Kaiba continues advancing towards the castle, but he knows he has to be on his guard, because there are security guards all over the island. However, that doesn't deter him, as he knows that there's nothing more important than his little brother, remembering the promise he made to take care of him after their parents died. Soon, a familiar voice is heard and a familiar figure is seen.

"So, if it isn't the famous Seto Kaiba. Searching for your little brother, no doubt." Kemo says as he comes out from behind a tree. "You're coming with me." Kemo moves in to attack, but Kaiba nails him with an elbow to the chest before tossing him over his shoulder.

"Actually, you're coming with me." Kaiba says as he picks up Kemo by the back of his suit. "You're gonna help me find Mokuba, wherever Pegasus has him. And you're gonna start by getting me into that castle." Back in the labyrinth, the duel continues.

"With a trap, you stopped my attack..." Para says.

"Just as you did pledge." Dox adds. "But with our scores..."

"Ahead of yours, we still have the edge." Para finishes.

"We're just getting started." Joey retorts. Joey thinks over his options and his situation, and so far the only monster he has on the field is Axe Raider, so he decides to bolster his and Yugi's attack force. "Now, by using Polymerization to fuse Masaki the Legendary Swordsman and Flame Manipulator together, my Flame Swordsman will heat things up." Joey proceeds to summon said monster in attack mode. "It's power level is five, but I'll move it four spaces." The Flame Swordsman proceeds to enter the maze, joining up with Celtic Guardian. "I'll also move Axe Raider four spaces to join with the other monsters and consolidate our forces." So, Axe Raider joins up with the other warriors. "I already used up the trap effect of Kunai with Chain, but it still works as an equipment card, raising Axe Raider's attack power by 500 points, bringing it to 2200. Let's see you take that on, you twisted twins."

"My, Joey is thinking like a true strategist." Rarity says with astonishment.

"It doesn't matter if your forces are one or many, for soon..." Para says.

"There won't be any." Dox finishes. "Labyrinth Tank, advance seven more spaces." The tank begins to move forward. "The Labyrinth Tank wields futuristic weaponry. Your archaic solders don't stand a chance, and soon they will be within striking range."

"And somewhere in the labyrinth lurks another trap for your unwary warriors. Do you really think you stand a chance?" Para asks.

"Don't you two ever stop yakking?" Joey asks, annoyed. "You're up, Yugi."

"Then I play, Dark Magician in Attack mode." Yami Yugi says at last as his favorite monster appears, to Twilight's delight. "I move him forward five spaces to defend our other warriors." Quick as a cat, the Dark Magician leaps in front of the warriors to defend them.

"That was so cool! Nice move, Yugi!" Rainbow says, very impressed. "Now the gang's all together."

"Rainbow's right. They're a team, just like you and me, pal." Joey concurs.

"Right, Joey. There's strength in numbers." Yami Yugi agrees. "Together they stand a much better chance of conquering this monstrous maze."

"We shall see about that." Para says as he draws, and what he draws brings a grin to his face.

"Quit grinning and spit it out." Joey says. "What is it?"

"It's a magic card, and that's cause for celebration, brother." Para answers.

"Right!" Dox agrees.

"Now face the wall-warping power of...Magical Labyrinth!" Para says as he activates said card. And within moments, the maze starts to transform.

"What's going on?" Applejack asks.

"It's the maze! It's changing!" Spike answers. "And that's gonna change the whole game!"

"If the maze is changing shape, what will it mean for Yugi and Joey's monsters?" Fluttershy asks. But she soon gets her answer when a wall splits Yugi's monsters from Joey's.

"That's just great! Our guys are cut off from each other!" Joey says. Para knows all too well the power of the Magical Labyrinth card, it reshapes the maze according to Para's will.

"Tag teams are only as strong as their weakest link, and the link that's about to break is you!" Dox says.

"Oh no, our strategy just got blown!" Joey says in annoyance as he draws.

"Don't let that rattle you, Joey." Yami Yugi says in assurance. Joey confirms, knowing he has to stay calm to get through the duel. "Axe Raider, Flame Swordsman, advance and regroup. The closer our boys get to the maze exit, the closer we get to getting out of here." Joey says as his monsters move to regroup with Yugi's. However, Joey's Axe Raider walks right into a trap.

"Joey, look out!" Yugi calls, but it's too late.

"Too late." Dox says. "He stepped on the space where my spider hides. And now, Jirai Gumo, the landmine spider, attacks Axe Raider!" In moments, Jirai Gumo appears and pounces on the Axe Raider.

"Fend him off, Axe Raider!" Joey calls, but to no avail.

"He's too weak, Jirai Gumo reduces Axe Raider's attack power to its original 1700!" Dox explains. And Joey knows exactly what that means "Your Axe Raider is vanquished..."

"And you lose 400 life points." Para adds.

"It may be a small number of points to lose, but Joey just walked right into that one like a farmer stepping into a gopher hole." Applejack says.

"Good trapping, my brother." Para comments.

"That's just the beginning." Dox replies. "Labyrinth Tank, advance seven more." In no time, the Labyrinth Tank shows up right behind Jirai Gumo. "And then I'll lay one more card, in defense mode."

"You aren't gonna tell us what it is or give us a hint?" Joey asks.

"You have enough to worry about." Dox answers. "My Labyrinth Tank is now within striking distance of your Flame Swordsman. It's all over for him in the next turn. Then you can worry about what other surprises I have in store."

"This doesn't look good." Bakura says.

"Tell me about it. But it's a good thing that Yugi's up next." Tristan replies as Yugi draws. However, what he draws brings a grin to his face.

"We'll counterattack." Yami Yugi says. "I play the magic card Mystic Box in combination with the Dark Magician. First, I seal my Dark Magician within the first Mystic Box, as swords rain from the sky!"

"What's this?" Dox asks as the swords pierce the Mystic Box. "The duelist's gone mad, sacrificing his own monster."

"No, wait. Look!" Para says, and Dox soon sees what he means.

"Another Mystic Box, materializing around my own Jirai Gumo?" Dox asks. The door of the pierced box opens to reveal Jirai Gumo turned into a spider shish kabob, to the horror of the Paradox Brothers. "My spider is skewered! And his Dark Magician is..."

"Unharmed?!" both brothers say in shock as the box opens to reveal Dark Magician, safe and sound.

"Right. My Dark Magician magically switched his position with that of your monster, trapping him in the first Mystic Box and ending my magic act." Yami Yugi answers. At the same time, Twilight and Pinkie applaud.

"I love magic shows!" Pinkie says with a large smile.

"Alright. Let's see cue ball top that!" Joey says with a smile.

"And now for his tank. Dark Magician--Dark Magic Attack!" Yami Yugi commands. In seconds, the Labyrinth Tank is no more and Dox's life points decrease by 100. "Let's see what that does to your life points. Together, Joey and I will overcome any obstacles you two put in our way." Meanwhile, Kaiba forces Kemo to open the door to the castle back door.

"You have security clearance, open it." Kaiba says.

"Don't you think we should ring the bell?" Kemo asks.

"I think you should shut your mouth and open the door." Kaiba answers. "Open it now." Kemo does so.

"You do know no one takes Pegasus by surprise." Kemo says. "He probably already knows you're here. Somehow." Down in the dungeon, Mokuba wonders where his big brother is.

"Alright, you dumbo duo, now that your tank is off the field, we're gonna clean your clocks." Joey says with gusto.

"Of yourself you think too much. Show them, brother, our lucky touch." Dox retorts. Para soon draws and gets a grin.

"I don't like it when that goon grins." Rainbow says. Para looks at his card, called Sanga of the Thunder, and knows it's one of three guardian monsters that control thunder, wind and water. With the remaining two being Kazejin, guardian of wind, and Suijin, guardian of water. Para knows that if his and Dox's luck holds out for two more turns and they acquire the last two guardians, they will be able to summon a stronger creature named Gate Guardian.

"Enough mumbling and move!" Joey says impatiently.

"Not so hasty. I will lay this card face down in defense mode, ending my turn." Para responds as he places Sanga down, though only a Chinese box appears where it's set.

"Intriguing, eh?" Dox asks as Yami Yugi wonders what could be inside, unaware that it's one of three monsters the Paradox Brothers need.

"I don't know what's with that Chinese box, but we'll bust it open and find out once our monsters get there." Joey says as he draws. "Flame Swordsman, advance five more spaces toward the end of the maze. We're almost there, Yugi." The Flame Swordsman then moves forward. Dox knows he can't let them escape the maze until all the pieces of the Gate Guardian are brought together.

"Now we'll test my luck." Dox says at last as he draws. And what he draws is Suijin. "Looks like I've doubled our delights." Dox proceeds to set said monster.

"Another Chinese box." Tea says, still baffled.

"What could they be?" Rarity asks. But Yugi quickly gets a bad feeling about both boxes, as he senses something ancient, and evil, like a powerful dangerous energy pulsating inside them both. Dox, meanwhile, knows that he and Para can stop slow Yugi and Joey's advance until they draw the final piece of the Gate Guardian.

"I now reveal my hidden monster, Dungeon Worm, rise to the surface in attack mode." Dox says as his monster appears. "And I will strengthen it with Invigoration, which raises its attack power by 400 points."

"What is that beast?" Rarity asks.

"I know of it, it's called Dungeon Worm. A level five, earth attribute insect monster with 1800 attack and 1500 defense points." Fluttershy explains. "But with that Invigoration spell, its attack power increases to 2200 while its defense points drop to 1300."

"Worse than that, my dear. It's a burrower, and it's coming for Yugi!" Dox says.

"Where'd it go?" Joey asks. "Where's that thing hiding?"

"If it's a worm, it can travel under the maze and strike at any moment!" Spike says in shock. Right on cue, the monster attacks the Celtic Guardian.

"No! The Celtic Guardian's become worm food!" Applejack says in horror as the monster burrows back underground, bringing Yugi's life points to 800.

"Watch your life points go slithering away." Dox says as he and his brother chuckle.

"This doesn't seem fair, that creature can pop up anywhere like the Wall Shadow!" Rainbow protests.

"Rainbow's right, this field is giving a good majority of the Paradox Brothers' monsters an advantage." Twilight concurs.

"That's right." Para says.

"No one escapes the labyrinth." Dox adds.

"It's up to you, Yug. You're gonna have to pull a winner out of your hat." Joey says, giving Yugi an idea.

"Great idea." Yami Yugi says. "I play Magical Hats. Hats, materialize! As for our warriors, now you see them...now you don't." In no time, both monsters are concealed by the Magical Hats.

"Both of the hats!" Para says in shock.

"They're multiplying! Hiding both their monsters!" Dox finishes.

"Nice work, Yug. That should confuse that slimy pet worm of theirs." Joey says.

"And the Dungeon Worm's attack power is only 2200, while the Dark Magician's is 2500. So if the worm chooses the wrong hat and uncovers the Dark Magician, he'll only destroy himself." Yami Yugi adds. "And that guarantees your Swordsman's safety, as well. Because with the Dark Magician lying in wait, the worm dare not strike any hats."

"Your little plan is not as fool proof as you think, Yugi." Para says with a scoff. "Monster Tamer, appear now in attack mode!" In moments, said monster appears.

"Did he just say the Monster Tamer?" Applejack asks, knowing the monster all too well in one of her first duels.

"I did. Normally, I can't control the Dungeon Worm or any other monster my brother places on the field, but by using the Monster Tamer, I can add 600 points to the Dungeon Worm's attack power and also make the worm follow my tamer's instructions during my turn." Para explains. Yugi knows that as long as Monster Tamer's on the field, Dunegon Worm's attack power is higher than the Dark Magician's, at 2800.

"Now that slimy beast can take out the Dark Magician with ease if it picks the right hat!" Rarity says in shock.

"Now, Monster Tamer, command my brother's Dungeon Worm to destroy one of the Magical Hats!" Para says. Yugi knows full well that with Monster Tamer around, his Magical Hat trick is gonna be just a matter of luck. Right then and there, the Dungeon Worm pops out of one of the hats, but with nothing in its mouth, meaning the hat was empty.

"That was close." Joey says in relief. But Yugi knows that luck was with them that time, because if the Dungeon Worm attacks again next turn, that will leave Flame Swordsman and Dark Magician open for attack.

"Don't sweat it! I got it all figured out, so you just sit back and watch me and the Flame Swordsman get to work." Joey says, indicating he has an idea on how to deal with the beast, starting with revealing his Flame Swordsman, though this baffles Yami Yugi and the others.

"Joey, what are you doing?" Yami Yugi asks.

"Has Joey gone nuts? His Swordsman was safe under that hat." Rainbow says.

"Don't worry, this time I know what I'm doing." Joey says as he preps his next card. "I play a magic card, Salamandra!" This brings a look of shock to the Paradox Brothers. "That's right, you should be scared because this card can juice up any fire attribute monster, in this case my Flame Swordsman, and raise its attack points by 700. Flame Swordsman, Salamandra Flame Strike!" In no time, the powerful fire magic of the sword travels down the hat.

"What is it doing?" Para asks in worry.

"I get it! Not only does Salamandra increase the Flame Swordsman's attack power, but the Dungeon Worm has a weakness to fire, negating the bonus points it received from the Monster Tamer!" Spike says in realization. "Returning the monster's attack power to its original value and burning the burrower alive!"

"That's right, Spike. The worm turns. Or should I say, burns?" Pinkie says with a chuckle as Dox's life points drop to 1600.

"That was a brilliant move, Joey!" Rarity says in surprise while everyone else cheers.

"You must draw the card we need!" Para says to Dox.

"Indeed." Dox concurs as he draws, and it turns out he did draw what they needed. "The third piece! This will seal their fate."

"The third piece, with which we'll now create..." Para adds.

"A monster who will..." Dox adds.

"Annihilate!" both brothers say as they prepare an incantation for their next monster.

"Against the..." Para begins.

"Trinity..." Dox continues.

"They can't defend..." Para continues.

"All their life points we will rend." Dox adds as both brothers reveal their facedown guardian monsters, Sanga, Suijin, and Kazejin.

"Summon Kazejin, guardian of wind." both brothers say as all three monsters on the field are united, causing the arena to shake.

"Yugi, what's happening?" Joey asks.

"That's what we'd like to know!" Applejack concurs.

"Both me and Yugi know what this is!" Twilight says in horror.

"She's right. The Trinity!" Yami Yugi concurs. "It's in the class of Exodia." This brought shock and horror to the eyes of the rest of Twilight's friends.

"Did he just say this Trinity thing is in the class of Exodia?!" Rainbow asks in horror.

"Yes, but it doesn't have the same effect." Twilight explains. "When a duelist has Sanga of the Thunder, Kazejin and Suijin on the field, they can tribute them to summon a much more powerful beast from their hand!"

"Elements of thunder, water and wind, Suijin, Sanga, Kazejin, begin. Meld your powers in eternal light. Show these fools your unstoppable might." the Paradox Brothers say together.

"Here it comes!" Yami Yugi says in disbelief and slight worry as the three monsters combine to form a creature that overpowers the strength of three Blue-Eyes White Dragons by 750 points.

"I can't believe we actually are going to see it!" Twilight says in disbelief.

"He is pain beyond description." Para says.

"He'll mark two graves with your inscription." Dox adds.

"Gate Guardian!" both brothers say as the mighty behemoth appears. "Against our Gate Guardian, you cannot possibly win."

"Just as grandpa said, it has the strength of three monsters!" Yami Yugi says as he marvels at the monster.

"Three monsters in one means three times the trouble." Joey adds. "Guess that means we'll never get out of this maze."

"With that monster guarding the exit, I don't know what they're gonna do now." Twilight says in worry.

"Don't be so down beat, Twi." Tristan says. "If they don't beat those two, we'll never get out of this labyrinth."

"I don't think that was intended to cheer us up." Rainbow says.

"You think you can beat us with a three in one monster, well we're not backing down." Joey says. "Let's go! Bring it on!"

"You must be mad." Para says with a laugh.

"No one's ever gotten past the Gate Guardian." Dox adds.

"He is composed of three parts, each controlling an elemental force." Para continues.

"You will never get past his combined power." Dox adds.

"You will wander the labyrinth..." Para says.

"Lost for all eternity." both brothers finish.

"Me and Yugi will take on any monster you got!" Joey retorts.

"Joey's right. We're a team." Yami Yugi concurs. "You'll never beat our combined power. Take your turn." Meanwhile, down in the bowels of the castle, Kemo and Kaiba continue to wander.

"I told you to take me to Mokuba, not on a tour." Kaiba says, annoyed. "It's endless."

"These tunnels are honeycombed throughout the entire island." Kemo says. "Without me to guide you, you could get lost down here for years."

"Don't get any ideas." Kaiba warns.

"Listen, slim, I'm much bigger and much stronger than you are." Kemo says. "You only got the jump on me, because you snuck up and took me by surprise. What's to stop me from spinning around right now and knocking your..." However, Kaiba grabs him by his suit.

"Try me and I'll drop you where you stand." Kaiba says.

"Well, when you put it that way, nothing would please me more than to reunite you with your brother, Mokuba." Kemo says. In his cell, Mokuba remembers his and his brother's time at the orphanage, and of how they stuck together, even though people wanted to adopt him because of his genius. But he begins to wonder if Pegasus is too much for his brother to handle, thinking he may have him captive too. Meanwhile, Kemo comes to a stop.

"Okay, this is as far as we go." Kemo says.

"Where's Mokuba?" Kaiba asks.

"In Pegasus' grip, just like you'll soon be, Kaiba." Kemo answers.

"Stop playing games." Kaiba retorts, but Kemo proves he's not playing around by stepping on a switch, activating an alarm.

"You set off the alarm!" Kaiba says.

"If you want to find your brother before reinforcements arrive, better hurry." Kemo says with a grin. "Security will be here any moment."

"Mokuba!" Kaiba says as he runs off. "I've got to get him out of here, away from Pegasus!" Up in the dining room, Croquet informs Pegasus.

"Sir, Kemo reported in. It seems Seto Kaiba has been spotted in the tunnels." he says.

"Once again, Croquet, you report what I already know." Pegasus says as his Millennium Eye glows.

"I beg your pardon, master." Croquet says lowly.

"You can beg later when you are punished." Pegasus says as he stands. "Seto Kaiba's presence on the island was not part of my original plan, but perhaps I can turn this to my advantage and my amusement." Pegasus proceeds to go meet with Kaiba in the tunnels. Down in the dungeon, Mokuba hears his brother calling for him. Back at the duel, it's Yugi's move.

"Come on, Yugi, attack that big, ugly lug!" Rainbow shouts.

"Nothing in my deck is powerful enough to attack the Gate Guardian head on." Yami Yugi admits. "I can only play these." Yugi proceeds to set two cards facedown.

"What a waste of a turn." Para says. "You're frightened, for all your monsters are too weak to attack ours. Gate Guardian, use your immense power, attack Flame Swordsman. Eliminate him from the field."

"Looks like this is it, bud." Joey says. "We're going down in a big way!"

"Thunder Stroke Attack!" Para commands.

"Looks like the Flame Swordsman is about to flame out!" Rainbow says in shock and worry as the attack nears its target.

Author's Note

If you read my last note in the last chapter, you'll know that the effect of Magical Labyrinth was altered for the anime.