DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

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Pegasus's Special Deck
Chapter 3: When is a Duel not a Duel?
By Shadow's Mirror

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"Yugi? Yugi, wake up. Please Yugi, you have to wake up! We have to get out of here!"

Yugi opened his eyes to the sound of Téa's panicked voice and blinked. "Téa?" He was confused. The last thing he remembered was being in a room where Téa lay on a table, but now she was tugging on his arm and they seemed to be in the middle of a meadow of wildflowers.

"Yugi! Come on! Hurry! We have to get out of here!"

"But… Téa, why? What's going on? What happened to you?"

Téa shook her head, still pulling at him. "Nothing. Yet. That's why we have to hurry!"

"I… I don't understand…" He scrambled to his feet, Téa's panic starting to worry him.

"Neither do I. Now come on!" Téa started running and Yugi had a tough time catching up to her.

"Téa! Wait! What are we running from?"

"The duelist! We have to get away before he challenges us!"

"Duelist? You mean Bandit Keith?"

"Bandit Keith? What does he have to do with this?" Téa could barely talk from running.

"I'm not sure. I found you in a room, lying on a table, but then someone locked me in. Keith's' voice came over the intercom. He said something about humiliating all of us, and then the room started filling with gas. The next thing I knew, I was here."

"But how did he… oh!" They'd been running towards a forest and Téa let out a cry as someone stepped out of the trees. She skidded to a stop and Yugi narrowly avoided running into her.

"Téa! What? Who? Huh? Mokuba? What's he doing here?" Yugi blinked in surprise as the young boy began to walk calmly towards them.

"That's… that's not Mokuba… he's the duelist I saw earlier… he was dueling Seto Kaiba, only it wasn't…" Téa shivered and shrank back as the figure kept coming. "It wasn't a… regular duel…"

"It wasn't? Téa… I don't understand. Please Téa, you have to tell me what's going on!" But Téa only grabbed Yugi's hand and started running the other way, forcing Yugi to run too.

"Téa!"

"We have to… get away!"

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Téa didn't stop running until they were back in the middle of the meadow and Mokuba was nowhere in sight, then she sank to the ground in exhaustion. Yugi followed her and it was several long moments before either one of them could talk.

"Téa… what…?" Yugi was too confused about what was going on to be coherent, but Téa understood exactly what he wanted to know.

"I went to sleep in my room in the castle, but something woke me up. Then someone hit me. The next time I woke up, I was lying in a clearing in a forest. I walked around for a while and then I heard some strange sounds. Cries and groans. I thought someone was hurt so I went to see if I could help." Téa shivered at the memory.

"At first I thought I was dreaming. I mean, why would Seto Kaiba be battling his little brother? Except… as I watched, I realised that it wasn't a real battle. Only Mokuba was using cards, Seto… Seto was standing on the playing field like he was a Duel Monster, except Mokuba wasn't using monsters to attack him. His cards… they were… they were…" Téa shivered again.

Yugi was concerned. He'd never seen his friend so upset before. He patted her shoulder and she looked up at him, her eyes wide and frightened. "I've never seen cards like those before. They weren't attacking him, they were just… doing mean things to him."

Téa's voice was so soft that for a moment Yugi wasn't sure he had heard her correctly. "Mean things? I don't understand…"

"No. But you will." As Mokuba's soft voice sounded from nearby, Téa gasped and scrambled to her feet. Before Yugi could do the same, Mokuba spoke again. There was an odd harshness to his voice. "Activate punishment - Téa!"

"No!" Téa cried out as the metal bracelet on her wrist began to glow. Yugi was startled. He hadn't noticed it before. It was the same as the one he'd seen on her before falling unconscious! Suddenly aware of a heavy weight around his own wrist, Yugi glanced down. Sure enough, a similar bracelet was looped around his wrist too!

The air around them began to shift. Yugi jumped to his feet as the meadow disappeared and he, Mokuba and Téa were instantly standing in a forest clearing. At Téa's frightened whimper, Yugi's fears vanished into anger. His Millennium Puzzle began to glow.

Yami frowned at Mokuba. "What is the meaning of this?"

"No! Yugi run! Get away!" Téa was clearly frightened, but she wasn't running. It was as though she were frozen with fear. Or unable to move. Mokuba's next words confirmed Yami's suspicions.

"Yugi can run, but you cannot. You've been a naughty girl. Now it's time for you to be punished."

"What are you doing Mokuba?" Yami tried to move forward, to place himself between Mokuba and Téa, but there was some sort of invisible force-field in place. He ran his hand along it. It seemed to be enclosing them, as though they were in some sort of… dueling arena! "Téa!"

"Yugi! Please! Go!" Her words shocked Yami. Téa was asking… no… begging him to leave her when she clearly needed help? Something was very wrong here.

"Téa, what is going on?" But Téa turned her head away, refusing to answer.

Mokuba held up his hand and a deck suddenly appeared on it. If Yami hadn't glanced that way in time, he would have missed seeing it. Suddenly everything fell into place. "Téa! This place! It isn't real! It's some kind of…" Yami struggled to find the right word. From deep inside his mind, Yugi supplied the term. "Virtual Reality!"

Téa looked over at him and the look in her eyes made his heart freeze in pain. "I know. But even if it isn't real, I still don't want you seeing…"

Before she could finish speaking, Mokuba interrupted. "Enough talk! It's time to duel!" He held up a card. "I play a magic card. Kitty Costume!"

As Yami watched in shock, a cloud of dark red mist suddenly descended on Téa, enveloping her completely. As it did so however, it became transparent so its effect was immediately obvious. It's job done, the mist vanished from the field, leaving Téa dressed in a black halter top and pleated miniskirt with a long black tail attached to it. The costume was completed with black furry socks and gloves designed to look like paws and a headband with black furry ears attached to it!

Yami blinked. He'd never seen anything like it before. He was so busy studying the costume that it took him a moment to notice the blush colouring Téa's cheeks. Apparently she was embarrassed at being seen like that. But it didn't explain why she had wanted him to leave, or why she was so frightened. Even now, he could see her trembling.

"Now I use the trap card, Kitty Collar!" Mokuba's voice drew Yami out of his thoughts. He gasped as a black velvet collar suddenly appeared around Téa's neck. It was connected to a length of chain that immediately flew into Mokuba's hand. The boy smiled and a shiver of unease ran down Yami's spine. Even though he had realised that it wasn't really Mokuba, only a virtual version of him, it was still very disconcerting to see someone familiar acting in such a strange way.

"You've been a very naughty kitty. Time for you to learn to behave. With this card, I can control your actions. Now then Kitty Téa… Dance! That's right, dance for me!"

Yami couldn't believe his ears. A moment later, it was his eyes that he couldn't believe. Téa started to dance. For a moment he watched her graceful movements, relieved that it was something that she enjoyed doing. Then he noticed the blank look on her face.

It wasn't Téa dancing at all! The card was merely using her, as if she was some kind of puppet! Fury raced through Yami, bringing determination with it. He refused to simply stand by and watch for another moment! "That is enough! This ends now!" His eyes blazed as he focused his strength. The Millennium Puzzle gleamed as the symbol of the Millennium Eye flashed on Yami's forehead.

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To be continued...