AN/ So I realised this morning that I hadn't actually given a description of James and Lucy (the OCs in this story), so I'll do that for you now :)

Lucy is 16, her birthday is on August 10th- making her the youngest in the group. She has brown hair and brown eyes. She wears the Domino High Uniform and when away from school in chapters during the duelist kingdom, she wears a black t-shirt with a red short-sleeved jacket, a pair of black jeans, and white trainers. Her favourite card is Guardian Angel Joan, which she acquires just before Battle City, and unfortunately, she won't duel until the virtual world arc. Lyra also lives with her mum and dad and she's an only child.

James is also 16, and his birthday is on December 24th (Yes, he is a Christmas baby). He has long brown, curly hair which goes down to his shoulders. He wears the Domino High Uniform like all the others when present at school, and when away from school, he wears an orange long-sleeved top with a green parka hoodie, a pair of dark blue jeans and blue trainers. His favourite card is Buster Blader, however, he won't be duelling until the Orichalcos arc. James lives with his mum and his younger brother but he's not going to be with his friends during battle city and the virtual world due to moving in with his step-dad- this makes this fanfiction a fanfiction when he wants to save Lyra from something.

Both OCs will be present throughout the fanfiction (with the exception of James not being in battle city, as I want him and Lucy to have a kind of separate story which will be included in the main plot)

Thank you for reading, please read and review. :)

Chapter 2- Shadow Realm

(Lucy POV)

We were at school again, watching another duel, however this time it was Joey versus Téa.

"Joey, make a move already." Tristan told the blonde.

"Okay, here you go, tough guy. My 'Rock Ogre's' gonna rock your block off." He bragged.

"Hmmm..." Téa drew her 'Happy Lover' and placed it in defence mode.

"Yeah, Téa. Like that wimpy card has a chance against my giant rock guy. Give it up!" He boasted even further.

"I guess I don't stand a chance... unless maybe I use the 'Breath of Life' card." She told him.

"Huh? Can she do that?" Our friend asked in disbelief.

"Oh yeah, the Breath of Life wears down rock monsters." Yugi commented.

"It reduces them to rubble." James told Joey as the card was destroyed.

"Ahh!"

"That brings your life-points down to zero, Joey. Once again, you lose, and I rock." Téa laughed.

"You stink at this game." I told our friend, getting him to groan.

(Yugi POV)

Me and Joey had gone out into the yard while the others had gone to buy lunch.

"Tristan's right, Yuugi. I do stink. I can't win at Duel Monsters to save my life. What is it, Yuugi? Why can't I ever win? Teach me what I'm doing wrong." He asked me.

I hopped down from the metal bar I was sat on. "Well, let's start by checking your deck, Joey." I suggested.

"Huh? 'Kay… Here you go." He pulled his deck from his trouser pocket and handed it to me.

"Thanks." I took it off him and began looking through the cards he handed me, I raised my eyebrows in disbelief of the mistake he had made.

"Powerhouse liner, don't you think?" Joey joked.

"No one could win with these. Joey, your deck's filled with nothing but monster cards." I cringed.

"You got it, I packed it with every butt-kicking monster I could find." He bragged again.

"But that's not how the game works." I told him, but he looked really confused. "Duel Monsters is all about combining your monster cards with your magic cards to increase their strength." I looked down at Joey's deck. "With no magic in your deck, your monsters will be creamed every time."

He ran over to me and took me by the shoulders. "Hah! See? That's the kind of stuff I need to know! Yugi, you've gotta help me learn more!" He pleaded, but I was unsure so I came up with an idea.

At 3:55, Joey and I decided to go and visit the game shop, once we arrived, I had decided to inform him of our situation. "My Grandpa's the real game expert in the family, maybe he can help you." Once we got through the front door, I saw my old man putting up a poster of 'Red-Eyes Black Dragon' and 'Black Luster Soldier'. "Hey Grandpa! I brought you a new student!" I told him.

He looked at me. "Huh? Student?"

"I was hoping, since you know more about Duel Monsters than anyone, maybe you'd teach me." Joey requested.

"Teach you? Duel Monsters is a very complex game." He informed us.

"Yeah. Tell me about it. Téa beat me three games in a row."

"Actually, Téa beat you five times in a row, Joey." I corrected him.

"Five? Aww man." He recoiled.

"Hmmm. Yes. I could teach you to be a great tournament duelist. But only if you're willing to spend endless days and sleepless nights filled with rigorous training."

"Ahh. Piece of cake." Joey sighed.

"With an attitude like that, teaching you may not be worth my effort." I saw grandpa's eyes narrowing, he was serious.

"Ahh!"

"Nice going there, smart-mouth." I face-palmed as Joey goy down on knees before me.

"Please, Yuugi. Help me convince him. I will work hard, I promise!" He bowed his head.

"Listen, Joey. Teaching you Duel Monsters is too big a challenge, even for my grandpa." I sighed.

"Hmmm... It's not impossible."

"Huh? You mean it, Gramps?" Joey perked up.

"Joey, he already said he can't do it. And if he can't do it, he can't do it."

"I never said I couldn't do it. But if I agree, you must work hard." Grandpa pointed at Joey.

"I'll do anything, I promise. I promise!" He begged.

"Fine, then we'll begin your instruction immediately, my young friend. And believe me, under my tutelage, you will learn. Now, can you name the most powerful Duel Monster?" He questioned.

"Uhhh... No?" Joey thought.

"Can you name the weakest?" He quizzed.

"...Noooo" He hesitated.

"You do know what a trap card is, don't you?" The old man asked.

"Kinda... Uhh, I have no idea." My best friend sighed.

A few weeks later, I had my friends over for dinner, we were in the back room of the game shop, watching the Duel Monsters National Championships on TV.

"Good evening duel fans and our ten million viewers at home, and welcome to the Duel Monsters Duel Dome, where tonight, the Duel Monsters Regional Championship will be decided. Of the two hundred duelists who have competed in this marathon tournament, only two competitors remain standing. Put your cards together for Weevil Underwood, the Bug Brawler. His opponent, the number one ranked, Rex Raptor, Dino Duelist." The announcer introduced the competition to the audience.

"Bug Boy versus Dinosaur Man, what kind of match is that? That should've been me in there!" Joey bragged.

"I know you've been training for weeks, but those guys are in another league. You're just not ready yet." Lucy said.

"Sure, rub it in." Joey sighed, closing his eyes.

"And on top of that, you're so tired you can't keep your eyes open." I heard Joey snore. "I think Grandpa's lessons have been a bit too tough for him." I whispered.

"See, it's true what they say- you snooze, you lose." Tristan and James laughed from the side and made Joey growl like a dog, causing the girls to laugh.

"I must've been nuts to think I could ever learn this crazy game." Joey messed with his hair.

I then heard the door open, revealing grandpa who was carrying a parcel. "Time for your lesson!"

"Wha-? We're not done?" Joey complained.

"Not by a long shot, you slacker." Grandpa sounded annoyed.

"Nnngh." He whined.

"Now quit your whining, Joseph. I know you've been working long and hard, but you really are coming along as a duelist. And I'm quite proud of you."

Joey was crying with happiness. "Gramps. Thank you!" He appreciated, reaching forward to hug him, but he neatly sidesteps the hug, causing Joey to be overbalanced by the chair and fall flat on his face.

"Oh, by the way, Yugi. This package came for you."

"A package? What is it, Gramps?" I questioned as he handed me the mail.

"I don't know. It just came in the mail." He told us.

"Huh. It's from Industrial Illusions."

Joey hopped back onto the couch. "Industrial Illusions! That's the company that makes the Duel Monsters game. Why the heck would they be sending a package to you, Yugi?"

"I have no idea. Is it possible they heard I beat the world champion?" I proposed.

"You mean... Kaiba?" Téa asked.

"Yeah. It wasn't an official duel or anything, but Kaiba did drop out of this tournament because of me." I sighed.

"Just hearing Kaiba's name gives me a headache." My best friend complained.

"Whoa, guys, Raptor just stomped Weevil." Tristan commented.

"Yugi, are these guys any good?" James asked me.

"Oh yeah. They're both pretty tough customers. Weevil specializes in insect cards and he's a great strategist. Then you've got Rex Raptor and his dinosaur cards. He uses their power to overwhelm his opponents." I told my friends.

"Itsy-bitsy bugs against duelling dinosaurs? Raptor has got this one in the bag." Joey thought.

"I wouldn't be so sure." My thoughts contrasted to his. A few minutes later, the duel had concluded, and as I guessed, Rex had lost.

"And now a very special honour for our new champion, here to present the Duel Monsters championship trophy, the creator of Duel Monsters and the president of Industrial Illusions. Ladies and gentlemen and fellow duelists, I give you Maximillion Pegasus!" The announcer presented the host and Pegasus entered the stadium holding a trophy.

"Congratulations." He praised.

"Uh." Weevil was blushing as he reached for the trophy. "Thank you."

"And, as regional champion, I invite you to compete in the bold new tournament I'm hosting at Duelist Kingdom."

"Hah! With all the excitement of the championship, you forgot to open your package, Yugi." Gramps chuckled.

"What could it be?" I asked, opening the box and presenting a glove with two stars and a VHS tape.

"Huh?"

"Some kind of glove..." Tea paused.

"And stars."

"Maybe there's an explanation on the video." James suggested, so I reached for the tape.

"Pop it in and check it out." Joey recommended.

"Okay." I agreed, putting the tape into the player. The TV turned static for a little while as the picture materialised on the screen. It was a man with white-silver hair, and the same man who had appeared at the tournament a few minutes ago.

"Greetings, little Yugi. I am Maximillion Pegasus."

"Pegasus?" I asked.

"We just saw him on TV." Lyra pointed out.

"The famous Maximillion Pegasus sends greetings to my Yugi?" Gramps asked.

"I have heard some terribly interesting things about you, Yugi." Pegasus informed.

"Huh?" We were all puzzled.

"Your present defeat of Seto Kaiba intrigued me so much, I've decided to investigate your amazing duelling skills personally. Right here, right now, we shall hold a special duel. We'll play with a strict time limit of fifteen minutes and when time's up, the player with the highest life-points will be the winner. Are you ready?" He questioned.

"Wha-?" I asked.

"Wha-? He can't seriously expect you to fight a duel against a video tape." James explained.

"That's crazy." I breathed.

Pegasus laughed evilly, as I saw his left eye glow. "No, it's magic." He told us.

"Huh?!" We all inhaled.

Suddenly, the room faded a dark colour and everything went freezing. Grandpa and all of my friends faded into the background.

"Everything's growing dark and cold and the others aren't moving. What have you done to them? Where have you taken us?" I asked, replacing hesitation with worry.

He laughed again. "We're no longer in the world you know. But I will return you... after our game."

"Then it's time to duel!" I exclaimed as I transformed into the alter-ego of my millennium puzzle. "Start the clock and make your move, Pegasus."

"Certainly. Let's begin." He said as the countdown begun at 15 minutes. Nervous, Yugi-boy? You should be. You have never faced a duelist like me before."

"You may be good." I paused.

"I assure you, I am." He smiled.

"But I will beat you to save my friends." I drew a card and placed 'Kmori Dragon' face-down on the field.

His eye glowed again. "You won't save anyone with that dragon card." He chuckled.

"How?" My eyes widened.

"I told you, you've never faced anyone like me before. I know every move you'll make. Before you can even make it."

I glared.

"Knowing every move you'll make gives me a distinct advantage, wouldn't you say? For example, I can anticipate your next play and counter it with this Dragon Capture Jar."

"Aghh!" I growled.

"It will draw the Koumori Dragon from your card and imprison the beast. Trapped. Never to be played against me." He smiled.

'This is crazy. First he reads my mind, then he brings the monster on my card to life.' I contemplated.

"This dark dimension we're in is known as the Shadow Realm, a mystical place where incredible monsters can be summoned and the impossible is quite possible." He informed me.

"But what you're telling me can't be true." I closed my eyes and smiled.

"Tell me, Yugi, do you believe there is magic in these cards?"

"Don't you know? You invented this game." I told him honestly.

"What if I told you I didn't?" He asked.

"Huh?!"

"In ancient times, the Egyptians called this the Shadow Game. Powerful fellows would hold mystical duels in other dimensions just as we're doing now. But not with cards, they battled with real monsters and real magic. Magical forces so powerful, the Egyptians lost control of them and nearly destroyed the entire world." Pegasus proclaimed.

"It's a good story, Pegasus. But these monsters can't be real." I smiled.

"Tell that to my Dragon Piper as his flute of resurrection frees your Koumori Dragon, but puts him under my control."

I gave an intense look. "I have to counter attack! Silver Fang!"

But Koumori Dragon attacked Silver Fang.

"Oh, the heat!" I winced.

Yugi life-points- 1500

Pegasus life-points- 2000

"Hah! As you see, Yuugi, these monsters are very real." He laughed. "And also quite dangerous. Ah, Yuugi-boy. You really are quite entertaining- the way you scowl and sneer so defiant and yet helpless. And so completely ignorant of the power of your Millennium Puzzle."

"What?!" I questioned.

"Five thousand years ago, a powerful pharaoh locked the power of the Shadow Games away." He explained.

"What's this have to do with me?" I paused.

"The pharaoh captured these vast magical energies in seven mystical Millennium Items." He revealed his eye.

"Seven items? You're saying that... my puzzle's one of them?" I asked.

"Yes, and there are mystical energies locked within it. Magic that could change your life forever... if you only knew how to unleash it." He pointed out.

"But why are you telling me this?" I wanted to know, drawing my card as I asked him.

"Why? Simply because I need you to know. But perhaps I have said too much. And since the clock is still ticking, I propose we resume playing our little duel." He said, the clock still counting down.

'He's right, time's running out and I still haven't figured out if he can really read my mind or if it's some kind of trick.' I thought as Pegasus lifted his hair aside, showing his eye, which glinted, ad I could have sworn that I saw an image of 'Zombie Warrior'. 'I've gotta try something, maybe my Zombie Warrior!' Pegasus laughed evilly again. 'Wait a minute, he definitely knows what I'm about to do. But how? It's gotta have something to do with that weird eye of his. That's it, isn't it? That weird eye must somehow let him see the cards in my hand. So, no matter which card I pick, he's already one step ahead of me. But that gives me an idea.'

"Hurry up now, Yuugi-boy. Time is running out for you and your friends." He pointed out.

"I guess he's expecting me to play one of the cards in my hand. But what if I play a card even I haven't seen yet?! What happens if I draw a new card straight from the deck without even looking at it?" I closed my eyes and drew a card, placing it in face-down defence mode.

"I already know you plan to play the Zombie Warrior, and I'm already prepared to counter it with a trap card that makes even zombies lie down and play dead."

"Not this time. I figured out your little game, Pegasus. You may be able to see the cards in my hand, but you can't see the cards I pull from the deck." I smirked.

"Hmmm?" My opponent narrowed his eyes.

"My next card is... the Dark Magician!" I announced.

"Whoa, the big, scary Dark Magician." He sarcastically countered.

"Mock me all you like, Pegasus. But my magician will destroy that dragon." I proclaimed.

"Go right ahead, if you think it'll help."

"It'll do more than help, Pegasus. It'll bring you closer to defeat and bring me closer to saving my friends."

"If it can do all that, by all means, play it." He smirked.

"Dark Magician!" My mage appeared on the field. "Dark Magic Attack!" Dark magaician obeyed my order and attacked the dragon I had lost to Pegasus.

Yugi Life Points- 1500

Pegasus Life Points- 1200

"Nicely played. But by using your Dark Magician, you've let me manipulate you once again." He laughed triumphantly. I paused for a moment. "By playing that one card, you have ensured my victory."

"No." My eyes widened.

"We shall see, Yugi." He picked the top card of his deck. "Oh, a very rare card. This is the fearsome Faceless Mage." He presented it to me and played it on the field.

"I've never seen that card before. But my Dark Magician is one of the strongest magic cards in the game." I declared.

"But how will he fare once I combine my Faceless Mage with the, equally rare, Eye of Illusion."

"Dark Magician, Dark Magic Attack!" I exclaimed. Dark Magician attacked Faceless Mage who held up the Eye of Illusion and my attack had no effect. "Dark Magician! My attack had no effect at all."

Pegasus laughed.

'His Faceless Mage should've been destroyed, but it's still standing and I'm running out of time.' I only had five minutes remaining. 'I'm up by three hundred life-points, but only because Pegasus is toying with me. I've got to find a way to beat him at his own Shadow Game. Pegasus knows all kinds of tricks. But I gotta find a way to defeat him. I just have to trust in my grandpa's cards.' I drew a card. "I attack your combo with the Celtic Guardian! This mighty warrior will cut your Faceless Mage down to size."

"True, your elf is mighty. But you have once again underestimated the incredible power of my Eye of Illusion! Hah hah!" He chuckled.

"No!" I grimaced.

"Dark Magic Attack." My opponent declared.

Celtic Guardian shattered.

Yugi- 400

Pegasus- 1200

"Arg! But that's impossible! The Faceless Mage doesn't have a Dark Magic Attack." I paused and saw my Dark magician which had a yellow eye on it which looked like the one on my puzzle. 'Oh no! It was my own Dark Magician that attacked me. Pegasus is controlling him with the Eye of Illusion. But if he's using its magic to control my magician, what's controlling his mage?'

"Well, Yugi, our time together is nearly up, and as I have more life-points than you, it appears I am the victor." He started to clap as I saw five seconds remaining on our timer. "Time's not up yet, Pegasus. And you've left your Faceless Mage vulnerable to a physical assault." I held up summoned skull.

"Nnngh." I grimaced.

"Summoned Skull, attack!" I announced as the skeleton began to materialise on the field. The attack began but as soon as it did, the timer went down to 0.

"Well, we've run out of time. But how close was that? If you had been able to complete that attack, I would have lost. But I didn't, did I? I have taken the measure of your talents this day, Yugi Moto. And when next we duel, we shall play for far higher stakes."

"I'm done with your games." I shouted.

Pegasus wagged his finger. "You presume I'm giving you a choice in the matter. But..." He paused and lifted his hair to reveal his Millennium Eye. "I'm not, for I too possess one of the seven Millennium Items- the all-powerful Millennium Eye!"

"A Millennium Eye?"

"That's right, Yugi-boy. And now I'll show you the true extent of its magic. You see, I have found that- given the proper incentive, anyone can be made to play my game." The Millennium Eye glowed and pulled grandpa's soul into the television screen.

"Huh?" I widened my eyes.

"Yugi!" Grandpa's voice could be heard on the TV.

I became myself again and darted towards the TV screen.

"Grandpa!" I shouted.

"Yes, we will duel again, Yugi. How else will you reclaim your grandfather's soul?" I heard Pegasus' voice as the TV faded black and the world returned to colour and my friends were able to move. Grandpa's eyes went blank and he fell over.

"Grandpa! Grandpa! Grandpaaaaaa!" I plead, but to no avail…

He was gone.

Chapter 2- The Shadow Realm- End.