//------------------------------//
// Episode 14: Old Friends 
// Story: Yu-Gi-Oh! EQG: Duelist Rangers Season 2 
// by Bahamut0 
//------------------------------//

	Ace slowly awakened and found himself in a place he'd never thought he'd ever see. "Nnnngh. Remind me to thank Tirek for the lovely ride." Ace took a minute to take in his surroundings. "This place looks like the Secret Village of the Spellcasters. Am I in the monster world? Or is it some sort of prison modeled after it?" Suddenly, Ace saw a blast of magic flying his way! Ace barely dodged the blast as it made contact with one of the nearby trees causing an explosion! "Okay....what just shot at me?!" A figure slowly stepped towards Ace. "No way...Dark Magician Girl?!" Ace was shocked! Dark Magician Girl was one of his oldest and most trusted monster partners. And now she was attacking him! "Why are you trying to blast me?! I'm your friend!" Dark Magician Girl said nothing as she fired off another blast of magic! "Please! Stop this!"

"There's only one way to stop me Ace. You have to destroy me.", DMG said flatly. Ace froze in horror upon hearing her words.

"No....NO! I won't let it come to that!" Ace then morphed, summoned his sword and took a defensive stance! "There's got to be a better way! I'll find one! Even if it takes me the rest of my life!" DMG then fired another blast! One more deadly than the previous  ones! Ace knocked it away and maintained his defensive stance. "I won't fight you."

"Then there's only one way this will end. Dark Burning Attack!" DMG then launched her most powerful attack! Ace stood still for a moment, and blocked the attack with his sword! Soon the attack dissipated, leaving an exhausted Ace still standing, but his helmet broke!

"Then there's only...one way to make sure we both make it out of this..." , Ace panted heavily as he fell to one knee. "I surrender." DMG walked up to Ace and bent down to his level. Then she had a bright smile as she hugged Ace tightly.

"You did it Ace! You passed your test!", she cheered! Ace had trouble taking this all in.

"Test? All of THAT?! Was a test?!"

"Yep!", DMG chirped. "Tirek pulled us from the monster world, but he had no idea some of us had ties to you and the other rangers."

"So what was this test for?"

"To see if you would put your safety after the welfare of others. Even if it might cost you your life. And because you did so well, here's a little present!" DMG cast a spell on Ace's ranger suit. Repairing Ace's helmet and also giving it a little addition. "Take a good look at your left gauntlet!" Ace looked, and found a small blaster-like weapon attached to his left gauntlet. "You like it? I call it the Magi-grenade cylinder! It can shoot out a blast of magic as strong as my dark burning attack! The downside is that it has to recharge after one shot, but it charges up at a good rate!"

"Thanks DMG.", Ace said with a smile. "I'll be sure to send a blast right at Tirek's face!" A portal soon opened. "So that's the way out? Where's it go?"

"It'll lead you to one of your friends. Better not keep them waiting!", DMG said with a wink. Ace nodded as he ran through the portal! unsure of where and who it would lead him to.