A/N on the cover image: This is the suit of armor Lea dresses in.
"Well, I still don't know what to make of this crazy game world. But I like this part a lot better than that maze!" Joey remarked, as he and the others were inside the carriage.
"I like Adena. At least she knows how to travel in high style." Mai said, about Adena.
"Yeah." Lea nodded in agreement.
"That’s true. Mokuba, you should be flattered that Kaiba based such a cool character on you." Yugi told Mokuba, smiling.
"On me?" Mokuba questioned, as he pointed to himself.
Joey grinned as he faced Mokuba and said teasingly, "Yeah, on you! My lady!"
Lea glared at Joey at what he just called Mokuba, and so she elbowed him on the ribs really hard.
"Hey!" Mokuba snapped at Joey.
"Oh, look at that!" Yugi suddenly exclaimed, which made the others surprised.
"Huh?" Mai questioned, and it appeared to be some kind of castle. Both Joey and Lea were amazed.
"Excellent! Hope they got food in this game!" Joey hoped.
"Gee, I just hope they can help us. We need to find Seto." Mokuba hoped as well. Lea took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, reassuring him that maybe they will help them find Kaiba.
The carriages just kept riding all the way to the castle, and as soon as they got there, the gang all got out of their carriages and saw that the knights guarded the castle and were letting the gang go in.
"Check out this pad!" Joey exclaimed in awe, before Earu suddenly went on top of Yugi's head.
Adena giggled, "It seems Earu has taken a liking to you."
Lea giggled to herself.
"Is this your palace?" Yugi asked Adena, curiously.
"Why, yes. I am the princess of this land, Sin Lau. Princess Adena." Adena answered, as she curtsied. Everyone was all shocked at the fact that Adena was a princess!
"Princess?!" The gang asked in unison.
"Wow!" Lea breathed, in awe. She always wondered what it'd be like if she met a real princess, and here even if she was in a game, she was actually meeting a real princess.
Everyone was inside the castle, and everyone ate as much as food as they desired.
"Careful, everyone. Keep your hands and feet away from Joey's mouth." Mai warned, which made Lea giggle a little.
Then Joey suddenly choked.
"Are you okay?!" Mai asked, concerned.
"Happens all the time." Joey assured, but Mai was not fazed.
"Disgusting." She rolled her eyes.
"Princess Adena, do you have any news of my brother Seto?" Mokuba suddenly asked Adena.
"Well, I didn't want to say anything before, but... People often disappear when it is time for the offering." Adena answered, a bit shyly.
"Offerings?" Yugi questioned, slightly confused.
"What do you mean?" Mai chimed in.
"Every year, this time offerings are collected from this and another kingdom, so that the Mythic Dragon can be resurrected." Adena explained.
"Mythic Dragon?" Yugi asked, surprised.
"The other kingdom has already put up their offering. Some stranger from a distant land."
What Adena said made Mokuba's eyes widen, "That's Seto! Please, tell me where he is!"
"He's in a dark castle floating in the sky." Adena answered, gravely.
"A dark castle?" Lea asked.
"Why does that sound familiar?" Joey chimed in, with a snarky tone.
"The Castle of Dark Illusions?" Yugi stepped in, seriously.
"That painting tells the tale. We have passed down the legend for generations. Long ago, a hero escaped that dreaded castle on a flying machine. It is said he hid his vessel in Sin Lau a thousand years ago, his ship was never found, and there's no other way to reach the dark castle." Adena answered in explanation, as she gestured to the painting of a bird that was between day and night.
"We could fly there on Joey's dragon." Mai suggested.
"A magic barrier protects the castle. No Duel Monsters can penetrate it." Adena shook her head, which made the others shocked. Mokuba was dejected, and all Lea did was take his hand, trying to be comforting.
"Don't you worry. Just keep telling yourself this is only a game. We can solve it." Mai reassured Mokuba, gently. Adena and her nursemaid were a bit surprised at what Mai said.
Mai gasped, and she said frantically with a nervous smile, "I mean, life's a game!"
Lea just squeezed Mokuba's hand tightly and said gently to him, "Don't worry, Mokuba. We will get your brother back."
Mokuba sighed, but he eyed her and smiled softly, making her blush.
"So what are you going to do about your kingdom's offering?" Mai suddenly asked Adena, which made her surprised.
"Well, I've... volunteered." Adena answered shyly, which made the others surprised.
"But don't worry about my fate for when the legend comes a prophecy, and it predicts that epic heroes will come to Sin Lau from beyond the distant mountains. It is these great heroes, who, united, will create a power that is strong enough to destroy the Mythic Dragon." Adena added.
"Are you saying you think that that's us?" Yugi asked.
"You think... We're the epic heroes from the prophecy?" Mai chimed in.
"Yes. On your shoulders rest the fate of our kingdom." Adena nodded, smiling.
Joey was pumped, "All right now! Ha ha! Super Joey is here to save the day!"
"Super dorks more like it. This isn't an eating contest, Joey. This is dangerous." Mai rolled her eyes.
"Whatever. We gotta go through that Mythic Dragon to rescue Kaiba anyway, right? The way I see it, there's no choice." Joey retorted snidely, and Yugi nodded in agreement. Both Lea and Mokuba nodded in agreement as well.
"To properly prepare you, we will adorn you in the manner of our greatest heroes." Adena told the gang.
Meanwhile, everyone was just getting dressed in their suit of armors. But before Lea was about to put on her suit of armor, she heard what Mokuba was telling Adena: To switch outfits so he can go in her place and join his brother. Lea's eyes widened in shock, so she quickly ran over to him and held on to him as she looked at him pleadingly.
"What are you saying, Mokuba?!"
"I saw how scared Adena was of going to that Dark Castle, so I asked her to switch outfits with me so I can go there and free my big brother." Mokuba answered, firmly.
"No, Mokuba. You could get killed! Besides, I should take her place!" Lea protested, desperately.
Mokuba placed both of his hands on her shoulders and he looked in her eyes as he said more firmly, "No, Lea. You look nothing like her, or me. Besides, you could be killed as well, and I can't let you get killed either."
"I know, but..." Lea started, before she placed her hands to his chest and buried her face in his chest.
"I don't wanna lose you again. Ever since Pegasus took your soul back in Duelist Kingdom, I thought that I would lose you forever, and I can't afford to lose you again." She said softly, as she felt tears forming in her eyes.
Mokuba just looked at her for a moment, then he sighed and lifted Lea's chin up so that they can face each other, and without warning... Mokuba planted a sweet kiss on her lips, which surprised her, but she closed her eyes, not hesitating to kiss back.
After he pulled back, he looked in her eyes and said gently, "Then come with me, and this time, we'll protect each other."
After the trio had gotten dressed, they had just gotten outside of the castle to join Yugi, Joey, and Mai, who had just finished getting dressed in their suit of armors. There was suddenly a storm, and everyone was shaken.
"Princess, it's far too dangerous for you out here!" Adena's nursemaid warned Mokuba, as she thought she was talking to Adena.
"Look! A castle floating in the sky!" Yugi exclaimed, as he saw the Castle of Dark Illusions.
"Oh, dear! Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" Adena's nursemaid exclaimed, fearfully.
"The Castle of Dark Illusions!" Yugi added.
"Never mind the castle, look at all those Duel Monsters!" Mai dismissed what Yugi said, as she noticed the Duel Monsters.
"It looks like they've come to get their offering." Joey commented.
"The princess!" Yugi breathed, and Lea held on to Mokuba's hand tightly while trembling, prepared for herself and Mokuba to be taken.
"Get ready, guys!" Yugi warned the others.
"I've never seen so many Duel Monsters at one time!" Joey remarked.
"How are we gonna stop em all?!" Mai asked, fearfully.
"Joey, look out! The Armed Ninja!" Yugi suddenly warned Joey, as he saw the Armed Ninja show up.
"No way he's laying a hand on the princess!" Joey stated, in determination.
"We gotta stop him!" Yugi agreed.
Mai drew her card from the duel disk and said reassuringly, "Leave it to me!"
Then she summoned her monster, "Dark Witch, attack!"
Then Dark Witch appeared, and she went to attack all the Duel Monsters that were flying up in the sky.
"Two down!" Mai stated proudly, as she saw that Dark Witch had destroyed two monsters.
"This won't work! There are too many to fight one at a time! Listen, Mai, summon back your Dark Witch." Yugi warned Mai, urgently.
"And then what?" Mai questioned, confusedly.
"We'll have to use another strategy!" Yugi answered.
"Dark Witch, return!" Mai summoned back her monster.
"Here's my plan. I'll activate the Dark Hole magic card, and then they'll be lost in its vortex!" Yugi announced, but then a ninja dagger was thrown at the card that Yugi was about to summon, and it shocked the others.
"Oh no!" Joey exclaimed, exasperated.
"On the tower, Yugi! The Armed Ninja!" Mai warned, as she pointed up to the tower where the Armed Ninja was standing at.
"Yeah, look! That no good Armed Ninja destroyed your Dark Hole magic card, Yug!" Joey told Yugi, before the net suddenly fell on to both Mokuba and Lea, and the Armed Ninja pulled the pair up.
"Princess! Lea!" Yugi cried.
"Don't let him get away!" Mai urged, before Joey drew his card.
"Axe Raider, use Kunai with Chain to attack!" He commanded, before Axe Raider appeared on the field, then he used his Kunai and the Armed Ninja disappeared just as the net that was carrying Mokuba and Lea dropped.
"All right!" Joey cheered, but then the Whiptail Crow caught the net and began flying away to the Castle of Dark Illusions!
"The Whiptail Crow got them! They're getting away!" Mai cried.
"Princess!" Adena's nursemaid cried out.
"Princess! Adena! Lea!" The others all cried out in unison.
"Oh no! What have I done?! They've taken Mokuba and Lea! They're gone! Mokuba and Lea are gone!" Adena suddenly spoke up, as her voice was breaking. Then she knelt down in sorrow.
"Mokuba? What?! You're not Mokuba?! Adena?!" Joey asked, completely surprised that she was Adena!
"Princess?!" Adena's nursemaid exclaimed.
"But we thought..." Was all Yugi could manage.
"So then, they got Mokuba?" Mai questioned.
"Yes, that was him. He wanted to go. It's all my fault. He was so brave, and I was afraid. Lea tried to stop him but he really wanted to go and he told her to come with him. Don't you see? I was the one meant to be offered, not Mokuba or Lea." Adena explained, as she felt tears forming in her eyes.
"Please, you must save them!" Adena pleaded.
"But how do we reach the dark castle?" Joey questioned.
Yugi sighed, "I don't know."
Then realization hit him as he saw something, "Look, guys! Down there! Ancient ruins!"
"What do you see, Yug?" Joey questioned.
"They must have been uncovered by the storm!" Yugi answered.
"That symbol, of the Legendary flying machine!" Adena exclaimed.
"Wow! So this is where your ancient hero hid it." Yugi commented.
"But even if it's barried under there, it must be a fossil by now! How can we ever restore it?" Joey asked.
"I don't know, but it's our only hope of rescuing the Kaiba brothers and Lea. Let's go down there and check it out!" Yugi commanded, before he, Joey, and Mai ran down to examine the symbol.