Welcome to February, ladies and gents! Tomorrow is my birthday so I wanted to give you all a bit of a gift. After this, there are only two chapters and then we are in the World of Memory! I... don't have too much of it written down as I've been working on this but! I am working on it! I hope it doesn't take too long to get out but the 'Three days later' doesn't help as I want to do stuff with those three days! Gah! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! It's a tad long but the cheese is still there and I love it.

*I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! I only own Christine, my OC. If you recognize anything, I don't own that either.*

Could today get any weirder? First: we're knocked out of the sky and crash land into the middle of nowhere. Second: we get dragged into a game world where we have to complete challenges in order to leave. Lastly: we had to help the spirit of Alexander the Great – the good part I have to clarify – ensure that his dark half doesn't get this power to take over the entire world.

I miss my shoe. I hope it's still up there.

Oh! I forgot Shadi! He's here too! Who was he anyway! Wait, why do I even care? I'm sicker of him than I was before! And what's up with his outfit?! He's Egyptian, but he's wearing a Greek style chiton? I was confused as well as angry, which being upside down didn't help with either of them. I'm sure he noticed my pointed look as he obviously ignored it and kept his eyes towards Yugi.

"You stand at the threshold of a power greater than you could ever imagine." Shadi announced, his voice echoing slightly in the inky black space.

"Yeah!" Yugi retorted. "But all we really want is to go home!"

"Then go!" Dr. Brisbane's body shouted back. "I've been waiting for that power for two thousand years, and now it's mine!"

"We're the ones that did all the work!" Honda shouted, floating somewhere beside me.

"That's right!" Jounouchi agreed. "So whatever's in here belongs to us, pal!"

"Really?" The absolute sarcasm in Alexander's voice was insane. "I see no one told you that I already passed these five trials centuries ago!"

It seemed odd to me that a being created from the evil of the Millennium Ring could pass any King deciding trials. Surely his temper would have some effect on it. Sure enough, his rage is precisely what caused him to be trapped here. The souls of Alexander's vassals were trapped in the pyramid as well as his own, with the good half going into the game world while the dark half was out in the open and right where Dr. Brisbane would eventually show up. And then we showed up not long after.

"Wait a minute!" I shouted, fighting to get realigned. "This was all just one big coincidence?!"

"No." Shadi replied, his eyes finally flicking up to me. "These events were guided by the hands of Fate."

"You've gotta be out of your turban!" Jounouchi shouted, and Shadi's eyes moved back to him. "There's no way that Fate wants that guy to win this! He doesn't deserve jack squat!"

Shadi seemed to understand that there was now a fight in store, so he moved his eyes across the people in front of him. I quickly grabbed Yugi's jacket, suddenly worried that something was going to happen. After another moment of deliberation, Shadi began to speak again.

"There is but one way to determine which of you is deserving of the game's ultimate prize." Shadi answered Jounouchi's shout with a calm voice.

The inky black space was suddenly beginning to fill with buildings and a long street between them. My grip on Yugi's jacket was starting to falter, slipping like I was fading away. What the! "You must both participate in one final test."

"Another challenge?!" Yugi gasped.

Yugi's jacket fell completely out of my grip now and, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get it back. I was beginning to panic.

"Yes. Dr. Alex Brisbane, who bears the soul of King Alexandros the Third, shall face Yugi Motou, who bears the soul of the great Nameless Pharaoh, in an all-out Capsule Monsters War. Only the True King shall prevail. Begin!"

That was when I faded altogether, and I fell to the ground of a large room. My friends were nowhere in sight.

"Hey!" I shouted. "Shadi! What the heck?!"

I quickly got to my feet and ran in search of a door or window. Where I had been spirited to? I found the entrance to a balcony, so I dashed out to it with the intent to jump but… "Hooo… that's high…" Way down below me, I could just faintly see the images of my friends. There was no way I could hear what they were saying, but I did hear a very distinctive 'Sti' sound. They were just as confused as I was. "Guys!" I cried. "Guys!" No dice. They didn't even look. I then looked over to the lone… no, he wasn't alone anymore; four more people just walked up to Alexander's side. His vassals… I gave an animal-like growl. I should be down there! "Shadi!" No response, but he did appear across the way, his voice booming slightly.

"The rules of this trial are simple! You may summon any and all capsule monsters you managed to collect on your journey. You lose when they are all destroyed! The victor will then claim the power necessary to control the world!"

Monsters were then summoned left and right, and the fighting commenced. I huffed, moving to heft myself over the balcony now, but a voice stopped me.

"I wouldn't do that, dear." Isis' voice appeared behind me, and I looked.

She looked exactly like the last time I had seen her. She was seated on a what I would call a small bench, legs crossed and an almost unamused expression on her face. "If you jumped, you'd just end up back here. I imagine with an also very sore butt." I huffed at her.

"Thanks for the heads up." I replied. "Why are you here?"

The goddess' eyebrow moved slightly, like she was contemplating how to respond. She eventually uncrossed her legs and leaned back against the wall.

"I guess I'm just here for the show."

Show?! What show?! The one down there that I should be at?! I would have snapped that aloud but I decided that wasn't important.

"Here's a better question for you: why am I here instead of down there?"

"For the sake of fairness." Shadi's voice appeared again.

I turned to see that the turbaned man had appeared at the edge of the room. "King Alexandros has four vassals, so the Nameless Pharaoh has four as well."

"Then switch me out for Grandpa! Shadi, he's been through enough!"

"It is already too late. He has summoned his monster, and thus he must participate."

I gave a sigh, turning to begin to pace. With the way Isis' eyes were moving, this was the show she was waiting for. I had almost forgotten that Isis was the one to ensure Shadi didn't have full control of my mind that day; she had been there when Shadi first arrived in my mind. It was also the first time I had been in the same room with the man since then. She was watching a rematch. I gave a loud sigh, brushing through my hair. The glint of the capsules around my waist made me remember that I also had monsters. I snapped my head back up to the balcony.

"Then I'll send-."

"No."

I looked back to Shadi, who said nothing more to explain himself. It was just… no?

"Why not?"

No response. "You had a good excuse for not switching, so what's the excuse now? I'll stay in here just-."

"No."

"Then why not?!"

Still no response. "Shadi!" There was a giggle, and my temper moved to Isis. "Alright, talk." The goddess gave another giggle, but she did so.

"The Disciple of Anubis seems to be ashamed for some reason." Isis said in a sing-song tone. "I can't imagine why…"

Shadi didn't correct her, keeping quiet. Ashamed? For what? "You know exactly why, dear." I narrowed my eyes at her. "Think about it. What could the Disciple of Anubis be so ashamed about? Especially when it comes to you and your safety?"

I immediately thought of Domino High's rooftop, the last place I had looked Shadi in the eye. My temper cooled for the moment, and I looked back at him. His face had changed slightly. No longer stone solid, it was shaking somewhat from either anger or some other emotion.

"The rooftop?"

Isis giggled again. She was obviously enjoying herself.

"There's even more! Since he's the one in charge of this little game, he's able to play with the challengers as he sees fit. Including…"

"Taking my powers away. Starting the fever."

"Ding ding! The Queen's a winner!"

Shadi flinched at the word 'Queen,' and I knew what Isis was playing at. I kept my eyes on him, begging that my voice remained calm.

"Did you know, Shadi?"

There was a loud exhale, and the man's eyes returned to me.

"I did not." Shadi replied. "Your room of the mind held no traces of who you had been. I simply… didn't think of the possibility."

I stared at him, not sure whether or not to believe him. The way he kept quiet made me think he was waiting for me to start yelling. Wait a minute… Was that what Isis wanted? The giggle echoed in my ears now, but I ignored her.

"I had thought my powers were sealed because of the one instance with fire and ice in the game, but… what is your explanation for it?"

Isis opened her mouth to interject, her hands lifting in a sort of playful motion, which I saw from the corner of my eye. "Don't." She shut it again, her hands dropping into her lap. There was absolute silence until Shadi answered my question.

"Since the Pharaoh was being tested, I saw a chance… for you to be tested."

Me being tested? "With both your… tendency to keep things secret as well as your opinion about King Alexandros, I saw the opportunity to… clear the air, so to speak." I gave a faint nod of my head.

"And how did I do?"

Shadi seemed at a loss for words at the question, but he replied when I didn't take it back.

"Passed with flying colors, as expected."

My temper remained bubbling at the bottom of my stomach. I was still mad about that day on the rooftop. I was still mad about my powers being sealed away and the utter heat that had enveloped me until I collapsed. Shadi was waiting for me to start shouting at him. He was waiting for me to unload every little thing I was angry about on him. Isis remained quiet, her eyes locked on my profile like she was watching and waiting to see what I'd do. Perhaps she was testing me as well.

Well… I wouldn't do what she expected.

I took in a deep breath and reminded myself what Yami had said about Alexander. I was still allowed to be angry, but I couldn't let it overwhelm me. I would be the higher person.

I didn't have to forgive him for everything he'd done, but he didn't deserve my temper on him.

"Thank you for the truth, Shadi."

His head lifted from the ground, his eyes wide. "I am still mad. I still hold a grudge for what you did to me and my friends that day and now, but…" I gave a breath. "I don't have to let it gnaw at me forever. Just don't do it again." Shadi stared at me for a long moment before giving a deep nod, almost a bow. Isis gave a brighter laugh now, not the teasing giggle from before.

"Well then!" She chirped. "We all friends again?"

"Hush, you."

The goddess laughed again, but the sound was cut off by the sound of something very loud hitting the ground. What the heck… I turned back towards the balcony and saw the spitting image of the monster Yugi had described to me back in the cavern in the second trial. A large seven-armed monster had appeared; its head was still far below, but I could still see it clearly.

"That doesn't look good…"

Without a word, I looked back at Shadi. I picked up one of my capsules and tossed it in my hand.

"What's mine is his."

Shadi only nodded. That was my ticket! Smiling, I slammed all of my capsules into the summoner and fired. Joan remained behind for a moment to nod to my unspoken order before dashing after the others.

Please be okay down there.

The Pharaoh had never hated zombies as much as he did right now. First, it was the monsters of Alexander's vassals and now countless zombies. No matter how many of them he smashed, more just kept coming! He kept glancing over to the others, seeing how they were all trying to fight off the zombie hoard. Anzu still looked bruised from her fall, but she was holding her own.

All he wanted to know then was if Christine was ok. She'd vanished when the challenge had started, and no matter how loudly he called, she didn't answer. If a hair on her head had been touched, he'd wring Shadi's neck a thousand times over.

"Yugi!" Jounouchi then cried over to him once a momentary path had been cleared. "We'll deal with the brute squad, and you take down the big guy!"

Yami saw the determination in his eyes, so he nodded and turned to his opponent. The Seven-Armed Fiend was just as intimidating as in his and Yugi's nightmares, but there had to be some way to take it down.

He tried the Head-On approach first and charged.

"Defense arm!" The distant voice of the Macedonian King called out.

Just as it looked like his attack was going to connect, Yami's sword bounced off as if it were nothing, sending him flying backwards. The collision with the ground practically winded him, so he had to gasp for air for a good minute. The sound of laughter echoed in his ears, sending rage pounding through his veins. "I've toyed with you children for long enough, so allow me to put you out of your misery by unleashing my Seven-Armed Fiend's most devastating ability! Arm of Destruction!" One of the Fiend's hands began to fill with a large orange light; it didn't take a genius to know that it wouldn't be good if that hit someone.

"He's aiming for Mr. Motou!" Anzu called, and the Pharaoh's blood turned to ice.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on him!" Yami growled.

"How about an entire hand?!" Alexander taunted.

The blast released, but Yami couldn't move fast enough to try and pull his partner's Grandfather out of the way. All he could do was beg he could move himself. When the smoke cleared, the old man was unharmed, but… Baby Dragon, Thunder Kid, and Happy Lover had all taken the brunt of the hit. There were only a few seconds for goodbyes before the three faded into golden sparks.

While the Pharaoh was relieved, he still had other issues to deal with.

'There's not much time!' Yugi cried, appearing just slightly out of their connection. 'If we don't act quickly, all of our monsters will meet the same fate as those three!'

"Yugi!" Anzu suddenly cried. "Look out!"

The Pharaoh only had a second to look before there was a 'whoosh' and a zombie was destroyed. It had been running at him while his partner had him distracted. What appeared behind the destroyed monster was the first good piece of news he'd gotten that entire battle.

"Ghetsu Fuhma!" He gasped.

The red-haired samurai was flicking some imaginary stain off her sword, giving him a very Christine like smirk. She readjusted her grip before speaking.

"We apologize for the wait." The monster said. "We did have to fall a long way."

Fall? He didn't get a chance to ask his question before the rest of his girlfriend's monsters appeared from out of the sky. The two-headed dragon landed on a whole squadron of zombies, crushing them instantly. Magician's Valkyria was helping to guard Grandpa while Joan had gotten to work on healing both the older man and Anzu. Jounouchi and Honda were cheering about the arrival, taunting the Macedonian that a Queen was going to win the day. "All our mistress asks in return is for you to not do anything stupid." The Pharaoh gave a chuckle.

"I don't think that's going to work out."

The samurai nodded her head like she understood before moving to assist the others with the zombies. With her special ability, surely, they could be culled all the quicker. He turned back when the Macedonian began to call over the sounds of battle.

"Alright!" Alexander snapped. "Enough of this nonsense! The war is over!"

"My thoughts exactly!"

He attempted another head-on approach but was blocked at each movement. "What's going on?"

"My fiend allows me to read your mind and anticipate your every move!"

Yami and his monsters had to quickly dodge and weave to avoid getting smacked into the ground. Read his mind? If Christine were here, she'd be comparing it to Pegasus and his use of the Millennium Eye. He then got an idea, and he ordered both Celtic Guardian and Magician of Black Chaos to attack one the sides while he went to the front. Again, they were deflected. Another arm lifted and gave a quick swipe, sending him and all of his monsters flying backwards again. He was winded once again by his collision with the ground, but he didn't have to recoup long as Joan quickly appeared at his side to heal the damage.

The monster was just as fussy as her mistress over wounds. She wouldn't let him up to help Jounouchi, so he was forced to watch as Flame Swordsman was destroyed for protecting his master. Jounouchi didn't stay down for long as he ordered Red Eyes to destroy the zombies.

"We can handle the ghouls!" Jounouchi shouted. "You handle the oversized scrap heap!"

"He's right!" Honda agreed.

"You go, Yugi!" Anzu cried.

"Good luck!" Grandpa called.

Joan only released him when he could sit up and get to his feet, flying back to assist where she could. 'We mustn't let them down.'

'Any idea what to do?' Yugi asked.

'Yes. To start with, we need to figure out a way around that defense arm. The only problem is he can read our minds and therefore predict our strategy.'

'Maybe there's a way to confuse him?'

That made him think of something! Yugi was onto something, and, thankfully, he'd get the idea quickly as they'd already done this before. There was a way to confuse it and buy him some time! He saw his chance when Jounouchi was right in the way of a charging blast.

"Wait!" Yami shouted up to the Fiend as well as to the Macedonian. "I'm the one you want! Not him!"

He didn't stop when Jounouchi went to argue with him, only hoping his idea worked. He called upon the power of the Millennium Puzzle and charged.

Just as predicted, the Seven-Armed Fiend's attacks were sporadic, hoping one blast would hit him, but Yami was able to dodge and weave around them. Alexander was trapped in his mind, wandering the maze of the Millennium Puzzle.

'You were right! Since your mind is linked to the Millennium Puzzle, you were able to trap him inside!'

Combined with his monster's attacks and a mighty swing of his sword, he was able to make a clean slice down the center of the seven-armed behemoth and destroy it. All of the zombie's disappeared in poofs of gray smoke, ensuring that he and the rest of the gang were safe from further dirty tricks and attacks. Sure, the monster's destruction brought back Alexander's vassals and their monsters, but it was another hurdle cleared, and the challenge was one step closer to victory.

"It's time you stopped hiding like a coward! Let's settle this once and for all! Come down here and fight me face to face! If you want your precious reward, then prove that you deserve it and defeat me!"

The Macedonian obviously didn't like being called out. Jounouchi only made it worse with a statement that would have made Christine proud.

"Hey, Alexander!" Jounouchi shouted. "Looks like you're not so great after all!"

"On the contrary, my young friends." Alexander shouted back, his voice now pinched in annoyance. "You may have destroyed my Seven-Armed Fiend; however, my trusted servants have returned! Along with their respective capsule monsters, of course! And, might I remind you, I've merged with the most powerful creature on the field: Reshef the Dark Being!"

The vassals were ordered to attack, and they did so without question. In barely a blink of an eye, Shovel Crusher and Dark Witch were destroyed, leaving both Honda and Anzu screaming from the pain. Ghetsu Fuhma was nearly attacked as well, but she dodged and weaved around the buildings until the creature gave up. The Pharaoh growled at the monsters while Jounouchi jumped onto his Red Eyes and lifted to the sky. The blond fired an attack, but it was reflected by Reflex Bounder, sending it flying back at him. Alexander's laugh echoed again; Yami was beginning to understand why Christine held contempt for him but reminded himself that this was the dark half created by the Millennium Ring. "Are you just gluttons for punishment, or do you honestly think you can win? Go ahead! Attack me again so I can finish you off and claim what's mine!"

"That's easy to say from where you're sitting!" Yami huffed, lifting his sword up to point at the distant conqueror. "Join the rest of us, and let's see how tough you really are!"

That only brought out more laughter. Yami was getting annoyed now.

'How are we supposed to win this challenge if we can't get near the guy, let alone defeat him?!´ Yugi huffed.

'Leave that to me.' The Pharaoh replied before looking to the rest of his friends. "You four need to lure away the monsters in the front line so I can move in for a direct attack!"

No one argued with his plan, so he immediately put it into action. One by one, his friends got the attention of one of the vassals, giving him the chance to run down the large street, somehow jump to reach where the King was seated, and swing his sword right at him. He moved away quickly, wondering how the large golden monster would attack back. Feeling safe from his short distance away, Yami called back to the Macedonian King. "Your armor may have offered a strong defense from afar but, now that I'm close enough, I'm afraid it's useless!"

"Wrong!" He sounded awfully sure of himself. "As you're about to witness first hand, my Reshef offers more than just a strong defense."

Yami didn't see how he moved, but the openings on Reshef's body opened, and he cursed. "Activate Omni-Directional Laser Assault!" At his command, bright red lasers shot out from Reshef's body. The Pharaoh would have been turned into Swiss cheese if Magician of Black Chaos hadn't jumped in when he did. The Sorcerer had an unamused look when Yami looked up at him.

"Sorry." He apologized, suddenly feeling like Christine was glaring at him from wherever she was; she might have been. "Slight miscalculation on my part."

Being hefted around by his monster, Yami noticed that the lasers were shooting everywhere. While he knew Magician's Valkyria's effect would protect his Sorcerer, he hoped the effect would spread to him since he was being carried around by the monster. Wait a minute… Yami's eyes moved to how close the lasers were to Alexander's vassals. "Hold on! If you continue to fire, you'll be endangering your own team as well!"

"That's the difference between you and me. I don't belong to a team; I have a staff of subordinates who service my every need and, like most things, when I'm through with them, I destroy them!"

The Pharaoh growled once more. He knew this was the influence of the Ring's darkness but treating the people who looked up to him like this? It was despicable! Magician of Black Chaos flew around some more until Yami soon noticed something. Reshef had a blind spot in its lasers! It was time to exploit it! "There's nowhere to hide; just accept your fate!"

"Your lust for power is so great that you don't care who you hurt as long as you get your hands on it! However, in the end, the person you wind up hurting the most is yourself!"

Understanding what Yami wanted, Magician of Black Chaos flew towards the monster's blind spot. Celtic Guardian was following along behind, jumping to avoid the laser show. Alexander noticed his absence, and he cried out, demanding that he show himself. "Be careful what you ask for!" Just after, he and Celtic Guardian reached his position and attacked.

"How dare you!"

"I'm afraid the worst is yet to come!"

Magician of Black Chaos attacked then, making the Macedonian King screaming loudly. When the sound was only an echo, the laser show deactivated. The attack must have damaged the armor, and now it was time to exploit it again!

"I'm afraid you can't fool me with the same trick twice in a row! Now watch and learn!"

That didn't sound good. Yami stopped his charge to watch what his opponent was about to do. The shouts of his friends behind him made him turn around just in time to see Alexander's vassals' monsters had been sacrificed yet again. The balls of light they had turned into then flew towards Reshef the Dark Being, allowing the large arms to levitate away from the body as well as the torso to float slightly. That wasn't good at all.

"Your highness!" Yami turned at the voice of one of the vassals calling up to Alexander. "Please! You've left us with no monsters!"

"How can we possibly defend ourselves, master?!" The female vassal called as well.

"I guess you can't…" Alexander's voice was almost mocking as he replied. "But what you can do is donate your energy to a worthy cause by helping your King return to the throne!"

This was how he treated his vassals?! "Now attack with Projectile Pummel!" The two golden arms, powered by the vassals' monsters, shot off from the main body and came careening towards them. Yami attacked the one that went after him, and the sound of screams echoed when his attack connected. When Magician of Black Chaos attacked the other one, more screams appeared. When Red Eyes struck the main body, the last two vassals collapsed onto the ground in pain. The realization of what the Macedonian had done turned his blood to ice. He was using his vassals as human shields! "Pharaoh! Are you beginning to understand the proper way for a King to utilize his underlings?!"

The first thing that crossed the Pharaoh's head was Christine telling him that kings in Ancient Egypt were considered gods on earth. The people would have done anything if the order came down from him. The way her face lit up when he replied that he didn't want to lord over his people like that made his retort to Alexander all the easier to escape.

"You couldn't be more wrong!" Yami shouted back. "A True King respects his subjects!"

The moment he stopped speaking, he heard a strange whooshing sound. What?

"Look out behind you!" Grandpa shouted.

Yami turned around to see the fist flying towards him. There wasn't any time to move!

"No!" A woman's voice shouted just before the fist hit him.

Yami didn't see who it had been before he was sent flying again; he was really getting tired of that. His whole body ached as he fell to the ground with a painful thud. He opened his eyes just in time to see Joan, Christine's token monster, explode into golden sparks.

"No…" The Pharaoh breathed.

Just as her mistress would have, Joan tried to protect him. There was a roar from her two-headed dragon as it tried to swipe at the fists, but they kept spinning around the double heads. Alexander the Great was back to laughing.

"You were saying?" The Macedonian practically tsked from on high. "Look at yourself! Your Queen is just as weak as you are! Don't you see what happens when you waste your time on such nonsense as kindness and respect?"

The Pharaoh's temper got the better of him. How dare he!

"That's enough!"

"Actually, there's more. A ruler who refuses to make good use of his subjects doesn't deserve to have any in the first place!"

No… No!

"You can't! Not my friends!"

The fists went flying again, knocking his friends and Grandpa out of the sky. "Leave them alone!" They all hit the ground with a painful thud. What was he to do? They were defenseless! The arms moved back to the main body, an energy blast beginning to charge between them. He was going to fire it at them!

'What are we to do?!´ Yugi gasped.

'We're going to protect them with everything we've got!'

The Pharaoh ordered Magician of Black Chaos to guard Grandpa, Magician's Valkyria standing gingerly beside him; she must have been hit along with the others. Celtic Guardian jumped to stand in front of Honda, but there were two left. Forgoing his own safety, he released Black Luster Soldier and released his last two capsule monsters to protect his friends.

The one that stayed by his side was Kuriboh. Its little furry arms were straightened in front of him like the creature was trying to protect him. Ghetsu Fhuma attempted to follow along, but he held up his hand, stopping her. "I am doing the right thing." He knew the look on her face as the one Christine would make when he was doing something stupid, but she didn't argue. Her head dipped, and she moved to guard Anzu along with Hinotama Soul. Light and Darkness Dragon lowered its heads to the ground, using itself as a giant shield. Yami was proud of the monsters his girlfriend had entrusted to them for this fight; he hoped she was as well.

"Well…" Alexander's voice was lifted like he was smiling. "What have we here? The mighty Pharaoh has given up his own protection in the name of friendship. A True King would never value the lives of his servants over his own!"

"I hate to admit it…" Jounouchi's voice was pinched in pain. "…but he may have a point. Forget about us, Yuge!"

'No…' His partner replied, knowing Jounouchi couldn't hear him. 'I can't…'

"If that walking trashcan defeats you, then that means Alexander the Not so Great gets the power to control the entire world!"

"He's right, man!" Honda jumped in, and the Pharaoh could feel his partner's heartrate skyrocket from fear… or determination. "You've got bigger things to worry about! Don't waste all your energy on us!"

'Stop it!' Yugi snapped. 'You're wrong!'

"Listen to reason!" Yugi's Grandfather called out now. "If you don't save yourself, then we all lose! I'm sure Christine would be saying the same thing if she were here! Now take your monsters back!"

'No!'

"Yugi!" Anzu cried. "You have to win this fight no matter what happens to us!"

The Pharaoh was then sucked back into the puzzle. He watched as Yugi turned around to yell at his friends and Grandfather, more determination in his voice than ever before.

"Look, guys!" Yugi snapped. "There's no way I'm going to desert you, and there's no way Christine would want that either!"

'But wait…' The Pharaoh tried to tell him, but Yugi was on a roll.

"I know that there's a lot at stake, but you're my best friends!"

The blast came hurtling towards them now. All of Yugi's friends cried out his name before everything began to move at once. His duel armor activated and sucked in a monster or two… or three… maybe four? He wasn't sure. The one thing the Pharaoh was sure of was that he had control once more and had dispelled the blast. He didn't dare question it for fear that this was all one big coincidence.

"No!" Alexander gawped. "What's going on?!"

"Hey, Yuge!" Jounouchi called. "I'm liking the new look!"

Christine would have called the 'Fashion police' on him, but the Pharaoh accepted the compliment nonetheless.

"Thank you." He replied. "I owe it to you four."

As for the fifth dragon… Light and Darkness dragon was still there, guarding and protecting all of them. It seemed to understand his silent request to remain there and watch over them as the heads lifted slightly in what looked to be a nod. "Together, we shall take him down."

"No!" Alexander bellowed as he started to charge another blast. "I am the most powerful being on earth, and I will not be stopped!"

The blast erupted towards him and, just as easily as the first time, he stopped it by simply lifting his hand. "This can't be!"

It was time to end this.

"Never again shall you harm a single person, including your own disciples! Your reign of tyranny is done!"

"You can't do this to me!"

Yami didn't need to reply, nor did he want to. He simply charged and dealt the final blow, ending the challenge. After a blink, they all found themselves back in the black space from before. There was no sign of Dr. Brisbane nor Christine. The Pharaoh looked around, seeing the rest of his friends but not his girlfriend.

"Everything's gone!" Anzu gasped.

"Oh, man…" Honda moaned. "Did we just lose?"

"No!" Jounouchi snapped. "Yugi blasted him into next week!"

"Be patient." Yami told them. "I'm sure there's an explanation."

At the second he was sure Shadi was going to show up, Jounouchi gave a loud shriek of fright. Christine's cackling laughter echoed behind it. Yami gave a chuckle, turning his head to see his girlfriend – still missing her shoe – was laughing wildly as Jounouchi grouched at her for scaring him.

"Are you ok?!" Anzu cried, trying to flip towards her.

"A-ok!" Christine replied. "Though…"

She peeked over at Yami. "Are you all ok? I couldn't see very well from where I was, but… I have a feeling this was a hard-fought victory."

"You better believe it was!" Jounouchi huffed. "I swear! That was far more ridiculous than losing to Zigfreak!"

Christine gave a hum before peeking back at Yami. Did he have the heart to tell her what happened with Joan? Surely, she felt the pain from her destruction. He simply gave her a nod, quietly saying he was ok, and she accepted it.

Then Shadi returned, still wearing his different clothes.

"Your final test is complete." He told them. "The battle to determine which challenger is worthy of the greatest power known to man has ended. King Alexandros decided to sacrifice his allies in order to further his own strength, while the Nameless Pharaoh sought to protect his friends, even at the cost of his victory. This difference decided their fates. The Pharaoh has proven that he is the only one worthy of being called the 'True King.'"

"Like there was any doubt?" Yami heard Christine mumble, and he flicked her, earning a squeak. "Hey! It's true!"

Yami was amazed to see a fond smile lift on Shadi's face for a second before it went stone hard again. A small orb of light then appeared next to him. There was no doubt that this was the power Alexander the Great had been promised.

"This belongs to you now. Simply put, this contains the power to rule the entire world."

He didn't need this power. He was quite happy where he was.

"Thank you, Shadi." Yami replied. "But I have no need for this power."

Shadi's head dipped. It was a nod like he understood what Yami had been thinking.

"I realize that. You see: the paradox of the True King is that he, who is deserving of the power to unite mankind, can do so without it."

With that, both he and the orb of light vanished into the darkness. A blast of light then overwhelmed their vision.

After the large blast of light, I opened my eyes to see that we had been returned to the chamber with the large door. It had been shut, so there was no fear of falling back in. I hesitantly pushed myself up and looked around. Everyone else was there was well including….

My shoe!

While I went running over to pull it back on, the rest of the gang woke up. I had to unfreeze it from the ground, but it came up rather quickly.

"So is it over?" Honda whined.

I was inclined to agree with him; I was quite sick of challenges. Grandpa's call of his colleague made me look up from tying my shoe. Dr. Brisbane was unconscious, lying almost face down on the stone floor. "He's probably just exhausted." The rest of the gang went over to see if he was okay, making me madly finish tying myself into my boot. Just as I ran over, the soul of Alexander the Great emerged from the professor's body.

"It's Alexander the Great!" Yugi cheered, sounding relieved.

"And it's his good side too!" Jounouchi added on. "Nice to see ya, pal-Agh!"

Jounouchi had gone to give him a high five but, since the man was over 2000 years dead, the blond went right through him. The Macedonian didn't seem to care about being walked through; he only kept smiling at us.

"The Dark side of my spirit is gone," Alexander breathed, "so, after 2000 years, my soul can finally rest in peace."

"Say what?! Do you guys realize we're talking to a ghost?!"

"Considering that he was born in 356 BCE, I'm not surprised." I replied to Jounouchi's gasp. "If you really wanna know about talking to ghosts, ask Meg."

Jounouchi gave me a wide-eyed look, but he didn't have a chance to say anything. "On second thought, don't; she'd kill you."

"Had it not been for your bravery, I would have been trapped in that game for eternity." Alexander gave a deep bow before continuing. "Thank you for setting me free."

When he looked up, his eyes moved over to Yugi. "Farewell, Pharaoh." I felt the moment Yami peeked his head out at the call of his title. "Like you, I also sat on the throne of Egypt, and your reign was an inspiration to me. It is an honor to have finally met you." The Macedonian's eyes then moved to me. "My lady."

"Alexander." I replied.

"I hope that, one day, you will think of us as countrymen."

He was back on this? I gave a sigh. I wasn't angry with him anymore; I figured what the heck.

"One day."

That must have meant the world to the Macedonian King as his smile brightened. "Though be sure to have a chat with Ptolemy and the rest of the Diadochi." He gave a chuckle at that.

"I will. I hope that you and your Pharaoh will one day return to your resting place."

That darkened the mood a little bit. I was alive while Yami… I shook the feeling aside; this wasn't the time to dwell on it. The Macedonian turned back towards the door, seeing his vassals there as well. "My vassals, I am not worthy of your loyalty, but I shall cherish it always." The closer he got to his vassals, the more spirit like he became. By the time he reached them, he was completely translucent. "Now, let us take our leave, my friends." He lifted his hand in farewell, and, in a shower of sparks, the group was gone.

There was barely a moment to breathe before the pyramid began to shake.

"This pyramid is about to collapse!" Grandpa shouted, already moving to heft Dr. Brisbane off the ground. "Let's move!"

I was grateful to have my powers back, as trying to escape through all the traps would have sucked without them. Using the ice as a sort of slide, we used it to slide over the traps and quickly get out of the pyramid. We didn't stop running until we were out and a good distance away. We all watched as the entire structure was pulled under the earth.

"What could have caused this to happen, Mr. Motou?" Anzu asked.

"Shadi's test is finally over. So, I guess, the pyramid's served its purpose."

When the shaking stopped, all that was left was a large hole in the ground. Huh. Shadi knew how to clean up his messes.

"Hey!" A voice called down at us. "You there!"

We all looked up to see two men in rescue uniforms. "Were you kids in that airplane that crashed about an hour ago?"

An hour? Surely it wasn't an hour ago! It had to have been longer!

"Time must have stood still for us." Anzu explained when she caught me peeking at her watch.

Makes sense… to a degree. We all turned our heads when Dr. Brisbane's voice appeared.

"Dr. Motou?" He called, and Grandpa smiled at him. "Where are we? The last thing I remember was we were in a pyramid."

He then noticed all of us. "And who are you people?" The Dark half of Alexander the Great must have overshadowed him so much that he couldn't even remember what had happened. Probably for the best; I can't imagine what kind of stress that puts on a person.

"I'll explain it all on the way home." Grandpa replied.

The rescue worker questioned there being seven rather than five, but Grandpa managed to get him to accept all of us onboard their rescue copter. We took off without a hitch and were strapped in for the long haul; we had to fly to the nearest airport then probably fly back to Japan since our trip was hijacked by Grandpa. Since I still had my bag, I opened it up and pulled my book out. The bookmark was still at the beginning of the Alexander the Great Chapter from when I had explained him to Yugi and Yami. There was still the instinct to flip to the next chapter, but I didn't. I simply moved the bookmark and began to read.

When we eventually returned to Domino, I had thought the stress was finally over, but I was only greeted with a panicked Mokuba. He had run all the way from…

"What?!" I shrieked. "Why is Meg in the hospital?!"

Sorry for the... kinda cliffhanger? The next two chapters will explain everything! I promise! I can't wait!

Waits for Yami Bakura. Oh good he's not here. Sweet.

Yami Bakura is actually around the corner eating more of Robyn's food. He silently tells the audience to keep quiet.