The final chapter. sniff I'm ganna miss this fic.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monsters

Game Twenty-Five: Going Home

He was back in control, Yami knew that much. Alexander was gone, and now they were back in the void, floating aimlessly. For some odd reason he felt very…light. Like someone had taken a weight off of his shoulders. As Yami glanced quickly about, he noticed that not only were the belts and armlets gone, but so was the duel armor. The game was over.

Yami, what's going on?

At the sound of Yugi's voice, Yami should have been surprised, but a calm stayed with him. Patience, he said quietly. I'm sure there's an explanation.

The air in front of them rippled, and Shadi appeared once more. Yami quirked an eyebrow. "Right on cue," he muttered, earning an odd look from the other four duelists.

"The final test to determine whom was most deserving of the game's ultimate prize has been completed," Shadi said. "King Alexandros chose to sacrifice his allies in order to further his own strength, while the Great Nameless Pharaoh sought to protect his allies, even at the cost of his own life or victory. These differences decided their fates, and it is now proven that the Pharaoh is the only one worthy of being called the true king."

I take it we won? Yugi asked.

Seems like it. Shadi has a thing for being a bit vague.

A light appeared next to Shadi, taking the form of a beautiful orb that swirled within itself, glowing with a pure light. "This belongs to you, Pharaoh," Shadi said. "Simply put, it contains the power necessary to rule the entire world."

Yami nodded politely. "Thank you, Shadi, but I have no need for this power."

"I realize that," Shadi replied, surprising Yami slightly. "Therein lies the paradox of the true king. For you see, he whom is most deserving of the power to unite mankind can do so without it."

Another brilliant light shone forth as Shadi vanished within the void. As it faded, the void was gone, and the group found themselves back in the pyramid. The door was closed, and all physical traces that they had played the enormous Shadow Game were gone, aside from one very exhausted person lying on the ground. Alex Brisbane drew a few deep and slow breaths as he lay unconscious on the floor.

"He looks exhausted," Tristan remarked, and it was hard to disagree. Alexander had shown no mercy in the fight, and the defeat had taken an enormous toll on him.

Yugi blinked for a few moments, realizing that he was now back in control. Yami…? You okay?

Yes, came the reply. I think this is enough adventure for me for one day. Besides, it won't do to have everyone worrying about the wrong person.

Nice way to put it, Yugi grumbled, though he couldn't help but smile. Yami was right; it was he they should be worrying about, not the spirit. For a moment, however, he paused. Wait, what do you mean by "one day?"

Yami's attention was diverted before he could answer. Yugi, look.

Looking up, they noticed a few shady figures standing nearby. It was none other than Alexander the Great, standing and smiling back at them, with the figures of his servants behind him. "Thank you, everyone," he said. "The dark side of my spirit is finally gone, and now I can finally rest in peace. Had it not been for your bravery, I would have been trapped in that game for eternity."

Yugi smiled and nodded. "Glad I could help," he said.

With another smile, Alexander turned to the ghosts of his servants. "My vassals," he said calmly, "I am not worthy of your loyalty, but I shall cherish it always." Taking his step to their side, he turned and waved to the duelists as a shimmering light surrounded him. His servants, realizing this man's connection with the other duelists, bowed politely. After a few seconds, he and his servants had faded completely to their eternal resting place.

Yugi smiled. "That was pretty cool," he said. "It's not every day you meet Alexander the Great."

"I beg to differ," Tristan replied, looking about ready to whimper.

"Why's that?" Tea asked.

If this is about that melon of his, Yami remarked with a mischievous grin, I will not hesitate to take over just so I can truly burst out laughing.

You have my total consent, Yugi replied with a grin of his own.

Tristan had to repress a groan. "Sheesh, am I the only one that sees it? Giant shadow games, people getting possessed by evil spirits…this was all completely insane."

"Insane?" Joey echoed. "When you hang out with Yugi, it's par for the course."

"Good point…"

As though the words had triggered it, the world around them began to tremble terribly. In shock, everyone stared about as the rumbling sounds grew. "The pyramid is collapsing!" Solomon cried, pulling Alex Brisbane off of the ground with a bit of help. "Let's get out of here!"

As they raced out of the pyramid, the group quickly noted that the traps had all been mysteriously disabled. Yugi made a quick promise to thank Shadi for his watchfulness as they made it out of the temple just before the entrance was concealed. Once outside, the group watched as the pyramid gradually sank beneath the ground, taking the game and the prize with it and causing an enormous cloud of dust to rise into the air.

"What made this happen?" Tea asked no one in particular. "It's not every day a pyramid sinks into the dirt."

"It's not every day you meet Alexander the Great, either," Joey remarked.

Solomon took the liberty of answering Tea's question. "Shadi's test is complete, so the pyramid served its purpose."

As the dust cloud cleared and all traces of the pyramid were gone, Yugi felt himself unable to pull his gaze away from where the great structure once stood. In the back of his mind, he felt Yami being unnaturally silent. Something on your mind?

Yes, Yami replied. After our fifth trial, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon left me with a simple phrase, and I think I just now found its meaning.

What'd she say?

Yami seemed silent for a brief moment before speaking again. She said, "What Yugi did was nothing short of what is admired in a true leader and friend, and therein lies the true power that you will need." I think what she was referring to was what you did in our battle with Alexander. You gave up your own safety to protect those dear to you, even if it meant your life as the price to pay.

Yugi smiled vaguely. "As each piece comes together to make the Millennium Puzzle one, so the puzzle's power will unite the wielder's friends with a powerful and unstoppable bond." I remember hearing that from somewhere in my mind the first time I properly found out about you.

"Hey! Are you the kids that were in that plane crash an hour ago?!"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Yugi swept his gaze to the source of the voice as everyone else did. "That's us," he said, barely recognizing one of the two men on the cliff as the copilot of their plane. He then spoke in a quieter tone. "But wasn't that a lot more than an hour ago?"

Tea spared a glance at her wristwatch, which had somehow come out of the game unscathed thanks to the armlet she had worn covering it. "Actually," she replied, "He's right. We crashed here at about noon but my watch says it's only one o'clock."

Solomon remained cheerful as ever. "Wake up, Alex," he said in a sing-song voice as he patted the man on the shoulder. "Naptime's over."

Yugi smiled. It was typical for his grandfather to do such things even after a crisis. When they had found him in the game he had displayed a similar show of the same casual manner he usually had. As Alex Brisbane's eyes opened again, he blinked in surprise. "Doctor Mutou…?" He said slowly. "Where are we? The last thing I remember we were in that pyramid…" He paused for a moment, glancing at the strangers around him. "And…who are these people?"

The old man chuckled in his trademark fashion, clapping a hand on Alex's shoulder. "I'll explain everything on the way back."

The pilots and rescue team were a bit surprised to see that there were six people instead of four, but Solomon still had his ways of convincing people that things were going to work out, and thus they were accepted on the flight. Brisbane was still looking thoroughly bewildered and had a half-pout on his face when they arrived at the helicopter since he was still at loss for information, and Yugi could tell that even though Solomon was still working out what kind of story to cook up for his colleague, he was relieved to finally be going home.

Joey was still a bit wound up. "Am I going to get a refund for those plane tickets?"

"You won them in a contest," Tea replied, rolling her eyes. "So they were free of charge."

"I think we got enough compensation with a few of the escapades we went on," Tristan piped up. "At least now I'll be able to eat a cantaloupe of any size and it won't run off on me."

"Tristan, that wasn't even a cantaloupe in the first place," Yugi replied, rubbing the side of his head in embarrassment. "Besides, I don't think that thing would have tasted good either way." That said, his mind wandered elsewhere. Yami, what do you think Shadi meant?

About uniting mankind? Yami replied. When Yugi nodded, he shrugged slightly. I'm not sure, to be honest. Anyone can change the world; you don't need a foreign power to do that. Perhaps that's what he meant.

The pilot of the helicopter finally appeared. "All set," he said. "We're ready for takeoff when you are."

Solomon and Brisbane were the first to board. As Joey started forward, however, he paused and turned to spare a look to his friends, careful that Brisbane would not overhear. "Actually, I have a question."

Yugi tilted his head a bit curiously. "What's that, Joey?"

"Will we ever get to hang out like normal teenagers and not have to save the world?"

Everyone exchanged glances before chorusing together, "Nope!"

Joey sighed, partially dismayed but still amused as he climbed into the helicopter. "…yeah, I didn't think so."

The End.

And so the fic ends. I'm really going to miss writing it. As long as I'm here, though, I'd like to express my thanks to all of my readers and reviewers for sticking with me through this entire thing. You've been awesome, every single one of you!