adjustment-" He allowed himself a small chuckle as he played with a memory-bracelet, "She might make a good personal slave.”

When the gang of heroes reached the disc of light, they stopped to rest for a few minutes- tired after their long hike to this place. Mana and Joey both took off their boots and promptly flopped down with a sigh of relief. After a minute, the other five sat down as well, following their friends' example. Just as Seto had sat down on a smooth, flat boulder, he felt a sudden urge to travel into the center of the area illuminated by the moonbeam. His eyes glazed over, and his sapphire-blue irises took on a frosted appearance. Slowly he stood up from his makeshift chair and began walking toward the beam of white light.

"Hey Kaiba, where ya goin'?" Joey asked in confusion, but he received no reply. Mahaad and Akhenamkhanen attempted to restrain the Dragon Warrior, but were repelled by a 'Silver-Screen Mirror Wall' trap that Seto had unconsciously cast around himself. He wordlessly stepped into the ray of light, then vanished into darkness as the moon disappeared behind a cloud.

"Oh no! This is terrible!" Mana cried, darting back and forth in a panic. "Seto has- the Prince has been abducted by aliens!" She shrieked quietly, losing her head completely. Beside her, Black Magician sweat-dropped at his former apprentice's ludicrous assumption. "Logic is panic's prey-" He muttered to himself before placing a calming hand on the spellcaster's shoulder. "Do not worry, Black Magician Girl. I am sure that Seto will be fine. You have trained him well in the art of magic. He should be able to hold his own against all but the most powerful foes."

"Yes, but how is he supposed to battle without us?" Black Magician Girl continued, wringing her hands feverishly. "A duel cannot be won by spells and traps alone!" She paced back and forth at a frantic pace, making Joey dizzy just watching her.

"It is difficult, yes- but not impossible." Mahaad stated enigmatically, a mysterious gleam of mischief shining in his topaz eyes as he tipped Mana's helmet to the side playfully. She scowled in mock annoyance, but then smiled as she righted it again. As she did this, Mahaad stated, "Fear not, my friends. I have every confidence that the Prince will defeat his foe and return to us safely."

"Ha ha! It worked! It really worked!" The portly Shadow Hunter cried happily, surveying his latest captive with a gloating expression on the half of his face that could be seen. "And what do we have here? I never thought that I would capture the 'White Knight' in my trap. Well, this is very interesting. My master will be so pleased when I defeat you!" Lumis crowed, thoroughly enjoying the moment. "Nice work, my slave! Now release him. He should be easy enough to beat without the aid of his precious Guardians."

As he said this, a shadowy figure appeared from Seto's back and returned to his slaver's side- his white hair blowing as if in a nonexistent wind. The Guardian was pale- robed in a cloth of sky-blue- and half of his form was shrouded in darkness. From out of the Ka's back grew two wings: one like that of an angel- white like the snow, and the other like that of a demon- leathery and black as pitch. Seto groaned after he was released, putting his hand to his temple as a wave of dizziness swept over him. Recovering quickly, he glanced upward and stepped back a pace in shock. Ryou! His mind screamed at the sight of the figure before him.

Seeming to hear Seto's mental shout, Ryou raised his head to look at his opponent, his normally brown eyes completely white- devoid of any pupils, irises or even visible blood vessels. Unnerved by this unusual sight, Seto backed up another step- unsure of what to do for his friend and current Bearer of the Millennium Ring. He glared at his opponent, who was still giggling at the fact that his scheme had actually worked. "And now, White Knight, I shall destroy you for the sake of all of my confederates, and most importantly for my partner Umbra! With no monsters to defend you, this battle should be mere child's play!" Lumis crowed, activating his Dark Disk and grinning maniacally at Seto.

Seto merely set his jaw and glared silently back at his opponent, rifling through his Guardian-less deck and selecting all the spells and traps that he would need, pocketing the blank cards. They were useless in this fight anyway. Momentarily glancing at the enslaved Guardian, Seto thought grimly, Don't worry, Ryou. I will free you from this madman, even if it costs me my life. If I fall, my friends will continue the quest in my stead and free the rest of the Guardians and my brother. Bearing these admittedly less than comforting thoughts in mind, Seto called over to Lumis, "We'll start off at 4000 Life Points, playing according to Battle City rules. Agreed?"

Lumis snickered and sneered back with a sinister smirk, "Fine with me. I hope you've said your prayers, because after this battle you'll be face-to-face with your Maker!"

"We'll see." Seto retorted, a look of calm determination on his face and righteous anger burning in his eyes as he waited patiently for his opponent to make the first move.

"I will make you prove yourself!" Lumis cried as he drew five cards for his hand. "It's been a while since we battled on top of that skyscraper in Battle City, but this time I will show you what I am truly capable of! Meet my 'Ha Des’s Familiar' [700/700], in Attack mode!" Lumis declared as he played his first card: a grotesque, bald, miniature demon with diminutive fangs and underdeveloped bat wings.

"Oh come on, you'll need more than a ridiculous fiend in a loincloth to scare me." Seto scoffed. "I play my card 'Angel’s Charity'!" He declared. After removing two cards from his hand, Seto played two cards face-down and ended his turn. His trap cards were the only thing he could put as a defense between his Life Points and whatever Lumis might use to attack.

"Two can play at that game!" Lumis gloated as he played his 'Greedy Vase' in order to draw two additional cards before he went on: "Since I'm almost completely sure that at least one of your face-down cards is capable of halting my monsters when I attack, I'll now introduce you to one of my favorites: Come on out, 'Pitch-Black Warrior Warwolf'![1600/600]" Seto had seen many grotesque and revolting Ka in his dueling career, but even he couldn't deny the unease that crept up his spine at the sight of the black, skeletal, winged wolf that walked on its hind legs, its eyes glowing like brimstone. The Ka's howl rang in Seto's ears and he could smell the beast's foul breath.

"Not only is my new monster pretty strong, its special effect also keeps you from playing any trap cards at the time of my attack! Now- in the name of death and decay, pestilence and plague- attack him directly, my servants!"

Seto scowled at his own helplessness as the two underworld beasts charged at him, claws and teeth ready to strike. His Life Points dropped to 1700 after the attack had finished.

"I think I've done enough damage for one turn, don't you? It's your move, Kaiba!" Lumis grinned over at his seemingly struggling opponent.

Seto merely rolled his eyes, then called out, "It's almost over for you, Lumis! First I use 'Cross Soul' on your 'Ha Des’s Familiar' so that he's mine to tribute. And here comes my 'Deck Destruction Virus of Death'! By tributing your Ka, I can destroy every powerful Ka with 1500 Attack points or more on your side of the field or within your deck!"

With a satisfied grin, Seto watched as Lumis grudgingly sent more than half his deck to the Graveyard. The Shadow Hunter had clearly been planning to capitalize on Seto’s lack of Guardians by completely overpowering him with strong Ka. "That's not all-" The Hero continued. "-for now I'll use 'Resurrection of the Dead' to revive your 'Warwolf' on my team and use it to attack your Life Points directly, bringing your Life Points down to 2400! Then I end my turn."

Lumis retaliated by savagely playing 'Fissure' in the opening of his turn, destroying his own 'Pitch-Black Warrior Warwolf' and leaving Seto once again without the means to defend his Life Points. "When you played your 'Deck Destruction Virus of Death' and forced me to discard those strong monsters from my hand, you made a mistake. One of those monsters has a special effect that will turn it into a true nightmare for you! All I have to do is say farewell to two cards from my hand. So go back to the shadows, 'Memory Crusher' [1000/600] and 'Melchid Tetrahedron'! [1500/1200] Now come forth, 'Demon Roar God Soulcius'! [2200/2100]"

What emerged from the dark warp-portal looked fairly human to Seto at first. A tall and muscular man appeared with exposed forearms and wearing an old-fashioned black jerkin, vintage trousers and heavy boots- all of which were adorned with golden ornaments. If Seto had to guess at the figure's time period, he would have assumed the newcomer to be an Italian noble from the sixteenth century. Then the Ka stepped into the light and its leathery black wings came into view- as did its long bulky tail, which thrashed around with tremendous force.

"Come 'Soulcius'! The winds of death call you forth! Attack with your 'Void Scream' and bring down his remaining Life Points!*"

[This is a legit Duel Monster, but its attack is made up. I don’t know how it really attacks, but it sounds pretty cool, don’t it?]

The foul Ka opened its grinning mouth wide- far wider than humanly possible- and let out a bloodcurdling, tormented howl. Its scream thundered through bone and flesh, manifesting itself in the form of fiery waves. Seto did not waste any time with futile attempts to cover his ears, but rather revealed his remaining face-down card with a tight grimace. The effect of 'Attack Nullification' formed an ethereal shield in front of the duelist to block Soulcius' screams and protect his Life Points.

Even from the shadow of the duelist's cloak, Seto was able to see the disappointed scowl on Lumis' face as he was forced to end his turn. He knew that this was going to be Lumis' last chance to turn the duel in his favor.

"I begin this turn by playing 'Devil's Sanctuary' in order to summon my 'Metal Devil Token'. Now I sacrifice my 'Metal Devil Token' for the effect of my spell card 'Enemy Controller', in order to gain control of your 'Demon Roar God Soulcius'!" Seto declared impressively, magically delegating the appropriate cards to the Graveyard after they were used.

"Most impressive, Kaiba. But as glorious and cursed as he may be, Soulcius has only 2200 Attack points! Even if you attack me now, I will still retain 200 of my Life Points and live to finish you during my next turn, when Soulcius returns to my control!" Lumis scoffed, shaking his head and grinning like a madman.

"Whoever said that I was going to attack using your Soulcius alone? Your beast is not the pure and noble creature I'd had in mind."

"What exactly are you getting at, Kaiba? You are alone! You don't have any other Guardians you could summon instead! My faithful servant 'Kokorogawari' made sure of that! Look at you, so weak and helpless, yet still thinking you can win this duel without your precious friends!" Lumis roared with laughter as Seto merely stood there calmly and confidently, completely sure that his strategy would earn him victory.

"Had it not been for your cowardly tactics of separating me from my team and your dishonorable strategies, this duel would have been over within a single turn- so wipe that stupid smirk off your face! You’ve underestimated me for the last time, and now you’ll pay for it!" Seto cried, gesturing grandly at the nonplussed Shadow Hunter.

"Behold the power of my supreme creature, the 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon'! But my method of summoning him isn't the one you're imagining. In fact, this tactic has never been used before in the history of the Shadow Games!" Seto declared, closing his eyes and mentally preparing himself for what he was about to do. Thank you Noah, for giving me the base for this idea with your 'Deck Master' rule.* Then he concentrated his power and started to transform his appearance, right before the eyes of a dumbfounded and slightly horrified Lumis.

[The show ’s actually the real inspiration where I got the idea for Seto’s ‘transformation’ in this chapter. I forget which episode it was, but there was one duel in the VR world when Seto summoned his Blue-Eyes, and gestured in a way that made his outline morph into the dragon. That was really cool and it sparked this idea. Props to the development team of the anime for drawing that!]

Seto bravely and silently endured the pain that came with the transformation, as he had not yet regained all the pieces of his Dragon armor. Slowly his form became sheathed with silvery white scales and plates, his hands and feet turned to dragon claws and white wings grew from his back, transforming his backplate into the back of a dragon. From the base of his spine grew a dragon's tail- which curled around his right leg- and at his left side materialized a scabbard and sword that crackled with White Lightning. He slowly and silently drew his blade and stepped onto the dueling field, standing next to Lumis' former Ka, 'Demon Roar God Soulcius'. Together, demon and drake looked pretty menacing to the now-gibbering Shadow Hunter, who was regretting ever joining up with Bandit Keith and the Rare Hunters under Marik.

The Dragon Prince silently nodded to 'his' other Ka on the field, and Soulcius prepared itself for the final attack on its master. Without warning, Seto looked up at Lumis and addressed him directly. "I realize that my current power is nowhere near that of Blue-Eyes yet, but 720 Attack and 600 Defense points- coupled with the strength of your Soulcius- is more than enough to defeat the likes of you! Now brace yourself, Lumis, for soon you will find yourself face-to-face with your Maker!" Seto threatened, using Lumis' own words against him. Then he grasped his Sword of White Lightning with both hands, unfurled his wings and flew at the hapless Shadow Hunter- Soulcius mimicking his actions beside him. Soulcius opened its mouth to release another 'Void Scream', and Seto moved his sword over his shoulder to prepare for a diagonal downward slash.

In the space of mere milliseconds, the final attack was over and done, and Seto and Soulcius found themselves on the other side of Lumis- their opponent paralyzed with shock at his defeat. Surprisingly, Seto's attack had had no effect on Lumis' physical body, but his Life Points ticked to zero all the same. Strange, Seto thought. It's as if I became intangible the instant that my attack connected with him. It must be part of the magic of this realm. No Ka can physically harm a human in battle outside of a Shadow Game, not without dire consequences.

As Lumis disappeared screaming into the now-expected red circle of light, Seto sheathed his blade and nodded his thanks to 'Demon Roar God Soulcius', who nodded back and faded from sight as the duel ended. Seto looked around at his surroundings for the first time- as he hadn’t had the opportunity when he was first brought here. And this must be more magic at work. I can breathe on the moon. He observed. Now that he was closer, Seto saw that the temple he'd noticed earlier was actually a ruin of its former self. He shook his head in disapproval at the desecration the Shadow King and his followers had caused, then took a deep breath, sighed, then set to work rebuilding the temple brick by brick.

-An hour and a half later-

By using magic to speed up the process, the rebuilding project took hardly any time at all and Seto stepped back to admire his work. As he removed the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, he surveyed the rest of his surroundings and jumped when he saw something that had materialized behind him, but then relaxed at the familiar face. Ryou Bakura's warm brown eyes smiled back at him in thanks beyond words, but Seto shrugged, waving it off as nothing.

The Prince and Guardian stood staring at the restored temple for a few moments in companionable silence, but then Ryou began to shift uncomfortably in place. Seto looked over at him questioningly- wondering what the problem was- and Ryou answered, "There's no way to get back to the Dominion of the Beasts without some type of wings. I'm sorry about this, but- would you be okay with me- controlling-you-again, just until we get back to your friends?" He said the middle part very fast, but Seto caught the meaning of the question despite this.

"It's okay, Ryou. I don't blame you for what Lumis made you do. As for getting back, I'm okay with your suggestion. Just don't stay in there too long, or I might start charging you rent." He said this with such seriousness that Ryou gave him a horrified, 'deer-in-the-headlights' look- but then he saw Seto's expression, looking like he was on the verge of laughter. The two boys chuckled at Seto's teasing comment, then merged their forms with Ryou's effect to return to their waiting companions.

-Speaking of whom-

"Where could he be?" Mana wailed, pacing back and forth, wringing her hands frantically. Joey had long since given up on watching his friend wheel about, not wanting to give himself a headache. Mahaad merely studied the starlit sky pensively, concentrating on the white lunar body before him. He was also keeping an eye on his young apprentice, and smiled in concern as Mana paced frantically. She really is worried about him. I wonder- could she and the Prince have been friends in that other world of which he spoke? Apparently all of the Guardians are from that world, including myself- but I have no memory of that place, wherever it is.

After a short pause, he thought to himself, Or maybe- Black Magician smiled and raised an eyebrow at this new, intriguing notion. Could their relationship possibly be more than friendship? Then he shook his head. Seto had never shown any sign of liking her in that way, subtle or otherwise. Done with his matchmaker fantasies, Mahaad resumed his contemplation of the moon, echoing Mana's question as well as the question on the other Guardian's minds: 'Where could the Prince be?'

The duelist in question was currently about a mile south of the campsite, as the moon had moved while the duel played out on its surface. As soon as Seto's feet had touched the ground, Ryou had promptly vacated his host and hovered slightly behind his liberator- grateful for the rescue but also embarrassed about what he'd done to precipitate the duel. Seto sensed the Guardian's mental self-flogging and laid a gentle hand on the two-toned angel's shoulder, who flinched slightly at the contact. "It wasn't your fault. You couldn't help it, so forget about it, okay?" Seto comforted, smiling at the bashful Guardian. Ryou smiled meekly at the consolation, then nodded and followed quietly as Seto led the way back to the camp.

-Back at the campsite-

"Black Magician, two beings approach from the south." Akhenamkhanen cautioned, causing Mahaad to ready his staff for a blast of Black Magic. As the beings neared the gathering of Guardians, a familiar voice called out, "Hey! Don't shoot! We come in peace!"

"Seto?" Mana squeaked, hardly daring to believe her ears.

"Of course it's me! Don't tell me you guys have forgotten me already!" The Prince joked as he and Ryou passed through the protective barrier the magicians had cast around the camp. "I've freed the Guardian of the Moon. Guys, let me introduce- or rather, re- introduce you to Ryou Bakura, better known to you guys as 'Kokorogawari'." Ryou bowed shyly as the six other Guardians voiced their warm greetings. "Welcome to da team, pal!" Joey grinned, clapping their newest teammate on the back and accidentally pushing him forward several feet.

“Whoops! Sorry 'bout dat!" Joey laughed, as Seto shook his head and smiled, remembering what had happened the last time Joey had greeted someone with a pat on the back. Ryou then turned to the Dragon Prince and addressed the duelist shyly. "Um- I forgot to give this to you earlier, my Prince. I am sure you will need it." He then bent down and removed Seto's other greave from his right leg, and returned it to its rightful owner. Seto accepted the armor piece with a nod of thanks, then clipped it onto his own calf. Only fourteen more pieces to go. He thought to himself. We're getting there, slowly but surely. Hang in there Mokuba, I'm coming.

Chapter 8: The Warring Plains, part 4: Storm

Chapter Text

CRASH! The noise of the thunder was so loud that it hurt Seto's ears as the travelers made their way across the barren plains. Lightning lanced across the sky and sometimes connected with charges from the ground. Fortunately the three spellcasters had the foresight to cast a magical barrier to protect the group. Looking around, Mana commented, "I have never seen an electrical storm so fierce, even when the dragons ruled in the mountains. There is something very wrong here." She shivered, the tremors having nothing to do with the temperature. Isis put a comforting hand on the magician's shoulder, and Mahaad smiled at his apprentice sympathetically.

"Steady, Mana. We'll fix this area just like all the others. And then maybe we can finally get out of this barren wasteland." Seto commented with a sigh. He was sick of the grassless plain, the land flat as far as the human eye could see in any direction. He missed the rolling hills and high mountains of Japan, as well as the beach where he and Mokuba used to go on warm summer days. His dragon instincts also longed for the tall peaks of mountains. In fact, almost any scenery was better than this.

[I’m not insulting plains or flat grasslands in any way, I’m just saying Seto’s sick of it already. 😅]

"I have a feeling you won't be here much longer, so don't worry yourself, Ryushiro." A female voice sneered from above them. Seto looked up so fast that he accidentally cracked his neck, and- from his companion's reactions- he guessed that some of them had done the same. Joey was scowling and rubbing his neck, and Mana and Ryou were rubbing their abused vertebrae as well. The others were staring at the sky where an enormous sphere of concentrated lightning was slowly descending to the ground. The ball appeared to be acting as a lightning rod, attracting opposite charges from both the clouded heavens above and the barren earth beneath. A dry skull of some unfortunate animal lay two feet from where the Dragon Prince stood, and literally exploded when a charge of negative energy struck it.

At last the orb of electricity reached the ground, and the excess charges channeled harmlessly into the earth. In the center of the singed area knelt a figure with a simple hood; no cape, no mask. The figure wore a black and gray kimono decorated with blood-red crimson, sickly yellow-green and white, jagged shafts- giving the appearance of lightning. The figure stood fluidly, slender arms and legs showing through open areas of the fabric.

The figure suddenly tore off her hood with an extravagant flourish, exposing her face to all that were present. She threw the hood to the side and- faster than any human, Ka, or even dragon eye could see- pinned it to the nearest tree with a Chinese fan, fifty feet away. It was this action that gave away the Shadow Huntress' identity. She was Vivian Wong, a participant in Seto's KC Grand Prix tournament nearly two years ago. She had been an impressive duelist with an eye for the boys, but had been defeated by the young American genius Rebecca Hawkins.

Seto recognized the graceful duelist- and knew that she was one of Keith's Hunters now- but there seemed to be something off about her, something that made her different from their previous opponents. Her unique hairstyle was the same, and her skill with fans certainly hadn't diminished. Still there was something about her that was not right, but Seto couldn't place it.

Suddenly Vivian snapped her fingers and a barbed spear appeared in her left hand, a coiled ‘Electro-Whip’ in her right. Seto recognized the spear as the one wielded by 'Valkyrie', a favorite Ka of Téa Gardner. With a jolt, Seto realized, Could Téa be the next Guardian that we're looking for? Could she be the Guardian of Storms? He looked back at his companions, and Isis nodded, answering his unspoken question.

"Ah, so the infamous 'Ryushiro' is none other than the world-famous Seto Kaiba!" Vivian squealed when she finally caught sight of her opponent's face. "I never expected to see you here!" She giggled, sounding like a lovestruck schoolgirl to the Dragon Prince, who merely rolled his eyes.

"Cold and indifferent as ever, I see." Vivian observed, feigning hurt and twirling her electro-staff expertly. Ignoring her comment and seductive eyelid-fluttering, Seto asked the Shadow Huntress, "What happened to the Guardian of this place? Is this cursed storm your doing?"

"Why, yes. I'm glad you noticed my handiwork, Kaiba!" Vivian giggled again, fiddling with her already perfect kimono and smoothing out nonexistent wrinkles. "As for that pathetic Guardian- I- keep her around. Just for when I'm blue and need someone to torture." After she said this, she snapped her fingers and raised her right palm to the heavens. "Come on down, 'Valkyrie'! [1800/1700]"

Almost at once, the electrical storm decreased in intensity and a winged creature in a yellow dress flew down from the dark stormclouds and alighted next to the Shadow Huntress- folding her dark blue wings behind her back and staring at the ground. As she caught sight of her friend, Mana gasped. The Valkyrie's arms, legs and shoulders were covered with whip lashes and burns- as if she had been lashed with the ‘Electro-Whip’ on countless occasions. Her hair's longer- Seto observed, trying not to stare at the Guardian's scars. Téa glanced upward for a moment to observe the newcomers who dared to challenge the Shadow Huntress that had enslaved her. For a moment, Seto thought he glimpsed a glimmer of recognition in Téa's eyes when they made eye contact, but then she looked away- her eyes blank and expressionless once more.

Are all the Guardians enslaved like this? Seto wondered to himself. Joey said that 'Elf Swordsman' had somehow escaped and was hiding out in another forest. I wonder whose soul was merged with that Ka?

"All right. Enough of this!" Vivian cried, cracking her whip and activating her Duel Disk. Suddenly, Seto realized what had seemed off about his opponent. There was a faint glow of red in her brown eyes, almost so alike in color that it was unnoticeable at first glance. As if that were not enough, when a gust of wind blew by, Seto spotted a familiar circle and hexagram on her forehead before her bangs covered it again.

I've seen that before, but there's still something off about her. Could she just be under the spell of the Orichalcos, and not be truly evil at heart? Seto thought to himself as he faced the impatient Shadow Huntress. "Let's Duel!" Both warriors cried in unison.

"My Lord." The ‘High Priestess’ bowed low in greeting as Keith stepped through his personal Shadow Portal back into the Dominion of the Beasts. He waved her off dismissively as she continued her forced 'adoration ritual'. The Shadow King stomped over to his throne; a grotesque combination of gold, jewels and the twisted bones of various creatures and Ka. He flopped down on the dais, then put his fingertips together and stared forward with a murderous scowl on his face. A third of his supposedly elite Shadow Hunters had been defeated by this new upstart Ryushiro, who- with every victory- was regaining more and more of his draconian strength.

Thanks to the pact he'd made with the creatures that shared his dream, he had managed to cover his new dominion in shadow in just a few short weeks- according to the time of the human realm. Keith smirked when he thought of the chaos he'd created in that world, especially in the city of Domino. Gathering six of the Millennium Items and imprisoning the Guardians had been no easy task, but the rewards were many. He was now the sole ruler of an entire dimension, and being able to defeat one of the best duelists in the world was no small prize, either. Especially considering that the boy had defeated him handily in the past, twice even!

The Shadow King's grin widened as he remembered the look on Wheeler's face when he lost control of the duel and realized that his fate rested in the card shark's underling’s hands. Surprisingly, the King of Games had been even easier to defeat. That fight was mainly won by psycho-warfare. Keith had only to brag about the fates of Yugi's friends, and the kindhearted duelist broke down into tears and surrendered the duel within twenty minutes.*

[Yugi didn't give up. He just figured it would be easier to defeat Keith later with all of his friends with him. Yugi never just ‘gives up’. 😉]

"This Prince of Games is becoming a problem. My minions will have to step up their game if they have any hope of defeating him and quelling his little rebellion." Keith growled as he rose from his throne and paced back and forth in front of the dais. "And I still haven't found the Millennium Rod! Where the hell did Kaiba stash that thing?" He agonized, nearly tearing out his blond hair in frustration as he paced frantically. The ‘High Priestess’ bowed her head and stared silently at the ground, praying that the gods would keep her friend safe. She didn't care about her own safety, but she earnestly pleaded with all the gods she knew to keep Seto and his friends safe from harm.

As the ‘High Priestess’ prayed, the symbol of Wdjat that was burned into her forehead pulsed angrily and glowed with a dark red light. Keith spun around on his heel, alerted to the silent signal that came from the Ka's mark. "So you still have some free will, do you?" He snarled, glaring at his personal slave and raising an eyebrow. "We'll have to fix that." He muttered, shoving the Millennium Ring in her face and strengthening the subjugation spell that he had placed on her. The spellcaster's green eyes glowed red for a moment, then faded back to their normal color- albeit blank and lifeless- showing no spark of light whatsoever. "That's better." Keith growled with an evil smirk on his face. Then he strode haughtily over to his throne and sat down with a flump, surveying his domain with a smug expression.

There's no reason to worry. One of my subordinates is bound to defeat that dragon-boy. And if they don't, then I'll finish him off. There's not a creature alive that can match the power I now possess, especially not that overgrown, washed-out lizard. Keith thought arrogantly, fingering the Millennium Ring almost lovingly. "Come, Ryushiro. Come to your final DOOM!" He laughed.

"We'll start off with 2000 Life Points. Agreed?" Vivian called nastily as she shifted into her battle position, cracking her whip near the enslaved Guardian and causing her to flinch away in fear. Mana growled at this treatment of a sacred Guardian of the Dominion, but the Shadow Huntress paid her no heed.

"What's the matter, Vivian? Anxious to lose?" Seto taunted back, activating his own sparring sword-turned-Duel Disk.

"Hardly, Kaiba. I'm just so eager to finish the little torture session I was enjoying before you showed up." Vivian answered, her eyes glowing red for a second. "There's something cathartic about torturing people with lightning. Let's just say it gives me a surge of pleasure." She laughed, cracking the ‘Electro-Whip’ across Téa's back again, causing the already wounded Guardian to wince. Seto caught her quick grimace of pain before she hid it under a mask of bravery, not wanting her newest allies to see how much it hurt.

"It's okay, Téa. You don't have to hide it. I'll defeat this Huntress just like all the others and free you from her cruelty." Seto whispered, knowing that the Guardian could hear him. Valkyrie looked up in disbelief- shocked that anyone would address her directly- and was rewarded with another strike across the back from the lightning whip. As soon as the whip made contact, a boom of thunder sounded around the Guardians, Prince and Shadow Huntress. Seto thought to himself, It's like a storm, only without a drop of healing rain. The Warring Plains could surely use it.

"Eyes on your master, you useless lump!" Vivian shrieked, cutting a thin scar across Téa's face with the whip. Téa flinched again, and Mana could see some of the beginnings of tears in her eyes. "Anyway-" Vivian continued with a cruel laugh, "-I'll start off. I summon 'Onna Ninja Yae' [1100/200] in Attack mode!"

"Oh, how did it come to this?" Roland whispered to himself as he paced around his living room, considering everything that had happened in the past few weeks. His two young charges- Seto and Mokuba, as well as the rest of their adopted family- had disappeared without a trace. He had checked around Domino hundreds of times- trying to find some clue as to where the boys could have been taken- but to no avail. He had found evidence of a struggle in one of the dark alleys about a mile away from the Kaiba mansion, but no clues as to where the victims had been taken or even where their assailants had gone.

Roland shuddered involuntarily as he remembered those beasts that were created and summoned by the Orichalcos. He had been staying at the Kaiba mansion as an added security precaution, and had gone out at two A.M. to check the security of the front gate. The monsters had struck him with an odd sort of beam from the Seal on their heads and he collapsed to the ground, paralyzed. Thank God it was only temporary, but he had been powerless to stop the monsters from approaching the house and making the flight to escape necessary for the Kaiba brothers.

After the two boys left, the monsters had proceeded to make a mess of the house and the grounds, making it appear as if a tornado had blown through the property. Roland had called around- trying to contact any of the heroes of Domino- but had not heard from anyone. It seemed that this nightmare was occurring all over the city to all the duelists and their friends, not just masters Seto and Mokuba and their family.

BRRRRIIIINNNNGGGG! Roland jumped in surprise as the telephone rang at that moment, jolting him from his thoughts. He ran to the receiver and hastily picked up the communications device. "Hello? Kaiba residence, Isono Roland speaking."

"Hi again, Mr. Roland." came the answer, and the man knew he was once again speaking with Malik Ishtar. The young man continued, "I can't believe everything that's been happening. Have you seen the special news report yet? Pegasus was supposed to give a speech today to address the recent disappearances of the duelists and some of their friends and families."

"No I have not, Mr. Ishtar. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I wish you and your family safety in these dangerous times." He answered, honestly fearing for the young family's lives.

"Thank you. That means a lot." Malik reciprocated, and Roland could hear the smile in his tone. "And don't worry about Kaiba. He's tough. He can take care of himself. And Mokuba."

Click. The line went dead, and Roland returned the phone to its cradle. After his conversation was over, he walked to the living room and turned on the television to the news.

"And now Mr. Pegasus J. Crawford- CEO of Industrial Illusions and creator of Duel Monsters- will make an announcement on the frightening events of these past few weeks."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Pegasus began in his overly dramatic tone of voice as if nothing was amiss. "I thank you all for coming to this announcement. It means so much to me that so many people care for the safety of their beloved city.

"As many of you may have noticed, there have been reports of odd disappearances all over the world- but most of them have occurred right here in Domino. Connected to these reports have been rumors of sightings of monstrous creatures just as we saw three years ago, when Duel Monsters began materializing in our world- not as computerized holograms- but as flesh and blood beings." Pegasus paused and took a deep breath. "As was the case last time, neither Industrial Illusions nor Kaibacorp. is responsible for these mysterious appearances of monsters or disappearances of duelists. In fact, one of the victims was Seto Kaiba himself, therefore he couldn't possibly be behind these attacks. It is my firm belief that this ‘new’ enemy is nothing of the sort. I believe in my heart that this madman- or madwoman as the case may be- is someone we have encountered before. However, we have found no evidence to incriminate anyone just yet.

"As the police force has declared before, all duelists and their families are warned to move in groups, and only venture from their homes in times of greatest necessity for their own safety. I am sure this crisis will be resolved as soon as possible, and I am doing everything in my power to make sure that happens."

Pegasus ended his speech with a low, extravagant bow, then walked off the stage to his limousine, which took off within a matter of minutes. As he sat in the backseat of the vehicle- drinking a small glass of red wine to calm his nerves- the gaming mogul thought to himself, This is all my doing. It was my idea to organize a tournament called 'Empire of Shadows'. In my wildest fantasies, I never dreamed that someone would take my words literally and somehow conquer the entire Ka World, the Dominion of the Beasts! Oh Kaiba-boy, wherever you are, I hope that you and your friends will somehow find a way to clear up this catastrophic mess, and bring whoever caused it to justice!

Seto Kaiba was breathing heavily as Vivian Wong screamed her denial of defeat to the heavens. A golden ray suddenly pierced the clouds and shone on the vanquished duelist just as the crimson seal was about to drag her down into the earth like all her other compatriots. Mana co*cked her head in confusion as the circle faded, leaving Vivian still kneeling where she had fallen. Slowly the female warrior faded from sight until she could be seen no more. Huh. That is different. Maybe it is because she was not truly evil, just controlled. She sure was cruel to 'Valkyrie', though. I think this 'Vivian Wong' got off way too easily. Then she shrugged and resumed healing her friends' burns, as quite a few of them had been struck by electrical attacks from the firmament above.

Just as Mana finished healing a burn on her master's forearm, Seto cried out as an inexplicable spasm of pain surged through him. He fell to his knees as another tremor wracked his already exhausted body, and he put a hand over his heart area in a futile effort to lessen the agony.

"Kaiba? Wat's wrong?" Joey asked in alarm, looking at his friend with a raised eyebrow.

Seto couldn't answer. Every time he tried, another spasm would shoot through him and it took all of his concentration to keep from crying out. But he couldn't bite back all of his screams.

Chapter 9: Tomb of the Forgotten

Chapter Text

"Kaiba? Wat's wrong?" Joey asked in alarm, looking at his friend with a raised eyebrow.

Seto couldn't answer. Every time he tried, another spasm would shoot through him and it took all of his concentration to keep from crying out. But he couldn't bite back all of his screams.

Mahaad calmly put a hand on his duelist's shoulder, both to comfort the pain-stricken young man and to find exactly what was causing the problem in the first place. What he found made him gasp. "There is an orb of 'Darkness Energy' that has lodged inside your heart. I would say it is about the size of a fist. And- from the looks of your wound- I would say that it has been there for quite some time. How in the worlds did you survive such an attack?" The spellcaster breathed.

Seto was in too much pain to consider Black Magician's words, much less reply. His breath came in ragged gasps, his heart trying unsuccessfully to beat with the orb obstructing its movement. His strength leaving him, he collapsed onto his back as the tremors worsened- playing havoc with his breathing and heart- which was already working extra hard to pump blood to all parts of his body. Eventually the strain and insufficient supply of oxygen became too much for the Dragon Prince, and his eyes closed as he lost consciousness.

"Master! What is- what is happening to him?" Mana cried, running over to two of her best friends. Her green eyes were wide with horror as she looked from one man to the other- one conscious and one not- and back again.

"I am not sure. But we have to remove that orb, or Seto will surely die. Quite honestly, I am surprised that he has survived even this long. This wound looks to be at least a year old, if not more. Once again, the Dragon Warrior confounds me." Mahaad removed Seto's limp hand from over his heart and placed his own on the spot, closing his eyes and tapping into his inherent magic. After an extremely tense minute, he looked up to where Mana was staring down at him and her duelist. Isis had joined the two spellcasters and was also surveying the situation with a worried expression. The four other boys and men were standing off to the side, explaining the situation to the newest Guardian- Téa- who was very confused at her tormentor's sudden disappearance.

"I am going to use my power to slowly remove the orb from within Seto's body, but I cannot do it alone. I know that you will not like this, Black Magician Girl- but I need you to use your 'Black Burning' attack to gradually burn through the layers of his heart while I draw out the orb. Holy Elf, it will be your job to heal each layer as the orb passes through it. I regret the pain that this will cause him, but I see no other solution." Mahaad admitted, looking at his scandalized apprentice with an apologetic and grim expression on his face. Isis nodded at once, and- after a while- Mana did as well, though her scowl clearly stated that she did not like the idea one bit.

"Hey, we wanna help too! Wat can we do?" Joey asked, walking over with the other Guardians and bending over the unconscious Prince. Mahaad smiled up at them gratefully and suggested, "Hono no Kenshi, if you could hold his leg in place and keep him from thrashing around, it will help tremendously. Akhenaden-sama, you could do the same with the other leg." Why did I just call him that? Could I be slowly regaining some of my true memories? "My pharaoh, if you could hold his shoulders in place, it will prevent much unnecessary injury." He continued, and- though Akhenamkhanen looked at him in confusion for a moment at the title- he did as he was asked.

"What about me?" Téa asked, and Ryou echoed her query. Mahaad suggested that Ryou use his ability to lessen the pain of the ‘emergency surgery’ that the Guardians were about to perform. Téa would have a very special job. "Could you use your electrical ability to keep Seto's heart beating during the extraction process?" Both Guardians nodded, and Mahaad placed both of his hands on Seto's bare chest, leaving a small triangular gap between his connected thumbs and forefingers. Tapping into his powers of the 'Black Magician', Mahaad slowly drew out the orb of ‘Darkness Energy’ that Seto's dark side had placed there nearly a year ago- intending for the attack to kill his good half and destroy his soul. Beside him, Mana was concentrating as well, using her 'Black Burning' attack to eliminate a small circle of tissue as the sphere passed through each layer. As it left the heart, Isis healed each layer that had been either corrupted by the orb or burned away by Mana's spell.

As soon as the sphere had vacated Seto's cardiac organ, it began beating full and strong- just as it had been before the invasion of the foreign object. Mana smiled in relief when she heard the strong and healthy heartbeat, as it meant that the process was half over. The Prince was gonna be okay! What's more, she was playing a vital role in saving her duelist's life. One thing was for sure- if they ever got back to the world in which they were supposed to live- none of the Guardians would ever forget this adventure, and she ventured that the Prince wouldn't either.

After another hour of burning, extracting and healing, the ‘Darkness Energy’ sphere was completely out of Seto's body and could not harm him or anyone else ever again, for Mahaad had transported it to his Dark Magic Academy where he could study it at a later date. All of the Guardians were either standing or kneeling beside their duelist, watching and waiting for him to regain consciousness. And- eventually- he did.

"Unnh." Seto groaned weakly, putting a hand over his heart area again and wondering vaguely why his shirt had been removed. "Man. I feel like my heart was slowly burned out of my body. What happened?" He asked, looking around at all the Guardians, who were still kneeling beside and standing around him.

"Well, we got that ‘Darkness Energy’ ball out of you." Mana supplied helpfully, a sheepish smile on her face. "How did that thing get inside your heart, anyway?"

Seto groaned again as he sat up, still keeping a hand over the area after he had pulled his shirt back on. "It was a while ago. My dark side had teamed up with Marik and had kidnapped Mokuba, my little brother. I went to save him along with my other half, Seth, and my friends. My dark side attacked us and shot a ball of ‘Darkness Energy’ at Seth, and I jumped in front of him. I didn't want my brother to die. Everything went black after that. I guess I must’ve passed out. I don't know what happened, but- the next thing I knew- I found I had taken the form of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. I was scared, so I fled Domino City and hid in the forest to the north. That's where Seth found me."

[‘Brothers in Time’ ch. 3 + 4.]

"And that orb of ‘Darkness Energy’ caused you to transform into a dragon?" Mana breathed, nonplussed at this revelation.

"That's what I assume happened." Seto answered with a shrug of his shoulders. He didn't know what to make of it either.

"Not so." Mahaad interjected after a moment of thought. Everyone turned to look at him- even Seto- and the magician elaborated. “The spell 'Darkness Energy' cannot cause a transformation in anyone, no matter who they might be. I suspect that the Prince's dark side intended to kill Seto and destroy his soul with that attack. He would never suspect that Seto would choose to transform himself in defense."

"You mean- it was something I did?" Seto asked, flabbergasted. "But- but I don't remember doing anything like that!"

"Not consciously, perhaps, but since your Ka is the powerful Blue-Eyes White Dragon, it fused itself with you- body and soul- so that you would not die in that attack. It knew that you are destined for great things, my Prince, and so it offset the orb's true purpose and altered your appearance to save you." Mahaad explained.

My Ka is the same as Kisara's? Huh. That's weird. Seto thought to himself. Then he realized, Hang on, is that how we were able to summon the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon in Atem's Memory World? One spirit came from Kisara, and one apparently came from me. The last one must have come from Seth! But wasn't his Ka 'Duos'?

"A person can have more than one Ka, my Prince." Mana commented suddenly. When he looked at her in surprise, she laughed. "You were thinking aloud. Anyway, as Bearers, we could summon as many Ka as we wanted- though we could only summon a maximum of three at once. Kisara loved Seth- so much so that when she died, she gave her Ka to him- so that it would be able to protect him." She said, unknowingly tapping into her true memories to supply her duelist with the information.

"That might explain why Seth and Kisara have the same Ka, but it doesn't explain how I do too." Seto commented, still confused.

"Is it not obvious? You and Seth share the same Ka because you are related. You and Mokuba are two of his descendants!" The Guardian of Light laughed, and Seto's jaw dropped. My yami is also my ancestor?! He thought incredulously. Unbelievable!

After this, the Dragon Prince stood to his feet, still a little unsteady and shaking his head to rid himself of the feeling of dizziness. Everyone was still looking at him as if expecting him to pass out again. He smiled a little at Mana- who looked especially concerned- then addressed the entire group. "We're not gonna accomplish anything just standing around here. Let's keep moving. I bet we can at least get to the next shrine before sunset."

"Wait a second, Seto!" Téa called from the back of the group, and the Dragon Warrior turned to look at her in surprise- not expecting her to call him by his given name. "I almost forgot to give this back to you. It is rightfully yours, after all." She walked up to him and unbuckled something from the skirt of her dress. As soon as it had left the Guardian's waist, the piece of fabric changed to its true form- a piece of Seto's armor. "I stole this from Vivian a few days ago and hid it before she put me under that 'mindless zombie' spell. I knew that you would be coming eventually and that you’d need it." She handed the tasset to her duelist, who gratefully accepted it and buckled it around his own waist.

Eight down, thirteen to go. Not a bad start. Seto thought to himself as his strength increased once again. Then he turned to the north and started leading his friends toward the canyon that led out of the Warring Plains. A clap of thunder suddenly crashed over their heads, and a gentle drizzle of rain began to fall from the cloudy firmament. Mana laughed in joy that the curse had finally been broken and spread her arms out with her palms up, enjoying the playful droplets of water as they landed on the traveling group.

Not everyone was excited about the change in weather, though. Those who preferred not to get wet walked behind Mahaad, who had erected a barrier that acted as a giant umbrella. Mana continued to dance happily in the rain, laughing and catching drops in her mouth. Seto wondered how she could be so happy during a rainstorm, but then discovered the reason for her elation. The Warring Plains- covered with dead grass and trees- was beginning to show signs of life once again. Almost immediately the brown, lifeless grass began to perk up and turn green before the travelers' very eyes. By now, the faint drizzle had turned to an outright downpour, and Mana hopped under the barrier to avoid the large droplets. Seto smirked at her with a teasing expression on his face, and she smiled back sheepishly.

"Have fun dancing in the rain?" He joked, and was rewarded with a playful shove from the female spellcaster. "Oh stop it. You would be celebrating too if your home was gradually returning to its former splendor." She growled in mock annoyance, but her wide grin ruined the effect slightly.

-About two hours later-

After the rain had stopped, everyone decided to take a break for lunch. The girls sighed happily as they sat down, tired of walking. Mana sat down on a large, flat boulder, took her boots off and massaged her sore feet- glad for the brief reprieve. The others took their seats beside her so that everyone was seated in a circle. Mana opened a portal to her pocket dimension and retrieved the bag of fruit scones, distributing them to each Guardian. She saved Seto for last, and he gave her a nod of thanks when he had taken an apple-filled one. Mana blushed a little and waved it off, then returned to her spot and eagerly bit into her own lunch, a cherry-filled scone.

After everyone had rested adequately and Mana had returned their supplies to the pocket dimension, the travelers resumed walking to their next destination. For hours they walked, always heading toward the narrow fissure that led out of the expansive plains- but never seeming to get any closer to it. This was just a testament to the sheer height of the canyon walls.

They finally reached the valley at sunset, the shining face of Ra sinking into the horizon to the left of them. Mana shivered suddenly, the tremor having nothing to do with the temperature. She had suddenly remembered what their next destination was, and she didn't like that area of the Dominion one bit. It had unnerved her even when the land wasn't cursed. How much scarier would it be under the influence of the Shadow Hunters?

"Wat's up, BMG?" Joey asked, looking at his fellow Guardian and friend. "Ya look like ya've seen a ghost."

The spellcaster shuddered again, holding her arms around herself and cradling her torso. "It is this place. The 'Necrovalley'. I always avoid it because it gives me the creeps. This valley leads to our next destination, the Graveyard."

"Black Magician Girl is unnerved by the undead and zombie Ka." Mahaad elaborated. "Apparently she had a bad experience here once, but she has never talked with me about it. The 'Card-Hunting Shinigami' has haunted her dreams ever since."

"I do not know what it is about that guy, but he always scares me. It is really bad if you stay in the Graveyard during a duel for a long time. When he comes for you with that huge scythe- you know it cannot be good. I always run away from him." Mana admitted with a shudder.

"He is only doing his duty, Black Magician Girl." Mahaad commented gently, putting a hand on the distraught young woman's shoulder. "The Shinigami is there to make sure that defeated Ka do not accidentally stumble back into the duel when they were not purposefully summoned. He is actually a decent fellow if you get to know him. A little quiet perhaps, but not cruel."

"He still creeps me out." Mana argued stubbornly, folding her arms and closing the subject with a huff. Mahaad shook his head lightly and smirked at his headstrong apprentice, then looked to the east as they left the canyon- searching for the moon. After a few minutes of searching, he finally found it rising behind the mausoleum in the center of the enormous burial ground. The Graveyard was filled with a wispy fog that blanketed the overgrown weeds and surrounded the tombstones. As if all of this did not set the mood, on the headstones were carved the names of every one of the Guardians, the Dragon Prince, and other familiar names that meant something to the destined Hero of the Dominion.

Suddenly Seto gasped, ran over to an older-looking tombstone and stopped in front of it, dropping to one knee and bowing his head. The others followed him after a while in somber silence, wondering to themselves who could have been laid to rest here.

"Da name's been worn away. How can ya tell whose it is?" Joey asked of his friend, who continued to pay his respects in silence. "Look at the bottom two names." He whispered after a minute, looking back up at the marker. The others followed his gaze, and some gasped when they discovered the truth.

"Your parents?" Téa guessed, and Seto nodded gravely. His mother's name and his father's- as well as their family name- had been worn away, but his own and Mokuba's looked like they had been carved only a few hours ago. The Guardian of Storms read the dates of the interred, and gasped when two of the dates matched. "Your mother-"

"Died in childbirth, when Mokuba was born." Seto finished for her, no trace of emotion at all in his voice. He stood up slowly and turned away from the grave, not meeting anyone's gaze. "It's been a long time since I've paid my respects to my parents. I suppose I should be grateful that Keith put that tombstone here to unsettle me."

"It was not by the Shadow King's design that your family's tombstone rests here. It is merely the nature of the Graveyard." Mahaad explained. "It is meant to reflect a person's heart; things they regret, and persons that were close to them while they were alive. The Graveyard is normally not meant to unnerve any visitors. It is supposed to be a place of reflection where one can pay his or her respects to the departed- which you have done."

"This place has always been one of somber silence, but it was never intended to frighten anyone. The Shadow King's influence has corrupted even this solemn sanctuary." Isis added, her countenance grave.

"In any case, I appreciate this opportunity. I just wish-" Seto changed the subject slightly but then trailed off, not wanting to admit to any weaknesses, especially in front of the Guardians who were fast becoming his friends.

"You wish what?" Mana asked in curiosity, looking at her Hero with an encouraging smile, glad that the subject had changed.

"I wish I'd had time to say goodbye. I was only five years old when Mom died, and not old enough to understand the complications of childbirth. And then Dad died in an accident three years later. It happened so suddenly that I barely reacted in time to save Mokuba and myself, but not him.*" He sighed sadly. "I just miss them so much." He rubbed a few budding tears out of his eyes, then put a hand on the top of the grave marker.

[See ‘Tragedy of the Past’.]

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about it too much, Kaiba-" An eerie, raspy voice echoed through the deserted moratorium, even though it was spoken with a whisper. "You'll be seeing them again soon enough in Hell, when I send you and your friends there myself!"

The mausoleum gate opened with a grinding, screeching noise- as if no one had oiled the hinges since the structure was built- and out of it slid a giant casket. The wood was painted black and the handles were made of silver, but they were badly tarnished. An involuntary shiver ran down Seto's spine when the casket came to a stop, though he was not afraid in the least. The head of the coffin opened, and white smoke billowed out of it. Tch. Showoff. Everybody knows that's just dry ice. The Dragon Prince scoffed in his thoughts. But what he saw next unnerved him to no end. A skeleton-like hand rose out of the white mist, followed by the thinnest arm that the young CEO had ever seen in his life. Mana squeaked quietly and jumped behind her duelist, afraid of the sight before the heroes.

Eventually the form climbed out of the coffin- complete with his hooded black cape, razor-sharp scythe and skull-shaped mask. From what Seto could see of the Hunter, his hands were only bones with a layer of skin stretched over them- and possibly a few underdeveloped muscles scattered here and there. His legs looked like twigs, and his bare feet looked more like small rakes than walking appendages. Mana shuddered from her place behind Seto, thinking that this being was the dreaded 'Card-Hunting Death God'.

"This guy's too tall to be the ‘Shinigami’." Seto whispered to the terrified Guardian. "Besides, a Ka floats about two inches off the ground at all times no matter what attribute or type they are. And this guy's definitely standing on the ground. Though I am a bit unsettled by his skeleton-like appearance- Wait a second! I know who this Shadow Hunter is!" He gasped suddenly, turning to his opponent and addressing him directly.

"Guess I shouldn't be surprised. You're always hanging out in some type of boneyard. First it was Duelist Kingdom, then Battle City, now here. Still hanging out with Bandit Keith too. I would've ditched that creep long ago if I were you, given how that guy treated his underlings. Haven't changed much in your behavior, have you, Kotsuzuka?"

The Graveyard duelist merely smiled thinly and didn't reply, staring at his armored opponent with gaunt, sunken eyes that were concealed behind a mask. Joey shifted uncomfortably from his position to the right of his duelist and friend, recalling the first time he'd dueled this creepy kid in the graveyard-cave of Duelist Kingdom. He had won, but not before the undead Ka and even scarier duelist had thoroughly unsettled him. He'd even fainted on his feet during that duel, a fact to which he'd never admit aloud.

Suddenly the Shadow Hunter threw back his cape, exposing an unnaturally thin physique. The teenage boy was wearing only a pair of shorts under his cape, which were barely hanging onto his almost nonexistent waist by way of a drawstring tied in front. Man. Not even my dark side was this badly emaciated. Is this kid anorexic? Seto wondered to himself as the girls in his group of companions gasped in horror and sympathy.

"Heh. 'Judge not, lest ye be judged'.*” Kotsuzuka quoted with a hoarse whisper, which was all he could manage given his deteriorated state of being. Seto stepped back a bit when he realized that this young man had somehow heard his thoughts, and was more than a little unsettled by that discovery. However, he was not about to let this villain get under his skin.

[Luke 6:37a]

"You know, thoughts are supposed to be private. And for the record, I wasn't judging you." Seto growled at his opponent, who just shrugged and activated his Dark Disk, which looked like it had been made out of bones. Seto did the same, magically transforming his sparring weapon into a copy of the technology that he'd designed himself.

"Battle City rules. 4000 Life Points." Kotsuzuka called before Seto could, setting the stakes for the duel. "That is what you wanted, right?" The teenager laughed, then coughed violently as his deteriorated body barely managed to produce the bark of ridicule.

"Sure, kid. Whatever you say." Seto growled. "Since you set the rules, you get to take your turn first. Give me your best shot."

"Oh I will, Kaiba. Believe me, I will." Kotsuzuka laughed, his voice suddenly full of energy now that a duel was about to take place. Something that looked like mist swirled around the young man's body, though- upon closer inspection- Seto discovered that it was actually a vortex of souls, the very same ones that Akefia had used as a shield in the ruins of Kul-Elna in the Memory World. He might be the next Guardian, Seto thought to himself. This place- it somehow fits with him. He looked at the nearest headstone and squinted a little when he couldn't decipher the name. It must belong to one of the citizens of his home village. I guess the Graveyard acts as a place of reflection for all who visit it, not just me.

"All right. Enough stalling." Kotsuzuka called, putting a card on his Dark Disk. "I summon 'Armored Warrior Zombie' [1500/0] in Attack mode!" The ground in front of Kotsuzuka began to shift and slide. A green hand reeking of rot appeared from the ashen earth, slowly pulling up a decaying corpse- the source of the horrid odor- dressed in cracked red armor with a broken arrow shaft sticking out of the back exactly where the heart should've been. One eye was larger than the other and most of the dark gray hair had decayed away. "Then I'll lay down one card facedown. End turn."

Joey and Mana both made noises like they were trying to hold back from losing their lunch, and the other Guardians grimaced.

"Fine then." Seto called, seemingly unaffected by the foul stench. "I'll summon Joey [1800/1600] in Attack mode!"

"Do ya really need me ta come out dere?" Joey asked, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I mean, Holy Elf’s got more defense points." The swordsman's remark earned him a glare from most of the surrounding Guardians. "Fine." Joey reluctantly stepped onto the field and drew his sword. "Make it quick-" He begged his duelist. "-'cuz dat zombie's gonna make me hurl."

"Joey, it's not that bad." Seto answered, but with a look of empathy in his eyes. "I'll set one face-down card and end my turn."

"WHA?! Ya can't leave me out here alone wid ‘Zombie-breath’!"

"Joey, will you calm down and just trust me?" Seto asked, and Joey groaned. "Believe it or not, I know what I'm doing."

"Hn. 'Oh, ye of little faith’-*” Kotsuzuka growled as he drew his next card. "Now then, I'll summon 'Murder Circus Zombie' [1350/0] in Attack mode! Turn end."

[Matthew 8:26]

What's this punk up to? Seto thought. He could've sacrificed his Ka for one that's way more powerful than Joey, or another one so he can have a second shot at my Life Points.

"Kaiba- eh, I'd appreciate some help out here-" Joey suggested nervously.

"All right, Joey. First I'll play the spell card 'Cost Down' in order to summon Akhenaden [1900/1000] in Attack mode!" Akhenaden stepped onto the field next to Joey. "Next, I'll equip Joey with 'Salamandra'. Akhenaden, attack his 'Armored Warrior Zombie' and Joey, take out his 'Murder Circus Zombie'!"

"Dat's more like it!" Joey crowed as his blade burst into flames. He grinned and charged at the undead circus performer just as Akhenaden ran at the Armored Warrior Zombie. The two attacks took 1550 Life Points away from Kotsuzuka, leaving the thin boy gasping for air as a thick tendril of gray energy poured from his back like blood from a knife wound. "That's enough for now." Seto commented, ending his Battle Phase. Kotsuzuka let out a low snarl at his loss, but- as he drew his next card- it turned to a grin and then a chuckle.

"I hope ya got ‘nuff defenses up, Kaiba. I don' like dat look on ‘is face." Joey remarked worriedly.

I don't either, and I don't trust it. Seto thought to himself.

"I play the trap card 'Rope of Life' and summon my 'Murder Circus Zombie' back from the grave. Then I sacrifice my clown to summon 'Ghost King - Pumpking' [1800/2000] in Attack mode!" The earth split behind Kotsuzuka's feet and a pumpkin with enormous, blank black eyes emerged- vines swinging as if caught in a tornado. "Then I'll play 'Call of the Living Dead' and bring back my 'Armored Warrior Zombie'!" The undead warrior crawled out of the crack from which the Pumpking had appeared moments ago. "And finally I'll place one card face-down. Turn end."

Joey blinked in confusion. "Wait a sec. His Pumpking's got more dan enough Attack Points ta clean me out. Why didn' he-"

Seto narrowed his eyes skeptically but shook his head. "Akhenaden-" Seto began, but was cut off by his opponent.

"Activate spell!" Kotsuzuka cried.

"What?!" Joey and Seto cried out at the same time. The face-down card Kotsuzuka had placed appeared.

"My 'A Nightmare’s Iron Cage' stops you from attacking for two turns, giving me the chance to wipe you out once and for all, Kaiba!" Seto growled a low snarl as the spiked iron cage materialized around him and his two Guardians on the field.

"I'll summon Isis [100/2000] in Defense mode and place two cards face-down. Turn end." Seto announced, and Kotsuzuka smirked wickedly.

"I'll summon a monster in face-down Defense mode. Turn end." The young Shadow Hunter retorted, and Seto looked over his cards.

Not good. I've got nothing I can use to summon any of the stronger Guardians like Mahaad or Téa without a sacrifice. And I don't have ‘Resurrection of the Dead’ in my hand either. Seto's fingers trembled against his will, making a single card shift to reveal the first letter of a card that had been hiding in the back. 'Cross Soul'! Perfect! Seto smirked at Kotsuzuka, who looked somewhat confused at the Dragon Prince's sudden confidence. "I'll summon Akhenamkhanen [1600/1400] in Attack mode and place one more card face-down. Turn end."

"My move then. And I'll start by flip-summoning 'Castle of Darkening' [950/1930] in Defense mode!" A sudden dust storm picked up, whipping debris, loose dirt and grass into the air. Once the winds died down, the gold-brown castle was hovering in the air. "And my castle comes with a very special ability: this card increases the Attack strength of all of my Zombie-type monsters by 200 points every Standby Phase for the next four turns. And 'Pumpking' gets an extra 100 points for every Standby Phase that my Castle gives points to my Zombies."

"Dat's 300 points per turn." Joey breathed. "An' yer still stuck in here ‘til da end a yer next one." He added with a look to his duelist.

"I know that, Joey. Stop worrying so much. I've got a plan." Seto assured.

"Would ya care ta fill any of us in on it?" Hono no Kenshi asked, but Seto remained silent.

"I think I'll be nice though. Like they say; 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.'* Turn end." Kotsuzuka continued.

[Matthew 7:12]

"Strange, Kotsuzuka- I would've thought that you would know who you're up against, but clearly I was mistaken. I'm not one to just stand by and take a hit without a fight. So I activate the spell card 'Cross Soul' in order to take control of 'Castle of Darkening'. However, this structure won't be staying very long-" Seto said as the castle appeared on his side. "Because I'm going to sacrifice it in order to summon Téa [1800/1700] in Attack mode! Now then, I'll have Akhenaden attack the Pumpking, Téa attack the 'Armored Warrior Zombie' and Joey and Akhenamkhanen attack you directly. It's over Kotsuzuka!" Kotsuzuka looked around at his monsters in a panic as each of Seto's Guardians came closer.

"NO! This can't be happening!" He cried as both Akhenamkhanen and Joey slashed at him with their swords, cutting the duelist's remaining Life Points down to 0. Mist swirled around Kotsuzuka's form as it did when the duel began, and Seto could see skeletal faces in the midst of it. So that's the soul-shield he was using earlier. They're going to make sure that he shares the fate of all the other Shadow Hunters that we've defeated.

As the harrowing duel drew to a close, Kotsuzuka was breathing hard- his breath coming in ragged, wheezing gasps- all the energy that he'd used during the course of the duel vanishing into the ether and returning from whence it came. Seto took a breath himself as his energy returned to him, suddenly feeling revitalized and better than he had before the duel- though his newly reclaimed rerebraces could've had something to do with that. He equipped the pieces to both of his forearms, then sighed when he remembered that he wasn't even halfway done yet. He turned back for one last look at his parents' grave as Kotsuzuka vanished into the ground like his confederates, but then turned back when a ghostly form caught his eye.

"Thank you, Kaiba." Akefia whispered, his astral projection standing beside his Ka, ‘Diabound Kernel’. Seto nodded, then quietly excused himself from the group of Guardians, walking over to his family's marker and kneeling down in front of it to say goodbye. The rest of the group explained the situation to their newest addition and welcomed Akefia into the group with open arms. Mostly. Mana was still a little shy around the Guardian of the Dead, but he managed to assuage her apprehension with a simple explanation. "The souls laid to rest here are all at peace. They will not harm you or any of your friends, I will make sure of that. I have been entrusted with overseeing this area, and it is my duty to keep visitors to the Graveyard safe, so they can pay their respects to loved ones without fear. Death is just the next great adventure, a path that we must all someday take." He imparted sagely.

Mana nodded, then the troop navigated the cemetery, skirted the mausoleum- which thankfully had lost most of its eerie qualities- and continued out of the burial ground toward the Desert to the north.

Chapter 10: Desert Colossus

Chapter Text

"With this heat, I think I'm actually starting to miss the Warring Plains." Seto complained mostly under his breath as he panted in exhaustion. "I gotta say, I'm jealous of most of you Guardians. You were born and raised in the desert." He added, tilting his head back to look at his team- all of whom wore expressions of confusion on their faces.

"I tink da heat's finally startin' ta get to ‘im. He's not makin' any sense." Joey joked a little, but his chocolate-brown eyes were concerned.

"That may be so, Joey, but I'm not going crazy just yet." Seto answered, shooting a playful smirk at his blond friend. "I was referring to the fact that six of you once lived in ancient Egypt and are therefore accustomed to this desert climate. As for the rest of us, we're more comfortable with less extreme temperatures. At least, I am, anyway."

"My Prince, are you referring to our lost memories? Do you speak of our lives before our existence as Guardians?" Mana queried, and Seto nodded. "It's a pretty long story, and I don't have the time or the strength to tell you the whole thing now. I'll explain when we make camp tonight."

Mana nodded once in agreement, and the group of ten Guardians and Prince traveled on through the arid expanse of desert, stretching for miles in every direction. The shifting dunes yielded no clues, no paths that would lead them to their next destination: a gigantic monument to an ancient deity of the sands somewhere in this seemingly endless wasteland. The Guardians trusted and followed their savior as he followed his instincts, trusting the strange force in his heart that compelled him toward the shrines. And so far, that gentle pull had never failed him.

"Speaking of heat exhaustion-" Téa began, but she never finished her train of thought before she dropped to her knees, falling to the ground. Or at least she would have if Seto hadn't caught her at the last second. He knelt at her side, his arm supporting her head and eyes looking down at her with concern. "Mana, open your pocket dimension. There should be several flasks inside." He ordered, and the young spellcaster obeyed without question- though her green eyes held confusion in their depths. She grabbed a small canteen from the pile and brought it to the Dragon Prince, who thanked her with a nod. He unscrewed the cap and poured a few drops into his hand and spread it over the young woman's brow, adding a small amount of his own magic to the liquid to help heal his friend.

Whatever Seto did seemed to work. Téa groaned a little and opened her sapphire eyes slowly, blinking in the harsh light of the midday sun. She smiled shyly at the Prince- who had saved her life twice now- and he smiled back kindly. "Here. Drink this. You're severely dehydrated." He offered, helping her sit up and handing her the flask. She took a small sip at first, then drank more as her strength returned. When she finished, she flushed with embarrassment that she'd drained the whole bottle. Seto laughed and waved it off, saying, "Don't worry about it, there's plenty more where that came from. Besides, you needed it." Then he stood up and walked over to the tear between dimensions and pulled out eight more flasks, which he tossed to each of the Guardians. "I think we can spare a few minutes for a break. Let's rest here for a half-hour, then we'll move on."

The other Guardians gratefully agreed, and Seto and Mahaad cast a shield of shadows over the group- rather like donning a pair of giant sunglasses that covered a 20 ft² area. The others sat down on the soft sand and took a few sips from the water flasks. Seto sat next to Téa after the shadow tent was erected, and Mahaad took his place between Mana and Akhenamkhanen.

"Y’know, I'd have thought it would be Ryou that got heatstroke first, given his white hair and fair complexion." Seto teased gently as he nudged 'Kokorogawari' playfully, and the Guardian blushed shyly in response.

"You are one to talk, Kaiba. You are just as pale as he is. Quit teasing my hikari." Akefia growled from Ryou's other side- glaring at the Dragon Warrior menacingly- but a glimmer of mischief in Diabound's eyes ruined the effect slightly. Hikari? Where did that come from?

"Careful, Akefia. You're sounding dangerously close to your dark side." Seto answered, turning to the winged demon and grinning evilly. Diabound grimaced and turned away at that, but Seto could've sworn he heard the newest addition to their group mutter "Touché."

"All right, you two. Enough teasing." Mahaad chided gently, and Seto grinned in apology. Diabound nodded as well and struck up a conversation with Ryou as Seto turned to Téa. "You feeling better now?" He asked.

"Yes. Thank you, my Prince." Téa answered. She twisted the empty canteen around in her hands for a moment, then asked, "Where did you get that water? It seems to possess some type of healing power."

"From the Fountain. Isis mentioned once that the Fountain's water has the power to heal and restore the strength of a Ka that drinks it, although apparently it works for me as well." Seto answered as he smiled over at the Holy Elf, who returned the expression. "I thought it might come in handy, so I filled up some bottles while I was there. Turns out it did." He continued.

"Your foresight never ceases to amaze me, my Prince." Mana commented from her position next to her Dark Magic teacher. She was blushing slightly, but Seto mistook it for a reaction to the heat. However, the expression did not go unnoticed by everyone. Mahaad had spotted the change as well, and he smiled to himself. I can certainly understand your feelings, Mana. He is an honorable young man. Strong and noble as well. But I am afraid your feelings may be unrequited-

"Just helps to be prepared." Seto answered with a shrug, then stood up to continue their quest- the other Guardians following suit. "Let's keep heading north. The shrine’s gotta be around here somewhere." Seto suggested, and his companions nodded.

-After a few more hours of walking-

The travelers were starting to tire again and Seto agreed that another rest period was necessary. Just as he'd sat down on a small outcropping of sandstone, the Dragon Prince spotted a strange light sparkling in the distance. "Hey, what's that over there?" He asked of no one in particular, and Joey answered.

"Yer seein' tings, Kaiba. It's prob'ly just a mirage. Dere's nothin' over there. Not dat I can see, anyway." Joey stated, squinting over in the direction that Seto was looking.

"That's because your eyes aren’t like mine, Joey. Dragons have much keener senses than humans do." Seto explained, looking back at his friend.

"But yer still human too." Joey argued. "I don' get it."

"Seto's case is unique, Hono no Kenshi. Over the years, there have been a few humans who have merged their souls with that of their Ka, but there is only one man that I know of that has not only fused with his Ka in spirit, but also in body-" Mahaad explained, and the Guardian of Fire looked at the armor-clad spellcaster. "-Seto."

"That's how you were able to change your form into that of a drake when you battled Lumis, isn't it?" Ryou asked, and Seto nodded. "I can transform into the Blue-Eyes White Dragon whenever I need to. But without all the pieces of my armor, the change comes with almost unbearable pain. And it's not only physical pain, either. I feel it in my core, too. My very soul."

"Wow." was all Joey could say to that, then sat down again, unable to think of anything more to say. Mana- wanting to turn the subject away from this depressing route- asked, "What did you see over in this direction, my Prince?"

"I thought I saw the sparkle of water, like an oasis or something." Seto answered, looking first at her and then back at the anomalous shimmer in the distance. "But Joey might be right. It could just be a mirage."

"Well, let us go check it out! We are not exactly doing much by just sitting around here!" The bubbly spellcaster chirped, and Seto smiled and shrugged, thinking to himself, She's right, we might as well move on. Even if it is a mirage, it won't change anything important. Then he called, "Lead the way, Mana."

"Unnh. Where- am I?" A weak, female voice questioned, and a strange, deep voice answered her. "You have been freed from the darkness. The one who calls himself 'the King of Thieves' is no longer in control over you. The Prince has seen to that."

"Prince? What are you talking about? Who are you?" The young woman gasped, afraid of the immensely powerful voice that could not belong to anything of this world.

"Few mortals have seen my face and lived. Even fewer have uttered my name and not perished where they stood. Only two beings of your race possess the spirit to command me, and you are neither. You shall return to the world of mortals and deliver a message to the one who returned us to that world."

Vivian knelt down on her right knee and bowed her head, submitting to the will of this being of ultimate power. "What must I do?"

[Just for future reference, Vivian was speaking with Thoth (Giant Divine Soldier of Obelisk).]

"Oh wow! It is beautiful! I have never seen such a wonderful sight in all my life!" Mana gasped in awe as she ran up to the crystal clear waters. Seto smiled and agreed with her, looking at the pristine oasis in approval. The water lapped happily against the shore and the magician's bare feet when she'd removed her boots. Seto knelt at the water's edge and filled several bottles with the fresh water, instinctively knowing that this water possessed the same healing magic of Isis' Fountain.

Ryou flew out to the middle of the water and measured its depth with a few quick calculations. He flew back and landed next to his duelist, commenting, "The water is a metre and a half* deep at its lowest point. I suggest we use this golden opportunity and relax a little."

[≈5 ft.]

"I agree. Good idea." Seto answered, and he started removing his armor pieces and changed his pants to swim trunks as he had before. The new Guardians- especially Téa and Ryou- reacted with alarm when they saw the scars, but none had the heart to ask their friend about how he got them. He appreciated that. By coincidence only, Mana and Joey stepped into the water at the exact same time, and suddenly a barrier of shadows shot out of the ground and water between them. Seto looked back at Mahaad, but the spellcaster shook his head. "That was not my doing. It must be some ancient magic of the oasis. Perhaps we should follow its wishes and respect the barrier. Girls on one side, boys on the other."

"Aw, it is no fun that way-" Mana groused, but then Téa splashed her in the face. "I beg to differ." laughed the Guardian of Storms. "Oh, now you are in for it! Get back here!" laughed the Black Magician Girl. She ran after the other Guardian, and Seto simply smirked and shook his head. Using his power, he subtly changed his friends' outfits into swim attire as well, then waded into the warm, clear waters. "No excuses this time, Isis. The water is shallow enough that you'll be able to stand on the bottom." He called over to the celestial Guardian, who blushed and replied, "As you wish, my Prince." The words were submissive, but Seto could hear the smile in her voice.

In the midst of a dunking battle with Joey, Seto glanced toward the north and spotted a titanic structure in the distance, one carved right into the sandstone. It depicted a man garbed in the style of Egypt, but instead of the head of a man, the figure had the head of a Typhon beast.* That must be Set, god of the desert, travelers, chaos and destruction. Seth's namesake. I guess we've reached the next Shrine. The Desert Colossus. Without warning, he tackled Joey and forced him below the water. "Now we're even." He laughed as Joey resurfaced. The blond was about to protest, but then he remembered the incident in the Castle kitchens and grinned sheepishly. "You win, Kaiba." He admitted, and accepted his defeat with grace.

After everyone had sufficiently cooled off and donned their respective attire, Seto crossed the surprisingly short distance from the oasis to the Colossus, his friends following after him. "Wow. Dat's gotta be da hugest statue I've ever seen in my life!" Joey gasped, and Seto silently agreed with him. "That's Set. Egyptian god of the desert, travelers, chaos and destruction. Apparently I was named after him, either that or after a powerful pharaoh who also bore his name." He revealed, thinking of his adopted older brother and the fact that he was actually his and Mokuba's ancestor.

"Really? Ah nevah knew that ya come from a line a’ kings, mistah Kaiba. Or, should Ah start callin' ya Your Highness?" A contemptuous voice sounded from the shadows in a thick Southern accent. A Shadow Hunter stepped from the dark doorway that led into the Shrine- his dark robes and skull-shaped mask concealing the duelist within- but the Dragon Duelist had heard that voice too often not to place it immediately. "Lecter. I figured I would run into another one of you snakes sooner or later. It's somehow fitting that Keith would leave this area to you. Sidewinders and asps can always be found in the arid desert."

"Don't forget cobras an' rattlers, mistah Kaiba. On’y- unlike them- Ah don't intend ta give ya any warnin' befor' Ah strike!" He hurled a poisoned dart at the Hero from somewhere inside his sleeve, but something happened that he hadn't expected. A gust of wind suddenly blew between the adversaries, and when it cleared, Seto opened his fist and dropped the dart to the ground, having caught it in midair just inches from his heart. He ground the lethal needle beneath his shoe and spat, "You're making my point for me, you poisonous reptile. I can see why you were always one of my stepfather's right-hand men."

Lecter only scowled and answered venomously, "Ya may have lightnin'-quick reflexes like that overgrown white lizard, but yer nowhere near th’ power that Ah now possess thanks ta th’ Shadow King. Yer little insignificant rebellion ends here, mistah Kaiba!"

"We'll see about that, you hack." Seto retorted, turning his sparring blade into a Duel Disk and inserting his deck. Lecter did the same with his Dark Disk and the Life Point counters set themselves at 4000. "Here we go again." Joey muttered under his breath, and Seto looked back at him with a sly grin. "You ready for this?"

Joey grinned back at him. "Let's kick some Shadow Hunter butt!"

"I'll start things off. I set one card in facedown position and summon Isis [100/2000] in Defense mode! End turn." Seto called.

Just then, a pair of magenta-colored beams shot out of the eye holes of Lecter's mask and hit Seto squarely in the chest. He staggered backward in shock, and- to his further surprise- his covered card turned gray, indicating that it could not be used.

"Ah'm afraid Ah can't allow tha’ move, mistah Kaiba." Lecter announced, finally pulling back his hood and removing his mask, revealing a sight none of the Guardians or Hero expected. Instead of the tall member of the Big Five that Seto had assumed was under the guise, 'Android - Psycho Shocker' [2400/1500] glared back at him with folded arms. "Somethin' went awry when Ah was returned ta this world, Kaiba. Because a’ you, Ah had no body ta come back ta like mah confederates. Howevah, th’ King was gracious enough ta bring me back like this. So now Ah get ta give ya hell with mah favorite monster. Say goodbye ta yer traps, Kaiba, an' prepare ta meet yer end!"

"Need I remind you, Lecter? I've beaten you without trap cards once before, and I'll do it again." Seto growled, shuffling through his hand and rearranging his cards a bit.

"Like they say, Kaiba, 'If at first ya don't succeed: try, try again’." The former businessman quoted, and Seto smirked.

"I plan to make sure you can't try again." He answered smugly.

"We'll see, mistah Kaiba." Lecter spat as he drew a card. "First off, Ah think Ah'll play th’ spell card called 'Cost Down' in order ta summon another one a’ yer li’l friends ta th’ party."

"Wat?!" Joey shouted, and Seto's expression matched his friend's outburst. Lecter's face twisted into a sneer as he placed a card on the disk face-down.

"Attack if ya got th’ guts, mistah Kaiba. But remember: this is one a’ yer li’l Guardians. An' who knows what could happen ta their soul if they're sent ta th’ Graveyard. Ya willin' ta take th’ risk?" He laughed.

Seto narrowed his eyes at the former executive. "I don't plan on taking any risks, Lecter. So I'll start off by summoning Joey [1800/1600] in Attack Mode!" Joey stepped onto the field with a snarl toward his and his duelist's opponent.

"Let's jus' get dis over with. Dere's somethin' about dis guy I don' trust." He suggested, and Seto nodded in agreement.

"Then I'll activate the spell card 'Defense Sealing', so your face-down is now face-up in Attack mode." Seto called back in retaliation, magically activating the spell. In the place of the monster card on Lecter's field was now a two-headed beast dressed in green, gold and silver armor. In one of his hands was a long, green battle ax with the Eye of Wdjat etched in gold, and a similar design covered the front of a shield resting on the opposite arm.

"That is 'Souto no Jackal Senshi'." Mahaad breathed.

"Shada." Seto echoed, a little surprised that one of the Shadow Hunters would choose to include a Guardian as part of their deck. Seto took a deep breath- still keeping his calm outward appearance and co*cked his head a little to the side- feigning confusion. "I'm impressed, Lecter. You actually managed to do something no one expected of you. Maybe being under the Shadow King's thumb has actually taught you a thing or two. Not that any of it’ll help." He taunted smugly.

"Could it be, mistah Kaiba, that yer not familiah with 2-Headed Jackal Warrior's special ability? By payin' 500 Life Points, Ah can have ‘im attack twice in one turn."* The Big Five member laughed.

[This effect is made up, by the way.]

"Are you not overlooking something, Lecter?" Isis asked suddenly, and the business mogul turned to her in confusion.

"An' just what might that be, missy?" He asked in confusion. Isis sighed and shook her head.

"The fact that Hono no Kenshi and Souto no Jackal Senshi have the exact same number of Attack Points means that they'd end in a stalemate. And I have 200 more Defense Points than Souto no Jackal Senshi. And while we are on the subject, is it not still the Hero's turn?" The blonde elf maiden chuckled somewhat darkly- surprising, considering her LIGHT-attribute and normally kindhearted nature.

"I'm gonna enjoy this." Seto chuckled as he drew another card from his hand. "I activate the spell card known as 'Kokorogawari'! It lets me take one of your Ka and make it my own. And since Shada is your only Ka, you can probably guess who I'm going to take." Seto mocked, causing Lecter to snarl at him for insulting his intelligence. "Ryou, if you would do the honors." Seto gestured.

Lecter was seething silently as Shada appeared on Seto's side of the field, shaking his two jackal heads in confusion. "What just happened?" The two mouths moved in harmony.

"Yer mind was taken over by da Shadow King an' he gave ya ta dis freak with da bad glasses, an’ now yer back on da winnin' side. Dat clear?" Joey asked. Shada blinked in confusion for a moment before shaking both his heads again.

"N-No. That was not clear." He answered, still confused. Who was this young man clad in an incomplete suit of armor, and why did he feel like he owed this Warrior his life?

"How about this for clarity?" Seto interjected as he selected a final card. "Isis, move into Attack Mode and I'll equip you with the 'Black Pendant'. Now all three of you, attack Lecter's Life Points directly!"

"That was fairly clear." The jackal warrior agreed before leaping at his old enslaver with his two new companions. One slash of a fire sword, one slice of an ax and a blast of magic later- and all that remained of Lecter was a starburst burn-mark on the temple floor.

"That- last attack- took a bit more out of me- than I expected." Seto panted as another member of the Big Five- and one of his former business associates- had been destroyed by the combined attacks of three of the Guardians.

"Indeed." Shada answered, having finally regained some of his memories. He was the Guardian of the Desert. "But I am eternally grateful for your sacrifice. You have freed my domain from the oppression of the Shadow King, as well as all the Ka that live here."

"Eh, the 'sacrifice' wasn't that bad." Seto amended when he'd regained his breath. "I'm just glad that this place can finally return to its former splendor, to be what it once was."

"And just think, my Prince," Mana chirped brightly. "You're halfway through this crazy quest to free all the Guardians and take on the Shadow King! Just eleven more to go!"

"Ten more, Mana." Seto corrected as he equipped his newly recovered poleyns to his knees, adding two more pieces of his armor to his set and increasing his draconian strength once more. Mana co*cked her head in confusion, but then listened as Seto explained further. "Assuming that Keith is still holding my brother hostage at the Castle- and the fact that he's the final Guardian- I really have ten more of you to free before I dethrone that usurping card shark. So I'm exactly halfway there." He finished.

"Oh, right." Mana answered, checking her math once more on her fingers and flushing when she realized that he was correct. "Whoops."

Seto smiled at her kindly, and she returned the expression- though hers looked more on the sheepish side. After a minute, he suggested to the group, "Let's freshen up back at that oasis and make camp for the night. Then in the morning we can continue on to our next destination- those mountains over there to the north- and the stronghold that rests at the foot; the domain of the Guardian of Stone."

Chapter 11: Mountain Stronghold

Chapter Text

CLANG! The clash of metal caused the sleeping spellcaster to wake up with a start, shocked out of the pleasant dream she'd been having. She didn't remember most of the details, but she remembered seeing a young woman next to her- pointing at a ripe, juicy fig on an ancient tree. The teenaged girl had been crying, but also smiling in a friendly way. Mana knew that she should know who this girl was, but she couldn't remember.

[See 'Flower of Life' ch. 2.]

Her thoughts moving back to the present, she turned her eyes to the sight before her. The Prince and her friend Hono no Kenshi were battling fiercely with one another, blades constantly clashing as they blocked and parried each other's moves, countering with their own and repeating the struggle over and over again. Oh, they are merely sparring. Mana realized in relief. I had thought there was a battle going on!

"Well, look who is finally awake." Mahaad teased gently, grinning at his apprentice. "Did you get enough rest, Sleepyhead?"

Mana blushed in embarrassment, but then shot back, feigning hurt. "Yes I did, master. There is no need to call me names!" She was barely concealing a grin of amusem*nt, and could tell that her teacher saw right through her weak mask, because he grinned too- winking at her conspiratorially.

"He is getting better." Akhenamkhanen praised, studying the exchange of blows thoroughly. "There was a time when he could only keep at it for a few hours. Now he is matching every one of Hono no Kenshi's moves and does not appear winded in the slightest, despite beginning at dawn with no respite."

"Indeed he is improving, my pharaoh." Mahaad answered the King's Knight, his true memories breaking through the mind-fog for a brief instant before becoming shrouded again. "We can only hope that his skill and endurance continue to increase, so that when the time comes to battle the Shadow King, he will be ready."

"At da rate he's goin', he'll be more dan 'ready'," Joey called over as he continued to train his sparring partner. "He's gonna wipe da floor wid dat hack!"

"Don't set your hopes too high, Joey." Seto warned as he parried another blow. "Bandit Keith's no pushover. Just because I've got a lot of raw talent doesn't mean it’ll be an easy fight. In fact, it may very well be the fight that determines my destiny; life or death." He crossed blades with the Guardian again, growling determinedly, "But we will meet him in battle nonetheless."

"That's the spirit, Kaiba!" Téa cheered from the sidelines. "You'll show that tyrant who's boss! You'll win, I just know you will!"

Seto signaled for a time-out then, and Joey was more than happy to oblige. "Thanks Téa." He huffed, sitting down beside her and taking a long draught of water from his flask.

-After a while-

"Y’know-" He commented, changing the subject, "I haven't seen very many Ka lately- except for you guys. I wonder where they all are?"

"Dey're prolly imprisoned somewhere by da Shadow Hunters." Joey answered, sitting down beside his friend and taking a swig from his own flask of water. "When we free each area, da Ka should come back, but so far it's been pretty quiet."

"Adding to that, there is the fact that not many Ka live in the desert." Akefia commented from beside them. He was in his spirit form- laying on his back and folding his arms behind his head- leaning against Diabound's tail as he looked up at the big blue sky. "I suppose there are the 'Gravekeepers' clan, but not much else."

"We did see quite a few Ka spirits in your Graveyard." Isis pointed out to Diabound and to her Prince. "Those Ka who were defeated in battle."

"Yeah, but I wasn't counting those." Seto answered, rubbing some water on the back of his neck to cool off. "I meant 'wild' Ka, ones who are not affiliated with our team or the Shadows." He explained. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen any beasts that aren't Ka- like the thing that attacked Critias not too long ago." He mused to himself, but Mana overheard him.

"Lord Critias?" She asked, looking at the Prince in a new light. "You know the three Legendary Knights personally?"

"Yeah. Mokuba and I are actually distant descendants of his family, as is my other brother Seth." Seto answered. "It's not really surprising, considering that we all look almost exactly alike- save a few subtle differences. Seth grew up in Egypt, so he's quite a bit more tanned than I am- and Critias has darker blue eyes like Mokuba and blond hair instead of brown." He sighed then, looking down at his feet as he thought of his brother. "I hope that kid's all right. I'd do anything to keep him safe, make sure no harm comes to him. If Keith has hurt him in any way, I'll make sure he wishes he was never born!" He growled menacingly, tightening his hands into fists.

"Seth-" Mahaad breathed, his real memories surfacing again for a brief moment. "He is one of the Guardians, correct? The former Bearer of the Millennium Rod?"

"Yeah. He was also cousin and successor to the pharaoh of your time, Atem- your son, Akhenamkhanen." Seto answered, looking over at King's Knight just in time to see him start with surprise. "Seth is your son, Akhenaden."

"My son?" Master Monk gasped, completely taken aback at this revelation. My son was at one point pharaoh of Egypt? Unbelievable!

Just then a herd of camels passed by them on their way to the oasis, carrying bags, rolls of blankets and supplies. There were no riders, but Seto could tell that they belonged to the Shadow Hunters. Still, these camels were the first evidence of regular animals living in the Dominion of the Beasts along with Ka.

"Hey Mana? I know that humanoid Ka are forbidden from eating the flesh of animals- that you only eat fruits, vegetables and grains- but what do the other Ka eat? Like the dragons, for example?" Seto asked, curious.

"They hunt whatever they desire, and mostly in the mountains. There are many herds of deer and other four-footed animals living in the forests near the mountain bases." She explained. "I have not seen the dragons lately, though, ever since the Legendary Knights were- sealed." She looked sad as she finished, and Seto remembered what he had seen in the courtyard of the Castle. A giant black obelisk stained with blood, and chained to it the three Knights- impaled through the heart with their own swords, holding them to the monolith.

"You mentioned something once about 'when the dragons ruled in the mountains'." Seto continued, and Mana nodded. "That was a long time ago, before even the Legendary Knights were exiled here and sealed in crystal as dragons. They were the most powerful, most reclusive beings. The oldest one, 'Thousand Dragon', was revered as the wisest creature in the entire Dominion. Sometimes humanoid Ka- like the spellcasters, for example- would embark on pilgrimages to his sacred mountain cave, where they would learn much from the ancient dragon- both knowledge and wisdom. They would use their gifts to help to improve the Dominion in some way. It was thanks to the dragons of old that the Castle of the Sun stands today." She imparted, causing Seto to raise his eyebrows in surprise.

"You mean that the Castle was actually built by the dragons?" He gasped, impressed at this new information. Dragons had to be the strongest creatures of the Ka.

"Not entirely, but they certainly helped." Mana amended her earlier statement. "They melted down the gold for the roof with their breath of fire and helped carve out the marble blocks for the walls, columns and floors with their claws. The magicians and dragons worked together to put the gold roof and turrets in place." Mana continued.

"Incredible." Seto breathed, amazed at the level that Ka could cooperate with each other, even with beings that were not their kind. "I have one question, though. The Dominion of the Beasts has existed as long as Earth has, right? And royalty here is represented by a human's ranking as a duelist in our world. My question is: for whom was the Castle of the Sun built?"

"That is a good question, my Prince." Mahaad smiled, speaking up when his apprentice couldn't answer. "The Castle has existed for as long as the Shadow Games have- ever since the first duel between two spellcasters of the human world- and it was built in honor of the first King of Games, a human known only as Prince Eden."

"Eden?" Seto asked, the name sparking a glimmer of recognition in his mind. Why does that name sound familiar?

"Hey, wasn' dat da name a' da princess in dat virtual Adventure Land dat you created, Kaiba?" Joey asked suddenly, temporarily overcoming the memory block that the Bandit King had placed on him.

"No, her name was Adina." Téa corrected, also overcoming the seal for a moment. "You were close, though."

Seto growled suddenly, his blue eyes flashing with anger. "It was originally supposed to be Prince Eden. Those Big Five scum changed the character into a girl just to unsettle my brother when he entered the game. He was also supposed to become 'Jack's Knight', but they made her change to 'Holy Elf' instead. It didn't affect the gameplay in any way, but they still changed it to torment my little brother." Seto clenched his fist in anger, so much so that his knuckles turned white. "I meant for Eden to be a strong, capable ruler of Sim-Lau, but those monsters made Adina pathetic and useless."

"Gee, now I feel bad for teasin' 'im in da game." Joey muttered to himself and drew in the sand with his boot.

"My Garden is also named after him, as he was the one who planted it. He grew that Garden not only for his fellow duelists when they ventured to the Dominion, but for us Ka as well. And we honored him by naming the Garden after him. The Garden of Eden." Mana continued, changing the subject from the depressing path it was on.

Garden of Eden, huh? Seto thought to himself as they continued on out of the desert and into the mountains. Ahead he could see the Stronghold at the mountain’s base, shining like a gemstone in the distance. We're getting there, Mokuba. Soon we'll free the next Guardian and come one step closer to defeating the Shadow King and freeing you. Just hang in there, kiddo.

"Let's see- this might be the one." Ann Sierra mused to herself as she searched the internet for a certain phone number. She dialed the number, making sure that the translation device was secure on both ends of the telephone. The secretary answered on the second ring.

"Hello, Cherry Blossom apartments. How may I direct your call?"

"Hello. This is Ann Sierra. I'm calling for 'Itonami Hana'. Could you transfer me to her room?"

"Absolutely, ma'am. One moment please." Ann half-listened to the recorded transfer music, but perked up when the phone started to ring again.

"Hanna? It's me, Mom-"

"Hi! You've reached the residence of Itonami Hana. I'm not at home right now, but feel free to leave a message for me at the beep. I'll get back to you as soon as I can!" answered the pre-recorded machine, cutting off Mrs. Sierra's call. The woman's countenance fell when she heard that her daughter was out, and her confidence dwindled.

"Hanna-" Ann whispered, just loud enough for the machine to pick it up. "If you get this call, I just want you to know- I love you, and your Dad does too. I don't care if you have another spirit living inside your body, we just want you to come home. It's so empty in our house without you. I think the shock was just too much for us to handle all at once, and that's why we told you to leave. Please. Come home."

Beep. "Message ended." The machine stated, and Ann hung up with a sigh. She then returned to the computer and searched for the address on Google Earth, searching Japan for the apartment building in which her daughter was living.

Well, at least it looks like a nice part of town. Ann thought to herself as she studied the building from the satellite's bird's-eye view.

"Honey? What are you doing?" Lee asked, and Mrs. Sierra jumped a little in surprise- as she hadn't heard her husband walk up behind her. "Oh, I was just looking around on Google Earth. I've been thinking of going on vacation somewhere. Someplace far away from here, where we've never been before."

"So you were considering Japan?" He asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow. “But we've been there.” He argued. “We went there five years ago, remember?” He reminded her with a grimace. That was a trip none of them wanted to remember*.

[See 'Prince of Egypt' ch. 2]

"Yeah, but I mostly wanted to check out some of their gardens this time, and there's a lot of things to see in this one city called Domino." Ann answered- only half-listening- looking on the map again and scanning around the area. "You know that one card game that Hanna was always interested in? Well it seems that this city is really big on that game. They even developed this holographic technology to bring the cards to life, so to speak."

Lee flinched at the mention of his daughter's name, but then nodded. "Yeah, I remember. She had all those cards, but she never used them- only looked at them from time to time. The last time she really played with them was with-" He paused, looking down at his feet in sadness. "-her brother."

Ann's eyes widened and a tear started to form at the edge of her eyelid. Bret- She thought. Their son Bret had been two years older than their daughter, and was seventeen years old when he’d died in a tragic freak accident. He'd had cerulean eyes, bronze hair that was always spiky, and a thin, kind face. He had always looked after his little sister- like an older brother should- and was very protective of her. He valued fair play, and would always treat everyone with respect.

It's been five years since he died, Ann thought to herself, and over a year since Hanna left. Oh, I miss them both so much. She sobbed mentally, and the tear dripped from her eyelid and ran down her face, lingering on her jaw. Hanna- I need to see you, even if it's for only a moment. I need to know that you're all right.

"Well, we made it." Seto sighed, heaving a deep sigh of relief as they finally came to the edge of the desert. A towering stronghold stood before them, raised up on a hill. This reminds me of that Adventure Land too. I guess my subconscious was drawing on images from the Dominion of the Beasts when I was designing the land for that game. But at that time I had never been to the Dominion-

"Yep." Joey agreed, also happy to be out of the scorching sands and the blazing sun. "Dis is da next shrine, da Stronghold. Home ta most a' da Rock-type Ka, but dere's some Machine-types too." Joey explained, also studying the sandstone temple appreciatively.

"Hey, Hono no Kenshi?" Mana asked suddenly. "I do not know much about this area, as it is pretty far from my Shrine. I hardly ever come here, either. Are we going to have to climb that mountain to get to the Forest to the west?"

"Nope. We're goin' through it." Joey answered, and Mana sighed in relief. "Dere's a maze a' tunnels an' caverns behind da Stronghold. Once we fight our way through dere, it should be fairly simple ta navigate through da caves."

"That is good." Mana smiled, glad that they wouldn't have to hike all the way up the mountain and all the way back down.

"We will have to do some hiking when we get to the mountain range far to the west, over there in the distance." Mahaad stated, pointing with his finger to a mountain peak that looked at least twice as tall as the one before them. Seto looked in that direction too, and- due to his enhanced dragon-senses- could make out something glittering on the very summit.

"Is that- a diamond castle on the mountaintop?" Seto asked the magician, not yet able to make out the smallest details on the distant structure.

"It is a temple of never-melting ice, but- for all intents and purposes- it might as well be carved from diamond. The density and the luster are nearly equal." Mahaad explained. Mana groaned at the thought of tramping through the snow, since her armor didn't really provide that much protection from the elements. In a way, Seto could sympathize with her. As reptiles, dragons were cold-blooded creatures- and would fall into a hibernative state if exposed to the cold for too long. In the battle within the Temple of Ice, he would have to be extra careful, as his strength would steadily decrease due to the cold temperatures.

"Who is the Guardian of Ice, anyway?" Téa asked her Prince, who cupped his chin in thought. "I'm not sure, though I have a feeling that it's someone that I know very well. I don't know which of my friends is merged with which Ka." He explained, looking at the crystal-like cap again as he tried to see through the ice. With his enhanced vision, he could just barely make out something moving around within- and something that wasn't moving- but he couldn't tell what they were.

"Let's get back to the present events. We'll worry more about that mountain when the time comes." Akefia suggested after another minute, turning his gaze back to the Stronghold. He didn't mean to sound insensitive, but the fact remained that they needed to free the Guardian of Stone first. "One thing at a time."

Everyone else nodded their agreement, including Seto- who still harbored a feeling of unease as he glanced back at the snowy summit. He definitely felt a connection to the Guardian of that temple, but he couldn't quite determine his or her identity.

-After another half hour or so-

The group finally reached the Stronghold and Seto knocked on the giant oak door, not really expecting anything to happen. He was slightly surprised when the doors opened wide of their own accord, and so stepped warily into the shrine- his ten friends close behind him. The entire interior was laid out like a giant jungle gym, with scaffolding crisscrossing over the entire temple. Almost immediately the shadow of some creature caught Seto's eye, and he turned to see a black-robed animal that was too small to be human swinging between the poles and bars- clearly not paying any attention to the new arrivals in the slightest.

Suddenly another black-clad figure dropped to the ground behind them, blocking the way between the Guardians and the gate. Seto automatically tensed for battle, and everyone else drew their weapons or readied themselves for a conflict.

"Well, Chimp, it looks like we have some guests. Would you swing back to the tower and bring our playmate out? You know who I mean." The man requested of the smaller creature, who nodded and swung off to parts unknown. It returned after only a few minutes, carrying someone at least three times its size with its tail. Seto could hear the figure protesting, saying things like: "Get your grubby mitts an’ tail off me! I swear, I never wanna see another monkey again! First the VR world and now this? What’d I do to deserve such abuse?"

"Tristan?" Seto breathed when 'Chimp' had released its captive. The Guardian looked up at the sound of his name, and- to the Prince's surprise- recognized him. "Kaiba? What're you doing here?"

"Right now? Saving you. I'm trying to free all the Guardians and rescue my brother. Keith's gonna regret the day he decided to mess with the Kaiba family, and when he conquered the Dominion." Seto growled, his hatred for the Shadow King flaring once again.

"Well, thanks." Tristan answered. "I got another question, though. How come everyone's cosplaying as Ka? And Bakura, what's with that Diabound costume?"

"It's not a costume." Akefia answered. "The souls of the Guardians were merged with their Ka. My guess is that the Ka that you most identify with is 'Commander'. The Dragon Prince is slowly taking back the Dominion and regaining his strength by defeating the Shadow Hunters. Eventually he'll be powerful enough to take on the King himself, and rid this land of his evil once and for all."

Seto looked back at the Guardian of Souls in surprise, not expecting such kind words from the former Thief King. Turning back to the Guardian of Stone, Seto asked, "So how come your memories weren't erased like everyone else's?"

Tristan shrugged. "I overheard some a’ those Shadow Hunters talking about those Orichalcos bracelets. They said they only had twenty or so of them, so they wouldn't have enough for all the Guardians. Guess they figured I wasn't worth their time." He scowled.

"That's good news." Seto answered, and Tristan looked at him indignantly. "It means they're getting sloppy. Which will make defeating them even easier." He grinned, angering the Shadow Hunter that stood before him.

"Oo-oo-oo! That's it, you're gonna regret making a monkey out of me!" Abe growled, throwing back his hood just as his marsupial companion perched on his shoulder.

"All right, all right. Let's settle this with a duel. Don't go bananas." Seto taunted, grinning teasingly at his opponent. He remembered this joker from the KC Grand Prix and how easily Rebecca Hawkins had defeated him on the Ferris wheel in Kaibaland.

[made-up card]

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Abe and Chimp screeched angrily in unison as the duel concluded, the taller being's Life Points ticking down to zero. Seto was busy equipping his cubitieres to each elbow, securing the plates to the rerebraces that protected his upper arms, so he wasn't paying attention to the Shadow Hunter as he was dragged down into the crimson seal on the ground. In fact, he was ignoring him completely.

"You'll regret this, Seto Kaiba! I swear to it! I- will- be- avenged!" He roared as he disappeared like all the others.

"Not likely." Seto muttered to himself as he transformed his Duel Disk back into a sparring blade and delivered a swift stroke to the rope that bound two of the wooden scaffolding bars together. After a quick look at the structures, he could see that the temple was not connected to any part of the giant jungle gym. The whole construct shuddered, then gradually broke apart and collapsed into neat piles of wood and rope, guided by the magic of the Dragon Hero. Without all of the bars and planks filling the sanctuary, the Stronghold of Stone looked quite a bit bigger than it had previously and was now much more open. Seto nodded in approval, and Tristan remarked, "Yep. It looks a lot better now. Thanks Kaiba."

"No problem. It's all part of my job." Seto answered, smiling at his friend. He took in a deep breath of cool fresh air and exhaled slowly, enjoying the light and playful breeze as it swept by them. The Stronghold really did look a lot better without all the scaffolding in the way. As the now familiar power boost surged through him and increased his strength, he made some mental calculations in his head. Let's see- with that power boost, I'm now up to 1680 ATK and 1400 DEF. After we free the next Guardian and get another piece of my armor, I'll be about as strong as Joey. He thought to himself. After that there will be only a few hundred more points to go, and a few more armor pieces as well. He felt worried that so far he hadn't heard anything about his family- save for Mokuba back at the Castle- but he did not dwell on this. He would free this land- as well as his friends and family- no matter what the cost.

Joey decided spur-of-the-moment that he did not want to journey through the caverns behind the Stronghold at night, and so built a large campfire for all of his friends to sit around. Seto joined the gathering after a minute, roasting a fruit-filled scone over the flames to warm it up. Across from him were seated Joey and the newest addition to their company, Tristan. It was almost as if Joey had broken out of his memory block altogether, as the two were getting along as if they'd known each other for years. Tristan still had all of his memories from his true life in the human world, so he was a bit confused that the others hadn't recognized him. Seto explained the situation to him, and- after a moment- he nodded. The Guardian knew that once those Orichalcos bracelets were fastened on, they could not be removed- even by the one who had placed them.

Tristan found he could sympathize with Kaiba a bit more now than in the past. He knew what the young CEO was going through- or a bit of it anyway- because his situation was much the same. They were both trapped in an unfamiliar world, and both were fighting to free their friends and family members from the hands of the villains; in this case, Bandit Keith and his legions of Shadow Hunters.

He really does look like a hero with that fancy dragon armor. And he's changed so much since we first ran into him in eighth grade at Domino High. Can't believe he's actually the same person as that evil rich kid that organized Death-T and sent all those goons after us all the time*. He actually shows his vulnerable side once in a while, and his compassionate side. Never thought I'd say this, but Kaiba's turned into a really good friend.

[See Season 0]

Chapter 12: The Northern Forest

Chapter Text

Bandit Keith paced angrily in his throne room before the dais, scowling to himself. Over half of his supposedly elite Shadow Hunters had been defeated, and Ryushiro was little by little regaining his draconian strength and liberating the lands under the power of his shadows.

He just happened to glance out the window during one of his passes, out to the courtyard where the black obelisk stood as a monument to his ill-gotten power. Above him, the skies bled crimson- more testimony to his reign of terror. A wicked smile spread across his face.

“Perfect!” He crowed, grinning wickedly down at the structure and the three figures that were chained to it and encased in crystal. “Soon I shall have three new servants to stand against that rebel and his pathetic team of 'Guardians'.” He frowned suddenly. “Of course, the magic of the Orichalcos will not work on these three, but that is not the only magic I now possess as the Millennium King of the Shadows!”

He concentrated and gripped the Ring around his neck, and a servant of the darkness appeared before him. 'Hell Pawn Daemon' bowed and knelt respectfully before him.

“Tell your Master that his presence is requested in my Castle. Tell him that I will make it well worth his while.”

The dark servant nodded and bowed again before disappearing. Keith howled a maniacal laugh to the ceiling. “Let's see you get past this, Ryushiro!”

“Ah, it feels so good to be surrounded by trees and forests again! I have missed this!” Mana exclaimed happily, spinning and dancing in a small clearing. Seto smiled as he watched the enthusiastic spellcaster twirl around, feeling himself growing fonder of her each day they traveled together.

“Yeah, it's nice ta finally get outta dat scorchin’ desert an’ freezin’ cave right after dat.” Joey agreed with his friend. “Back to a more moderate climate.”

“-This coming from the Guardian whose Shrine is an active volcano.” The Hero whispered aside to Tristan, who snorted. Isis giggled as well, and the young man in question turned around to ask what was so funny. Seto just shook his head, and the friends carried on deeper into the Forest.

“I can sense many life signatures all around us.” Isis smiled a short while later as they continued. “This Forest is home to many creatures, both Ka and animals alike. I guess they do not yet realize that their home in the south has been restored.”

Seto nodded silently- perturbed and tense for some time now- but he didn't want to say anything and alarm his friends. He'd been hearing an unsettling buzzing noise for about an hour now, and it was really starting to bug him.

After a good while of walking, the trees began to seem more tightly knit- blocking the filtered light that shone down from the canopy overhead. Mana ceased her dancing and walked beside her duelist, slightly apprehensive as their path grew darker and darker the deeper they walked.

Suddenly Seto looked up, and immediately wished he hadn't. The trees were absolutely covered with myriads of webs and nests, out of which crawled innumerable Insect-type Ka. Jeez. Seto thought. It's like Mirkwood forest in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. “Well, I think it's obvious who the Shadow Hunter of this area is.” He growled. “Nagumo mentioned him when we freed Mana's shrine. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he's been corrupted by the power of the Orichalcos again.” Seto commented wryly, rolling his eyes at the thought of battling this sub-par duelist.

“What's that supposed to mean, Ryushiro?” A nasally voice sneered as none other than Weevil Underwood stepped out from behind the trees, cloaked as his fellows but masked with a cowl in the shape of a scarab beetle. “This magic gives me more power than you could ever imagine!” He crowed.

“That card and magic is pure evil. Didn't you learn your lesson last time? Y’know, when it stole your soul? Twice?” Seto asked incredulously. Is he really that desperate? Is the power of the Orichalcos that intoxicating?

“I'm sick and tired of being the butt of everyone's jokes! It stinks!” Weevil screeched. “I used to be the Regional Champion in Duel Monsters before that stupid starfish-headed kid came along in Duelist Kingdom. And then I was made to look like an amateur when I lost to that overgrown dueling monkey in Battle City!”

“Hey! I resent dat 'monkey' comment!” Joey seethed and Seto smirked, remembering how he'd teased Joey about that for years. Good times. He recalled fondly. Then he thought about what else his opponent had said, and- miles away in the Castle- Kuriboh sneezed, puffing out his fur more than it already was.

Yugi's hair is certainly unique. Where'd he get the idea for that hairstyle? Then he remembered that Atem had the same style, and he'd lived thousands of years before anyone had even heard of hair gel. Guess it's genetic. And now that I think about it, Dr. Mutou's is pretty close as well. Seto shook his head to return his thoughts to the matter at hand, then called, “Let's just get this over with, shall we? Battle City rules, 4000 Life Points.” He stated, getting tired of determining the rules every time.

“Not so fast, Ryushiro!” Weevil shouted. “Since you issued the challenge, I get to pick the rules! And I choose 'Duelist Kingdom' ruling, at 2000 Life Points apiece!”

Seto shrugged nonchalantly. “Fine by me. If you want to hasten your demise, then be my guest.” He transformed the sparring sword at his hip into a Duel Disk, and Weevil activated his own Dark Disk, grinning sinisterly at his opponent.

“Um- Seto?” Mana asked shyly at that moment, and the young man turned to face her. “I have never battled under any rules other than the ones used in your 'Battle City' tournament. How do these ones work?”

Seto smiled wryly at her. “Actually, your master might be able to explain this to you better than I can- since he's fought in more of these battles than I have. Essentially there's no tributes required to summon stronger Ka, and there's something known as a 'Field Power bonus' that a player gets by placing his or her Ka in a specific section. Their stats get boosted by twenty percent or something like that.” He explained. “Though it probably won't affect any of you since we're deep in the Forest, where his insects thrive.”

“That's right!” Weevil sneered nastily. “I learn from my mistakes. I lured you deep into my web so that there would be no chance of a repeat performance of my duel with His Royal Shortness, the 'Pharaoh'. The advantage was supposed to be mine alone!” He seethed.

“That is only because you cheated and stole the tournament's rules and read them before anyone else. There is no honor amongst deceivers and cheaters.” Mahaad growled, angered by the affront against his best friend and former king.

“You call it 'cheating', I call it 'strategy'. It makes little difference, for now you will all fall before the ravages of my magnificent insect hordes!” Weevil retorted, supremely confident in his victory.

"My turn again. I summon Akefia [1800/1200] in Attack mode." Seto called as Akefia eagerly flew onto the field. "Then I end my turn with two face-downs." His two cards materialized silently on the field, hovering a foot off the ground.

“Yer move, Underpants!” Joey called, causing a vein to pop in their opponent’s temple. These ‘Guardians’ were really starting to tick him off.

[fake]

"No! Not my insects!" Weevil cried as his Life Points ticked down to zero, ending the match with another victory for the heroes.

-Some time later-

“So, mind telling me why you never told us that you're brother and sister?” Seto asked Isis and Karim- after he'd freed the Forest Guardian from his web-cocoon- and the elfin siblings smiled sheepishly at their duelist.

“Because there was never any reason to do so before now.” Karim answered. “We had thought it was common knowledge. Among our group, anyway. We had informed pharaoh Akhenamkhanen, master Shimon and the other Bearers when we joined their ranks.” He continued, tapping into his ancient memories of Egypt when he and Isis became a priest and priestess of the pharaoh.

“Not Atem?” Seto asked, surprised. He'd thought he'd be one of the first to know.

Isis looked down. “We had fully intended to inform him after the coronation ceremony and the Festival of the Pharaohs, but then everything started happening too fast and we never had the chance to speak with him.” She explained, still bashful.

Seto nodded. “Isn't that really rare, to have both Ba and Ka be related?” He asked. “I've never heard of it happening before.”

“It is rare, but not unheard of, my Prince.” Mahaad answered. “In fact, I can think of another example where both Ba and Ka are brother and sister- though these two are not twins like Holy Elf and Elf Swordsman.” He explained.

Seto grinned. “You wouldn't happen to be talking about yourself and Mana, would you?”

Mahaad nodded with a smile. “I am. My own Ka- the 'Shadow Magus'- and Mana's- the 'Black Magician Girl'- are siblings, one being about eight years older than the other. And the same is true for us.” He put his arm around his little sister's shoulders and gave her a gentle side-hug in a rare display of affection.

“Dat's why yer armor looks so similar.” Joey interjected. “It's 'cuz yer both related.” Mahaad nodded again.

Karim looked up at that. “That reminds me.” He looked to his liberator and removed two silvery objects from his hands and returned them to their rightful owner. “These are yours.” He stated, handing the gauntlets to the Dragon Prince, who accepted them with a nod of thanks. He stretched at the influx of power, breathing in deeply as his strength grew to 1920 Attack and 1600 Defense points. I'm getting there, Mokuba. Slowly but surely.

“I knew I had felt a bond with you, master!” Mana laughed as she hugged him back. “I used to miss you so much after you moved away to the palace city.”

Mahaad chuckled. “I missed you too, little sister. You and Mother. You have no idea how happy I was to see you again when you too came to the palace city to study magic.”

“I remember it being quite lonely at home, with just Mother and me. We did not have Father anymore, and you were far away studying to become a royal priest. You were always good at magic, even back then.” Mana smiled, pride in her emerald eyes.

Mahaad smiled at the praise, then turned to Isis and started speaking with her, Mana listening closely. Joey kept glancing at Karim when the Guardian wasn't looking, but would turn away every time the man would look up. Finally he gathered enough courage to speak up. “I'm sorry. About da forest ta da south.”

“What?” Elf Swordsman asked, but then smiled gently. “It was not your fault. I do not blame you for its destruction. Besides, it has already grown back stronger and better than before. No permanent damage has been done. The animals and Ka that once lived there will eventually return. In fact, I am surprised they have not done so already.”

“Dey'll return eventually. Afta we give da Shadow King a world-class butt-kickin'!” Joey answered, and Seto nodded. “Well said, Joey. Well said.”

Chapter 13: The Golden Pyramid

Chapter Text

Once again, Keith Howard could be found pacing angrily before his ill-gotten throne, his hands folded behind his back. He should’ve known that he couldn't trust that sub-rate bug brawler to win, even if he had used the power of the Orichalcos before. His army of Shadow Hunters was getting alarmingly low, and he knew he would be facing the Dragon Hero himself before long. However, the most pressing matter on his mind was the absence of a Guardian of the Golden Pyramid. Originally he had assumed that the Dominion had chosen one of Kaiba's 'friends'- that old man from Ancient Egypt who once held the Millennium Key*- but it seemed that was not the case. That man had a powerful Ka to be sure, yet he was not a Guardian of a shrine.

[Shimon]

Keith scoffed to himself. There was no fun in defeating such an old fossil anyway. The new Guardian of the Pyramid- at least, from what the Shadows had told him- was far younger than Shimon, and indeed had wielded a Millennium Item in the past.

“Maybe that's where the Rod went.” Keith mused to himself. “It may have somehow sensed the danger and returned to a previous Bearer. In any case, I've been looking for any opportunity to get my revenge on that brat for ever thinking that he could use me like some puppet!” He growled aloud at the unpleasant memory, though at the time he'd had no idea what he was doing. Gripping the Millennium Ring around his neck, he used his stolen power to summon a group of his most terrifying servants- mindless beasts that answered only to magic older than even Atlantis.

“Go forth and fetch, my servants.” Keith commanded. “There's a certain Guardian we're missing, and I would just hate for him to miss a trip down memory lane.” He smirked, and the monsters growled their menacing laughter with him. Keith found the irony of it all deeply amusing. This Guardian had been raised in a tomb his whole life in the human world, why not remind him of his wonderful childhood in the Dominion?

“You're going to learn the hard way that no one messes with Bandit Keith and gets away with it, Marik Ishtar!”

“Nee-san! Where d’you want these manuscripts again?” Malik called to Ishizu as he lifted a box of ancient scrolls to transport somewhere. The young woman was hard at work on her computer in the living room.

“In the study please, Malik.” came the reply, and the young man nodded. Even though the pharaoh had returned and regained his memories- thus freeing the Tomb Keepers from their duty- there were still many things about his rule, his predecessor's and his successor's that he still did not- but should- know. The young family was dutifully archiving the ancient manuscripts on modern technology so that they would not be lost to time. This was a very special task, as nearly all of the ancient documents were fragile and could fall apart at any moment.

“Got it.” Malik answered, carrying the box to the designated room. Suddenly he felt a prickling feeling on the back of his neck, an unwelcome feeling that sent a shiver down his spine. Not for the first time, he wished that the Millennium Rod had actually chosen him when he'd claimed it at ten years old. That way he could protect his brother and sister from the dangers of this world and of its parallel dimension. He'd been feeling uneasy ever since Seth, Kisara and Noah had disappeared while they were touring Egypt with the former Tomb Keepers. He was worried about his friends in Domino, and that worry had only grown over time to become outright dread.

Almost all of the past Bearers are missing, and the present Bearers are gone too. The only one they left out is Shimon, but I can't figure out why. Who could be next? He agonized, worry fogging his mind as he transferred the boxes of documents to the study, looking almost like a robot or a zombie.

An ear-splitting, grating roar of some horrible creature jolted his mind back to the present, and he jumped as Odion and Ishizu came running into the front room where he was standing. Again, Malik wished he still possessed the Rod, but wishing didn't make the situation any better. Not one, not two, but five hulking monsters stood in front of the Ishtar residence- pounding at the door with their oversized fists. A strange symbol marked their foreheads, and their eyes glowed blood-red in their sockets. Their bodies were a uniform color of mud-brown, with only dirty loincloths and spiked collars at their necks, wrists and ankles for clothing.

[Not what the card image depicts, but just pretend they changed their 'clothing style'. I think I accidentally confused the Orichalcos Gigas with the Moblins from LoZ:OoT. 😅]

“These creatures-” Ishizu gasped. “I remember seeing them on the news two years ago. They are Orichalcos Gigas, and they are not easily destroyed. But why would they come here?” She breathed, horror twisting her normally calm face.

Realization struck like a bolt of lightning. They're after me. Malik gasped mentally. Whoever's causing trouble in the Dominion of the Beasts has it out for me, that's why these butt-ugly things are attacking us. If I can get them away from the house, they might leave Ishizu and Odion alone. If it's me they want, then it's me they'll get! He thought confidently, pulling his deck out of his pocket and running to the side door, shouting a brief apology and explanation back to his horror-struck siblings.

“Malik-sama! Don't do this! It's too dangerous!” Odion cried, fearing for his adopted younger brother.

“They want me, Odion, not you and Ishizu. I'll lead them away from the house. And don't worry. I'm not going down without giving those creeps a good butt-kickin’!” Malik called back as he raced out the door, summoning one of his Ka with his Duel Disk. He knew from the ancient manuscripts that his family- the Ishtar clan- had magic in their blood, and that four of its members had possessed Millennium Items in the past; Mahaad, Mana, Isis and Karim- though the last two were from a separate branch of the clan. Pharaoh Seth had entrusted the keeping of Atem's secret to Mana and her descendants, as she was the only one he could trust with such important information. All the others had perished in the Shadow War or did not have magic in their blood. He had not decreed that they should live underground, however, nor to carve the 'Pharaoh's Secret' into the backs of their firstborn males. These mistaken beliefs had been added to their duty over the generations by the descendants themselves.

“Come out, 'Revival Slime'! [1500/500] Protect the house and my family!” Malik cried as the blob of jelly appeared in a burst of light. “And 'Felgrand Dragon', [2800/2800] help me make these freaks sorry they ever messed with the Ishtars!”

The golden dragon that appeared resembled a thinner Winged Divine Dragon of Ra, but looked no less impressive as it roared at the beasts that dared attack its duelist and his family. It reared back and spat a column of flames at the nearest monster, who exploded with a violent BOOM- taking three of its fellows with it. Malik smirked in triumph, but it soon faltered as the same four monsters clawed their way out of the sand, bigger and uglier than they were before.

“Great. Now I get why Nee-san said they're nearly impossible to destroy.” Malik growled to himself, then backed up to lead the creatures away from his house and siblings. “Up for a little game of 'cat-and-mouse', freaks? Then come an’ get me!” He taunted as he ran, receiving several enraged roars as his answer.

-A while later-

Malik found himself surrounded by the five hulking monsters- now at least ten times bigger and stronger than when they'd first appeared. Revival Slime had returned to his deck a while ago, and only Felgrand Dragon was staunchly defending its duelist. Malik was focusing on the biggest and ugliest Orichalcos Gigas, so he didn't notice one of the smaller ones creeping up behind him. Without warning, it threw its fist with all its might into the center of the young man's back. Malik gasped, his head snapping backward from whiplash and his spine cracking in multiple places. He fell to his knees, then collapsed face-first on the ground- Felgrand Dragon fading from the human realm with a roar of outrage and pain. Outrage that the monsters would use such a dirty trick, and pain that its duelist had fallen and it hadn't been able to protect him. The Orichalcos Gigas grunted their glee and disappeared through a portal to the Dominion, the biggest one grabbing a leg of the unconscious Guardian and dragging him through the portal to their king.

-Meanwhile-

“Is it just me, or is it getting hotter the farther we walk?” Seto asked of no one in particular as they continued in their quest.

Mahaad smiled wryly. “It is not just you, my Prince. This area of the Dominion has always been rather arid, not unlike the desert to the southeast that we passed through not long ago. Not much rain falls here, and even when it does rain, it does not stay for long.”

“And there is no shelter from the sun to speak of in this area, apart from the shrine.” Mana added. “We are just going to have to grin and bear it, I guess.” She grimaced theatrically, and Seto smiled gently at her, appreciating her attempt to cheer him up.

“Speakin' a’ which, wat's da shrine in dis area again?” Joey asked the Black Magician Girl, but it was the newest addition to their company- the Elf Swordsman Karim- who spoke. “The Golden Pyramid. It is said to have been built in the human realm by a mysterious being known only as Shadi, and contains an entirely separate dimension within its depths. One populated by Ka, but more resembling Capsule Monsters than the ancient Shadow Games with which we are familiar.”

“So this is where it went!” Seto smiled in intrigue and looked back at Commander Tristan, who looked impressed.

“Should've known Shadi wouldn't destroy it so easily. That was actually a really cool adventure in hindsight.” The gunman admitted, lost in memories.

“Wonder who the Guardian is, though.” Valkyrie Téa mused. “I get the feeling that it's someone from Egypt, but I dunno who.”

“The Guardian of this shrine changed very recently.” Mahaad spoke up, causing everyone to look at him in interest. “Up until a few years ago in the human realm, the Guardian was ‘Exodia the Sealed One’, but now it has shifted to another. I know not the identity of the Ka, nor of its Ba- its duelist in the human realm.”

Guess Shimon was the previous Guardian- Seto thought to himself- since his Ka is Exodia. But why would it change? Is Shimon too old to be a Guardian anymore? Maybe his Ka is just too powerful. It gives its holder an instant win in duels if they manage to summon it to the field, after all. That's gotta be it. Then another thought occurred to him. And I doubt Bandit Keith would bother with capturing Shimon. It's not his style. He'd want to bully someone younger than him. Maybe the new Guardian is Ishtar. Keith has a reason to hate him. But what would his Ka be? Surely it's not the Winged Divine Dragon of Ra!- Although that'd be pretty cool. I'd have an Egyptian god on my side!

He was jolted from his musings when he noticed their surroundings had changed. Instead of walking on sand, he was surprised to find that their route had become a sandstone brick path flanked by palm trees, leading all the way to a titanic structure in the distance. The pyramid looked as if it were made from enormous bricks of solid gold, and shone like the sun before their eyes. An enormous Eye of Wdjat molded right into the side of the pyramid stared back at them. It reminded the Hero of the symbol on the Millennium Puzzle, but this pyramid was the right way up. Seto had to cast a 'Darkness' spell around himself and his companions to avoid being blinded by the brightness, especially considering his enhanced dragon senses.

They reached the entrance to the tomb just as the sun touched the horizon, and Seto removed the spell from around them and took a drink of water from his flask to replenish his energy. Joey crafted some makeshift torches out of the reeds that grew around the palms, then lit them with his ‘Flaming Sword of Battle’. Seto carried one at the head of the group, Mahaad another, Joey another and Téa brought up the rear- using her 'Shining Spear' as a light source.

The travelers eventually came to a fork in their 'road', finding two staircases that led up and down respectively. Tristan remembered that the downward staircase led to the Capsule Monsters game, and that the upward staircase led to the 'reward chamber'. Seto guessed that the latter was where the Shadow Hunter would be hiding. He led the way up the right staircase and stopped at the top, where a strange- yet rather amusing- sight met his eyes.

The Shadow Hunter wasn't any cause for concern, as he recognized his spiky white hair and gaunt physique from Battle City and knew that Atem had defeated him easily. What did make him smirk a bit was the sight of the Guardian. The Ka was 'Revival Slime' [1500/500], but it had molded itself into an exact copy of the youngest Ishtar, though he was blue and wobbly like gelatin. The young man wore some blob-clothing in the style of the ancient Egyptians, just a simple robe* about his waist and a sash. His chest and feet were bare.

[“It's not girly to wear a robe, men wore these too back then!” -Malik]

Tristan snickered. “I know I shouldn't laugh, but Malik looks ridiculous like that.”

The blob gave him a withering glare. “I've heard that enough from these robed freaks. I don't need it from my fellow Guardians too!” Malik growled, his blue cheeks turning darker with embarrassment. Then he grinned evilly. “Just be glad I made some blob clothes with this form. Normally Revival Slime doesn't wear anything.”

Now it was Tristan's (and the girls') turn to change color as Seto and Joey snorted. “Nice one, Ishtar.” The Dragon Warrior grinned at the Guardian, who looked smug. But then the Hero noticed something disturbing about the Guardian that made his smirk disappear. A band of solid matter around Malik's waist was encircled by another Orichalcum bracelet, just like all of the other Guardians so far besides Tristan.

Malik looked down in shame. “The Shadow King froze my midsection with a spell of never-melting ice and locked this bracelet around it. Since it's part of my body, I can't just get rid of it and still hope to function normally. If I did, it would look really freaky. I'd be missing my whole waist! And because it's frozen solid, I can't mold it into any shape I want.” He growled. “And the only way it'll melt is if you get this Ra-damned* bracelet off me first.” He added to Joey, who was about to suggest they melt the ice with his FIRE-attribute.

[S'cuse the language]

“Well, we know we can't do that.” Seto grimaced. “I've tried removing those bracelets using just about every method I can think of. Nothing works. I don't think there's any way to remove those things once they're attached to you.” He said sadly, and Malik looked down in defeat.

“Enough of your sob stories, dragon-boy!” The Shadow Hunter barked, tired of being ignored. “You want to free your friend from his shackles, physical and metaphorical? You'll have to get through me first!”

“Like I haven't heard that before.” Seto growled while rolling his eyes, activating his Duel Disk at the same time.

“Battle City rules-” The Hunter began, but Seto cut him off. “-4000 Life Points. I know the drill. I've defeated twelve of you clowns already, the terms are kinda second nature by now.”

“You'll find that I'm a cut above those other losers, Kaiba! Even without Exodia, I can still wipe the floor with you and your pathetic deck! If you ask me, your other one was better.” He taunted, trying to get a rise out of at least a few of the Guardians and possibly their leader. Seto just glared at him, not bothering to grace the comment with a response.

That's not to say that all of Seto's team had the same self-control as he did. “What'd you jus' call us? Come over here an' say dat ta my fist, ya jerk!” Joey exploded, once again displaying his hot temper for the umpteenth time.

Seto just sweatdropped at his companion's short fuse, then answered, “My regular deck has a different focus than this one. My strategy in the human world is usually beating down my opponents with raw power. But this world doesn't need another oppressive overlord. My deck of Guardians is meant to help fix this world, not make it worse. Besides, my deck here isn't complete yet, so to a beginner's eye it might look a bit weak- but only at first glance.”

Mahaad grinned. “Well said, my Prince.” He complimented, gratitude in his teal eyes for the subtle compliment Seto had just given all of his teammates. The grin was a reaction to the subtle insult directed at their opponent.

“That's it! Your little 'quest' ends here, Kaiba!” Seeker snarled, activating his own Dark Disk.

“Bring it on.” Seto challenged with a grin, his personal magic flaring in his eyes in excitement for the impending battle.

-Elsewhere-

The suited man paced back and forth angrily before his captive, wondering how in the mortal and dead worlds the Guardian had managed to claim the artifact in his possession and keep it from his Emperor for so long. He wondered also how the beast-warrior/man was able to survive freezing himself into the very walls of the Temple of Ice itself, surrounding himself with nearly twenty feet of solid, never-melting ice on all sides. He knew that the soul within the Guardian had not been accustomed to sub-zero temperatures in his previous life, and the beast-warrior itself was not suited for the cold either. Just the opposite, in fact. Both Guardian and Ka had existed in ancient Egypt, where the coldest it got at night was in the single digits (ºF).

“Not so.” A faint growl sounded behind the man, and he wheeled around in surprise to find 'Dark Bishop Daemon' [300/1400] watching him and his 'prisoner'. “Duos is a powerful swordsman, but he is most known in our world for his psychic abilities. He often meditates on the peaks of the coldest mountains, training both his mind and his body- though for what purpose no one can really say. Only he knows the methods behind his madness.” And with that cryptic bit of information, the Fiend-type Ka disappeared into shadows- once again leaving the man and his captive alone in the Temple of Ice.

Inside his self-imposed ice prison, Duos meditated in a deep, coma-like trance- awaiting the day when the Dragon Prince would ascend the peak of the mountain and free this shrine from the darkness that now gripped it. He could sense that the Warrior and his fellow Guardians were near- perhaps even in the Shrine to the east of his mountain- and the spirit of the Guardian within him swelled with joy and pride. Joy in the fact that he would soon see his hikari again, and pride as he sensed how much his descendant had accomplished already- in so short a time.

“Seto-” The Guardian prayed. “-be safe, and may the gods go with you in your journey.”

“It can't be! It's impossible! How could I lose to such a pathetic and incomplete deck as this?! This can't be happening! ARRGH!” Seeker raged as he fell to his knees within the circle of blood-red light that encompassed and was slowly shrinking around him. Seto was too busy equipping his reclaimed vambraces to his forearms, and didn't notice as Seeker lost his soul to the magic he'd thought would bring him victory.

“I swear there's still a bit of your goo on here, Malik.” Seto teased as he inspected his right forearm piece with a critical eye.

“Yeah yeah, keep 'em comin'. I've heard 'em all by now.” Malik sighed, waving off the ribbing and just letting it pass over his head. He knew the Prince was only teasing. “Your dragon armor only absorbs things that'll make it stronger. It doesn't get dirty easily. Probably a good thing in your case. There's bound to be some pretty bloody battles ahead, especially if you plan on facing the Shadow King.”

“Really?” Seto asked, honestly intrigued now that they were talking about his armor.

“Yeah, didn't you know? Dragon armor is special. It's magical, so it only 'accepts' things that will make it stronger, like dragon blood. Not that you'd ever kill a dragon- it's just an example- but their blood is extremely useful for a variety of things. Anything that's useless- like dirt or regular, non-magical blood- will just slide right off. The armor rejects it. I think the same goes for your sword, though I can't be sure because you don't have it back yet.” The blob explained, and Seto looked at the armor pieces he’d reclaimed in wonder.

“Wow. Guess I don't have to worry about keeping it clean, then.” The Hero joked, and the Malik-shaped blob shrugged and smiled in agreement. “I doubt the same applies to your belt and scabbard, though. Those are just made of leather, right?” The blob asked, and Seto nodded. “The belt is just one of my old belts that I didn't use much, and the scabbard is made of old, broken belts that I re-formed and shaped with my magic. All things considered, I did a pretty decent job with it, since I was just going on memory of what a scabbard looks like.”

“That means it does not carry any of your power within it.” Mana interjected suddenly, making the young man and blob jump, startled. “If you made it in the human world, it would have none of your dragon strength here. And the same goes for your locket, my Prince.” She somehow knew that the piece of jewelry that Seto always wore was part of the set they had yet to reclaim.

Seto smiled sadly when he thought of the final- and most important- piece of his armor: the locket molded in the shape of a Duel Monsters card that contained a picture of the most important person in his life, the person he loved with all his heart: his little brother Mokuba. The locket's twin hung around the young boy's neck, and- like Seto- he almost never removed it.

Mokuba - The young CEO thought. Please be all right. I'm coming.

Chapter 14: The Temple of Ice

Chapter Text

“Brr! It is freezing up here!” Mana complained as she trudged through the deep snow next to Joey, who had his 'Flaming Sword of Battle' drawn to provide heat for the group. All of the girls were crowded around Joey, as their outfits didn't provide much protection from the elements. Seto kept fairly close to the FIRE-attribute Guardian too, because- as a dragon- he was a cold-blooded creature and was thus susceptible to the cold. If he wasn't careful, he would fall into a stupor. He would have to stay on his toes when they got to the mountaintop shrine, the domain of the Guardian of Ice.

“No arguments here, Mana.” He answered with a grim smile, wishing- not for the first time- that he’d reclaimed his cape already. He'd have offered it to Téa, who looked the coldest. With his luck, though, it would be one of the last pieces he recovered.

“How’re you still conscious?” Malik asked, honestly curious. Seto grinned at him. “I'm not all dragon. I'm still human. I think that's the only reason, though. You're lucky that you can't feel the cold.” He joked as he rubbed his arms to restore some of their feeling. “I definitely don't envy the Guardian of this place. He or she probably doesn't stay here all the time. Unless they’re a WATER-attribute.”

“He is not.” Mahaad answered, also looking like he was uncomfortable due to the cold. “My memory of my fellow Guardians has been hazy since the Shadow Hunters conquered the Dominion, but it has been slowly clearing as we defeat the duelists who hold us captive in our respective Shrines. Duos is a DARK-attribute Ka that often trains his mind and body in extreme environments.” He chuckled to himself. “Honestly, he spends more time here than anywhere else, so that is why he's the Guardian of this Shrine.”

“You said it's 'Duos'?” Seto gasped, coming to a realization. “He's the Ka of my brother Seth! Seth is the Guardian of Ice!”

“Your brother?” Mahaad repeated, surprised. He hadn't thought that someone as close to the Dragon Hero as a family member would be a Guardian.

“Yeah, my identical brother.” Seto answered. “He's a bit older than me, but we look almost exactly alike. Except he grew up in Ancient Egypt, just like quite a few of you did.”

“Wait, if he is your brother, then how did he grow up in Ancient Egypt? How does that work exactly?” Mana asked, thoroughly confused.

Seto smiled at her. “It's a long story, but the shortened version is that he's adopted. We- that is, Mokuba and I- adopted him, Kisara and my stepbrother Noah into our family shortly after they got their 'second chance'. They- and you guys- were granted your lives anew by the goddess Horakhty. Noah saved his consciousness in a file on the Internet, and Mokuba was able to find him and ‘download’ him into a robot body that I built. Now I have three brothers and one sister-in-law instead of just me and Mokuba.” He explained, causing almost everyone's jaws to drop. “Now I've just gotta free all of you Guardians and put the Dominion back to the way it was before. Then we can all go home.” Seto summarized with a sigh. “It's been tough, but I'm already over halfway done. With any luck, the Shadow Hunter here will be easy to defeat, and I'll be that much closer to our ultimate goal.”

Everyone nodded their agreement, and Seto pushed open the doors of the Temple of Ice with both hands- leading the way into the frozen structure- his thirteen companions filing in behind him- most of them glad to be out of the wind and snow.

Upon entering the icy domain, everyone gasped at its chilling beauty. A gigantic chandelier of ice hung from the ceiling some hundred feet above them, thousands of unique ice crystals hanging from it. Special candles lit with pale-blue flames burned brightly in their holders, and when Mana flew up to one, she was surprised to find that the flame was not hot, but pleasantly cool to the touch- like a cool drink of ice water on a hot midsummer day.

[Think of 'Blue Fire' from LoZ:OoT.]

“We should take some of those flames along with us if we can. They might come in handy.” Seto suggested, reaching into a pocket dimension and removing a few empty flasks. Mana scooped up several of the strange blue flames and stored them in the magical containers, handing them back to her duelist when she'd finished. Seto thanked her with a nod, then the group continued on toward the central tower of the temple. Honestly, this 'temple' was laid out more like a castle* than a shrine, but that wasn't really important. What mattered to the heroes was the Guardian that was trapped here and the Shadow Hunter that was holding him prisoner.

[If you’re having trouble picturing the Shrine, just imagine Elsa’s ice palace from ‘Frozen’, only with a huge pillar in the center.]

“Hey, Kaiba. Lemme see one a dose flames fer a sec. I wanna try somethin'.” Hono no Kenshi asked, and Seto handed him a flask. Joey carefully unscrewed the lid and poured the flame into his hand, then touched that hand to his blade after he returned the flask. Joey's sword began to glow a pale blue, and suddenly his entire outfit changed. He looked at himself in surprise, muttering to himself, “Huh. So dat's how dat works.”

“What'd you do, Joey?” Seto asked, intrigued by his friend's transformation.

“I was jus' wonderin’ where 'Soen no Kenshi' came from, an’ I tink I jus’ figured it out.” Joey answered with a grin, casting 'Salamandra' around himself as he did so and changed back to his normal appearance. “Tink I like orange better, tho. Cold, blue fire dun make much sense.”

“Well, a driftwood fire is blue, but that is because the salt changes its color.” Mana reminded him, thinking back to their battle in the Undersea Temple at the southern shore just after they'd freed Joey's shrine at Fire Mountain.

“Yeah, but dose flames weren't cold.” Joey argued, also remembering the battle. That battle was rough, against the former member of the Big Five, Gansley.

“We've bested three of the Big Five so far.” Seto recalled, storing the flasks of fire back in the pocket dimension for later use. “We've just got Krump and Nezbitt left. Wonder which one will go down first?” He asked himself. “And who do I know that has an affinity for ice and the cold?” He continued, then sighed heavily when he remembered. “Guess I'm fighting that penguin-fanatic next.”

“Now, that's not very charitable, Kaiba.” A rough voice growled from somewhere deep in the shrine. “Is that how you were taught to talk to your loyal associates after so many years of faithful service?”

“Loyal? Don't make me laugh.” Seto snorted. “You guys tried to have me killed in Duelist Kingdom so Pegasus could take over Kaibacorp., then you tried to do it yourselves with my 'Adventure Land' game you corrupted, and then you sided with Noah in his whole 'revenge' scheme. 'Faithful service', my foot!” He retorted.

“Well can you blame me for siding with the brat? I wanted out of the VR world by any means necessary!” Krump’s voice answered testily.

“I'll say.” Seto growled. “I saw and heard what happened in your duel with Téa. You make me sick!” He spat, glaring at where he thought the voice was coming from. Téa shivered involuntarily as the memory* of that battle came back to her, and Joey put a hand on her shoulder, thinking she was still cold.

[I'm referring to the subbed version here. The dubbed wasn't too bad.]

Krump laughed sinisterly. “Heh. Guilty as charged, as my esteemed cohort Mr. Johnson would say. But numbers are my area of expertise, not the legal side of things. And all my calculations say that your number is up, 'Ryushiro'! That is, if you can find me.” He laughed maniacally, and Seto used the echoes in the nearly empty shrine to pinpoint the businessman's location. He and the others quickly made their way to the base of the central tower, then ascended the flight of stairs to the top, where their opponent and imprisoned Guardian were waiting for them.

Seto threw open the icy doors to the tower room, ran over to a central pillar- not even sparing a glance for his opponent- and put a hand on the smooth, glass-like surface. It seemed that Duos had sealed himself within the pillar of ice for protection, and Seto didn't blame him. Krump was creepy enough as a member of the Big Five. Seto shuddered to think how much that had increased since he joined the Shadow Hunters under Bandit Keith.

But then a sparkle of something golden caught his eye. Seto gasped as he saw his own Millennium Rod grasped in the Guardian's hand. He hadn't seen it since he and Mokuba had to flee the safety of their own home in the middle of the night when all of this madness had started. The Rod was sheathed, but Seto could see that Seth had attempted to reveal the hidden blade of the Rod before he had been frozen- suggesting that he had been in battle with something. Seto was angry that anyone would think of harming a member of his family, and that anger burned brightly in his sapphire eyes as he glared at Krump.

“Ooh, scary.” The former accountant laughed cruelly. “You're just as scary as when you were twelve and Daddy had to punish you for neglecting your studies. In other words, not at all.”

Everyone looked at Seto as his expression shifted from righteous anger to shock, then from shock to outright fury. No one brought up those times in front of him. No one reminded him of his terrible past in front of his friends and family. No one! “I couldn't do anything back then when I was a kid, you're right. But I'm far from helpless now, as you'll soon learn the hard way! I challenge you to a duel, Krump! And when I win, I will free my brother from his icy prison!”

“Sure. Been tryin' to do that from the start, anyway.” Krump shrugged. “My new boss will be very pleased to finally have all seven Millennium Items in his possession. He's been waiting for that one for a long time.” He seemed very nonchalant about the whole thing- as if he didn't care if he won or lost- just that Keith would get the Millennium Rod one way or another.

“Fine. If you've got a death wish, far be it from me to deny you.” Seto shrugged, activating his Duel Disk and waiting for his opponent to do the same.

“Game start!” They cried in unison.

“I'll go first." Seto announced. "I summon Akhenamkhanen [1600/1400] in Attack mode!"

"I am ready to fight, my Prince." The former pharaoh answered, raising his sword and leveling it at their opponent.

"Then I'll set two face-downs." Seto finished his turn. The two cards appeared on the field behind King’s Knight.

"Well, well." Krump declared smugly. "It was a one hundred percent chance that you would place one monster card. The cards in front of you have a fifty percent chance each of being traps or spells. As well as the same chance for one trap and one spell."

"Math." Malik groaned. "What's the point?" Obviously that wasn't his favorite subject.

"Don't get him started." Téa growled, smacking him on the back of the head. Lightly, as she didn't want to get goo all over her hand.

"I summon 'Seasarion' [1800/800] in Attack mode!" Krump called, beginning his turn. The red snake hissed at the Dragon Prince. "Attack that knight!" At this, the giant snake shot toward King's Knight.

"I play the spell card 'Crackling'!" Seto called as the left card showed its face. "This will destroy your Ka and protect mine as well." The ground cracked open and swallowed the unsuspecting sea serpent.

I knew that the card had a fifty percent chance of being a spell, but zero percent chance of guessing what the card was. The Big Five member thought. Out loud he announced, "I place a card face-down and end my turn." The card appeared on his side of the field in the proper zone.

"I draw and play the spell card 'Large Fire of Day and Night', dealing you 800 points of direct damage!" Seto pulled the card from his hand and set it in his disk. Krump's Life Points decreased to 3200 in response, the energy- pale blue this time- twisting itself out of his back and into the ether. “And now I summon Karim [1400/1200]!” The elfin swordsman calmly walked onto the field.

"Go, brother." Isis whispered, silently praying that her twin sibling wouldn't be too badly injured in this battle, if at all.

"First I'll have Akhenamkhanen attack you directly." Seto called, and the royal knight charged the former Kaibacorp. employee, cleaving Krump's Life Points- quite literally- in half.

"Damn you, brat!" The penguin duelist growled.

"Next it's your turn, Karim!" Seto called to his second swordsman, who readied his blade and ran at the businessman, cutting his Life Points by 1400. This won't bring him down to 0, but it will have to do for now. Krump's Life Points were now only 200. "I end my turn."

"Nice! After da next turn, dis duel is done!" Joey crowed happily, proud of his friend and his skill in battle.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that, boy!" Krump snarled, getting up from the ground. "My turn! And I play my spell card 'Penguin Helper'*! This lets me summon a penguin monster from my hand and add half its Attack points to my Life Points. I summon 'Penguin Nightmare' [900/1800] in Defense mode!" The man's former Deck Master was wearing a suit, a top hat and no pants, and the accountant's Life Points increased to 650 as the aquatic bird squawked angrily at Seto.

[fake]

"Be careful, Kaiba!" Téa called suddenly, breaking through her memory-block. "That Ka can give WATER-attribute Ka a power boost of 200 points!"

"Not only that, but it's stronger in Defense mode." Malik growled. He might not like math, but even he knew that in a duel numbers mattered.

"I end my turn with a face-down." The businessman announced, and the card appeared in the proper section.

"Thanks, you two." Seto called back- already knowing about his opponent's Ka, but grateful for their input nonetheless. "I draw!" He called, taking the top card off of his deck with a flourish. Now what? I need a way to first get rid of that bird, then defeat him in one shot. But how?

"I know you have monsters with more than 1800 Attack points, but you can't summon them without a tribute or card." Krump mocked. "You don't want your so-called 'friends' to go to the Graveyard." He laughed wickedly.

"Of course." Seto snarled. "They're my friends, and I would do anything for them." The first friends I've had in a long time. He thought to himself.

"Kaiba, please summon me." Téa asked. "I know my points won't make a difference, but I do have a plan."

"What is it?" Seto asked. Téa whispered her plan to him. Seto didn't like it but it would have to do. "I summon Téa [1800/1700] and I’ll have her attack 'Penguin Nightmare'!" Téa launched her magic at the penguin, who in turn countered with water. Neither was destroyed.

"Well, that had a zero percent chance of working." Krump said with a laugh. "Now all you have are monsters with fewer Attack points!"

"I'm not done yet!" Seto interrupted the man. "I play the trap card 'Dark Tribute'*! Now because a LIGHT-attribute Ka failed in an attack, I pay half of my Life Points and tribute that Ka to summon a higher level DARK-attribute Ka. Come forward, Mahaad! [2500/2100] My tribute Ka doesn’t go to the Graveyard, though, instead she gets shuffled back into my deck.” Téa and Mahaad switched places as Seto's Life Points decreased to 2000. Seto grimaced as he felt his energy draining away out of his back and into the sky, but it was worth it to beat this creep. In response to his loss of Life Points, ice crystals began to creep up around his lower half- just like Téa's duel with this man in Noah's VR world. Seto suddenly shivered from the drop in temperature and felt dizzy and groggy at the same time.

[fake]

"What?!" Krump cried, noticing the spellcaster's Attack points and feeling a rush of déjà vu. "That's impossible! You don't have a card like that!"

"I do have it because- this isn't my deck from- the human world." Seto explained, struggling to stay conscious. "Now, the second effect- of 'Dark Tribute' is that the m-monster that I summon- with the first effect c-can inflict piercing damage. M-Mahaad, use 'Black Magic' on Penguin Nightmare!" Mahaad- seeming to realize the necessity for speed- gathered the black energy in his staff, then launched it at the penguin, causing it to explode into pixels.

"No!" Krump howled as his Life Points ticked to zero.

“T-thanks, g-guys.” Seto shivered as the ice around him began to melt under Joey's power over fire. “If y-you h-hadn't b-been protecting m-my L-Life Points, I w-would've l-lost in practically t-the s-second r-round.” He imparted, teeth chattering wildly.

The Malik-shaped blob nodded, and everyone else did too. “No problem, Kaiba. It's the least I could do to thank you for freeing me from my own prison in that Pyramid. And I'm sure the same goes for the others as well. And I'll continue to do it for as long as you need me. I want our home back the way it was, too.”

Everyone present nodded their agreement, and Mana returned to her task of carefully melting the solid ice off of the 'new' Guardian with her 'Black Burning' attack. Isis was busy healing her fellow Guardians' injuries, as many of them had sustained quite a few cuts, scratches and frostbite from flying ice attacks. And most of them hadn't even participated in the duel!

“Um, my Prince?” Mana asked cautiously, and Seto looked over at her. “I do not think I will be able to free the Guardian.” Seto's look turned to one of confusion, and she explained. “This pillar somehow supports the whole castle. If I melt it, the whole Shrine will come crashing down.”

“Then what are we supposed to do?” He asked, and Mana shrugged.

“Do not fear, my Prince.” An ethereal voice answered his query, and Seto gasped and looked back at the Guardian of Ice. He knew that voice! “We can always rebuild. Crafting a shrine of ice such as this is child's play for an Ice-type Ka like 'Neo Aqua Madoor' or 'Invincible Glacier - Defend Iceberg'.”

“But what about you?” Seto asked. “If the temple collapses with you inside it, you could be- no, you will be killed!”

Seth paused for a moment. “I am willing to take that risk. I will not be much use as a Guardian if I am trapped in a block of ice, now will I?”

Seto had to snort at the amusing mental image Seth sent him. That was his yami’s sense of humor, all right.

“Go ahead, Black Magician Girl.” Seth encouraged, and Mana closed her eyes and sliced a powerful 'Black Burning' attack at the pillar. The ice around Duos cracked with a sound like thunder, and the whole temple began to shake.

Seth suddenly realized the danger his rescuers were in and shouted, “This whole place is falling apart! You must flee as quickly as you can! Go!”

“No! I won't leave you, Seth!” Seto cried, taking a step toward the shaking pillar, but Akefia and Ryou held him back.

“Don't be daft, Kaiba!” Diabound growled. “If you stay here and try to help him, you'll only be crushed! He'll be fine! Now, come on!” He assured, pulling the struggling Dragon Prince away from his brother, who smiled wryly. “I will be all right.” He repeated, encouraging his hikari to leave with the others.

“I think.”

Seto and the other Guardians ran out of the temple doors just as the entire structure crumbled to the ground, leaving no pieces bigger than a man's head. “No! Seth!” Seto cried, his worst fear realized.

Chapter 15: The Faerie Glade

Chapter Text

“Seth- no-” The Prince wept as he frantically searched through the ruins of the Temple of Ice in vain, looking for any sign of his brother's Ka Duos, but somehow knowing that he wouldn't find him. The Guardian was gone.

Mana and Isis watched with heavy hearts, knowing that he wouldn't find his brother. Mana had tears coursing from her emerald eyes, as she too remembered her close friend from Egypt. In fact, not one of the Guardians that the Hero had liberated thus far could find any joy in this day- despite the fact that they had freed another section of the Dominion of the Beasts from the dark hand of the Shadow King. One of their own had fallen, and there was little chance that the Temple of Ice would ever return to normal without its Guardian.

After what seemed like an eternity, the Dragon Hero ceased in his search- abandoning all hope of ever seeing his brother again. He returned to the group of his friends that he had saved with his eyes and heart downcast, and Akhenaden put a comforting hand on his duelist's shoulder. He too felt the bond that Seto had lost, for Seth had been his own son back in Egypt.

“What is this, a funeral? Why all the long faces?” A cheerful voice sounded from somewhere above the group, and everyone looked up with a gasp and cricked their necks with their speed. No one could believe their eyes, for the sight of the Ka flying above them was nearly impossible.

Duos was grinning from ear to ear as he descended, folding his dark wings behind him and kneeling before his gaping brother and savior. “That was close! Good thing I am wearing this chain mail. Or should I say your chain mail, my Prince.” He grinned as he stood up, lifting the aforementioned shirt over his head and presenting it to his hikari, already neatly folded thanks to the Guardian's magic.

Seto could only stare open-mouthed at the winged Guardian for several minutes, but then he returned to his senses and accepted the chain mail from his brother- unbuckling his other armor pieces and slipping the mail over his head. Then he buckled on the various other components of his dragon armor that he'd acquired, leaving the hood of his mail down.

“Duos!” Mana cried happily, tackle-glomping their newest arrival around the waist and beaming from ear to ear up at him. The winged beast staggered a bit, but then regained his balance and hugged the bubbly spellcaster back. “Hey there, Black Magician Girl.” was all he said, simply and with a happy sigh.

“I- I thought we'd lost you.” Seto breathed after a minute, still staring at his brother. Duos just smiled sheepishly and drew his ‘Aura Sword’, drawing arcane symbols in the air with its tip. After a few more strokes he backed the runes with his magic, and the characters flew toward the ruins of the Temple of Ice and began to swirl around them like a magical cyclone. Before the Hero’s and Guardians’ eyes, the temple was returned to its former splendor within minutes where it would otherwise have taken days. Seto looked at the Guardian with a raised eyebrow. “One less thing to worry about after we defeat the Shadow King.” Duos explained with a shrug and mischievous smirk.

“Isn't that premature?” Téa asked. “He's not defeated yet.”

“Trust me. He will fall.” Mahaad answered for the Prince. “The forces of good will always triumph over the darkness of evil.”

“I just hope all your trust in me isn’t misplaced.” Seto muttered to himself, under his breath so that no one would hear him. All of the battles that he'd fought so far came to his mind, as well as his struggles with the Orichalcos last time. Some of those duels had been pretty brutal, both to the trapped Guardians and even himself. And when he'd lost to Dartz, that had been one of the most painful experiences of his life- when he'd had his very soul ripped from his body. And because an Orichalcos duel was something like a Shadow Game, the Ka and their attacks were real rather than holograms. When Shunoros attacked with his 'Photon Ring', it really felt like he'd been struck in the stomach with an iron knuckle with 20,000 points of energy behind it. And his Life points had been at only 600 at the time. By all rights, he should be dead right now. And yet here he was. It was nothing short of miraculous.

Turning his thoughts away from that depressing portion of memory lane, Seto turned to the rest of the Guardians and his friends with a wry smile. “I think it's high time we got off this freezing mountain. What do you guys think?”

Everyone smiled at that, then the fifteen Guardians and Dragon Prince began their descent of the mountain and continued to the west to their next destination.

“Oh, Seto.” Mokuba sighed as he shifted his weight from one hoof to the other as he waited in his stall/prison. “I miss you so much. I hope you're okay, wherever you are.” He sighed again and looked down, kneeling on his forelegs and sitting on the straw-covered floor of the stall, careful not to disturb the shackle on his hind leg. He closed his eyes in an attempt to get what little sleep he could, trying to conserve his energy. Over the weeks that he'd been imprisoned in the Castle stables, 'Silent Swordsman' and 'Wingweaver' had been secretly bringing him what food they could- when they could sneak it out of the banquet hall. Most of the time it was bread or fruit, but sometimes there were vegetables too. Never meat, because the humanoid Ka didn't eat meat. And neither did centaurs, for that matter.

At that moment, Mokuba's stomach growled loudly, causing the teenage centaur to flush pink again as his other companions in the stalls looked up at him. He tried to ignore the pain as his insistent organ protested the lack of sustenance, but it got harder and harder with each hunger pang.

BOOM! The door to the stables was flung open and crashed against the frame with the force of the one who opened it. A tall blond man in an elaborate cape and set of ceremonial armor waltzed into the building as if he owned the place. Which- for the moment- he did. Behind him trailed a Ka Mokuba recognized as 'High Priestess', but she wasn't wearing her headdress. Instead her long blue hair fell around her face and to her shoulders, and her bangs were parted to reveal a burn mark in the very center of her forehead- a mark shaped like the Eye of Wdjat.

“Hana-” Mokuba breathed to himself, then he looked over the door of his stall and called louder, “Hana!”

The female Ka looked up at him, but Mokuba saw no glimmer of recognition in her eyes as their gazes met. He noticed that her eyes had taken on a sort of red tint, and he knew that meant that she was being controlled by the power of the Orichalcos.

Just then, Keith struck the female spellcaster across the face seemingly for no reason. However, it seemed that the strike was a signal for her to do something, because she began to chant some sort of spell or prayer at the same time as the wall behind Mokuba shimmered like a mirage and faded into oblivion. Mokuba turned and spotted a sizable paddock connected to the stables, a paddock surrounded by a 30 ft. metal fence so that none of them could escape.

“Can't have you gettin' lazy on me, brat.” Keith growled to the boy/centaur. “You can run around in that paddock for some exercise. Not that I really care. But don't even think about tryin' to escape. I had this wench cast a powerful barrier around the whole thing. So even if you could jump over the fence- which you can’t- you'd still be confined by the barrier.”

Mokuba nodded, indicating that he understood. Looking around the stables, he noticed that hidden doors had opened for all of the inhabitants of the building, not just him.

“Um-” The boy began, not sure how to ask about the shackle around his hind leg. But when he looked down, he noticed that the manacle had vanished from around his ankle. Rearing and pawing the air for a moment, the teen wore a grateful smile on his face- meant for Hana alone- then he charged out of his stall and into the paddock where 'Firewing Pegasus' and Gaia's horse were already running around.

-An hour later-

After Keith had returned to his throne room- taking his personal slave with him- Mokuba spotted a winged Ka fly right through the protective barrier over the paddock and land in the center, pecking at some of the long grass with its green beak. Hey, it's a 'Drake'. Mokuba thought as he cantered up to the Winged Beast-type. The blue bird creature with a green beak seemed surprised to see him, but thankfully wasn't startled enough to fly away. Good thing too, because Mokuba had a very special job for this Ka.

“Hey, ‘Drake’? I know this isn't part of your usual routine, but could you find my brother and his friends and take this to him? I just wanna let him know that I'm okay, more or less. He's probably worried sick about me. Could you give him this letter that I wrote? I'd really appreciate it.” Mokuba asked the beast, hoping it would agree.

To his surprise, the Ka nodded and opened its wings- ascending to the centaur's eye level before carefully taking the scroll in one of its talons- then flying off toward the north where it was rumored the Dragon Hero was last seen.

I guess all Ka understand human speech, though not all of them can talk. Mokuba thought, surprised and impressed. Well, they probably have to, to understand the commands from their duelists. He reasoned.

I wonder how many Guardians Seto's freed by now. Mokuba thought to himself as ‘Drake’ disappeared behind a cloud. ‘Drake’ flew off to the north, so that means that Seto must've already freed the Guardians to the east of the Castle. That's the direction they left in, anyway.

Off in the distance, Mokuba could see the Castle courtyard, where the three Legendary Knights had been chained to a black obelisk and encased in crystal. That pillar had been there for as long as the Shadow King had ruled, and no one could find any way to break it and free its prisoners. But something was different about the courtyard now. Mokuba thought hard about it, and- after a minute- it came to him:

The black obelisk had disappeared.

“Ah, this feels much better.” Seto sighed in relief as they descended the mountain into a lush, beautiful glade of various wildflowers and fragrant grasses. Everyone looked around at the picturesque scenery with appreciation- even Akefia, who normally did not display such emotions.

“Yeah, it is beautiful here!” Mana beamed, glad to be off of the freezing mountain. “It almost reminds me of my Garden.”

“This is the Faerie Glade, the home of the Fairy Guardian.” Mahaad clarified for his apprentice. “The mountain shelters this area at its base from most of the elements, allowing exotic flora and fauna to flourish here when they would not be able to survive elsewhere.” He continued. Then he offered a warning. “Just be wary of faerie rings, the circles of toadstools on the ground. If you step in one of them with both feet, you could be spirited away by the creatures as one of their pranks.”

“So they’re mischievous, eh?” Seto smirked as he raised an eyebrow. “Mokuba would fit right in here.”

Mahaad laughed, as did most of the other Guardians that knew the boy. “Yes, I imagine he would. But your brother is kindhearted. He would not kidnap someone for eternity, as these beings might.” He explained. “Once a person is taken by the fairy-folk, that mortal is never seen again.”

“So ta sum it up: Watch yer step. Right, Black Magician?” Joey summarized, and Mahaad smiled and nodded in agreement to the Guardian of Fire.

“You said something about putting both feet in.” Seto began, and all the Guardians looked at him. “What happens if you only put one foot into a faerie ring?”

“You will be able to see them, but their glamour will not be able to affect you.” The Guardian of Darkness explained. “They have no power over you until you place both feet into their rings.”

“What happens if you have one foot in one ring and the other in another ring?” The former Thief King asked, intrigued.

Mahaad frowned, trying to think of an example where such an event had occurred. “That is a good question. I am unsure what would happen in a situation like that.”

“Maybe you should test it, Akefia.” Tristan grinned, waggling his eyebrows in a teasing gesture.

“Perhaps you should test it, Commander.” Akefia growled back, playfully shoving his fellow Guardian forward- almost pushing him into an aforementioned circle of toadstools. The Guardian of Stone glared back at the snowette teenager, who grinned mischievously.

Seto watched this whole exchange with an amused smirk on his face. He knew they weren’t serious. There was a delicious sort of grudging camaraderie between the former Thief King and Tristan Taylor, and a certain amount of mutual respect. Briefly Seto wondered how that could’ve started, but then he shrugged. It wasn’t really his business.

“It started in Duelist Kingdom.” Akefia commented, correctly reading Seto’s expression. The Dragon Prince turned to him. “He had the idea to rescue your or your brother’s vessel from Pegasus’ dungeons so we wouldn’t have to search for you later. I thought that was a pretty good idea, so I tagged along. Good thing too, because we ran into quite a bit of trouble from those guards in the castle.” He elaborated, tapping into his real memories momentarily.

“Yeah, I remember that too.” Tristan commented. “You were able to summon shadow versions of a few of your Ka. Like that ‘Human Eating Insect’ and the spell ‘Shackles of Magic Energy’.”

Akefia nodded, smirking at the memory. It was a bit hazy because Zorc had been interfering during their ‘expedition’, but the young man could still remember some of the details.

“So you were the ones who unlocked my cell.” Seto clarified. “I guess I owe you a thank you. So- thanks, for all your help.” He muttered awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. His friends noticed he did that a lot when he was embarrassed.

“Don’t mention it.” Tristan replied, also rubbing his neck. “It was the least we could do. Mokuba was- an’ still is- a good friend of ours, an’ we kinda felt sorry for you- bein’ in the same boat as Yugi an’ all.”

“If I were the same person now as I was back then, I would’ve said ‘I don’t need your pity’ or something like that. Now I’m just grateful.” Seto smiled wryly, more than a little ashamed of the first-class jerk he’d been in those days.

“You have certainly grown.” Mahaad smiled- proud of the young man- and his words made his duelist blush. “Perhaps not in stature, but you have definitely matured in your personality and in your spirit.”

“It’s about time I grew up.” Seto agreed. “I am nineteen years old now. High time I stopped acting like a petulant child.”

“This is all very sweet-” A cold, somewhat familiar voice drawled. “But I’d like to get a chance to beat you senseless before I hurl my guts out.”

“Ah, lovely. Another one of Keith’s Shadow Hunter lackeys.” Seto growled sardonically before turning to face his newest opponent. However, the sight before his eyes wiped the smirk right off his face. For standing before them was a walking paradox. A knight clad in ruby red armor and short auburn hair stood before them, but the telltale Seal of Orichalcos shone through his bangs on his forehead- shining angrily at the group of heroes before it.

“Sir Hermos-” Seto gasped. “It can’t be.”

“Oh, it is, Dragon-boy. An’ I suggest you get used to it, ‘cause I don’t plan on changin’ that fact for a long time. What a fool I was! The Orichalcos has opened my mind to more freedom than anythin’ I could ever comprehend! You can’t imagine this feeling!” The knight crowed, throwing back his head and laughing like a man possessed.

Seto looked down, closing his eyes and shaking his head sadly. Keith had so much to answer for, and that list only kept growing over time as Ryushiro and his team of Guardians continued to free the land from his oppressive rule.

“I hope you’ve been brushin’ up on your technique, Hero.” Hermos scoffed, drawing his Sword of Renewal and leveling it at Seto, who merely scowled and transformed his Duel Disk into a blade like his opponent’s without a word. Duos drew his blade from the scabbard on his back- intending to assist his liberator and hikari- but Seto held him back. “Let me handle this. You guys look for the Guardian. If memory serves, it’s probably Serenity.”

“WAT?!” Joey exclaimed. “Ya mean ta tell me dat my Legendary Dragon an’ my Brother-in-Time is da one who trapped my sister? Dat’s goin’ too far, man!” He yelled at their opponent.

Hermos smirked at his former Chosen Duelist. “I didn’t make the rules, but I can’t say I’m complainin’ about my new position. ‘Seijo Jannu’ is quite the little minx, if y’know what I mean. I like ‘em fiery!”

Both Seto and Joey growled threateningly at that, shocked that a once chivalrous knight would say such things about a lady. Especially when it was in no way true. From what Seto remembered of Joey’s rather shy sister, she was just the opposite.

“This’ll be just a little different than what you’re used to, Dragon-boy.” Hermos sneered at the Hero, who merely frowned. “Instead of just havin’ a boring old duel, the ‘heroes’ on both sides will duke it out with our blades and our ‘seconds’ will duel in our place. If you hadn’t noticed before, I kinda like to mix it up.” He winked in a moment of non-Orichalcos-influenced mischief.

Seto smirked. “I remember. Critias told me you were the most impulsive of you three Knights. And you were the life of the party at Seth and Kisara’s wedding. Or- one of them, anyway.” He added as an afterthought.

“I am married?!” Duos gasped to himself, but everyone still heard it. Then he beamed. Seto smirked again at his brother. “I’ll explain later on the way to the next Shrine.” He promised.

“That’s assumin’ you win this battle, ‘Prince Dragonpants’.” Hermos growled, already back under the curse of the Orichalcos. “‘Don’t count your dragonettes before they hatch’, as they say.”

“Yeah yeah. So who’s your second? Mine’s gonna be Joey.” Seto answered without a second thought, trying to get their conversation back on track. At his declaration, Joey looked at him in surprise. He would’ve thought that Seto would choose his brother to command the rest of the Guardians.

“I chose you to keep you from jumping into our battle. In some ways, you’re worse than Hermos is.” Seto smirked at the now-scowling Guardian of Fire. “You’re impulsive and headstrong, but you’re also a pretty good strategist when the situation calls for it. Also- out of all the Guardians here- I’ve known you the longest. Tristan and Téa are pretty close, but they’re not duelists. And Ryou, well-” He trailed off, glancing at the Guardian of the Moon.

“I wouldn’t be a very good choice. I’m not much of a duelist. Plus I haven’t known you for very long.” The albino angel put in timidly. “I came to Domino High even after you did, if you recall*.” Seto nodded. He did indeed remember. He didn’t recall ever speaking to the boy though, as Ryou hadn’t caught his attention at all despite his unusual appearance. Probably a good thing, too. Seto had been rather psychotic back then, and bad things tended to happen to the people he was ‘interested’ in. Yami Bakura/Zorc had been the same way, come to think of it.

[Season 0.]

“Well, tanks. I’d be honored ta duel in yer stead, Kaiba.” Joey smiled, still surprised that Seto would choose him. But he had pretty good reasons. And he was usually right. Joey hated to admit it, but he could be impulsive. “I promise I won’t let ya down.” Seto smiled at him in gratitude and nodded. “You better not.” He smirked.

“Well well well.” Hermos sneered. “What an unexpected development. This’ll take ‘sibling rivalry’ to a whole new level, for the being I chose as my second is none other than the lovely minx ‘Seijo Jannu’ [2800/2000] herself!”

“Stop callin’ my sister dat!” Joey exploded at his distant ancestor, who only glanced at him and waggled his eyebrows once before looking to the tree-line and beckoning with a finger. At his gesture, a beautiful young woman in shining armor walked out- her long, auburn hair flowing down her back like an amber waterfall. From her backplate sprouted two snowy wings, though they didn’t seem to be directly connected to her back as Ryou’s and Seto’s were when he was transformed.

“Wow.” Joey and Seto breathed at the same time, then both of them blushed- though for different reasons. “Now we’ve got two angels on the team. Well, almost. Three if you count as an angel.” Seto added onto his statement, looking to Téa for confirmation.

“I guess you could say that. In Norse mythology, the Valkyries are kinda like angels that guide the fallen warriors’ souls to Valhalla, and ‘Valkyrie’ is my title, so- it kinda counts? I dunno.” She answered, raising her palms. “And technically I’m a Fairy-type, and all ‘angels’ are classified as Fairy-types.” She confirmed. “So ‘Seijo Jannu’ will make three, assuming Hono no Kenshi can defeat his sister in a duel.”

“Wait, I’m gonna hafta duel my li’l sis?!” Joey cried, just now putting two-and-two together. “She’s not a duelist, tho!”

“Well she did beat Nezbitt in Noah’s VR world.” Seto recalled. “You probably don’t remember that, though.” He clarified. “I was actually pretty impressed. She did have a rocky start, but- for a first-time player- she did surprisingly well. And against a member of the Big Five, no less.”

“Wait. You saw my duel, mister Kaiba?” Serenity asked, her true memories breaking through the spell. Her face suddenly turned as red as her hair. “Oh dear, I’m so embarrassed! You must think I’m woefully pathetic!” She wailed, burying her face in her hands.

Seto raised an eyebrow at her reaction. “Didn’t you hear me? I said I was impressed with your feat. It’s true that you’re nowhere near my level, but you’ve got a lot of potential. With some practice, you could be a great duelist someday. Maybe give your brother a run for his money.” He teased, causing one Wheeler to stare at him with her mouth open and the other to stick out his tongue at his duelist.

“I’m assumin’ you’ve been taught to duel, Seto? Real duelin’, I mean? With a blade?” Hermos asked snarkily. Seto just scowled, knowing what the Knight was implying and knowing that he was asking a rhetorical question. Hermos knew the answer, he was just goading his opponent. A rather unsportsmanlike thing to do, especially for a knight.

Continuing his mocking game, Hermos took an ostentatious bow- complete with a flourish- before Seto. The Dragon Prince mirrored his bow and challenging smirk. “We must observe the niceties, mustn’t we? It is the proper thing to do, after all.” Hermos sneered sarcastically, leveling his blade at Seto- who met his blade in the air with his own.

A little ways away, both of the ‘duelists’ faced each other on opposite sides of the ‘field’- which was actually one giant faerie ring. But since everyone was hovering a foot off the ground by using their innate power as Ka, no one was actually standing in the ring. This kept them safe from the fairies’ glamour, their magic.

“Ready to lose, Hono no Kenshi?” Seijo Jannu teased as a Duel Disk materialized on her arm. Joey was surprised to note that the device was not one of Keith’s Dark Disks, but looked exactly like the devices used in the Battle City tournament a few years ago and in Noah’s VR world.

“Jus’ as ready as you are, sis.” Joey smirked back, catching her underlying message. “In other words, not at all ready ta lose. I plan on winnin’ dis ting!” He clarified. Suddenly he jumped as if poked by something. “Yipe! Wat was dat?!” He yelped.

Seto laughed from across the glade, his attention fully on his opponent as they exchanged blows. “Just helping you out a little, buddy. I changed your sword into a Duel Disk. Thought that would be more useful.” He explained, wincing and falling back while blocking a barrage of blows from Hermos with his own blade.

“Tanks, Kaiba!” Joey called back, looking down at his ‘new’ Duel Disk. The device was colored in varying shades of orange- just like his broadsword- and was shaped like a tongue of flame. The kanji for FIRE [炎]was emblazoned on each of the card plates instead of the usual arrows, again like his old weapon. In all honesty, it looked insanely cool- if Joey was being honest with himself.

“If you’re done admiring your new toy, I’d like to get started.” Serenity challenged with a smile and raised eyebrow. Joey hadn’t detected any malice in her statement, in fact it sounded almost like playful banter.

“Yeah yeah. Laugh it up, sis.” Joey frowned, but then smirked. He knew his fellow Guardian was only teasing. Serenity could never be openly nasty to anyone. She was just like Yugi in that respect.

“Battle City rules if you don’t mind, 4000 LPs.” Seijo Jannu called, and Joey nodded, taking a card out of the deck he’d been given and tucking it into his belt that held up his tasset. Interestingly, he’d never even looked at it. He’d known instinctively which card was his own.

“I’m assuming that’s your card, right?” Serenity raised an eyebrow, and Joey nodded. “Can’t have da duelist goin’ out on da field, now can we?” He answered with a raised eyebrow of his own, mirroring his little sister. “Good point.” She answered, flicking through her own deck to make sure her card wasn’t in there. Thankfully it was absent.

Seto glanced back at his friend during a gap in their battle and shot him a conspiratorial wink. “You don’t have to take your card out, Joey. Remember what happened during my duel with Lumis on the moon? Just make sure your card isn’t defeated in battle and you’ll be fine.” He reminded the Guardian, and Joey nodded, remembering what Ryou had told him about the fight.

“Oh yeah! Dat’s a great idea, Kaiba! Tanks!” He called back with a wide grin, but Seto had already turned his attention toward his opponent once more, exchanging blow after blow with the spellbound Knight.

“Since you set da rules, I get ta make da first move!” Joey called, drawing five cards from his deck and fanning them out in his hands, then adding a sixth. He briefly glanced over to his friend to see how his battle was going, and he smiled when he found he had nothing to worry about. Seto was easily holding his own against his opponent, despite the fact that Hermos had centuries worth of experience over him.

“I’ll start tings off by summonin’ ‘Valkyrie’ [1800/1700] in Attack mode, an’ I’ll throw down a face-down, too.” Joey called, and Téa walked onto the field and brandished her spear at Seijo Jannu.

“I’ll do my best.” The Guardian of Storms vowed solemnly, waiting patiently for her opponent to act.

“Okay, first I gotta draw, then I summon a Ka in Defense mode. And I put the card face-up and horizontal on the card-plate.” Serenity muttered to herself, still rather unsure of how to duel. Fortunately she got it correct this time. “I call my ‘Goddess of the Mind’s Eye’ [1200/1000] onto the field in Defense mode!” She announced, and a woman with three red eyes and a green dress appeared on the field in a kneeling position.

“Guess dat makes sense. Yer da Fairy Guardian, so ya use a Fairy deck.” Joey nodded, and Serenity shrugged.

“She used a Fairy deck before too.” Seto called between blows. “That’s what her real deck’s theme is.” Serenity nodded, confirming the Hero’s words.

“Getting back to our duel, I play the spell card ‘Fusion’!” She announced, sliding a green card into one of the slots on the side of her disk. “That can fuse my ‘The Merciful Nun’ and ‘Goddess of the Mind’s Eye’ to summon me [2800/2000] in Attack mode!” She grinned excitedly, drawing her sword and walking out onto the field.

Joey’s jaw dropped. “I thought ya took yer card outta yer deck!”

Serenity shrugged again. “Yeah, but after mister Kaiba mentioned what he did in a previous duel, I figured there was no reason that I couldn’t try it too!” She beamed, the smallest of mischievous smirks on her face. “Although- since we’re playing by Battle City rules- I can’t attack with a fusion I just summoned, so I’ll just set two face-downs and call it a turn.” She shrugged, slotting two cards into two more slots. The cards appeared silently behind her.

“A’ight, my turn again!” Joey grinned, flicking through his hand. “Diabound Kernel, get yer snake tail out dere an’ use yer effect. Reduce her points to a manageable level!” He called, and the aforementioned demon [1800/1200] made a face at his choice of wording. Joey scowled too. “Sorry ‘bout dis, sis.” He muttered to himself.

Serenity still heard it, though. She shrugged. “All’s fair in love and war. Just do what you gotta do, Onii-chan.” She smiled even as her Attack points shrank to 1000.

“Now attack wid ‘Shining Scepter’, Valkyrie!” Joey called, pointing at the weakened armored angel and hoping to end the turn quickly so his sister wouldn’t get too badly hurt. Téa scowled, but obeyed the command all the same.

“Nice try, big brother.” Serenity smirked as the card on her right flipped up. “One of my trap cards was ‘Magic Cylinder’, and that redirects Valkyrie’s attack right back at her duelist! So you lose 1800 points instead of me!” She called, and Joey grunted in surprise and a bit of pain when the blast plowed into his gut, reducing his Life points to 2200.

“She is not bad, for a novice.” Akhenaden muttered to himself as he watched from the sidelines.

“A’ight, dat’s da end a’ my turn.” Joey coughed, massaging his stomach where he’d gotten the wind knocked out of him. He was just glad he hadn’t lost his breakfast.

“And it begins mine!” Serenity grinned, drawing another card. She was having a lot of fun with this. “I’ll start off with the spell card ‘Dark Incarnation’*! This card targets a Ka in my Graveyard!”

[fake]

“Why do that?” Tristan asked, interrupting the auburnette, be-winged knight.

“I’m glad you asked, Commander.” Serenity smiled sweetly. “As I said, this spell targets a Ka in my Graveyard and changes its attribute to DARK. The Ka I picked is ‘The Merciful Nun’. And now I’ll remove both her and my ‘Goddess of the Mind’s Eye’ to Special Summon ‘Darkflare Dragon’ [2400/1200] from my hand!” She beamed as the dark-scaled wyvern roared after gliding down from above the trees.

“Whoa! You got dragons in yer deck, too?!” Joey breathed, temporarily thunderstruck.

“I added that guy.” Hermos called, breaking the influence of the Orichalcos for a moment. “Her deck needed a bit of a power boost. And some badassery. It’s too girly otherwise.” Then the spell overtook him again and he lunged at Seto, crossing their blades with a loud clang.

“I gotta say, I hafta agree wid ya dere, buddy.” Joey admitted to his possessed ancestor, and Hermos smirked as he returned his attention back to his own match.

“Hey!” Serenity scowled. “Just for that comment, I’ll have my dragon attack your ‘Valkyrie’! Go get her!” She commanded, and the monstrous reptile spat black fire at Téa, who somehow managed to keep her cool.

“I’ll block dat wid my ‘Silver-Screen Mirror Wall’!” Joey called, raising his hand over the card hologram on his left and smirking when it flipped up. “Whaddya say ta dat, li’l sis?” He crowed as Téa wiped her brow with the back of her hand and the black flames bounced right off the wall and into their creator, who growled as his Attack points dropped by half, stopping at 1200.

“Welp, that’s it for my turn.” Serenity shrugged. “Go right ahead, Hono no Kenshi.”

“Gladly!” He answered, pulling his next card. Then he got a really creepy grin on his face when he saw what card he added to his hand. “Oh, dis is gonna be good.” He chuckled to himself. Then he looked guiltily over at his friend on the field. “Sorry, Valkyrie, but I gotta summon one a’ my powerhouses. Y’know wat dat means, right?”

The Guardian nodded understandingly. “Just don’t leave me in that creepy Graveyard too long, Hono no Kenshi.” She grinned as Joey nodded back and pulled her card off the plate and slid it into his Graveyard slot. “I sacrifice my ‘Valkyrie’ ta summon da most versatile spellcaster, da ‘Black Magician’! [2500/2100] C’mon out here!”

The Guardian of Darkness smirked and rolled his eyes at Joey’s choice of words, but entered the battlefield with an ostentatious front-flip all the same. Back on the sidelines, his teammates all either sweat-dropped or smirked, some of them calling “Showoff!” Mahaad just turned back to them and winked mischievously.

“Oh boy. This is gonna sting.” Serenity mumbled as she met the gaze of the tall spellcaster.

“Yeah, it prolly will, so I’ll apologize in advance.” Joey winced, plugging another set card into a slot. “I play da spell card ‘Diffusing Wave’, payin’ 1000 Life Points ta attack all yer Ka at once- an’ dat includes you, sis. Sorry ‘bout dat.” He grimaced as Mahaad gathered the necessary magical energy into the gem on his staff.

Joey winced again as the ribbons of his life-force (red-orange for him) twisted themselves out of his back at the loss of almost half his remaining points, bringing his Life counter down to a mere 1200. Then he grimaced guiltily at his sister and also his friend that was currently possessing her- reluctant to send them both to the Graveyard, but knowing that he had no other choice. Based on past experiences, however, he knew they would be okay after the duel. If a Guardian was defeated in a duel, they weren’t gone permanently. Some magic of the realm would bring them back to the Dominion safe and sound after a duel was concluded. He’d seen that happen firsthand in Seto’s previous duels.

“Black Magician, end dis duel wid ‘Black Magic Wave’!” Joey called, and the spellcaster obliged, raising his staff high over his head and sending the shockwaves of energy pulsing out of the crystal and slicing through all three of the Ka on the opposite side of the dueling field (Even though one of them was invisible at the moment).

Several paces away, Seto and Hermos were still duking it out with their blades, neither gaining the upper hand for more than a few seconds.

“Holdin’ your own against a Knight of Atlantis, eh?” Hermos grinned as his blade clashed with Seto’s once again. “You’re not too shabby.”

Seto grinned back at the compliment. “You’re not too bad yourself, Hermos- considering you’ve been asleep for nearly ten thousand years.” He teased lightly, causing the touchy red-clad Knight to make a face at him.

“Well, I was trained from a very early age in the ways of the sword.” He continued, blocking Seto’s swing with a parry on the flat of his blade. “That’s not somethin’ one easily forgets, even if one were asleep for a long time.”

Seto nodded. “Same here. I started learning fencing when I was nine, shortly after our stepfather adopted us from that orphanage.”

“Nine?!” Hermos laughed incredulously. “I was three when I started my trainin’!”

Seto looked surprised, but then shrugged. “Well, it was more of a way of life for you guys. I wasn’t expected to actually use my skill for anything like a battle as you were.” He amended- grinning at his opponent, who continued to exchange blows as the warriors talked. “Maybe when all of this is over I can practice some of the more advanced techniques with you guys.”

Hermos raised an eyebrow, confused. “Who is ‘you guys’? Why do you keep referrin’ to me in the company of others?”

Seto looked surprised. “I was talking about your brothers. Y’know, Timaeus and Critias? Your fellow Knights of Atlantis?”

Hermos gasped at the mention of his fellow brothers of the sword, his true memories breaking through the Seal on his mind and flooding his vision before him. It was as if someone had compiled a motion picture of all of his memories of the three and was playing it back at super-speed. In response to this deluge of recollections, the Seal of Orichalcos glowed angrily on the Knight’s forehead- causing the man’s golden irises to be tinged with a red light.

“I wot not of whomst thou speaketh.” The Knight snarled suddenly, catching Seto off-guard with his ferocity. “I wot not this ‘Atlantis’ realm, nor these ‘other knights’. I hast aye been 'i the office of the mighty Shadow King since his reign first began, and I shalt not be defeated so easily- especially by the likes of thee, a novice!

“Hey, you just said earlier that I was holding my own!” Seto growled, shocked that the Knight’s tone could change so easily under the spell of the Orichalcos.

“I was going primrose on thee.” The Knight smirked, then flourished his sword. “-but no more. Now thou shalt see the true power of a Dragon-Knight!” And with that his speed and strength doubled in ferocity as his style of battle changed. Seto found himself hard-pressed to keep up with the barrage of blows, barely able to block all of them. He couldn’t even think of counterattacking.

Duos watched his brother’s battle with worry shining in his eyes, praying that the Dragon Prince would be victorious. However, he also felt sorry for the possessed Knight- knowing that the Orichalcos was controlling his actions. As the battle of blades waged on, Duos watched the crimson Knight very carefully, trying to sense the source of the evil energy that was influencing the warrior. After several minutes he located it, a green gem shining in the hilt of Sir Hermos’ Sword of Renewal.

“Prince!” The Guardian of Ice called, catching his brother’s attention. Then he pointed to the pommel of his own sword, hoping that his liberator would get the message. Fortunately he did, and began aiming his attacks more toward the cross of the hilt than toward the Knight himself. Hermos frowned as their battle style shifted slightly, and adjusted some of his own moves accordingly. He hadn’t understood the Guardian’s signal, which was a good thing for the Prince. Seto was trying to fight the Orichalcos, not Sir Hermos himself.

Unfortunately those glowing rocks from space seemed to be made of denser materials than steel, for when Seto swung his blade at the stone in the sword, his blade accordioned like a tuning fork and the gemstone didn’t have the smallest scratch on it. And to add more problems to the mix, Hermos discovered what Seto was truly aiming for.

“Orichalcum doth not break so easily, sirrah.” The Knight chuckled darkly, the Seal branded on his forehead flaring almost mockingly. “There are few blades 'i this orb that can e'en scratch the stone, and a glorified letter-opener as that is not one of them.” He laughed as he gestured to his opponent’s weapon.

“Well, your sword isn’t gonna work either, since the stone is actually attached to it. So what’re we gonna do about it?” Seto growled back in answer, miffed that once again he was forced to work against this alien substance that was far more trouble than it was worth.

“Nothing. That is what.” Hermos frowned, his golden eyes suddenly glazing over and losing their light. The Orichalcos had fully taken over the Knight’s will, and now was controlling his every action. “I realize that leaving mid-battle is most ill form, yet I fear that this unprevailing confrontation would drag on till Doomsday should'st I remain. Hence, I shall bid thee farewell, ‘Hero’. Till we meet again. And we shall meet again, mark mine words.”

Suddenly a shaft of crimson light erupted from the ground at the warriors’ feet, surrounding the red Knight in a prison of a blood-red spell circle that Seto had seen many times before. But instead of sinking into the ground as the rest of his defeated opponents had, Hermos simply vanished into thin air within the Seal, wearing a challenging smirk until he disappeared completely from sight.

Seto sighed heavily as he wordlessly transformed his blade back into a Duel Disk, hooking it onto his arm and tightening the wrist strap to secure it on his forearm.

“What happened? Where did Lord Hermos go?” Serenity asked as she and her fellow Guardians approached their Hero, who sighed heavily again. “I guess you could say he had a change of heart, if you’ll pardon my pun. The Orichalcos called him back to the Castle. Maybe Keith needs him for something.” He shrugged, looking over at Serenity. “Guess you’re our newest teammate. Welcome aboard.” He smiled courteously, but his heart wasn’t really in it. He was still bothered by the Legendary Knight’s fate, and wondered if the same had befallen the other two Knights of Atlantis.

“Thank you.” Serenity bowed humbly. Then she gasped when she noticed something off about her armor, and giggled to herself when she remembered what the anomaly was. With a red face, she removed a pair of boots from her feet- boots that were formed in the style of a dragon’s hind claws and that were much too big for her small appendages.

“I thought sometin’ looked a li’l weird ‘bout yer outfit, sis.” Joey snickered when the Fairy Guardian handed the extra accessories to Seto, who grinned and accepted them from her with a nod of thanks. He sighed gratefully when he pulled them on, glad to finally have some protection for his feet instead of the flimsy sandals he’d ‘borrowed’ from one of the storerooms in the Castle when they’d escaped. As he slipped his foot into his left boot, he felt his strength increase once again, and- performing some quick calculations in his head- he concluded that he was just twenty Attack points stronger than Mahaad, and possessed the exact same Defense strength.

Very soon. Seto thought to himself. We’re getting down to our last few Guardians. I’ve regained nearly all of my draconic strength. Very soon it will be time to return to that Castle and defeat Bandit Keith once and for all. Mokuba, hang in there, kiddo.

Chapter 16: Detour into Darkness

Chapter Text

“We’re getting there, Mokuba.” Seto sighed as he read his little brother’s letter. He smiled at the boy’s resourcefulness- that he was able to find a quill, ink and paper to write with; then get a Ka to deliver it to him. He frowned when he learned what Keith had subjected his little brother to, as well as the fate of the former princess of Egypt.

“Dat from yer kid brother, ‘Kentauros’?” Joey asked, and Seto nodded, carefully rolling up the scroll and tucking it into Mana’s pocket dimension so it wouldn’t get ruined.

“I’m still worried about my stepbrother and sister-in-law.” Seto sighed. “I know they’re most likely imprisoned, but where I have no clue. I haven’t heard any whispers of their whereabouts or safety. I hope they’re unharmed. Relatively at least.”

“Dat’s Noah an’ Kisara, right?” Joey continued, and Seto nodded again, surprised that Joey remembered their true names. “Pretty sure I remember sometin’ about Kisara bein’ da Guardian a’ Dragons, so she’ll be one a’ da last Guardians we free.”

Seto raised his eyebrows in surprise, but then nodded. That made sense, actually. Wonder what type Noah is the Guardian of. And what form he takes in this realm. Can’t be Shinato. He’s way too overpowered, at least for my current Deck. Could be a Machine-type Ka. He is a robot now, after all. He looked down sadly as he remembered his young stepbrother’s fate, and regretted that he was not able to return the boy to his original body. That had been buried long ago.

“I am sure he does not blame you, Seto.” Duos imparted to the Hero, and Seto looked at his ancestor and adopted brother. “You did the best you could with what you had to work with. Better, actually. Not everyone has the knowledge to build a functional vessel out of metal. What do you call it? A robot? Well, he is most likely happy he can live in the real world again.”

Seto smiled, grateful for the Guardian’s thoughtful words. “Thanks, Seth.”

The Guardian nodded solemnly, then smiled again.

Oh, Seto- The young boy sighed mentally as he shifted his position and rattled the chains around his small form. Where could you be? I hope you’re safe. He grimaced wryly. And I hope you don’t laugh at me when you see my weak form that I’ve been forced to assume. It’s not at all dignified. He shook his head. No, you wouldn’t laugh at me for that. That’s not something that a noble knight would do, and you’re the Dragon Knight of the Dominion. Besides, it’s not like I can do anything about it. I don’t control what shape my Ka takes. Honestly, I’d expected it to be Shinato- since he was my Deck Master in the VR world- but I guess the Dominion had other plans.

He sighed again, quietly so that no one could hear him. I probably won’t be able to do much to help you, Nii-san, since I’m so weak compared to the other Guardians you’ve hopefully freed already. But I hope my special ability helps you where my Attack points won’t. At least I can bypass your opponents’ Ka and attack the duelists directly. That should come in pretty handy. Hopefully.

“Get back to work, brat!” A cruel voice growled from the darkness, and Noah jumped a bit, startled. Then he resumed running on his specialized wheel that powered the mining equipment deep underground. He hadn’t taken the form of a hamster, but he sure felt like one right now as he ran around the wheel with all his might, desperately thinking of a way to escape from this hellish and demeaning prison. But so far he hadn’t met with much success.

I guess I’ll just have to wait for you to come help me out of this mess. He sighed resignedly. I clearly can’t get out on my own. Please, Nii-san, hurry!

“Do you guys hear something?” Seto asked as the sixteen travelers made their way south toward their next goal- and the shrine of the next Guardian- the Mines. According to Mahaad and Mana, this area was where most- if not all- of the Machine-type Ka were manufactured. The Mines tunneled deep into the depths of the Dominion, and thousands of branches split off from the main shaft like a giant matrix of roots of some monstrous tree that had been cut down long ago.

“Nope. Nothin’ but da birds.” Joey shrugged and shook his head, looking up at the sky as some Winged Beast-type Ka flew overhead to some unknown location to the south.

“I could’ve sworn I heard something, like the whirring of machinery somewhere.” Seto mused aloud, frowning.

“We are approaching the Mines, my Prince.” Mahaad clarified. “Your enhanced hearing must be strong enough to pick it up from miles away. The entrance is just a bit south of our current position.”

“So we’re finally turning south?” Akefia asked with a small grin. “We’re getting to the last leg of our journey. That’s good.”

“Yeah, but we’ve still got six more Guardians to free, including Mokuba. And that means we’ve got six more Shadow Hunters to defeat, including the King. These could be our toughest battles yet.” Seto argued.

“Who d’ya tink da next guy’s gonna be, Kaiba?” Joey asked in interest. “Who can ya tink of dat has an affinity fer Machine-types?”

Seto groaned. “The final member of the Big Five that we haven’t defeated yet. Of course, Keith favors his Machine-type Ka too, but he’s the last guy we have to dethrone.”

Serenity mentally went through the list of the Big Five members, and checked off the ones that had been defeated already. Then she groaned. “Oh no. Not that metal-mouth.”

Seto grinned at her wryly, remembering her duel in the VR world. “I’m afraid so. Well, you guys beat him once. I’m pretty sure we can do it again.”

“Not so fast, Kaiba-shachou.” A mechanical voice growled, and the crack of a whip could be heard along with the scream of some small animal. Seto winced at the creature’s pain, recognizing it as a rabbit that had made that sound. “Unlike my associates, I learn from my mistakes and adapt to the situation. I realize that I’m not qualified to duel you, Ryushiro-” The former businessman growled in a mocking tone, making fun of Seto’s cover name. “-but that doesn’t mean I’ll just give up my prisoner and position without a fight. I challenge you to a battle that I’m more comfortable with, Seto-sama.” The voice grinned menacingly, and suddenly dark clouds and shadows blocked the light of the sun, plunging the Hero and Guardians into darkness.

“This is new.” Seto commented with a raised eyebrow, feeling slightly nervous, but not about to admit it. He looked to his most powerful spellcaster, who was looking somewhat horrified at this turn of events. “Do you know what’s going on here? Where are we?”

Mahaad looked at him worriedly. “We have entered the Dark World, the flipside of the Dominion of the Beasts. The land is just as expansive as the Dominion, but everything is mirrored and cloaked in shadows. This is where most of the Fiend-type Ka dwell, and it is ruled by the ‘Daemon’ class. Here they have their own laws, separate from the rest of the Dominion. Here, evil is good and darkness is light. We must be extremely careful, my Prince.”

Seto nodded, as did the rest of the Guardians. So that must be how Keith conquered the Dominion so easily. The ‘Daemon’ class must want to expand the borders of their world and take over the entire Realm. I’d wondered how he’d managed to do it so quickly.

Seto had barely taken one step, however, when an entire set of Daemons materialized before him- each standing in separate squares of alternating colors. Seto looked down with raised eyebrows, then saw the ground they stood on for what it really was: a giant chessboard. He snorted. “Really, Nezbitt? You do know that I’m one of the best chess masters in the world, right? And that I beat Gozaburo when I was nine?”

Seto couldn’t see him, but the tone of his opponent’s voice implied that the man was scowling. “I realize that, but I also know that you haven’t played chess in years. In fact, that fateful match was the last time you ever played a serious game. Too traumatized by the ghost of your esteemed stepfather?” He laughed nastily, and Seto growled threateningly.

“So I guess you’re hoping I’ve gotten rusty.” He smirked dangerously, glaring at a shimmer of heat that stood just behind ‘Genocide King Daemon’. Found you, snake. He smirked. “Well, prepare to be disappointed.” He answered. “I have no intention of losing to the likes of you!”

“Dat’s da spirit!” Joey grinned as he punched the air. “So where’re we s'posed ta go? Yer da Grandmaster.” He grinned at his duelist, who turned to his team with an intrigued expression.

“Akhenamkhanen, you’ll be in the King’s spot, and Isis will take the Queen’s.” Seto decided. The Guardians stepped onto their respective squares with a smile. “Seth and Mahaad, you guys’ll be Bishops- Seth on the King’s side and Mahaad on the Queen’s.” The two former Bearers moved to their designated positions without a word, but they too gave small smiles to their commander. “Shada, you’re on Seth’s right, and Joey is on Mahaad’s left. You guys are the Knights. Even though you’re missing horses.” He joked, lightening the mood a bit.

“Dat makes sense.” Joey nodded, taking his place next to the supreme spellcaster. “Karim and Malik, you’re on the ends as the Rooks. Karim next to Shada and Malik next to Joey.” Seto continued, pointing to the proper squares.

“Sweet.” Malik grinned as he playfully bumped shoulders with Joey, who made a face at him as he cleaned off the goo from his pauldron. Karim and Shada merely exchanged solemn nods as Karim assumed his position.

“The rest of you will be the front guard. Take your places where you will. It doesn’t really matter who’s where.” Seto instructed, walking onto the field himself and standing in front of Seth. Most of the Guardians looked surprised at this- that their Prince and Grandmaster would willingly make himself a Pawn- but then shrugged. This arrangement made the most sense. There weren’t enough Guardians for there to be a full set without their Prince and player acting as a piece as well.

“What’re ya gonna do if yer defeated, Kaiba?” Joey asked, looking at his duelist incredulously.

“Easy. In chess, the pieces aren’t destroyed, just removed from the board and relegated to the sidelines. I’ll just direct you from there.” He shrugged, half-expecting Joey to have figured that out himself. It was pretty obvious.

“Oh. Yeah.” Joey chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “Fergot dis wasn’ like Duel Monsters.”

By this time, everyone had selected their positions in front of the back row of Guardians. Serenity stood in front of Karim, and Téa stood in front of Shada, next to her Duelist. Akhenaden stood resolutely before his brother, vowing to protect him at all costs. Ryou stood next to Akhenaden and before Isis, having neutral feelings about both of them. He remembered what Akefia had told him about Kul-Elna and everything that Akhenaden had done, but he himself didn’t harbor any personal grudge against the man. Besides, that was all in the past. On Ryou’s other side floated Mana, resolutely protecting her teacher and big brother. She gave Ryou a friendly grin when she took her position, and the two-toned angel returned it shyly.

Tristan marched into his spot before his best friend, also giving his buddy a playful shoulder-nudge as he passed him. Joey grinned at the Commander, and the gunman returned it. Finally, Akefia took his place in front of his first ‘accomplice’ in this time, resolutely vowing to protect him at all costs. Malik smiled at the young man’s bravery and resolve, forcibly reminded of his sister and adopted brother and their own bond with him. He looked down sadly as he remembered his capture and relocation to this world, worried for his siblings’ safety.

When everyone was situated and comfortable with their positions and ‘neighbors’, Seto glared over at the Shadow Hunter’s heat shimmer in a manner that indicated he was ready to start. Nezbitt smirked as he shimmered into the visible spectrum, and Joey jumped slightly- not expecting to see the man in the form of his one-time Deck Master, Machine Sargeant.

“Lemme guess, you couldn’t return to your old body, either.” Seto growled as he raised an eyebrow at his adversary, remembering the fate of one of the other Big Five members, Lecter.

“Hardly. I have transcended the need for an imperfect, inferior, human body. I have upgraded to the superior, perfect machine.” Nezbitt scoffed proudly.

“I always knew you had a few screws loose.” Seto smirked. “This just proves it.”

Nezbitt scowled. “Yes, yes, quite witty as always. But the time for exchanging pleasantries has passed. Now, prepare to submit to the power of my esteemed colleagues, the chess-piece Daemons!”

-Meanwhile-

“I can’t believe they finally let me out!” Yugi squeaked happily to himself as he bounced through the halls of the Castle. “It’s been ages since I’ve been trapped in that dungeon, so long that I’d almost forgotten what fresh air feels like!” He sighed almost contentedly, breathing in the musty air of the dungeon as he bounced past the various empty cells. Briefly, he glanced at the one in which his friend had been imprisoned and smiled wryly at the memory. He could tell it was the right cell, because there was still a mark on the floor caused by his self-destruct stunt to free the Dragon Hero from the manacle that had been shackled to his ankle.

“I hope you’re doing okay, Kaiba.” Kuriboh squeaked sadly to himself as he continued on his way out of the dungeon, making his way to the front gate. Just before he left the dungeon, though, he all but squashed himself against the wall- hiding in a small shadow as he heard two strange voices talking at the entrance to the dungeons of the Castle.

“Can you feel it, sir?” A guard laughed nastily as he spoke with his captain, who also grinned evilly.

“Oh yes. I can feel it. Ryushiro’s fallen for our trap hook, line and sinker. I gotta hand it to Nezbitt. Out of all us Shadow Hunters that’ve tried to capture that pain in the ₳$$, he’s the one who finally succeeds. Let’s just hope he’s good enough to finally put that upstart in his place. Especially with the little present I gave him.” Magnum chuckled nastily.

Kuriboh shivered nervously. Oh no! He thought to himself, horrified at what he’d just overheard. Kaiba’s in trouble? I gotta help him somehow! I’ve gotta get outta here! Oh, there must be a way! He agonized as he massaged his temples worriedly with his small claws.

“I can’t feel his presence anymore in this world, though.” The guard frowned in confusion. “Weak as it is. Why is that, sir?”

“That’s to be expected. He’s not in this world anymore. The Daemons did their job well in setting their trap. Just as there’s a dark and light side to the human world, there’s a dark and light side to this dimension as well. He’s just on the flipside of the coin that we’re on. The Dark World.” Magnum laughed nastily. The guard echoed him, and Kuriboh shivered at the malice in the men’s tone. They truly reveled in the pain and suffering of others. He desperately wracked his brain, trying to think of some way that he could escape from the Castle and warn his friend and fellow Guardians.

Suddenly an idea struck him, and he put a small green claw to the spot that was supposed to be his mouth. Hmm- I wonder if that will work. Whenever we play Shadow Games, somehow the real Ka are able to join our duel from the Dominion of the Beasts, traveling through Duat across dimensions. Since I’m merged with Kuriboh, I should be able to walk through the shadows to where Kaiba is with the other Guardians. I just hope I’m not too late.

He shook his fuzzy head. “I can’t afford to think like that. I have to trust that Kaiba knows what he’s doing. He’ll be just fine. I know it.”

“Good ting Life Points don’ matter in dis battle.” Joey growled to himself as he stood before his opponent. “An’ Attack Points don’ count either.”

“There’s no opposing duelist to have Life Points, that’s why, Joey.” Seto smirked as he too faced an opponent on the field, though not the same one as Hono no Kenshi. “Chess isn’t a game where one keeps score with points. It’s determined by whoever can get their opponent’s King cornered into Checkmate first.”

“I know dat! I’m not a complete novice at chess!” Joey scowled, but he knew that Seto didn’t mean anything by it.

“Then how come I always managed to beat you, Joey?” Serenity asked with a giggle, causing her brother to flush pink. “Dumb luck, sis.” He groused as his companions laughed goodnaturedly.

Seeing his opportunity, Seth looked across the field at his brother and Grandmaster, and Seto nodded- giving him permission to complete the match. Seth marched calmly across several squares and stood resolutely before the cornered Genocide King Daemon, who snarled at him menacingly. Seth wasn’t afraid, though. He knew that the Daemons knew they had been defeated. The former pharaoh grinned. “Checkmate.”

Genocide King Daemon growled again, but then accepted the loss with grace and removed his crown, throwing it at Seth’s feet in submission. One by one, the pieces of the defeated team began to disappear from the sidelines and the board, leaving in order of ascending importance. The Hell Pawn Daemons vanished first, followed by the Death Rook Daemons. Next went the Shadow Knight Daemons, followed by the Dark Bishop Daemons. Finally the Inferno Queen Daemon nodded to her mate and vanished in a puff of acrid red smoke, waiting for the King to pass on one final message. “We may have been defeated today, but that does not mean that we will cease our conquest of the world of light. Be assured, Guardians of the Dominion. We shall meet again.”

“And you rest assured that we will always be there to stop you. Light and darkness must always exist in balance, else the worlds would fall into chaos.” Mahaad growled, sounding almost testy. Seto had never known him to act anything less than respectfully toward anyone.

“So- anyone got any ideas how we are going to get out of the Dark World?” Mana queried, confused and just a bit nervous. “I mean, they kinda sprang on us with a surprise attack.”

Seto smiled at her choice of words. They weren’t the ones he would’ve chosen, but that was Mana for you. Always cheerful, believing in the best in people, and perhaps just a bit naïve. He really liked her endless optimism. It reminded him of his little brother. He had the same sort of heart that she did. I love you, Mokuba. Please, be safe. He thought privately.

-A few minutes later-

“WHAT?! Th-that’s impossible!” An enraged and incredulous voice gasped as the Dragon Prince and company emerged from an interdimensional portal seemingly unscathed. The Hero and his friends had endured some minor cuts and scrapes from the Daemon class’ attacks when they were removed from play on the chessboard, but Isis was easily able to heal those after the match was won.

“Funny how everyone keeps saying that whenever I beat one of you losers.” Seto smirked at Nezbitt. “I’ve been proving the ‘impossible’ possible my whole life. It’s kinda second-nature by now.” He shrugged as the already enraged suit went volcanic.

“THAT’S IT! That was the last straw, Kaiba! I was gonna go easy on you for old time’s sake, but then you reminded me just how much I hate you! I hope you think that your family’s stone in the Graveyard is a nice spot, ‘cause when I’m through with you, that’ll be your permanent residence!” He roared, activating his Dark Disk and slotting his deck into the appropriate slot.

“All right, you challenged me, so I get to pick the rules.” Seto shrugged calmly, not even remotely fazed by his irate opponent’s outburst. Death threats were pretty much a weekly occurrence back home. He was more than used to tuning them out by now. “VR world rules- minus the Deckmaster rule- 4000 Life Points.”

If you say so, Kaiba-shachou.” Nezbitt bowed sarcastically as he drew five cards from his deck. Across the field, Seto did the same. “You go first, since I picked the rules.” Seto offered politely, but his generous gesture went unacknowledged by his opponent.

“Hmph. ‘Giga-Tech Wolf’ [1200/1400] comes forward in Attack mode.” Nezbitt growled as he placed the card down. The metal wolf appeared with a howling snarl. “And two cards face-down will end my turn.” The two cards materialized behind the businessman’s Ka.

“Seth, [1700/1500] you’re up first." Seto called, signaling his brother with a nod.

"As you wish." Seth said obediently with a small smile. He was glad to have a chance to put this Shadow Hunter in his place.

"Attack ‘Giga-Tech Wolf’!" Seto ordered. Duos flew at the wolf, intending to best the beast.

"Not so fast!" Nezbitt countered. "I play the spell card ‘Dimension Hole’. This allows me to banish one monster until my next standby phase." Giga-Tech Wolf warped away, something akin to a taunting smirk on its canine features.

"Fine then, maybe you have gotten a little smarter." Seto said, pulling two cards from his hand. "Here’s my two face-downs, then I end my turn."

"My turn now!” Nezbitt called, pulling his card from his deck. "First I get my monster back from the other dimension, and then play the spell card ‘Mechanical Night - Clockwork Night’, turning every monster on the field into the ultimate and superior Machines!"

"Didn’t you learn your lesson from the last time this happened? I guess you didn’t get that much smarter." Tristan yelled from the sidelines.

"Shut up, you metal monkey!" The Big Five member yelled back.

"Metal monkey?! Why I oughta-" Tristan grumbled as Serenity and Joey held him back. Ka weren’t supposed to attack before they’d been called into battle, after all.

"Not only that, but your monster loses 500 attack points while mine gets 500 more!" Nezbitt continued. And, unfortunately, it was true. Duos' Attack points were now 1200, and Giga-Tech Wolf was at 1700.

"Dey switched Attack points." Joey noted to himself.

"Now my metal monster, attack that forgery!" Nezbitt ordered. The metal wolf launched itself at the warrior. Duos braced himself to take the attack on the flat of his blade, using his ‘Aura Sword’ like a shield.

"Not happening, Nezbitt." Seto announced, flipping one of his cards up. "I play ‘Negate Attack’ to stop your assault." Nezbitt’s Ka hit the wall of wind with a thud and backed off whimpering.

"I end my turn." Nezbitt growled.

“Then it’s time for mine." Seto answered, pulling out his next card. Nice. He thought to himself. ‘Shield in the Right Hand, Sword in the Left Hand’. That’ll come in handy. "First I play ‘Shield in the Right Hand, Sword in the Left Hand’ to switch our Ka’s Attack and Defense points, then I summon Akhenaden [1900/1000] in Attack mode!" Duos was now at 1500/1200 points, and Giga-Tech Wolf at 1400/1700 points.

"I hear and obey, my Prince." Akhenaden answered, walking to stand next to his son.

"Seth, attack Giga-Tech Wolf!" Seto ordered.

Seth slammed his blade into the metal wolf's snout, destroying it easily. However, Nezbitt only lost 100 Life Points from that attack. "That was pathetic! It barely scratched my Life Points!" The Big Five member-turned-Shadow Hunter cackled nastily.

"Oh, I know." Seto said calmly. "But this’ll leave a bigger dent. Akhenaden, attack him directly!"

Akhenaden calmly walked over, then administered a powerful kick to the man’s stomach, dropping Nezbitt's Life Points to 2000 and his knees to the hard ground.

"That wasn't a well-working machine!" Nezbitt growled, getting up from the floor. "I never thought you would use that card."

"Most people don't." Seto growled, putting a facedown card in his spell/trap card zone. "That ends my turn."

"I play the spell ‘Hand Obliteration’, forcing us to discard our entire hands and draw the same number of cards from our decks." Nezbitt seethed after drawing. Both duelists discarded their hands and drew their new cards. "Next comes the spell card ‘Scrap-Iron Recycling Factory’. I remove ‘Machine Sargeant’ and ‘Machine King’ from my Graveyard to Fusion summon ‘Perfect Machine King’ [2700/2200]!" The metal Ka rose up from the ground.

"Not good." Seto muttered to himself so that his opponent couldn’t hear. His strategy was thrown out the window when Nezbitt played ‘Hand Obliteration’. The only Guardian I have that can beat that one as it is now is Serenity-

"With my third spell card, ‘Quick Attack’, this monster can attack in the turn it is summoned. So attack Duos, my ultimate monster!" Perfect Machine King charged at Seth.

"I play ‘Fusion Cancel’!" Seto called as his right side card flipped up. "This stops an attacking fusion Ka by summoning its fusion components from the Graveyard!"

"Not so fast, Kaiba-shachou!" Nezbitt countered, flipping his left card up. "I play ‘Magic Jammer’ and sacrifice one card to stop yours!" Both cards burst into pieces at his declaration. Perfect Machine King delivered a punishing uppercut to Duos’ jaw, sending the Guardian flying over his duelist’s head and shattering into thousands of shards before he hit the ground.

"Seth!" Seto yelled as his Life Points decreased to 2800. "You'll pay for that, Nezbitt." He growled menacingly, sounding quite like his signature dragons as he did so.

"We'll see. And I end my turn with that." Nezbitt shrugged nonchalantly.

"My turn." Seto spat as he drew his card, still angered that his brother had been defeated. "I summon Akefia [1800/1200] in Defense mode."

"I take it we're about to win?" Akefia asked, landing next to Akhenaden. He had seen why it was a good idea to have him on the field and why Nezbitt had made a mistake in attacking Seth and not his father.

"Yes, if this goes through." Seto agreed. "Now, Akefia, use your ability to possess Perfect Machine King!" The machine Ka roared as its Attack points deflated to 900.

"What does that have to do with you winning, Kaiba-shachou?" Nezbitt asked, glaring at his weakened Ka.

"Simple. It means this duel is over." Seto answered triumphantly. "But first, I’ll need a little boost. I don’t usually like relying on luck, but I’m gonna have to take a leaf out of your book, Joey.” He grinned sheepishly back at Hono no Kenshi, who raised an eyebrow and grinned back. “I activate ‘Angel’s Dice’. If I get a two* or higher, you’re in trouble, Nezbitt.”

[I’m going by the anime rules here, ‘cuz I can’t think of a good card that doubles a Ka’s attack points.]

“What? After all those times that you’ve insisted that relying on luck is for newbies, now you’re going to do it?” Nezbitt laughed. “Oh, this I gotta see!”

Both duelists watched the winged angel in suspenders drop the die, and waited with bated breath for it to stop rolling. Once again Amen smiled upon the group of heroes, as the die showed two dots on its top side. “Yes! Now that your strength’s doubled, attack Perfect Machine King and secure a victory for the team, Akhenaden!" The warrior slammed his fist once again into the stomach of his opponent, this time actually punching a hole in the metal. “That was for my son.” The Guardian of Warriors growled.

"No!" Nezbitt screamed as his Life Points dropped to zero.

“Two matches- in a row- kinda- take it- outta ya.” Seto huffed as the duel drew to a close and Nezbitt was dragged down into the crimson spell circle, yowling in denial just like all the rest. A small white rabbit with a large metal column strapped to his back and a ruff of familiar sea-green fur hopped over to his new duelist, then started rubbing his small head against the side of his leg like a cat would.

“Aww! Kawaii!” Serenity squealed as she picked up the white bunny and cradled him in her arms. Something shimmered into focus slightly to her left, and Noah Kaiba smiled wryly. “Thanks, Seto.” He grinned, blushing slightly from all the attention as the female Guardians all queued around Serenity and admired the newest member of their team. Seto smirked. “No problem, kid.”

Seto looked around the Mines in interest, impressed with the level of technology that the Dominion had achieved. It was far more advanced than Earth’s, that was certain. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something golden glimmering softly in the artificial light of the lamps that were strung every few feet from the ceiling of the mines. “What in the world-?” Seto asked himself as he approached and picked up the unknown item. “I don’t believe it!” He gasped. “No wonder he was tougher to beat this time! The Millennium Scales must’ve been increasing his skill with Duel Monsters. And I bet the Orichalcum helped with that as well. I’m glad I got these back from the Shadow Hunters. That’s one less thing to worry about now.” He thought to himself as he carefully and reverently placed the antiquity in Mana’s pocket dimension where no further harm could come to it.

Suddenly the entire Dominion began to quake, and quite a few of the heroes lost their footing and ended up on their backsides. Seto was one of those that stood his ground. “What’s- happening?” He asked himself and aloud, and that was the only warning any of the Guardians got before a swirling interdimensional portal enveloped each one of them- sending them spinning into a strange new world. Then the gateway closed behind them.

Chapter 17: The Wonderful World of Toons

Chapter Text

What in the world-? Seto thought as he opened his eyes to the alternate dimension. Where in the living and dead worlds are we? He asked himself as he surveyed his surroundings. Nothing was familiar. Not the landscape, not the sky- and especially not the small, white, winged lizard flapping about above him in a worried fit. When Seto groaned and sat upright, the beast growled cutely in relief.

“What the-?!” He started as he backed away from the creature, completely taken aback. The Ka that he most despised- Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon- was hovering five feet in front of him and sniffing worriedly, clearly concerned that the duelist had been hurt in some way.

[Aww! He’s all worried about Seto, and Seto hates this li’l guy more than anything. Poor thing!]

“Oh good! You’re up!” A somewhat familiar voice giggled, though it was in a higher pitch than he was used to hearing. “Hey guys! ‘big’ me! He’s finally awake!” The young girl called to several someones behind him. He turned toward the voice and discovered- with another shock to his system- that ‘Toon Black Magician Girl’ was the one who had spoken, and she beamed at him when he looked at her incredulously.

“You’re- you’re real?” He asked the girl, and she giggled and twirled her staff like a marching baton. “Of course! What made you think otherwise?”

“I thought that Pegasus just created you to mess with people’s heads.” And tick them off. He added silently as he glared at the Toon Dragon again. The dragon only snorted cutely in response.

“Nope! We’ve been here for as long as the other Ka have in the other dimension.” The child mage smiled brightly. “Welcome to the ‘Wonderful World of Toons’!” She beamed, and Seto groaned. “What’s the matter? Are you hurt?” She asked worriedly, mistaking his discomfort for some injury.

“He’s fine. He jus’ can’t stand dis place or you guys.” A smirking voice sounded behind him, and Seto turned as Joey walked up. “Can’t see why, tho. Dis place is amazin’!” He added as he offered his duelist an arm. Seto took the offered hand with another growl and pulled himself to his feet, looking at the green sky and blue grass around him with a frown.

“We are definitely not in the Dominion anymore.” Mana giggled, referencing a famous movie* she’d seen in the human world and loved on the spot.

[Wizard of Oz. Everybody should recognize that line.]

“Technically you are, actually. It’s just a rather large pocket dimension with a twist on things.” Another voice chimed in, and Seto recognized this one as well- although it sounded younger than the one he was used to. He gasped in surprise when none other than ‘Toon Black Magician’ floated up and put an arm around his sister’s shoulders in a friendly hug. “Hey, bro!” The preteen beamed, and the chibified mage grinned back.

“I see we have a lot in common, ‘little’ me.” Mahaad smiled at the new arrival. “You two are siblings as well?”

“Twins.” The younger mage clarified. “But yeah. Our world parallels yours in many ways, but it’s not exactly the same in every detail.”

“Oh!” Noah exclaimed out of the blue, hopping out of Serenity’s arms and loping over to his brother. “I forgot to give this to you! Sorry!” He apologized, holding a sword scabbard and belt in his Ka’s mouth. He stood up on his hind legs to give it to Seto, and he nodded with thanks as he accepted the accessory and buckled it around his waist. Good. Now I have a place to store my sparring sword when I’m not using it. I was getting kinda sick of carrying it. That Duel Disk is heavy! Why didn’t I make it lighter? He thought to himself as he sheathed his blade. Unlike with his other pieces of armor, he didn’t feel an increase in his power when he belted his scabbard on. Guess my power levels stayed the same, since the scabbard didn’t contain any of my dragon strength. He thought absently, doing the math in his head. I’m still at 2620 Attack and 2100 Defense points. About as strong as Mahaad.

“Hey, Toon Black Magician Girl? You wouldn’t happen to know where the Guardian of this world is, would you?” Seto asked the child mage, and she scowled in thought for a moment before brightening again.

“Um, I dunno about the Guardian, but things have been really freaky around the central Clock Tower for quite a while- ever since that dragon-man got here. Maybe your friend is there?” The girl suggested with her palms raised.

“Dragon-man?” Seto asked, intrigued. He couldn’t think of any Ka that looked like a combination of a dragon and a human- besides himself. And he wasn’t technically a Ka.

“Yeah. He’s got the body of a man, but the wings and tail of a dragon, with claws for hands and feet and fins for ears.” TBMG continued. “Honestly he looks really cool, but I can’t say the same for his attitude. He’s a real jerk. And he’s got that freaky Seal on his forehead. Well- and one eye, but I didn’t ask what happened.”

“Timaeus.” Seto breathed, recognizing the description now. The oldest of the Legendary Knights was his next opponent, and Seto guessed that he was under a spell as well, just like Hermos had been.

“Yeah, I think that’s his name.” The girl confirmed. “I just wish he wasn’t so mean.”

“He’s not normally like that. That’s the influence of the Seal of Orichalcos on his forehead. In reality, he’s a noble Knight and protector of the Dominion. Just like his brothers Hermos and Critias.” Seto explained sadly.

“Lord Critias? I remember him! He tried to protect me from those awful Shadow Hunters when they attacked the Castle!” The girl gasped, the memories coming back to her all of a sudden. “But I thought they were- that horrible black obelisk-”

“Yeah.” Seto growled, his own memories of the monolith still burned into his mind. “Keith must’ve resurrected them somehow and brainwashed them with the Orichalcos, warping their personalities to their opposite.” He frowned at his feet, silently cursing the monster who did this to three such noble knights. When all this was over, he would personally make sure that the card shark was punished thoroughly for his many transgressions. If he was still alive after the battle-

-Some time later-

“This world is almost like the antithesis of the Dominion.” Seto observed as he looked around, as the group made their way to the central square and the Clock Tower- where both the Guardian and the brainwashed Knight were rumored to be. “Except it’s still a realm of light, not like the Dark World.”

“Yep!” TBMG commented brightly. “Our world follows a different sort of logic and different rules, but despite all the seeming chaos around here, it’s normally quite orderly.”

“Somehow, I find that hard to believe.” The Dragon Prince smirked as something large and leathery blew past him. He wheeled about to find himself face-to-face with Toon Daemon, who put a clawed hand to his mouth and snickered at his reaction.

“Well, orderly for us, anyway. Toons kinda have their own logic.” TBMG amended, grinning abashedly at their guests. Most of the others just laughed goodnaturedly, and the rest simply smirked and rolled their eyes.

“So all the Ka that have ‘Toon’ in their name live here?” Seto asked, and their guide nodded. “All the spells and traps that are related to ‘Toon World’ are here too. If a card is used in conjunction with Toon World, it’s here in this dimension.”

Seto nodded. It made sense that all the ‘cartoon’ type Ka would live in a separate world with its own logic. Their mere presence in the ‘real’ worlds threw everything into chaos whenever they were summoned to the field.

Above them, a cartoon sun shone brightly above them, seeming to deliberately try to hit them with its rays. Seto squinted up at it in slight irritation for a moment, and was shocked to spot a golden horse-drawn chariot chained to the burning orb of gas. The man driving the chariot was equally golden, arrayed in an impressive suit of shining gold armor. As Seto watched in surprise, the man cracked his whip above the sun-horses’ backs and the beasts took off- galloping to the west as fast as they could run. Within seconds, the brightness of midday had turned almost pitch-black- the darkness penetrated only by a crescent moon and an impossibly beautiful woman in silver-white armor balancing atop it. And, just like almost everything else in this world, the moon had a face too. And it was smiling.

“Whoa.” was all the Dragon Hero could say, captivated by the strange armored woman’s beauty. TBMG looked up and grinned at the woman, who waved happily. “That’s the goddess of the Moon. She’s got many names- just like her brother the Sun god- but we call her ‘Artemis’ most of the time. I think she prefers that one.”

“So that was Apollo before?” Seto asked, the name striking a chord. He remembered that Atlantis was the closest to the Greeks in their language and mythology, and the Atlanteans were the first duelists. It made sense that they would name their gods after the Greek ones.

“Yep. He goes by ‘Ra’ in the Dominion, but he’s the same guy.” Mana chimed in. “And she goes by ‘Mut’*. Dunno why they use Egyptian names there and Greek names here. It’s really confusing!”

[pronounced ‘Moot’]

“Yer tellin’ me! It’s bad enough keepin’ all a’ dem straight in one language!” Joey complained, and a few of the Guardians snickered.

“I am sure they do not mind too much if you call them by any of their various names. Just do not get the deities themselves mixed up.” Seth laughed as he put a hand on his fellow Guardian’s pauldron. “Though I am sure they would cut you some slack there as well, if you are not familiar with all of them. They are not that touchy."

“How d’you keep ‘em all straight?” Joey groused, and Duos grinned. “Practice and memorization. That is pretty much the answer to everything.”

“Mokuba’s really into Roman mythology, so he’s got most of them memorized.” Seto commented thoughtfully. “I had to learn Latin as one of my languages growing up, and he wanted to learn it with me, so my teacher let him sit in on my lessons. It wasn’t required for him, but he wanted to spend more time with me. At least that tutor was fairly lenient.” He smirked, his mind in the past in one of the few ‘happy’ memories of his childhood.

“Aww! That is really cute!” Mana giggled, and Seto blushed a little. Yeah, it was pretty cute. Everything about Mokie was cute back then. Still was, come to think of it.

“I get what you were saying about things being weird around here, if it can change from day to night in a few seconds.” Malik commented wryly, looking up at the night sky with a quizzical frown. As he was speaking, Apollo suddenly reappeared in the east and forced Artemis to jump off her perch and dive into the western horizon, the moon speeding behind her. The Sun god took her place within moments, then parked his chariot and crossed his arms, surveying the ground below with a smug grin on his face.

“I’ve seen crazier time-shifts. Believe me.” TBMG sighed, a sweat-drop running down her cheek. “It all started with that dragonoid Knight. He’s turning everything cuckoo!”

“Was that a clever pun on the next Guardian?” Akefia chuckled. “Well played, Toon Black Magician Girl.” Then he turned to his companions. “Who do we know that’s connected to Timaeus and has something to do with time?” He asked, a wry smirk playing about his Ka’s face and mirrored by his astral projection.

“Well, it’s either Atem or Yugi. They were both Timaeus’ Chosen Duelists. Wait, it can’t be Yugi ‘cause he’s merged with Kuriboh. And Kuriboh’s not connected to time in any way. At least, as far as I know.” Seto reasoned, putting a hand to his chin as he pondered.

“Hang on, I tink I’m rememberin’ sometin’.” Joey put in, holding a hand to his temple. “Back in Duelist Kingdom, Yugi gave me ‘Toki no Majutsushi’ [400/500]. It used ta be his card. Maybe dat’s da next Guardian we hafta free.”

“But why would Atem be merged with ‘Toki no Majutsushi’?” Seto asked. “You’d think it would be something more- I dunno- commanding? Impressive? I mean, ‘Toki no Majutsushi’ is among the weakest of Ka.”

“Yeah, he’s weaker than me!” Noah squeaked from Serenity’s arms. It seemed that had become his favorite perch. Over on his right, Tristan glowered at him jealously*.

[Heh. Remember why?]

“And that’s saying something.” Seto chuckled, earning a glare and a ‘Hey!’ from his stepbrother. “You kinda walked into that one, Noah.” He snickered. Then he turned serious. “All teasing aside, I thought he would’ve become someone like Black Magician, since you’re the card he most identifies with.” He directed this statement toward Mahaad.

“Yes, but I was already one of the Guardians. Another Ka was needed for Ouji- I mean, my pharaoh to merge with.” Mahaad nodded, quickly correcting his slip before anyone noticed. Akhenamkhanen and Mana noticed it, though, and they grinned at each other as the spellcaster continued, a slight pink color in his cheeks. “If you think about it, it makes sense in a weird way. He sealed his soul inside the Puzzle for five millennia, and Toki no Majutsushi’s magic can turn the clock forward one thousand years. In a way, they both manipulated time to serve their purposes.” He observed thoughtfully, and Seto nodded. That did make sense-

“Doesn’t explain why he became such a weak Ka, though.” The Dragon duelist smirked. “I’m sure there are other Ka affiliated with time.”

Mahaad smiled as well. “Well, perhaps my pharaoh needed to learn a bit of humility. He is very proud- as a king should be- but sometimes he lets it get to his head.” He admitted.

“And the last thing he needs is for that head to get any bigger.” Malik laughed, and everyone looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Everyone that had seen his dark half, anyway. “You’re one to talk.” Tristan snorted, and that caused the entire group to crack up. In answer, Revival Slime’s face turned almost navy blue. “I walked right into that one, didn’t I?” He asked peevishly.

“Yup. You sure did.” came a high and squeaky new voice from high atop the Clock Tower. A multicolored form floated down, accompanied by the spirit of a very familiar young man with tri-colored spikes. “Ugh! I hate my voice! It’s not at all inspiring like it used to be!” The teen groused, and the Dragon Prince had to cover his mouth to stifle his snicker.

“Good to see you, Atem. It’s been a while.” Seto smirked, somehow managing to conceal his amusem*nt from the former young king. Barely.

The spirit smirked, folding his arms. “Likewise, Kaiba. I see you’ve got quite the following there. I’m impressed.”

“There’s a reason I’m the second-best duelist in the world, you know.” He answered, a teasing tone mixing itself in with the playful banter. “Behind Yugi.” He smirked, trying to rile his old rival.

It worked like a charm. “Kaiba! You-” Then it hit him that his favorite opponent was only teasing. “Oh, ha ha. When all this is sorted out, I am challenging you to a duel. No backing out.”

“C’mon, Atem, you know me. I never back down from a fight.” Seto grinned, crossing his arms and mirroring his rival’s stance.

Atem relented and relaxed his arms. “True.” He smiled. “I can always count on a fair and challenging duel from you. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Yeah. Me too.” Seto answered, his smirk softening into a genuine smile. He’d been worried about his old rival, and he was relieved to see him okay, more or less.

“Thou shalt hast surpass me first!” A new voice boomed from the Clock Tower, and the heroes looked up just in time to see a figure leap from the spire and glide down on leathery teal wings. The Dragon Knight was just as TBMG described, but he was wearing a teal and silver helmet in addition to his armored body.

“Sir Timaeus.” Seto nodded in greeting, inclining his head in a respectful bow.

“What doth thou desire, Changeling?” The Knight snarled, glaring at the newcomer. In response to the hostility, the Seal of Orichalcos glowed happily on his forehead.

“I think you know the answer to that question.” Seto answered back politely, ignoring the blatant animosity in his latest opponent’s voice. He could tell that it wouldn’t be wise to anger this temperamental dragon.

However, his calm demeanor seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. “That is it! Thou shalt fall today, Ryushiro!” He drew his sword and leveled it at his calm opponent with one hand, and activated his Dark Disk with the other.

I guess it’s gonna be just like my fight with Hermos, except I’ll have to duel him both ways, with my sword and with my friends.

"I goeth first." Timaeus declared, drawing his card. "I play ‘Gray Wing’ [1300/700] 'i Attack mode!" The dragon flew down from the sky with a roar. Then Timaeus flew at the young genius and swung his sword at the Prince’s leg. Seto quickly parried with his own blade, sending the Knight skidding backward a few feet and allowing him time to incarnate* the cards in his hand in front of him- but as he did so, he winced. The Knight’s sword had still struck his armored leg when he’d parried the blow, and it felt like the fibula of his left leg was bruised- if not broken entirely. This Knight wasn’t going easy on him, that much was certain. And he was inhumanly strong. Seto would have to be careful that the testy dragon warrior didn’t break every bone in his body.

[Imagine Kaiba vs. Yugi in Duelist Kingdom with the prototype Duel Discus.]

At least he isn't using the Toons. Seto thought, relieved. I’m sure this is still gonna be a tough battle, though. "My turn then." Seto drew his own card. "First I place three cards face-down, then I'll summon Seth [1700/1500] in Attack mode!" The cards appeared in front of Seto.

"I am ready to fight, my brother." Seth answered, standing in front of his hikari.

"Attack ‘Gray Wing’!" Seto ordered. Seth ran at the beast, slamming his fist into the dragon's snout and dropping Timaeus' Life points to 3600 when the Ka was defeated.

"Not much in the way of points." Noah commented from Serenity's arms.

"Remember Noah, the duel just started." Serenity reminded him quietly. "I don't do much dueling, but I'm sure not a lot of points are lost at the start. It adds up over the course of the duel."

"The wench speakest aright. Surprisingly." Timaeus answered. "Tis but the beginning of the match. Tis not a big import to me, so long as I win." The Knight finished with an evil smirk and chuckle.

“How dare ya talk dat way about my sister!” Joey roared from the sidelines, barely holding himself back from marching right over there and socking his opponent in the jaw for the remark. He hadn’t been called into battle yet, after all.

"This is not how a knight should act!" Isis yelled, surprising everyone by her outburst. Even Timaeus. She was normally very soft-spoken.

"Oh, dun's the mouse, woman." Timaeus snapped, not even acknowledging Joey. "I summon ‘One-Eyed Shield Dragon’ [700/1300] ‘i Defense mode." The armored dragon landed to the right of its summoner.

"There’s more to your turn than that, right?" Seto observed, knowing that a defensive Ka had more than one use.

"Correct, hatchling." Timaeus answered with a nasty smirk. "I play ‘Resurrection of the Dead’ to resurrect ‘Gray Wing’." The dragon appeared on Timaeus' left.

"Two Ka. Is he gonna Tribute Summon?" Joey asked from the sidelines.

"I tribute both mine dragons to summon ‘Diamond Dragon’ [2100/2800] ‘i Attack mode." The two dragons shattered and were replaced by a large, light-blue dragon that looked like it was made up of diamonds. "Now mine beast, attack Duos!" ‘Diamond Dragon’ shot its breath attack at Seth, sending the Guardian crashing down the street and Seto's Life Points down by 400.

"My turn." Seto growled at seeing his brother defeated. "I activate ‘Dual Summon’. This lets me summon two Ka instead of just one. I summon Akefia [1800/1200] and Joey [1800/1600], both in Attack mode!" His middle card rose up and shattered as both Guardians took their positions.

"Let's hope you have a good plan." Akefia muttered, landing on Seto's right.

"An’ dat dat’s da only strong dragon he's got." Joey added, standing on Seto's left.

"We won’t know until this duel is over." Seto answered grimly. "Akefia, equip yourself to ‘Diamond Dragon’."

"That's a plan I like." The former thief grinned as he restrained the dragon. ‘Diamond Dragon’ now had only 300 Attack points.

“Like thou hast not done that ere.” Timaeus yawned rudely. “Do something original for once.”

"Joey, attack ‘Diamond Dragon’ with ‘Flame Strike’. See how he likes it when we turn up the heat!" Seto ordered with a smirk, ignoring his opponent’s rude comment.

"Sorry ‘bout dis." Joey called, sending his flames at his opponent, destroying ‘Diamond Dragon’ and dropping Timaeus' Life Points to 2100. He knew that the dragon was only following orders.

"Lucky move, sirrah." Timaeus snarled, sounding a lot like a dragon himself. "That was not e’en mine strongest dragon. Facing it would mean thy downfall!"

"Great, he has something stronger?" Malik groaned.

"For now, I end my turn." Seto answered. “It’s your turn, Sir Timaeus.”

"Finally." Timaeus agreed, drawing his card. "I also cast ‘Dual Summon’ and summon ‘Timeater’ [1900/1700] ‘i Attack mode, as well as one Ka face-down." The clock Ka appeared as well as Timaeus' mysterious face-down Ka. On the sidelines, Atem shivered as the beast that Timaeus had designated to mercilessly torture him appeared.

"Anyone have a clue about that face-down?" Tristan asked the group.

"Nope." Mana answered, a clueless frown on her normally upbeat face.

"It is anyone’s guess." Mahaad elaborated, a worried expression clouding his blue eyes.

Whatever that face-down Ka is, it’s more trouble than ‘Timeater'. That much is certain. Seto thought.

"Now Timeater, attack ‘Diabound Kernel’!" Timaeus ordered.

"Not happening!" Seto yelled. "I play the spell ‘Attack Sealing’!" Timeater's attack stopped.

"So thou restrained the attack. Big deal. Thou hast only earned thyself a momentary reprieve." Timaeus growled, pulling a card out of his hand. "I end mine turn with this face-down note." The card appeared with all the others in the Spell/Trap zone.

"I’m sorry Joey, but I kinda need Mana [2000/1700] right now." Seto breathed after he drew his card, looking at his friend sadly.

"Fine. Jus’ don’ leave me in dere too long. Y’know how I feel ‘bout dat place." Joey answered as he disappeared in a shower of sparkles, switching with Mana as he disappeared to the Graveyard.

"You sure about this?" Mana asked nervously.

"I am." Seto answered resolutely. "Now attack ‘Timeater’ with ‘Black Burning’!" Mana launched her magic at the time Ka.

"Puh-lease. She is but a few points stronger than thy swordsman. I play the trap ‘Magic Cylinder’!" Timaeus called, flipping his face-down card. The magic attack went in one tube and came out the other, hitting Seto in the chest. He gasped as he was knocked to the ground and his Life Points ticked down to 1600.

"He duels like Yugi and Atem." Ryou noted quietly. “Except they duel with honour, and he’s anything but at the moment.” The two-toned angel didn’t like speaking badly of anyone, but it was definitely true in the case of the oldest Legendary Knight.

"I- end my turn." Seto gasped, getting up with a groan.

"It is mine then. About time." Timaeus answered in a bored voice, not caring the slightest bit about his opponent’s injuries. "I play the spell note ‘Cross Soul’. I use mine Timeater and thy Diabound Kernel to summon ‘Dragon Egger’ [2200/2600] ‘i Attack mode." Both Ka were swept away and an egg with claws, feet and eyes appeared.

"Not good." Serenity squeaked from the sidelines, and- in the Graveyard- Joey silently agreed with her as he watched the duel play out on a headstone that was acting much like a television set.

"Now, ‘Dragon Egger’, attack ‘Black Magician Girl’!" Timaeus commanded. With that, the dragon let out a stream of blue fire at Mana from the hole that exposed its eyes.

"I play the trap card ‘Shield of Dragonslayer’*!” Seto flipped one of the traps he’d been waiting to use. ‘Dragon Egger’ froze as its attack hit a blue shield with the phantom form of Buster Blader holding it. "I can equip this card to my Ka once if he or she is targeted by a Dragon-type.”

[fake]

Before I end mine turn, I would bid thou something. Whither ‘i both the living and dead worlds didst thou acquire that note?" Timaeus asked, breaking the spell of the Orichalcos briefly and looking genuinely interested. "Buster Blader doth not carry a buckler!"

"Maybe he will in the future." Seto shrugged. “You never know. Just as the human world is constantly changing, so too does the Dominion. It’s not like the Ka’s appearances and abilities are set in stone.”

On the sidelines, Atem couldn’t help snorting in amusem*nt. “Nice one, Kaiba.” He snickered, remembering the stone slabs that were used back in Ancient Egypt.

Seto grinned back at him. “Thought you’d like that.”

"If thou sayest thus, Changeling." The former knight growled with a shrug, once again bewitched. "Your move."

"I play the trap ‘Pot of Dragon-Tribe Sealing’." Seto called, and ‘Dragon Egger’ roared as he was sucked into the jar and rendered unable to move. "Now Mana, attack Timaeus' face-down card!" Seto ordered. Mana launched her burning orb of magic at the card. A set card on the Knight’s field flipped up, and a spinning ring of four shields negated Mana’s attack. But, because she still technically attacked the Ka, the card activated its flip effect and revealed ‘Jar Djinn’ [200/1800]. "Dang it. ‘Dragon Egger’ is back to Attack mode." Seto growled, slipping his ‘Pot of Dragon-Tribe Sealing’ into his Graveyard slot.

"I had a feeling thou had placed that note." Timaeus said with an evil smirk. "That is also the reason why I used ‘Cross Soul’ to summon him."

"I bet you did." Seto muttered. "I end my turn."

"Mine then!" Timaeus called nastily. "Allow us attempt this again. ‘Dragon Egger’, attack ‘Black Magician Girl’!" This time ‘Dragon Egger's flames hit Mana, and she screamed as she was destroyed.

"Jeez." Seto growled. Ryou’s right, it feels like I'm dueling either Yugi or Atem. Only they’re honorable duelists.

"I am done for the turn." Timaeus sighed with another yawn.

I have to win. For everyone’s sake. And for Mokuba. Seto thought, putting everything he had into drawing the right card. The card he got was ‘Greedy Vase’. Yes! "I play the spell card ‘Greedy Vase’ and get two more cards."

"Like we all never wot what that doth. That is the most common note of all." Timaeus scoffed.

"That may be true, but it did give me what I need to win!" Seto declared boldly. "First I summon Tristan [750/700] in Attack mode, then switch him out for Mahaad [2500/2100]! Next I play the card ‘Cost Down’ to lower Serenity’s star level, then I’ll summon her to the field!" Mahaad and Serenity- after handing Noah’s Ka to Téa- stepped onto the field.

"What art thou planning?" Timaeus asked despite himself.

"You're about to see." Seto answered with a grin. "Mahaad, attack ‘Dragon Egger’ with ‘Black Magic’!"

“Gladly, my Prince. Madoha!” Mahaad did just that, decreasing Timaeus' Life Points to 1800.

"Serenity, attack Timaeus himself!" Seto called. Serenity flew over to the bewitched Dragon Knight and swung her blade across his chest, ending the duel with the teal-armored knight.

“Argh!” Timaeus growled as he stumbled backward and his Life Point counter switched to four zeroes. “This is not over, mutant! Rest assured, we shall meet again! And when that happens, thou shall fall!” Then he flew off in a rage, winging to some unknown destination to the south.

“I’m counting on seeing you again, Timaeus.” Seto answered from where he sat, even though he knew the drake couldn’t hear him anymore. “Your true self. I will find a way to lift your enchantment. I swear it.”

“Jeez. He was tough!” Joey complained as he supported his duelist and friend while Mana healed his broken leg.

“Tell me about it.” Seto agreed with a nod, wincing when the action aggravated a cut on his neck. His chain mail- that he’d retrieved thanks to Seth- had prevented it from being a fatal blow, but it still broke the skin and was pretty deep.

“And this time you didn’t have someone dueling for you. You had to do both all by yourself.” Tristan commented, and Seto shrugged. “I kinda figured it was gonna be rough. He is a Legendary Knight, even though he’s been made to forget that.”

“That reminds me.” Atem squeaked as he floated up. “Sir Timaeus left these behind when he flew off.” He handed a small round object to his new duelist, and Seto started when he recognized the Millennium Eye. Then he chuckled a bit when he spotted the small Guardian struggling to lift a large piece of armor off the ground. Taking pity on him, Seto picked up the article himself and buckled it onto his chest. He’d finally reclaimed his breastplate. He breathed in deeply as he felt the familiar surge of energy wash over him, doing the math in his head. Now I’m up to 2640 and 2200 points. I’m the strongest one here other than Serenity, and she’s only a few points ahead. I’m slowly getting stronger, Mokuba. I’ll be there soon. Hang in there, kiddo. You stay strong too.

Chapter 18: Swampland Fortress

Chapter Text

Ding Dong! rang the doorbell to the Kaiba mansion as a certain young man stood on the doorstep.

I’ve been trying to contact these guys for weeks, and no one will give me a straight answer over the phone. What happened to everybody? It’s like all of my friends and acquaintances from Domino are gone. Just- disappeared. I’ve tried emailing everybody, calling all the numbers I knew- Heck, I even tried to get some of them on Spacebook. It’s like they’ve all just vanished off the face of the planet. Becky’s tried contacting them too, so I know they’re not just ignoring me. Not that they would in the first place. They’re good people. What on Earth happened to them all? He wondered to himself as he rang the doorbell again.

Then the door opened and a young woman’s face appeared in the crack. “Can I help you, young man?” The maid asked pleasantly, but with a hint of worry behind her eyes.

“Hello. I’d like to speak to Kaiba. I’ve been trying to get in touch with all of them for a while now, but nobody ever gives me a straight answer.” Duke Devlin answered, putting a hand on his hip in slight annoyance.

“I’m sorry sir, but Master Kaiba isn’t at home right now.” The maid answered quickly. A little too quickly. Something was up. “Can I talk to someone else in the family, then? There must be someone at home.” He asked.

“I’m very sorry, but none of the Master’s family are here right now.” The young woman answered, looking at her shoes. “I can take a message for them when they return, if you’d like.” She suggested shyly, trying very hard to hide her anxiety. She was worried about something, that was for sure.

Duke was getting pretty annoyed now. She was hiding something. “Look, I know Kaiba. He’s always either at Kaibacorp. or at home. And I already checked there. Mokuba and Noah’s school said they’ve been absent for weeks. I know that something’s up. Why won’t anybody tell me what’s going on?!” He growled.

The maid looked down, abashed. “I’m very sorry sir, but- I don’t have the authority to say what has happened to the Master and his family. Talk to Mr. Roland. He should know.” She answered quietly, offering a sliver of hope to the young man.

“Well where does he live?” Duke asked testily. This was turning into a wild goose chase!

“Here. He’s always in the Security Booth upstairs. When he’s not at Kaibacorp., that is.” The young woman answered nervously, not sure if she was allowed to talk about this with a stranger.

“Is he here right now?” Duke asked, trying to calm down. It wouldn’t do either of them any good if he lost his temper. The poor woman was a bag of nerves already. Her job’s gotta be rough, dealing with Kaiba every day.

“Yessir. Shall I call him for you?” She asked, and he nodded. “Please do.”

She quickly closed the door in his face. Duke wasn’t sure if she was going to call the Head of Security or not. He thought he appeared trustworthy enough.

But his fears were assuaged when the door opened again- this time all the way- and Roland himself stepped out onto the front porch. “Ah, good day, mister Devlin. How can I help you?”

Duke got right to the point. “I need to know what happened to the Kaiba family, as well as all of their other friends in and around Domino.” He answered. Roland put a handkerchief to his temple. “I know they’re not all just on vacation. I could feel that something happened. And I can’t get a hold of any of them. Please. Tell me what happened.”

Roland kept the napkin pressed to his temple as he looked down worriedly. “I know that you’re a friend of Yugi Mutou and an occasional business partner of Mr. Kaiba, so I know that you can be trusted. My deepest apologies. You are correct. Something did happen to them.” The bodyguard began.

Duke waited patiently, dreading what he would hear.

“They all disappeared. One after the other. The local police have been looking into it for weeks, but no one’s heard anything from any of them. It is truly like they vanished off the face of the Earth.” Isono answered worriedly.

“They’re all gone? Not just the people from the modern age, but the past Bearers as well?” Duke asked, surprised.

“Yes. Everyone except for that older gentleman who greatly resembles Solomon Mutou.” Roland clarified. “But Domino wasn’t the only city affected. I heard from his siblings that Mr. Malik Ishtar was captured as well and disappeared just like all the others.”

“They went all the way to Egypt to hurt our friends?” Duke growled, clenching his fists. “If they went that far, it’s anyone’s guess who could be next.” They’d better not do anything to Becky or Dr. Hawkins! He thought fiercely.

“That’s true.” Roland nodded. “There’s no telling where those beasts will appear next, or to what lengths they will go to capture their prey.”

“Wait. What beasts? You saw who captured everyone?” Duke asked sharply.

“Not personally, but there were some strange creatures on the grounds the night that Mr. Kaiba and his brother disappeared.” Roland answered. “Hulking beasts clothed in nothing but loincloths and spiked collars around their necks, wrists and ankles. And they bore strange glowing Seals on their foreheads. I believe I’ve seen those symbols before, a few years ago.”

“Orichalcos Gigas.” Duke breathed. “It’s Dartz’s mess all over again, only somebody new is at the helm. Dartz is dead. Yugi told me himself.” He looked down worriedly. “They’re in real trouble, aren’t they.” He stated rhetorically, not needing an answer. “I wish there was something I could do to help them.”

“Oh, there is.” Roland smirked suddenly, his eyes glowing red behind his sunglasses. Without warning, two of the aforementioned monsters appeared behind Duke and seized his arms, immobilizing them behind his back. “Wh-what? What’s going on?!” He gasped. “You’re- you’re not Roland!” He cried.

An evil growl mixed with laughter tore its way from the man’s throat, sounding nothing like the bodyguard’s normal voice. The man’s form suddenly began to morph, changing into a muscle-bound beast bearing the Seal of Orichalcos on its brow.

The beast only grinned wider and knelt down, locking a manacle with a jewel set in it around the young man’s ankle. Then it delivered a harsh blow to the side of his head, knocking him out instantly. A man stepped out of the shadow of the mansion, clapping his hands slowly. “Well done, my servants. I was running low on staff in the Dominion. Throw him through. We’ll find a suitable place for him. After a few mental adjustments.” Keith laughed gleefully as he stepped back through his personal portal to his ill-gotten kingdom.

Squelch. “Oh goody. The marshes.” Akefia groused. “My favourite section of the Dominion.” He rolled his eyes sarcastically as he yanked his Ka’s tail out of the bog. The snake head glared at the demon’s body, and the Ba shook his head.

“It is not my favorite area either, Diabound.” Mana added wryly. “It is times like these that I am glad all Ka can hover off the ground.”

“Yeah yeah, quit rubbing it in.” Seto groused as he trudged through the ankle-deep sludge, though he was smirking slightly. “Good thing this armor only accepts what’ll make it stronger, otherwise I’d never get these clean.” He joked, picking up his right foot and glaring at all the muck sliding off his boot like water on a frictionless surface.

“Who even lives ’ere anyway?” Joey asked. Like Mana, he was extremely glad that he had the ability to hover off the ground.

“Most of the Plant-type Ka, lizards, a few non-winged dragons, and any Ka associated with poison.” Mahaad listed off for his friend. “Along with a few of the fiends. Most of them live in the Dark World, but there are a few who live scattered around the Dominion.”

“Wonder who the Guardian is.” Atem squeaked, pensive.

“It’s gotta be Yugi.” Seto put in. “He’s the only trapped Guardian that would make sense of the ones we’ve yet to free.”

“Who all is left? Do ya know?” Tristan asked. “It can’t be very many.”

“Nope, not very many at all. There’s twenty Shrines not including the Castle, and we’ve freed seventeen Guardians so far. Joey mentioned that Mai was here when we first started on this quest, and we know that they’re holding my brother at the Castle. My whole family was imprisoned in the Dominion somewhere, so the only one that’s still unaccounted for is Kisara.” He looked sadly at Duos, who was also looking at his feet with a worried frown. “As for their Ka, Mai is ‘Harpie Lady’ like Joey said when this whole mess started, Kisara’s ‘Blue-Eyes’, and we’ve seen that Mokie’s ‘Kentauros’.”

“Who’s in charge of Ka, anyway?” Noah groused, and Seto smirked. “‘Cuz I’d like to place a complaint.”

“Oh, but I think this form is really cute, Noah!” Serenity grinned, nuzzling her face in his soft back just behind his ears.

“Yeah, that’s my point.” He clarified with a scowl. “I don’t wanna be ‘cute’. Why couldn’t I have been ‘Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi’? Or someone cool?”

“Face it, Noah. You’re not that cool.” Seto smirked at his stepbrother. “There’s no way you could pull off that look.”

“Well, then why not a robot or something? Why am I a bunny? And I’m practically useless except for my ‘direct attack’ ability.”

“Well, complain to Pegasus then. He’s the one who pretty much resurrected the Ka in the human world.” Seto shrugged as he continued on, and Noah crossed his forepaws and pouted in Serenity’s arms. Duos smiled softly and put a gentle hand on the rabbit’s back. “There have been cases where a person could change their Ka, Inaba No Shiro Usagi. You will just have to bear with this form for a bit longer. Once our Prince defeats the Shadow King, we will all be restored to our original bodies. You simply need to be patient.” He imparted sagely, and the rabbit smiled at him. “Thanks, Aniki.”

Duos looked surprised at the title, but then his smile grew wider. “That is what brothers are for, right?”

“Right.” Seto smiled, thinking of his other little brother and sister-in-law. We’re almost there, Mokuba. Kisara. Very soon, we’ll be a family again.

“Stop!” A mildly familiar voice shouted as the Dragon Prince and company continued on deeper into the swamp. A lithe form covered in a pitch-black cloak dove from the canopy of banyan grove trees and alighted neatly on a large root that was sticking up from the swampy muck below.

“Time for another duel, huh?” Seto huffed as he drew his sparring sword and transformed it into a Duel Disk.

“That’s correct, Kaiba. And this is as far as you go. Prepare to end up like the Tollund Man, ‘cause when they finally find you, you’ll be nothing more than a bog mummy!” The newest Shadow Hunter cried, activating his own Duel Disk. Seto was surprised to see that the device was of his own design and not the Dark Disks that the other Shadow Hunters used.

“Why don’t you take off your hood? I generally like to see the opponents I’m dueling.” Seto offered, and the Shadow Hunter shrugged. “Don’t see the harm in that. Why not?” The young man answered, pulling back his hood. Seto started with surprise as Duke Devlin appeared, the Seal of Orichalcos branded into his forehead.

“So they even got you, huh?” Seto asked, a sad smile on his face.

“So what? These guys gave me an amazing opportunity here! I’m overseer of practically a small country! This Dominion is huge!”

“You’re harming sentient beings.” Seto growled. “They can feel, just like you and me.”

“I don’t care! The only thing I care about is power!” Duke shot back, throwing off his cloak and slotting his deck into place.

“Power corrupts. You’re living proof of that.” The Dragon Prince sighed as he mirrored his opponent, cutting and shuffling his deck and slotting it into the proper compartment. As he did so, his friends and family behind him readied themselves for battle- drawing weapons and stretching to prepare for the conflict to follow.

“Battle City rules, no rare-card ante, 4000 Life Points.” Duke growled, and Seto nodded as he stepped back a few paces onto another large root.

“DUEL!”

“I'll start off.” Duke called, drawing his five cards, then a sixth. “I summon ‘Terra the Djinn’ [1200/1300] in Attack mode and place two cards face-down.” The green-skinned Ka rose up out of the murk and the two cards appeared behind him, concealing their undersides.

“Different Duke, different Ka.” Tristan muttered quietly to himself.

“The same can be said of me, Tristan.” Seto called over his shoulder as he drew his card. Tristan looked surprised, but then nodded. That was true. “I summon Noah [700/500] in Attack mode."

“My first time in a duel!” Noah squeaked, hopping out onto the field. “Since becoming this, anyway.”

“That bunny won't do anything to my monster, let alone me.” Duke taunted.

“That’s where you’d be wrong, Duke.” Seto answered testily. “Noah, use your ability to bypass his Ka and attack him directly!" Noah jumped thirty feet in the air with the help of his rocket and kicked the black-haired boy in the chest. In response, Duke’s Life Points ticked down to 3300 points.

“Cheap shot.” Duke groaned, holding the place where the rabbit had kicked him. It was surprisingly powerful for such a small creature.

“Somewhat, yeah.” Seto agreed with a shrug, pulling out two cards. “Before I end my turn, Noah, go back to the group." Noah hopped back to Serenity and the winged knight scooped him back up into her arms. “Good job, Noah!” She whispered into his ear, and the bunny twitched his nose cutely in response.

“Why’d he do that?” Duke asked.

“It's another ability of his.” Seto explained. One that I happen to like. “If you were paying attention in the VR world, You would’ve remembered that. I end with two face-downs.” The two cards hovered over the swampy water.

“Get real! I was a little busy being a statue at that point!” Duke shot back. “That was when Yami- er- Atem- took over for you in the duel with Noah- wait a second, you an’ Mokuba were stone too! How’d you see that?” He asked when the Orichalcos influence was suddenly weakened.

Seto shrugged. “My body may have been turned to stone, but my spirit was still free. I watched the whole thing. You were there too, in the Millennium Puzzle later. You helped Atem win by giving him a card from his ‘Treasure Cards from the Heavens’.”

“Huh. I guess I do remember that a little bit.” Duke mused, looking thoughtful. Then the Seal of Orichalcos on his forehead glowed angrily, and his emerald eyes turned blank and lifeless once more. “My turn then.” Duke pulled out his card. “I summon a monster in face-down Defense mode and then have my ‘Terra the Djinn’ attack you directly!” The Ka charged at Seto, bellowing all the way.

“Not happening. I play the trap card ‘Holy Barrier - Mirror Force’!” The card on Seto's left flipped up and Terra the Djinn exploded with the force of his own attack.

“My turn ends.” Duke snarled, slotting his Ka’s defeated card into his Graveyard pile.

“It’s mine then.” Seto said calmly. “I summon Téa [1800/1700] in Attack mode.”

“Ready to fight!” Téa announced, twirling her ‘Shining Spear’ expertly in her hand like a baton.

“Destroy that face-down of his.” Seto ordered. Téa blasted the card to reveal a mummy that- in turn- blasted Seto with some type of poisonous gas. Seto fell to his knees and his Life Points followed suit to 3500.

“That is ‘Poison Mummy’ [1000/1800]. Not the most pleasant Ka to have as your opponent.” Isis observed quietly, and Seto heartily agreed as he coughed harshly. He’d accidentally breathed in some of the deadly toxins into his system. Either that or they’d purposely flown in on their own. He suspected that the latter was the case, more than the former.

“Kaiba, get up!” Joey yelled from the sidelines, concerned for his friend.

Seto slowly got to his feet to continue the duel. “I- end my turn.” He gasped out. “Duke, you're the duelist that uses dice, right? Why aren't you using any cards like that?" He asked, genuinely curious.

“To answer your pointless question, I'm not using those cards right now.” Duke spat as he drew his card.

If I'm hearing him right, he must still have dice cards. Seto thought. Keith wasn’t able to completely change him.

“I play the Field spell card ‘Dice Dungeon’!” Duke called out as the field turned into a board game with squares. “Then I summon ‘Yaranzo’ [1300/1500] in Defense mode." The treasure chest Ka popped up and grinned menacingly at his opponents before closing the box’s lid again.

“Kaiba, watch out!” Tristan called from the sidelines. “He can summon ‘God Orgoth’ [2500/2450] if he wants! And that Ka’s bad news!”

“Shut up, monkey boy!” Duke snapped at Tristan. “You're not allowed to give away my plans!”

“You just confirmed that’s what you were planning." Seto observed wryly, a smirk playing about his face despite the pain he was in. The poison had already spread through his torso, and the burning pain was growing more intense with every second.

“So what? You’ll still fall! Everyone falls before my supreme monster!” Duke announced, flipping his right card up. “I play the spell card ‘Dimension Dice’, tributing ‘Poison Mummy’ and ‘Yaranzo’ to summon ‘God Orgoth’ in Attack mode!” The armored ogre rose up from the swamp and leveled his blade at the Dragon Hero.

“So it’s about as strong as Mahaad. Couple hundred more Defense points, though.” Seto muttered to himself as he mentally adjusted his strategy slightly.

“Now for the effect of my ‘Dice Dungeon’!” Duke called, holding out his hand where a six-sided die appeared. “We roll dice and our monsters are affected by the number that’s on top." Another die appeared in Seto's hand.

“For example, rolling a ‘one’ causes your Ka to lose one thousand Attack points.” Serenity explained, remembering the duel she was in with Duke and Tristan when they three tag-teamed Nezbitt in the VR world.

“Thanks for the tip.” Seto grinned back at her. “Well, let's get going.” He called to his opponent, eager to get this duel over with.

“Orgoth, attack Valkyrie!” Duke ordered, then tossed the die. It landed on a ‘three’* and Orgoth's ATK became 2450, 650 points higher than Téa’s.

[fake ability]

Seto however rolled a ‘one’. “Shoot.” He groused as Téa lost one thousand Attack points. “Shoulda had you roll, Joey.” He joked as his Life Points decreased to 1850. “Ugh. This card makes just about as much sense as those Toons.” He winced, feeling the energy twist itself out of his back and the poison rush in to take its place. He wouldn’t be able to stand up unaided much longer at this rate.

“I end my turn.” Duke announced proudly.

“Mister Kaiba, see if you can destroy Orgoth this turn.” Serenity called from the sidelines. “If he doesn't have any Ka, then the field will go back to normal.”

“I’ll need a ‘six’ for that.” Seto muttered as he pulled out his card. “But to be safe, I’ll need a Ka with high Attack points. I play ‘Cost Down’ and summon Mana [2000/1700] in Attack mode!” I need to take it easier. He thought to himself. It’s getting kinda hard to breathe.

“Let us get him!” Mana growled, twirling her staff angrily. She was still mad about her duelist’s injury earlier from Poison Mummy.

“Next I play the spell card ‘Sage’s Jewel’ to summon Mahaad [2500/2100] to the field without a sacrifice.” Seto ordered as his right card flipped up. In response, Black Magician floated onto the grid next to his sister.

“We must be prepared for anything.” Mahaad advised his favorite student, and she nodded seriously.

“Destroying your Ka will take a lot of luck.” Seto called, ignoring the pain for now. “So I'll just avoid the choice altogether and destroy all of it instead by using the spell card ‘Black Burning Magic’!” The two magicians charged up their magic staves and shot both the field and Orgoth with orbs of energy. Once the smoke dissipated, Duke's side of the field was completely bare.

“Now Mahaad, you’re first. ‘Black Magic’!" Seto ordered. After being hit by the attack, Duke had only 800 Life Points left. “Finish it, Mana.” He nodded, feeling a bit dizzy now from the effects of the poison. He felt as though he could black out any second, but bravely fended off unconsciousness through sheer force of will.

“Sorry about this.” The female magician grimaced, blasting Duke with her own magic and ending the duel.

-After the duel-

Seto winced as another spasm shot through his body from the poison slowly spreading through his system. Mana had given him a concoction to counteract it as soon as the duel ended, and it was slowly beginning to take effect.

“I am impressed, Black Magician Girl.” Mahaad praised. “You have certainly progressed quite far in your studies. Especially your magical antidotes and potions.”

“That is only because I have had such a good teacher, master.” The female spellcaster grinned up at her older brother.

“It is not just that. It is hard work too.” Atem squeaked, gripping his time staff. “Take it from a fellow magician. Magic can be just as hard as any other area of study. Maybe even more so.”

“Well said, Atem.” Seto nodded, holding his upper arm as he stood to his feet. He looked over in a seemingly random direction. “I heard some faint squeaking over in this direction. It might be where the Fortress is. And if we find the Shrine, we’ll probably find the Guardian there too.”

“A wise deduction, my Prince.” Akhenaden commented, nodding. He felt a measure of pride for the young man who led them in their quest, not just because he so resembled his real son, but that he was distantly related to him as well. The Guardian of Warriors considered the Dragon Prince to be a second son- a younger brother to his true son, Seth. And he hoped that the young duelist considered him to be family as well.

“Of course I do. You’re certainly a better adoptive father-figure than our other one.” Seto chuckled as Master Monk looked up sharply. He didn’t expect that mind-reading was among the young man’s many talents.

“It’s more sensing emotions than actual mind-reading. That and I was reading your expression. The clues are pretty obvious if you know where to look.” Seto explained, and Mahaad nodded. The Prince had summarized it perfectly. Perhaps he is remembering some of Seth’s lessons in spirit sorcery. They are related, after all.

“Kuri!” A very familiar squeak sounded from somewhere close by, and Seto turned to find an ancient temple that was half-submerged in the swamp, with the only access point being a door at the very top of the ziggurat. With his dragon eyes, Seto was able to spot a small ball of fur tangled in a nest of thick vines near the peak of the pyramid, struggling to get out with little success.

“Joey. Go up there and cut him loose.” Seto ordered, and Hono no Kenshi nodded, ascending the steep steps to the top of the structure and hoisting himself onto the roof of the top level, swinging his massive crystal blade at the thickest of the vines. With his considerable strength, he was able to slice through most of them with a single stroke, then he pulled the vine ball out of the trees and set it on the stone roof, pulling at the steel-like plants with all his might to free his friend and fellow Guardian.

“Thanks, Hono no Kenshi.” Yugi’s astral projection breathed happily as Kuriboh bounced out of its green prison and bounded over to his new duelist. “Long time no see, Kaiba.” The boy grinned, and Seto couldn’t help grinning back. The sight of the small fiend wearing his helmet was just too amusing. It covered nearly his entire body.

“Wonder why Duke wasn’t wearing it.” Tristan commented, and Yugi shrugged. “It didn’t fit him. He wanted to use it, but its power only works for its true owner.”

“He was wearing the Millennium Necklace, though. That still worked for him. Not nearly as well as it would for Isis, but it worked.” Seto added thoughtfully, grinning back at the Guardian of the Stars, who looked confused. Then he shrugged and removed his helmet from Kuriboh, putting it on his own head and inhaling deeply as his strength increased once again.

Just a few points behind Serenity now, and only three more Guardians to free. Better be prepared, Keith. I’m coming for you.

Chapter 19: The Wind Turret

Chapter Text

“This is getting ridiculous.” Keith growled as he paced back and forth before the dais in the giant throne room. “I mean, what the hell is it gonna take to defeat this kid? A nuclear bomb?! As strong as he is now, he probably wouldn’t even get a scratch with that damned dragon armor of his.” He snarled as he continued to wheel around. He was beginning to wonder if he himself could actually beat him, but then he grinned. He was able to conquer the entire Dominion- an entire dimension- within just a few short years. Weeks in the human world. He’d defeated the greatest duelists in the modern and ancient world, and imprisoned their souls within the forms of their Ka.

“He doesn’t stand a chance.” Keith smirked haughtily. “He may be a fairly decent duelist, but when it comes to actual combat, he’s still just a kid. I’ve had years worth of experience over here in this world, and I learned from some of the best dark swordsmen in history. His supposed ‘skills’ can’t hold a candle to my power. This realm will become his tomb, and all the rest of his little friends will share the same fate!” He laughed sinisterly, gently lifting the Puzzle around his neck and staring smugly into the Eye of Wdjat. “My captain should easily be able to handle him. Especially with that golden dreamcatcher I gave him. I’ve seen firsthand what that thing can really do. This is as far as you go, Seto Kaiba!”

“Aw come on, my little dove.” Magnum purred seductively as he fingered the Millennium Ring around his neck. “Why must you always play ‘hard to get’? That just makes me want you all the more, you know.” He ran a hand through the young woman’s golden locks before gently stroking her cheek with the back of his hand. Mai merely pulled a disgusted face and turned away from him, trying futilely to squeeze her talons out of the shackles that chained her spread-eagled to the ceiling and floor.

“I’m not your dove, your damsel in distress, or anything to do with you. I thought I made my feelings for you perfectly clear back in Battle City, but it seems you can’t take a hint. What made you think I’d want you now, after you’ve sold your soul to all that is dark in this world?” She spat bitterly, actually pitying this sad excuse for a washed-up actor and mediocre duelist.

“So you do have feelings for me.” He smirked evilly, not to be denied so easily. “I like a woman with passion.”

“Passionate hatred, maybe.” Mai growled. “I can see why Keith made you his captain. You’re both slimy sleazeballs who have to resort to cheating to win.”

This finally made Magnum scowl, and he slapped the Guardian of the Skies across the face with the back of his hand. “I’d be careful, my dear. You’ll find I can be quite- passionate too.” He turned from his captive and faced the opposite wall, hands folded behind his back. “And I wouldn’t be so quick to judge either, my lovely. I’m not the only one here who’s been tempted by the darkness. I mean, what a certain beautiful duelist did a few years ago- well, you put my actions to shame, angel.”

Mai gasped in hurt and self-loathing when the memories surfaced from her time under the influence of the Orichalcos. She’d been so selfish and shallow back then. She had hurt so many people in so many ways, even the young man with whom she’d fallen in love. A man with a heart as golden as his hair. It had finally taken his defeat at her hands to snap her out of her delusions of grandeur.

“Y'know- if things continue in their current course, you’ll most likely get to see that blond pain-in-the-₳$$ that you’re so fond of.” Magnum hinted, causing the winged Guardian to gasp again. “And you’ll also see him fall. You’ll see all of them fall. Kaiba doesn’t know it, but this will be his final battle.”

“Don’t count on it.” Mai stated loyally. “I may not know him very well as a person, but I can tell you with the utmost certainty that Kaiba is leaps and bounds ahead of me as a duelist. And if I can beat you quite easily, he’ll probably wipe the floor with you.”

That hit a nerve. With a snarl, Magnum bent down and locked a familiar bracelet around Mai’s ankle and pressed in a green stone. Mai’s amethyst eyes grew blank and listless, and the Seal of Orichalcos drew itself on her forehead.

“You’re far too presumptuous, my dear.” Magnum scoffed. “Of course, that fiery temper is one of the many things I find simply irresistible about you. Come now, would you really rather be a cougar than my lovely minx? I can offer you so much more than that brat Wheeler can.”

Surprisingly, Mai raised her head at these words. “Joey loves me for me. You just think of me as a trophy, a prize to be won. Or stolen in your case. He was able to look past all the trite and shallow things about me and look at who I really was inside, and he was the first person to ever do that. Most- no, make that almost everyone- see me as only a pretty face. My own parents only saw me for my appearance. That is, when they actually paid attention to me.* Joey saw through all that. He was the first person to ever treat me like a normal woman rather than simply eye-candy. And that’s only one of the many things that I love about him.” She stated resolutely, a smile turning up the corners of her lips as she thought of the big-hearted hero that had captured her heart.

[Going by the dub here, as she was an orphan in the sub.]

Magnum was surprised at the level of emotion Mai was able to display even under the effects of the memory blocker. The phrase ‘Love conquers all’ suddenly floated into his thoughts, but he shook that notion away the moment it surfaced. Love was a fairytale, and true love was merely a fantasy. It didn’t exist in real life, only in movies and dreams. He snarled in irritation, then shoved the Ring into Mai’s face so that she could not help but look at it.

“You’d better be nice to me, dearie.” He taunted, swinging the Ring before her eyes like a hypnotist’s tool. “I’m the second most powerful man in this whole dimension. Believe me, I could make your life a living Hell if I wanted to. I just feel like being merciful because of our ‘good old days’. Now, I’ll give you one last chance. Do you really choose that kid who’s barely out of diapers- or the man who’s loved you from the first time he saw you and is a rich and powerful star in not one, but two worlds?”

“Riches and worldly power are worthless when you’re burning in Hell.” Mai frowned, her amethyst orbs alight with conviction and contempt. “That’s what happens when you sell your soul to the Devil. Although, in your case, I’m surprised you still had a soul to sell, and that he actually made a deal for it. Useless as it is.” She snarled.

“Ouch. I can see how you and Joey fit so well together. You both have fiery spirits.” A new voice laughed from the doorway.

“Kinda literally in my case.” Another voice put in, and Mai’s heart soared at the sound. She’d been longing to hear that voice for so long, and now her hero was finally here! “Heh. Ya totally burned ‘im on dat one, Harpie Lady. Nice one!” He complimented, causing his girlfriend to turn a bit pink at the praise- an interesting color against her light blue skin.

“Hono no Kenshi. You have no idea how long I’ve prayed that I’d get to see you again! I tell you, it’s been absolute torture without you.” Mai cried and laughed at the same time, happy tears running down her face.

“Wh- wait a minute! Kaiba?! How the hell did you get here so fast?!” Magnum spluttered, and Seto looked behind him. “Some of the Ka in the Swamp knew a shortcut through the mountain ranges around this Wind Turret. Add that to the fact that quite a few of my friends can fly, and that’ll explain how we got here. And at least three of the rest are fairly lightweight, so some of my winged companions carried two Guardians through the otherwise impassable terrain.”

“And now you know why mostly Winged-Beast Ka live here.” Mai grinned at the Dragon Prince. “Most of the others can’t even make it up to the Tower. Unless they’re mountain goats or something similar.” She joked, and Seto smiled, agreeing with her. “Makes sense that you’re the Guardian too. You favor your Harpie Ladies more than any other duelist I know.” He grinned.

“What can I say? They’re beautiful and they kick ₳$$. Gals after my own heart.” Mai smirked, and both Joey and Seto rolled their eyes, amused.

“Not dat yer braggin’ or anythin’.” Joey grinned, and Mai put on her best ‘innocent’ face. “Who, me? No, I’d never do that.” She grinned smugly in complete contrast to the ‘puppy-dog eyes’ she was blinking at the group.

Yugi giggled. “You do that almost as well as I do, Harpie Lady.” He grinned.

Mai winked at him. “Years of practice, kiddo. For you it just comes naturally. You’re cute by default.”

Kuriboh actually turned pink like its brother Kuribee, and Yugi’s face turned into a beet. Seto laughed at how red his friend and rival’s face was, then smiled down at the floor. “Mokuba’s the same way. You can’t learn cuteness like that. And Noah, you’ve had your cute moments too. ‘Specially now. No one can think a bunny isn’t cute.” He grinned at his stepbrother, once again riding in Serenity’s arms. The white rabbit with a sea-green ruff now resembled a Christmas ornament, his whole head turning as red as a holiday pomegranate.

Meanwhile, Magnum was turning colors himself, his countenance darkening with each passing minute. How dare these upstarts just flat-out ignore him, like he wasn’t even worth acknowledging! Well, he’d show them!

“You’re going down, Ryushiro. I won’t let you take one more step toward my liege!” He snarled, but Seto merely shrugged. “If my calculations are correct, I don’t think I’ll have to walk. After I defeat you, I’ll be able to fly to the next Shrine and Guardian. And then it’s on to the Castle to free my little brother.”

“Actually, I think that’s the only way up to the Citadel, Kaiba.” Mai nodded. “It’s impossible to get there without some type of wings. Unless you know how to teleport.” She added thoughtfully.

“Good thing I’m reclaiming my cape from this Shrine then. My cape functions as my wings in dragon form.” Seto answered quietly, but everyone still heard it.

“You really are a freak, Kaiba.” Magnum snarled, intending to hurt the young Hero as much as he possibly could. “Not a human, not a dragon, but something twisted in between. Not to mention your skewed fashion sense. I mean really, a suit of armor? What is this, the Middle Ages?” He laughed nastily.

“Well, we are in a dimension ruled by three wise dragon kings, and they live in a Castle- so yeah, I’d think a Dragon Knight fits in with this realm pretty well.” He answered as if explaining the obvious concept to a four-year-old. “And its functionality matters a lot more than what it looks like. Though it looks pretty cool as well. I don’t wear it as a fashion statement, I wear it to protect myself. I dunno if you’ve noticed, but those direct attacks from Ka hurt. Especially in a Shadow Game or an Orichalcos Duel where the Ka are real.” He added with a grimace, thinking back to some of his more painful conflicts. He felt a sudden surge of gratitude for Mana and Isis, as they had faithfully healed his injuries after his victories in battle. If it weren’t for all of his friends helping him, he would have fallen long ago.

“Yeah. You gotta wear yer armor ‘cuz yer still mortal. You can die. We Ka ‘re pretty much immortal. I mean, sure, we go ta da Graveyard when we’re defeated, but we come back fer da next duel dat our duelist needs us in.” Joey commented as he looked at his friend and duelist, who nodded solemnly in agreement. This ‘hero’ business was dangerous!

“Like I said. Freak. You’re all freaks of nature!” Magnum growled, angry at being ignored once again. “None of you should even exist! More of this ‘magic’ crap.” He frowned, activating his Dark Disk. “Well, I’ll be sure to wipe you off the face of the planet!”

“Now that is just plain rude!” Mana shot back angrily. “Just because we look different than you and have different abilities does not give you the right to call us names! Everyone- human, Ka or animal- is unique. And- depending on the species- all members of that species are created equal and are entitled to certain inalienable rights. You have no right to judge us for being what and who we are!”

“Well said, Mana.” Seto nodded approvingly. “People should judge others based on their actions, not what they look like or their abilities. If we could only do that, then both worlds would be better places.”

“That is what we do.” Mahaad interjected. “Before the Shadow Hunters took over, everyone in the Dominion of the Beasts was treated equally and fairly. Within the certain factions, of course. Each group has their own unique set of laws, but most are the same at their roots. We judged based upon actions, not race or species. Now even that sacred statute is skewed and corrupted by the darkness brought by these usurpers.” He growled, glaring at the Captain of the Guard that had enslaved the Guardian of the Skies.

Seto nodded once again, approving of the Dominion's governing system. But something that Magnum had said a moment ago intrigued him. “Technically this realm isn’t a planet, is it? I mean, the Dominion is flat, like humans used to believe Earth was.”

Surprisingly, it was Duos who nodded. “That is correct. And instead of several continents separated from each other, the Dominion exists as a single supercontinent- much like Pangaea in Earth’s history. However, our world has several floating islands in its skies. The Dark World is the literal flipside of the Dominion, and the World of the Toons is a pocket dimension connected to this one.” He smiled fondly, happy to describe his home in great detail.

“And Aaru and Duat are connected to both worlds somehow as well.” Seto nodded back at his brother, who smiled. “They are the Dead Worlds. A pair of realms where only spirits can exist. At least- for extended periods of time.” He added, thinking of the Shadow Games and how they provided a temporary exception to the rules of Duat for the human duelists and Ka.

“This realm is also a sort of utopian paradise.” Duos continued. “A ‘backup copy’ for Earth, if you will. All flora, fauna- and even bacteria and viruses- that ever existed in the human world exist here as well, preserved and protected for all eternity. They live in complete harmony with all of us Ka.”

“So, if something was driven to extinction in the human world, it would still be preserved here?” Mana asked, and Mahaad nodded in answer to his little sister. “Cool!” She laughed, and the Hero and Guardians smiled at her exuberance.

“This is all very fascinating-” Magnum drawled in a bored voice, “-but if you losers don’t mind, I’d like to get on with crushing you weaklings into the ground like the pests you are! Battle City rules- you know the drill.” He shrugged, slotting his deck into the slot.

Seto nodded wordlessly, copying the Shadow Hunter and readying his deck. His companions behind him also readied themselves for battle.

“Game start!”

“I'll go first.” Seto volunteered, drawing his card. “I summon Malik [1500/500] in Attack mode!”

“All right! Haven’t been in a duel for a while!” Malik grinned, standing in front of Seto and putting his fists up.

“Lastly, I’ll place two cards face-down to end my turn.” Seto's two covered cards appeared in front of him.

“Ha! Pathetic. You’re not nearly as powerful as you make yourself out to be.” Magnum taunted. “My turn then! I summon ‘Onna Ninja Yae’ [1100/200] in Defense mode.” Jean-Claude growled as the female ninja landed in front of him from a front-flip.

“Oh, dat’s smart.” Joey growled sarcastically, noticing her points were lower than both of Malik’s. He was also steamed at the fate of the Sky Guardian, who was chained to the wall outside of the duel.

“Shut your mouth, boy! Next comes my ninja’s ability! I discard a WIND-attribute monster to send all your cards back to your hand!” Jean-Claude snarled, slipping the card into the Graveyard. “And say goodbye to your cards!” A whirlwind swept the covered cards off the field.

“Not good.” Seto muttered to himself. Let's hope that’s the only card he has that can do that. He added mentally.

“I end my turn with two face-downs. Show me what you’ve got, Dragon-boy!” Jean-Claude called, placing the card in the spell/trap card zone.

“My turn then.” Seto called back, pulling out his card and ignoring the jibe. “Malik, get rid of that ninja lady!”

“Gladly!” Malik grinned fiercely, destroying the ninja by splatting into her face. Though- because she was in Defense mode- none of Magnum’s points were lost.

“Before I end my turn, I’ll summon Shada [1800/1500] in Attack mode.” Seto announced, waving the Guardian of the Sands forward.

“Ready, my Prince.” Shada nodded, standing next to his fellow Guardian. Malik nodded his greeting, and one of Shada’s heads- the one that was facing him- nodded back.

“Like that’s going to make a difference.” Jean-Claude spat. “I summon ‘Birdman’ [1800/600] in Attack mode!” The winged male looked downright pissed as he appeared, but his ire didn’t appear to be directed at the heroes. He was glaring almost murderously at the man who’d summoned him, incensed that his sister had been imprisoned in so undignified a manner.

“I thought he was called ‘Sky Scout’?” Ryou asked thoughtfully.

“So did I.” Karim added. “It must be another of his titles. For example, I am not called ‘Elf Swordsman’ in all languages. I am known as ‘Celtic Guardian’ in some others.” He told the two-toned angel. Ryou nodded. That made sense.

“Your opponent’s also called ‘Harpy’s Brother’ in other countries.” Mai called over to her allies from the wall to which she was chained. “And I think he’s actually blood-related to my Ka Harpie Lady.” Seto raised his eyebrows in surprise at this new information, but then echoed Ryou with a nod of his own. That did make sense.

“Attack that glorified Jell-O blob ‘Revival Slime’!” Jean-Claude ordered savagely, incensed at being ignored yet again, and the birdman dove at the young man who currently took the form of a blob of blue goo.

“Not happening! I activate ‘Attack Nullification’!” Seto called sharply, pulling out the spell card from his hand.

“Lucky save. End turn.” Jean-Claude grumbled.

“My turn!” Seto answered, pulling out his next card. “Shada, attack ‘Birdman’!”

“As you wish.” Shada acquiesced, charging at the winged man. When the dust cleared, both were destroyed and relegated to the card Graveyard.

“Malik, your turn. Get him.” Seto commanded.

“Got it!” Malik beamed gleefully, striking the man in the stomach with a punishing uppercut and getting goop there too. Jean-Claude staggered backward as his Life Points decreased to 2500 points. Joey snickered.

“Let's try this again.” Seto muttered. “I place two face-downs and end my turn there.” He placed his cards in their designated zones.

“I draw and play ‘Hand Obliteration’!” The former movie star laughed, and both duelists switched their hands for new cards from their decks. “Now because ‘Ninja Commander Ikusa’ and ‘Ninja Soldier Katana’ are in my Graveyard, I can summon ‘Ninja Master Shogun’ [1600/1600] in Attack mode!” The ninja with long white hair appeared from a smoke-bomb.

“Wonderful.” Seto growled sarcastically.

"It is, actually. For me! Next comes the spell card ‘Large Fire of Day and Night’!” Jean-Claude snickered. “This takes 800 points out of your life, bringing me that much closer to victory!”

“So- what.” Seto gasped as his Life Points decreased to 3200. “That was a cheap shot.”

“Not from where I'm standing.” Jean-Claude countered nastily. “Next ‘Ninja Master Shogun’, attack ‘Revival Slime’!” The ninja plowed his fist into Malik’s torso, splattering him across the field before he disappeared to the Graveyard. However, Seto only lost 100 points.

“Can't he revive Malik? Strings did in our duel.” Yugi asked his yami, breaking through the memory block to when they had acquired the Sky Dragon of Osiris.

“Yes, but it does cost Life Points, aibou.” Atem explained fondly.

“I end my turn.” Jean-Claude announced smugly.

“Mine then.” Seto frowned, pulling out his card. “I play ‘Greedy Vase’ and get two new cards. Next I’ll play the spell card ‘Dual Summon’ to call Akefia [1800/1200] and Joey! [1800/1600]”

“Time ta roast! Who wants barbecue? My treat!” Joey joked, jumping onto the field. Akefia said nothing and just rolled his eyes at the exuberant blond.

“Akefia, use ‘Helical Shockwave’ on ‘Ninja Master Shogun’!” Seto ordered.

“Only 200 points difference, but sayonara nonetheless, ninja!” Akefia grinned, blasting the ninja with his vortex-like attack and dropping Magnum's Life Points to 2300.

“You’re up next, Joey. I’ll take mine ‘well-done’.” Seto laughed, continuing the warrior’s joke.

“Here comes da fire! One Hack Ninja-Flambé special, comin’ right up!” Joey yelled with a slash at Magnum that singed his clothes. Only 500 Life Points were left to the cruel Captain of the Guard after that.

“I play ‘Resurrection of the Dead’ to get back my ‘Ninja Master Shogun’!” Magnum called, somehow not even fazed by Joey’s attack. The master ninja reappeared in another puff of smoke.

“No matter. It’ll be over with my next turn. I place a card face-down.” Seto shrugged as the card appeared.

“I beg to differ.” His opponent snarled. “I use the spell card ‘Cost Down’ to summon ‘Gale-Swift Birdman Joe’ [2300/1400] in Attack mode!” The winged man landed in a flurry of feathers.

“That's gonna leave a dent.” Tristan remarked wryly.

“Next, I tribute both my monsters to summon ‘Harpie’s Pet Dragon’ [2000/2500] in Attack mode!” The red dragon climbed into the room from the trap door in the roof. “What do you say now, Dragon-boy?” He laughed exultantly.

“Oh man.” Joey muttered to himself, getting the feeling that he was the dragon’s next meal.

“Now my dragon, attack Hono no Kenshi!” The dragon launched its water geyser* at Joey, who braced himself for its attack.

[It looks like water, doesn’t it?]

“I play the trap card ‘Ninjitsu - Smoke Ball’!” Seto called over the din of the dragon’s roar. The smoke covered the field and halted not only the dragon but the Shadow Hunter's turn as well.

“Tanks, Kaiba. Dat was a close one!” Joey breathed, wiping his brow with the back of his hand.

“I end my turn.” Magnum groused a tad unnecessarily, as the ‘Ninjitsu - Smoke Ball’ had already brought his turn to a close.

“Time to end this.” Seto growled impatiently, drawing his card. “Ryou, take over his ‘Harpie's Pet Dragon’ and bring him over here.” The snow-haired Kokorogawari swooped over to the dragon and dove into its head, making it flap into place next to its former opponent.

“What?! No! You can’t do that! You gotta be cheating somehow!” The Captain gasped, backing up in sudden fear.

“Joey, end this for Mai.” Seto suggested, ignoring the babbling Hunter. Joey readily acquiesced and leveled his blade at his former ‘rival’ for Mai’s heart. “Dat’s my line.” He teased his duelist. Seto just smirked. Grinning like a madman, Joey launched his strongest fire attack across the field, striking Magnum in the chest and reducing his Life Points the rest of the way to 0.

-After the duel-

“All right, hold still, Harpie Lady.” Malik instructed as he stretched up to reach the manacles locked around the Guardian’s wrists. He squeezed his finger into the lock and jiggled it a bit, grinning in triumph when it clicked open. He did the same with the other lock, and Mai floated down on her wings to the ground so the Guardian could work on the chains on her ankles.

“Wish I could do the same thing with these dumb bracelets.” Malik grumbled as Mai rubbed her sore wrists, then she jumped into a surprised Joey’s arms, giggling like a schoolgirl. Joey grinned wider than anyone had ever seen him express, his smile in danger of splitting his face in half. “The only way I can think of to get ‘em off is to break ‘em.”

“And not much can destroy those things. They’re pretty much indestructible.” Seto agreed as he fastened on his cape. Just my sword and locket to go now. We’re almost there.

“Now you’re the strongest one here, my Prince.” Serenity smiled at her duelist. “80 Attack points above my own, and quite a bit more Defense than anyone else. And you’re not even done yet. You’ll still get stronger.”

“Once we free the next Guardian, I won’t be the strongest anymore. Kisara’s the strongest of you guys as a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. And she’s got 3000 Attack and 2500 Defense. I’ll be tied with her.” Seto added with a smirk. “Still, it’s a far cry from when I first started out on this escapade.”

“Hang on,” Akefia interjected. “I thought you said you were able to transform into Blue-Eyes when you freed ‘Kokorogawari’ here. Weren’t you at full strength then?”

Seto shook his head. “I was only able to change into a drake. And back then I was at 720/600. It was enough to defeat Lumis, but nowhere near my full strength. And that was excruciating. If you think about how much direct attacks hurt, multiply that by a hundred. That’s how it feels when I have to transform when I don’t have every piece of my armor.”

Téa gasped. “But- surely it gets easier with each new piece you reclaim, right?”

Seto shrugged. “Dunno. Haven’t tested it yet. I don’t think that time on the moon felt as painful as the first time*. I didn’t have any of my armor on then.” He adjusted his pauldrons so that they rested over the cape fasteners that hung around his shoulders. “We’ll just have to see when I take that form again.”

[‘Brothers in Time’ ch. 4. Technically it was the second time, but he was unconscious for the first.]

“Wait, you’re going to do that again?” Valkyrie gasped. “Why would you willingly go through that torture?”

“So it’s easier for all of us to get to the next shrine. It’s floating 30,000 feet in the air, way taller than this Wind Turret that we flew to. I’ll carry a few of the non-fliers on my back, and you winged creatures can carry some of the lighter Guardians.”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea, Kaiba. Flying’s hard work. Harder than it looks.” Ryou commented, and Seto nodded.

“Shada, Karim, Joey, Akhenamkhanen, you’re probably with me since you’re the heaviest with that armor of yours. And your giant broadsword, Joey. Everyone else can ride with the winged Guardians. Actually, Yugi and Atem can probably ride on my head. You’re small enough.” Seto teased, causing both Guardians to turn pink again.

“Oh, sure. Rub it in, why don'tcha?” The former pharaoh groused, scowling at his favorite rival. In answer, Seto winked at him. “I meant your Ka and you know it. I wasn’t mocking your real height. Or rather, lack thereof.” The Dragon Prince grinned wider, and quite a few of the ‘modern’ Guardians snorted. The reborn Guardians merely gaped at their duelist’s audacity when speaking with a former pharaoh. In response, a red-faced Toki no Majutsushi lightly bonked his duelist on the head with his staff for his brazen words. Seto just snickered. His favorite rival was way too easy to rile up.

“I can probably take two people, Revival Slime and someone else.” Akefia volunteered, getting the subject back on track. “Commander, maybe.” He suggested, and Tristan shrugged. “I’m cool with that.”

“Now that we’ve hashed out all the details, we can get going as soon as all of us have recovered our strength. That was a tough duel.” Seto sighed as he sat on one of the bricks that made up the wall on the edge of the Turret, letting his long legs dangle over the edge. “We’ll pretty much be able to glide down to the Castle after we free Kisara. We’re almost there, Mokuba. Just a little bit longer.”

Chapter 20: Citadel of Dragons

Chapter Text

“All right, guys, stand back. I don’t wanna smack anybody in the face with my wings.” Seto joked, but the warning was clear. Most of the Guardians chuckled, and all of them moved back several feet. “I’m only missing two pieces of my armor set, so it shouldn’t be too bad.” He muttered to himself as he knelt down in the center of the circle of Guardians and squeezed his eyes shut. Before doing this, he’d retrieved the Millennium Ring and given it to one of its previous Bearers to hold onto while he transformed. It now rested with Mahaad, who smiled at the nostalgia of its familiar weight.

The Dragon Hero became surrounded by a bright white aura which grew brighter with each passing second. Soon it was too bright to look at, and the Guardians had to shield their eyes. But the light didn’t block the sound. They heard their friend groan in pain, then grind out through his teeth, “Nope. Just as bad.” He growled, his voice gradually morphing into a dragon’s roar.

“Kaiba-” Joey breathed, wanting to help his friend, but knowing there was nothing he could do. Another set of pain-filled cries echoed out of the orb of light, and every Guardian winced sympathetically as their liberator changed his physical appearance from human knight to powerful dragon.

After what seemed like ages, the shining sphere began to fade and a huge dragon’s tail swished into view, followed by enormous white wings that stretched toward the skies. From the opposite end of the tail snaked a giant dragon’s head, and one blue eye seemed to smile at them- though they could clearly see the pain reflected in the gaze. Then- with a miniature cyclone- the ball of light dissipated and a gigantic Blue-Eyes White Dragon sat half-curled before them, seeming to smile wryly.

To everyone’s considerable surprise, the dragon before them didn’t look exactly like the Blue-Eyes White Dragon they all knew. This white wyvern still retained his ‘human’ eyes in dragon form- with white sclera, blue irises, and white pupils. Mahaad looked thoughtful at this strange occurrence. Could it be that the dragon’s appearance is affected by how much armor the Prince is wearing at the time of transformation? On the moon, he was only able to change into a drake when he was missing most of his armor. Now that he has reclaimed all but two pieces, only his eyes remain of his human form. As always, the Dragon Prince continues to astound me.

“At least my back’s not bleeding this time.” Seto commented with a small smirk, communicating with each of the others using a psychic connection. Tristan nodded in agreement, remembering when he had witnessed Seto’s transformation firsthand. Giant white wings literally tearing themselves out of the young man’s back- blood dripping from their tips- He shuddered. That was not a picture he liked to remember.

“All right. Pile on, you six.” Seto growled, but not unkindly. In fact, he sounded almost cheerful. “Yugi and Atem on my head and Akhenamkhanen, Karim, Joey and Shada on my back; Tristan and Malik, you’re with Akefia; Noah, you can just ride with Serenity since she’s already carrying your Ka; Téa, if you could take Mana, and Ryou take Isis, that’ll help; Mahaad, go with Mai, I heard you’ve flown with her Ka before in my Adventure Land game*; and Seth, you take Akhenaden. That’ll cover everyone.”

[Technically it was ‘Harpie Lady #3’, but whatever]

“My Prince, are you sure you will be able to fly with all six of us on your back and head? I mean, as you said, we are pretty heavy.” Shada asked in concern with one of his heads, but Seto shrugged his giant shoulders. “It’s fine. Blue-Eyes is strong enough to carry at least five full-grown people without breaking a sweat. Technically I’m only taking four people, since Yugi and Atem’s Ka are so small. You’re- what, five pounds each?” He asked in honest curiosity, but the pharaonic twins shrugged, not knowing the answer.

After everyone had divided into their respective groups with the winged Guardians and Hero, Seto looked around at his friends with a small dragon smile- which was not nearly as comforting as he might’ve intended. “Okay, you smaller winged creatures take off first, otherwise I might blow you over when I take off. Our destination’s the Sky Citadel to the southeast, but it’s predominantly south of our location. That and it’s high up in the atmosphere, 30,000 feet above sea-level.”

“Eh, Kaiba? Isn’t it gonna be kinda hard ta breathe up dere? Wid da low oxygen levels?” Joey asked, but Mahaad answered. “You are remembering Earth’s atmosphere. In the Dominion, there’s equal amounts of breathable air in every area of the realm, with the exception of the ocean floor. There’s air in the Undersea Temple, but not anywhere else below the waves.”

Joey nodded at that, then watched as his girlfriend rose into the air with her arm-wings- grabbing onto Mahaad’s arm with her talon as he held it up, his staff in his other hand. Following Mai’s lead, the rest of the fliers winged into the air, Seto bringing up the rear with several beats of his giant wings- producing several small dust twisters from his powerful flaps.

It took a bit longer than they had anticipated because of some turbulence when they reached 20,000 ft., but they eventually reached the Sky Citadel after about two hours without too much trouble. They all landed on the wide runway that the winged dragons of the realm used, and everyone paused for a few minutes in their quest to stretch their wings and other appendages. Seto waited until all of his passengers dismounted, then laid down on his belly and concentrated his energy, transforming back to his human form with a swirling white and blue vortex of power. This transformation occurred fairly quickly, faster than the change from human to dragon. After the light dissipated once again, Seto stood up and rolled his shoulders, stretching out his tense muscles after flying so high and carrying six Ka on his back. With a nod to his nineteen companions, Seto walked right up to the gigantic stone doors, pushing both of them open using his dragon strength.

Suddenly the team felt and heard a cacophony of deafening roars which echoed throughout the Shrine and seemed to ring from all corners of the Dominion. The girls covered their ears and the boys grimaced as the roaring continued.

“Holey cheese! Wat’s goin’ on here? It sounds like we’re bein’ attacked by an army a’ dragons!” Joey called out over the noise. His other companions could barely hear him over the din, but they nodded in agreement.

Without warning, the roaring and thundering of wings ceased, and the silence was such that one could hear a pin drop. The group of twenty heroes looked around themselves in confusion, wondering why it had gotten so quiet. “You’re not far off, Joey.” Seto breathed, his whole body tense with anticipation and a certain amount of fear for his teammates. He had heard what the others could not: the intent behind the thunderous cry. The dragons’ roars were not ones of jubilation and greeting, but those of rage and hatred. And one ‘voice’ stood out from the rest, belonging to the leader of the draconian clan: “Changeling! How darest thou to bring foreigners to sacred ground! The Sky Citadel is sacred to our kin, and none yet dragons may enter!”

This thought from the leader penetrated every one of the heroes’ minds, and all heard it as if the dragon had spoken aloud. All except Seto froze in surprise and shock, but the Dragon Knight didn't blink once. “If that is so, great dragons, then why is there evidence all around that the Shadow Hunters have defiled even this sacred sanctuary as well?” He asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

“Insolence!” snarled the leader, but Seto held his ground. “The King ruleth over all, and no area may be excepted! Who dost thou regard thou art- to question an elder- when thou art still yet a hatchling?” The dragon roared back. “And a half-breed at that!”

The multitude of dragons behind the leader hissed, knowing that the name ‘half-breed’ was one of the greatest insults to one of their proud race.

Seto frowned and shifted his weight to his other leg, not even fazed by the insult. “Better a half-breed than a hypocrite!” He retorted with a scowl. “Why don’t you show us your true face, Critias?”

The Dragon Warrior’s suggestion triggered looks of disbelief and whispers of shock among his companions, their expressions ranging from dumbfounded incredulity to wounded betrayal. The exclamations of shock escalated when a human Knight garbed in dark-blue armor stepped through the doorway from the courtyard. “How is it that thou knowest mine name, when I hast not told e’en mine closest compatriots?” The masked warrior demanded, drawing his sword and leveling it at Seto.

“Long story.” Seto answered. “But it’s probably similar to- if not exactly like- what happened to Hermos and Timaeus.”

“Farce!” A teal dragon behind Critias roared. “The trespassers weave a web of lies and deceit. They are naught yet lawbreakers and desecrators, whom care naught for the pride of our race!” Timaeus paced angrily, his tail thrashing about and carving large divots in the ornately-tiled marble floor.

This was the last straw for Seto, for he had just discovered the fate of the Guardian of Dragons. “Pride of your race?” He shouted. “Tell me: What kind of proud race would imprison one of their own?” He jabbed a finger to his right- where none other than the Blue-Eyes White Dragon was chained, caged and manacled.

“Thou darest question the Shadow King?” Hermos- in his dragon form- roared, causing everyone to wince at the volume. “This dragon hast forsaken the law of the realm by hindering the servants of the supreme ruler. Hence, she now faceth the appropriate punishment.”

“Honorable dragons and Dragon-Knight,” Mahaad humbly addressed the gathering. “What transgression has the White Dragon committed, to earn such imprisonment?”

“Thou knowest not thy place, magician.” Critias growled. “Man canst not fathom the dealings of dragons, and he ought not to try.” He turned his back on the group and clasped his hands behind him. “Suffice it to say that this dragon had befriended a lesser being, and didst act ‘i error against the servant of the King- who was to carry out a certain office.”

“That task being-?” Seto began, encouraging the proud Knight to reveal more information.

“Be silent, Changeling! Thou hast no right to address me ‘i this manner!” The blue-clad Knight snarled, turning about on his heel to glare at the heroes. “E’en so, I shall answer thy inquiry. The servant had been directed to put to perpetual wink the being whom this dragon had befriended. She defended this lesser being and smote the servant so that he breathed no moe. Thus her punishment is imprisonment- restriction from the freedom of the heavens- to the end of time.”

Most of the Guardians gasped at this revelation, but Seto merely narrowed his eyes. “This- ‘lesser being’,” Seto queried after a minute of uncomfortable silence. “It wouldn’t happen to be ‘Toon Black Magician Girl’ [2000/1700] would it?”

“Silence!” Critias roared, gripping the side of his head with one hand as if he had a migraine. “I and mine kin are not concerned with those not our kind. We neither agnize nor distinguish one inferior being from another. The point remaineth that this dragon had broken our law, and now she payeth the price.”

“So much for chivalry-” Seto growled under his breath, but loud enough for the blond Knight to hear. “I’d have thought a noble Knight of Atlantis would give the fair lady the benefit of the doubt.”

“Yeah. ‘Specially when da crime wasn’ even her fault.” Joey interjected, stepping forward bravely and bowing respectfully to the Knight- who only glared at him. “It was mine. I couldn’ jus’ stand by an’ watch as dose creeps were gonna kill an innocent li’l girl. So I lopped off ‘is head.”

“And rightly so, Joey.” Seto agreed, putting a hand on the warrior’s pauldron. “That Shadow Hunter wasn’t even human anymore.”

During this exchange, Critias continued to keep his hand on his temple- battling with the voice in his head. Briefly his eyes returned to their familiar gray-blue, but then turned crimson as the voice took control once again. “That mayest be so, but any relationship twixt a dragon and a lesser being is against our laws. The Guardian knew thus, yet she chose to disobey.”

Finally losing his patience, Seto growled loud enough for everyone to hear, “All right. I’ve had enough of this hypocrisy. You talk of these ‘lesser beings’, yet you yourself are not a true dragon, Critias. You were born human. Even as I.” He put a gauntleted fist to his chestplate to emphasize his point.

At this, Critias’ eyes flashed red in anger and he raised his blade and leveled it at the Dragon Prince. “Thou goest too far, Changeling. I hast only aye belonged to the proud race of the dragon. ‘Twere yet recently that I and mine compatriots were given the power to transform- by the Shadow King- as he willed.” He advanced toward his foe, steel blade gleaming in the light of the noonday sun.

Seto drew his own sparring sword in silence, surveying his opponent with hurt and pity in his eyes. He didn’t want to attack the man who was like a brother to him, but saw no other way out. As Critias’ blade clashed with his own, Seto imparted to the knight, “You know in your heart that those words are false, Critias. I know you do. Timaeus! Hermos!” He called, looking over at the other two dragons who were watching their battle from a distance. “I know you feel it too! Don’t you remember Atlantis, your old home? Don’t you remember how you helped us in the battle against the Orichalcos, against Dartz?”

At these words, the Knight halted in his attack- staring at his opponent as if truly seeing him for the first time- his gray-blue eyes wide with shock. Almost immediately, memories of the past flooded the warrior’s mind and he gasped aloud- his sword clattering to the ground, falling from suddenly nerveless fingers.

“S-Seto?” Critias breathed, putting a gauntleted hand to the side of his head. “What- what is the meaning of this? Wh-where are we? The last thing I remember was the invasion of those- fiends. And that- black obelisk-” He shuddered, grimacing at the haunting memory and wrapping his arms around himself as if he were barely holding himself together.

“Leader! What hast these sorcerers done unto thee? The king warned us of their mind tricks and witchcraft! Never hearken unto them!” ‘Thousand Dragon’ [2400/2000] roared, his baritone voice only discernible by those of dragon blood. As if cued by the ancient dragon’s words, a manacle on Critias’ left ankle glowed green for a moment, causing the knight to cry out in pain.

“No! Not- not again!” He gasped, gripping his head with both hands and bending forward. “GAAHH!” He cried as the Seal of Orichalcos appeared in the middle of his forehead. As the knight continued to struggle for control in his mental battle, his gray-blue eyes turned cold and steely and began to glow red.

Most startlingly- and to Seto’s horror- the same effect seemed to be occurring in his teammates as well. Everyone was clearly trying to resist the evil power of the Orichalcos, but none were succeeding. One by one, each of the Guardians- his friends and family members- gradually succumbed to the dark magic, becoming mindless zombies. All but Tristan, who had no manacle on his person. It’s those manacles. Seto realized. Blast it! Those things are far more trouble than they’re worth. And how is it that they’re so strong, nearly indestructible?

“Few weapons are able to shatter Orichalcum, my Prince.” An ethereal, haunting voice stated. “This is the only way to free your companions.” The beautiful, disembodied voice continued. Seto recognized the voice at once and wheeled about to look at the imprisoned Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Kisara’s spirit stood next to her Ka, but- while the cursed Seal glowed on the dragon’s head- the young woman’s brow had somehow remained unmarked.

“Your blade, my Prince. Your sword is the one weapon that can save them and shatter the Seal!” Kisara cried, her voice growing fainter as she faded from sight. Blue-Eyes seemed to shift her weight, and- as she did- she kicked an object toward the confused duelist. The anomalous item scraped across the marble floor- screeching as it did- and came to rest at the young man’s feet. He wordlessly picked it up, its familiar weight, balance and shape affording him a small comfort.

“Its power of ‘White Lightning’ has been stolen. Defeat your opponent to restore the true power of the Dragon Knight!” Kisara called as she faded away completely. Seto nodded to where his sister-in-law’s spirit had disappeared, then turned back to face his opponent.

By this time, all of the Guardians had surrounded Critias and the Dragon Prince in a kind of loose circle, as if this were a boxing match and they were spectators. Seto calmly nodded to his opponent, then sheathed his true sword in its scabbard at his side, but kept the training blade and transformed it into a Duel Disk. Critias did the same thing to his own blade without a word.

“I guess the only way to get through to you is with a duel.” Seto observed, cutting and shuffling his opponent's deck as Critias did the same. Walking to opposite sides of the field, each warrior inserted his deck into the appropriate slot, activating the devices automatically. “Battle City rules. 4000 Life Points.” Critias stated mechanically, his eyes blank and lacking any light of life in their depths. On his forehead, the Seal of Orichalcos glowed almost proudly- as if taunting the Dragon Prince.

Seto merely frowned in anger and pity, then remarked, “I guess I’ll start things off. Draw!” He pulled a card from his deck with a flourish and added it to his hand, then selected two cards and slid them in the appropriate slots. “I set two cards face-down on the field and one Ka in face-down Defense position. End turn.” He knew he had to be cautious, as Critias’ deck most likely contained a large amount of dragons- as Timaeus’ and Hermos’ decks had.

“Is that all?” Critias sneered, sounding nothing of the noble Knight he really was. “Mine turn then! I also set two notes face-down and summon ‘Devil Dragon’ [1500/1200] ‘i Attack mode. Devil Dragon, attack his face-down Ka!”

“I see that the Orichalcos has robbed you not only of your free will, but of your strategy as well!” Seto shouted, revealing his defending Ka as it was attacked. “‘Holy Elf’ [800/2000], defend!”

The offending Ka’s attack reflected off an invisible force field as the elf continued to pray, destroying the beast with its own attack. Critias grimaced as he lost 500 of his Life Points, but then merely ended his turn and glared at his opponent- his brother in time whom he did not recognize.

Seto did not notice the Knight’s hateful gaze, however, as he was more concerned with the Guardian kneeling on his side of the field. The cursed Seal glowed on her forehead, but her Attack and Defense points hadn't changed at all. It must merely cause them to act as normal Ka in battle, and mindless zombies outside of a duel. Seto reasoned as Isis and the others stood like motionless statues, showing nothing of their true personalities- not even the barest hint.

“My turn.” Seto called, drawing another card from his deck and adding it to his hand. “I summon ‘Duos’ [1700/1500] in Attack mode and activate the spell card ‘Quick Attack’! It allows a Ka to attack in the same turn it’s summoned. Now Duos, attack Critias directly with your ‘Aura Sword’!”

The winged warrior flew across the field, his runic blade held tightly in both hands. Just as he prepared to strike, however, a card on Critias’ side of the field turned up. “Not so fast! I activateth ‘Attack Nullification’! That meanest the attack of thy beast is halted and thy Battle Phase endeth. Who hast lost his strategy now?” The controlled Knight taunted.

“Touché.” Seto replied, studying the cards in his hands and his team surrounding him. He received a small shock when he saw Seth’s spirit standing behind him- holding a hand to his head and looking confused- his blank blue eyes slightly narrowed in pain. The Ka are separate from the Ba. But what happens if they’re destroyed? He didn't get a chance to think about this conundrum further however, as Critias continued his turn at that moment, silently placing a field card in its appropriate slot.

A familiar green light erupted behind the Dragon Prince, who gasped and spun on his heel to face Critias- who was grinning sinisterly- the Seal of Orichalcos glowing even brighter on his forehead. A gigantic circle encompassed both duelists and a six-pointed star drew itself within the smaller circle as runes appeared around its edge. “Recognize thou this?” Critias smirked, waggling his eyebrows once in a smug expression as if taunting the brother he no longer recognized.

“Whatever happened to the Legendary Knights hating the Orichalcos?” Seto muttered to himself as he shifted his weight from one leg to the other. He watched his opponent carefully, knowing that the noble knight that he’d considered a brother no longer existed, suppressed by the evil power of the Seal. Critias drew one card from his deck and added it to his hand, then selected two and set them on his Duel Disk and called, “I set one note and bid forth ‘Curse of Dragon’ [2000/1500]! Now mine beast, attack Duos with ‘Hell Flame’!”

“I activate ‘Magic Cylinder’! It absorbs your Ka’s attack and sends it right back at you!” Seto countered, turning up one of his facedown cards. Critias growled as he realized his own attack would destroy his Ka, so he flipped another one of his traps. “Tch. ‘Silver-Screen Mirror Wall’, deflect.” He drawled almost lazily.

“You’re right. You are very good. As expected of the strongest of the Legendary Knights.” Seto smiled in a congratulatory manner, but Critias only scowled back. “My turn.” Seto continued, pulling another card. “I summon ‘Kuriboh’ [300/200] in Defense mode.”

“Kuri!” The Kuriboh bounced onto the field.

“Next I’ll tribute my furry friend to summon ‘Black Magician Girl’ [2000/1700] in Attack mode!” Seto called as the two Ka switched places, Kuriboh disappearing to the Graveyard. “Next comes the spell card ‘Crackling’, so goodbye ‘Curse of Dragon’!”

The dragon fell through the floor of the floating citadel and disappeared into pixels, leaving Critias with no Ka with which to attack or defend.

“Black Magician Girl, attack Critias directly! Maybe that’ll knock some sense into him!” Seto ordered. When the smoke from BMG’s attack cleared, the blue Knight had 1500 Life Points left.

“I am afeard that it shall take moe than that to release me, halfling.” Critias growled sinisterly. Seto merely frowned. “Mine turn.” The Knight continued, pulling out a card and placing it flat on his disk. “I summon ‘Darkness Dragon’ [1500/800] and invoke a note with which thou art quite familiar, ‘Resurrection of the Dead’, to recall ‘Devil Dragon’ [1500/1200] ‘i Defense mode!”

“Two dragons at the same time.” Seto whispered to himself. “He’s either gonna attack or tribute summon.”

“I now tribute both mine dragons to summon the terrible ‘Red-Eyes Black Dragon’! [2400/2000]” Critias cried as both dragons shattered to be replaced by Joey's own powerhouse. The new arrival growled happily in greeting to the Fire Guardian, but Joey didn’t understand the meaning behind it and backed away, fearing it would attack instead.

“He’s saying ‘hi’, Joey.” Seto chuckled, interpreting for the dragon.

“R-really?” Joey breathed, nonplussed.

“Yeah. He says it’s been a while and it’s good to see you again.” He snickered. “Guess he missed you.”

“Huh.” Joey looked surprised, but then grinned back. “Well, den- ditto, Red-Eyes.” He laughed nervously, and the dragon made a sound that almost resembled a purr.

“Enough of this foolishness!” Critias snarled, eager to get on with the battle. “Red-Eyes, attack ‘Black Magician Girl’ with ‘Black Flame Blast’!” Critias ordered, and Red-Eyes shot the blood-red fire at the female magician.

“Black Magician Girl, protect yourself! I play the spell card ‘Magical Pigeon’!” Seto called as BMG turned herself into the birds in the nick of time. Grateful for the save, one of the birds landed on Seto’s shoulder and rubbed her head against his cheek. Seto smirked and petted it gently with a finger. She cooed cutely in response.

“So thou hast fared to spare her for one moe turn. Big deal.” Critias snarled, sounding very much like a dragon himself. “I end mine turn.”

“Because your turn’s now over, Black Magician Girl comes back to the field.” Seto announced as his Ka did precisely that. “Then I play ‘Sage's Jewel’ to summon her mentor and brother [2500/2000] in Attack mode!” The master magician floated up next to his apprentice, bowing respectfully to his opponent.

“What art thou planning, half-blood?” Critias asked, suddenly looking uneasy.

“The end of this duel and possibly your freedom from the Orichalcos.” Seto answered with a sad smile. He didn’t want to hurt his spiritual brother, but he might not have a choice. “Black Magician, use your ‘Black Magic’ Attack on Red-Eyes and clear the field!”

The dark magic user grimaced, but shot his magic at the black dragon nonetheless. In response, Critias lost 100 Life Points from his total.

“Now Black Magician Girl, finish this and attack Critias himself! End this duel for everyone!” Seto called.

Black Magician Girl’s magical sphere struck the youngest Legendary Knight in the chest and his Life Points hit zero in time with the attack. Critias gasped and staggered backward, holding a hand over his heart-area where an old wound had opened up and started bleeding. With a jolt, Seto realized that it was the wound that had held him to the obelisk with his own sword. He offered to help the stricken warrior- to heal him with his magic- but Critias rather rudely refused his assistance. When the Knight nearly collapsed stumbling out the doors however, Seto shook his head in exasperation and approached him despite his protests. “What doest thou?” He growled irritably. “I hath quoth I wouldst be brave.”

Seto snorted. “Right. I’ll believe that once you can walk straight without falling over. Now sit down before you hurt yourself.” He chided, feeling a lot like he was ordering around his little brother. Well, they had the same eyes at least. The Knight agreed abashedly, entertaining no delusions about leaving under his own power- not in this state, anyway. Thumbing through his deck, Seto selected one of his most useful trap cards* and held it up, activating the card with his natural magic. Light blue sparkles fell from the sky onto Critias’ chest, gently erasing the blood and stitching the wound back together so there was not even a scar.

[Just for clarification, Seto used ‘Holy Elf’s Blessing’.]

“Why dost thou aid me, when I am thy foe?” Critias whispered weakly, confused. Seto smiled sadly. “Because you’re family, even though you’ve been made to forget that. And family looks out for each other.” He growled wryly, one corner of his mouth curled up in a small half-smile.

“T-truly? Art- art we brothers? Thou lookest like to mine twin.” Critias observed, wonder sparkling in his blue eyes.

“Not quite. Let’s just say I’m a very distant descendant of your family. I think from your elder identical sister.” Seto answered with a small grin. “But we’re pretty much brothers in spirit. Or brothers in time.” He grinned.

“Brothers ‘i Time.” Critias mused. “That seemest- familiar.”

Suddenly a crimson beam of light shot up from the floor around the Knight and a familiar hexagram drew itself within the spell circle. Seto gasped and jumped back, not expecting the seal to activate with an opponent who was not a Shadow Hunter. Not by choice, anyway. But then the youngest Legendary Knight vanished where he lay instead of being dragged into the depths like the others. From somewhere around his neck, the Millennium Key clattered to the ground and Seto picked it up without a word, slipping it around his own neck for lack of a better place to carry it. Only one more to go: the Puzzle. Guess Keith kept that for himself. It is a symbol of the king. But he’s a false and brutal tyrant king, and he must be stopped at all costs.

“Lord Critias!” Kisara gasped as she- in her spirit form- ran over to the spot where he had disappeared. Seto merely stood to his feet and sheathed his training blade in his scabbard, drawing his true sword and motioning for all the other Guardians to line up. It was finally time to get rid of those blasted memory bracelets once and for all.

Chapter 21: The Final Battle

Chapter Text

“I just remembered something.” Seto observed as all of the winged Guardians prepared to take off, this time accompanied by several dragons who would carry those that couldn’t fly. They were immensely grateful for the freedom from the mind-enslaving power of the Shadow Hunters, and were eager to assist their liberators in any way they could. It was also their way of apologizing for their actions while under the influence of the evil magic.

“What is it, Seto?” Mahaad asked, looking over from Curse of Dragon’s back.

“Wasn’t the Castle on a floating island when we came here to free the then-Nameless Dragons? How come it’s on the ground now?” He asked the magician.

“Bandit Keith.” Mana growled, the expression foreign to her normally sunny attitude. “He broke all the wards and spells around the Castle that kept the island afloat and crashed it into the forest north of the Fountain. His forces were too many to travel to the Castle on dragon-back or winged beast, and humans cannot fly without some type of magic. So that murderer decided to wreck our home instead.”

“He jus’ got lucky dat da whole Castle didn’ fall apart when it crashed inta da surface.” Joey frowned, glaring down at their destination from the back of his Red-Eyes. There had been quite a few tearful reunions when Seto finally broke off the memory bracelets that kept his friends’ memories locked away. They still had all of their Ka’s memories as well, so it was a bit difficult keeping everything straight. But it wouldn’t be too much longer until they would regain their human forms and become separate beings once again.

But there was one Guardian who was secretly glad that he wasn’t in his original form. If he had been, he wouldn’t be able to move his entire lower half. That last attack from the Orichalcos Gigas had shattered at least three thoracic vertebrae in his spine and had severed his spinal cord entirely. Malik prayed that- with the advanced technology of the Dominion- his mobility would be restored to its original state. He didn’t want to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair and have others take care of him. That would be humiliating.

[Nothing against paraplegics or other paralyzed folks. I have the utmost empathy for you. It is very humbling when it happens to you through an accident or something, though.]

“Ahh, thanks Kaiba. This feels much better!” Malik sighed happily as he twisted his gelatin body into every possible shape and contortion conceivable now that his midsection was no longer frozen to keep the bracelet in place. “I love being able to morph into any shape I want! Flexibility is awesome!”

“Yeah, being a living bunny was okay, but I think I still prefer a humanoid body- even if I’m a robot now.” Noah shrugged from beside his Ka. Seto looked down guiltily, but his stepbrother surprised everyone by putting a hand on his upper arm. “You did the best with what you could, Nii-san. Better than most, actually. I don’t blame you. I’m just happy to be out of that glitchy VR world.”

Everyone else voiced their thanks for their freedom, and the Dragon Hero merely smiled and nodded. That’s what friends were for. Then each of the winged beasts took off, some carrying passengers, others flying solo. Seto himself took a deep breath, then transformed his cape into dragon wings and gauntlets and boots into dragon claws- reveling in the painless transformation. He frowned when a dragon’s tail curled around his right leg from the base of his spine, but then shrugged. He didn’t really need a tail for just gliding down to the Castle, but it didn’t really harm anything either, so he decided to just go with it. Then he too jumped off the edge of the floating island.

“They did WHAT?!” Pegasus cried, utterly horrified by the news given to him by his guest. The young woman nodded slowly. She’d known that Keith Howard was not a man to be trusted and that he seldom played by the rules, but even she didn’t think he’d go this far.

“I’m afraid it’s true. It’s like they surrendered to their lowest instincts when they conquered that place, and lost their humanity in the process. The worst ones actually nearly became cannibals, and I only say ‘nearly’ because the intended victim was rescued at the last minute. ‘Toon Black Magician Girl’ got really lucky that Wheeler was in the area.” Vivian Wong explained, happy that Joey had saved the Ka’s life, but disgusted with the behavior of some of her former cohorts. It was an unwilling partnership, but she couldn’t help her actions when she was under mind control. Her actions were not her own. “And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, I’m afraid.” She added.

“This is truly upsetting. A troubling matter indeed.” The creator of Duel Monsters mused, swirling his glass of wine in one hand as he tapped his chin with a finger of the other. “I do hope Kaiba-boy and all the others are all right over there.” He said worriedly, genuinely concerned for the young man and the rest of the Guardians.

“They seemed to be in fairly good health when I encountered them.” Vivian shrugged. “But that was weeks ago, months in that world. They could be anywhere in that whole realm by now.” She added worriedly, but then brightened up. “But something tells me they’re all still all right. Knowing Kaiba, he’s probably confronting Keith as we speak.”

“I do hope so, for the Dominion’s sake. I don’t think they can take much more of that madman’s rule.” Pegasus sighed. “If Kaiba-boy doesn’t see to it, I shall personally make sure that every single true Shadow Hunter is punished for his or her crimes. That’s not including you, my dear, because you were controlled by their dark arts.” He smiled at her, and she sighed gratefully and with relief. “All who were enslaved against their will shall be pardoned- if they survived the battle.” He added with a worried frown.

“Something tells me that Kaiba would show mercy to the ones who'd had no choice.” Vivian nodded. “He is a Hero, after all.” She smiled proudly. But then she frowned again. “I just hope that he himself comes out of this whole ‘Empire of Shadows’ unscathed.” She looked down at her sandaled feet in worry.

“I’m sure he will. Kaiba-boy’s surprisingly resilient. If anyone can make it through this and free the other Living World, it’s him.” Pegasus beamed, his chipper mood returned. “Now, where do you suppose the defeated Shadow Hunters came out in our world?”

[Just FYI, most are trapped in Duat in their own personal Penalty Games.]

Seto and the other twenty Guardians waved goodbye to their dragon mounts as they flew back to their home in the skies, roaring their ‘farewells’ back. The Dragon Hero sighed as he transformed his wings, tail and claws back into pieces of his armor and cape, then pulled open an enormous oak door with his considerable strength and marched into the Entrance Hall of the Castle. He looked back with a small smile at Mana and Joey, who nodded back. “We’ve come full circle now.” The young spellcaster sighed. “It’s been so long since we’ve been back here. It almost feels like a lifetime. So much has happened.”

“Yeah. Now our company is twenty-one-strong instead of just three of us.” Seto nodded, also feeling a sense of homecoming. Mokuba was imprisoned in this Castle, and so was Hana. Somewhere.

“Yer brother’s prolly in da stables. Dat’s where most a’ da horses an’ half-horse Ka stay.” Joey observed wisely, and Seto nodded. That would make the most sense. Without another word, he ran over to the stables adjacent to the Castle and broke open the stable doors, splintering the barricade like it was a toothpick.

“Mokuba!” Seto gasped, running over to the stall where his brother was dozing lightly.

“Seto!” The boy cried, overflowing with joy to see his elder brother after so long. Seto broke the lock on the stall door and ran right in, tackling his brother around the waist in a bear-hug. It felt a little strange being the shorter one hugging the taller one for once, but it wasn’t unpleasant.

“Mokuba. I’ve missed you so much. I thought about you every single day that we were separated.” Seto breathed, a few tears pricking at his eyes.

“Same here, Nii-sama.” Mokuba answered, getting a little teary himself. “I prayed to all the gods I knew to keep you guys safe on your journey, and I guess they heard me.” He chuckled, and Seto smiled. “Believe me, there were definitely times when I needed it. Thanks for looking out for me, kiddo.”

“Anytime, Nii-sama. You’ve looked out for me all these years, it’s about time I started returning the favor.” The young centaur joked, making his brother smile again.

“So kid, ready to get outta here and get in a few good kicks during the battle?” Seto grinned, and Mokuba’s smile turned positively evil. “What do you think?” He asked rhetorically, and both brothers laughed. Even some of the Guardians joined in. And with that, the Hero and twenty-one Guardians filed out of the stables and marched right through the front doors of the Castle, ready to confront the Shadow King, ‘Bandit’ Keith Howard.

-In the throne room-

“You lowlife scum! You broke my back!” Malik roared by way of greeting at the smug Shadow King as the heroes approached the dais where Keith sat. Seto looked around the room briefly, and took a small step backward in shock when a certain sight met his gaze. The three Dragon Knights- in their human forms- and the Ka ‘High Priestess’ were chained to four ‘Nightmare Cross’ traps set up in the throne room, forced to watch helplessly as the Dragon Hero would battle the Shadow King in this last decisive bout. As he looked, Critias smirked sheepishly at the Hero in fond recognition, happy to see his Brother in Time but embarrassed to be in such a compromising state. Seto smiled softly to himself. At least the Knights were back to their old selves now.

“So what? You’re a spineless blob of jelly anyway! You don’t even need a backbone!” The card shark shot back, still proud as a peaco*ck over his accomplishments.

“He’ll need it when we get out of here.” Seto growled, glaring daggers at the usurper. The phrase ‘If looks could kill-’ suddenly sprang to mind. He’d be Swiss cheese by now. Seto thought absently with an almost infinitesimal smirk. That was a pretty amusing mental image.

“That’s assuming you can beat me, Prince Dragonpants.” Keith spat, standing up from his throne and drawing his sword, transforming it into a Duel Blade, strapping the handle onto his wrist and adjusting the portion that covered his hand. That part had a slot for the Graveyard.

Seto raised his eyebrows. “Interesting design. You’re left-handed?” He asked, and Keith grinned evilly. “Not originally, but I learned to fight with both hands during my conquest. And if you’re hoping I’ve gotten rusty since then, think again. My skills are still as razor-sharp as my blade.”

Once again, the Dragon Hero looked slightly surprised. “That just gave me an idea. Hold on a sec’.” He drew his training blade and sheathed his true sword, turning the regular sword into a sturdy shield emblazoned with the symbol of the White Dragon.

Now it was Keith’s turn to raise his eyebrows, but Seto answered him before he could open his mouth. “You’re wondering what I’m gonna use as a Duel Disk, right? Like I said with Umbra way back when this whole quest started, I don’t need a Duel Disk to defeat the likes of you. I might need a shield. You never know.”

“Still as arrogant as the day I met you.” Keith growled. “You haven’t changed at all. Even after all these years.”

“You’d be surprised.” Seto growled back, thinking how much he had in fact changed since back then. He’d pretty much defined ‘creep’. Now he liked to think that he was a bit more grown-up and sociable. Well, I was only thirteen then. I’ve grown up quite a bit. Maybe not much physically, but mentally definitely.

“Enough with the witless banter. Let’s get this over with. Once I crush you, I’ll be able to commence my Millennium reign of Darkness.” Keith grinned, slotting his deck into his Duel Blade and leveling it at Seto.

“You really think you’ll rule for a thousand years, huh?” Seto growled as he drew his own sword, the blade crackling with White Lightning.

“I will! Before I had my men destroy that monstrosity, I took a drink from the Fountain of Youth. I’m gonna live forever, and there’s nothing you can do about it!” Keith laughed uproariously, confident beyond a shadow of a doubt that his plans would succeed.

Seto shook his head. “That water doesn’t work. I took a drink from it myself when I restored that area, and it didn’t do anything special. It’s just pure H2O. It doesn’t do anything for regular humans like you or me.” He told him, causing Keith to suddenly halt in his gales of laughter and gape at the Dragon Prince.

“Wh-what? But- but it makes Duel Monsters immortal! Why doesn’t it work the same way for me, the Millennium King of the Shadows?!” Keith spluttered, completely taken aback.

Seto shrugged. “Dunno. That’s just what Mahaad told me on our journey. It does nothing whatsoever to humans. It’s just really good water.” Then he thought about his answer. “But- now that I think about it- there may be trace amounts of healing magic in it. It can fix up small wounds or poison in a matter of seconds. Doesn’t work for big wounds, though. Like sword-wounds.” He added, looking at his own blade for emphasis.

Opposite him, Keith was still sputtering. “You’re lying. You gotta be lying! My reign will last for a thousand years, even longer! I myself will carve my name into the Dominion’s history for all eternity! I will be legendary! I will be a god!” He vowed, snarling at the Hero and assembled Guardians.

“Fat chance.” Seto muttered to his friends, some of whom snorted in agreement.

“You’ll pay for trying to deceive me, you bastard! I’m gonna send you straight to Hell where you belong! Since I'm the ruler of this world-” Keith smirked, “-it’s only natural that I pick the rules.”

“Have it your way. We both know it won’t be going your way for much longer.” Seto muttered, ready to beat this idiot.

“We’ll start at 4000 Life Points like you’re used to, but use the rules of Duelist Kingdom.” Keith grinned evilly behind his shades.

“What?!” most of the Guardians cried.

“That means you do not need to tribute summon, Seto. That is a good thing, right?” Mahaad said with a comforting grin. At his words, Seto relaxed a bit. The magician did have a good point.

“Yes.” Keith sneered. "But this way I can also crush you easier.”

“Less talkin’, more duelin’!” Joey yelled impatiently.

“I'm the king and will go first!” Keith yelled, pulling out his first card so forcefully that he nearly tore it. “I summon ‘Bowganian’ [1300/1000] in Attack mode!” The eyeball-like Ka with a crossbow appeared with a wink.

“Not a bad opening move. For him, anyway.” Seto muttered.

“Before my turn ends, say goodbye to 600 of your Life Points!” Keith howled with laughter as Bowganian shot its crossbow, actually piercing through his armor and slicing Seto’s upper right arm. Seto gripped his arm in shock and pain as his Life Points decreased to 3400.

“Seto!” The female Guardians cried out in unison, horror-struck.

“I'm fine.” Seto growled as he pulled his sixth card. “Shada, [1800/1500] you’re up.” He waved Souto no Jackal Senshi forward.

“As you command.” Shada's left head answered humbly. “I am ready.” The right echoed.

“Destroy his Ka!” Seto ordered and Shada charged and cut Keith's Ka in half with one swing of his double-bladed ax. Keith had 3500 points remaining after that.

“I wouldn't be celebrating.” Keith growled. “I still have more Life Points than you, brat.”

“Yeah, I know. But that’s gonna change real quick.” Seto replied as he placed two cards face-down.

“My turn!” Keith called. “I summon ‘Drillago’ [1600/1100] in Attack mode and place a card face-down.” The drill Ka appeared with all of its drills spinning. Behind it, the covered card appeared.

“I’m almost a hundred percent sure that’s a trap.” Yugi said worriedly. “The only problem is that card.”

“I end my turn.” Keith said with another smug smirk.

“Well, sometimes you gotta spring the trap.” Seto answered his ultimate dueling rival, pulling out his next card. “First I’ll summon Noah [700/500] in Attack mode!”

“Ready to hop all over him!” Noah squeaked almost threateningly as he jumped out in front of his stepbrother. He was incensed that his Nii-san already got hurt by this fiend. How did that monster manage to pierce Seto’s dragon armor, anyway?

“A bunny?!” Keith laughed incredulously. “How is that pathetic thing gonna help you win?”

“I'll show you.” Seto growled angrily. No one insulted his family and got away with it! “Noah, attack him directly and make sure it hurts.”

“Right!” Noah agreed, leaping in the air with the help of his rocket and striking Keith right in the gut, dropping his Life Points to 2700.

My progress is slow, but I'm getting there. Seto thought pensively. “Now Shada, attack Drillago!”

“At once!” Both of Shada's heads agreed, throwing his ax at the drill Ka.

“Not happening!” Keith snarled as one of his covered cards flipped up. “Go, ‘Magic-Reflection Armor - Metal Force’!” A metal coating covered the drill Ka and its Attack increased to 2000. Drillago retaliated by drilling into Shada with its right arm, destroying him and sending him to the Graveyard. In response, Seto’s Life Points ticked down to 3200.

“Noah, back to the group.” Seto ordered and Noah obeyed, albeit grudgingly. He wanted another shot at that creep. “Next I place two face-downs and end my turn.” The cards appeared before their duelist as always.

“I summon ‘Pendulum Blade Torture Machine’ [1750/2000] in Attack mode!” Keith called and the pendulum Ka appeared. “Yikes. Dat ting looks sharp.” Joey grimaced, secretly glad he wasn’t on the field right now. “Now attack him with ‘Slashing Blade Attack’!” The pendulum swung toward Seto.

The girls gasped as one, but Seto remained calm as always. “Too easy. I play ‘Holy Barrier - Mirror Force’, with which I’m sure you’re familiar.” Seto smirked as his left card flipped up and both of Keith's Ka shattered.

“Damn it!” Keith swore and stomped his feet, looking just like a petulant child sent to Timeout. “I play the spell ‘Resurrection of the Dead’ to get my ‘Bowganian’ back onto the field.”

“Great.” Joey muttered sarcastically, grimacing at the one-eyed cretin machine.

“Bowganian, take 600 points outta Kaiba so I can take his life! Let’s see how co*cky he is after that!” After taking a bolt to the left thigh this time, Seto had 2600 Life Points remaining. He staggered backward from the impact and glared at Keith like he wanted nothing more than to march right over there and knock some of his teeth out.

“Cheap shot.” Seth snarled, and Seto heartily agreed with him.

“Before we continue, I suppose you’re wondering how my monsters’ attacks are piercing through your armor.” Keith smirked, but Seto only continued to glare at him. “You’ve heard that diamond is the only thing that can cut through other diamonds, right? Well, dragon scales work the same way. I made special bolts for my Bowganian’s crossbow, and I washed each of my other metal servants in a bath of dragon’s blood to make them more powerful than ever.” He crowed proudly, causing every one of the Guardians and the Dragon Prince to gasp in shock and horror, then glare at him in fury beyond words.

“You monster!” Mana cried, nearly flying at the Shadow King- but stopping when her master and brother held her back. “You killed those dragons to get their blood, just to make your Ka stronger to hurt Seto?! You are sick! You have completely lost your mind!”

“Your turn, Kaiba.” Keith answered smugly, not even remotely fazed by Mana’s outburst.

“You have no soul. You’re not even human, Keith.” Seto growled, pulling out a card from his deck. “I summon Joey [1800/1600] in Attack mode.”

“Ready ta burn ‘is face off!” Joey yelled, running onto the field and leveling his blade at his smirking opponent.

“Oh great, that moron.” Keith muttered, rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, it's me. So flattered ya remember. I hope ya also recall dat I kicked yer ₳$$ twice in da real Duelist Kingdom, so don’ go underestimatin’ me!” Joey snarled back.

“Well said, Joey.” Seto chuckled, and the warrior grinned back at him. “Next I’ll play the spell card ‘Salamandra’ to power you up.” He added as Joey's sword burst into flames. “Now make him pay. Roast his Ka and reduce his points.”

“Here comes da fire!” Joey called as he melted down Bowganian into liquid and Keith’s Life Points to 1500.

“That’s all for this turn.” Seto growled, finally calmed down a bit after hearing only one of the atrocities that Keith had committed in the Dominion. And Seto would make sure he paid for every- single- one of them.

“Well, since you have some new cards, it’s only fair if I show you some of mine!” Keith smirked, pulling out his card, but at the same time sneaking one card out of his wristband. “I play the spell card ‘Salvageable Components’*!”

[fake]

“That doesn't sound good.” Mai grimaced worriedly.

“Right you are, Mai dear.” Keith smirked. “This lets me summon back any Machine-type monster in Defense mode, so long as I remove the same number of cards in my deck from play.” Keith explained as he discarded three cards and slid them into a pocket. “I summon Bowganian, Drillago, and Pendulum Blade Torture Machine!”

“Why defense?” Mokuba asked with a tilt of his head, confused.

“Or a better question is, why that many Ka?” Atem squeaked in answer.

“Next I summon ‘Machine King’ [2200/2000]!” The robot Ka marched up to the field. “This monster gets 100-”

“-Attack points for every Machine on the field, so it’s Attack stat increases to 2500.” Seto interrupted and finished for him. “Honestly, how much of a novice do you think I am?” He sighed impatiently, tapping his foot.

“Dat's da same strength as me.” Joey observed nervously.

“Yeah, that's kinda the point, Blondie." Keith growled, not happy about being interrupted. “Machine King, attack that FIRE-attribute pain in my ₳$$!” Both Joey and Machine King shattered into pixels, Joey gasping in pain after his opponent struck him in the ribs and probably broke a few. Seto winced, but he knew that Joey would be okay after the duel ended. Ka always recovered before they were needed again in a duel, whether it was the same one or a different battle. The same was not true for him, however. The deep gashes on his arm and leg still hadn’t stopped bleeding, and there was already a sizable pool of red on the floor at his feet.

“Two face-downs will do it for now.” Keith smiled as the two cards appeared, glad that he’d managed to hurt the duelist who’d thoroughly schooled him twice now. How dare he bring that up again!

“We'll see.” Seto growled, pulling the next card from the top of his deck. “First I summon Mana, [2000/1700] then I’ll activate the spell card ‘Sage’s Jewel’ to call out her master as well, Mahaad! [2500/2000]” The magicians floated to either side of Seto.

“Let us end this now.” Mana growled, gripping her staff so hard that her knuckles were turning white.

“Patience.” Mahaad chided calmly, but he was smiling too. He was proud of her bravery and her desire to avenge the noble dragons, but Seto had to order an attack before they could do anything. Those were the rules of battle, after all.

“Next the spell card ‘Diffusing Wave’! I pay 1000 Life Points to get rid of every Ka on your side of the field!” Seto called as his Life Points decreased to a mere 1600. Mahaad charged up his own staff and let the magic fly. All of Keith's Ka shattered as they were struck and sliced in pieces by the waves of power. “Mana, finish this nightmare.” He ordered grimly, and Mana nodded.

“It would be my pleasure.” Mana smiled dangerously, releasing her own magic at a smirking Keith. Clearly he was planning something.

“I play ‘Reincarnation of the Dead’ to bring back my ‘Slot Machine AM-7’ [2000/2300] in Defense mode!" Keith called with a maniacal laugh as Mana screamed in shock, denial and pain. As she disappeared to the Graveyard, Seto’s Life Points dropped to 1300.

Seto growled to himself. This is infuriating and going nowhere. He thought angrily. “I end my turn.”

“Good, because you’re goin’ down!” Keith laughed, drawing his card and one out of his other wristband. “I play my ‘7 Card’ spell card and increase my monster’s Attack points!” The left slot moved to the number seven and Slot Machine AM-7 now had 2700 Attack points.

“Not good.” Ryou grimaced.

“And just for fun, I’ll activate a new little beauty from my hand called ‘Grimhilde’s Jealousy’*! When I activate this card, Queen Grimhilde likes to be the only one getting attention on the field. So if she’s not, she takes 1000 Life Points for every monster on your side of the field! And unlike the case with Snow White, I don’t think her Huntsman will have any problems cutting out your heart, Kaiba!” He laughed as the wicked Queen of the fairytale appeared on the field and pointed an imperious finger at Seto. Her Huntsman ran up and slashed the Dragon Hero across the chest- cutting right through his breastplate and his chainmail- drawing a thick line of blood from his left shoulder to his right hip. Seto gasped and cried out in agony as his life energy twisted out of his back and dropped his points to only 300, and he crossed his arms across his chest in a vain effort to try to stop the bleeding. He was nearly forced to his knees from the unbearable pain, but he managed to stay upright through sheer force of will.

[fake]

“And for the icing on the cake, I switch my monster into Attack mode.” Keith grinned. “Attack that other pathetic magician and bring me that much closer to my victory!” He ordered.

Mahaad gasped as he was destroyed and Seto echoed his friend, his Life Point counter ticking down to a mere 100 points. He was barely standing at this point, and all the Guardians behind him were watching him with trepidation, fearing he would collapse at any time.

“Really not good.” Yugi squeaked back to his albino friend.

“That’s all for this turn. Nothing you can do will beat me!” Keith crowed, thinking he was going to win.

“I beg to d-differ.” Seto growled out as he drew his final card. “I play th-the c-card ‘Dual Summon’ and c-call Kisara [3000/2500] and Mokuba, [1300/1550] b-both in At-attack mode.”

“Ready to finish this, sis?” Mokuba looked back at the White Dragon after galloping to the front, rearing a challenge to the man who’d dared hurt his beloved brother so badly. Kisara nodded curtly, then bowed her head and closed her eyes, concentrating on something. Immediately she was enveloped in an aura of bright white light, emerging seconds later as a female knight with Blue-Eyes White Dragon armor- a feminine version of Seto’s own. Then she drew her own ‘Sword of White Lightning’ and stepped onto the field, though her blade looked like a scimitar rather than a broadsword.

“Nothing would make me happier.” Kisara growled, an expression of terrible fury on her normally sweet face. Her outrage was so fierce that Duos actually took a step backward, away from his terrifying dragon warrior.

“Kisara, use y-your ‘White Lightning’ on ‘Slot Machine AM-7’.” Seto ordered weakly, barely able to call the attack. He wouldn’t last much longer at this rate.

The attack of the Blue-Eyes White Dragoness Knight* destroyed Keith's Ka and left him with 1200 points, the perfect amount for Mokuba to finish him off.

[Not a real card, btw.]

“Mokuba.” Seto breathed to his brother. The young centaur looked over with a small, worried smile. Seto smiled back with love shining in his eyes. And a bit of red that Mokuba couldn’t explain. “Finish him.” He whispered. Mokuba ran at Keith as fast as he could, kicking him in the head and dropping the false king's Life Points to zero.

As soon as Keith lost consciousness and was dragged down into the crimson seal like all his other cohorts, a black mist seemed to rise off of the spectators- the Legendary Knights and the ‘High Priestess’- and the ‘Nightmare Cross’ traps evaporated with it. As one, they all put a hand to their heads as if they had a sudden migraine- their eyes turned back to their natural colors. Hana looked around in confusion- wondering what in the world was going on- but then she spotted the Hero of the Dominion, breathing raggedly and looking unsteady on his feet.

“Seto!” Mokuba cried, managing to catch his brother as he collapsed, succumbing to his wounds. Mahaad- newly returned from the Graveyard- helped the boy to gently lower his brother to the ground. The Dragon Hero was bleeding badly, and his breath was coming in short, harsh gasps. Everyone was gathered around the two brothers, tears budding in everyone's eyes. The Prince's eyes were wet too, but- instead of a clear liquid running from them- his tears were thick and crimson.

“Tears of blood-” Joey gasped as he knelt beside his friend, trying in vain to stem the flow from his grievous chest wound with the orange cloth tasset he wore about his waist.

Mokuba knelt down on his forelegs and took his brother's left hand in both of his, just as he had done so long ago in the ambulance when Seto had been shot and all of this madness had started*. Holy Elf knelt down next to the Hero and began to pray, but Seto put his other hand on her folded ones. “Don't.” He commanded in a hoarse whisper. “S-save your strength, Isis. It's too late for me.” Isis gasped in despair, but nodded sadly. She knew that one of her dearest friends was dying, and she was unable to do a thing about it.

[See 'Another Chance']

The Hero looked around at his team, smiling bravely. “I couldn't have done any of this without you, and that is the honest truth. You are just as deserving of the title of 'hero' as I am. I see each and every one of you as my closest friends, and feel truly blessed to count some among you as my family. In a way, we're all family. That being the case, I have one final request- for all of you.” He paused, closing his eyes for a moment as he took in another painful breath. “Take care of each other. Don't let the bonds you've formed on this journey fade. Keep them close to your heart, and know that I will do the same.”

Seto turned to Mokuba then, knowing that he didn't have much time left. “Mokuba- listen to me. Don't ever think that any of this is your fault. I couldn't be more proud of you, of the courage you've displayed.” He breathed weakly, his right hand still over his largest wound.

Mokuba gasped, tears coursing from his eyes. “Don't try to talk, Seto. Save your strength. You can get through this, I know you can.”

Seto smiled weakly. “Not this time, kiddo. I- I can already feel myself fading. I don't have much time left. That's why- why I need you to listen. Everything I've done- the good and the bad- I did for you. In Duelist Kingdom, I fought my hardest to get you back. In that Adventure Land fiasco, you were the only thing that kept me going. In Battle City, you were my greatest inspiration. In the VR world, I felt like my very soul would shred when you didn't recognize me as your brother. In the Orichalcos war, I wasn't fighting to save the world, I was fighting to keep you safe. And in that Memory world thing, I fought my hardest to make sure that you were all right. Not to mention what happened with the Pyramid of Light and with that Aigami Diva. You've always been my greatest strength. I- I'm sorry for leaving you, little brother, but I'll give your love to Mom and Dad, shall I?” He asked in a strained whisper, and Mokuba tearfully nodded. Seto took in what he knew would be his last breath- his sapphire eyes glazing over- and breathed, “I- l-love- y-you, M- Mo-kie.” He finished as he closed his eyes for the last time.

“No- NO!” Mokuba gasped, throwing himself over his brother's body and crying his anguish to the heavens in heartbroken sobs. “I- I love you too, Nii-sama.” He wailed softly, closing his eyes and weeping into his brother's chest.

Critias put a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. “I am truly sorry, Mokuba. Seto was- a hero, in every sense of the word. We shall never forget his deeds, what he has accomplished here. He saved us all, even at the cost of his own life. I-” He paused, looking to his spiritual brother's face. “I am proud of you, my son.” He breathed, his hair falling over his eyes and hiding his tears from view.

[AN: For full enjoyment of this scene, I recommend listening to ‘New World Symphony’ starting right here. I’m pretty sure you can find it on YouTube.]

Just then a melancholy tune split the silence from somewhere outside of the circle of Guardians, and Mokuba turned to see ‘High Priestess’ playing a song on an ancient looking ocarina, tears running down from her closed eyes. Mahaad- his own eyes shining with tears- looked up at his former student and nodded his approval, smiling sadly. Mokuba turned his gray-blue eyes to the spellcaster, and he explained. “It is an ancient form of magic, music. Older than even Atlantis. That song is a prayer for his spirit to find peace and rest, wherever he is. He has more than earned it.”

Seto woke to a bright white light shining all around him, and he put his arm over his eyes to shield them until they adjusted. After a time, he sat up from his position on the ground and looked around in confusion- having never seen anything like his surroundings before. The space he was in was pure white- with no ceiling, walls, or even a distinguishable floor that he could see. Everything was white, like a blank canvas.

When he looked down at himself, he noticed that he was also garbed in white. His feet were bare, but he was wearing a clean pair of white dress slacks, a white t-shirt, and a white collared shirt over it, unbuttoned. His locket- which he had almost never removed in life- still hung about his neck and rested over his heart. This surprised him. He was dead. He shouldn't have anything with him from the mortal worlds! He grasped the pendant gently in his right hand and opened it, smiling sadly at the picture within. “Forgive me, Mokuba.” He breathed, a silent tear dropping from his blue eyes.

He took another look around him and noticed a pair of stairways before him that he could’ve sworn weren't there a second ago. One stairway led upward, and shafts of light shone around it like rays of sunlight from above the clouds in the mortal worlds. The other staircase led downward, to a dark and foreboding place that smelled faintly of sulfur. Seto backed away from both staircases, not exactly sure where he was supposed to go. Plus, he was afraid to go down the second staircase, though he'd never admit it aloud.

He turned about suddenly and looked down- having noticed a faint light glowing behind him- and gasped when he saw that he could look down on the Dominion of the Beasts. He smiled sadly as he watched his brother and his friends standing around his body. Some were embracing- holding each other in their arms- and some were holding hands, but all were crying. Seto smiled faintly when he saw that his last request was being honored, but that smile faded as he saw the pain in everyone's eyes that his death had caused. He knelt down and put his hand over the image of his brother, feeling an invisible barrier between his fingers and the scene that he was trying to reach. It felt almost like the film on the surface of water, but- no matter how hard he pushed- he couldn't break through it.

“The worlds of the living and the dead are separate, and they should never mix.” Seto's memory reminded him of something Seth had told him once, and he scowled. “No matter how much one on either side might want to influence the other, they cannot change destiny. No one can. No one but the gods.”

-After what seemed like an eternity-

Seto stood up and turned away from the window to the Dominion of the Beasts- walking toward the staircase that led to Duat, almost positive that this was his final destination. He'd almost reached the first stair when a familiar, alarmed voice behind him called, “Where are you going, Seto?!”

The young man gasped and wheeled around, his eyes meeting those of a beautiful woman in a pure white dress. Her long brown hair looked just like Mokuba's, but shared the color of his own. Her eyes mirrored his in their color, and their sapphire depths were alight with emotion; a mix of surprise, alarm and love, but mostly the last. She stood at about 5'8'', and her facial structure was almost exactly like his little brother's, but slightly more angular. Her dainty feet were bare.

Seto felt more tears prickle in his eyes, and he breathed out a disbelieving, silent laugh. “Mom?” He gasped. “Is that you?”

The woman smiled, opening her arms. “Of course it's me, my little dragon. Come here. You need a hug.” She laughed, and Seto ran to her- as eager as he was when he was five years old- and embraced her, picking her up and twirling her around in joy. “Mom!” He laughed. “I've missed you so much!”

“I've missed you too, kiddo.” She laughed back when he finally put her down. “Guess I can't call you 'my little dragon' anymore, though. You're so tall!” She teased, reaching up and ruffling his hair. “My little boy’s become a man.” She beamed.

Seto smirked. “Just as tall as Dad, huh?” He asked, though he didn't really state it as a question.

“Taller, actually. I'm only six foot.” Another voice laughed from the base of the upward stairway, and both family members wheeled to face the newcomer, joyful smiles on both their faces. The man walking toward them was tall and thin, dressed just like Seto was only with his shirt buttoned and white sandals protecting his feet. His raven-black hair was styled in the same way as his oldest son's, only a bit messier- as if someone had ruffled his hair too many times and it had permanently grown that way. His eyes matched his younger son's in their color, but his facial structure was like Seto's, slightly more angular.

“Dad!” Seto cried happily, embracing his father in what would've been a bone-crushing hug- had they physical, 'earthly' bodies. Instead, their souls had instinctively created 'spirit-bodies' that they could use.

“Hey, kiddo. Long time no see.” He laughed. “Eleven years ago, you didn't even come up to my hip, and now look at you! Surpassed me by a whole inch!” He chuckled, clapping his son on the shoulder. Seto blushed and looked down, still smiling.

-Some time later-

“Where are we right now?” Seto asked as he enjoyed his parents' company. “I mean, this can't be Paradise, can it?”

“Nope. That's Upstairs over there.” His father pointed to the staircase leading to the light. “And I'm sure you can guess where that one leads.” He pointed to the downward staircase. “That demon that styled himself as your stepfather went that way a few years ago, and no one's seen him since. I'm glad young Noah isn't following in his father's footsteps.” He frowned, proud of the boy but disappointed with Gozaburo's choices that he'd made in life.

“Where were you going earlier, Seto? When I arrived?” His mother asked, and Seto turned to her, looking guilty. “I haven't made the best choices in my life. I figured that Downstairs was my destination too. I deserve it.” He answered, not able to meet her gaze.

She gasped, shocked. “What in the world would give you that idea, Seto? It couldn't be further from the truth! Sure, you've made some mistakes- but you've already atoned for them. Everyone's a little messy in life, but that doesn't mean we are all bound for that place!” She hugged her son again. “You're supposed to go Upstairs, when the time comes. Upstairs with us.”

Seto looked at her in surprise, but it quickly turned to confusion. “What do you mean, 'When the time comes'? Isn't that time now? I mean- I'm dead.”

His father shook his head. “No you're not. Or at least, not permanently. Remember what your friend Mahaad told you near the beginning of your quest? You’re ‘functionally immortal’ now. This is the space between spaces, or a form of 'Purgatory' if you will. You've actually been here before, briefly, during that Orichalcos incident. It's where those souls who are unsure of their destination wait, or those who wish to move on with their loved ones when they arrive. You're not supposed to be here, kid. Come back in eighty years or so.” The man laughed, clapping his son on the shoulder again.

“You- you mean- I can go back?” Seto breathed, completely shocked. I can see Mokuba again? He thought, a wild hope rising in his chest.

“Of course!” His mother answered, laughing lightly as well. “Someone's gotta take care of the family. You've been doing a great job of it so far. Why stop now?”

Seto smiled and closed his eyes, a grateful tear running down his face. Thank you. He prayed. Thank you so much.

-An eternity later (time doesn't exist in the gap between dimensions)-

Seto bade a tearful farewell to his parents as they prepared to return Upstairs. He hugged both his mother and his father, whispering, “I love you both with all my heart, and so does Mokuba. I- we miss you so much.”

“Ditto, Seto.” His mother replied, wiping away her own tears. “But you know that a mother's love never dies, even when she's not around anymore. I'll always be right here-” She put a hand over his heart. “-in your heart and Mokie's. And you two will always be in mine.”

“Same goes for me, kiddo.” His father added. “And tell Mokie that I'm so proud of him, of the man he's becoming. Just like his Nii-sama.”

Seto smiled, then kissed his mother and father and backed away toward the portal to the mortal worlds. “I will. I'll see you around, Tou-san, Kaa-san.”

“See you around, Seto-chan.” His mother waved, and his father put an arm around her shoulders. “Stay outta trouble, okay?” He joked as they both faded from sight.

The teenager rolled his eyes. “You too, Dad.” Then he too disappeared from the Dominion of Souls back to his body in the Castle of the Sun in the Dominion of the Beasts.

[AN2: Start listening to ‘Lugia’s Song’ from ‘Pokemon 2000: The Power of One’ at this point. I guarantee you’ll get plenty of feels. It’s on YouTube if you need to find it.]

The first thing Seto sensed after returning to his body was a song being played on an ocarina. It was a melancholy tune, and he realized it must be some kind of dirge for his death. All around him, he could hear gentle sniffling and ragged breathing- indicating that his friends and family were still grieving over his death- and he felt a twinge of guilt for keeping them in the dark. As he continued to listen, more instruments joined the ocarina, and he felt that the song was rapidly losing its sad tone. In fact, now it sounded almost happy. As if it somehow knew that he had returned.

He opened his eyes and looked around at the myriad of sad faces and tears falling to the marble floor of the courtyard. Mokuba had released his hand and was kneeling beside him, an arm in front of his eyes as he wept. As the music continued to grow in volume, Seto felt something rising within him, causing him to stand to his feet and transform his cape into dragon wings. No one seemed to notice that he had returned, so deep was their grief. With a mighty beat of his white wings, he shot up into the sky like a rocket, spinning around once and smiling down at his family and dearest friends.

Mokuba looked up as a sudden gust of wind buffeted him and ruffled his hair- just like his Nii-sama used to do- and gasped when he saw that the space in which his brother's body lay was now empty. Where’d Seto's body go? Did it just vanish? Then- How’re we supposed to bury him now? I'm sure he wanted to be buried next to Mom and Dad- Then he looked up into the sky and received the biggest shock of his fourteen-year-old life. His brother was alive, and he was flying right above them!

“S-Se-Seto?” Mokuba breathed in disbelief, and the airborne drake grinned broadly, bending into a dive so his brother could look at him properly. He landed gently on the stone courtyard, and the boy ran to him and embraced him as if he'd never let him go again. “Nii-sama! Nii-sama!” He cried.

Seto smiled- true joy in his eyes to be back among those he loved- then gently pried Mokuba's arms off his waist and backed away so he could transform fully. After a few short seconds, a giant blue dragon eye winked at the raven-haired teen, and the beast twitched his head in a signal for the boy to get on. Mokuba laughed joyfully and ran to his brother's side, clambering up the wyvern's hind leg and sliding into place just above the wing joint. With a joyful roar, the dragon took to the sky once more, his little brother on his back.

To their surprise, the brothers weren't the only ones who took to the skies. Those who could fly soon joined them, and those who couldn't were carried up into the air by various dragons- which included the redeemed Knights of Atlantis. The winged beasts and Ka wheeled around in an elaborate dance- celebrating the victory over the Shadow King and their oppressors- but also celebrating the return of the Hero who had freed them, whom they had thought was dead.

Even the land itself rejoiced. Ra shone brighter than ever down on the heroes, and the waves of the sea to the south crashed happily against the restored pristine white shores of the beach. Every single part of the Dominion that had been covered by the dark hand of the Shadow King had been restored, and each section literally glowed with a beautiful, shining light. It was almost as if the land itself was thanking the Dragon Hero.

Back in the courtyard, the ‘High Priestess''song reached its climax, then started to decrease in intensity as it drew near its end. Seto landed gently beside her and let Mokuba slide off his back, and the other dragons and winged creatures followed suit- letting their passengers dismount and flying back to their respective homes- all but the Legendary Dragons, who assumed their human forms once again.

As the Ka finished her song, she dropped to her knees as if she were exhausted and would have collapsed entirely if Seto hadn't caught her. She looked up into his concerned blue eyes and frowned. “You're alive?” She asked, confused. “I'd thought for sure-”

“Oh, I died alright.” Seto clarified with a smile of relief that his friend wasn't hurt. “But you can't keep a hero down for good. I think it was your song, actually. That song restored my strength. My very life.”

“Huh.” Hana huffed, still a bit skeptical. “I don't think it was just me.” She muttered, looking up at the sky. Coincidentally, the Winged Divine Dragon of Ra flew by overhead, looked down at the group and winked- very deliberately- right at her. Yep. Pure coincidence.

“Something tells me that Lord Ra had something to do with your resurrection, Seto.” Mahaad smiled knowingly. “He is the god of rebirth, after all. Among other things.”

“Well I don't care who did it.” Mokuba said defiantly, walking up to his brother and hugging him again. “What matters is that you're back. You're back, and the Dominion is free. We can go home now, Seto!” He beamed, and Seto smirked at him. “You sure you want to? When we go home, you'll be shorter than me again.” He teased, ruffling the hair of his brother's astral projection.

“Eh, I'll grow.” Mokuba shrugged. “You'll see. One of these days I'll hit a growth spurt and be taller than you, Nii-sama!” He grinned.

Seto's smirk widened. “It'll have to be one heck of a growth spurt for that to happen, kid. I take after Dad, and he was tall. You take more after Mom. She was about as tall as Hana.” He smiled fondly, knowing that both of their parents were smiling down on them from Aaru. “That reminds me. Both of them send their love.” He told him, and Mokuba gasped. “You mean- you really saw them? Did you get to see what Heaven looks like?”

“No. They came down from Upstairs to see me. I was in sort of an- in-between space. Dad called it 'the Dominion of Souls'. There were two staircases- one going up and one going down- and a sort of- window that I could look back through- but other than that, everything was white.” He explained, not entirely sure if he was allowed to speak of that place. But when nothing happened, he guessed it was okay.

“A window that you could look back through?” Mokuba asked, surprised. Seto nodded. “Well, it was more like a portal- like a puddle of water that I could look down through at you guys, and- my body. Only, when I touched the surface, I couldn't push through. It felt like liquid, but it was solid at the same time. Impenetrable.” He glanced at Seth briefly. “As a wise man I know once said, 'The worlds of the living and the dead are separate, and they should never mix. No matter how much one on either side might want to influence the other, they cannot change destiny. No one can. No one but the gods.'.”

Seth smiled at him for the indirect compliment, as he'd remembered saying that very phrase to Seto months ago.

“Well, they did change destiny.” Mokuba smiled, tears of joy budding in his eyes. “You're alive, and we can finally go home where we all belong.” Seto grinned at him and ruffled his hair again.

“Couldn't have said it better myself, Mokie.”

Chapter 22: Home Again

Chapter Text

“This land and its creatures can never thank you enough, my brother.” Critias bowed as Seto and the others said their goodbyes to their Ka and prepared to return home, having finally been restored to their own bodies with a little help from the Legendary Knights and the three gods. The Knights had also healed any injuries their vessels may have incurred when they were all captured or kidnapped. This included Malik’s shattered spine and severed spinal cord from when he was attacked by the Orichalcos Gigas. “We are forever in your debt. If ever there is anything that you require of us, please.”

“We’ll let you know. Thanks.” Seto smiled as he shouldered a duffle bag containing his armor. The present Bearers were carrying their respective Items- except for Mokuba, who was holding the Rod.

“Hey, Seto? Since when do you have long auburn hair?” Mokuba asked of his brother, and Seto looked at him in surprise. He’d forgotten all about that. How long had it been since he’d asked Mana to help him disguise himself from the Shadow Hunters? It felt like a lifetime.

“Heh. You’re right, Mokuba. Guess it’s time for me to finally shed this disguise, since it’s superfluous now that we’ve defeated the darkness that shadowed this land.” Seto chuckled as he turned to his favorite DARK-attribute female spellcaster. “You wanna do the honors, Black Magician Girl?”

The Ka grinned impishly. “I would be delighted!” She raised her staff and pointed it directly at her former duelist, and he helpfully held still despite his sudden alarm. She wasn’t going to attack him. “Here we go!” She called, then squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated- making the orb of her staff glow with a pale, pink light. The glow left the top of the staff and enveloped the Dragon Hero, completely obscuring him from view.

Much to everyone’s surprise and considerable shock, not one, but two beings walked out of the oval of light- looking vastly different from one another. The first young man was Seto Kaiba; champion duelist, brother to Critias, Seth, Kisara, Noah and Mokuba and CEO of Kaibacorp. The other young man was quite the mystery, clad in jet-black pants, a matching turtleneck, a familiar white trenchcoat lined with red fabric on the inside and a locket about his neck. He wore belts on his upper arms and lower legs, and his long auburn hair blew gently in a non-existent wind as his coat followed suit. However, most surprising was the headgear that he wore. It was molded in the shape of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon head, but it didn’t look like the helmet of Seto’s dragon armor. This one obscured everything above his cheekbones completely. The light eventually dissipated, and both young men looked at each other- one smirking smugly and the other gaping like a beached fish.

“Seto, meet the Dragon Hero, ‘Ally of Justice - Kaibaman’ [200/700].” Black Magician Girl giggled as everyone stared at the ‘new arrival’ in varying states of shock.

“Oh, come on. You can’t expect to believe that this whole adventure didn’t change you somehow. It changed all of you. I’m living proof of that.” Kaibaman grinned suddenly, his smirk widening.

“You mean- now that he’s not a part of me anymore- I’m human again? Truly one hundred percent human once more?” Seto gasped, hardly daring to believe it.

“Yup! Unless you wanna use that armor of yours. All of your draconic powers have been contained inside your armor now. It will only work when you are wearing every piece. You will be able to manipulate how much of you transforms, but you will still be fully human when you take it off.” Black Magician Girl chirped brightly, and Seto smiled. He was finally back to normal.

“It’s like that video game in the human world, ‘The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask’.*” Yugi added in understanding. “When the hero put on the transformation masks, he truly became that race of being. But when he took it off, he was still a Hylian. It’s the same basic principle.”

[LoZ reference! W00t!]

“Exactly. You can still be a Dragon Hero, but you’re not merged with your Ka ‘Ryushiro’ anymore. You are whole once again.” Critias nodded, putting a gentle hand on his brother and distant nephew’s shoulder.

“I’ve been waiting for this for so long.” Seto breathed to himself, smiling and tearing up at the same time. “It feels like I’ve been torn between two worlds forever. Now I finally know where I belong. Where we all belong.” He laughed, the tears welling over his eyelids and running down his face. “Let’s go home.” He announced to his dearest friends and his family.

“Couldn’t have said it better myself, Kaiba.” Atem agreed, nodding.

“Remember what I said quite a while ago: our door is always open to you. And if you need us, you know where to find us!” Black Magician Girl said as she crossed staves with Shadow Magus and sent their twin magic spheres spinning over the humans’ heads, creating a swirling black portal behind them. With beaming smiles, all twenty-two of the human visitors bade their final goodbyes to their Ka and other friends in the Dominion of the Beasts, then walked as one through the portal back to Earth- their true home.

“Fare thee well, Saviors of the Dominion.” Critias whispered tearfully as the travelers disappeared.

“I am gonna miss them. ‘Specially Joseph’s cute sister!” Hermos joked, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

Timaeus laughed. “Oh, do not worry, Hermos. I’m sure this is not the last we have seen of any of them. They will be back. Someday.”

“Ah, it feels so good to be human again!” Mokuba sighed happily as he and his family walked down the street to their home, after parting from their friends as they all went their separate ways. “I'd almost forgotten what it felt like, walking on only two legs!” He laughed, and Kisara nodded in agreement. “I know how you feel, Mokuba. At least Seth, Akhenaden-sama and Seto had somewhat humanoid forms. I was stuck as a Blue-Eyes White Dragon!” She laughed.

“Yeah, that is pretty bad.” Mokuba laughed, teasing her just a little bit.

It’s better than being a bunny.” Noah groused, and everyone else chuckled. He was clearly still salty about that, and probably would be for a while.

Seto, meanwhile, was pensive. “I'm finally human again, after a whole year of being a hybrid. Now the 'Dragon Hero' is back where he belongs, and so am I.” He said to himself, but everyone heard it anyway.

“I thought his name was 'Ally of Justice - Kaibaman'.” Mokuba asked, looking to his brother in confusion.

“It is, but 'Dragon Hero' sounds better.” He answered with a playful wink. Then he sighed again. “The Dominion is finally free, and the 'Empire of Shadows' is no more. Good riddance, I say.” He smirked, inwardly rejoicing that it was all over, relief flooding through his entire body.

“Hey, that's a good name for it, Seto. Maybe I'll use that as a title when I write it down in my memoirs or something.” Hana's voice sounded behind them, making everyone jump in surprise- including Seth- even though he'd sensed the Shadows as she'd approached.

“Glad I could help, Hana.” Seto smiled at the girl. Then he frowned, still looking at her. “I am sorry about that scar, though. That will never heal, will it?” He asked sadly, already knowing the answer.

Hana put a hand over the burn mark in the shape of the Eye of Wdjat in the center of her forehead, recalling when Keith had used the Millennium Eye to torture her for information. “No, it won't. That's the problem with curse injuries. But that's okay. I can just disguise it with magic when I'm in public, and wear a headband or something the rest of the time.”

Suddenly her cell phone beeped in her pocket, and she took it out and looked at it. “Sorry, guys, I gotta take off. Duty calls at the hospital. I'll see you around!” And with that, she disappeared through a Shadow-portal.

By this time the family of six had reached the Kaiba mansion, and Seto took in a deep breath as he entered the family dwelling, then sighed happily as he thought, “There's no place like home.”

-Hours later-

Kisara sat on the counter in the bathroom, holding one item of a modern invention in her hands and smiling. She'd discovered it when she, Seth and Noah had been touring Egypt, but then the whole mess in the Dominion started and she hadn't had a chance to tell anybody. Now she finally could.

She walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom that she now shared with Seth, climbing into the bed next to him. He smiled at her warmly and she answered with the same, though she was blushing as well. She had no idea how he would react to the news.

“What is wrong, Kisara?” He asked, clueless.

Kisara leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “Something wonderful has happened, Seth. I- I am not even sure if I can tell you how amazing it is.”

Seth waited patiently- watching his beautiful wife as she chose just the right words to say- but what he heard next shocked him to his very core.

“Seth, I am pregnant.”