Chapter 16 - The Test Continues
Crimson finally got caught up to Yugi, Joey, and Bakura. She was still holding the Blue-Eyes White Dragon like it was the whole world. She smiled to herself. A few months ago, she had watched the World Championships and Kaiba had won using his Blue-Eyes. Crimson had always longed for one, but there were only four in the world. Kaiba had three, and she didn't know where the fourth was.
Kaiba finally managed to catch up, walking alongside Crimson.
"I see you are really enjoying that fact that you even get to touch a rare card as that," he remarked. Crimson nodded.
"There are only three others of its kind, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Two you own, and the last I have no idea where it is. Do you know?" Crimson looked over at Kaiba.
"I know," Yugi answered. "It used to belong to my grandfather."
"Really?" Crimson asked. "That would make it my grandfather also. Really? Someone in my family owned a Blue-Eyes?"
"Key word: owned!" Joey added. "Before mista' moneybags 'ere ripped it up an' all!" Crimson rounded on Kaiba.
"You ripped up a Duel Monsters card?" Her glare rivaled his. For a minute, they just stood staring at each other. Finally, Kaiba closed his eyes and smirked. He started walking away.
"The past is gone now." Crimson raised her eyebrows.
"Right," she whispered to herself. "That is why the three of us are haunted by it, right?" She didn't say anymore. Instead, she quietly slipped the card into her pocket and followed Kaiba.
"Kaiba gave her a Blue-Eyes?" Bakura asked Yugi quietly.
"That's what it seems."
"I would have never thought. He must care about her a lot."
"Care? I believe that's putting it mildly." Joey was listening and he burst into laughter.
"Come on, guys," he whispered to them. "Ya don' think Kaiba actually loves 'er, do ya?" Yugi and Bakura shrugged. This made Joey laugh more. "Dat's 'da silliest thing I eva' heard!" The three of them jogged to catch up to Kaiba and Crimson. The five of them walked on in the black scenery. The white birds were still above them, and they seemed to be moving relatively straight. But since it was pitch black all around, no one could really tell which direction was which.
A black haired girl peered out the window of the highest room in her castle. In one hand she held a comb she was running through her raven colored hair with her long fingers. In the other hand, she held a black crystal ball. Inside that crystal ball was an image of five teenagers walking through a black endless world.
"So, she is coming?" the girl asked slyly. Her voice seemed to be three voices blended into one. It sounded melodious, but haunting. The black haired girl snickered as she set down her comb and flipped her waist length hair behind her. The long bangs almost covered her eyes. With a flick of her head, she sent some strands back. She had long eyelashes as well and dark eyes. She was a very pretty young woman. Her appearance was misleading, however.
The girl left her room and started out into the corridor of the castle. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of black stones. Every few feet there was a torch blazing in purple fire. The flickering light cast shadows over the girl's pale face.
She turned a corner and descended down a flight of stairs. Her long black gown spread out around her. The young woman stood on the bottom step and looked around at the foyer of the Dark castle. She eyed the black marble floor expectantly. Finally, a dark shadow emerged from the floor.
"What is your wish, Mistress?" he asked.
"I want a report immediately. It appears Yasmine is returning to our world." The servant of the Shadows cocked his head to the side. "Yasmine! Remember her? She holds the mysterious Millennium Anklet."
"Ah yes, your Highness. I remember."
"I doubt you would forget. That Millennium Anklet of hers is very special. Originally, only seven Items existed. Hers is special. I have had my eye on it for quite some time. However, her power is strong. Whatever I tried to do to take it from her, she keeps her hold. The countless times I have tried to unleash its energy from this Realm, it fails. It destroys everything but her."
"Yes, I know of what you speak, Mistress."
"Anyways, the past is not important. It is the future that matters. I am still able to control the power of other Millennium Items. The Puzzle has a spirit that will not allow me to, and so does the Ring. But the Millennium Eye...it is vulnerable. I have taken Pegasus as my puppet. Using him, I have claimed two Souls. I knew that it would somehow lead me to her. And it did. Now, Yasmine is here trying to find those very Souls."
"You are very intelligent, my Mistress." The raven-haired girl smiled as she ran a finger along the silver belt around her slim waist.
"Why thank you. Now, the final preparations must be made. I have heard that Sash has betrayed me, but he is still leading them here. I will one day seek vengeance upon his betrayal, but that is not important now. What is important is to get rid of all of the scum in my way. I want that brown-haired boy and the blonde to be gone this instant! I only want the Holders to reach my castle. Two have been eliminated, two more to go."
"Yes, my Mistress Raiya!"
"Why, this is boring!" Crimson complained. An hour had passed since the five had been walking along the black Realm with the birds flying over them.
"Don't say that," Yugi warned. "Or else Raiya might decide to have fun with us again. She's already taken Téa and Tristan."
"You're right," Crimson admitted. "Who knows what she'll do?" The five shrugged and prepared themselves for more walking, unaware that someone was watching them at that moment. And to make it even worse, that person was chuckling maliciously. She had something planned...
"Look, a light!" Bakura observed. He was right. Ahead of them, in the far distance, a yellow light shining upon a circular area stood out from the dark background. The birds seemed to see it too. They sped up their flight and headed toward it. Crimson and the others followed.
As they got closer, they realized the area that was lit in the yellow light was not empty. A tree with beautiful green leaves and purple blossoms stood. Among the blossoms were bunches of pink, round fruits. Crimson stopped suddenly, and the other four bumped into her.
"What?" Yugi asked. Crimson looked at the tree in surprise.
"It's... the Sajuka Tree."
"The what?"
"Didn't I tell you about it? This tree has the power to free Soul Crystals. Unfortunately, we'll need Raiya's help to use the fruits without Crystals. That, hopefully, she'll agree to after we pass some sort of test. I wonder why she is showing it to us though..." The reason soon came. All of a sudden, the tree started to bend over. The fruits decayed and fell to the ground. The flowers wilted and the leaves started turning a sickly brown.
"No!" Crimson cried, rushing forward. Joey and Bakura grabbed her wrists and held her back.
"Wait!" Bakura cried. "I bet it's a trick!"
"Let me go! That tree is important!" By this time, the tree's leaves, fruits, and flowers had all blackened and fallen to the ground. The tree's bark started to blacken as well and the tree fell over.
"No..." Crimson fell to her knees.
"It hasta' be some sorta' trick!" Joey insisted. "It's gotta be!" Kaiba kneeled down next to Crimson.
"I bet that Raiya is doing this as a test or something. Don't worry. If the Tree is as important as you say it is, then Raiya wouldn't destroy it so easily."
"You're right," Crimson said. She got to her feet. In front of her, the tree melted into the ground and the light vanished. Crimson held herself back from walking over to where the tree had been. "Raiya probably did that to show us that we are at her mercy. We have no choice but to obey her." The White Ravens, seeing as how the danger had passed, started on their flight again. The five glanced at one another then proceeded.
"That was interesting," Raiya said. "Very interesting... so, Yasmine, you have figure out the message I am trying to send you? Good for you. Now, I have something else to do. I think it's about time to filter your traveling group and get you ready to face me..." She snapped her fingers, and the scene in her crystal ball began to change.
"Hey, it's heating up again!" Crimson said. The others also noticed that the temperature was drastically inclining. Suddenly, the floor beneath them started to turn into the bright red rocky ground it had been in near the lava. Heat waves were bouncing along its surface for miles around. The sky was still black, but all light seemed to be mysteriously be coming from the reddish rock.
"Anotha' test..." Joey mumbled. Unexpectedly, the rock underneath him started to crack. In less then a second, the ground under him crumbled.
"Joey!" Crimson cried. The blonde cried out as he held on to the edge of the gaping hole for dear life. Behind him, the large gap seemed to extend forever. The ground on the other side was ten feet away. Crimson rushed to him and tried to help him up.
"Crimson! Look out!" Kaiba warned. Crimson gasped as the rocks under her cracked. They broke off, and Crimson screamed as she and Joey fell. Kaiba rushed to the rescue and grabbed Crimson's hand. Joey, however, slipped from her grasp and fell into the blackness.
"NO!" she cried. She looked up. Kaiba was straining to hold onto her hand. Crimson panicked. She was hanging off the side of a red-tinged cliff that led to a pit of shadows, with Kaiba holding onto her as best as he could... which was not too well.
"Great Scott!" Bakura cried as he and Yugi raced over. Yugi extended his hand and Crimson lent him her free hand. Kaiba and Yugi tried to pull her up.
"Yugi! I'm fine! I can handle her myself!" Kaiba insisted.
"Kaiba! Crimson is my sister and I want to help!"
"I'm fine! Yugi, you're not giving me enough room!"
"It's not like I can move much either!"
"Yugi! Listen! If neither of us can move, then we won't be able to pull her up. Yugi, let go, I'll be fine!"
"Kaiba! If you can just think reasonably... neither of us can pull her up alone. We need to work together!"
"For heaven's sake, you sound like Téa!"
"Stop arguing and pull her up!"
"Yugi, Kaiba! Stop fighting! Pull her up togeth- whoa!" Bakura tried walking over to Yugi to help, but he tripped over a rock on the ground. Kaiba turned to get out of the way and let go of Crimson. Yugi, as skinny and short as he was, did not have enough energy to hold Crimson. His grip loosened and Crimson fell down.
"NO!" Kaiba yelled. Luckily, Crimson managed to grab a portion of a lower rock. She hung on for dear life and looked up desperately. She was at least a few yards lower than the other three boys, and no one had any idea of how to save her.
"Help..." she said meekly. Her hands slowly started to slip...