Yugi began his test by reawakening beneath a Poppy tree in a vast meadow. He sat up to survey his surroundings. A soft breeze swept over the green grass. Above was a beautiful clear sky. The sky had not a single stray cloud. The sun was bright and beaming but the temperature was comfortable. Yugi stood up, sighed, and glanced around. As he guessed, there was no sign of Tea or the others. What he did see was a woman, not much older than him, being chased by three green ogre-like creatures. The creatures were carrying axes and clubs as they pursued the young woman. Without any real thought, Yugi pulled a monster card from the top of his deck and summoned it right there in the meadow blocking the three ogre's path. Thinking on it later he couldn't recall why he even had his deck. The monster was a Red-Eyes Black Dragon. The powerful beast spat a stream of fiery red flames that further obstructed the ogre's advance. The young lady stared at the dragon half bewildered and half cheerful. Yugi rushed to her side.
"Are you okay?"
"You saved me! Thank you," The ogres grunted angrily at Yugi and the woman.
"Why are you guys chasing her?" Yugi responded.
"What difference does it make to you? You are not a familiar of this place. What we do is our business,"
"It looks like you're trying to hurt this lady and I can't let you do that no matter the reason,"
"You are very bold for such a small creature," one of the ogres taunted. The Red-Eyes roared back. The ogres responded by backing away very quickly. "This is not over Cromwell. You won't always have a bodyguard to save you,"
The ogres turned and ran the direction they came. The Red-Eyes Black Dragon exclaimed a final shrill roar before vanishing back into the card from where it came. Yugi offered a hand to Ms. Cromwell and helped her up off the ground.
"Thank you so very much. I don't know how I will ever be able to repay your kindness,"
"Well, I don't need much, but I would like to know where we are," Yugi chuckled as he took a look around, confirming for himself he had no idea where he was.
"We are in the Ronsin Fields outside Endren,"
A carriage drawn by two horses approached them very quickly. It was escorted on all four sides by heavily armored horses ridden by knights in red and blue armor. The carriage and convoy made its way to the young lady. The knight on the lead horse turned a serious face toward Yugi. He raised his lance to Yugi's head. Two of the other knights positioned themselves in front the lady obstructing her and Yugi.
"Lower your weapon Beowulf. This kind young man saved my life," The knight lowered his lance. The woman walked to Yugi and held onto his arm. "You must forgive me, I haven't even told you my name yet. That is incredibly rude of me,"
"You don't have to apologize, I haven't told you my name either,"
"You're so modest. Did you not think I would recognize someone as famous as yourself?"
"Me, famous? I believe you have me mistaken for someone else," he stated, certain she was mistaking him for Yami. The lady gently tugged on Yugi's arm. They walked to the carriage, after which the knights resumed their positions around the carriage.
"I know I am not mistaken. You are most definitely Yugi of the Rosencraft. You are going to one day be Pharaoh. That is not exactly something people forget. When Yami chooses to step down, you will be crowned Pharaoh. I'm sure you will do a magnificent job with your skill and intellect,"
"Thank you very much, but I'm not all that important. May I ask you your name, now that is clear you know who I am?"
"Of course. I am sorry. My name is Rebecca Cromwell,"
"Are we off to the palace you highness?" the driver asked.
"Yes Lucan,"
"Your highness?" Yugi questioned aloud what he was thinking.
"Oh right! I am so absent minded. I am the queen of Endren," A man stepped out of the carriage, knelt down on one knee and bowed his head to Rebecca. With his head bowed, he spoke to her.
"Your highness, Queen Rebecca, it is of by grace you are safe. A thousand pardons for the ordeal you suffered. The ambush was something I should have expected. I can only see it luck that you were not injured,"
"If it is luck that has kept me safe Arthur, then it must have planned my peril so as to bless our presence by having here with us as illustrious a figure as Prince Yugi of the Rosencraft, future Pharaoh of the Shadows,"
The one named Arthur raised his head with a look of horrified disbelief. He starred wide-eyed at Yugi as if expecting all of time to end if he did otherwise. He soon enough regained his composure.
"In all my days, I have never dreamt that I would ever get the chance to meet the great Yugi,"
"Yes, indeed we are truly lucky. Yugi, this is Arthur. He is head of my Ministry of Defense. Come on Yugi. Ride with me to my palace. We can talk some more,"
Rebecca's excitement had not yet waned in the least. She nearly dragged Yugi into the carriage, sat him on her left. The Minister of Defense Chief sat directly across from them, backing the driver of the carriage, Lucan. They immediately took off at a moderate speed.
Rebecca was a little taller than Yugi. She had short, black hair and wore a light tan dress. She held Yugi's arm as though she were afraid to break it, but afraid he would disappear if she let it go.
"I am very thankful to meet you. Your timing is so amazing," she swooned.
"So, are you really the Queen here?" Yugi asked, trying to change the subject he could feel rising up.
"Actually, I'm not queen yet. I do think that I will be soon, that is why those ogres were chasing me,"
"They didn't want you to take the throne? They want to rule instead of you?"
"It's more a case of wanting revenge. I am still only a princess. My parents are… or were… king and queen. They died not too long ago,"
"I'm sorry,"
"Don't be, there is nothing you could have done. I know that you had to deal with your parent's death but you moved forward. You lived on to do what your parents wanted – to live your life in happiness," Yugi smiled at her kind words.
"I would like to do whatever I can to help you," Yugi offered.
"Do you really mean it?" Rebecca questioned, eyes beaming with light.
"Well, sure," he replied, thinking he probably shouldn't have said something like that.
"That's fantastic!"
"Should I make any preparations once we reach the castle your majesty?"
"Yes Arthur, make sure the coronation is prepared,"
"May I ask what is happening?" Yugi asked, referring to the incident from before.
"The ogres were trying to stop me during the power vacuum and take revenge against me. My father banished the ogre clan to the mountains long ago because they tried to take control over everything. Now you are here and I can take the throne. The sooner I do, the sooner this impending crisis can be averted,"
"I doubt they know enough about me to just turn away,"
"That doesn't matter. If my coronation takes place, they will give up. I cannot use the full diplomatic and defensive strength of the kingdom until I am queen and that power has always kept them away. I also believe that then I can use my position to work out an agreement,"
"Then what do you need me for?"
"Princess Rebecca, we have arrived at the palace. Will you be needing your carriage for the procession in the morning?"
"Unless my sweetie has other ideas," Rebecca looked deeply into Yugi's eyes. He backed away a little confused and a lot uncomfortable. Arthur opened the carriage door and stepped out.
"Your majesty, I will go and prepare the announcement and arrange for the guests to be brought in by morning,"
"Yugi, where are the other members of the Rosencraft, they would want to be here for this,"
"I tried to tell you earlier, I don't know where they are. We were on a journey and were then separated somehow. I have to find them. We have to save the universe form Lynette,"
"We will do everything we can to help you, sweetie. I am sure they would like to be here for such a big day. Do not worry about it. You should get a good rest tonight. Arthur, escort my sweetie inside and have Michelle prepare a room for him,"
"As you wish your highness. This way, if you please, Lord Yugi,"
"Wait a second…"
"Oh, don't worry, I'll see you soon, sweetie," Rebecca waved enthusiastically as Yugi was practically dragged to the castle.
The castle was like a pearly shell. The structure rose from the ground like a spiraling conch. The surface of the building had a smooth shine that reflected a mellow rainbow of colors. The inside was clad with white marble. The wall was lined with electric torches every couple of yards.
Just beyond the entrance way stood several men and women. In front of them was a woman with very long, blonde, hair and bright blue eyes. She bowed – and the others followed suit – once Arthur entered.
"Good afternoon Sir Arthur. Might I inquire the whereabouts of our majesty and as to who is by your side?"
"Good afternoon Ms. Michelle. Princess Rebecca is awaiting the coronation organizer in the courtyard,"
"We are to still have the coronation? That is wonderful news! How exciting!"
"That is only part of the news. This here is none other than the future King of our kingdom and Pharaoh, Yugi Rosencraft," Michelle quickly raised her hands to her mouth to prevent a scream from escaping through her lips. The ones standing behind her went down to one knee and bowed their heads to Yugi. Michelle lowered her hands and bowed.
"We are not worthy of such a remarkable gift as your presence,"
"Now, now, there is no need for that. Really," Yugi urged, caught aback by how much adulation they were piling on him.
"It is amazing that one as powerful as yourself can be so modest," Michelle marveled, her smile saying she was about to fall in love too. Rebecca walked in followed and questioned by three individuals.
"Yugi, I'm glad I caught you before you got too far. Do you think the flowers should be red, yellow, or blue?"
"I don't know. My favorite color has always been blue," he answered a bit flustered that she would ask him about that.
"That's fantastic. Alright then, I'll see you later, sweetie," She went down the right wing of the hall still followed by the three individuals.
"Lord Yugi, Ms. Michelle will show you to your quarters. I must be off to ensure that safety for you and the Queen is at its highest. Then I must do my best to locate your friends,"
"Thank you very much, Arthur. Wait, what do you mean "You and the Queen"?" Arthur was already out of earshot before Yugi could pose his question.
Michelle and her group escorted Yugi down the left wing of the hall, up a set of winding stairs and to a lavish bedroom with reds, blues and gold everywhere. Michelle was happily bouncing around at Yugi's presence.
"Lord Yugi, I can't tell you how happy I am to meet you. It is an amazing joy I cannot hope to explain to you,"
"I'm not that special. You don't have to treat me any better than anyone else," he shyly asked.
"I could never bring myself to not try my hardest to make you and your Queen to be as happy and comfortable as I possibly could,"
"What do you mean my Queen?" he asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.
"Oh, you're so bashful. Rebecca of course. Why do you think we have become so excited?" Arthur had returned and entered the room.
"My Lord Yugi, I apologize for disturbing you as you settle yourself, but there are a few things I must discuss with you. Could you excuse us for a moment Michelle?"
"Of course. I shall return with a meal for you, Lord Yugi," She exited the room full of giggles. Yugi appeared dazed as he tried to grasp this rash of events.
"Lord Yugi, I am glad to report that we have been able to contact your friends. They are fine and were pleased to hear you were okay. We have yet to determine how it has occurred, but an extreme distance separated you all. Noa expects that, at full speed, they cannot reach here for at least two Shadow Realm days, but they will try to reach you sooner. They also report that they have lost Lynette and that the test seems to have ended. I am sorry to say that I know nothing on the test they referred to and they did not elaborate any further. I told them of your part in the ceremony tomorrow. All were somewhat shocked but Yami, Noa and Sisi offered their congratulations. Rini, Runa, and Lafiel objected very angrily. Tea and Kenshin passed out – Kenshin after Runa strangled him – so May and Anzu were assisting them. The transmission ended with Anzu promising to reach here as soon as possible.
"As for tomorrow's ceremony, the queen has requested that you approve and provide for a dragon escort as a favor. She expresses that she will understand if you refuse her request but adds that she hopes you will at least humor her by wearing the cape she has chosen for you,"
"What exactly is my role in the ceremony?" Yugi asked, sure he needed to get that cleared up first and foremost.
"Rebecca drafted a quick letter. I believe it should explain. I must return to my duties, but feel free to summon anyone on the staff here for any reason at all,"
He handed the note to Yugi, bowed, and walked out. With a million unanswered questions still running through his head, Yugi unfolded the note and began reading.
"To my sweetie Yugi,
I hope you find the room acceptable. I am sure the staff will do everything in their power to make you comfortable. Both Michelle and Arthur have probably already told you that you can call them if you discover a need for anything.
I am so glad you have agreed. I would not have been able to hold the ceremony tomorrow, or maybe ever, if you had not come to me. I will finally be able to protect my people and it is all thanks to you. I know we will make a great king and queen of Endren Kingdom. I am so thrilled that you have chosen me to be at your side when you one day ascend to the throne of Pharaoh.
I will see you very soon sweetie. Please rest a while and recover your strength, a great day lies ahead.
- Yours dearly and faithfully,
Rebecca"
Yugi was stunned at this perhaps too familiar of situations. He had held some sneaking suspicion that such was the case but wasn't sure he would survive another unscrupulous psuedo relationship that he had no apparent say in. He knew Lafiel, Runa and Rini would be highly upset for this even being suggested – unbelievably infuriated if this marriage were to actually take place. Then there was Tea… and lastly was the unpredictability of Lynette and Trinity. It was literally impossible to tell whether their actions were truthfully heart felt or just intended to try to torment him. If they were true feelings of love then neither Trinity nor Lynette would hesitate to kill Rebecca if it meant they had no competition.
While he was in his own thoughts, Michelle returned with a tray laden in food. Yugi graciously accepted the meal, the first thing he had eaten in some time. Michelle left the young prince to his meal. He decided he would talk to Rebecca after his meal but found himself very tired. He drifted off to sleep as he was thumbing through his duel deck. No less than four hours later, he awoke again. He was hopeful initially, that he had been having a bad dream. He realized soon enough that he had not been dreaming. His deck had been placed neatly on the table beside his seat. A long, solid black cape was serving as a blanket. It was very soft and very shinny.
Yugi stood up, put on the cape and picked up his deck. He looked at his deck. The top card was a surprise to him. It had been a long time since the last he had a look at that card. It was quite possible that this creature could have defeated Runa's Saint Beast. Rebecca probably saw it and wanted him to summon it tomorrow; probably not the very best idea. It was a very confusing notion to imagine that in the morning he could be attending his own wedding and his own funeral that evening; and if the dragon didn't kill them all, Rini, Lafiel, and Runa might once they got to him.
He slipped the deck into his pocket and walked to the window. As he pulled back the drapes to see the outside world. He was pleased to face the glow of the moon just above the horizon. Some thin clouds wandered across the moonlit sky. Through the otherwise clear night, a multitude of stars danced about with careless ambiguity. Yugi felt a sudden concern fall over him. It was as though something that was not right washed over everything. He turned from the window and walked out the room. By his door sat a member of the palace staff. He was hoping they were asleep but was not so lucky.
"Good evening my lord. Is there something you require?"
"No, not really. I just thought I'd take in the night,"
"Would you like an escort your majesty?"
"I think I'll be fine; I'm just going to walk around the courtyard,"
"You're looking for Rebecca aren't you?"
"Not in particular," he answered, though the question made him think about it now.
"You don't lie very well. That is very cute. She is probably in the back of the palace by the fountain. She enjoys spending time there,"
"Thank you,"
"It is a pleasure to serve you my lordship,"
Yugi went on ahead. In truth, he really wasn't looking for Rebecca in particular. He really was just going to explore the area of the courtyard a bit. As for finding anyone, he was hoping to find someone that wasn't directly connected to the princess or her palace staff; an ordinary person that could tell him something about what this place was about before he went to talk to his bride to be. At any rate, he would have to talk to Rebecca and straighten things out before morning. How was another matter. He was by himself in a world he knew nothing about. If he was not careful with what he said, she could turn every person in that palace against him. He didn't know if he could risk hurting innocent people that were loyal to their queen. As far as powers, she didn't appear to posses any skills of the Craft or she would have used them against those creatures that were chasing her.
The more Yugi thought about things as he walked outside, the more suspicious things seemed. There was a little too much coincidence. He just happened to arrive here in time to save her from three attackers; her cavalry arrived just as soon as the danger had passed, it was only a short time after the king and queen had died. Their daughter, the only heir to the throne, had to get married before she could assume full control of the government even though the kingdom was under the threat of attack from an aggressor. It all just seemed too strange.
It was at this thought he realized he was looking at a fountain, the fountain behind the palace. He could not remember coming this way at all. It was as though he were under a spell that had guided him here. There was someone by the fountain looking up to the sky, but she didn't look like Rebecca. Yugi thought it luck that it was not her and approached. She must have heard him because she turned and smiled at him.
"Good evening, Yugi,"
"Good evening. I'm sorry but, have we met before?"
"Yugi! I'm hurt. How could you not recognize your fiancée?'
"Huh?"
"Remember? Tomorrow? This is a very mean joke, Yugi,"
"Rebecca? You look very different from before,"
"I've only changed my dress. Are you feeling okay sweetie?"
"I'm not sure," he answered, honestly thinking there was some mistake here.
"Maybe we should just get you inside,"
"I'm sure I'll be fine. I just need to talk to you about tomorrow," he said, putting aside his confusion.
"Oh, wonderful. I see that you have the cape I left for you. How about your deck, did you see the dragon I wanted you to summon for the ceremony tomorrow; the Blue-Eyes Red Serpent Night Dragon looks marvelous. Isn't it the same dragon that Yami has as a pet?" she excitedly rattled on.
"Yes it is. His is still very young. But…"
"It would be wonderful to have one as a pet. Do you think we could get one too?"
"I really don't…"
"I heard that you and Kenshin gave a dragon to his sister as a gift. That was very sweet of you,"
"I suppose, but I don't think it is safe to summon one. I also don't think we should have this ceremony tomorrow," he finally blurted out.
"How come?"
"I don't think we should get married. I'm sorry, but we don't even really know each other, we only met this afternoon,"
"Oh, okay. I understand perfectly," she said with surprisingly little signs of sadness or anger.
"You do?" Yugi sighed with relief. "That's great. I'm glad you do,"
"You should get some sleep. I'll walk you back to your room,"
"Alright,"
She walked with Yugi back inside the palace. They talked a little, mostly Yugi answering her questions about what the Earth and Shadow Realm were like. Even though they only talked for a few minutes, Yugi found her to be entertaining. She seemed a lot like Tea and Anzu. He tried to remember what Rebecca looked like to him earlier but the image just would not come. The image of her he saw now replaced all of those from before. That wasn't all that made him uneasy. Despite being charmed by her, Rebecca's presence alone made him concerned. Even when he was in his room, it was as though she were exuding an evil aura that he couldn't quite detect well enough to say that it was there for sure. It was giving him the creeps. The fact that she so calmly accepted his denouncing of the planned wedding was only an addition to the strangeness, but at least that part was over. All he had to do now was wait for Tea and the others.
Rebecca wished him good night and left him to sleep. He didn't remember feeling very sleepy a moment ago. He thought about how he would spend the next day or so waiting for the others and came to the conclusion that most of it would be spent answering questions from Rebecca to humor her seemingly endless interest in him. That wouldn't be absolutely horrible. She was fun to talk to, despite the creepy feeling around her. These were the thoughts that populated his mind as he fell asleep.
Morning was worse than night. He discovered a note waiting for him with his breakfast. It was, of course, from Rebecca. It now seemed that one of her favorite things to do was greet him with letters. But were it just a letter saying hello, there would be no problem. But this was much worse than a simple hello.
"Dear Yugi,
How are you this morning? I can't wait for our wedding today. I do hope that you are over your jitters from last night. I understand how you could be nervous about starting a new life tied down to one woman. I kind of felt the same way about being tied to one man. I think that now you have had a full night's rest and a good breakfast, you will feel better about everything.
By the way, I have picked the most wonderful spot for our honeymoon. It is a gem of a planet not too far outside the Earth's galaxy. It has two moons and you can always see at least one of them. It's very beautiful.
About the ceremony, I know that you were concerned about summoning the Blue-Eyes Red Serpent Night Dragon, so maybe you can summon Slifer the Shadow Dragon instead. I still hope that we can have a Night Dragon as a pet.
The procession and parade to the cathedral, where the ceremony will be held, starts at ten o'clock. I have asked Arthur to take you to the starting point at nine so that you have time to settle yourself. I will be there with you, of course. Everything is going to go great! See you very soon sweetie!
- Your blushing bride,
And soon to be wife,
Rebecca"Yugi couldn't believe it. He was sure that everything had ended. Somehow, Rebecca just didn't seem to understand that a marriage just wasn't going to work. Something was definitely weird. What was stranger was that he was now sure he had two images of Rebecca in his mind, both very fuzzy. For whatever reason, Rebecca did not seem to hold a firm image in his mind. She had become like the person you see in passing on the street, the day after, maybe a minute afterwards, you can't even definitively be sure how tall they were. No matter how many Rebecca's there were, he had to straighten things out this minute.
As Yugi moved to the door, Arthur was knocking. Yugi asked Arthur to take him to Rebecca as soon as possible and he responded immediately. They traveled by a similar carriage to that which he arrived in. It was a little odd. There were cars, busses, and trains, but horse drawn carriage seemed to be the method of travel for the royalty and their esteemed close relations.
The cathedral was nearly as large as the palace itself. There were countless windows and arches soaring up around the entire structure. What seemed like hundreds of steps ran at a fairly flat angle up to the entrance. The tall archway doors were of metal but wooden finished. The stairs were lined with soldiers carrying swords. They held them up to create what was like a steel canopy under which Yugi walked.
The inside was exquisitely designed for the ceremony. There were bouquets of blue flowers everywhere. Sunlight bathed the room as it poured through the panes of glass in the windows and reflected off the intricately polished benches on either side of the red carpet rolled down the center aisle. At the front of the room stood a young woman. Yugi did not recognize the woman at all but was sure he knew who they would claim themselves to be. Before he could reach her to say anything, she turned to face him, a normal yet somehow malevolent smile on her face.
"Hello Yugi. I am glad you are here early. I'm so happy to be having this wedding,"
"Are you Rebecca?"
"Why, of course I am. Who do you think I am?"
"I don't know who you are," he said sternly.
"Are you feeling okay sweetie?" she asked, tilting her head to the side with a look of confusion.
"This wedding can't happen. It isn't right,"
"Oh, I know you're nervous sweetie. You wanted your friends to be here for your big day, so naturally not having people who have been such a large part of your life be present for another major juncture can place second thoughts in your mind about going through with it. I have a surprise for you though. Turn around," Skeptical about what was going on now, Yugi turned around to see the Rosencraft in the doorway.
"Hey Yugi!" Tea shouted down the aisle.
"Congratulations, Yugi." Yami added.
"Hey guys. I thought that you wouldn't be here for a few more days," Yugi asked, honestly stunned to see them.
"When Rebecca told us that she knew you would want us here, we decided to go ahead and leave Lynette for a little while. We'll have to do some catching up later, but that's okay," Noa answered nonchalantly.
"And you're okay with this?" Yugi turned his attention to Lafiel, Rini, and Runa.
"Of course, Yugi. We're happy for you and Rebecca," Yugi heard Runa's response and then looked at Tea. He then turned to Rebecca.
"I've had enough of this. Who are you?"
"What do you mean Yugi? I'm Rebecca, your bride,"
"These aren't my friends. After all the arguments Runa, Lafiel, and Rini have been in, they wouldn't let someone they didn't know get in their way just like that. I know Tea better than anyone and she would have something to say about this as well. As to whether or not you're name is Rebecca, I don't know, because I am sure that you are the third 'Rebecca' that I've met,"
"Why are you being so cruel, Yugi?" she asked, seemingly ready to cry.
"I'm going to see if I can't find my own way out of here," Yugi declared, turning to leave.
"I think this plan failed, Rebecca," The Rebecca he had saved entered the room through a door behind the stage area.
"It's you!" Yugi was stunned. He knew there was more than one of them, but verifying it was still a surprise.
"Then we should return to my original plan,"
"Maybe you're right," It was the Rebecca he saw last night at the fountain.
"That's too bad. Imagine how simple it would have been to rule the universe if he were on our side,"
"I must say that watching him squirm, he looked a little cute," Rebecca number two snickered.
"You know, you are the first one to ever escape our spell. You're going to have to die," Rebecca number three commented happily.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Like I said, my sisters and I are going to rule the universe. If you had remained under our spell, you would have been eternally bound to us in only a little while longer. You could have been with us as we ruled for all of eternity. But now, since you refuse to cooperate, we will have to destroy you and absorb your power,"
"What makes you think that I would allow something like that to happen?"
"Oh please. We didn't lie when we said that we knew you well. You don't fight. You and your friends are peaceful, but they're more willing to fight than you,"
"You underestimate me,"
"And you bluff horribly. You are far too kind to lie like that,"
"Who said that I was lying?"
"Then let's just see,"
Rebecca number three pulled out two katana. She moved as fast, if not faster, than Kenshin. Yugi was barely able to dodge the sword attack. Rebecca number two responded with an energy attack. Yugi managed to deflect that attack as well but was knocked off balance. Rebecca number one took the opportunity to strike with another energy blast. This time, Yugi was unable to avoid the blast and was sent flailing several feet.
"This is no fun," Rebecca number three chided.
"Then let's try something different,"
Rebecca number two held up a single card. Yugi was already getting back on his feet without much trouble. What concerned him most weren't their attacks but what card they held; a particularly devastating one if they were serious about using it.
"No. You can't control that card. It is very dangerous for you to try and use that card,"
"I would have to say that I disagree. If you can control the power of Slifer the Shadow Dragon, then we should have no problem at all," Rebecca laughed mockingly at Yugi's warning.
"I'm warning you. The power of Slifer is not something to be taken lightly. If you wrongly summon it, Slifer will rampage uncontrollably. You all could be killed!"
"Not likely," The card in Rebecca number two's hand glowed with a white light. "We summon the almighty Saint Dragon of Osiris, Slifer the Shadow Dragon,"
The sky was shrouded in darkness. Energy seared with vengeance from the dark sky. The Saint Dragon of Osiris appeared in a fiery blaze. The windows in the building exploded outwards around them. Its roar made the air tremble as if in fear. It stared upon those before it as if unable to find a familiar face.
"Come to us, Slifer," Rebecca number three commanded.
But the great beast of the sky did not obey. It raised its head and body, crashing through the roof of the building. It roared once more, blowing debris everywhere. It's first set of jaws dropped for the release of its devastating attack. It blasted away the wall of the cathedral and the building across the street. It had nearly wiped out the three Rebeccas.
The dragon sustained another blast, this creating a trench cutting a street in half. Rebecca called to the dragon to no avail. It strafed a long line catching all three Rebecca's in its blast. A fourth blast tore through over a dozen more buildings. Half of the city was set ablaze now. Slifer was out of control. It was a task just for Yugi to avoid the rampaging engine of destruction. He finally made it to a relatively safe spot. The Shadow Pyramid began to shine. Slifer responded by ceasing its attacks. It searched for Yugi through the flames and smoke of its destruction. Unable to make an initial discovery, the dragon resorted to total annihilation instead.
Slifer strafed another blast that would have struck Yugi not for the Shadow Pyramid. Yugi did not know what to do. His deck began to glow crimson. He pulled the top card, a different beast to the one currently rampaging. Yugi stared at the card, debating if he should use it. Slifer's last attack blew right by Yugi. He quickly realized he had no choice but to use the card. It might be dangerous but there was nothing left for him to do.
He drew the card, his real Slifer the Shadow Dragon, and began to call the spell;
"Great Dragon of the Shadow Sky,
Please hear my respectful cry.
Transform thyself in Crimson light,
And bring me an end to this fight.
Ensnare my enemy within your coil,
The air itself beginning to boil.
Unlock your powers as they were once before,
Sealed behind the Chaos Door.
Appear through the flame
As I call your name;
Crimson Slifer the Shadow Dragon."
The card glowed red. From the raging fields of flames a set of red wins of energy reached into the sky, joined by a serpent of red energy. It assumed a solid form, a Slifer the Shadow Dragon of a darker red than the normal Slifer. Its beckon halted the incessant attacks of the late Rebecca's Slifer.
"It's nothing but a false creation," Yugi said. His summoned Slifer seemed to agree as it bellowed, steam rising from its terrifying jaws.
"It is not the Saint Beast it pretends to be, nor is it a Shadow Duel creature," Yugi continued. "It is an evil engine of destruction that must be destroyed. Saint Dragon of Osiris, Slifer the Shadow Dragon Crimson, attack!"
Shadow Dragon Crimson let loose a tremendous roar. It manifested an orb of energy around itself and Yugi. The dragon flew into the air, its master safe behind its shield. The false dragon expelled a marveling blast only for it to be dwarfed by the crimson Slifer. The blast from Yugi's creature engulfed the imitation's blast and the beast itself.
Blackened, charcoaled remnants fell to the ground. Its mission completed, Crimson Slifer the Shadow Dragon vanished again, back to the card in Yugi's deck. Yugi dropped to his knees exhausted from the energy he used bringing the great beast to this world.
Yugi was about to fall when someone caught him. He didn't realize it at first. The person sat him up straight. Yugi looked up and thought he saw Tea. He saw that it wasn't Tea though. The woman had dark orange hair, a little longer than Tea's. Though he couldn't sense this woman's energy signal, he was sure that she had naturally red eyes, and that they were not a result of a transformation.
"Hello Yugi. My name is Keiren. You used up quite a bit of energy to stop that imitation Slifer the Shadow Dragon. Why don't I take you back to your ship so you can rest?"
"How do I know that you are who you say you are? How do I know that I can trust you?"
"Only you can decide that,"
"Well," he said after a moment's thought. "I made it through that ordeal with the Rebecca's, I think I can manage one more,"
"Alright. Come with me. I promise that I will not put you through any ordeal,"
"That's good,"
Yugi was helped to his feet. Keiren helped Yugi through the portal back to the ship. They had entered on the bridge. Anzu and Yami sat at a table. They were playing a game of Shadow Chess; like regular chess but with animated pieces in the form of Shadow Duel monsters. Yugi was content that this was real. He sat down in a chair and fell asleep.