Wishing Worlds

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh! Or the movie "It's a Wonderful Life." Do you have to keep bringing up that sore point?

Thank you Jenna Casey for reviewing again. This chapter hopefully is another step closer to Yugi's return to his own world. And I'm sorry I made your favorite character evil. But on the other hand, I gave him everything he wanted for a short time, so it evens out, right?

WeirdtheNorn walks slowly through apple-strewn field Anyone still alive?

Yugi giggles Of course we are silly.

WeirdtheNorn smiles Oh good. Then the two of you have decided to become friends?

Marik snorts What fairy world do you live in foolish mortal?

WeirdtheNorn sighs dreamily A pretty one with flowers and rainbows.

Yugi shudders Oh no. She's possessed by Tea. What do we do?

WeirdtheNorn ignoring the insult Of course you can't forget the chipmunks. The cute cuddly chipmunks with manic tendencies. It is so adorable seeing a huggable woodland creature terrorizing the local population. Gives you a warm fuzzy feeling inside.

Marik shrugs I think she'll be ok. At least the author still has some violent tendencies. I'm going to go find some of these chipmunks. Maybe they have world conquest desires.

Yugi shakes head Ok. I guess since I'm the only sane person left I'll make the announcement to enjoy reading the next chapter of my adventures. Hopefully I get to go home soon. I miss my Yami. pouts Please tell us what you think afterwards. I think I'm gonna go decorate for my "welcome back to your own reality" party. Bye now.

Chapter 8

"Home?" Yugi said with a small chuckle. "You have no idea where home is Mai." The blond started at hearing a boy she had never met before already know her name.

"How did you know my name Yugi?" she demanded.

"How did you know mine Mai?" Yugi countered, not quite in the mood to explain alternate dimensions. Instead he looked around at everyone in the room, and was shocked to realize that not only were his friends Mai and Duke there, but also Kaiba, Mokuba, Tristan, and- "Joey!" Yugi shouted happily, jumping up to give his best friend a hug. "I'm so glad you're alright. I'm sorry I wasn't there when you woke up before, I didn't want to leave you. Why are you all here?" Yugi asked curiously.

Joey returned the hug and continued to hold on to the small boy, worried that if he let go, someone else would steal him. "Slow down Yug, you'll wear yourself out there. We came here to rescue you of course. Couldn't let a best bud get tortured without helping. And Yugi, what Pegasus did to you was not your fault. You shouldn't be apologizing." Joey said firmly. Yugi squirmed then and broke out of Joey's grasp.

"You don't understand Joey. None of you do, except maybe for Bakura who I'm not even going to ask why Mokuba is sitting on. I've been lying to everyone since I met you. I'm not a friend of your sister Joey. I've never met her. I don't have a brother. I don't exist Joey. You have all been trying to save me and endanger your own lives for someone who you don't even know. It's all my fault that Tristan and Kaiba are injured. It's even my fault that Pegasus and Croquet are now in living nightmares. I should be apologizing." Yugi stated.

Bakura laughed from beneath Mokuba. "That's right Yugi. Apologize for existing. Marik should have wiped you out of existence when he had the chance. You're nothing but a vessel. It is all you will ever be. You belong banished to the shadow realm like my light."

"Shut up Bakura." Mokuba yelled, hopping up and down on the white-haired boy. Bakura shut up and Kaiba stepped forward.

"Look Motou you seem to know me so you know I won't lie to make you feel better. We came here to save you not because we are kind people and you looked like a weak kid who needed saving. We came because you helped us out and sacrificed yourself when you had barely even met us. Maybe you did lie to the puppy about who you are, but that really doesn't matter. You saved Mokuba and right now you probably saved all of us. Trust me when I say you are more than worthless. Now can we go?" Seto demanded. Yugi stared at Kaiba in shock. He had never heard Kaiba say anything like that before. This was a truly different world. And yet some things like friends never go away. Yugi glanced at each of the people he now considered friends and smiled.

"You're right Kaiba I am worth something. Anyone with friends like you guys has to be. But I can't go with you. It's time for me to go back home, to my own reality." Yugi said firmly.

"Can I ask what you're talking about?" Duke spoke up. Yugi smiled at Duke.

"Oh yeah I forgot you don't know everyone. Duke, this is Joey, Tristan, Kaiba, Mai, and Mokuba. Everyone this is Duke Devlin creator of dungeon dice monsters. He was friends with Pegasus but he's harmless." Yugi announced then took a glimpse of Joey. "Eh, except I would keep him away from Serenity. Tristan too for that matter." Joey glared at the two boys who were clearly confused. "Joey may I have the millennium rod?" Yugi asked, reaching out for the item now resheved. Joey complied and Yugi gazed at it in wonder for a moment.

"This thing has caused so much pain in my reality. And now it's done the same thing here. But with any luck it can start doing some good." Yugi declared and started shaking the millennium item as hard as he could. "Marik get your butt over here, I don't care if you come from this reality or the next but one of you made me a deal and if you break it now you'll have to suffer the consequences!" Everyone stared in shock as Yugi continued to yell at the golden rod, as if a genie lived inside it. Which made them all the more astounded when a boy suddenly appeared, with long white hair and violet eyes narrowed at Yugi.

"I should keep you in this reality. Without you there, you'd have no effect on my battle for power. I could win with the Pharaoh without a host." Marik declared.

Yugi smirked at seeing Marik for the first time, face to face. "But you made a deal with me Marik. And like I had to wish myself here, you also are forced to take me back. You have no choice."

"Fine. You're just a harmless little brat anyways. You could never hurt my plans." Marik sneered.

Joey strode forward and grabbed hold of Marik's shirt, shaking him. "My pal is not a brat, Marunt or whatever your name is. And if you cause him any harm, you'll have to deal with my fist." Marik merely smirked at him, and pulled himself from the blonde's grasp.

"I'm taking him away Wheeler. You'll never know what happens to him. And he's not your friend. You simply look just like his friend in a different reality."

"I'm lost." Joey announced, scratching his head. Kaiba snorted in laughter and walked over to Yugi.

"Whoever this idiot is, he's right about one thing. If you leave again, you'll be on your own. We can't go rescuing you all the time, some of us have work to do. You could always stay here you know. That old man, Solomon would have liked to see you again." Kaiba offered reluctantly.

Yugi smiled at the invitation. "I'd like to see him too. To stay with all of you but I have to go home. Try not to work so hard Seto. You are still a kid, and should have fun once in awhile. In fact why don't you arrange a duel monsters tournament? I know a few people who might enjoy that." Yugi said, glancing around the room. Seto stared at him like he had two heads but Mokuba perked up at the thought.

"Yeah big brother, let's do that. It would be so awesome to have a tournament or to build a theme park like we talked about when we were little." Mokuba said cheerfully. Then he turned to Yugi. "Do you play duel monsters Yugi? I bet my brother would love to duel you if you did." Yugi laughed at the understatement of the year then gasped as Marik grabbed him arm and pulled him closer to him.

"Let's go little Yugi. I don't have time for this." Marik sneered. Yugi pulled at the arm holding him, but it was too tight to escape.

"Let me say goodbye to them first, please Marik." Yugi begged, turning big puppy-eyes on the insane want-to be Pharaoh. Marik shuddered.

"Just for that look I should leave you here. Fine, go ahead and have your mushy moment." Marik said, releasing his hold. Yugi immediately skipped over to Kaiba and handed him the Millennium Rod.

"Here Kaiba. I don't know why, but I think that this belongs with you. Please try to pay more attention to your brother than your company and could you do something about Bakura? I mean he's really harmless, but you have to take away all the Millennium items from him. He has power hungry, control the world delusions from time to time. And tell Grandpa that I miss him but that he should continue his game shop to inspire new duelists. And Seto, power is not the most important thing in dueling. You should believe in the heart of the cards." Yugi announced, earning glares from both Bakura and Seto. Kaiba stared at him for a moment before nodding.

"I'll make sure Bakura doesn't bother anyone again and help your grandfather reopen his store. As far as the tournament goes, it would really be a waste of time because none can defeat me. But if you're ever back here again, I demand a duel Yugi Motou." With that, Kaiba swung around and dismissed him. Same old Kaiba. Yugi then turned to Duke, who was looking very confused.

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this Duke, but you should remember no matter what that Pegasus was not the pure, honest man that you believed. You'll do better on your own, with friends like these. Just don't terrorize Joey and Tristan too badly."

"Um thank you Yugi. Have fun wherever you're going." Duke said with a shrug. Then Yugi turned to Mai.

"You gonna explain why you know me now hon?" Mai asked with a wink.

Yugi blushed and nodded. "Mai you're a strong woman no matter what universe you come from. And you're a great duelist. In the other world, you've helped me come to face certain parts of myself that I never could. I just want you to be happy. You could do great things Mai Valentine, never settle. And never see yourself as a beautiful blonde only interested in clothes. However I do like the new outfit." Yugi said, looking down at the ground. Then he started as Mai reached down and kissed him on the forehead.

"That was the nicest thing any male has ever said to me. We'll miss you Yugi Motou. This world needs more guys like you." Mai pretended to sigh, and then looked over at Joey. "I guess I'll just have to make due with what's left." she declared with a wink.

Yugi chucked and turned to Tristan. "Thank you for helping me out in this world Tristan. You are a true friend, no matter what reality. And I'm sorry about your hand." Tristan smiled and ruffled Yugi's tri-colored hair.

"No problem kid. I stand by my friends, no matter what."

Then it was Mokuba's turn. "You'll take good care of your big brother, right Mokuba? And don't forget that if you are ever in trouble to come to your friends for help, cause you know that Seto never will." Yugi said with a smirk. Mokuba reached up and hugged Yugi, trying to also remain sitting on Bakura. Tristan helped out by adding his own weight to the problem.

"I'm gonna miss you Yugi. You saved my life, and brought me my brother back. You're my first real friend besides my brother. Can't you stay?"

Yugi shook his head sadly and turned to Bakura, now firmly crushed into the floor. "Bakura can't you try to act friendly? Give up your lust for power? Bring back Ryou?" Bakura merely sneered and started laughing.

"I won't rest Yugi until the world belongs to me. That is my promise. And with you gone, it will come soon enough." Bakura stated.

Yugi shook his head and turned to Joey, the one person he couldn't bear leaving. "I'm really going to miss you Joey. Will you please do me two favors and one, stop beating up kids and two, contact Tea Gardner and tell her everything that happened here? You have the most potential in the world Joey, you just have to use it. Take care of your sister as well, make sure she gets that operation." Yugi stopped talking then and sniffed, breaking into tears and wrapping himself around Joey. The blond himself found it hard to talk.

"Thank you Yugi for everything that you've done for me. I promise to no longer be the same street punk I was when you found me. I'm gonna make something of myself. And I'll take care of Serenity and Tea for you, don't you worry. You just go back home. I'll miss you too." With one last hug, Yugi pulled himself from Joey's arms and walked over to Marik.

"Ok Marik, let's go home now." he announced. Marik, who had been busy glaring at Seto holding the millennium rod, smirked.

"Alright little Yugi. This may cause some pain, but seeing you suffer will make my day." Marik declared, grabbing his arm and pulling him close. Yugi stared nervously at the friends he had made today, wondering what would happen to them when he was gone.

"Marik who owns the millennium puzzle in this world?" he asked suddenly, surprised he had never thought to ask the question before.

Marik smiled down at him. "Why a little girl in America named Rebecca Hopskin." Yugi's jaw dropped in shock as a strange yellow glow swirled around them, gaining strength and volume. Before he knew it, Yugi could no longer see his friends. And then the pain came. A terrible, mind numbing, pain like electric shocks all over his body until he couldn't handle the pain anymore and passed out. The last thing he heard was Marik's harsh laughter ringing in his ears.

Tbc…