Chapter 3

That night, after heading to bed, I found myself in a labyrinth of sorts. Was this a dream? I thought as I looked around.

"I'm afraid it's not, child." I turned to face where the familiar voice was coming from, only to find a woman around my age. She was wearing a Dorian peplos, a knee length, woolen dress that was fastened at the shoulder with pins. Brass gauntlets were on her wrists, with a quiver of arrows on her back. Brass armor covered her chest, and a Spartan helmet covered her face, though I could see her eyes were a startling ruby red. Looking over her more, I noticed her skin was an olive color, she had an athletic build, and a crimson red cape draped over her shoulders. "It seems your mind is restless, refusing to allow you respite. I'm sure you have many questions as to where you are and who I am." She spoke again, turning my attention to her face as she reached up and removed the helmet. I watched as her dark brown hair fell out of her helmet and down to her mid back before finally coming to a stop. When she looked up, I saw that her face was nearly identical to mine. She didn't have my freckles or the same pale skin as me, but the face shape, her almond eyes, small lips and nose were exactly like mine. "However, there are questions I myself am still seeking the answers to." Her eyes seemed to change color as she spoke from the blood red, to a midway point between emerald green and Ruby red, a contrast that was so starking and yet, so enthralling. "We don't have a lot of time, Calliope." Her voice was commanding, but soft.

"Wait, how do you-?"

"My dear, I've been locked in the Millennium Bracelet for 5000 years, I know how to collect information with discretion." She told me.

"You heard my friends call me it." I realized.

"Specifically, the boy that wields the Millennium Puzzle." She pointed out. She looked troubled. "I still do not understand how most cannot pronounce it, it's confounding…"

"You said something about us not having a lot of time?" I interrupted, bringing her attention back to me.

"Ah, yes, that's right. A darkness is brewing, Calliope."

"Darkness?" She turned her back to me, facing an empty wall that now lay before her.

"Long ago, when the pyramids were still young, the Egyptian Kings played a game of great and terrible power." Her hands shimmered gold as her bracers turned into golden jewelry, and her right wrist bore a bracelet that was all too familiar. The bracelet Uncle Max had given me… I watched as she showed me something that looked like Egypt's ancient past, but most of it was surrounded in darkness. "But these so-called Shadow Games erupted into a war that threatened the world's very life force." It blurred into a different scene, showing someone who looked an awful lot like the Other Yugi surrounded in a golden glow. Once the light dispersed, he was gone, the items around him lying dormant. "Until a brave and powerful Pharaoh locked that magic away, therefore imprisoning it within the Eight mystical Millennium Items. The Millennium Rod, Ring, Eye, Necklace, Scales, Key, Bracelet and Puzzle were all separated, a past destined to remain buried. Until now." She turned to me. "I remember that I was there the day it was sealed away. I remember that my consciousness had been locked inside the Millennium Bracelet after my death, but to what end, I cannot recall." She suddenly looked exhausted.

"You should rest." I told her. She gave me a half smile, her eyes showing sadness.

"I have not dreamed properly for thousands of years, Calliope. All I hear when I close my eyes are screams." I felt the color drain from my face as I watched her turn her back to me again. "The voices feel so familiar, so important to me… They have to be, otherwise, their final moments wouldn't torment me so, but… Their faces are ones lost to the darkness of time; their names echoes lost in a great silence."

"I'll help you recover your memories, all of them." She turned to me in shock.

"You would do that for me?" She questioned.

"Of course." I answered. As a sudden smile graced her features, a diadem with the Eye of Horus in the middle appeared on her forehead, her armored dress changing to one worthy of the wife of a Pharaoh. It was a kalasiris, a common but simple linen sheath dress, falling from the shoulder to the ankle. A shawl of a sheer, red material was over her shoulders, and her hair was fastened out of her face and off her neck. Her dark hair had been braided in a crown braid, a golden hair piece that looked like a wreath in the center of it all while the diadem was still adorning her forehead. She looked… Beyond regal. I blinked, shaking myself out of my stunned silence. "I'm sorry, I never got your name!" My realization seemed to make her chuckle.

"No, I suppose I never gave it to you despite knowing yours…" She sighed. "To be frank, I do not remember my true name. I sense it is locked away with the rest of my memories." She looked at me. "Will you choose a temporary name for me?" She asked.

"Well, two options immediately came to mind." I watched as she tilted her head, silently asking me what they were. "Either Athena or Calypso."

"The Greek goddess of Wisdom, or the sea nymph with a voice that could enchant wayward souls." She pondered. "If I remember right, according to the myth, Calypso could heal, manipulate the air, cast curses…" She looked at me. "Perhaps Calypso would be better suited." She gave me a mischievous grin. "After all, your friends could still call me Callie and be none the wiser."

"Maybe, but I was able to notice the differences between Yugi and the spirit of his item. Do you think he'd be able to tell?" I asked. She hummed in thought.

"Only time will tell, Calliope. Now, get some rest, you need it." She urged me. I nodded in response.

"Joey, make a move already!" Tristan exclaimed after school the next day. While Joey and Téadueled, the rest of us were gathered around in a circle around them to watch. Joey placed a monster on the field.

"Mmkay, here ya go, tough guy! My Rock Ogre's gonna rock ya block off." Téa played the Happy Lover card. "Yeah, Tea, like that wimpy card has a chance against my giant rock guy. Give it up!" Joey giggled in mischief.

"Guess I don't stand a chance, unless maybe I use… The Breath of Light card."

"Ooh, nice one, Téa." Sadie commented.

"Huh? Can she do that?" Joey turned to Yugi and me.

"Oh yeah, The Breath of Light wears down rock monsters." Yugi informed Joey.

"Mmhmm, reduces them to rubble." I added.

"HUH?!" Joey exclaimed in shock.

"That brings your Life Points down to zero, Joey. Once again, you lose, and I rock." Téa told him.

"You stink at this game." Tristan replied.

"Ah!" Joey slammed his head on the desk they had been playing off for the past few matches. As we were leaving, Joey spoke up. "Tristan's right, Yuge. I do stink. I can't win at Duel Monsters to save my life. What is it, Yugi? Why can't I ever win? Guys, teach me what I'm doin' wrong."

"Well, let's start by checking your deck, Joey. I've been meaning to ask to see it, honestly, you lost a bit too easily to me yesterday." I rubbed the back of my neck.

"Huh? 'Kay. Here ya go." Joey handed me his deck.

"Thanks." Yugi looked over my shoulder as I went through the cards, getting more and more confused and partly concerned as we went through.

"Powerhouse line up, don't ya think?" Joey asked.

"No wonder you lost to me so easily, not even Kaiba could win with these." I told him after I had finished looking through them.

"Joe, your deck's filled with nothing but monster cards." Yugi added.

"You got it, I packed it with every butt-kickin' monster I could find." Joey replied.

"But that's not how the game works."

"Huh?"

"Duel Monster is all about combining your monster cards with your magic cards to increase their strength. With no magic in your deck, your monsters will get creamed every time." I told him.

"Huh?! See, that's da kinda stuff I need to know! Ya gotta help me learn more!" Joey exclaimed.

"Well, I'm definitely not the best teacher…" I trailed off, glancing at Yugi.

"Neither am I… My grandpa's the real game expert in the family. Maybe he can help." Yugi added as we walked to the Game Shop. As we entered, Gramps was hanging up a poster for an upcoming tournament.

"Gamps." Ody pointed him out. I smiled.

"Hey, Grandpa, I brought you a new student." Yugi called out to him. He turned to face us.

"Huh? Student?" Gramps asked.

"I was hoping, since you know more 'bout Duel Monsters than anyone, maybe you'd teach me." Joey told me.

"Teach you? Duel Monsters is a very complex game."

"Yeah, tell me about it. Téa beat me 3 games in a row." I grimaced at that.

"Actually, Joe, she beat you five times in a row." I corrected him.

"Five?! Aw man!" Joey exclaimed before he noticed the poster on the wall.

"Hmm… Yes, I could teach you to be a great tournament duelist, but only if you're willing to spend endless days and sleepless nights filled with rigorous training." Gramps told him.

"Ah, piece a cake." Joey brushed it off. I facepalmed. Not the smartest, is he? Calypso's voice sounded in my head.

No, no he's not. I replied.

"With an attitude like that, teaching you may not be worth my effort." Gramps' eyes suddenly reminded me of the Other Yugi's.

"Nice goin' there, smart mouth." Yugi quipped. Joey dropped to his knees.

"Please, guys, help me convince him!" Joey begged. "I will work hard, I promise!"

"Listen Joey, teaching you Duel Monsters is too big a challenge, even for my grandpa." I snorted, realizing what Yugi was doing. He was pretty much challenging his grandpa.

"It's not… Impossible." Gramps spoke up.

"Huh? Ya mean it, Gramps?" Joey turned to him.

"Joey, he already said he can't do it, and if he can't do it, he can't do it." I put it in.

"Now, I never said I couldn't do it, but if I agree, you must work hard." Gramps relented.

"I'll do anything! I promise, I promise!" Joey swore. Yugi and I exchanged grins. We'd convinced him to help Joey.

"Hmm. Fine, then we'll begin your instruction immediately, my young friend, and believe me. Under my tutelage, you will learn." Gramps cracked his knuckles. "Now, can you name the most powerful Duel Monster?"

"Uh…. No."

"Can you name the weakest?"

"No."

"You do know what a trap card is, don't you?"

"Kinda…Uh, I have no idea." Joey hung his head. A few weeks after Joey's training began, the group was gathered in the living room, watching the finals of the Regional Championship.

"Good evening Duel fans and our ten million viewers at home, and welcome to the Duel Monsters Duel Dome! Where, tonight, the Duel Monster Regional Championship will be decided. Of the 200 duelists that have competed in this marathon tournament, only two competitors remain standing. Put your cards together for Weevil Underwood, the Bug-Brawler!" The crowd on screen cheered as Weevil emerged from a door. Weevil was a 14-year-old at the time of the championship, adorning yellow glasses with what looked like beetle horns holding the whole thing together. His hair was turquoise, shortened in a Beetles cut, his glasses hiding a pair of blue eyes. He was wearing his normal outfit: a green jacket with the collar raised, a white shirt underneath, a red bowtie, brown trousers and brown shoes.

"Basic bug-eyed freak." Sadie growled under her breath. While Sadie and Ruth both had made it through to the quarter finals, they both got eliminated in that round.

"And his opponent, the number one ranked Rex Raptor, Dino-Duelist." In comparison, the 15-year-old dino user wore a black shirt under a dark green jacket with a white vest looking thing, tan pants and a red beanie. His hair was brown with the hair on his forehead dyed a light purple. While his eyes were too small to see, his eyes were a purplish blue when they went big from fear or shock. Another growl came, this time from Ruth.

"Bug boy versus Dinosaur breath? What kinda matchup is that? It should be me in there!"

"You're not ready." Sadie, Ruth and I all deadpanned.

"I know you've been training for weeks, but the girls are right. Those guys are in another league, you're just not ready yet." Téa added.

"Sure, rub it in." Joey crossed his arms over his chest.

"And on top of that, you're so tired, you can barely keep your eyes open." Yugi pointed out, just as snores started coming from Joey. "I think Grandpa's lessons have been a bit too tough for him." Yugi trailed off, looking at me. We both remembered how Joey almost fell asleep during shuffling training, a smack to the table in front of him waking him up.

"You see, it's true what they say, you snooze, you lose!" Tristan brought up, getting louder and waking Joey up. Joey hung his head.

"I musta been nuts to think I could evah learn this crazy game." Joey admitted.

"Now, wait a minute, you've definitely improved, don't sell yourself so short." I turned around to face him from my spot on the floor.

"Time for your lesson." Gramps entered the room.

"Wha- We're not done?!" Joey asked, facing Gramps.

"Not by a long shot, you slacker." Gramps answered. That's when I noticed the box Gramps was holding. I knew that box well enough to know it was from Industrial Illusions… From Uncle Max… A groan left Joey. "Now quit your whining, Joseph. I know you've been working long and hard, but you really are coming along as a Duelist and I'm quite proud of you." Joey teared up, the biggest smile on his face.

"Gramps… Thank you."

"Oh, by the way, Yugi…" Joey had gone in for a hug as Gramps walked away, causing Joey to fall over the back of the couch and onto the floor behind it. Us three girls on the floor groaned simultaneously. "This package came for you."

"A package? What is it, Gramps?" Yugi asked. I felt Ody get up from my lap and tottle over to Joey. I smiled, watching as he gently tapped Joey's head.

"Joe." His little voice got Ruth and Sadie's attention.

"Ah, don' worry, little man, I'm okay." Joey reassured him.

"I don't know, it just came in the mail." Gramps answered Yugi. He stood up and sat down with the box in his lap.

"It's from Industrial Illusions."

"Industrial Illusions?" Ruth and Sadie both looked at me as Joey got back up with Ody in his arms and sat back down, keeping my little brother on his lap. Ody seemed fine with it, laying his head against Joey's chest. "That's the company that makes the Duel Monsters game."

"Why the heck would your Uncle Max be sending Yugi a package?" Sadie asked me.

"He did beat Kaiba, maybe that's why? It wasn't in a tournament or anything, but from what I heard, Kaiba did drop out of the tournament." I guessed, but I noticed my friends had gotten quiet. When I glanced at them, they were all looking at me funny, like I'd grown three heads. "What?" Sadie and Ruth looked at me.

"You haven't told them?" Ruth asked.

"It never came up." I shrugged.

"Hold on, ya tellin' me Pegaus is ya Uncle?" Joey questioned.

"Well yeah, he married my mom's sister. Besides that, Pegasus is also my godfather. Without him, Ody and I would have been separated." I answered.

"What'd you mean?" Téa asked. I hesitated, looking away.

"Oh my god, Callie, you haven't told them that either?" Sadie sounded exasperated.

"Sadie, cut her a break, that day was the worst day of her life." Ruth crossed her arms over her chest. "I wouldn't want to relive that day over and over again either." I sighed.

"When my parents were still around, they started Industrial Illusions with my Uncle Max. My Dad helped with finances while my mom helped him with researching ideas for cards. They helped it grow into an empire but refused to take any of the profits. Uncle Max pretty much begged them to take at least an ounce of credit, but they always pointed to him. Despite that, they worked with him, and my mom is the one who encouraged Uncle Max to propose to my aunt.

"Last year, they agreed to go on a business trip. They were only supposed to be gone for a couple days, but…" I stopped, the memories echoing in my head as I remembered painfully why our parents would never come home. "On the way there, a driver ran a red light and crashed into them. My mom was killed instantly on impact, and Dad died a few minutes later from his injuries." Calliope… I heard Calypso murmur.

You're not the only one with nightmares of those you've lost. I replied mentally, pulling myself together for a minute.

"Cal…" Joey trailed off.

"The week after was the Regionals last year. Kaiba and I were the finalists, and Ody was watching me duel from the stands… I was about to go out in the arena for the final match when I was told that Ody had gotten a fever and passed out. The medics on standby were worried about him and wanted to take him to the hospital, but my Uncle Max couldn't go with him due to having to oversee the event as the game's creator. I went to Kaiba to explain the situation, why I was pulling out of the tournament and expecting him to understand… But he didn't. He told me I was selfish, that I was a disgrace to the game for not wanting to give him the duel he deserved to claim the title of champion. I argued that I didn't care about a temporary title no one would care about later down the road, but he cut me off and gave me an ultimatum. Stay and duel him for the championship title or leave with my brother and lose him. I told him to enjoy the stupid title and left."

"That sleaze ball, I knew I shoulda knocked 'im out when I had da chance. Just hearin' his name gives me a headache." Joey broke the silence that followed me telling them about my parents' death, and about my breakup with Seto.

"Joey!" Téa, Sadie and Ruth exclaimed.

"What? Callie deserves so much bettah than dat jerk hurtin' her!" Joey replied.

"As hurt as I was by it, I wouldn't change my choice. My brother means so much more than any title and always will." I continued.

"Yeah, but still…"

"Whoa! Guys, Rex just stomped Weevil!" Tristan exclaimed, cutting Joey off and turning everyone's attention back to the screen.

"Yugi, these guys any good?" Joey asked.

"Oh, yeah. They're both pretty tough customers. Weevil specializes in insect cards, and he's a great strategist. Then, you've got Rex Raptor and his dinosaur cards. He uses their power to overwhelm his opponents." Yugi answered.

"Itsy bitsy bugs against duelin' dinosaurs? Raptor's got dis one in the bag." Joey commented.

"Never underestimate Weevil." I countered, turning to look his way.

"All right, Weevil. Consider yourself dinosaur chow!"

"Ooh, and Raptor plays the strongest card in his deck- The Terrible Two Headed King Rex! Looks like this match could be over right here, right now!"

"That's not the strongest card in his deck." Sadie's eyes narrowed.

"Oh yeah, that dragon in his deck…" Ruth trailed off.

"He normally beats opponents before he draws it, so it's never been seen in tournaments, but he showed it to me." She shuddered. "I think he was trying to impress me."

"Your move." Weevil only laughed in response. I narrowed my eyes.

"And all I have is this weak little bug."

"Weevil Underwood counters with a basic insect card!"

"He plays a wimpy insect card against a giant dinosaur? The place will be covered in bug guts."

"Maybe, but like Callie said, I wouldn't underestimate Weevil." Yugi replied.

"King Rex, let's take this championship! Stomp 'em!" Weevil only laughed at Rex.

"You've attacked your way into my trap. But then, how could your tiny dinosaur brain know that when an enemy attacks, my Vortex activates."

"Oh no! It's a trap card!"

"Which totally traps your King Rex in its inescapable embrace!" We watched as the trap activated, trapping the dinosaur in place.

"No, my King Rex!" I saw movement at the corner of the screen and saw that Weevil had one more card than he originally had when the camera had been on him last. He held it up in front of him as the camera switched back, acting like he'd pulled it out of his hand.

"And while he's trapped there, I'll upgrade my Basic Insect by giving him Armor with Laser Cannon. Not such a weak little bug after all, hmm? Attack!" With a blast of yellow laser, King Rex was destroyed. "And King Rex is extinct."

"Oh, beaten by a bug…" Rex trailed off.

"Oh, a stunning upset by Weevil Underwood, our newest champion!" The announcer commentated.

"What?! He pulled that spell card from his sleeve!" Sadie exclaimed. "How did they not see that?!" Ody jumped from the shouting, looking around.

"Man, King Rex squashed by an insect?" Joey questioned.

"And now, a very special honor for our new champion. Here to present the Duel Monsters Championship trophy, the creator of Duel Monsters and the president of Industrial Illusions… Ladies, gentleman and fellow duelists, I give you Mr. Maximilian Pegasus!" A door opened on the ground in front of Weevil, and Uncle Max rose from underneath, standing on a platform. He was wearing his usual red suit with white outline, a white ruffled shirt underneath, a thin, black bowtie and silver shoes.

"Uncle!" Ody pointed at the screen.

"That's right, bud. That's Uncle Max." I replied, glancing over my shoulder at my little brother before watching Uncle Max walk up to Weevil and present him with the trophy.

"Congratulations."

"Uh, thank you." Weevil took the trophy, blushing like an idiot.

"And, as regional champion, I invite you to compete in a bold new tournament I'm hosting at Duelist Kingdom!" I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"Dramatic as ever." I leaned back with my hands behind me.

"Oh please, you have a flair for the dramatic too, don't even start." Ruth put in.

"Seriously, you got that from him." Sadie added. Gramps laughed a bit.

"With all the excitement of the championships, you forgot to open your package, Yugi." Gramps reminded him.

"What could it be?" Yugi asked before he opened it. Inside were two Stars, a glove with a bulky looking thing on the bottom and a video tape.

"Some kind of glove…"

"And stahs."

"Maybe there's an explanation on the video." Tristan continued as Yugi took the video out.

"Pop it in and check it out." Joey told him.

"Okay." Yugi put the video in the VCR. There was static for a moment before Uncle Max popped up on screen. I noticed that he was wearing the same red turtleneck and black jacket he had worn a year ago, and the irony wasn't lost on me. But something felt wrong.

"Greetings, little Yugi. I am Maximillion Pegasus." Uncle Max greeted.

"Pegasus?"

"We just saw him on TV." Téa added.

"The famous Maximillion Pegasus sends greetings to my Yugi?" Gramps questioned.

"I have heard some terribly interesting things about you, Yugi. Your impressive defeat of Seto Kaiba intrigued me so much, I've decided to investigate your amazing dueling skills personally. Right here, right now, we shall hold a special duel. We'll play with a strict time limit of 15 minutes, and when time's up, the player with the highest lift points will be the winner. Are you ready?"

"Wha-? He can't seriously expect you to fight a duel against a videotape."

"That's crazy!" Tristan exclaimed. The moment Uncle Max chuckled, my stomach dropped. His left eye glowed gold, revealing it to be a Millennium Item.

"No, it's magic!" Suddenly, everyone was frozen… All but Yugi and myself. We both turned to look behind us.

"Everything's growing dark and cold and the others aren't moving…" Yugi trailed off.

"Uncle Max, what've you done to them?! Where have you taken us?!" I demanded. He laughed in response.

"We're no longer in the world that you know, but I will return you after Yugi and I have had our game." Despite the usual flair, he sounded cold. This wasn't like him…

"Then it's time to duel!" Yugi exclaimed, the golden light surrounding him again as he and the Other Yugi switched places. "Start the clock and make your move, Pegasus."

"Certainly. Let's begin." I watched as the clock on the video player started to count down the fifteen minutes. "Nervous, Yugi-boy? You should be. You have never faced a duelist like me before."

"You may be good."

"I assure you I am." Other Yugi held up a card from his hand.

"But I will beat you to save my friends." He vowed. I saw a golden glow coming from Uncle Max's left eye.

"You won't save anyone with that dragon card." I blinked. Was he using the Millennium Eye to cheat?

"How-"

"I told you; you've never faced anyone like me before. I know every move you'll make before you can even make it." He smirked. "Knowing every move you make gives me a distinct advantage, wouldn't you say?"

"After all those years of banning people who cheated, you're cheating yourself?!" I was enraged. None of this made sense. Even worse, he outright ignored me.

"What?"

"For example, I can anticipate your next play and counter it with this Dragon Capture Jar. It will draw the Koumori Dragon from your card and imprison the beast, trapped and never to be played against me. This dark dimension we're in is known as the Shadow Realm, a mystical place where incredible monsters can be summoned and the impossible is quite possible."

"But, what you're telling us can't be true."

"Tell me, Yugi, do you believe there is magic in these cards?" He questioned.

"Don't you know? You invented this game." Other Yugi questioned as he played a card.

"What if I told you I didn't?" I suddenly remembered the story Calypso had told me, and listened as my Uncle repeated it. "In ancient times, the Egyptians called this the Shadow Game. Powerful Pharaohs would hold mystical duels in other dimensions just as we're doing now, but not with cards. They battled with real monsters and real magic. Magical forces so powerful, the Egyptians lost control of them and nearly destroyed the entire world."

"It's a good story, Pegasus, but these monsters can't be real."

"Tell that to my Dragon Piper. As his Flute of Resurrection frees your Koumori Dragon, but puts him under my control!" The dragon roared to life.

"I have to counterattack! Silver Fang!" The wolf sprang to life, but the dragon poked its head through the screen and roared. Other Yugi shoved me behind him as a breath of flame destroyed the wolf.

"Ah, the heat!" Other Yugi exclaimed.

"Yugi!" I did nothing to hide the worry in my voice. He glanced at me over his shoulder at me.

"I'm all right, Calliope, don't worry." He reassured me.

"Ha! As you see, Yugi, these monsters are very real." Another chuckle left him before he leaned in. "And also quite dangerous." A laugh left him. I honestly can't explain how I felt… I had so many questions I couldn't answer, but I knew I wasn't going to get straight answers out of him, at least… Not right now… "Ah, Yugi Boy, you really are quite entertaining. The way you scowl and sneer, so defiant and yet helpless, and so completely ignorant of the power of your Millennium Puzzle."

"What?"

"5,000 years ago, a powerful Pharaoh locked the magic of the Shadow Games away."

"What's this have to do with me?" He asked.

"The Pharaoh captured these vast magical energies in 8 mystical Millennium Items."

"8 items? You're saying that… My Puzzle's one of them?" He questioned.

"Yes, as is the bracelet I passed to my niece, and there are mystical energies locked within them… Magic that could change both of your lives forever if you only knew how to unleash it."

"But, why are you telling me this?" Other Yugi asked.

"Why? Simply because I need you to know. But, perhaps I have said too much and since the clock is still ticking, I propose we resume our duel." I glared. He was stalling for time so he could get and keep the upper hand. I thought.

My thoughts exactly. Calypso replied. I noticed Uncle Max move his hair, revealing the Millennium item he held. That item is the key. It's the Millennium Eye.

"Hurry up now, Yugi boy, time is running out for you and your friends!" Uncle Max told him. Yugi drew from the deck and immediately set the card. "I already know you plan to play the Zombie Warrior, and I'm already prepared to counter it with a trap card that makes even zombies lie down and play dead." I watched as a smirk crossed Other Yugi's face.

"Not this time, I've figured out your little game, Pegasus. You may be able to see the cards in my hand, but you can't see the cards I pull from the deck."

"Hmm?"

"My next card is… The Dark Magician!" Other Yugi summoned the card he had set, but Uncle Max didn't look fazed.

"Ooh, a big, scary Dark Magician." He sarcastically quipped.

"Mock me all you like, Pegasus, but my Magician will destroy that dragon!"

"Go right ahead if you think it'll help."

"It'll do more than help, Pegasus. It'll bring you closer to defeat, and bring me closer to saving my friends."

"If it can do all that, by all means, play it." Uncle Max kept going. I watched as the Dark Magician came to life.

"Dark Magic Attack!" The dragon was destroyed, Uncle Max dropping from 2000 to 1200 before he laughed.

"Nicely played! But, by using your Dark Magician, you've let me manipulate you once again. By playing that one card, you have ensured my victory."

"No..."

"We shall see, Yugi." Uncle Max then drew. "Oh! A very rare card..." He showed it to Other Yugi. "This is the fearsome Faceless Mage."

"I've never seen that card before, but my Dark Magician is one of the strongest magic cards in the game."

"But how will he fare once i combine my Faceless Mage with the equally rare Eye of Illusion?" The Faceless Mage came to life with a laugh that made the hair of the back of my neck stand on end.

"Dark Magician, Dark Magic Attack!" Dark Magician attacked, but the Faceless Mage held up its hands, giggling as the Eye of Illusion glowed from their hands, smoke rising. "Dark Magician!" Thankfully, when the smoke cleared, Dark Magician was all right, but so was the Faceless Mage.

"His Faceless Mage should have been destroyed, but it's still standing..." I trailed off.

"And we're running out of time." Other Yugi finished. We both glanced at the timer to see that there was only 5 minutes left. Yugi was ahead by 300 Life Points at that point, but only because Uncle Max was toying with him... "I attack your combo with the Celtic Guardian! This mighty warrior will cut your Faceless Mage down to size!"

"True, your Guardian is mighty, but you've once again underestimated the incredible power of my Eye of Illusion."

"No!"

"Dark Magic Attack!" I watched in horror as Celtic Guardian was destroyed, and Other Yugi was hit with 1100 points of damage.

"But that's impossible! The Faceless Mage doesn't have a Dark Magic Attack!" Yugi exclaimed, only for the Eye of Illusion to reveal Dark Magician next to the Faceless Mage. "Oh no..." He trailed off as he saw it.

"Wait, if he's using the Eye of Illusion to control Dark Magician, what's protecting the Faceless Mage?" I murmured.

"Well, Yugi, our time together is nearly up, and as I have more Life Points than you, it appears I am the victor." Seconds were left on the timer at this point.

"Times not up yet, Uncle Max, and your Faceless Mage is defenseless!" I pointed out.

"Summoned Skull! Attack!" Other Yugi summoned Summoned Skull, and the monster went to attack the Faceless Mage, but just as the hit was about to land, both monsters disappeared.

"No!" I cried, realizing that the time had officially run out. Uncle Max went from looking paranoid to smug.

"Hmm... Well, we've run out of time, but how close was that? If you had been able to complete that attack, I would have lost. But I didn't, did I? I have taken the measure of your talents this day, Yugi Moto, and when next we duel, we shall play for far higher stakes."

"I'm done with your games." Uncle Max wagged his finger.

"Ah, ah, ah, you presume I'm giving you a choice in the matter, but... I'm not. For I too possess one of the 8 Millennium Items, the all-powerful Millennium Eye!"

"A Millennium Eye?"

"That's right, Yugi-Boy, and now I'll show you the true extent of its magic!" I tried to move to get in front of our friends, to protect them, but I found I couldn't move either. I was filled with horror and dread as a golden light came from the Millennium Eye, absorbing Gramps and pulling him into the TV. "You see, I have found that, given the proper incentive, anyone can be made to play my game!" Static filled the screen before Gramps popped up, his hands on the glass as the picture glitched.

"Yugi!" Gramps' cries broke my heart.

"Grandpa!" The two Yugis had switched places.

"Yes, we will duel again, Yugi. How else will you ever reclaim your grandfather's soul!" Everyone was released from the Shadow Realm, just as Yugi was yelling for his grandfather. Uncle Max's cold laughter filled me, the agony of Yugi's cries making me wonder how someone who had taken care of me my whole life could possibly be this cruel...