Me: Whoa! Hey everyone and welcome back to the next chapter to The Millennium Puzzle.
Hikari: We hope you enjoy this chapter just as much as we enjoyed writing it.
Me: Anyways without further ado here is Duel 17 to the Millennium Puzzle…
Disclaimer: We don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! And never will it's the rightful property of Kazuki Takahashi the only thing we do own are the mangas that we buy. We also don't own Heila or Yami Heila for they belong to Animegirl20 the only ones we do own are Arainaina and many others that will appear later on in future chapters.
"…." - Talking
'….' - Thoughts
(….) - Yami's to their Hikari's
/…./ - Hikari's to their Yami's
Duel 17: Game Start!
LAST TIME
"SHADI!" yells Yami finally once the light to the Millennium Puzzle began to die down and Yami was facing Shadi face to Face with an emotion far greater than what Yami was showing once before, it was as if he was a totally different person.
"Finally….You've awaken your true powers…Now, the second stage to our game can begin…." remarks Shadi as he looks to Yami without fear.
"SHADI" growls Yami once more. "Now that I have your attention…..The time has come to finish our battle…In a Shadow Game" replies Shadi once he had Yami's full attention. "The last time we met, I searched the room to your soul trying to determine your power… But you forced me out….This time I will try your power here" explains Shadi to Yami.
"Now that the shoe's on the other foot, I suppose I have no choice but to accept…" asks Yami to Shadi. "Yes….If not, this boy will remain a doll forever…" remarks Shadi as he glances to Yugi as does Yami.
'Yugi!' thinks Yami as he looks to Yugi's motionless eyes. "The game will begin in 10 minutes on the roof. I will go on ahead and make the preparations….Fortunately, all the tools I need are here in this Archaeology lab. Come when the clock strikes eight! I'll be waiting on the roof" and with that Shadi vanished from the room along with Yugi leaving only Yami and Heila there alone within the room.
'Shadi….Why is he so determined to test my power? Does his bloodline….whatever group he says he represents….want to use my power? Or do they want to ELIMINATE it….? The power of the Millennium Puzzle….Even I don't know it's full extent' thinks Yami as he grips the Millennium Puzzle within his hands.
'But it's there, somewhere inside me….hidden in the true room of my soul….It pulses quietly, waiting for the right time….However…There's one thing I'm sure of, Shadi….The fact that you….ARE my enemy…No matter what game you challenge me to…I must win, for my koi's sake' remarks Yami's mind as he looks to the clock hanging on the wall.
'Oh Yami….If only you knew the truth…' thinks Heila sadly as she looks to Yami and then to the clock on the wall only to notice it read eight o' clock on the dot which alerts Yami to begin making his way towards the roof.
Upon reaching the roof Yami and Heila are brought face to face with Yugi who was standing on the other side of the fence on a wooden plank with nothing more but mere ropes holding him up.
"YUGI!" shouts both Yami and Heila as they see what's before them. "NOW… Let's begin the game…. The trial of the mind" smirks Shadi as he looks to Yami and waits.
"YUGI!" shouts Yami to his koi in hopes he would here him somehow. "SHADI! How dare you put Yugi in danger….You're not going to use him in our game….." shouts Yami to Shadi as he turns to look over in his direction.
"I AM YAMI…..If you lose this game….It will mean the boy's death…" explains Shadi.
"GRRR" growls Yami in anger as he looks to Shadi. 'If Yami loses….Yugi will…Yugi will die? Why would Shadi go threw such great lengths just to test Yami's powers?' wonders Heila as she watches them from the side lines.
"Before I explain the rules, I want to say one thing….About the Millennium Puzzle….I don't know how you came into possession of this item, nor do I know how or why, after 5,000 years was this boy, Yugi, able to solve it….You might think of it as a coincidence…but the Millennium Puzzle has chosen the two of you after waiting for over 5,000 years" explains Shadi as he tries to give Yami a history lesson.
"I've heard enough….Don't you dare try to say we're some sort of allies…I want nothing to do with you or your bloodline…Just shut up and start the game! Tell me the rules" demands Yami as he looks to Shadi for the rules.
"Don't be afraid…Yami…" remarks Shadi. "…..Me? Afraid….?" gasps Yami just minutes after Shadi's remark to him.
"Somewhere inside your heart, your afraid of that power. You fear the unknown power of the Millennium Puzzle" remarks Shadi which causes Yami to gasp once more in shock at how he could possibly have known that.
"YAMI….That is the weakness of your heart…The proof lies before you" answers Shadi as he points to one of the statues that was tied to the ropes holding Yugi up just as it began to crack and then shatter.
"YUGI!" yells Heila as one of the ropes break free from the statue.
"YUGI!", 'What in the world…..! One of the statues broke on its own?' wonders Yami as he watches on in shock at what was going on before his eyes.
"Yami, When you show the weakness of your heart….The ushebti will answer that weakness and break one by one…And when the four ushebti that reflect your heart all shatter and fall….The boy will fall as well…And now there are only three left" remarks Shadi once more as if telling Yami he would lose this game which causes Heila to gasp in shock at hearing what Shadi was putting both Yami and Yugi threw.
"However, Should you win, the ropes that are supporting the bridge of life are also strung threw my own Millennium item, the Millennium Key which is supported by my ushebti that reflects my own heart. In other words, if you can break my ushebti before all three of yours do…The Millennium Key will travel down the ropes and reach the boys hand! For if a person that has been "redecorated" touches the Millennium Key, they will return to normal…The boy's life will be saved….and I will lose" replies Shadi as if it was only that simple.
'So, this is a game to determine each other's weaknesses….my heart is being weighed against Yugi's own life…This is truly a trial of the mind' remarks Yami's mind as he slowly takes in everything that Shadi has said to him about the Shadow Game thus far.
'This game is a weighting of the heart and mind….If Yami isn't careful he could lose this game and Yugi' thinks Heila as she glances to Yami.
"Let us begin" and with that said there's suddenly a large gust of wind that surrounds both Yami and Shadi as the next round begins. 'What tricks are you going to use to test my heart? How will you do it, Shadi' wonders Yami as he awaits his next challenge.
'Heh heh…let's go, Yami…Stage one' thinks Shadi as they get ready for the next stage of the game.
Just then the ground begins to shake and crumble as hands begin to appear from the ground and zombie like creatures begin to appear as they slowly crawl there way over to Yami which causes Heila to scream at what was happening to Yami.
"What in the world? What's happening?" cries Heila as the zombies continue to crawl on top of Yami.
"GGHH…..!" yells Yami as the zombies continue to weigh his body down, keeping him from moving.
'Ah….Yami, This is the first stage of your heart's weighing', "Answer my riddle, "What creeps on the ground and clings to the pillars?" Then you will know what surrounds you" answers Shadi as he gives Yami his first clue to the game.
'Creeps on the ground and clings to the pillars….?', 'What is it…?' panics Yami's mind as he begins to sweat. "URK…!" yells Yami as more and more hands begin to appear upon him.
But as time begins to fly by and Yami without an answer his second ushebti slowly begins to crack. "AAAGGH…." cries Yami as he tries to break free from the zombies.
'You're trapped in the illusion Yami….When you show weakness of your heart, you will drown in that illusion and all of your ushebti will shatter….In the Shadow Games, those with weak hearts always lose….you have been chosen by the Millennium Puzzle, you MUST know that….The only way to defeat that illusion is to hold your heart strong and answer my question…find the true nature of that illusion' thinks Shadi as he looks to Yami without compassion.
"GRRG….!", 'That which creeps on the ground and clings to the pillars…DAMN…This is an illusion Shadi put it in my mind…but even though I know it's an illusion I can't break free….Is this the weakness of my heart?' wonders Yami as he finally begins to put the pieces together.
'Answer the riddle….That's what Shadi said…If I solve the riddle maybe the illusion will disappear….Damn…don't rush….think….think of his question….REMEMBER!' and with that in mind Yami closes his eyes as he tries to think about Shadi's riddle.
'That which creeps on the ground and clings to the pillars….That which creeps on the ground is these zombies…and…the pillar that they cling to…is ME! And if I think of it the other way around…imagine a pillar standing…and coming off it, clinging to the ground….' suddenly the answer finally comes to Yami as he gives Shadi his answer.
"This illusion's true nature is my SHADOW!" replies Yami as he looks to Shadi just as the illusion began to disappear.
"Yay, You did it Yami!" squeals Heila as he gives Yami a big smile for beating the first of Shadi's challenges.
"Heh…Somehow you managed to clear the first stage…But I was just trying you out….The next stage is even harder, can you keep your heart strong?" asks Shadi as he begins the second test for Yami.
Once again the ground begins to split only this time instead of zombies and hands appearing all that was in front of Yami was a big black hole.
"Wh-What the….!" exclaims Yami as he looks into the hole that was before him.
Meanwhile somewhere inside the huge building Joey is still running from the zombie Professor completely unaware that help would soon be on it's way as the hooded figure finally makes her way inside.
"Hold on Joey, I'm coming" and with that the hooded figure runs off after Joey.
TBC
A/N: Well, Good? Bad? Please R&R