'No… Yugi…'

Dartz stood there laughing at the pharaoh's shocked face. 'So if I lose then…'

"You've already lost pharaoh."

He raised his head slightly to face Dartz, in his moment of dismay he'd almost forgotten he was here. "No! I'll find a way to save him!"

"Then I'd suggest you make your move, for I place two cards face down and end my turn."

Yami drew, 'Then I'll finish this quickly!', "I play Emissary of the Afterlife in attack mode! Emissary, attack his life points!"

'The pharaoh is using a different deck?', "I activate Sakuretsu armor to stop your attack and destroy your monster!"

a man holding a sword swiped at Emissary and defeated it. "Now thanks to you I get to search my deck for one level three or lower normal monster (try saying THAT three times fast) and put it into my hand. You get to do the same thing too but if you don't then feel free to shuffle your deck."

Growling, he shuffled. "I end my turn."

Dartz drew, "Then I start mine! I summon Brron, Mad King of Dark World! Brron, attack!"

He did so and Yami's life points dropped to 6200

"And when he deals damage to you I get to discard one card from my hand. Oh dear I forgot to mention, My monster's attack is raised by 500 from the seal!"

Yami's Life Points: 5700

He winced, "But why would you want to destroy a card?" he gasped.

"Why don't you just watch and see! I discard Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World! When it's discarded due to a special effect I get to special summon him! But since I've already attacked I suppose I'll have to end my turn."

Sighing in relief Yami drew. Sangan. He smirked, this would be perfect to get his next piece. But how to defend his lifepoints? "I put one card face down and throw one monster into defense!"

Dartz sighed in a bored sort of way, "Yes yes I suppose that is really all you CAN do."

"Just make your move," he growled.

"That I shall," he drew, "I attack with Brron Mad King of Dark world!"

Sangan squealed as it was destroyed. 'another searching card? What is he up to?'

Yami picked one card out of his deck, smirked, and put it into his hand.

"I attack with Goldd!"

"Not so fast, I use Gravity Bind! All level four or higher monsters can't attack!"

"You insolent child! Fine! I summon D.D. Warrior Lady in attack mode and end my turn!"

Yami smirked and drew his next card, YES! Another piece, he stuck it into his hand. At this rate he would be able to… He looked up at Yugi's unconscious form…he'd be able to get Yugi back.

"I summon one card face down and end my turn!"

"This is getting annoying, and very boring pharaoh! Isn't there anything you can do besides defend?" he taunted.

"It's my deck, I'll use it how I wish," he shot back.

"I'm afraid not. This is the end. I play Deck Devastation Virus! By sacrificing Goldd I can use this card! I search your deck, your hand, and when you draw for the next three turns! If I see any cards with an attack of 1500 or less they are instantly destroyed.

"Oh no!"

the monster on his field was flipped up, Spirit Reaper. It was destroyed and Yami half heartedly sent it to the grave yard. Then his hand. Three exodia pieces were sent to the graveyard and the Level Limit Area B and Dian Ceto the Cure master stayed. "I see, so you were planning to use Exodia! You're such a fool! Since I can't attack I'll end my turn."

Yami drew, "uh uh uh pharaoh! I get to see your card!"

The card disappeared from Yami's hand and re-appeared in Dartz'. "Ah I see, Well then I guess this card goes to the graveyard!"

Mystic lamp was sent to the graveyard. "I lay Dian Ceto the Cure master and…end my turn."

Yami's LP: 6700

"As you wish! I summon Breaker the Magical Warrior! With his ability I destroy your gravity bind!"

Yami put it into his graveyard, "And now! My monsters attack!"

Yami's LP: 800

Yami breathed heavily from the monster's attacks, in the eerie glow of the seal his body looked pale and tired. "You had best make your move pharaoh."

He drew, the same thing as before happened but he got to keep his card. "I play Level Limit Area B! Which makes all…"

"Yes I know the effect. Now since you have the card you drew, do you end your turn?"

Yami looked up at Yugi then sighed defeatedly, "I play it face down and end my turn."

"Good." Dartz smirked.

"Pharaoh, you should just give up right now."

"Huh?" In his beaten state, the pharaoh looked up, "Yugi?"

From across the field, Yugi smiled sadly, "You were never a good father, and because you never quit I had to leave."

"No Yugi! I had to! I had to protect Egypt!"

Yugi's face grew dark, "So your title was worth more than me! A land surrounded by dessert and wasteland was all that mattered to you!"

"No!" He tried to take a step towards him but ended up falling.

"You're evil pharaoh, and you deserve to die."

Yami looked up with tired eyes, "Please forgive me."

He smirked, "Do you really want forgiveness?"

"Yes! Yes I do!"

"Then surrender your soul to the seal, it will do more for this world than you ever could."

Yami's eyes started to pale, as though losing consciousness, "Is that all you want? My soul?..."

He nodded, "Then you will be forgiven."

Dartz's eyes stopped glowing and smirked, the pharaoh was too easy to manipulate. Feeling the soul breaking, the seal started to close in on the pharaoh who just looked off into the distance.

The pharaoh's fingers twitched, this was it. He'd accept his fate without regret. When the seal had made it to the halfway point the eye of Wadjat glowed. Flashing brightly the eye sent the seal back to its original place. "What! But I almost had him!"

From within Yami's mind, he heard a gentle voice, 'Don't give up.'

'But it's what my son wants.'

'If you do, don't you think he'll be sad? That he'll cry and think it was his fault you were gone?'

'He would be sad…he might never forgive himself, he's like that you know?'

The voice almost seemed to smile, 'Yes I know, so will you continue fighting? Will you fight to win? And when you do take your son home with you?'

'But if I win…'

'I will take care of it. Nothing will happen to Yugi.'

"Alright," he whispered, "I trust you."

He looked up, a new fire alight in his eyes, "Dartz make your move!"

"I end my turn"

Cheering in his mind, he drew his next card. Nani?

"Buster Blader? And interesting choice for your type of deck. But since it's higher than 1500 you get to keep it. Just finish your turn."

"I end it!"

Sighing boredly, Dartz drew, "I activate the second level of the seal!"

Yami stumbled back, "The second level!"

"Yes! And because I do so I get to use it's power! I destroy all your magic and trap cards!"

Yami's Level limit was destroyed, "Normally I wouldn't have to do something like that, after all, most people don't survive the first level. But since I can't do anything, I end my turn."

'If I don't get the card I need I'm done for, and so is Yugi!' He placed his hand on his deck, 'heart of the cards… guide me!'

He pulled out his next card, "YES! I use Pot of Avarice!"

"What! NO!"

"With it I select five monsters and put them into my deck, shuffle, and then draw two cards!"

He did so, "Now that my pieces are back in my deck, nothing will stop me from winning, and my other two searching cards are back as well! I set one card face down and play one monster in defence!"

"You have tested my patience long enough! I attack!"

"Not so fast, I activate my trap, my second gravity bind!"

Dartz growled, "Fine, make your move."

He drew, "I activate the magic card, Soul exchange! With it I sacrifice my Emissary and your Brron!"

The two cards disappeared, "Come forth, Buster Blader!"

Dartz smirked, "You've destroyed yourself with your own card! Buster Blader can't attack!"

He nodded, "That's because I don't want to yet. With Emissary's ability, I get one exodia piece and end my turn."

Dartz drew, "I summon D.D. Assailant and end my turn."

This went by for another few turns. Finally Yami drew his next card and smirked, "This is over Dartz, the ties you hold with my son as a sacrifice will soon come to an end!"

"What are you talking about? Don't tell me you've given up!"

Yami growled, "Never. I play kuriboh. Next I activate heavy storm which destroys all magic and trap cards! Your seal is gone Dartz."

Dartz cried out as the seal was destroyed, "Next I play Multiply on kuriboh!"

Hundreds upon thousands of kuriboh's appeared on the field. "Attack Buster Blader!"

Buster Blader gripped his sword before charging, "Remember pharaoh if I lose your son dies!"

"You're not what I'm aiming for. Go Buster Blader, jump!"

Buster blader jumped up into the sky and slashed at the board holding Yugi up. "Now Kuribohs, catch him!"

They all joined hands and created a make shift bed for Yugi as he fell. When he landed they gave a squeal of victory before floating over to Yami and laying Yugi on the ground. "Thankyou Kuriboh."

The kuriboh's nodded before they all merged back into one. "With this puzzle, I break the ties this boy has to this match!"

With his puzzle he smashed the chains surrounding Yugi. "Yugi?"

Yugi groaned and tried to open his eyes. "No! I was so close! How dare you! Finish your move!"

Yugi looked up at Yami, "P-pharaoh?"

"Yugi! I'm so glad you're awake," he cupped Yugi's cheek with his hand and began to stroke it.

His eyes grew heavy and he leaned into the touch, "This…feels familiar…" he closed his eyes.

"Yugi I love you, remember that," he kissed the forehead of his child before announcing, "I play one card face down and end my turn."

Dartz drew without looking at his card, "Because you left Kuriboh on the field, I can destroy you with any one of my monsters! Brron attack!"

"Not quite!" he roared, the puzzle glowed and Buster Blader stood in front of kuriboh and slayed Brron.

"What!"

"This is a shadow game Dartz, and so far you're losing!"

The kuriboh let out a sigh of relief before returning to Yami's hand.

"Fine! D.D. Assailant attack!"

The two monsters collided before disappearing, "With D.D's special ability I get to destroy your buster blader! Now D.D. warrior lady can attack!"

"Not quite! I sacrifice Kuriboh from my hand to prevent your attack!"

He growled, "Fine. Make your move."

Dartz 6300, Yami 800

"This shall soon end it. In the time when you couldn't destroy my Gravity Bind, I was able to draw the remaining pieces! If I draw correctly, it will almost be the end of the match!"

He drew… "I play pot of greed which lets me draw two cards!"

He re-arranged his hand, "I play one monster in defence and end my turn."

"I use Monster Reborn which brings back Goldd! Then I summon Bronn, and attack!"

The monster flipped up… it was a spirit reaper, it floated out of Bronn's attack, "No! I end my turn!" he cried, frustrated.

"I draw."

He drew, placed one monster face down, "I end my turn."

Dartz drew, "I play Dark Hole to destroy all your monsters and mine! Then I summon-"

"Wait Dartz! Because of that card, you destroyed my Sangan."

"WHAT!"

"I Summon Exodia, OBLITERATE!"

"But how did you get all the pieces!" he cried as Exodia shot through him and turned his life points to 0.

"Those turns I waited using gravity bind of course, The cards I drew with Pot of Avarice and finally Pot of Greed."

Dartz slumped over, defeated.

Yami picked up Yugi and held him. "Now for your punishment," he glared at the man in front of him.

Dartz laughed, "My punishment? Mine? You're the one who sent your child to its grave!"

The eye of wadjat glowed, it illuminated Yugi's body, "No! Yugi! I thought I-"

Before he could finish Yugi's soul was brought out slightly before the puzzle glowed and the light disappeared. Yugi slumped back into his father's arms. "No! There must be a sacrifice!"

The eye on Yami's forehead glowed, "There will be but not for the eye, for the shadow realm! Mind Crush!"

Dartz let out one more blood curdling scream before he fell to the ground. Yami stood and walked over to the eye, which seemed to flash mischievously, "Why did you release him?"

There was a voice in his head, 'because it is not time. You will both join us one day. But today is not that day.'

He bowed his head in respect, "Thankyou." Looking up he saw the God cards lying in the snake's mouth and pocketed them.

"Goodbye Dartz. I hope we never meet again." He spat at his feet before walking out. And the monsters disappeared.

"mm…"

"Yugi, wake up Yugi."

Slowly, Yugi's eyes opened. "Yami? YAMI!" He tackled the spirit around the waist and sent them back until Yugi was on top on the bed.

"Yami, Yami I thought I was going to die!" He gripped onto the spirit's clothes and cried.

Yami brought his hand up and pet his soft hair, "It's alright Yugi," he soothed, "You're safe now."

Yugi mumbled something, "What?"

"How do you have a body?"

Yami blinked, "I don't know. I thought it was only for the battle I played but I suppose I might be this way for a while. You're not sad are you?"

Yugi shook his head, "Ano, no. I'm just glad you're here."

Yami sat up and lay Yugi back in bed. "So am I Yugi, now get some rest."

Yugi nodded and started to close his eyes when he saw something flash. "What is that?"

Yami blinked, "It's a present I found for you from my homeland. Shall I give it to you now?"

Yugi nodded, "yes please."

Yami lifted the gift off the desk, "It's a crown?" Yugi sat up in bed.

He nodded, "And it's for you."

Yugi allowed him to place it on his forehead, "Hey it fits," he laughed and tapped it.

Yami laughed too. "Now will you go to bed?"

Yugi nodded and tucked himself in, "Goodnight Yami."

"Goodnight Yugi."

After he'd made sure Yugi was asleep he went downstairs. "How'd it go?"

Yami looked at Solomon, he sighed, "Easier than I expected. I don't think he remembers much of what happened. But what I want to know is, why was Dartz after my soul?"