The Queen's Gambit: The Story

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.

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: Season Zero Index

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 9: Ghost Kaiba

It couldn't be true!

Seto Kaiba was here in the Duelist Kingdom and ready to face Yugi in a duel.

But what shocked our heroes more was how Hair-Guy proclaimed that this was a ghost.

The Ghost of Seto Kaiba!

"What did you say?!", shouted Mokuba, gripping Kihana's hand tight.

The older girl gripped back and Maja put a protective hand over his head.

"Just like I said, Seto Kaiba is dead.", repeated Hair-Guy.

All were deeply shocked.

What?

How?

Why?

"That's a lie!", screamed Mokuba. "My brother isn't dead!"

"It's not a lie. He died hating Yugi Muto. Standing there is Kaiba's ghost."

"That's ridiculous!", stated Yami.

"And highly unlikely!", added Afya.

What she knew of Seto Kaiba was he was a young healthy teenage boy, he couldn't just have dropped death!

Unless of course, he had an accident or...

No, Afya wouldn't dare to think this, for Mokuba's sake.

"Well, Yugi?", turned Hair-Guy to him. "Will you battle him or not?"

"Fine! I'll uncover that fake's true identity!"

With this Yami made his way to his side of the Duel Ring, while the others and Hair-Guy, stayed to watch.

More they couldn't do for now.

Just calming and protecting Mokuba.

"Yugi, I died.", said 'Kaiba' in a calm voice.

"That's a lie!", disagreed Yami.

"Since I lost to you, I lost everything, including my life. I'll never forgive you. I'm wandering through Hell, and I'll drag you down here to join me."

"Did you really think a fake ghost would scare me?"

"You can only say that after you defeat my deck."

"Even if you can imitate Kaiba's appearance, you can't imitate his deck."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you."

Yami just gritted his teeth.

"You can't kill my brother that easily!", said Mokuba, waving his free fist around.

"Yugi, don't listen to him. It's all lies!", said Jonouchi.

"That's right!", agreed Anzu.

"I wouldn't be so sure.", thought Afya out loud, which shocked their friend group.

"What do you mean by this, Your Majesty?", asked Kihana for all.

"This person says he IS Kaiba, he looks like him, but it can be a good disguise. What I'm worried about is he seems so sure to make us believe he is Kaiba."

This made all look worried at each other and Afya called up to Yami: "Be careful! He will surely try mind tricks on you, Yami!"

Yami nodded.

He had the same feeling as his queen.

"We'll each wager three Star Chips.", decided 'Kaiba'.

The pharaoh didn't back down: "Fine! I'll wager my three remaining Star Chips!"

So the Duel began.

Ghost Kaiba summoned Hitotsu-Me Giant to the field.

Hitotsu-Me Giant: ATK1200/DEF1000

Seeing this monster made Yami feel unsure. The real Kaiba had the same card in his deck too.

But it didn't mean anything, as Jonouchi also stated loudly.

It wasn't a rare enough card to pinpoint if this was the real Kaiba Deck or just a fake.

Yami draws his Dark Magician.

Dark Magician: ATK:2500; DEF: 2100

Since it was way stronger than Hitotsu-Me Giant, Dark Magician destroyed Ghost Kaiba's monster and left him with 700 Life Points.

Ghost Kaiba mockingly told Yami how he was as strong as ever, while Yami just stared angrily back at the imposter.

"Yugi seems to be losing his cool.", worried Jonouchi.

The others looked equally worried, as Ghost Kaiba stated: "Yugi, I can read your mind like the back of my hand. You're thinking, 'Is that really Kaiba's deck?' And you are right. This is Seto Kaiba's real deck. Kaiba is dead, and his hatred resides in this deck."

"Kaiba isn't dead! I don't believe your ridiculous lies!", shouted Yami back.

"You're bluffing."

"No, I'm not!"

"It's better for you if you believe me."

"What do you mean?"

Ghost Kaiba laughed.

"You don't have Exodia. Can you beat Seto Kaiba's deck without it?"

"Yami, ignore him!", called Afya up to him. "He is using psychological warfare to confuse you. You know the truth!"

The pharaoh found the eyes of his queen and nodded.

She was right.

The imposter was playing mind games with him.

"It's your turn.", said Yami to Ghost Kaiba.

The faster they end this duel, the better.

The imposter draws the card which shouldn't be possible.

It was the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!

Blue-Eyes White Dragon: ATK:3000; DEF:2500

But how?!

Kaiba, the real one, had three in his deck, Yugi Grandpa one and the last...Afya looked to Kihana, who shook her head.

Then it couldn't be Kihana's.

So...was this really Seto Kaiba's Ghost?

Or was this his deck they somehow stole from him?

"Suprised?", laughed Ghost Kaiba. "Let me guess what you're thinking. 'Kaiba really died?' Am I wrong?. No one can imitate Kaiba's deck. This really is my deck. My Blue-Eyes-"

Before he could continue Afya yelled loud and clear: "Oh stop it with this nonsense! This might be Kaiba's Deck, but you could have stolen it, somehow!"

The once queen of Egypt had now all the attention.

Confident she had her arms crossed under her breasts, staring Ghost Kaiba down with her orange eyes.

"You go on and on about you are the real Seto Kaiba, but your only proof is the Deck. You can steal cards! Do you think you can outsmart us? Forget it!", laughed Afya. "I fought against real masterminds and enden always up victouries. So shut your mouth and just play the game. Yami, don't believe anything he says."

Ghost Kaiba made an angry face, Hair-Giy seemed nervous, while our friends got back hope.

"Yes, this is not my Nii-Sama! I would know if he is dead", agreed Mokuba.

The other shouted their agreement too and Yami was free from his doubts.

Still, it IS the Blue-Eyes White Dragon without Exodia I have to be creative to take it down.

Angered Ghost Kaiba decide to not attack this turn and lays a card face down.

Since Yami wasn't sure if it was a Spell- or Trap card, he played safe. Switching Dark Magician in defence position and also Curse of Dragon.

Curse of Dragon: ATK:2000; DEF:1500

Luck was not on Yami's side, since Ghost Kaiba had a feeling he would do this. His face-down card turned out to be Defense Paralysis, meaning as long this card was in the game no Monster could go in defence position.

Then he attacked Yami's Curse of Dragon with Blue-Eyes White Dragon, which dropped the pharaoh's lifepoints to 1000.

Hair-Guy wanted to say something, but one look from Afya's bloodthirsty orange eyes and he shut up.

She had enough with this whole Ghost Spiel.

"Yami!", she called up. "Stay calm, focus. There has to be something in your Deck which can help you. You are an extraordinary Duelist."

"Afya is right, you can do it, man!", agreed Jonouchi.

"Give you all, Yugi!", cheered Anzu.

"You defeated my brother's deck once, you can do it again!", added Mokuba.

The others also shouted their support.

With this and his own belief in how the real Kaiba was alive, Yami played Magical Hats, hiding his Dark Magician from Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

Yami formally lured Ghost Kaiba to attack one of the hats, even if his chance of success was one in four.

However, Ghost Kaiba stayed calm and commanded the Blue-Eyes White Dragon to attack one of the hats.

Unfortunately for Ghost Kaiba, the hat he attacked was empty.

Yugi's friends all cheered loudly.

Oh yeah, Yugi/Yami would show him.

Since it was now Yami's turn he played a card under one of the hats.

"There are still three Magical Hats left.", stated Yami. "If you destroy the one that's hiding Dark Magician, I'll lose life points. But I hide a trap card in one of the Magical Hats."

"What?!", exclaimed Ghost Kaiba.

Meanwhile, Afya smiled approving up at Yami.

"Smart, my pharaoh."

He winked down at her and she winked back.

"Is this really time for flirting?", wonder Joey. "What is Yugi trying to do? The odds are one in three."

"Believe in him, Jonouchi. All will be good.", answered him Afya.

"It's incredible how you can stay so calm Afya.", told Anzu impressed.

"That's our queen for you.", said Maja proud of her spirit friend.

After a few seconds of thinking Ghost Kaiba let Blue-Eyes White Dragon attack the middle hat.

Bad pick!

So he activated Yami trap card Spellbinding Circle.

This card lowers the attack points of any monster.

Blue-Eyes White Dragon: ATK: 3000 → 2300

Now Dark Magician with his 2500 attack points was stronger than the dragon and destroyed it.

Ghost Kaiba's Lifepoints dropped to 500.

"You did it, Yugi/Yami!", cheered Mokuba and Sadiye together.

Kihana embraced the two youngest, smiling brightly before her smile fell.

"Oh no!"

The fake Kaiba summons the second Blue-Eyes White Dragon, which in turn destroys Dark Magician and drops Yami's Lifepoints to 500.

"Are you serious?", said Honda a loud, what all thought.

Creppily Ghost Kaiba laughed: "Dark Magician is destroyed. My deck contains three Blue-Eyes White Dragons. Don't tell me you forgot."

"Oh I said before stop with this nonsense!", yelled Afya angrily. "You aren't a Ghost, you just have Kaiba's Deck, stop with this child play!"

"You just don't won't to realise the truth!", shot Ghost Kaiba back at her.

The Millennium Eye appeared and glowed brightly on Afya's forehead as she said calmly: "I know more about Ghosts and Spirits than you...and you are neither."

The ancient magic which swapped from Afya to anyone made all shake, some in fright others in awe.

"Incredibal.", gasped Anzu. "I never felt such an energy!"

"Not energy, magic.", correct Maja smiling.

Afya turned back to Yami.

The married couple looked at each other and nodded.

Yami believed his queen more than Ghost Kaiba, if she said he wasn't a ghost, he wasn't.

However, he had nothing which could beat the second Blue-Eyes White Dragon and with Defense Paralies on the field he couldn't even save his life points this way.

Without any options, Yami played Feral Imp in the attack position.

Feral Imp: ATK:1300; DEF:1400

"It's time for the end.", declared Ghost Kaiba laughing.

"Yugi/Yami!", shouted Anzu and Maja.

"Can't anything be done, Afya?", asked Honda the queen.

Outside she seemed calm, but inside she searched for a way how Yami could turn this duel in his favour.

"I will be open with you guys...only a miracle can help Yami now."

And a miracle did happen to all their surprise.

Blue-Eyes White Dragon was rapidly losing attack points.

But how?

His attack points were now at 2000, still more powerful for Feral Imp sadly.

The Dragon got ready to destroy the Imp and take all of Yami's life points.

However another miracle happened, Yami heard Kaiba, the real one, calling out for him and the attack vanished as the monster himself too.

Yami's life points were safe.

"A miracle did happen!", gasped Kihana, hugging Mokuba and Sadiye to herself, who were celebrating hard.

"Impossible.", groaned Ghost Kaiba, desperate gripping with his hands his hair. "Why did that happen?"

"Kaiba is still alive.", told Yami.

"Be quiet! I died!"

"No, Seto Kaiba is alive, as my queen said the whole time you are nothing but a fake!"

"You did it, Nii-Sama!", Mokuba happily shouted.

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

"Is it not obvious?", turned Mokuba to her. "Only my brother could have deleted Blue-Eyes. My brother did that! I knew my brother was alive!"

Back to Yami and Ghost Kaiba, the pharaoh stated: "I was able to confirm that Kaiba is alive. Now I can concentrate on this duel. Why don't you just reveal your true identity? Your tricks will no longer work!"

"Dammit! I told you I died!"

Out of nowhere Ghost Kaiba formally exploded and a heavy-weighted man in a cape was now in his place.

Kihana hid Mokuba and Sadiye's faces from this vision of nightmare, while all shudder in disgust.

Even Afya made a face!

"I'm more comfortable in this form.", stated the nightmarish man. "I am the Impersonator of Death, sent here by Industrial Illusions. Yugi, let's play. Let's have fun."

"I'm the only one allowed to have fun with Yami!", made Afya clear, while the other was still railing from this transformation.

"He is disgusting.", gaped Anzu and Maja nodded in agreement.

"Yugi, there's only one course of action! Pummel him!", told Jonouchi.

Somehow Mokuba could pull Kihana's hand away from his eyes, but still stayed close to her and Sadiye, waving his fist around and calling up to the man: "A nobody can't master my brother's cards. Serves you right!"

"Word!", added Sadiye also waving a tiny fist around.

"Children, time to celebrate is not yet.", said Afya to them. "There is still a Blue Eyes left. Yami has to be careful still."

This did give the kids a damper and they signed.

Sadly the queen was right.

Back with the two duelists, Yami told Impersonator of Death how he had no monsters on the field and how he should hurry up and play something!

The Impersonator plays Grappler in Defense Mode.

Grappler: ATK:1300; DEF:1200

Yami sets one card on the field and plays the Celtic Guardian.

Celtic Guardian: ATK:1400; DEF:1200

Since Celtic Guardin was stronger he destroyed Grappler, sadly since it was in defence position no life points were lost.

Now it was the Impersonator's turn he set Mystic Horseman in Defense Position and another card face down and ended his turn.

Mystic Horseman: ATK:1300; DEF:1550

Yami sets a card, then summons Mystical Elf in Attack Position and activates Book of Secret Arts increasing her ATK and DEF.

Mystical Elf (ATK: 800 → 1100; DEF: 2000 → 2300).

The beautiful female monster is in a praying position, chanting.

"I don't know what she's chanting, but it's pointless.", giggles Impersonator creepy, lifts his cape and turns his face into Pegasus. "Give up already."

"What a freakshow.", mumbled Maja and all mumbled back in agreement.

The impersonator stops and draws the last Blue-Eyes White Dragon!

Oh no!

"It's okay, my brother will help him again.", reassure Mokuba all, only Hair-Guy tells them: "You fool. That won't happen again. Look at Blue-Eyes. If Kaiba did that trick last time, wouldn't he do the same thing this time? But the third Blue-Eyes is completely unaffected."

"Damn!", curse Jonouchi. "That means..."

"Kaiba can no longer help you."

Hair-Guy laughs, while Kihana gives Mokuba a hug to calm him down. He indeed feels better in the embrace of this older girl which reminds him so much of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon starts his attack on Yami monsters, but Yami intercepts the attack by activating Mirror Force, hoping to reflect the attack back at the dragon, only Impersonator blocks the attack with the Trap Card Negate Attack.

All besides Afya started to lose hope, so the queen gave them a pep talk: "Don't despair children. Look at Yami. He still has a triumph card!"

And she was indeed right as Yami played Reborn the monster to call back one of the Blue-Eyes White Dragons to his side of the field.

Then thanks to Mystical Elf's enchanting he increased the dragon's attack points from 3000 to 4100!

With the words to feel Kaiba's wrath, Yami's Blue-Eyes destroyed the Impersonator one in an incredible golden light show.

All had to close their eyes thanks to the light, while Yami sent the Impersonator to the Shadow Realm and promised Pegasus he would come for him!

After the light vanishes, the Impersonator is not there anymore, his life points at zero, making Yami the winner.

The pharaoh picked up Kaiba's deck and the Starchips he won.

"You did it, Yugi!", cheered Jonouchi.

"Amazing duel!", congratulated Kihana.

Honda crossed his arms and nodded.

"I was worried for a moment."

Afya met Yami as he stepped down from the Duel Ring and embraced him.

"I never doubted you.", she whispered in his ear and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.

Yami looked at her lovingly and put his forehead on hers.

They stayed like this for a while.

Unaware of how the others grinned at them.

Yes, Yami and Afye were indeed a married couple.

They could all feel their love.

Well besides the youngest who just deadpanned.

Kihana caressed loving the hair of Mokuba and Sadiye.

(*)

A while later our group of friends made a stop in a meadow.

Mokuba hadn't eaten to whole day, so Kihana gave him some of the sandwiches she had prepared.

After he finished eating, Yami gave him Kaiba's deck.

"It's better left with you.", told him the pharaoh.

Mokuba nodded and pocked the deck.

"Thank you, really. I think I get this whole heart of the cards now."

Then he frowned.

"What now?"

"You stay with us.", answered Afya, petting his hair. "I'm sure your brother will come here, he still thinks you are kidnapped."

Kihana wrapped an arm around his tiny shoulders.

"We will protect you from Pegasus henchmen, just stay close to us, till your brother comes for you."

The boy nodded and gave all a thankful smile.

"So Mokuba-San do you perhaps know the answer to our math problems from chapter 26?"

"Sadiye Kisara Schariq don't tell me you didn't even do your homework before you came here with us?!"

"I pledge the Fifth, Nee-Chan!"

"Sadiye!"

This made all laugh heartful, after the emotional duel they had/witnessed, they had needed it.

The Queen's Gambit: Season Zero

Sehrazat never believed the ancient magical stories of her family and the Millium Fragment they had kept safe for over 3000 years, was just an amulet.

Nothing more.

This all changes the day when she meets Yugi Muto and his unfinished Millennium Puzzle.

Where was Kihana when she needed her?!

Yugi/OC, Yami/OC

So yeah, watched Season 0 on YouTube and the plotbunnies plotted. So have this little Spin-Off Series to Queen's Gambit. It's not canon in the normal Queen's Gambit Universum, but more of an alternative universum.

I'm making Au's of my AU's, that deep I'm now XD

Anyway, enjoy Season Zero with Sehrazat and a very dark Afya :P

Chapter 1

Sehrazat wondered where all had gone wrong in their lives.

Was she dramatic?

Perhaps.

Her mother wasn't supposed to teach at Domino University yet! She should have begun teaching there next half year.

However, the Professor, who currently had the job, decided one day after another that he was sick of city life and not only quit his job but also moved into the wilderness of Japan.

So Domino University called desperate her mother, who still taught in Lisabon, if she could come sooner.

Domino in Japan had a special place in her mother's heart, that's where she had met her husband and Sehrazat's late father.

This was the main reason why she wanted to teach there.

So she said yes.

Also started the Faizan and the Schariq's, Kihana (Sehrazat's best friend) family to pack their things for Japan.

Of course, that's when Uncle Djamal had an accident at his work, breaking both his legs.

He couldn't travel like this!

For the first time in 3000 years, the Schariq and Faizan had to go for a while their separate ways.

Unbelievable!

Sehrazat and her mother Amira would move first to Domino and wait that the Schariq's, Rahila, Djamal, Kihana and little Sadiye, would join them after Djamal was healthy again.

The big house they had decided to move into together, stayed empty and Sehrazat and Amira moved into a flat.

It was so weird.

Sehrazat wasn't used to being really alone with her mother.

Since she could remember, there were Aunty Rahila, Uncle Djamal, Kihana and Sadiye with them.

Let her rephrase it, not weird, it was just plain wrong.

She missed them all so much, the most Kihana.

What should she do without her best friend at a new school?

Or even in life?!

Kihana protected and loved her.

Sehrazat never faced the first day in a new school alone.

Oh dear Isis, she felt like throwing up.

Brushing her mid-length dark blue hair, the Egyptian girl looked into the mirror.

By the Goddess Isis, Domino High School Uniform was an eyesore. Orange Blazer with green skirt and bow.

She may have orange eyes, like Topasz, but still what a colour combination, it didn't make her look good.

Unenthusiastic she made her way to the kitchen where her mother had made her pancakes.

At least something nice.

"Now princess, I know you are nervous since you will be without Kihana.", began Amira, looking at her daughter, who poked her pancakes more than eating them. "So I want to give you this."

Amira placed a little golden box with hieroglyphs all over it before Sehrazat.

The 14-year-old nearly choked on the bit of pancake in her mouth.

"You want to give me the Millenium Fragment?!", yelped Sehrzat, eeying the box. "But...but don't I have to wait for my 15th birthday to inherit it?!"

Her mother signed and caressed her hair: "My little princess, all is so different now. I think the gods will forgive us if I give it to you now. I think you will need its strength."

Oh no, not the magical mambo-jumbo bullshit!

The dark blue-haired girl wanted to protest, yet she saw the worry in her mother's eyes.

For Amira, it wasn't easy either to be away from the Schariq's, from Rahila her best friend.

She should accept how her mother just wanted to protect her extra, now that they were only in two.

"Okay, Mama."

Sehrazat put the box in her backpack.

How bad could it be to carry around a rumoured ancient magical item?

(*)

In Domino High School a young and really short boy named Yugi Muto listened to what his classmates were so excited about.

Since he really didn't have any friends, he could only so get the newest gossip, rumours and information.

"Did you hear?", said Anzu Mazaki, a girl who was the closest he had to friend, to Miho Nosaka. "We get a new student!"

"Oh is it a boy or a girl?"

"A girl, and she is so short. It's really adorable!"

"Oh, cute!"

Yugi admitted he got excited.

Maybe...he could make friends with the new girl?

If he managed to talk to her at all.

Soon their teacher enters the classroom with the new girl beside him.

Whispers broke out, about how tiny and beautiful she was. Some even said they never saw someone black so up close.

"Kids, this is your new classmate Faizan Sehrazat-Chan.", introduced Sensei her. "Please welcome her to our class."

Faizan-San made a perfect bow in greeting.

"It's nice meeting you all."

Oh, this was interesting she had a soft British accent.

"Would you like to tell us something about yourself Faizan-Chan?", asked the teacher.

The girl turned bashful and played with her fingers.

"Erm...there is not really much to say. I'm 14 and was born in London, but I'm originally Egyptian and I like games?"

She made it really sound like a question.

Yugi had to agree when nearly to whole class whispered she was cute.

Sehrazat was really, really cute.

Their teacher had mercy on her and told her to sit down beside him.

Beside him!

Happy Yugi raised his hand to show her where to go.

Maybe he really could talk to her!

Faizan-San sat down and he turned with a friendly, hopeful not creepy smile to her.

"Hi I'm Muto Yugi, you can call me Yugi."

When Faizan-San turned to greet him, their eyes met.

Topaz and Amethyst found each other.

And both gasped for breath.

Now that she was up close, Yugi noted how utterly beautiful Sehrazat was.

Not only cute but so beautiful it took your breath away.

And these eyes of hers...so brilliant and unique...he had never seen orange eyes...like topas...nonetheless he felt he had looked into these eyes a thousand times...like he was coming home.

Meanwhile, Sehrazat had similar thoughts crossing her mind.

This Yugi...his eyes reminded her of beautiful Amethyst. Eyes that she knew...even if it was impossible...it was like she had found a missing piece of herself.

He was a handsome young man!

Yugi turned red like a tomato, while Sehrzat hid behind her hair.

Both were sweating buckets.

None of them knew what do to now.

Unknown to them Yugi unfished MilleniumPuzzle and Sehrzat Millenium Fragment glowed for a brief second.

It was like the two items wanted to say hello to each other.

Somehow Sehrazat found the courage to crook out to Yugi: "I'm Sehrazat or just Sehra, nice to meet you."

Still, they didn't look at each other.

"Likewise...", mumbled Yugi back.

To their luck, their Homeroom Teacher started the lesson.

They could worry later if they made a complete Buffon before the other.

(*)

Finally, it was Lunchtime at Domino High.

Happy Sehrzat got her Bento-Box out and read in her little old family book hieroglyphs.

All Faizan learned from a young age to read the writing of their ancestors.

The classroom was nearly empty beside her, Yugi, who was building a card house and a boy with a basketball.

"Hey Yugi!", called the boy with the basketball out to him.

This in turn made Yugi lose his concentration and his card house fell down.

"Quit playing by yourself.", said Basketball Boy. "And come play basketball with us for a change, will ya?"

"Well, no thanks...The Team I join usually ends up losing...", reminds Yugi bashful.

"That's true."

With that Basketball Boy left and only Yugi and Sehrazat remained in the classroom.

The girl tried to eat and concentrate on her hieroglyphs.

She wouldn't look at the handsome boy and get tongue-tied around him.

Where was Kihana when she needed her?

For away in Spain was the answer.

However, she didn't look, but Sehrazat heard how Yugi talked to himself about how to finally finish something.

A treasure he always carried around with him.

The sunlight hit his treasure and its golden shine made Sehrazat aware of it.

She looked over, gasping shocked.

"You have a Millenium Item with you?!", she shouted.

This suprised Yugi so much that he nearly fall from his chair.

"Huh, what? What are you saying Faizan-Chan?"

Faster than he could look Sehrzat stood at his table, gripping the edge and staring at his treasure.

"I can't believe it! This must be the puzzle!"

"Excuse me Faizan-Chan.", asked Yugi wondering. "Why are you so excited and how do you know it's a puzzle?"

Without a word, Sehrzat took a similar, yet smaller box from her backpack and put it beside his.

"See? I have one too, it's the Millenium Fragment."

Now Yugi was the one who gasped.

Both boxes seemed to be a pair.

"Incredible!"

The blue-haired beauty nods in agreement.

"I never thought I would find another Millenium Item here in Japan! They are originally from Egypt."

Before they could talk more, a tall blond guy took Yugi's box.

Surprised Sehrazat blinked up at this intruder, while Yugi said his name in question.

Jonouchi.

"Yugi, whatcha talking about with the cute new girl? Are you boring her?"

"He didn't bore me!", talked Sehrzat, yet Jonouchi ignored her.

Okay, rude!

Grinning he held Yugi's box up and poor Yugi tried to reach it.

"G-Give that back!", begged Yugi.

"You are really rude.", mumbled Sehrzat, she wasn't courageous enough to say it louder.

Without Kihana she had zero courage.

Jonouchi didn't listen to either of them and threw the box away before he caught it.

"Man, caring so much for a box like this...", grumbled Jonoichi. "You know, Yugi...It's that part of you that...well, it really pisses me off. So I'm gonna have to put you through some trainin' so you can be a man and talk to girls right. How about it? Ya want this box back, right? Then come at me with all you got!"

Sehrazat made a face, while Yugi shouted: "I hate fighting and violence!"

Both Jonouchi and Sehrazat hold their ears.

Damn, Yugi could be loud.

"You may not have got any guts but you sure got a freaking loud voice!", pointed Jonouchi out.

"Anyway, just give me back that box!"

"That's right!", said another boy's voice. He was a brunette with really pointed hair. "Knock it off, Jonouchi!"

"Oh did you say something? Honda-Kun, the first year, who wants to make the school a better place by running for Student Council president but ended up rejected and falling to Janitor Patrol!", sassed Jonouchi.

"It's not Janitor Patrol!", corrected Honda angrily. "It's called the Beautification Patrol!"

"Your voice is friggin' loud, too!"

Then Honda started to talk more, but since Jonouchi and Yugi talked over him, Sehrazat didn't get what was going on.

Too many voices at once.

She only saw how Jonouchi opened the box and proclaimed the inside as boring.

Out of nowhere a tall brunette girl took the box from him and walked over to Yugi.

"Masaki!", said Jonouchi and Honda together.

"Anzu!", said Yugi happy.

Ah, was she his friend?

Jealousy raised its ugly head in Sehrazat.

This Anzu was taller than her and a pretty girl too.

Sehrazat had only bigger breasts.

Anzu scolded Jonouchi for taking Yugi's box and didn't back down as Jonouchi started his spiel about making Yugi a man.

Then another girl appeared, with lilac hair and a yellow bow in her hair, and thought Anzu was scolding her.

"Miho-Chan!", called Honda out to her.

This Miho took a few steps back.

"S-Sorry."

"That wasn't directed to you, Miho.", explained Anzu.

"That sure surprised me!", told Miho. "I wanted to eat lunch, but there's still so many people in line..."

Like horny horndogs Honda and Jonouchi stated they would get her something and off they were.

"Those two are hopeless...", summed Anzu perfectly up.

Miho just followed after them.

Sehrazat looked at how Anzu gave Yugi back his box.

"You're sure something.", praised Yugi with a tiny blush. "One word from you and they were scared off, Anzu."

"Guys like that would just get cocky if I didn't tell them off.", she explained. "You need to stand up for yourself once in a while, Yugi."

Oh...she reminds Sehrazat of Kihana...

That's when Anzu saw the other golden box on Yugi's table.

"Is this your too?"

"No, it's Faizan-San."

Anzu smiled friendly at her and Sehrazat felt bad that she had been jealous of her.

"Both your boxes seem to be a pair, that's cute."

The brunette sat down on the table before Yugi, Yugi back in his seat and Sehrazat in hers, so turned that she could talk with the other two.

"We were talking about them before this blond guy showed up.", told Sehrazat.

"Yeah, Jonouchi has the knack to interrupt everybody."

"Jonouchi-Kun is not really that bad of a guy.", said Yugi shy to the girls.

"It's because you think like that you get picked on.", rebuked Anzu. "By the way, what are your boxes, if you don't mind me asking."

"I wanted this to explain to Yugi-Kun before the blond interrupted us.", began Sehrzat and had the attention of the two others. "These are Millennium Items. Mine is called the Fragment and Yugi the Puzzle. There exist 8 of them and they all come from Egypt."

"Wow.", chorused Anzu and Yugi together.

"Do you know more, Sehrazat-Chan?", asked Anzu.

"I only know that the Fragment and Puzzle are supposed to be connected to each other, but the way it is right now, we can't check."

"What do you mean?"

Yugi answered her: "I'll show you, Anzu, if you promise to keep it a secret."

"Sure. I won't tell anyone, so show me, show me!"

Dramatically Yugi opened the box and the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle were shining in gold.

"Wow! It's pretty!", said Anzu and Sehrazat together.

Anzu picked a piece up.

"I understand now, why it's called the Puzzle, these are all puzzle pieces, right?"

Yugi nodded.

"My family runs a game shop. We've got games from various countries. I found this in the corner of a shelf, covered in dust, and I was allowed to keep it."

Then Yugi told how Sehrazat had been right about the Puzzle coming from Egpyty since it was found in a tomb there.

"Here! See these strange hieroglyphs written on the front? I bet they translate to something along these lines...Whoever solves this ouzzle, shall be granted one wish. Yeah right.", laughed Yugi. "That'd be too good to be true! You must be making fun of me with that look..."

Anzu laughed and promised she wouldn't then asked Yugi what he wished for.

Now he was a bit cheeky and said that this was his secret.

"Erm...if I can say something...", shyle Sehrazat raises her hand.

Her two classmates turned curious to her.

"What is it, Sehrazat-Chan?"

"Erm...the box actually says: Ye who solves me shall gain the power and knowledge of darkness."

For a moment, all was still.

Then...

"You can read hieropglyps?!", yelled Anzu surprised.

"Family Tradition.", Sehrzat shrugged her shoulder and got bashful. "Everyone has to learn how to write and read them."

"That's so cool.", complimented her Yugi, which made Sehrazat only shyer.

"What does your box say, Sehrazat-Chan?", asked Anzu excitedly.

"Erm...It says: Ye who inherited me shall gain the power and knowledge of darkness. Pretty much the same."

Then she put the two boxes besides each other and pointed at the back.

"To you see this, here is another text. Only when you have both boxes you can read it."

The brunette girl formally jumped in her seat.

"Oh, tell us Sehrazat-Chan!"

"Please.", added Yugi.

"Okay, it says: Alone we are nought, together we are one. Thy great pharaoh and thy great queen shall rise again."

Anzu and Yugi let out surprised sounds.

"So these items belonged to a pharaoh and queen.", summed up Anzu.

Sehrazat nodded.

"Yeah, pretty much the same is told in my family. The Fragment has been with us since 3000 years."

"So long, wow, and you kept it safe, that's impressive.", told her Yugi.

"Meh, I actually believe this is all a scam...some stories around the Millenium Items are just too crazy."

Before either Anzu or Yugi could ask what she meant by that Luchtime was over.

Both owners of Millenium Items put them back in their backpacks and Anzu made her way to her seat, as their other classmates came in.

When it was getting interesting, darn it!

(*)

Finally, the school day was over and Sehrazat could walk home.

Well, she would have if she hadn't stopped to watch some buff guys train.

What were they doing in Osiris' name?

And the boss from these buff guys had huge eyebrows.

Wow!

"Faizan-Chan!", called Yugi out to her and came beside her standing. Damn, he was at least five fingers taller than her. Sehrazat was really tiny. "Are you going home?"

"Yes, Muto-Kun, you too?"

"Mmh-Mmh."

Awkward silence falls over them.

"Erm...do you need something Muto-Kun?"

"O-Oh...Please call me Yugi!"

"Then call me Sehrazat or Sehra."

"Alright, Sehrazat-Chan I wanted to thank you for showing me your own treasure and reading the hieroglyphs, it's nice to know that my wish could come true."

Well, how he got that from inheriting dark powers Sehrazat would surely not know today, since Big Bushy Browns came over to them.

"Stop you two...You're Muto Yugi-Kun and Faizan Sehrazat-Chan, right?"

"Yes?", they said together and got a bit shy that they said it together.

"I actually have something I'd like to ask you.", said Bushy Eyebrowns. "Are any of you being bullied by any particular students in your class?"

"I just moved here.", answered Sehrazat confused, while Yugi disagreed with Bushy Browns.

"Now wait. People who are bullied often say that they are fine.", counter Bushy Browns. "I've been looking into the matter. But you two can rest at ease, Yugi-Kun and Sehrazat-Chan. Starting today, I, Ushio, shall take responsibility for you as your bodyguard."

"But we are really okay!", told Sehrzat. "Please we don't need your service. Let's go home, Yugi-Kun."

"R-Right!"

With that both turned towards their homes, not knowing what Ushio already had planned.

"That guy gave me the creeps.", confessed Sehrazat as she walked with Yugi home.

Both lived in the same neighbourhood as they found out.

"Yeah, me too.", agreed Yugi and shuddered.

Together they signed and then looked at each other with little shy smiles.

"Hey Yugi-Kun...shall we walk from now together to school and back?", took Sehrazat all her courage together.

Yugi's brain formally short-circuited.

Did a beautiful girl ask him to walk with her to school?!

"R-Really you want to walk with me?"

"I-I mean we talked a little bit only, but I would love to get to know you..."

"Me too!", shouted Yugi, which made Sehrzat smile pretty and the boy had nearly a heart attack.

"Okay, this is my stop.", told him Sehrazat and pointed at an apartment complex. "I live there."

"A-Alright, I will pick you up then tomorrow."

"Awesome! Till tomorrow Yugi-Kun."

"Bye Sehrazat-Chan."

Waving at each other they turned to their homes.

Not knowing what tomorrow would await them.

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.

After nearly two years, I'm back :D I'm currently watching YGO! in Japanese, and I got the feeling back to write for it and use the Japanese dub now. It's way better than whatever 4KIDS did, so I will rewrite the chapters. ^^

Please enjoy!

Chapter 1: Happy 15th Birthday!

On the day of her 15th birthday, Sehrazat Faizan woke up like any other normal school day.

More asleep than awake and groaning.

She didn’t care that today was also her birthday, it was too early!

Why does school start this earlier?

That was inhuman!

The dark blue-haired girl put her pillow over her head.

Any minute now Kihana would storm her room and drag her out of bed. She loved her best friend, but these were times when she wished Kihana and her family would live in their own house.

…Yeah, Sehrazat didn’t think that would stop Kihana either.

There!

She heard the familiar boom of her door opening and wanted to cry.

Today was her birthday, even a special one in her family, so why couldn’t she stay at home and sleep?

Fuck, school!

“Rise and shine, your highness!”, sing-songend Kihana. She couldn’t be normal. Who was that happy, at this time?! “Today is your birthday, happy birthday my dear Sehra!”

Aww, at least this was cute.

It stopped being cute when Kihana gripped her blanket and left her in the cold morning air.

Sehrazat hissed like an angry cat and rolled herself into a ball.

Cold, way too cold!

Why were mornings so cold in Domino? How she missed the warm mornings in Lisabon!

Kihana just tutted at her.

The white-haired girl with the bluest eyes Sehrazat had ever seen was merciless.

She gripped one of Sehrazat's arms and just let her fall to the floor!

“Hey, what was that for!”, shrieked Sehrazat offended.

The floor was even colder!

Her best friend just put her hands on her waist.

She was already wearing the Domino High School Uniform, her long white hair perfectly groomed into a ponytail, decent make-up which made her blue eyes even more pop and her white porcelain skin glowing healthily.

“That’s the only way to wake you up, Sehrazat and you know it. We do this five times a week.”, reminds her Kihana.

Making a face Sehrazat stood up and had to control herself to make a worse face.

She still reached only under Kihana’s breast.

Why was her best friend tall like a supermodel and she was small like a child?

They were now the same age, so unfair!

Only Sadiye, Kihana’s younger sister, was smaller than her!

And that was because she really was a ten-year-old child.

Again, so unfair.

Pouting she followed Kihana to the dining room, where both their moms already were with little Sadiye eating breakfast.

Even if they all lived in Japan now, they still had a more wester-styled breakfast.

With pancakes, cornflakes, bacon, and eggs, you name it.

That didn’t mean none of them had tasted the local cuisine.

For example, Sehrazat loved Ramen like she was Naruto from the same named Manga, but sometimes you needed a bit of home.

They were all originally from Egpyt, but Rahila, Kihana and Sadiye’s mother, and her own mother Amira grew up in London, England.

Sehrazat’s Grandmother still lives there, like Kihana and Sadiye’s Grandparents.

Besides Rahila and Kihana, who were white-passing, all of them were black.

Sadiye was the first to note them.

“Happy Birthday, Sehra!”, shouted the ten-year-old, which gripped the attention of the two older women.

Her mother smiled and stood up from her seat.

She opened her arms for her.

“Good morning, my little princess, and happy, happy birthday!”

Still tired Sehrazat let herself fall into her mother’s embrace.

Ah, nothing to raise her spirits like her mama’s hugs!

Mama was warm and smelled, like always after jasmine and sandalwood. Comforting and homey.

“Happy Birthday, Your Highness. Now you are finally 15.”, said Rahila to her and Sehrazat felt how her head was patted.

“Thanks aunty Rahila.”

They all sit down at the table and Amira signs wistfully.

“15 years already…I can’t believe time flew so fast. It was like yesterday you were this tiny and I could pick up you whenever I wanted.”

“She still IS tiny!”, joked Sadiye and grinned at her.

Sehrazat looked at her angrily and bit into her pancake.

Kihana tutted her little sister, who shrugged her shoulders.

Sadly it was true.

Didn’t mean like Sehrazat liked to hear that.

“And you can still pick her up Amira.”, reminded Rahila.

Thanks, Aunty!

Sehrazat bit harder into her pancake.

“You know what I mean.”, said Amira and then turned to her daughter. “Don’t forget, today IS a special birthday. Now you will be the Keeper.”

It took Sehrazat any amount of strength to not roll her eyes.

Ah, yes, she became now the Keeper of the mysterious Millennium Fragment which had her family since the times of the great pharaohs.

She never even saw that thing, because her mother kept it in a little golden box with Hieroglyphs written on it.

But nearly anyone treated it like it was something sacred.

Holy!

The dark blue-haired girl thought personally that it was too much.

It was just some jewellery.

Yes, it is really old jewellery, however still jewellery.

There was nothing special about it.

Or let’s say better she didn’t want to believe the stories her mother and grandmother told her.

They were just too crazy!

/*/

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEHRA-CHAN!”

Sehrazat and Kihana flinched at the loud shout and the birthday girl couldn’t even look as fast, as Maja, the third in their friend group, launched herself at her, hugging her tight.

The blue-haired girl couldn’t even respond, since Maja’s hug was so strong that it squeezed the air out of her lungs.

“Maja-Chan, let Sehra breath, she is turning blue!”, came Kihana to her rescue.

The brown-haired girl let her go with ups, yet Sehrazat fell nearly on the ground if Kihana and Maja didn’t catch her.

“I’m so sorry, Sehra-Chan!”, whined Maja, while Kihana checked on her.

Sehrazat just made a thumbs-up.

She could feel how nearly everyone in the schoolyard was looking at them.

Like always.

Maja was consistently over the top with her affection, but that’s why she and Kihana loved the other black girl.

The three were a bit infamous in Domino High, the only black girls, even if Kihana was white-passing and Maja half-Japanese and their morning routine got them even more attention.

After Sehrazat could breathe again, Maja handed her a little gift box.

“Here is your birthday present, my dear Sehra-Chan. I hope you like it!”

“Thanks, Maja, that’s so nice of you.”, told her Sehrazat smiling.

Maja grinnend and rubbed her nose.

Kihana looked on as she unwrapped her gift.

A small gasp left her lips.

“Dark Magician Girl and Magical Hats! I searched for them everywhere, where did you find them?!”, shouted the birthday girl happily.

How long she had wanted these two cards for her deck of Duel Monster? She couldn’t remember and Maja found them and gifted them to her.

“Aww, makes me happy you are so happy! I found them in a cute little card shop named Kame Shop. The old grandpa who owns it was nice and he has a lot of good cards.”, explained Maja, rocking back and forth with her hands behind her back.

“We need to totally visit it!”, decides Sehrazat.

Maja raised a fist in the air and shouted a loud Yeah!

“But not today.”, came Kihana, the voice of reason in their group. “You know how important your 15th birthday is Sehra. Our moms expect us back after school, no improvised trips.”

Both Sehrazat and Maja let out a gloomy sound and slouched over.

Sadly Kihana was right.

The brunette was the first to gather herself.

“Is this again some of your guys’ weird family tradition? Reminds me of my Obaa-Chan and her demand that we always have Mochi after dinner.”, said Maja.

“Eh, you could say.”, answered Sehrazat.

It was forbidden to tell outsiders about their family affairs, even if Sehrazat didn’t believe one bit and would like to tell Maja, that she respected this rule.

Also, Kihana was there and would give her a headbutt if she told a thing.

Other than her Kihana believes this shit.

Sehrazat wonders sometimes if she was the weird one in her family or if the others were all the weird ones.

Stupid ancient jewellery and its stupid ancient legend around it.

It was then that the school clock sounded, meaning it was time to get to their classroom.

The three girl pals hocked their arms with each other and followed the long line of their school- and classmates into the building.

/*/

The school day was too fast over in Sehrazat's eyes.

Normally she would be happy, but she wondered what would her await home.

She doesn’t want to participate in that superstition of her family, yet she doesn’t have a choice.

So she had to say goodbye to Maja and follow Kihana home.

Arrived there her mother reminded her that they would go out for dinner today and then the ceremony would take place.

So she had to dress nicely.

Her mother had bought her a pretty white dress, with it she should wear her best golden jewellery.

After a shower and dressing up Sehrazat had to let out a sign.

She looked like a modern version of an ancient Egyptian princess…she really hoped no one she knew saw her like this.

Well, at least she wasn’t the only one.

Her mother looked like a modern Egyptian queen, while Aunty Rahila, Kihana, and Sadiye looked like priestesses.

Besides her, little Sadiye whined to Rahila that she wanted to wear her favourite red dress, she knew the stories too, but she seemed only to half believe them.

Yet Rahila didn’t give her a choice and so not only Sadiye pouted, Sehrazat did it too.

Her mother tutted her and so she tried to smile.

At least they would eat well before the whole weird shit happened.

Since Sehrazat’s favourite food was Pasta, they would eat out in the best Italian restaurant in Domino.

The food, of course, was delicious and as her birthday cake came out, made out of chocolate and vanilla and everyone in the restaurant sang happy birthday to her, the birthday girl forgot for a second what would await her home.

Then it was time for her presents.

From Rahila she got the new CD from her favorite J-Pop Idol Mimi Kawaii! It was even a special edition, with an autograph and an exclusive poster.

From Sadiye she got a self-drawn book, with drawings of her and Sadiye having adventures together.

Also, she gifted her a Kuriboh card, which was adorable since Sadiye used her own money to buy it. Everyone cooed at her.

From Kihana, who had a passion for sewing, she got a self-made bag with a large D and M on it for Duel Monster and a new card holder.

From her mama, she got a new dress in her favourite colour gold which sparkled like the sun, with fitting shoes new earrings, and a necklace.

Her granny had sent her money, which her mother gave her.

Sehrazat already knew she would buy some new Duel Monsters cards from it.

All in all an awesome birthday.

If it wasn’t for one thing remaining.

/*/

“Long ago when the pyramids were still young, the great pharaohs played a game filled with obscure magic. These were the Shadow Games. But these Shadow Games erupted into a war that threatened to destroy the entire world. Until a brave and powerful pharaoh locked the magic away, imprisoning it within the mystical Millennium Items. His name we don’t know, he is only known as the Nameless Pharaoh.”, told Amira the story Sehrazat had heard 100 times or so.

She had to keep herself from yawing.

This was important.

Oh well, for her mama.

She just wanted to get over it.

They were back home.

Currently in their dining room where now the table and chairs were missing and a little altar was placed.

On it was a statue of the goddess Isis, lotus blossoms and the famous golden box of her mother.

Rahila with her daughters stood at the side, and beside Sadiye who seemed to wish to be somewhere else, listened to Amira's words.

Amira stood beside the altar and Sehrazat was standing before her.

God, it sounds like they had a cult meeting or something similar.

People would call them crazy if they saw them.

Thankful the curtains on the window were closed and the room was illuminated by a lot of candles.

“The Nameless Pharaoh had a wife. This wife born our ancestor, the founder of the Faizan family.”, continues Amira. “The great queen gave her daughter a duty which we fulfil to this day.

She gave us the 8th Millennium Item, the Fragment, which belonged only to the queens of Egypt. Sehrazat.”

Oh, dear.

She looked at her mother, who had raised her hands like a prayer, which made this even more sound like a cult meeting and tried to stay impassive.

Even if she just wanted to go to bed.

“Sehrazat, my dear daughter. For thousands of years, we have protected the Millennium Fragment from outer forces who want to use its power for evil. From mother to daughter, when reached the age of 15 the keepsake gets passed down. Now it’s your turn.”

Amira took the golden box in her hands and Sehrazat nearly forgot to hold her hands open, so her mother could place the box in them.

“You will keep it safe till it’s your turn to pass it down to your daughter or when the time will come that its power is needed again, then the great queen, our ancestor, said one day the world would need it again the power of the Millenium Fragment. Fulfil your duty to our family, our bloodline, as all the other daughters before you.”

“I will, Mother.”, she responded and stared at the box which was now hers.

So that was it?

Yeah, of course, nothing strange happened.

It was just a box with jewellery.

Nothing more.

At least this ceremony was over now.

/*/

Sehrazat was freshly showered and wearing her PJs as she retired to her room for the night.

Yawning she closed the door after her.

Well, this birthday was over, she got cool gifts, had an awesome time with her family, ate well and now was the Keeper of a shiny little box.

The Box with the Millenium Item was sitting on her Vanity Mirror where she had it placed before taking her shower.

She frowned at the thing.

Till she had a daughter and she was 15, she had to keep an eye on it. Yeah, she could imagine more fun activities.

Stupid family tradition.

The blue-haired girl bet some of her ancestors got conned with this thing and the story, making anybody believe it to this day.

Well, she surely wouldn’t.

Mumbling to herself about stupid shiny boxes, she sat down on her bed and reached for her deck.

She wanted to put the new cards in it and then in the cardholder, Kihana had made for her.

Just…something was bugging her.

She couldn’t explain it.

It was something in the depths of her mind. Something like a whisper.

Something deep in herself told her to look at what was in the box.

Frowning she placed her deck on her bedside table and took the shiny box from the Vanity Mirror to her bed.

She crossed her arms and sat before it.

“So, now what? Stupid shiny old box, what is so special about you?”, she said to herself.

Meanwhile, a storm was forming with lightning and thunder, and howling wind.

The blue-haired girl took the box in her hand and opened it.

There laid this Millennium Fragment.

It was golden, tear-dropped formed with a big eye of Horus staring right into her soul.

She admitted it looked really…ancient.

And the eye was creeping her out.

“So you are the Millenium Fragment, heh?”, was she really talking to jewelry? What had gotten into her? “What is so special about you?”

To demonstrate, she and anybody else Sehrazat decide to break the rule about not wearing the jewellery.

It was just a story.

She took it out of the box.

It was just a story.

The box was placed on her bed.

It was just a story.

Lighting illuminated its surface and reflected on it ominously.

It was just a story!

Sehrazat took all her courage and put it on.

Her heart beat so fast, that she could feel and hear it.

Sweat has broken out on her body, but it was done.

The Millenium Fragment hung now from her throat.

The storm outside got more intense.

“Heh, that’s it?”, she said with a wobbly voice. “It’s really just-“

The teenager couldn’t even end her sentence as some kind of energy flowed through her being.

A golden eye appeared on her forehead and she threw her head back in a silent scream.

If someone saw this he wouldn’t believe his eyes, but the girl seemed to grow taller, her body taking more womanly curves, her hair reaching her bottom and her eyes becoming shaper.

Her mouth closed and she slowly put her head again forward.

She blinked her eyes a few times and raised an elegant eyebrow as she looked around the room.

“Well, this…this is surprising.”, Sehrazat or not said in a melodious sinful voice who belonged to a woman and not a young girl.

She raised her hand to look at it, studying it.

“Really surprising.”

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