YU-GI-OH! THE EVIL QUEEN’S REIGN…

ACT I SCENE II

“Note to self…don’t duel strange people…”

Yu-Gi sat up and opened his eyes.

“Okay…isn’t this just the weirdest…”

He was sitting on a strange cobbled floor…of what looked like a dungeon…but a big one!

“Don’t tell me you’re here too!”

Yu-Gi jumped a mile. When he had finally reached Earth again, he looked over to the owner of the voice.

“Kaiba!” He cried.

Seto nodded. “I.” He checked his body for injuries sustained, calculated zero, and crossed his arms. “Where are we?”

“I don’t know…the last thing I remember was winning a duel…and then…I was here…” Yu-Gi said, somewhat dazed.

“Yeah, well all I know is that I want out!” Seto announced.

“Mr. Kaiba!”

Someone came out of the shadows and, in the blink of an eye, was grovelling at Seto’s feet!

“Mr. Kaiba! I can’t believe I’m actually meeting you in person!”

He had black hair and a T-Shirt that said: Elvis Loves You…freak…

“Oh, terrific!” Seto said. “As if being stuck with one loser isn’t bad enough, now I’m stuck with you as well! Who are you?”

The boy got to his feet. “I’m Aaron Kingsley!”

“So, I guess we aren’t the only ones that got transported to this place!” Yu-Gi said to Kaiba, somewhat pointedly.

“No kidding!”

Two more figures stepped out of the shadows. One had red hair and was carrying a skateboard. He glared at them as if to say: I hate you all! The other was Chinese, nunchakus in his hand.

“I’m Roy Coland!” The redhead said. “Champion skateboarder and duellist of New York City!’

“I’ve heard about you!” Yu-Gi said. “You beat every single person in the city – and you haven’t lost a duel yet!”

“That’s right!” Roy bragged. “But I also know who you are! Yu-Gi Moto, the King Of Games!”

Yu-Gi nodded, and the Chinese boy spoke up.

“I have heard many great things about you, Yu-Gi Moto!” He bowed. “I am Li Hans!”

“If we’ve already had enough with the pleasantries, then I’d like to leave this place!” Seto interrupted.

“Right! We should do what Mr. Kaiba says and find a way to leave this Jailhouse!” Aaron spoke up.

Roy rolled his eyes.

“Right, I’ve been wandering around here for at least ten minutes…where the hell am I?”

“Hey!” Yu-Gi called into the darkness. “Is someone there?”

There was a silence.

“I guess not!” Roy shrugged. “Well, now what do we do?”

“You follow me!”

The five boys turned around and came face to face with a red robed person. Only this person was wearing not a hood, but a headband, red with black markings.

“You!” Seto pointed at the man. “You’re the reason we’re here! Where’s my brother?”

The man replied: “Your brother is quite safe! It is you, Seto Kaiba, that should be concerned. For you and these men around you have been chosen by my Queen to take part in a series of duels and games, and the winner shall claim the ultimate prize – her hand in marriage!”

No one said a word. And then Roy burst out laughing.

“You’re joking right?” He laughed.

“No, it is no joke!” The man answered. “My name is Hayani, and I serve the Queen! Now you will come to the Outfitting, and be fitted into the appropriate attire, and then the games shall begin…but wait, should there not be six of you?”

“Here I am…I made it…now…tell me…WHERE THE HELL AM I!?!?”

No one was quite expecting someone to come bursting out of the darkness, and into the light that was emitting from Hayati’s lantern. They all stared, and the newcomer withdrew self-consciously.

She was the same age as them, only a little bit shorter, but not shorter then Yu-Gi…and that was short! She had shoulder length brown hair and golden brown eyes. And she was, somehow…strangely…beautiful…???

“Uh…” She took a step backwards. “Sorry about that…sometimes I can get too angry…”

Seto asked: “Who are you?”

“My name’s Elkie Pasari.” She managed a small smile, and there was a general group gulp.

Hayati spoke up. “But this is not right…what has happened to the final boy?”

“That dragon thing tried to take my brother, but I pushed him out of the way!” Elkie replied. She fingered the necklace on her blouse and whispered: “Joe…”

Yu-Gi felt his heart leap.

Hayati looked confused. “But…I shall have to speak with the Queen about this…this is not how it should be…although there is no way for you to return without…meanwhile; you may all proceed to the Outfitter…now!”

“That is the second time today that we’ve been transported somewhere!” Roy cried.

“I know!” Aaron replied. “Are you alright, Mr. Kaiba?”

Seto didn’t answer. Instead, he turned to Yu-Gi, so as not to look at Elkie.

“What do you think he meant by take her hand in marriage?”

Yu-Gi shrugged. “I guess if we survive this thing we’ll have to marry the Queen!”

“Ewww!” Roy, Aaron and Li said as one.

Elkie spoke up then. “Where are we now?”

They all looked around. They were in a strange room decorated in red and black, with six doors leading out.

“Check it out!” Aaron said. “That door has my name on it!”

“They all have our names!” Roy said.

“Except mine has my brother’s name…” Elkie sighed.

“Do we go in?” Li asked no one in particular.

“Like we have much of a choice…” Seto trailed off. “I say we just go in and get it over with, whatever it is!”

“I agree!” Elkie said, and Seto glanced quickly at her. “I mean, what could happen?”

“It could be a trap…” Roy said.

“Or it could be something good…” Aaron said.

“We may need to think this over…” Li said.

“Can we just get on with this!?!?” Elkie cried.

Everyone stared at her, and she blushed. “Sorry…” She bolted to her brother’s door, opened it and went in, slamming it shut behind her.

Inside his ‘room’, Yu-Gi felt a strange tingling within him. Suddenly the Millennium Puzzle around his neck glowed.

YU-GI-OH!”

Ancient magics pulsed through Yu-Gi, and he became Yami Yu-Gi, the Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt and Yu-Gi’s other half. His clothes began to change…

“That was weird…” Roy looked at himself. “Wow! But at least I came out looking halfway descant!”

He was wearing a black skater boy outfit, complete with punk jewellery…

“I am so ready!” He cried.

Excellent! Then let’s get you to the Chamber!

“Not again…”

“I am ready for this game, uh-huh!”

“Aaron, you are an absolute idiot!” Roy said. “And the clothes you’re wearing make you look like…like…”

No one could find the words to describe Aaron’s white jumpsuit and gold jewellery. Li appeared about two seconds later in a pale yellow samurai outfit complete with a Yin Yang headband and black belt, next to Seto, whom was wearing a silver vest-like thing over a black top and black pants.

They were standing in a chamber, decorated red and black – of course – and none of them knew quite what to expect. It seemed to them that it had been only a minute ago that they had been doing nothing out of the ordinary – training, skateboarding, singing or sitting through a boring meeting – and now they were here, in some freaky place and being told they had to duel to survive…not that marrying was exactly surviving.

Yami Yu-Gi appeared the next minute, closely followed by Hayati.

“Hey, you look different…” Aaron said to the boy, who was now wearing gold Egyptian jewellery and dark purple pants.

“I am a spirit who lives in the puzzle,” Yami Yu-Gi said, indicating the necklace. “I am Yami Yu-Gi!”

“Good, now that you are all here…” Hayati began.

“Wait!” Seto interrupted. “Where is Elkie?”

“So, you know what you must do?”

“Yes, My Queen!”

“Good! Then see to it that you do not fail!”

“I understand…”