"Usagi-chan, why are you sleeping again? You'll end up with detention!"

"Ami-chaaaaaaan" Usagi whined, stirring from her slumber. She was in her classroom at Juuban, with all her friends and even Yugi and his friends. Atem had fallen asleep next to her with Yugi prodding him in the face.

"Other me, stop sleeping," Yugi prodded him some more.

"It's time for you both to wake up." Makoto encouraged them.

"That's right. You can't just sleep the day away," Jounouchi agreed. "After all, you got a duel to win, right?"

"Yeah!" Otogi agreed. "Now's not the time to slack off."

"What'll Anzu say if you don't win?" Yugi added.

Atem felt the statement just pierce right through him. "A-aibou!"

Yugi grinned as the others laughed at his plight.

"You know, we could go on a double date with Mamo-chan and me!" Usagi suggested. "It'll be fun, right, Mamo-chan?"

"It certainly would, Usako," Mamoru agreed.

"That sounds great. I'll make sure he's there," Yugi egged his other self on.

"Aibou!" Atem fussed.

"You could finally have a real date," Honda teased.

"Honda-kun!" Atem fussed some more.

"We'll also have to take some time to have parfaits and even go out to the theme park," Naru added. "It'll be a lot of fun. All of us together again. I never did get to hang out with all of you yet. And I never did get to see Usagi-chan duel with her deck either. Even if I don't really get the game."

"It'll be fun!" Minako wrapped an arm around Naru's shoulders. "I bet Ami-chan will teach you."

"I don't know what you're talking about," the blue-haired girl protested. She stared at everyone staring back before conceding with a sigh. "Very well. I still need to have an actual duel with Atem-kun as well. We constantly get interrupted."

"That's for later though. Now it's time to wake up," Jounouchi leaned over and flicked Atem in the forehead.

Atem rubbed at his face. "Wake up?"

"Yes, wake up," Minako encouraged them. "Wake up!"

…...

"Oh gods." That was all Mahad could actually utter as he watched his liege and the princess fall. He was frozen in shock, the situation not yet sinking in. A destructive god and goddess stood across the sands from him, looking very pleased with their work. He was just a priest. He didn't know how to fight a god, but that wouldn't stop him from trying. "Mana, stay with the Pharaoh."

"Master!" she called out to him. "What are you doing?"

"Something probably stupid," he admitted. He picked up his robes, kicking the sand out of his sandals and stepping forward. He was a mortal priest now facing gods, but he was also much more powerful than he often let on. He appeared weak, apparently even to the gods who now mocked him by cackling.

He spent much of his magical power suppressing the Millennium Ring's evil, but he still had some to spare. Sure, he could summon, but he had other magic as well. Perhaps his liege would understand if he released some of that magic.

Not that Atem knew the secrets of the Millennium Items. It was best he didn't know.

In several pulses of magical energy bursting out across the sands, Mahad released his magical bind on the Ring, allowing his full power to course through him. "I won't let you take Egypt."

Set scowled at the priest. The true encounter with him never felt like this. This priest had more magic than he let on, perhaps suppressing it even in such a desperate battle as history told it. But desperation could do a lot for a man, even force him to release a suspiciously evil energy trapped within his aura. "I'll just crush you as well."

Mana crouched down next to Atem, wishing she knew some healing spells. She wasn't really well versed in them yet. Placing a hand on Atem, she could feel he was still warm. Life still coursed through him, his soul was still rooted in the living world.

Atem stirred, pulling his face from the sand just a bit. Everything felt hazy. For a moment he was certain he was in a classroom with Yugi setting him up on a date with Anzu again. Nearly everyone was there, even Kaiba stewing in the corner. But it wasn't Domino High. It was somewhere else, and Usagi and her friends were there.

He reached over, finding Usagi's hand in the sand. She was still warm, her touch inviting and familiar. Perhaps at one point they had shared something for one another, perhaps something deeper than just a battle for their lives. Then again, that sort of thing did draw people closer. "Usagi-san. Usagi-san, wake up. We're not dead yet."

She wrapped her hand around his, interlocking their fingers. "We're not. Our friends, they woke us back up so this wouldn't be the end. We have too much to live for. They're all relying on us." She could feel it too, some sort of deeper connection with him that had caused her to blush before. They perhaps shared something once before, but right now, they wanted to share a deep bond of friendship to save their friends and time. She was driven by the love in her heart, and using that as fuel to stop a god of chaos might just be what they needed.

"They are," Atem agreed. "I never did get to know all your friends or finish that duel with Mizuno-san."

"Naru-chan is my best friend. I'm sure you'll all get along really well," Usagi smiled softly. "The same for Mamo-chan too."

Two years ago, this conversation would likely have gone very differently. So much had happened since he'd awoken. He'd come close to everyone so much that even Yugi teased him about it. But he had to admit it made him less the psychotic ancient spirit he once was. He'd come to believe in the heart of the cards and the power of friendship. It truly was a different feeling than before. "Let's get everyone together after this."

"Definitely! And I'm looking forward to that double date," Usagi added.

Atem frowned sharply, blushing.

"Oooh, Pharaoh has a date~" Mana cooed.

"Don't get the wrong idea, Mana," Atem chided her.

Usagi laughed at Mana now teasing him. "We'll need to take down Set and his friend with the weird name first," Usagi added. "Our friends are now in our hearts and minds, helping us out. We can't let them down. They're giving us all their power."

"You can use my power, too," Mana offered. "And probably Master's before he does something crazy."

Atem released Usagi's hand, pushing himself up off the sand. "He's releasing his true power." He knew what that could do and the power he held back. He also knew that Mahad was using magics to seal the Ring's evil away. His 13-year-old-self wasn't supposed to know that, but he knew that in his present mind. "Mahad, I'm borrowing your power!"

The priest glanced over his shoulder in surprise. The pharaoh and the princess now stood tall, scuffed and banged up but standing nonetheless.

Set scoffed. There was no way this was possible. They should've died with the effects of the shadow game in play. A depleted deck meant game over, but somehow they had circumvented that rule. Or something revived him. Perhaps that was the power of the Legendary Silver Crystal at play here.

But it didn't matter. The chaos god had plans to crush their spirits once again. Raising his staff to the sky, beams of light careened out of the dark clouds like a meteor shower aimed for the magician priest. He'd crush the pharaoh's last hope and surely the princess would fall shortly thereafter.

Yet as soon as the attack impacted the sands, the magician was nowhere to be found. "What?!" the chaos god scoffed. He glared across the field at the pharaoh who now stood with his arm outstretched, shadow energies teaming around him.

The Shadow Game was still in play. Atem was well aware of this. He'd never quite played one of this caliber but he'd come close with fighting Zorc in the Memory World. He had the power to manipulate ka with his summoning abilities. Normally this would be done with the spirit stones, but he put his faith in his friends for a special summoning that he hoped would work.

"Come forth, Black Magician Girl!" Beside him now manifested the familiar modern form of the monster with Mana's personality and dark complexion.

"Hey, look at me!" Mana exclaimed. She admired the new outfit and the bright colors, playing with the wand in her hands. "I'm ready to fight so you can have that date later, Pharaoh!"

Atem huffed. No one was going to let that one down. It wasn't as though he didn't like spending time with Anzu. He simply wanted to ask her of his own volition when things weren't going crazy. He shook his head, letting future prospects fuel his next move.

He shifted his hand, gathering shadow magics that seemed to dance around him. "I summon forth the Black Magician reborn of the chaotic nature of his magics and ire for what you have done, Set. I call forth the Magician of Black Chaos."

The shadows gathered together, forming Mahad in a new form fueled by not only Mahad's own natural magics but the chaotic nature of the Ring he sought to suppress. Atem had combined the two, putting his faith in both aspects that Mahad now possessed. The magician brandished his staff at Set.

Atem grinned at Set. "It's time we put down a god."

...

Author's musings

I love the magician of black chaos. My favorite card. It's a pity you don't see him used all that much. Given Mahad's rather chaotic magics (that really is only brushed upon in the show), I thought the magician of black chaos was fitting! And well. Magicians. I do love magicians.

Prepare for a battle!