DISCLAIMER: If you recognise it from somewhere else, it isn't mine.

Match Of The Millennium Part III

'Your turn, Yugi-boy,' Pegasus said. 'But what's a poor duellist to do? If you throw your monsters in defence mode, I'll fossilise them and if you throw them in attack I'll destroy them.' He chuckled.

He's right. I'm trapped, unless maybe this combo works. Yami laid the cards down. 'I'll play the Dark Magician in attack mode.'

'Oo!' Pegasus mocked him as the Magician appeared on the field. 'The Dark Magician!'

'And I also protect him with the Magical Hats.' The Hats appeared on the field, multiplying and hiding the Magician.

'Oh, I see,' Pegasus said.

'See what?' Yami demanded.

'With your feeble attempt to hide your Dark Magician, you're hoping to stall until you can find a way to overcome my Toon World,' Pegasus concluded. 'But it won't work.'

'Hm?'

'Don't get it? You're not capable of concealing your secrets from me and those silly Magic Hats won't help you hide. All I need to do is probe your feeble mind to learn which Hat hides your mage.'

Oh, rat rot!

'Or have you forgotten the power of my Millennium Eye? You might as well surrender now and save yourself the embarrassment of a crushing defeat.'

Yami clenched his hand into a fist.

'Prepare yourself, Yugi-boy. Here I come!'

What can I do? If Pegasus reads my mind, if he learns where the Magician is, I'm finished. There has to be someway I can stop him. Yami jammed his eyes shut. There has to be!

Shamee called from above. 'Yugi, let me define "dual identity"!'

That's it! Yami's eyes snapped open as Yugi called to him. Yami, listen to me! Quickly!

Yugi? I can feel Pegasus trying to claw his way into our minds again. I can't keep him out!

I know, but I have an idea. My grandpa told me that if I wanted to defeat Pegasus, I have to harness the power of my Millennium Puzzle. I thought that he meant that I should merge with you as we usually do. That together we would be triumphant, but now I think I was wrong. Grandpa said to trust in the power of my Millennium Puzzle. He never said anything about you.

They were suddenly standing their Corridor of their Mind.

'What are you saying, Yugi?' Yami asked.

'Yami, if I'm going to have any chance of beating Pegasus, I'm afraid I have to banish you from the corridors of my mind.'

Yami was confused above all. Hadn't they already gone through this? 'Yugi, if we don't work together, we won't stand a chance.'

'Maybe not,' Yugi said. 'But if we keep playing like we have, we'll lose.'

'What do you mean?'

'Listen. Just hear me out. We're losing because Pegasus can read our mind, because we're working so close together. That's wrong. I mean it's the wrong strategy for us to be using in this particular game. If we keep duelling with our spirits merged, Pegasus's mind-reading powers will beat us.' Yugi closed his eyes. 'And if we lose, everyone loses. But I have another idea.'

'Well, it had better be a good one. Many lives depend on this.'

'I know. But I think it will work. I think it will allow us to stop Pegasus from reading our thoughts.'

'Tell me quickly then. I can feel Pegasus pushing at our mind, trying to probe our thoughts.'

Yugi put his finger to his chin. 'Okay, this is it. Each time we play a card, Pegasus reads our mind. What if we keep our minds separate.' He looked up at him. 'And then switch our minds back and forth.'

'Switch minds?' Yami asked. 'So you're saying we won't merge our spirits as we usually do. Instead we keep our thoughts separate, secret, even from each other.'

Yugi nodded.

Not a bad idea. 'A dangerous move, but it just might work.'

'All right. Let's do this!'

YGO

Shamee smirked as she watched it, as she felt it happen.

'Toon Summoned Skull,' Pegasus called. 'Emerge from the safety of Toon World and attack the Magical Hat on the far left.' The Skull appeared on the field again and struck, destroying the Hat in question. Pegasus chuckled. 'The Dark Magician has performed his last trick.'

'Maybe, Pegasus,' Yugi said. 'Or maybe you're losing your touch.'

Pegasus looked down. 'What? Yugi-boy's life points are unaffected? And the Dark Magician card is still on the field. Impossible! I just read his mind. His Magician had to be hidden under that Hat.'

'Maybe you probed the wrong mind, Pegasus,' Yugi suggested. 'One that doesn't know where the Dark Magician hides.'

'Huh?'

'Seriously?' Shamee demanded. 'You can read minds and you never ever noticed?'

Pegasus glanced up at her before Yugi called his attention back to him.

'Or maybe your mind-reading powers aren't as all-seeing as you think.'

Pegasus's one real eye widened. 'You dare mock the awesome powers of my Millennium Eye. You go too far, Yugi-boy.'

Joey blinked. 'Anybody got any idea what's going on?'

'Yes,' Shamee said quietly. 'Yugi and me each share our bodies with ancient spirits. This means we have two minds each. He's swapping between them.'

'The spirit of the Millennium Puzzle?' Téa asked.

'Yes.'

'You gained nothing from your attack, Pegasus,' Yugi said. 'Even with your magic, you won't be able to win.' He lifted the gold pyramid around his neck. 'Because you're not the only duellist with a Millennium Item. Now let's see how well your Millennium Eye measures up to my Millennium Puzzle.'

'Whoa, Yugi,' Téa said. 'I sure hope he knows what he's doing. I mean how much do any of us really know about his Millennium Puzzle?'

Joey grabbed his head. 'Millennium Puzzle, Millennium Scmuzzle! I just wish I could help him somehow, but no. All I can do is cheer from the sidelines while my best buddy duels his toughest duel all by himself.'

Shamee smiled. 'He is not alone.'

YGO

Yugi reached down and drew. 'I lay this card face down on the field and end my turn.' He did just that. 'Pegasus, do you know what the card is that I just pulled and laid on the field?'

'Huh?' Pegasus asked.

'Just use your Millennium Eye to read my mind,' Yugi said. 'That is, if you think you can.'

Pegasus gritted his teeth and then composed himself. 'No problem. You can hide nothing from me.'

Yugi watched the Millennium Eye glow. 'We'll see about that.' He stepped back.

YGO

Yami smirked as he felt Pegasus probe his mind.

'What?' Pegasus demanded. 'I can't tell what that hidden card is that you just played.'

Yami chuckled. 'Sorry, Pegasus, but I don't know what this face down card is either. Reading my mind will tell you absolutely nothing.'

Pegasus stared in disbelief.

'You see, Pegasus, I don't know what this face down card is because I am no longer Yugi Moto but somebody else altogether,' Yami said. 'Through the magic of the Millennium Puzzle two minds inhabit this body. Now each time you try to read one of our minds, we'll use the Mind Shuffle.'

The horrified look on Pegasus's face was very satisfying.

Yami waited patiently for him to compose himself again. 'So, still trying to read my mind, Pegasus? Go right ahead.'

Pegasus shook his head. 'No, thanks, Yugi-boy.' He drew. 'My mind-scanning abilities are only one of many skills that I possess and that you need to worry about. Or have you forgotten who invented this game? Besides, I can sense that you're prepared to switch minds. Yes, you're ready to switch again the moment I begin to probe your mind. So rather than waste both our time, let's move on, shall we? You've still no defence against my toon monsters and it's only a matter of time before I figure out which Hat hides your Dark Magician.' He chuckled.

'Then pick a Hat,' Yami said. 'And we'll see just how impressive your mastery of Duel Monsters really is.' He frowned. 'But I suspect that you've relied on the magic of your Millennium Eye for so long that your duelling skills have diminished.'

Pegasus chuckled. 'Even if your little theory was true, I am still a way far superior duellist to you.'

'We shall see, Pegasus,' Yami said. 'Make your next move.'

'Toon Summoned Skull.' Pegasus called for it and it emerged. 'Attack the middle hat.' The Lightning Strike crossed the field and destroyed the Hat in question. 'Did I get him? I think I got him. I must've gotten him!' But there was nothing there. 'No! I've missed again.'

Yami chuckled. 'What a shame, Pegasus. Another turn wasted. And for my next turn a quick change…'

YGO

'…is in order.' Yugi retook control of his body.

Pegasus glared at him. 'So you've switched again?'

'That's right, Pegasus.' Yugi drew. 'And our Mind Shuffle strategy's working perfectly.' Great! The Living Arrow card could really turn this match around. 'So, I'll just lay this one card face down and I'll see you later Pegasus.' They switched again.

YGO

Yami chuckled. 'You're looking frustrated.' He looked down at the duelling board. So, Yugi's played another card face down. Even though I don't know what that card is, I have faith in Yugi. And faith in the Heart of the Cards.

'I'm becoming annoyed,' Pegasus snapped. He drew. 'Eureka! The card that will devastate your Dark Magician.' He turned it around. 'Magical Neutralising Force!' He threw it down on the field. 'Activate!'

Yami gasped and watched as the card swept away the Magical Hats.

'This special card acts to eliminate any and all magic effects currently active on the opponent's field,' Pegasus said. 'Which means the concealing effect of your Magical Hats now disappears.'

'Oh, no!' Yami stared as it happened. 'The Magical Hats are evaporating. The Dark Magician is revealed!'

Pegasus smirked again. 'It's all over for him and your life points! You can only watch as I savour my final victory. Does your heart grow cold knowing that your demise is only moments away?'

Yami gritted his teeth.

'Come on out, Toon Summoned Skull!' Pegasus called. 'Show him the face of victory!'

"The face of victory" was apparently a wide-tongued raspberry and a vapid child's head shake. Yami stared at the field, trying to think. No! His toon monsters are virtually unstoppable and my Dark Magician is totally unprotected. There's nothing I can do. Unless…

Pegasus called his attack. 'Toon Summoned Skull, attack the Dark Magician! Lightning Strike attack!' The warped beast attacked. 'Devastate his Dark Magician!'

Yami gritted his teeth. I don't have a move, but Yugi might!

YGO

'Pegasus!' Yugi called.

Pegasus gritted his teeth.

'I defend my Magician with the card I played face down.' Yugi flipped his card up. 'The magic card, Living Arrow!'

'What?' Pegasus demanded. 'Your hidden card is the Living Arrow?'

'That's right,' Yugi said. 'That is my secret card. And since you're the creator of Duel Monsters, you must know all about the Living Arrow card. And how it can fuse with any card an opponent might put into play and it doesn't matter whether that card is a monster card or a magic card.'

Yugi slipped back.

YGO

Yami slid forward, taking control of the body. 'We've thwarted your mind-reading magic and now we're going to use your very own magic card against you. Pegasus, I use the Living Arrow card to fuse with your Magical Neutralising card and fire it right back at Toon World!' The arrow shot forward and the book evaporated.

Pegasus gasped for a second and then said, 'It doesn't matter. Because it's already too late for you to stop my Summoned Skull attack.' The attack was dangerously close to the Dark Magician. It slammed into something, but it wasn't what Pegasus thought it was. 'Your Dark Magician is vanquished.'

Yami switched over.

YGO

'Sorry, Pegasus!' Yugi called.

'Huh?'

'You've forgotten my other down card.' Yugi held it up. 'It's a trap card. And it's one of my favourites. Mirror Force!' He laid it back down on the field, this time face up.

Pegasus drew back in surprise. The Lightning Strike hit the barrier and bounced.

Yugi smiled triumphantly. 'It deflects back Summoned Skulls attack and since the other card neutralised the magic that made your other cards untouchable, your toon monsters return to their original form and appear on the field, just in time to catch the blast!'

Pegasus cried out as all of his monsters were destroyed. 'It's impossible! I can't believe you've destroyed all my beloved toons. Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no! This is a nightmare. A bad dream. This can't truly be happening.' He let out a long cry.

Yugi grinned. 'We did it! All the toons are destroyed.'

Yes. And it was your plan, Yugi. I'm very proud of you.

Pegasus's life points dropped. Croquet made his announcement. 'The score stands at Yugi – 900. Pegasus – 600.' He paused. 'Uh…sorry, sir.'

Pegasus ground his teeth.

'All right!' Joey cheered. 'You're in the lead, Yug!'

'Yugi.' Pegasus suddenly called his attention. 'I'm impressed.'

'Huh?' Yugi stared in confusion. What was he doing now?

'When I first met you, you were just another boy,' Pegasus said. 'You showed some faint duelling promise. With my gentle guidance…well, just look at you now. You're one step away from becoming World Champion. You've been to the Shadow Realm and back and, most importantly, you've finally begun to master the power of your Millennium Puzzle. And, you see, Yugi-boy, for me, that's what this whole tournament has been about.' He lifted his head and displayed his Millennium Eye. 'For I plan to take possession of your Puzzle.' A darkness was beginning to appear around them.

'My Puzzle?' Yugi demanded.

No!

'Yes. You and I will finish this contest in the Shadow Realm, Yugi,' Pegasus said. 'And this time, it's winner take all.'