The girls woke that morning to a guard tapping on the door, announcing
breakfast. They had all fallen asleep in Mai's room. Tea and Mai were
passed out on the bed, Tea with Mai's feet in her face. Lara had slept on
the floor. Tempest dozed off in the chair, but eventually moved to the
floor as well.
"Huh? What?" yawned Tea.
"Morning," answered Mai as she stretched.
"Oh, ouch. Boy an I stiff," complained Tempest as she stood up.
"It isn't that bad," said Lara.
"We'd better get ready, before Joe and Tristan eat everything," joked Tea. They all nodded and began their various morning rituals. Tempest sat back down and began to rummage through her backpack. Mai grabbed her make-up case and raced into the bathroom, one step ahead of Tea. Lara pulled a brush out of her pocket and began to work the knots out of her violet hair.
"EEEEEEEKK!" came a loud scream from the bathroom.
"What is it?" asked Lara. Tea opened the bathroom door. Mai was standing, facing the mirror, with a complete shocked expression.
"What is it?" Tea asked.
"M-Mmmy hair," she whined. She had fallen asleep with all of the styling gel that Tempest had put in the night before. She looked like the bride of Frankenstien. To make matters worse, Tempest started to chortle.
"IT ISN'T FUNNY! This is a major crisis!" yelled Mai. Now Lara was laughing as well. Tea was hiding a large smile behind her hand. Mai's face turned bright red. She slammed the bathroom door. A few seconds later the girls could hear the shower starting.
The others continued their preparations.
"Lara, are going to wear that?" asked Tea, looking at Lara's beat up clothing.
"It is all I have," she answered as she finished with her hair.
"You can borrow some of my stuff," volunteered Tempest. Tea nodded in agreement.
"I don't think I am your sizes," said Lara.
"We'll find something," said Tea as she began to go through their assorted clothing. She opened the closet and pulled out a stylish pair of Mai's jeans. "This might fit."
"Hey, Mai!" yelled Tea, tapping on the door. "Can Lara borrow a pair of your pants?"
"Sure, whatever," Mai's muffled reply came.
"Here, try these on," said Tea, handing the clothing to Lara. "Now for a shirt."
"No way, this one is my favorite," protested Lara.
"I maybe able to clean it up," said Tempest, "Hand it here." Lara handed the blind girl her shirt.
"Mai," said Tempest, knocking on the door, "I hope you don't mind, but I need to use the sink." She opened the door and walked in, letting a few puffs of steam escape. The door closed behind her.
Almost an hour later everyone was ready. Mai's hair was hanging around her neck in wet strings because there hadn't been time to blow dry it. Lara looked great in Mai's high priced jeans. They all walked together to breakfast. The guys were already there, Joe and Tristan were inhaling food.
"Good morning, Drake," said Lara to her boyfriend. Drake took one look at her and began to turn red.
"Hi Tea," greeted Yu-Gi. He motioned for her to sit down. They all did. Lara sat across from Drake, who was sitting next to Yu-Gi. Tristan was next to Yu-Gi, then Martin. Tempest sat across from her friend. Mai took the only free seat, next to Joe who was next to Bakura. They all helped themselves and soon a friendly conversation was started.
"Are you nervous?" asked Tristan.
"A little," admitted Yu-Gi, "I mean so much is riding on this next duel."
"Only a little?" asked Mai, "I'm practically shaking."
"I feel the same way," agreed Joe.
"What about you Tempest?" asked Tea.
"Nope," she answered.
"You aren't nervous?" asked Bakura.
"Nope," she repeated. She was thinking, "They don't know I am going to drop-out."
"Attention duelists," said Croquet as the meal ended. "It is time for the final round. This way." Everyone rose and began to walk out.
"This is my cue to leave," muttered Drake.
"Where are you going?" asked Lara.
"I have to protect Mokuba from my dad while everyone duels," he answered.
"I want to help," Lara said.
"I have to do this alone," said Drake.
"Then, good luck," encouraged Lara. She gave him a light peck on the cheek, which caused Drake to turn red.
Everyone filed out. Drake hung to the back of the group, then slipped back to Tristan's room when the guards weren't looking. The door had been left unlocked. Drake entered, making sure he had locked the door behind him, and picked up the unconscious boy, who was laying unconscious on the bed.
Then he heard the door knob rattling.
"It's locked," said Kemo's voice.
"Then use the master key," said another guard, impatiently.
Drake gasped and tightened his grip on Mokuba. His golden gauntlet began to pulse slightly.
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(AN/ Special thanks to the two of you who gave me the play-by-play for this chapter. I won't be following it exactly, you'll see why in the next chapter.)
The group entered the arena again. Pegasus was there to greet them.
"Welcome duelists," said Pegasus, pseudo-warmly. "I am glad that you have made it so far. As promised, you will have the chance to duel me for the prize money and the much coveted title of "King of Games." Or maybe, we'll have a "Queen of Games?"
"What a creep," muttered Tristan as they passed.
"I agree," said Joe.
"But I must say," continued Pegasus, "I never imagined there would be so many capable finalists. I have no idea who I should challenged first."
"You'll challenge me," said Yu-Gi. Tempest lifted her head. His voice had changed again and she had felt a strange stirring of powers.
"Have it your way, Yu-Gi," smiled Pegasus. "The holo-field is ready. Let's begin."
"Good luck, Yu-Gi."
"You can do this."
"You can beat him, don't forget what gramps has taught you."
"Don't let that creep psyche you out. He is as bogus as a three dollar bill." His friends continued to encourage him as he took his place on the field. Then Tristan, Tea, Bakura, Martin, Tempest, Joe, Mai, and Lara took their places on the overhang to watch the duel.
"For my first move," declared Pegasus, "I play Toon Alligator in defense mode." His first monster appeared on the field. It was about two and a half feet tall and stood upright. It held and ax and looked exactly like its name implies that is does. Its attack was only 800, but it had a defense of 1600. "I also play a magic card."
"Then I play Beaver Warrior in attack mode and power it up with the Horn of the Unicorn," declared Yu-Gi. His monster's stats were now 1700 and 2000. "Attack the Toon Alligator with your lightning attack."
"Walking into traps already?" gloated Pegasus, "Tears of the Mermaid activate. It nullifies your thunder attack and eliminates your unicorn's horn, reducing the Beaver Warrior's stats to their original numbers."
"No!" gasped Yu-Gi.
"That isn't all. The Tears of the Mermaid raises Toon Alligator's attack by 1000," bragged Pegasus. "Toon Alligator attack the Beaver Warrior!" The Toon Alligator walked up and in a series of swings chopped up the Beaver Warrior. Yu-Gi was already down to 1600 life points.
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The door swung open into Tristan's room. Two guards entered and began to look around.
"Where is the kid?" asked one.
"He has to be around her somewhere. That is what Mr. Pegasus said," answered the other. They began to poke into the closets and restroom.
"He isn't here," one finally announced.
Outside and around the corner, Drake listened as the guards searched Tristan's room. He was still holding Mokuba.
"Step one is OK, I hope my luck continues," he muttered. His gauntlet was still pulsing slightly.
"I thought I heard something," said one of the guards as he left the room.
"From where?" asked the other.
"Over there," the first replied. They began to head right to where Drake was hiding. Drake gulped and ducked backward.
"You must be hearing things," said the second as he looked around the corner and saw nothing. The other guard just glared.
On the terrace where Yu-Gi had dueled Seto, Drake was standing.
"That was too close," he said to himself, "They'll be combing the castle in no time. I need to find a safe place." He thought for a moment and came up with an idea. A second later he had vanished.
**************************************************************************
"I play the Giant Soldier of Stone in defense mode," declared Yu-Gi as he laid his next card down. His monster could defend against the super- powered Toon Alligator with its high defense of 2000.
"Ryu-Ran in defense mode, and I also move my Toon Alligator to defense mode," declared Pegasus.
"Now I see where Drake gets his moves from," commented Joe.
/What is he up to?/ wondered Yu-Gi.
/This can't be good,/ agreed the spirit of the puzzle, /We need to be cautious./
"I play the Summoned Skull in defense mode," said Yu-Gi. "I also play a magic card face down to end my turn."
"What can he be doing?" wondered Pegasus, "Why don't I just read his mind to find out?" His Millennial Eye began to glow beneath his hair. "Spell- Binding Circle? I can take care of that easily."
"I attack with Ryu-Ran," said Pegasus. With his monster's attack of 2200, the Giant Soldier of Stone shouldn't have stood a chance.
"You walked right into our trap," said Yu-Gi, "Spell-Binding Circle. Your monster has lost 500 attack points."
"Oh, no whatever am I going to do?" said Pegasus, sarcastically. "All that is left is for me to play this magic card."
"Summoned Skull attack!" ordered Yu-Gi.
"Did you already forget about my trap card, for that is what it is," mocked Pegasus. "Trap Displacement moves your Spell-Binding Circle back to your own monster."
"No, my Summoned Skull!" cried Yu-Gi as his monster was weakened. Worse, Pegasus' monster returned to its original stats.
"Now Ryu-Ran, destroy the Summoned Skull!" ordered Pegasus. His egg-like dragon obliterated the weakened Summoned Skull. Yu-Gi was down to 1400 life points.
"Come now, Yu-Gi. You don't stand a chance against my Millennial Eye. I can see every card you have before you play it. You might as well give up," boasted Pegasus.
"What does he mean by seeing every card before it is played?" asked Tempest.
"I don't like this part," muttered Lara.
"This is the same stunt Pegasus pulled when he dueled Kaiba and Yu-Gi before," said Joe with a clenched fist.
"What do you mean by Yu-Gi dueling Pegasus before?" asked Tempest
"Yu-Gi dueled Pegasus before, and lost," explained Tea. "That is why Pegasus stole his grandpa's soul."
"What do you mean by stole his soul?" asked Tempest, who was now very nervous.
"He took gramp's soul. He is like a vegetable in the hospital right now," explained Tristan. "That is the same way Mokuba is."
"I hope Drake is keeping him safe," muttered Bakura.
"I know Drake will come through," said Lara. Martin looked at them all, his mouth hung open. Tempest's knuckles were turning white as she gripped the rail.
"And now to seal your fate! I play Toon World," smiled Pegasus as he laid down his ultra-rare magic card. "Are you ready? I will have my two monsters enter Toon World, making them virtually invincible."
"Nothing is invincible," countered Yu-Gi.
"Do you think you can beat them? Just try. I want you to be fighting your hardest when I take you down," gloated Pegasus. A giant pop-up story book had appeared on the field. In sucked the Toon Alligator and Ryu-Ran into it. The Toon Alligator remained unaltered, but the Ryu-Ran became the Manga Ryu-Ran. It had an orange dragon head with stubby limbs and undersized wings. It was still encased in a blue and violet eggshell. Its stats were the same at 2200 and 2600.
"Manga Ryu-Ran destroy the stone soldier!" ordered Pegasus. The book opened and the toon dragon popped out, decimated the monster, and hid again.
"Celtic Guardian in attack mode," declared Yu-Gi. His next monster was a green elfin warrior with ancient armor and an impressive sword. Its attack was 1400. "I also play Legendary Sword to raise its stats."
"For all the good that that does you," smirked Pegasus.
"We will see. Attack Celtic Guardian!" ordered Yu-Gi.
"Toon Alligator appear and defend your home!" countered Pegasus. The story book opened and the fake town was clearly visible. The Toon Alligator clashed with the Celtic Guardian. Their weapons met and there was a bright flash of light. Everyone was forced to shield their eyes from the light.
"What happened?" asked Bakura as the light faded.
"I think...." muttered Joe.
"What the heck happened?!" exclaimed Tristan. The Toon Alligator was standing. The Celtic Guardian was gone.
"Impossible!" protested Tea, "Yu-Gi's monster was stronger."
"Now do you see why I prefer dueling on a table top?" muttered Tempest.
"What happened?" asked Yu-Gi in disbelief.
"You underestimated the power of my toons," said Pegasus arrogantly. "You only now seem to be realizing that you don't stand a chance."
"You are wrong," snapped Yu-Gi.
"Really?" taunted Pegasus, "Did you see this coming. I use Doppleganger to copy your destroyed Summoned Skull. Only now, it is under my control." The massive skeleton demon appeared on Pegasus's end of the field.
"Grrr," Yu-Gi growled.
/We need to turn this around,/ said Yami Yu-Gi.
/I know, but how? Pegasus can see any card we play!/ exclaimed Yu-Gi.
"But that isn't all," Pegasus's smile continued to grow. "It will enter Toon World and create the Toon Summoned Skull!" The fiend disappeared into the book. A second late the book opened up, revealing the mutated monster. It was about a fourth of its original size and aqua blue. Its head was about a third of its total height. Its stats remained the same, though.
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Drake looked around the corner of the hall, looking for danger. Mokuba was still safe in his arms. Drake's home had become a dangerous place with guards around every corner.
"Don't worry," he muttered to the unconscious boy. "Yu-Gi will win soon and you will be free." He glanced around nervously one last time, then raced to another doorway.
**************************************************************************
"I play a monster in defense mode," declared Yu-Gi.
"Are you that afraid of me?" asked Pegasus. "But your Horned Imp is not going to help you any." Yu-Gi gasped at Pegasus's correct prediction of his face down card.
"Why do you seem so surprised? I can read your mind. I know what you are going to play before you do!" smiled Pegasus.
"How did he know that?" asked Martin. He was so surprised that he had actually found his voice.
"I don't like this, not at all," muttered Tempest. She was ready to turn and leave the island. "Something doesn't feel right about this. It is making my stomach hurt."
"I play Gorgon's Eye," said Pegasus.
"What happened?" asked Yu-Gi. He looked as the holo-field revealed his monster. The Horned Imp was then turned to stone.
"The Gorgon's Eye turns any defending monster to stone," gloated Pegasus. "Unless you want to see all of your monsters petrified, you'd better play them all in attack mode."
"Only to see them wiped out by Toon World," complained Joe.
"And there's more," said Pegasus, "Toon Summoned Skull, destroy the imp!" The petrified monster was sent to the graveyard.
"What happened?" asked Yu-Gi as he began to lose life points.
"Once a petrified monster is destroyed in defense mode, half of its defense points are taken from your life points," gloated Pegasus, "There isn't a thing you can do about it because Gorgon's Eye is a permanent trap." His eye surrounded by snakes blinked in agreement. Yu-Gi was down to 900 life points and Pegasus hadn't lost any.
/We are in trouble,/ said Yu-Gi.
/We have to have faith in the heart of the cards,/ said Yami Yu-Gi. He drew his next card and smiled.
"I see you have drawn your favorite, the Dark Magician," said Pegasus. "Too bad you haven't learned to master your Millennial Puzzle like I have mastered my Millennial Eye."
"Cheating will get you no where," said Yu-Gi, "I play the Dark Magician in attack mode."
"Why do you do that, only to see him destroyed?" mocked Pegasus, "Is it because you have no other move?"
"I have plenty of moves left," snapped Yu-Gi, "Now I play the Magical Hats and conceal my Dark Magician." Four hats appeared on the field. The Dark Magician was in one, but only Yu-Gi knew which one that was.
"Why do you bother?" asked Pegasus, "I can read you mind with my Millennial Eye. I can easily find out where he is hiding and then it is all over." Behind Pegasus, Croquet and Kemo nodded to something over their headsets and walked out.
**************************************************************************
Drake raced around a corner, desperately trying to stay hidden from the guards. They seemed to be closing in on him and he had no idea how.
"It has to be around here somewhere," said one of the guards.
"It sounds like nonsense to me," said another. Drake ducked behind a potted plant and held his breath.
"Did you find it?" a new guard asked. Drake recognized the voice as Croquet's.
"Not yet," said the first.
"You'd better correct that mistake," said Kemo, who had appeared with Croquet.
"If both Kemo and Croquet are here, there must be no one left with my dad," thought Drake, getting and idea.
"AAAARRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" another voice was screaming and running towards to group of guards. The figured collided with one and they both hit the ground. The newcomer was another guard.
"What is it?!" demanded Kemo.
"It was right behind me! It is going to kill us all!" screamed the new guard, trying to get away.
"What was right behind you?" asked Croquet.
"EEEAAARRRR!" something bellowed. The group turned around and saw the Man- Eater Bug that Bakura had summoned earlier.
"What is that?!" thought Drake.
"Come on, we are supposed to stop this," said Croquet. He stepped forward and looked back for his support. The others were desperately trying to scramble away. Croquet looked at the retreating figures and then at the Man-Eater Bug.
"AAAGGGHHH!" he began to scream and hurry after the others. The Duel Monster gave pursuit. They all raced passed Drake, oblivious to him hiding.
Drake stood up when the danger had passed.
"That was too close," he muttered and disappeared again.
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/If he reads our minds and finds out where the Dark Magician it is all over!/ exclaimed Yami Yu-Gi.
/I have an idea, it is a risk, but we have no other choice,/ commented Yu- Gi.
/What is it?/ asked Yami.
/Grandpa said the way to beat Pegasus was to use the Millennial Puzzle. I though he meant that we should fuse like always, but that isn't it,/ explained Yu-Gi.
/So what is your idea?/ asked Yami.
/What if we separate? I play a card and then you take over. Pegasus can try to read your mind, but since you don't know what card was played neither will he. Then we can switch back./
/That is a very big risk./
/It is the best idea we have./
/Fine, let's see how this works out. But if we lose everyone does./
"I know where your Dark Magician is hiding," gloated Pegasus, oblivious to the conversation between Yu-Gi and the spirit of his puzzle.
"Do you?" asked Yami Yu-Gi.
"Toon Summoned Skull show him what the face of victory looks like," ordered Pegasus. The monster popped out of the book and stuck out its tongue. "Attack the hat on the far left." The hat exploded from the attack.
"What happened?! His life points weren't altered a bit?!" cried Pegasus in disbelief. "I read your mind! The Dark Magician was under that hat!"
"You read my mind, but I don't know where the Dark Magician is," said Yami Yu-Gi, "Because I am not Yu-Gi. I am the spirit for his Millennial Puzzle."
"What?!" exclaimed Pegasus.
"You didn't know there was two of us. Now, using the power of the Millennial Puzzle, we will beat you," declared Yami.
"Ha-Ha-Ha!" Pegasus started to laugh. Yami jerked back in surprise.
"Well done Yu-Gi, or whoever you are. You have done exactly what I have wanted. You have made the magic of the Millennial Puzzle strong and that is exactly what I planned. You see, I am going to take your puzzle as soon as you lose this duel!" cried Pegasus.
"What?! No?!" protested Tea and the other audience members.
"I don't feel so good," muttered Tempest, clutching her stomach.
"Don't worry, Yu-Gi will still win," said Tristan.
"It isn't that, I really don't feel good," she said.
"The bathroom is down that hallway, first door on the right," directed Lara. Tempest smiled briefly before racing out of the room.
"Then I play a magic card face down and end my turn," declared Yami. Yu-Gi quickly took over before Pegasus could find out what the card was.
"Fine, have it your way. Toon Summoned Skull attack the middle hat!" ordered Pegasus. The attack produced a nice explosion which covered the field.
"I got him. Tell me I got him. I had to have gotten him. I got him right?" jabbered Pegasus. The field cleared to reveal that the hat was empty. "Dang it!"
"For my move I play a magic card face down," said Yu-Gi. A second later Yami was in control.
"Then I play Magic Void," proudly declared Pegasus.
"What does it do?" asked Yami.
"It eliminates all in play magic cards on my opponent's field," smirked Pegasus.
"No! My Magical Hats, they are disappearing!" exclaimed Yami. His magician was revealed.
"And now to end this. Toon Summoned Skull attack!" ordered Pegasus.
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Tempest grabbed the sink in the bathroom to try to stop herself from shaking. This was getting to be too much for her. Magic, whatever they meant by that. Yu-Gi being possessed by a spirit, Pegasus kidnapping people and stealing souls, it was all too much.
"That is it," she thought, "I am out of here! I am finding Martin and we are taking the first boat off of this rock!" She grabbed her walking stick and left the bathroom.
"I can't believe Mr. Pegasus is keeping that kid around," she heard Kemo's voice say.
"It isn't our place to question Mr. Pegasus," replied Croquet. Tempest stopped walking and bent over a drinking fountain to eavesdrop.
"We should have killed Seto Kaiba in the first place," continued Kemo, "That way their is no danger of him coming back.
Tempest gasped and started sputtering. They were plotting murder!
"That was the original plan, but remember, you let Kaiba escape," accused Croquet.
"Don't blame me, you were there too," shot Kemo.
Tempest couldn't believe her ears. She was overhearing a failed attempted murder plot!
"As for that boy's grandpa and the younger Kaiba, well they are just pawns. Pegasus will get what he wants, then there is no use for the hostages," said Croquet.
Tempest had heard enough. Her stomach was tied in a tight knot. She turned to leave. That is, leave for good. She was determined to leave the island ASAP.
"Hey! What are you doing here?!" demanded Croquet as he left the room and saw the girl. Tempest jumped and felt her stomach heave.
"I am going to be sick," she moan as she dropped her walking stick and doubled over. Croquet was on her in a second. He supported her back while gently guiding her to a nearby trash can. He leaned her over it just as she started to throw-up.
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"Not so fast!" yelled Yami, "The card Yu-Gi played was the Living Arrow. I can combined it with any of your cards to create virtually unlimited combinations. And I combined it with your Magic Void."
"What?!" cried Pegasus.
"That's right, it eliminates all of your magic cards on the field," smirked Yami, "Say good-bye to Toon World and Gorgon's Eye!"
"But it is too little too late! My attack had been launched. Your Dark Magician is done for!" exclaimed Pegasus.
"Not quite," declared Yami, "My other magic card is a trap card, and a personal favorite. Mirror Force reflects your attack back at you. And since all of your toons just got evicted, they are vulnerable to it."
"No, my toons!" cried Pegasus as al of his monster disappeared. In this massive assault he was knocked down to 600 life points, giving Yami and Yu- Gi the edge.
Cheering erupted from the audience.
"Brilliant move Yu-Gi," smiled Pegasus, "You truly live up to your potential. But you cannot hope to win because now I play the Dark Eyes Illusionist."
"The what!?" exclaimed all of the duelists.
"It is a card I had specially designed for this tournament. It hasn't even been released yet," gloated Pegasus.
"I remember Tempest mentioning something about the next set of cards," said Mai.
"Yeah, they come out at the end of next week," added Lara.
"Where is Tempest when you need her? She would know what that cards does," complained Joe.
Pegasus's new monster had an Eye of Horus in the middle of its face. It was a sorcerer who was completely covered in multi-colored clothing that made its features indistinguishable. But the most surprising thing was that it had no attack or defense points.
"What can he be thinking?" mocked Pegasus, "Playing a card with no attack or no defense points. But you are such a good duelist that I will let you figure that out for yourself."
"I won't play your game," said Yu-Gi, "I play Winged Dragon and Guardian of the Fortress in defense mode."
"Then I play three cards," smiled Pegasus, "The first is a monster card that I will play face down. The second is the Dragon Capture Jar. You know what that does, don't you Yu-Gi?"
"My dragon!" cried Yu-Gi. A large jar with a primitive face had appeared on the field. It emitted a strange light, which was aimed at the Winged Dragon. The Winged Dragon was caught in a whirling vortex of light and sealed in the jar. The jar's eyes glowed for a second then went blank. The dragon was Pegasus's prisoner.
"Curse of Dragon!" summoned Yami, who had taken over. "Attack the Dark Eyes Illusionist!"
"Not so fast," countered Pegasus as the skeleton dragon took flight. But then it froze in mid-air.
"What happened?" asked Yami.
"The Dark Eyes Illusionist's special ability paralyzes any attacking monster," gloated Pegasus. "And now for the finale! I play the Black Illusion Ritual."
"Not a ritual!" exclaimed Yu-Gi.
"Yes, I will open the gates of chaos," said Pegasus. "I sacrifice my monster and your dragon to morph my Dark Eyes Illusionist into the mighty Relinquished."
"Relinquished?" wondered Joe.
"I hardly think it is fair that Pegasus uses all of these cards that no one has even heard of," commented Mai.
"This can't be good," muttered Tristan. Tea and Bakura looked grim.
"Hi, guys," said Drake who seemed to appear out of no where. Down below the holo-field showed the dark ritual take place. The two sacrificed monsters disappeared in a brilliant flash of light. Their dying energies surrounded the Dark Eyes Illusionist and it began to transform. A second later the Relinquished stood in its place. It looked like a bony top. It had a long snout like protrusion with an Eye of Horus on it. It had a pair of bony wings and two chubby arms. It was covered in armor made of bone. But, like the Dark Eyes Illusionist it had no attack or defense.
"What happened?" asked Bakura.
"I almost got cornered, but Mokuba is safe," Drake answered.
"Thank goodness," said Tea with a note of relief.
"Did any one follow you?" asked Tristan.
"No," he answered.
"Didn't I tell you he would come through?" smiled Lara.
"Yes you did," agreed Mai.
"Then why did you bring Mokuba here?" asked Tristan.
"It turned out to be the safest place," replied Drake. "The guards are combing this place."
"So you bring him right to Pegasus," said Joe sarcastically.
"Not really," Drake smiled. He pulled out a hat and placed it over Mokuba. "Mokuba is going to be Martin's twin."
"What?!" asked Martin, loud enough that everyone actually heard him.
"Don't you see the resemblance?" asked Drake with a smile. "Now stand up." He propped Mokuba against the railing.
"It is very clever," commented Lara. Drake started to blush.
"Relinquished, show Yu-Gi your might!" yelled Pegasus. The mid-section of the monster opened and began to inhale. It consumed the Curse of Dragon!
"No!" cried Yu-Gi, but it was useless. He had lost another dragon. "Dark Magician Dark Magic Attack!" The Dark Magician fired an orb of sheer dark energy at the bony monstrosity. But then a silhouette of the Curse of Dragon appeared in Relinquished's hide. That part was attacked and destroyed. The holo-field showed life points decreasing, but they were Yu- Gi's!
"What happened?!" cried Yu-Gi.
"The Relinquished used your own monster as a shield," explained Pegasus with arrogance. "And since the Curse of Dragon is your monster, you lose the life points." Yu-Gi was now down to 500 life points.
"Ugh," moaned Tempest as she was escorted back by Croquet.
"What happened, Tempest?" asked Mai as Tristan and Drake formed a barrier around Mokuba.
"Your friend was a little sick," said Croquet as he left.
"Are you sure you are OK?" asked Lara.
"I've been better," she answered. "What did I miss?" The group quickly filled her in.
"Relinquished use your power on the Dark Magician!" ordered Pegasus. The Relinquished inhaled the Dark Magician. A moment later his silhouette appeared in Pegasus's monster's hide.
"NO!" cried Yu-Gi despairing that his favorite had been captured.
"I need to find a way to speed up this duel before Yu-Gi can make a comeback," thought Pegasus, "It would be so much easier if I could read their minds, but if I try, they will only switch placed. I know! I will overload Yu-Gi's system and take him out of this duel." Yu-Gi was drawing his next card. Pegasus's Millennial Eye began to glow beneath his silvery hair.
"I play this magic card face down," said Yu-Gi. He was struggling to get his hands to work. Dark bags appeared under his eyes and he was breathing hard.
/Yu-Gi, what is happening? Are you OK?/ asked Yami.
/I....I ugh..../ Yu-Gi moaned, then fainted.
"Yu-Gi!" cried his friends as they saw him fall.
"Pegasus you scum!" screamed Joe who almost jumped over the railing and charged him. Bakura and Tristan had to hold him back.
"This is a new low, even for him," growled Drake.
"I think I am going to be sick again," muttered Tempest again.
/Yu-Gi!/ cried Yami. The Millennial Puzzle began to glow as Yami took over.
"Pegasus you will not continue to persecute our friends and families. This will end now!" yelled Yami.
"And you think that you are capable of beating me?" smirked Pegasus. "Your mind shuffle will no longer work. Give up now."
"Never," growled Yami. The spectators watched with increasing loathing.
"There has got to be something we can do ourselves," said Tea.
"We have to help Yu-Gi fight this, with our hearts, like he and gramps are always telling us," said Joe.
"Then let's work together, for Yu-Gi," concluded Tristan. They all placed their hands in a circle.
"And now to end this," declared Pegasus, "I play the Jikuden Bagadan in defense mode. In two turns it special ability will activate, taking out the rest of your life points!" His new monster was a short, squat bronze machine. It had several thin mechanical arms and other various knobs.
"Then I still have time," said Yami, "You haven't won yet."
"We shall see," Pegasus said as he prepared to read Yami's mind. But he hit a brick wall.
"What?" he muttered to himself. He looked up at Yu-Gi's friends. "Some how they are able to keep me out," he growled.
"And now I play the Magical Boxes!" declared Yami.
"Drats!" thought Pegasus, "If I was able to read his mind I would have been able to stop that."
"First my Magician is enclosed, even though he is inside of Relinquished," explained Yami, "Then I will enclose your time bomb. Now watch as they switch places, sealing your Jikuden Bagadan inside of Relinquished and free the Dark Magician!" As he said it, the holo-field displayed the action.
"I want to leave now, so bad," thought Tempest, "Then why can't I seem to pull myself from this duel? As soon as it is over I am bailing, I don't care what else happens."
"Nice move, Yug."
"Way to go!"
"Keep up the pressure!"
"Remember everything your grandpa taught you!" cheered the others.
"It isn't over yet," smiled Yami, "I play the Feral Imp in defense mode to end my turn."
"Then I will play a magic card face down," said Pegasus who was trying to recover. "On the next turn the Jikuden Bagadan will explode and it is all over for you!"
"Maybe," smiled Yami, "But then I could do this. I play Brain Control on your Relinquished, making him and your time bomb mine until the end of my turn. Two ghostly hands grabbed Relinquished and put it on Yu-Gi's side of the field. "And then I will use the card that Yu-Gi sacrificed himself on. I play the Dark Magic Ritual. I will sacrifice the Feral Imp and the Jikuden Bagadan to morph my Dark Magician into the Magician of Black Chaos!"
"No, not him!" cried Pegasus, "And Jikuden didn't even self-destruct."
The gates of chaos were opened for the second time that duel and the Magician of Black Chaos stepped out. He had a blue face with scar like marks around his eyes. He had incredibly spiky black hair and a double conical hat that was striped pink and black. He had on evil looking armor that was primarily black with violet and pink trim. He also had a long staff and an attack of 2800.
"Ha!" exclaimed Pegasus as he drew his next card, "For all the good that that monster will do you. I play the Thousand-Eyes Idol in defense mode and use the magic card I had played before, Polymerization. I will combined my two monsters, making the unstoppable Thousand-Eyes Restrict!"
"What?" asked Yu-Gi.
"I read something about this," said Tempest.
"Yeah, what?" asked Joe eagerly.
"That monster is supposed to be pure special ability. Brute strength can't beat it," she answered.
"What does that mean?!" demanded Joe.
"I don't know, these cards aren't even on the market yet!" she yelled back.
"Take it easy you two," cautioned Tea, "Yu-Gi can handle it, especially with all of us rooting for him."
"I am so sure your cheerleading routine is the cause of Yu-Gi's victories," said Mai, sarcastically.
"He just keeps reaching new lows," growled Drake. "This is so crooked I feel like I am standing on the wall."
"Calm down," said Lara as she slipped her hand into his. Drake started to turn scarlet.
"Don't let your guard down," encouraged Bakura. Martin was still starring wide-eyed. This had already become way too much for him.
"What does it do?" asked Yami.
"Now any monster you play is paralyzed," gloated Pegasus. "Just as soon as its thousand eyes open." One thousand eyelids appeared all over Relinquished as the merger was completed. Slowly those eyes began to open, showing the Magician of Black Chaos with eerie yellow light. The magician shuddered and started to tighten up.
"Thousand-Eyes Restrict, open those peepers," Pegasus said loudly.
"Your monster is unable to attack so I will play two cards face down and end my turn," snapped Yami.
"Giving up without a fight?" mocked Pegasus, "Because Thousand-Eyes Restrict can also assimilate monsters." The Magician of Black Chaos was hanging limply on the field. "Show him your might and inhale the Magician of Black Chaos!" The Thousand-Eyes Restrict began to inhale and inhale. But the Magician of Black Chaos did not move.
"What is going on?" wondered Pegasus.
"You forgot to consider my face down cards," smirked Yami. "The first is Kuriboh, the second is Multiply. You are assimilating my monster all right, every single Kuriboh. And it doesn't matter how many you take because they keep coming." Down below hundreds of Kuriboh had appeared. They surrounded the magician, flew into the restrict, and clogged it up.
"And don't forget," added Yami, "Kuribohs explode on contact."
"NO!" cried Pegasus as the holo-field was covered with a chain reaction of explosions. Cheering was happening from the spectators. In the end the Thousand-Eyes Restrict was a smoldering wreck. All of its eyes were no longer functioning and the Magician of Black Chaos began to wake up. Yami could feel Yu-Gi come around as well.
"NO! This can't be happening!" protested Pegasus as he saw his doom coming and knew there was nothing he could do to prevent it.
"And to finish this, Magician of Black Chaos attack!" yelled Yami. With no attack points the damaged Thousand-Eyes Restrict didn't stand a chance. It was obliterated and Pegasus lost all of his life points. The holo-field then shut down, leaving a dumbfounded Pegasus.
The spectators burst into cheering and high-five's. Drake and Lara embraced each other. Joe was yelling his head off and Mai was looking for something to throw at him. Tristan and Bakura were clapping so hard their hands were turning red. Tea screams were deafening those unfortunate enough to be nearby. Tempest tightened her grip on her backpack and called for Martin. She was ready to leave. Mokuba did nothing, no surprise.
/Huh? What happened?/ wondered Yu-Gi as he woke up to cheering.
/We won,/ said Yami, /I never could have done it without you./
/I couldn't have done it without you,/ said Yu-Gi, /Grandpa!/
"This isn't over yet!" yelled Pegasus, an evil gleam in his eye. His Millennial Eye began to glow strongly as he summoned his full powers.
"What is he doing?!"
Pegasus's corner of the room began to grow dark with heavy black clouds. These began to spread throughout the whole room. Yu-Gi's Millennial Puzzle began to glow strongly as well. Drake pulled Lara to the ground where they both ducked, his gauntlet and her locket pulsating slightly. Bakura's head snapped backward and a circle glowing golden circle appeared on his chest. Tristan was looking around, desperately trying to figure things out. Mai had thrown herself into Joe's arms out of fear. Tea stood, too shocked to react. Mokuba did nothing, no surprise. Tempest stopped in her tracks as she felt the strong tug of powers around her. A bright beacon shot out of her backpack. She didn't see this, but she did feel an increase in warmth. Martin dropped her hand started shaking. The world began to shift around them as the various lights competed with their strange, magic powers.
"Huh? What?" yawned Tea.
"Morning," answered Mai as she stretched.
"Oh, ouch. Boy an I stiff," complained Tempest as she stood up.
"It isn't that bad," said Lara.
"We'd better get ready, before Joe and Tristan eat everything," joked Tea. They all nodded and began their various morning rituals. Tempest sat back down and began to rummage through her backpack. Mai grabbed her make-up case and raced into the bathroom, one step ahead of Tea. Lara pulled a brush out of her pocket and began to work the knots out of her violet hair.
"EEEEEEEKK!" came a loud scream from the bathroom.
"What is it?" asked Lara. Tea opened the bathroom door. Mai was standing, facing the mirror, with a complete shocked expression.
"What is it?" Tea asked.
"M-Mmmy hair," she whined. She had fallen asleep with all of the styling gel that Tempest had put in the night before. She looked like the bride of Frankenstien. To make matters worse, Tempest started to chortle.
"IT ISN'T FUNNY! This is a major crisis!" yelled Mai. Now Lara was laughing as well. Tea was hiding a large smile behind her hand. Mai's face turned bright red. She slammed the bathroom door. A few seconds later the girls could hear the shower starting.
The others continued their preparations.
"Lara, are going to wear that?" asked Tea, looking at Lara's beat up clothing.
"It is all I have," she answered as she finished with her hair.
"You can borrow some of my stuff," volunteered Tempest. Tea nodded in agreement.
"I don't think I am your sizes," said Lara.
"We'll find something," said Tea as she began to go through their assorted clothing. She opened the closet and pulled out a stylish pair of Mai's jeans. "This might fit."
"Hey, Mai!" yelled Tea, tapping on the door. "Can Lara borrow a pair of your pants?"
"Sure, whatever," Mai's muffled reply came.
"Here, try these on," said Tea, handing the clothing to Lara. "Now for a shirt."
"No way, this one is my favorite," protested Lara.
"I maybe able to clean it up," said Tempest, "Hand it here." Lara handed the blind girl her shirt.
"Mai," said Tempest, knocking on the door, "I hope you don't mind, but I need to use the sink." She opened the door and walked in, letting a few puffs of steam escape. The door closed behind her.
Almost an hour later everyone was ready. Mai's hair was hanging around her neck in wet strings because there hadn't been time to blow dry it. Lara looked great in Mai's high priced jeans. They all walked together to breakfast. The guys were already there, Joe and Tristan were inhaling food.
"Good morning, Drake," said Lara to her boyfriend. Drake took one look at her and began to turn red.
"Hi Tea," greeted Yu-Gi. He motioned for her to sit down. They all did. Lara sat across from Drake, who was sitting next to Yu-Gi. Tristan was next to Yu-Gi, then Martin. Tempest sat across from her friend. Mai took the only free seat, next to Joe who was next to Bakura. They all helped themselves and soon a friendly conversation was started.
"Are you nervous?" asked Tristan.
"A little," admitted Yu-Gi, "I mean so much is riding on this next duel."
"Only a little?" asked Mai, "I'm practically shaking."
"I feel the same way," agreed Joe.
"What about you Tempest?" asked Tea.
"Nope," she answered.
"You aren't nervous?" asked Bakura.
"Nope," she repeated. She was thinking, "They don't know I am going to drop-out."
"Attention duelists," said Croquet as the meal ended. "It is time for the final round. This way." Everyone rose and began to walk out.
"This is my cue to leave," muttered Drake.
"Where are you going?" asked Lara.
"I have to protect Mokuba from my dad while everyone duels," he answered.
"I want to help," Lara said.
"I have to do this alone," said Drake.
"Then, good luck," encouraged Lara. She gave him a light peck on the cheek, which caused Drake to turn red.
Everyone filed out. Drake hung to the back of the group, then slipped back to Tristan's room when the guards weren't looking. The door had been left unlocked. Drake entered, making sure he had locked the door behind him, and picked up the unconscious boy, who was laying unconscious on the bed.
Then he heard the door knob rattling.
"It's locked," said Kemo's voice.
"Then use the master key," said another guard, impatiently.
Drake gasped and tightened his grip on Mokuba. His golden gauntlet began to pulse slightly.
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(AN/ Special thanks to the two of you who gave me the play-by-play for this chapter. I won't be following it exactly, you'll see why in the next chapter.)
The group entered the arena again. Pegasus was there to greet them.
"Welcome duelists," said Pegasus, pseudo-warmly. "I am glad that you have made it so far. As promised, you will have the chance to duel me for the prize money and the much coveted title of "King of Games." Or maybe, we'll have a "Queen of Games?"
"What a creep," muttered Tristan as they passed.
"I agree," said Joe.
"But I must say," continued Pegasus, "I never imagined there would be so many capable finalists. I have no idea who I should challenged first."
"You'll challenge me," said Yu-Gi. Tempest lifted her head. His voice had changed again and she had felt a strange stirring of powers.
"Have it your way, Yu-Gi," smiled Pegasus. "The holo-field is ready. Let's begin."
"Good luck, Yu-Gi."
"You can do this."
"You can beat him, don't forget what gramps has taught you."
"Don't let that creep psyche you out. He is as bogus as a three dollar bill." His friends continued to encourage him as he took his place on the field. Then Tristan, Tea, Bakura, Martin, Tempest, Joe, Mai, and Lara took their places on the overhang to watch the duel.
"For my first move," declared Pegasus, "I play Toon Alligator in defense mode." His first monster appeared on the field. It was about two and a half feet tall and stood upright. It held and ax and looked exactly like its name implies that is does. Its attack was only 800, but it had a defense of 1600. "I also play a magic card."
"Then I play Beaver Warrior in attack mode and power it up with the Horn of the Unicorn," declared Yu-Gi. His monster's stats were now 1700 and 2000. "Attack the Toon Alligator with your lightning attack."
"Walking into traps already?" gloated Pegasus, "Tears of the Mermaid activate. It nullifies your thunder attack and eliminates your unicorn's horn, reducing the Beaver Warrior's stats to their original numbers."
"No!" gasped Yu-Gi.
"That isn't all. The Tears of the Mermaid raises Toon Alligator's attack by 1000," bragged Pegasus. "Toon Alligator attack the Beaver Warrior!" The Toon Alligator walked up and in a series of swings chopped up the Beaver Warrior. Yu-Gi was already down to 1600 life points.
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The door swung open into Tristan's room. Two guards entered and began to look around.
"Where is the kid?" asked one.
"He has to be around her somewhere. That is what Mr. Pegasus said," answered the other. They began to poke into the closets and restroom.
"He isn't here," one finally announced.
Outside and around the corner, Drake listened as the guards searched Tristan's room. He was still holding Mokuba.
"Step one is OK, I hope my luck continues," he muttered. His gauntlet was still pulsing slightly.
"I thought I heard something," said one of the guards as he left the room.
"From where?" asked the other.
"Over there," the first replied. They began to head right to where Drake was hiding. Drake gulped and ducked backward.
"You must be hearing things," said the second as he looked around the corner and saw nothing. The other guard just glared.
On the terrace where Yu-Gi had dueled Seto, Drake was standing.
"That was too close," he said to himself, "They'll be combing the castle in no time. I need to find a safe place." He thought for a moment and came up with an idea. A second later he had vanished.
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"I play the Giant Soldier of Stone in defense mode," declared Yu-Gi as he laid his next card down. His monster could defend against the super- powered Toon Alligator with its high defense of 2000.
"Ryu-Ran in defense mode, and I also move my Toon Alligator to defense mode," declared Pegasus.
"Now I see where Drake gets his moves from," commented Joe.
/What is he up to?/ wondered Yu-Gi.
/This can't be good,/ agreed the spirit of the puzzle, /We need to be cautious./
"I play the Summoned Skull in defense mode," said Yu-Gi. "I also play a magic card face down to end my turn."
"What can he be doing?" wondered Pegasus, "Why don't I just read his mind to find out?" His Millennial Eye began to glow beneath his hair. "Spell- Binding Circle? I can take care of that easily."
"I attack with Ryu-Ran," said Pegasus. With his monster's attack of 2200, the Giant Soldier of Stone shouldn't have stood a chance.
"You walked right into our trap," said Yu-Gi, "Spell-Binding Circle. Your monster has lost 500 attack points."
"Oh, no whatever am I going to do?" said Pegasus, sarcastically. "All that is left is for me to play this magic card."
"Summoned Skull attack!" ordered Yu-Gi.
"Did you already forget about my trap card, for that is what it is," mocked Pegasus. "Trap Displacement moves your Spell-Binding Circle back to your own monster."
"No, my Summoned Skull!" cried Yu-Gi as his monster was weakened. Worse, Pegasus' monster returned to its original stats.
"Now Ryu-Ran, destroy the Summoned Skull!" ordered Pegasus. His egg-like dragon obliterated the weakened Summoned Skull. Yu-Gi was down to 1400 life points.
"Come now, Yu-Gi. You don't stand a chance against my Millennial Eye. I can see every card you have before you play it. You might as well give up," boasted Pegasus.
"What does he mean by seeing every card before it is played?" asked Tempest.
"I don't like this part," muttered Lara.
"This is the same stunt Pegasus pulled when he dueled Kaiba and Yu-Gi before," said Joe with a clenched fist.
"What do you mean by Yu-Gi dueling Pegasus before?" asked Tempest
"Yu-Gi dueled Pegasus before, and lost," explained Tea. "That is why Pegasus stole his grandpa's soul."
"What do you mean by stole his soul?" asked Tempest, who was now very nervous.
"He took gramp's soul. He is like a vegetable in the hospital right now," explained Tristan. "That is the same way Mokuba is."
"I hope Drake is keeping him safe," muttered Bakura.
"I know Drake will come through," said Lara. Martin looked at them all, his mouth hung open. Tempest's knuckles were turning white as she gripped the rail.
"And now to seal your fate! I play Toon World," smiled Pegasus as he laid down his ultra-rare magic card. "Are you ready? I will have my two monsters enter Toon World, making them virtually invincible."
"Nothing is invincible," countered Yu-Gi.
"Do you think you can beat them? Just try. I want you to be fighting your hardest when I take you down," gloated Pegasus. A giant pop-up story book had appeared on the field. In sucked the Toon Alligator and Ryu-Ran into it. The Toon Alligator remained unaltered, but the Ryu-Ran became the Manga Ryu-Ran. It had an orange dragon head with stubby limbs and undersized wings. It was still encased in a blue and violet eggshell. Its stats were the same at 2200 and 2600.
"Manga Ryu-Ran destroy the stone soldier!" ordered Pegasus. The book opened and the toon dragon popped out, decimated the monster, and hid again.
"Celtic Guardian in attack mode," declared Yu-Gi. His next monster was a green elfin warrior with ancient armor and an impressive sword. Its attack was 1400. "I also play Legendary Sword to raise its stats."
"For all the good that that does you," smirked Pegasus.
"We will see. Attack Celtic Guardian!" ordered Yu-Gi.
"Toon Alligator appear and defend your home!" countered Pegasus. The story book opened and the fake town was clearly visible. The Toon Alligator clashed with the Celtic Guardian. Their weapons met and there was a bright flash of light. Everyone was forced to shield their eyes from the light.
"What happened?" asked Bakura as the light faded.
"I think...." muttered Joe.
"What the heck happened?!" exclaimed Tristan. The Toon Alligator was standing. The Celtic Guardian was gone.
"Impossible!" protested Tea, "Yu-Gi's monster was stronger."
"Now do you see why I prefer dueling on a table top?" muttered Tempest.
"What happened?" asked Yu-Gi in disbelief.
"You underestimated the power of my toons," said Pegasus arrogantly. "You only now seem to be realizing that you don't stand a chance."
"You are wrong," snapped Yu-Gi.
"Really?" taunted Pegasus, "Did you see this coming. I use Doppleganger to copy your destroyed Summoned Skull. Only now, it is under my control." The massive skeleton demon appeared on Pegasus's end of the field.
"Grrr," Yu-Gi growled.
/We need to turn this around,/ said Yami Yu-Gi.
/I know, but how? Pegasus can see any card we play!/ exclaimed Yu-Gi.
"But that isn't all," Pegasus's smile continued to grow. "It will enter Toon World and create the Toon Summoned Skull!" The fiend disappeared into the book. A second late the book opened up, revealing the mutated monster. It was about a fourth of its original size and aqua blue. Its head was about a third of its total height. Its stats remained the same, though.
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Drake looked around the corner of the hall, looking for danger. Mokuba was still safe in his arms. Drake's home had become a dangerous place with guards around every corner.
"Don't worry," he muttered to the unconscious boy. "Yu-Gi will win soon and you will be free." He glanced around nervously one last time, then raced to another doorway.
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"I play a monster in defense mode," declared Yu-Gi.
"Are you that afraid of me?" asked Pegasus. "But your Horned Imp is not going to help you any." Yu-Gi gasped at Pegasus's correct prediction of his face down card.
"Why do you seem so surprised? I can read your mind. I know what you are going to play before you do!" smiled Pegasus.
"How did he know that?" asked Martin. He was so surprised that he had actually found his voice.
"I don't like this, not at all," muttered Tempest. She was ready to turn and leave the island. "Something doesn't feel right about this. It is making my stomach hurt."
"I play Gorgon's Eye," said Pegasus.
"What happened?" asked Yu-Gi. He looked as the holo-field revealed his monster. The Horned Imp was then turned to stone.
"The Gorgon's Eye turns any defending monster to stone," gloated Pegasus. "Unless you want to see all of your monsters petrified, you'd better play them all in attack mode."
"Only to see them wiped out by Toon World," complained Joe.
"And there's more," said Pegasus, "Toon Summoned Skull, destroy the imp!" The petrified monster was sent to the graveyard.
"What happened?" asked Yu-Gi as he began to lose life points.
"Once a petrified monster is destroyed in defense mode, half of its defense points are taken from your life points," gloated Pegasus, "There isn't a thing you can do about it because Gorgon's Eye is a permanent trap." His eye surrounded by snakes blinked in agreement. Yu-Gi was down to 900 life points and Pegasus hadn't lost any.
/We are in trouble,/ said Yu-Gi.
/We have to have faith in the heart of the cards,/ said Yami Yu-Gi. He drew his next card and smiled.
"I see you have drawn your favorite, the Dark Magician," said Pegasus. "Too bad you haven't learned to master your Millennial Puzzle like I have mastered my Millennial Eye."
"Cheating will get you no where," said Yu-Gi, "I play the Dark Magician in attack mode."
"Why do you do that, only to see him destroyed?" mocked Pegasus, "Is it because you have no other move?"
"I have plenty of moves left," snapped Yu-Gi, "Now I play the Magical Hats and conceal my Dark Magician." Four hats appeared on the field. The Dark Magician was in one, but only Yu-Gi knew which one that was.
"Why do you bother?" asked Pegasus, "I can read you mind with my Millennial Eye. I can easily find out where he is hiding and then it is all over." Behind Pegasus, Croquet and Kemo nodded to something over their headsets and walked out.
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Drake raced around a corner, desperately trying to stay hidden from the guards. They seemed to be closing in on him and he had no idea how.
"It has to be around here somewhere," said one of the guards.
"It sounds like nonsense to me," said another. Drake ducked behind a potted plant and held his breath.
"Did you find it?" a new guard asked. Drake recognized the voice as Croquet's.
"Not yet," said the first.
"You'd better correct that mistake," said Kemo, who had appeared with Croquet.
"If both Kemo and Croquet are here, there must be no one left with my dad," thought Drake, getting and idea.
"AAAARRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" another voice was screaming and running towards to group of guards. The figured collided with one and they both hit the ground. The newcomer was another guard.
"What is it?!" demanded Kemo.
"It was right behind me! It is going to kill us all!" screamed the new guard, trying to get away.
"What was right behind you?" asked Croquet.
"EEEAAARRRR!" something bellowed. The group turned around and saw the Man- Eater Bug that Bakura had summoned earlier.
"What is that?!" thought Drake.
"Come on, we are supposed to stop this," said Croquet. He stepped forward and looked back for his support. The others were desperately trying to scramble away. Croquet looked at the retreating figures and then at the Man-Eater Bug.
"AAAGGGHHH!" he began to scream and hurry after the others. The Duel Monster gave pursuit. They all raced passed Drake, oblivious to him hiding.
Drake stood up when the danger had passed.
"That was too close," he muttered and disappeared again.
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/If he reads our minds and finds out where the Dark Magician it is all over!/ exclaimed Yami Yu-Gi.
/I have an idea, it is a risk, but we have no other choice,/ commented Yu- Gi.
/What is it?/ asked Yami.
/Grandpa said the way to beat Pegasus was to use the Millennial Puzzle. I though he meant that we should fuse like always, but that isn't it,/ explained Yu-Gi.
/So what is your idea?/ asked Yami.
/What if we separate? I play a card and then you take over. Pegasus can try to read your mind, but since you don't know what card was played neither will he. Then we can switch back./
/That is a very big risk./
/It is the best idea we have./
/Fine, let's see how this works out. But if we lose everyone does./
"I know where your Dark Magician is hiding," gloated Pegasus, oblivious to the conversation between Yu-Gi and the spirit of his puzzle.
"Do you?" asked Yami Yu-Gi.
"Toon Summoned Skull show him what the face of victory looks like," ordered Pegasus. The monster popped out of the book and stuck out its tongue. "Attack the hat on the far left." The hat exploded from the attack.
"What happened?! His life points weren't altered a bit?!" cried Pegasus in disbelief. "I read your mind! The Dark Magician was under that hat!"
"You read my mind, but I don't know where the Dark Magician is," said Yami Yu-Gi, "Because I am not Yu-Gi. I am the spirit for his Millennial Puzzle."
"What?!" exclaimed Pegasus.
"You didn't know there was two of us. Now, using the power of the Millennial Puzzle, we will beat you," declared Yami.
"Ha-Ha-Ha!" Pegasus started to laugh. Yami jerked back in surprise.
"Well done Yu-Gi, or whoever you are. You have done exactly what I have wanted. You have made the magic of the Millennial Puzzle strong and that is exactly what I planned. You see, I am going to take your puzzle as soon as you lose this duel!" cried Pegasus.
"What?! No?!" protested Tea and the other audience members.
"I don't feel so good," muttered Tempest, clutching her stomach.
"Don't worry, Yu-Gi will still win," said Tristan.
"It isn't that, I really don't feel good," she said.
"The bathroom is down that hallway, first door on the right," directed Lara. Tempest smiled briefly before racing out of the room.
"Then I play a magic card face down and end my turn," declared Yami. Yu-Gi quickly took over before Pegasus could find out what the card was.
"Fine, have it your way. Toon Summoned Skull attack the middle hat!" ordered Pegasus. The attack produced a nice explosion which covered the field.
"I got him. Tell me I got him. I had to have gotten him. I got him right?" jabbered Pegasus. The field cleared to reveal that the hat was empty. "Dang it!"
"For my move I play a magic card face down," said Yu-Gi. A second later Yami was in control.
"Then I play Magic Void," proudly declared Pegasus.
"What does it do?" asked Yami.
"It eliminates all in play magic cards on my opponent's field," smirked Pegasus.
"No! My Magical Hats, they are disappearing!" exclaimed Yami. His magician was revealed.
"And now to end this. Toon Summoned Skull attack!" ordered Pegasus.
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Tempest grabbed the sink in the bathroom to try to stop herself from shaking. This was getting to be too much for her. Magic, whatever they meant by that. Yu-Gi being possessed by a spirit, Pegasus kidnapping people and stealing souls, it was all too much.
"That is it," she thought, "I am out of here! I am finding Martin and we are taking the first boat off of this rock!" She grabbed her walking stick and left the bathroom.
"I can't believe Mr. Pegasus is keeping that kid around," she heard Kemo's voice say.
"It isn't our place to question Mr. Pegasus," replied Croquet. Tempest stopped walking and bent over a drinking fountain to eavesdrop.
"We should have killed Seto Kaiba in the first place," continued Kemo, "That way their is no danger of him coming back.
Tempest gasped and started sputtering. They were plotting murder!
"That was the original plan, but remember, you let Kaiba escape," accused Croquet.
"Don't blame me, you were there too," shot Kemo.
Tempest couldn't believe her ears. She was overhearing a failed attempted murder plot!
"As for that boy's grandpa and the younger Kaiba, well they are just pawns. Pegasus will get what he wants, then there is no use for the hostages," said Croquet.
Tempest had heard enough. Her stomach was tied in a tight knot. She turned to leave. That is, leave for good. She was determined to leave the island ASAP.
"Hey! What are you doing here?!" demanded Croquet as he left the room and saw the girl. Tempest jumped and felt her stomach heave.
"I am going to be sick," she moan as she dropped her walking stick and doubled over. Croquet was on her in a second. He supported her back while gently guiding her to a nearby trash can. He leaned her over it just as she started to throw-up.
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"Not so fast!" yelled Yami, "The card Yu-Gi played was the Living Arrow. I can combined it with any of your cards to create virtually unlimited combinations. And I combined it with your Magic Void."
"What?!" cried Pegasus.
"That's right, it eliminates all of your magic cards on the field," smirked Yami, "Say good-bye to Toon World and Gorgon's Eye!"
"But it is too little too late! My attack had been launched. Your Dark Magician is done for!" exclaimed Pegasus.
"Not quite," declared Yami, "My other magic card is a trap card, and a personal favorite. Mirror Force reflects your attack back at you. And since all of your toons just got evicted, they are vulnerable to it."
"No, my toons!" cried Pegasus as al of his monster disappeared. In this massive assault he was knocked down to 600 life points, giving Yami and Yu- Gi the edge.
Cheering erupted from the audience.
"Brilliant move Yu-Gi," smiled Pegasus, "You truly live up to your potential. But you cannot hope to win because now I play the Dark Eyes Illusionist."
"The what!?" exclaimed all of the duelists.
"It is a card I had specially designed for this tournament. It hasn't even been released yet," gloated Pegasus.
"I remember Tempest mentioning something about the next set of cards," said Mai.
"Yeah, they come out at the end of next week," added Lara.
"Where is Tempest when you need her? She would know what that cards does," complained Joe.
Pegasus's new monster had an Eye of Horus in the middle of its face. It was a sorcerer who was completely covered in multi-colored clothing that made its features indistinguishable. But the most surprising thing was that it had no attack or defense points.
"What can he be thinking?" mocked Pegasus, "Playing a card with no attack or no defense points. But you are such a good duelist that I will let you figure that out for yourself."
"I won't play your game," said Yu-Gi, "I play Winged Dragon and Guardian of the Fortress in defense mode."
"Then I play three cards," smiled Pegasus, "The first is a monster card that I will play face down. The second is the Dragon Capture Jar. You know what that does, don't you Yu-Gi?"
"My dragon!" cried Yu-Gi. A large jar with a primitive face had appeared on the field. It emitted a strange light, which was aimed at the Winged Dragon. The Winged Dragon was caught in a whirling vortex of light and sealed in the jar. The jar's eyes glowed for a second then went blank. The dragon was Pegasus's prisoner.
"Curse of Dragon!" summoned Yami, who had taken over. "Attack the Dark Eyes Illusionist!"
"Not so fast," countered Pegasus as the skeleton dragon took flight. But then it froze in mid-air.
"What happened?" asked Yami.
"The Dark Eyes Illusionist's special ability paralyzes any attacking monster," gloated Pegasus. "And now for the finale! I play the Black Illusion Ritual."
"Not a ritual!" exclaimed Yu-Gi.
"Yes, I will open the gates of chaos," said Pegasus. "I sacrifice my monster and your dragon to morph my Dark Eyes Illusionist into the mighty Relinquished."
"Relinquished?" wondered Joe.
"I hardly think it is fair that Pegasus uses all of these cards that no one has even heard of," commented Mai.
"This can't be good," muttered Tristan. Tea and Bakura looked grim.
"Hi, guys," said Drake who seemed to appear out of no where. Down below the holo-field showed the dark ritual take place. The two sacrificed monsters disappeared in a brilliant flash of light. Their dying energies surrounded the Dark Eyes Illusionist and it began to transform. A second later the Relinquished stood in its place. It looked like a bony top. It had a long snout like protrusion with an Eye of Horus on it. It had a pair of bony wings and two chubby arms. It was covered in armor made of bone. But, like the Dark Eyes Illusionist it had no attack or defense.
"What happened?" asked Bakura.
"I almost got cornered, but Mokuba is safe," Drake answered.
"Thank goodness," said Tea with a note of relief.
"Did any one follow you?" asked Tristan.
"No," he answered.
"Didn't I tell you he would come through?" smiled Lara.
"Yes you did," agreed Mai.
"Then why did you bring Mokuba here?" asked Tristan.
"It turned out to be the safest place," replied Drake. "The guards are combing this place."
"So you bring him right to Pegasus," said Joe sarcastically.
"Not really," Drake smiled. He pulled out a hat and placed it over Mokuba. "Mokuba is going to be Martin's twin."
"What?!" asked Martin, loud enough that everyone actually heard him.
"Don't you see the resemblance?" asked Drake with a smile. "Now stand up." He propped Mokuba against the railing.
"It is very clever," commented Lara. Drake started to blush.
"Relinquished, show Yu-Gi your might!" yelled Pegasus. The mid-section of the monster opened and began to inhale. It consumed the Curse of Dragon!
"No!" cried Yu-Gi, but it was useless. He had lost another dragon. "Dark Magician Dark Magic Attack!" The Dark Magician fired an orb of sheer dark energy at the bony monstrosity. But then a silhouette of the Curse of Dragon appeared in Relinquished's hide. That part was attacked and destroyed. The holo-field showed life points decreasing, but they were Yu- Gi's!
"What happened?!" cried Yu-Gi.
"The Relinquished used your own monster as a shield," explained Pegasus with arrogance. "And since the Curse of Dragon is your monster, you lose the life points." Yu-Gi was now down to 500 life points.
"Ugh," moaned Tempest as she was escorted back by Croquet.
"What happened, Tempest?" asked Mai as Tristan and Drake formed a barrier around Mokuba.
"Your friend was a little sick," said Croquet as he left.
"Are you sure you are OK?" asked Lara.
"I've been better," she answered. "What did I miss?" The group quickly filled her in.
"Relinquished use your power on the Dark Magician!" ordered Pegasus. The Relinquished inhaled the Dark Magician. A moment later his silhouette appeared in Pegasus's monster's hide.
"NO!" cried Yu-Gi despairing that his favorite had been captured.
"I need to find a way to speed up this duel before Yu-Gi can make a comeback," thought Pegasus, "It would be so much easier if I could read their minds, but if I try, they will only switch placed. I know! I will overload Yu-Gi's system and take him out of this duel." Yu-Gi was drawing his next card. Pegasus's Millennial Eye began to glow beneath his silvery hair.
"I play this magic card face down," said Yu-Gi. He was struggling to get his hands to work. Dark bags appeared under his eyes and he was breathing hard.
/Yu-Gi, what is happening? Are you OK?/ asked Yami.
/I....I ugh..../ Yu-Gi moaned, then fainted.
"Yu-Gi!" cried his friends as they saw him fall.
"Pegasus you scum!" screamed Joe who almost jumped over the railing and charged him. Bakura and Tristan had to hold him back.
"This is a new low, even for him," growled Drake.
"I think I am going to be sick again," muttered Tempest again.
/Yu-Gi!/ cried Yami. The Millennial Puzzle began to glow as Yami took over.
"Pegasus you will not continue to persecute our friends and families. This will end now!" yelled Yami.
"And you think that you are capable of beating me?" smirked Pegasus. "Your mind shuffle will no longer work. Give up now."
"Never," growled Yami. The spectators watched with increasing loathing.
"There has got to be something we can do ourselves," said Tea.
"We have to help Yu-Gi fight this, with our hearts, like he and gramps are always telling us," said Joe.
"Then let's work together, for Yu-Gi," concluded Tristan. They all placed their hands in a circle.
"And now to end this," declared Pegasus, "I play the Jikuden Bagadan in defense mode. In two turns it special ability will activate, taking out the rest of your life points!" His new monster was a short, squat bronze machine. It had several thin mechanical arms and other various knobs.
"Then I still have time," said Yami, "You haven't won yet."
"We shall see," Pegasus said as he prepared to read Yami's mind. But he hit a brick wall.
"What?" he muttered to himself. He looked up at Yu-Gi's friends. "Some how they are able to keep me out," he growled.
"And now I play the Magical Boxes!" declared Yami.
"Drats!" thought Pegasus, "If I was able to read his mind I would have been able to stop that."
"First my Magician is enclosed, even though he is inside of Relinquished," explained Yami, "Then I will enclose your time bomb. Now watch as they switch places, sealing your Jikuden Bagadan inside of Relinquished and free the Dark Magician!" As he said it, the holo-field displayed the action.
"I want to leave now, so bad," thought Tempest, "Then why can't I seem to pull myself from this duel? As soon as it is over I am bailing, I don't care what else happens."
"Nice move, Yug."
"Way to go!"
"Keep up the pressure!"
"Remember everything your grandpa taught you!" cheered the others.
"It isn't over yet," smiled Yami, "I play the Feral Imp in defense mode to end my turn."
"Then I will play a magic card face down," said Pegasus who was trying to recover. "On the next turn the Jikuden Bagadan will explode and it is all over for you!"
"Maybe," smiled Yami, "But then I could do this. I play Brain Control on your Relinquished, making him and your time bomb mine until the end of my turn. Two ghostly hands grabbed Relinquished and put it on Yu-Gi's side of the field. "And then I will use the card that Yu-Gi sacrificed himself on. I play the Dark Magic Ritual. I will sacrifice the Feral Imp and the Jikuden Bagadan to morph my Dark Magician into the Magician of Black Chaos!"
"No, not him!" cried Pegasus, "And Jikuden didn't even self-destruct."
The gates of chaos were opened for the second time that duel and the Magician of Black Chaos stepped out. He had a blue face with scar like marks around his eyes. He had incredibly spiky black hair and a double conical hat that was striped pink and black. He had on evil looking armor that was primarily black with violet and pink trim. He also had a long staff and an attack of 2800.
"Ha!" exclaimed Pegasus as he drew his next card, "For all the good that that monster will do you. I play the Thousand-Eyes Idol in defense mode and use the magic card I had played before, Polymerization. I will combined my two monsters, making the unstoppable Thousand-Eyes Restrict!"
"What?" asked Yu-Gi.
"I read something about this," said Tempest.
"Yeah, what?" asked Joe eagerly.
"That monster is supposed to be pure special ability. Brute strength can't beat it," she answered.
"What does that mean?!" demanded Joe.
"I don't know, these cards aren't even on the market yet!" she yelled back.
"Take it easy you two," cautioned Tea, "Yu-Gi can handle it, especially with all of us rooting for him."
"I am so sure your cheerleading routine is the cause of Yu-Gi's victories," said Mai, sarcastically.
"He just keeps reaching new lows," growled Drake. "This is so crooked I feel like I am standing on the wall."
"Calm down," said Lara as she slipped her hand into his. Drake started to turn scarlet.
"Don't let your guard down," encouraged Bakura. Martin was still starring wide-eyed. This had already become way too much for him.
"What does it do?" asked Yami.
"Now any monster you play is paralyzed," gloated Pegasus. "Just as soon as its thousand eyes open." One thousand eyelids appeared all over Relinquished as the merger was completed. Slowly those eyes began to open, showing the Magician of Black Chaos with eerie yellow light. The magician shuddered and started to tighten up.
"Thousand-Eyes Restrict, open those peepers," Pegasus said loudly.
"Your monster is unable to attack so I will play two cards face down and end my turn," snapped Yami.
"Giving up without a fight?" mocked Pegasus, "Because Thousand-Eyes Restrict can also assimilate monsters." The Magician of Black Chaos was hanging limply on the field. "Show him your might and inhale the Magician of Black Chaos!" The Thousand-Eyes Restrict began to inhale and inhale. But the Magician of Black Chaos did not move.
"What is going on?" wondered Pegasus.
"You forgot to consider my face down cards," smirked Yami. "The first is Kuriboh, the second is Multiply. You are assimilating my monster all right, every single Kuriboh. And it doesn't matter how many you take because they keep coming." Down below hundreds of Kuriboh had appeared. They surrounded the magician, flew into the restrict, and clogged it up.
"And don't forget," added Yami, "Kuribohs explode on contact."
"NO!" cried Pegasus as the holo-field was covered with a chain reaction of explosions. Cheering was happening from the spectators. In the end the Thousand-Eyes Restrict was a smoldering wreck. All of its eyes were no longer functioning and the Magician of Black Chaos began to wake up. Yami could feel Yu-Gi come around as well.
"NO! This can't be happening!" protested Pegasus as he saw his doom coming and knew there was nothing he could do to prevent it.
"And to finish this, Magician of Black Chaos attack!" yelled Yami. With no attack points the damaged Thousand-Eyes Restrict didn't stand a chance. It was obliterated and Pegasus lost all of his life points. The holo-field then shut down, leaving a dumbfounded Pegasus.
The spectators burst into cheering and high-five's. Drake and Lara embraced each other. Joe was yelling his head off and Mai was looking for something to throw at him. Tristan and Bakura were clapping so hard their hands were turning red. Tea screams were deafening those unfortunate enough to be nearby. Tempest tightened her grip on her backpack and called for Martin. She was ready to leave. Mokuba did nothing, no surprise.
/Huh? What happened?/ wondered Yu-Gi as he woke up to cheering.
/We won,/ said Yami, /I never could have done it without you./
/I couldn't have done it without you,/ said Yu-Gi, /Grandpa!/
"This isn't over yet!" yelled Pegasus, an evil gleam in his eye. His Millennial Eye began to glow strongly as he summoned his full powers.
"What is he doing?!"
Pegasus's corner of the room began to grow dark with heavy black clouds. These began to spread throughout the whole room. Yu-Gi's Millennial Puzzle began to glow strongly as well. Drake pulled Lara to the ground where they both ducked, his gauntlet and her locket pulsating slightly. Bakura's head snapped backward and a circle glowing golden circle appeared on his chest. Tristan was looking around, desperately trying to figure things out. Mai had thrown herself into Joe's arms out of fear. Tea stood, too shocked to react. Mokuba did nothing, no surprise. Tempest stopped in her tracks as she felt the strong tug of powers around her. A bright beacon shot out of her backpack. She didn't see this, but she did feel an increase in warmth. Martin dropped her hand started shaking. The world began to shift around them as the various lights competed with their strange, magic powers.