Chapter 7: Pawn to Bug Queen
Carnage erupts through the forest as legions of Cockroach Knights and other assorted creatures begin to assault the bug intruders to there territory. The leader of this group is a Lt. Volcano who uses his abilities of fire to burn the enemies to a cinder. Wave after wave the group begin to eliminate the bug menace.
"They're beginning to weaken," say Lt. Volcano as he attempts to inspire his troops.
Yet, the words spoken by Lt. Volcano seem to provoke a rumble in the earth. A Cockroach Knight takes flight to scout for the source of the rumbling. In the distance the Cockroach Knight spots the source, hordes upon hordes of enemy reinforcement begin to come from the journey to the battlefield. The Cockroach Knight reports his findings to the Lt. who is in shock at the chain of events.
"Keep fighting," says Lt. Volcano. "We must defend the temple." As the swarm of destruction heads toward the forces of good, Lt. Volcano says to his troops," To the last one standing."
Within, the catacombs of the temple of Wood, Yugi and his friends search for the Insect Queen; unaware of the Cockroach Knight Randolph follows closely behind. When all of a sudden a disturbance in the Earth can be fell through the caves, which cause dirt to lightly spread from the roof. All eyes turn to the roof at this development.
"There is something going on up there," says Tea.
"That is why we must hurry," answers Yugi.
Meanwhile deep, in the catacombs, an enormous figure watches as a group of
Soldier Ants eat away at a gate with a carving of the Left Leg of the Forbidden One upon it. The sinister glowing red eyes of the enormous figure glow brighter as the ants begin to slowly breach to door. Suddenly the figure is distracted by sound of intruders approaching.
Yugi's group begins to run toward the door and is greeted by the figure that towers over them. An insect with colors of blue, yellow, and green, standing nearly 8 feet high from head to thorax, have a face almost human in appearance, but mutated by form of and insect.
"It's her, "says Flame Champion. "The Insect Queen."
"So it's you who has been causing such a ruckus," says the Insect Queen. "You have murdered my precious children and are interrupting our work. The only punishment fit for all of you is a slow painful death."
"Not if we kill you first," says Joey as he charges head first into battle.
"Joey, no!" says Yugi.
Yet, he is too late as Joey strikes with his sword only to fail to even piece the skin of the insect Queen. Looking down on Joey the Queen smacks him aside with little effort crashing him in the wall.
Angered by this, Joey rises yet again not willing give up. Wielding Salamandra, Joey gets ready to strike harder than before. Yet, as he lands his hit, Soldier Ants begin to throw themselves at the Queen protecting her from any harm. Joey withdraws from her as he sees the ants are protecting her.
"Is that all you can muster," says the Queen. "Then let's see how you like it when the insects exterminate YOU."
The Queen lets out a shriek in the catacombs that echoes through the darkest corners and beyond. At first all is silent, and then out of many holes in the walls emerges hundred of summoned Soldier Ants that begin to descend upon the group. The Queen laughs wickedly, as the group does all in there power to avoid being torn to bits by the hundreds of green pests.
"Yugi," says Joey, while fighting off the hordes of bugs. "Why don't you just blast all these things to bits?"
"I can't," says Yugi. "If I used my power to destroy all these things at once, I might cause a cave in."
"Only one chance," says Flame Champion. "Tea, when I say so, us Waboku."
Flame uses his Flaming Spear to clear a section of the cave then motions everyone to come together. After everyone is in close proximity, Flame reviles a green gas can in hand. After pulling a pin from the can, he throws it toward the mass, and then gives Tea the signal to start the spell Waboku. A green gas releases from can that spreads through the air of the area. Suddenly the hordes of Soldier Ants begin to vaporize in the air as they come in contact with the gas. As the gas begins to cloud the vision of the field, the Queen lets out a roar that echoes through the halls of the catacombs and outside into the forest.
After hearing this cry from the Queen the masses of bugs outside begin to disperse from the battle field and into the woods. Afterwards rebel forces let out there cries of victory over the day.
As soon as the gas clears, Tea's Waboku spell lets down as the group examines the area.
"What the heck was that stuff," Tristan says.
"That is the most dangerous poison in the insect world," says Flame Champion. "Arousal is the very good at killing bugs, but its so toxin it can be hazardous to other creatures as well. It was given to me as a weapon of last defense."
"But how did you know my spell would even protect use from the poison," says Tea.
"Well…To be honest, I didn't."
"What?!" Joey shouts out loud, coming toward Flame Champion with fury in his eyes and a sword in his fist. "You mean to tell me that we could have all been dead if it wasn't for your good hunch," Joey shouts even louder than before. "Well let me tell you that had got the most reckless stunt I've ever seen."
"I wonder why I didn't think of it." Joey says shocking everyone in the room.
Joey puts an arm around Flame Champion's shoulder and says in a cheery mood, "Man that was cool stunt I've seen in a long time."
"Yeah, I figure Joey couldn't have pulled it off," Tristan adds to the discussion.
"What are you saying Tristan," Joey asks.
"Just that something that clever is too organized for your scatter brain."
"Oh yeah? What about that time in Bessemer falls?!"
"We were out numbered and you suggested, fighting our way out with a cue stick and a couple of pool balls! Any monkey could have thought of that!"
"Yeah, well why didn't you?!"
"You calling me a monkey?!"
"Well, is it looks like and smells like one?!"
Before Joey and Tristan are at each others throats, Yugi pacifies the quarrel and asks them to focus on the task at hand. So, the group heads toward the door and notices the hole that was made by the insects.
"Thank the gods," says Flame. "A few more inches and they would have broken through. But I know a better way."
Searching around the rim and base of the door, Flame begins too knock on several places of the door. Some places he knocks once, others, more than, but eventually the door begins to open.
"It's a sequence of knocks, taught to me by the priests of this temple," says Flame. "When done correctly it opens the doors."
The group then proceeds to enter the crypt of the Left Leg of the Forbidden One.
The army of Lt. Volcano continues to celebrate the supposed victory of the day, but Lt. Volcano cannot help but feel something is missing.
"We have one the day," says Cockroach Knight Number 6.
"Maybe," says Lt. Volcano. "Yet, something troubles me…They retreated, but why when we were so out numbered. If the Queen were dead, it would be like severing a brain from the body. They would have been sitting ducks bumping into each others heads. Yet, they retreated with such persistence. Almost as if they were summoned somewhere."
As the group enters the room, they notice a simple alter from which a square shaped sarcophagus resides upon. As the group heads toward the dusty, alter, nobody notices a strange ominous figure descending from the top of the cave walls, landing beside the Flame Champion. Before he even has time to react, the figure pieces through the back of the Champion and impales him. The rest of the group turns in shock as they notice the assailant is none other than the Insect Queen alive and well and laughing as Flame Lay dieing.
"You fool, "says the Queen. "Did you really believe you're the first to try and poison use? We've built up and immunity to the strongest poisons. To bad your friend did not know that? Yet, we thank you for opening the door. As a reward I'll make sure all you die quickly."
"We'll not go down that fast without a fight," says Yugi, as him the rest come to there senses and prepare to fight."
"Afraid you have not choice," says the Queen. As if provoke by her words the chattering and chattering of hundreds of insects can be heard echoing mildly in the caves. As the sound grows louder with each passing second, the sight of insects begins to be seen. The swarms emerge from behind the Queen and begin to crawl along the edges of the walls until they completely surround the crypt and then some.
"You are a coward," says Joey. "Letting you flunkies try to take us on."
"Who said anything about them fighting," says the Queen. "We get our power from our children, but not in the way you think. We can absorb there energies in the most simplest of ways."
The Queen lets out a shriek of terror as she opens here mouth as wide as here jaws can manage. Suddenly a black void begins to appear in her mouth that creates a wind that begins to suck the air around it. Immediately, the hordes of insects descend from the walls and begin to fly and or leap toward the void that consumes them. The Queen begins to increase her mass, slowly, but surely. The group braces themselves as the wind begins to pick up, no wanting to fall victim to the Queens Void. Yet, Joey notice the Flame Champion begins to be pulled in the void. Using the great speed and braving the insect hordes, Joey manages to snatch the Flame Champion, before he consumed by the void.
Finally the Queen is finished, having consumed every bug and increasing nearly twice he size, her power is now astronomical. After seeing such a barbaric ritual, the group is filled with feelings of amazement, horror, and anger.
"Now you see," says the Queen. "We have taken the energy of our children and focused it into one vessel. Us."
"How could you do that to your own children," says Tea.
"We can always have more," says the Queen. "We have given them purpose, and now we'll show you what we can do."
Using one of her six legs, the insect Queen strikes the ground next to Yugi. Yugi manages to dodge, but is knock aside. While she's distracted Joey tries his turn, but is also knocked aside with awesome force. With two heroes incapacitated, the Queen turns here eyes toward Tea, who immediately counters the Queens assault with here protection of Waboku. Yet, the strait of such power begins to take its toll as Tea has trouble trying to hold the Queen at bay. As Tea strains to hold off the Queen, the Queen begins to smile sinisterly at her pray as the barrier of Waboku begins to give way.
"Now you die," say the Queen, who breaks through the barrier with awesome force. As here legs hit's the ground, nothing but dust and gravel can be seen flying through the air. Until, the Queen hears the fluttering of wings from above her. The Queen spots none other than Randolph. The Cockroach Knight flies over to a corner of the room and lands Tea safely.
"You're not one of our children," says the Queen.
"If I was," says Randolph "I'd have killed myself long ago."
"If its death you wish, then allow use to accommodate."
"I'll keep her distracted," he whispers to Tea," You attend to you friends."
The Cockroach Knight takes to the air and begins to fly around the Queen acting as if to find an opening of attack, the Queen all the while too distracted by Randolph to notice Tea healing her companions. As Randolph dodges blow after blow, he begin to taunting his opponent all the while increasing her anger.
All of a sudden, Randolph misses a dodge and is hit on the wing, causing him to crash to the ground. Before the Queen can finish him off, she is stopped by some unknown spell. As she struggles to move her head she turns just far enough to see Yugi standing up and Joey and Tea attending to Flame Champions health.
"My Spellbinding Circle will keep you bound," says Yugi. "Long enough for your powers to wear off."
As Randolph heads to help Tea and her friends, the expression on the Queens face turns from shocked to wickedly cheerful. Mustering what awesome strength she manages to turn facing the group.
"Do not Underestimate use," says the Queen. "If we cannot beat you, then we eat you."
The Queen opens here mouth yet again to open the vortex from within, only this time with tremendous force that before. The gravel begins to be consumed and the group tries desperately to hang on to what eve they can. The force of the void is so powerful it begins to pull in the sarcophagus of Exodia.
"Oh, no!" says Yugi. "If we that sarcophagus gets consumed there may be no way of retrieving it again!"
Randolph looks examines the scene and realizes there is only one way to save his friends. He let's go of his grip and is about to fall into the void until Tea catches his hand.
"What are you doing?!" says Tea.
"I have to do this!" says Randolph. "I know a spell called Michizure! It will allow me to destroy the Queen, but only is she destroys me first!"
"There has to be another way?!"
"There is no other way. It has to be done…We both have a responsibility, and mine is the save my friends! So please you have to let go!"
"…"
"Please!"
"I can't do it!"
"You must."
Tears of sadness begin to fill Teas eyes as she looked in the helmet covered eyes of the Cockroach Knight. Then with a heavy heart, Tea's grip loosens just enough for Randolph to pull free. As Tea watches with shock and sadness in here heart, Randolph heads toward the center of the void mouthing the words," Thank you, friend."
No sooner had Randolph the Cockroach Knight been consumed by the Queen. The wind of her void had halted, as she began to act as if some forces were choking her to death. All a sudden, the void that had resided in her belly began to cause here pain as it began to implode inside here stomach. So the Queen vanished into her own void as it began to vanish into thin air. When all was said and done sadness began gripping the scene.
The rebel forces began to scout and clean the battle field, searching for Yugi and his group, until at last there search was over as they emerged from the entrance in the catacombs. Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Tea, and the wounded Flame Champion emerged from the battle with there prize, a stone box containing the Left Leg of the Forbidden One, engraved with a special seal upon it. A piece of a puzzle that could mean the end of the world, or its salvation.