Author's Note: Dark Yugi: So glad you liked the chapter! I hope you like this one too!
"Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today." -Robert McAfee Brown
When Pegasus opened his eye again, he found himself inside a bubble. The place he was in was completely red, except for what was directly ahead of him. There was a patch of blackness that he assumed was skin, surrounding a singular eye. It was bright yellow with a slitted pupil that reminded him eerily of a snake eye. He made a point to look away from that. He felt the eye staring into his very soul. When he looked around, dozens of other people were trapped just as he was. But how had he gotten here? One minute he was protecting his wife from Dartz and the next he was here, being sucked toward the great leviathan. He felt a chill run up his spine. If was made a part of the great leviathan, how could he ever save his precious Cecelia? He shuttered at the thought and tried to direct his thinking to something more positive- but being trapped in a bubble and unable to do anything while he was basically floating toward his doom was enough to dampen his spirits. But the idea that he had succeeded somewhat in saving his wife from suffering the same fate as he had brought his mood up a little bit.
"I've had some weird dreams but this one takes the cake..." Murmured a familiar voice. "Wait, hold on... I remember being trapped in a duel but how did I end up floating around in here?"
"Joey? Is that you?" Asked another voice.
"Yugi! Long time no see!"
"I'm glad you're alright." Said Yugi with a smile.
Pegasus was irritated. "Please bubble boy, you call this alright?!"
"Pegasus!" They chorused.
"If we don't escape soon we never will!"
"Where exactly are we anyway?" Asked Joey. "Wait a minute, everyone in here had their soul captured. This must be where the Orichalcos spits you out after you lose a duel!" He said, hyperventilating. "Calm down. Maybe this is just a dream..."
"It's no dream." Said Yugi. "And take a look! Things are about to get worse!"
"What's that?!" Asked Joey, panicking as he was pushed closer to a giant yellow eye.
"Don't you pay attention?!" Snapped Pegasus. "That's the great leviathan and it's using human souls for power."
"It's doing what?! But I don't want to be turned into soul food!" He wailed.
"We can still get out of this mess if the pharaoh defeats Dartz!" Said Yugi.
"But how's he gonna do that? Rich Boy's with us now!" He said, looking over at Kaiba. "That means the pharaoh's facing Dartz alone out there!"
"Wrong. Kaiba may have been knocked out of the fight, but the pharaoh's not alone, Joey."
"I'm afraid I don't follow, Yug."
"He's still got all of us. Sure, we're not right there next to him, but we've never let that stop us before!"
"Yeah, but I don't know if that's gonna work this time- 'cause Dartz is playing by a whole new set of rules. And nothing can take down that Orichalcos card."
"There is one thing that can help." Said Pegasus. "It's the card I gave him. And if the pharaoh draws it, he'll be able to unleash a force like no other!"
"And this card can beat Dartz?" Asked Joey.
"Yes. You see, it was during a trip to Egypt that I was inspired to create the game of Duel Monsters, after making an astonishing discovery- ancient kings and sorcerers once performed dark rituals to conjure real monsters. These creatures were believed to have lived in a universe parallel to ours, and guarding the gateway to this dominion of the beast were three legendary dragons, known as Tamaeus, Criteus, and Hermos. But you already know about them, right?"
"Right!" Affirmed Joey.
"What you don't know is that these dragons aren't what they appear to be. They were buried with a dark secret, so I created a card that unlocks this mystery!"
"I don't get it, what's the secret?" Asked Yugi.
"I spent many years scouring the globe for an answer to that very question, Yugi-Boy. First I searched the microscopic world for the tiniest clues. Then I scanned the vast reaches of the universe and still nothing. Other than one stone tablet beneath the sands of Egypt there was no record of the existence of these dragons. Then it dawned on me: what if these dragons aren't dragons at all? What if they're humans?"
"Humans? But how is that possible, Pegasus?!" Demanded Yugi. "And what does it have to do with that mystery card you gave the pharaoh?"
"During the battle of Atlantis Dartz transformed three brave Knights into dragons in order to weaken them. Now the pharaoh must restore them to their original form before we disappear forever!"
They stayed there, being pulled toward the mysterious eye for quite some time. How long, none of them were sure. Then, all of a sudden, a bright slash appeared to the right of them. Every head inside turned to look at the glowing opening.
"Look! It's some kind of opening!" Said Joey. "That could be a way out, guys!"
"Chosen duelists, by the power of Atlantis, we release thee!" Boomed a thundering voice. Joey was taken through the opening, then Kaiba, and then Yugi. All of them screaming. Pegasus stared at the opening, miffed.
"There are other people in here too, you know!" He said resentfully.
"Now, duelists of the prophecy, by order of the Knights of Atlantis, cross into the human world!" The voice commanded. The three bodies of Joey, Kaiba, and Yugi that were inside bubbles transformed into glowing orbs of white light when they finally crossed over into the human world.
Once they did, the shallow opening was closed, dashing the hopes of everyone on the other side of it who still had yet to face the terror that was being inside of the great leviathan.
Back in Dartz's lair, those three balls of white light flew through the opening and back into their respective bodies.