Here's the second part of the duel. Basically, this duel with Pegasus will be separated into the regular duel and the shadow game duel. This is where the duel becomes life threatening. Yes, Atem is in HUUUUUUGE trouble! Review please!
Everyone gasped as soon as they heard the words "Shadow Game." Everyone, besides Mai, knew the horrors of a shadow game. Anyone's life would be on the stake in a shadow game. The friends had seen the outcome of the loser of a shadow game over one thousand times. It always seemed normal on the outside, but to the two opponents, there was something more.
Mai was confused. She never, in her life, had heard of a shadow game. What was it? There didn't seem to be anything different from a regular duel.
"What's a shadow game?" Mai asked.
"It's a game, of any kind, except your life is at the stake. You remember what happened to Panik? He played a shadow game," Hanaski explained as Mai's eyes widened.
Yugi glared straight at Pegasus who chuckled very darkly. There seemed to be more to this game than met the eyes. Something told Yugi that Pegasus made a shadow game to be able to use his mind-reading abilities.
"In this game, you will be providing your willpower to your monsters. It's the only way to maintain your monsters. The willpower of you Yugi-boy, is questioned, but I'm wondering about Atem-boy's," Pegasus smirked as Yugi kept his furrowed eyebrows. "It can be an advantage and disadvantage. On the upside, we'll summon actual monsters. On the downside, running out of willpower can kill someone."
'I have a bad feeling about this. I'll still draw the cards and summon the monsters. It might take alot of willpower to keep them on the field,' Yugi said as Atem nodded from behind.
"Let's just keep going with our strategy. If not, Pegasus will read your mind," Atem convinced Yugi. "I'll be fine. I've played a shadow game before, how hard can this one be?"
"Where were we?" Pegasus asked to himself as he drew a card. "Oh yeah. I play Dark-Eyes Illusionist." Dark-Eyes Illusionist appeared on the field with 0 attack and defense. Yugi knew he couldn't just attack it. It might have some special ability that could be very dangerous.
"I play Curse of Dragon and end my turn!" Yugi declared.
"Ok, let me take over and you come up with a strategy," Atem said as Yugi hesitately agreed and switched places with him.
Pegasus was annoyed, once again, at the mind shuffling strategy the Atem twins were using. Though, the rich billionaire knew this charade wouldn't last long. Atem maybe tough enough to shoot a guard down, but his willpower was weak. There was no way a regular high school boy could stand a shadow game, or one with draining willpower at least.
Atem stared glaringly at Pegasus with fighting spirit. He was willing to take down Pegasus with all his strength, every bit he had. While thinking this, he felt his body feeling heavy and shaking. Atem noticed his chest hurting and making it hard to stay straight up. This pressure was more extreme than Atem thought, maintaining two monsters on the field. Sweat was pouring from his face and his heart was beating faster than normal.
Everyone noticed Atem turning pale and shaking like an earthquake. Sweat was pouring down his face as if he was carrying one thousand pounds. Joey was starting to worry for his friend. What was going on with this shadow game?
"Yo Atem, are you okay?" Joey asked.
"I..." Atem muttered as if he couldn't breathe before his his top half of his body almost collapsed. His arms caught himself. "Ugh... I'm... fine!"
"What's wrong with him?" Mai asked worriedly.
"It must be the shadow game. It's like it's draining him," Ryan thought with a horrific face.
"I play one card face-down and end my turn," Pegasus declared with a slight smirk.
Atem felt his vision turning blurry and his head and chest hurting. It took every ounce of strength to keep his hand of cards facing him. Yugi couldn't stand to see his brother like this anymore, so he took over. He was so worried about his brother maintaining willpower that he never had time to think of a strategy. Pegasus showed a slight smirk.
"My Curse of Dragon attacks your illusionist!" Yugi declared.
"My Illusionist uses his special ability!" Pegasus smirked as Dark-Eyes Illusionist's eye glowed and Curse of Dragon became paralyzed. Yugi gasped, knowing that this monster had some sort of special ability. Dark-Eyes Illusionist's attack and defense rose to be the same as Curse of Dragon. "And this is only the least of your worries. I play Black Illusionist Ritual!" A vase-shaped pot appeared in the middle with two goblets on each side. Dark-Eyes Illusionist and a monster with weird wings were used as sacrifices for a ritual summon. Out of the darkness came Relinquished. "And here comes my magnificent Relinquished! Let me show you something special about this monster." Relinquished opened a wormhole-like gap in its chest and sucked Curse of Dragon inside as if eating it up.
"Holy shit!" Atem responded from behind Yugi.
"Dark Magician, destroy that beast!" Yugi declared as Dark Magician nodded.
"I shall protect you, master," Dark Magician replied before waving his wand and blasted Relinquished. It folded its wings and Curse of Dragon was shown and destroyed instead of Relinquished. Yugi's life points were now 400.
"Relinquished can use a monster he captures as his shield. Since you attacked your own monster, you deal damage instead of me," Pegasus explained as Yugi's eyes widened in fear. "I believe it's my turn." Pegasus drew his next card. "Relinquished! CAPTURE DARK MAGICIAN!" Relinquished's chest opened and a wormhole sucked Dark Magician inside.
"MAAAAAAASTERRRRRR!" Dark Magician cried.
"MAHAD!" Yugi cried.
"So that's your soul card. Figures," Pegasus smirked as Relinquished closed its wings and showed Dark Magician.
"Master," Mahad muttered as Yugi's eyes shook in fear.
"If you attack, you'll be killing your own monster. What will you do?" Pegasus asked mockingly.
'I can't think of a way to beat that thing!' Yugi panicked in his mind.
"You can't give up, Yugi! Let me take over to buy you some time to think of a plan!" Atem said.
'Brother! You can't risk it! You're too exhausted!'
"I'll fight to the end! Pegasus took three souls and I'm planning on winning them back!"
'Brother, please don't! I... you'll be gone forever if you..."
"YUGI! I'll fight! I don't care what happens. If you stay like this, Pegasus will read your mind. This way, it'll give us a sporting chance!"
'Brother,' Yugi muttered while staring into Atem's dark piercing eyes. He couldn't just stare at those eyes and say 'no.' At the same time, how could Yugi say 'yes'? Atem couldn't take 'no' for an answer and switched with Yugi while he was hesitating for an answer. Pegasus found it amusing that Atem was fading away.
"It's... m-my turn," Atem declared as if he couldn't breathe. He placed one hand on the table with the cards face-down on the table to hold himself up while reaching for his deck. All he needed was a card that could beat Pegasus. Everything was gambled on this one draw. Atem drew a card and peered at it. "I... play this... card... face-down." 'Yugi, use that card to defeat Pegasus.' "Then I... play Fernal... Imp in... defense mode." Fernal Imp appeared on the field, taking up alot of Atem's willpower, which made him struggle to even keep his eyes opened.
"Relinquished, finish him off!" Pegasus declared as Relinquished used its eye to blast off Fernal Imp.
The blow from Relinquished at Fernal Imp felt like a bomb blast. Atem kept his hands on the table while barely seeing Yugi's arm in front of him as if keeping debris from getting into his eyes. Though, that would be useless since Yugi only appeared in spirit form with Atem. Atem had kept the message to his brother in his head, 'beat Pegasus with this card!' It was replied over and over again while his world was spinning upside down. Head, body, and arms were hurting painfully by the blast as the spinning world turned black.
Yugi watched in horror as Atem gave out his last breathe, quiet as a whisper, before his body became completely limp. His body fell forward, then fell off the chair and onto the ground face-down. Everyone gasped in pure horror, especially Mai, as Yugi stood there without moving a muscle.
"ATEEEEEEEEM!" Everyone screamed.
Joey never hesitated in running to the Duel Box and trying to open the door. Unfortunately, it was locked shut. There was no way in. The blond then banged on the door over and over again like a mad man.
"ATEM! ATEM! DON'T DO THIS! WAKE UP!" Joey screamed.
"Atem," Tea muttered with a quivering lip as a small tear slowly rolled down her cheek.
"Oh man," Ryan muttered quietly.
Yugi couldn't release himself from the horrifying shock that was lying right in front of him. The very boy that meant the whole world... no the whole universe to him was lying on the ground without a breathe. Cold sweat was lying stillfully on that pale-still face. That half-dead boy who lied right by Yugi's transcended feet was the only thing that was on Yugi's mind. Nothing could distract Yugi from his fearful image.
Finally, Yugi snapped out of his shock and cried, "BROOOOTHERRRRR! WAKE UP!" He quickly picked up the paleface boy in his arms, brushing the gold bangs from his face. "PLEASE! PLEEEEEAAAAAASE WAKE UP!" Tears were rolling, then streaming down Yugi's cheeks. Yugi jiggled his brother to try to wake him, but no response. He just laid there dead. A small gap was opened in Atem's small mouth on his paled skin. "NOOOO! No! No." Yugi felt defeated and his eyes were fixed upon the pale face of a brave hero. Nothing ever mattered now. He buried his face into Atem's pale neck, trying to suck up the only warmth left in his brother. This couldn't be possible? Atem couldn't be dead! He just... couldn't.
"Looks like that useless roommate of yours couldn't survive the shadow game," Pegasus smirked smugly as Yugi lifted his head up and stared at Atem's clam face with tears still slowly running down the spirit's eyes. "He's dead."
"SHUT THE F*** UP, PEGASUS! ATEM'S NOT DEAD!" Joey shouted at the top of his lungs. "C'MON ATEM! WAKE UP!"
"Damn! We can't do a f***ing thing!" Tristan cried, cursing at himself.
Tea and Mai stared with shocked looks. The millennium puzzle glowed with brilliance and Yugi appeared in the half-dead body. He groaned, then picked himself up on his two feet and stared angrily at Pegasus. Yugi felt his fists shaking and his eyes growing more narrower than they usually are. Even Tea was terrified by this anger.
"Pegasus! I WILL MAKE YOU PAY FOR THIS!" Yugi shouted aloud.
"Seems to me like you're having a difficult time acknowledging the fact that you failed in your self-appointed duty to protect your dueling protegee," Pegasus smirked before giving off a slight chuckle. "Not to mention you can't use your so called 'mind shuffling' strategy. Are you sure you want to keep dueling?"
"PEGASUS!" Yugi yelled across the table. "AS LONG AS MY HEART STILL BEATS, THERE IS NO GAME OVER! FOR WHAT YOU DID, I'LL SHOW YOU NO MERCY!"
"Then let's get on with it, shall we?"
"Yugi," Hanaski called from outside of the Duel Box. Yugi turned his head toward his best friend. "I know you can do this!"
Yugi nodded before drawing his next card. There was still the question of how easy it would be for Pegasus to read his mind. That question was answered when Yugi felt a jitter in his mind. Pegasus was scanning his mind, though it wasn't a full scan, since he couldn't find Yugi's temporary room. All Pegasus wanted to know was Yugi's card and strategy. The only card Pegasus wouldn't know was the card laid face-down by Atem.
Yugi declared, "I play Winged Dragon Guardian of the Fortress in defense mode!"
"I use Relinquished to absorb your dragon," Pegasus concluded as Relinquished absorbed Winged Dragon Guardian of the Fortress and used it as a shield with Dark Magician.
"Master!" Mahad cried.
"Mahad, hang on!" Yugi cried with sweat pouring down his face.
"Now, I will play Jigen Bakudan," Pegasus declared as Jigen Bakudan appeared on the field, which looked like a frog bomb. "There's a reason I summoned Relinquished and absorbed your monsters. In two turns, the time bomb will blow up our monsters. Mine has 0 attack and defense, so my life points are safe, but yours, on the other hand..." Yugi felt nerve-wrecking sweat on his face. "C'mon Yugi-boy. You still have one mind left."
Yugi kept thinking of what he could do. Pegasus had everything in the bags and could read his mind anytime he wanted. At the time Yugi drew his next card, he knew Pegasus would know the card and strategy right away. There was no stopping Pegasus. Nothing! Even Ryan knew this and fear swept through him.
"Yugi, don't give up!" Tea cried.
"Forget it! Pegasus can read his mind by the time he draws a card. Is there anything we can do besides sit here?" Tristan asked in a muttered tone.
"I've got nothing," Joey muttered in defeat.
Ryan stared glaringly at the ground while feeling Ryou's spirit next to him saying, "there is... one way... but it's too risky."
'I know,' Ryan muttered before giving off a sigh and staring at the ground. "There is one way."
"Huh?" Joey questioned.
"What was that?" Hanaski asked.
"There's a way we can help, but..." Ryan admitted before giving off a long pause. "I... I have to wear the ring."
"What? Ryan, you know that's too risky!" Tristan glared.
"But... if Atem and Yugi disappear, then my brother will never be freed. Yugi's the only one who can free my brother from the evil spirit inside him. I... I'm going to have to risk it. If my brother's evil spirit returns, I know Atem and Yugi will defeat him like last time," Ryan decided before digging in his backpack and retrieving his millennium ring. "I'm not afraid of him... not anymore!"
"What are you guys talking about? Evil spirit?" Mai questioned.
"We'll explain it after the duel," Joey assured before facing Ryan. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure," Ryan declared before he let the lace of the ring fall around his neck and it glowed with brilliance. "I'm not afraid of him!"
Everyone felt themselves being removed as their bodies limped, which made Pegasus jump. He started wondering what happened to them. Yugi gasped, looking back, then seeing the ring around Ryan's neck. He felt something entering his mind, but not Pegasus' millennium eye. It was Ryan! He sealed everyones' souls into the hallway of Yugi's soul room. Ryan had come up with a plan.
Inside the hallway that lead to the two soul rooms of Yugi and Atem, everyone woke up on the floor of the hall. It was as if they were waking up from being unconscious. For Ryan and Ryou, this was normal. Speaking of the Bakura twins, everyone had noticed that there were two Bakura's. One was Ryan, obviously, and the other looked like an innocent version of him, which was hard to believe. Mai looked completely awestruck. She had seen magic and other bizarre stuff, but this one had to take the cake. Joey and Tristan felt like they were losing it.
"Maybe dad was right about smoking pot," Tristan said.
"You're still on that?" Joey asked awestruck.
"HEY! YOU TRY GETTING OFF NICOTINE!"
"Actually, I'm Ryou. Remember me?" Ryou asked with his soft smile.
"I think I do," Hanaski remembered, giving his hand out before they shook hands. "Cool!"
"Okay, enough of the crappy chat, we need to make sure that mother f***er lays off Yugi," Ryan said, walking to Yugi's soul room and closing the door.
"What about Atem?" Joey asked before running to the other soul room. Once he entered, his eyes widened by the look of the dark soul room. "DAMN!"
"Yugi was right. Atem's room is darker than Panik's darkness... and that's saying something," Mai realized.
"Look!" Hanaski pointed to the limped body on the floor of the dark soul room. It was Atem, who seemed very weak.
"Atem! Wake up, man!" Joey cried, shaking Atem's body.
Atem moaned and barely opened his eyes, muttering, "Joey."
"We're here, man."
"We'll need an army to defeat Pegasus' millennium eye. All of us can gather here and keep that damn eye from entering. I figured that's how Pegasus entered into Yugi and Atem's mind, it goes through this hallway and into one of these doors," Ryan explained as everyone gathered in front of Yugi's door to his soul room. Joey tried to help Atem up, who was barely making any movement.
"C'mon man, you can do it," Joey said, pumping his friend up.
"Joey," Atem muttered again.
"Hm," Ryan smirked as Ryou gave a childish smile and nodded.
Everyone saw three bright glows that appeared at the hall of the soul rooms. They all also were lying on the floor. To everyone's surprise, it was Seto, Mokuba, and Solomon. The new trio slowly picked themselves up as if they woke up from a coma. Seto seemed to be in slight shock before discovering he wasn't in Duelist Kingdom anymore, or at least not where he knew.
"Wha... where am I?" Mokuba asked in a muttered tone. He slowly picked his head up and saw his brother. "SETO!" He glomped on Seto with tears in his eyes. "I missed you sooooo much!"
"I missed you too," Seto replied with a soft smile across his lips. At that point, Mokuba's name on his right hand disappeared. "Now, can somebody tell me where the hell I am?"
"We're inside Atem's mind you might say," Ryan replied with a devious smirk. He then cut to the chase. "Yugi is battling Pegasus in a shadow game. Atem played, but he passed out and we're trying to block Pegasus' eye from getting into Yugi's soul room."
"Where's Atem?" Seto asked before seeing Joey exit Atem's soul room with his friend barely alive or responding.
Seto walked toward Atem, also helping him on his feet. Everyone gathered in front of Yugi's soul room door and waiting for the millennium eye to show up. Joey's arms were like butter and kept slipping from his grip on the small teen. Seto sighed deeply and held Atem straight while most of his body was leaning toward the CEO President.
"I'll keep the ass up!" Seto snapped as Joey nodded and stepped in front of him.
As soon as Yugi heard his friends' thoughts of them being ready for Pegasus, he drew his next card. Pegasus gleamed in excitement, unknowing of the upcoming events that were about to take place. His eye streamed into Yugi's mind, then when he was about to reach the door, something blocked it. A wall? NO! It was all of Yugi's and Atem's friends. Ryan, Ryou, Hanaski, Tea, Mai, Joey, Tristan, SETO, MOKUBA, AND SOLOMON TOO?
"WHAT? WHAT'S THIS? WHAT'S GOING ON?" Pegasus cried in horror.
"Pegasus, you sick son of a bitch, you get your mother f***ing ass away from this mind!" Seto spat, holding Atem up who was barely opening his eyes.
"Guys!" Yugi cried in joy.
"Don't worry about a thing, Yugi!" Hanaski grinned with a wink.
"Yeah, Atem's okay!" Mokuba said excitedly.
"Listen Yugi, and you listen good, kick Pegasus' homo ass for locking my brother and I in cards," Seto demanded.
"And f*** shit with him!" Ryan included.
"We believe in you!" Ryou cheered with his childish smile.
"Thanks! I'll win for sure!" Yugi grinned with confidence. "I play Mystic Box! This frees Dark Magician from your stupid mutated monster!" One box was inside Relinquished with Dark Magician inside and the other had Jigen Bakudan. Dark Magician was now free. "There, you're safe now, Mahad."
"Thank you, Master," Mahad thanked as Yugi showed a childish smile and a nod.
"But your dragon is still inside Relinquished. Once the bomb goes off, your dragon dies!" Pegasus pointed out.
"We'll see," Yugi smirked before drawing his next card. "I use Brain Control to take control of your Relinquished for one turn!"
"Too bad! Jigen Bakudan will explode at this moment and take away your life points!"
"M-my face-down," Yugi heard Atem mutter.
"My brother had a face-down card. Let's see what it is!" Yugi smirked as he flipped it over, which he saw what it was after his friends blocked Pegasus' pathway to his soul room. "DARK MAGIC RITUAL! I will sacrifice my Winged Dragon of the Fortress and Jigan with my Dark Magician." A hexagon circle appeared in the middle with Dark Magician, and Winged Dragon Guardian of the Fortress and Jigan Bakudan floating above the poles. "NOW! COME, MAGICIAN OF BLACK CHAOS!" Dark Magician flew into a vortex and appeared through the dark as Dark Magician of Black Chaos.
"I will protect you, my master," Dark Magician of Black Chaos promised. "Because I was created with your Dark Magician, I can talk to you like this as well."
"I know," Yugi nodded before smirking childishly at Pegasus. "This is our trump card. Let's see how much damage this guy can do."
Pegasus felt so annoyed, but decided to wait until his next turn. Brain Control would wear off and Relinquished would be on his field and absorb Magician of Black Chaos. Pegasus knew Yugi couldn't beat him even if he played to his limits, or so he believed. Yugi had everything in the bags, now that Pegasus' mind reading powers were gone. His friends were there to make sure Pegasus never set foot into the spirit's mind room.
Yugi could sense his brother waking up slowly and gaining his contentiousness. He knew that Atem was weak and tired, but was there with his friends to prevent Pegasus from getting inside Yugi's mind room. They all were blocking Pegasus' eye from getting inside the mind room. Ryan had risked everything for this moment. Yugi wasn't planning on letting this be in vain.
Yugi drew his next card and declared, "I place one face-down card, then I play Kuriboh." Kuriboh appeared in attack mode, ready to pounce. Pegasus was baffled that there was someone that actually uses Kuriboh, especially someone like Yugi. It only meant that he was aware of this monster's useful ability. Pegasus also couldn't see Yugi's face-down card thanks to his friends, but he still had one trump card. Pegasus drew his next card.
"Your Brainwashing spell is worn off, so Relinquished is mine. It can absorb your monster's attack and use it as a shield, but with you, that effect won't happen twice, so..." Pegasus said before flipping his two face-down cards. "I'll use these." The two spell cards were shown as Thousand-Eyes Idol and Polymerization. "I'll use Polymerization to fuse Thousand-Eyes Idol and Relinquished to create Thousand-Eyes Restrict!" Relinquished and Thousand-Eyes Idol fused together and created a monster that was like Relinquished, but it had almost a thousand eyes. Yugi cringed a little.
"Ok, that's just gross looking," Yugi responded, snickering at the sight. "It looks like a mutated sea monster or something."
"Ah, but its powers are equal to Magician of Black Chaos. Once Thousand-Eyes Restrict opens its eyes, all your monsters will feel helpless on the field," Pegasus pointed out.
"It still looks gross."
"You still plan on using Magician of Black Chaos?"
"Duh! And I'm gonna kick your flippin' ass!" Yugi promised with boldness in his heart.
"Thousand-Eyes Restrict, open your eyes!" Pegasus ordered as his monster opened every single eyeball. The eyes paralyzed Kuriboh and Magician of Black Chaos. Yugi had to use every ounce of strength to prevent himself from grossing out over the monster. It was a good thing Tea wasn't here. "My Thousand-Eyes Restrict paralyzes your monsters, making them helpless on the field." Yugi smirked widely, knowing exactly what he had to do. "Now my monster will absorb your monsters!" As soon as the main eye of Thousand-Eyes Restrict started glowing, Yugi flipped his face-down card.
"I use my spell card Multiply!" Yugi declared as his Kuriboh multiplied into thousands of Kuribohs all around Magician of Black Chaos. Pegasus gasped in horror as all the little fuzzballs absorbed into Thousand-Eyes Restrict instead of Magician of Black Chaos. All the Kuribohs appeared in every eyeball of Thousand-Eyes Restrict. "Now it looks alot better, and of course you are aware of Kuriboh's special ability when touching a monster."
Pegasus' eyes widened as he watched Thousand-Eyes Restrict explode by little mini mines all over the monster. Yugi's life points were left with 100 while Thousand-Eyes Restrict became blinded by the exploding Kuribohs. On the long run, Magician of Black Chaos was also freed from Thousand-Eyes Restrict's spell since the monster was blind. Yugi smirked victoriously.
"Magician of Black Chaos, FINISH OFF PEGASUS ONCE AND FOR ALL!" Yugi shouted with victory written on his face as Magician of Black Chaos spun its wand and shot a huge blast at Thousand-Eyes Restrict, banishing it from the field. Yugi let Atem take over since the battle was finally over and Pegasus' life points were now 0.
"PEGASUS! WE WIN!" Atem shouted victoriously.
At that moment, Atem's puzzle and Ryan's ring glowed with brilliance and everyone's souls returned to their own bodies. Everyone woke up from the floor, gaining back their contentiousness. Ryan had succeeded in helping Atem and Yugi prevent Pegasus' eye from entering Yugi's soul room. Everyone else had contributed in also preventing Pegasus' eye from entering Yugi's mind room. Atem had given all he had until his last strength.
Atem appeared in his own soul room where Yugi stood there with an exciting smile. They continually stared at each other longingly. Nothing could ruin this moment. They finally ran and embraced each other in their arms. A tear shed in Yugi's left eye, glad that Atem was alive and well.
"I thought... when you fainted that... I'd never see you again," Yugi admitted with a tearful joy.
"It doesn't matter," Atem smirked, separating their embrace. "We did it!" They immediately gave themselves a high five up in the air. "And everyone contributed."
"That's right!"
Atem opened his eyes, finding himself inside the Duel Box in front of Pegasus. His friends were outside the Duel Box having their moment. Though, there was something different, it was Ryan. He was now holding eyes just as innocent as Yugi's, and a bright smile shown across his face. The millennium ring was around the white-haired boy's neck again, which meant this was Ryou.
"That was amazing!" Hanaski cried out.
"Yeah, I felt like..." Joey started before being interrupted.
"Like we were fighting along side Yugi, and we were. We won and Pegasus is finally defeated," Ryou clarified as Joey's head turned boiling hot.
"HEY! I WAS GONNA SAY THAT!"
"Who cares, man. WE WON!" Tristan shouted joyfully as everyone leaped up in the air and ran to the door of the Duel Box.
"I think this whole tournament is going to require years of therapy," Mai moaned with her hand on her forehead. "By this time, nothing surprises me."
Atem got up from his chair and glared at Pegasus, who was now defeated at this point, saying, "you know the deal. RELEASE THE SOULS OF GRANDPA AND THE KAIBA BROTHERS!"
"Very well," Pegasus muttered as he took the cards from his pocket and the pictures of Seto and Mokuba disappeared. Atem checked his phone, turning it on. His grandfather's face was no longer there.
"Their souls are free. I can feel it in my ring," Ryou assured with his bright smile.
"My men will get your prize ready... as soon as someone releases their souls back into their bodies!" Pegasus glared, pointing dagger eyes at Ryou as he chuckled.
"Sorry about that. My brother can be a little extreme," Ryou apologized before his ring glowed and the souls inside the avatar dolls, in the dungeon, were returned to their normal bodies.
"Wait, you're Ryou aren't you?" Tristan asked as Ryou nodded. "Huh, no wonder you were acting so nice."
"The door to the dungeon is also locked. Though, I'd like to talk to you about something. There's another reason I came besides rooting for my friend," Ryou said before giving a glance to his friends.
"Got it!" Joey nodded as he walked on his way to the dungeon to unlock it and free the guards. Though, he gawked up laughing when he realized what Ryan did to the guards.
"I've read alot of people's minds in my life, but never one with two minds," Pegasus said, then faced Ryou. "You have that power too, I'm guessing."
"My brother and I share a body. Though, our millennium powers are different. I can seal souls into objects or people. Atem can unite souls as one. What I want to know is about these millennium items. You have a picture of Shadi, a man Atem claimed he met, who holds two millennium items. You must know something about these items."
"I know much," Pegasus said, a smile appearing on his lips. "I've also never found out his name. I'll tell you as much as I know. There is an evil power inside each millennium item."
"An... evil power?" Ryou questioned. "Does this have anything to do with the evil spirit who keeps trying to gain control of my soul room?"
Pegasus' eyes widened and looked up at Ryou. His eyes furrowed and replied, "then it's true. Both of you carry spirits of the millennium items. The souls of actual people." Atem and Ryou gasped. What did Pegasus mean by 'actual people.' "In that case, let me explain to you from the very beginning." Pegasus showed a duel monster card, but this one showed a picture of the beautiful young girl Ryan and Atem saw on the dining room wall. "Her name is Cecelia, my wife. We grew up as kids and married. Though, at seventeen, Cecelia died from a terrible sickness. I fell into depression for a while and even visited with a psychiatrist. He told me traveling to different places would help me cope with my loss. During my visit, I met this... Shadi fellow. He seemed young, but was older than he looked... way older. Anyways, he was stopping a thief who was stealing that ring around your neck." Ryou gasped, then remembered something.
"I... I think I remember that. A thief was trying to steal the millennium items for money and power. He was given a timeout, though I never recalled meeting you. Probably because you never had your hands on the ring," Ryou confessed as Atem eyed at his white-haired friend.
"Yes well... he also read my mind as well, not the same as I do," Pegasus explained as Atem let out a snort.
"Yeah... I noticed," Atem replied.
"I watched that thief being given that millennium ring and put around his neck, but as soon as it was laced, he was burned to death. I was horrified watching this. Shadi caught me following him, then gave me this," Pegasus finished, pointing to his eye. "He got it from the Tablet of the Pharaoh's memories. My guess is that it's Atem who carries the Pharaoh's soul." Atem gasped quietly. "Not surprised of this baffling. Yugi-boy would no nothing besides his temporary name. When he placed the eye inside my eye, I saw things I never saw before. A door opened and I met Cecelia for only a moment before she disappeared from my sight." The boys felt pity on this rich billionaire, who turned out to be a poor man morning for his dead wife. "I am terribly sorry for what I did, but... I suppose I wanted to take over the company, because of their holographic system that makes monsters so real. I thought... I could..." Pegasus stared at the duel card of Cecelia. The boys nodded and understood what Pegasus was trying to clarify.
"You thought taking control of the company would help you see your wife again, even if it was under cruel conditions," Atem finished in a muttered tone as Pegasus nodded. "Seto would've never agreed to this."
"I would've freed you after gaining control. I'm not as cruel as I seem."
"I know now," Atem said, staring at the ground. "If that were Yugi, I would've done the same, if not worse. If I didn't forgive you, that'd make me the monster."
"Thank you," Pegasus thanked with a hopeful smile before standing up, facing the boys. "You're Ryan's spirit right? Be cautious. You and Atem won't be friends for long. The pharaoh not only trapped his own soul, but evil souls as well. You having an evil spirit is no coincidence."
The boys nodded and walked on their way to the bedroom where Seto and Mokuba were resting at. Those words will never be forgotten and Atem knew that Ryou would soon be controlled by this evil spirit. This battle wasn't over, not even close. Atem and Yugi both knew that their battle had just begun.