Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The Dragon Blade ❯ Chapter Two: The Dragon Blade and A Dangerous Game ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! is owned by its creator, Kazuki Takahashi and it's respective anime companies. I'm borrowing the characters and ideas for a nonprofit fan fiction written solely for the enjoyment of myself, and hopefully others.

The Dragon Blade

Chapter Two: The Dragon Blade and A Dangerous Game

By: Elf

"Seth, we could work together. You and I could have more power than you could dream," the tomb robber begged as he looked up at the tall, dangerous priest with dark eyes.

Seth angled the gleaming silver blade to the robber's throat. The dragon's eyes blazed in the handle and he could feel that they were restless. The tomb was dark and quiet, but the Ring was gone as was the Rod. Seth wasn't fond of the Rod, of course, but it was his.

"I want it back," Seth growled, backing the thief into the stone wall.

The thief smirked and replied, "I don't have it."

Seth smirked as he drew a line across the thief's throat, causing a fine crimson line to spill onto the thief's shirt. He said, "Do you know what my people did to thieves like you?"

The thief dipped his fingers into his own blood and licked them. His eyes closed as if he was enjoying the taste of his own blood, or the thrill of his own life. He chuckled, "I'm curious. Please tell me, Priest."

"I'd slit you from throat to groin and eat your still beating heart," Seth answered pleasantly, "After I'd branded your flesh, of course."

"You come from a sadistic land," the thief remarked, smiling.

Seth laughed at the thief's offhand comment. He back handed the smaller boy and growled, "No, we had to survive, to keep others from preying on our weakness."

"The great Seth admitting that he's weak, interesting," the thief laughed mockingly.

Seth growled, "I. Am. Not. Weak."

"Seth!" Yami's voice called from the opening of the tomb.

Seth thought, Not yet. Not yet, damn you. Seth snapped, "Where is the Rod?"

"You'd better stop thinking about the Rod, priest, and yourself," the thief pleasantly replied as he waved his hand. Seth felt the rock floor tumble beneath him and he tried to catch himself with his blade before he fell into the makeshift pit.

His sword angled up and he dangled as he tried to kick his legs up. He started to call upon the dragons. The thief's dark eyes sparkled as he pressed the Ring against his forehead.

"Seth!" Yami cried as he saw what the thief was doing. The young king raised his hand and closed his eyes. Seth could sense the wash of power and frowned.

Then the Ring started to suck at him. It hurt, beyond any pain he had faced in the Shadow Games. He grit his teeth and would not give the thief the pleasure of his screams. It felt like the Ring was draining him dry and he had trouble keeping the sword and himself balanced.

The Dark Magician and the Celtic Guardian appeared around the young pharaoh ready to fight. The elfin warrior's green eyes looked over at Seth with worry as he charged the thief. Seth smirked at the irony despite the pain.

He had told Yami about the monsters in his homeland: the elves and the Fey. The young king sought them out and they became some of his personal favorites, other than his own Dark Magician of course. It was rather ironic, because out of all the creatures that Yami already had to offer, he preferred the ones from the far away land.

Seth felt something sucked out of him and he finally couldn't hold it back anymore. He let out a horrific scream as he tried to hold on to his sword. He couldn't call upon his dragons and he was starting to slip. The thief's dark eyes glowed crimson as he turned to face the elfin warrior.

The Guardian swung with his own sword, dislodging the Dragon Blade. Yami met the thief's eyes as they were enshrouded in shadows. Seth tried to grab the crumbling stones one last time, but it was too late, there was far too much pain.

And Yami had betrayed him.

Seth laughed as he fell, an insane sound of a man who knew that he faced his death. Why did he expect Yami to be any different from the others? They were rivals after all, despite whatever respect that Seth had for the young king. The elf had been the final blow.

Seth swore that he would seek revenge.

******

Serenity cursed as she was dumped onto the hard stone floor by the Feral Imp. The green creature looked down at her before going back into his card. She dusted off her jeans and managed to stand up and look around.

She had seen enough medieval movies to know what the inside of a castle looked like. She looked at the grey stone walls and the brownish stone under her feet. There was a window with metal bars, letting in the moonlight. She rushed over to the window and managed to hoist herself on the bars.

She tentavely called out, "Seto?"

She lowered herself and pushed her hair from her face. She wrapped her arms around herself as she looked for a familiar, tall, broad shoulder figure. She desperately wanted Seto here with her, but she remembered the Man Eater Bug and despite her best wishes, tears started to well up in her eyes.

Seto could be dead now because he had tried to protect her from that. Then there was Bakura. Joey had tried to explain the Millennium Items to her, but he had gotten flustered and drifted off. She basically knew that each Item had its own spirit, it's Yami if you will, and each one contained dark power. Yugi had the Puzzle and originally Ryou Bakura had the ring, until Tristan had gotten rid of it. Then Pegasus had the Millennium Eye, but he had disappeared from what Joey had explained to her.

She had tried to ask Seto about what had happened with Pegasus, but his eyes would only grow dark and distant. He wouldn't say anything, as if he was reliving a tragic moment. She would hold him until it past, but she really didn't know what had really happened at the Duelist Kingdom.

She sighed as she leaned against the stone wall of the cell. She saw the heavy door and walked over to it. Just as she thought, she couldn't get it to budge. So, she sat down and tried to warm herself against the chill of the room.

Seto, Joey, where are you? Serenity thought as she felt suddenly small, young, and alone. She desperately tried to remember all the hints that her brother had given her in the past about situations like this. She tapped her fingers against the cold walls and stood up, filled with determination.

Neither her brother nor her boyfriend would just sit and wait to be rescued. They'd find some way out themselves. She wasn't helpless and she could think for herself. Joey had told her how to pick locks and how to take care of herself. She was relieved to find that her keys, mainly her Swiss Army Knife, was still in her back pocket.

She kissed the familiar red handle's white cross as she inspected the lock to the door. The thing was huge and the mechanism was so blatantly obvious that it was almost an insult to her skill. She murmured to herself, "My older brother wasn't in a gang for nothing."

She blew her hair from her eyes as she knelt down before the lock. She opened the knife and looked at the various mechanisms for her to use. She knew that the tweezers and toothpick would be useless as would the scissors. Still, there was a tiny blade that was big enough to lift the mechanism. She wedged it into the lock, bit her lip in concentration, and moved the block up. She smirked as she heard it click and removed the blade. She stood up, and while the door was still very heavy, she could push it open.

She grinned to herself and whispered, "Thanks Joey. And Mom said that you being in a gang would bring nothing but hurt. I guess I've gotta tell her different." She closed the cell door and began to wander the castle.

She figured if she wasn't a prisoner she would be fascinated at the Gothic arcs, high ceilings, and multiple levels. The tapestries had various Duel Monsters woven into them. She stopped to look at them.

One that drew her the attention the most had someone who looked remarkably like Seto directing a Blue Eyes White Dragon to a Dark Magician controlled by someone who looked like an older, darker version of Yugi with garnet colored eyes. Both were dressed like Egyptians, and from what she had learned in history class, the one who looked like Seto was dressed like a priest while the boy who looked like a dark Yugi was wearing the obvious headdress of a pharaoh. And the Millennium Puzzle dangled around his neck, flapping in the wind caused by the dragon's wake while Seto had some sort of rod dangling around his neck. The two were smirking arrogantly at each other as their monsters battled, as if they were enjoying the battle yet seeking to see who the better was.

She had seen that look on Seto's face when he had talked about Dueling Yugi, as if it was the only challenge presented to him in this life that was worth fighting. It was fiercely competitive yet fiercely respectful. The look of a rival that could be a friend if he only tried. She gently reached up and touched the Seto look-a-like's intense blue eyes and lowered her hand.

"You'd better run," a soft, upper crust British accented male voice said behind her.

Serenity turned around to see Ryou Bakura nervously twisting his hands around his Ring. His silvery white hair fell into his anxious, dark eyes as he looked at her. He repeated, "You'd better run."

She asked, "Where's Seto?"

"My Darkness wants to play a Game with him, using you as the prize," Ryou explained, looking around nervously.

She crossed her arms and replied, "That doesn't tell me where he is."

"I think he was dropped in the Turtle Game Shop," Ryou answered as he looked at her, "But you'd better run, now before he comes back."

Serenity said, "Your Yami."

"Yes, Bakura . . . At least that what he wants to be called. Just, run out of here, now," he pleaded as he reached for her.

She stepped out of his grasp and snapped, "Why don't you just get rid of that thing around your neck? Why don't you fight him?"

"I can't. You just don't understand. Just run, now, please," he begged as he looked at her wide eyed.

Serenity looked up at the tapestry and asked, "What is this?"

"History," Ryou answered in a darker, deeper, rougher voice. His eyes turned completely black and narrowed. He seemed taller, more confidant, arrogant. He looked her over as if he wondered what she looked nude and as if he was thinking what she would taste like.

Serenity took a couple steps back. She asked, "What the hell does that mean?"

"Well, Once upon a time there was a couple of blokes. Powerful blokes, one a priest from a far away land and the other a young king. The priest was a rightful wanker and he and the king was always having pissing contests with each other. They respected each other though, as mates sometimes do, but a thief tried to steal everything from them. The priest had part of his soul stolen from him by the thief because the thief thought having the powerful priest, who was already the only person who could stand up to the wanker king, would be a great asset, and, of course, the priest thinks that the king betrayed him," Bakura answered as he edged closer to her, his silver locks swaying around his angular face.

Serenity looked up at the tapestry and said, "So, Seto was the priest and Yugi was the king, right?"

"Smart call, pet. I knew Kaiba would want more than a pretty face and something more to slip the weasel [1] into," Bakura leered as he answered, "Kaiba is the reincarnated version of the priest and little Yugi is the reincarnated version of the king and sweet Ryou is the reincarnated version of the thief. However, since the darkness of all three of their spirits were placed in different items, they could coexist with their hikaris."

Serenity asked, "What do you plan to do with Seto?"

"Why, to give the priest his body, of course. You're just the bait love, but I'm sure that Seth will like to have a priestess at his side, just as a warm, willing body," Bakura answered as he edged toward her with a manic smile on his features.

He reached out toward her, and she moved just as Joey had taught her to dispel an attacker. She dodged out of his gasp, balled her fist up and swung it down just like a hammer. She felt his nose smash into her fist and he reared back. She boxed his ears and kneed him in the groin, sending him to his knees with a sharp howl. She Hammer Punched him again, sending him knocking to the ground.

She didn't look back as she ran past him. Still, the farther she ran the more lost she became in a myriad of Duel Monster's tapestries. She past another of a stark looking blond boy with dark skin and pale violet eyes that were outlined in black tattoos. His eyes seemed to follow her as she ran, but she had no idea where she was going and seemed to be heading deeper into the castle instead of out of it.

She skidded to a stop right in front of Bakura. He smirked at her as a third eye appeared on his forehead, blazing in prismatic colors. His long, white hair blew around his striking face as he grasped her shoulders.

She opened her mouth to scream, but it hurt too much. She heard Bakura's sadistic laughter in her ears as her body couldn't hold herself up anymore. The last thing she thought of was Seto.

******

The blow connected faster than Kaiba could block it. He felt Joey's fist slam into his cheek and felt his head snap back. He lost his balance and fell backwards. He managed to catch himself with his hands to look up at the scowling blond.

"You could have stopped him! You could have stopped him from taking my sister!" Joey screamed at him.

Kaiba rose to his feet and felt something warm and wet at his mouth. He gently touched his lips to find that they were bloody. He scowled at Joey and snapped, "Don't you think I tried? I'm going after her."

"Do you have any idea where he took her?" Yugi asked gently.

Kaiba ignored the question and started to walk out of the shop. He had the resources. He could find her and then he would kill Bakura. Easy as that. He wasn't going to play games with an ancient spirit; he was going to fight on his own terms.

"Kaiba, you have no idea what you are dealing with," Yami's voice boomed from behind him.

Kaiba glared at him and sneered, "I don't care, Yami. He took Serenity."

Joey said, "I'm going with you."

"I don't need a puppy nipping at my heels, Wheeler," Kaiba snapped at the blond.

Joey's body tensed. Kaiba saw the tale-tell warning of another on coming blow, except he was ready this time. He shifted into a stance and calmly blocked the blond's punch. He used Joey's momentum to twist the shorter boy's arm down into a reverse arm lock.

Joey's brown eyes narrowed as he sneered, "That's my sister you're talking about, Kaiba."

"You don't know what you're rushing into, Kaiba," Yami's deep, haughting voice stated.

Kaiba turned to face the ancient spirit's garnet eyes. Sugoroku was watching this with a combination of fear and interest. Kaiba released Joey. Despite his rivalry with Yami, Yami did know what he was talking about.

Joey hissed, "Bastard."

Yami asked, "How did you get that cut on your arm?"

Kaiba clinched his fist as he remembered placing Serenity behind him as the darkness enclosed them both. He could saw Bakura's black, soulless eyes as he mockingly drew out a card. Kaiba answered, "He summoned a Man Eater Bug that attacked me."

Kaiba looked down at the bleeding cut with realization. He snorted, "Damn, of course. It's all so damned obvious."

Sugoroku asked, "What is so obvious?"

"Darkness. Serenity and I were walking and we were suddenly surrounded in darkness and then Bakura was there," Kaiba answered as he realized that he had suddenly been part of an infamous Shadow Game. Just like the ones that Seth use to play . . .

Kaiba smoothed his coat over. He would get his deck, bandage the wound on his arm and call Bakura out to a Duel. Then he would win Serenity back and he would be the hero for once. Not Yami and not Joey. Him, Seto Kaiba.

Joey asked, "Why him though? Why doesn't he attack you, Yug?"

"That's Yami, you cretin," Kaiba hissed back.

Yami looked thoughtful and answered, "I'm not sure, but I'm going with you."

"That is out of the question," Kaiba snapped, determined to go at this alone. He added, "I don't need either of your help."

Sugoroku simply said, "You need that arm looked at. You might need stitches."

Kaiba had ignored the pain, but he looked down at the bloody wound. His left arm was a mess of blood and thicker things recognizable as skin and clotting blood. He realized that if he didn't get it treated right away then that he would have a nasty scar there. He shrugged and replied, "It's not important."

"Saving my baby sis is. Like it or not Kaiba, we're coming with you," Joey replied as he grabbed his green jacket.

Kaiba glared and snapped, "If I wanted a mutt snapping at my heels I would have called you."

"I think that Bakura has something more intense than just a Duel in mind. The tomb robber always enjoyed playing with his victims. Plus attacking you and Serenity doesn't make any sense, unless he has the sword," Yami reasoned as he toyed with his puzzle.

Kaiba could see the Dragon Blade in Seth's hands. He didn't realize he was saying, "The Dragon Blade holds the spirits of the Three Blue Eyes White Dragons. That's what he wants right now, someone to control the dragons."

"Yes, those dragons are virtuously impossible to beat, but Seth never told me about the sword. Do you know anything, Kaiba?" Yami asked, peering up at him with crimson eyes.

Kaiba shook his head. Truthfully, Yami knew more than he did. He was uneasy with the fact that he had a past life with Yugi's darker half, and added with the fact that Serenity was Kami knows where, he was on edge.

Kaiba started toward the door. He said, "I need my deck."

"Be back here as soon as possible," Yami warned.

Joey said, "And we don't know where to find Bakura or my sister."

"I think he'll tell us when it's time, Joey," Yami replied darkly as Kaiba walked out of the shop, trying to gather his own thoughts without Yami's ominous warnings.

******

"I came here as soon as I heard," Mai said as she walked into the shop, looking out of place in her dyed violet leather skirt and jacket. She automatically walked over to Joey and placed her arms around him.

Yugi looked up at the curvy blond and said, "Thank you, Mai."

Joey asked, "Why my sister though? Why doesn't he just take Kaiba?"

Mai asked, "What happened?"

Yugi filled her in on Bakura using his Ring and trapping Serenity. He sighed as he looked down at his hands, feeling so powerless. It's not your fault, Hikari, Yami told him.

I could have been there, I could have seen that Ryou was losing control of his Yami, Yugi thought with a tiny sigh.

Yami replied, Ask Tea. She and Ryou were dating, but they drifted apart.

At that moment, Tea and Tristan walked in, looking a bit disheveled. Tea looked white as a ghost and held something in her hands. Her blue eyes looked at Yugi as she walked over to him, shaking slightly.

Yugi asked, "Tea, what's wrong?"

"I found this on my window, just after you called. I knew Ryou's been acting strange lately, but not this," she answered in a shaking voice as she handed him an envelope sealed with black wax in the shape of an ankh.

Yami pressed, Ask her how strange, Aibou.

Joey snapped, "I'm gonna to fucking kill him for hurting Serenity."

"Joey, that's not Ryou that's doing this, it's that freak spirit of his," Mai gently pointed out.

Yugi asked, "Tea, this is really important, but how has he been acting?"

"Well, we were going out every night, but he kept asking questions about you, especially after you got the Puzzle. He became more and more obsessed about that Puzzle until I asked him about it. Then I started my new job and dancing now and I sort of drifted away from him, but there was something in his eyes, Yugi," Tea answered with a shiver.

Yugi yearned to reach out and touch her, take her into his arms and comfort her. Instead he gave her a tiny smile and a, "Thank you." She smiled weakly in return as she pushed her brown hair away from her face.

Yugi looked down at the envelope and carefully opened it. A piece of yellowed parchment was what he found. He pulled it out and unfolded it.

He read: In shades and shadows, where reality blurs.

This ancient keep is where I stir.

Come to me, where the dragons fly,

If you are not afraid to play my game.

The Stakes are high

The game is set

Are you willing to enter?

Or is this an affront to your arrogant pride?

Come to me or your love will die.

Yugi frowned as he read the note. In shades and shadows where reality blurs had to be an illusion. A keep was another name for a castle, and a castle was surrounded by a fortress, and where dragons fly means that it had to be up in the air.

"He's keeping her at the Fortress of Illusions," Yugi said quietly as he gave the parchment to Joey.

Joey read through the note and growled. He slammed his fist into the table and sneered, "He'll pay, the son of a bitch."

Yugi closed his eyes and let Yami take over. Yami looked around at Joey, Tea, Tristan, Mai, and Grandpa, who had been silent for the whole time. Yami said, "But first, we wait for Kaiba. This challenge is for him and we're just players in Bakura's twisted game."

******

Mokuba was surprisingly good at bandaging wounds. Kaiba thought that he had a lot of practice on the various cuts and scrapes that he had seem to be getting lately. He looked away as the stinging liquid was poured over the wound, fizzing and cleaning it. He grit his teeth, always hating when Mokuba did this.

Mokuba bent his dark head over Kaiba's arm and gently blew away the sting. He said, "I'm coming with you."

Kaiba watched as Mokuba started to rub antibiotic cream all over the wound. That helped soothe it, and he realized that Mokuba probably got the kind with lidocane in it to dull the wound's edge. Mokuba then started to deftly wrap the wound with gauze and bandages.

Kaiba shook his head and answered, "No."

"Big Brother, I like Serenity too," Mokuba protested, his violet-grey eyes narrowing.

Kaiba glared, not at Mokuba, but as he thought of what Bakura would be doing to her right now. The thought of Serenity screaming in pain as Bakura did unthinkable things to her came to his overactive imagination. He could see her red hair falling into her flushed features as her green eyes welled up with tears.

He stood up and said, "No. It's too dangerous. I want to do this alone."

Even though Yugi, Yami, and the mongrel will be tagging along.

He started toward his room and was already taking off his clothing. Mokuba tagged behind him as he stood in his boxers. If Bakura wanted a show and wanted to play games, well, Kaiba was going to give him a game he'd never forget if he survived.

He pulled the black turtleneck over his head and then followed that by the black leather pants. He strapped his boots on and added the straps around his arm. He then took out the metal arm bands that would protect his arms for the most part and slid them over the tight, silky material. Finally, he lifted out his newest Dueling coat.

It was made out of white suede with silver studs all through it. The lining was of wine red velvet and flashed whenever he moved. He put on the sleeveless duster and snapped the studs enough so that it would stay on. He belted the coat and made sure that his locket was in plain view.

He grabbed his deck and looked at Mokuba. His younger brother looked up at him wide eyed. Kaiba bent down on one knee and gently pushed the wild black hair out of Mokuba's gamine face. He explained, "I can't take you with me Mokuba. I'd be worried about you the whole time and I couldn't save Serenity, but I'm taking you with me to Yugi. He has people that will watch you, keep you company."

Mokuba's arms clutched around his neck and Kaiba hugged him back, comforted by his brother's warm body. Mokuba pleaded, "Come back safe, Big Brother."

"I will, and I'll have Serenity by my side," Kaiba replied, giving Mokuba one last squeeze, And Bakura's head on a platter.

******

About half an hour later, Kaiba walked into the shop, Mokuba trailing behind him. He made quite an entrance, his white coat swishing around him and his blue eyes narrowed and determined. Yugi looked up at the taller Duelist and held up the letter to him.

Yugi watched as Kaiba's eyes quickly scanned the riddle's contents before they narrowed and he slammed the parchment on the counter. Kaiba snapped, "The Fortress of Illusions is a card. How the hell can we get into a card?"

Yugi answered, "The Millennium Ring has the power to make the cards real."

"So we find the Fortress, storm it, kill everything that Bakura has and save my sister," Joey snapped, his normally soft brown eyes dark and gleaming with anger.

Kaiba snorted, "I don't think Bakura would make it that easy."

"It's a trap, its gotta be," Mai warned as she looked at the parchment herself.

Tea chewed on her lips and asked, "What about your Puzzle, Yugi?"

Yugi looked down at the Puzzle dangling about his neck and held it up so he could look at it. Yami said, He's playing a Shadow Game with us and using Serenity as the bait. He knows that Kaiba's going to go after her with everything he has and that we'll go because she's Joey's sister. I don't think this game is going to be played in this Realm of existence, Yugi.

What do you mean, My Darkness? Yugi asked as he looked over at a scowling Kaiba and Joey who was gritting his teeth and tense despite the fact that Mai had her hand on his shoulder.

Yami answered, He was counting on this, Aibou. Counting on us and the Puzzle. Now we just need a Fortress of Illusions card and I think we can do this, Hikari.

"Yugi?" Grandpa asked.

Yugi blinked, realizing he must have phased out again. He shook his head and answered, "Sorry Grandpa. I was talking to Yami."

"Find anything out?" Kaiba asked, his blue eyes hopeful.

Yugi nodded and explained, "Yeah, I did. We think he's playing a Shadow Game with us. Yami thinks that we can get us into the Fortress of Illusions. Actually, he's pretty confidant about it. Now, all we need is a Fortress of Illusions card."

"I don't have one, Yug," Joey said sadly, some of his anger leaving him. Mai patted his shoulder and he took her hand.

Yugi looked at Kaiba. Kaiba frowned and shook his head. He answered, "That card's pretty much useless in the deck I use."

Mai shook her head and answered, "Sorry kiddo, but nope. After that Duel with Panik I never want to see that card again."

Grandpa pulled out a box filled with packs and started handing each of them packs of cards. He said, "Start opening until you find the Fortress of Illusions."

"Are you sure about this, Gramps?" Joey asked as he started tearing open a pack.

Kaiba looked up as well and added, "You'll be losing the value of the cards."

"Now, Kaiba, how much would you spend to see Serenity safe?" Grandpa asked, his keen purple eyes lingering on Kaiba.

Kaiba started tearing open the pack he was holding and said, "Thank you. You will be reimbursed for this."

Mokuba had already gleefully torn through two packs and said, "I need a deck, Big Brother."

Mai opened a pack and cheered, "Hey, there's a Harpy's Lady here! Can I have this pack?"

"We're going to need all the firepower we can get," Joey said as he savagely ripped a pack open.

Tea asked, "What do you plan to do when you get there?"

Yugi felt Yami take over as an arrogant smirk crossed his features. Yami answered, "Beat him at his own game, of course."

"Drill the bastard into the ground," Joey added as he looked through the cards in his hands. "Shit, no Fortress," he cursed as he opened another pack.

Tristan asked, "Are we all going?"

"No," Kaiba snapped, "Joey's going to be trouble enough for us. The rest of you stay here."

"If you think I'm gonna stay here while Joey runs off to play hero, you've gotta be kidding, Kaiba," Mai retorted, "Besides, I'm no slouch when it comes to Dueling, you know." She had one long, elegant finger pointed at the elder Kaiba, who was glaring in return.

Yami smirked at her and replied, "You can come with us, Mai. We need all the help we can get. The rest of you, however, would be better if you stayed here."

"Yugi, Bakura's not himself. Don't hurt him, please," Tea pleaded, "And come back safe, okay."

Yami smiled at her and felt Yugi flutter in the back of his mind. He replied, "Thank you, Tea. And we will. Ryou is not the culprit here, but his Shadow Spirit is. He will be the one punished."

"The bastard will pay," Kaiba snapped as he tore open another pack, snarling in frustration as he looked through it.

He snapped, "This is taking forever. We're never going to find this card."

"Got it!" Mokuba cried as his tiny hand shot up, holding the card.

Joey shouted as he reached to hug the younger Kaiba. He cheered, "Wait a go, Mokuba!"

Mokuba jumped back from him and rushed to Kaiba. Mokuba said, "Don't touch me." He did, however, hold the card up to Kaiba. Kaiba took it from him, studied it, then bent down to his little brother.

"Good job, Mokuba," Kaiba said as he smoothed the younger boy's wild black hair from his dark face. He gave his little brother a quick hug and stood up. He handed the card to Yami and said, "You had better be able to get us there, Yami."

Yami smirked as he placed the card on the counter. He closed his eyes and channeled the energies and magics within the Puzzle. He felt the Darkness swirling around the card and felt a door open around it. He felt the Sennen Eye blaze on his forehead as he opened the door. He held out his hand to Kaiba and said, "We must join hands."

Kaiba's expression was grim as he took Yami's hand. Yami watched as Mai took Kaiba's hand and then finally Joey took Mai's hand. Yami channeled more power into the door and shouted, "Everyone, brace yourselves."

He felt the Darkness surrounding them, taking them to the realm that Bakura had created. It swirled around them, pulling at his innards. He felt Yugi's fear and keen excitement and curiosity as they traveled. Then, right before they fell into the portal, Mai was wenched away from Kaiba by Joey with a smirk. Joey shouted, "Gotta keep you safe, babe!" Then he grabbed Kaiba's arm with a wild smile while Kaiba gave him a distasteful look.

Mai was screaming Joey's name as they fell into complete darkness.

******

"Joey!" Mai screamed as she sank to her knees as she reached for the card. It was smoking slightly and hot to the touch. She cradled it to her and thought, Why didn't he want me going with him?

Tea looked at her and asked, "Mai?"

"Joey pushed me out of the way. He wouldn't let me go with him," Mai gasped, blinking back tears. She wrapped her hand around the warm card, ignoring the burning sensation.

Tristan walked over to her and said, "He already has his sister to worry about, Mai."

"I can take care of myself," Mai argued as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the younger teen. "I should have gone with them!"

Yugi's grandfather walked over to her and said, "It was best that you didn't Mai. This is a Shadow Game that they're playing, something that my Yugi, and even Kaiba, have played before without knowing."

Mai whispered, "But I should be there too."

******

Kaiba groaned and moved his head back. It felt like he had been pulling an all nighter with endless coffee and coming off the adrenaline and caffeine highs. He felt something pressing into his stomach, something very heavy and opened his eyes.

He scowled as he looked at a head of unruly blond hair lying over his waist and half of Joey's body on top of him. Yugi was sprawled beside him, purple eyes slowly blinking. Joey grumbled and pressed closer to Kaiba, muttering, "Just five more minutes, Dad."

"Get off of me, you stupid mutt," Kaiba growled as he pushed Joey off and stood up. He dusted off his white duster and looked around. They were in a dark woods, heavily enshrouded by trees. Whips of fog curled around the three as he looked around.

Yugi sat up and said, "We did it."

Kaiba helped the smaller boy up and crossed his arms. He looked ahead and could see the castle, just like he had designed it for his Virtual Reality game. He mused, "This is almost exactly like my VR game."

"Maybe Bakura stole the images from your mind to create this place," Yugi replied as Joey rubbed his eyes and stood up.

Joey whistled, "Kaiba, you've gotta spend more time in reality, a forest around a floating castle?"

Kaiba grit his teeth as he snapped, "Have you ever read a fantasy novel, you moron? Every castle has dark woods surrounding it. It's a fact."

Joey glared and moved closer. Kaiba smirked, happy to oblige him in another fight if he so chose. The dog needed to be put down his place anyway. Anything to keep his mind on what was happening to Serenity.

Kaiba turned away and started walking to the castle. He heard Yugi and Joey catching up. Joey asked, "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"To save Serenity," Kaiba snapped as he climbed over a fallen log.

Yugi said, "But you don't know where to go."

"To the castle," Kaiba briskly replied as he pushed some foliage from his face, cursing Bakura in four different languages. He heard Yugi and Joey behind him as they walked through the dark woods. For a while they walked in silence, heading toward the castle.

Joey asked, "Man, how much longer till we get there?"

Kaiba looked at the castle looming in the distance from where they were standing. He saw the castle's shadow in accordance to where they were positioned. Using a quick equation, he figured they were about four more kilometers away from the castle. He answered, "Four more kilometers."

"And how the hell do you know that?" Joey spat as he nimbly climbed over a fallen log and turned to help Yugi up.

Kaiba smirked and answered, "If you'd do the math, you wouldn't be failing it."

"Listen here, you bastard," Joey warned but Kaiba ignored him and quickened his pace.

He was filled with a sudden, unexplainable awareness, something familiar that was drawing him closer to something. He was filled with a sort of anticipation and a slight thrill edged along the corners of his mind. He moved faster toward what was pulling him, edging through trees with instincts he never thought he had.

He heard Yugi calling for him to slow down and Joey calling him a son of a bitch and bellowing to slow the hell down, but he ignored them. He started to run, leaping over fallen branches and pushing through thick foliage. He could feel it drawing closer as he reached the castle.

The drawbridge was down and waiting for them. He ran across it, his white coat flaring behind him like a cloak, and froze as soon as he reached the other side. He was trembling with anticipation now, as if he was gaining a piece of himself that he had long lost.

Standing in the middle of the courtyard was a stone, and ever since King Author first pulled Excalubur out of the infamous stone, and in it was the Dragon Blade. It gleamed in the semi-darkness like captured starlight. He carefully approached it, studying the fierce dragon that made up the handle and hilt.

The dragon's brilliant blue eyes glowed as he studied it. He felt something lying dormant in him, something familiar and powerful. His eyes glowed like the jewels that made the dragon's eyes in the sword.

The handle felt warm and familiar in his hand. He felt the energy rush around him, recognizing him as it's One Wielder and shuddered. He closed his hand around it and jerked with all of his strength.

The sword came free in his hand.

Kaiba lifted up and looked at his reflection in the silver blade. His eyes glowed slightly for a moment before fading away as the Blade recognized him as its Wielder. He took the broad sword in both hands and took a stance. It felt right and good, like it was made for him.

"Kaiba!" Yugi shouted as they finally made it across.

Joey looked at the sword and said, "Cool sword, Kaiba, where did you get it?"

Yugi studied the sword fearfully and asked, "That's it, isn't it?"

"Yes," Kaiba answered, still locked in the dreamlike trance. He tilted the sword and smirked. The weight felt good in his hands.

Yugi warned, "Kaiba, put it down."

"No," he answered with a savage shake of his head. There was no power in Heaven or Hell that would make him relinquish his sword. He said, "This is mine, Yugi. Just as the Puzzle is yours."

Joey said, "Well, he's got a big sword now so let's go find Serenity and get the hell out of here."

"Not so fast, Joseph," a darkly familiar British accented voice said as Bakura emerged from the darkness, clad in black leather, his silver-white hair the only color on him as well as the Millennium Ring. He shuffled his deck in his hand as he looked them over.

Kaiba took a stance, part from kendo and part from a memory. His body knew how to use the sword. It was like an extension of him and he was planning to use it. He was itching to use it.

Yugi's eyes narrowed as he shouted, "What do you want, Yami Bakura?"

"That Puzzle around your neck, your Yami beat, broken and spent, and Kaiba's body for a priest who owes me a debt because Yami killed him," Bakura answered smoothly, counting each object off on his long fingers, his dark eyes gleaming with a crimson glow. He paused for a moment and added, "And a harem of blonds, but let's not get too hasty shall we, mates?"

Kaiba narrowed his eyes and flexed his grip around the sword. He was planning to carve Bakura's white head from his shoulders. He smirked and growled, "If you tell us where Serenity is, I'll spare your pathetic life, bastard."

Bakura threw back his head and laughed. Kaiba heard Joey growl beside him and felt Yugi tense up. He glared as Bakura chuckled, "You foolish mortal. You really don't know what you're getting at, do you, mate?"

"Did you just call me a foolish mortal? Who the hell do you think you are, Lord Voldemort?" Kaiba snapped back.

Joey added, "You're going to pay for hurting my sister, you asshole!"

Yugi snapped, "Shut up, both of you! This isn't Ryou we're dealing with, but his Yami, but he has Bakura's deck. The Occult-based deck."

Kaiba smirked. Ever Duelist he had faced using an Occult based deck had quickly fallen prey to his dragons and various creatures. Occult strategists were more dependent on their spell cards and couldn't handle creatures like the Blue Eyes. Now, Yugi's deck on the other hand with its combination of spells and creatures that could be enhanced was something else entirely.

He shouted, "Fine, if you want to Duel, let's Duel, Bakura."

"I don't want to Duel, Kaiba. I want to play a game," Bakura replied with a dark smile.

Joey snapped, "And we'll beat your ass into the ground! You're gonna regret messing with us, Bakura!"

Yugi glared at both of them. Kaiba looked at him, realizing that Yugi was still in control and not Yami, and that he had never seen Yugi this angry before. It seemed strange to see Yugi struggling with control of himself.

Yugi took a deep breath and asked, "What sort of game, Bakura?"

"Well, if you can reach the tower and get Serenity, she's yours and I'll let you free until the next time I'll decide I want to play another game, however, I won't personally make any moves against the wanker and I'll even let him keep the sword," Bakura began with a playful smile.

Yugi coldly asked, "What are the rules?"

"Simple, you get to the tower where Serenity is being held while I'll try to take Kaiba from you the whole time," Bakura answered with a tiny bow.

Joey asked, "There has to be a catch."

Kaiba silently agreed with him and automatically placed himself at the head of the two boys. He gripped his sword and loosened his stiff muscles. Being tense wasn't good if he was about to go to a sword fight. Bakura smiled at Kaiba and said, "Never would have thought that a wanker like you would be so damned useful."

"Fuck you," Kaiba snapped, causing Joey to blink and Yugi's mouth to drop open. This wasn't a corporate meeting so he didn't have to watch his mouth or temper, but he did have to keep his wits about him.

Bakura threw back his head and laughed wickedly. He turned his black, gleaming eyes on them and said, "Let the game begin. If I get Kaiba, we'll play another game." With that, he disappeared into darkness.

"What the hell does he mean, 'If I get Kaiba, we'll play another game'?" Joey snapped as they were left alone.

Kaiba met Yugi's eyes and watched as Yami became dominate. They locked eyes and Kaiba knew what Yami was thinking without the aid of a Millennium Item. Kaiba lowered his sword thoughtfully and asked, "Bakura's planning to steal my soul and place Seth in my body, isn't he?"

"I think so. You can summon your dragons in the Shadow Realm, but in the real world you have to have the sword to do so, and only the Wielder can do that," Yami answered grimly.

Kaiba snorted, "He wants my Blue Eyes' power."

"Kaiba, why the hell is someone always after you to use you?" Joey asked as they began to walk through the courtyard.

Kaiba ignored him. Still, he couldn't wonder if part of Seth's soul resided in this sword and he would soon have a Yami of his own to deal with. He had his own darkness to attend with; he didn't need some ancient spirit telling him what to do.

Yami continued, "And taking Serenity lured us all here because he knew that I would help Joey."

"And bring him closer to the Puzzle. Fuck," Kaiba cursed as he lowered his sword.

Joey asked, "Hey Kaiba, if these Millennium Items are so damned powerful, why aren't you trying to take them?"

"And have some ancient smart ass spirit telling me what to do, no thanks. I already have myself to deal with and I don't need some arrogant bastard controlling me," Kaiba answered angrily as they walked through the huge courtyard.

Yami smirked at him and replied, "Not all of us are smart assed, arrogant bastards."

"You have your moments," Kaiba retorted as they walked deeper into the courtyard. He noticed that it seemed to stretch on forever, not ending and that the landscape was changing. As he watched, it was transformed to a Gothic graveyard complete with a full moon and fog.

Joey tensed up and said, "I've got a bad feeling about this."

Yugi regained control and said, "I guess we're playing now." He drew his deck as they walked deeper into the graveyard.

Kaiba looked around and noticed that Joey was edging closer to Yugi. Joey asked in a nervous voice, "What about that Occult deck, Yug?"

"He has a Necromancy card," Yugi answered as he looked around.

Joey squeaked, "Necromancy?"

"Afraid of the Dead, Puppy?" Kaiba taunted with a smile, enjoying the blond's unease.

At that moment, a hand erupted from the ground and latched itself around Yugi's ankle. The elfin boy's purple eyes widened as he was yanked to the ground. His deck was taken by another hand, which Kaiba promptly swung his sword at. He severed the hand and collected the deck.

Yugi was fighting with something rotting that was coming from the ground. Its skin was greyish green and flaking off its bones. Its eyes were sank and pale in its face and it's clawed hands pulled Yugi closer to its mouth.

Yugi kicked at it's face and shouted, "Let me go!"

Kaiba moved to help him when he felt something latch around his waist. He spun around and grimaced when he smelled something sickeningly sweet and sour at the same time. He realized it was rot and decay as the zombie pulled himself out of the ground.

"I don't think so," Kaiba sneered as he pivoted his body and spun around, bringing the blade up with him. He felt it slice cleanly through the skin, hit bone as black gore sprayed on it, and cleanly cleave the thing's head off its neck.

Joey was screaming and beating off a zombie woman that was climbing on his body, drooling on his face. Kaiba rushed over to him and hacked that zombie's head off as well. Joey's wide, panicked brown eyes looked up at him as he stood up.

"There's a couple of good bones there for you to chew on," Kaiba quipped as he turned to help Yugi, except that Yami had taken over and he really didn't need any help.

The ancient spirit calmly reached over and snapped the zombie's neck. He stood up, dusting off his leather clothing as Yugi took back over. Kaiba said, "That was interesting."

"Interesting, you call being almost eaten by zombies interesting?" Joey screamed at him.

Yugi said, "He used the Necromancy card . . . Everyone, do you have any undead monsters in your deck?"

"Nope," Joey answered, "Thank goodness."

Yugi fumbled through his deck and quickly drew out what few undead monsters he had and placed a binding charm on them. Yugi explained, "Necromancy allows that player full control over any undead monster in the deck or field and they can create zombies of monsters with it."

Kaiba took out his deck, resting his sword against his leg, and began to look for the one card he knew that would cause them trouble. Except it was face up on his deck as soon as he took it from his pocket. "Oh, shit," Kaiba whispered as he saw Yugi look up and Joey give a manly scream.

The Vampire Lord's white fangs were gleaming in the moonlight and his eyes were glowing a bright crimson. His long, black cape whirled behind him and he crossed his arms. He looked down at the three Duelists hungrily as he bared his fangs.

Joey closed his eyes and chanted, "There's no vampire. There's no vampire."

Kaiba repeated himself, "Oh, shit."

Yugi groaned, "Where's Buffy when you need her?"

To Be Continued!

[1] "Slip the weasel" is a turn on a British slang phrase that means to have sex. The original phrase is, "Slip the ferret."

I apologize for the lack of knowledge on Bakura's cards. I do know that it's an Occult deck and that he has a Necromancy type of card. And since I'm a huge Anita Blake fan I had to use it. Besides, wasn't Kaiba slashing at zombies damned cool?!

Don't forget to review!

Special thanks to Alecto for the Yu-Gi-Oh! knowledge and as always, Nate Grey.