Chaoter 7: - Blazing Battle
It was hot.
Very hot.
"I wouldn't like to fall down there." Joey commented, looking over the edge of the cliff to the pool of lava below, as Serenity's Mystical Elf healed Yugi of the injuries he'd sustained when he'd deliberately moved in the way of the attack from Yami's Dark Magician in order to pass the second trial.
"Please don't." Yami scowled at him, still irritated about the fact Joey kept calling him Yams, and feeling guilty about his monster's attack. If he'd remembered the last part of the riddle, it wouldn't have happened, but his anger at the Dark attribute Duel Monster's attempted attack on Yugi had pushed rational thought out of his mind.
"Wasn't planning on it." Joey replied with a grin, aware of Yami's mood and determined to keep it focused on him, if only to keep the worried, stressed out, Pharaoh from snapping at anyone other then him.
Tempers were likely to fray in this heat as it was, but there wasn't much he could do about that part, since the doorway they had flown through had led to an active volcano, and the wings they had won during the last task had disappeared the moment they had landed to take a short breather.
"The only thing these areas have in common is the heat." Yugi added to the conversation, even more aware of Yami's mood then Joey, but getting no response when prodding the mind link, as Mystical Elf vanished back into her capsule, which had a silver tint to it. Serenity didn't mention it to the others, deciding that her elf just needed a rest, "Think about it, a desert, an island in the sky with no practically no cover and now a volcano."
"Anyone would think that the guy who created this game didn't know what ice was." Joey snorted.
"It's possible that whoever created the game was unable to think of way to get any ice into the tasks so far." Ombre retorted, as Yugi stood up, thanked Serenity profusely and looked around properly. "Or thought it would take up too much power to keep somewhere cold enough for ice."
"Which is a shame; because I'd welcome an icy level next…" Joey said, licking his dry lips, throat already parched. If the next level was hotter again, he was going to get Kaiba to build a time machine, go back in time and kick the butt of whoever had invented this stupid game.
"We'll just have to wait and see." Yugi nodded, "We have to find the parchment for this task first."
"They haven't been too hard to find so far." Serenity offered, "So it might not be too far away." She frowned at her brother, who was looking towards the volcano with an odd expression. "Joey?"
"Nothing." Joey frowned, sure he'd heard something, no, not something, someone. Someone he knew rather well in fact, he'd recognise that roar anywhere and he didn't know how the others had missed it. "Are we going or what?"
They gathered up their bags, "Let's go." Yugi nodded, "The sooner we find the clue, the sooner we can actually have our vacation."
They followed the easiest route through the mountain, a steep, rugged mountain path that weaved its way around the cliffs and was prone to crumbling, but was still easier then scrambling over the sharp rocks which gave no warning as to whether there was rock or a fifty foot drop on the other side.
It was either a trap or part of the level's design, in order to assist the players, Yugi wasn't sure which, and it was making him nervous, as he led the group through around the rocks, and further up the mountain, towards the volcano.
The ground shook, and Yugi wheeled around at Serenity's cry.
The ground had given way beneath those trailing behind, sending them tumbling down to the path below.
Joey, who had fallen, along with Serenity and Ombre, helped the girls to their feet and then looked up at Yugi, Yami and Solomon, shaking his head as Yugi reached for his Sunlight Magician capsule.
"Are you alright?" Yami shouted down.
"We're fine. Don't worry about us." Joey shouted up, "Don't exhaust your monsters; we'll meet up with you."
Yugi hesitated.
"Who knows, we might find the scroll." Joey grinned, "Bet you five common monster cards that we find it before you do."
Yugi wasn't sure that splitting up was the wisest course, but Solomon put his hand on his shoulder, "We'll be searching forever at this rate." He advised.
"If you find it, don't open the scroll until we meet up." Yugi called down, "Has anyone got a working clock?"
Ombre and Joey shook their heads but Serenity called up, "I have a watch but it can't be the right time."
"It's working though, right?"
"Uh huh."
"If you can't find a way up, we'll meet back here in two hours." The heir nodded, "Try not to get lost."
"See ya later, Yuge." Joey waved, ushering the girls off.
Yugi didn't move until the group below had turned a corner and vanished from sight, then he sighed and turned to the others, "We need to mark this point."
Solomon opened his backpack and pulled out a couple of pots. "We have nothing to cook…"
"It'll do." Yugi nodded, putting them in an obvious, but safe place. "Let's go."
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Rebecca was on the phone, talking loudly in the study, when Professor Arthur Hawkins got home from the guest lecture he had been speaking at.
"I'll ask when he gets home. No, I've found no mention in my Grandfather's history books of a pyramid in India, there's mention of Alexander the Great, who was a Pharaoh, passing through, but…" She hesitated as Arthur slipped into the room, "Grandpa, do you know if there's any pyramids in India?"
"Not as far as I'm aware, but India isn't my specialty."
Rebecca passed on the message and nodded, obviously agreeing with whatever whoever she was speaking to was saying. "Are you sure you don't need me to come over? I know I know… Alright, you'd better phone me the moment you know anything, got it? Alright… bye."
"Something wrong?" Arthur asked as Rebecca put the phone down and slumped onto the chair, text books strewn across the desk, cupboards and floor.
"Yugi and the others are missing, Mr Muto too."
"What?" Arthur stared at his granddaughter.
"They were going to India via portkey and something went wrong, Seto sent out a search party and they discovered a pyramid that has anti Muggle wards up…"
"Okay, how did Solomon get involved in this? I thought he was off on a dig in an advisory role." Arthur frowned, remembering Solomon mentioning that he wouldn't be available to contact for about a month.
"He was." Rebecca nodded. "In India."
"Oh."
"Yeah." She glanced at the clock, five pm, so it was probably about nine am in Japan, so it had been almost twenty four hours since the group had vanished…
"What's Kaiba doing about it?"
"He and Mokuba are heading to India, to see what they can do. Seto believes that whoever has kidnapped the gang, may be holding Solomon prisoner in order to manipulate Yugi."
Arthur frowned, having been allowed to know the recent history of the Millennium Items. "There's a gentleman at the college I was speaking at today, who specialises in Grecian History. He may have more information on the travels of Alexander the Great then I do. I can give him a call."
"Really?" Rebecca's face lit up and she glomped her grandfather who staggered backwards under the weight of an almost fifteen year old girl.
"Let me find that phone number…"
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"DUCK!"
Joey pulled Serenity to the ground and Ombre dove to one side as something huge and black dove at them, roaring as it missing them by inches.
"Tobias!" Joey stormed as he got to his feet, glowering at the dragon that landed in the middle of the path they had been following. "What do you think you're doing?"
The Red Eyes Black Dragon didn't reply, merely roared at him and launched an Inferno Fire Blast which passed straight over their heads and exploded on the rocks behind Ombre.
"Capsule…"
"Ombre, no!" Joey snapped at her, glancing over his shoulder, before, carefully approaching the dragon, who took a step backwards and growled. "Tobias?"
"Joey, I don't think…"
The dragon blinked at Joey, huge red eyes staring at Joey.
"What's wrong, pal?" Joey asked, standing just a foot from the dragon that a moment ago had been about to attack again.
The Dragon lowered its head to Joey's level, snarling and snapping when Serenity tried to approach.
"Easy, that's my sister." Joey placed his hand on the dragon's head.
In that moment emotions and feelings rushed through him, feelings and emotions from the dragon he was now touching, including a severe pain in his right shoulder.
In a blinding flash of ruby and with a pained cry, both Duellist and Dragon were gone.
"Joey!" Serenity rushed forward, standing in the spot that her brother had vanished from and looking around desperately. "JOEY!" She sent out her Ancient Fairy Dragon and mounted, offering Ombre a hand up, allowing the Princess to settle before directing her dragon to take off.
There was no sign of the dragon among the dark, ash filled clouds, and Serenity was in tears from worry and stress by the time that Ombre shouted that she saw the others, and Serenity directed her dragon to land just down the path from them.
"Guys, what's wrong?" Yugi darted forward.
"Joey's vanished." Ombre replied, noting that Solomon was holding the scroll for the level.
Yugi stopped dead, staring at her as Serenity wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, "What?"
"Joey. Gone."
"How? When? Where?"
"We were attacked by a Red Eyes and Joey managed to approach it without getting eaten." Serenity replied, eyes cast downwards towards the rocks at her dragon's feet. "And they both vanished."
"Ra damn it." Yami looked around, trying to work out what to do, then remembering that he was supposed to be deferring to Yugi for the duration of the game and looking at his hikari, who seemed lost.
"We have to find him." Yugi finally spoke up, "Can you show us where he vanished to?"
"Uh huh." Serenity nodded.
"Yugi…" Ombre murmured, pointing upwards.
Yugi looked up in time to see something that looked like a black dragon disappearing into the clouds.
"Fae!" Serenity yelped. The dragon took off, but was back again in just a few minutes, with a despondent Serenity. "Lost it again, it was heading for the volcano."
"Then that's where we're going." Yugi nodded, thinking quickly, "Serenity, can Ancient Fairy Dragon carry two people up there?"
"I think so." She replied hesitantly, looking at her dragon, who seemed unfazed by carrying two.
"Ombre, can Criosphinx carry you and someone else?"
"I'd assume so." Ombre nodded.
"Alright," Yugi looked at them, "Grandpa, you go with Ombre, Yami you go with Serenity."
"What about you?" Solomon asked.
"Capsule launch." Yugi's reply was to send out his Sunset Magician and fuse with it.
"You shouldn't…"
Yugi took to the air.
"…Be using the armour more then necessary."
The others weren't far behind.
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"Hermione Granger, what are you still doing up at this time of the morning?"
Hermione stretched and looked up from the book she was reading, and glanced at the alarm clock. The glowing red digital display was dead. The batteries had probably run out. "What time is it?" She asked, turning to face her mother, who looked less then amused.
"Half past two." Her mother came over, taking the books that were still on the bed and shifting the pile that had built up on the floor, "And long past the time you should have been asleep young lady."
"But Mum…" Hermione winced at how whiney she sounded; maybe it was time to sleep.
"Just what are you looking for in all these books?" Katherine looked around at the books her daughter was reading. Not her usual fair of Egyptology texts and obscure magical rituals, no this was Indian history, magical areas within the country, magical forms of transport… that explained the sudden need to travel to Diagon Alley Sunday afternoon. "Has something happened?"
"Some of my friends are missing." Hermione replied, "On holiday in India."
That explained the new texts, "What happened?" She asked quietly, putting a hand on her daughter's shoulder. Hermione had been understandably upset since the death of her best friend, and her mother sincerely hoped that Hermione wasn't about to go through even more sorrow.
"Someone interrupted the transport device they were using and they got dumped in the middle of nowhere." Hermione curled up slightly, "Seto thinks that they're alright, because apparently there was no sign of a struggle but…"
"An accident maybe?"
"Portkeys don't break for no reason." Hermione shook her head.
"Who would want to attack secondary school children?" Katherine frowned, not at her daughter, but more at the thought in general, "Even magical children are just children…"
"They're not… normal…" Hermione changed what she was going to say, refusing to lie to her parents.
"So what, they're rich? Or powerful? Is that why you think they were attacked?"
"Powerful." Hermione nodded, "And they have these really old, really valuable items that they look after that makes them a target."
"A kidnapping?"
"Maybe."
"I won't tell you to sleep, but I will remind you that you're here in England and their in India, there isn't much you can do for them, by not sleeping when you have to be up early tomorrow."
"I know, I know." Hermione scowled at the books her Mother had moved. "They're useless anyway, books always are! There's nothing useful in them again!"
"I thought the wisdom of the ages was in a text book somewhere." Katherine teased her daughter gently, reminding Hermione of the time, back when the girl had been six or seven, that Hermione had borrowed a rather complicated text book on physics from the library and run up stairs with it, giggling that she'd soon be learning everything there was to know in the universe.
That book had gone back to the library late and only half read.
"Not all the wisdom." Hermione sighed, closing her eyes, "Not wisdom that can help me now."
"Maybe you should write your own books then." Katherine could have groaned as Hermione's eyes opened, looking incredibly interested in the idea. "But not now. Go to sleep first."
"But mum…"
"In the morning I'll help you get whatever you need, but I won't pay for notebooks and pens and research books and equipment if you won't sleep now."
Hermione closed her eyes determinedly.
Katherine waited until her daughter was actually asleep and then left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her, returning to the bedroom she shared with her husband, Aiden, who rolled over as she led down carefully, trying not to disturb him, to look at her with half closed eyes, "Everything alright?"
"I don't know, maybe." She sighed, closing her eyes, "You ever think that maybe we made a mistake, letting Hermione go that school?"
"Where else would she get training?" She could hear the frown in her husband's tone but didn't open her eyes.
"I don't know, private tutor or something?"
"We wouldn't have known where to go to get one."
There was silence for a minute, then "Aiden? Love?"
"Yes dear?" The poor dentist murmured, mostly asleep again.
"How would you feel about a holiday to Japan?"
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They'd almost been at the top of the volcano when they'd been attacked, and Solomon had dropped the scroll in his attempt to stay on the sphinx that was carrying him.
Luckily Yugi had caught it.
Unluckily Yugi had only caught it by the corner, so it unravelled, revealing the task for all to see and allowing him to read a few of the words.
"Damn." Yugi growled, "Yami!" He shot past, passing the parchment to his dark half as Ancient Fairy Dragon and Criosphinx landed on the shelf just down from the volcano's mouth and Yugi stayed up in the air, to try and stop any more attacks getting through.
"What does it say?" Ombre asked, scowling.
"To gain the prize that you desire, locate the peak that spits fire. The blade of chaos thou must release, to bring about a lasting piece."
"Well, we're on the peak that spit's fire." Solomon frowned, indicating the rocks that the volcano was occasionally spitting out.
"So where's this blade of chaos?" Ombre scowled.
"There." Yugi darted forward, towards a sword that was embedded in the rocks.
"Yugi wait!" Yami yelped.
A ball of fire came out of nowhere, narrowly missing Yugi and pushing him back, away from the sword.
That wasn't the worst of it.
They watched in horror as someone descended from the ash filled clouds, in Duel Monster armour, armour that had resulted, quite obviously, from a fusion of human and Red Eyes Black Dragon…
"Joey?" Yugi stared as his friend hovered just about the peak he'd been trying to reach. "What…?"
Joey's chuckle made Yugi gulp. His friend's voice was wrong, there was an echo behind it that made Yugi float back around a foot as the fact that Joey's eyes were red sank in. Not again… please not again… "Don't play dumb, Yugi." 'Joey' sniggered, "I've merged with my monster, just like you have." He smirked, "And now that I've gotten a little power boost, I'll be completing the rest of these tasks without having to rely on a weak, pathetic loser like you."
Yami growled, reaching for his capsules, only to be stopped by Solomon, who shook his head, "Easy now. That's not Joey."
"I know but…" Yami glanced at his hikari. Yugi would NOT want to do this, would not want to fight his best friend, not again…
"Yami…"
"Sure." 'Joey' snorted, as Yugi called to Yami, so used to the outward signs that he knew the moment Yugi had done so, "Go running to your precious dark side whenever you don't want to do something."
"I…" Yugi landed, "I don't want to do this, Joey. Not again." Yugi shook his head, refusing to attack, staring up at his best friend, whose armour that looked like his Red Eyes Transmigration armour with bigger and stronger wings, and had a polearm weapon with an axe like head, Yugi knew the spell card but couldn't think of the name, only knowing that it would boost Joey's firepower. "Please, fight it…"
"What kind of a king begs?" Joey laughed, throwing a second fireball. This one exploded at Yugi's feet, blasting him backward. The heir landed on his back at his dark half's feet. Yugi groaned as he forced himself to sit up. "Get up and fight me like a man!"
"Yugi…" Yami helped him to his feet, with an odd expression.
"No." Yugi knew what Yami was asking.
"I nearly lost you last time."
"Yami…" Yugi took to the skies to both save his friend and prevent his dark half from attacking. "I'm not going to fight you, Joey."
Joey, under the control of whatever had given him the armour, had no intention of letting Yugi refuse, swiping at the hikari, who floated backwards, to avoid the attack.
Joey pressed his advantage, lunging at Yugi with a punch aimed at the hikari's face, leaving his friend with no other options then to defend himself, blocking the attack and countering with a kick that knocked Joey backwards about two foot.
Joey countered by chucking a fireball at Yugi, who knocked it aside with a blast of magic, before attempting to dart around Joey to get to the sword.
Joey was having none of it, swiftly moving between Yugi and the sword, lashing out with his halberd, the axe part of which resembled his wing, forcing Yugi to back off, as he had no weapon of his own.
Yami darted forwards as Yugi and Joey fought, to try to get the sword while Joey was distracted, without calling any monsters, only to regret it a moment later, when an Inferno Fire Blast attack headed in his direction and before he knew what was going on, Yugi had intercepted, using his own body as the shield.
"Dark Magician!" Yami summoned his monster and turned on Joey, to protect his hikari, "I won't let you hurt him, Joey."
"N… No." Yugi got up slowly, pain easy to sense, "My fight." Yugi took off again; giving Yami a look that clearly stated 'no.' He faced his friend, unsure how to attack, and suddenly horribly aware that the sword they were meant to be retrieving was sinking into the rock.
Joey attacked again, forcing Yugi into a second round of combat as Ombre darted around the mountain, coming at the sword from a different angle, getting pretty close before Joey nearly knocked her into the lava.
"Get away!" Yugi gasped, saving Ombre and taking another blow for his troubles.
"That's it. I don't care, I'm not going to stand here while Yugi gets hurt trying to protect us." Yami snarled, "You focus on the sword, I'm helping Yugi." Dark Magician took to the sky, blocking a blow from Joey that would have sent Yugi flying, as Ombre and Solomon nodded and Serenity hesitated.
"Yami, I told you this was my fight!" Yugi protested as the Dark Magician got Joey to back off long enough for Solomon and Ombre to reach the sword and attempt to pull it out.
Yami would have replied, but Joey had taken that moment to blast the Dark Magician, causing the monster in question to crash into the ground and Yami to cry out in pain. Then Yugi had no time to do anything other then get between the others and Joey as the dragon possessed young man as he attacked again.
Ombre and Solomon dove out of the way as Yugi was pushed back, into the sword's hilt, and with a swing of the halberd, sent crashing into a pile of rocks, swiftly followed by an Inferno Fire Blast attack that struck home, leaving Yugi practically unconscious as Joey swooped in.
Yugi's armour was gone, Sunset Magician back in its capsule, which was now silver.
"JOEY STOP!" Serenity put herself between Yugi and her brother.
Somehow, Joey pulled up in time, hovering a few foot in the air, looking rather pleased with himself as the sword embedded in the rock disappeared completely.
"Yugi!" Yami darted towards his hikari, his Dark Magician picking himself up slowly.
Ombre stared at the point where the sword had been… "It's over… we lost…"
"N… No…" Yugi whimpered, as Yami watched him do what should have been impossible without healing and get to his feet, "Not over."
"Yugi…"
The heir looked up at his possessed friend, who looked vaguely surprised that Yugi could get up.
Dark Magician reached their side.
"Yami, may I?" Yugi nodded towards the monster, who watched them without reacting.
"Yugi, you…"
"I promise, it's not over." Yugi said, as firmly as he could.
Yami hesitated.
"Dark Magician." Yugi turned to the Duel Monster, "Please, aid me."
The two fused.
Yugi took to the air, though he was nowhere near as agile as before. "I'm going to knock you back to your senses Joey."
"You should have stayed down." 'Joey' replied, and would have attacked again, but something was stopping him.
"You're not going to hurt my friends using my body!" It looked like something was holding him back, and for a moment, Yugi thought he caught a glimpse of a spirit like Joey.
"NOW!" Yugi was sure that was Joey's voice.
"DARK MAGIC ATTACK!" Yugi's bellow was heard even over the sound of the bubbling volcano, as he pointed the staff at Joey and focused the magic of the monster he's merged with.
The powerful blast of magic struck home, knocking Joey out of the skies. This time it was Joey's turn to hit the ground hard, and as he did so, the armour shattered, leaving an unconscious Red Eyes and an injured Joey behind.
"Yugi, finish it!" Ombre growled.
"No!" Joey yelped, staggering to his feet, moving over to the dragon, climbing up onto it's back and pulling on the thing which had been causing the shoulder pain.
"Another sword!" Solomon got it.
"Yugi, destroy it!" Joey yelled, throwing the sword up into the air.
With a second Dark Magic Attack, the sword was gone.
A third segment on the pendant turned red.
Red Eyes waited until Joey had climbed down, before vanishing in a burst of golden light and entering Joey's capsule launcher, which ejected a shining golden capsule.
"Good to have you at my side, pal." Joey murmured to it as the door to the next world opened, then he pitched forward and was caught by Yugi, who looked like he wouldn't be upright much longer himself.
"Door." Yugi panted, shaking his head, trying to shift the darkness at the edge of his vision.
"Let me." Ombre pulled her Criosphinx back out, as Serenity checked and confirmed Joey's pulse. Yugi managed to get Joey on the monster's back, before his armour vanished and he had to be held upright by Yami. Solomon grabbed both Sunset Magician's sliver capsule and Dark Magician's golden one.
"Let's… move on." Yugi advised.
"You both need…"
"Let's go… through first… Heal us… once we're through."
They quickly headed through the door, finding them selves in a fruit filled forest. They didn't look around too much as they got Joey down from the sphinx's back.
"Is he…" Yugi asked, gasping for breath and leaning heavily on his dark half, "Is he…?"
"He's ok, or he will be, once he's had a chance to rest." Serenity replied, wanting to reassure the hikari, while knowing she needed to make a full check without worrying him some how.
The need to be cautious was removed when, at Serenity's reassurance, Yugi finally gave into the darkness that had been trying to claim him since his Sunset Magician armour had shattered.
Very hot.
"I wouldn't like to fall down there." Joey commented, looking over the edge of the cliff to the pool of lava below, as Serenity's Mystical Elf healed Yugi of the injuries he'd sustained when he'd deliberately moved in the way of the attack from Yami's Dark Magician in order to pass the second trial.
"Please don't." Yami scowled at him, still irritated about the fact Joey kept calling him Yams, and feeling guilty about his monster's attack. If he'd remembered the last part of the riddle, it wouldn't have happened, but his anger at the Dark attribute Duel Monster's attempted attack on Yugi had pushed rational thought out of his mind.
"Wasn't planning on it." Joey replied with a grin, aware of Yami's mood and determined to keep it focused on him, if only to keep the worried, stressed out, Pharaoh from snapping at anyone other then him.
Tempers were likely to fray in this heat as it was, but there wasn't much he could do about that part, since the doorway they had flown through had led to an active volcano, and the wings they had won during the last task had disappeared the moment they had landed to take a short breather.
"The only thing these areas have in common is the heat." Yugi added to the conversation, even more aware of Yami's mood then Joey, but getting no response when prodding the mind link, as Mystical Elf vanished back into her capsule, which had a silver tint to it. Serenity didn't mention it to the others, deciding that her elf just needed a rest, "Think about it, a desert, an island in the sky with no practically no cover and now a volcano."
"Anyone would think that the guy who created this game didn't know what ice was." Joey snorted.
"It's possible that whoever created the game was unable to think of way to get any ice into the tasks so far." Ombre retorted, as Yugi stood up, thanked Serenity profusely and looked around properly. "Or thought it would take up too much power to keep somewhere cold enough for ice."
"Which is a shame; because I'd welcome an icy level next…" Joey said, licking his dry lips, throat already parched. If the next level was hotter again, he was going to get Kaiba to build a time machine, go back in time and kick the butt of whoever had invented this stupid game.
"We'll just have to wait and see." Yugi nodded, "We have to find the parchment for this task first."
"They haven't been too hard to find so far." Serenity offered, "So it might not be too far away." She frowned at her brother, who was looking towards the volcano with an odd expression. "Joey?"
"Nothing." Joey frowned, sure he'd heard something, no, not something, someone. Someone he knew rather well in fact, he'd recognise that roar anywhere and he didn't know how the others had missed it. "Are we going or what?"
They gathered up their bags, "Let's go." Yugi nodded, "The sooner we find the clue, the sooner we can actually have our vacation."
They followed the easiest route through the mountain, a steep, rugged mountain path that weaved its way around the cliffs and was prone to crumbling, but was still easier then scrambling over the sharp rocks which gave no warning as to whether there was rock or a fifty foot drop on the other side.
It was either a trap or part of the level's design, in order to assist the players, Yugi wasn't sure which, and it was making him nervous, as he led the group through around the rocks, and further up the mountain, towards the volcano.
The ground shook, and Yugi wheeled around at Serenity's cry.
The ground had given way beneath those trailing behind, sending them tumbling down to the path below.
Joey, who had fallen, along with Serenity and Ombre, helped the girls to their feet and then looked up at Yugi, Yami and Solomon, shaking his head as Yugi reached for his Sunlight Magician capsule.
"Are you alright?" Yami shouted down.
"We're fine. Don't worry about us." Joey shouted up, "Don't exhaust your monsters; we'll meet up with you."
Yugi hesitated.
"Who knows, we might find the scroll." Joey grinned, "Bet you five common monster cards that we find it before you do."
Yugi wasn't sure that splitting up was the wisest course, but Solomon put his hand on his shoulder, "We'll be searching forever at this rate." He advised.
"If you find it, don't open the scroll until we meet up." Yugi called down, "Has anyone got a working clock?"
Ombre and Joey shook their heads but Serenity called up, "I have a watch but it can't be the right time."
"It's working though, right?"
"Uh huh."
"If you can't find a way up, we'll meet back here in two hours." The heir nodded, "Try not to get lost."
"See ya later, Yuge." Joey waved, ushering the girls off.
Yugi didn't move until the group below had turned a corner and vanished from sight, then he sighed and turned to the others, "We need to mark this point."
Solomon opened his backpack and pulled out a couple of pots. "We have nothing to cook…"
"It'll do." Yugi nodded, putting them in an obvious, but safe place. "Let's go."
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Rebecca was on the phone, talking loudly in the study, when Professor Arthur Hawkins got home from the guest lecture he had been speaking at.
"I'll ask when he gets home. No, I've found no mention in my Grandfather's history books of a pyramid in India, there's mention of Alexander the Great, who was a Pharaoh, passing through, but…" She hesitated as Arthur slipped into the room, "Grandpa, do you know if there's any pyramids in India?"
"Not as far as I'm aware, but India isn't my specialty."
Rebecca passed on the message and nodded, obviously agreeing with whatever whoever she was speaking to was saying. "Are you sure you don't need me to come over? I know I know… Alright, you'd better phone me the moment you know anything, got it? Alright… bye."
"Something wrong?" Arthur asked as Rebecca put the phone down and slumped onto the chair, text books strewn across the desk, cupboards and floor.
"Yugi and the others are missing, Mr Muto too."
"What?" Arthur stared at his granddaughter.
"They were going to India via portkey and something went wrong, Seto sent out a search party and they discovered a pyramid that has anti Muggle wards up…"
"Okay, how did Solomon get involved in this? I thought he was off on a dig in an advisory role." Arthur frowned, remembering Solomon mentioning that he wouldn't be available to contact for about a month.
"He was." Rebecca nodded. "In India."
"Oh."
"Yeah." She glanced at the clock, five pm, so it was probably about nine am in Japan, so it had been almost twenty four hours since the group had vanished…
"What's Kaiba doing about it?"
"He and Mokuba are heading to India, to see what they can do. Seto believes that whoever has kidnapped the gang, may be holding Solomon prisoner in order to manipulate Yugi."
Arthur frowned, having been allowed to know the recent history of the Millennium Items. "There's a gentleman at the college I was speaking at today, who specialises in Grecian History. He may have more information on the travels of Alexander the Great then I do. I can give him a call."
"Really?" Rebecca's face lit up and she glomped her grandfather who staggered backwards under the weight of an almost fifteen year old girl.
"Let me find that phone number…"
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"DUCK!"
Joey pulled Serenity to the ground and Ombre dove to one side as something huge and black dove at them, roaring as it missing them by inches.
"Tobias!" Joey stormed as he got to his feet, glowering at the dragon that landed in the middle of the path they had been following. "What do you think you're doing?"
The Red Eyes Black Dragon didn't reply, merely roared at him and launched an Inferno Fire Blast which passed straight over their heads and exploded on the rocks behind Ombre.
"Capsule…"
"Ombre, no!" Joey snapped at her, glancing over his shoulder, before, carefully approaching the dragon, who took a step backwards and growled. "Tobias?"
"Joey, I don't think…"
The dragon blinked at Joey, huge red eyes staring at Joey.
"What's wrong, pal?" Joey asked, standing just a foot from the dragon that a moment ago had been about to attack again.
The Dragon lowered its head to Joey's level, snarling and snapping when Serenity tried to approach.
"Easy, that's my sister." Joey placed his hand on the dragon's head.
In that moment emotions and feelings rushed through him, feelings and emotions from the dragon he was now touching, including a severe pain in his right shoulder.
In a blinding flash of ruby and with a pained cry, both Duellist and Dragon were gone.
"Joey!" Serenity rushed forward, standing in the spot that her brother had vanished from and looking around desperately. "JOEY!" She sent out her Ancient Fairy Dragon and mounted, offering Ombre a hand up, allowing the Princess to settle before directing her dragon to take off.
There was no sign of the dragon among the dark, ash filled clouds, and Serenity was in tears from worry and stress by the time that Ombre shouted that she saw the others, and Serenity directed her dragon to land just down the path from them.
"Guys, what's wrong?" Yugi darted forward.
"Joey's vanished." Ombre replied, noting that Solomon was holding the scroll for the level.
Yugi stopped dead, staring at her as Serenity wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, "What?"
"Joey. Gone."
"How? When? Where?"
"We were attacked by a Red Eyes and Joey managed to approach it without getting eaten." Serenity replied, eyes cast downwards towards the rocks at her dragon's feet. "And they both vanished."
"Ra damn it." Yami looked around, trying to work out what to do, then remembering that he was supposed to be deferring to Yugi for the duration of the game and looking at his hikari, who seemed lost.
"We have to find him." Yugi finally spoke up, "Can you show us where he vanished to?"
"Uh huh." Serenity nodded.
"Yugi…" Ombre murmured, pointing upwards.
Yugi looked up in time to see something that looked like a black dragon disappearing into the clouds.
"Fae!" Serenity yelped. The dragon took off, but was back again in just a few minutes, with a despondent Serenity. "Lost it again, it was heading for the volcano."
"Then that's where we're going." Yugi nodded, thinking quickly, "Serenity, can Ancient Fairy Dragon carry two people up there?"
"I think so." She replied hesitantly, looking at her dragon, who seemed unfazed by carrying two.
"Ombre, can Criosphinx carry you and someone else?"
"I'd assume so." Ombre nodded.
"Alright," Yugi looked at them, "Grandpa, you go with Ombre, Yami you go with Serenity."
"What about you?" Solomon asked.
"Capsule launch." Yugi's reply was to send out his Sunset Magician and fuse with it.
"You shouldn't…"
Yugi took to the air.
"…Be using the armour more then necessary."
The others weren't far behind.
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"Hermione Granger, what are you still doing up at this time of the morning?"
Hermione stretched and looked up from the book she was reading, and glanced at the alarm clock. The glowing red digital display was dead. The batteries had probably run out. "What time is it?" She asked, turning to face her mother, who looked less then amused.
"Half past two." Her mother came over, taking the books that were still on the bed and shifting the pile that had built up on the floor, "And long past the time you should have been asleep young lady."
"But Mum…" Hermione winced at how whiney she sounded; maybe it was time to sleep.
"Just what are you looking for in all these books?" Katherine looked around at the books her daughter was reading. Not her usual fair of Egyptology texts and obscure magical rituals, no this was Indian history, magical areas within the country, magical forms of transport… that explained the sudden need to travel to Diagon Alley Sunday afternoon. "Has something happened?"
"Some of my friends are missing." Hermione replied, "On holiday in India."
That explained the new texts, "What happened?" She asked quietly, putting a hand on her daughter's shoulder. Hermione had been understandably upset since the death of her best friend, and her mother sincerely hoped that Hermione wasn't about to go through even more sorrow.
"Someone interrupted the transport device they were using and they got dumped in the middle of nowhere." Hermione curled up slightly, "Seto thinks that they're alright, because apparently there was no sign of a struggle but…"
"An accident maybe?"
"Portkeys don't break for no reason." Hermione shook her head.
"Who would want to attack secondary school children?" Katherine frowned, not at her daughter, but more at the thought in general, "Even magical children are just children…"
"They're not… normal…" Hermione changed what she was going to say, refusing to lie to her parents.
"So what, they're rich? Or powerful? Is that why you think they were attacked?"
"Powerful." Hermione nodded, "And they have these really old, really valuable items that they look after that makes them a target."
"A kidnapping?"
"Maybe."
"I won't tell you to sleep, but I will remind you that you're here in England and their in India, there isn't much you can do for them, by not sleeping when you have to be up early tomorrow."
"I know, I know." Hermione scowled at the books her Mother had moved. "They're useless anyway, books always are! There's nothing useful in them again!"
"I thought the wisdom of the ages was in a text book somewhere." Katherine teased her daughter gently, reminding Hermione of the time, back when the girl had been six or seven, that Hermione had borrowed a rather complicated text book on physics from the library and run up stairs with it, giggling that she'd soon be learning everything there was to know in the universe.
That book had gone back to the library late and only half read.
"Not all the wisdom." Hermione sighed, closing her eyes, "Not wisdom that can help me now."
"Maybe you should write your own books then." Katherine could have groaned as Hermione's eyes opened, looking incredibly interested in the idea. "But not now. Go to sleep first."
"But mum…"
"In the morning I'll help you get whatever you need, but I won't pay for notebooks and pens and research books and equipment if you won't sleep now."
Hermione closed her eyes determinedly.
Katherine waited until her daughter was actually asleep and then left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her, returning to the bedroom she shared with her husband, Aiden, who rolled over as she led down carefully, trying not to disturb him, to look at her with half closed eyes, "Everything alright?"
"I don't know, maybe." She sighed, closing her eyes, "You ever think that maybe we made a mistake, letting Hermione go that school?"
"Where else would she get training?" She could hear the frown in her husband's tone but didn't open her eyes.
"I don't know, private tutor or something?"
"We wouldn't have known where to go to get one."
There was silence for a minute, then "Aiden? Love?"
"Yes dear?" The poor dentist murmured, mostly asleep again.
"How would you feel about a holiday to Japan?"
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They'd almost been at the top of the volcano when they'd been attacked, and Solomon had dropped the scroll in his attempt to stay on the sphinx that was carrying him.
Luckily Yugi had caught it.
Unluckily Yugi had only caught it by the corner, so it unravelled, revealing the task for all to see and allowing him to read a few of the words.
"Damn." Yugi growled, "Yami!" He shot past, passing the parchment to his dark half as Ancient Fairy Dragon and Criosphinx landed on the shelf just down from the volcano's mouth and Yugi stayed up in the air, to try and stop any more attacks getting through.
"What does it say?" Ombre asked, scowling.
"To gain the prize that you desire, locate the peak that spits fire. The blade of chaos thou must release, to bring about a lasting piece."
"Well, we're on the peak that spit's fire." Solomon frowned, indicating the rocks that the volcano was occasionally spitting out.
"So where's this blade of chaos?" Ombre scowled.
"There." Yugi darted forward, towards a sword that was embedded in the rocks.
"Yugi wait!" Yami yelped.
A ball of fire came out of nowhere, narrowly missing Yugi and pushing him back, away from the sword.
That wasn't the worst of it.
They watched in horror as someone descended from the ash filled clouds, in Duel Monster armour, armour that had resulted, quite obviously, from a fusion of human and Red Eyes Black Dragon…
"Joey?" Yugi stared as his friend hovered just about the peak he'd been trying to reach. "What…?"
Joey's chuckle made Yugi gulp. His friend's voice was wrong, there was an echo behind it that made Yugi float back around a foot as the fact that Joey's eyes were red sank in. Not again… please not again… "Don't play dumb, Yugi." 'Joey' sniggered, "I've merged with my monster, just like you have." He smirked, "And now that I've gotten a little power boost, I'll be completing the rest of these tasks without having to rely on a weak, pathetic loser like you."
Yami growled, reaching for his capsules, only to be stopped by Solomon, who shook his head, "Easy now. That's not Joey."
"I know but…" Yami glanced at his hikari. Yugi would NOT want to do this, would not want to fight his best friend, not again…
"Yami…"
"Sure." 'Joey' snorted, as Yugi called to Yami, so used to the outward signs that he knew the moment Yugi had done so, "Go running to your precious dark side whenever you don't want to do something."
"I…" Yugi landed, "I don't want to do this, Joey. Not again." Yugi shook his head, refusing to attack, staring up at his best friend, whose armour that looked like his Red Eyes Transmigration armour with bigger and stronger wings, and had a polearm weapon with an axe like head, Yugi knew the spell card but couldn't think of the name, only knowing that it would boost Joey's firepower. "Please, fight it…"
"What kind of a king begs?" Joey laughed, throwing a second fireball. This one exploded at Yugi's feet, blasting him backward. The heir landed on his back at his dark half's feet. Yugi groaned as he forced himself to sit up. "Get up and fight me like a man!"
"Yugi…" Yami helped him to his feet, with an odd expression.
"No." Yugi knew what Yami was asking.
"I nearly lost you last time."
"Yami…" Yugi took to the skies to both save his friend and prevent his dark half from attacking. "I'm not going to fight you, Joey."
Joey, under the control of whatever had given him the armour, had no intention of letting Yugi refuse, swiping at the hikari, who floated backwards, to avoid the attack.
Joey pressed his advantage, lunging at Yugi with a punch aimed at the hikari's face, leaving his friend with no other options then to defend himself, blocking the attack and countering with a kick that knocked Joey backwards about two foot.
Joey countered by chucking a fireball at Yugi, who knocked it aside with a blast of magic, before attempting to dart around Joey to get to the sword.
Joey was having none of it, swiftly moving between Yugi and the sword, lashing out with his halberd, the axe part of which resembled his wing, forcing Yugi to back off, as he had no weapon of his own.
Yami darted forwards as Yugi and Joey fought, to try to get the sword while Joey was distracted, without calling any monsters, only to regret it a moment later, when an Inferno Fire Blast attack headed in his direction and before he knew what was going on, Yugi had intercepted, using his own body as the shield.
"Dark Magician!" Yami summoned his monster and turned on Joey, to protect his hikari, "I won't let you hurt him, Joey."
"N… No." Yugi got up slowly, pain easy to sense, "My fight." Yugi took off again; giving Yami a look that clearly stated 'no.' He faced his friend, unsure how to attack, and suddenly horribly aware that the sword they were meant to be retrieving was sinking into the rock.
Joey attacked again, forcing Yugi into a second round of combat as Ombre darted around the mountain, coming at the sword from a different angle, getting pretty close before Joey nearly knocked her into the lava.
"Get away!" Yugi gasped, saving Ombre and taking another blow for his troubles.
"That's it. I don't care, I'm not going to stand here while Yugi gets hurt trying to protect us." Yami snarled, "You focus on the sword, I'm helping Yugi." Dark Magician took to the sky, blocking a blow from Joey that would have sent Yugi flying, as Ombre and Solomon nodded and Serenity hesitated.
"Yami, I told you this was my fight!" Yugi protested as the Dark Magician got Joey to back off long enough for Solomon and Ombre to reach the sword and attempt to pull it out.
Yami would have replied, but Joey had taken that moment to blast the Dark Magician, causing the monster in question to crash into the ground and Yami to cry out in pain. Then Yugi had no time to do anything other then get between the others and Joey as the dragon possessed young man as he attacked again.
Ombre and Solomon dove out of the way as Yugi was pushed back, into the sword's hilt, and with a swing of the halberd, sent crashing into a pile of rocks, swiftly followed by an Inferno Fire Blast attack that struck home, leaving Yugi practically unconscious as Joey swooped in.
Yugi's armour was gone, Sunset Magician back in its capsule, which was now silver.
"JOEY STOP!" Serenity put herself between Yugi and her brother.
Somehow, Joey pulled up in time, hovering a few foot in the air, looking rather pleased with himself as the sword embedded in the rock disappeared completely.
"Yugi!" Yami darted towards his hikari, his Dark Magician picking himself up slowly.
Ombre stared at the point where the sword had been… "It's over… we lost…"
"N… No…" Yugi whimpered, as Yami watched him do what should have been impossible without healing and get to his feet, "Not over."
"Yugi…"
The heir looked up at his possessed friend, who looked vaguely surprised that Yugi could get up.
Dark Magician reached their side.
"Yami, may I?" Yugi nodded towards the monster, who watched them without reacting.
"Yugi, you…"
"I promise, it's not over." Yugi said, as firmly as he could.
Yami hesitated.
"Dark Magician." Yugi turned to the Duel Monster, "Please, aid me."
The two fused.
Yugi took to the air, though he was nowhere near as agile as before. "I'm going to knock you back to your senses Joey."
"You should have stayed down." 'Joey' replied, and would have attacked again, but something was stopping him.
"You're not going to hurt my friends using my body!" It looked like something was holding him back, and for a moment, Yugi thought he caught a glimpse of a spirit like Joey.
"NOW!" Yugi was sure that was Joey's voice.
"DARK MAGIC ATTACK!" Yugi's bellow was heard even over the sound of the bubbling volcano, as he pointed the staff at Joey and focused the magic of the monster he's merged with.
The powerful blast of magic struck home, knocking Joey out of the skies. This time it was Joey's turn to hit the ground hard, and as he did so, the armour shattered, leaving an unconscious Red Eyes and an injured Joey behind.
"Yugi, finish it!" Ombre growled.
"No!" Joey yelped, staggering to his feet, moving over to the dragon, climbing up onto it's back and pulling on the thing which had been causing the shoulder pain.
"Another sword!" Solomon got it.
"Yugi, destroy it!" Joey yelled, throwing the sword up into the air.
With a second Dark Magic Attack, the sword was gone.
A third segment on the pendant turned red.
Red Eyes waited until Joey had climbed down, before vanishing in a burst of golden light and entering Joey's capsule launcher, which ejected a shining golden capsule.
"Good to have you at my side, pal." Joey murmured to it as the door to the next world opened, then he pitched forward and was caught by Yugi, who looked like he wouldn't be upright much longer himself.
"Door." Yugi panted, shaking his head, trying to shift the darkness at the edge of his vision.
"Let me." Ombre pulled her Criosphinx back out, as Serenity checked and confirmed Joey's pulse. Yugi managed to get Joey on the monster's back, before his armour vanished and he had to be held upright by Yami. Solomon grabbed both Sunset Magician's sliver capsule and Dark Magician's golden one.
"Let's… move on." Yugi advised.
"You both need…"
"Let's go… through first… Heal us… once we're through."
They quickly headed through the door, finding them selves in a fruit filled forest. They didn't look around too much as they got Joey down from the sphinx's back.
"Is he…" Yugi asked, gasping for breath and leaning heavily on his dark half, "Is he…?"
"He's ok, or he will be, once he's had a chance to rest." Serenity replied, wanting to reassure the hikari, while knowing she needed to make a full check without worrying him some how.
The need to be cautious was removed when, at Serenity's reassurance, Yugi finally gave into the darkness that had been trying to claim him since his Sunset Magician armour had shattered.