Casia: Lookie! Lookie! I'm actually writing a ficcie! It's a miracle!
Angel: Ya got that right!
Kit: Sure is!
Casia: Oh, go soak your heads.
::Angel and Kit go jump in the pool.::
Casia: ::sweatdrop:: That's not what I meant. Get back here!
Angel: But we're all wet now!
Casia: I need you to help me decide who should do the disclaimer!
Kit: I know how we'll do it! I have here the favorite cards of eight duelists: Yugi, Yami, Joey, Tristan, Tea, Seto, Bakura, and Yami Bakura. They are the Dark Magician, the Yami Magic Card (just threw that in to give Yami a chance), Flame Swordsman, Cyber Commander, Magician of Faith, Blue Eyes White Dragon, Change of Heart, and Necrophia (not sure if that's how you spell it, but...). OK, now I'll shuffle them all up, and then Casia can draw one.
::Kit shuffles cards and Casia draws one.::
Casia: It's... uh... oh no!
Angel and Kit: What? What is it?
Casia: IT'S THE BLUE EYES WHITE DRAGON!!!
Kit: NO!!! THAT MEANS KAIBA!!!
::They stare at each other, then grin::
Angel: YAY!!!
Kit: ::in a sing-song voice:: Kaiba has to do the disclaimer!!! Kaiba has to do the disclaimer!
Casia: Angel, would you like to do the honors?
Angel: Okie! ::starts chanting magic spell. Kaiba appears::
Casia: YO KAIBA!!! YOU HAFTA DO THE DISCLAIMER!!!
Kaiba: Ohhhh no ya don't! I ain't doin' no disclaimer!
Everyone: ::blinks, takes a good look at Kaiba::
Casia: It's...
Kit: Joey?!
Casia: Angelllllll!!!! You messed up the spell!
Angel: ::sheepishly:: Oops! Sorry about that, girls. You too, Joey.
Joey: No prob. Can I go back t' sleep now?
Casia: Would you mind doing the disclaimer? We'll get Kaiba bad next time, I promise.
Joey: Oh, fine. Da Trinity Girls don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. If dey did, dey'd have a big family cuz dey'd let all da characters live in deir house.
Casia: Thanks, Joey! ::Joey leaves:: There won't be any Kaiba-bashing in this, well, no more than the other characters get bashed. Except in the a/ns. This isn't really a humor story. Oh, and I'm using the Yugi-and-Yami- can-split-and-also-merge-together thingy so if it seems weird that they're in the same room at the same time, that's why.
Yugi Moto - Yugi Muto (Yugi's name should actually be spelt "Yuugi" but I hate having to typ those two "u's" so just imagine that there's an accent over the "u."
Tea Gardner - Anzu Mazaki
Tristan Taylor - Hiroto Honda (Hiroto is his FIRST name)
Joey Wheeler - Katsuya Jonouchi (Katsuya is his FIRST name)
Bakura Ryou - Ryou Bakura
Serenity Wheeler - Shizuka Jonouchi
Mai Valentine - Mai Kujaku
Weevil Underwood - Insector Haga
Rex Raptor - Dinosaur Ryuzaki
Mako Tsunami - Ryouta Kajiki
Solomon Moto - Sugoroku Mutou
Marik Ishtahl - Malik Ishtar
Isis Ishtahl - Isis Ishtar
Nikori Bakura - Ryou really does have an older sister (probably eighteen or something), but I don't know her name, so I'm calling her Nikori. She doesn't really have much of a part cuz I don't know much about her.
Warning: THIS IS YAMI/ANZU! IF YOU DON'T LIKE THAT COUPLE DON'T READ THIS! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
Legendary Warriors: Level One ~*~
Trial
Chapter One
Enter Yuusou Shinwa
Joshua had marches the Israelites around Jericho for a week. Then he had the priests blow trumpets and all the people shout, and just like that, the walls of Jericho shot straight down into the ground.
But it would take more than trumpets and yelling to break the walls Seto Kaiba had built between himself and Yugi Mutou.
Nonetheless, Seto knew he needed an expert's opinion on his latest invention, a Duel Monsters game called Yuusou Shinwa. It was a remarkable piece of work, built with shiny metal and painted black and purple, with its name written in yellow across the top. There was no screen, only a vizer hooked to the machine. You spent you adventure standing, and once you put the vizer on, you were transported into a world called "Yuusou Shinwa - Heroic Legend."
The object of the game was to defeat the main enemy, Makurayami, and rescue the queen of Yuusou Shinwa, whom he had kidnapped. Sometimes the queen would be wounded, or even killed, in that final, critical level, and then the player went on to the more dangerous Advanced Level. Seto had just finished the final level himself, and had beaten it with no problem. Then again, he knew the game's program backwards and forwards. He needed someone without the slightest clue about the game to give it a test run.
Which was why he was about to pick up the phone and dial his rival's number - to ask him to lend a hand.
There were four of these Yuusou Shinwa machines already constructed, so if any of Yugi's friends wanted a go at the game, they would have a chance. The game had actually been created so the players could work together as a team; each Yuusou Shinwa set had four vizers on each side, so multiple players could play at the same time with their friends. Undoubtably Yugi's friend Katsuya Jonouchi would be interested. Whoever else would join in was a mystery to Seto.
There was the dial tone. Three rings and finally Yugi picked up the phone.
"Moushi moushi! This is the Turtle Game Shop, how may I help you?" Yugi's voice sounded over the phone, sweet with courtesy and innocence.
"This is Seto Kaiba," Seto responded, not attempting to hide the resent in his voice.
Yugi missed the Seto's abruptness as he answered cheerily, "Ohayo, Kaiba-kun! How's it going?"
"It's going, going, gone, Yugi. Listen, I just finished my latest development in Duel Monsters technology. I need someone to come and take it for a test drive. Mokuba suggested asking you and the make inu to try."
"Really? That would be so cool! What do we do?"
"I'll explain everything once you get here. Ask Jonouchi if he wants to try. Two other people can play too, it's a four player game."
"OK! When should we be at your company?"
"Come by my lab at noon-time. And make sure Jonouchi eats before he comes, I'm not going to let him eat me out of house and home."
"All right, later! Mata aimashou!"
"Bye."
Kaiba hung up and sighed. This would be a long day.
"Who was that, aibou?" Yami asked as he jumped into the store from the den.
Yugi did a double take of his other half. Yami was hopping on one foot over to Yugi's side, balancing four boxes of assorted cards on his arms. Stifling a giggle, Yugi inquired, "Um, what are YOU doing, Yami?"
"I'm going to set up the new card display. I thought I'd do it in style."
"You're lying. You're just trying to see if you're as coordinated as you used to be."
Yami hopped over to the counter and let the boxes slide down his arms into a neat row on its face. He then got back on both feet and swung his arms back and forth. "Yep, these ancient reflexes have still got it."
Yugi laughed. Joining Yami in setting up the display, he said, "Kaiba just called. Now don't freak," he added, observing the way Yami immediately tensed up, "he wasn't challenging us to a duel or anything. He wanted to know if Jonouchi and I would try out his newest Duel Monsters invention. He said two other people could have a whack at it, too."
Yami frowned. "I don't know, Yugi..." he said skeptically. "This is Kaiba we're talking about. This is the guy who has never asked for our help before, why should he do it now?"
"He needs someone to see if it's ready for marketing."
"Why does he need us to do it? Why can't he ask Mai, or one of the people he used to have do it?"
"Mai's out-of-town and I don't even know who his other test-runners are," Yugi said defensively. "You're being too cynical. Kaiba would never try to trick us!"
Yami coughed with a "Yeah, right," sound. Yugi knew he was remembering their aventures prior to Duelist Kingdom, when Seto had been something of a cheater. And then, of course, there was the time he ripped up Yugi's grandfather's Blue Eyes White Dragon card and forced Yugi to duel him. But all that had happened in the past. Seto was almost a friend to them now, and as far as Yugi was concerned, that was proof enough that they could trust him.
Yugi looked at Yami with wide, pleading eyes. "Please, Yami? Don't you want to try out his game? I know I do, and it's not like we'll be alone, Jonouchi will come, and probably the others will too. Please, can we go?"
"But what if Jonouchi, Anzu, Honda, and Bakura can't make it?"
"I know Jonouchi and Honda can, they never have anything going on on Sundays. Bakura's at church right now, but he'll be home by noon and I bet he'll want to watch. Anzu I'm not sure about, but I think her dance class doesn't start until six at night, so she can most likely come, too."
Yami's heart melted at the sight of his aibou's cute, begging expression. His amethyst eyes traveled back to the cards he was sorting, but when Yugi persisted, he sighed and shook his head.
"Fine."
"Yes!" Yugi shouted, punching the air. "I knew you'd see it my way!"
Yami mentally kicked himself.
A couple hours later, Yugi met Katsuya Jonouchi and Hiroto Honda at their assigned meeting place, Domino City's Jugoru Park. Jonouchi was ready for action, and Honda was looking over Jonouchi's deck. Yami had retreated to his soul room, but Yugi could sense him laughing at the oblivious comments Honda was making about the cards.
Five minutes later, Anzu Mazaki sand Malik Ishtar stepped on to the grassy field, Anzu pulling a startled and pain-filled Ryou Bakura by the ear. Bakura was still in his church clothes: a blue plaid blouse, black pants, and shiny black shows, but you could tell he'd been running from the time church let out till now because of the leaves sticking to his white hair.
"Sorry we're late," Anzu said as she caught up with the boys. "I had to run an errand first." She nodded towards the whimpering Bakura, whose usually pale face was now bright red. Anzu let go of his ear and he stood up, embarrassed.
"We had to drag Ryou away from the church," Malik put in, sniggering. "He was all caught up in a 'conversation', so to speak, with a girl." He giggled harder.
Bakura turned even redder. "Her name is Sachiko Ichikaru, and she's just a friend! We were just talking!"
"And I'll bet you weren't talking about homework," Malik teased.
Bakura stuck out his lower lip, pouting. "Actually, we were talking about the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, and how racism was in effect even back then between the Jews and the Samaritans."
"... Right."
"Let's get to Kaiba's, guys," Yugi said with a laugh. "Malik, are you going to come along, too?"
Malik shrugged. "Someone's gotta keep an eye on Ryou-chan."
Bakura glared at him.
Kaiba's lab was right near his company building, which was a block or two away from Jugoru Park. Aprehension began to fill the kids' heart's as Jonouchi pressed the door bell and the gates began to open.
Mokuba was waiting for them right inside the building. His long black hair hung loosely over his shoulders, and his gray eyes sparkled happily.
"You're late," he said, pointing to the clock, which read 12:15.
"Sorry," Anzu said. "We had a bit of a problem getting all our members here. Certain people were too busy chatting about Jews and Samaritans at the church." She shot Bakura a Look.
"Oh, so that's why you're all dressed up," Mokuba observed with a nod of understanding, staring at Bakura's semi-formal garments. "Anyway, Seto's waiting for you in the lab. Oh, and don't mind his attitude, he got up on the wrong side of the bed..."
"If those other times we've hung out with Seto were his good days, then I don't wanna know what his bad days are like," Jonouchi muttered to Honda when Mokuba wasn't listening.
Yugi-tachi followed Mokuba through the building until they reached Seto's lab. The first thing they saw were the Yuusou Shinwa sets, all set up side-by-side, with enough space for a person to stand comfortably between themselves and the wall. The kids just gaped at the advanced dueling systems, and Yugi felt Yami give a little jump of excitement in his soul room.
They didn't see Seto right away, but then he was spotted sitting behind the glass window where the controls were. He gave an abrupt wave, and gestured for them to enter the control room. With Yugi leading, the six kids and Mokuba dashed to the CEO's current occupation.
Seto watched them come in, unsure if he really wanted to go through with this. Jonouchi gave him a smug grin, which Seto returned with a scowl. The group just stood in silence at first. Then Seto spoke.
"Well, I suppose Yugi's told you all why you're here," Seto sighed, straightening his trench coat. "Let me tell you a bit about the game."
And he launched into a brief but detailed explanation about the theory, purpose and design of the game, and when he'd finished the stunned kids gaped at him with looks of amaze on their otherwise blank faces.
He sighed again. "I can tell you didn't understand a word I just said."
They nodded as one.
"Well, let's get down to business then." Leading them into the room where the Yuusou Shinwa sets were standing, he turned the games on and picked up a vizer.
"This game is called 'Yuusou Shinwa - Heroic Legend.' There are four levels: Trial, Nemesis, Recovery, and Rebellion. The final level, Apocalypse, is the advanced level, but you don't need to worry about that. The object of the game is to rescue the queen who has been kidnapped by the evil Makurayami. Duel Monsters will attack at various times, on their own or in groups, so have your cards handy. This is not a child's game; do not take the life point count lightly. If you're not careful you'll lose all 2000 very quickly, and then it's game over for you. Not that you can get hurt or anything. It is, after all, just a game. The most important thing is that you have fun with it. There is no time limit. The rules are simple - just draw the card, and shout the name of the creature. Magic cards and Trap cards keep their usual effects, but if you act carelessly you might fall into a trap yourself, or Makurayami will use a Magic card against you. The amount of points deducted from your life points when you lose a duel works the same way as the game. No 'money' is needed - you pay for weapons and armor in another way, which you have to figure out. Any questions? Good. All right, who is going to try?"
"I sure am," Jonouchi announced immediately after Seto finished.
"Me too," Yugi nodded.
Honda, Bakura, Malik, and Anzu exchanged a glance. "Well, who else will go?" Honda inquired. "I don't really want to. I'm not that great of a duelist."
"I want to go," Anzu said, looking at Yugi. "It will be my first time in one of those 'soul-removal' video games. It looks like fun."
"I'll come too," Bakura added. Then, seeing the look on Malik's face, he said to his best friend, "I'll be fine, I promise. You don't have to worry."
"I don't care, I'll worry anyway," Malik retorted. "I want you somewhere where I can keep an eye on you."
"But you will be keeping an eye on me! I'll be right here, but my mind will just be in the game. Besides, I can take care of myself, you know. You don't need to be so over-protective."
"Call it what you like, I'll still feel much better when you're back," Malik clucked, mother hen-ish.
Bakura smiled and followed Yugi, Jonouchi, and Anzu up to one of the Yuusou Shinwa sets. All four slipped the vizers over their faces, and awaited the surge that would bring them into the virtual realm.
Honda and Malik joined Seto and Mokuba in the control room.
"On the count of three," Seto said. "One... two... three! We have power, we have lift off! Make sure to check that everything is working when you get there!" he shouted after them.
The smooth release of their minds from their bodies was amazing. Anzu felt like laughing and screaming at the same time, but in the vortex she found she couldn't do anything but think. She saw the boys flying along side her, each with blank, expressionless looks on their faces.
Suddenly there was a jolt in the vortex, and all the rainbow lights disappeared. The four duelists fell into the darkness, mentally screaming for help.
In the real world, Seto realized something was wrong. Everything had gone smoothly up until just then, when the lights had flicked off and on, and then a great yellow light filled the room. A voice can from seemingly nowhere, chanting in a foreign language, chilling the hearts of Seto-tachi.
"Wh-what is that?" Malik asked, trying his best to hide his fear.
"Is this part of the game, Kaiba?" Honda queried.
Seto fumbled with the controls. "No! This has never happened before! Who's out there? Who's speaking?"
"Look!" Mokuba exclaimed, pointing to a shadow in between two Yuusou Shinwa sets.
The figure slowly took on human form, revealing itself to be a man with thick blue hair and sharp green eyes. He looked almost fairy-like in appearance, if not for the evil blue glow radiating from him. A sword was sheated and hanging from his belt, and his pointy ears dripped with gems.
"You foolish mortals have no idea what you've gotten yourselves into," he cackled, darkness floating out from his mouth and drenching the room with its evilness. "For now, I, Kyudon, have disrupted the separation between reality and the virtual world, causing them to mix and create Yuusou Shinwa as a world of its own! Your rules are nothing now, Seto Kaiba - Yuusou Shinwa abides by the rules of life! And soon, your oblivious little friends will be at my mercy, and the Pharaoh and his powers will be mine at last."
The evil figure gave another malicious laugh, and then disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke.
Shocked, Seto, Honda, Malik, and Mokuba could only stand in silence at first. Then Mokuba gasped and pointed to the screen which was supposed to show Yugi's and the other's progress in the game.
"Look!" he exclaimed for the second time that day. "They made it to Yuusou Shinwa safely, but they're - they're unconsious!"
"That's not all," Seto muttered grimly, and Malik, Honda, and Mokuba looked at him in fear. "They were separated from each other. Each of them were transported to a different section of the first level."
"And what's the first level?" Honda inquired hesitantly.
Seto didn't speak at first. Then,
"Trial. I had hoped they'd be able to work together for this. It isn't easy, and requires team work."
Malik pounced on Seto before Honda and Mokuba had time to react to the CEO's statement. "If anything happens to Ryou, anything at all," Malik threatened, gripping Seto's shirt with an iron fist, "I will beat you so bad you'll wish you never heard the name Malik Ishtar."
"Calm down, Malik," Honda interrupted, removing Malik from Seto's shirt. "We'll just have to let them play it out for themselves. Have a little faith in your friends. That weird man - Kyudon or whatever - obviously wants them separated so he can get at Yugi. That's what he meant by 'the Pharaoh and his powers.' We'll just have to trust that they'll figure it out and meet up with each other before it's too late."
"That's comforting," Malik said sarcastically.
Honda looked Malik over carefully. His face was contorted into an expression of anger, but Honda knew it was only a mask to hide the fear he felt for Bakura. Honda opened his mouth and closed it a few times, choosing his words carefully.
"If you love someone, you have faith in them. You believe they can overcome whatever comes their way."
Malik looked surprised, then thoughtful as he thought it over. He didn't even hear the exasperated remark of Seto's that Honda was turning into another Anzu.
'If you love someone, you have faith in them,' Malik thought, repeated the phrase to himself. 'You believe they can over come whatever comes their way.' He frowned, and looked at the screen.
Malik's mouth dropped open. "Guys, guess what! They aren't all separated - Ryou and Jonouchi are still together!"
"Really?"
"Thank goodness!"
"At least two of them are together."
"See?" Honda grinned, punching Malik lightly on the shoulder. "Jonouchi's with Ryou! You don't need to worry after all."
Malik smiled. "But... what about Anzu and Yugi?"
Honda's face fell. He too glanced up at the screen, hazel eyes gleaming from its reflection.
"They'll... they'll be fine. I know it. I believe in them."
"All we can do is hope they can beat the game in four levels, and not get sent to the Advanced one," Seto said. "And maybe I can figure out a way to help them."
"I don't get it... are they trapped in there?" Mokuba asked, both confused and afraid.
"Yes... the person, Kyudon he called himself, he said he made Yuusou Shinwa its own world. My rules don't apply anymore, except that it's still a game and they have to beat each level in order to get back home. But they can't just press the STOP button and leave. But maybe I can put clues in their paths to help them beat the game quicker and easier."
Seto sat back down in his chair and began to type furiously. Honda, Malik, and Mokuba exchanged a glance, then gazed out to their friends who were now trapped in Yuusou Shinwa.
"Good luck, guys."
Kyudon laughed loudly, holding his crystal glass of wine away from his face. "Mission completed," he said with a smirk. "With my traps installed in their game, they'll never manage to beat it. And then I'll take that Pharaoh and his hikari for myself."
A small girl with long red hair and scarlet eyes gazed into the glass circle floating in front of her. Inside the globe was an image of a small boy with black and red hair and golden bangs just waking up in the middle of a desert.
"He really is lovely," she said in a cute little girl's voice which carried an air of mystery. She smoothed her maroon, velvet dress and fiddled with her green bow which was sitting below her white collar. "I would like to meet him."
"You, Reena? You're hardly eight," another voice spoke. This voice was deeper and very feminine. It belonged to a lady with long blonde hair held in place by a white circlet with an amber gem in the center. Her eyes were silver and she wore a long, white, sleeveless dress with matching dress heels. Her belt was silver with golden fastenings, and her sword's sheath was bronze. "You shouldn't be thinking about things like that just yet. I, however, would love to see those boys. It's been so long since we've had a male in this bleak land."
"What am I, chopped liver?" Kyudon murmured, meeting her silver gaze.
"I meant men outside of our clan. Why should I consider you a male? You're only my brother."
"Very well, Ameake, have it your way." Kyudon looked over to a third figure hiding in the shadows. "What about you, Miras? I am sure there is one who peaks your interest."
The third lady opened her eyes, revealing them to be a royal purple color. Her long, jet black hair framed her entire, well-built figure, and she wore a think black tank top and black Arabian pants. Gray, metal armor hung over her chest and shoulders and lined her wrists and ankles. A silver band encircled her head, with a sapphire glittering in its middle. Miras gracefully leapt to Kyudon's side and gave a thorny smile.
"I, interested in one of those mortals? They are curious creatures indeed, brother, but I am not one to be tempted be insignificant creatures such as they are." She swept a lock of black hair away from her face. "It will be my great pleasure to escort the Pharaoh to his chambers once our plan is completed, but other than that I have no desire to be near them."
Ameake shook her fair head. "You take the fun out of everything, Miras. Come and look, Kyudon, they brought a girl with them." She pointed with one long finger to the floating orb, now bearing a picture of a sleeping Anzu.
"What are you implying?" Kyudon said as he strode over to Ameake, briefly glancing at the girl in the orb. "You know my only wish is to make the Pharaoh mine so I may wield his power. I have no interest in females other than your beautiful self." He kissed his sister's pale cheek and lifted her face to look directly at his. "One day, when we have the magical powers of the Sennen Puzzle, I will rule all and you will be at my side as my queen. All shall look upon your beauty and cower in your name."
Reena looked from Kyudon and Ameake to Miras, who was hiding back in the darkness. She sighed and played with her red hair.
'Kyudon's always favored Ameake out of all the women in this clan,' she thought to herself. 'That's because she's so beautiful. He plays favorites with his sisters. Miras and I can never live up to Ameake. But maybe a visit from that girl in Yuusou Shinwa will turn things around. Maybe she can show Kyudon what women are like outside of our clan. And then, maybe, there will finally be a marriage ceremony in Mayoigo, and there will be an heir to continue the family.' She sighed. 'Until then I am trapped in this cage, trapped as the youngest heir to the Mayoigo clan, the one everyone is counting on to turn this around. No... that's not true. They are relying on Kyudon. Kyudon is doing everything in my name. But what say have I as to his methods? He is wiser than I. I have no choice but to trust him. As for my position...' She narrowed her eyes. 'When Kyudon snatches the Sennen Puzzle's power I will snatch it from him and use it to restore myself to queenhood.'
Satisfied, the small girl fixed her gaze on the orb, watching their victims wander Yuusou Shinwa, wondering what had happened.
Miras strayed out of the room where Kyudon and Ameake were musing over the future and stepped into a large hallway. She thought about how few people were left in the clan, and wondered if Kyudon's plan would really work. Would Reena try to sieze power when she was able? After all, Kyudon and Ameake would not make good rulers. Kyudon's head was full of wild ideas, and Ameake only cared about fun. Reena was too quiet and shy for even Miras to guess her thoughts. Some of the clan thought Miras was best suited to be queen, but she was quite content as Head of the Royal Mayoigo Military.
Laughter from Kyudon and Ameake could still be heard throughout Mayoigo. Suddenly firm in her decision, Miras broke into a gallop as she dashed off to the house of the rest of her family, where three other brothers and one sister abided.
She would ask for their advice. Her eldest brother, Quanan, was wise beyond his years. She would seak his counsel.
Anzu was sitting on a cloud, peacefully resting and waiting for something. She didn't know what, but she knew it would come. Duel Monsters flew all around her. Even the cloud she was sitting on was the product of a Maiden of the Moon.
Just then, the Mystical Elf came soaring towards her. She stepped upon Anzu's cloud and bowed low.
"I have a message for you, Lady Anzu," she said.
"Go on," Anzu said, still feeling relaxed and sleepy.
"I fear the news will not make you happy, but you will be encouraged. I have word from the Four Beasts. They tell you not to rest now, but fly quickly from this place. It is a danger to you. Cross the great Lake of Dreams and the perilous Meadow of Peace. Then you will come to the Warrior's Firewall. The only way to put out its flames is to sprinkle it with dust from the Valley of Death. Over the Firewall you will find Makurayami's castle, but do not be fooled by the appearance of the sorceror. His true identity you will discover very soon. In order to defeat Makurayami you must collect the Elemental Stones - Fire, Lightning, Water, and Wind. But be warned - each stone is protected by one of the Four Beasts. Keep together, Legendary Warriors, and use your heads. More importantly, never forget to use your heart."
Anzu was too tired to consider this warning. She leaned back on the cloud and smiled peacefully, stroking the Shining Friendship seated by her shoulder.
Then, all at once, the Mystical Elf, Shining Friendship, and everything else disappeared.
Anzu jolted awake, startled by the abrupt end to her dream. She looked around, and realized she was lying in a king-sized bed. The bed was covered with a blue quilt and light blue, silk sheets. The room she was in was very large, with gossamer curtains and ivory furniture. There were evel golden items scattered here and there.
Anzu took it in slowly. She wondered how she had gotten there. She was supposed to be in Seto's game - or maybe this was all a dream, too, and she'd soon wake up to find herself lying on the bench of her dance class room. She pinched herself, and the pain she felt confirmed that this was most definitely not a dream.
Maybe it had something to do with the first level of Yuusou Shinwa - Trial, Seto had said it was. He had made it seem like they were all going to be together at first, though, and Anzu didn't see Yugi, Jonouchi, or Bakura anywhere.
'Maybe they're in a different room," Anzu thought, slipping out of the bed. That was when she noticed she was no longer wearing her white tank top and navy skirt. She was now dressed in a blue, princely attire (a/n: think Revolutionary Girl Utena's dueling clothes) with golden shoulder pads and red lining. Her shorts were also red and golden tassels dangled from her white knee-socks. Even her black high tops had been replaced by light, comfortable blue shoes.
"I have to hand it to Kaiba, these outfits are pretty advanced," she said out loud to the room. "Guess I'd better see if I can't find Yugi and the others."
She walked over to the door and wrapped her fingers around the golden handle. It creaked as she opened it, and she peeked her head through the crack before stepping outside herself. The door led to a large mahogany hallway with many windows covered with scarlet satin curtains. Her shoes echoed slightly every time she took a step.
After wandering around for a bit, Anzu began to wonder if there was any other bedrooms in this place at all. All the rooms she had come across were only armories and empty space. Finally she gave up and leaned against a wall, frustrated.
Then she noticed a path she hadn't seen before. It was long and dark, and there wasn't even an echo when she began to walk through it. Curious, she waved her hands around for any objects in her path. Coming down further, she saw the outline of bars surrounding something... a picture... no, it was a statue...
"Milady! Milady! Please don't go down that way! Milady!"
Anzu whirled around with a gasp. A young man with long turquoise hair tied in a ponytail was beckoning to her from where she had started, obviously trying to get her to come back. Somwhat disappointed, Anzu about- faced and walked back his way.
"Don't you know anything about the castle?" the young man said sternly. "Everyone knows not to go down that corridor."
"What's down there?" Anzu asked as she came up to him.
"No one really knows except for the members of the Council. But everyone knows that hall is off limits to anyoneb but the Council. What were you thinking?"
"I - I don't know... I'm sorry," Anzu said apologetically. She ran her fingers through her short brown hair, considering her options. Finally she said, "Who are you?"
"Me? I'm Shiro," the young man answered. "Who are you?"
"Anzu," Anzu answered. "It's nice to meet you, Shiro."
She stopped talking as she saw the look on his face. It seemed as if something had dawned on him all at once, and he pointed recklessly to her chest. Blushing, Anzu's hands flew up protectively, and her fingers brushed something cold. She looked down and saw a golden medal pinned to her uniform with strange markings emblazoned on it.
"My Lady Anzu!" Shiro exclaimed, astonished. "You wear the Royal Seal! You are -"
"Listen, I swear I don't know a clue how it got there," Anzu said hurriedly, suddenly frantic. "I just woke up in this room and was dressed like this, I don't know how it happened -"
Shiro looked at her curiously. "Of course you do," he laughed. "Stop these games, Lady Anzu. We've been looking all over for you! It's time for your corination!"
"My - what? What are you talking about?" Anzu cried as he grabbed her hand and began running with her down a different path.
"Your corination! Today is the day you are to be made queen!" Shiro explained.
"I'm WHAT? No, wait! You've got the wrong girl! I'm not your queen, my name is Anzu! Anzu Mazaki! Where are you taking me?"
"To the court! That's where Hendran will crown you! Follow me, Lady Anzu!"
"But I'm not -"
Shiro wouldn't listen. He began to rum faster, and Anzu really had to work to keep up. Soon they came to large stone doors, where Shiro stopped running and turned to Anzu.
"You look beautiful, milady," he said, brushing what might have been dust off her shoulders. "Stand up straight now, and smile. Hendran, the Prime Minister, will be waiting.
Anzu shook her head vigorously. "You don't understand! My name is Anzu, and I'm from Earth! I'm not your queen!"
But Shiro didn't seem to hear her. He looked her over one more time, nodded, and then shoved her through the titanic doors. Before she realized what was happening, Anzu was forced into a huge assembly hall were thousands of well-dressed upper-class noblemen and ladies were gathered. She was standing on a platform admist many lights and much noise, blinking and trying to regain her balance. All at once the entire auditorium burst into applause, and Anzu tried to stand up straight and look dignified.
"Welcome, welcome, Lady Anzu!" a strange white-haired man said as he rushed toward her, arms outstretched. He was dressed in blue and white robes and had an old, worn book lying in a sling on his back. A golden staff encrusted with precious gems rested where he had previously been standing.
Anzu's mouth dropped open at first. The voice, was different, but this man looked just like Bakura! Could Bakura have been mistaken for this man the way Shiro had thought she was the queen?
The Bakure look-alike was speaking again. "It is so good to have you home, my queen," he said in an uppity tone of voice. "I am Hendran, your Prime Minister and Royal Wizard of Merit. I see you recognize me. That is good, very good. Now, shall we begin the ceremony?"
"What ceremony? Baku -"
Hendran gestured for Anzu to follow him towards the center of the platform. Anzu hesitantly followed.
"People of Ba-charu Kusari, our queen has at last returned to stop the evil threatening to destroy us! She has returned from afar with news from the gods - Kasei the Fire God, Rakurai the Lightning God, Seisui the Water God, and Soyokaze the Wind God. Today we crown this blessed sending from the gods and honor her as our queen!"
Cheers burst from the audience as Hendran finished speaking. Anzu smiled nervously and gave a small wave. What was going on?
Hendran was now waving his long staff about his head in circular motions. It began to glow icy blue, and bluish-white sparks shot out from its gems. There was a flash of light, and then a beautiful crown appeared, floating in mid air. It was golden with brilliant sapphires decorating it. Four of the sapphires were larger than the others and bore a symbol of each of the four Ba-charun gods. Hendran lowered the crown to his level, and he gently removed its suspension in the air. He then walked over to Anzu and told her to kneel. Feeling very silly and confused, Anzu obliged.
"The gods have made their wish clear," Hendran said in a loud, booming voice. "All hail Queen Anzuraeko!"
He place the crown on Anzu's head and motioned for her to stand up. As she did, the whole auditorium burst into more applause and cheers of "All hail Queen Anzurako! Long live Queen Anzuraeko!"
Anzu looked around the grand hall in dismay. She took a deep breath.
"It's all part of the game," she told herself, "it's all one twisted, crazy game..."
Casia: Well, that's it for the first chap! PLEEEEEEAAAAASSSSEEEE say ya did! But I won't be mad if ya don't... *sniffles* I'll do a glossary of jap words next chap cuz I'm busy w/ other stuff right now. R/R!!!
Angel: Ya got that right!
Kit: Sure is!
Casia: Oh, go soak your heads.
::Angel and Kit go jump in the pool.::
Casia: ::sweatdrop:: That's not what I meant. Get back here!
Angel: But we're all wet now!
Casia: I need you to help me decide who should do the disclaimer!
Kit: I know how we'll do it! I have here the favorite cards of eight duelists: Yugi, Yami, Joey, Tristan, Tea, Seto, Bakura, and Yami Bakura. They are the Dark Magician, the Yami Magic Card (just threw that in to give Yami a chance), Flame Swordsman, Cyber Commander, Magician of Faith, Blue Eyes White Dragon, Change of Heart, and Necrophia (not sure if that's how you spell it, but...). OK, now I'll shuffle them all up, and then Casia can draw one.
::Kit shuffles cards and Casia draws one.::
Casia: It's... uh... oh no!
Angel and Kit: What? What is it?
Casia: IT'S THE BLUE EYES WHITE DRAGON!!!
Kit: NO!!! THAT MEANS KAIBA!!!
::They stare at each other, then grin::
Angel: YAY!!!
Kit: ::in a sing-song voice:: Kaiba has to do the disclaimer!!! Kaiba has to do the disclaimer!
Casia: Angel, would you like to do the honors?
Angel: Okie! ::starts chanting magic spell. Kaiba appears::
Casia: YO KAIBA!!! YOU HAFTA DO THE DISCLAIMER!!!
Kaiba: Ohhhh no ya don't! I ain't doin' no disclaimer!
Everyone: ::blinks, takes a good look at Kaiba::
Casia: It's...
Kit: Joey?!
Casia: Angelllllll!!!! You messed up the spell!
Angel: ::sheepishly:: Oops! Sorry about that, girls. You too, Joey.
Joey: No prob. Can I go back t' sleep now?
Casia: Would you mind doing the disclaimer? We'll get Kaiba bad next time, I promise.
Joey: Oh, fine. Da Trinity Girls don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. If dey did, dey'd have a big family cuz dey'd let all da characters live in deir house.
Casia: Thanks, Joey! ::Joey leaves:: There won't be any Kaiba-bashing in this, well, no more than the other characters get bashed. Except in the a/ns. This isn't really a humor story. Oh, and I'm using the Yugi-and-Yami- can-split-and-also-merge-together thingy so if it seems weird that they're in the same room at the same time, that's why.
Yugi Moto - Yugi Muto (Yugi's name should actually be spelt "Yuugi" but I hate having to typ those two "u's" so just imagine that there's an accent over the "u."
Tea Gardner - Anzu Mazaki
Tristan Taylor - Hiroto Honda (Hiroto is his FIRST name)
Joey Wheeler - Katsuya Jonouchi (Katsuya is his FIRST name)
Bakura Ryou - Ryou Bakura
Serenity Wheeler - Shizuka Jonouchi
Mai Valentine - Mai Kujaku
Weevil Underwood - Insector Haga
Rex Raptor - Dinosaur Ryuzaki
Mako Tsunami - Ryouta Kajiki
Solomon Moto - Sugoroku Mutou
Marik Ishtahl - Malik Ishtar
Isis Ishtahl - Isis Ishtar
Nikori Bakura - Ryou really does have an older sister (probably eighteen or something), but I don't know her name, so I'm calling her Nikori. She doesn't really have much of a part cuz I don't know much about her.
Warning: THIS IS YAMI/ANZU! IF YOU DON'T LIKE THAT COUPLE DON'T READ THIS! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
Legendary Warriors: Level One ~*~
Trial
Chapter One
Enter Yuusou Shinwa
Joshua had marches the Israelites around Jericho for a week. Then he had the priests blow trumpets and all the people shout, and just like that, the walls of Jericho shot straight down into the ground.
But it would take more than trumpets and yelling to break the walls Seto Kaiba had built between himself and Yugi Mutou.
Nonetheless, Seto knew he needed an expert's opinion on his latest invention, a Duel Monsters game called Yuusou Shinwa. It was a remarkable piece of work, built with shiny metal and painted black and purple, with its name written in yellow across the top. There was no screen, only a vizer hooked to the machine. You spent you adventure standing, and once you put the vizer on, you were transported into a world called "Yuusou Shinwa - Heroic Legend."
The object of the game was to defeat the main enemy, Makurayami, and rescue the queen of Yuusou Shinwa, whom he had kidnapped. Sometimes the queen would be wounded, or even killed, in that final, critical level, and then the player went on to the more dangerous Advanced Level. Seto had just finished the final level himself, and had beaten it with no problem. Then again, he knew the game's program backwards and forwards. He needed someone without the slightest clue about the game to give it a test run.
Which was why he was about to pick up the phone and dial his rival's number - to ask him to lend a hand.
There were four of these Yuusou Shinwa machines already constructed, so if any of Yugi's friends wanted a go at the game, they would have a chance. The game had actually been created so the players could work together as a team; each Yuusou Shinwa set had four vizers on each side, so multiple players could play at the same time with their friends. Undoubtably Yugi's friend Katsuya Jonouchi would be interested. Whoever else would join in was a mystery to Seto.
There was the dial tone. Three rings and finally Yugi picked up the phone.
"Moushi moushi! This is the Turtle Game Shop, how may I help you?" Yugi's voice sounded over the phone, sweet with courtesy and innocence.
"This is Seto Kaiba," Seto responded, not attempting to hide the resent in his voice.
Yugi missed the Seto's abruptness as he answered cheerily, "Ohayo, Kaiba-kun! How's it going?"
"It's going, going, gone, Yugi. Listen, I just finished my latest development in Duel Monsters technology. I need someone to come and take it for a test drive. Mokuba suggested asking you and the make inu to try."
"Really? That would be so cool! What do we do?"
"I'll explain everything once you get here. Ask Jonouchi if he wants to try. Two other people can play too, it's a four player game."
"OK! When should we be at your company?"
"Come by my lab at noon-time. And make sure Jonouchi eats before he comes, I'm not going to let him eat me out of house and home."
"All right, later! Mata aimashou!"
"Bye."
Kaiba hung up and sighed. This would be a long day.
"Who was that, aibou?" Yami asked as he jumped into the store from the den.
Yugi did a double take of his other half. Yami was hopping on one foot over to Yugi's side, balancing four boxes of assorted cards on his arms. Stifling a giggle, Yugi inquired, "Um, what are YOU doing, Yami?"
"I'm going to set up the new card display. I thought I'd do it in style."
"You're lying. You're just trying to see if you're as coordinated as you used to be."
Yami hopped over to the counter and let the boxes slide down his arms into a neat row on its face. He then got back on both feet and swung his arms back and forth. "Yep, these ancient reflexes have still got it."
Yugi laughed. Joining Yami in setting up the display, he said, "Kaiba just called. Now don't freak," he added, observing the way Yami immediately tensed up, "he wasn't challenging us to a duel or anything. He wanted to know if Jonouchi and I would try out his newest Duel Monsters invention. He said two other people could have a whack at it, too."
Yami frowned. "I don't know, Yugi..." he said skeptically. "This is Kaiba we're talking about. This is the guy who has never asked for our help before, why should he do it now?"
"He needs someone to see if it's ready for marketing."
"Why does he need us to do it? Why can't he ask Mai, or one of the people he used to have do it?"
"Mai's out-of-town and I don't even know who his other test-runners are," Yugi said defensively. "You're being too cynical. Kaiba would never try to trick us!"
Yami coughed with a "Yeah, right," sound. Yugi knew he was remembering their aventures prior to Duelist Kingdom, when Seto had been something of a cheater. And then, of course, there was the time he ripped up Yugi's grandfather's Blue Eyes White Dragon card and forced Yugi to duel him. But all that had happened in the past. Seto was almost a friend to them now, and as far as Yugi was concerned, that was proof enough that they could trust him.
Yugi looked at Yami with wide, pleading eyes. "Please, Yami? Don't you want to try out his game? I know I do, and it's not like we'll be alone, Jonouchi will come, and probably the others will too. Please, can we go?"
"But what if Jonouchi, Anzu, Honda, and Bakura can't make it?"
"I know Jonouchi and Honda can, they never have anything going on on Sundays. Bakura's at church right now, but he'll be home by noon and I bet he'll want to watch. Anzu I'm not sure about, but I think her dance class doesn't start until six at night, so she can most likely come, too."
Yami's heart melted at the sight of his aibou's cute, begging expression. His amethyst eyes traveled back to the cards he was sorting, but when Yugi persisted, he sighed and shook his head.
"Fine."
"Yes!" Yugi shouted, punching the air. "I knew you'd see it my way!"
Yami mentally kicked himself.
A couple hours later, Yugi met Katsuya Jonouchi and Hiroto Honda at their assigned meeting place, Domino City's Jugoru Park. Jonouchi was ready for action, and Honda was looking over Jonouchi's deck. Yami had retreated to his soul room, but Yugi could sense him laughing at the oblivious comments Honda was making about the cards.
Five minutes later, Anzu Mazaki sand Malik Ishtar stepped on to the grassy field, Anzu pulling a startled and pain-filled Ryou Bakura by the ear. Bakura was still in his church clothes: a blue plaid blouse, black pants, and shiny black shows, but you could tell he'd been running from the time church let out till now because of the leaves sticking to his white hair.
"Sorry we're late," Anzu said as she caught up with the boys. "I had to run an errand first." She nodded towards the whimpering Bakura, whose usually pale face was now bright red. Anzu let go of his ear and he stood up, embarrassed.
"We had to drag Ryou away from the church," Malik put in, sniggering. "He was all caught up in a 'conversation', so to speak, with a girl." He giggled harder.
Bakura turned even redder. "Her name is Sachiko Ichikaru, and she's just a friend! We were just talking!"
"And I'll bet you weren't talking about homework," Malik teased.
Bakura stuck out his lower lip, pouting. "Actually, we were talking about the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, and how racism was in effect even back then between the Jews and the Samaritans."
"... Right."
"Let's get to Kaiba's, guys," Yugi said with a laugh. "Malik, are you going to come along, too?"
Malik shrugged. "Someone's gotta keep an eye on Ryou-chan."
Bakura glared at him.
Kaiba's lab was right near his company building, which was a block or two away from Jugoru Park. Aprehension began to fill the kids' heart's as Jonouchi pressed the door bell and the gates began to open.
Mokuba was waiting for them right inside the building. His long black hair hung loosely over his shoulders, and his gray eyes sparkled happily.
"You're late," he said, pointing to the clock, which read 12:15.
"Sorry," Anzu said. "We had a bit of a problem getting all our members here. Certain people were too busy chatting about Jews and Samaritans at the church." She shot Bakura a Look.
"Oh, so that's why you're all dressed up," Mokuba observed with a nod of understanding, staring at Bakura's semi-formal garments. "Anyway, Seto's waiting for you in the lab. Oh, and don't mind his attitude, he got up on the wrong side of the bed..."
"If those other times we've hung out with Seto were his good days, then I don't wanna know what his bad days are like," Jonouchi muttered to Honda when Mokuba wasn't listening.
Yugi-tachi followed Mokuba through the building until they reached Seto's lab. The first thing they saw were the Yuusou Shinwa sets, all set up side-by-side, with enough space for a person to stand comfortably between themselves and the wall. The kids just gaped at the advanced dueling systems, and Yugi felt Yami give a little jump of excitement in his soul room.
They didn't see Seto right away, but then he was spotted sitting behind the glass window where the controls were. He gave an abrupt wave, and gestured for them to enter the control room. With Yugi leading, the six kids and Mokuba dashed to the CEO's current occupation.
Seto watched them come in, unsure if he really wanted to go through with this. Jonouchi gave him a smug grin, which Seto returned with a scowl. The group just stood in silence at first. Then Seto spoke.
"Well, I suppose Yugi's told you all why you're here," Seto sighed, straightening his trench coat. "Let me tell you a bit about the game."
And he launched into a brief but detailed explanation about the theory, purpose and design of the game, and when he'd finished the stunned kids gaped at him with looks of amaze on their otherwise blank faces.
He sighed again. "I can tell you didn't understand a word I just said."
They nodded as one.
"Well, let's get down to business then." Leading them into the room where the Yuusou Shinwa sets were standing, he turned the games on and picked up a vizer.
"This game is called 'Yuusou Shinwa - Heroic Legend.' There are four levels: Trial, Nemesis, Recovery, and Rebellion. The final level, Apocalypse, is the advanced level, but you don't need to worry about that. The object of the game is to rescue the queen who has been kidnapped by the evil Makurayami. Duel Monsters will attack at various times, on their own or in groups, so have your cards handy. This is not a child's game; do not take the life point count lightly. If you're not careful you'll lose all 2000 very quickly, and then it's game over for you. Not that you can get hurt or anything. It is, after all, just a game. The most important thing is that you have fun with it. There is no time limit. The rules are simple - just draw the card, and shout the name of the creature. Magic cards and Trap cards keep their usual effects, but if you act carelessly you might fall into a trap yourself, or Makurayami will use a Magic card against you. The amount of points deducted from your life points when you lose a duel works the same way as the game. No 'money' is needed - you pay for weapons and armor in another way, which you have to figure out. Any questions? Good. All right, who is going to try?"
"I sure am," Jonouchi announced immediately after Seto finished.
"Me too," Yugi nodded.
Honda, Bakura, Malik, and Anzu exchanged a glance. "Well, who else will go?" Honda inquired. "I don't really want to. I'm not that great of a duelist."
"I want to go," Anzu said, looking at Yugi. "It will be my first time in one of those 'soul-removal' video games. It looks like fun."
"I'll come too," Bakura added. Then, seeing the look on Malik's face, he said to his best friend, "I'll be fine, I promise. You don't have to worry."
"I don't care, I'll worry anyway," Malik retorted. "I want you somewhere where I can keep an eye on you."
"But you will be keeping an eye on me! I'll be right here, but my mind will just be in the game. Besides, I can take care of myself, you know. You don't need to be so over-protective."
"Call it what you like, I'll still feel much better when you're back," Malik clucked, mother hen-ish.
Bakura smiled and followed Yugi, Jonouchi, and Anzu up to one of the Yuusou Shinwa sets. All four slipped the vizers over their faces, and awaited the surge that would bring them into the virtual realm.
Honda and Malik joined Seto and Mokuba in the control room.
"On the count of three," Seto said. "One... two... three! We have power, we have lift off! Make sure to check that everything is working when you get there!" he shouted after them.
The smooth release of their minds from their bodies was amazing. Anzu felt like laughing and screaming at the same time, but in the vortex she found she couldn't do anything but think. She saw the boys flying along side her, each with blank, expressionless looks on their faces.
Suddenly there was a jolt in the vortex, and all the rainbow lights disappeared. The four duelists fell into the darkness, mentally screaming for help.
In the real world, Seto realized something was wrong. Everything had gone smoothly up until just then, when the lights had flicked off and on, and then a great yellow light filled the room. A voice can from seemingly nowhere, chanting in a foreign language, chilling the hearts of Seto-tachi.
"Wh-what is that?" Malik asked, trying his best to hide his fear.
"Is this part of the game, Kaiba?" Honda queried.
Seto fumbled with the controls. "No! This has never happened before! Who's out there? Who's speaking?"
"Look!" Mokuba exclaimed, pointing to a shadow in between two Yuusou Shinwa sets.
The figure slowly took on human form, revealing itself to be a man with thick blue hair and sharp green eyes. He looked almost fairy-like in appearance, if not for the evil blue glow radiating from him. A sword was sheated and hanging from his belt, and his pointy ears dripped with gems.
"You foolish mortals have no idea what you've gotten yourselves into," he cackled, darkness floating out from his mouth and drenching the room with its evilness. "For now, I, Kyudon, have disrupted the separation between reality and the virtual world, causing them to mix and create Yuusou Shinwa as a world of its own! Your rules are nothing now, Seto Kaiba - Yuusou Shinwa abides by the rules of life! And soon, your oblivious little friends will be at my mercy, and the Pharaoh and his powers will be mine at last."
The evil figure gave another malicious laugh, and then disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke.
Shocked, Seto, Honda, Malik, and Mokuba could only stand in silence at first. Then Mokuba gasped and pointed to the screen which was supposed to show Yugi's and the other's progress in the game.
"Look!" he exclaimed for the second time that day. "They made it to Yuusou Shinwa safely, but they're - they're unconsious!"
"That's not all," Seto muttered grimly, and Malik, Honda, and Mokuba looked at him in fear. "They were separated from each other. Each of them were transported to a different section of the first level."
"And what's the first level?" Honda inquired hesitantly.
Seto didn't speak at first. Then,
"Trial. I had hoped they'd be able to work together for this. It isn't easy, and requires team work."
Malik pounced on Seto before Honda and Mokuba had time to react to the CEO's statement. "If anything happens to Ryou, anything at all," Malik threatened, gripping Seto's shirt with an iron fist, "I will beat you so bad you'll wish you never heard the name Malik Ishtar."
"Calm down, Malik," Honda interrupted, removing Malik from Seto's shirt. "We'll just have to let them play it out for themselves. Have a little faith in your friends. That weird man - Kyudon or whatever - obviously wants them separated so he can get at Yugi. That's what he meant by 'the Pharaoh and his powers.' We'll just have to trust that they'll figure it out and meet up with each other before it's too late."
"That's comforting," Malik said sarcastically.
Honda looked Malik over carefully. His face was contorted into an expression of anger, but Honda knew it was only a mask to hide the fear he felt for Bakura. Honda opened his mouth and closed it a few times, choosing his words carefully.
"If you love someone, you have faith in them. You believe they can overcome whatever comes their way."
Malik looked surprised, then thoughtful as he thought it over. He didn't even hear the exasperated remark of Seto's that Honda was turning into another Anzu.
'If you love someone, you have faith in them,' Malik thought, repeated the phrase to himself. 'You believe they can over come whatever comes their way.' He frowned, and looked at the screen.
Malik's mouth dropped open. "Guys, guess what! They aren't all separated - Ryou and Jonouchi are still together!"
"Really?"
"Thank goodness!"
"At least two of them are together."
"See?" Honda grinned, punching Malik lightly on the shoulder. "Jonouchi's with Ryou! You don't need to worry after all."
Malik smiled. "But... what about Anzu and Yugi?"
Honda's face fell. He too glanced up at the screen, hazel eyes gleaming from its reflection.
"They'll... they'll be fine. I know it. I believe in them."
"All we can do is hope they can beat the game in four levels, and not get sent to the Advanced one," Seto said. "And maybe I can figure out a way to help them."
"I don't get it... are they trapped in there?" Mokuba asked, both confused and afraid.
"Yes... the person, Kyudon he called himself, he said he made Yuusou Shinwa its own world. My rules don't apply anymore, except that it's still a game and they have to beat each level in order to get back home. But they can't just press the STOP button and leave. But maybe I can put clues in their paths to help them beat the game quicker and easier."
Seto sat back down in his chair and began to type furiously. Honda, Malik, and Mokuba exchanged a glance, then gazed out to their friends who were now trapped in Yuusou Shinwa.
"Good luck, guys."
Kyudon laughed loudly, holding his crystal glass of wine away from his face. "Mission completed," he said with a smirk. "With my traps installed in their game, they'll never manage to beat it. And then I'll take that Pharaoh and his hikari for myself."
A small girl with long red hair and scarlet eyes gazed into the glass circle floating in front of her. Inside the globe was an image of a small boy with black and red hair and golden bangs just waking up in the middle of a desert.
"He really is lovely," she said in a cute little girl's voice which carried an air of mystery. She smoothed her maroon, velvet dress and fiddled with her green bow which was sitting below her white collar. "I would like to meet him."
"You, Reena? You're hardly eight," another voice spoke. This voice was deeper and very feminine. It belonged to a lady with long blonde hair held in place by a white circlet with an amber gem in the center. Her eyes were silver and she wore a long, white, sleeveless dress with matching dress heels. Her belt was silver with golden fastenings, and her sword's sheath was bronze. "You shouldn't be thinking about things like that just yet. I, however, would love to see those boys. It's been so long since we've had a male in this bleak land."
"What am I, chopped liver?" Kyudon murmured, meeting her silver gaze.
"I meant men outside of our clan. Why should I consider you a male? You're only my brother."
"Very well, Ameake, have it your way." Kyudon looked over to a third figure hiding in the shadows. "What about you, Miras? I am sure there is one who peaks your interest."
The third lady opened her eyes, revealing them to be a royal purple color. Her long, jet black hair framed her entire, well-built figure, and she wore a think black tank top and black Arabian pants. Gray, metal armor hung over her chest and shoulders and lined her wrists and ankles. A silver band encircled her head, with a sapphire glittering in its middle. Miras gracefully leapt to Kyudon's side and gave a thorny smile.
"I, interested in one of those mortals? They are curious creatures indeed, brother, but I am not one to be tempted be insignificant creatures such as they are." She swept a lock of black hair away from her face. "It will be my great pleasure to escort the Pharaoh to his chambers once our plan is completed, but other than that I have no desire to be near them."
Ameake shook her fair head. "You take the fun out of everything, Miras. Come and look, Kyudon, they brought a girl with them." She pointed with one long finger to the floating orb, now bearing a picture of a sleeping Anzu.
"What are you implying?" Kyudon said as he strode over to Ameake, briefly glancing at the girl in the orb. "You know my only wish is to make the Pharaoh mine so I may wield his power. I have no interest in females other than your beautiful self." He kissed his sister's pale cheek and lifted her face to look directly at his. "One day, when we have the magical powers of the Sennen Puzzle, I will rule all and you will be at my side as my queen. All shall look upon your beauty and cower in your name."
Reena looked from Kyudon and Ameake to Miras, who was hiding back in the darkness. She sighed and played with her red hair.
'Kyudon's always favored Ameake out of all the women in this clan,' she thought to herself. 'That's because she's so beautiful. He plays favorites with his sisters. Miras and I can never live up to Ameake. But maybe a visit from that girl in Yuusou Shinwa will turn things around. Maybe she can show Kyudon what women are like outside of our clan. And then, maybe, there will finally be a marriage ceremony in Mayoigo, and there will be an heir to continue the family.' She sighed. 'Until then I am trapped in this cage, trapped as the youngest heir to the Mayoigo clan, the one everyone is counting on to turn this around. No... that's not true. They are relying on Kyudon. Kyudon is doing everything in my name. But what say have I as to his methods? He is wiser than I. I have no choice but to trust him. As for my position...' She narrowed her eyes. 'When Kyudon snatches the Sennen Puzzle's power I will snatch it from him and use it to restore myself to queenhood.'
Satisfied, the small girl fixed her gaze on the orb, watching their victims wander Yuusou Shinwa, wondering what had happened.
Miras strayed out of the room where Kyudon and Ameake were musing over the future and stepped into a large hallway. She thought about how few people were left in the clan, and wondered if Kyudon's plan would really work. Would Reena try to sieze power when she was able? After all, Kyudon and Ameake would not make good rulers. Kyudon's head was full of wild ideas, and Ameake only cared about fun. Reena was too quiet and shy for even Miras to guess her thoughts. Some of the clan thought Miras was best suited to be queen, but she was quite content as Head of the Royal Mayoigo Military.
Laughter from Kyudon and Ameake could still be heard throughout Mayoigo. Suddenly firm in her decision, Miras broke into a gallop as she dashed off to the house of the rest of her family, where three other brothers and one sister abided.
She would ask for their advice. Her eldest brother, Quanan, was wise beyond his years. She would seak his counsel.
Anzu was sitting on a cloud, peacefully resting and waiting for something. She didn't know what, but she knew it would come. Duel Monsters flew all around her. Even the cloud she was sitting on was the product of a Maiden of the Moon.
Just then, the Mystical Elf came soaring towards her. She stepped upon Anzu's cloud and bowed low.
"I have a message for you, Lady Anzu," she said.
"Go on," Anzu said, still feeling relaxed and sleepy.
"I fear the news will not make you happy, but you will be encouraged. I have word from the Four Beasts. They tell you not to rest now, but fly quickly from this place. It is a danger to you. Cross the great Lake of Dreams and the perilous Meadow of Peace. Then you will come to the Warrior's Firewall. The only way to put out its flames is to sprinkle it with dust from the Valley of Death. Over the Firewall you will find Makurayami's castle, but do not be fooled by the appearance of the sorceror. His true identity you will discover very soon. In order to defeat Makurayami you must collect the Elemental Stones - Fire, Lightning, Water, and Wind. But be warned - each stone is protected by one of the Four Beasts. Keep together, Legendary Warriors, and use your heads. More importantly, never forget to use your heart."
Anzu was too tired to consider this warning. She leaned back on the cloud and smiled peacefully, stroking the Shining Friendship seated by her shoulder.
Then, all at once, the Mystical Elf, Shining Friendship, and everything else disappeared.
Anzu jolted awake, startled by the abrupt end to her dream. She looked around, and realized she was lying in a king-sized bed. The bed was covered with a blue quilt and light blue, silk sheets. The room she was in was very large, with gossamer curtains and ivory furniture. There were evel golden items scattered here and there.
Anzu took it in slowly. She wondered how she had gotten there. She was supposed to be in Seto's game - or maybe this was all a dream, too, and she'd soon wake up to find herself lying on the bench of her dance class room. She pinched herself, and the pain she felt confirmed that this was most definitely not a dream.
Maybe it had something to do with the first level of Yuusou Shinwa - Trial, Seto had said it was. He had made it seem like they were all going to be together at first, though, and Anzu didn't see Yugi, Jonouchi, or Bakura anywhere.
'Maybe they're in a different room," Anzu thought, slipping out of the bed. That was when she noticed she was no longer wearing her white tank top and navy skirt. She was now dressed in a blue, princely attire (a/n: think Revolutionary Girl Utena's dueling clothes) with golden shoulder pads and red lining. Her shorts were also red and golden tassels dangled from her white knee-socks. Even her black high tops had been replaced by light, comfortable blue shoes.
"I have to hand it to Kaiba, these outfits are pretty advanced," she said out loud to the room. "Guess I'd better see if I can't find Yugi and the others."
She walked over to the door and wrapped her fingers around the golden handle. It creaked as she opened it, and she peeked her head through the crack before stepping outside herself. The door led to a large mahogany hallway with many windows covered with scarlet satin curtains. Her shoes echoed slightly every time she took a step.
After wandering around for a bit, Anzu began to wonder if there was any other bedrooms in this place at all. All the rooms she had come across were only armories and empty space. Finally she gave up and leaned against a wall, frustrated.
Then she noticed a path she hadn't seen before. It was long and dark, and there wasn't even an echo when she began to walk through it. Curious, she waved her hands around for any objects in her path. Coming down further, she saw the outline of bars surrounding something... a picture... no, it was a statue...
"Milady! Milady! Please don't go down that way! Milady!"
Anzu whirled around with a gasp. A young man with long turquoise hair tied in a ponytail was beckoning to her from where she had started, obviously trying to get her to come back. Somwhat disappointed, Anzu about- faced and walked back his way.
"Don't you know anything about the castle?" the young man said sternly. "Everyone knows not to go down that corridor."
"What's down there?" Anzu asked as she came up to him.
"No one really knows except for the members of the Council. But everyone knows that hall is off limits to anyoneb but the Council. What were you thinking?"
"I - I don't know... I'm sorry," Anzu said apologetically. She ran her fingers through her short brown hair, considering her options. Finally she said, "Who are you?"
"Me? I'm Shiro," the young man answered. "Who are you?"
"Anzu," Anzu answered. "It's nice to meet you, Shiro."
She stopped talking as she saw the look on his face. It seemed as if something had dawned on him all at once, and he pointed recklessly to her chest. Blushing, Anzu's hands flew up protectively, and her fingers brushed something cold. She looked down and saw a golden medal pinned to her uniform with strange markings emblazoned on it.
"My Lady Anzu!" Shiro exclaimed, astonished. "You wear the Royal Seal! You are -"
"Listen, I swear I don't know a clue how it got there," Anzu said hurriedly, suddenly frantic. "I just woke up in this room and was dressed like this, I don't know how it happened -"
Shiro looked at her curiously. "Of course you do," he laughed. "Stop these games, Lady Anzu. We've been looking all over for you! It's time for your corination!"
"My - what? What are you talking about?" Anzu cried as he grabbed her hand and began running with her down a different path.
"Your corination! Today is the day you are to be made queen!" Shiro explained.
"I'm WHAT? No, wait! You've got the wrong girl! I'm not your queen, my name is Anzu! Anzu Mazaki! Where are you taking me?"
"To the court! That's where Hendran will crown you! Follow me, Lady Anzu!"
"But I'm not -"
Shiro wouldn't listen. He began to rum faster, and Anzu really had to work to keep up. Soon they came to large stone doors, where Shiro stopped running and turned to Anzu.
"You look beautiful, milady," he said, brushing what might have been dust off her shoulders. "Stand up straight now, and smile. Hendran, the Prime Minister, will be waiting.
Anzu shook her head vigorously. "You don't understand! My name is Anzu, and I'm from Earth! I'm not your queen!"
But Shiro didn't seem to hear her. He looked her over one more time, nodded, and then shoved her through the titanic doors. Before she realized what was happening, Anzu was forced into a huge assembly hall were thousands of well-dressed upper-class noblemen and ladies were gathered. She was standing on a platform admist many lights and much noise, blinking and trying to regain her balance. All at once the entire auditorium burst into applause, and Anzu tried to stand up straight and look dignified.
"Welcome, welcome, Lady Anzu!" a strange white-haired man said as he rushed toward her, arms outstretched. He was dressed in blue and white robes and had an old, worn book lying in a sling on his back. A golden staff encrusted with precious gems rested where he had previously been standing.
Anzu's mouth dropped open at first. The voice, was different, but this man looked just like Bakura! Could Bakura have been mistaken for this man the way Shiro had thought she was the queen?
The Bakure look-alike was speaking again. "It is so good to have you home, my queen," he said in an uppity tone of voice. "I am Hendran, your Prime Minister and Royal Wizard of Merit. I see you recognize me. That is good, very good. Now, shall we begin the ceremony?"
"What ceremony? Baku -"
Hendran gestured for Anzu to follow him towards the center of the platform. Anzu hesitantly followed.
"People of Ba-charu Kusari, our queen has at last returned to stop the evil threatening to destroy us! She has returned from afar with news from the gods - Kasei the Fire God, Rakurai the Lightning God, Seisui the Water God, and Soyokaze the Wind God. Today we crown this blessed sending from the gods and honor her as our queen!"
Cheers burst from the audience as Hendran finished speaking. Anzu smiled nervously and gave a small wave. What was going on?
Hendran was now waving his long staff about his head in circular motions. It began to glow icy blue, and bluish-white sparks shot out from its gems. There was a flash of light, and then a beautiful crown appeared, floating in mid air. It was golden with brilliant sapphires decorating it. Four of the sapphires were larger than the others and bore a symbol of each of the four Ba-charun gods. Hendran lowered the crown to his level, and he gently removed its suspension in the air. He then walked over to Anzu and told her to kneel. Feeling very silly and confused, Anzu obliged.
"The gods have made their wish clear," Hendran said in a loud, booming voice. "All hail Queen Anzuraeko!"
He place the crown on Anzu's head and motioned for her to stand up. As she did, the whole auditorium burst into more applause and cheers of "All hail Queen Anzurako! Long live Queen Anzuraeko!"
Anzu looked around the grand hall in dismay. She took a deep breath.
"It's all part of the game," she told herself, "it's all one twisted, crazy game..."
Casia: Well, that's it for the first chap! PLEEEEEEAAAAASSSSEEEE say ya did! But I won't be mad if ya don't... *sniffles* I'll do a glossary of jap words next chap cuz I'm busy w/ other stuff right now. R/R!!!