Yu-Gi-Oh
13 Gems of the Zodiac
By YashamonMaster
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, be it the cards or the characters. I do, however, own Diablo and Ice. They're mine.
Chapter One: Pegasus's Preposition
Yugi Motou stepped out in front of Pegasus's mansion, staring at the wide, sweeping lawns and statues of cartoon-y rabbits. A tall statue of a one-eyed clown peered down in the center of the pathway.
"Yami, remind me why I'm doing this," Yugi said, frowning.
"Because it is good to help others, even if they were once your foe," said the ancient Pharaoh. "Also, this could be a good chance to duel," the spirit added, smirking.
"Right."
Yugi looked down at the note crumpled in his hand.
"Yugi-boy, I know you may be reluctant to help me, but I must call upon your services. Come to my Domino Mansion at 5 o' clock on Friday, and I will explain the rest.
-Maximillion Pegasus"
Yugi sighed, and pressed the intercom button.
"Yes?" asked a gruff voice.
"Um, I'm here to see Mr. Pegasus," Yugi said.
"Name?"
"Uh, Yugi Motou."
"Oh, yes, Mr. Motou, come right in."
The tall, ornate gate swung open, and Yugi stepped through onto the marble pathway.
"Pegasus sure likes showing off," Yugi muttered.
"Oh?"
"Marble walkway, statues, big gate." Yugi ticked them off on his fingers. "He could be a little modest."
Yami shrugged.
At last, he reached the tall front doors. They swung open wide, and a man in a suit ushered the duelist in.
The mansion was just as extravagant as it's outside. His shoes rang out against the marble floor as he walked through the massive home. At last, the man showed him through a door, saying that Pegasus would see him now.
Pegasus looked about the same, sitting behind a large desk. He was smiling, and motioned for Yugi to sit down. Yugi moved to a chair, when he realized it was occupied, as where two others.
"Yug, I hope you're not thinkin' of sittin' on me."
Yugi jumped back, and stared eye-to-eye with Jonouchi, his best friend.
Also in the room was Seto Kaiba, Yugi's fierce rival. He was standing next to the fireplace, glaring at Yugi.
Two others were seated. Slumped back in one of the plush armchairs was a tall, lean guy with shaggy silver hair and smoky gray eyes. He was wearing a black t-shirt, dark blue jeans, and a black leather jacket. The shirt bore a red smiley face, smiling evilly, with the inscription, "Lead me not into temptation. I can find it myself."
The other was a very attractive girl, same age as the silver-haired guy. She had long blue hair, sparkling green eyes, and was wearing a black tank-top and blue jeans.
"Welcome, Yugi-boy. I'm so glad you've decided to join us. Please, sit down, though, not on another guest." Pegasus smiled in a strange way.
Yugi sat between Joey and the silver-haired guy, face red.
"Now, I know some of you haven't met yet," Pegasus began. "So I shall introduce you all. This is Jonouchi Katsuya, Yugi Motou, Diablo, and Ice."
Pegasus pointed to each as he introduced them. Diablo was the silver haired guy, and Ice was the girl.
"Now, the reason you are here is simple. You are the five best duelists in the world. And I need your help."
If they're so great, Yugi thought. Then why haven't I heard of them?
"You see," Pegasus continued. "I have been working on a project, creating a virtual reality much like Kaiba-boy did. It was to take the duel monsters and make them real, in an environment like our own earth.
"However, I made the mistake of inputting a new set I have been working on. The Assassin set. The monsters somehow changed the set-up of the world, making it far more real than I could've hoped.
"This would be no problem if it wasn't for the intentions of the monsters. They are trying to break through to our side, and they are steadily gaining enough power to do so. I need you to go in there and fight them off.
"The monsters have split the worlds apart, making them based on the sets I released. To beat them, you need to take the Gem in each world. The Gem is held by the strongest monster, much like in a video game, which this was supposed to be anyway."
"So, we just duel our way through VR Monsters, take the treasure, and bring it back here?" Seto said. "Sounds simple."
"Well, there's one problem with that statement. You see, you can enter the world, but you can only bring in one card."
"What!?" yelled Jonouchi. "One card? Dat's crazy!"
"A sad fact of the game. However, you gain the cards of the monsters you defeat. Oh, and I'd choose a monster that doesn't require a tribute, since you do have to tribute summon.
"Well, anyone going to back down?"
"I'll trash 'em!" Jonouchi growled.
"You'll need a lot of help to not die," Seto sneered. "So I guess I'll help you through it."
"I don't back down from a challenge," said Diablo. His voice was cool and sharp.
"Neither do I," said Ice. Her tone was the same.
"Well, I'm not going to be the only one backing out," Yugi said. "I'll do it."
"Excellent! Now, step into the next room, and pick a card from your deck."
Yugi pulled out his deck and looked through it.
"Oh!" Pegasus yelled. "Silly, silly me. I forgot that I have some new cards just for you five. They're part of a new set I'm working on. Tell me how they do in there."
The five walked into a large, white room. Five metal pods stood against a wall.
"Step into the pods."
Yugi walked into it. The door closed behind him, and suddenly there was a bright flash. Yugi could feel energy coursing through his body.
What...is...this...feeling?
Then he blacked out.
What will our heroes find in Pegasus's digital world? Can they survive the trials? And what are the monsters Pegasus has crafted for them? Find out next time in...13 Gems of the Zodiac!