Yugi heard footsteps in the hall outside his door, getting louder by the second. Just as he began to panic, the spirit of the Puzzle took over and Yugi found himself watching his own body as he stood and readied to face Marik, or whoever it was.

Not safe, radiated off of Yami in waves.

There was a knock at the door and he heard Matsuda's voice as though it was a distant echo, "Yugi, it's me, Matsuda."

The spirit of the Puzzle did not release control. It still was not safe.

"Enter," the spirit of the Puzzle said. The sound came out in Yugi's voice, but it sounded deeper and more authoritative than anything Yugi had ever said.

Matsuda entered. Ishizu was not with him. He began breathlessly, "They were both gone when I got up there. I searched everywhere for her, but I think-" He stopped short and stared at Yugi for a moment before he hissed, "Damn it."

Yugi could feel Yami's intention. He wanted to challenge Matsuda to a Shadow Game. He thought Matsuda was dangerous.

"Stop!" Yugi shouted as loudly as he could, but he was not in control of his body.

Still, his body froze.

He did not speak aloud, but he 'heard' the Puzzle say in his mind, "He is not who you think he is. He is a thief and a murderer pretending to be a champion of justice to earn your trust."

"No! That's not true! And even if he is, I won't let you hurt him!"

Yami seemed taken aback. "Why not? Are you in league with him?" His ire turned on Yugi.

"No, I just don't want to hurt anyone! He's not doing anything wrong! He's been saving people from Marik while I was getting you."

"Is everything okay?" Matsuda asked from somewhere far away.

He went ignored.

"How do you know he has not killed Ishizu himself?" Yami demanded.

"It was her plan! She went up to duel Marik to distract him and Matsuda just went to see if she was okay."

Ishizu knew she was going to lose when she proposed the plan, but it still felt like Yugi's fault. She still could have been okay - both Ishizu and Marik were nowhere to be found - but Yugi couldn't help the sinking feeling in his chest.

He heard Yami ask aloud in that same voice, a little deeper than Yugi's own, "What do you say happened to Ishizu? Answer carefully."

Matsuda rambled, his voice high and awkward in comparison, "Well, I ran into Marik in the kitchens earlier and I saw that he was wearing the Millennium Ring, which Light had taken from eh- my friend, and I asked Marik about it because I was worried Light was lying around somewhere in a coma too, and he said that he had somehow banished Light's body to the Shadow Realm, not just his soul. I think that's what he did to Ishizu. I nearly ran into Marik in the hall earlier - he didn't look too happy - but I couldn't find her at all, just like Light, and I looked everywhere!"

To Yugi, Yami said, again without speaking aloud, "You see he is making excuses for himself. He is frightened of propper retribution for his crimes."

Yugi could feel Yami readying for a Shadow Game again.

"No! You can't do that! Even if he is a criminal, he can just go to jail like Arkana!"

"Why do you protect him so fiercely?"

"I don't want anyone else to go to the Shadow Realm!" Joey was still lying there, unmoving. So was Odion, and now Ishizu and Light were probably trapped there in mind and body.

Matsuda's voice seemed distant as he asked, still nervous, "You're the spirit of the Puzzle, right?"

"Yes," Yami said with Yugi's voice.

"What do you want with Yugi?" Matsuda's words were braver than he sounded.

He's not a murderer.

"We have a deal."

"You get to take over his body in exchange for rescuing his friend? He's just a kid! Let him go!"

"This is between Yugi and I. Do not interfere if you value your soul."

"Wait! Please, let me speak!" Yugi exclaimed.

He didn't expect the Puzzle to relent, but he found himself back in his own body with a jolt. He stumbled and nearly fell over. Matsuda held out a hand to help him, but Yugi managed to regain his balance on his own.

Not safe still seemed to radiate off the Puzzle in waves.

"It's me, Yugi," he said, his voice a little shaky.

"Can you take off the Puzzle?"

Only then did Yugi realize that it was hanging around his neck on the chain. Yugi lifted it over his head and set it down on the table, and to his surprise, the spirit did not protest, though he could feel its weariness until he had removed it entirely.

"Are you okay?"

Yugi nodded. "I think it's confused somehow. It thinks you're a criminal, and it says there's something wrong with Light. It wants me to hear what it has to say about Light, and then it will help me rescue everyone."

"You're sure it's not just trying to use you?"

Yugi hesitated. "I don't think so." But he couldn't be certain.

"You don't have to do this."

"If I don't, then Joey may be stuck in the Shadow Realm forever. And I can't help him without the Millennium Puzzle."

"Do you want me to stay and keep an eye on you?"

Yugi shook his head. "The Puzzle doesn't trust you. I think it would just lash out again."

"You're sure? I don't want to leave you alone with that thing in a room full of unconscious people."

It took all the courage he had, but Yugi nodded. "I have to do it to save Joey. I don't think the Puzzle wants to hurt me, I just have to make sure it doesn't hurt anyone else."

Matsuda still seemed reluctant to leave, but finally he did, promising to check in again in a few hours and insisting that Yugi get him if anything went wrong.

Then, Yugi was left alone with the Millennium Puzzle once more.

He was almost surprised to find that the Puzzle was still where he had left it, on the table in the center of the room. It glinted in the light, shadows and reflections dancing across its surface. Even though it was inanimate, it was impossible to deny that it was alive.

Yugi hesitated to reach out to it again. It was dangerous. It could have been trying to take over his body for its own purposes, just like Matsuda had said. But this was the only way he had to rescue Joey and all the others. He had come this far already, he wasn't going to give up now, not when his friends were counting on him!

He sat down at the table and picked up the Puzzle. The instant he touched it, he could feel the spirit's presence in his mind and see the spirit before him.

"You let him go," Yami said, annoyed.

Yugi nodded. "He's my friend."

He could feel Yami's bewilderment. "You would do to choose your friends more wisely."

"What was it you wanted to tell me about Light?" Yugi cut to the chase. "Then you have to help me rescue everyone."

Yami nodded. "A deal is a deal. The truth is that Light Yagami is not who you think he is. I do not believe he sees you as a friend as you see him. To him you and all others are merely obstacles or things to be used. And he is dangerous," Yami insisted. "He wants the power of the Millennium Items and will stop at nothing to acquire them."

Yugi understood the spirit's words, but could not believe them. "Why would Light want the Millennium Items?"

"He believes the world is rotten. He wants to use them to scour it clean of all evil. He believes himself to be good, but he sees all others as beneath him and has no compassion for anyone he seeks to help. And he is willing to use any means to acquire the power he needs to reshape the world, even if it means threatening the innocent - including you and your friends - or working with the evil he means to fight, such as Marik or the Millennium Ring. I refused to lend him my power and that is why he lost to Marik when he tried to claim his Millennium Rod."

Yugi could feel Yami's conviction, he wasn't lying, but it seemed impossible. Yugi had seen Light struggling with the spirit of the Puzzle and it looked like Yami was the one who wanted power and had even been threatening Mai during their duel. Or so Yugi had thought.

"It is Light's fault that you doubt me." Yami must have sensed Yugi's thoughts. "He has been planning this ever since we dueled the spirit of the Millennium Ring at Duelist Kingdom. He has intentionally lied and deceived you so that you will not trust me. Though his aims are just, he is afraid that he will be discovered as the one who seeks to bring justice to this rotten world. By making you distrust me, he intends for me to take all of the blame for our actions and those that were his alone."

Yugi could not believe it. Still, he found himself asking, half-horrified, "What did you do?" He could not forget the Puzzle's terrible anger when they had faced Pegasus and Arkana.

"We have brought many criminals to justice," the spirit of the Puzzle said. He felt no shame or remorse. "Light identified them and I challenged them to Shadow Games and sent their souls to the Shadow Realm when they lost. It is more than they deserved for their crimes. However, Light was not content with that alone. He tried to pursue petty criminals to use them as examples to the rest, and wanted to punish those who spoke out against our actions, even those who are themselves champions of justice, and now he wants all the Millennium Items. He forced me to take Pegasus's Millennium Eye and had also claimed the Millennium Ring before he was defeated by Marik. He is dangerous and must be stopped. No one is safe."


Matsuda shut the door behind him with a sigh of relief. He still had a lot to be worried about, but he felt a lot safer behind a closed door. It was just a matter of time until he encountered Marik again, and he probably wouldn't get away so easily again.

L was still perched on the bed with his legs drawn up to his chest. He watched Matsuda with wide, dark eyes, and chewed at his thumb, as he did when he was deep in thought. Matsuda was careful not to disturb him as he sat down at the table.

However, to his surprise, L spoke, "You didn't bring back any cake."

For a moment Matsuda wasn't sure how to respond. "Sorry, I was busy looking for Ishizu Ishtar. I can't find her anywhere… I'm afraid Marik may have been telling the truth about sending Light Yagami's body to the Shadow Realm, and I think he did the same thing to her, unless he threw them off the blimp." Matsuda caught himself rambling more to himself than to L and hastily fell silent.

L resumed chewing at his thumb. Maybe he was just hungry.

But it seemed he had actually been contemplating the case, because then he said, "He could have sent their bodies to the Shadow Realm."

Matsuda wondered if L had figured that out just based on what he had seen and what Matsuda had told him about what happened at the tournament, or if he had actually learned something from the Millennium Ring. L hadn't said anything about what it had been like under the Ring's control and Matsuda knew better than to ask.

Still, Matsuda's curiosity got the best of him. "Do you think there's a chance of getting them back?"

L thought for a moment before nodding, if with a bit of hesitation.

"How?" Matsuda exclaimed.

"A Shadow Game," L answered haltingly, and he didn't sound quite certain.

Matsuda hesitated. He knew it was a bad idea. L wasn't inclined to say much in the best of times, and being under the control of the Millennium Ring couldn't have possibly been fun. But his curiosity overwhelmed his common sense and he asked anyway, "Do" - beat - "How do you know all this? Did the Millennium Ring tell you?"

L chewed at his thumb.

"You don't have to answer," Matsuda backpedaled as his common sense kicked back in.

However, L answered anyway, "I won. I beat it in a Shadow Game."

"What do you mean? It took control of your body and escaped," Matsuda protested before he could stop himself.

"But I won the game," L said, almost petulantly.

"Wait, what game are you talking about?"

"It challenged me to a Shadow Game," L explained as though it was supposed to be obvious. "I won, so it had to tell me everything." He paused and shook his head. "No, it showed me everything."

"But then how did it escape?"

"I underestimated its abilities. It knew I would win. Somehow the Shadow Game enabled it to turn the headquarters into a maze. It has a power that the other Millennium Items don't." L almost seemed to shudder at the thought. "It turned the end of the maze into the door out of headquarters. I got my information, but it escaped and took control of my body while I was distracted."

"So the others can't warp reality like that?" Matsuda clarified, just to be sure.

L shook his head. He explained with some reluctance, "The Millennium Ring doesn't just contain the spirit I attempted to question. There is something else in there, something much more powerful and more destructive. The spirit of the Ring thinks it's a god that was summoned by the creation of the Millennium Items that is now mainly contained in the Millennium Ring."

"A god?" Matsuda asked in disbelief. With all the magical ancient Egyptian artifacts floating around, he should have seen it coming, but somehow it still came as a shock.

What have we gotten ourselves into?


The spirit of the Millennium Puzzle felt the Ring and Rod approaching before Yugi heard Marik's footsteps, and so Yugi sensed it too.

"Let me face him," Yugi felt Yami say.

Yugi hesitated. What if the Puzzle just wanted the Millennium Items as it said Light did? And even if it didn't, for all the things Marik had done, Yugi didn't want him to suffer the same fate he had given Joey. It just wasn't right; he wasn't even himself.

Yami must have sensed his uncertainty. "He does not deserve your mercy after all he has done. And this is the only way to bring back your friends. He must be defeated in a Shadow Game as he defeated them."

As Yugi stood frozen in indecision, he heard Marik's footsteps approach and stop in front of his door. He heard Marik banging against the door until it crashed open. As it did, the spirit of the Puzzle took control. Yugi was terrified, but his heartbeat remained steady and his stomach did not constrict.

"I'll be taking that back now." Marik almost sounded bored. "And then I will send Odion to the Shadow Realm once and for all, as I should have done years ago."

Yugi could sense Yami's intent before he could speak. He was ready to challenge Marik to a Shadow Game and send him straight to the Shadow Realm.

No! Don't!

"He deserves-" Yami began to protest. His thoughts were conveyed directly to Yugi's mind.

Yugi cut him off, "Please, just stop him from hurting them!" he nearly begged.

At last, Yami said aloud to Marik, "Despite what lies my former vessel may have told you, the Puzzle is not yours to claim. I command you to leave here at once. Everyone in this room is under my protection."

"High and mighty Pharaoh," Marik taunted. "Your Millennium Puzzle is no match for my Millennium Rod and Ring!"

He held out the Rod. It glowed and Yugi was struck in his very soul, as though his life points were being burned away. He could feel Yami's pain too, but even through the pain, Yami reached for the deep power of the Millennium Puzzle. It glowed and Marik was struck with the same terrible force. He recoiled, writhing in pain.

Marik relented, but Yami did not. Marik was frozen to the spot in terrible agony.

"Stop!" Yugi cried out, and crashed back into his own body.

The Puzzle stopped glowing at once and Marik stumbled as the force lifted.

"Your Puzzle and your Egyptian God Card will be mine!" Marik cried, but he beat a hasty retreat.

Yugi shut the door behind him and collapsed into the chair by Joey's bed. He could feel tears pooling in his eyes. He was tired and afraid and so helpless.

"Why?" Yugi demanded of Yami aloud, his voice hoarse with emotion. "Why would you do that?"

Yami appeared beside him, almost corporeal. He countered, "Why do you show such mercy? He has sent many to the Shadow Realm, including your closest friend. I could feel your anger. In sending him to the Shadow Realm, you would save them all and prevent him from doing any more harm, and you would show any others who would wish to do such a thing that it will not be tolerated. Yet, you refuse. Why?"

"I don't want anyone to be sent to the Shadow Realm!" Yugi cried. "Of course I hate Marik for what he did, but no one deserves that, not even him! We'd be just as bad as he is. And maybe there's still some good in him somewhere."

Yami watched him with something like wonder in his eyes. "You know that even before his other personality revealed itself, Marik was not a good person."

"Yeah, but maybe we could show him that revenge won't actually solve anything, that throwing people into the Shadow Realm isn't the answer." Yugi gave Yami a pointed look. "Do you think we could somehow separate him from his dark side, like you did with the spirit of the Ring and its hosts?"

Yami hesitated. "Perhaps. If we challenged him to a Shadow Game, we may be able to make the terms such that his evil side is banished if we win. But even then there is no guarantee that we will be able to convince the true Marik to abandon his cause."


Time lost all meaning, locked away in a metal box in the middle of the ocean. At some point, Yugi must have dozed off in the chair, because he blinked back into awareness. The Millennium Puzzle rested in his lap, with his hands around it. In the chair opposite his, on the other side of the table, was the still unconscious Odion.

Yugi could feel Yami watching him as he stretched and stood and carried the Puzzle over to the bed, where Joey lay, unmoving. He shouldn't have expected anything different. Joey's soul was in the Shadow Realm. Scaring Marik away hadn't done anything to change that.

"The only way to get your friend back is to defeat Marik in a Shadow Game," Yami answered Yugi's unarticulated question. It showed neither sympathy nor disdain, merely stated what was fact.

Yugi nodded and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Why do you care so much for these people?" Yami asked, as though earnestly confused.

"They're my friends!" Yugi said without a second thought.

Yami's confusion did not abate.

"Didn't Light…?" Yugi trailed off.

Yami shook his head. "You may call Light your friend, but I can assure you that he felt no such compassion, for you or anyone else. He only thought of others as threats, tools to be used, or rot to be scoured from the earth."

"But," Yugi began to protest, but he did not know what to say. Light was his friend, wasn't he?

Yugi tried another approach, "What about you? Haven't you ever had friends? You were a Pharaoh once, right?"

Yami nodded. "I have had a vision of my past. It was familiar, but I have no true memories. I may have had friends once, but I do not know."

"I'm sorry," Yugi said. He could not imagine losing his friends. He hadn't always had them, of course, but the bond they had formed was so strong, he couldn't imagine it being broken, even by thousands of years. Somehow, there would always be some part of his friends with him no matter what.

The Dark Magician. The card in both of their souls popped into their minds unbidden.

"I do not know," Yami answered the unspoken question.

They sat there in silence. Yugi watched Joey, but he knew there was no chance he would awaken.

Yugi would do whatever it took to save his friend.

Eventually, a knock sounded at the door, interrupting his meandering thoughts.

His first thought was Marik, but Yami didn't sense the Millennium Rod or Ring.

"Is everything alright in there?" He heard Matsuda ask from outside the door.

Yugi readied for Yami's violent response. He tried with all his will to keep control, but to his surprise, Yami had no intention of fighting him. He still felt the distant fear of not safe, but there was some curiosity too.

"I'll show you," Yugi directed his thoughts at Yami, "he's our friend too."

Yami did not contest. "We shall see."

Aloud, Yugi said, "Come in."

The door opened and in stepped Matsuda. He eyed Yugi warily.

"He is afraid," Yami said into Yugi's mind and Yugi could feel his suspicion. He is guilty.

"Are you okay?" Matsuda asked. "Yugi, are you the one in control?"

Yugi nodded. "I'm alright. The Puzzle still doesn't trust you, but he hasn't taken over and I think he's stopped trying to send you to the Shadow Realm." Yugi shot a pointed glance at the spirit's ghostly form.

"I will only intervene if he threatens you," Yami acquiesced, and it seemed like that was the best Yugi was going to get.

"That's better, at least," Matsuda said with an awkward laugh. He hesitated. "I don't want to worry you, but I saw Marik leaving the blimp."

Yugi's heart dropped. His friends were in danger. He could feel it. As wary as he was of Yami, he didn't have any more time to delay. He had to stop Marik from getting whatever he was after before it was too late. It could have been a trap, but it didn't matter. Marik had to be stopped, and the Millennium Puzzle was the only thing that could do it.

Matusda must have seen it in Yugi's expression, because he said, "Wait a second, don't do anything rash! Marik is dangerous, you should be careful."

But Yugi's mind was made up. "I have to protect my friends. And I have to face Marik eventually anyway. Defeating him is the only way to save Joey."

Matsuda hesitated, but finally he seemed to resign himself to Yugi's plan. "Okay, but you don't have to go alone. So long as Marik is off the blimp, everyone here should be safe. I can come with you and provide at least a little bit of backup..."

Yugi felt Yami resisting. He could almost hear Yami's thoughts: Do not trust him. He may have some ulterior motive. He could be trying to take the Millennium Items for himself.

"Stop it," Yugi retorted in his mind. "I told you, he's our friend. He's just trying to protect me from Marik - and from you."

"Is everything alright?" Matsuda asked. Even though Yugi hadn't been speaking aloud, the silent conversation must have shown on his face.

Yugi nodded. "I think so. The Puzzle still doesn't trust you, but thank you for the help." He glanced back at Joey. "It's reassuring having my friends by my side."

Yami did not protest, but his wariness did not fade.

Yugi glanced over at Joey again and readied himself with all the determination he could muster. "We'll get Joey's soul back, and everyone else's too," he said, as much to reassure himself as the others - not that Yami seemed to need reassuring.

With that, he led the way out of Joey's room. They hurried down the corridor, to the helm of the blimp. Kaiba's employees looked terrified and let them off without protest. They had probably seen only a glimpse of Marik's power. Marik was dangerous, but that was why Yugi had to stop him before he got to his friends.

We will stop him. Yami's thoughts were strangely reassuring in his mind.

Yugi and Matsuda stepped off the blimp, into a cavernous hall, more than large enough to hold it. The ocean and sky were nowhere in sight; they could have been anywhere behind metal walls and ceiling. Each step they took echoed into the darkness. They had no chance to hide, but it didn't seem like there was anyone else there. They just had to find Marik, that was all, and then they could leave, Yugi reassured himself. But truth be told, Yugi didn't even know how his friends were doing even without Marik coming after them.

We will defeat anyone who threatens them. Yugi could feel Yami's thoughts as though they were his own, subduing his fear with steady certainty. Yugi couldn't help but envy Yami's confidence, though he could feel some dangerous anger simmering beneath the surface.

"L said he saw Marik go this way," Matsuda pointed to what looked like a service passage lined with a net of pipes of all sizes.

Yugi nodded. Yami could feel it. The Millennium Rod and Ring were down there, and therefore so was Marik. Yugi steeled himself and led the way. There was no other option. He would face Marik. He would save his friends. He could feel the Puzzle's anger more acutely now. He wanted Marik to suffer for what he had done.

"There's some good in him," Yugi protested, but it sounded weak, even to him.

"Are you okay?" Matsuda asked - Yugi realized with a jolt that he must have accidentally spoken aloud.

Yugi nodded.

There was a pause before Matsuda said, "You know, you don't have to do this. There has to be some other way-"

"There isn't any other way!" Yugi snapped and stopped in his tracks. Once he had started, the words just kept coming, as much directed as Matsuda as Yami and perhaps even more just to let it all out in a messy flood, "This is the only way. I don't want to hurt anyone, but I have to save Joey and all the others, and all Marik's done is hurt people. I don't know if there's any good left in him, but I have to try, right? Even after everything he's done, I have to try to save him from himself!"

For what felt like a long time, they just stood there in silence. Matsuda probably wanted nothing to do with a weakling like him now, but that was okay because it was dangerous and it was probably best if Yugi went to face Marik alone. Yugi could feel all of Yami's confusion and guilt and anger and protectiveness and even uncertainty.

Finally, the spirit appeared before Yugi and said with all the confidence Yugi did not feel, "We will save your friends and attempt to draw out whatever good is left in Marik."

Yugi gave a weak nod and wiped away his tears. He turned to Matsuda and said, his voice a little hoarse, "You don't have to come. It'll be dangerous."

"What are you talking about?" Matsuda asked. "I can't leave you to face Marik alone. Is everything alright? Did the Puzzle try to do something?"

"I'm okay," Yugi answered, still a little shaky. He took a deep breath. "We just have to find Marik."

He continued on, down the corridor on increasingly steady legs, Matsuda not far behind. He could feel the Rod and Ring getting closer as they rounded a corner. The only light came from flickering bars above their heads. The tangle of pipes grew thicker and sprawled across the floor, until they covered the ground. Up ahead, there was a locked door lined with bright yellow security tape, marked in the middle with a large red X. The pipes gave way to tile floor, and on the floor right in front of the door were large hunks of metal that looked like they had once been a robot, smashed in two. The keypad by the door was cracked, but it remained unopened.

Marik was here. Yugi didn't need Yami to tell him that, but he could feel the thought radiating off of him anyway.

The hallway forked to the right in front of the door, and so they continued on in that direction, no doubt following Marik's footsteps. They were getting closer, Yami could feel it. They heard a loud bang up ahead and quickened their pace in silent agreement.

They heard the echo of wild laughter and nearly began to run.

They soon came upon another, wider doorway, or at least what had once been a doorway. The doors had been blasted off and lay crumpled on the ground, giving way to a much larger chamber.

He's here.

Marik stood, Millennium Rod raised, before a large metal column that occupied most of the room. It dwarfed him, but it was no match for the Rod's power.

"Stop!" Yugi called out. Yami provided him with the next words; "I challenge you to a Shadow Game for possession of your Millennium Items."

Marik turned to face him with an evil grin and an eviler laugh. Yugi braced himself for the impact that was to come.

"I accept," Marik sneered. "I will take your Egyptian God Card and your Millennium Puzzle, and the world will cower at my feet!" He held up his Millennium Rod and the room filled with the purple haze of the Shadow Realm.

"And if I win," Yugi spoke up despite his fear and racing heart, buoyed by Yami's confidence, "You have to release everyone trapped in the Shadow Realm, and your own good side!"

Marik merely laughed. "I have something more interesting in mind!"

Marik raised his Millennium Rod and an hourglass descended from the fog above. It was half-filled with sand and inside crouched-

"Joey!" Yugi called out to his best friend. "Can you hear me?"

Marik laughed again. "He's too busy slipping into the Shadows. Once our duel ends, he'll be gone!"

"No!" Yugi cried. "I won't let you!"

But there was nothing he or Yami could do as Marik returned Joey to the shadows from which he'd emerged.

"I'm afraid it gets worse," Marik taunted. "He's not the only one who's in danger here! Meet my next victim!"

Marik waved the Millennium Rod and Yugi found himself suspended in mid air, looking down at the dueling arena and his own body.

"Yugi!" he saw himself cry out, but the voice was deeper and more confident than his own - it was Yami.

"Do you understand what's at stake now? Lose the duel and Yugi goes to the Shadow Realm!"

But Yugi wasn't the only one who had been separated from his body. Suspended in the air across from him was the unconscious less-evil Marik Ishtar. There was still good in him, Yugi was certain of it.

"Marik!" Yugi called out to him.

His eyes only flickered open.

"If I lose, the shadows will take him!" No matter what happened, Marik's dark side had ensured that he would win.

But Yugi had seen this before. In the duel against the spirit of the Millennium Ring, Yami had been able to switch the spirit of the Ring and his host, Ryou Bakura. If only they won, he hoped that maybe Yami could do it again.

Yugi called to the less-evil Marik, "We'll get you out of there! Yami, we have to save him!"

There was a pause and Yugi feared Yami would refuse, but finally Yami said severely, "I will do all I can."


The Pharaoh banished the Winged Dragon of Ra, sending Marik's dark side with it in a flash of light. The bright violet light faded and the dust settled to reveal the rest of Marik Ishtar. He looked battered and worn, and his legs shook, almost too weak to hold him, but he was alive.

"You have been given a second chance, do not allow it to go to waste," Yami said.

For a moment Marik seemed to be frozen in place, as though he was about to collapse, or as if he was standing on a precipice, unable to decide which way to go, but finally, with what little energy he had left, Marik declared, "For the first time in years, I'm making the right choice. I will honor the Ishtar name by surrendering the duel." As he spoke, he put his left hand over his duel disk in the sign for surrender. "I surrender this duel to the Pharaoh!"

The final remaining piece of Marik's dark side vanished into the shadows and the purple fog of the Shadow Realm faded, giving way to the inside of the metal-bound compound once more. Yugi found himself back in his own body, with the spirit of Millennium Puzzle at the back of his mind. A crowd had gathered on the balcony, overlooking the tall column of machinery. Nearly all of his friends were there, and they were safe at last.

"We have to go, the whole place is gonna blow!" Tristan shattered the brief illusion of peace.

Even if Marik had been defeated, they were still in danger from the boy who had hijacked the blimp, Noah.

Yami was still wary, but Yugi extended a hand to Marik and said, "Come on."

"Let's go!" Tea insisted.

After a moment of hesitation, Marik took Yugi's hand and they all ran back down the maintenance hallway, to the blimp as fast as their legs could carry them. Marik stumbled, but with the others' help, they all made it back just as the blimp was beginning to lift off the ground. The stairs were still open and standing in the doorway was Joey, ready to do something absurdly reckless to save his friends.

It was only then that it hit him, We did it!

Yugi ran even faster to meet his best friend. Joey helped him up onto the stairs as they began to rise into the air and all the others soon followed, crowding into the helm of the blimp as it rose up, out of the cage that had been holding it, and over Noah's sprawling base. They had hardly cleared the top when a rocket came whistling to the ground. They had but a second to brace themselves for impact before it hit and the shockwave sent the blimp, and everyone in it, flying.

Yugi lay there on the ground as the blimp slowed and leveled out. When it finally seemed steady enough to stand, he forced himself upright and Joey helped him to his feet. Out the window, they could see Noah's base vanish into the distance. No more rockets came. They were safe! Whatever Kaiba had to dish out, they could all face it together. And maybe they would finally just be able to enjoy the remainder of the tournament for once. Yugi only wished he could have faced Joey in a proper duel.

"Is everyone okay?" Light Yagami called out from the doorway - he was safe too!

There was a general reply of agreement. However, out of the corner of his eye, Yugi saw Marik glaring at Light. He just hoped Marik wasn't about to pull anything - his evil side was gone, right?

"Just got knocked around a blimp after spending who knows how long as a robot monkey, but otherwise I'm fine, thanks for asking," Tristan retorted.

"Are you okay?" Yugi asked - he would have to hear the others' story later.

Light nodded. "I think so. But where are we? You said we're on a blimp? And what are you doing with my Millennium Puzzle?"

Oh no.

"We're at the Battle City Finals," Yugi said, "remember? You dueled Marik's dark side and he sent you to the Shadow Realm. I just defeated him and brought you back - we defeated him; I couldn't have done it without the Pharaoh's help."

Light shook his head. "Battle City? What's that? And who's Marik?" He looked down at the Millennium Puzzle that hung around Yugi's neck, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Light had mentioned having large gaps in his memory before when he was under the control of the Puzzle.

"This must be part of his plan!" Yami challenged. Yugi could feel his anger.

Yugi looked down at the Puzzle and back up at Light. One of them was lying, he just didn't know which.

Shit.


Note: Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me on this ever-lengthening journey! Thank you for reading, and thank you to everyone who has left kudos or commented!

Again, the story continues! This is as far as my partner in crime, scarhoax (on AO3), and I got in planning out the series back in 2015, but we had some ideas for how to wrap everything up in the third installment, which will encompass the Waking the Dragons arc of Yu-Gi-Oh. I know it has been a few years since I promised that the end is in sight, but now I am proud to announce that "Tamer of Beasts" is finally here!

Get ready to face the dark power of the Orichalcos - and the end of Millennium Death Note!

Again, my thanks to everyone who has made it this far!