Chapter 25
Shining Friendship, Glimmering Love
Outside the castle, Yugi is still in silent shock over what happened earlier, just staring at the ground, on his knees, outside the door to the castle, with a look of shock and horror on his face. "Hey, Yugi." Joey said, trying to get his attention. "You okay, sugar cube?" AJ asked. "He won't answer us." Tea said, worried. "He's totally out of it." Rainbow pointed out. "Well, he did just lose his only chance to save his grandfather" Bakura said. "And I doubt there are very many duelists left on the island." Rarity added. "Yugi... Please, let us help you." Fluttershy said, more worried than anyone. 'What's happened to me? One minute, I'm battling against Kaiba, the next minute, I'm battling with myself. I could finally see this other presence in my mind. He was willing to do anything to win the duel, but it took everything I had just to keep him from killing Kaiba. But that gave Kaiba the opening he needed. I let Kaiba win the match, I had no choice. That other presence might've killed Kaiba if I hadn't regained control. And now I'm worried about what might happen next time. What happens if I can't control it? No. I can't and I won't take that chance. And that means, I'll never play Duel Monsters again.' Yugi thought to himself as he remembered what had happened. "Please, Joey, we have to do something." Fluttershy said. "Yeah, I hear you, Fluttershy. Alright, I'm going in." Joey responded before approaching his friend. "It's okay, Yuge, you just lost half your star chips, that's all. It's not like you lost all of them. If you want, you can take half of mine. I owe you or helping get this far. Go ahead, take them." Joey said as he held out his star chips. "But, Joey, what about...?" Rainbow began to ask. "My sister? Sure, she needs my help, but gramps needs help right now. We gotta get Yugi into the castle." Joey responded.
"Please, Yugi." Tea said with worry. "Come on, pal, what do you say? Let's go kick Pegasus' sorry butt and get your grandpa back." Joey said encouragingly. "Come on, Yuge. I want you to have these five chips." he added. "I can never duel again." Yugi responded, making it clear that he didn't want to play Duel Monsters ever again. Joey, upset, grabs Yugi by his shirt collar. "Come on, Yugi, snap out of it! You're really starting to scare me and the others, man! Especially Fluttershy! I'm trying to help you out, so pull yourself together!" Joey shouted. "Whoa, there, partner! Take it easy! No need to do something like THAT!" AJ said. "If that's how you treat your friends, I'd hate to see how you treat your enemies." said a familiar voice. Everyone turned and saw Mai had just arrived. "It's Mai!" Tea said as she looked back. "What's up? If you guys have enough star chips to get into the castle, why are you hanging out here right at the door? And why are you grabbing Yugi like that, Joey?" Mai asked. "It's Yuge. He lost half his chips to Kaiba and now it's like he's lost the will, to go on." Joey answered. "He even went so far as to say he'll never duel again!" Spike added, surprising Mai. "So the little guy finally lost one, huh? Lucky for you guys that I came by." Mai said. Meanwhile, inside the castle, Kaiba was on his way to find and duel Pegasus. 'Alright, Pegasus, I played your game and won. Now I'm coming for you.' he thought to himself as Pegasus watched from a monitor. "Ah, Kaiba-boy. Shall we toast him, Croquet? A toast to Kaiba and his stunning upset victory over Yugi. Of course, if he thinks he can just waltz in here and rescue his poor little brother, then he overestimates his chances and underestimates my abilities. But he will see, he'll see soon enough." Pegasus said as he gave Kaiba a toast, had a sip of fruit juice, and then chuckle while his Millennium Eye glowed. Meanwhile, outside the castle, Mai was trying to do her part to get Yugi back on his feet and back in the game he loved to play.
"Okay, now listen up! Especially you, Yugi. You got beat, but that doesn't mean it's the end of the world. When I got beat by PaniK, I thought it was the end of me, too. But then Yugi stepped in and saved my star chips, and now, I'm returning the favor." Mai said bluntly before handing Yugi five of the eight chips she owed him. "No way! Are those what I think they are?" Spike asked. "They sure are. Those are five of the eight star chips that she owes Yugi." Joey answered. "Of course, I'm a woman of my word." Mai responded as she showed her glove was full. "Ah, she already has the ten chips she needs." Bakura said, realizing that she was holding up her end of the bargain made the night before. "No wonder she's being generous." Rarity added, knowing that in Equestria, she had the harmony element of generosity. "Lay off it, Rarity." Joey suggested. "Go ahead, Yugi, we made that deal the night you beat PaniK. I owe you eight star chips, and I can let one of your friends have the other three." Mai said as she held out the five star chips. "I'm sorry, Mai. But I... I'm never playing Duel Monsters again." Yugi finally said. "What do you mean never play Duel Monsters again? You're a Duelist, Yugi. You just can't stop when you're practically on top of your game, you're the only Duelist to ever beat Seto Kaiba. So just man up already!" Mai responded, rather upset. "Please, Mai, don't be upset. Yugi was on the verge of nearly causing Kaiba to fall to his death up on the roof during their duel, wouldn't you seem shocked that you nearly ended up killing someone?" Fluttershy said, hoping to calm things down. "So the kid was forced to choose between winning by death or losing his one and possibly only chance to get into the castle and become King of Games? And he chose to be a nice guy instead of doing what he had to do? Noble, kind, morally correct, but also pathetic." Mai responded, bringing a look of shock to everyone.
"Guess the only way to get you to take them is by dueling you for them. So come on, chicken-boy, duel me for them, now." she continued. "No, let ME be the one to duel you!" Fluttershy said, surprising everyone there. "You and me, right here, right now. Yugi needs those star chips, so I'm gonna win them for him!" she continued as she got out her dueling deck. "Come on, be serious, an amateur like you wouldn't stand a chance against a veteran like me!" Mai responded. "I would and I WILL!" Fluttershy retorted. "Listen, hun, that's sweet of you to stand up for Yugi and all, but sweetness doesn't win duels. Now I'll ask you one more time, are you sure you want to do this?" Mai said, but Fluttershy confidently agreed. "What do you guys think?" Joey whispered to some of the others. "Fluttershy may still be new like we are, but I think Yugi's in good hands." Twilight answered. "I sure hope you're right, Twi. Because everything's riding on this one duel!" Joey pointed out. "Fluttershy, here. You may need these three cards." Tea said as she handed them over to her. "Are you sure?" Fluttershy asked as she looked at them. "Positive. Now win this for Yugi." Tea answered. Soon, both ladies were in place and ready to start. "So what do you say, Fluttershy? You ready?" Mai asked. "Ready when you are! Now, as Yugi always says, it's time to duel!" Fluttershy answered as both their life points set to 2000. "Poor Yugi still seems to be lost in his own self-conscious." Rarity pointed out. "Maybe a little action on the dueling field will snap him out of it." Rainbow suggested. "Alright, Mai, I play the Petit Angel in attack mode." Fluttershy said as she played her first card, one of the three Tea gave her, a level three, Light attribute Fairy with 600 attack points and 900 defense points. "What is that?" Joey asked in bafflement. "It's a really REALLY cute angel, that's what it is!" Pinkie answered with a beaming smile. "Come on, Tea, that is NOT funny!" Tristan shouted. "That's enough, boys! Besides, if this were a joke, someone would be laughing." Rarity snapped while Mai prepared her first card.
"I play Harpie Lady in attack mode!" she said as her signature monster appeared. "And I'll put this on the field, too, face down for later. Now, attack!" she added as the Harpie Lady crushed the Petit Angel in her talons, dropping Fluttershy's life points to 1300 while she herself trembled a bit. "Oh, my." she said meekly. "You know, Fluttershy, if you're trembling with fear after just the first round, maybe you should quit right here." Mai suggested. "No way, Mai! I'm in it to win it! I play Red Archery Girl" Fluttershy responded as her next monster, a level four, Water attribute aqua monster with 1400 attack points and 1500 defense points appeared on the field. "Oh, what a magnificent creature, Fluttershy." Rarity said in amazement. 'Reminds me of when we were in Aqualin and got those elegant seapony tails.' she said to herself. "Ugh, another of these cutesy cards? Come on, what is this, a duel or a pageant?" Mai asked, but Fluttershy just ignored her and saw something familiar in her hand. 'That's the Waboku trap card, I've used it before in my practice duels. This should come in handy when I really need it.' she said to herself. "I place a face down as well!" she said aloud. "Okay, it was a rocky start, but I think Fluttershy is back on track." AJ said, hopeful that she's right. "I hope you're right, AJ, because as Joey said, everything rides on this one duel." Bakura pointed out. "Go, Red Archery Girl, attack with Aqua Bow Strike!" Fluttershy commanded as her monster fired her arrow, but Mai didn't seem worried. "At least this one knows how to wield a weapon. However, hon, I activated my face down. A magic card called the Rose Whip, it's a personal favorite of mine that gives the Harpie Lady 300 extra attack points. More than enough to deflect that water logged arrow and take out your little mermaid as well!" Mai said at last as her Harpie's attack power jumped to 1600 and her defense points to 1700. 'Not good, I don't think even my Archery Girl's clam shell can protect her!' Fluttershy thought to herself.
"Now, my Harpie Lady, Whiplash Attack!" Mai commanded as, with one strike of the Rose Whip destroyed the Red Archery Girl, dropping Fluttershy's life points to 1100. "How about that? Your mermaid was all washed up." she concluded. "Clever move. Mai tricked Fluttershy into attacking my making her think that her mermaid had the most points, but what Mai didn't reveal until after Fluttershy called an attack was that she had that Rose Whip waiting to power up her Harpie Lady. Another mistake like that, and it's over!" Bakura pointed out. "If you had any idea of what you're really up against, Fluttershy, you'd call it quits right now. This isn't going to get any easier, you know! Just give up and go back to cheerleading!" Mai taunted. "No! I'm not going to let Yugi down, Mai!" Fluttershy responded. "Please, if this is going to lead into some friendship rant, just save it. I've heard all your lame speeches before and, from that look on Yugi's face, I'd say he might have, too." Mai stated with a chuckle. "Take that back!" Fluttershy demanded. "Come on, admit it! Everyone sees how scared you are. You're just a little girl who's accidentally stumbled into the big leagues. But, whatever, you'll learn the hard way." Mai responded as she saw a card that might come in handy for her. "My turn, hon! And I'll set this face down." she continued as she put her card of choice down. 'Another face down? Well, guess that means I'll have to think quickly if I want to avoid finding out what it is. Guess I'll have to trust my deck.' Fluttershy thought to herself as she drew her next card. 'Shining Friendship? That's sorta like us! I only wish this card was as strong as our real friendship, then it would beat anything in front of it! It'd have the courage of Joey, the spirit of Tristan, AJ's honesty, my kindness, Pinkie's joy and laughter, Rarity's generosity, Rainbow's loyalty, Twilight's magic, Spike's passion... And Yugi's heart.' she continued as her friends rooted for her on the sidelines. "Yugi...are you with me?" she asked, making Yugi finally look up. 'Maybe this card really is as strong as our friendship. Well, there's only one way to find out.' she continued to herself. "I play Shining Friendship in attack mode!" she shouted as the creature, a level four, Light attribute Fairy with 1300 attack points and 1100 defense points, appeared. "You kept me waiting all this time for THAT little butterball?! Fine, then! Harpie Lady, Whiplash Attack!" Mai shouted as her Harpie closed in. "Not so fast, Mai! I set a trap of my own! I activate Waboku!" Fluttershy declared as she sprung her trap.
"You had a Waboku trap card waiting for me?" Mai asked. "That's right, it protects me from any battle damage I might've taken this turn, so my Shining Friendship is unharmed!" Fluttershy answered as the Harpie's Whiplash Attack failed, saving her life points. "I think one of us taught Tea that move." Joey said. "Yeah, and I think you got schooled by it when you were in practice duels with her." Tristan teased. "Watch it." Joey warned. "You're right, Mai. Deep down, I am a little scared to duel you with such very high stakes, but that card reminded me of something that helped me face my fear; my friends. And I know that with all of them backing me up, I will win!" Fluttershy admitted with tears in her eyes. "It's like the name of the card, Shining Friendship. No matter how dark or bleak things get, the special bond I share with my friends will ALWAYS find a way to shine through! I may be scared, but that fear won't keep me from dueling! Or from helping Yugi! OR from winning this duel!" she continued. "Yugi, is any of this stuff getting through to you? Fluttershy's putting herself on the line for you." Rainbow said. "Even though she's frightened, she's till battling on! It's quite an inspiring thing to see!" Rarity added. "Nice speech, Tea. In fact, it was so stirring, Yugi might've looked up, while I almost feel the need to throw up." Mai taunted. "Can it! I've had enough of your insults!" Fluttershy responded as she prepared her next card. 'Another card that Tea gave me, the Magician of Faith.' she thought before setting it in defense mode. "I'll set a monster in defense mode, and that's not all! I play the Silver Bow and Arrow card to raise my creature's attack power by 300 points!" she said aloud as she played the third and final card that Tea gave her, boosting Shining Friendship's attack power to 1600 and its defense points to 1400.
"Fine with me, but don't forget that I have magic cards too. I play Cyber Shield! Tell me what you think about this makeover." Mai responded as her Harpie gained her signature armor. "Now my Harpie Lady is 500 points stronger!" she added as her Harpie's attack power jumped to 2100. "But wait, I'll also play this De-Spell card. Sorry, but your cupid, has been de-accessorized." she concluded as the Silver Bow and Arrow was destroyed and Shining Friendship's points dropped to their original value. "There goes Fluttershy's chance to match the Harpie Lady head to head." Rainbow said with worry. "Hold on, Fluttershy, this might get rough!" Joey shouted. "But first, I think I'll attack your face down card to demolish any hopes you have left." Mai said as her Harpie Lady attacked the face down Magician of Faith. "There! No more hope, no more faith, and no more chances!" she concluded as the Magician of Faith was destroyed. "I wouldn't count on no more chances, Mai, because thanks to you, my Magician of Faith's flip effect activates! It allows me to bring any magic card from the graveyard back to my hand! And there's only one in there now, the Silver Bow and Arrow you just recently destroyed." Fluttershy retorted. "Well, at least you know the rules of the game, despite being a rookie. Look, honey, I'm sure everyone's really impressed that you lasted this long, but really, all you're really doing is delaying the inevitable." Mai pointed out. "I won't give up!" Fluttershy shouted. Yugi soon raised his head again to hear what was being said.
"Come on, what you're doing is pointless. Yugi's already given up on himself. You're not going to be able to keep fighting for him. He has to fight for himself! He has to stand up to anyone who stands in his way, and whatever's going on in his head, Fluttershy, Yugi has to deal with it on his own." Mai said, and her words echoed with Yugi. 'Why, maybe Mai's right. Maybe I have to fight harder. Maybe I gave up too easily. But what do you do when the thing that you're fighting against is some kind of magical spirit that can take control of your body? Something that's living inside of you after assembling an ancient artifact? What do you do then?' Yugi pondered. "Face it, Fluttershy, Yugi's checked out, he's given up. He doesn't care about duel and he doesn't care about you. Nothing's worse the humiliation you're going through." Mai taunted. "You're wrong! My friends are worth it! They always are! I don't care how much experience you have playing Duel Monsters, I don't care what my odds are of beating you, I won't give up. Not on this match, and not on Yugi either!" Fluttershy responded as she started shedding tears. "I won't give up! I won't!" she added before she started sobbing. "Tea..." Yugi simply said. "Don't let these tears fool you, Mai. I may be crying, but I've never felt stronger! And I won't ever quit for Yugi... Because... Because... BECAUSE I LOVE HIM!" Fluttershy shouted. This revelation brought a look of shock and surprise to everyone.
'She... She loves me? Like, loves me, loves me?' Yugi thought. "I can't believe it. Fluttershy loves Yugi?" Joey asked in surprise. "Who would've thought that she'd have feelings for him?" Tristan asked. "Looks like Fluttershy's fighting for more than just Yugi's chance to save his grandfather, she's fighting to prove her love to him." Rarity said, equally surprised as everyone else. "You better get those star chips ready, because I'm about to beat you! And there's not a single thing you can say or do that can stop me!" Fluttershy said, more determined than ever. "You may have a tendency to run at the mouth, but you've got a lot of spunk. And I'll admit, you admitting that you actually have romantic feelings for Yugi, despite your own shyness, is actually quite brave. So give me your best shot!" Mai admitted as Fluttershy prepared her next card. 'Elf's Light looks like a good card to use, it can give Shining Friendship a major power boost. And I also have a De-Spell card! I can use that to get rid of Mai's Cyber Shield. And, since I recovered that Silver Bow and Arrow card from the graveyard, I can add its 300 point boost to the 400 point boost of Elf's Light! That'll make Shining Friendship's attack power 2000, I only hope Mai doesn't have any hidden surprises.' Fluttershy thought as she planned her next move. "First, I'm returning the Silver Bow and Arrow to my Shining Friendship." she said aloud as the weapon returned and Shining Friendship's attack power and defense points increased to 1600 and 1400, respectively, once more. "Next, I activate Elf's Light to power Shining Friendship up even further!" she added as her creature's attack power increased to 2000 while its defense points dropped to 1200. And as Shining Friendship's power increased, its appearance changed from a small, almost stuffy look, to an elegant angel. "Now Shining Friendship's 2000 attack points strong!" she concluded.
"That's still not enough. Harpie Lady, attack!" Mai responded as her winged beast closed in. "Oh, yes it is." Fluttershy revealed, surprising Mai as she activated her De-Spell card. "Or does the magic of De-Spell not apply to your Harpie Lady, Mai?" she asked as the Harpie Lady's armor vanished, lowering its attack power to 1600, bringing a gasp of surprise to everyone present. "Attack, Shining Friendship, with Silver Lightning Arrow!" she commanded before, with one well-placed shot, the Harpie Lady was destroyed and Mai's life points dropped to 1600, all the while Mai decided not to use the face down she set five turns prior. "A bullseye for love and friendship!" she shouted at last. "What a shot! Reminds me of my Amazoness Archer!" AJ said with a smile. "Indeed, a perfect shot!" Rarity added. "If this were a game of William Tell, the apple would be pinned to the wall!" Pinkie said with a big, goofy smile. 'I almost forgot about that card I put down, Harpie's Feather Duster, this card could win it for me...' Mai thought to herself. 'Wait a minute! If I know Mai, if she has a Harpie Lady, and several Harpie Sisters, and cards that can power up a Harpie Lady, then she must have a copy of the Harpie's Feather Duster card!' Yugi thought, knowing that someone with a Harpie or three in their deck would have one. "I surrender, Fluttershy. I simply don't have the cards to win." Mai said, surprising everyone all over again. "You're giving up just like that?" Fluttershy asked. "Don't rub it in, Fluttershy, Harpie Lady was the best monster I had, and seeing as how you easily outmaneuvered me to beat her, there's really no point in me going on." Mai answered as the dueling platforms lowered. "I won! Alright!" Fluttershy said with pride.
"Way to go, Fluttershy. You really came through for Yugi, and those cards I let you borrow really came in handy." Tea said with a smile. "Whatever, I didn't need these anyway." Mai rationalized as she gave Fluttershy the chips. "That was a good match, Mai." Fluttershy said as her opponent walked away. "Wait, Mai! I have to ask you something. What was that last card you..." Yugi began to ask. "It was a throw away. I was nothing that Fluttershy wouldn't have been able to beat anyway, really." Mai answered. "Some cards just aren't worth playing, huh, Yugi? But then again, when Fluttershy actually admitted that she loves you, like a boyfriend, that was one card I never ever would've expected for anyone like her to play." she continued before walking towards the steps to the castle. "Thank you." Yugi simply said, grateful that Mai helped him somewhat. "Yugi? I, uh... I really meant what I said back there. I... I love you. And I want you to take these five star chips as a gift. A gift, from your new girlfriend. That is, if you want me to be." Fluttershy said as she held them out. "I know. And I never thought you'd say that to me, Fluttershy. Thank you so much. And... I love you, too." Yugi responded. "Sure thing." Fluttershy said as she blushed a bit. "Oh! Looks like there's seven of them. Do you want to, keep one as a souvenir of this day?" she said as she counted the star chips. "Sure, but only if you'll keep one for yourself. I'll never forget what you did for me, Fluttershy. You over came your fears for me." Yugi answered. 'And you've given me the courage to deal with mine. I WILL duel again, and hopefully, the consequences won't be as bad as I fear.' he thought to himself. "And to answer your question, Fluttershy, yes. I will be your boyfriend." he added. "Thank you, my Yugi. Go ahead, take six of them, and I'll treasure the last one forever." Fluttershy said with a heart-warming smile. "Thanks, you're the best." Yugi responded as he took six of the star chips.
"Welcome back, Yugi." Spike said with a thumbs up. "You really had us worried for a while, partner." AJ said with a tip of her hat. "Hey, you guys! Last one to the castle door's a rotten egg!" Mai shouted, catching everyone off-guard. "Let's go!" Yugi shouted as he took Fluttershy by the hand and ran with her. "If it's a race you want, Mai, you got one!" Rainbow shouted, knowing that she and AJ were pretty fast themselves. "Then gain way, Rainbow!" AJ shouted. "You gain way, cowgirl!" Tea teased, jokingly. "Hey, wait up!" Bakura shouted. "And Tristan takes the lead!" Tristan bragged. "Unlikely!" Mai responded with a scoff as they all headed up to the castle door, ready for the finals of the Duelist Kingdom tournament.