Yu-Gi-Oh! Friendship is Dueling 4: Cyber Duel Saga

Chapters

Duel 1: Press Start to Begin
Duel 2: Game on!
Duel 3: Fight through the Forest
Duel 5: The Rock Fortress of Granmarg
Duel 6: The Ice Castle of Mobius
Duel 7: Piercing the Heavens Part 1
Duel 8: Piercing the Heavens Part 2
Duel 9: The Sky Palace of Raiza and Zaborg
Duel 10: Gathering Darkness
Duel 11: Through the Labyrinth
Duel 12: The Stadium of Thestalos
Duel 13: Duel of the Dark Monarchs
Duel 14: Final Boss!
Epilogue
Duel 4: The Menace of the Monarchs!

Duel 1: Press Start to Begin

Ace woke up and yawned. 'Man. Battle City was crazy. Tirek and the Wicked God Cards stealing the energy of cards. Not to mention Sonata being chained up in my first duel! Then I found out Midnight Sparkle is literally living in Ice's shadow!' Ace got dressed and got ready for the day before heading to breakfast. 'But at least things have calmed down for now. I wonder if Sonata wants to do anything? I really haven't had the chance to ask her out. I guess we spent a lot of time together at Battle City, but it wasn't really a date.' Ace headed out of his door and walked down the stairs, and Midnight tackled him with a hug as soon as his feet the ground!

"Mornin' Ace!", Midnight said with a smile.

"Good morning Midnight. Now could you please let me go before my vision goes black-!"

"Sorry! Just...really happy having a family!" Midnight released her hold on Ace letting air return to his lungs.

"You hug me about as tight as Sonata", Ace said as he tousled Midnight's hair. Ace got his breakfast and sat down with Shadow in front of the TV. "Hey? Where's Ice?"

"Oh! He's in the shower. Went on about a date with Indigo Zap and that he had to get cleaned up.", Shadow answered. "Midnight? Could you check up on him?"

"Sure!" Midnight teleported to the bathroom door and knocked on it. "Hm. No answer. This calls for further investigation!" Midnight opened the door, and went in. Then she heard Ice singing.

"Your butt is mine! Gonna take you right! Just show your face in broad daylight. I'm tellin' you on how I feel. Gonna hurt you mind, don't shoot to kill! I'm giving you on the count of three. To show your stuff, or let it be. I'm tellin' you, just watch your mouth! I know your game! What you're about! Well they say the sky's the limit, and for that's really true! But my friends you have seen nothing! Just wait 'til I get through! Because I'm bad! I'm bad! Really, really bad! You know I'm bad, I'm bad! You know it! You know I'm bad, I'm bad! You know! And the whole world has to answer right now just to tell you once gain: Who's bad?"

"Ladies and gentlemen. The next king of pop.", Midnight said with a smirk. Ice was shocked to hear Midnight.

"....How much of that did you hear?", Ice asked. Midnight shrugged.

"Enough to know you know how to sing a Michael Jackson song. Ace and Shadow are waiting for you downstairs BTW."

"I'll be down. Just....don't ever try something like this again. EVER."

"I make no promises!", Midnight said with a mischievous smile as she teleported back downstairs and joined Ace and Shadow in front of the TV. Ace had finished eating, and got up to leave.

"See you guys!", Ace said as he got his duel disk and deck. "I got a date with Sonata today!" Midnight got to thinking.

"Hmmmmm."

"What is it?", Shadow asked.

"I just realized. You're the only one of your brothers that doesn't have a girlfriend yet." Shadow sighed a little. "ACK! I mean....I'm sure you're gonna find a girl soon!"

"It's alright Midnight. But I think I just need to be patient.", Shadow said with a small smile. Ace had come downstairs, and was out the door. He then checked his phone and saw that Sonata had texted him.

"Waiting @ the duel park. Time 2 duel! :)!", Ace read. "This should be fun!" Ace soon arrived at the duel park, and found Sonata waiting for him. "Hey there beautiful." Sonata smiled widely as she heard Ace.

"Hi Ace! Ready for out duel date?", Sonata asked as she activated her duel disk. Ace smiled and activated his duel disk.

"You know it! Ladies first."

Ace: 8000
Sonata: 8000

"Hmmmm." Sonata looked over the cards in her hand. "I'll start by summoning a monster in defense mode! Then I'll set two cards and end my turn! Your move!"

"I draw! I summon Chocolate Magician Girl and attack your monster!" Chocolate Magician Girl fired a blast of magic at Sonata's monster, but it's defense was too high and the attack bounced off Sonata's monster! Ace winced as his life points took a hit!

"Yeah. Island Turtle's got pretty good defense!", Sonata said with a smile.

"Good monster to start with. I end my turn."

Ace: 7400
Sonata: 8000

"My turn!" Sonata drew her next card. "I summon Don Turtle! Now that he's been summoned, I can special summon two more Don Turtles from my deck! Now I'll overlay two of my Don Turtles to xyz summon Number 47: Nightmare Shark! Now that he's been summoned, I can attack a level 3 water monster to him as an overlay unit! I'll attach my last Don Turtle! Now I'll activate Nightmare Shark's effect! By detaching one overlay unit, a water monster I control can attack you directly! The only downside is that other monsters I control can't attack. So I'll use Nightmare Shark's effect to target himself! Razor Fin Strike!" Nightmare Shark jumped over Chocolate Magician Girl, and slashed at Ace's life points with one of his fin blades! "I know how you use your Magician Girls! Especially if they get targeted, they can halve my monsters' attack points.", Sonata said with a smile. "I end my turn with another face-down."

Ace: 5400
Sonata: 8000

"You're pretty good Sonata.", Ace said as he drew his next card. "I summon a monster in defense mode!"

"I activate my trap! Torrential Tribute! Since a monster was summoned, I can destroy all monsters on the field!" A huge wave washed away all monsters on the field! "Then I'll play Torrential Reborn! When a water monster I control was destroyed by battle or a card effect, I can special summon all monsters sent from my field to the graveyard and inflict 500 damage for each monster special summoned!" Ace braced himself as another wave crashed into his life points!

"I guess I'll end my turn with two face-downs. Your deck is making a splash!"

Ace: 4400
Sonata: 8000

Sonata giggled at Ace's joke. "Thanks! I draw! I play Double Summon! I'll bring out two of my favorite monsters! Gagagigo and Jellyfish!"

"Hey Sonata!", Gagagigo greeted. Jellyfish floated over to Sonata and nuzzled her.

"He he! Nice to see you two! Now for the fun part! I overlay Island Turtle, Jellyfish, and Gagagigo to xyz summon Gagagigo the Risen!" Gagagigo stood on the field wearing majestic-looking armor. "Attack him directly!" Gagagigo charged at Ace, but he had prepared!

"I activate my trap! Magic Cylinder! When one of your monsters declares an attack, I can target that monster and negate the attack! Then you take your monster's attack points as damage!" Gagagigo's attack went in one cylinder, and shot back at Sonata through the other!

"I guess I'll end my turn.", Sonata said with a smile.

Ace: 4400
Sonata: 5050

"I draw! I play Dark Magic Veil! I pay 1000 life points to special summon a dark spellcaster-type monster from my hand or graveyard! I'll bring out Dark Magician Girl from my hand!" Dark Magician Girl jumped out of a portal! "Now I play The Eye of Timaeus! I'll target DMG with it to fusion summon DMG the Dragon Knight!" Dark Magician Girl was then clad in armor and riding Timaeus! "Now I'll discard a card to target and destroy one monster you control! I'll get rid of Nightmare Shark!" A bolt of magic from DMG's sword struck down Nightmare Shark! "Now I'll attack Gagagigo the Risen! Then I'll activate my face-down! Battle Fusion! Since DMG the Dragon Knight's a fusion monster, she gains your monster's attack points until the end of the damage step! I'll target Gagagigo the Risen!" Gagagigo the Risen was incinerated by Timaeus's flame breath! "I end my turn with a face-down."

Ace: 4400
Sonata: 2450

"Not bad Ace! But it's my turn now! I draw! I summon Raging Eria! And since she's a spellcaster, I can special summon Jigabyte from my hand! Now I'll overlay my two monsters! I xyz summon Number 37: Hope Woven Dragon Spider Shark!"

"I activate DMG the Dragon's Knight's effect! I'll discard a card to destroy a face-up card you control!"

"No you don't! I activate Destruction Jammer! When you activate a card effect that destroys a monster on the field, I can discard a card to destroy that card!" DMG the Dragon Knight's own bolt of magic was sent flying back at her! Destroying her! "Now I'll attack you directly!" Hope Woven shot a beam of water elemental energy at Ace's life points! "I end my turn."

Ace: 1800
Sonata: 2450

"Not bad!" Ace drew his next card. "I play Raigeki to destroy all monsters on your field and summon Berry Magician Girl!" A massive thunder bolt wiped out Sonata's field!

"Now Hope Woven's effect activates! When he's destroyed, I can special summon one other monster in my graveyard! I'll bring back Gagagigo!"

"I activate my trap! Dark Renewal! Since you special summoned a monster and I controlled a spellcater-type monster, I can send both to the graveyard to special summon a dark spellcaster type monster from my deck or graveyard! I'll bring out another Dark Magician Girl from my deck!" Dark Magician Girl popped out of a capsule!

"Hope you liked the disappearing act!", Dark Magician Girl said with a wink.

" Now I'll discard Kiwi Magician Girl! Now all Magician Girls on my field gain 300 attack and defense for each 'Magician Girl' monster in my graveyard or on my field! with different names! Now DMG is boosted by 1200 points! Also, you can't target my monsters with card effects or destroy them with card effects for this turn! Let's finish this!"

"Dark Burning Attack!", DMG cried out as she fired a blast of magic at Sonata! Wiping out the last of her life points!

"You gave a pretty good duel Sonata.", Ace said with a smile as he walked over to Sonata. Sonata blushed, then looked Ace in his eyes.

"Ace?"

"Yeah?" Sonata hugged Ace tightly.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"....For everything." Sonata teared up a little. "You gave me a reason to stay here. Even when we were beaten at the Battle of the Bands....and I still thought you were just another guy under our spell. And you gave me my voice back." Ace returned Sonata's hug.

"Didn't you know? I was under your spell before you even sang." The two shared a kiss, and both smiled as they pulled out of it. "Now how about we pay Pinkie a visit at Sugar Cube Corner?" Sonata beamed.

"Sounds sweet. Literally." The couple walked off and went to satisfy their sweet tooth.

Duel 2: Game on!

Ice had just met up with Indigo for his date. "You ready Zap?", Ice asked. Indigo nodded.

"Sure am! So what's out first stop?"

"I was thinking we could start our date with something sweet.", Ice answered. Ice then summoned Red Dragon Archfiend.

"Taking her in style are we?", Red Dragon asked with a grin. D.D. Warrior Lady then fully materialized.

"Got room for one more?", she asked with a flirty smile. Red Dragon blushed!

"Uh...of..of course! But, you'll have to be carried by my hands."

"Aw. Is that your cover for holding me close?", Warrior Lady said with a wink.

"N...No! I...I just want don't want to have Ice hanging by my claws!" D.D. Warrior smiled at Red Dragon's reaction.

"You're incredibly cute when you're nervous Red!" Warrior Lady then kissed Red Dragon on his cheek!

"If you two are done, let's be going.", Indigo said with a small smile. Warrior Lady pouted.

"Hmph! Spoilsport." Warrior Lady got into Red Dragon's hands while Ice and Indigo got on his back.

"Hold tight!", Red Dragon called out as he took off! They soon landed at Sugar Cube Corner, and the four of them went inside and were surprised to find Ace and Sonata!

"Hey bro! Looks like we had the same idea.", Ace said with a battle. "You and your girl care to join us?"

"Sure.", Ice said with a shrug. "Why not make it a double date."

"In the mean time...", Red Dragon said with a smile. "Warrior Lady and I are gonna grab our own table. I'd be honored if you'd join me."

"You might be a dragon, but you've got the charm of a prince.", Warrior Lady said with a smile. "Lead the way." Ace and Ice smiled as Red Dragon Archfiend and D.D. Warrior Lady shared a soda.

"So was this you two's first stop?", Ice asked.

"Nope! We dueled first! I managed to almost beat Ace!", Sonata chirped. Ace chuckled.

"Her water deck nearly washed away my life points. So did you make your deck because you used to be a siren?" Sonata nodded in response.

"Yup! That, and Jellyfish and Gagagigo are super fun to hang out with when Ari and Dagi are too busy."

"Y'know Ice? It's weird.", Indigo speculated.

"What is?", Ice asked.

"Your name has Ice in it, but you've got a lot of fiery monsters."

"What can I say? It's ironic. And I've never once questioned it.", Ice answered with a smile. "Kinda explains why Red Dragon partnered with me. Speaking of parnters, have you ever tried to what Burst and Inferno can do Ace? You know, sprouting dragon wings?" Ace shook his head.

"I felt something pretty similar during.....the incident." Ice then lowered his head.

"Oh. Yeah. THAT time."

"But at least I got Timaeus back, and you."

"Uh, would either of you care to explain 'the incident' to me?", Indigo asked.

"It's a long story Zap. One for another time, and that I'm not eager to retell.", Ice said with a frown.

"HEY!", Sonata yelled! The whole group was shocked out of her sudden burst of volume! "No frowny faces! This day's supposed to have smiles!" Everyone else snapped out of their shock, and shared a laugh. They also received an unexpected guest.

"Hey, aren't you Arctic Ace? One of the Battle City finalists?" The group turned and saw Mokuba.

"Yeah. And you're Kaiba's little brother. What're you doing here?", Ace asked. "I thought you two would head back to Domino City after Battle City."

"Eh, Seto's taking some time to check-up on our Canterlot branch. Oh! I almost forgot! He took notice of how much you liked out Duel Monsters video games, so he invited you and three guests to try out our new virtual reality system! So are you interested?"

"Sounds like fun!", Ace answered. "Well? You wanna try it Sonata?"

"Sure! As long as I can still spend some time with you!", Sonata said with a smile. Ace then turned to Ice and Indigo.

"How about you two?"

"Game on!", they answered.

"Then it's settled!"

"Great! Seto already arranged some transportation for us. We can leave as soon as you're ready."

"Hold on a sec!", Ice said. "We'd better let Red Dragon and Warrior Lady finish their date." The group turned to see Red Dragon Archfiend and D.D. Warrior Lady sharing a soda. "You two done?" Red Dragon nodded.

"All good!" Red Dragon and Warrior Lady returned to their cards.

"Well. Let's get our game on!", Ace cheered.

Duel 3: Fight through the Forest

A limo arrived to pick up Mokuba and Ace's friends, and they soon arrived at Kaiba Corp.'s Canterlot branch. "We're here!", Mokuba announced. The group exited the limo and followed Mokuba into the building. Kaiba was there to greet them. "Hey Seto!"

"I take it they wanted to test out the virtual reality console Mokuba?"

"Yup! Hopefully we don't have another incident like the first time."

"Well, follow me. I'm about to show you the future of gaming!", Kaiba said proudly. The group boarded the elevator and went down to where the virtual reality chamber was located. "These are the virtual reality pods. We've already linked them up to out latest duel monsters video game. Enter the pods, and you'll be transported into the game. It's the next level of immersive game-play. So, you ready to take things to the next level?"

"Good one!", Sonata noted.

"Finally someone who appreciates puns.", Kaiba said with a small smile. The group got into the gaming pods and prepared to enter the game. However, something went wrong once they game started to run.

"Mr. Kaiba! Our program's been tampered with!", a technician cried out!

"What?! Terminate the program! Now!", Kaiba ordered.

"It's too late! If we abort it now, their minds will be trapped in the game!" Kaiba growled at hearing this.

"Then it looks like their only way out is to beat the game."

Inside the game world....

"Wow. The graphics here are great!", Ace said as he took in the world of the game.

"Kaiba wasn't kidding when he said it took immersive game-play to the next level.", Ice added.

"So how do we play?", Sonata asked.

"Maybe we use our duel monsters decks.", Indigo suggested as she noted the duel disk on her arm. "This IS a Duel Monsters video game."

"You got a point.", Ace said as he activated his duel disk. "I guess we'd better try finding some form of civilization. That's usually how adventure games work. We'd better find our way through the forest."

"Also, it looks like we can summon our high-level monsters with no cost.", Ice noted as he looked over his cards. "Come on out Gorz!" Gorz, the Emissary of Darkness materialized.

"Huh. So this is what it feels like to go digital.", Gorz said as he took in the game environment. "So we're heading into the forest right? Well, good thing I'm great at squashing bugs." The group then made their way through the forest. And as expected, they ran into some enemy monsters! In specific, a swarm of insect-type monsters! "Time to play exterminator!", Gorz boasted as he readied his sword.

"Don't count me out of the fun!", Ace said as he summoned Dark Magician Girl!

"Eat magic you stinking bugs!", DMG cried out as she fired a blast of magic! Frying the bugs in their way!

"Uh, guys? I don't think we're outta this yet!", Indigo cried out as more bugs started to swarm them! "Time to bring out some backup!" Indigo summoned Jet Synchron and D.D. Unicorn Knight! "Synchro summon!" Indigo brought out Jet Warrior!

"Time to fry some bugs! Turbine Blast!", Jet Warrior cried out as he unleashed a flaming tornado from his fist! However, there was no end in sight of the insect onslaught! "They just keep coming!" Sonata then noticed something that could turn the tide!

"Look at the trees!" The group looked up at the trees, and noticed the hives stuck to the trees! For every bug they destroyed, the hives churned out another one! Sonata summoned out Jellyfish! "Come on Jelly! Zap the hives!" Jellyfish fired small bolts of electricity from his tentacles! Frying all of the hives and stopping the continuous wave on insects!

"That oughta fix our bug problem!", Gorz said with a smile. "Now to rip things up!" Gorz charged at the horde of insects! Cutting them to pixelated bits with his arm blades! "Wait....if those were hives, then where's the...." The ground soon rumbled! "I think we're at the first boss battle!" Six massive legs rose up from the ground, and Insect Queen emerged from her hiding place! She hissed at the group as she beat her wings! She tried to attack, but was stuck in place!

"Looks like the game shares some of the same effects of cards as the real world! Insect Queen can't attack unless another insect is tributed! Meaning we can get in as many hits as we want! But first, I think you need some better equipment DMG!" Ace played Magic Formula, and the iconic spell book fell into DMG's hands!

"Thanks Ace!", DMG said with a nod. "Dark Burning Attack!" DMG fired a massive blast of magic at Insect Queen! Singeing her!

"Care to do the honors Gorz?", Ice asked. Gorz smirked.

"Watch this!" Gorz charged at Insect Queen, and unleashed a series of rapid slashes! Once he was finished, he sheathed his blade. "Wait for it...." A few seconds later, Insect Queen exploded into a bunch of pixels! "And THAT'S how you finish a boss battle!" The group was all set to celebrate, until a figure sntached up Sonata and Indigo Zap!

"Sonata!", Ace cried out!

"Zap!", Ice screamed! Armed Ninja noticed the two were pursuing him, and vanished in a smoke bomb! "Darn! What now?!" Ace sighed.

"I guess we'd better head for the village at the edge of the forest. Maybe we can find out why our girlfriends got nabbed..."

Duel 5: The Rock Fortress of Granmarg

"Let's see." Ace pulled out the map they had bought from the town shop. "According to the wiseman, there's six monarchs we have to defeat. Granmarg the Rock Monarch, Raiza the Storm Monarch, Mobius the Frost Monarch, Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch, Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, and Caius the Shadow Monarch. From what I can tell, the closest Monarch to us is Granmarg."

"Then he's the one we're taking down first!", Ice said as he cracked his knuckles. "Let's turn him into pebbles!"

"Hmmm. It looks like Granmarg's Fortress is underground. Of course the monarch that uses earth would make his lair underground."

"So how do we find it?", Ice asked. "Look for a bunch of random tunnels and hope one of them leads to Granmarg's fortress?"

"Maybe we could try looking for any icons that make the entrance to stand out?", Dark Magician Girl suggested.

"You got a good points DMG.", Ace said. "Even if it's hidden a boss lair is ALWAYS obvious. So let's try looking for it! According to the map, it should be somewhere in this valley." The group headed for the valley, and started looking around. At the same time, they also noticed a lot of rock-type monsters around the area. "Huh. I thought for sure they'd be attacking us."

"Rock-type monsters are usually gentle creatures.", Gorz noted. "Their more known for defense as opposed to attack. Considering that, maybe we can ask around. Maybe one of them knows where Granmarg's fortress is." Ace noticed a Giant Soldier of Stone, and decided to ask him.

"Excuse me? You wouldn't happen to know where the fortress of Granmarg is?", Ace asked.

"I don't have much of an idea.", Giant Soldier of Stone answered. "But look for Castle Gate. He's being used as the guard for Granmarg's Fortress."

"Thanks for the info." Ace and the others left to try and find Castle Gate. They didn't have to look too far. "Wow. No wonder this guy's called Castle Gate" The monster they were looking for. Castle Guard was snoring until he heard Ace and the others talking.

"Nguh! What?! Who?" Castle Gate then looked down at Ace, Ice and their monsters. "You must be seeking Granmarg."

"Yeah!", Ice said with a nervous smile. "So let us through!"

"...Finally! Do you know how bad it is?! Having to sit still and guard this place everyday? I haven't been able to move for weeks! I think my joints are stiff. Hold on." Castle Gate opened the doors that made up his chest, and the entrance to Granmarg's Fortress was revealed. "Be sure to follow the illuminated ceiling. That place can be a labyrinth." The group headed inside, and made their way to Granmarg's throne room.

"Man! Granmarg must be pretty inflexible.", Ice joked as they journeyed to the throne room. The group then bumped into something! "Ow!" Three monsters had bumped into them! "Sorry!" They had run into monsters who looked like they were made of magnets.

"Our bad. I'm Alpha.", Alpha said.

"Name's Beta."

"I go by Gamma. Together, we are the Magnet Warriors."

"Nice to meet you.", Ace said with a smile. "So are you seeing Granmarg too?" The Magnet Warriors nodded. "Huh. I guess we're going the same way. Wanna come with us?"

"Lead the way!", Alpha said. The group continued to follow the trail, and soon arrived at what looked like a throne room. And when they saw the throne, they saw a gigantic statue! But the craziest thing is, it seemed to be snoring! "So this is Granmarg. How do we wake him up?"

"Like this.", Alpha said as he picked up a pebble and tossed it at Granmarg's head! The statue started to move, and shattered out of the stone encasing it! Granmarg stretched his arms, and caused the ground to shake as he sat up.

"Nnnnnhhh. Huh? Who woke me up?" Granmarg then looked down at the group. "Ah. More pebbles tossing themselves against the mountain. You Magnet Warriors defended this valley during my hibernation. I bested you on your own, and I shall best you again! But first..." Granmarg started to pulse with energy, and transformed into a stronger form! "Let me show you what my little nap has done for my strength!" Granmarg punched the ground, and caused an earthquake! "I can command the very ground you stand on!" With a single touch, Granmarg made the ground the heroes stood on continuously shift and alter pillars would shoot up whenever they even got close to Granmarg!

"Even with my boosted strength, this new form of his is still stronger!", DMG cried as she fired blast after blast at Granmarg! But none of them even fazed him!

"And this stone is pretty tough!", Gorz complained. He then turned to the Magnet Warriors. "Didn't you guys take him on before?!"

"Yeah! But that was each of us on out own!", Alpha said.

"And he handed our butts to us!", Beta added.

"He was too strong for each of us!", Gamma panicked as he dodged boulder after boulder thrown their way! Ace then got an idea!

"But not if you fight together! You're stronger together! Fight as one, and nothing can stop you!", Ace cried out! The Magnet Warriors then looked to each other, and nodded! Together, they charged at Granmarg! But as they advanced, something odd happened! Their bodies began to merge and shift!

"No! It's impossible!", Granmarg bellowed!

"I am whole once again!", the new Magnet Warrior cried out! "Valkyrion has returned!"

"So you've returned! No matter! I will shatter you back into your weaker forms!" Granmarg swung at Valkyrion, but he used his wings as a shield! Both titans stood still for a minute before Granmarg's arm crumbled into dust! "WHAT?!"

"You call yourself a rock-type monster, and yet you've got such lousy defense?", Valkyrion jokingly asked.

"I SHALL DESTROY YOU!", Granmarg roared! Valkyrion readied his blade, and charged it with elemental energy! "MAGNA SLASH!" Valkyrion unleashed a mighty slash! Splitting Granmarg down the middle! Granmarg then crumbled into nothing but debris! "Once again, we are free to live peacefully here. And I can now stand as the guardian once again. Thank you, my friends."

"No problem!", Ice said with a smile.

"And now to tend to one last bit of business." Valkyrion walked over to a statue that was by Granmarg's throne. The statue came to life, and was revealed to be a woman. "Mystical Sand! Are you alright?"

"A little stiff, but I'm fine. Nice to see you again Valkyrion. Thanks for getting me out of there before Granmarg could use me to revive Five-Headed Dragon."

"Well, it looks like things are gonna be fine here.", Ace said with a smile.

"Next stop: Mobius!", Ice said with a grin!

Duel 6: The Ice Castle of Mobius

"Okay. We took down Granmarg. That means we gotta take down Mobius next.", Ice stated. "Any idea where he'd be located?"

"Considering he's the frost monarch, I'd say he's in an area with snow in it. LOTS of snow.", Ace said. "Looks like the mountains would be our best bet. And....oh man!"

"Ace? What is it?"

"I just forgot. We don't have any clothes for cold weather!"

"No problem! Gorz? I'm gonna have to tune you."

"No problem Ice.", Gorz said with a nod.

"I summon Synkron Resonator! Now I'll tune him with Gorz the Emissary of Darkness!" In a stream of light, Gorz was replaced with Red Dragon Archfiend! "Hey buddy! Good to have you in action!"

"What's up Ice?", Red Dragon asked.

"We're headed for cold weather. Think you can put up a heat aura around us?"

"No sweat! You guys better get on my back if you want to get to the mountains quicker." Ace and Ice climbed on board, and Red Dragon took off for the mountains! "I'm putting up a heat aura now!" Ace, Ice, and Dark Magician Girl found a small flaming aura around them. Strong enough to keep them warm. "There. That should keep us nice and toasty."

"Thanks Red. Now let's melt Mobius the overgrown popsicle!", Ice said. "He's the one in charge of ice, so he's gotta have an ice castle or something like that."

"You mean the big obvious one neat the top of the mountain?", Dark Magician Girl said as she pointed to it. The guys saw a gigantic castle made of ice!

"....That'll do it.", Ace said with a nod. The winds then began to howl and snow started to fall furiously! "I'd say Mobius is giving us a not-so-warm welcome!" The group made their way to Mobius's Ice Castle. But as they approached, they were surprised to find no one guarding the castle. In fact, it seemed strangely empty. When they entered, they were met by a sight they had not expected. They saw Mobius staring woefully at two statues made of ice. One was of a regal looking woman, and the other was of a young woman. Tears were streaming down Mobius's face. And as the tears fell, the storm outside grew fiercer.

"My queen....my daughter....what I would give to thaw you from your prisons.", Mobius said sadly.

"Uh...excuse us?", Ice asked. Mobius spun around to face them!

"Who dares to intrude upon my dwelling?! Leave me!" Mobius then returned his gaze to his frozen wife and daughter.

"If you don't mind me asking...what happened to them?", Ace asked. Mobius sighed.

"Long before I was banished, I ruled these mountains. All under my rule knew happiness. But nothing brought warmth to my heart more than my beloved wife and daughter. Unlike my brothers, I willingly underwent Kuraz sealing me. However, my absence left my kingdom vulnerable. And then...that witch struck! The White Night Queen. She attacked my castle, and sealed my wife and daughter in ice. And when I awoke, I found them as statues."

"Then tell us where she is! We'll melt her!", Ice declared.

"I applaud your courage. But make no mistake. She is not a foe you can take lightly. There is a cave just north of here. It is her lair.", Mobius warned. "She has a creature whose strength surpasses mine." Ace and Ice nodded as they left for the cave.

"Man. That places looks ever creepier than I thought it would.", Ice said as they stared at the entrance. Meanwhile, White Night Queen was talking to someone through a shadow portal as she sat on her throne.

"My lord. I trust you have the item I obtained for you?", White Night Queen asked.

"You have served me well.", the figure said. "I now grant you the position of ruler of my brother's kingdom."

"I am grateful to you Lord Caius." The shadow portal faded away, and White Night Queen noticed something had set off her monitoring spell. "Well, well. It appears I have guests." Ace, Ice, Dark Magician Girl, and Red Dragon Archfiend had made their way to White Night Queen's throne room. "So. Who dares to intrude upon my domain?"

"We've come to break the spell you put on Mobius's family.", Ace declared. Queen laughed.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Fools! You've no idea the power I command!" White Night Queen summoned a dragon made of ice! "Chill them to the bone White Night Dragon!" White Night Dragon unleashed a frosty breath! But Red Dragon Archfiend matched it by creating a flaming shield around his friends!

"Mobius wasn't kidding when he said this thing was strong!", Red Dragon grunted. "He's got strength that matches Blue-Eyes!"

"Then at least keep him busy! I'll set some cards that'll help even the odds!", Ice replied. He then turned to face White Night Queen. "I'm gonna make you pay for freezing Mobius's family!"

"And just how are you going to do that boy?", Queen asked with a smirk.

"I've got a friend that has a few ideas. Come on out! Arisen Gaia the Fierce Knight!"

"You've harmed innocents in our quest for power.", Arisen Gaia said sternly. "Face the charge of justice!" White Night Queen didn't stand a chance as Gaia's attack shattered her! "I guess she fell to pieces." Meanwhile, Dark Magician Girl and Red Dragon Archfiend were still facing off against White Night Dragon! Red Dragon was grappling with his frozen foe while Dark Magician Girl searched her book for a spell to turn the tide!

"I don't know how much longer I can hold him!", Red Dragon groaned as he was locked in combat with White Night Dragon!

"Where is it?! Where is it?! There!" Dark Magician Girl cast a spell that forced White Night Dragon to switch into defense mode! "Melt him!" Red Dragon nodded as he wrapped his fist in flames, and obliterated White Night Dragon with a blazing punch! Melting it into nothing more than a puddle! As a result of White Night Queen being defeated, snow began to fall gently on Mobius's castle. And when it fell on the frozen statues of his wife and daughter, they started to thaw and live again. Mobius couldn't contain his joy and embraced them as soon as they were revived. Ace and his group returned to Mobius's castle and smiled at the scene before them.

"I guess you could call this scene heartwarming.", Ice said with a smile. Mobius walked over to them.

"I owe you my thanks. You have returned to me what I cherished most. Is there anyway I can repay you?"

"Do you have any idea where Raiza and Zaborg might have their lairs?", Ace asked.

"Those two can create storm that rain fury from the sky. So I've no doubt they've made their dominion the sky itself. I'd heard of Granmarg's defeat at your hands. But Zaborg and Raiza are not as easy to defeat."

"We'll keep that in mind. Thanks for your help Mobius." Ace and the others left, and contemplated their next move.

Duel 7: Piercing the Heavens Part 1

"So Zaborg and Raiza are based in the sky. What's stopping us from just climbing onto Red Dragon and just flying to their base?", Ice asked.

"Because. They've got quite the security system.", Ace countered. "Take a look at the map. It shows where their sky palace is. However, the place is surrounded by tornado walls and a lot of Raigeki spells. They really spared on expense with their security."

"Can't we just dodge them?", Ice asked. "I mean, Red Dragon is a pretty good flier. He could get us past no problem."

"Sorry Ice. I might have a fiery spirit, but I'm not crazy! Trust me. Raigeki NEVEr misses. You'd need to be immune to the effects of spell cards to survive one."

"So what do we gotta do so we can storm the sky palace?"

"Well, there are a few spells that can counter Raigeki.", Dark Magician girl noted. "There's also a few items that can protect Red Dragon from being destroyed by card effects. It's called Dragon Shield. The shop back in town might have one!"

"That sounds like a plan. In the meantime, you'd better retreat back into your card DMG.", Ace said as he returned Dark Magician Girl to her card. Ace and Ice flew into town on Red Dragon Archfiend, and immediately went inside the shop. "Excuse me, but would you happen to be selling the equip spell Dragon Shield?"

"Sorry. We don't have any of that item.", the shopkeeper said. "However, if you're looking for items for dragons, you could always try the mountains or the Dragon Ravine. They specifically carry items for sky-faring creatures."

"Thanks for the info. Let's go Ace!" The two of them rushed back to Red Dragon Archfiend, and flew as fast as they could to the Dragon Ravine. However, it looked completely deserted when they arrived. "Weird. I thought this place would be sprawling with dragons...." As if on cue, the Dragunity's came out of their hiding places. "Me and my big mouth."

"What brings you here?", one of the Dragunities asked.

"We're not here to fight! We're just here for an item called Dragon Shield.", Ace said.

"If you've come to claim the shield, you may have it. However..." the Dragunity then pointed to Ice. "You must face trials to prove you are worthy of the shield!" Ice steeled his gaze.

"Bring it on! I'll take on any one of you!"

"You misunderstand. You and your dragon will face trials not by our hand. You will face them...in there." The Dragunity pointed to a cave that looked like a dragon's mouth. "Inside, you will be tested. And in the end, we will see if you are worthy." Ice and Red Dragon walked into the cave. Where Ice would face an unknown test with an unclear outcome.

Duel 8: Piercing the Heavens Part 2

"Just what is it we're gonna be facing?", Ice thought out loud as he and Red Dragon entered the cave.

"I don't know. But I've got a bad feeling about this...", Red Dragon began. As if on cue, the cave's mouth snapped closed! "Me and my big mouth..."

"Well, who knows? Maybe there's another way out.", Ice said with a small smile. "We just gotta stick together!" Red Dragon nodded as he summoned a small flame into his hand.

"Can't go around blind now can we?" The two journeyed through the cave. Looking for an exit. They soon found one. "Jackpot! We've got a way out!" But before either of them could move, the spirit of a dragon materialized!

"Congratulations. You've found the exit from the cave. However, there is a catch.", the spirit said.

"And what's that?", Ice asked.

"Only ONE of you may exit. Choose wisely." The spirit then faded away. Leaving Ice and Red Dragon shocked by its words.

"Only one of us can leave....", Ice repeated. Red Dragon stare at Ice, and then sighed.

"Ice? Leave me here."

"WHAT?! No! You can help Ace more than I can if you get to leave! I'm not gonna lose my best friend!"

"But Indigo is in serious trouble! She's probably waiting for you Ice! How's she going to feel when she finds out you're not gonna be by Ace's side when you rescue her?!"

"And how can I go the rest of my life knowing I left you here to rot?! You and I are partners Red! I'm not leaving you!"

"Then I'm not leaving your side either.", Red Dragon said with a nod. "Looks like we'll both be staying in this cave for as long as we live." The mouth of the cave re-opened. "...Or not." Ice and Red Dragon walked out of the cave, and found Ace waiting for them. The Dragunity that had addressed Ice approached them holding an item wrapped in cloth to them.

"You have passed the test. Neither one of you would abandon the other, proving you truly have a bond with your dragon. We present you with the Dragon Shield." The Dragunity removed the cloth covering the Dragon Shield. "Use it well." Ice and Red Dragon smiled as Red equipped himself with the shield.

"Ace, climb on!" Ace and Ice got on Red Dragon's back. "Well, Red? Let's pierce the heavens!" Red Dragon took off like a rocket! Soaring past the clouds, and spreading his wings to halt himself once he saw the sky palace. A storm was raging around it.

"Let's ride this storm!", Red Dragon roared as he flew straight at the palace! As he closed in, the winds tried to throw him off-course! But he flew right through them!

"Here comes a Raigeki!", Ace called out! As the massive bolt of thunder struck, Red Dragon was unscathed!

"Hah! It tickles! We're almost at the palace! Just gotta get a little bit closer..." Red Dragon Archfiend poured on the speed, and landed with an impact on the steps of the sky palace! "Now then. Let's storm these monarchs!"

Duel 9: The Sky Palace of Raiza and Zaborg

"So brother?", Raiza asked. "What shall we do next? Cause the worst storm in history, or rain thunder everywhere?"

"Ah. This does take me back to before Kuraz sealed us. How I enjoyed tormenting the surface.", Zaborg said with a fond sigh. "Now that we've returned, we shall remind those beneath us of our power!" Suddenly, the doors to their throne room were sent flying! "WHO DARES?!" Red Dragon Archfiend cracked his knuckles as he, Ice and Ace walked towards the monarchs.

"We do.", Red Dragon replied with a smirk. "You didn't make it easy flying all the way up here. Now you're the ones being stormed!"

"Fool! We command the winds and thunder! Let us show you your error by unleashing the fury of the heavens!" Raiza sent out a flurry of hurricanes while Zaborg fired bolt after bolt of lightning!

"These guys are really pushing it with the whole storm motif!", Ice screamed as he and Ace dodged the bolts and kept their distance from the hurricanes Raiza had summoned! However, Zaborg soon increased the intensity of his bolts and sent of flying right at Ace and Ice! Red Dragon noticed, and took the full force of the bolt! "RED!"

"Hah! Another foe smote by our might!", Zaborg boasted. But when the smoke cleared, Red Dragon was still standing! "WHAT!?! Impossible! My smiting bolt has never failed to vanquish an opponent!"

"Well I'll be.", Red Dragon said as he noticed the aura around him thanks to Dragon Shield. "This shield really lives up to its name!" Red then steeled his gaze at Zaborg. "You just tried to fry my friends." Red charged up his fist until it was blazing, and flew up to Zaborg! "NOW YOU BURN!" Red unleashed a powerful flaming uppercut! Zaborg staggered, and sparks flew from his body as he trembled!

"You....YOU!", Zaborg screamed as he summoned a gigantic lightning bolt in an effort to destroy Red Dragon Archfiend! However, the attack once again failed due to the Dragon Shield. Zaborg exploded into nothing more than a pile of pixels. Raiza turned his attention to Red Dragon Archfiend.

"An impressive tool you have. Time to blow it away!" Raiza fired a mini hurricane that whisked away Dragon Shield!

"Don't you know? Wind fuels the flames!", Ice spat as he climbed on Red Dragon's back. "Let's ride this creep's storm!"

"Fool!", Raiza boomed. "Face the fury of the winds!" Raiza shot out a tornado from his hand! Nearly sending Ice and Red Dragon flying! But they held fast as flames began to envelop them!

"Let's show this guy some real fury!", Red Dragon cried out! Red Dragon started to spin counter-clockwise as he flew towards Raiza! In turn, the flames enveloping him and Ice began to spiral as well! The raging winds from Raiza's attack only making the flames stronger! Soon, they turned Raiza's own storm against him!

"This cannot be!", Raiza screamed as he gazed in shock at the flaming spiral heading right for him! Red Dragon and Ice ripped through him and stood still as Raiza exploded into a storm of pixels!

"I guess he really was a windbag.", Red Dragon said with a smile. Ice shared a fist-bump with him in victory.

"Four down. Two to go.", Ice added. "We took down the earth monarch, we reasoned with the water monarch, and we just defeated the wind and lightning monarchs. All that's left is fire and darkness."

"Then lets get to dethroning them!", Red Dragon boasted.

"Well the fire monarch should be easy enough to find.", Ace said as he pulled up the map. "Just look for the nearest volcano...."

Duel 10: Gathering Darkness

Caius the Shadow Monarch sat upon his throne. A mystical orb was reflecting Ace and Ice's progress. "So. These are the fools who have been decimating my brothers." Caius then changed the view to Sonata and Indigo in their cage. "It appears out tributes are secure. And should they be liberated...." Caius turned to five statues of dragons. "There's always a back-up plan. These dragons should be necessary to revive Five-Headed Dragon. Delg! Angmarl!" Two swirls of darkness materialized and condensed into two monsters. "We will be receiving guests soon enough. Prepare a....reception for them." Delg and Angmarl nodded and vanished into the shadows. Meanwhile, Sonata and Indigo were sitting in their cage.

"Man, this stinks!", Indigo groaned. "So much for us joining Ice and Ice in the fun! Now we're stuck in this creepy place and they're going to have to rescue us!" Sonata sighed.

"Yeah. But hey! At least we know that they're coming for us!" Sonata's mind then drifted to when Ace went to her when she and her family were about to leave Canterlot. "Just like before.." Indigo gave Sonata a smile.

"You really love Ace don't you?", she asked. Sonata nodded. "Yeah. I guess Ice is pretty cool. Even dueled against Cinch. Called her out and everything. He won the duel too." Indigo smiled fondly remembering Ice kissing her. "Not to mention giving me that little surprise after he won. He told me I gave him a reason to duel again. But I never really figured what he meant by that."

"You sure you wanna know?", Sonata asked.

"The way I see it, Ice did something he wasn't too proud of."

"Well....he was kinda, sorta....possessed by an evil monster.", Sonata said nervously. "Ace told me all about it. Things were so bad their brother Shadow had to be sent away."

"Why did that have to happen?"

"The monster possessing Ice was dead-set on destroying Ace and Shadow. So they had to send Shadow away to keep him safe. And not long after that, Ace wound up dueling Ice. Ace won, but Ice stole The Eye of Timaeus and vanished without a trace. Then we fast-forward two years. My family and I tried to takeover CHS with our magic, and I met Ace there. He was super nice to me, and he was kinda cute too. But when we were defeated, Ace chased after me when we were going to leave. He told me how much he loved me, and I had a reason to stay. Then, Ice came back. And the monster controlling him was stronger. Ace managed to get his card back, and save his brother. But after that, Ice wanted nothing to do with dueling ever again. So I guess, he has you to thank for giving him his spirit back." Indigo was silent as she took it all in.

"I...I never knew."

"Well if he's coming for you, that shows just how much you mean to him.", Sonata beamed. Indigo cracked a smile.

"Right. I guess I don't mind waiting. For now. I guess this isn't an adventure game with a beautiful girl to rescue."

Duel 11: Through the Labyrinth

"So it's obvious that Thestalos is going to be in a place like a volcano.", Ace stated. "So we're just gonna have to look for the nearest mountain spewing smoke and lava. But first? We'd better get back down to ground level. Maybe we can find some clues back at the valley."

"Good idea.", Ice said with a nod as he and Ace hopped on Red Dragon Archfiend's back.

"Looks like clear skies ahead!", Red Dragon noted. "Beating those two monarchs seemed to make the skies calm down again. Now we can fly without worried about getting zapped! Hold tight!" Red Dragon Archfiend took off, and dived beneath the clouds. As they neared the ground, he spread his wings to slow his descent. "You guys' okay?"

"A little shaken up. But we're good!", Ice stated. "Man! Roller coasters got NOTHING on you Red!"

"Okay. Looks like the volcano is easy enough to reach. However, there's a problem.", Ace noted.

"And that'd be?"

"The fact that the volcano spews debris constantly. But there could be another way into the volcano. Huh. And it's located back in the valley where we met Valkyrion!"

"Then let's move!"

"Actually, we might not need to rush. According to the map, there should be a warp point around here." Ace then looked around and spotted a stone circle. "That's it!" Ace then summoned Dark Magician Girl. "Care to do the honors DMG?" Dark Magician Girl nodded.

"One warp coming up!" DMG looked through her spell book and found the spell she was looking for. One cast later, and the warp was active. "That should do it!" DMG jumped into the warp, and the others followed suit. They soon found themselves in the valley.

"Let's speak to Valkyrion. He might have a clue for the secret passage."

"Looking for me?", Valkyrion called out as he landed. "Good to see you again my friends. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"In fact, there is. We're looking to take on Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch next. Our map says there's a secret passage somewhere in the valley. Do you know anything about it?"

"I do. In fact, it's near the same passageway where we went through to fight Granmarg. However, it's a labyrinth. There's a few monsters that hide inside the walls. And the monster at the end is not to be taken lightly. Also, there's a ceiling so you can't fly over it. It can also be pretty dark down there, so make sure to keep a light source on you. Good luck!" The group journeyed into the labyrinth. Red Dragon Archfiend summoned a flame to his hand while Dark Magician Girl summoned a light spell.

"Man. Valkyrion wasn't kidding when he said this place is dark.", Dark Magician Girl noted. Then she saw something. One of the shadows moved! "Uh...did Valkyrion say anything about moving shadows?"

"He did say there were monsters crawling around here. And that they hid in the walls....", Ace began. "Try shooting a flare spell!" Dark Magician Girl fired a flare spell, and Wall Shadow hissed as the light blinded him! "Blast it!" Dark Magician Girl fried Wall Shadow with a single blast! However, the peril wasn't over yet. "Wait. What's that rumbling?" The group turned around and found a Labyrinth Tank ready to run then down with its drill! "Run!" The group ran as fast as they could! Using what little light they had to guide their way! Ice then spotted a noticeable gap in their path!

"Everyone jump!" The group leaped over the gap while the Labyrinth Tank fell into the pit! Crashing upon impact! "I'm not gonna say anything, because I don't want to tempt fate. Let's move!" The group soon found themselves near the end, but found three large tablets before them. One had a thunder bolt, a whirlwind, and a wave. "Water. Wind. Thunder. I got a good feeling about what's coming next..." The three tablets broke apart and swirled into a single form. Gate Guardian now stood between them and the exit. "Oh GREAT. Another boss battle."

"In order to advance, you must answer my question.", Gate Guardian boomed. "Or, you could fight me. Choose wisely." The group huddled together and made their decision.

"We choose to answer your riddle.", Ace declared.

"Very well then. To you, I ask this.", Gate Guardian addressed Ace. "Who would you choose? The one you love, or the monster you share a bond with?" Ace was silent for a moment. Thinking his answer through.

"I choose......."

"Well?"

".....I can't choose. Both of them mean so much to me. And.....I really can't see myself in a world without either of them. So I guess we'll just brave whatever fiery obstacles in our way. I'm not giving up either of them.", Ace said firmly. "We'll just find another way. Let's go everyone." Gate Guardian then started to dissolve into nothing but data.

"You have answered wisely...." The group then made their way through the shortcut and soon found themselves at the gates of the volcano chamber.

"Well, I guess things are gonna heat up now."

Duel 12: The Stadium of Thestalos

The group stood before the gates to Thestalos's lair. However, the gates soon opened. "It looks like we've been expected.", Ace noted. "It'd be rude to keep them waiting." The group walked through the gate, and soon found themselves in a stadium above the volcano's crater! And at the center, there was a throne where Thestalos sat.

"So. You're the ones who've been defeating my brothers.", Thestalos said as he rose. "Well now...you've stepped into the fire!" A barrier of flames surrounded the stadium! "My slumber induced by Kuraz has left me stiff. It's been a long time since I've had a good fight! I lived for battle, and many warriors met their defeat here at my hands!" Thestalos hurled a fireball at the group, but Red Dragon Archfiend blocked it with his wings! "Ah! I see a great fire burns within you as well dragon."

"I haven't let it consume me like it did you!", Red Dragon spat! "I will fight, but only to defend against those that would harm my friends! And you just tried to harm them!"

"Hmmm. Then I have a proposition. Let us battle alone. Your friends shall remain unharmed." Thestalos cast a barrier that protected Ace, Ice, and Dark Magician Girl. "I am not without honor. Should you best me, I shall return to my slumber. But first, let me meet you with my full strength!" Thestalos transformed into his Mega Monarch form! "Come! Let our spirits meet in the fire of battle!" Thestalos came at Red Dragon with a punch, but he blocked it! "Impressive!"

"Thanks!" Red Dragon then punched Thestalos in the gut! Causing smoke to spill from Thestalos's helmet! As Thestalos staggered, Red Dragon launched a powerful kick! Knocking him into one of the stadium walls. Thestalos slowly rose.

"Never have I faced one who could match my strength! Looks like I have an excuse to unleash my ultimate move!" Thestalos rose his hands to the sky! "METEOR RAIN!" Dozens of meteors rained down on the stadium! Each impact shaking the stadium! "I've never used this technique before! I wonder? Can you survive this onslaught?" When the smoke cleared, Red Dragon Archfiend was still standing!

"You need to work on your aim!", Red Dragon yelled. "Now it's my turn!" Red Dragon Archfiend charged his fist with energy, and dashed towards Thestalos! "Absolute.....Power Force!" Red Dragon unleashed a devastating punch! Causing lava to flow from cracks in Thestalos's armor! "I guess that attack was too hot to handle." Thestalos chuckled.

"Hah! A master of puns as well....incredible!" Thestalos slowly rose to his feet while lava still leaked from his wound. "And now, my embers start to fade. Bur before I leave, I shall tell you where you can find Caius."

"I was wondering why he wasn't showing up on the map.", Ace said. "So where is the monarch of darkness?"

"Caius resides in his own world of darkness.", Thestalos replied.

"Great! So how do we get in there to kick his shadowy butt?", Ice asked.

"There are two lesser monarchs that hold the keys to the portal to Caius's world. Angmarl and Delg. Both of them stand guard of the keys. Defeat them, and you will be able to enter Caius's world. Farewell...." Thestalos crumbled away into a trail of embers that flew to the heavens.

"His body may be extinguished, but his proud soul still burns.", Red Dragon Archfiend said with a small bow.

Duel 13: Duel of the Dark Monarchs

"So...where do we find Delg and Angmarl?", Ice asked as he looked at the map.

"Well...I'd say the Ancient Forest. That's our best shot.", Ace answered. "We've played enough video games to know that portals to final boss are usually in old forests."

"Seems like we know where to head next. So let's get a move on!" The group made their way to the forest, and found a grove with two pillars. "I'd say we've found our entrance. So where's the guys we gotta take down?" Angmarl slowly slithered on the ground as a shadow, and slowly rose behind them.

"Close than you think!", Angmarl hissed as he fired a blast of magic at them! The group dodged just in time! "You may try to get our keys, but you will meet your end here!" Delg then appeared out of a swirl of darkness reading a book. "Care to join in on the fund Delg?" Delg looked at Angmarl and shook his head. "Fine! More for me!" Angmarl fired a flurry of blasts at the group! Each time the frequency of blasts only increased!

"This is insane!", Ace screamed. "What's next out of this guy?!" Angmarl sneered at hearing that.

"I'm glad you asked! Dark Hole! AAHAHAHAHAHAH!" Angmarl let out a crazed laugh as he summoned the spell!

"But that'll take us all out!", Ice shouted! As Dark Hole grew and began to suck them in, another spell cancelled it out!

"WHAT?!" Angmarl turned to see where the spell had come from. "DELG?!" Delg sighed as he closed his book and lowered his hand.

"I can't let you do that Angmarl. I need them.", Delg said.

"What?! Traitor!"

"Traitor? I was never on your side to begin with. Did you think Kuraz made that spell himself?", Delg asked. Angmarl went wild!

"I WILL DESTROY YOU!" As Angmarl charged, Delg flipped through his book.

"This should do." Delg cast a barrier spell that blocked Angmarl's attack! Angmarl kept pounding away at the barrier!

"Hey Angmarl!", Red Dragon yelled! Angmarl turned and was met with a scaled fist to the face! "Wow. I didn't think that'd work!" Angmarl rose to his feet and snarled. Angmarl then pooled some dark energy into his hand and shot a concentrated blast at Delg's spell! Destroying it!

"Now I can-!", Angmarl was cutoff as Red Dragon Archfiend whacked him with his tail!

"How come everybody forgets I have my tail?", Red Dragon Archfiend mused out loud. Angmarl growled as he rose again. "Man. They're just as lousy as the monarch cards in the game. They need a tribute just to use their effects. And even then they can only use it once for the whole duel." Angmarl got to his feet again. "They're tenacious. I'll give them that."

"Unfortunately.", Delg added. "Especially considering how hard it was to seal them. Would you care to end this?" Red Dragon Archfiend nodded. Angmarl charged at them, and Red Dragon Archfiend destroyed him in a single flaming punch! Angmarl then faded away into nothing. Leaving only his key in his place. "Now that that's out of the way..." Delg turned to face the group, and they prepared to fight. However, Delg reached into his coat and pulled out a key similar to Angmarl's. "I believe you'll be needing this." Delg tossed both keys to the group, and Ace caught them. "I'll be off then."

"Wait!", Ice called out. Delg stopped and looked to the group again. "What do you mean you weren't on their side?"

"Have you ever noticed what types of monsters my brothers were?", Delg asked. Ace nodded.

"Rock, pyro, aqua, winged-beast, thunder, and fiend. Why?", Ace asked.

"Kuraz and I are a warrior and a spellcaster respectively. An oddity among the monarchs. And because of that, we could walk among the people of the land easily. And by seeing the world as they lived, we saw all the pain most of our brothers had caused. Kuraz was set on making sure the people would not know such suffering ever again. He then came to a decision. We would seal the other monarchs away. While Kuraz battled them, I worked behind the scenes to create the spell that would banish them. Kuraz wanted me by his side in being credited as a savior, but I declined. Every light needs a shadow, and I was more than happy to help from the shadows. Kuraz deserved the praise. He fought the others. And as time passed, we knew there was no longer a place for us in this world. So we ourselves slumbered. I hibernated in a book while Kuraz took to a life among the people. That is, until our brothers revived. Go. Defeat Caius and bring an end to this. Before he unleashes Five-Headed Dragon. Oh! And one more thing." Caius cast a spell, and a green glowing circle appeared on the ground. "You better use that save point. Farewell." Delg vanished in a swirl of darkness. The group walked onto the save point and saved their game. They then used the keys on the pillars to open the portal to Caius's domain. Ace took a deep breath as they prepared for the final battle.

"Alright. It's game on, or game over..." They walked into the portal. Where the lair of the final boss awaited them.

Duel 14: Final Boss!

Caius was sitting on his throne, and pulled up his vision orb. "Ah. So it appears they've made it this far." Caius then turned to the five dragon statues and focused his dark energies. The statues crumbled, and revealed cards. "No matter. I have all I need to ensure my reign. Now, I simply wait for them to get here." Caius then changed the view on the orb to Sonata and Indigo. "Perfect." At their cage, Sonata and Indigo were shocked to see the door had opened.

"Well...no sense sticking around here!", Indigo said as she got up. "Let's move!" Sonata nodded as the two of them made their way out of the dungeon and made their way for the main hall. Meanwhile, Ace, Ice, Dark Magician Girl, and Red Dragon Archfiend had just arrived at the gates of Caius's castle.

"He's certainly got the evil lair vibe down.", Ice noted. "He must have gotten tips from Ganondorf."

"Well, time to bring down the dark lord!", Ace said with a determined gaze. "Let's go!" Red Dragon Archfiend broke down the door, and the others followed him in! As they ventured through, they were swarmed by Dark Bats!

"I got this one!", Dark Magician Girl said as she fired a powerful blast of magic! Destroying the whole swarm!

"Keep your guard up guys! We're not outta this yet!", Ice cautioned. As the group continued, they ran into two Cyber Soldiers of Darkworld. The machines powered up, and targeted them with their lasers!

"I got these tin cans!", Red Dragon cried out as he fired a fireball from his fist that melted the machines to scrap! "Heh. Don't make them like they used to!" The group arrived at the end of the corridor and opened up the door to find Sonata and Indigo! Ace and Ice rushed up to them!

"Sonata!" Ace held Sonata tightly.

"I knew you'd come!", Sonata beamed. "Just like back then." Ace smiled.

"I'll always be here for you." Ice and Indigo at the same time were sharing a moment of their own.

"Sorry if I kept you waiting Zap.", Ice said with a small smile. Indigo smiled.

"I guess Dark Mist has cleared from your mind.", Indigo said. Ice was shocked!

"What?! How did-?"

"Sonata told me. Also, I'm glad I gave you a reason to duel again." Indigo wrapped her arms around Ice. "Plus, I want to thank you."

"How's tha-" Ice was cut off as Indigo kissed him on the lips! ".....That'll do." Soon, the floor beneath them glowed! "What the-?!" A purple light enveloped them, and they were teleported into Caius's throne room. "Well, it looks like the final boss brought us to him." Caius claped slowly as he rose.

"Well done heroes. It's impressive you've stormed into my castle. However, you did fail in one area.", Caius said with an air of menace.

"And what would that be?"

"I already have all I need to reach my goal.", Caius answered. "However, I'll be sure to give you a fighting chance." A duel disk materialized on his arm. "Of course, assuming you have the courage to face me." Ace and Ice returned their monster partners to their decks and activated their duel disk.

"Let's duel!"

Ace and Ice: 16000
Caius: 16000

"I'll take the first move!", Caius said. "I play Dragon Shrine! I'll send a dragon-type monster from my deck to the graveyard! And since it was a normal monster, I can send another dragon-type monster from my deck to the graveyard! Then I'll play Draconnection! I'll reveal a dragon in my hand to reveal a dragon with the same level from my deck to my hand! Then I'll shuffle the revealed dragon back into my deck! Then I'll summon a monster in defense mode! I end my turn with a face-down."

"I draw!", Ace said. "I summon Chocolate Magician Girl! Then I'll use her effect! I'll discard a spellcaster from my hand to draw one more card! Then I'll set a card and end my turn!"

"My turn then." Caius drew a card. "I play The Melody of Awakening Dragon! I'll discard a card to add two dragons with 3000 or more attack and 2500 or less defense from my deck to my hand! Now I'll play Trade-In to discard one of the level eight monsters I added to my hand to draw two new cards! Then...I'll banish the light and dark monsters in my graveyard! I summon Chaos Emperor Dragon!" A dark flame erupted onto the field, and CED stomped out of it! "Now I'll activate his effect! I'll pay 1000 life points to destroy all cards on the field and in our hands to the graveyard! Then you take 300 points of damage for each card sent!" Ace and Ice cringed as dark energy crashed into their life points for each card sent! "I end my turn."

Ace and Ice: 9700
Caius: 15000

"Not good!", Ice grumbled as he drew his card. "I summon a monster in defense mode and end my turn!

Ace and Ice: 9700
Caius: 15000

"I draw! I set a card and end my turn.", Caius said in a smug tone.

"My turn!" Ace drew his next card! "I play Dark Magic Veil! I pay 1000 life points to revive Dark Magician Girl from my graveyard! Attack him directly!" DMG fired a blast of magic! Striking Caius dead-on! "I end my turn."

Ace and Ice: 8700
Caius: 13000

"My turn." Caius drew his next card. "Perfect! I play Dragon's Mirror! This lets me banish monsters from my field or graveyard listed as materials on a dragon-type fusion monster!"

"You mean you're gonna-?!", Ice began.

"Yes!" As Caius spoke, a pillar of fire, water, earth, darkness, and wind shot-up on Caius's field! A pair of gigantic wing popped out of the pillar, and one by one five dragon heads peeked out of the pillar. Each one representing one of the elements that made up the fading pillar. "Rise! Five-Headed Dragon!" The beast let out a ferocious roar! "I activate my trap! Safe Zone! This protects him from card effects and being destroyed by battle! Destroy Dark Magician Girl! Five-Headed Fury!" Five-Headed Dragon unleashed a blast from his mouth that combined his five elements! Destroying Dark Magician Girl and knocking Ace to the floor! "I end my turn."

Ace and Ice: 5700
Caius: 13000

"I draw!" Ice took a careful look at the single card that made-up his hand. 'Darn! Nothing that can help! What I wouldn't give for Mystical Space Typhoon right now!' "I end my turn."

"I draw.", Caius said in a smug tone. "It's too bad Safe Zone prevents me from attacking you directly. However, this should help me deal with the pitiful wall you've setup in an effort to defend yourself. I equip Five-Headed Dragon with Fairy Meteor Crush! Now that he has this, Five-Headed Dragon can inflict piercing damage! Destroy his monster!" Five-Headed Dragon brought his foot down on Ice's monster! Squishing it! Ice fell to the ground from the force of the shockwave sent out from the impact! "I end my turn."

Ace and Ice: 2600
Caius: 13000

'Oh man!', Ace thought. 'He's got our backs to the wall! Even if Safe Zone does keep his monster from attacking us, it shields his monster from card effects and battle! And now that Five Headed Dragon's got Fairy Meteor Crush, he can inflict piercing damage!' Ace then looked at Sonata. 'No...NO! I can't give in now! I came back for Sonata, and I'm not leaving without her!' A rainbow-colored glow came from the top of Ace's deck! "Huh?" Ace drew the card, and his eyes blazed with determination! "Time for my ace! I play the spell card Knight of Harmony! I'll I'll banish The Eye of Timaeus from my graveyard!" A pillar of green light shone down on Ace's field! Soon, Ace's eyes turned dragonic and green dragon wings sprouted on his back! "Come on out! Timaeus the Dragon Knight of Harmony!" A humanoid Timaeus descended as the pillar of light faded. Clad in a brilliant emerald-colored armor and with a sword in hand! "Now I activate his effect! I can target and destroy one face-up card you control! I'll target Safe Zone!" Timaeus shot a bolt of magic from his sword! Destroying Safe Zone! As soon as Safe Zone was gone, Five-Headed Dragon began to fade away!

"NO!", Caius hissed.

"Now Timaeus! Attack him directly!"

"Taste my blade tyrant!", Timaeus roared as he charged at Caius! Piercing the shadow monarch with his blade! "You reign ended long ago."

"I end my turn. Your move your highness.", Ace said with a cocky smile.

Ace and Ice: 2600
Caius: 9500

"I draw!" Caius cursed the card he had drawn. "I end my turn."

Ice noticed a rainbow-colored glow coming from the top of his deck also. "You're about to get burned Caius! I draw! I play the spell card Synchro Harmony! This lets me send synchro materials from my deck to the graveyard, and I can alos banish them from my graveyard or extra deck! I'll banish Red Dragon Archfiend and send two tuner monsters from my deck to the graveyard!" A pillar of flame appeared on Ice's field! Soon, Ice's eyes turned dragonic and he grew wings like Red Dragon Archfiend's! "I synchro summon Red Dragon Archfiend Ascnded!" Red Dragon Absolute burst his way out of the ground! When the flames died down, he stood wearing scarlet armor and boasting 3500 attack points as well as scarlet angel wings! "Attack him directly! Ascended Power Force!"

"Time to heat things up!" Red Dragon Ascended wrapped his fist with flames, and launched a compact but devastating ball of flame into Caius's life points! Caius howled as the flames licked away at his life points! "I end my turn."

Ace and Ice: 2600
Caius: 6000

Caius scowled as he drew his next card. "This....Isn't....Possible!", he growled.

"You're a tenacious bunch, but you just don't know when to let go do you?", Ice asked. "This land no longer has any place for you! And there's nothing you can do to change that! Like you, I once couldn't let go of my past. I let it chain me and hold me back. But then I realized if I kept on moping about it, I wouldn't get anywhere! Nothing could change what had already happened, but now that I think about it, I'm glad it all went down! My life wouldn't be the same as it is now! I'm back home, and I have my family again! Ace! Let's finish this creep together!"

"With you all the way bro!" The two charged energy in their fists while their dragons followed suit! Ace and Ice flew at Caius with their dragons not far behind!

"DOUBLE DRAGON FIST!", Ace and Ice screamed! Energy forms of Timaeus and Red Dragon Archfiend erupted from their fists! Surging forth while they flew towards Caius!

"NOOOOOOOOO-!", Caius screamed as the attack struck him full force and the dragons ripped through him! A blinding light blanketed the whole room! When it faded, there was nothing left of Caius. Ace and Ice stood victorious!

"Game over.", the two said in unison. Sonata and Indigo ran over to Ace and Ice respectively.

"You did it!", Sonata cheered as she hugged Ace.

"Thanks Sonata. But do you think you could give me some breathing room?", Ace asked. Sonata released her hold, allowing Ace to breathe. Ace then smiled and shared a kiss with Sonata. "I got my good ending. What about you Ice?" Ace turned to look at Ice to find that Indigo had tackled Ice with a hug as she kissed him. "...I'll take that as a yes." Ice smiled as Indigo pulled out of the kiss.

"Hey Ice?", Indigo asked.

"Yeah?"

"Try calling me Indigo more. It makes me feel nice.", Indigo said with a smile.

"Of course. Indigo." Soon, the group saw a bright light in front of them, and the village wiseman Ace and Ice had spoken to stepped out.

"Well done." The old man vanished in a flash of light, and was replaced with a grand figure of light.

"Are you...?", Ace asked. The figure nodded.

"I am Kuraz. The Light Monarch."

"Then...why did you keep yourself hidden?", Ice asked.

"The time of my family has come and gone. The world no longer has any need of me, and no place for my brothers. So Delg and I decided to slumber and live among the people. For as long as heroes like you exist, there will always be hope. And the people shall always have a champion. Now, it is time you returned to where your place is." The group headed through the portal, and woke up back in the real world.

"Looks like you all made it out okay.", Kaiba noted. "By the way, we received a message from the game. It appeared after the end credits." The group then looked at the message displayed on the screen. Delg and Kuraz were holding up a banner. It read: Thanks for playing! They all smiled as they left for home.

Author's Note

Card Stats

Timaeus the Dragon Knight of Harmony
Attribute: Light
Level: 9
Type: Dragon/Effect
ATK: 3500/DEF: 2500
Effect: This card can only be special summoned by the effect of "Knight of Harmony." This card cannot be targeted or destroyed by card effects. Once per turn, you can target and destroy one face-up card your opponent controls. If this card would be destroyed by battle, you gain life points instead.

Red Dragon Archfiend Absolute
Attribute: Dark
Level: 10
Type: Dragon/Synchro/Effect
ATK: 3500/2500
Effect: This card can only be special summoned by the effect of Synchro Harmony. This card cannot be targeted or destroyed by card effects. If this card would be destroyed by battle, your opponent takes the same amount of damage you took. If this card destroys a monster in defense mode, destroy all defense-mode monsters your opponent controls.

Epilogue

"You know Ace? I don't think I've met your family.", Sonata noted.

"Huh. You're right. I never introduced them to you. I guess now's as good a time as any.", Ace said as he summoned his dragon wings. "How about we go in style?" Sonata smiled as she leaped onto Ace's back and they took off into the sky. Ice and Indigo looked to each other.

"Shall we?", Ice asked. Indigo smiled as she climbed onto his back. "Then hold on tight!" Ice summoned his wings and they flew after Ace and Sonata. They all arrived at their house as Ace knocked on the door. Shadow answered.

"Hey bro! How did your....WHOA!" Shadow stumbled back a little bit. "What happened to you?!"

"Let's just say that our little video game session leveled us up.", Ice said with a smile as they went inside.

"If either of you are hungry, help yourself to what's in the fridge.", Ace mentioned.

"Ice cream, here I come!", Sonata beamed as she made a dash for the fridge.

"I could use a soda.", Indigo said with a shrug as she followed Sonata. However, both of them were in for a surprise as soon as they got their treats. Midnight had just come downstairs, and Sonata and Indigo froze!

"Oh! You two must be the girlfriends Ace and Ice talk about!", Midnight said with a smile. "Hi!"

"AAAAHHHH!", Sonata and Indigo screamed! Ace, Ice and Shadow rushed to see what was the matter, and Sonata and Indigo were shocked to see them making no big deal about it!

"Hi Midnight! How's your day been?", Ace greeted.

"Sup little sis?", Ice asked.

"Ice?! That thing's your sister now?! She tried to waste us all at The Friendship Games!", Indigo yelled at the top of her lungs!

"Easy Indigo! She's not trying to hurt anyone! Besides..." Ice then looked at Midnight. "She was scared when I found her. She's kinda like a little kid. So, I let her literally live in my shadow for a while. Then my family found her raiding the fridge one night. So, we just decided to make her a part of our family." As Ice was explaining, Sonata had rushed up to Midnight and hugged her!

"Aw, welcome to Ace's family!", Sonata said with a smile. Midnight strained as smile as Sonata' grip tightened.

"That's nice of you...but I need air...!", Midnight pleaded. Sonata released her hold, and Midnight looked to Ace. "You weren't kidding when you said her hugs were tight. So how'd your dates go?"

"Well, we dueled, went to Sugar Cube Corner, and then we got invited to Kaiba Corp.'s Canterlot branch and got trapped in a video game and had fight to beat the game and escape!", Sonata beamed. "Oh! And Ace and Ice pulled off a sweet finisher on the final boss! They called it the Double Dragon Fist! It looks like something out of Dragon Ball Z!"

"You watch that too?", Indigo asked. Sonata nodded. "Nice! Plus, they made their own catchphrases. Ice's is: 'You're gonna get burned!', and Ace's is: 'Time for my ace!'" Midnight giggled as she heard this.

"Gotta say. They fit them really well!", Midnight said with a smile. "Hey...could you all do me a favor? Don't tell Twilight about me. I think I'm a part of her life she's eager to forget."

"Sure thing Midnight.", Ice said with a smile. "Well, we're all together and we already got ice cream and soda. Wanna put on a movie?"

"I'll take care of the popcorn!", Shadow said as he got the microwave ready.

"Perfect ending for today's crazy date.", Indigo said with a smile as she, Sonata, Ice, and Midnight sat on the couch while Ace put on the movie and Shadow got a huge bowl of popcorn.

"Now this is a date to remember.", Sonata said happily as she curled up to Ace. Indigo did the same with Ice as the movie played on.

"Can't wait to tell the others back at school.", Ace said with a smile.

Duel 4: The Menace of the Monarchs!

Ace and Ice had made their way out of the forest, and found a village in the distance. "Maybe there we can find some answers. Let's go!" Ice nodded as he, Ace, Gorz, and Dark Magician Girl made a beeline for the village. Once they arrived, they sought out the village wiseman. Once they entered, the wiseman turned to face them.

"Ah. From the looks of things, you two seem to be adventurers. Am I correct?", the wiseman asked. Ace and Ice nodded.

"Two girls we were with got kidnapped by an Armed Ninja. Do you have any ideas where they might've been taken?", Ace asked. The wiseman's gaze steeled.

"They must have been taken as tributes to the Monarchs."

"The Monarchs?", Ice asked. "Who the heck are they?"

"A group of monsters who command the elements. Long ago, they set about a reign of terror upon our land. That is until Kuraz, the Monarch of Light, rebelled against them. Using his power, he sealed them away. However, the seal would not last forever. And now the Monarchs awaken to begin their reign again. And to solidify their reign, they seek to revive the legendary Five-Headed Dragon. That beast's power surpasses that of Kuraz! And to bring it to life, they must tribute five beings with ties to the elements of fire, water, earth, wind, and darkness. The girls traveling with you must have had two of the elemental bonds they're looking for."

"Then we've got no time to lose!" Ice was about to leave, but the wiseman stopped him.

"Wait! I must applaud your courage, but to face the Monarchs without any preparations is foolish! Please, stop by the town shop before you set off."

"It would help having some supplies.", Ace added. Ice sighed.

"Well then, let's get equipped. Good thing we got a lot of loot from that boss battle earlier." As they made their way to the shop, Ice came to a realization. "Hey Ace?"

"Yeah?"

"Maybe...this is our chance to be heroes. Burst and the others dueled their hearts out at the tournaments, and we're fighting to save our girls."

"Huh. In that case, let's make sure our story has a happy ending!" Ace and Ice entered the shop, and looked at the items on hand. "I think we're ready to make our purchase." The two of them walked out carrying recovery potions a map, and some equipment for their monsters. "Let's hit the road!"