Chapter 13: A Haunted Cave?
A new day began in the Duelist Kingdom, the last day our heroes could collect the Star Chips they needed to enter Pegasus Castle.
The girls were first up and cleaned themselves as well as they could by the nearby river, while the boys still slept.
Kihana cleaned the face of a grumpy Sadiye, Anzu combed her hair, Maja put some waterproof mascara on and Sehrazat cleaned a dirty stain on her maroon pants.
"Can we wake up the boys?", whined Sadiye, trying to escape Kihana's wet tissue. "It's unfair that they can still sleep."
"Well Sadie-Chan, do want to smell like a boy?", asked Maja.
"No?"
"Then it's good that we woke up."
Sadiye still grumbled, which made the other girls laugh.
When they were fresh enough they returned to their campsite.
Ah, the boys were awake too.
"You're all awake.", greeted Anzu, while the other girls waved.
"Good Morning.", greeted Yugi back.
"So who wants, breakfast?", asked Kihana in the round.
Everybody yelled 'me', which made Kihana laugh.
So the boys washed themselves and Kihana and the girls prepared the breakfast.
Some warm rice and Onigiri Maja had with her.
It was a simple but filling breakfast.
After that, our group of friends started to walk around to find duelists to duel for Sehrazat, Yugi and Jonouchi.
Kihana already had her 10 Star Chips.
Yugi with his 6 needed 4.
Joey had 7 and needed 3.
And Sehrazat had 8, which meant she needed 2.
They could do this before the 48 hours were over to enter the Castle.
"How many duelists are left on the island?", wonders Bakura.
"Ten or so duelists were sent home yesterday.", answered Jonouchi.
"And the Player Killers must have eliminated others.", added Anzu.
"That means out of the 40 participants, about half were eliminated.", said Yugi.
"We still can get our Star Chips.", was Sehrazat sure. "There are still enough people left and I bet they will take more risks, we can win the Star Chips we need in one or two duels."
All nodded in agreement.
It was manageable if they stayed calm and duelled with intelligence.
"But we can't take too long.", reminds Yugi. "The remaining Duelists have to be powerful to have survived the first day."
This made Joey stop in his tracks.
"They're even stronger?"
Kihana put a hand on Joey's shoulder.
"It's okay Joey, you need three, you can win them in one duel."
"Thanks, Hana. However my opponent is, I will defeat them!"
"That's the spirit!", chorused the other three duelists together.
Unknown to our friends they were watched by Bandit Keith lackeys, who searched for duelists to duel.
Seeing Yugi and the famous Amazon Princess of the Nile and the Lady of the Dragons, made them scared, which they told their boss.
Bandit Keith never heard of Yugi, but he knew who Sehrazat and Kihana were.
Number 1 and 2 in Europe.
So it was decided they would go for Joey since he was an amateur.
Poor Joey had no idea what would await him!
(*)
A bit later our heroes were still looking for other duelists.
"I haven't seen any duelist for a while.", pointed Joey out what everyone thought.
"Maybe we walked too deep into the forest.", said Anzu.
"Since there are fewer duelists, finding one is hard work.", found Honda.
The group came to a stop as Joey told them he needed a bathroom break.
So they waited for him.
And waited.
And waited.
And waited a bit more.
Till Sadiye yelled: "What kind of shit is he taken that he isn't back?!"
"Sadiye Kisara Schariq!", gasped Kihana affrondet. "Don't use such words!"
"But she is right Hana-Chan. We have been waiting for a half hour or so.", said Maja also annoyed.
"Maybe he got lost?", wonders Anzu.
"Maybe someone challenged him to a duel.", guessed Yugi the most likely scenario.
"That's a possibility.", agreed Honda. "Joey would love to surprise us by secretly winning some Star Chips."
"Let's split up and search for him.", suggested Bakura.
All nodded.
So they split up in dues, Honda and Bakura, Anzu and Maja, Sehrazat and Yugi and the Schariq sisters.
Every due took a different direction.
Hopefully, they would find Joey soon.
Sadly neither of the Dues found him and they meet up again, looking together now.
It was Anzu who found Joey's wallet with a picture of Shizuka, his little sister, in it.
Honda declared as absentminded as he was, Jonouchi would never lose something so important to him.
Something bad had happened to him!
Since the wallet was found before the entrance of a cave our friends decided to look around there for him.
The cave was already creepy, but as they stumbled over the coffins it got scary.
Kihana formally squeezed the hand of Sadiye, who deadpanned, while Sehrazat hid behind Yugi.
Courise Anzu and Bakura walked over to the coffins.
Maja and Honda warned them to not get close to them, however, it was too late.
The coffins open and the skeletons inside fall on Anzu and Bakura!
Protective Kihana put Sadiye behind her, who looked couriers on, while Sehrazat formally threw herself in Yugi's embrace with a shout.
Honda and Maja helped to get the fake skeletons off of poor Bakura and Anzu.
"Pegasus is playing a prank.", said Honda.
"A sick one!", added Sehrazat from her place in Yugi's arms.
The boy blushed crimson red but hugged her back in comfort.
"It's okay, Sehrazat-Chan, they are surely fake."
After all who needed to calm down, calmed down, they continued their search for Joey.
They ran what seemed like hours, till Honda stopped, asking if anybody was still there.
Besides Bakura, no one was missing. (And Joey of course)
That's when they heard the scream of the white-haired teen.
He had a skeleton on his back!
All got so scared, besides Sadiye who got picked up by her sister and ran away from Bakura, who yelled at them to stop and wait for him.
Somehow Honda managed to get the skeleton away from Bakura, while all the others lay on the floor defeated.
"Don't bring creepy things with you!", scolde the brunette boy.
"I can't move another inch.", whined Anzu.
Maja took her hand in comfort and squeezed.
Only Sadiye was sitting up and looked at all in a deadpan.
"Why are you so scared of some old bones...I mean they aren't even real?", wonders the youngest.
"I think it's the whole atmosphere of this place that gets to us, Sadiye.", explained her sister.
The little girl seemed not happy with that answer but said nothing.
Yugi sat up and said: "On the bright side, we made good progress."
Bakura said sorry for bringing the skeleton to them.
"Yugi, where should we go?", asked him Honda.
They had reached a fork, illuminated by skulls with candles in it.
Anzu sweetdropped and hold Maja's hand tigther.
"This place is getting creepier and creepier."
"Jonouchi can't handle this occult stuff.", said Honda worried.
They all stood up.
"We have to find Jonouchi as quickly as possible.", declared Yugi.
That's when Bakura stepped on a switch on the ground.
Like if they suddenly were in Indiana Jones a giant boulder comes rolling towards them!
All screamed.
"Oh my god, a giant rock!", shouted Sehrazat, as they ran for their life.
"I can't believe it!", shouted also Maja. "It's a rock and it's giant!"
"What kind of crack are you on?!", yelled Sadiye on the back of her sister.
The giant rock...erm...boulder even followed them as they took the left cave, Anzu wondering how this was possible and Honda answering he had no idea.
Poor Bakura stumbled and fell victim to the giant boulder.
They all shouted for him, but it was too late, they had to save themselves.
Sadly they ended up in a Dead End.
That's when Honda got the crazy idea to punch the boulder, everyone yelled it was crazy, yet it worked!
The boulder explodes like a balloon.
Stupified the teens and one child realized it had been a balloon with a speaker inside all the time.
They raced back to poor traumatised for his life Bakura.
Anzu and Kihana looked after the white-haired boy, while Honda and Sehrazat, with Afya anger beside her, swore to make Pegasus pay for this scare!
Finally, they found Jonouchi who was duelling in a Graveyard Duel Ring against a boy who looked like a Zombie himself.
Joey was happy to see them and explained to them how he was practically kidnapped in this cave to duel against the Zombie-Boy.
Two guys stepped in the way of the group, saying how they would not let them interrupt this duel.
They needed to use force.
Bad, bad choice.
For Bandit Keith lackeys.
Honda they may get, but the famous Amazon Princess of the Nile, seemed to have grown taller and hotter and kicked their ass brutally.
The two lay on the ground defeated and you could swerve little birds were flying in circles around their head.
"Jonouchi.", called Afya up to him. "It's your choice are you willing to continue duelling or shall I end this?"
"I need to Sehra...erm Afya! If I win I will have all 10 Star Chips!"
The queen nodded but made the famous I-Got-My-Eyes-On-You pose to Bandit Keith who gritted his teeth.
"But I don't know how.", admitted Joey.
Honda managed to get up and threw Joey Shizuka's photo, reminding him of who he was battling for.
He could and would find a way!
In the end, Joey indeed managed to win thanks to the Spell Card Shield and Sword, which switched the attack and defence points of monsters and since Zombie Monster had no defence points they had no zero attack points and were easily destroyed by Joey Battle Warrior.
Our friends celebrated hard, while Bandit Keith and his lackeys got out of the cave.
It was high time that our heroes left the cave.
They had enough of creepy places for a lifetime.
As they saw finally the cave exit they ran happily towards it only to stop in their tracks as a boulder was shoved before it.
Trapping them!
With all their might they tried to shove it away, yet it was no use.
Oh no!
(*)
"WHY! WON'T! YOU! BREAK!", shouted Afya angrily swinging her Millinium Fragments in its sword form over the boulder.
She made huge scratches sure, but nothing more.
Kihana laid a hand on Afya's shoulder.
"Your Majesty. It's no use. We have to find another way."
Angry Afya switched places back with Sehrazat, while the Hikairi turned the sword back into its Fragment form.
"What now?", she asked into the round.
Suddenly Bakura with his Millinium Ring in his hand walked away.
All followed after him surprised.
What was he doing?
"I think Pegasus's castle is this way.", told the white-haired boy.
"Why?", wondered Anzu.
"If I remember right, the Millennium Ring can sense other Millennium Items.", though Sehrazat out loud.
Bakura nodded.
"Right, follow me."
So they did.
Again it was like they walked for an eternity.
"Bakura, are you sure this is the right way?", broke Joey the silence over their group. "We've been walking for ages and the path is getting narrower."
"The walls look different too. They used to be rough, but not anymore", pointed Anzu out.
"This is definitely man-made.", said Joey.
Yugi told them that it felt like they were walking in a maze.
"Cool.", deadpannend Sadiye. "Has someone red garn?"
"Hopeful no Minotauros awaits us.", shuddered Sehrazat.
"Erm what?"
"Greek Mythology, Jonouchi-Kun.", said Kihana. "The Minotauros was a beast half man half bull who lived in a maze. The red garn was used by the hero Theseus to find his way through the maze."
Anzu groanend and made a facepalm.
"We had learned this in school, Joey and you already forgot?"
"Sorry, that I'm not a history nerd!"
In the meantime, Bakura Millennium Ring formally dragged him towards what he thought was the exit and the others were right behind him.
They reached a room, which looked Chinese and had a Duel Ring with four places!
Out of nowhere two guys with shaved heads dressed in traditional Chinese clothes appeared and gave them a little Kung-Fu show.
All stared in confusion and disbelief at them.
What was that?
The twins stopped with crossed arms, side by side.
One in orange and one in green.
"We are...", they began and made more Kung Fu Poses. "...guardians of the underground dungeon! We are the Labyrinth Brothers."
"Labyrinth Brothers?", repeated Joey. "Is this a Hong Kong action movie?"
Maja leaned down to Sehrazat and whispered: "Still afraid of the Minotauros?"
"I think I take the Minotauros over these freaks.", whispered Sehrazat to her. "They seem crazy."
The orange twin said how it had been a while since travellers got lost inside the labyrinth.
"But it wouldn't be a labyrinth if you didn't get lost.", added the Green Twin.
"Lost ones, you wish to learn the correct path."
"The correct path."
Together they shouted and made again Kung Fu Poses: "In that case...if you want to know the answer...Defeat us in a duel!"
They pointed at the four-man Duel Ring.
At the end of the room were two doors and Green Twin explained that only one would lead them outside. If the Twins were defeated, our heroes got to choose one. But careful if they didn't escape they will wander the labyrinth for eternity.
"So if we don't win this duel, we can never leave?", summarized Anzu.
"That's extreme.", added Maja.
"This duel will be a special two-on-two match.", told Orange Twin.
"Two duelists, step forward.", invited Green Twin.
"Two-on-Two.", repeated Bakura.
"A tag match.", said Joey surprised.
"Be careful.", warned Honda. "It could be a trap."
Since Kihana and Jonouchi had now 10 Star Chips each it was clear who would duel.
Yugi and Sehrazat nodded at each other.
Their Milliuniums Items shone in gold and Yami and Afya were now in control of the bodies.
Like a gentleman, Yami offers his hand to Afya.
"My queen, it would be my honour to duel with you."
Afya put her hand in Yami's with a smile.
"It is my honour too, my pharaoh."
Both smiled lovingly at each other before Yami led her down the stairs to the Duel Ring.
Afya was on the side of Orange Twin and Yami was on the side of Green Twin.
"Welcome to our Labyrinth Field.", said the brothers together.
Yami had his arms crossed, while Afya studied the field.
It may not look like a Labyrinth right now, but the queen was sure it would change soon.
"Wager your Star Chips.", called Green Twin.
Elegant Afya holds up 2.
"Two for me!"
"I wager four.", said Yami. "That's a total of six Chips."
"Understood.", chorused the brother.
"Let's do this, my dear.", called Yami to his wife.
She winked at him and nodded.
"We will show them the might of the pharaoh and queen!"
"And if we win.", they said together. "We will have 10 Star Chips each and can enter Pegasus Castle!"
"Do your best, you two!", wished them Anzu.
"Beat them so we can get out of here!", shouted Honda.
"Show them why you are the greatest duelists I know!", cheered Jonouchi.
"We believe in you!", assured Kihana.
Maja and Sadiye shouted together: "Yami and Afya, you can win because you are the game queen and king!"
Bakura gave them a thumbs up.
The royal couple nodded at their friends, as the Labrinthy Brothers declared the duel began.
It was game time!