Here's chapter nine. Please enjoy and review.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh.

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Chapter 9: Playing the Role

"Wow, it got dark fast," Yugi said.

It was night now. The moon was out.

"Yeah, maybe we should set up camp," suggested Yuki.

"Don't tell us that you're afraid, Yuki," Tristan said, "You got us guys protecting you."

"I'm not scared. Besides who's protecting you?" she asked.

"Good point. Let's set up camp."

"Relax," Joey said.

They sat down in a clearing. All of them were getting hungry, especially Joey. He spotted a yellow mushroom with red polka-dots.

"Hey, my meal ticket!" he cheered. Tristan held him back when he tried to eat it.

"Joey, wild mushrooms are poisonous. You can't eat them," Yugi told him.

"So do us all a favor and let him eat it," Mai piped in as she approached them.

"Now what do you want, Mai?" Joey asked annoyed of this woman. She just took a bite out of a candy bar. She was getting to them.

"That's it. You can duel me, insult me, but you're not eating in front of me," said Joey, angrily.

"You're that hungry. Then give me all your starchips," she said.

"No way, potatao chips... I mean, starchips are more important!"

"I was only joking. Of course, I'll share if you can ask nicely like a gentleman," said Mai.

"Right, so you can go make fun of me for that too," he said, suspenous of her now.

"Look, by tomorrow, I'd have won entrance to the castle. So, there's no reason for me to have this nap sack full of food," Mai explained.

"It would be nice not to duel on an empty stomach," said Yugi.

"Why should we trust you?" Joey asked.

"It's either me or that poison mushroom," she said. She unpacked her bag of its contents. There was a lot of food.

"Okays, boys, before we eat, you have to do your chores. I want Yugi to go look for some fire wood," Mai said, then turned to Tristan and Joey, "You two can fetch us some water."

"You bet," said Tristan as he gave Joey the bucket for the water and pushed him to walk.

"If she's not swinging insults, then she's barking orders," Joey complained.

"I'll swallow my pride if it means swallowing some food," his friend told him.

"I'll go get that firewood," Yugi told the girls, then left.

"What's your name, you two? Tea and Yukika, right?" Mai asked.

"Yeah."

"Well, there's a shower over there if you want to freshen up a bit," Mai suggested.

"Thanks," Tea said.

"Hanging around with those boys doesn't mean you two have smell like them."

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"Joey, I don't think we should cook the candy bars," Yugi said.

"Back off. I know what I'm doing," Joey told him.

The boys were at the campfire. Tea was sitting nearby. Mai was keeping guard as Yuki was getting ready to take her shower now.

"Look at you, Joey. All you need now is a hat and a cute apron," Mai teased.

"Geez, all right already!" Joey responded.

"Now keep cooking!" she ordered.

"Wow, you have an iron fist," Yuki commented.

"Hey, someone has to keep the guys in line. Some things just need a lady's touch," she told her, "Why do you and Tea hang out with them anyway?"

"We're friends. Actually, Yugi's been my friend since I was very young. I had to move, then I came back," Yuki said.

"Why are you here then? I know you're the Star Christian Duelist. It's like you're hiding your real feelings, even from your friends," Mai asked.

"Joey, Yugi, and I are on a mission to help someone of each of our families. Joey is dueling to get the money for his sister's operation, which without, she can go blind. Yugi is fighting for his grandfather. I'm fighting for one of my sisters, Mary," she answered.

"I heard about that fire. How's it going?"

"My baby sister died, I'm close to getting Mary back, and my big sister can wake-up from her coma any day. It's kinda hard, but things are going okay," she answered.

Suddenly, there was rush in the bushes. Yuki screamed.

"What's wrong?" Mai asked, coming in.

"T-There was something outside," she answered.

"Tea, stand guard," Mai ordered. She went to check it out.

Yuki shake a little.

"Darcy... " She wanted her sister to be here. Dracy was strong and protect all her younger sisters.

The Millennium Cross illumnated softly. Yuki peaked outside. She saw Tea stand in front of the shower. She also saw the Strong Yugi as a spirit right next to the real Yugi. He looked like he was worried about her.

"There's no one there," Mai said, "Don't worry."

"Okay."

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When Yuki finished her shower, dinner was ready. They ate together, and it was delicous.

"Wow, Mai, how many stars do you have? Eight? Nine?" asked Yugi, trying to be friendly.

Mai just snapped at him a little. She didn't really trust anyone. She went for a walk.

After Yugi, Yuki, Tea, Joey, and Tristan finished eating, Mai still didn't come back yet.

The bushes moved behind Yuki and she screamed again. Joey and Tristan ran to see what it is. Actually, it was a who. It was Bakura, a boy in their class.

"Oh, I thought it was you," Tea said. She saw him a few times before, but she had though it was her imagnation.

"Yeah, I see you three are far," Bakura said, seeing Yugi, Joey, and Yuki's gloves.

"Yeah."

They sat down to talk. Joey was staring at his new Red-Eyes Black Dragon card. That came to the subject of favorite cards and which card they would want to be if they were in the duel themselves.

Joey's favorite is the Flame Swordsman.

Tristan's is the Cyper Commander.

Tea's is the Magician of Faith.

Yugi's is of course the Dark Magician.

Yuki's is caught between Wingweaver and her rare card, the Angel of Love (which looked a lot like her).

Bakura's is actually a magic card called the Change of Heart.

"How about we have a fun duel? You five can put your favorite cards in your deck and you can duel against me," Bakura suggested.

"That sounds like fun." So they got the deck ready. Yugi noticed that Yuki put three cards, instead of two.

Now both sides were ready.

"Before we start, I want to show you guys a trick," said Bakura. A necklace appeared around his neck. It was a gold circle with five spikes attached and a pyramid with the same eye as Yugi's puzzle and Yuki's cross.

Then the souls of Yugi, Tea, Tristan, and Joey were sucked into the deck! Yuki was untouched for some reason. They were also tranported to a dark place.

"Guys!" she shouted as her friends' bodies collasped.

"How can you still be in your body?" Bakura asked in a different voice. He looked a little different. His eyes were intense and two of his bangs were sticking up. He was scaring the girl.

"B-Bakura? What's going on? Please, stop it. You're scaring me," Yuki pleaded. She was very afraid.

Bakura grabbed her arm. She tried to pull away.

"Let her go!" Yugi commanded as the Stronger Yugi.

"Fine!" He pushed her to him. Yugi caught her. His warmth calmed her, and she felt safe.

"Bakura, why did you do this? What happened with the other?" he asked.

"Bakura is not longer here," said the other boy.

"If you're not Bakura, then who are you?" Yugi asked.

"I am a theif and a stealer of souls. I have done terrible things to get the Millennium Items. You do remember the legends, don't you?"

Yuki noticed his eyes widen.

"Whoever possesses all of the Millennium Items will recieve great power. Before I'm done with you, your Millennium Puzzle and that girl's Millennium Cross will be mine," Evil Bakura finished.

"That's not going to happen, whoever you are," Yugi told him.

"Then let the shadow game begin."

Yugi turned to Yuki, who was hanging on to his arm. "Yukik, stay beside me. He won't hurt you while I'm here, and I won't let him take your cross and my puzzle."

"Okay, I trust you," she said, "But where are we?"

"The Shadow Realm. Let's just say that it's a place you wouldn't want to be in forever."

Yugi sat down with Yuki beside him and began the duel against Bakura. He played Cyper Commander. Tristan in the Cyper Commander's clothes appeared small and a part of the game.

"Tristan?" Yugi and Yuki said.

"Where am I?" Tristan asked, then looked up to see the big Yugi and the big Yuki.

"Bakura must have put Tristan's soul into his favorite card," Yugi said.

"Then the rest of them will be in theirs too," Yuki concluded.

Tristan ended up getting sent back to the card graveyard. Then Yugi had to play Joey's card, the Flame Swordsman. Joey appeared dress as Flame Swordsman like Tristan.

"What gives? Hey Yugi... AHHH!" Joey had a more of a reaction when he saw Yugi and Yuki, "What! You two are a giant."

"Joey, listen to me. You're is steal in your favorite card. You are the Flame Swordsman," Yugi told him.

"I'm the who!"

"If I don't win this duel, we can't turn you back to normal. If you're destoryed, you'll go the graveyard like Tristan."

"Graveyard!"

"In order to win, restore you all to your bodies, and get out of the Shadow Realm, I need your help," Yugi finished.

"No problem," said Joey.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked.

"Okay? I think I lost my mind, but I'm gonna go with it," Joey answered, turning to see the opponent, "Ah! Giant Bakura! Now I know I'm dreaming. I'm six inches tall, wearing a dress, and about to fight my friend."

"That's not really Bakura," Yuki told him, "An evil spirit from his Millennium Ring has taken over him."

"Okay."

Joey did well, but he got Yugi's hand of cards sent to the graveyard. With new cards, Yugi played the Dark Magician. Then something strange happened. The little Yugi Yuki knew and love appeared as the Dark Magician and still Strong Yugi was next to her.

"Yugi! What are you doing here?" Joey asked, suprised.

"I was right," Yuki thought.

Strong Yugi played Monster Reborn to bring back Tristan. He too could believe that Yugi was with them, but he was also doing the dueling.

"Do you know who that guy is?" Joey asked.

"I don't know," answered smaller Yugi.

"Don't you?" big Yugi said.

"Well, sometimes when I duel, I feel like someone is guiding," Yugi said, recieving a nod from big Yugi, "And sometimes I can heard a strong voice helping me from my Millennium Puzzle. It's an ancient, powerful voice."

The duel contiune. The Magician of Faith was play faced down and Tea appeared underneath. The boys tried to hide her. They explained everything to her.

Strong Yugi drew from his deck and saw a unfamiliar card.

"What's this?" he asked. Yuki looked over his shoulder and whispered the card's ability. It was her card.

"Now I play Wingweaver!" Yugi played the card. Yuki moaned as she collapsed.

"Yukika!" Strong Yugi catch her before she hit her head. Her body become limp.

They looked where the Wingweaver was played. In its place was Yuki was Wingweaver. She was beautiful. The difference was that the purple hair and pink skin of the real Wingweaver was changed by Yuki's face, midnight blue hair, and fair pale skin.

Joey whistled.

"Wow!" Tristan said.

"Yeah," Yugi agreed.

"Beautiful," Strong Yugi whispered.

Tea glared unnoticed.

Yuki blushed, especially when she saw Strong Yugi practically cradling her souless body.

"Let's see how strong the girl is," Bakura said, attacking.

"She will be even strong with this magic card, Loving Christian Heart!" Yugi said, playing it.

"What's that?" asked Bakura.

"Yukika explained it to me. It's a magic card that gives strength to Wingweaver, allowing her to become the Angel of Love!" he explained.

Yuki's form changed as he said. She had only two wings now, instead of six, and was dress in pink silk. She was still beautiful.

The monster's attack did not harm her.

Strong Yugi noticed that though Yuki is strong in the form of the Angel of Love, she still looked frail like he noticed her when he seem the times before.

Bakura played a scary card called a Man-eater Bug. Joey scraficied himself to destory it. Thanks to Tea's ability as the Magician of Faith, she brought him back.

Then Bakura played the Change of Heart. He was going to use it on Yugi so he could destory his friends. The first victim was Yuki!

"Stop it, leave the young one alone," Strong Yugi said, but it was too late. The card was played. Dressed as the Change of Heart was the real Bakura!

He took over one of the evil one's monsters instead to help Yugi and his friends. Strong Yugi used the Millennium Puzzle to switch the evil one with the good one. The evil spirit was in the game now. Yugi destoryed him, sending him to the graveyard.

They were transported out of the Shadow Realm. Everyone returned to their bodies.

"My body feels so warm," Yuki thought when she woke-up back in her own body. Stronger Yugi was hold her the whole time after she was put in the game with her friends. She blushing, and she didn't understand why.

Right now, they were glad they were safe now. Though Tristan, Joey, and Tea thought they were dreaming.

They were having a breather, until they heard Mai scream...

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Preview: Panic Attack