Millennium II
Journey to the Past
Chapter 11
Disclaimer: This isn't necessary, is it?
Note: All rejoice, I've finally gotten off my lazy butt and updated. I really haven't had the desire to work on this…
All review responses will be on my profile page. Apparently, you can't response to reviews in the chapters anymore, so they'll be on my profile. All hail the almighty loophole…
Chapter 11
Serena blinked at the kanji that seemed to be the room's main form of decoration. "Meikyuu?"
Seto glared at her. "In Egyptian please."
Serena glared right back. "I'll speak in whatever language I want to! Ahou!"
"Don't call me things I can't understand!"
"Be still my bleeding heart!"
Those assembled sweatdropped. The majority entered into the fray to try and break up the two. Turning to Yugi, who had not entered into said fray, Atemu asked, "What do the symbols mean?"
"Well…Mei means deception, and kyuu means palace, and together they mean maze or labyrinth." Yugi said.
"A maze?" questioned Seto, breaking his argument with Serena.
"Ryou-kun, didn't you say that this all looks familiar?" asked Saturn.
"Yeah. From Duelist Kingdom."
Before anyone could comment on that, two people appeared out of nowhere, looking like they had stepped out of a kung-fu action movie. "We are the guardians of the dungeon, the Meikyuu brothers!"
Blinking at them, Yama and Serena slowly asked, "Are these guys for real?"
"Unfortunately yes." Said Ryou.
"Hmm… what have we here brother? Five travelers lost in a maze?" said Kyuu.
"Who knows brother? It wouldn't be a maze if people didn't get lost!" answered Mei.
"I think that it's some sort of illusion. One where you relive the past." Said Serena.
"What do you mean? I have never heard of such an illusion." Asked Mahaado.
"The first one said, 'Five travelers lost in a maze'. There may have been five travelers when this incident occurred, but there's—" Here Serena did a quick head count. "—Like 19 people here now."
The brothers continued, as if there hadn't been any interruption. "Have you come to ask us, lost travelers? To find the right path…"
"The right door…" the second one picked up.
"To find the answer…" they said together. "…You must face us in a duel!"
"This is just like the last time." Said Yugi.
"Ya mean, you've dueled these guys before?" Said Saturn.
"Now…will two duelists please step forward! This duel will be an unorthodox two–on-two fight!"
Serena turned to Yugi. "You and me?"
"Like there's much choice?"
"True, but from the way this illusion is set up, the instant our desks touch the platform, they'll become like the decks used when this duel first happened." Serena informed Yugi, switching to Japanese as they walked to their places on the duel platform.
"Beat us and you will learn the right way. But run away and you will be lost in the path of darkness forever!" they warned.
"Would we be standing here if we particularly cared about that?" questioned Serena.
"Duel start!"
Mei: 2000
Kyuu: 2000
Serena: 2000
Yugi: 2000
"I go first!" Said Kyuu. "And I play this card! Labyrinth Wall!"
Walls began to appear out on the field once the card hit the platform. "What kind of sorcery is this!" demanded Seto, something that Ryou, Saturn, Yama, and Ma'at seemed to find funny.
"What was played?" asked Isis.
"It's called Labyrinth Wall. Its attack is nonexist, but he didn't play that for its attack power." Explained Saturn.
"Now that my first turn is over, let me explain the new rules!" Kyuu explained; Ryou, Saturn, Yama, and Ma'at translating for those lacking an understanding of the Japanese language. "All four players have 2000 thousand life points each. But your life points are tied to your partner's! If one partner loses all his life points, both partners die—and both lose! We alternate turns, one player on each team. And now about this labyrinth field…"
"…We shall explain how to play! To make it simple, think of your monsters as chess pieces. If the card is in attack mode, it can advance as many spaces per turn as the number of stars on the card. If you can survive the dungeon and beat us gate keepers, you can open one of the two doors!"
"But which door will you choose? Mei, the door of deception…?"
"Or kyuu the door of the palace…?"
"So even if we win, there is only a 50-50 chance that we will get out of here?" asked Serena.
"Very well…then from now on… one of us will always tell the truth…"
"…And one of us will always lie!"
"Is that the truth?" asked Yugi.
"Of course it is!"
"But what you're saying is impossible then. For one of you to always tell the truth and the other to always lie, then the liar could never admit to it, since that would be telling the truth." Started Serena.
"The only way you could both said that is if you're both lying. Let's just skip the door problem and leave it until after the duel is over." Finished Yugi.
"How does this sort of duel work?" asked Shaada.
"Each team will alternate players each round. Since the first brother has already gone, Yugi will go next, followed by the second brother, then Serena, and then back to the first brother. As for game play, the monsters are like pieces on a game board. If they are in attack mode, they can move forward as many spaces as they have stars. Stars symbolize their power level." Explained Ryou. "While we can't see it, the monsters will perceive the field as a dark maze with a stone ceiling, so no monsters moved by flight can be used."
"Would that harm their chances of winning?" asked Atemu.
"If things go the way they did the first time this duel occurred, then no."
Meanwhile, Yugi had summoned Beaver Warrior, and had moved it forward four spaces. The priests were highly interested in how the duel was being played, but Seto seemed to scorn the duel platform. "How can a hunk of metal summon monsters?" he demanded.
For some reason, this sent Hotaru, Ma'at, and Yama into giggles. Ryou said, "It really doesn't summon monsters, per se. It creates a replica of the monster based off the picture on the card, so it is not summoning."
"Wonder what Kaiba will say when he finds out that his past self scorned something that he'll invent in 5,000 years?"
"Why tell him?" Hotaru and Ma'at blinked innocently at Seto, since they could practically HEAR a certain vein in his forehead throbbing as he glared at them, for having the sheer NERVE to speak in Japanese when it annoyed him.
OKAY…getting back to the duel…
Mei had played Polymerization, and Shadow Ghoul, creating the Wall Shadow, which promptly went over to Yugi's Beaver Warrior through the walls, and destroyed it, reducing Yugi's lifepoints by 400.
Mei: 2000
Kyuu: 2000
Serena: 2000
Yugi: 1600
"My turn. I'll play Axe Raider in attack mode, and one more card face down. Since your monster in hiding in the walls, and I can't fight what is unseen, I won't advance at all this turn. I'll stay as far away from the walls and your kamaitachi (sickle weasel, a Japanese monster) as possible." Serena said, playing Axe Raider and a face down card.
"What does it mean by playing a card face down?" asked Atemu, highly interested in this version of the Shadow Games.
"When a card is played face down, it can be a monster in defense mode, but that's not it here. Here it's probably a trap or magic card. Those are played face down until activated." Said Yama.
"It's my turn!" declared Kyuu, playing a face down card. "And now I play Labyrinth Tank!'
"It's my turn!" said Yugi, drawing. Looking at the card he drew, he and Serena shared a look. "I play the Celtic Guardian! Advance into the labyrinth!"
"And he's doing this…why? Is he TRYING to lose?" questioned Seto.
Apparently, Mei thought the same thing, as on his turn, the Wall Shadow went after Yugi's Celtic Guardian. Right before it attacked, Yugi smirked and said, "Got you."
"Kunai with Chain!" Serena called, activating her face down card. "The kunai wraps around and immobilizes enemies when they try to attack! I saved this trap to help out Yugi."
"Attack Celtic Guardian!" Yugi called, and the Wall Shadow fell from the power the Celtic Guardian received from Kunai with Chain's effect. "Wall Shadow is defeated!"
Mei: 1700
Kyuu: 2000
Serena: 2000
Yugi: 1600
"It's my turn. First I'll play the Flame Swordsman. Second, I will move him and Axe Raider closer to the Celtic Guardian. Kunai with Chain's trap effect is gone, but it still works as a normal Equip card, boosting Axe Raider's attack by 500." Serena said.
Kyuu's turn came, and he moved Labyrinth Tank closer to Yugi and Serena's monsters.
Then it was Yugi's turn again. "I play the Dark Magician! Advance forward in attack mode!"
"Too bad I won't be able to use Joey's Red Eyes Black Dragon. That's a good card." Serena said. But it's not as if there isn't another way.
"Master, is it just me, or does the monster Yugi just summon look a lot like your Magus of Illusion?" asked Mana.
"I don't think it's just you. I noticed the resemblance as well." Said Isis.
"That monster…" With his words, everyone not otherwise involved in a duel turned towards Mahaado. "Somehow that monster has a baa."
"How can that be?" asked Atemu.
"The only way it is possible was if the person was a soul sorcerer."
"A soul sorcerer?" said Yama, the image of the Dark Magician carved into a tablet flashing through her head, and the words carved into it. Pharaoh…my soul is your eternal servant…
Atami noticed the glazed look in Yama's eyes, and frowned. I wish there was some way I could ask her about that, but I don't want to be overheard…
Mei's turn came. He drew a card, and smirked. "I play Magical Labyrinth!" Once it hit the board, the maze began to change. A wall came up between Serena's monsters and Yugi's monsters. "Kuso! Our monsters are separated!" Serena exclaimed.
The maze settled down, but this was now a whole new game. Serena took her turn. I know what is going to happen if I try to regroup with Yugi, but there's nothing else I can do, so I have no chance. I wish I had my deck; Sekhmet could easily destroy the maze. ANY Kami-no-Cardo could. "Alright, move closer to Yugi's monsters to regroup." She said, Axe Raider and Flame Swordsman moving towards Yugi's monsters.
Well, that WAS the plan, but…
"Activate Trap Card!" Said Kyuu. "The Trapdoor Spider attacks your piece! And that is the end of your Axe Raider, as Jirai Gumo's effect negates the special effect of your Kunai with Chain."
Mei: 1700
Kyuu: 2000
Serena: 1600
Yugi: 1600
Kyuu also moved the Labyrinth Tank to within striking distance of Serena's Flame Swordsman.
"If nothing is done, Serena's dead." Said Hotaru.
"It's my turn." Said Yugi.
Too bad Yugi! All you can do is sit there sucking your thumb while your friend dies on the other side of the wall. Thought Kyuu, smirking.
"For my next card, I play Mystic Box! The Magic Boxes of Death in combination with the Dark Magician."
The Dark Magician entered into a box, and swords rained down from the sky, effectively skewering the magician. "Why did he do that? All he did was destroy his magician, didn't he?" asked Shimon.
"Don't worry about it. The Dark Magician is Yugi's favorite card, and he knows all the cards that can be used with it." Said Ma'at. "If you would notice, there is another bow around the Jirai Gumo."
It was true; another box HAD formed around the Jirai Gumo. The box that the Dark Magician had entered opened…
…And it was Jirai Gumo who was skewered in it. The Dark Magician emerged from the box that had been around Jirai Gumo, unharmed. Mei and Kyuu, not to mention those watching, were surprised. "Get it now? The Magician teleported using the Mystic Box! It switched places with your spider, using it as a sacrifice. And now it gets another attack! Dark Magician! Cast your spells!"
The Dark Magician raised his staff. "Black Magic! The Tank is destroyed!"
Mei: 1700
Kyuu: 1600
Serena: 1600
Yugi: 1600
"Ya understand now? The power of teamwork can overcome any wall." Serena smirked. "Arigato, Yugi. Now, let's get out of this maze!"
"Definitely."
Don't think that it's easy! You'll NEVER escape! Thought the Meikyuu brothers. Mei took his turn, and drew. He smirked. Sanga of Thunder! The Demon God of Thunder! One of the three great guardians of the elements…water, wind, and thunder…like it's twins, Kazejin and Suijin. In Duel Monsters, some monsters can only be summoned by activating several cards at once. It used to be that Exodia was the only one, but Pegasus created a new card just for us. The other two cards are in our deck…and when all three come together, the demon god Gate Guardian will arise! First I'll play Sanga on the board! He played Sanga, and a box bearing the kanji for thunder appeared on the field.
They're trying to summon the Gate Guardian! With our normal decks, we could easily defeat it. But with these decks, we have no chance but to let things go the way they did before… thought Yugi.
Serena took her turn. "I move the Flame Swordsman forward."
Then it was Kyuu's turn. He drew Suijin, and played it. Another box, this one bearing the kanji for water, appeared on the field. "I also play the Dungeon Worm in attack mode!" The Dungeon Worm moved under the ground, and destroyed Yugi's Celtic Guardian.
Mei: 1700
Kyuu: 1600
Serena: 1600
Yugi: 1200
"Didn't that monster move too many spaces?" Asked Teana.
"Unfortunately no. It moved underground, so the spaces don't count." Said Yama.
It was Yugi's turn. "I play Magical Hats!" Four hats appeared, and two of them covered the Dark Magician and the Flame Swordsman, respectively. "Now the worm won't know where to attack. The Magician and Swordsman are hidden somewhere under the hats. Even though the worm received a power-up from eating the Elf, it only has 1980 attacks points. If it chooses the hat with Dark Magician and its 2500 attacks points, the worm is dead. Thus the Flame Swordsman is safe too."
It was Mei's turn. "I play the Monster Tamer in attack mode! Normally I couldn't control any monster my brother plays on the field, but by using my Monster Tamer, I not only take control of the Dungeon Worm, I increase its power by 600 points!"
With the Monster Tamer's guidance, the Dungeon Worm is actually stronger then the Dark Magician! Now if either our monsters get hit, they're dead! Thought Yugi.
The Monster Tamer guided the Dungeon Worm to attack one of the hats. Thankfully, it came up empty. "Luck was with them this time, but next time, the odds favor their enemy," said Hotaru.
"My turn!" Serena said. "Flame Swordsman, come out of the hat!"
"And she's thinking…what exactly?" questioned Seto.
"I also equip it with the magic card Salamandra. It increases its power and it can follow the Dungeon Worm's path underground." Serena said as Salamandra followed the Dungeon Worm's path underground. " Plus the worm has a weakness to fire, negating the extra power it got from the Monster Tamer! So your worm's done!"
Mei: 1700
Kyuu: 1080
Serena: 1600
Yugi: 1200
It was Kyuu's turn.
He drew Kazejin, the last card needed to summon the Gate Guardian. He played it, and all the boxes opened. "What's going on?" asked Karimu.
"They're summoning their ultimate monster, the Gate Guardian." Said Ryou.
"It's my turn, and I play two cards face down." Said Yugi. It's too risky for the Dark Magician or the Flame Swordsman to attack right out.
"Sanga, attack Flame Swordsman!" Mei called.
"We'll see about that. I play the card Mirror Force! It protects the Flame Swordsman!" Yugi said, as the attack reflected off of Mirror Force. "The barrier deflects the electricity back onto the monster who dealt it!"
"Kazejin! Reflection! Storm Barricade!" Kyuu called.
"Reflection activates automatically when an enemy attacks! Nothing hurts the Gate Guardian!" Mei said, smirking.
"Too bad your other monster isn't safe." Retorted Yugi as the electricity bounced off of the Storm Barricade…
…And onto the Monster Tamer, destroying it.
Mei: 900
Kyuu: 1080
Serena: 1600
Yugi: 1200
"That was a close one. Mata, arigato." Said Serena. "Now it's time for a little revenge. Flame Swordsman! Attack Kazejin with the Flame of Salamandra!"
Salamandra raced towards Kazejin…
…But it was deflected by a water barrier created by Suijin.
Her attack failed, Serena had no other choice but to end her turn.
It was Kyuu's turn. "Now it's my turn! Attack Suijin! With Aqua Wave!"
"Flame Swordsman's dead." Yama said.
"But wouldn't the Dark Magician be destroyed as well?" asked Atami.
Yama shook her head. "Inside the airtight Magical Hats, he should be safe, but the Flame Swordsman will suffer a 300 point penalty against Suijin's water based attack, so it's dead."
Mei: 900
Kyuu: 1080
Serena: 1300
Yugi: 1200
"Shimatta! Losing the Swordsman right near the doors. We WOULD walk back through the maze…but you've got a plan, ne?"
"Of course. Now it's my turn! I'll use this card to follow in the Flame Swordsman's footsteps. Come forth, Summoned Skull!" Yugi said, playing the Summoned Skull. "Since Suijin's left the dungeon floor flooded, Summoned Skull can attack without having to enter the maze! Demon Lightning!"
"We'll see about that! Kazejin! Reflection!" Kyuu called.
But nothing happened. "What? Why isn't Reflection activating?"
"Surprised? Remember when your wave passed over the hats? You set off this trap card: Spellbinding Circle! The curse of the hexagram that was attached to the Dark Magician!" Yugi said. "Without Kazejin to protect it, Suijin is destroyed!"
Mei: 900
Kyuu: 780
Serena: 1300
Yugi: 1200
Mei scowled. "My turn! I play De-Spell!"
The power of Spellbinding Circle was destroyed. "My turn!" Serena said, drawing.
She and Yugi shared a look. "I play the Red Eyes Black Dragon!" Said Serena.
"And I activate my other face down card: Polymerization! In order to create the Black Skull Dragon!"
Kyuu laughed. "Have you forgotten? Your dragon cannot move through the maze because it's powered by flight!"
While the observers (excluding Ryou) were somewhat worried, Yugi and Serena weren't.
It was Kyuu's turn. "I play the magic card Ryoku!"
"We are in very deep trouble." Yugi said as Serena cursed under her breath as Ryoku took half of their lifepoints to power up the Gate Guardian.
Mei: 900
Kyuu: 780
Serena: 650
Yugi: 600
"I can't attack on the same turn when I play Ryoku. But next turn, your dragon will die!" Kyuu gloated.
"But my turn is next." Yugi said, drawing. "Dark Magician, proceed toward the exit of the labyrinth and advance seven spaces. Before I end my turn, I play Monster Reborn to raise one of your monsters and have it defend me!"
"It's my turn! Gate Guardian! Attack the Dark Magician with a double attack! Demon Wind and Thunder!" Mei declared.
"Attacking is useless! Suijin use Reflection!" Yugi had resurrected Suijin to defend the Dark Magician.
"My turn." Serena said. Suijin will be destroying on their next turn. Thankfully, I have an idea of just what card I'll draw. She thought as she drew. She smirked. "I'm gonna use Copycat as your Ryoku card! And give your lifepoints to our Black Skull Dragon!"
Mei: 450
Kyuu: 390
Serena: 650
Yugi: 600
"My turn! Kazejin! Destroy Suijin!" Kyuu declared, as Suijin was destroyed for the second time.
On our next turn, we win! Mei thought.
Yugi and Serena both smirked. "You've got no idea why Yugi took the Dark Magician through the maze, do you?" Serena taunted in a voice that Seto readily recognized.
"I play the magic card Shift! This card switches my monsters, letting me put the strongest ones up front!" Yugi said, activating his magic card.
"I understand. Their dragon couldn't move through the maze because it's a flight monster. But by having the magician move through the maze for it…" Atemu trailed off.
"Black Skull Dragon! Use Meteor Flare!" Yugi called, and the Black Skull Dragon destroyed the Gate Guardian.
Mei: 0
Kyuu: 0
Serena: 650
Yugi: 600
"Thankfully that's over." Serena said, as she and Yugi removed their decks from the platform.
The room and the Meikyuu brothers suddenly wavered, and they found themselves in some sort of tunnel or cave. "Okaayy…where are we now?" Jouno asked.
"This looks familiar."
"Ryou, please, this time don't go picking up any hitchhikers."
"Should we find out where this tunnel leads?" asked Shimon.
"No. Let's rest for now, and find out where it leads to in a few hours." Said Atemu.
It wasn't long before everyone was asleep.
These actors have certainly been tested. But soon, their greatest test will come. Yet before that could happen, the Nameless must remember what they have lost, or the light of the future will be destroyed…
End of Chapter 11
Happy I finally updated? It should be noted that Serena, Yama, and Hotaru are still in senshi form; I just decided to use their given names. Ma'at I couldn't do that with, because there's already a Hikami.
My update rate will probably be slower, and before anyone complains, I have three words: Daily Math Homework. It's not my fault that I'm stuck with Math 90 minutes everyday for the entire year. And since I'm having Math everyday for 90 minutes, I'm also having it by the semester. I'm in Algebra II right now, and next semester I have Functions, Statistics, and Trig. Or is it just Trig? At least my book stack isn't as heavy…
Please proceed to the little box whose color is out for debate and review on pain of death. And don't you dare argue with that last statement!