To all my readers-I want everyone to know that for the duel of Yugi Muto and Maximillion Pegasus will take a while for me to write because I want to upload them in a certain way. They'll still be in episode order, mind you, I'm just going to be uploading them differently. So dont rush me on those chapters, otherwise I will delay uploading them by a month. Okay?

If anyone, and I mean anyone tries to rush me while writing this fanfic or any of my other fanfics, all written chapters will be delayed for a week. No exceptions. Leave a positive review and Happy Reading!

I DONT OWN YUGIOH AT ALL! I ONLY OWN THE OC AND HER DUELING DECK!

Shoutouts:

Guest-thanks

"This is awful." said Tea as she and the others were cut off from helping Yugi and the spirit defeat Pegasus. "When that bubble first appeared, even though I couldn't see Yugi, I could still somehow sense him."

"Weird, huh?" asked Paige.

"Yeah! But now…." said Tea.

"I know." said Joey. "It's like we've been cut off from him."

"Or maybe…maybe he's cut off from us!" said Tristan.

"That Bakudan Detonator Pegasus set is due to set off in two turns." thought Yami as he tries to come up with a plan on his own while Pegasus chuckles. "But with Yugi gone from this world, he can no longer help me keep Pegasus from reading minds."

"Yugi is still with you." Grandpa said to Yami.

"Huh?"

Appearing before him with Yugi on the floor, Grandpa looked at Yami. "You must be…" Yami started to ask.

"Yugi's and Paige's grandpa." said Grandpa. "And, believe me, his heart is still in this."

"But…but how can that be?" asked Yami. "I thought he was…."

"You thought only what your eyes showed you." Grandpa tells him. "The unshakable devotion of Yugi's friends and sister keeps his spirit alive."

"His friends? Paige?" asked Yami as Grandpa was pulled away while images of Tea, Paige, Joey and Tristan came to his mind. "Of course. They havent given up on him."

"There's got to be something we can do." said Tea. "We can't lose him."

"Like what, Tea?" asked Paige. "We physically can't get in there because we'll either go to the other side of the arena or automatically come back here."

"Hey! I've got an idea." said Tea.

"Huh?" said Paige and the boys.

"Yugi reached out to us, so we try reaching out to him in the same way." Tea suggested.

"Huh?" said Joey and Tristan.

"I like it." said Paige.

"Remember the friendship pact we made?" Tea asked.

"Yeah!" said Tristan, remembering that Tea drew a smiley face on their hands.

"I sure do." said Joey.

"We said we'd always be there for each other." said Tristan.

"Right." said Tea as Paige nodded. "Well, if we concentrate our energies and try to reach him with all our might…"

"Then maybe our bond of friendship can get through to him in the Shadow Realm." said Joey. "Let's give it a try."

"Let's do it." said Paige.

"Ok, together now!" said Tea as they put their hands in and glared at the Shadow Realm. "Think hard! We can do this. I know we can."

"Come on, Yuge!" said Tristan.

"All of us are here for ya!" said Joey.

"Yugi!" said Paige.

"Yugi, we believe in you." said Tea. "And even though we might not be able to see just what's going on in there, we'll help you stop Pegasus' cheating and get you back here safely."

Yami gasps at Tea's declaration. "Here's my move!" he said, drawing his next card. "Hmm."

"Then let's take a look." said Pegasus, chuckling as he used the power of the Millenium Eye. "Ah! Trying to conceal your card, eh? Fool, there's nothing you can hide from me since you lost your mind-shuffling partner." He then sees Paige and the others quickly appear on the card, holding Yugi with the youngest glaring at him.

"Oh, no! Impossible! Inconceivable! My Millenium Eye, it's being blocked! This can't be!" said Pegasus. "My Millenium powers are totally unstoppable. I should be able to scan your every thought and strategy. I should be able to see each and every card in your deck."

"Not anymore, Pegasus." said Joey. "Not so long as we're helping our buddy out. Get out of his mind and stay out."

Pegasus gasps as Yami throws him back. "Thank you." he said to Joey. "Together we can stand strong against him."

"And we will." said Paige as Pegasus snarls at them.

"Pegasus, you just don't get it." said Tea.

"You think your eye makes all the difference." said Joey.

"But you're wrong. Friends do." said Tristan.

"And you will pay for taking Grandpa away from me and my brother." said Paige.

"That's right." said Yami. "And thanks to them, I can save my Magician from the blast of your Bakudan Detonator."

"You cannot." Pegasus said. "My Detonator will win this duel for me despite your pathetic little friends and pathetic little sister."

"Wrong!" shouted Yami as he points to Pegasus. "Because now that these friends and sister are working with me on a whole new level, this is a whole new game!"

Pegasus groans at this, but doesn't back down. "Now, prepare yourself, Pegasus." said Yami. "Because with Yugi's friends and sister preventing you from seeing the cards I pull, you'll just have to take them as they come. And for this turn, they don't come any better than this."

Yami places down a spell card. "Go, Mystic Box!" he shouted and it appears on the field, surrounding Relinquished's body.

"Mystic Box! I could have countered that if I had been able to see that coming." Pegasus thought as he darted his eyes. "Ugh!"

The door of Mystic Box opens and Dark Magician was free from Relinquished's body, returning to Yami's side. "The magic of the Mystic Box frees my Magician and puts your Bakudan Detonator in his place." said Yami as Mystic Box disappears, revealing Bakudan Detonator in Dark Magician's place.

"No, now its blasts will only destroy Relinquished." exclaimed Pegasus, seeing that there was only one turn to go on Bakudan. "No fair!"

"Hmm." said Yami, pleased with himself. Pegasus drew his next card.

"I pass. There's nothing I can do." he said as Yami stares him down.

"Very well." Yami said, drawing his next card. "My move, then. Hmm. Heh."

The smile on Yami's face caused Pegasus to gasp in fear. "Go, Brain Control!" shouted Yami, placing Brain Control down on the field.

"No, then Relinquished will be…." said Pegasus, but it was too late.

"Brainwashed!" said Yami as Brain Control appeared on the field and takes Relinquished, bringing it to him. "Under my control for one whole turn! How does it feel, Pegasus? To have the tables turned and the magical powers of Mind Control used against you?"

"Ah!" gasped Pegasus, seeing that there was one turn left on Bakudan. He then starts laughing uncontrollably, smiling at Yami. Yami growls at Pegasus.

"Go ahead and take Relinquished, you fool!" Pegasus said. "That detonator you attached to him is set to go off this turn. It'll blast your Magician and deplete your life points."

"You're wrong, Pegasus." said Yami.

"Huh?"

"Remember, I still have one more card out, the card that took the last bit of Yugi's courage to play." Yami explained, picking up the card. "And now it's time to find out what it is!"

"It's a ritual card!" exclaimed Pegasus as Yami turned over a spell card.

"Dark Magic Ritual." said Yami. "And to invoke its great powers, I must make a double offering, so I offer your Jigen Bakudan and the Dark Magician."

"No, Bakudan's been sacrificed before it could detonate." thought Pegasus. "But what has he created in its place?"

A dark tornado appeared from the ritual. "The offering has been accepted. A new power is brought forth!" said Yami. "Now, Pegasus! Behold! The Magician of Black Chaos!"

The Magician of Black Chaos (ATT: 2,800/ DEF:2,600) came forth before Pegasus, who was now in shocked by the new look. "No! Not him! Not him!" Pegasus thought fearfully.

"You may have succeeded in putting Yugi out of commission, but not before his final courageous act set the stage for the greatest magician in all of duel monsters!" said Yami. "And with the Magician of Black Chaos, I will avenge my fallen friend. Face it, Pegasus. You're through. No card in your deck can save you now! Yugi's last act of courage will finish you!"

"As powerful as that creature may be, it matters not! In one turn, that Brain Control card will expire, and I will regain command over Relinquished. The power to absorb and assimilate monsters will be mine again!" thought Pegasus. "And with it, I'll steal that Magician of Black Chaos and his powers! Instead of being this fool's deliverance, he'll be his undoing! You know, I think you're right about that Chaos Mage! I think he will bring about the end of this match. And a lot sooner than you think!"

"We'll see!" said Yami.

"We will, indeed!" said Pegasus. "Give it your best shot."

"Now, to complete my strategy, I play this." said Yami, placing a card face down with the spirits of Yugi and the others helping out. Pegasus growled, knowing that he couldn't read Yami's mind. "And also one monster card in defensive mode." he then said, placing the card face down in defense mode. "That ends my turn."

"Hmm. 2 cards face down. Clever boy." thought Pegasus. "He knows that when Relinquished is back under my control, I'll have the power to assimilate his monsters! Those cards he threw must be part of a strategy to try and stop me. Its my turn now. And the effects of your turn are over."

The effects of Brain Control disappeared and Relinquished returned to Pegasus. "Now, your Brain Control spell has expired, and Relinquished is back where he belongs: with his daddy." said Pegasus, snickering. "And even with your 2 mystery cards out on the field, I think you'll find that he's just as effective as ever."

"Humph."

"That is, after I make a small addition to him and create the most sinister beast my deck can produce!" Pegasus thought to himself before laughing. "Then I'll crush this fool and make him regret ever trifling with my powers. If you think you have Relinquished all figured out…think again."

Pegasus then places two cards down. "Because I'm using my Polymerization card to fuse him with Thousand Eyes Idol! Now prepare yourself for the ultimate merged monster!" said Pegasus. "Oh, yes! Behold my beauty!" On Relinquished, eyes were forming underneath the skin.

"With the Thousand Eyes Idol and Relinquished fused together, I've created the one, the only: The Thousand Eyes Restrict!" said Pegasus as eyes appeared on Relinquished. "He's quite a looker, eh?"

"Huh?" Yami slightly gasps, taking in Thousand Eyes Restrict.

"If you think he's a real stunner now, well, just wait until all thousand of his eyes open up!" Pegasus tells Yami. "Then I think you'll find that he's much more than such a pretty face."

"Keep it up, guys." said Tea. "We have to stay strong for Yugi!"

"We're not letting up, Tea, not until he's home safe!" said Tristan.

"Come on, Yuge." thought Joey. "I know you can do this. We're with you pal."

"We wont give up on you, Yugi." thought Tristan. "We're in this together."

"Yugi, we believe in you, like we always have." thought Tea. "We believe in you with all our hearts."

"You got this, Yugi. I know you can." thought Paige. "Grandpa and I need you."

"The end is truly in sight, wouldn't you say?" chuckled Pegasus.

"Grr. Not with my Chaos Mage protecting me!" said Yami and Pegasus chuckles again.

"Oh, I think you'll find that once all eyes are on you Magician of Black Chaos, he wont be able to protect himself." Pegasus told Yami, laughing hysterically. "Oh, trust me. You'll see what I mean very shortly."

"Hmm…" thought Yami.

"Soon, every eyeball on my Thousand Eyes Restrict will open up, and all the monster Yugi has on the field will be paralyzed, unable to attack to defend." thought Pegasus as every single eye slightly opened. "Then nothing will stop me from assimilating that Chaos Mage and winning this duel once and for all!"

"I may not know what Pegasus is planning to do with that monstrosity of his, but whatever it may be, I cant let it happen, not after the tremendous act of bravery Yugi made to give us a fighting chance against Pegasus." Yami thought as he glared at the creator of Duel Monsters.

[Flashback]

"We both have to trust in the heart of the cards." said Yugi, struggling as he drew the next card. "This next card that I pull might be my last! Please, make it one that can defeat Pegasus!"

Yugi quickly takes a look and places down on the field before he finally passes out.

[Flashback ends]

"Yugi risks everything to give me this chance." thought Yami. "I cant let his last heroic effort be in vain. Especially not to Paige."

Pegasus chuckles as he watches Yami. "Pegasus, you can do your worst, but this duel will be won by the card Yugi picked in his final act of courage." said Yami. Pegasus chuckles at Yami's declaration.

"We'll see about that." said Pegasus. "Thousand Eyes Restrict, time to open your peepers!"

"Chaos Mage! Prepare yourself. Try to hold him off." commanded Yami.

"There is nothing you can do to hold this attack off." Pegasus said. "For, now I unleash the Thousand Eyes Spell!"

All of the eyes glowed a green light, basking the Magician of Black Chaos and placing him in a stand still. "My Chaos Mage!" shouted Yami.

"(Chuckling) Is trapped by the Mystic Gaze of my Ultimate Beast!" said Pegasus. "And don't think you can rescue him. There's no escape from the mesmerizing eyes whose gaze blankets your field. Even the monsters you've hidden from me have become paralyzed."

"You havent won yet." said Yami.

"Don't be a fool! In just a matter of moments, my Thousand Eyes Restrict will assimilate your Chaos Mage, absorb his magical powers and finish you off with one thunderous blast!" said Pegasus. "There's nothing you can do!"

Yami growled at the situation he was in. "Accept it. It's all over." said Pegasus. "Yugi's last card has failed you both. His millenium puzzle will soon be mine! Chaos Mage, come to me. Absorption Force!"

"Just the play I was waiting for!" said Yami, making his move as Thousand Eyes Restrict was about to absorb Chaos Mage.

"(Laughing) In mere moments, your Magician of Black Chaos will be assimilated, and all of his powers will be mine!" said Pegasus.

"Wrong!" said Yami.

"Huh?"

Appearing before the Chaos Mage was Kuriboh, multiplying at a fast rate. "What's happening?" asked Pegasus.

"You were right about your Thousand Eyes Spell. It did affect all my hidden monsters, specifically my Kuriboh." explained Yami. "And it paralyzed him along with my Chaos Mage."

"No, this cant be!" exclaimed Pegasus.

"Yes." Yami said, then reveals his next card. "And I activated my other down card, Multiply. One Kuriboh is becoming many."

Howling, Kuriboh multiplied itself protectively around the Chaos Mage. "Those disgusting fuzz balls!" thought Pegasus. "They're spreading everywhere like wildfire!"

"And because its too late to call back the Absorption Force Spell that you just cast, your Thousand Eyes Restrict has no choice but to assimilate them all!" said Yami as Thousand Eyes Restrict absorbs all of the Kuriboh. "If it can!"

"No!" Pegasus screamed to himself as he watches every single Kuriboh cover an eye as Thousand Eyes Restrict's attack points rose to 300.

"Those furry freaks have covered him from head to toe!" cried Pegasus. "There must be a thousand of them."

"Tens of thousands, Pegasus!" chuckled Yami. "And because of the way the Kuribohs attacks, you're about to see just as many explosions."

"No!" shouted Pegasus as Kuriboh did its job. "Kuribohs self-destruct on contact with the enemy. O-Ohh! AARGH! Curse you, Yugi Muto, you and your Kuribohs!"

"Of course, Kuriboh was my monster, so I do lose 300 life points." said Yami as his life points drop to 100. "But still, that's a small price to pay for crippling that giant eyesore!"

"No!" shouted Pegasus. "My Thousand Eyes Restrict! He's blind!"

"And now that your monster's transfixing gaze has been broken, my Chaos Mage is free, and you, Pegasus, are through!" said Yami.

Pegasus moaned in terror, fearing of what Yami would do next. "Attack, Magician, with Chaos Scepter Blast!" shouted Yami as Magician of Black Chaos reaches for its scepter, then hits the ground with its attack.

Magician of Black Chaos blinds Thousand Eyes Restrict even more with its attack. "Your Thousand Eyes Restrict has been…destroyed." said Yami.

"Oh, no-o!" screamed Pegasus, grabbing his head.

"Huh?"

"Eh?"

"Yugi…?" asked Paige, confused as they all looked at the bubble of the Shadow Realm.

"Hey, do you guys feel what I feel?" asked Joey.

"Totally! It feels like Yugi! Like he's okay!" said Tristan.

"Yeah, yeah!" said Tea. "I feel it too. I think he's back!"

"He's back alright." said Paige, smiling.

"Pegasus, you're finished. We've won!" said Yugi, finally back in his body.

"No! How can this be?" thought Pegasus as Yami and the others appeared behind Yugi. "It's….its….(gasps) impossible. My eye, my magic, it all failed me. Cecilia, my love, I'm sorry. I've lost!"

"Hmm." said Yugi, as Pegasus cried in defeat. "Spirit of the puzzle, I don't know how to thank you."

"It was your courage and the love your friends and sister had for you that prevailed this day." said Yami.

"And your determination." said Yugi in agreement as Yami nodded.

"Hey!" said Paige, her hands on her cheeks.

"Paige!" said Yugi and Yami.

"You do realize that I love you both, right?" she asked, looking between the two boys. "Plus I think I passed out again in front of our friends."

"Why are you covering your face with your hands?" Yugi asked his sister.

"What do you think? I'm not having another round of Joey slapping my face." she tells him. "At least Tea and Tristan do it better than he does."

"He needs to think better when he does that." Yami chimed in.

"Totally." said Paige.

"We all did it! Together!" said Yugi as he and Yami high-fived each other.

"That's right. As friends." said Yami.

"And in the end, that's what it came down to." said Yugi and the three looked at each other. "Friends and family being there for one another."

"Hey!" said Joey as the Shadow Realm starts to disappear. "Its clearing up!"

"Yeah. And I think I can see something." said Tristan before gently trying to wake Paige up.

"Me, too!" said Joey. "Ya think it's…."

"It is. Its him!" said Tristan as Paige opened her eyes.

"Yugi!" said the others and they ran up to the eldest Muto.

"Hmm?" asked Yugi, looking over his shoulder. "You guys! Thanks!"

"Aw, man, Yuge!" said Joey, his hands on his friend's shoulders. "You did it! You really did it! You really finally did it! Uhh!"

"Our turn! Move over!" said Paige as Tea pushes him back.

"What Joey is trying to say is that its really great you, Paige and your grandpa are going to be reunited." said Tea as Paige hugs her brother.

"Yeah, for sure." said Joey. "But also, Yuge…."

"Also, we wanted to say how impressed we are with you being so brave and all." said Tristan.

"Yeah, impressed, and we're….." said Joey, but was cut off by Tea once again.

"And we're proud of you, too." added Tea.

"AARGH! You guys are stealin' everything I was gonna say!" said Joey, frustrated. "AAH!"

"So then, talk! Sheesh!" said Tea.

"Don't scared me like that, ever again." said Paige. "Got it?"

"You know it, Paige." said Yugi.

"Ah, forget it. Who cares? He won!" said Joey.

"Yugi won! Hey, hey! Go, Yugi! Yeah!"

"We all won. Thanks guys." said Yugi.

"Wait! Lets not forget." said Tea, reminding them about what Pegasus had promised. "This isn't over until Pegasus releases everyone's souls just like he promised."

"Yeah, Tea's right." said Joey.

"So then, lets go grab the creep." said Tristan and Yugi nodded.

"Uh…yeah, that's gonna be a problem." said Paige.

"Hmm?" Yugi asked, turning around to see that Pegasus wasn't there. "He's gone!"

On the other side of the arena, Pegasus had disappeared and his cards were strayed across the panel. "Why am I not surprised by this?" questioned Joey.

"Because nothing surprises us anymore." said Paige.

"Slippery double-crossin' snake!" said Tristan. "Let's go find him."

"But we cant just leave Mokuba and Bakura here all alone." said Tea.

"Hey! Up here!" Bakura called out to them, getting their attention.

"Huh?"

"Hello! Hey!" he said, waving to them.

"Someone's up and walking." said Paige.

"Bakura!" said Yugi.

"Hey, there!" said Tristan. "Feelin' back to normal?"

"What? Back to normal?" questioned Bakura. "Have I not been normal, Tristan?"

"He must not be able to remember anything." Tristan said to himself before calling out to Bakura. "Yeah, that weird ring you wear around your neck was makin' you act like a real freak again!"

"Freak? Oh my." said Bakura.

"His Millenium Ring?" asked Yugi.

"His evil side came back?" asked Paige.

"Where is it now?" Yugi asked Tristan.

"Gone. I chucked that thing as far away as I could." replied Tristan.

"Good." said Paige.

"Oh, well." said Bakura. "If it was making me act weird, then I guess it was for the best. But it appears I'm fine now."

"Well, if you're okay," Tea said as they nodded in agreement. "could you watch Mokuba for us?"

"Sure. I supposed." said Bakura.

"Good. Then lets go and find that creep, Pegasus." said Joey.

"Mm-hmm." said Yugi.

"After all, he made a promise to free those souls, and he's gonna keep it!" said Joey as they took off. In the wings, Yami Bakura smiled as he turns away.

"If Pegasus restores Mokuba's soul, his body will be useless to me." he thought as he looked at Mokuba and the Millenium Ring glows underneath his shirt. "But it matters not, because now that Pegasus is weakened by his duel with Yugi, he's given me the opportunity I've been waiting for. The time has finally come for me to add Pegasus' millenium item to my collection. Heh-heh-heh."