Hi, everyone! I hope your holidays were happy and healthy. If you live in the U.S, and especially near the Capitol, I hope you all are remaining safe as well. Welp! It's 2021 now! and we have a new chapter. Good grief... I have to get writing on the last one... *Nervous laughter commences*... Time to work on that...
*I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! The only own Christine, my OC, and her extremely large temper. If you recognize anything, I don't own that either.*
It only took a few minutes of walking after entering the large portal to realize that we were in the exact same forest we started in. I never thought I'd say it, but I was happy to see these trees. When the sun began to go down, we gathered up wood and started up a fire. It was a tad uncomfortable for me as my fever was raging at the back of my head but I, at least, was conscious enough to hear the words of my friends.
"I think we ended up in the exact same place we started." Yugi sighed once we had settled down.
"Me too." Anzu agreed.
"Maybe we took the wrong door?" Honda asked.
"Unlikely." I retorted. "What other door were we supposed to take?"
That got a nod. Grandpa then spoke, alleviating all fears.
"Nah." He breathed with a laugh. "The way I see it, we've come full circle."
"Right!" Yugi chirped in agreement. "Cause if this is the spot we entered from, it makes sense that the exit is here too!"
Seemed cliché but I wasn't arguing. I just hoped we could get through the last trial without me collapsing.
"A wise deduction." The same voice of the man from the second trial appeared.
We all turned, seeing the masked man approach from over the small ridge. Who was this guy anyway? He sure knew a lot of what we were up against. "But there is still a long way to go before you may return home. Your fifth and final challenge will prove to be the most difficult thus far."
Great.
"Yeah?!" Jounouchi growled, jumping to his feet. "Says who?! It's about time you identified yourself!"
"You're right."
That was a tad too convenient… He didn't seem to argue much. "My friends… My name is King Alexandros the Third of Macedonia."
"Alexander the Great?!" Anzu gasped.
There went any and all amusement I had in this conversation. Yugi immediately noticed the shift of my expression from calm to… well, I don't even know what face I was making anymore. How the heck was he here? Sure, we entered the Pyramid of Alexander but that meant nothing. He was buried in Egypt; what was his conscious – or whatever we were talking to – doing in a game board in India?
"So, I take it you have heard of me. What do they say about my life where you live?"
If Anzu hadn't spoken more cordially, I would have snapped the entire lecture I had in the back of my head.
"Oh, only that you almost single handedly conquered the world."
"Known world." Yugi corrected and I had never been so proud from him; he remembered!
"Oh, right!"
The man saying that he was Alexander the Great gave a nod of his head, a soft smile covering his face now.
"I see." The man breathed. "The events of which you speak occurred many lifetimes ago."
After a quick glance at me, probably making sure I wasn't going to snap something, Yugi got to his feet then.
"So, what exactly are you doing here?" Yugi asked.
Alexander's answer was pushing the cloak out from in front of him, revealing the same golden armor that Yugi was wearing now. That checked at least. Then that made him and whoever came with him the people the girl in the first trial had mentioned. "You're wearing the same Duel Armor that I am!"
Alexander then began to explain how he got here. I would have been content to drown it out by playing with a rock at my feet but the mention of a 'good luck charm' brought me back to my senses. Why did that sound bad? Yami must have been concerned as well as he popped his head out as well. "What sort of a charm?"
"Actually… It was not unlike the one that you wear. But this gift came with a price. Although it brought me countless victories, the charm around my neck seemed to cloud my mind and before long, I lost the respect and loyalty of my men."
Then came the mention of Shadi. I still didn't like the turbaned man being mentioned. If my fever hadn't still been raging in my head, it would have hurt from remembering what had happened. I forced what pain did come away, seeing everyone back on the ground around the fire. "And so, I entered the stranger's pyramid, just as you did."
"And it didn't go well."
Yugi had remembered again.
"My lust for power proved my downfall. I'm sure you're all aware of what happened after I failed."
"Uh…" Jounouchi drawled. "No idea."
"The invasion of India was a bust." I finally spoke but in short sentences. "You were facing full-fledged mutiny nearly every day so you were forced to go back to Babylon where… Well…"
Alexander nodded his head, knowing that I was mentioning his death. His head remained lowered as he continued to speak.
"It's true." Alexander breathed. "I failed the stranger's test and lost everything!"
The man then climbed to his feet, giving an annoyed sigh. "But that's my own fault. And now it's your turn." A scroll burst into appearance, landing gently in his palm. The King gently unrolled it and began to read. "Slay them all if you dare. Earth, Fire, Sky, Water and Air." Yugi climbed back to his feet, Yami quickly taking over.
"Slay them all?" Yami asked.
"Sounds like a plan to me!" Jounouchi cheered.
"But we don't even know where to start!" Anzu argued.
"Well then, it's lucky for you I showed up when I did." Alexander breathed.
I wanted to roll my eyes but Yami stepped over to help me to my feet. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Grandpa being handed a capsule. My attention was brought back to Yami when his hand appeared at my forehead. His expression was slightly nervous. I gave him a comforting nod, seeing it shift slightly.
"Are you sure we can trust this guy?" Jounouchi asked.
"It's the best option we've got." Yami breathed in reply.
There was nothing to argue with so we all turned to follow after the Macedonian King.
It was a long walk to wherever we were headed. I walked in step with Yami the whole time, his finger wrapped around mine like he was worried I was going to suddenly faint on him. The concern was nice but I was ok. I was fine. Perfectly…
"It is a lift on my heart to be with one of my countrymen again." Alexander suddenly said.
I flicked my eyes to him, seeing the Macedonian King looking back at me. "It has been a long time." I considered not replying but, with all eyes on me, I had no choice but to say something.
"Countrymen?" I asked.
"Do not think me a fool, Royal Wife, I know who you are."
Does he now... He did know Yami was a Pharaoh; well… not many of them were spirits inside of an ancient puzzle. It must not have been a far leap. I gave a short exhale, trying to keep my composure, especially with everyone around, but… The way he said 'I know who you are' made me angry. Any knowledge of who I was to begin with was locked behind the largest brick wall; fleeting images of sand and sun, laughter and joy all being fed to me through a grainy filter when I was distracted or asleep. Who was this man to say that he knew who I was when I couldn't even remember my mother's face half the time!
"You don't know a damn thing about me."
Alexander's expression darkened slightly. I took it as he didn't like my response. I found I didn't care about what he thought. "The worlds you and I grew up in were vastly different. Don't call me your countryman because that is not what I am." There was silence from my friends as well as Grandpa. I didn't look away from Alexander's masked face, continuing to stare him down.
I was pulled away by Yami tugging on my hand.
"Why don't we walk at the back for a little while?" He asked, voice low.
I gave no sign of agreeance but he pulled at me gently and I walked with him. I could now finally see the concerned expressions on all of my friends' faces. I was getting so tired of seeing it. I wanted to feel better. I wanted to get out of here. Yami walked us to the back of the group, his finger still wrapped around mine, and began to talk. "What is going on?" I didn't respond. "Mereret, please, I thought we were done with secrets."
"I'm not keeping a secret. You know my opinion about him."
"I know but what set you off?"
"It's…"
I gave a growl. "Saying he knew who I was when I barely do half the time… it infuriates me!" I snapped my head towards Yami. "There's over a thousand years between us; we are not countrymen." Thankfully, Yami's face wasn't filled with concern or even pity but he did have the one he'd wear when he was thinking.
"I wish you would tell me why you hate him so much."
I turned back in the direction we were walking. It made me angry for some reason to the Macedonian King's helmet looming over the heads of my friends. Yami's hand adjusted so that he was holding onto my own. "You said… you don't like how he made the world… Christine, who took over after he died?" He didn't use the pet name; he really did want my attention. I took a calming breath, trying to regain my composure.
"The Diadochi. Alexander's companions and generals." (I have always pronounced it Dia-Dach-Koi as that is what my professor said but I could be wrong.)
"And how did that go?"
"As well as you can expect. With no clear heir, except for the unborn Alexander the Fourth, the Companions of Alexander the Great split up his vast empire and created small kingdoms that they ruled. The Antigonids ruled Greece and Macedonia, the Seleucids had a vast amount of the Middle East – from Babylon to bits of Pakistan -, and…"
Yami knew the sneer that was threatening my expression the moment it began to appear.
"What about the Ptolemies?"
No matter how much I fought, I couldn't get the sneer off my face.
"Ptolemy got Egypt and his dynasty ruled until 30 BCE… when Cleopatra the Seventh committed suicide and Rome annexed the country."
Yami was thinking again. I continued to talk as he didn't stop me. "Native Egyptians could barely increase their own political power unless they showed that they learned Greek and were effectively 'Hellenized'." I gave another growl. "To them, Egypt was just about the wealth it provided, not the people who had lived there for thousands of years!"
"It's Ptolemy."
I looked over to Yami, his face now filled with understanding. "Your anger may start with Alexander, as he was technically the one to 'conquer' Egypt, but he's only the catalyst for it. Your real anger is for Ptolemy and his descendants for what they did to Egypt." I turned away again. "You never knew the real connection before coming here but you were always angry at the treatment the Egyptians endured. Mereret… He didn't choose the aftermath of his death, no one can."
"He could have done something!"
Yami expression didn't shift at all, even with my snap. He simply kept that calm expression.
"From what you said, it was sudden. He may have been so delirious from pain or fever that he couldn't."
I gave an angry exhale, sending all the air out of my nose. "Mereret…"
"Aren't I allowed to be angry? Aren't I allowed to be angry at the men who put down the people of the country that I called home?"
"Of course but…"
Yami's grip tightened on my hand. "Why take out your anger on someone who has already paid for his mistakes?" There was a voice that said that he hadn't paid enough but I knew that voice wasn't my own; I forced it away.
Yami was right, as he always was. Didn't mean I had to say it aloud.
I didn't answer his question but Yami knew that I was settled for the moment. He pulled me closer, pressing a kiss to my temple. "Forgiveness is hard, I know, but think about it?" I could do that, for him at least, so I nodded. Yami must have appreciated my answer so he kissed my temple again. We spent another moment at the back of the group before we moved to join the others again.
It took a little while longer to get to where ever the trial was being held but the large town was quite visible, even in the dark. It was dwarfed by the mountains at the back but the almost mud brick buildings were very clear. There weren't any fires though except for what looked like the main causeway. The town was practically dead.
"So… about this final challenge…" Jounouchi drawled. "Got any hints? Tips? Words of Wisdom?"
"Yeah, like, what's up with the Ghost Town?" Honda asked, his eyes moving around the darkened buildings.
"We have entered a settlement known as 'Village of the Divine Dragon.'" The Macedonian King answered. "I'm afraid the rest you must discover on your own."
Typical.
We continued down the main causeway for another minute or so before we reached the cliff face. I couldn't tell if it was painted or not but I could just make out an image of some kind. It was melted like those wax crayon images that Meg and I did once. Perhaps it was this Divine Dragon that he mentioned? It didn't seem like a very nice monument if the Divine Dragon was their deity with the image all messed up like that. At the base of it, a large group of people were gathered.
"I can tell you one thing, guys, we're not alone."
As we got closer, it became clear that the people were praying or something akin to it. Their eyes were shut and they mumbled under their breath. I jumped when some of them opened their eyes and suddenly turned to watch something. That something was a girl, dressed in a simple white dress. Her head was lowered, red hair pulled back out of her face, eyes fluttered shut but still watching where she was walking.
"Who's that kid?" Jounouchi asked.
"Whoever she is," Anzu breathed, "she must be pretty important."
"For someone so important, she doesn't look too thrilled about it." Honda added on.
I agreed. She looked resigned. What was going on? The girl then walked up the main dais – right in front of the mangled picture – where another man was waiting for her.
"Are you prepared to offer up your soul so that the Divine One may continue to offer protection to our people?" The man asked in a clear voice.
"Wait…" I gasped. "Her soul?!"
"I have a feeling that our challenge has something to do with saving this girl." Yami breathed.
"I'm with you, Yuge!" Jounouchi jumped in with a nod of his head. "Let's crash this party!"
Our whole group walked up to the dais and, just as we reached the stairs, the people began to notice us. The man at the top gave us a wide-eyed expression before barking.
"State your business!" The man demanded. "We are in the midst of a sacred ceremony!"
"And we're here to put a stop to it before someone gets hurt!"
"Yes, but I'm fine!" The girl argued.
Jounouchi continued to storm across the dais, reached down for a rock, then tossed over the edge. Based on the lack of an echo as it hit the bottom there was a deep, deep, deep chasm. Was she going to be thrown over the edge?
"You call that fine?! That rock coulda been you! Don't you get it?!"
The girl didn't react like it was such a shock.
"Who are you?" The man then asked.
"We're on a mission to destroy some monsters or something." Honda replied.
Or something indeed. The man, as well as the rest of the people, seemed to be in awe of what Honda said.
"It's you! The Legendary Warriors of the Prophecy!"
There were dozens of whispers littered around the clearing ranging from 'they exist' to 'preposterous'.
"Are you saying you were expecting us?" Yami asked from his spot behind Jounouchi.
The man nodded before turning back to the image. His mouth moved but I had trouble catching the words all of a sudden. Everything was beginning to spin. Anzu must have noticed my lack of balance and gripped my shoulders, holding me in place. I breathed a word of thanks, forcing myself back to what was at stake. This place was protected by a White Dragon, whose powers protected this region from five vicious dragons until the prophesized warriors arrived. Sadly, the white dragon only has so much power and, to keep the region protected, the people offer up souls to rejuvenate it.
"So you pick a defenseless kid?!" Anzu barked, her words making me jump in surprise.
"Actually, I volunteered." The girl breathed, jumping back into the conversation. "It's my duty as a citizen of this town."
A protector would want lives to be thrown away?
"It doesn't have to be this way, my friends." Alexander then breathed. "If you're able to locate and defeat the Fiendish Five, this girl's soul will be spared."
There was only a moment of thought before Yami looked back to the man.
"Tell us where to find these beasts and we'll make sure they never threaten you again." Yami asked of the man on the dais.
The man suddenly looked terrified.
"Yes but –" The man was going to argue but another villager jumped in, running up from behind.
"You have no idea what you're dealing with!" The villager barked. "I'm warning you! No human has ever entered the domain of the Fiendish Five and returned to tell the tale!"
"Until now." Yami breathed back.
At first, I paid attention to where the dragons were – five different locations for five dragons yadda yadda yadda – but when he said 'molten' I admit I fazed out a bit. Why?! Can't we be done with them?! I only came back to my senses when Jounouchi was barking something.
"Fine!" Jounouchi barked. "If we don't win this fight, you can take… him!"
Jounouchi pointed at Honda. He had just offered up Honda's soul if we failed. I immediately smacked his arm. "Ow!"
"Not funny." I huffed.
Yami went over to the girl, telling her that she would be fine, before walking back over to us. She did follow us as we moved to leave the town. When we were out of the large clearing, the girl began to talk excitedly with Yami, who was walking just ahead of me. The dizziness was starting to get bad again so I focused on the sound of his voice as he replied that the reason why we were here was a long story.
When Jounouchi and Honda raced up to pull a Sword in the Stone moment with the sword on a large dais at the entrance of the village, my vision became blurry. My head began to ache like something was banging around inside. Then, when Yami went up to pull on it, everything got even worse. I felt like I was going to be sick! The girl was saying something when a hand moved to my back.
"Are you alright?" Alexander's voice appeared at my ear, his voice soft from trying to be quiet.
I tried to pull away, tell him to back off, but it was like I was suddenly underwater and everything went black.
When everything cleared, I found myself seated on the small dais. Yami's voice was at my ear, whispering my name over and over again.
"Christine!" He hissed my name rather than my pet name. "Christine!"
I gave a groan and forced my eyes open. Everything was still a little blurry but I was able to make out my friends. I must have fainted; great, the one thing I didn't want happening.
"She's awake!" Anzu cheered.
"Thank goodness!" Grandpa sighed in relief.
I tried to say I was fine and get back up but my legs were glued to the ground. Yami's hand settled at my forehead; he flinched back slightly at the heat.
"Should I call for a doctor?" The girl asked.
"We've got something better than a doctor!" Honda assured.
Joan. I went to pick up her capsule but my arms were noodles. Yami, bless him, was able to see which one I was going for and picked it up himself, settling it into my arm gauntlet. The Guardian Angel quickly pieced together what was going on and, when Yami moved aside, she took his place. I felt her power activate but the fever, the dizziness, only remained. No matter how hard she fought, Joan couldn't get the fever to subside again. "It's getting worse…"
"Which means we have to go!" Jounouchi barked. "I bet those Fiendish Five are expecting us!"
"Be wary." Alexander then breathed. "If they reach this town, their power will only grow!"
Yami nodded his head, sneaking one last look at me. He did have a concerned look on his face but I allowed it; I fainted on him after all. I nodded, not moving. I would remain here to recuperate and in the event something happened. Yami still looked concerned but determination took over his features now.
"There's no time to lose!" Yami said and everyone went off.
The only one to stay was Alexander. The girl moved to be with her people while the Macedonian King settled nearby. He was both watching the sky for the dragons as well as watching me; I could see his eyes flicking back every minute or so. Joan seemed just as excited with this prospect as I was; the constant huffs she was letting out revealed that very quickly.
"Tell me how you really feel." I teased.
There was a sound like a sigh before her hands returned to my head, trying to clear the fever again. There was the gentle tingle as it fought with the fever but the heat overwhelmed it. Joan gave another sigh. "Just give it a little bit; I'll bounce back."
"Not at this rate." Joan replied. "I fear this trial will not be as simple as it appears."
"When is it ever simple?"
There was a gentle laugh before it was cut off by some movement. I turned my head slightly to see that Alexander had walked over. In his hand was what looked to be a water skin? Perhaps he had gotten it from one of the villagers.
"Here." He simply said.
I hesitated. "It is only water; you have my word." I flicked my eyes between his masked face and the water skin for a moment longer before relenting. Water sounded amazing right now. I took a quick swig, reveling in the cool water as it slid down my throat. I took another drink before lowering the makeshift water bottle.
"Thank you."
The Macedonian King nodded his head. He didn't take the water skin back, only straightening up and moving to settle at the wall just across from me. I took another sip of water, practically staring him down. He noticed it immediately.
"I did not mean to offend. If I have, I wish to make amends."
I tried to hold back my temper; I really did. I tried to think that Yami was here and subtly telling me to be the higher person, to try and forgive him. I couldn't find it underneath the sudden wash of anger.
"Amends? Since when do you make amends?"
"I have made many mistakes, Royal Wife. I will admit many of my actions are reprehensible but I do not wish to be your enemy."
Alexander's head dropped in a deep nod. "I have been trapped here for so long…" His head lifted. "Since you appear to know much, Great Lady, what was the aftermath of my death? What befell the empire I created?"
He didn't know? Yami's words came back to mind: he had been so delirious with fever and pain that everything was a blur. I couldn't see the full expression but… a part of me recognized the pain in his eyes. I took pity and spoke.
"Your companions split it up, saying that it would be best to wait until your heir was old enough to rule it by himself. It never reached that point."
"Roxana… What happened?"
Here's where it got a little awkward.
"Well… she murdered two of your other wives, then bore a son that she named Alexander the Fourth. Cassander, the king of Macedonia and de facto ruler of Southern Greece, had them imprisoned and then eventually poisoned."
There was no sound from the Macedonian, only a continued nod. "With the question of heir answered definitively and finally, the Diadochi continued to squabble amongst themselves, fighting each other for knowledge as well as territory." I gave a sigh, deciding to give him some credit. "Greek culture spread the entirety of the known world; it thrived in many places. Others… it brings the question of 'who conquered who'? Which culture actually is in control?" Alexander's head lifted.
"Egypt."
I gave no answer but he understood. "I see… Egypt was such a beautiful place. I will never forget sailing down the Nile, seeing the pyramids and temples gleaming in the sun." I couldn't remember the sites; I only saw the ruins of the temples from how I saw them in textbooks. "I remember traveling to Memphis… Seeing Karnak temple… Do you remember them, Great Lady?" I turned my eyes away.
"No. I don't remember a lot of things."
Alexander's eyes shifted. "Don't. I don't need pity." The shift remained but his head dropped into the nod.
"Of course."
Joan tapped at my head, trying to level my fever again. The monster sighed when the fever didn't even flinch. "There is something ailing you, Great Lady. What is—"
"Nothing!"
I snapped my response. It was so sudden that even Joan flinched back. "Nothing is wrong!" The King was quick with his response.
"Forgive me for saying so but I don't believe you."
"I-!"
I stopped the snap before it escaped without my consent. I told Yami that I would try to forgive him and I wanted to keep my word. Since I had nothing nice to say, I held my tongue and my temper. Alexander kept calm in the face of my anger, adjusting to uncross his arms and straighten up.
"You hold your temper far better than the tales say."
My eyes returned to him. What had he heard? "Priests I met would say you were Sekhmet incarnate when your temper took hold. Only the Pharaoh or one of your children could soothe you." Sounds about right. "Time has… softened you?" It was a question, not a statement so I answered.
"The last time I lost my temper, I froze someone in front of a friend; I didn't even care if they lived or died. Now… I… I regret it. I have to be more careful."
"And that is honorable, expressing regret, but I imagine trying to always be the peacekeeper creates a lot of anger."
I turned to narrow my eyes at him. "If you are angry at me, shout, scream, I don't care. If I must be shouted at for you to have some measure of peace, then I happily accept it." Was he pulling my leg? What was he expecting me to do? The Macedonian King said nothing so I straightened up, feeling Joan adjust to make sure I didn't fall.
"And what if I don't want to?"
"Then I imagine you'll stay angry and it'll only get worse and worse."
Fine then. He wanted me to shout? I'll shout.
"Where do I even start? I could talk about ego, naming upwards of 10 or 20 cities after yourself. I could mention you being the number one suspect in your father's murder! Or I could mention your tendency to claim divinity, even from an Egyptian God."
The Macedonian simply blinked. "But I think the thing that makes me the angriest out of everything is what your little escapade across the world did! Sure, you freed hundreds of thousands of people from the Persians but did you think about what came after? What kind of power you were putting them under?" My hands were clenching in my shorts now, the knuckles turning white. "You stayed in Egypt for six months then went off again! And then! You died and left the people who had heralded you as a hero in the worst possible care!" His face finally shifted into curiosity.
"And whose care was that?"
"Ptolemy."
It was the first time I'd had said his name – it didn't count when I said the dynasty, there were tons of different Ptolemies. "Had the gall to call himself Soter, create a god in an attempt unify the Greek and Egyptian populations, and then, to make matters worse, he hijacks your funeral procession and brings you back to Egypt to be mummified and, essentially, put on display for over 600 years!" The Macedonian King only gave a hum.
"Sounds like something that can really get you mad. How were the Egyptian people treated in his reign?"
Why was he sounding so calm?!
"Second class citizens in their own country!"
The King hummed again. The sound sent my temper rising. "And what's the hum for?!"
"Well, from what I'm hearing, your anger might stem away from me."
I feared I looked like a bull from how much air I sent through my nose. "You say you're angry with me but your words go immediately to Ptolemy and, if I may, you seemed to sympathize my… plight in being brought to Egypt in that manner. Perhaps, you do, deep down, still remember our shared homeland and beliefs—"
"I renounced my homeland!"
The words came out of my mouth seemingly of their own accord. I slapped a hand to stop anything else. Where did that come from? Alexander's words stopped as he stared at me through his mask.
"I see. Renounced it… for what reason, I wonder."
I had no answer for that. I simply kept my hand pressed to my mouth. "But I will not press on that, that isn't what we were talking about." My eyes flicked back to him; his face was still hidden behind that mask so I couldn't see his full expression. "I will be blunt. Who are you angry at?" My hand pulled away to show my returned glare.
"And what will that accomplish?"
"I have found that the truth is freeing. I offer it as a way to clear the air."
He then leaned back again, waiting for me to start talking again. I suddenly felt like the Macedonian was a shrink, an uninvited one. I didn't appreciate him working through my thoughts, as right as he was, so it only made me mad, mad that I was such an open book!
Fine. According to Yami, the time for secrets was over. Fine. It wouldn't do anything so I might as well say it!
"Ok. Yes, I am angry at you for your escapade around the known world for your own ego! Yes, I sympathize with how it ended, death and all! Just what I can't forgive is how you left the world and to whom!"
Alexander said nothing, letting me keep talking. "I'm angry with how the people of the country that I called home were treated under Greek rule! I'm angry with Ptolemy! I'm angry with his entire dynasty! It's because of them and their own greed that Egypt fell to Rome! There I said it!" I gave a couple huffs and puffs before giving a taunting motion with my arms. "Happy?!" The Macedonian gave a tilt of his head and a shrug.
"I don't know. All I really know is that I'm going to have to have a very serious conversation with my companions when I see them again."
I gave another puff before Joan lifted a hand to my head. I gave her a dour look when she then began to rummage through my purse and pulled out the thermometer.
"Humor me." She simply said when I raised my eyebrow.
Fine. I took the thermometer and popped it into my mouth. The moment of silence felt like it was suffocating. When it beeped, I took it out, fully expecting to see a high 99 but… My eyes narrowed.
95.9 degrees.
"Huh?" That was the only intelligent thing that could come out of my mouth.
I lifted a hand to my forehead, not feeling the same heat there that had been there earlier. I wasn't sweating anymore either. "What… what happened?"
"If I had to venture a guess?" The Macedonian answered. "I'd say that the truth was freeing."
I gave him a look but he simply gave a playful shrug. "Well… Whatever it is, it seems to have worked on whatever was ailing you." It had but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of hearing me say it. Joan must have known my thoughts as she gave a laugh at the petulant look on my face. I didn't hear him move but his hand then appeared at my eye level. "I am sure your friends will be happy to see you're well. They should hopefully be back soon." It was just his hand, nothing else, so I took it. I was helped back to my feet and he stepped away. "I will go see if the townspeople have any concerns and try to help them." With that, the Macedonian left the plaza and went out of sight. I was left blinking there for a moment before I sighed.
"Well… that was exciting."
Joan gave a gentle laugh at that, not saying anything against it. I gave another sigh before looking back to the thermometer. The low temperature was there as well as flicking over to 'Low' every few seconds. I still felt the barrier over my powers so they were still locked away but the fever had completely vanished, disappearing just as quickly as it had appeared. Had me saying the truth really been all that was needed to break it? But… why? I had no answers so I huffed and stuffed the small item back into my purse.
Hopefully this trial wasn't that bad.
It was another few minutes of pacing around the village before the roars of dragons appeared from the sky. I looked up, seeing my friends flying back into the town's airspace. I couldn't see their expressions from their height but with Yami coming towards the plaza at Mach speed, this wasn't going to end well. I had stepped away to splash some water on my face but I tried to get back as quickly as I could to hear what was going on. The villagers crowded in the plaza after I had left to try and see when they would come back.
"Everyone take cover!" He called into the crowd. "You're about to receive a visit from some unwanted guests!"
Did that mean….? I looked up again to see more dragons on the horizon. Great! What had happened out there?! I didn't even bother asking, I only turned to rush into the village. With people panicking like this, they were only bound to get caught in even tighter situations if something went even more wrong.
The screams stopped rather suddenly after only a few feet though which was odd considering that the dragons were probably right on top of us now. I turned back around to see them falling out of the sky after getting slashed with a large beam of light. There was no doubt that Yami had something to do with it. Perhaps, it was why… he led them back here to use that sword! The one stuck in the dais! I may have been dizzy for most of the conversation but I did hear something about it being used to slay dragons. I considered going back to the plaza but stopped when an eerie green light exploded in that direction and the five headed dragon was back.
"Seriously?! I thought we were done with you!"
Apparently not! When a few of the heads began to blow projectiles towards the villagers, I realized that I needed to get my butt in gear. I quickly summoned Joan, who realized the seriousness of the moment immediately. "I'll the front part of the village! You head further in! We need to get people away from anything that could fall!" My monster nodded and flew into action. I dashed back to the plaza, seeing Honda and Anzu come crashing to the ground. "Anzu! Honda!"
"Stay back!" Honda shouted. "This guy means business!"
Like I couldn't see that! Did Honda think I was blind?! "It can only be hurt by monsters of light! You got some, right?!" I did but if these two were getting creamed then mine would be too. I needed… I quickly spotted a capsule right on the edge of the village line. The dragon was awfully preoccupied with Yami sooooo… I bolted for it. "Christine!" I didn't slow down, racing until my still fever tired legs nearly gave out. I had just made it and was a hairsbreadth away from touching the capsule when my name was called out again.
"Christine!" Yami's voice shouted.
I made the mistake of turning – Yami shouting my name instead of the pet one was such a good way of getting my attention. One of the heads had noticed me and had just finished charging up an attack. I turned back to the capsule to open it when the blast came thundering towards me. I was lucky to get a finger on it before I was practically plowed over and out of the way.
"Ack!" I shrieked in surprise.
There was a boom from the explosion and a roar of whatever monster I released but it was all muffled behind fabric and… armor? I forced my eyes open to see that the Macedonian King had been the one to plow me over. "What…?" I went to ask why he had done that but quickly received a look.
"You may not think we are countrymen but I still do." He replied. "I would do anything to protect the people of my home."
I was pulled to my feet, hardly able to get a word out. He didn't move away, staying right next to me like he thought I was going to pull away and pull a fast one on him. "Your monster is a reasonable gain for your stunt but I will not condone it." 'My stunt is what got me this monster!' I would have snapped back but let it go. One point for him, I guess! I finally looked up at the creature I had released. It had two heads – one a bright white and the other black – as well as two different types of wings – one angelic looking and the other a skeletal. The white and black color split evenly down the middle. I didn't know the name of this one off the top of my head but… it sure looked cool! Plus, the way it growled at the five headed dragon showed it was a creature of light and ready for some action.
With how it was moving, it gave both of us a chance to move out of the way of any further attacks. My monster continued to follow us, creating a barrier between the larger dragon and the village. Seeing that there wasn't much chance for it to get at us again, the heads then moved to Yami, who had fallen on the ground; it was obviously going for the low hanging fruit. I would have tried to distract the monster but a bright light took over my vision. The Macedonian quickly took my arm and pulled me back into the village. I didn't stop him, surprisingly, knowing that he was pulling me out of harm's way.
When I got my vision back, I looked up to where the light had been glowing and saw Yami in some white armor that didn't belong to any of his monsters. What happened? From nearby, I heard a gasp from Anzu about Blue Eyes and it clicked. Ah, Blue Eyes White Dragon must have been the White Dragon defending this place. I had some questions about the soul sucking ritual thing but, since it came out to help, I figured I could let them go.
As soon as Yami gave a mighty swing of his sword, slicing the giant monster in two, the sun appeared from behind the mountain tops. I had never been so happy to see it.
"Look, guys!" Anzu cheered. "The fifth stone just lit up!"
"That means we've passed the final challenge." Grandpa added. "According to the riddle we had to slay them all and, thanks to Yugi's bravery, the deed is done!"
I smiled. I may have been a bit of a bother but I'd like to think I helped, stunt and all. I did know one thing though: we were never telling Kaiba about this incident. Seeing that there was no further threat, I called my monster back and plopped its capsule onto my belt. When Yugi was given control again, I followed after the rest of the gang to congratulate him.
"That was awesome, Yuge!" Jounouchi hollered.
"Not that we expected anything less!" Anzu added.
"Thanks, guys!" Yugi replied, a bright smile lighting up his face.
He then looked to me, a very Yami like glare on his face. "Christine?" I froze.
"Yeah?" I asked, voice going even higher pitched than usual.
He didn't even need to ask his question before I caved. "Ok! I did something stupid; I know! I promised I wouldn't do that anymore and I just did and I'm sorry! I wanted to get some more help!" Yugi gave a huff before sighing.
"Are you at least feeling better?"
To answer that question, I lifted Anzu's hand and put it at my forehead. Her gasp of surprise was answer enough for everyone else.
"What happened?!" Jounouchi gasped.
"No idea." I replied.
Yugi gave me a look so I added something only he and Yami would understand. "One sided shouting matches do tend to make you feel a bit better." His eyes widened and his head tilted curiously but I said nothing more. Since I wasn't budging, we all went back to the villagers who thanked us profusely. The girl we saved even teased us with the mention of another riddle; poor Jounouchi nearly lost his mind at the words, leading to lots of hilarity from the rest of us. As we left, they waved at us, shouting goodbyes.
At Alexander's behest, we made our way back through the forest to the part we arrived from. My memories that far back were muddled from fever and dizziness so it felt like a long time ago.
"I could swear the passageway we entered from was right here!" Anzu said, giving a sigh.
"Where'd it go?" Yugi asked.
"Knowing this place, we still have to clear another challenge!" Honda sighed.
Why did I think he was right? Jounouchi agreed as he huffed at the mere mention of riddles. The Macedonian then turned around to face Yugi.
"Your friend is correct." Alexander breathed. "You may have passed all five tests but I'm afraid this journey of yours is not yet complete. One task remains. Once you've made it back to your world, you must quickly locate a hidden chamber at the top of the pyramid; your pendant will now be able to open the door. Once inside, you will be granted the power I once craved; the power to rule the world!"
"Yes, but I already told you," Yugi retorted, "I don't want any power! I just want to go back home!"
"I know but there is someone who does seek such a power!"
Alexander then took off his mask and revealed a face very similar to one I have seen before. It was Dr. Brisbane's face! But… how?! Jounouchi and Honda immediately jumped onto the theory that the two were one and the same but I knew that was impossible.
"Dr. Brisbane has been a colleague of mine for years." Grandpa quickly worked to get us back in the realm of reality. "And though he does bear a strong resemblance to this man, I can assure you that the two are not one and the same!"
"I'm afraid that the words you speak are only partially true, Dr. Motou. This 'colleague' of yours is possessed by my dark half."
Yep, that was definitely the Ring's M.O. "The moment I placed that Ancient Egyptian artifact around my neck, my soul was split into two pieces. I was trapped in this world while my evil half was locked in that pyramid but he was set free the moment Dr. Motou entered with Professor Alex Brisbane, who happens to be a direct descendant of mine!" I would have questioned it as Alexander the Great was always known to not be a womanizer despite having many wives but I stopped myself. Not the time. "My dark half seized control of Dr. Brisbane and brought you here to unlock the power that we never could. You must obtain that power before he does or he'll use it to take over your world!" I saw Anzu clutch onto the pendant. "Don't let that pendant out of your sight! Whoever wears it holds the key to the ultimate power! And when you return, my dark half will be waiting to seize it!"
Something must have happened to the pendant that Alexander had completed the first time as well as needed a body to open the door. I gave a sigh. Well ain't this peachy. We quickly came up with a plan to try and thwart him: Grandpa would take on the spirit of Alexander so that he could escape the game with us as well as hold onto the pendant. Hopefully this wouldn't turn out like a lot of our other plans.
We then gathered into a circle and concentrated on the pyramid. I felt a bit like Dorothy at the end of Wizard of Oz except I was missing nicer shoes. Was it really that easy? Apparently, it was as, when I opened my eyes, we were back in the darkened pyramid. I also noticed something else but I didn't say anything for fear of jinxing us.
"Well… by the look of things, I'd say we're back." Anzu breathed.
Jounouchi and Honda thought whamming their heads together would prove that we're back but… I had a better idea.
"I've got a good way of testing." I said with a smile. "Anyone wanna see?"
"Everyone take three steps back!" Yugi gasped, immediately understanding what I was talking about.
Everyone did so. I took a deep breath, feeling my body readjust to the cold and allowing the pockets of ice to spread through my veins, before slamming my foot onto the ground. The sound of ice crackling and crashing over the stone floors and walls was such a relief to hear. I gave a bright laugh when the whole room – except the door and stairs of course, I wasn't a complete monster – was covered in ice.
"We're back!"
Anzu gave a sigh and I laughed again.
"She's feeling better." Anzu deadpanned.
I gave my friend a bright smile. She was probably so done with my antics but I was quite pleased with having my powers back.
"Hello?!" The voice of Dr. Brisbane appeared from up the stairs and coming closer. "Dr. Motou! You're back!"
We all took quick looks at each other, getting ready for anything. Yugi gave a curt nod and I understood. "I'm so glad you're all right! I've been worried sick about you since the moment you disappeared into that map!"
"Well you can stop worrying cause we all made it out in one piece!" Grandpa chortled in reply, playing his role.
The two colleagues warmly greeted each other but I kept myself steady.
"Thank goodness for that! Because if anything had happened to you, I would never have been able to forgive myself!"
"Oh please! There's no way you could have known about all this!"
Was Alexander right about him being possessed? I would hold judgement until I knew more.
"So… did you find anything?"
That was a lot of emphasis on 'find'… "You know… when you crossed to the other side; did you find anything of interest there?" I was beginning to agree with Alexander, something was up.
"Uh… Like what? Is there something I should have found there?"
"I don't know. I thought, perhaps, you'd bring back an artifact or something."
"Artifact, eh? Let me think. My mind's not as sharp as it used to be… Oh wait! Now that you mention it…"
Grandpa was distracting him. Showing him the pendant so that Alexander had a chance to sneak up on him. "I did find something. Is this what you meant?" He held up the completed pendant and the look that crossed over the professor's face… it sent chills down my spine.
"Yes… that's exactly what I meant."
When Dr. Brisbane went to take it, Alexander's spirit must have leapt out of Grandpa and barreled him over. There must have been a moment of struggle as it was a second or so before the professor fell to the ground. We let the moment marinate for a moment before Yugi spoke.
"Dr. Brisbane?" Yugi called. "Are you ok?"
The professor took a second to get up and breathe. He then turned to face us, a pleasant expression on his face.
"Yes, I'm fine. As a matter of fact, I'm feeling better than I have in a long time."
The rest of the gang may have celebrated but I kept my guard up. Surely this wasn't the end of it? Shouldn't Alexander's soul have been recompleted and gone elsewhere? Why was he still in Dr. Brisbane's body? "Now… Let's have a look at that strange object you brought back." Grandpa went to hand him it but I noticed the expression change. Yugi did as well as he cried out while I moved to try and knock the pendant to the ground. The Professor's reflexes were better than I thought as he quickly caught the flying pendant with one hand and pushed me away with another. I was grateful to not fall in the map again from my scuttling back.
"You're not Alex!" Grandpa growled.
"How right you are!"
The dark half of Alexander the Great gave a great laugh. "As you can see, my peaceful side is also my foolish side! He could never have conquered half the globe without me!" I could have spent hours just trying to put actions in columns with that tidbit but I only gathered my powers into my hand and prepared for anything. "It's time to complete what I stared centuries ago!
"Give us back that pendant!" Yugi shouted.
Like a coward, he turned around and bolted. "Get him!" We all chased after him; all the while, I was trying to predict where he'd run so I could make him slip and fall on ice but, sadly, he was far more agile than I was liking. We caught up to him when he had opened a door; the pendant must have been sucked inside. Yugi, like some kind of spider monkey, jumped onto his back, making him lose balance. Oh no! Please don't fall! I hesitated using any magic while Yugi was in harm's way. Honda didn't help the predicament as he jumped in as well, trying to pull the professor's body to the ground.
"Dude!" Honda growled. "We worked too hard for that thing!"
With a loud growl, the body possessed by Alexander the Great's dark half hefted himself up and bashed through the door, hardly caring that Yugi and Honda were still on him. There wasn't any floor inside so they immediately began to fall. No! I reached over to help Jounouchi and Anzu, freezing one of my shoes to the ground to try and help avoid sliding.
"We've got you!" Grandpa announced dramatically.
"No!" Alexander shouted. "Let go of me! You will not rob me of my destiny!"
The weight was too much. When Jounouchi, Anzu and Grandpa went down, they pulled me with them and straight out of my shoe, and into the chasm. We all fell for a few seconds, the sounds of screams echoing in the inky blackness, before we settled in a sort of anti-gravity space. I was practically floating upside down, mourning my lost shoe; great, call me Cinderella now.
"Where are we?" Yugi called into the void.
A person then began to appear out of the gloom, a body illuminated by a strange light. What I noticed first was the Millennium Key he wore around his neck.
"I know you! You're the one who created the pyramid!"
Then it was him!
"It's Shadi!"
"What's he doing here?!" Jounouchi growled.
I wish I knew that as well. But I had a bad feeling about it.
Bit long but very exciting! I had at least three different variations of Christine and Alexander but didn't use a single one of them *Suffering expression*
Yami Bakura: Because you write it down and then you change one tiny detail and the entire scene becomes useless.
Shut up!
Yami Bakura: It's true!
Doesn't mean you have to say it outloud!