The Flap Of Butterfly Wings... Index

The flap of Butterfly wings... Index

Once upon a time, Hiccup had a best friend and Toothless a mate. But through his decision to pick Berk and Astrid over them, they lost the girls. In one world Hiccup and Leandra lived their lives away from each other…yet destiny is a funny thing. Their first story "To Belong" was just one of endless possibilities and this here is another one. Will Hiccup and Leandra finally be together? Or will destiny repeat itself?

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

The Queen's Gambit: The Story

The most powerful piece in chess is the queen.

When this piece joins the game of Duel Monsters anything will change.

With two dragon sisters, a magician and her descendant, the queen will take her rightful place.

As it should have been.

Chapter 10: Star Chips here, Star Chips there

The sun was setting over Duelist Kingdom as our group of nine walked around in search of other duelists who would duel, Yugi, Joey, Sehrazat and Kihana.

Currently, their Star Chip count is like this:

Yugi and Kihana had 6 each.

Joey had 5.

And Sehrazat was in the lead with 8 Star Chips.

In total, they needed 15 Star Chips to enter Pegasus Castle.

The group discussed what they should do.

Soon it would be night, surely no one would duel at this time and they had a day left to collect the necessary Star Chips, however, they had noted how fewer duelists were around.

In the end, they decide to split up again.

It was faster this way to collect the missing Star Chips, they would meet again later.

Thank god, they had the Walkie-Talkies to keep track of the other group.

Mokuba stayed with Sehrazat group because he felt safer with Kihana and Sehrazat around.

The two had saved him from getting kidnapped again by Pegasus Lackey, no offence to Yugi and his friends, but yeah Sehra and Hana were badass.

Currently, Mokuba and Sadiye are sitting together on the ground and watching the duel before them.

Maja and Sehrazat were cheering on Kihana, who had found an opponent, the price being 4 Star Chips.

If she won, she would be the first with 10 Star Chips.

"Your sister has a lot of dragons in her deck.", noted Mokuba to Sadiye.

"She isn't called Lady of the Dragons for nothing.", answered Sadiye proudly. "The only ones who ever beat her were Sehrazat and Afya."

Oh yeah, this magical mambo-jumbo they had told him about.

"Again, explain to me how Sehrazat's amulet has the spirit of her ancestor, a queen of Ancient Egpyt inside?"

Sadiye laughed pretty and Mokuba felt a soft blush on his cheeks. He always thought his classmate was a cute girl, but they never interacted with each other till now.

Yet, it felt like he had known her for ages.

Strange.

"It goes like this.", begins Sadiye. "There are 8 Milliunim items, powerful magical tools created in the times of the great pharaohs and queens. One day an unspoken evil threatened the whole world but a courageous pharaoh and his queen faced it. The pharaoh lost his life in the fight, but the evil was defeated. The strong queen married his successor, leading Egypt into a time of prosperity. Then came the day she was on death's doorstep, but she knew the soul of her first husband, her great love, was forever in prison in the Millennium Puzzle. The queen couldn't accept it and prayed to goddess Isis, who not only promised her she would be reunited with her first husband, but that they would need to face the ancient evil again one day. So her soul was banned into the Millennium Fragment, and as a price, she lost all her memories. The founder of the Faizan bloodline, one of the daughters of the queen, swore an aid that the family would protect it, till it was time the queen awoke again. The founder of my family, the Schariq, has always served the house of Faizan and helped them to keep the bloodline and the Millennium Fragment safe. Then when Sehra put the Fragment on the first time she awoke the spirit of the queen. Since she can't remember her name, so Sehra-Nee, named her Afya."

Mokuba nodded and rubbed his neck.

"This sounds too fantasy-like to me...and in Yugi Puzzle is the pharaoh right? That's why he is so different when he duels."

"Right."

"My brother would declare us all mad for this story, he doesn't believe in magic and all this."

Sadiye crossed her arms and hummed.

"I always half believed it, Sehra-Nee didn't believe one bit, but once you encounter a Milliunim Item you start to believe that there is more."

"Well, Sehra and Afya ARE different from each other, I mean she is taller when Afya has control over her body, so you can't mistaken."

"Yugi too when Yami takes control.", added Sadiye.

"And his blond locks go up! Strange I never realized it."

"My mommy says people see what they want to see, so you didn't see the difference till you really looked.", said Sadiye, sounding wise.

"Your mom sounds cool.", told her Mokuba and got a bittersweet look on his face. "I can't remember my Kaa-San well...Seto and I were really young when we lost our parents."

He felt how Sadiye put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. The boy understood she wanted to offer him comfort, but didn't want to use the same old words anybody said to him when he told this.

Mokuba was thankful for this.

Then the two youngest heard how Maja and Sehrazat cheered loudly and saw how Kihana Seiyaryu destroyed the remaining life points of her opponent.

The oldest Schariq won and now has 10 Star Chips!

(*)

"What's wrong with Sadiye-Chan?", asked Anzu Maja worried.

It was night now and our friends were back together.

All congratulated Joey and Kihana to have won more Star Chips today.

Now Kihana was in the lead with 10.

Joey had 7.

Yugi 6 and Sehra 8.

Tomorrow the remaining three had to give their all to reach Kihana and then enter Pegasus Castle.

But this had to wait till the next day since it was night.

Yugi and his friends were so glad, that Sehrazat's group had not only brought food with them to the island but also two tents.

Sure in the tents could only sleep max three-person pro tent, yet it was better than nothing.

At least they had enough food.

Currently, Kihana was cooking for all curry with rice over the campfire Joey and Honda made.

Joey and Honda put up the tents, while Sehrazat and Yugi brought back two buckets of water.

Anzu and Maja had helped Kihana prepare the food and now could sit down since the white-haired beauty shooed them away.

When she cooked, she didn't like to get looked over the shoulders.

So Anzu took the time to ask Maja what little Sadiye had.

She was pouting since she had seen Joey battling and then winning the Red Eyes Black Dragon card.

Not even Mokuba could make his friend laugh.

Maja was shaking her head amused and whispered in Anzu's ear: "Don't say it aloud, but the Red Eyes Black Dragon is not only Sadiye's favourite card but she also has it in her deck. She feels offended when someone other than her has it. But I think she will accept Joey."

"What? She has such a powerful and rare card in her deck?!"

"Oh Anzu-Chan you have seen nothing, Kihana has one of the rarest cards too, but never uses it and in Sehrazat deck hides a card that is as powerful as a god."

Suprised to hear this Anzu blinked.

What did Maja mean by that?

"Oh, what a surprise...your group got bigger.", a female voice greeted them.

It was Mai Kujaku!

"You again?", shouted Joey surprised.

"Hello Mai-San.", greeted Sehrazat, having manners. "How are you?"

"Sehrazat-San, Kihana-San, nice to see you again and you hang out with Yugi's little group? And who are spiky haired girl and the two little ones?", wondered Mai.

"I'm Maja. Sehra and Hana's friend, the little girl is Sadiye, Kihana's sister and the boy is Mokuba."

"Nice to meet you.", said the three together.

Mai had a small smile on her face.

"I see you have a nice campsite, so I won't disturb you."

Finally, Kihana looked up from the pot and said to Mai: "You are not disturbing us, why don't you eat with us?"

This made Joey, Honda and Anzu look at her in disbelief and Joey even whispered what Kihana was thinking inviting Miss Arrogant.

For this Kihana sent him such a cold look with her blue eyes, that Jonouchi thought he was staring down Kaiba Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

Scary.

In the end, Mai took the invitation and even shared her food and her tent with the others.

She even had a portable shower!

The boys, Sehra, Maja and Sadiye sat around the campfire, as Kihana finished cooking, while Mai stood guard before the shower, as Anzu took the first turn.

Anzu and Mai had a nice chat, getting a better understanding of each other, as suddenly Anzu gasped.

Mai stepped into the shower asking what was wrong and Anzu told her she heard something, but when Mai checked there was nothing.

Strange.

After Anzu, Sadiye and Kihana showered together, Sehrazat took over the cooking, then Maja and then Sehrazat. Mai already had taken a shower.

No more strange noises were heard.

The food was finally ready and all dug in happy.

Jonouchi and Honda shovel the curry and rice down like it was their last meal.

Yugi said loud how delicious it was and Anzu added what a great cook Kihana was.

The girl in question blushed and thanked them.

"Mai-San, you already have 8 Star Chips.", noted Yugi. "You might be the first one into the castle tomorrow."

"Yeah. But I want to battle you someday, Yugi.", she told him.

Surprised Yugi blinked.

"Let's forget about duelling for now.", proposed Anzu.

"Yeah. That kind of talk will spoil our dinner.", agreed Joey.

"We're sitting together for now.", began Mai. "But you're my enemies tomorrow. That's what duelling is all about."

All looked at her surprised.

The oldest girl declared she had finished eating and would take a walk.

Joey mumbled something about how she was not charming at all.

"Mmh, mmh, that's why you stare at her cleavage.", sassed Sadiye.

This made Jonouchi turn bright red, trying to find an excuse, while the others started to laugh, Honda even playfully ruffled his hair.

After all finished eating Sadiye and Mokuba started to yawn.

"Okay, you two, time for bed.", said Kihana to them.

She took both sleepy kids by the hand and led them to one of the tents.

"Wait!", called Maja. "I'm tired too, good night guys!"

"Night Maja.", chorused the remaining ones around the campfire.

Kihana joined them back a few minutes later, as they all heard soft snores coming from one of the tents.

Seems like Maja and the kids were already asleep.

Cute.

The others talked for a bit more, till Joey declared that they should probably go to bed too.

"Where did Mai go?", wonder Anzu.

"She does whatever she pleases.", reminds Jonouchi her. "Leave her be."

Out of nowhere behind Anzu, the bushes moved.

Joey and Honda stood up, ready to face whatever there was!

"Who's there? Come on out!", demanded Joey.

Sehrazat got ready to switch places with Afya if the person was dangerous, but a nice-looking and friendly boy with long white hair and brown eyes stepped out of the bushes.

Huh?

Who was this?

Apparently a friend of Yugi and the others, named Ryou Bakura.

After they introduced Sehrazat and Kihana to him, they all sat down beside the campfire.

To Honda's surprise, anyone pulled out a deck of duel monsters.

"What? Everyone brought their cards?"

"What did you expect?", asked Joey rhetoric. "This is a kingdom for duelists, after all."

"Yeah."

"Everyone on this island is putting their hearts into their cards. That was corny!", laughed Jonouchi.

"What's your favourite card, Jonouchi?", asked Bakura.

"This one of course. Call me Flame Swordsman from now on!"

"My favourite is Cyber Commander!", told Honda.

"You guys act like little kids.", said Anzu amused.

"But Jonouchi's right.", said Yugi. "Anzu you must have a favourite card."

"Well, this is my favourite card."

"What? Magician of Faith?", read Honda aloud the card's name.

"She looks suspicious.", added Joey.

"You idiot!", yelled Anzu at them.

Both boys embrace each other in fright.

"What's your favourite card, Yugi?", wonders Bakura.

"Dark Magician, of course."

This made Kihana giggle, while Sehrazat got bashful.

"Fits with Sehrazat's one.", told the white-haired beauty.

"Oh do tell!", said Anzu eager.

Shy Sehrazat raised The Dark Magician girl.

"Oh, is there not a legend about these two cards...who has them are soulmates?", remembers Joey, what they had heard from the Egyptian girls.

Yugi blushed, and Sehrazat's ears formally burned while all gave them knowing looks.

Bakura laughed softly and turned to Kihana: "What is your favourite card, Kihana-San?"

"You have to promise not to tell anyone.", she asked the ones who didn't know it.

Of course, they agreed and from her deck, she pulled...

"Blue-Eyes White Dragon?!", shouted nearly anyone.

"So the last card is in your hands Kihana-San.", summorized Yugi astonish.

"Yes, but I don't use it, I keep it as a Lucky Charm."

"But with such a strong card, you could win easily.", said Joey.

"Truth, but I will only use it, when it's a really dire situation, till now, I never needed it."

Anzu hummed and said: "I'm starting to understand how it feels to believe in your favourite cards and duel."

"Grandpa always talked about the heart of the cards.", added Yugi. "You can't truly duel until you play with cards that have your heart."

All nodded in agreement.

"What's your favourite card, Bakura?", wanted Yugi to know.

"This one."

"Change of Heart?"

"A spell card, interesting.", said Sehrazat.

All had picked monsters cards, besides Bakura.

"That's a weird card to like.", shared Joey his opinion.

Bakura just narrowed his eyes and asked Yugi if he wanted to duel him, just for fun, no Star Chips.

All were in favour of it.

A nice friendly duel was what they needed after all these competitive ones.

"What if you put your favourite cards into Yugi's deck?", suggested Bakura.

Well, no one had a problem with that, even Kihana was all right with it. It was just a friendly duel, not a competitive one.

So they got out a Duelling Map and put their cards in Yugi's deck.

"Okay, we are ready!", said Yugi to Bakura.

Anzu wished them both good luck.

Joey didn't think Bakura could beat Yugi, but he should give it's best.

"Just have fun.", said Kihana smiling.

Suddenly they all heard something that sounded like windchimnies.

"Sehrazat! Look out!", screamed Afya in their minds, but it was already too late.

A Millenium Item appeared around Bakura's neck, the Milliunim Ring!

The atmosphere changed around them, they were now in a dark shadowy place.

"What's that?!", shouted Jonouchi.

"This is a Shadow Game!", yelled Yugi.

The Millennium Ring started to shine and our friends knew no more.

They all fainted.

(*)

Yami Bakura laughed as he saw the pathetic soulless humans on the ground.

"This was too easy.", he laughed in triumph. He walked first over to Yugi. "The Millennium Puzzle is mine."

He reached out for it, but at the same time, both Puzzle and Fragment started to glow.

Yami and Afya took control of their Hikari's body and stood up.

"What?!"

"I'll face you in this Shadow Game.", declared Yami, while Afya stared Yami Bakura down with a burning look.

"So the pharaoh and queen have shown up.", giggled Yami Bakura creepily. "I've been waiting for you."

Afya took a step forward, gripped her Millliunim Fragment and turned it into a beautiful golden sword.

She pointed it at him.

"What did you do to the children?!"

Yami felt how Afya was ready to just straight up slice the person before them into nice pieces, but they needed him to get the souls of Yugi, Sehrazat and the others back.

So he gripped her free hand and whispered in her ear.

"Calm down, my queen. Right now, he has the upper hand. Starting to murder him, will not bring back the children."

From Afya came a little growl, but she nodded.

Her husband was right.

She turned the sword back into the Fragment form.

"Still so disgustingly in love mmh.", mocked Yami Bakura.

"Bakura, I didn't know you were a Shadow Game duelist.", stated Yami.

"Bakura? I'm not Bakura."

"Then what do you want?!", shouted Afya, only Yami's tight grip on her hand stopping her from punching the white-haired boy in the face.

"You should know, little queen. Whoever collects all the Millenium Items will have the power to rule the world. If the pharaoh wins, I'll return everyone's souls. But if I win, I get the Puzzle and Fragment."

"Kick his ass, Yami!", said Afya, as both males got ready to duel.

Demeter Somerset and the Ancient Magic

Long before Harry Potter stepped into the halls of Hogwarts another young witch fought against Dark Forces.

Her name was Demeter Somerset and this is her story.

Yeah, I can't stop making new stories, it's a sickness. But I just can't concrete long enough to finish one story, I get writer's block. T.T

So have the first chapter of my Hogwarts Legacy Self-Insert/Character story!

Cheers!

One

(*)

Demeter Somerset had been a normal girl...well as good as normal when your mother was a real-life witch.

Thanks to her Mom Demeter knows quite a bit about the Wizarding World.

She read the Daily Prophet, like the London Times.

Enjoyed walks in Diagon Alley, as in Piccadilly Circus

Chocolate Frogs were no strangers to chocolate bars.

Yes, Demeter had a good grip on both the worlds she belonged to thanks to her parents.

But she admitted, the brunette girl always wanted to go to Hogwart, like her mom, and study to become a full-fledged witch.

Sadly her 11 birthday came and went and no letter from Hogwart arrived.

She was a Squib it seemed.

Her muggle father tried to console her the best he could, she could still be part of the magic world thanks to her mom and mom's side of the family, like he was.

Her witch mother had been sad like her and both had hugged each other tight.

Demeter felt like a broken toy.

Why her?

Why does she have to be a Squib?

In muggle London you didn't count much as a woman, but in the Wizarding World, she could have been anything!

Life was so unfair.

Years passed and slowly Demeter accepted her status as a squib.

It's not like it would change from one day to another.

Till it did.

(*)

Full of excitement and happiness Demeter watched her mentor, Professor Fig, packing their carriage which would bring them to Hogwarts.

When a few days before her 15th birthday her Hogwarts letter arrived, the whole Somerset family cried.

It was unheard of to go to Hogwarts at such a mature age, however Demeter didn't care!

She didn't care!

She was a witch and would learn at Hogwarts!

She wasn't a squib but a Half-Blood.

Maybe there was a God, who took pity on her and made her awake her magic powers.

Anyway since she was really far behind in Hogwarts curriculum the Ministry of Magic as the board of Hogwarts Professors made her meet Profoessor Fig who had taught her over the summer basic spells.

The wand was not hers, yet it had been amazing to do magic!

It was a thrill Demeter never wanted to miss again.

And now on the 1st of September, she would finally step into Hogwarts.

Wicked!

(*)

Okay, so she didn't have imagined her first day at Hogwarts if you even can call that like this.

Seeing strange traces of Magic, the Dragon Attack, then Gringotts, the Vision in the Pensive and also Ranrok?!

Yeah, no, totally crazy.

At least she managed to get sorted into a house.

Hufflepuff.

Just like her favourite Aunt Peony!

The common room was exactly as her aunt had told her.

So warm, and comfy, in golden hues and pretty plants everywhere.

Demeter felt right at home already.

The girls she shared her bedroom with seemed nice enough.

As she fell asleep in her bed, she hoped she would make a lot of friends in her House.

(*)

The next day, was her real First Day at Hogwarts.

After she talked with some of her fellow 5th-grade Huffelpuffs, Poppy, one of the girls she shared her bedroom with, told her how Professor Weasly was waiting for her.

Demeter already licked the Deputy Headmistress, way more than their Headmaster Black who had banned Quidditch this year.

She had wanted to try out for Quidditch.

Bugger!

Anyway, Professor Weasly gave her a magical special book to help her with her studies.

So she had to wave Revelio at anything that could be interesting and would learn more about Hogwarts and the Wizarding World.

It was really cool.

After Professor Weasly showed her how the Floo Flames worked, Demeter talked a bit with Professor Fig.

He had found something in the medallion from Gringotts and would tell her when he knew more.

For the time being, she should concentrate on school.

So Demter had her frist lesson.

Charms by Professor Rohen.

A black girl from Gryffindor whose name was Natsai Onai waved her over to her table.

Glady Demeter took place beside her and they chatted a bit.

Natsai or Natty was a nice girl.

The Charm Lesson with Professor Rohen was amazing.

Not only did learn Demeter Accio, no they even played Summoner Court on the school grounds.

Somehow Demeter managed to beat Natty and got her House points.

As the hour was nearly over she chatted more with Natty and learned about Uagado and how her new friend could actually do magic without a wand!

Wow!

Then Professor Rohen called Demeter over explaining to her how to catch up on her classmates her professors would give her special assignments.

Well, she could only nod and then made her way to her next lesson.

(*)

Defence against the Dark Arts had been a favourite subject of her mother, so Demeter was curious how it would go.

When she stepped into the classroom she saw a Gryffindor boy and...and a really good-looking boy from Slytherin having a match.

The Slytherin boy had a devilish handsome smile as he fought against the Gryffindor.

Demeter felt herself getting warm and a blush formed on her cheeks.

Oh no, she wouldn't start to crush on someone just because they were hot.

She came here to study, not to have a romance!

The brunette was brought back from her inner tumults, when Professor Hecat arrived, saving the Gryffindor from getting crushed by a huge dragon skull.

Then Demeter learned a new spell Levioso, which she should now use against the handsome Slytherin boy?

Okay, God was cruel!

"Time for a proper Hogwarts welcome.", said the Slytherin boy to her.

Demeter bit her lip and got ready for the Duell.

He may be hot, however, she would show him how good she was already!

And indeed she showed him.

She won!

"Not bad for a beginner.", told her Slytherin boy. "You give as good as you get."

She just smiled in thanks, as he walked past her.

Oh, her heart was beating so fast and not only from the duel.

After Prefosser Hecat talked to her, and then dismissed class, Demeter walked with shaking knees over to the Slytherin boy.

Finally, she knows his name.

Sebastian Sallow.

They talked and...maybe it was wishful thinking but Demeter had a feeling Sebastian was flirting with her.

He invited her to the secret Dueling Club in the school and when he told her how he would meet her somewhere unsanctioned...that tone and that look...oh god take her now!

Maybe it was only in her head, but okay she was gone.

She was already so gone.

Aunt Peony was right about Hufflepuff and Slytherin: they formally flocked to each other.

The best example was her aunt herself, whose husband Uncle Desmond had been Slytherin too.

And her mom, a proud Gryffindor had warned her to not lose her heart to a Slytherin.

Yeah, when she wrote her letter home, she would only tell her Aunt Peony what was going on.

She surely could help her, determined if Sebastian was really flirting or if it was just his way of talking.

Whatever it may be, Demeter had a feeling her school year would be really interesting.

Really, really interesting.

The flap of Butterfly wings...

Once upon a time, Hiccup had a best friend and Toothless a mate.

But through his decision to pick Berk and Astrid over them, they lost the girls.

In one world Hiccup and Leandra lived their lives away from each other…yet destiny is a funny thing.

Their first story "To Belong" was just one of endless possibilities and this here is another one.

Will Hiccup and Leandra finally be together?

Or will destiny repeat itself?

Chapter 2: Freedom

The next few days our dragon riders try to coax out the scarred and confused Christa.

She had to be for a long time a thrall, she mislearned what it meant to be free.

What it meant to not be hurt for the singles thing.

Trying to get her to eat or doing something nice for her, was too much for the girl.

She couldn’t handle it.

Hiccup and Leandra were starting to get desperate.

How could they help this traumatized child, if they didn’t have a clue how to even work through such terrible experiences she had to endure? What they had suffered on Berk was a joke against Christa’s life.

At night when they slept, Christa stood often up and sat down out in the cold.

She didn’t understand Hiccup and Leandra at all.

Why were they so nice to her? Treated her like a human being?

She was a thrall and nothing more.

Anybody could do with her what he wished.

That’s when the dragon with the golden eyes would join her, Starchaser was her name and sat beside her without touching.

The dragon only purred to her.

Like she was singing a lullaby to a babe.

Like her father once did, before the Eldians came for their tribe.

This…she could handle.

Since the dragon didn’t talk, didn’t want to do something for her, wanted to take care of her.

Starchaser just sat with her and purred. Expecting nothing in return.

Before the Eldians came she remembered that her village had been raided sometimes by dragons too.

It was tiny raids, but still a hassle for her people. Her father told her to be careful around dragons, that they would kill you given the chance, yet neither Starchaser nor Toothless was hostile.

They were loving towards each other and their riders and respectful around her.

But given what she had lived as a thrall for the Eldians it shouldn’t shock her that dragons were much kinder than humans.

So that’s why she let Starchaser sit with her.

Sometimes for hours long, while the others slept.

Never tried the dragon to touch her.

She was just near her.

A comforting presence that Christa nearly had forgotten what it felt like.

After a month of living with Hiccup and Leandra on the vacant island, Christa touched Starchaser for the first time.

She had seen the day before how Leandra had given her dragon a good scratch and pet session and…something like curiosity came to the surface.

Christa wanted to know how Starchaser felt.

It was scaly and warm…and comforting.

Starchaser just stayed still and let Christa pet her to her heart’s content. The little human girl was scarred like a rabbit, you needed to be careful around her.

Now, when they were alone together Christa always gave Starchaser pets.

First came the purring to show her that she liked the pets.

Then came the leaning on more for more pets.

Then begs for more pets.

Two more weeks passed and Christa could pet Starchaser as Leandra did.

It was an amazing feeling.

She didn’t know that Leandra was standing in the shadow of the entrance of the cavern and saw her petting Starchaser.

Leandra got an idea and hoped it would work.

(*)

The next day Leandra sat on Starchaser’s saddle and petted behind her.

“Come, Christa, let’s take a morning flight.”

Hiccup and Toothless were shocked to see that the little girl still carefully walked up to the girls and actually sat down behind Leandra!

Sure she wasn’t touching the other human but had no problem holding into the saddle or Starchaser.

Smiling happy that the first phase of her plan worked, Leandra gave Starchaser the go-to fly.

So they flew up the sky, high where the clouds were.

Christa was feeling things…she couldn’t describe them.

No wait…it felt a bit like before her tribe was attacked by the Eldians.

Full wonder she touched the clouds.

Is that what Leandra and Hiccup always felt when they rode their dragons?

This feeling…was it freedom?

A tear escaped Christa’s eye.

Was she truly free now?

After the first successful flight together, Leandra took now Christa always with her to her morning flights with Starchaser.

It seemed to do wonders for the girl.

Later when she talked with Hiccup about it, he agreed that Christa probably was just like them.

A dragon rider at heart.

Maybe her own dragon could help her?

(*)

“It’s so crazy, I really hope it works.”, mumbled Hiccup to Toothless.

It was now six months after they had saved Christa and our quartet with their guest flow together over the Barbaric Archipelago.

They were looking for a herd of wild dragons, in the hope, Christa would bond with one, which in turn would her help to fight against her inner demons.

“I see some Deadly Nadders!”, called Leandra back to them and pointed at a clearing. “Should we try?”

“Why not?”

So they made their dragons land near the Nadder herd.

Christa looked at them in question. She didn’t get why the flow till here and were now near wild dragons.

The girl trusted Starchaser and Toothless, but wild dragons were something different.

“Christa, do you wanna see how one befriends a dragon?”, asked Leandra softly.

Oh…!

They wanted to show her how to make friends with a dragon.

This…this sounded nice.

Shyly she nodded.

Hiccup and Leandra smiled at her.

She still was not used to seeing people smiling at her.

“All right, then watch closely how Hiccup will do it.”

With that Hiccup carefully walked up to the Nadders.

The dragons stared at him curiously. A human who didn’t attack them on sight was not the norm.

A blu-ish Nadder was close to him. So Hiccup did what he did with Toothless long ago and waited for the Nadder.

After a few seconds, he felt its snout.

Smiling he petted his new Nadder friend.

Christa was astonished.

Incredible so you made friends with a dragon?

That’s when she saw something shimmering on the side. For the first time in a long time, she got curious and walked up to it.

“See, Christa, that’s how you make a dragon friend!”, told her Leandra smiling. She turned to the girl beside her. “Do you want to try-“

Leandra stopped herself from talking as she saw that Christa wasn’t beside her anymore.

No, she was petting a dragon.

But not a Nadder.

“That’s a Changewing!”, shouted Hiccup in disbelief, what Leandra thought.

The blond-haired girl didn’t even notice that Leandra and Hiccup were freacking out behind her, feeling truly happy after a long time as she petted her new dragon friend.

As she inspected the shimmer it had turned into a big brownish dragon, who had titled his head curiously at her.

When her blue orbs meet the dragon’s yellow one, Christa feels something strange but wonderful.

Like she had found something she had lost.

She had done it like Hiccup.

Touching the dragon gave her even more of a strange and welcoming feeling.

The dragon liked her pets, purring at her.

Could she take the dragon with her?

Yes, she could.

It came gladly with her and Hiccup, Leandra, and their Night Furries.

So Christa flows for the first time in her life a dragon and feels true freedom.

Up in the sky, where the clouds were, she was just a girl with a dragon.

No slave.

No burden.

No coward.

Just a normal girl.

It meant she was really, really free finally.

She wasn’t a thrall anymore.

After Hiccup told her, that her dragon friend was male, she knew what to name him.

Frihet, freedom. 

(*)

Two weeks after Christa tamed Frihet, Leandra, and Hiccup asked her if she wanted to travel with them to Spain.

It was high time for the Night Furries riders to be back on the road, but they wouldn’t leave their new friends behind.

Christa didn’t need long to think about it.

Of course, she would stay with them, follow them.

Her village was no more.

She didn’t have a death wish to return to the Eldians and their mad chieftain Fritz.

There was no place she could go besides into the unknown.

No, she rather stays with her friends. That is what Leandra, Hiccup, and their Night Furries were for her and Frihet.

So two dragon riders became three.

In the early morning, they started their journey to Spain.

Our trio flows for some time above the clouds, thinking nothing bad as Toothless' and Starchaser’s ear plates perk up. Frihet also gets tense, he sensed it too.

The dragons glance over their shoulders to see a disturbance in the blanket of clouds.

A strange and arresting masked warrior rises from the clouds, standing upon something unseen. It's armour and cape flap in the buffeting turbulence.

This warrior eyes the dragon riders, pulling up alongside them.

The teens and the young girl sense the approaching figure in their periphery.

“What in Thor’s name…”, Hiccup trails off as he sees the masked warrior.

Is he dreaming?!

“Is this person flying?”, shrieked Leandra shocked out loud, what he thought.

Little Christa hugs Frihet’s long throat tighter, while her dragon purrs at her in comfort.

The warrior stares blankly at them, tilting his head in curiosity while cutting a menacing silhouette.

Then, just as gradually as he rose, the warrior dips back beneath the clouds, disappearing.

“Okay. No sudden moves!”, tells Hiccup his friends.

Suddenly, the warrior explodes out of the clouds before them, standing atop a large unknown dragon.

They circle the three dragon riders forcing them to tread air. The warrior points a staff toward Hiccup, unnervingly, as he returns to face them.

“Hold on, hold on!”, yells Hiccup.

“We are dragon riders like you, we come in peace!”, adds Leandra.

Christa nods her head rapidly.

Toothless, Starchaser, and Frihet growl in warning.

Suddenly, they're ambushed from behind.

Hiccup, Leandra, and Christa are plucked off of their dragons by other dragons and carried off.

“Toothless!”, screams Hiccup for his dragon, who can’t fly on his own.

Starchaser and Frihet try to reach to falling down Night Furry but get ambushed by other dragons too.

The last what our three dragon riders see is Toothless who falls into the ocean.

(*)

Hiccup shivers in the claws of the dragon, surrounded by the strange flock full of breeds he's never seen. He looks back for Toothless, now long gone.

“HEY! YOU LEFT MY DRAGON BACK THERE!  HE CAN'T FLY ON HIS OWN! HE'LL DROWN!”, growls Hiccup at the masked warrior, who leads the dragon flock.

“WHAT DID YOU DO TO STARCHASER AND FRIHET?”, yells Leandra for herself and Christa.

The young girl shivers also in the claws of her dragon kidnapper and has to fight her tears.

First a human prisoner and now a dragon one?

Wasn’t she free?

Why did this happen?

The warrior offers no response to them, seemingly immune to the cold as he leads the dragon flock across the polar night an alien landscape, harsh and foreboding.

Out of the fog looms epic ice formations, jagged, and spiked, like an impregnable fortress.

The young dragon riders would be sure in awe if they weren’t currently worried for their dragons and themselves.

The dragon flock dives into its jagged folds. The wild ride suddenly gives way to multilevel, cavernous chambers made of ice and columns of basalt rock.

It's heavily populated with dragons of all kinds, looming in the shadows.

Leandra, Christa, and Hiccup get dropped in the centre.

Both teens help Christa up, who formally clings to Leandra for protection. The older girl hugs her back, trying her best to comfort her.

Hiccup knows he isn’t built like a warrior, but he would protect the girls as best as he could.

He stands before them calling out into the darkness: “We have to head back for my dragon! Also, give my friends their dragons back. Christa needs Frihet.”

As to prove his point he hears how Christa whimpers, as best as she can with a cut-out tongue.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”, mumbles Leandra to her. “We won’t let anything happen to you.”

A hissing dragon closes in, sniffing, leering, and aggressive.

Hiccup holds his hands up to show he isn’t armed, then puts a handout and looks away.

The warrior watches keenly from the shadows, as the dragon coo curies at Hiccup, before he touches with his snout the hand of the young boy.

Several aggressive dragons close in behind the three dragon riders. Hearing their hisses, Leandra pets Christa on the head and says to her: “Just do what you did with Frihet. You know that dragons are our friends.”

Still, a bit frightened Christa lets go of Leandra and does as the older girl says.

Leandra does the same too.

After a few heartbeats, both girls feel a dragon snout in their hands.

This seems to calm down the other dragons as well.

The warrior tilted his masked head, curious. He dismounts his dragon and approaches Hiccup and the girls.

“Who are you?”, asks Hiccup.

Christa is again hugging Leandra who looks at the warrior in caution.

“You must be a dragon rider like us, why did you kidnap us?”, she wants to know.

He circles them in silence, taking them in.

This boy who is clearly from a Viking village, the tanned girl in a Viking dress but clearly a foreigner, and the little scarred girl in a dress who seems a bit too big for her. Clearly, it belonged to the older girl once and was sewn to fit the younger one.

“Do you even understand what we are saying?”, wondered Hiccup frustrated.

In answer the warrior whirls and hammers his staff.

In response, three large dragons ascend from the depths, carrying Toothless, Starchaser, and Frihet.

Hiccup and Leandra say the name of their dragon relieved, while Christa smiles big.

Toothless is dumped on the ground next to Hiccup, sopping wet. Hiccup rushes to him, petting him reassuringly. Toothless coos in relief.

“It's okay. I'm glad to see you, too, bud. You really had me worried there.”

Next Starchaser and Frihet get dumped before their riders.

Christa just hugs Frihet tightly, who wraps himself formally around her, while Leandra gives Starchaser a lot of kisses on her head.

“Oh Star, thank the lord, you are okay!”

Her dragon nuzzles her in a way that spells that she is glad that Leandra is okay too.

The warrior rattles his staff at a nearby dragon.

In response, it and the surrounding dragons produce firelight from their throats, spotlighting the three dragon riders and their dragons.

Then he sets down his staff and shield, and approaches Hiccup, cautiously and animal-like.

Toothless snarls and circles Hiccup defensively, but then instantly yields to the stranger's outstretched hand. With a quick, disarming gesture, the warrior lays Toothless down in a state of bliss.

Of course, Starchaser wants to protect her mate, but the same trick works on her too.

Now two blissful Night Furries lay on the ground.

Frihet gets ready to spit his acid, yet one upward gesture from the warrior, and he is a blissed-out dragon too.

Hiccup and the girls are astonished.

The warrior's hand continues toward Hiccup's face. He recoils, but the warrior persists, finding the faint scar on Hiccup's chin, glinting in the firelight.

Their kidnapper gasps and retreats a few steps.

“Hiccup?”, says surprisingly a female voice, shaking with emotions. “Could it be? After all these years? How is this possible?”

“Uh, should I... should I know you?”, asks Hiccup and looks to Leandra and Christa who shrug their shoulders at him.

They haven’t the faintest idea what is going on right now too.

“No. You were only a babe...”, starts the strange woman who slowly removes here mask.

A beautiful woman with green eyes and her auburn hair in three braids was hiding behind it.

Leandra and Christa look from her to Hiccup and back.

These two… look like they could be related!

What?!

The woman’s eyes meet Hiccups, equally wide-eyed and aghast.

“... but a mother never forgets.”, she ends her sentence.

Hiccup stammers, tongue-tied, aghast.

Christa has wide eyes and blinks.

Leandra is the only one who sums up the situation in perfection: “What the heck?!”

(*)

Our three dragon riders run after the woman through tightly winding corridors.

“Hold on! Wait just a minute! Come back here!”, calls Hiccup after her.

“This way. Come.”, is the only answer of the woman.

“You can't just say something like that and run off! You're my mother?! I mean, what the -- do you grasp how INSANE it sounds?!”, he shouts after her. “I have questions!”

“We all have questions. Didn’t you tell me your mother was eaten by a dragon?!”, reminds him, Leandra, holding hands with Christa, so she can keep up with them.

They follow Hiccup’s supposed mom over the difficult terrain. Together and helping each other clamber over a tall rock.

“That’s what everyone told me back home, I mean-“

He is lost for words as he sees where they are now.

A giant ice chamber teeming with ferns, waterfalls, hot springs, and thousands of new dragons.

Even Leandra and Christa stop walking with their chins on the floor.

Neither of the three has seen something that beautiful.

Their dragons join them, curiously looking around.

Hiccup spots his….mother clinging to a basalt overhang, watching him and the girls.

“This is where you've been for 15 years?”

“You believe her!”, whisper-shouts Leandra shocked, and even Christa gives him a look alla are you crazy?

“She looks how my father always described her.”, he gives them one reason. “Also she knows my name. Leandra, you didn’t use my name the whole time we were here with her, so how else should she know it?”

The two girls look at each other and then shrug.

Well, they can’t say anything against it and so long as Hiccup’s mom didn’t hurt them they would accept this.

Crazy as it was.

Hiccup’s mom nods from her perch answering the question of her son.

“You've been rescuing them.”, declares the boy.

She nods again, this time with a smile.

“Unbelievable.”

“I wanna add an uff to it.”, pipes Leandra up.

Christa nods in agreement.

This whole thing got crazier by the minute!

Hiccup’s supposed dead mom wasn’t dead but a dragon rider, like them, and a dragon rescuer.

Wow!

“You're not upset?”, ask him his mother unsure.

“What? No. I don't know. It's a bit much to get my head around, to be frank. It's not every day you find out your mother is some kind of crazy, feral, vigilante dragon lady.”, blabs Hiccup what comes to his mind.

He is still reeling too, okay?

She chuckles, and using her dragon's wing, lowers herself to the ground like a skilled acrobat.

“At least I'm not boring... right?”

“I suppose there is that... one... specific... thing...”

Excited dragons rush up to greet the three dragon riders and their dragons. The humans pet a few, marvelling at the vast dragon utopia before them.

“Maybe it’s time we introduce ourselves.”, says Leandra and grins crookedly at Hiccup’s mom. “It’s not every day you meet the dead mom of your best friend. I’m Leandra Alvarez, it’s nice to meet you…erm…Mrs. Haddock?”

Mrs. Haddock gives her a reassuring smile.

“Please a friend of my son can call me Valka.”

“Valka, okay, noted.”

“And who is the little one?”

Valka crouches down to see into Christa’s eyes, she is approaching her as one would do with a baby dragon.

“That’s Christa…mom.”, tests Hiccup for the first time calling her this. “She is a former thrall, her old master cut out her tongue so she can’t talk.”

 “You poor dear!”, Valka gasps. “No one will hurt you here, I promise.”

Christa gives her a shy smile.

That’s when Frihet snuggles up to Christa like he wants to say just try it and I will acid you back to the stone age.

“Incredible, you three made friends with dragons.”, can’t Valka help herself to say.

She never imagined her son would become a dragon rider. When she thought about him, she hoped he was more like his father. No one should be like her on Berk.

But these three weren’t on Berk.

Valka wonders what the story is behind this.

Asking now wouldn’t be wise, besides she was so curious about the two Night Furries before her.

“Can I... ?”, she asks her son and Leandra for permission, who nods at her.

She pets the two black dragons, who nuzzled her softly.

“Oh, they are beautiful. They may be the last of their kind.”

“Then it’s good that they are mates.”, explains Leandra. “Green eye is Toothless Hiccup male dragon and gold eye is Starchaser my female dragon. And our Changewing friend is Frihet, male too.”

“Night Furrie hatchling I would love to see this.”, gushes Valka, inspecting the talons as Toothless and Starchaser roll onto their backs, nuzzling her.

“And look, he's your age! No wonder you get along so well.”

Hiccup smiles, astounded by Toothless' affection for Valka.

“Our girl here is actually older, seventeen. How old are you Leandra?”

“Sixteen, Valka.”

Leandra gives her dragon a smug look.

“So you are older than me, heh Star.”

Starchaser gives a little huff.

“Toothless your mate is older than you? Do you have a thing for older girls or what?”, jokes Hiccup with his dragon, who huffs also at him.

Meanwhile, Valka checks Toothless teeth. They recede into the gums at her touch.

“And retractable teeth? Ah! How did you manage to—“

“--I found him in the woods. He was shot down and wounded. Starchaser found us a few days later.”

Valka winces and offers a sympathetic nod as she stands to caress a few of her own rescued dragons.

“This Snafflefang lost his leg to one of Drago Bludvist's iron traps.”, she tells the kids, who look at each other in confusion. Who is this Dragog Blood Fist? “This Raincutter had her wing sliced by razor netting. And this poor Hobblegrunt was blinded by a tree snare... then left to die alone and scared. And what of this? Did Drago or his trappers do this, too?”

“Erm…mom…”

“Erm…Valka…”

“Yes, dears?”

“Who is Dragog Blood Fist?”

The older woman blinks at them before she turns white as a sheet.

“You kids don’t know? Drago Bludvist is a madman who captures dragons! He is a vile human being who does anything to get his hands on dragons. I still don’t know why he does it. He doesn’t kill them…he just keeps them in cages.”

“Asshole!”, declares Leandra.

Christa frowns and Hiccup nods in agreement.

“Heh. Well, the crazy thing is...”, starts Hiccup to explain to his mom Toothless condition. “I'm actually the one who shot him down.”

His mother glares, confused.

“Because he wanted to be a Viking.”, adds Leandra. “Turned out he isn’t on and doesn’t want to be one.”

“What did your father think of your Night Fury friend?”

“I will never know… Me and Leandra actually run away from Berk and saved Christa from being hunted down like a pig.”

Valka blinked at the sheepish grins the kids gave her.

“All right, I think we need to sit down and talk. Come with me.”

(*)

The humans and the dragon riders are all around sitting in the cave Valka has turned into a little flat.

Hiccup and Leandra are finishing their tale, Christa drinking a cup of tea Valka had made for her and the older woman listening attentively.

“…And that’s about it. We were on our way to Spain before you snatched us up Mom.”, finishes Hiccup.

Valka can’t help but shake her head and smile bittersweet at him.

“To think you are just like me. You couldn’t kill a dragon. I hoped for you that you were more like your father, no one should get through what I expired on Berk, but hoping was fruitless.”, she signs.

“Valka do you mind telling us your story?”, asks Leandra. “I think it’s only fair.”

Of course, she would and the two teenagers and child listened to Valka’s story of the faithful night that changed her life.

“…It broke my heart to stay away, but I believed you'd be safer if I did.”, she ends and you can clearly see the remorse in her eyes.

If she only had known what her son had to endure without her, that he was like her…she would have snatched him and Leandra up and Christa too.

Hiccup considers his mother’s tale, then raises his eyes to hers, seeing the sting of remorse.

“How did you survive?”

Here she smiles and pets her owl-like dragon.

“Oh, Cloudjumper never meant to harm me. He must've thought I belonged here...come I will show you.”

So they follow her out again to the edge of the raised natural terrace, overlooking the steamy oasis with its flowing hot spring waterfalls.

Half-submerged in the warm lake below, a massive white dragon with pronounced, mammoth-like tusks rests benevolently on the banks, his stately countenance like that of a lion surrounded by his pride.

“Dios mio, it’s huge!”, can’t Leandra help herself.

Hiccup is speechless, while Christa’s chin is on the floor.

“In the home of the great Bewilderbeast.”, continues Valka her sentence from before. “The alpha species. One of very few that still exist. Every nest has its queen, but this is the king of all dragons.”

Dragons land and bow reverentially to the Bewilderbeast. Valka gestures to the spiked ice ceiling that acts as a sweating greenhouse.

“With his icy breath, this graceful giant built our nest. A safe haven for dragons everywhere. He protects us. We all live under his care. And his command.”

“Incredible.”, declares Hiccup, while Leandra and Christa nod in agreement.

They pass an eggshell-littered nursery.

Hatchlings dart out of it, greeting them excitedly and inciting chaos. Toothless, Starchaser, and Frihet are overwhelmed by their manic picking and scratching.

Cloudjumper baulks and sends them scattering.

“All but the babies, of course...”, chuckles Valka, as the hatchlings clamber on top of the Bewilderbeast and play on his massive tusks, despite his authority. “... who listens to no one.”

The Bewilderbeast lets out a frosty snort, sending off the youngsters to spread more mischief.

Now awakened, the Bewilderbeast raises his gargantuan head to take a closer look at the three young dragon riders, coming eyes to massive eye.

Valka bows in his presence, as do Toothless, Starchaser, and Frihet.

“I've lived among them for 15 years, Hiccup, Leandra, and Christa learning their ways, discovering their secrets...”

The gentle giant dragon acknowledges Hiccup and the girls with another icy snort, slicking back Hiccup's hair in a frosty veneer. Icicles are formed on the dresses of the girls.

The older woman laughs.

“He likes you three.”

“Wow.”

“Dios mio.”

Christa smiles just happy.

“You kids must be hungry.”, says Valka to them.

“Uh, yeah. I could eat.”, agrees Hiccup.

“Me too!”, tells also Leandra.

Shyly raising her hand, Christa means she could eat too.

“Good. It's feeding time.”

(*)

Christa is actually Ymir Fritz or as I like to call her more Ymir the founder from Shingeki No Kyojin or Attack on Titan.

My headcanon is that King Fritz, this bitch ass motherfucker cocksucker, gave Christa the name Ymir after Ymir the Norse Giant God since Eldians are based on the Vikings.

Christa is her real name I believe because when Frieda read the story of the devil and Ymir to Historia she called the girl Christa.

It makes sense that the direct descendants of Ymir and King Shit knew the real name of Ymir the founder.

So she will be called by her name Christa and not the slave name Ymir.

I choose the Changewing for Christa as a dragon because I think a dragon who spits acid is really cool and special for our Christa.

I was tempted to call him Eren, but Frihet-Freedom is better. XD  

Tatakae! XD

I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Till next time my loves .3.

The Queen's Gambit: The Story

The most powerful piece in chess is the queen.

When this piece joins the game of Duel Monsters anything will change.

With two dragon sisters, a magician and her descendant, the queen will take her rightful place.

As it should have been.

I hate writing duels but I hope you will like it anyway.

Sacred Warrior of Isis is a card of my own creation so don't steal.

Take a look at my DeviantArt to see her in all her glory.

Also, I want to give a huge shout-out to my dear friend Light guardin35.

She has a wonderful series going on with KaibaXOC.

Give them a try.

Here are the links:

Book 1:https://www.quotev.com/story/12353010/Yu-Gi-Oh-book1-Lost-Purpose-Kaiba-X-OC/1

Book 2: https://www.quotev.com/story/14760910/Yu-Gi-Oh-Book-2-The-return-of-Kaiba-Noah-KaibaxOC/1

Now on with the story!

(*)

Chapter 14: For What We Fight

The first turn in the Tag-Team-Duel between our Royal Couple and the Labrinthy Brother had Green Twin.

"I play this card!", dramatically he summons it. "Labrinth Wall!"

That's a monster card with zero attack points but with 3000 defence points. It will be hard to take down these walls!, thought Afya, already trying to find a strategy to destroy the forming Labrinthy on the Duel Battle Field.

Their watchers were surprised to see the Labyrinth, while Yami also thought what they could do.

Such a battlefield he had never seen!

Green Twin started to talk: "Since my turn is done, I'll explain the rules. Each player begins with 2000 Life Points as usual. But if either teammate loses all their life Points, that team loses."

"Each team alternate turns, as do the players.", took Orange Twin over. "Next, I'll explain how to solve this Labyrinth Field. All monsters played on the field will be similar to chess pieces. If the monster is in attack position, it can move the same number of spaces as its Level during that turn. But if it loses in battle, it can't escape the labyrinth. If you win and exit the labyrinth, you can open one of the two doors."

"It's your choice which door to go for.", told Green Twin.

"Choose the door that you think is correct.", said Orange Twin.

Afya and Yami stared them down in anger.

The twins were playing with them.

Yami, called Afya in their minds. Can you hear me?

Yes, dear. I know what you are thinking and I agree, they will try anything to trick us.

Right, we have to out-trick them.

Fast they discussed what they were going to do before Afya turned regal to the twins: "It seems unfair that you don't give us even a hint, don't you agree?"

Both twins grinned evil and promised that one twin would from now on say the truth, while the other would lie. But who lied and who not they had to find out.

"Better than nothing.", said Afya.

The twins were a bit stupefied about how she didn't try to ask more, no, her orange eyes glimmered dangerously as if they stepped into her trap, but it was absurd.

Right?

Yami had the next turn and played Beaver Warrior in attack position.

Beaver Warrior: (ATK1200/DEF1500)

He lets it advance four spaces into the labyrinth.

The Orange Twin let out an evil laugh and played Shadow Ghoul and Polymerization to fuse it with Labyrinth Wal.

They saw how a shadow raced on the walls of the maze towards Beaver Warrior. Coming out was Shadow Ghoul who destroyed Beaver Warrior.

Yami Life Points drop to 1600.

"Hey, this isn't fair, you can't do that!", shouted Jonochui, waving angry his fist around.

Did these stupid twins trick Yami and Afya?

Orange Twin calmly said it was perfectly legal since Shadow Ghoul had become Wall Shadow and moved onto the Wall, which had no spaces.

"Calm down, Joey.", said Afya to him. "These twins think themselves so high and mighty with their Labrinthy but I will take it down!"

This made the Twins laugh.

"How are you going to do that?", they asked amused.

Afya grinned dangerously, a smile promised danger and pain in their future and they started to sweat.

Why was she so sure of herself?

"I play the Magic-Card De-Fusion and use it on your Wall Shadow!"

"No!", shouted Orange Twin, as Wall Shadow became Shadow Ghoul again.

Shadow Ghoul stood where Beaver Warrior had stood.

Shadow Ghoul: (ATK: 1600/DEF: 1300)

"Then I play Dark Magician Girl in attack position. And make her move up before your Shadow Ghoul."

Dark Magician Girl made an elegant flick-flack to her position and stood ready before Shadow Ghoul.

Dark Magician Girl: (ATK2000/DEF1700)

Shadow Ghoul: (ATK: 1600/DEF: 1300)

"Now my Dark Magician Girl destroy Shadow Ghoul. Dark Burning Attack!"

The female Spellcaster twirled her staff before she sent her enemy to the Graveyard.

Orange Twins' Life Points dropped to 1600.

Angry he gritted his teeth, while Afya and Yami's friend celebrated.

"Wonderful move, my dear.", praised her Yami.

Afya flicked her long dark blue her and winked.

"Child-Play, my darling."

Green Twin swore revenge for his brother and placed a card face down.

He also played Labyrinth Tank in attack position and moved it up seven spaces.

Labyrinth Tank (ATK: 2400/DEF: 2400)

It's Yami's turn and he summons Celtic Guardian and has him move four spaces.

Celtic Guardian (ATK: 1400/DEF: 1200)

Since Wall Shadow was destroyed Orange Twin hadn't any Monster, but he used Monster Reborn to get Shadow Ghoul back.

Shadow Ghoul: (ATK: 1600/DEF: 1300)

Orange Twins doesn't move him, let's him guardine for now the Labrinthy Exit.

Now it was Afya's turn again and she prayed she would get the card that she needed to destroy the Labrinthy.

I believe in you, she heard Yami's voice in her head, Believe in the Heart of the cards, my love.

She nodded and dramatically drew her card, looking at it and she laughed.

"Why are you laughing?", asked Orange Twin.

"What is so funny!", shouted Green Twin.

The queen just smiled wickedly.

"Your little Labrinthy was fun for a while, but I told you will defeat it! I play...Sacred Warrior of Isis!"

A beautiful red-haired woman in an Egyptian top and skirt with two slits and golden jewellery with a silver sceptre appeared on the field.

Sacred Warrior of Isis: (ATK 2900/DEF 3100)

The Twins got a bit nervous, the girl had such a rare and powerful card, but how did she want to destroy the labyrinth?

The next card was the answer.

"I also play Shield and Sword, switching the attack and defence points of all the Monsters for one turn including your stupid Labrithy Wall!"

Labyrinth Wall (ATK: 3000/DEF: 0)

Sacred Warrior of Isis: (ATK 3100/DEF 2900)

Shadow Ghoul: (ATK: 1300/DEF: 1600)

Celtic Guardian (ATK: 1200/DEF: 1400)

Labyrinth Tank (ATK: 2400/DEF: 2400)

Dark Magician Girl: (ATK 1700/DEF200)

"Say bye-bye to your Labyrinth Wall, Sacred Warrior of Isis attack with Judgement of the Goddess!"

Sacred Warrior of Isis swung her sceptre powerfully and with a loud boom the Labyrinth was no more.

Green Twin Life Points were now 1900.

Both twins' mouths clapped open, they...they couldn't believe it, no one had ever taken down their Labrinthy Wall!

What should they do now?!

In the end, they lost spectacularly since all their strategies were relaying on the Labrinthy Wall so it was easy for Afya and Yami to take down their pathetic monsters.

Now only which door was the right remained, but Yami tricked them and they walked out of the underground with all Duelists having 10 Star-Chips.

It was time to go to Pegasus Castle!

(*)

"We did it!", celebrate Joey as they were finally outside. "We're back to the surface!"

"Where on the island are we?", wonder Honda.

That's when Bakuras Ring pointed upwards at the same time as Anzu.

"Look."

"We are directly at the steps of the castle, awesome!", grinned Maja.

"Finally, felt like nearly two years to reach this point!", mumbled Sadiye annoyed.

Kihana patted her head in comfort.

"We finally made it here, Yugi, Sehra and Hana!", said Joey, while the other duelists nodded in agreement.

It had been a long and hard way, but they could now enter the finals.

One of them would surely face Pegasus and get not only the prize money but the souls of Yugi Grandpa and Sehrazat's mother back!

Jumping from nerves Sehrazat shouted: "Come on guys, let's don't waste time! Up the stairs."

All groaned.

They had to go up all these stairs again?

Were was an elevator when you needed it.

However, they couldn't do anything so they started to climb them up.

Sadiye was the only one who had it good. Her sister took pity on her and carried her piggyback style.

"Dammit.", groaned Maja, as they were half the stairs up. "I gonna find the guy who invented stairs and make him fall down these stairs, so he will break all his bones and his wife will leave him to be with the guy who invented elevators!"

"Because elevators are much sexier than stairs, we know Maja!", chorused all together.

She had been mumbling this for a while now.

The Magician in training pouts.

So mean.

When they finally reached the last flight of stairs they saw...Seto Kaiba waiting for them before the castle?

"Kaiba?", said Yugi in suprised.

The Schariq sisters looked around, yet they saw no Mokuba.

"Kaiba-San.", called Kihana out to him. "Where is Mokuba-Chan?"

"Yeah where is Mokuba?!", demanded Sadiye to know.

Seto didn't say a thing, he just couldn't.

What had happened was alone his fault!

Because he had not been careful Pegasus did something to Mokuba, making him soulless and keeping him a prisoner.

He couldn't admit it before...Kihana and Sadiye...if he remembers their names right.

Mokuba had talked about them so full of gratefulness, how Kihana had cared for him and Sadiye had become his friend...he felt it would make the sisters angry.

"You won't go any further.", told Seto the whole group.

"What's wrong, Kaiba? What's going on?", asked Yugi.

"Why aren't you answering where Mokuba is?", added Kihana.

She had a bad feeling in her stomach.

Instead, to give them a straight answer he spouted this: "I realized what my destiny is on this island. Yugi, my existence is not favourable for you. When we face each other, the winds of battle swirl forever."

"Kaiba, stop fighting!", begged Anzu.

"I'll face you, Kaiba!", shouted Jonouchi. "I'll crush you!"

The brunette CEO just huffed, like Jonouchi could do this!

Joey was ready to smash his face in but was stopped by Bakura and Honda. Bakura even reminded him how he was no match for Kaiba and Joey defeated looked down.

Sadly his friend was right.

Anzu told Bakura that he had gone too far, while Maja whispered it was still the truth.

So Anzu stared Maja down and she grinned sheepishly at her crush.

That's when Kaibe noted how Jonouchi had 10 Star Chips and mockingly upgraded him from loser to nobody, which in turn made Joey angry again, only Honda and Bakura stopping him.

"It must be a miracle.", mussed Seto stern. "Since that time, I've been searching for an answer. On why I lost my duel against Yugi. How did Yugi achieve a miracle? I think I found the answer. It was something Yugi had and I didn't."

From his shirt, Seto pulled his Duel Monster Card locket with the photo of little Mokuba out. He stared at the picture of his beloved brother and wondered if a person became stronger if they had something worth protecting.

There was only one way to find out...

"Yugi!", Kaiba yelled. "Defeat me if you want to enter the castle! This is the duel of destiny"

All saw the fire in Kaiba's eyes, whatever happened, this time he was serious.

Nearly everyone told Yugi he shouldn't accept this duel. It was nonsense, he had already 10 Star Chips.

However, Kaiba called down how Yugi would understand why they had to duel.

Their Duelist Blood brought them back together.

Dramatically the wind wiped around them and Yugi and Yami switched places.

"Fine, Kaiba! I accept this duel!", said Yami. "And I will defeat you."

Since they were actually doing this, they all followed Kaiba to a place in the castle.

Kaiba stood at one side of a little flat tower and Yami on the other, while the others all somehow managed to squeeze in the little gangway, which led to the little towers.

The wager in this duel was 5 Star Chips.

If Kaiba won he would have 10, if Yami he would have 15 also 5 extra ones.

Gran Gran asked Sehrazat her Yami. Why does pops want to duel Kaiba so much?

Duelist Blood...once it was called Warrior Blood. It's something inside you which doesn't let you back down on a fight. Never.  

Of course, you have it too.

Of course, child of mine if Kaiba-San would have asked to duel me, I would have accepted. It's something about honouring you and your opponent.

Sehrazat didn't quite get it, but maybe you had to be a warrior queen like Afya to understand this.

The duel between Kaiba and Yami was brutal from the beginning till the end.

For the longest time, it seemed Kaiba had the upper hand, crushing Yami's whole deck with the Trap Card Crush Card Virus making every monster in his deck that has 1500 or more ATK useless.

Not only that Kaiba even managed to fusion his three Blue-Eyes White Dragons into the mighty Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.

It seemed clear who would be the winner but with Kuriboh and Multiply combined Yami had the ultimate defence, saving so his Life Points, till he drew the cards to make a special combo.

Yami uses Polymerization to fuse Mammoth Graveyard to Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.

Since Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon is a living monster, it cannot properly fuse with the undead Mammoth Graveyard, so it loses ATK equal to the ATK of Mammoth Graveyard during each of Yugi's End Phases.

When the dragon is so down on Life Points Yami summons Celtic Guardine to finish this duel.

That's when all hell breaks loose.

Kaiba steps to the zines of the tower and proclaims he will jump to his death if Yami attacks.

All shout in agast not believing how Kaiba will actually do this because of a card game and only shout louder as Yami declares his attack.

With tears in her eyes, Anzu races to Yami begging him to not do it.

This reaches Yugi, who takes control of his body and commands the Celtic Guardian to stop.

Crying the young boy falls to his knees as Kaiba finishes off with one of the revived heads of the dragon the Celtic Guarding making Yugi lose the duel.

Now all his friends run up to Yugi who shouts how scared he is of this games and Yami.

Only Sehrazat stays clued where she is and grips her Millenium Item.

In the next moment, she is in the corridor where she and Afya Soul Chambers are separated.

The young girl knocks hard on the door of her ancestor.

"Afya!", she shouts. "Why did Yami try to do this?! Is winning so important to you both that you would sacrifice a human life?!"

But the door stays closed.

Sehrazat sniffs and finally realizes there are two more doors in their Soul Chambers.

One is like hers, innocent and pure and the other is like Afya dark and mysterious.

Wait...did it mean the Puzzle and Fragment were now connected?

Well, better for Sehrazat!

She stomped to the other door, Yamis, and knocked hard.

"Hey you two!", she screams. "Give me an answer! I know you are inside!"

Again no one answers her, but Sehrazat hears how Afya and Yami are whispering with each other.

The girl cries out harder and hits the door.

"Cowards! COWARDS!"

(*)

Afya's heart bleeds hearing Sehrazat crying behind Yami's door and seeing how Yugi is still crying on his knees too.

She turns to her husband.

"The children are suffering...Was it really the right choice to declare the attack?"

Yami was sitting before her on one of the many stairs in his labyrinth-like Soul Room.

"Afya...I couldn't lose! I needed to get Yugi inside the castle so he could save his grandfather. It was the only way, you know in war there needs to be sacrifices.", he said in a voice full of guilt.

"And yet I hear the guilt in your voice, my love.", pointed Afya out. "This is not war...this was a game getting out of control."

Yami looked up at her.

"What would you have done?"

"I don't know...Sehrazat needs to save her mother. A life for a life is normal in war but like this? Maybe we are cowards for not finding a better way."

Silence fell over them, only Sehrazat and Yugi's cries could be heard.

The Queen's Gambit: The Story

The most powerful piece in chess is the queen.

When this piece joins the game of Duel Monsters anything will change.

With two dragon sisters, a magician and her descendant, the queen will take her rightful place.

As it should have been.

I gave Dark Magician Girl one extra ability or Yami would have lost the duel, so yeah, hope it's okay. ^^

Chapter 11: A Shadow Duel

Afya sat beside Yami, glaring at the evil Spirit of the Millennium Ring.

She still couldn't believe that the faith of her Sehrazat and her friends lay in winning in a children's card game!

What happened to the good old times, when you faced your opponent in a sword fight?

The 21. century was crazy!

It's even crazier how Yami Bakura and her husband just got with the flow.

Ultimately, it is what it is and she had to believe in Yami's duel talents to win the children's souls back.

The first turn had Yami.

"I play Cyber Commander in defence position."

Surprised and shocked the royal couple saw how Honda, dressed as the Cyber Commander, appeared from the card.

"Honda?"

"What's going on?", wondered Honda. "What happened to me?"

The brunette looked around till he turned towards them, shouting the names of their Hikari's.

Of course, he thought Yugi and Sehrazat were currently duelling.

"Everyone's souls are inside their favourite cards?"

"Seems like it.", answered Afya Yami in a worried tone.

This was not good at all.

Yami Bakura laughed.

"You're realizing this too late. It's my turn. I play this card. White Magical Hat! Attack!"

The monster in the card appeared on the duel field too and before anyone could do something White Magical Hat defeated Honda. He vanished in red light.

"Honda!", shouted Yami and Afya.

"Destroyed cards are sent to the graveyard, along with the souls that are trapped inside it.", explained Yami Bakura, like Yami and Afya didn't know this. "The Reaper will soon arrive at the graveyard. If the Reaper takes Cyber Commander away, Honda's physical body will die."

"You sick bastard!", insulted Afya him.

The Spirit of the Millennium Ring just laughed in her face.

"Flattering will get you nowhere little queen."

Afya gritted her teeth, but only Yami holding with his free hand hers, stopped her from attacking the evil spirit.

"A Shadow Game cannot be stopped!", reminds Yami Bakura. "It's your turn. What will you do, pharaoh?"

Yami thought about how he would get Honda back from the Graveyard, he promised this.

But first, he had to take care of White Magical Hat.

The problem was the only card strong enough for this task was Jonouchi Flame Swordsman.

Not having another choice, he summons the card to the field.

Surprised Jonochui as Flame Swordsman appeared on the field and turned to Yami, as he called out to him.

"Is that you, Yugi and Sehra?", he asked the royal couple.

Afya shook her head.

"It's me Afya and this is Yami, the spirit of the Millenium Puzzle former pharaoh and my husband. Yugi and Sehrazat's souls are still in their favourite cards."

The blond blinked slowly and let out a long okay.

"What's going on?", he wondered.

"Stay calm and listen.", began Yami. "Your soul is trapped inside that card, so you've become Flame Swordsman."

"What?!"

"If I don't win this duel, you can't return back to normal. And if you lose in battle, you'll be sent to the graveyard, just like Honda."

"The graveyard?!"

"But I need your help to end this dangerous duel and return everyone to their bodies."

"Leave it to me!", promised Jonouchi. "Don't worry."

"Jonouchi, are you sure you understand the situation we are in?", asked Afya worried.

"This is just a dream anyway. I'll finish this quickly. Who's my opponent?"

He turned back around and saw Yami Bakura.

Shocked he stated what a crazy dream that was, since one of their friends was their enemy.

"That's not Bakura. That's a shadow duelist that took over Bakura's body.", explained Yami.

"A dark spirit and an enemy.", added Afya.

Joey admitted he didn't get what was going on, but he would beat him. He attacks White Magical Hat and sends Yami Bakura monster to the graveyard.

Yami Bakura Lifepoints dropped to 1200.

Now it was his turn.

He placed a card in the defence position face down. Yami and Afya wonder what it could be, but before they could tell to Joey to not to attack it he did.

It turned out to be a Morphing Jar. When it's flipped faceup, all duelist have to send the cards in their hands to the graveyard.

"Luckily, I don't have anyone's soul card in my hand right now.", said Yami.

Afya let out a relieved breath, while Joey said sorry that he was so careless.

Both Duelists took five new cards and Yami nearly had a heart attack.

Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl.

Yugi and Sehrazat's soul cards!

Since it was Yami Bakura's turn he again placed a face-down card in defense position and one face-down in attack position.

All thought the same.

Another Morphing Jar?

It was way too risky to keep Yugi and Sehrazat in Yami's hands.

So he played them.

"I play Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl in attack position!"

Yugi looked adorable as Dark Magician found Afya, while her descendent made a pretty Dark Magician Girl.

Poor Yugi stared lost around and Sehrazat blinked confused.

Next Yami played the spell card Monster Reborn to return Honda to the field.

"Jonouchi, Yugi and Sehrazat?!", shouted Honda surprised. "You too? What's going on?!"

Jonouchi explained: "We've turned into Duel Monsters monsters cards."

"I don't understand why.", admitted Yugi.

Shy Sehrazat touched her Dark Magician outfit.

"I didn't think it would be so tight..."

She felt looks on her and stared at the boys. They all had blushed on their faces and tried not to look at her.

For Yugi it was especially difficult, he could see his crush's long legs on full display, her soft curves and her big cleavage.

The Dark Magician Girl robe left nothing to the imagination.

This made Sehrazat turn only more bashful, her ears burning.

She wasn't used to getting such looks, more importantly from Yugi! People mostly found her just cute and not...sexy.

It was weirdly nice, but only regarding Yugi. She wanted that he felt attracted to her.

Love was crazy.

"Wait a second!", said Honda and turned to Yami and Afya. "Aren't Yugi and Sehrazat up there? How can you be down here too?"

It was Sehrazat who answered: "These are Afya and Yami, you know? Remember how we told you how mine and Yugi Millennium Items hold the soul of a pharaoh and queen? Well, that's them."

"We are also Sehrazat's ancestors.", added Afya.

Smiling Sehrazat waved at Yami.

"It's nice to meet you pops, even in such a situation."

Yami raised an eyebrow and repeated pops, while the others had to stifle a giggle.

"It's nice to meet you finally, Yami.", called Yugi up to his partner. "Thanks for always helping me."

"No problem, Yugi.", gave Yami his Hikari a smile.

Yugi was for him like a younger brother he needed to guide and also protect. It was good they finally met eye to eye.

"Okay, dears, we have a game to win.", remind them Afya.

All nodded.

"Where are Anzu and Kihana?", asked Joey. "If we had Kihana as Blue-Eyes White Dragon on the field she would make toast out of Bakura or whoever he is."

"They are still inside the deck. I agree that Kihana would be a big help, but let's try to end this duel before they are played.", suggested Yugi.

"I'm with him.", agreed Sehrazat and Joey and Honda nodded.

"Okay! Let's finish this fast!", declared Joey, ready to battle.

"Wait!", called Yugi and Sehrazat together, stopping him in his tracks.

"It's mine and Sehrazat-Chans turn."

Yugi and Sehrazat looked at each other and nodded.

They put their wands together, declaring a combo attack.

Luck was not on their side, since it was again a Morphing Jar and the Duelists had to discard their cards again and draw five new ones.

Both were sorry, but Joey consoled them since he made the same mistake too.

Yami stared at his card in thought.

He got Anzu and Kihana.

They were safer in the battle field and also with Kihana's power as Blue-Eyes White Dragon they could end the duel!

However, it was Yami Bakura's turn, who again put a card face down in the defence position and activated his other face-down card Just Desserts.

This trap card took 1500 Life Points from Yami, leaving him with only 500.

Worried Afya held her husband by the shoulders, he seemed in pain.

"Yami!"

"I'm okay...don't worry."

Normally since Yami had four monsters on the field he would have lost all his Life Points because Just Desserts took 500 Life Points for each Monster Card, but thankful one of Dark Magician Girl's abilities was, if she was played with a Dark Magician, they counted as one monster for a turn.

"But if I take one more hit, I'll lose.", admitted the pharaoh to his worried wife and friends. "If I lose, everyone will die."

He had no choice, he needed to play Anzu and Kihana and let Kihana end the duel.

"I play one card face down and play the Blue Eye White Dragon Kihana in attack position!"

Now Yami Bakura gritted his teeth.

Not the damned Blue Eyes!

Anzu crawled as Magician of Faith out of her card, greeting everyone, while Kihana as Blue Eyes White Dragon, flowed over them.

"Guys are you cosplaying'?", asked Kihana and looked down on herself. "How the heck did I turn into a dragon?!"

"Bakuras has an evil spirit in his Milliumium Ring who put our souls in our favourite cards.", explained Sehrazat, as she and the boys tried to hide Anzu from the evil Spirit. "It's like out of a fever dream!"

"Why are there two Yugi's and two Sehrazat's?", asked Anzu before she remembered. "Oh wait, are this the pharaoh and queen?"

"You remember it?", shouted Joey and Honda in disbelief.

"I just get there is a cool Yugi and a regular Yugi.", added the blond.

Poor Yugi fell down anime-style why Sehrazat shouted a rude to Joey.

Since Yugi wanted to show he could be cool he attacked the hidden enemy on Bakura's side.

Big Mistake.

Not only didn't lose Yami Bakura any Life Points but Yugi was also paralyzed for the next turn and couldn't attack.

Sehrazat wrapped an arm around Yugi's shoulders to keep him upright and he leaned heavy on her, shaking from the pain.

Yami Bakura played Man-Eating Bug face down. Joey asked Sehrazat what the card did and she explained if it turned up, it would destroy one of them.

Even with Kihana on their side, when she attacked, they would win but lose a friend, so Yami told Kihana to do nothing for now.

They were now in a pickle.

Yami had a Trap Card Horn of the Heaven, which could destroy Men-Eater Bug, but it needed a monster sacrifice too.

In the end, Joey heroically sacrifices himself for his friends, which makes Anzu activated with her tear her Magician of Faith special ability. Yami can get a spell card back from his Graveyard and he chooses Monster Reborn to bring Joey back!

"You should all have been buried in the graveyard by now.", said Yami Bakura annoyed.

"Their friendship creates miracles. Always.", shoots Yami back.

"Friendship? Don't make me laugh. I'll show you that your buddy-buddy games can't last forever."

The evil Spirit plays Lady of Faith in attack position and shows all the real Bakura favourite card.

The Spell Card Change of Hearts!

Laughing Yami Bakura tells them how he will use it to turn Kihana against them since they want to win with her power.

But a miracle happens again.

Not only is the real Bakura Soul in the Spell Card, but he also takes control of the Lady of Faith and declares they should attack him.

Of course, it would mean death for Bakura yet he shouts he rather die than be the slave of an evil spirit.

So Yami uses the power of the Millennium Puzzle to switch Bakura with Yami Bakura, putting the evil Spirit in the Lady of Faith's body.

Now Kihana attacks and destroys the evil spirit, sending him to the graveyard!

The Shadow Duel was over and won.

(*)

Back in the real world Sehrazat and Yugi stand with Bakura.

"Are you okay, Bakura?", ask Yugi.

"Yes. Thank you."

"Out of curiosity how come you have a Millium Item Bakura-San?", wondered Sehrazat.

"My father is an archaeologist and travels around the world.", explains the white-haired boy. "When he went to Egypt, he bought me this Millennium Ring and a card as souvenirs. The man who sold the Ring and the card to my father was from the Shadow Realm."

Sehrazat crosses her arms in thought.

"With yours are now four Millennium Items out in the world. That's half of them. I don't like this."

They couldn't talk more as they heard how the others woke up.

"I feel like I've had the longest dream.", yawn Honda.

"Yeah. With a scary dark version of Bakura.", added Joey.

That's when Bakura stepped to them with a friendly smile, making the boys shout in fright and embrace each other.

They immediately let go of each other, which made all laugh.

"Come to think of it, weren't there also two Yugis and Sehrazats?", mussed Anzu out loud. "Was it really just a dream?"

"Guys why are you screaming around?", they heard Maja's voice.

Sleepy the girl stepped out of the tent Sadiye and Mokuba behind her yawning cutely.

"Did we wake you up, we are sorry.", told them Kihana.

All gave them their sorry's too.

That's when they heard a loud female scream they knew!

"That sounded like-!", began Joey.

"Let's go!", shouted Yugi.

The group of ten ran toward the direction of the scream as fast as they could!