I own a deck of dueling cards. Not Yu-Gi-Oh itself.

Duel

"Not for Star Chips or anything," I said, shuffling our deck. "Just a little friendly game."

"Hey, that sounds like fun!" Yugi said. I sighed. If I'd offered to go swimming in shark-infested waters with him, he'd probably say it sounded fun. "Let's start!"

I relaxed just a little, thinking my plan would actually go off easily, but before I could make a move, Tea blurted out, "Hey! Why don't we all put our favorite cards in your Deck, Yugi? Then it'll be like we're all dueling with you!"

No! No, you idiots, don't get involved now…But it was not to be. The others all jumped on the idea, proffering their cards. My only hope now was that they hadn't actually picked their true soul cards as their favorites. Aside from being stupid, they hadn't done anything wrong, certainly not enough to deserve being involved in a Shadow Duel.

-Yami?- Ryou's voice came from deep in our soul. –What's going on? You aren't actually planning on sending them to the Shadow Realm, are you?-

"I wasn't…" I grumbled. "However, it appears that they have different plans. Yes, I'll try and keep them out of trouble. Now stop bothering me, it's been a rather long time since I've done this."

"You're sure you don't mind dueling all on your own, Bakura?" Tea asked, looking up at me. Odd, how they wouldn't call Ryou by his first name.

"Oh, I'll be quite fine, don't worry." Just stay out of the way and don't make this any more difficult than it has to be. "Although before we start, I have something I have to show to all of you." I closed my eyes and breathed out, concentrating on the Shadow Magic hovering just on the other side of this world. It took less effort than it had since I was in my own body, and from the startled gasps, I could tell it looked as impressive as I'd hoped.

Naturally, none of Yugi's three cheerleaders left his side, although I'd have wished they had. Interestingly, the Pharaoh's incarnation seemed to recognize Shadow Magic, although not as well as he should. From his mind, I caught an image of Pegasus on a TV screen, and Solomon being pulled into the Shadow Realm. Interesting. Now I knew why Pegasus had thrown a tournament; much the same reason I was attending it.

As I pulled Yugi and myself into the Shadow Realm, I felt first Joey, then Tea and Tristan following us. Idiots. Well, it couldn't be helped now. "Well, Yugi? Before we start, I have a few rules you ought to know about." My voice was lower now, more dangerous and experienced. "This is called a Shadow Duel. If you win, you and your friends are transported back into the real world without losing anything. If I win, however, I'll be claiming your Puzzle."

Even though I hadn't said anything about stealing souls, that's naturally where his mind went. He believed the Shadow Realm was a place where one's soul was trapped, nothing else, and so believed they'd all be stuck here for eternity. I seriously doubted I'd be able to correct him if I tried, as Pharaohs don't listen to reason very well. So I didn't.

When we drew our cards, I looked at my hand with some trepidation. "Ryou, please tell me you have some powerful cards somewhere in your deck."

-I don't deal in raw power, Yami…- Ryou said. –But it'll be a hard deck to beat anyway.-

"I know. I was just hoping…" No powerful ghosts, no eternal curses… although all sorts of lovely little cards with nasty effects easily implemented were there. I placed a Shadow Jar and a Trap card just in case on the field, and bowed mockingly to Yugi. "Your turn, then."

To give him credit, he set his little jaw and set down his first card. Flame Swordsman. Which of course was Joey Wheeler. Yugi peered down at him with amazement, probably because for the first time in his life he was larger than someone. Joey was not amused at first. Then, he decided it was just an amusing dream, and went charging into battle, getting tripped up and swallowed by my Jar. "Joey?" Yugi asked, sounding rather panicked.

Ryou was asking me what had happened to him, so I obliged both of them. "He's been sent to the Card Graveyard, of course. I wouldn't leave him there long, if I were you. It's not healthy."

I ignored further demands for information, concentrating on just playing out my turn. I wasn't so cruel as to attack his life points out of hand. I'd promised to avoid injuring him, in any case.

With the luck that only someone using Shadow Magic could call up, Yugi played Monster Reborn the next turn, as well as Cyber Commander. A rather shaken looking Flame Swordsman appeared, and started to explain things to the miniature Tristan. Although I did resent being referred to as an evil psycho, it speeded things up to have Yugi concentrating on the duel.

"Little Hikari, where did you get all these cards?" I asked Ryou as I drew a Man-Eater Bug. "It must have taken you years to amass a deck so full of creatures such as this."

-I never liked most of the powerful monsters. Too easy to counter, and I wasn't really good at it anyway. I was always so much better at the traps and such.-

"No kidding…" I'd just found a Just Desserts card, one that would play nicely against Yugi's powers at the moment. Ah, the joys of having an opponent with an undue amount of monsters at his disposal. To Yugi, I cautioned, "I'd watch your step. You don't have two Monster Reborn cards in that deck, and you wouldn't want any more of your friends ending up in the Graveyard."

Honestly, that was meant as a real, generous warning. I didn't want any more of his people in that place than necessary. Of course, he took it as a threat, but as long as he got the right idea, it would do.

He summoned up a Feral Imp next, for which I breathed a sigh of relief. At least he wouldn't be sending his friends into battle immediately. However, the chance was too good to waste, and I activated Just Desserts when he launched an attack.

I thought Ryou would actually take over for a moment. He was absolutely furious that I was causing Yugi that amount of pain. –You promised you wouldn't hurt him!-

"I promised I'd try!" I snarled at him. "It's a duel. A Shadow Duel. The pain doesn't last for long, he's easily resilient enough to stand it, and now I should be able to finish this quickly. Now, leave me alone!" Ryou was shocked and a little hurt at my tone, withdrawing into a corner of the Ring. I wasn't about to let myself think about how harshly I'd spoken. I had a Duel to win. "Your move." I said, trying not to let sympathy for him creep into my voice.

Losing three quarters of his life points and his Feral Imp in one turn had rattled him. I could see him wavering with indecision when he drew what had to be his Dark Magician. It's raw power would be able to obliterate anything I placed on the field, but he didn't want to risk summoning himself and not having control over the duel anymore. Eventually, he appeared to decide against it and placed Tea face down. This did no good in disguising her identity of course, as she crawled out from under her card and asked what was going on. "Oh, don't bother," I said, laughing a little as the two boys tried to jump in front of her. "I can see her."

Ryou had another Shadow Jar in his deck, which I cheerfully set down on the field. All I needed was another 500 life points. The problem would be finding a monster strong enough to do that kind of damage with a Flame Swordsman on the field. I doubted Ryou had many monsters that powerful in his deck. And he was snubbing me again, so I couldn't ask him. It was both irritating and sort of exhilarating to duel with their modern restrictions, limiting what monsters and spells I could summon, but refining the games into an art, almost.

Having missed the first Shadow Jar, Tristan ran, guns blazing into battle. "Another friend gone to the Graveyard, Yugi. You should take more care of them." Again, I meant it in a purely honest way… but of course he couldn't believe I was trying to be sympathetic, or helpful.

Screwing up his little face, he pulled his Dark Magician out of his hand and summoned it. He made a disturbingly cuddly little Magician, actually. I could even feel Ryou looking at him like he would at a particularly adorable teddy bear. And when I looked up at what was still dueling me, I saw the Pharaoh. The one I'd been chasing for millennia.

He was shorter than me, naturally, but carried himself in a way that bespoke height and power. He wasn't the least bit foggy or out of focus, but clearly shaped, solid. I hadn't expected him to be this powerful this early on. Being in a duel suited him; he held the cards with an ease like I'd hold a dagger, and he barely seemed to notice the Shadow Realm's energy pulsing around us. Interestingly, that seemed the only part of him that was what I'd expected.

He had a regal bearing, of course, but I believed that was more from something unconscious than a true attitude. He spoke to me, and to the various people on our stage as if we were equals, not subordinates to a demigod. And when they demanded to know who he was, I saw him hesitate. He let Yugi answer for him, which wasn't a very enlightening identification unless you knew what was going on. –He doesn't know.- Ryou whispered, drawn out of his shunning by his interest. –He doesn't know who he is.-

"I think you're right, Hikari," I said, almost shaken. I'd always expected to fight someone evil, to destroy him so the world could continue in freedom. I didn't ever think I'd have to deal with a near-invalid. It would make my life a lot easier if he didn't remember his true powers, but something just didn't feel right, deep down. I repressed both it and Ryou, concentrating on the duel at hand. "Well then. Since you find yourself able to continue, I'll just take my turn."

Nothing useful. Absolutely nothing except for a few very sad little monsters, without even an effect. I could count on Yugi-oh to not want to sacrifice his friends, however, so they wouldn't likely attack it this turn. "Ryou, do you have anything powerful in this deck? I only need a small hit…"

-Nothing that can withstand that Dark Magician,- Ryou said, giving up on ignoring me. –I'm sorry. I never expected to be in a duel where the monsters have a will of their own and block attacks for each other.-

I growled. There had to be something. There was always something… On the other side of the field, Tea was taking Tristan's loss very hard, and burst into tears without warning. And since this was the Shadow Realm, of course, she activated her very own effect. My opponent seemed to have no problem remembering the rules of dueling, and hurriedly called up Monster Reborn, and summoned back his mostly useless Cyber Commander.

Apparently, their own fears had created a Reaper in the graveyard, not that I was about to tell them it had all been in their minds. None of them were willing to risk another of them being sent to the graveyard, and so left my little monster in peace. I concentrated every possible scrap of my energies on the deck, hoping for anything that could let me win the duel without any more delay.

When I saw what I'd drawn, I laughed. Of course. I grinned rather savagely across the field at Yugi-oh, delicately placing Change of Heart on the field. It was such a simple, easy plan. If I couldn't beat Dark Magician, I'd just borrow it instead.

What I didn't expect was Ryou to go slightly hysterical at the thought of forcing Yugi to attack a friend. When Change of Heart appeared on the field, it was my delicate little Hikari standing there, getting himself involved. He turned to look at me just briefly, his face apologizing for what he was about to do. "No! No, you fool, don't!" I barked, willing him to just let me finish the duel.

Without a word, he occupied the Lady of Faith I'd placed earlier, and looking more determined and brave than I'd ever seen him, told Yugi to attack. "Ryou, don't do this, you don't know what you're doing…" I begged him silently. I could feel his fury radiating off him.

-I don't? I know you were willing to do it to one of them.- he said harshly, snapping at Yugi again to attack.

"Ryou…" I started to say, and then realized that the Pharaoh wasn't quite as forgetful as I'd thought. Yugi's staff started to blaze, and I felt myself being pulled by a Shadow power much stronger than my own, torn from my body and replaced with Ryou. There was a brilliant flash of dark light, a rather horrendous amount of pain, and then nothing.