Black Magic: In The Hands Of Destiny Bloom x Seto Kaiba

by SorikuGirl21

After losing Atem Kaiba seeks to find new meaning in his life. Seeking after his magical origins Kaiba receives a mysterious letter that may provide him the answers he's been searching for. At the same time, a new girl arrives in Domino City bringing a dangerous new enemy with her. A chance meeting brings two unlikely people to meet. Will it finally force Kiba to believe in fate?

119. The Roar Of The Dragon Part 2

Note To Readers: Hey guys! Bet you weren't expecting another update so soon after my disappearing act lol. Since i've been getting alot of responses to this latest chapter I decided to go ahead and write another one. Lucky you! Teehee. For the readers out there tired of the slow pace i'm sorry but I had to build up to the action. But don't worry this Arc is full of action and adventure. I know a lot of you are probably eager to see our heros new powers. The Draconia Arc is a lot longer than the previous ones and we will be switching back and forth between groups. If you're looking for more of the side characters getting spot light then you're in luck. Come with me as we enter Draconia! Chapter 117: The Roar Of The Dragon Part 2

Chapter 117: The Roar Of The Dragon {Part 2}

Bloom and Kaiba plunged into the depths of the potion after they swallowed one of the aero jellies. The two found themselves surrounded by water as their hands yet still refused to seperate. Ahead of them a seal began to manifest providing the gateway to their chosen destination. "What is that thing?" Kaiba questioned the faerie as he witnessed it form. "It's a gateway." Bloom began. "Roxy and I encountered it on our first attempt to travel between dimensions..." the red head told the CEO before they were pulled towards it. Bloom and Kaiba's hold on eachother only grew tighter as they braced themselves. The CEO shielded both his and his fiance's eyes nearly blinded by the light emanating from the seal with his coat as it opened swallowing them within it.

Slowly Bloom and Kaiba pried open their eyes and entered crystal blue waters with quartz reflecting the light of the ocean around them. Both of them found themselves in awe and wonder a look of shock upon Kaiba's face. "WOW!" the faerie beamed as she looked left and right as the fish traveled around them letting out a squeak as a puffer fish puffed up near her face. "Well, this is certainly not what I was expecting..." the CEO began.

"To think that mixture bubbling in the pot actually was able to transport us to another world entirely...it wasn't too long ago i'd have ridiculed Raeger along with everyone else for even believing in such nonsense...but...after all i'll that i've seen...I HAVE to believe...there's no more denying it..." Kaiba muttered before Bloom was silent for a moment as she swam beside him. "Growing up on Earth I wouldn't have believed it either...and now look at us. This whole thing goes beyond fighting Witches, Wizards or even Faeries." the redhead murmured softly.

"Not to mention demented duelists that couldn't obtain what they desired unless they used Duel Monsters to claim their prize." Kaiba smirked causing the faerie to giggle softly. "At least now i'm able to fight back. I've seen sitting idly for far too long for my own personal liking..." the CEO muttered. "No kidding,but with my new power and your new power I think we should be alright no matter what we come up against." Bloom pointed out. "Hmph, now that's something we can agree upon." Kaiba mused before he paused as he watched the redhead look around.

"Bloom, is everything alright? You seem distracted." the CEO inquired as the faerie only frowned softly. "...Well um...is it just me or does it seem that we're the only ones in these waters?" the redhead questioned. Kaiba took a moment to look around them. "Yeah, that certainly seems to be the case now doesn't it? Maybe the others lost their nerve and backed out at the last minute. They were awfully reluctant to follow after us. Whether or not anyone else shows up we'll just have to see." the CEO remarked. Bloom only let out a softened sigh.

"You have a point...but...I still can't help but worry about them..." The faerie confessed as concern glistened in her blue eyes. Kaiba felt a twinge of guilt as he twisted his mouth. Why was it that he could run a billion dollar enterprise and yet when it came to actually trying to interact with someone on an emotional level that he always caused them to feel even worse than he did before? Oh well. Here's to hoping the third time's the charm.

"Look, I know you're worried, however that isn't going to get up any closer to locating the Draconian Archive." the CEO began. "...Ok...say it IS the worse case scenario and we were the only ones that could pass through." Kaiba continued. "I'm here beside you and other than that it is often a rarity that we get to spend time alone together. So all things considered it's not a bad situation to be in if you think about it. The others probably just got separated, this body of water does seem rather large. If I had to guess we're bound to run into someone eventually..." the CEO attempted to comfort Bloom.

"...Seto..." Bloom smiled touched as she felt reassured as he flashed a sweet smile meant only for her. If only this moment could last forever and ever the faerie thought to herself. Gently the two shared a warm embrace neither wanting to let go of the other. The water was lit up by a golden and light blue light reflecting off into the distance. Kaiba and Bloom paused as they turned their heads towards it. Gently the aura faded from their bodies.

"Did you see what I just saw?" Kaiba questioned the faerie. "Yeah, let's go check it out, maybe if we follow it we can find the others." Bloom murmured before the CEO followed after her. "BLOOM WAIT! BE CAREFUL!" Kaiba called out after the red head. By the time he caught up the CEO found Bloom wading in front of a large stone arch that appeared to be the entrance to a larger ruin hidden within. Around the front and the sides were large pieces of obsidian carving out a three dimensional dragon. It towered over them casting a shadow. Gently the faerie placed her hand on the arch feeling the aura contained in the arch that the relief was sealing within it.

"I can sense a great deal of magical power within these ruins..." Bloom murmured cautiously. "Could this be what we've been searching for?" the redhead questioned before Kaiba turned his head towards her. "Are you saying that this is the entrance to The Draconian Archive?!" the CEO questioned before he felt his body pulse. It was as if all of a sudden he was being drawn to something further inside. Although Kaiba couldn't quite explain it. The faerie didn't answer too involved in uncovering the secrets possibly sealed within the Arch. Not wishing to disturb Bloom the CEO followed where the uncontrollable feeling was leading him unable to ignore it. As if the ruin itself that lay beyond was pulling him in. Down below the ocean's depths, Kaiba gazed at what appeared to be a large puzzle. One that was nearly identical to the dragon carving etched upon the entrance to the ruin. It was a seal of some kind that had pieces realigned so that the one whom stumbled upon it had to solve it. If The CEO had to take a guess the puzzle was most likely triggered by some kind of mechanism once it was put back together the way it was supposed to be. Taking a moment Kaiba analyzed the seal from above afterwards he ventured down below to take on the challenge face to face.

"Hmm this looks simple enough to solve. All I have to do is move the pieces in the correct order not much of a challenge if I do say so myself." Kaiba scoffed before he grabbed a hold of one of the pieces of the puzzle. Once the CEO grasped the stone he attempted to push it forward however he found that no matter how hard he tried to move it that it remained in place. A flood of cuss words erupted from Kaiba as he continued despite the obvious truth.

"YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT! I DARE YOU TO KEEP DEFYING ME! I'LL BE DAMNED IF I'LL LET MYSELF GET BEAT BY A THOUSAND YEAR OLD RUIN ON THE VERGE OF FALLING APART! NOW MOVE!"the CEO demanded. Luckily Bloom couldn't see him as she continued to examine the arch. Slowly the faerie moved her fingers across what appeared to be some form of symbols or perhaps writing as it glowed with a faint burning ember. Bloom recalled seeing something similar during her stay at the hospital when that strange male burned a message into the floor. It was the same and yet different. As to why it was there and burning under water she couldn't say.

"Say Seto, what do YOU make of this?" Bloom questioned before he paused. "Um Seto? Hello i'm talking to you!" the red head exclaimed and turned around only to find that he was no longer there. The faerie attempted not to spiral into a complete panic and took a look around as her heart raced in her chest. "SETO! WHERE ARE YOU!?" Bloom yelled at the top of her lungs. A frown only manifested on the red head's face. "Ok...don't panic...maybe he's too far away wherever he is to hear me." the faerie convinced herself before it struck her.

"The earrings that Stella made!" Bloom exclaimed. "I bet I can use them to contact Seto! She said they were supposed to be for communication purposes...lets see...click on left earring for mic right?...Well here goes nothing!" the faerie crossed her fingers as she pressed on her flaming heart earrings left ear. After a moment the mic activated. Down below Kaiba paused as he heard a noise from nearby. The CEO figured his mind was playing tricks on him. At least that's what he thought until he heard Bloom's voice.

"SETO!? Seto can you hear me!?" the faerie's voice came in as clear as a bell. It took Kaiba a moment before he realised that the sound appeared to be originating from his belt. The CEO recalled the blonde faerie mentioning something about using the belts to communicate in between group but he didn't realize that meant with the party you were already accompanying. Almost immediately afterward Kaiba pressed on his buckle shaped like a blue eyes white dragon before he spoke.

"Yeah, I can read you loud and clear, is everything alright up there?" the CEO answered before Bloom responded. "Oh thank goodness, don't scare me like that, you just took off without saying anything! I was afraid something might have happened..." the faerie breathed a sigh of relief on the other end. "Sorry, but there was something down below further in that I couldn't resist checking out." Kaiba confessed although he meant that quite literally. "Oh, speaking of that there's something on this arch that I think you should see, so come back up for now." Bloom urged before Kaiba pressed on his belt. "Got it, i'm on my way." the CEO answered and with great haste Kaiba returned to the faerie's side.

"Over here!" Bloom called her fiance and directed his eyes towards the writing that she had discovered. "I found some strange form of writing...but...I can't read or understand it...it's no writing that i've ever seen before." the faerie murmured before Kaiba drew closer to her. "Alright let me see..." the CEO began before a gasp escaped him. Quickly Bloom turned her head towards the blue eyed male.

"Seto?" the faerie questioned before Kaiba took a moment to answer. "...I...I can read it...I can decipher the words etched in the stone...this is just like the time...I was able to read the Egyptian text on the Winged Dragon of Ra...it's clear to me...as if it were written in Japanese..." the CEO uttered taken back as was Bloom. "R-Really!? Well then what does it say?" the redhead questioned. Slowly the CEO began to speak as he read the dragon script out loud.

"The Eye Of The Beast...Grants Knowledge UnBequeathed ..." Kaiba muttered. "So...it's a riddle then..." Bloom surmised before she mulled over its meaning outloud. "The beast in the riddle definitely is referring to the Dragon...and the knowledge part most likely is in reference to the archive...so taking that into account...we're looking for something nearby that acts as a key or maybe some sort of passage..." the faerie concluded before the CEO turned towards her.

"Hold on, I think I may have an idea, while you were examining the arch I took the liberty of exploring a bit further and I believe that the ruin I discovered down below may in fact hold the answer to this riddle, follow me." Kaiba mused before Bloom followed the CEO down to where the dragon puzzle lay in wait. "WOAH! This was down here!? So that's why you dissapeared all of a sudden."the faerie exclaimed. "Yeah, however there is so minior set back...no matter how hard I try...I can't seem to get any of the pieces to move...and i'm fairly certain solving the puzzle will open the way forward." Kaiba muttered.

"Really? It looks pretty simple to me...but if you couldn't physically move it then i'll try using magic to manipulate the pieces!" Bloom exclaimed as she fired a shot of magical energy. Unfortunately she fared no better than the CEO in her attempt. "Well that didn't work..." the redhead deadpanned. "I believe that there must be something that is locking the pieces in place..." Kaiba concluded. "I think i'm going to go and check the arch again, perhaps it will reveal something more." the CEO told Bloom before he swam upwards. The faerie only nodded before she continued to ponder the meaning of the riddle.

"...WAIT! I'VE GOT IT!" Bloom cried out and quickly followed Kaiba. Once she got close enough the faerie grabbed the CEO by the arm. "Bloom? What are you doing?" Kaiba questioned. "I figured it out! Come on!" the redhead urged and took the blue eyed male back to the arch. "Uh...are you going to explain to me what's going on here?" the CEO questioned. "It's an anagram!" Bloom exclaimed. "An anagram? What is?" Kaiba questioned.

"Do you remember the riddle? The Eye Of The Beast Grants Knowledge Unbequethed. If you take The Eye Out and separate The Beast Grants Knowledge Unbequethed...each word has a letter that spells out the word Dragon!

Of

Beast

Grants

Knowledge

Unbequethed

"Dragon..." Kaiba spelled out before he directed his attention towards the dragon script. "Then maybe..." the CEO began before he extended out his finger and pressed the corresponding letters in the order of the words in the riddle. Suddenly the ruin below began to respond as each piece of the puzzle began to illuminate and move. The faerie paused as she felt a surge of magical energy begin to pulse wildly. "Down there! I feel a strong magic trail! Back towards the ruins!" Bloom exclaimed before Kaiba only smirked. "Well then, what are we waiting for? Let go and see." the CEO urged before they both swam downwards once more. Sure enough the puzzle was responding and twisted and turned until it formed into the picture of a dragon.

"ALRIGHT! It worked! And look! Something is emerging from within the ruin!" Bloom pointed out as the puzzle slowly pried open. Once it was opened a four pillar pedestal emerged and within it was a large amber colored jewel that resembled an eye. The Eye of a dragon. "No way! That must've been the eye the draconscript was referring to!" Kaiba exclaimed. "It's massive! Just look at the dragon's claw holding it in place! This is unreal!" the CEO continued blown away by the discovery before them. Slowly he approached it as Bloom followed from behind. A small smile worked its way onto the faerie's face.

"You're REALLY excited aren't you?" the red head questioned before Kaiba paused and attempted to regain his composure as he cleared his throat. "And just what makes you think that exactly?" the CEO retorted defensively. But Bloom only giggled. The red on his face was a dead give away. "No reason." the faerie teased him lightly which caused Kaiba to make a face in return. "If you say so, now why don't we get back to disscussing things of actual signifigance...like finding out where this oversized gem is supposed to go." the CEO muttered. Bloom only sighed inwardly. If only he let his softer side show more often during times like this. Oh well.

"Yeah, you're right." the faerie replied simply. It was best to just let it go. Well at least there was one up side to this. Although Kaiba himself wasn't fully aware of it he was beginning to lower his guard more and more when he was around her. Maybe before this was over she'd know even more about him and his past. Kaiba himself was surprised the red head gave up so easily as stubborn as she could be. To be honest it was still difficult for him to open up although in all actuality he wanted to do just that. To let Bloom in. Even if that meant loosening his grip on his pride. A task that was ill befitting of the CEO.

"...No...I...I didn't mean it that way...what I mean to say is...look i'm not good at these kinds of things...but I am doing my best to try...for you and the very least...you have to understand...it's not easy for me to let down my guard..." Kaiba began before the faerie turned towards him. "All my life I and my brother have struggled to survive...and I as his big brother couldn't afford to be weak...I had to always be strong...confident and above all as a CEO ruthless and cold...anyone who wasn't Mokuba and I was the enemy" "I may not be proud of everything I did to get where I am today...but the point of the matter is I did it...and in the business world a man's appearance is everything...otherwise it's just a matter of time before someone else comes to try and take what you have...so I had to protect my little brother and my company...and become someone who was feared and respected...not nice...once you develop that mindset it's hard to break it...I was filled with anger and hatred...resentment over the past...blind...somehow Yugi could always see it...festering...growing...I hated it...but there was nothing that I could do...all I wanted to do was to forget the past...and I thought I could erase it by only looking forwards to the future...to be the one thing I always wanted to be...the greatest duelist in the world..." the CEO muttered as he clenched his fists at his side.

"Even up until The Pharaoh returned to the after life...all I wanted to do was prove that I Seto Kaiba was right...but then...I felt so empty inside...nothing could close this chasm that had formed...no one...and nothing...time and time again...Yugi tried to get me to open my eyes...even so I didn't have the courage to face the truth...scared that i'd wake up and realize everything I had been doing and worked towards was all for nothing...although this is hard to admit...more than you'll ever know...I'm afraid that if I let you in completely...that you'll see what i've made everyone else see...and that Bloom...would break me...i'd rather be cast into the depths of hell then cause you anymore pain...than what you've already been made to endure..." Kaiba confessed as fear and uncertainty filled his eyes glistening with a pain known only to those whom dwelled in isolation.

"Seto..." Bloom murmured softly as she looked at him with a deepened sadness. Gently she wrapped her arms around him from behind. "I don't care about your past...what you did or what you didn't do...how you turned out and the reasons why... that you're the CEO of Kaiba Corp with a lot of money...who always wears a mask to try and conceal your true self...who constantly puts up walls around himself...Seto those reasons don't matter to me...weither you realize it or not...it's your heart that I fell in love with..." the faerie began.

"The Seto Kaiba that gave me a home when my apartment flooded...the one whom tried to distract me with a game of duel monsters when I was feeling down...the one who picked out a beautiful dress for me to wear...and then chose to dance with me even though he didn't want to...the Seto Kaiba whom loves and cherish's his little brother like a precious treasure...that stayed by Mokuba's side nearly every moment in the hospital...the one who tried to protect Sky even though the two detested one another...the Seto Kaiba whom comforted me when I cried broken hearted when he was claimed by the shadows... who protected me from the Wizards of The Black Circle and shielded me with his own body placing himself in harm's way...the one whom I ate ice cream with on the beach and laughed...the Seto Kaiba who went out of his way to surprise me with a marriage proposal...The Man I love more than anything else in all of the known worlds...and I wouldn't change a thing about him..."

Bloom murmured as tears formed in her eyes as she smiled as the tears trickled down her face. Her words took Kaiba back and turned around pulling her into an embrace neither one wanted to let go of the other. The CEO trembled as he held Bloom in his arms. "Me too...I wouldn't change anything about you either...I love you Bloom...I really...really do...so please...no matter what...don't ever leave me...and I promise that I will do everything in my power...to let you in...even if it's difficult for me..." Kaiba swore as he continued to embrace her. "I won't...I promise...as long as you don't go anywhere either..." Bloom promised before they raised their gaze. After a smile crossed their face the two leaned in towards each other pressing their lips together and shared a soft yet deepened kiss.

Gently both Kaiba and Bloom broke off only to laugh afterwards. "Ok, now i'm REALLY embarrassed! I can't believe I said all that outloud. Now you're ego is bound to grow larger after so much flattery." the faerie teased with a giggled as her face reddened. "Oh ha ha very funny, I believe we have more important things to discuss at the moment or have you already forgotten Princess?" the CEO teased back as a small grin revealed itself. "How could I possibly forget that giant jewel staring at us in the face?" the faerie replied as a matter of factly. "Heh good point, it IS hard to miss now isn't it?" Kaiba retorted before the two began to once more look around.

Catching the stone dragon's tail in her eyes attached to the arch the red head swam upwards following it up and up until she reached the dragon's head carved in the stone and mixed with obsidian. A gasp escaped Bloom as she noticed the dragon was missing an eye. She had to tell Kaiba about this. Pressing her left earring Kaiba down below heard Bloom's voice come from his belt yet again."Kaiba, I found where we need to put the eye!" the faerie called out to him before he pressed his belt. "You did? Where is it?" Kaiba answered in return and waited for her answer. "At the very top of the arch! There's a dragon relief that is covered in a mixture of stone and obsidian. It's missing one eye on the dragon's head!" Bloom exclaimed.

"Then I guess it's up to me to make a small delivery." the CEO smirked and grabbed a hold of the amber jewel. However much like before retrieving the eye proved more difficult than it appeared. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't seem to free it from the pedestal. Unfortunately, that wasn't the only problem as Kaiba began to find that it was becoming more difficult to breath. The CEO wondered if the aero jellie's effects were beginning to wear off. Kaiba cursed under his breath before he messaged Bloom as she waited for him by the statue and pressed down her earring.

"Bloom, we've got a problem...the Eye seems to be refusing to budge...no matter how hard I try I can't free it from the pedestal...i'm going to need some help here as much as I loathe asking for it..." Kaiba told the faerie through his buckle and waiting for the red head's response as he gazed hard at the jewel that refused to bend to his will. "Alright I understand, hold on i'm coming back down now!" the faerie exclaimed before she paused.

"Uh oh...it's getting harder to get air...the Jellie's effects must be diminishing...well if worst comes to worst I can always use a spell! Hold on Seto i'm on my way!" Bloom exclaimed and swam back down to where Kaiba was as fast as she could. Waiting below Kaiba looked upwards as he saw the faerie swimming up above him. "Don't worry i'm here! Let's see if we can't pull it out together." Bloom suggested. "It's worth a try at the very least." the CEO muttered before each of them got on one side and grabbed a hold of it. Together both Bloom and Kaiba pulled the Eye as hard as they could but to no avail.

"UGH! It's REALLY stuck in there good!" the red head exclaimed winded from trying so hard along with the CEO. "No kidding...and with the amount of air we have left we better hurry up and figure this out before the jellie gives out on us..." Kaiba retorted as he bit his lower lip. "Yeah but I just don't know what to do." Bloom frowned before she paused as she saw someone swimming in the distance. "Wait! I see something!" the faerie exclaimed. "What did you say!?" the CEO questioned before he turned his head only to see a pair of scarlet eyes reflecting in the water. "THAT'S YUGI!" Kaiba exclaimed in a surprised gasp. Yugi across from both Bloom and Kaiba swam as fast as he could before he broke out into a relieved smile.

"HEYYYYYY! KAIBA! BLOOM!" the scarlet eyed male cried out at the top of his lungs as he hurried over to meet the two of them. "It IS Yugi!" Bloom squeaked before Yugi finally caught up with them almost out of breath. "You don't know how happy I am to see you guys!" the scarlet eyed male exclaimed happily. "I've been swimming for what seems like hours now and I was so worried! I couldn't find ANYONE from our party! I was beginning to think it was just me and Atem down here in these waters." Yugi confessed. "So did we." Kaiba replied simply. "We're happy to see you too." Bloom added before the scarlet eyed male's eyes wandered towards the ruin and the Eye.

"Woah! What is this place? And what in the world is THAT!?" Yugi questioned as he looked all around them. {It appears to be an ancient ruin of some kind...} Atem murmured as he examined it. "You're right..." the scarlet eyed male almost whispered in response. Kaiba only crossed his arms. "Supposedly it's some kind of entrance...but there's a catch...which is where that giant sphere comes in...the thing is...we can't seem to free it from the pedestal..." the CEO growled. "Yep and it has to go to the top of the arch in order to place it in the statue." Bloom added.

"ALL the way up there!?" Yugi cried out as he looked upwards which seemed to go on forever. "Wow! That's a LONG way up...although...moving it could be dangerous...especially if it's protected...if we take it then who knows what could come as a result...we could given end up triggering a trap..." the scarlet eyed male pointed out. "Hmph, maybe but that's a risk we're just going to have to take...playing it safe won't cut it Yugi..." Kaiba retorted. After a moment Bloom finally spoke up.

"Say, why don't we try pulling it with Yugi this time? Maybe we just needed another person to tip the odds in our favor." the faerie suggested. "Well...why not?" the CEO replied simply. Yugi nodded in agreement. "Alright, i'll give it my best shot." the scarlet eyed male agreed. All together each of them grabbed one of the sides of the eye and yanked on it as hard as they were able to but, in the end their second attempt failed. Atem paused as he studied the relic and opened his mouth to speak before they could try a third attempt.

"WAIT!" The Pharaoh cried before suddenly the others paused as Kaiba turned his attention towards Atem. "What is it now? I hope you have a good reason for stopping us..." the CEO hissed in aggravation. "Hold on Seto, why don't we see what he has to say." Bloom defended the Pharaoh. "Oh boy..." Yugi murmured in response to all three of them. "...I believe that we are approaching this the wrong way..." Atem begins. "We've been focusing on the Eye rather than what has been keeping the Eye in place, In other words the dragon's claw...I believe that if we can find someway to pry it off the jewel just enough then we may be able to remove the Eye successfully." The Pharaoh suggested.

"Oh I see! Then in that case we'll need something to wedge in between the claw and the Eye." Yugi concluded before Kaiba smirked. "Leave THAT to me..." the CEO muttered before he revealed the hidden blade attached to his right arm. "I guess that'll work." Bloom mused in approval before she watched as Kaiba approached the Eye readying his weapon. "I'm going to use my blade to lift the dragon's claw off of the Eye. Once I do so it's up to the two of you to pull it free." the CEO instructed. "Right!" both Bloom and Yugi nodded in agreement. Almost immediately Kaiba wedged his hidden blade in between the claw and the Eye.

"ONE!" the CEO called out as Yugi and Bloom grabbed the jewel. "TWO!" Yugi cried and gave it a good yank. "THREE!" the faerie exclaimed and pulled on Yugi from behind. At long fast the Eye was free from the clutches of its pedestal causing the two to be slightly pushed back from the momentum having the water slow them down from the full impact. Afterwards Kaiba retracted his blade and wiped his forehead. He couldn't believe that actually worked. But, it wasn't over yet as the CEO turned his attention towards Yugi and Bloom with the Eye in their grasp.

"UGH! This weighs a ton!" the faerie cried out. "Yeah...no kidding..." the scarlet eyed male huffed. "How are we ever going to place it in the statue ALL the way up there!?" Yugi questioned. "No idea..." Bloom answered. "UH! Kaiba! A little help if you don't mind!" the scarlet eyed male called out before the CEO swam over to them. "I can't leave you two alone for one minute." Kaiba remarked before he grabbed the Eye and looked over at Bloom. "Bloom do me and favor and stay here, Yugi and I will handle this." the CEO assured her before Yugi looked over Kaiba nervously. "...We Will?" the scarlet eyed male squeaked.

"You heard me...now let's move..." the CEO told Yugi and grabbed him as he gave the scarlet eyed male no choice in the matter as they hauled the jewel upwards and all the way to the top of the relief connected to the Arch. However Atem's voice breaks the almost deafening silence between them. {Be careful Yugi...I don't know as to the reason why...however I feel a disturbance lurking within the statue...} the Pharaoh warns. "...Yeah..." Yugi nods before he and Kaiba finally made it to the dragon's head.

"We made it, now all we have to do is insert the Eye in that empty socket and at long last the pathway will open to the way forwards..." the CEO muttered. Carefully both Kaiba and the scarlet eyed male worked together to place the jewel into the vacant eye socket. However as soon as they did the whole area began to shake violently. Bloom waiting for them below gasped as she felt the cavern trembled. Quickly she pressed down her left earring in order for her voice to be able to reach them.

"Guys! Come back down here! It's not safe! I can feel a powerful magic emanating from the dragon statue!" the faerie's voice cried out through Kaiba and Yugi's belt. "I think it's a little late for that!" Yugi exclaimed in response as the CEO and the scarlet eyed male watched the obsidian around the dragon statue start to shatter along with pieces of stone breaking off. "It's too late! We can't possibly get away in time!" Kaiba answered. In a matter of seconds an Ebony dragon emerged from its dormancy. Both Kaiba and Yugi found themselves frozen in place unable to move as its enormous tail lashed out towards them the obsidian glass threatening to impale the two of them

"SETO! YUGI! HOLD ON GUYS I'M COMING! WINX CELESTIX!" Bloom cried before the Phoenix tattoo on her arm lit up with colored fire. Showering herself in it the tattoo of wings on her black unleashed wings of rainbow flame combing her transformation with Celestix wrapping her in stardust. But, the faerie wasn't the only one that had obtained new power. "OH NO! YOU'RE NOT GETTING RID OF US THAT EASILY!"Yugi cried out as his own tattoo of an owl gleamed brightly reflected by the water. In front of them Mirror Force manifested creating a wall to defend from the dragon's attack shielding them from harm. However the scarlet eyed male's counter attack couldn't protect Kaiba and him from the force of the attack which send them plummeting down towards the ocean floor.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" Kaiba and Yugi cried out being flung backwards by the dragon's tail. Luckily Bloom came up behind them just in the nick of time. "PHOENIX'S EMBRACE!" the faerie cried out before a Phoenix made up of colored flames formed below both the CEO and the scarlet eyed male catching them before they could collide with the bottom of the ocean. Wasting not a second more Bloom flew towards the dragon as it let out a mighty roar to answer the faerie's challenge. Almost immediately the beast's gaze locked with Blooms before it opened its mouth to speak.

"Whom Is He That Which Disturbs My Sacred Resting Place Of My Eternal Slumber...?" the Dragon questioned as he peered into the party's very eyes and their souls whilst awaiting an answer. Showing not a trace of fear the faerie stared back at the mighty beast. "I am Bloom Princess Of Sparks and Keeper of The Phoenix Fire." Bloom began. "I have come here before you today seeking The Draconian Secret Library and the Gem Of Destiny that lay within. I ask humbly that you allow my companions and I to pass." the red head told the Dragon as she kneeled down before him in order to show him proper respect as was expected. This simple act pleased the dragon and honored her in return with his own bow, lowering his head slightly.

"Indeed, I can see the flame that burns deep within thou very soul...one that flickers even brighter as it is threatened to dim...thou whom carries the light to guide the world of mortals...yes...even the Dragon's bow to our lady...however...before I may grant you passage to that which you seeketh...thou must prove your hearts purity before she whom cometh before thou...doth you accept the challenge?" The Dragon questioned as he stared into Bloom's eyes her in return doing as he. "I will face ANY challenge...for all those that have supported me up until now..." the faerie proclaimed to the Dragon as all of her family and friends filled her mind with even greater determination. The Dragon only nodded in acknowledgement of Bloom's determination.

"...Then, let it be so...in recognition of your burning resolve...I the Guardian Of The Ancient Draconian Library of Draconia shall...allow thou to pass..." The Dragon began. "However, I will warn you that even the strongest of resolve can waiver...the face of temptation...thou MUST know what is fabricated...false...light...and darkness...truth...and lies...Moon and Sun...look within thou's self...fight fear with faith...you whom carry the blood of the beacon of hope...daughter of the Sun...go forth...your quest...hath begun..." the Dragon proclaimed before he took but a few steps back. Afterwards the mighty beast opened its mouth and unleashed an inferno of purple fire burned into the waters of Draconia. Gazing within it a temple reflected within the fiery flames.

"WOAH!" Yugi cried out as he and Kaiba watched. Slowly the Phoenix which carried the two of them took the CEO and the scarlet eyed male to Bloom's side as she gazed into the purple flames. Immediately Kaiba removed himself and hurried over to the faerie. Without any hesitation Bloom began to proceed forward until the red head felt the CEO pull her back and away from the fire. Yugi too removed himself and headed in their direction as a result the Phoenix began to fade into nothingness dispelling the magic.

"Bloom! What are you doing!? You can't just go waltzing in to a firey abyss! You'll be incinerated or worse! After all who knows if we can even trust that dragon! We could be very well walking into trap!" Kaiba exclaimed before the faerie turned back towards him. "That may be so." Atem spoke up. "However with the limited supply of oxygen we have left we are not left with much of a choice Kaiba." the Pharaoh pointed out. "Even so...Kaiba could be right in this case." Yugi argued worriedly. "Exactly it could be a very clever deception by the enemy." the CEO agreed. But Bloom only smiled.

"It's ok...don't be afraid guys...these flames won't hurt us...I just...have this feeling...that somehow this IS the right path to take..." the faerie begins. "As long as we believe...we can walk through the fire...TRUST me..." Bloom murmured before slowly Kaiba loosened his grip on her. "...I can't believe i'm saying this...however...I DO believe you..."the CEO confessed before both Yugi and Atem exchanged glances and nodded in unison. "So do we." the scarlet eyed male told the faerie. Together all three of them followed Bloom into the purple flames. Once they passed through the portal slowly closed behind them leaving only one way to proceed...Forward.

Meanwhile in Draconia's Main Land... Gathered within the Council's room sitting at an oval tabled crafted from stone Hyousuke, one of The Dragon Elders sat amongst the other members of the council. Each individual that sat among them chose to take upon themselves human forms. Despite one side reflecting a cool and calm demeanor the other side was nothing less than infuriated in regards to the ongoing situation unfolding. Despite the Dawnshire Massacre being resolved, The Requiem Knights had yet to be caused great unrest to several of those not only whom dwelled in the Mainland but the citizens who lived in the eight elemental parts of Draconia.

"THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!" one of the Elder's on the right side of the table cried as he slammed down his fist upon the stone table. "Why MUST agents from Requiem continue to soil our lands with their blood stained hands" one began. "They march day and night disrupting the peace that we have worked so hard to nurture for so very long that NONE of our citizens feel safe any longer!" another elder spoke up. "They're NOTHING but greed filled ambition walking on two legs! Anyone with eyes can see they're just looking for an excuse to spill blood even though there's already been justice delt for the Dawnshire Massacre!" another elder argued.

"Please! The Requiem Knight's are merely preforming their duties...they are still searching for the elf that has yet to have judgement passed down upon them...If we do not permit them to stay then our Kingdom could very well be the next to suffer the same fate!" The Elder from the left attempted to reason. Hyousuke only listened the two sides argue back as forth as he scratched at his stubble on his chin. "Both ARE valid points ta be sure...but the fact is that our people are FAR from what ya would call happy." the dragon Elder began.

"I mean the delightful Knights of Requiem haven't exactly been good for the ol morality rate ya know what i'm saying? Besides if there WERE a famous baddie walkin around Draconia don't ya think someone woulda seen um by now?" Hyousuke threw in his two cents. One of the Elder's turned towards him and began to speak. "Did you not speak to the Aurian Council in regards to this matter Hyousuke?" the elder questioned. "Yep! Yep! But wouldn't ya know it NONE of those old bags o bones wanted ta listen ta ol Hyousuke...go figure...SO they're not gonna lift a finger ta help us dragons." Hyousuke informed the council.

"Typical of the HIGH and MIGHTY Aurians...they could care less about our own needs and concerns above their own..." one Elder scoffed. "MUST they dwell in our valley? Surely there would be places more fitting to conceal ones presence...they sulley our good name just by making an appearance...one such as our kind would not sink so low as to harbor such filth..." another Elder snarled. "Well, whatcha gonna do right?" Hyousuke shrugged his shoulders before he found himself on the receiving end of several nasty remarks. Such behavior only encouraged the dragon elder however.

"Well! Well! It looks like I have quite the fan club! It's SO wonderful ta feel so loved now isn't it?" Hyousuke remarked sarcastically. The left side of the table only sent threatening gazes towards the dragon elder as venom dripped off their every word. "We'll give you ONE warning old man...walk AWAY from the table...and interfere not in the affairs of this council...if you do not do so...we cannot promise you will remain in good health..." the one elder spoke for the many in the opposite side. Hyousuke paused as he took a minute to clean his left ear.

"Huh? What was that now? I'm sorry this ol man's a little hard of hearing...must be the ol scales actin up...these ears of mine ain't what they used ta be...because I THOUGHT I heard you threaten little ol me just now...NAH I GOTTA be mistaken..." Hyosuke mused with a sharpened tone as his gaze reflected a deadly seriousness within them. "After all, the Draconian Elder Council would NEVER sink so low as to tarnish its glorious repulation by endangering its people whom WE serve by allowing The Requiem Knight ta do whatever they please...seein as you aren't the ones pullin the strings...now are you?" the dragon Elder questioned. Suddenly the council held their tongues going silent. But the glares of the council still were fueled with resentment

"Oh dear me...it appears i've gone and struck a raw nerve...AH but here I am rambling...forgive me...been probably hitting the bottle a bit too hard! Well! I'll leave ya to your business gentlemen..." Hyousuke bowed before he made his exit and left the room. Afterwards the dragon elder retired to his quarters and poured himself a glass of brandy. Taking the glass Hyousuke grasped it and held the class up to make a toast. "Here's ta hopin that you're havin better luck than I am Raeger ol pal..." the dragon elder toasted the air before he downed the entire glass and slammed it on the table.

Meanwhile In The ThunderLands...

Duke, Noah and Loore found themselves wandering around in a desert wasteland however it wasn't just any desert but a desert filled with dark pitch black sand that was covered in purple lightning electrifying the entire area. If that wasn't bad enough the sky roared with thunder and raged with lightning that carried with it meteorites bathed in purple fire each one more dangerous than the last they fell towards those unlucky enough to cross their path. Unfortunately for them sand didn't make for good terrain and was difficult to run through. With one hot on his trail Duke just barely managed to dodge the oncoming death trap.

"OH SHIT THAT WAS CLOSE!" the dice master cried out as he took a moment to try and catch his breath. "And how the hell did we end up here anyways!? Weren't we SUPPOSED to end up at the entrance of the damn library?!" Duke questioned in between breaths. "I-Instead we wound up in some kind of temple where those Requiem freaks chased us into a bizarre looking portal which caused us to wind up in this place! I think i'm officially losing my mind!" the dice master muttered as he stopped to rest. Noah only looked towards him out of breath herself.

"Do you remember the essence of Draconia that Raeger poured into the cauldron to create the Portal Potion?" the mage questioned before Duke nodded. "Yeah, the water from Dragon's Tears Cavern, What about it?" the dice master asked before Noah pursed her lips. "Well, it's possible that the water Raeger used all has a connecting point to the temple we were in earlier...meaning that the water flows to each of the different parts of Draconia..." the mage began.

"I'd be willing to bet that because of that the rest of the guys all got sent to the various entry points of the Eight lands, just like when we emerged from that oasis and found ourselves in here...and by the look of it...I think it's safe to say we're in the Thunderlands...but i'm pretty sure you know that already." Noah remarked. "Even so I never imagined that it would resemble a desert minus the heat." the mage added in. "Yeah...i'd still have scorching heat over electrified sand and flying meteorites ANY day!" Duke confessed.

"I'm a Dice Master not a Dune Master." he pointed out. "At this rate we're gonna collapse from exhaustion if we continue to keep wandering around all over the place...we need to find solid ground already!" Duke exclaimed before his foot caused the dice master to misstep. In but a moment Duke found himself sliding down the sand dune and came in contact with the electrified sand inflicting him with burns on his face and arms.

"OH SHIT DUKE!"Noah cried before another meteorite plummeted towards the two of them. Quickly the mage slid down the sand dune and readied herself to face the large sphere of fire. "Icy Wind That Howls In The Coldest Heart...I Now Free You From Your Shackles And Call Upon Your Frigid Embrace...Grant Me The Power To Strike Those Whom Would Stand Against Us! VERGLAS SPEAR!" the mage cried out before Noah gathered all her power and unleashed it sending one giant spear of ice to pierce through the meteorite. Upon impact the cause of the threat was no more as it froze the meteorite breaking it apart before it could strike.

"...Woah..." Duke muttered at a loss for any other words before Noah turned around towards him. "Are you alright? That was a serious close call..." the mage remarked. "Yeah thanks to you, the way you sent that ball of death packing ROCKED!" the dice master exclaimed as Noah helped him up. "Ah it was nothin, but I suggest we keep moving just in case the others decide to seek revenge." the mage half joked. "Good call." Duke agreed before they moved onward. Suddenly they two came to a halt as they noticed something up ahead. A tail sticking up in the sand. "HEY! I think I found our missing fuzzy mascot!" the dice master exclaimed as he grabbed the tail and pulled up Loore with it before Noah could stop it. It was already far too late as the familiar let out a pained howl only to receive multiple scratched inflicted upon his face.

"GAH! WHAT THE HELL! LOORE!?" Duke cried out and dropped her almost immediately. "I tried to warn ya..." Noah remarked before Loore hissed in disapproval. "Speaking of which...how DID you end up here?" the mage questioned. "I CAME HERE WITH ALL OF YOU! WHAT DO YOU THINK!? BUT I BLENDED IN WITH THE DAMN BLACK SAND AND YOU GUYS KEPT KICKING ME AROUND WHILE YOU WERE WALKING! MAINLY DICE BOY OVER HERE!" the familiar hissed. "Ok...my bad...won't happen again...promise..." Duke swore as Loore extended her claws up to his face in a rather threatening manner. "Good...as long as we have an agreement...and just to make sure it doesn't happen again I think i'll occupy your shoulder." the familiar remarked before the dice master sweatdropped. "Fine, whatever as long as I don't end up getting maimed again..." Duke gave in before Loore paused as her ears twitched.

"Wait...I think...I hear something..." the familiar interrupted. Noah paused for a moment as she closed her eyes and listened intently. "Yeah, I hear it too...however they are it sounds like they're in big trouble, we'd better go and check it out just to be safe..." the mage exclaimed before Duke and Loore followed behind her. Sure enough the small party ceased movement as they came upon a funnel of quick sand which threatened to not only to swallow Yugi but Bloom and Kaiba as well as they struggled to fight against it. However that wasn't all as the currents of lightning which cloaked the sand shocked them relentlessly.

"HELPPPPPP!" the voice echoed loudly before Loore lept off of Duke's shoulder and hurried towards the source. "HEY! LOORE! COME BACK HERE!" the dice master shouted as the familiar sprinted across the sands. "COME ON WE BETTER HURRY UP!" Noah urged him as she grabbed Duke's right hand. "AERO BREEZE!" the mage cried before the wind began to pick up around them and lifted both Noah and Duke into the air. "W-WOAH! HOLY SHIT!" the dice master exclaimed as they rose up and off the sand. Once Loore came into their sight so did Yugi and the remainder of the party.

"ITS YUGI!" Duke cried out. "And not JUST him from the looks of it. I guess Bloom, Kaiba and Yugi must've wound up here together somehow." Noah pointed. "Come on! Let's go and get them!" the dice master urged. "Alright! I'll get in closer so we can grab them!" the mage nodded and attempted to close in on the distance between them and Loore. "HOLD ON! GUYS! I'M COMING!"
Loore called out to Yugi and the remainder of the party. However as the familiar tried to get closer a barrage of lightning bolts struck at her sending Loore back with a few burns inflicted upon her.

"OH SHIT! LOORE ARE YOU OK!?" Duke called down to her as they quickly landed beside her. "...Yeah...i'll survive...but that was one nasty shock..." Loore hissed as she forced herself back up to her feet. "Well I guess just charging right in there is out of the question..." Noah concluded as the dice master carefully picked up the familiar. "So now what!? We can't just walk away! Yugi and the gang need out help!" Duke told the mage as he looked back towards the three. Bloom too struggled against the quick sand but it appeared to be in vain as the lightning drained her of all of her stangthe.

"...Ugh...if only...I could...move...this lightning...is draining all of...my magic...and strength..." the faerie muttered as she continued to fight. Bloom could feel herself sinking before Kaiba's hand reached out and grabbed her. Pulling her to the surface the CEO placed the faerie onto his shoulders being taller than both Yugi and Bloom. Kaiba was well aware that doing so however would only increase his decent into the quick sand however as long as Bloom was safe he could've cared less about his own. Once the CEO took care of his fiance Kaiba immediately turned his attention to Yugi and made his way towards him.

"This is bad...at this rate...we're gonna be goners for sure...if there was ever a chance I wish I was taller...this would be it..." Yugi huffed as he felt his strength draining away by the minute as electrical burns covered his body. A bead of sweat trickled down his face as it reflected the exhaustion in his eyes. {Yugi your body can't endure much more...allow me to take over for a little while...I believe that I can use my powers to buy us a small amount of time for all of us...} Atem offered before he did just that. Using the power of his millennium puzzle the Pharaoh caused the quick sand to be slightly pushed back as the others watched.

"Hey! That gives me an idea!" Noah began as she snapped her fingers and turned towards Duke. "You wouldn't happen to have the dice on you that I gave to you earlier by any chance would you?" the mage questioned before the dice master removed the dice from his left pocket. "Sure do, never leave anywhere without them, but how exactly are they going to help in THIS particular situation Noah?" Duke asked confused. "Just shut up and listen, incase you haven't noticed time isn't exactly on our side. "Alright! Alright! I'm listening! I'm listening!" the dice master cried before the mage pointed towards the funnel of quick sand.

"Now we're getting somewhere, Ok I want you to toss the dice into the hole and make absolutely sure that it lands on the rune for the symbol of air!" Noah instructed as Duke bit his lower lip. "Alright, well then let's hope luck is on our side." the dice master exclaimed and tossed the dice into the funnel. "Right...luck...just what we need to depend on..." Kaiba remarked sarcastically as everyone's eyes stayed glued to the pair of dice as it rolled continually until it ceased movement. Their faith was rewarded as the dice landed upon the rune that stood for the symbol of air. Suddenly they began to illuminate and conjured up a current of wind that steadily grew stronger with each moment that passed. "ALRIGHT! And now to harness the wind's power!" Noah exclaimed.

"Oh current that flows carried by the sky...combine with thy wind upon thous command...intertwine thy spirit with the airs embrace...gather before thou and let thy soul be forever encased! SYLPHS CAGE!" the mage cried out as the wind gathered and combined from the dice with her own before Noah created a sphere of wind right before their very eyes. "WOAH!" nearly everyone exclaimed as they witnessed the mage within the sphere. "Duke, keep focusing on the dice while I use the sphere to dive down into the funnel of quick sand. It's really important we keep the wind circulating. The sphere should double as a shield to avoid getting burned by those electrical currents..." Noah told the dice master as she also Absorbed Loore and Duke into the sphere of wind.

"Yeah, easier said than done but i'll try." the dice master retorted and attempted to place all of his focus onto the dice that served as a base for the wind sphere as Noah began to lower them into the quicksand. The force of the wind sphere gradually forced the sands to separate and were pushed away from the small party. "Almost...there..." the mage muttered before Atem came into her view first and extended her hand out towards him through the wind sphere. However the Pharaoh declined. "Noah, leave me for later, go and help Kaiba and Bloom first! They are in far more danger than I and my powers holding back the sand from swallowing up for much longer! Go Now!" Atem urged.

"Alright! Suit yourself!" Noah answered before she directed the sphere to float above both Kaiba and Bloom whom was still upon his back. The CEO paused as he took notice of the giant sphere hovering above them before Noah extended her hand out towards him. "HERE! TAKE MY HAND!" the mage urged before Kaiba reached upwards and grasped it as Noah slowly pulled them up into the sphere. Both he and Bloom were pretty beat up. Quickly the CEO took out the box that he had received from Katori earlier and opened it.

If Kaiba was recalling the young witch's words correctly she mentioned the light blue jellies was effective against burns and the dark blue ones helped restore mana. The CEO carefully removed one light blue jellie and a dark blue jellie before he held them out to Bloom whom was just barely conscious. "Here...take these...they'll help you to recover faster." Kaiba urged. "Right, thanks...heh lucky for us Katori thought about these kinds of things ahead of time.." the faerie laughed weakly before she swallowed both of the jellies. Steadily she could feel her strength and magic return to her as the burns inflicted upon her began to heal. Bloom wasn't the only one as Atem was also given a light blue one by the CEO as well before he himself took two jellies.

"Thank you Kaiba." the Pharaoh murmured before Loore flung herself at him and nuzzled Atem happily as she purred loudly. "OAF!" Atem exclaimed as he nearly was knocked over in the process of the familiar uncontainable joy. "Hmph...it appears that this place is far more dangerous than it looks..." the CEO remarked. "Yeah...speaking of which...where are we? I was expecting to end up in the Draconian Library not some desert..." Bloom added. So, Noah explained to all three of them as she did with Duke.

"I see...it would seem we've taken an unintended detour." The Pharaoh mused. "...Yeah...this is starting to give me one hell of a headache..." Kaiba muttered not thrilled in the least. "Wow, talk about a shocker." Bloom giggled as she attempted to make a joke. Duke only gave the faerie a look. "I can't tell you how NOT funny that was..." the dice master deadpanned before the CEO shot him a glare. "You'll laugh or you'll lose an arm...your choice..." Kaiba threatened as he revealed his blade. Suddenly Duke forced laughter from his will to stay alive. "HAHAHAHA! AH THATS A GOOD ONE!" the dice master exclaimed as Noah sweatdropped. However her attention towards Duke didn't last very long as she took notice of something that appeared to be below the sands which was concealed until the wind from the mage's sphere forced it to part. She wasn't the only one either as both Atem and Yugi caught sight of it.

{Is that...a city I see down there?} Yugi questioned his other half. "Yes...it would seem so...or at least...that's how it appears..." Atem answered in a hushed voice before Noah broke the silence. "Hey, Atem, do you see what I see?" the mage questioned the Pharaoh. "If you mean a city than yes...I do...although I myself find it hard to believe to perfectly honest." Atem confessed as Noah confirmed his and Yugi's suspicions. "Make that two...from here it just looks like a pile of rubble to me." Loore threw in her two cents before Bloom, Kaiba and Duke turned their attention toward the rest of the party.

"Alright, what's going on that has you all so distracted to the point that we're not getting the hell away from here as quick as humanly possible?" Kaiba demanded to know as he crossed his arms displeased by the situation unfolding before them. "I'm with Seto, I don't want to stick around here longer than we have to." Bloom agreed wholeheartedly before Atem interrupted. "Come here and see for yourselves..." the Pharaoh urged as the two peered below the black sands. Both Kaiba's and the faerie's eyes widened as they gazed below at what appeared to be a castle and a city surrounding it.

"WOAH!" Bloom exclaimed in awe and wonder. "Well, that IS unusual..." the CEO muttered. "Yes, it appears that underneath these sands...lies a hidden civilization protected and concealed from sight..." Atem acknowledged. "I get it! When we conjured the wind sphere it broke through the sand that was hiding it from any outsiders!" Duke exclaimed. "Gee, what was your first clue?" Kaiba remarked sarcastically. "Ha Ha very funny..." the dice master deadpanned. "Well I say we go and take a closer look. Maybe down there lies a clue that will help us find the archive!" Bloom suggested."In that case you all better hold on tight cuz i'm takin us down!" Noah exclaimed before everyone within the wind sphere slowly began to descend and push through the thin veil of lightning in its attempts to ward them off.

"And Duke! I hope you're not slacking off back there!" the mage teased. "No Way! If I was we'd be toast! Burnt to a crisp!" Duke fired back before Noah only laughed amused. "Good to know you've been paying attention!" she called in return as they delved further downwards. Once they were past the sand right below them a large black castle greeted them with large mountains wrapped in volts of deadly electricity that surrounded it. In the air large rocks floated in the air and created almost a kind of wall that too held lightning within them on the outside. But, that wasn't all as four large dragons wrapped around their chosen pillar guarded the castle barrier which protected the city that laid underneath their area of protection. Each dragon using its power appeared to be lending their power to the barrier so that none could pass without going through them. A smile only spread of Kaiba's face upon gazing at the sight.

"Dragon's, Dragon's and more Dragons...i'm beginning to dare I say enjoy this..." the CEO remarked with a grin in approval. "Surprise, Surprise." Bloom giggled softly as Kaiba felt his cheeks redden some. "It is rather impressive...however...something doesn't seem quite right..." Atem couldn't help but point out. {Yeah...although it seems like a fairly large city with a high defense...I don't see anyone here...?} Yugi questioned before the expression on Noah's face slipped into a grave one filled with worry and fear. The dice master paused as he noticed almost immediately.

"Hey! Noah! What's wrong!? Is something the matter?" Duke questioned before he gasped as he noticed the dice was beginning to flicker. "Uh...that's NOT a good sign in MY book!" the dice master remarked. "It's not...something is interfering with the flow of mana..." Loore interrupted. "Yeah...no kidding! I'm starting to lose control...over my magic!" Noah cried out as she struggled to hold the wind sphere together. "WHAT!?" Kaiba cried out. "Then whatever you have to do to fix it!" the CEO demanded. "WE'RE TRYING!" Duke yelled back before Bloom felt all of the color dissapear from her face as the faerie caught sight of one of the four dragons pried its mouth open and the others soon followed.

"Uh...guys...I THINK WE HAVE BIGGER PROBLEMS TO WORRY ABOUT!" Bloom nearly screamed as she directed the party's attention towards the impending threat soon upon them. "WATCH OUT!" Loore soon followed as four consecutive lightning bolts in the shape of a sphere came hurling towards them with great velocity and span in the air as they combined into one gigantic entity. The faerie narrowed her eyes as she wrapped herself in rainbow flames. "OH NO! THAT'S YOU'RE NOT GETTING THROUGH!" Bloom cried out before the redhead summoned all of her power and used it form a giant fire wall. However she only managed to slow it down for a moment or two before the faerie experienced the same downfall as Noah.

"YEAH! PUSH-THAT-THING-BACK!" Loore cheered as Bloom held up as best as she could with all of her might. Kaiba only bit down on his lower lip as he could only watch. "...Oh no something's wrong..." Atem spoke up as he watched the faerie struggle.{BLOOM!} Yugi cried out from within. "Oh shit! Bloom's magic is being warded off just like Noah's!" Duke pointed out as he narrowed his eyes. "It's...not...going...to...hold..." the faerie muttered as sweat beat down her face continuing to hold it off. However it threatened to over power her. "Damn it!" Noah cursed under her breath and she looked around for anything they could use to turn the situation around.

"BLOOM HOLD ON!" Kaiba cried out as he hurried to her side and summoned his new power placing it to the test. The Moon Pendant around his neck glowed wildly and unleashed a powerful blue light that manifested into a shield that resembled the moon. Together with Bloom the CEO reinforced the barrier as best as he could muster. "ECLIPSE OF THE BLUE MOON!" Kaiba screamed at the top of his lungs as the faerie gleamed with a golden light her firewall. Each of them fighting with all their might as the gigantic lightning sphere clashed against their barrier. However both Noah and and Duke couldn't withstand the force being used against them anymore.

"IT'S NO USE! ITS NOT GONNA HOLD!" Noah screamed out before the resistance proved too great and overwhelmed both Bloom and Kaiba causing their own barrier to shatter. All of them were send plummeting downwards into the ruined city below. Barely conscious the CEO grabbed a hold of the faerie and held her close before he summoned the last bit of strength he had to cloak the party in a protective blue light before being swallowed by the darkness that awaited them. The catacombs beneath the ancient city. Luckily thanks to both Kaiba and Bloom's efforts the damage that would've been inflicted was cut in half. However the landing and impact still caused the party quite a bit of damage. Some worse than others. As a result the party became slightly scattered.

Duke was thrown onto his back whilst Kaiba was next him having landed on his stomach his arms still wrapped around Bloom. Noah and Yugi however were thrown a bit further than the others with Loore nowhere in sight. The blue light that had wrapped itself around the party slowly faded as the CEO gradually pried open his eyes as a groan escaped him. Lucky for him his injuries weren't all that serious despite a few scratches and bruises with slight burns on his arms and face. Afterwards the dice master too pried himself up off the floor. "Ugh...hey...is everyone still alive?" Duke questioned as he worked his way to his feet.

"Yeah...barely..." Kaiba answered the dice master before he ceased movement as he caught Bloom laying underneath him the faerie laying on her side. "BLOOM!" the CEO cried worried as he gently turned her over before Duke looked towards Kaiba. "I'm going on ahead to see if I can try and find the others! Be back asap!" the dice master exclaimed and hurried through what appeared to catacombs under the ruined city. Dark and hard to see as an eerie silence nearly filled each and every space and corner there.

"Yeah whatever." Kaiba answered Duke bluntly as he was far too worried about his fiance to care what the dice master did or didn't do. After the CEO gently turned the faerie to face him he could see that much like the others that Bloom had been rendered unconscious during the fall. And what was worse was the redhead appeared to have taken nearly all of the dragon's attack in attempts to ward it off. If he hadn't have stepped in when he did things could've ended even worse...a lot worse. Kaiba didn't even want to think about as the CEO gazed at Bloom inflicted with several burns and cuts not to mentioned bruises. The blue eyed male carefully helped her sit up as he caressed her face with his free hand. However no matter what he did the faerie appeared to be unresponsive.

"BLOOM! BLOOM! ANSWER ME!" Kaiba cried out as he shook her in attempts to awaken the redhead. "Come on! Can't you hear my voice!? I NEED you to wake up! BLOOM!" the CEO called out to her as his whole body trembled and placed his ear to his chest listening for any sign of a heart beat. It was faint but Kaiba could still hear one. She needed medical care and fast as he grabbed for his box that contained the jellies before Duke's voice echoed from nearby. Quickly the CEO turned towards the source as Duke and Noah ran in their direction.

"DUKE! NOAH!" Kaiba exclaimed. "Kaiba! How is she!? How is Bloom!?" the dice master questioned as the CEO bit down on his lower lip. "She's in BAD shape...she needs medical attention and sooner than later...she must've took nearly all of the attack...no matter what I do she won't respond...I..I don't know what to do..." Kaiba confessed as he slammed his fist on the stoned floor beside him causing his knuckled to bleed before Noah hurried over to Bloom's side and held her hands over the faerie. "She's gonna need a really powerful healing spell...which I can do but it's going to take some time to cast it." the mage informed Kaiba.

"Then by all means, if it means saving Bloom then i'll do anything that it takes Noah!" the CEO cried out before Noah turned to Duke. "Duke, i'll handle things here, in the mean time you should try to find Yugi." the mage suggested before the dice master nodded. "You got it! I'll be back as soon as I can!" Duke exclaimed and ran once more into the darkness of the catacombs. Noah watched him before she turned her attention back towards Bloom and began to spell.

"Essence Of Drop Of life...gather before me and embrace the frigid crystals...precious gift o breath of the divine...restore what hath been lost in the dephs of time...unto you I offer the promise of winter...glisten with your mercy...and bestow me...with your power to purify the tainted...speak to me the sacred words...to give vitality to this soul...writhing in pain...restore her to her former self...let grace shower her in everflowing pure white...ETERNAL SNOW!"

Noah cried out before small tiny light droplets began to fall with a gentleness. Snow slowly falling all around them until the party was surrounded by a blanket of white. Each drop of snow that fell upon them began to mend and heal any injury they had been inflicted upon. Kaiba only watched as the same proved true for Bloom as well all of her burns and cuts healing before his very eyes. Yugi too felt the cold snow kiss his cheek and caused him to awaken and a soft groan emerged from the scarlet eyed male as he slowly sat up.

"Ow...well that hurt...what on earth happened to me?" Yugi questioned before he paused as he recalled him and the others being thrown from the air and into the ground. However it was dark and hard to see clearly so he couldn't tell where he landed up. "...Wait a minute...if i'm here then...when we were knocked unconscious Atem and I must've switched places...Oh no! Atem! Atem can you hear me!?" the scarlet eyed male cried out before the Pharaoh manifested beside him. "ATEM!" Yugi exclaimed and turned towards him abruptly. However one glance could tell him that the Pharaoh was pretty beat up from the collision.

"Hey, are you alright?!" Yugi questioned as Atem winced from the pain and turned to look the scarlet eyed male in his eyes. {Yes, I'm fine...don't fret over me, I am more concerned about you...are YOU ok?} the Pharaoh asked in return as he took his hand and gently brushed off some of the dirt on Yugi's right cheek. "Yeah, thanks to you, I guess when we fell we switched places...however i'm not sure where the others are?" {Your guess is as good as mine} Atem murmured softly before the Pharaoh paused as he felt another presence among them. "Well, I guess we should try and go look for them." the scarlet eyed male concluded before Atem stopped him by grabbing a hold of his hand.

{Yugi, wait, It would seem we are not alone after all...just look..." the Pharaoh spoke up and directed Yugi's gaze ahead with but only a few candles to illuminate the shadows. Piercing through the darkness were several eyes each one filled with a paralyzing fear as they looked back at the scarlet eyed male. Among them were mainly women and only that but there were also a handful that appeared to have injuries as well. Yugi only frowned. "This is terrible...what are all these people doing down here? And who or what could've done this to them...whatever was the cause...they all looked so frightened...of something or someone..." the scarlet eyed male pointed out worriedly before Duke finally caught up to him. {I'm not sure...however...one thing is for certain...something sinister is at work here...} Atem answered before Duke called out to them.

"THERE YOU ARE! It's about time I found you!" the dice master exclaimed. "Duke!"Yugi exclaimed relieved to see a friendly face. "Tell me are the others alright!?" the scarlet eyed male questioned. "For the most part but Bloom took a lot of damage when she tried to fight the dragons attack." "Oh no! Is she going to be alright?" Yugi asked worriedly. "Yeah, Noah's patching her up as we speak and Kaiba's with her. Speaking of which, have you seen Loore anywhere?" Duke asked him. The scarlet eyed male only shook his head. "No, I haven't however I found a bunch of people hiding down here...so maybe Loore is among them." Yugi murmured. "Well we'll worry about that later, come on let's meet up with the rest of the gang!" the dice master urged before Yugi nodded. "Alright." he gave in and followed Duke back to the remainder of the party.

Noah wiped the sweat from her brow as she finished casting the spell. The snow washed over Bloom before the faerie began to awaken regaining consciousness. A look of relief filled the CEO's eyes as his met Bloom's. Kaiba wasted no time in throwing his arms around her and held the red head close to him. "...Seto...?" the faerie questioned before she gently held him back as the blue eyes male spoke not one word. It took Bloom to break the silence. "...What happened...? And where are we...?" the red head asked softly. "We took a rather nasty fall after that dragon's attack overwhelmed us...however you took most of the damage since you defended all of us with your fire...luckily Noah was able to use her magic to heal you..." Kaiba explained to Bloom. But Noah only shook her head.

"It wasn't just me." the mage began. "Right before I and Bloom lost complete control of our magic you put up a powerful barrier that caused the damage we all would've received to be cut by half. And as we fell you placed another protective barrier around us. In all honesty it could've been worse A LOT worse..." Noah admitted before Kaiba's eyes widened. At that moment it was as if his body just reacted on his own, calling forth a magic that was hidden inside of him. One that was completely different to the power given to him by Cellos or Yuki. The CEO paused as he looked down at the necklace Raeger had given to him. {Could It be?...Did that power Noah spoke of come from THIS pendant...?} Kaiba questioned to himself before the faerie broke the silence.

"You're finally beginning to realize your own strengths and power Kaiba..." Bloom offered the CEO a fatigued smile. "...Although...I find is bizarre that I lost control of my magic...otherwise I should've been able to ward off an attack like that with ease...talk about frustrating..." the faerie muttered. "Forget about it, you're alive and that's all that matters. Who cares about weither or not you could or couldn't have stopped the attack..." Kaiba muttered in response before the red head paused a smile. "You're right...thank you...both of you." Bloom thanked both Kaiba and Noah before Duke and Yugi emerged from the shadows.

"HEY GUYS! I FOUND HIM!" Duke yelled out to the rest of the party as Yugi followed behind. The scarlet eyed male had to pause in order to catch his breath after running so fast. It was hard to keep up with Duke with his short legs. "It's about time..." Kaiba remarked before Yugi looked up at them still trying to catch his breath. "Ahead...people...eyes...hurt...gotta...help..." the scarlet eyed male huffed. "Woah! Woah! Slow down!" Noah cried out. "Catch your breath first THEN speak." the mage suggested before Yugi paused in an effort to follow her advice.

"W-When I fell...I woke up and found myself next to a hiding place where there was a bunch of people were seeking the shelter of the catacombs...some of them were hurt and scared...but exactly what or who they were hiding from I haven't the slightest clue..." the scarlet eyed male told them as Bloom's eyes widened. "Are you serious?" the faerie questioned before Duke only gave the red head a look. "Uh does it look like he's joking?" the dice master deadpanned. Yugi frowned softly in response.

"I wish I were Bloom...but I know without a doubt what I saw with my own two eyes..." the scarlet eyed male told her before the faerie slowly rose to her feet. "Well then...we can't just sit around we've gotta do something...maybe if we can talk to them we can learn...what exactly happened..." Bloom urged before Noah interrupted her optimistic viewpoint. "I doubt that will do us any actual good." the mage muttered before Kaiba turned his attention towards her.

"And why not? It's common sense to seek answers from those that have experience first hand. Therefore Bloom's approach is not uncommon." the CEO argued. The mage only let out a heavy sigh. "Because, Dragon's aren't exactly known for trusting anyone but their own kind, if we do try and approach them we'll automatically be perceived as a threat." Noah began. "If we don't tread lightly we could-" However, before the mage could finish the party found themselves suddenly surrounded by sharpened spears directed directly towards them. "Be mistaken for the enemy..." Noah finished as sweat beat down her face. "Famous last words..." Duke swallowed hard before he and the others all raised their hands in surrender. Suddenly a figure hidden in the shadows walked towards them.

"Did you find the intruders?" an older male questioned with silver white hair and purple eyes adorned in armor that pulsed with lightning. However, it appeared that he had just recently been wounded perhaps from a previous battle. "Yes Lord Raiden, what would have have us do My Lord?" the Bolt Knights questioned as the party held their tongue still stunned by the event unfolding before their eyes. Lord Raiden was silent for a moment as he studied them. "...Fetch the tormentors...I want lose tongues BEFORE I return...in the meantime...throw them in the holding cell...to await judgement by the Gods for their misdeeds...we cannot take any chance that could result in more lives being claimed by the hands of death..." he muttered darkly.

"Uh...Oh..." Loore murmured softly as she concealed herself in the darkness of a suit of armor standing guard familiar could only watch as the party was taken away before her eyes. "You're not getting away from me THAT easily!" Loore exclaimed and followed after them. For a moment she paused as he caught a glimpse of another figure nearby. However, the familiar couldn't afford any distractions and continued the pursuit. The figure concealed in the shadows lifted up their hood to reveal it was Oblivion, his blindfold a dead give away.

{This Complicates Things} Oblivion mouthed to Blaze that was behind him. "I'll say." the red head muttered back. "We haven't even finished our reconnaissance of this dusty old relic of a city...just what are we supposed to do now? If we turn back after coming all this way the boss man ain't gonna be happy...especially if his suspicions are dead on...and let's face it they usual are." Blaze let out a heavy sigh as he scratched the back of his head.

{Even So...we can't allow their quest to be hindered...come...let us go to the place of judgement and inform Lord Raiden and his guards of the situation at present...} the silver haired male continued. The red head only shook his head and placed his hands on his hips. "Whatever you say..." Blaze began as he followed behind him. "Just don't blame me if the enemy attacks us while we're playing rescue the heros..." the red head warned. "Man...how do I always end up getting dragged into these things...?" Blaze muttered out loud to himself.

Note To Readers: I know right now that there is a lot of fear of uncertainty right now. The world and its people seem devoid of hope and the light has faded from their eyes. Many have lost loved ones to Coved or are frightened and scared by all of politics. But, the most important thing to remember is, no matter how you feel, you're NOT alone. Light shines even in the darkest shadows. And it only takes a small fragment of hope to believe that we all will get through this. Look to the Moon's light to comfort and protect you...casting away the shadows of fear...and know the Moon is there with you until the Sun rises and illuminates the darkness. There is a raging storm, but look not at the lightning or the waves, look straight ahead and continue to believe. Let the light of both the Sun and Moon guide you into an everlasting peace. I love you all and i am right here with you 3

RATE AND REVIEW! Next Chapter 118: Darkest Before The Dawn