I reached 35 reviews!!!  (does happy dance)  Since my chapters are so short, I'm going to answer the reviews for the last chapter.

            Silver Dragon, Iron Claws:  Big thanks to you; you've been reviewing since chapter 8!!!!!

            Anonymous reviewer bofors: You read the entire story in one sitting??!!!  You are amazing!!!!!!  I wish more people weren't intimidated by the large number of chapters . . . but I'm glad you're enjoying it so far.  And, you're right; I am including a duel (which, ironically, happens to begin in this chapter . . . go figure.) 

Chapter 24: The Challenge

            "I hear something," said Yugi.  "We must be close."

            They were almost to the top of the stairs.  When they reached the landing, they saw a black, ornately decorated door to the right.  Strange noises were coming from inside.

            "This is it," said Yugi.  He took a deep breath and opened the door.

            "Tea!" he gasped as he saw his friend.  She was shackled to the opposite wall.  As Yugi and his friends ran toward her, she looked up and saw them.

            "Yugi!" she cried.  "Stop!"

            "What's wrong, Tea?" asked Yugi as he and the others slowed down.

            "Don't come any closer!" she yelled.  "It's a trap!"

            Suddenly, chains attached to the wall Tea was on sprang forward.  Open iron shackles at the ends of the chains reached for everyone's wrists and ankles.  Once there, they clamped shut and retracted, pulling their victims along.  In a few minutes, everyone was shackled to the wall alongside Tea.

            "Ha! I see my little trap worked!" exclaimed the cloaked figure, stepping out of the shadows.

            "What do you want from us?" asked Yugi.

            "I want power!" stated the figure.  "In the form of your Millennium Puzzle!  But in order for me to have access to its full potential, I'll have to duel for it."

            "Fine by me," said Yami, as Yugi switched to his Yami-dominated form.

            "Not so fast!" said the figure.  "I will choose who will duel me, and I pick . . . you!"

            "Serenity?!" everyone exclaimed.

            "If you can defeat me in a duel, I will let you and your friends go.  But if I win, then the Millennium Puzzle will be mine, and I will banish you all to the Shadow Realm forever!"

            "But, that's not fair!" said Joey.  "Serenity doesn't have a deck!  She doesn't know how to play Duel Monsters!"

            "Then she'll have to borrow a deck," said the figure, chuckling to itself.  "This will be like taking candy from a baby!"

            Serenity was released from the wall, but she looked back at her friends uncertainly.  Her eyes fell on Seto.  He nodded at her, and she reached into her pocket and pulled out her dueling deck.

            "I have a deck," stated Serenity.  "And I know how to duel."

            "Wha?!" gasped Joey.  "But . . . how?"

            "I learned on the boat," she explained.  Then she turned towards the cloaked figure. 

            "I accept!" she replied, a determined look replacing the nervous expression on her face.

            The room shook as a portion of the floor slid out, and a large dueling arena took its place.  Serenity took her position at the arena and put her deck down.  Each duelist's Life Points went to 2000.

            "Are you ready?" asked the figure as it also took its place.

            "Yes!" answered Serenity.

            "Then prepare to be defeated!" it laughed.

            Oh, and by the way, I have never fully figured out how the Life Points business works . . . After a monster destroys another monster, how many life points do you lose?  If anyone could email me information on how this works (or any other helpful info), I would really, really appreciate it.  (and the sooner I get it, the sooner I can put up the next chapter.)