Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.
Also, there is a lot of traversing in this chapter near the middle between POV's. So please bear along.
Chapter 10
"I think we just circled back around to the beginning," Yugi said as they looked around the forest as they sat around their fire.
"Maybe we took the wrong door," Tristan said, hoping to get a reply out of his friends.
"Naw, the way I see it, we've come full circle," Mr. Mutou replied.
"Right, cause if this is the spot we entered from, it makes sense that the exit is here also," Yugi realized, and Caitlin nodded from a clear-cut tree trunk that she was sitting on.
"A wise deduction," a voice said out of nowhere. Everyone started looking around for who spoke, until someone came out of the forest into the clearing. "But I am afraid that the most difficult challenges are yet to come." Then, they recognized the man as the one that kept appearing and giving them advice.
"Yeah, says who? It's about time you identified yourself," Joey exclaimed, standing up.
"You are right," the man said, earning an astonished look from Joey. "My friends, my name is King Alexandros the Third of Macedonia."
"Alexander the Great? No way," Caitlin and Tea said together, before looking at each other and laughed.
"So I take it you both have heard of me. What do they say about my life where you come from?" he questioned the girls.
"Oh, only that you almost singlehandedly conquered the world," Tea replied. He chuckled slightly before Caitlin spoke up.
"But from what I heard, didn't you have some kind of good luck charm?" Caitlin asked, and she felt a jolt from her Millennium Necklace, which was visible to everyone at the moment high up on her neck.
"Mhm, but the events that have which been told to you occurred many life times ago," he told them.
"So what exactly are you doing here?" Yugi questioned the spirit. He flung his cape away, revealing the armor beneath it. They all gasped at the sight of the familiar suit.
"You're wearing the same Duel Armor that I am," Yugi exclaimed.
"Correct. It began about 2 millennia ago, when the world's most powerful empires fell at my feet, Greece, Persia, Egypt, I was unstoppable, and it was all thanks to a good luck charm I recently acquired," he explained.
"What sort of a charm?" Yugi asked. The Pharaoh appeared behind both him and Caitlin in spirit mode.
"Actually, it was not unlike the two that both of you possess," the former king explained, looking at Yugi's puzzle and Caitlin's necklace. "But it did come with a price. Although this charm brought me countless victories, the charm seemed to cloud my mind. And before long, I lost the loyalty of my men and servants."
/Yugi, that charm sounds awfully familiar/ Caitlin said.
/You thinking what I'm thinking?/ Yugi asked her.
/The Millennium Ring/ Caitlin said as they continued to listen to Alexander's story.
Flashback
"I must finish this, even if I must dominate the rest of the world on my own," the younger Alexander said.
"So, it is ultimate power that you seek. But first you must prove yourself in a worthy way," a man said. Alexander looked up to see a man in white clothing with a white turban on his head, ancient sandals, and a golden ankh around his neck.
"Who are you to question my authority?" Alexander asked him.
"I am the guardian of the sacred item you now wear. And in order to prove yourself worthy of the power that lies within, then you must pass through the trials of the capsule monsters. Only a true king can pass these tests," the man said.
End Flashback
"And so I entered the strangers pyramid, just as you did," Alexander finished.
"I take it that you didn't succeed?" Yugi asked as the Pharaoh listened into the conversation.
"My lust for power led to my downfall. I'm sure you're all aware of what happened next?" Alexander asked.
"Uh, no idea," Joey replied.
"Well, if the history books are correct, your invasion of India was a bust, and your whole empire fell," Tea explained.
"Yeah. Then all but a few of your men deserted you, and some historians say that your failure was so devastating that you never recovered," Caitlin finished. A sad look appeared on Alexander's face, but he brushed it away to continue what he was saying.
"Correct. I failed the stranger's test, and lost everything. But it was my own fault. And now it's your turn," he said as he held up his hand. In it appeared a scroll. "This is the final trial. Slay them all if you dare. Earth, fire, sky, water, and air."
"Slay them all?" the Pharaoh questioned as he swapped places with Yugi.
"Sounds like a plan to me," Joey said, clenching a fist.
"But we don't even know where to start looking," Tea said.
"Well then, it's lucky for you that I came along when I did," Alexander said. He reached for his capsule belt, and took out one and gave it to Mr. Mutou.
"Thanks. Which monster is inside?" Mr. Mutou questioned.
"One that you'll need if you hope to pass this trial," Alexander replied. "All right, let's go."
"You sure we can trust this guy?" Joey asked, still a bit uncertain.
"It's the best option we've got," the Pharaoh said as he stood up to go follow the man.
"Agreed," Caitlin said as she followed after him, and everyone else followed suit.
"So about this final challenge, got any tips? Hints? Words of wisdom?" Joey asked.
"Yeah, like, what's with the freaky ghost town?" Tristan asked.
"We have entered a settlement known as Village of the Divine Dragon," Alexander said. "The rest you must figure out on your own." As they continued to walk forward, they saw a giant tablet with a familiar looking monster on it.
"Well I can tell you one thing guys. We're not alone," Tristan said, having spotted a crowd near the tablet. All the people had their eyes shut, seeming to be praying. Then, they jotted their heads to their right, and the group followed.
"Who's that kid?" Joey asked.
"Well, considering everyone's reactions about her must mean that she's a pretty important person," Caitlin replied.
"For someone who's so important, she doesn't seem to be too pleased about it," Tristan said. The girl walked toward an older man, who was near the edge of a cliff.
"Are you prepared to offer up your soul so that the white dragon may continue to protect our village?" he asked the girl.
"Did you hear that?" Tristan asked.
"Poor kid," Joey continued.
"I have a strong feeling that this challenge has something to do with saving this girl," the Pharaoh said.
"Same here," Caitlin replied.
"I'm with you guys. Let's crash this party," Joey said as they walked forward. A blue ring appeared and spread from the group, making them visible to the people in this world.
"State your business," the man commanded as the group approached him. "We are in the midst of a sacred ceremony."
"Yeah, and we're here to put a stop to it," Joey said as he walked ahead of the others, past the girl and man.
"Yes, but I'm perfectly fine," the girl began, but she stopped as Joey picked up a rock, and tossed it simply into the crevice. He strained to listen for a sound, but heard nothing.
"You call that fine? That rock could have been you. Don't you get it?" Joey asked impatiently, placing his hands on the girl's shoulders.
"Who are you?" the man questioned the group.
"We're here to destroy some monsters or something," Tristan replied.
"It's you, the legendary warriors of the prophecy," the man exclaimed in shock. Around them, the crowd whispered amongst themselves about the mysterious group of travelers.
"Are you saying that you were expecting us?" the Pharaoh questioned.
"Yes. Let me explain. Long ago, this region was dominated by five vicious dragons. However, they were defeated and banished by the divine white dragon, who promised to protect us until the legendary warriors arrive," the man said.
"Sounds like a happy ending," Joey interrupted. Caitlin raised her hand to smack him, but instead just whispered shh.
"Wrong. The white dragon has a limited energy source, so in order to continue to protect this village from the Fiendish Five, it had always been our tradition and responsibility to provide the white dragon with the energy it needs, for it feeds on human souls," the man finished.
"So you picked a defenseless kid?" Tea questioned angrily.
"Actually, I volunteered. It's my duty as a citizen of this town," the girl explained.
"It doesn't need to be this way my friends. If you are able to locate and defeat the Fiendish Five, this girl's soul will be spared," Alexander told them. The Pharaoh turned to the village leader with a determined gaze in his eyes, yet sympathetic.
"Tell us where to find these beasts and we'll make sure they never threaten you again," the Pharaoh said confidently.
"Yes, but-" the man began until a villager interrupted.
"You have no idea what you are dealing with. I'm warning you, no human has ever entered the domain of the Fiendish Five and lived to tell the tale," the man warned.
"Then we'll be the first to do that," Caitlin said, punching her palm with her fist.
"If you insist. The dragons dwell in five nearby locations: The Whirlwind Forest, the Bottomless Spring, the Cavern of No Return, Meteor Mountain, and the deadliest one of all, the Great Molten Chasm. You have until sunrise to conquer them all, lest you fail, a sacrifice must be made," the man explained.
"If they're so brave, let them offer one of their own souls," the same villager from earlier yelled.
"Fine, if we don't defeat these dragons, you can have…him," Joey said, pointing at Tristan.
"Oh, real nice," Tristan retorted as he made a lunge for Joey before Caitlin yanked the brunette boy back.
"No soul shall need to be sacrificed. You have my word," the Pharaoh said, asserting his point with confidence and his deep, baritone voice.
"Well, lucky you," Joey told the brunette male.
"Let's hope so," Tristan said as Caitlin let him go. The Pharaoh walked toward the young girl, and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Just put your faith in us and I assure you we'll defeat these monsters," the Pharaoh said warmly.
"Thank you, sir," the girl said, slightly stuttering.
"If this works, we're forever in your debt. Good luck my friends," the man said as they departed, along with the girl.
"Are you really the brave warriors of the prophecy?" the girl asked the group.
"Perhaps. All we know is that this task is our final test," the Pharaoh replied as they walked forward. Caitlin, having caught the error in what he said, poked him in the ribs, and then he caught on. He turned to correct himself, but the girl beat him to it.
"Uh, what test?" she asked him, perplexed.
"It's a long story," he replied.
"Yeah, and not exactly one we have time for either," Caitlin continued.
"Whoa, check it out," Tristan said from atop an altar. On it was a sword embedded in a stone.
"My people call this the sword of divinity, and if the legend is correct, it is the only thing capable of slaying the Fiendish Five," the girl explained.
"Is there a catch?" the Pharaoh questioned.
"Yes. Only the legendary chosen warriors can pull the sword out of the stone," the girl said.
"One magic sword coming up," Tristan said as he walked up to the blade. He gripped the hinges, and pulled with all his might. "It's stuck."
"Let me see that," Joey said as he walked up to his friend. They both pulled, and got the same result.
"Well, maybe only one of you is meant to control that sword," the girl said.
"Caitlin, give it a shot," Tristan said. The girl walked up, and also tried to pull, but no luck.
"Yugi, how about you?" she asked the tri-colored teen. He walked forward, and also tried to pull the sword up. As he relaxed his grip, he shook his head at Joey.
"No dice?" he asked.
"The legend states when a great power descends from the skies, the sacred sword will rise," the girl said.
"If I hear one more riddle, my head's gonna explode," Joey complained as Caitlin stuck her tongue out at the boy.
"But it might be the only way to release that sword," the Pharaoh said.
"Please, I still say a bit more of my brute strength could pull the sword out," Joey replied sarcastically.
"But if brute strength is the answer, why don't we just summon a capsule monster?" Mr. Mutou said as he took out his new one.
"There is no time for that. It is imperative that we find the Fiendish Five before they locate us, lest they get here, their strength will increase ten-fold," Alexander said. The Pharaoh looked at the others confidently.
"There's no time to lose. Let's head out," the Pharaoh said as they each went off in different directions.
With Joey
"Aw man, I knew splitting up was a bad idea," Joey complained as he struggled to survive in the wind that ripped through the forest. He hid behind a tree to try and get out of the wind best he could. But as he peeked around, he freaked out.
With Tea
"Any dragons out there?" Tea called as she walked through the cave with a torch in her hand. She heard a growl deep in the cave, and backed away subconsciously before she saw the shadow of a creature deep in the cave.
With Tristan
"Why do they call this place Meteor Mountain?" Tristan asked sarcastically. Then, from behind him landed meteorites by the hundreds, somehow avoiding Tristan as he dodged the ones that were heading for him. He ran all around, trying to figure out a way to get away from those meteorites.
With Grandpa Mutou
"Looks peaceful enough. Hello?!" he called. Then, he saw a whirlpool formed in the water, signaling that something was coming. "Well whadya know? Looks like I have company."
With Yugi and Caitlin
Both teens were hopping across random rocks, hoping to get to the middle of the chasm to look for the dragon.
"A capsule. I guess I could always use more help," the Pharaoh said. He hopped onto the next rock, followed by Caitlin, and he touched the capsule. Out of it appeared a familiar navy-blue clad soldier with a shield on his left arm with red and yellow decorations, and a sword with a blue hilt and a red gem for decoration in his right hand. He had yellow patterns on his armor, and a navy-blue headpiece with a red gem in the center with yellow bordering in a pattern. "Well whadya know, Black Luster Soldier," the Pharaoh said as Caitlin summoned Magician's Valkyria.
"Alright my friends. We have a dragon to slay," the Pharaoh said confidently. Caitlin then summoned Gandora and fused with him as well, just in case they needed to battle dragon with dragon. Moments later, a giant red dragon emerged from the lava behind them, his eyes glowing with rage, his roar mighty like the winds that were sent from his wings. Each teen in their respective places summoned their dragons. Joey played Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Tristan played Thunder Dragon, Tea played Seiyaryu, Mr. Mutou played Curse of Dragon, and Caitlin had her dragon as part of her armor.
"Ready?" the Pharaoh asked. Then, from where they were, each person yelled "BRING IT ON!"
"Watch out!" Caitlin yelled as she flew away from the fire attack that the Tyrant Dragon launched at them. Black Luster Soldier blocked the attack with his shield to protect him and the Pharaoh. Caitlin gave him the chance for a counter attack when she flew at the Tyrant Dragon, nailing him in the side, throwing him over quite a bit, and blasted him quickly with a Black Scepter Strike attack.
"Now counter attack!" the Pharaoh commanded. Black Luster Soldier jumped for Caitlin, who grabbed his hand, and swung him toward the Tyrant Dragon. He slashed the dragon across the chest, knocking him back into the lava. "Well done."
With Joey
"Attack with Inferno Fire Blast!" Joey commanded. Red-Eyes launched an attack at Luster Dragon, nailing it square in the chest as it collapsed to the ground. "Take that punk."
With Tea
"Time to finish you off! Attack with Razor Fire Blast!" she commanded her pink dragon. He launched an attack at the Serpentine Night Dragon, who immediately fell to the cave floor after hitting the ceiling. "Yeah, way to go me," she cheered.
With Tristan
"Look out! I see Meteors! Lightning Force!" Tristan yelled. His Thunder Dragon shot a beam out of his mouth right at the Meteor Dragon, knocking him into the nearby wall. "It's shocking, isn't it?"
Mr. Mutou
"Strike him down with Dragon Flame!" he commanded. His dragon stopped flying in circles above the Aqua Dragon, and fired an attack right for his face, nailing him dead on. "Not bad for an old man."
With Yugi and Caitlin
"That was easy," the Pharaoh said as Caitlin defused from her armor.
"Yeah, too easy," Caitlin said as they both turned to walk away. But as they turned around, they heard a rumble behind them. Then, the Tyrant Dragon emerged from the lava.
"It's back. But we already defeated it," the Pharaoh said. Then, his eyes started glowing green; same for all the other dragons. They all flew away from the teens that were chasing them. As the Tyrant Dragon tried to escape, Black Luster Soldier jumped high and grabbed onto his tail.
"You're not getting away!" Caitlin yelled, as she put back on her armor in record time, and flew after Tyrant Dragon and Yugi's monster.
"Go Magician of Black Chaos! Activate Duel Armor!" Yugi called as he summoned his mage, and fused with the creature. He quickly followed after Caitlin and his monster that was holding on the dragon's tail. Unfortunately, the dragon had noticed Black Luster Soldier hanging onto his tail, and shoved him off with his foot. As the monster fell, Yugi flew up from behind, grabbing hold of his monster.
"I've got you," the Pharaoh said as he landed safely with his monster. "Hold it!" he yelled after the dragon as he caught up with Caitlin. His Black Luster Soldier fired two sword attacks at the Pharaoh and Caitlin's scepters, giving them more power.
"Black Scepter Magic Attack!" Caitlin yelled as she fired her attack at the monster first.
"Chaos Scepter Blast Attack!" the Pharaoh yelled, following with his attack. The dragon got struck with an electric attack, before a black chaos ball surrounded him, knocking him to the ground. "Farewell." Then, both Caitlin and the Pharaoh were flung forward by a huge gust of wind from behind, their wings taking the full brunt of the hit.
"Aw man, first Tyrant Dragon, now Luster Dragon?" Caitlin said as she stood upright again, as she saw the green dragon approach, followed closely by Joey. Then, Black Luster Soldier jumped away from the ground to avoid a Meteor Dragon that appeared, followed by Tristan.
"Black Luster Soldier, retreat!" the Pharaoh called.
"Yugi," Joey called above the force of Luster Dragon's wings.
"Joey, Tristan, are you alright?" Yugi questioned as he looked at his friends. Caitlin was trying to help Tristan unwind from around the Meteor Dragon, while attacking it with her scepter. Then, Mr. Mutou and his dragon came from the lake area, hanging onto the tail of an Aqua Dragon, who hit Caitlin in the chest as he flew upwards. Yugi flew and caught the girl from flying back any farther while they looked at what the heck was going on with all the dragons.
"We'd be better if these dragons would stay down," Joey called.
"Grandpa," Yugi murmured.
"Yugi, they're indestructible!" Tea yelled from her dragon. Yugi could only watch as Joey, Tristan, Mr. Mutou, and Tea were struck by the dragons they were battling.
"What that girl said must be true," the Pharaoh told himself.
Flashback
"The legend states, when a great power descends from the skies, the sacred sword will rise," the girl told them.
End Flashback
"Yes of course. I know what we need to do," the Pharaoh said as he looked at the village behind him.
"Yugi," Caitlin called next to him. He looked at the girl, and he knew that she had caught on and figured it out as well. She nodded, and they both turned to the group that was fighting the dragons.
"We must lead them back to the village," the Pharaoh called.
"Are you crazy?" Joey yelled.
"They'll destroy it," Tea yelled.
"Just trust me," the Pharaoh yelled as he flew away, followed by Caitlin and the group. The dragons followed soon after, bent on destroying the strange group of people.
"Look, they're back," the girl said as she saw the Pharaoh and the gang approaching.
"Everyone, take cover. You're about to receive a visit from some unwanted guests," the Pharaoh instructed as he detached the armor as he landed on the ground, Caitlin landing next to him, still in her armor, knowing she would need it soon. Everyone gasped in shock as they looked behind the tri-colored man.
"You fools! You've brought them here to destroy us all," the village leader said as the people began to slowly back away in fear. The Pharaoh approached the sword, as Caitlin lifted her staff, and the top that bore a resemblance to Gandora's head opened up just like his mouth.
"But why? Bringing them here has made them more powerful than ever," Alexander said as he watched the former king look at the embedded blade.
"Exactly. That's the whole point," he said as the dragon roared loudly, but if you looked, they had become surrounded in a blue aura.
"Well, there goes the neighborhood," Joey said as the people of the city began to run off a distance from the beasts.
"Come forth, Black Luster Soldier! Activate Duel Armor!" the Pharaoh called as he summoned his blade wielder, who jumped into the air, then levitated down to join forces with his master. His shoulder pads were navy blue with yellow arches on top. In his right hand, he had possession of Black Luster Soldier's sword, and his shield was part of his capsule shooter on his left arm. His leg guards were also navy blue with yellow decorations, and his chest armor was navy blue with a yellow pattern on the center, with a red gem in the middle of the pattern. Right above that, the Millennium Puzzle was fixed into the armor. His headpiece was yellow with a red gem in the center, and the brow bands extended out into his hair like the blonde bangs did. Then, Yugi took hold of the sword in the stone.
"Sword of Divinity, lend me your strength," the Pharaoh said quietly.
"But he already tried this," the man said as Caitlin held up her half-covered glove hand. Alexander also noticed that her staff was surrounded in a blue aura like the dragons in the air.
"Just watch," she said as she looked back at her identical friend. Sure enough, the sword slid smoothly out of the stone into Yugi's hands.
"Whoa, how did you do that Yugi?" Joey called from atop Red-Eyes Black Dragon.
"When a great power descends from the skies the sacred sword will rise. In other words, the dragons need to be here for the sword to work. And now, Sword of Divinity, channel the power of these dragons," the Pharaoh called as he raised the sword into the air. The blue aura around the dragons channeled into the saber, along with power from Caitlin's staff, since it was made up of Gandora's power.
"Whoa," Tea said quietly.
"How does he always manage to figure this stuff out?" Joey asked no one in particular. The blade, thanks to the power, became longer with the spiritual energy making up the extension.
"Time to take you out with your own power!" the Pharaoh yelled as he jumped into the air, slicing the dragons with his sword right after Joey and the others got out of the way. They fell to the ground in a pile, a sure sign that they either had to be knocked out, or dead. The Pharaoh landed nearby, as the townspeople began to walk forward again toward the group that saved them.
"Glad that's over. Glad we could help," Joey said as he clenched a fist in cheers as he smiled.
"Thank goodness. Those dragons will never threaten our village again," a woman cheered. The girl in the white dress ran up to Yugi and Caitlin, standing behind him with her staff's head now closed.
"Are you alright?" she questioned the king.
"Yes," he replied as Caitlin smiled proudly at him, and he smiled back. She took hold of his hand, and they grasped each other's in a signal of victory, and then she hugged her relative, which he returned. (Like how Joey did with Makko in Battle City. And she smiled proudly because her ancestor was his older sister, don't forget)
"Thank you sir. You've spared my soul and I am forever grateful," the girl said with a smile on her face.
"You really are the chosen one," the village leader said.
"Yeah, well I'm the chosen one's best friend," Joey said proudly.
"Hey guys, we just passed the final test," Tristan said happily.
"Now we can all go home," Mr. Mutou said happily as he nodded.
"Not quite guys. The fifth stone, it didn't light up," Tea said, looking at her pendant.
"I don't get it," Joey said as everyone down below looked at him in confusion.
"Wait, if the pendant didn't light up, that means," Caitlin said as she looked at the pile of knocked-out dragons on the ground. Then, she took a step back, knowing what the not-lit pendant meant. The Pharaoh followed her gaze, and they looked at the dragons in anger. Their heads were all up, and then, their eyes started glowing green. The Pharaoh gasped in shock, and Caitlin growled low in her throat in anger, taking one step in front of the Pharaoh, ready to protect him. All the dragons flew into the air, glowing green before their shapes all changed.
"What's the deal?" Tristan asked as they watched in shock. "I thought that sword was supposed to wipe them out."
"Oh no, please God," Caitlin pleaded as she watched the beam of light take shape.
"What's wrong?" the Pharaoh asked.
"They're all joining together into: Five-Headed Dragon," she said quietly. The green beam of light took form of a giant tan-colored dragon with five heads. The one in the center was the same shape of the Luster Dragon. The ones to the left of that were in the shapes of Serpentine Night Dragon, and the Meteor Dragon, whose head was complete rock. The ones to the right were in the shapes of the Aqua Dragon, and the Tyrant Dragon's head. They all roared fiercely, and everyone gasped in shock.
"They merged together! Perhaps these dragons really are immortal," the Pharaoh said quietly.
"Nothing is ever immortal," Caitlin told him as they faced the dragon together, brother and sister, ready to fight, along with all their friends.
Alright, almost done with the story. Hopefully, two more chapters at most. Anyway, hope you enjoyed. PLEASE R&R! NO FLAMES!