Chapter One
The Mission (Fantasy)

Captain Yugi Moto awoke with a start and looked around his small cabin aboard the North Star. Everything seemed in place, his small collection of Mystic Cards, his puzzle amulet, and the valuable box in the chest at the foot of his bed. He sat up and picked up the box, trying to forget the oddly disturbing dream he had just awakened from. The small, plain container opened at his touch, as it was spelled to, revealing the precious cargo, the one for which the King had risked war to have him retrieve.

The Crystal of Water. It shone with an inner light, illuminating the cabin with a soft but bright blue-green shimmer.

Yugi was suddenly reminded of the dream. The light…. He shook his head violently, closed and re-sealed the box, and turned his thoughts to other things.

Unfortunately, 'other things' included the origin of that Crystal, and just what he'd had to do to get it….

^^^^^

Blood. The blood of innocents, the mages who had once guarded the Crystal. It was on his hands, but Yugi didn't care. When he fought, he never cared what he did. It was almost like another person fighting, Honda had joked once after they dueled with swords.

He didn't know how right he was. He'd never seen Yugi doing anything like this before. Blood everywhere….

"No! We will not give up our Crystal," the Elder Mage said firmly. "It is our sacred duty to protect it."

"So be it," Yugi said, giving the signal for his soldiers to continue attacking….

^^^^^

No! Yugi thought, once again shaking his head. "That's not going to help the dreams any…" he added, only speaking to himself. He stood and walked to the mirror. He was somewhat short and looked harmless enough, but made up for it with his skills in both fighting and magic. Even at the age of nineteen, he was among the best warriors in the kingdom. He had changed into clean robes after the battle, and the heavy violet material was soothing.

A loud knock on the door derailed his train of thought. "Yes?" he called.

"We're coming in for a landing, Sir," a soldier replied.

"Thank you." Yugi stood and stretched before leaving the small cabin.

-------

"Yugi! You're back!" The small sorcerer turned at the shout and looked at the speaker.

"Honda…." Yugi acknowledged, nodding to his friend before continuing to the throne room.

"So, how was the 'top-secret mission'?"

Yugi sighed. "Don't ask."

"That bad, huh? So you didn't get… whatever-it-was?"

"We got it."

Honda frowned. "Yugi… what's bugging you?"

"Nothing! Now… please go away."

"All right…." Honda went on with his patrol, wondering what was wrong with Yugi.

-------

"My liege." Yugi knelt and held out the box. The King took it and opened it with his own magic.

"Ah… it's the real thing. Well done, Yugi," the King said to his sorcerer. Yugi turned to leave.

Then he stopped. "Your majesty…." Yugi hesitated for a moment, then continued. "I was just thinking that… that maybe we're going about this the wrong way?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"The mages were helpless! They didn't even try to fight back…."

"Are you questioning your orders, Yugi?" the King demanded, scowling. "I can't have someone who doubts me in such a powerful position. I hereby strip you of your comm--"

Suddenly,he was interrupted by the large wooden doors flying open with a loud bang. Honda stomped in and addressed the King in a way that was quite unwise. "How could you?" Honda shouted, failing to notice the King's look of utter shock and anger. " Yugi was just trying to—"

The sovereign stood. "Enough, Hiroto! He pulled a Mystic Card out of his robe, held it over his head and called on its power. "Spellbinding Circle!"

A large ring of light appeared around Honda's feet, paralyzing him. He fell to the floor, powerless to fight the ancient magic.

"Consider yourself lucky that I do not execute you for treason," The King growled as he turned back to Yugi and handed him a wrapped package.[1] "Now… deliver this to the Summoner Village of Mist. Honda, you go with him. Be sure to tell no one of your errand. You are to leave in the morning and not return until it is done. Now go!"

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About an hour later, Yugi, guilty, decided to go apologize to Honda for getting him kicked out of the castle, too. After a short hunt, Yugi found him in the bar with an empty glass in front of him.

"Honda?" he said, trying to get his friend's attention. Honda looked at him with an odd expression.

"Wadd'ya want, Yugh?" Obviously, the empty glass hadn't been his first.

"I just wanted to make sure you were all right. I'm sorry I got us exiled…"

Honda blinked. "Yugi, it's not yer fault. I chose t'be a complete idiot in front'a the King. Too bad it didn't help none…."

"But—"

"'But' nothing. Don't worry 'bout it, Yugi." He waved for another glass. "Now, go 'n get some sleep. You've had a long day."

Yugi sighed, not feeling better at all. "All right, Honda," he sighed. "But—"

"Yugi! I've been looking everywhere for you!" Yugi spun to look.

"Hey Anzu," he said. Anzu ran to him and glomped him.

"You're back! How are you?"

"It's a long story."

"Oh, really? I'll come up to your room again tonight if you'd rather tell me then."

Honda made an odd noise. "Again?" he questioned. Yugi blushed vividly and ignored him.

"Ah- ah- Sure, Anzu!" he stammered. "Tonight...."

Anzu smiled and left, a slight bounce in her step. Yugi turned to Honda.

"Well... see you tomorrow."

"'Kay..." Honda muttered. As Yugi left, he waved for another drink. "I'm gonna need it."

-------

Yugi dreamed.

It was the same as before. He was in a world of darkness. He was on his knees. There was blood everywhere—blood on his hands, on his robes, on his sword, on the ground. The only light came from behind him, a soft blue-green shimmer. He couldn't bear to turn and look at the source of it. It was too bright.

Suddenly, the light dimmed. Somebody was behind him, but still he did not—could not—turn to see.

"You killed them." The voice was soft and gentle, but still accusing. "You, and I, and those like us. We all killed them."

"We…?" He tried to look, but the light was too bright for him to see anything but a silhouette. "What do you mean?"

"We. The cursed lights upon this world. We are those who Fate condemned to carry the forces that will tear our world apart. And there's nothing you or I can do about it…."

"…I don't understand."

"You won't until it's too late." The other sighed. " Maybe you will be stronger than I was. Fight the Dark as long as you can, little one. That is all you can do, and all that I could not. We are the hope and doom of the world, you see."

"No! I don't see! I don't understand, what do you mean?" he screamed into the darkness.

"I know," the other murmured, frustratingly calm. "Don't worry. When the time comes, I'll know where to find you…."

And the other faded away.

"Yugi? Yugi? Wake up...."

-------

"Yugi?"

The sorcerer opened his eyes. Anzu was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at him with concern. "You were having a nightmare..." she said.

"I... it wasn't a nightmare, exactly. Just another really strange dream."

"You've been so quiet lately. The dreams... it that why you're acting that way?"

Yugi turned to face the wall, pulling an extra pillow to his chest. "They're just dreams. Nothing more."

"Then... why are you so depressed, Yugi?"

Yugi sighed. "When we were on the mission, in Mysidia, we... we had to take the Crystal by any means necessary. We-- I-- had to kill innocents who were just trying to protect their treasure." He took his amulet off the shelf above his bed and held it. "When I found that I was the only person able to solve the Puzzle, I thought I'd be a great hero. But now, I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth it. I'm only a sorcerer, a magician of darkness. What gives me the right to question my orders? What gives me the right to disagree with my King?"

"Listen to yourself, Yugi! You know what's right. Follow your heart."

"All right, Anzu."

"Good night," she said, and kissed him before leaving. Yugi laid back down and looked out the window.

"That's it... I swear upon this Puzzle, I will never again hurt an innocent, even if I am ordered to do so."

-------

The next morning, Yugi and Honda met at the palace gates. Without a word, they set out due north, to the caverns leading to Mist.

~~~~~~~~~~

[1]. I realize that in the Japanese version of FFIV, it's a Ring, but I didn't want it confused with Ryou's Millennium Ring.

A/N: I'm still not sure about if people will like this or not, so please R&R with comments. The dream won't follow the plot of FFIV to the letter for much longer, so please bear with me until it does. (It will end up twisting completely out of shape.)

Yes, I know Joey is the obvious choice for Kain/Cain. But I have a method to my madness: Kain doesn't annoy the White Dragon Summoner all the time (and vice versa.)

Also, a few requests/questions:

1. I'd love to have a beta reader. (In fact, I severely need one.) Knowing both YGO and FFIV is a complete must! Please E-mail me (see profile) if you'd be kind enough to help me. I'll be forever grateful!

2. I can't think of a good Fiend of Fire. I also don't know many of the minor duelists that only show up once or twice. Any really, really honorable duelists come to mind?

3. If there's any logical or any other errors, just yell at me. I'll probably end up re-writing this, anyway.

And if you wish to guess as to who is which character in your review, go ahead. I'll play a game with you: I'll tell you how many you have correct... but not which ones. That's up to you to figure out.....