Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Nick who belongs to Phoenix727 or DJ and Darien who belong to DJ Rodriguez. Sorry if I kept everyone waiting. On Sunday I got the internet back on my brother's computer, and I hope there will be no more problems plaguing it again. Here's Chapter 23.

Chapter 23: Desperate Battle! The Time Has Arrived! Part 5

As the smoke and ash cleared, only one person was left standing. Tea emerged victorious and she coughed as the smoke filled her lungs. She searched frantically for any sign of Nick, moving in the debris and finally heard his soft moaning. St. Joan and Shinato guided her way and Tea smiled once she saw Nick. Tea ran and found Nick lying on the cold floor, badly wounded. Tears formed in Tea's eyes as she embraced him. Tea pressed her ear to hear Nick's heartbeat and she realized he was still alive.

Tea nearly screamed when Nick groaned and he sat up, sensing her embrace. He cast a humble look at Tea and hugged her back. "Tea, I'm sorry..." Nick said quietly.

"It wasn't your fault..." Tea released her grip on him. "If Sonja had not messed with your memories, this wouldn't have happened."

"Where are the others?" he asked.

Tea averted his gaze. "They're fighting the Final Five right now but..."

Nick lifted her chin. "Something the matter?"

"Yugi is dueling Artemis in the Shadow Realm!"

"Could things get ever worse?" Nick groaned in frustration. "Let's go find our friends."

"They went into that corridor." Tea pointed to the doorway.

She and Nick headed down the dark hallway and they sensed an unusual power growing stronger. The air around them turned cold and Tea paused mid-way. Nick grabbed her hand as they managed to escape the dreadful corridor. They entered the chamber just before Pluto and Yukai were going to finish off the Final Five. The sight of this made Tea move back, but Nick held her hand tightly. The others noticed their arrival, and Ryou and Bakura walked over to them.

"Ryou, what's going on?" Tea asked.

"Host, let me explain." Bakura pushed Ryou aside.

"Must you still call me that?" Ryou mumbled.

"I'll call you whatever I want!" Bakura scolded. "Pluto and Yukai are preparing to destroy the Final Five, but the Millennium Guardians fear for everyone's safety."

"Why?" Nick queried.

"The attack Berserk is dangerous when we are in enclosed areas," Ryou continued. "Nick, I thought you were against us?"

"Yes. What are you doing here, mortal?" Bakura questioned. He glared at Nick.

"He's good now." Tea answered. "I was able to free him from the darkness."

"He better be." Bakura spat. They watched the battle from a safe distance as Slifer and Obelisk began launching their attacks. Yukai and Pluto stood defiantly at the Final Five, and Mercury appeared in front of them. The two Guardians stared angrily at him.

"Move out of the way!" Pluto yelled.

"Do you want to be destroyed along with the Final Five?" Yukai spat. He and Pluto ordered Slifer and Obelisk to hold off their attacks. Pluto was especially not pleased with his twin brother. They were soon confronted by Joey and Kaiba.

"What is the meaning of this?" Pluto demanded, his hand grasping the hilt of his sword.

"You're making a terrible mistake!" Mercury yelled. "If you don't stop now, you'll regret the consequences!"

"Need I remind why we are doing this?" Yukai shouted angrily.

"You two are hot-heads!" Joey interrupted. "Ya gotta think before you act."

"The both of you may end up destroying everyone here," Kaiba continued. "This is a foolish action you're taking."

Pluto and Yukai turned to each other and then glared back at Mercury, Joey and Kaiba. Pluto released his grip from his sword and looked down at the others. He realized DJ and Darien were prepared to attack if Mercury's fears were confirmed. Pluto knew what his twin brother wanted to do; save him from the horrible decision he and Yukai would make.

Yukai, on the other hand, was worried that he would have failed in his duty as Servant of Ra and he couldn't quite understand why he was reacting very harshly. Yukai stared at the Final Five and he was surprised that they showed no fear.

"Well, what are you going to do?" Mercury questioned.

Both Pluto and Yukai nodded. "Mercury, do not question me." Pluto muttered.

"We have an alternate plan of attack." Yukai replied happily.

"If the both of you had a second plan, then why didn't you use it?" Joey yelled, enraged.

Yukai sighed. "We needed to release all our anger but it clouded our minds and if you three had not come in, who knows what would have happened."

"Any way we can help?" Joey offered.

"We can handle ourselves."

"Mutt, let them deal with the Final Five," Kaiba said as he and Mercury went back with the others.

"Kaiba, one of these days you'll regret callin' me a mutt!" Joey responded out loud and he followed Kaiba.

"One of these days... Maybe in a million years." Nick mumbled.

"I see you're back to normal, Nick." Joey said. "Yugi hasn't returned?"

"No, he's been gone too long already." Tea shook her head.

"So what are we going to do?" DJ asked. He and Darien approached the gang.

"What is that?" Atem exclaimed as his eyes widened.

The others turned around and were shocked to see Seiryu, but he also carried the Millennium Puzzle. A familiar evil aura exuded from it and it began to form itself as yellow eyes gleamed fierce at everyone in the room.

"We're too late!" Orpheus said.

"If only Yugi were here..." Tea cried.

Seiryu smirked as the black form materialized itself to become the Galactic Dragon. Its body was completely restored and it felt more powerful than the last encounter. Its black wings stretched out, yellow eyes glaring at them. Then a huge hourglass appeared next to them and the sand began pouring. This stunned the Guardians for some reason.

Zephyrus looked up and gasped. He noticed his allies stared in shock, immobilized by the total strength of the Galactic Dragon.

"Now I will eliminate all those who oppose me, then nothing will stop me!" Seiryu spoke. "Not even the descendants of Ra can stop the Galactic Dragon."

"Our fate lies in Yugi's hands," Luna stated as she neared Zephyrus.

"But what if he lost to Artemis...?" Zephyrus responded sadly.

"The Gift of Horus will shine the way to Yugi."

"I hope Artemis survived as well." He said sadly.

Artemis grasped onto me as my world began fading. Her cries became softer as I felt myself drowning into the darkness. Artemis's tears fell upon my limp body as her mirror continued to glow. My soul was being taken away from her, but I sensed I wasn't being transported to the Galactic Dragon. I found myself in a strange place.

It was a gorgeous room filled with the scent of jasmine in the air. Candles were lit and regal furniture adorned the chamber. A small hourglass stood on a table, and I felt a presence beside me. I turned around to find Artemis or at least thought it was. The girl resembled her and she held a glowing yellow sphere. Her pale skin shined like the moonlight within the dim-lit chamber. Then realization hit me. This being had to be Maiden of the Moonlight.

"Ra," she said.

"Where am I?" I asked.

"You're in Mesenet's Soul Room." She glanced at me with a curious look.

"What am I doing here?"

"I saved you before your soul was sacrificed."

I looked around, intrigued by Artemis's Soul Room. I breathed in the jasmine and my eyes caught the hourglass. The sand poured and each time it finished, the hourglass flipped itself to repeat the cycle.

"That hourglass represents Mesenet's life. If it ever should stop, then she would die." Maiden of the Moonlight explained.

"Why did you call me Ra?" I questioned.

"Your memory of your past life is still within your mind," she began. "You are Ra, even in this lifetime. So goes for Mesenet."

"What about Ammon?"

"His Keepers must merge into one. I fear that I must tell you that the Galactic Dragon has been resurrected."

"I was too late. There has to be a way to stop it." I mused,

"When the three Phoenix Dragons are united, they will be able to defeat the Galactic Dragon," she continued. "The time will come when all of your descendants shall arise to stop the true traitor."

"The Galactic Dragon isn't our only enemy?"

"Isis and Osiris could not stop him and they want the ones that gave them life to accomplish this task."

"I still don't understand." I argued. Maiden of the Moonlight walked up to me. The sphere in her hands glowed brighter as if it were alive.

"Ra, Mesenet was your consort and the bearer of Isis and Osiris. This orb that I hold contains her memories of her past life." She handed me the sphere and smiled. I felt its warm light as the Soul Room began disappearing. Suddenly, I opened my eyes and gazed at Artemis.

She had a look of sorrow on her face and tears flowed freely down her cheeks. My vision was blurry as I reached out my hand to wipe her face dry. Artemis looked up and held me close. I noticed I grasped on my left hand the sphere, and Artemis released me. Her moon amulet glowed as did Yukai's sword and Artemis's mirror.

"The Soul Sphere," Artemis gasped. "Where did you find it?"

"Maiden of the Moonlight gave it to me when I was in your Soul Room," I answered. "She said it contains your former memories as Mesenet." I felt my chest hurt as I stood up, and Artemis came to my aid. She narrowed her eyes to the castle and gritted her teeth.

"We haven't any time to waste!" She shouted as she grabbed my hand.

I placed the sphere inside my pocket as we ran to the castle. The pain continued to worsen with each step we took. Artemis looked worried, her eyes gleaming with courage and her mirror shined as if leading the way.

We appeared out of the hallway, entering an empty chamber and then walking into another corridor. This corridor directly led us to our friends, and I fell on my knees because of the growing pain in my chest. My eyes widened when I saw the Galactic Dragon. Artemis glared at Seiryu and I realized a huge hourglass stood between us and the Galactic Dragon.

Seiryu grinned evilly. "After countless centuries, the Galactic Dragon will finally conquer Ra!"

"No." Artemis shook her head.

"Yugi, you will die by the time the sand runs out from this hourglass," Seiryu explained, pointing at it.

"The pain..." I moaned, clutching my chest. My agony was coming from my heart, like it was dying.

"Seiryu, you bastard!" Pluto roared.

"He can't die like this!" Yukai yelled.

All of my friends watched in horror and there was nothing they could do. My hand felt the sphere in my pocket and the amulet throbbed in my chest. The sand inside the hourglass was diminishing, and I felt my time had run out...

Author's Notes: About the hourglassit was used as a symbol of life for the Guardians. It's like their belief, if they die that means the hourglass has stopped its cycle. Here's the next synopsis:

Yugi's fate lies in the hourglass and the Guardians can't do anything to stop the curse. Perhaps there is still hope for Yugi, if Yukai and Pluto are willing to sacrifice themselves. Luna, she was once the protector of the Soul Sphere, and she may know how to use it. Zephyrus has to make his choice to where his allegiance lies and his comrades better decide as well. The dark hour has tolled and chaos will soon break out. On the next Dark Crisis – Chapter: 24: Desperate Battle! The Dark War Begins Part 6

The next chapter is the conclusion of the multi-parter, but not to worry the story is not over yet.