There has been a major re-vamp of this story, I have also changed the name of our lovable little Dark Magician. When I started the story I hadn't heard of the Pharoah's Memory Arc, but now I have a pretty good understanding of it and realized Dark does have a name! So I will use that.
So, when Yami suggests a name change for the magicians to avoid suspicion, (and to save me typing out their full names) here are they're pseudonoms:
Magician of Black Chaos: Kuroi.
Dark Magician: Mahaado.
Labyrinth of Nightmare - Taken
"Yugi, no! Don't go!"
"Yami, help me!"
Yami ran towards his aibou, who was falling through a dark portal in the shadow realm, a vortex of swirling colours engulfed the small teen and Yugi began to disappear.
"Yami, I can't hold on...goodbye..."
Yugi faded completely and Yami was left all alone, in the shadow realm. How he had gotten here was still a mystery to him, he and Yugi had just been watching a video when suddenly the room had turned dark and duel monsters were roaming everywhere.
"Yugi..."
Yami fell to his knees in defeat, his hikari was gone. A black void had opened up and a duel monster had grabbed Yugi and dragged him in, and he did nothing to help…
"Master Yami? Begging your pardon, but what are you doing in the Shadow Realm?"
Yami turned his tear streaked face to see the Dark Magician, and the Magician of Black Chaos.
"They took Yugi."
The duel monsters gasped; shock evident on their features. The two magicians looked at one another, as if they were conversing though no words were exchanged.
"We will help you find the Little Master, right away. We must make haste before something bad happens."
"Hai, Master, the Dark Magician is right. There is talk of a battle soon to be fought, maybe that is why the young aster was taken?"
"Whatever the reason, I won't leave my hikari alone, thank you for your help."
The duel monsters nodded and helped Yami to his feet. Yami sniffed and straightened hi jacket.
"Where would they have taken him?"
"Well, if who we think it is has taken him he'll be in the Castle of Dark Illusion."
"But, there are many traps on the way there, are you sure that you want to proceed?"
"Of course, I have to get him back. He is the other half of my soul, do you have any idea what it feels like to have someone that special?"
As Yami said this the two Duel Monsters briefly looked to the other, then turned away blushing and both muttered "Yeah."
"Lets go, I need to find Yugi."
The two followed Yami and began the long walk to the Castle. After an hour or so of walking in the shadows passing various Duel Monsters, Yami had to speak up.
"So, this is where all of the Duel Monsters go when they aren't on the field?"
"Yes, Master. This is our 'home'."
"Do you not remember from ancient times when we all used to be alive? We were good friends, although you made us call you Master...we respected you. And we still do, well some of us..."
"What do you mean some of you?"
The Dark Magician shifted uncomfortably.
"Well, I know you remember little of your past, but back in Kemet you would use every single Duel Monster, but now you have limited the amount you use."
"Well yes, the modern day game uses a deck; I can only use the cards which I have."
The Dark Magician smiled sadly.
"I know, Master. But not everyone does. The Blue Eyes White Dragons have never been played by you..."
"But Kaiba holds those cards!"
"Yes, but your grandfather did hold one until recently. And they heard of it's destruction."
"But we fixed it with...what's it called?...Sticky tape."
The Magician of Black Chaos laughed.
"You think you can revive us with sticky tape? The fourth Blue Eyes soul was destroyed, many duel monsters were scared by this and sided with the Blue eyes, they are planning a battle to get through us, namely the cards in your deck, and hope to escape the confinements of the Shadow Realm."
Yami gasped
"You mean...they'll come to Domino?"
"Not just Domino, Master. These Duel Monsters are very angry at their treatment. You don't remember what happened to us after your death, but we do. You'll be lucky to ever see the young Master again, alive and in one piece."
"W--what happened?"
"You will find out, in due time. Until then we are almost at the gates."
"Of the Castle? That wasn't too hard."
Dark Magician sighed.
"No not the Castle, the maze. We must enter and succeed in the trials that lie ahead, before we can enter the Castle."
Yami groaned and stopped walking looking up into the cerulean blue eyes of the Dark magician.
"How long will this take?"
"As long as necessary. We will be with you."
Yami sighed and walked to the wall. And stopped.
"Er, how do we get in then?"
"No idea."
Yami sweat dropped.
"Nani? What do you mean you have no idea?"
"Well I have never needed to go to the Castle of Dark Illusion before. It's kind of a one-way thing; most people don't survive the first trial."
"Listen, Dark Magician, Magician of Black Chaos, I can see an opening, but there's something near it. It's going to be pretty obvious with names like yours who you are so quickly make up different ones."
The two magicians thought for a moment. Then the Dark Magician spoke up.
"I would be honored to be known by my old name when I served your family, if there is no objection you may call me Mahaado."
"Yeah, well I don't really remember my name from way back then…I do remember however Young master Yugi calling me by a Japanese word, what was it?...Kuroi, it means black I think." Said the Magician of Black Chaos.
"That's settled then, and remember, you can't go around calling me 'Master' or people will get suspicious."
"Okay Master- I mean...Y-yami. It feels disrespectful though..."
"It's not if I told you to say it is it?"
"You are right, let's go talk to the creature."
The three walked up to a furry creature that was picking flowers. Every so often he would throw a flower away in favour of a different one. He had muddy brown fur and green claws that were clutching the stems of the flowers. Yami instantly recognized it as one of Yugi's favourite cards.
"Excuse me, Kuribo?"
The furry creature referred to as Kuribo turned around, smiled and glomped Yami.
"Ah, er, Kuribo? I'm glad to see that you are still on my side."
"It's because you use him, still."
Yami nodded.
"Do you know how to get to the Castle?"
Kuribo looked thoughtful for a moment then sadly looked to the floor.
"Well, this must be the entrance, let's just go from there, yeah?"
Mahaado and Kuroi moved the heavy metal gates with great difficulty. Yami helped as did Kuribo, but their strength paled in comparison to the Magicians.
They were greeted to a long corridor that seemed to go on forever. The walls were stone, and were covered in moss. The floor was littered with dead leaves. It was an open top, and the sky was hazy grey, but it was daylight.
"What do we do now? This corridor doesn't look like it has an ending!"
"Things are not always as they seem, Master."
Kuroi elbowed Mahaado in the ribs.
"You're supposed to call him Yami, not Master!"
"Well, sorry I forgot! Like you've never forgotten anything!"
Yami and Kuribo looked between the two Magicians, sensing a heated argument.
"Er, Kuribo? Which way should we go? Left or right?"
The small Duel Monster looked each way, paused for a moment and then pointed to the right.
"Come on you two, sort out your lovers tiff later, we have to go find Yugi."
The two blushed at the comment, and instantly stopped talking.
"Coming Master."
"See, you just said it too!"
"Shut up Mahaado; we have a job to do."
"Of course."
The two hurried to catch up to Yami, unknowing of the dangers that faced them.
Latest edition: 21st June 2004
-Dagger