MLP Meets Yu-Gi-Oh Volume 1

by Justin Blystone

Rating: teen
Tags: Crossover, Human, Anthology, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Spike, Yu-Gi-Oh, Adventure
Length: 115283

The hooved heroes of Ponyville enter the world of Duel Monsters and face off against the forces of darkness

When giant stone tablets of monsters appear in Equestria, Princess Celestia summons Twilight and her friends to her castle and she explains that the stone tablets come from another dimension, one where contests called duels are conducted using these monsters, but with the monsters being on cards instead of stone slabs. And so, using the dimensional scissor, the heroic ponies reach the other dimension and learn about the monsters and the duels conducted with them.

It's time to duel!

Published 2021-04-01 16:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2021-05-17 01:11:23 UTC

The Heart of The Cards

One day at Domino High, the girls and spike were in homeroom, relaxing after a long day of schoolwork and reflecting a bit on the day they met Yugi Muto and his friends, which was several weeks ago at that point, when they soon saw their new friends, Yugi and Joey Wheeler, playing a card game, but one like they've never seen before.

"Hey, Twi, check out what Yugi and Joey are up to." Rainbow said as she nudged her friend's shoulder. The girls and Spike looked over and saw the game.

"Whatcha doing?" asked Pinkie, quizzically.

"I'm teaching Joey how to play my favorite card game, Duel Monsters." said Yugi.

The name of the game got Twilight into wondering if the game Joey and Yugi were playing was a modern day version of the Shadow Games that Princess Celestia told them about in Canterlot.

"Hey, Joey! Earth to Joey! Hey, are you in there? It's your turn." Yugi told his friend, trying to get him to make a move. Tristan then came up.

"Aww, isn't he cute when he's thinking?" Tristan said jokingly.

"Hey, Tristan, Yugi here's teaching me how to play Duel Monsters." Joey said in response.

"Drooling Monsters?" Tristan asked, again, jokingly.

"Duel Monsters, you nimrod!" Joey answered, annoyed, as he shoved Tristan aside.

"Now, Tristan, I don't think it's nice to pick on your friend's interests, even if you were joking." Fluttershy said with a touch of scold.

"Hey, Tea, how long have they been playing?" asked Spike.

"They've been at it for hours. Joey's starting to get the hang of the game, but Yugi's like an expert." Tea answered. The group was amazed at how long the two boys had been playing.

"Hours?! A single game of Duel Monsters must be pretty complex for one game to take hours." Rarity said in astonishment.

"Look kinda dorky, to me." said Rainbow, but she got a glare from the others in response. "What?" she asked. Soon, Joey finally picked what card to play.

"Okay, Yugi, it's time to duel!" he said as he laid down his monster, a level 2 monster called Kagemusha of the Blue Flame.

"How do you play the game?" Twilight asked, intrigued in how the game works.

"See, each card has an attack number and a defense number. First player to eliminate their opponent's life points wins the duel." Tea explained. The gang was, mostly, amazed by the rules of the game.

"Oh, I get it!" said Spike. "So in Joey's case, his card, 'Kagemusha of the Blue Flame', is a level two monster with 800 attack points and 400 defense points."

"Exactly, and you have to choose what cards to put into attack mode, which means the card is left vertical on the playing field, or put in defense mode, which means the card is turned horizontal." Tea continued. "The kanji symbol that you see next to the level stars, which you pointed out and recognized pretty quickly, represents the attribute of the monster. In the case of Joey's monster, Earth."

"I bet there are attributes based on all the elements, right?" Twilight asked.

"That's right." Tea answered. "There's also fire, wind, water, light and dark."

"Pretty good move, huh, Yugi?" asked Joey with confidence.

"Yep. Pretty good move, but not good enough." Yugi answered as he played his card, a level four monster with 1500 attack points called Blackland Fire Dragon. Rainbow got a look at Yugi's card and rethought what she said about Duel Monsters being dorky as Joey was left shock in defeat.

"What?! Thanks a lot! A card that powerful totally wipes me out!" he said in shock.

"Whoa. You stink at this game, Joey." said Tristan. But Fluttershy gave him another glare, Rainbow glared at him as well.

"Don't listen to him, Joey. The same thing would happen to Tristan if he were playing in your place." said Fluttershy in defense of her friend.

"I'll admit, Duel Monsters doesn't seem as dorky as I thought, if it has butt-kicking monsters like that Blackland Fire Dragon." Rainbow said to the surprise of her friends. "Though I honestly think I might be able to hang on longer than you did, Joey."

"No. You did fine, Joey. I just have better cards. See, my grandpa owns a game shop called Kame Game, and I get all my best cards from him." Yugi said. And neither Rainbow or Joey could believe what Yugi said.

"Your own game shop?! What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Joey said in excitement and disbelief.

"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! I have a friend who owns a game shop?!" Rainbow said in equal disbelief.

"We all do, Rainbow. And since school's gonna be over in a minute, we have plenty of time." said Twlight.

"OK. Maybe I can even get my grandpa to show us this super rare card he's got." Yugi said. However, little did any of them know, they were being listened in on by one of the students who had an equal interest in Duel Monsters.

"Rare card? Could they have found the card that I've been searching for?" he thought to himself. Later, Yugi escorts his friends to his grandpa's shop, Kame Game.

"Grandpa? I'm home!" Yugi called out as they see Yugi's grandfather standing at the counter.

"And I see you brought company." he answered with a smile.

"Nice to meet you sir. You know Yugi's other friends, but allow us to introduce ourselves. We six girls go by our nicknames. I'm Twilight, and this is Rainbow, AJ, Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy." said Twilight.

"And I'm Spike." the young purple and green haired boy added in.

"Well, nice to meet you. Any friend of my grandson is a friend of mine. I'm Solomon Muto." he answered. But Twilight was in disbelief that the gentleman they were meeting for the first time was, in fact, the same person who gifted the Millennium Puzzle and its ancient magic to Yugi.

"Gramps, could you show my friends your awesome, super rare card?" Yugi asked.

"Most of us are into Duel Monsters." Rainbow added in.

"Rare card? My special card?" Solomon queried. The group hoped that he would say yes as he thought about it.

"Please! Please!" Yugi begged.

"Pretty please!" added Joey.

"With sprinkles and frosting and candles?" Pinkie chimed in as Solomon finally agreed with a laugh.

"How can I refuse?" Solomon then pulled out a box. "You kids are in for a treat. I don't take this card out too often. Ready? Here it is." Solomon revealed the card, picturing a mighty level eight dragon of the light attribute with white scales, blue eyes, 3000 attack points and 2500 defense points known as the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Rainbow's eyes lit up as she gazed upon the dragon.

"The Blue-Eyes White Dragon. So rare, so powerful, I never let it leave my hands when I have it out, let alone take it anywhere outside the shop." Solomon explained. Twilight and the others were in shock because the picture on the card was similar to the picture of the dragon carved on the stone tablet they saw back home. While everyone was amazed and shocked, Tristan was less so as he just took the card out of Solomon's hand.

"Doesn't look all that special to me." Tristan said nonchalantly as Solomon took the card back.

"This card is priceless." Solomon explained. "There are only four of them in all the world."

"Only four? If that's the case, I wonder where the other three are." Rarity said as soon as she heard how many Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards were made and released to the public.

"Speaking of priceless, I'm ready to trade." Joey said with a smile.

"Not for this card!" Solomon responded, thinking that Joey wanted the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

"No, I didn't mean that card." Joey corrected. "I meant show me some other cool cards to get me started."

"Same here! I'm into Duel Monsters and I want to get started as well!" Rainbow chimed in with enthusiasm.

"In fact, I think all of us want to make our own Duel Monsters decks." added Twilight. Suddenly, someone else comes in through the door.

"Hello. Can I help you?" Solomon asked as our heroes turn around and find that its the same guy from school.

"If you can't, it certainly wouldn't surprise me." said the young man.

"Seto Kaiba?" Yugi said in shock, though Joey was even more shocked. The girls, however, only heard about Seto Kaiba, often simply called by his last name, around school, and how he's not just a student a Domino High, but also a multi-millionaire and the head of his own company, known as KaibaCorp.

"Doesn't he have a big fancy company to run? What's he doing down here?" Tristan asked

"Not that it's any of your business, but I came to see the card." Kaiba answered.

"Hey, are you into Duel Monsters, too?" asked Joey. "This is perfect. Maybe we can all duel together sometime."

"That sounds like a fun idea, Joey." said Fluttershy, and her friends agreed.

"Me? Duel you? I would have more of a challenge playing Solitaire." Kaiba said smugly. Our heroes were puzzled.

"What do you mean by that, Kaiba?" asked Rainbow, who seemed sort of offended by Kaiba's remark.

"I am the number one ranked duelist in the country, and the favorite to win the Duel Monsters Championship. None of you would last two minutes in a duel against me." Kaiba answered, more smugly than before.

"Ooh, me and Rainbow are shaking." Joey angrily and sarcastically said. "Maybe you'd like to settle this with fists instead of cards?"

But before any punches can fly, Yugi and Applejack get between Joey, Rainbow and Kaiba.

"Take it easy, Joey!" said Yugi. "I agree, you don't want to start something you can't finish." Applejack added.

"But, guys, Kaiba's asking for it." said Rainbow.

"Now, does this shop have any worthwhile cards or not?" asked Kaiba. Suddenly, he spots the card he was looking for, Solomon's Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and rushes over to it.

"Can it be?! The Blue-Eyes White Dragon, in a dump like this?!" Kaiba asked in disbelief. "It is. The card I've been searching for." Kaiba thinks to himself. However, Solomon closes the lid of the box that contained the card.

"Well, enough window shopping. Is there anything else I can help you with?" Solomon asked.

Determined to get his hands on the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Kaiba lifts his briefcase onto the counter and opens in before a shocked Solomon Muto to show him the contents and make his offer for it, and Solomon is fascinated and amazed by the contents within the case.

"Listen to me, old man. Give me your Blue-Eyes White Dragon card, and I'll trade you all of these." Kaiba said anxiously, as the group of friends look at Kaiba's collection of cards.

"Ah, nice. But no thanks." said Solomon, leaving our heroes in shock to hear that Solomon would turn down all those cards in exchange for his Blue-Eyes.

"You would turn down an offer to trade one rare and powerful card for all those powerful cards?!" Rainbow asked in disbelief.

"It's his choice whether or not to trade, Rainbow. It is his card, after all." Fluttershy explained.

"Fine. If you won't trade, maybe you'll sell it." Seto suggested. "Name your price. I can pay anything you ask."

"I'm sure you could, but this card is worth more to me than you could ever offer." Solomon said calmly.

"How could one Blue-Eyes be worth more than a whole brief case full of card?" Rainbow asked.

"Not because of its power, or because it's so rare, but because of what it means to me." Solomon explained. "This card was given to me by a dear friend, and so I treasure this card as I do that friend, so parting with it is completely out of the question."

Kaiba was devastated by what Solomon said.

"Wow. I didn't know that card was a gift from a friend." Rainbow said in surprise. The other kids were also in surprise to hear the reason why Solomon refused to give up the Blue-Eyes.

"You'd feel the same even it if were a common card, right, grandpa?" Yugi asked.

"Exactly." confirmed Solomon. "You see, this precious card has bonded with my heart."

Twilight and the others were doubly surprised.

"How can a card bond with your heart?" Spike asked.

"You see, if you treasure something, like a friendship, your friend and you bond together in your hearts, making you practically inseparable. And in the case of Duel Monsters cards, if you have a particularly favorite card that you always enjoy using or a card you see as more special than anything, or even if you have a whole deck of cards that you find special to you, your heart bonds with those cards and the deck and your heart become one. And when that happens, you have absolute faith in your deck. It's what me and Yugi know as The Heart of the Cards." Solomon explained. The girls and Spike were amazed by this Heart of the Cards philosophy, but Kaiba was disgusted as he slams his briefcase shut.

"Fine, I've heard enough of your nonsense. Senile old fool." snapped Kaiba as he stormed out to his waiting limo.

"Remind me never to try and get rich, guys." Rainbow quietly set to her friends as Kaiba went out the door.

"Good riddance to that meanie." Pinkie thought to herself. Kaiba sat in his limo as it headed to his office in KaibaCorp, thinking about what Solomon had said.

"Heart of the Cards, ridiculous! These cards are all about power, and one way or another, his Blue-Eyes White Dragon card will be mine."

Early the next morning, while our heroes were at school, at the KaibaCorp headquarters, Kaiba was speaking to someone, multiple someones.

"Gentlemen, there's a little something I'd like for you to pick up for me at the Kame Game shop." he said.

"Gladly, Master Kaiba." said one of the gentlemen.

Later that morning, as Solomon was cleaning the store up a bit, making sure everything was clean in case of customers, two men are seen outside, and they soon enter.

"Good morning." said Solomon, but when he turned, he saw two men in suits and a shorter man in glasses in the doorway.

"My master, Seto Kaiba, challenges you to a duel. You will come with us now." said the short man, who seemed to be Kaiba's butler based on the term 'master'.

"And if I were to decline?" asked Solomon.

"I'm afraid I must...insist." said the butler as the two guards stood ready for action.

"Young Kaiba doesn't understand, but I'll teach him a lesson about the Heart of the Cards." Solomon thought to himself. Hours later, Yugi and his friends are seen heading towards Kame Game.

"I hope he has some cool cards today." said Joey in anticipation.

"Me, too." Yugi agreed.

"Me, three! I'm ready to start dueling until I become so powerful I can kick even Kaiba's rich butt!" concurred Rainbow. But when they reach Kame Game, they find something's off.

"Ok, gramps, I'm back to get more cards!" Joey called, but no one answered.

"Hey! Hey, gramps!" Rainbow shouted, but again, no one answered.

"Grandpa, I'm home!" Yugi called, but still no answer.

"That's odd. The store's open, but your grandpa isn't here, Yugi." said Twilight in confusion.

"Maybe he, went out?" pondered Tea.

"Maybe, but why in tarnation would he leave the door unlocked?" asked Applejack.

"I agree, that basically allows thieves and other ruffians to come in and take anything they want!" said Rarity. Soon, the phone rings and Yugi goes to answer.

"Hello. Kame Game shop." Yugi said. But his face soon turned to one of surprise as he hears Kaiba's voice.

"Ah, Yugi. Perfect." said Kaiba.

"Kaiba?!" asked Yugi.

"Your grandfather's here visiting, but he's not feeling well. Why don't you come by my office and pick him up?" asked Kaiba as he hangs up.

"Kaiba?! What have you done, Kaiba?!" Yugi asked in worry, but no reply is heard.

"What happened, Yugi, darling?" Rarity asked.

"It's my grandfather, Kaiba says he's at KaibaCorp and something's wrong with him!" Yugi said in worry.

In panic, the group heads to KaibaCorp and heads up the elevator. And when the doors open, they see Solomon Muto lying on the ground.

"Grandpa! Grandpa, are you okay?" Yugi asks as he rushes over to his grandfather.

"Yugi, I failed. I wanted to teach that boy Kaiba a lesson about the Heart of the Cards, but I lost." said Solomon weakly.

Soon, Kaiba appears in a doorway.

"How's the old man feeling, hmm?" Kaiba asks grimly. The group is furious at the rich young man.

"Kaiba, you scum, what have you done to him?!" asked Joey angrily.

"We had a duel, that's all." Kaiba explained. "With each of us putting up our most valuable card as the prize, but I guess playing against a champion like myself was just too much stimulation for the old fool." This infuriated both Fluttershy and Tea.

"Kaiba, you should be ashamed of yourself!" Tea said furiously.

"I agree! You should know it's wrong to challenge the elderly to any sort of challenge that they might not be physically able to do!" concurred Fluttershy, who sounded even more angry than Tea.

"It was fair, and look at the sweet prize I won. Not that I'll need it." said Kaiba as he tore the Blue-Eyes White Dragon card he won in half, completely shocking our heroes.

"Grandpa's most treasured card!" Yugi shouted.

"Yes, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon is a rare and powerful card, and this one will never be used against me." said Kaiba slyly.

"My Blue-Eyes White Dragon, my treasure." Solomon said weakly.

"How could you do such a thing?!" Yugi said, greatly upset.

"That card was a gift from a friend, you heartless jerk!" Rainbow shouted.

"Yugi, here! Take this." said Solomon as he handed a deck of Duel Monsters cards to Yugi.

"Grandpa?" asked Yugi as he looks down and sees the deck in his hand.

"I built this deck. I put my soul in these cards, and I taught you everything I know, Yugi. Take them. Take my cards and teach him respect. Teach Kaiba respect for the Heart of the Cards, Yugi." Solomon pleaded to his grandson.

"But, grandpa, you need help. I've got to get you to a doctor." said Yugi, worried sick for his grandpa's wellbeing.

"Sounds like an excuse." said Kaiba smuggly.

"Caring for the elderly is NOT an excuse to turn down something, Kaiba!" Pinkie said, just as upset as Yugi.

"Your friends can care for your grandfather, while you and I duel, unless you're afraid?" taunted Kaiba. However, before Yugi can say anything, Joey spoke up.

"Take him, Yugi!" said Joey. "We can take care of your grandpa while you take care of creepy Kaiba."

"And me and my friends will stay here and cheer you on while you teach that rich, spoiled brat what a real duel's all about." Rainbow added in.

"For your grandpa, Yugi." put in Tea.

"I don't know." said Yugi, doubtfully. But Yugi's friends weren't so doubtful

"Trust me, you're, like, the best player I've ever seen, and you've got the Millennium Puzzle. You can do this Yugi. I know you can." said Joey.

"We all do." Twilight added. Yugi finally agrees and takes the deck.

"Ok, grandpa, I'll do it." Yugi says with confidence.

"I know you will, my boy." said Solomon. Then, Tea gets out a black marker.

"Everyone, put your hands together, and I'll mark us with a special sign." she said as she draws a smiley face on her, Yugi's, Joey's, and Tristan's hands, and then stars on the hands of Twilight and her friends.

"What gives, Tea?" asked Rainbow.

"It's a symbol of our friendship, so when Yugi's dueling, no matter how tough it gets, he'll know that he's not alone. We're all right there with him." Tea explained with confidence as Yugi nods, equally as confident. Outside, an ambulance arrives to pick up Solomon as Tea, Tristan and Joey run outside to meet it.

"Joey, Tristan and I will take Yugi's grandpa to the hospital. Why don't you get back in there and cheer Yugi on with Twilight and the others?" Tea said.

"Okay, take good care of him, Tea." Joey agreed as he runs back inside. Back on the upper floor, Twilight and the others are in a stadium as Yugi and Kaiba take their places on opposite sides of the field.

"I designed this virtual stadium myself. Impressive, hmm? I think you'll all agree it adds a bit more life to the game." said Kaiba with a smug smile as the platforms move into position.

"We each begin with 2000 life points. First player to hit zero loses." Kaiba explains. "Are you ready to play, runt?" he then asks.

"Playtime is over, Kaiba!" Yugi responds. Suddenly, the girls and Kaiba notice something happen to Yugi. His Millennium Puzzle starts to glow and he, not only grows a bit taller, but he gets a more confident look on his face. Kaiba is taken aback by the sudden change in attitude, while Twilight and the others are shocked.

"Is it just me, or did Yugi become more confident than earlier?" Rainbow asked.

"And did he get taller?" Pinkie puzzled.

"Now, Kaiba, prepare yourself, because it's time to duel!" Yugi says in confidence. Twilight then got a hypothesis on what happened.

"Could it be that this is the magic of the Millennium Puzzle?" she thought to herself.

"His voice got a bit deeper, too!" Pinkie said in surprise. Soon, both players have their first five cards ready as their hands.

"Virtual systems ready, so let's begin." Kaiba said as he laid down his first card. "I summon out the mighty Hitotsu-me Giant." Soon, strange sounds are heard and something happens on and above the field, specifically on the spot where the card is placed and under the scoreboard, respectively.

"Brace yourself, Yugi. You've never dueled like this before." said Kaiba as the monster on the card appears right before them all, shocking most and scaring Fluttershy.

"He's brought the monster on the card to life." said Yugi in surprise.

"Whoa! How did he do that?!" asked Rainbow.

"It's my virtual simulator. It creates lifelike holograms of every duel monster." Kaiba explained.

"Holograms?" asked the girls and Spike. Fluttershy felt a bit better knowing the monster was just a hologram, but was still a bit shook up that the same thing could happen with every duel monster played.

"I'll admit, that's pretty cool." said Rainbow. "It makes the game look more realistic."

"So this is how you beat my grandfather." said Yugi, realizing that the hologram simulator is the reason Kaiba had an edge in his fight against Solomon. Yugi then takes one of the cards in his hand and prepares to play it. "Well, now it's my turn. I call on the Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress!"

Yugi plays the card and the dragon appears just as Joey comes in, shocking him.

"Monsters?! Real monsters?!" Joey asks in shock.

"Don't worry, they're just wickedly cool holograms!" replied Rainbow.

"Fireball Attack!" Yugi calls out as the Winged Dragon fires at the Hitotsu-Me Giant, completely destroying it as a young boy, Kaiba's little brother, comes in.

"Big brother, are you alright?" he asks as Kaiba's life points drop by 200.

"All Right! Go, Yugi!" Joey calls out. The girls and Spike are equally pleased.

"That giant didn't stand a chance! I mean, sure they were the same level, but a 1200 attack point giant can't cut it against a 1400 attack point dragon." said Spike.

"Well played, Yugi, for a beginner, but how will you deal with this?" asks Kaiba as he plays his next card, which appears on the field as a clown.

"Saggi the Dark Clown? But that card has hardly any attack strength." Yugi ponders as Saggi appears.

"If I'm correct, that monster is level three and has less offense than defense, with only 600 attack points and 1500 defense points." Twilight points out. "It's mostly a monster used for defense, so why put it on the field in attack mode?"

"True, your Winged Dragon's attack is 1400, while my Dark Clown's is only 600, but if I combine it with this card--" says Kaiba as he lays down a card in the bottom row of his half of the battlefield.

"I think he put down something in the bottom row of his half of the field, known as the Spell and Trap zone!" Spike said in worry.

"Can he do that?" Rainbow wondered.

"He sure can, it's all in the rules. You can place and activate magic and traps in that part of the playing area." said Twilight.

"A magic card!" Yugi points out as Kaiba sets the card.

"Exactly, the Negative Energy Generator. It multiplies my monster's attack by three." Kaiba explains. And indeed, Saggi's attack points increase to 1800.

"Oh man! It looks like Saggi became more powerful than the Winged Dragon! It's got 1800 attack points!" said Rainbow, worried.

"Dark Clown, attack with Dark Light." Kaiba commands as Saggi attacks and destroys the Winged Dragon, lowering Yugi's life points by 400 and bring them down to 1600.

"As you can see, combining cards can be very effective." said Kaiba, smugly.

"I'll keep that in mind if I ever face you, Kaiba." Rainbow said to herself.

"He's good. He knows every aspect of this game. But my grandpa put all his gaming knowledge, his whole heart into assembling this deck. I have to believe it holds some secret strategy." Yugi thinks to himself as he draws his next card, but what he draws is a level one leg. "This card is useless. I can't beat the Dark Clown with this. I'll have to use a different monster. In defense mode, the monster will be sacrificed, but my overall life points will be safe." Yugi thinks as he sets a monster in defense mode.

"What is Yugi thinking?" asked Rainbow. "Can't he just draw a more powerful monster and turn that clown's smile upside down?"

"Yugi can't just rush in with a power play, he has to think." Twilight says. "After all, that deck was built by his grandpa, so it has to have some kind of secret strategy that Yugi can use to win. Besides, his next powerful monster could be a few cards away, or it could be WAY down lower in the deck."

"Dark Light Attack!" Kaiba calls out as Saggi destroys Yugi's defense monster.

"Hang in there, Yugi!" Joey calls out as Kaiba keeps destroying monster after monster that Yugi places in defense mode.

"You're not faring any better than the old man did, Yugi." said Kaiba on Yugi's next turn. "Your deck is just as weak and feeble as your grandfather."

"Take that back!" Fluttershy yelled out, but Applejack calmed her down.

"My grandpa is a great man and a better duelist than you'll ever be. He entrusted me with his cards, and I can feel his heart in this deck." Yugi said, undeterred. "I doubt you have that kind of faith in your cards, Kaiba."

Kaiba is puzzled why Yugi has so much faith in his grandfather's deck.

"But I believe in my grandpa's deck." Yugi says as he draws his next card. "And my faith rewards me with Gaia, the Fierce Knight with a destructive power of 2300."

The girls, Joey, and Spike can't believe that Yugi managed to draw such a powerful monster.

"Now THAT monster looks awesome!" shouts Rainbow in awe. Gaia charges and smites Saggi with its spear, bringing Kaiba's life points down by 500 and leaving the total count at 1300.

"Way to go, Yugi!" Joey calls out.

"My word! I can't believe he managed to draw that monster! I mean, what are the odds?" Rarity asks baffled as to how Yugi managed to draw Gaia.

"Alright, Kaiba, your move." Yugi said with confidence.

"This'll be over sooner than you think." Kaiba says smugly as he draws his next card.

"I call on the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Kaiba calls out, and everyone is shocked at the sight of it.

"No way!" Yugi says in bafflement.

"Impossible! We all watched Kaiba tear that card in half!" said Joey in shock.

"He must've had one already!" declared Rarity in surprise.

"Surprised?" asked Kaiba "Did you really think your grandfather was the only one to possess a Blue-Eyes White Dragon?"

The mighty behemoth blasts Gaia into ashes, lowering Yugi's life points down to 900.

"Your Fierce Knight is destroyed. Faith or no faith, you will fall before my superior monsters, Yugi." said Kaiba. "Power is what this game is all about, you fool. Faith is for losers, like your pathetic grandfather."

Two turns go by, and Yugi's defense monsters are all blasted apart by the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

"Face it, Yugi, in your entire deck, there's not a single card that can stand up to a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. So what hope do you have against 2?" asks Kaiba as he summons a second Blue-Eyes to the field.

"He has TWO Blue-Eyes! That's so not fair!" Rainbow cried out.

"Why don't you just admit defeat, Yugi?" Kaiba asks, confident that Yugi wouldn't stand a chance against the dragons head on. At the hospital, Solomon is being rushed into treatment with Tristan and Tea by his side.

"Don't give up, Yugi." Solomon says weakly.

"I won't give up. Grandpa's counting on me." Yugi said as he drew his next card. And what he draws is enough to buy some time and think of a plan. "A magic card."

"Swords of Revealing Light! It stops all monsters on the field for 3 turns." Yugi explains as the swords come down and surround the two dragons, allowing the girls to breath a slight sigh of relief, knowing that a blast from just one of those dragons would have clinched the duel for Kaiba.

"How desperate. What possible good will a 3 turn delay do you?" Kaiba asks.

"He's right. What do I do?" Yugi asks himself as he looks at his hand containing a left leg to go along with the right one from several turns ago, and a left arm, each the same attribute, the same power level and the same attack and defense points, and a level 5 Earth attribute crocodile monster called Rude Kaiser with 1800 attack points and 1600 defense points. "I can't figure out what to do with these cards. They're just a bunch of pieces. How can I use them to battle an expert like Kaiba?" Soon, Yugi hears a familiar voice in his head.

"For someone claiming to have faith, you're giving up to easily, Yugi."

Yugi pictures in his mind his grandpa talking to him.

"Listen, sometimes the cards are like a puzzle. You have to put all the different pieces in their proper place." Solomon says.

"Like the Millennium Puzzle?" Yugi asks.

"Exactly." confirms Solomon. "Each piece helps build a greater entity." The vision of Solomon fades as Yugi calls for him.

"Like the pieces of a puzzle, Yugi. Remember?" asks Solomon as he fades out of Yugi's mind.

"Puzzle?! When are the cards like a puzzle?" Yugi asks himself, and then he remembers that his grandpa once told him about the only unstoppable monster in the game of Duel Monsters, a creature called Exodia, which can only be summoned by drawing all five special cards. A feat that, to that very day, no one's ever accomplished.

"Quit your stalling, Yugi, or you will forfeit the match." Kaiba says in annoyance over how long it's taking Yugi to make his move.

"I never forfeit." Yugi retorts.

"Give him time to think, you insensitive jerk!" called out Rainbow in anger. Yugi draws his next card, and it's the fourth piece of Exodia, the right arm.

"Another piece of the puzzle!" Yugi thinks to himself, as he proceeds to set a defense monster.

"Draw any card you like. It won't change a thing." said Kaiba as he draws his next card. "My dragons may be frozen for another two turns, but my new monster is under no such spell--" Kaiba proceeds to summon his next monster.

"The Judge Man with an attack power of 2200." Kaiba explains as the monster attacks and destroys the set monster, which was Rude Kaiser. Yugi then proceeds to draw his next card.

"I can attack with the Dark Magician, but we won't stand a chance once Kaiba's dragons are free of my spell." Yugi thinks to himself, but he realizes that two frozen monsters is better than one monster free to attack, so he subsequently summons the Dark Magician.

"Dark Magician, attack!" Yugi commands, and the powerful magician causes the Judge Man to shatter to pieces, bringing Kaiba's life points down to 1000.

"Your Judge Man falls." says Yugi.

"I think I like the Dark Magician more than any other monster in his deck." said Twilight with a smile, knowing that she can use magic back home.

"Oh, a sacrifice that doesn't even phase me." says Kaiba as he draws another card. "And though neither dragon can move for one more turn, my next card is the third Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

Yugi and the others are in shock at what Kaiba says as the dragon appears before them.

"Now, my dragon, attack!" Kaiba shouts as the dragon fires and annihilates the Dark Magician, bringing Yugi's life points down to 400.

"No way! He had three Blue-Eyes in his deck the whole time?!" shouted Rainbow in disgust.

"Then the only reason he challenged Yugi's grandpa to a duel was to win the fourth and destroy it so it couldn't be used against him!" put in Twilight.

"So tell me, Yugi, how's your faith now?" asks Kaiba. "On my next turn all three Blue-Eyes White Dragons are free to attack. This game's over no matter what card you draw. You can't possibly stand against my three Blue-Eyes White Dragons. It's over, Yugi. You were never a match for me."

"Don't listen, Yugi!" Joey shouted.

"I agree!" called Rainbow. "It's not over till the last card is played!"

"Kaiba had three Blue-Eyes all along. He only wanted grandpa's card so it couldn't be used against him." Yugi thought to himself. "My only chance now is to assemble all the pieces of Exodia, and I only need one more, but the odds are against me. I don't think I can do this." Suddenly, Yugi senses the deck starting to move away from him.

"The deck-- it senses my doubt. Don't lose focus, Yugi. Don't lose faith. Concentrate." Yugi tells himself. He then looks down and sees his part of the friendship symbol on his hand and imagines his friends' hands over the deck.

"Yugi, we're right here with you." says Tea.

"We all are." says Rarity.

"Every step of the way." says Twilight.

"For now and forever." says Pinkie.

"And nothing will change that." says Spike.

"Yugi, you've got to believe in yourself." says Tristan.

"Because we believe in you." says Fluttershy.

"You can do it. Just kick Kaiba's butt." says Joey.

"And draw that last card you need." finishes Rainbow.

"They're right. I've got to believe in the cards like my friends believe in me." Yugi says with a newfound smile of confidence.

"Draw your last pathetic card, so I can end this, Yugi." says Kaiba, so sure he's going to win no matter what card Yugi gets.

"My grandpa's deck has no pathetic cards, Kaiba." Yugi says as he draws. "But it does contain... the unstoppable Exodia." As Yugi reveals the card, his friends are in shock and Kaiba is in shock and disbelief.

"Impossible!" Kaiba shouts, knowing full well that no one was ever able to summon Exodia before.

"Exodi-what?!" Joey, Spike and the girls all say at once as Yugi puts all five cards on the field.

"I've assembled all five special cards. All five pieces of the puzzle." Yugi says in triumph as Exodia is summoned for the first time, dwarfing the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons.

"Exodia--It's not possible! No one's ever been able to call him!" Kaiba says in shock.

"Until now, that is!" Rainbow shouts with a beaming smile.

"Exodia, obliterate!" Yugi commands as Exodia fires an incredible blast that destroys all three Blue-Eyes White Dragons and brings Kaiba's life points down to zero.

"You did it! Yugi, you won!" Joey calls in pride.

"Now THAT monster was the coolest of all!" said Rainbow as she hi-fived Spike. Kaiba's little brother was in complete shock seeing his big brother, an undefeated world champion, lose against a newcomer.

"This can't be. My brother never loses!" he said.

"You play only for power, Kaiba, and that is why you lost." Yugi tells his still shocked opponent. "But if you put your heart in the game, there's nothing you can't do." Kaiba, however, was still trying to process how he lost.

"But, but how? How could I have lost to him?" Kaiba asks aloud.

"Faith and heart, Kaiba. That's all there is to it." Twilight says from the sidelines.

"Kaiba. If you truly want to know...open your mind!" Yugi says aloud as an eye, the same eye on the Millennium Puzzle, appears on his forehead. The magic of Yugi's puzzle proceeds to shatter Kaiba's mind, making him drop to his knees.

"There, Kaiba. Maybe now, you'll begin to see." Yugi says with calm as the audience tries to process what just happened to Kaiba.

"What did he just do?" asks Spike in confusion as he looks at Kaiba, still on his knees.

"He told Kaiba to open his mind, so I'm guessing he used the magic of the Millennium Puzzle to do something to Kaiba's mind." Twilight tried to explain, but she really wasn't all too sure herself.

"Maybe he'll be less of a jerk when he gets back to his feet." suggested Pinkie as the girls, Spike, and Joey go to congratulate Yugi. Meanwhile, at the hospital, Solomon wakes up.

"Grandpa's awake." says Tea as she notices that Solomon opened his eyes.

"Yugi won." Solomon says in complete calm, confirming to both Tristan and Tea that Yugi was successful at beating Kaiba. Meanwhile, however, far away from Domino City, someone else has heard about Yugi's victory over the world champion via one of his guards.

"Mr. Pegasus, sir, Seto Kaiba, our uncontested champion. He's been defeated in a duel, sir. By someone named, Yugi." says the guard. Pegasus, a gentleman with long white hair, a red suit, and a golden eye shining where his left eye should be, takes interest in the news.

The Gauntlet is Thrown

At least a day after Yugi Muto's incredible victory over Seto Kaiba, the group is back at Domino High watching Joey attempt to win another duel.

"Joey, make a move already!" urged Tristan, as Joey hadn't decided what card to play against his opponent. This time, Joey's opponent was none other than Tea. Finally, Joey plays a card

"Okay, here you go, tough guy. My Rock Ogre's gonna rock your block off!" Joey said with confidence.

"Let's see. Your monster is a level three earth attribute Rock monster, 800 attack and 1200 defense points." Spike says as he takes a look at Joey's card. Tea, undaunted, flips over her facedown card, which is a monster known as Happy Lover, a level two light attribute fairy monster, with 800 attack and 500 defense points.

"Yeah, Tea. Like that wimpy card has a chance against my giant rock guy. Give it up!" said Joey, unimpressed, with a cocky smile.

"But since it's in defense mode, Tea's life points would be safe." Fluttershy pointed out.

"True, and I guess I don't stand a chance, unless maybe I use, the Breath of Light card." says Tea as she plays the Breath of Light.

"Huh? Can she do that?" asks Joey.

"Oh, yeah. The Breath of Light wares down Rock monsters. Reduces them to rubble." confirms Yugi, as Joey gets a look of disbelief on his face, realizing he's been defeated once again.

"Didn't you pay any attention in Yugi's duel?" asks Rainbow. "Magic cards are part of the game, and it doesn't hurt to have some."

"Speaking of the game, I attack you directly with the Happy Lover." Tea says with a smile as she switches her Happy Lover to attack mode. "That brings your life points down to zero, Joey. Once again, you lose, and I rock!"

"Now that's an example of girl power if I ever saw one!" says Pinkie in excitement.

"You stink at this game!" Tristan says as Joey lowers his head in defeat.

"Tristan, Joey's still a beginner, just like me and my friends are." Fluttershy points out in defense of her friend. Later, Yugi, Joey, Spike and the girls are hanging out outside once school ends.

"Tristan's right, Yugi, Fluttershy. I do stink. I can't win at Duel Monsters to save my life." Joey admits to them.

"Maybe you're missing that one something to really get your game straight." says Applejack.

"Maybe. But if that's the case, what is it, Yugi? Why can't I ever win? Teach me what I'm doing wrong." says Joey as Yugi hops down from a metal bar he was sitting on.

"Well, let's start by checking your deck, Joey." Yugi suggests.

"Perhaps the answer could be in your deck. Maybe your missing some cards that can help you win." Rarity adds. Joey agrees and reaches for his deck for Yugi to look through.

"Here you go." says Joey as he gives his deck to Yugi. Yugi thanks him, and starts seeing the problem right away.

"Powerhouse lineup, don't you think?" asks Joey, and from the look on Yugi's face, and Rainbow's since she decided to look at the cards with him, the problem was easy to spot.

"No one can win with these. Joey, your deck's filled with nothing but monster cards." Yugi says.

"Rarity was right, the answer was in your deck. And the answer is, you've got a whole bunch of monsters, most of them earth attribute, and all of them with high attack and low defense!" Spike says.

"You got it. I packed it with every butt-kicking monster I could find." Joey confirms.

"But that's not how the game works." Yugi replies, to Joey's confusion.

"I learned from Yugi's duels, that even though it's called Duel Monsters, there's more to it than just one monster attacking the other." Twilight pointed out.

"Twilight's right. Duel Monsters is all about combining your monster cards with your magic cards to increase their strength." Yugi concurred. "With no magic in your deck, your monsters will get creamed every time."

"After all, Yugi proved that during his duel yesterday against old you-know-who." Pinkie pointed out. "I mean, he wouldn't have been able to draw that final piece of Exodia if he hadn't played Swords of Revealing Light to stop most of those dragons." Joey quickly rushed over to Yugi, realizing that he needed help and a proper teacher.

"See? That's the kind of stuff I need to know! Yugi, you gotta help me learn more!" Joey implored to his friend. Later, Yugi, Joey, Spike and the girls head over to Kame Game, where Yugi believed the answer to Joey's problem was.

"My grandpa's the real game expert in the family, maybe he can help." Yugi suggested as they neared the entrance to Kame Game.

"Good idea. After all, who better to teach Joey how to be a better Duelist than the guy who gave you a deck holding an instant winning set of cards?" Rainbow agreed. They soon entered and saw Solomon putting up a poster about a big Duel Monsters event.

"Hey, grandpa! I brought you a new student!" Yugi called as they came in.

"Student?" asked Solomon. "Is it one of the girls or Spike?"

"I was hoping since you know more about Duel Monsters than anyone, maybe you'd teach me." Joey said with hope in his heart.

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

"Yeah, tell me about it. Tea beat me three games in a row." the hopeful Duelist admitted.

"Actually, Tea beat you five times in a row, Joey, darling." Rarity said, correcting him.

"Five?!" asked Joey in shock. "Aw, man!" Suddenly, Joey and the others saw the poster that Solomon put up.

"What's that?" asked Rainbow. "Some kind of Duel Monsters event going on?"

"It looks like a poster advertising a tournament. It says, 'Duel Monsters Regional Championship qualifiers' " read Twilight.

"Wow. I didn't know Duel Monsters was popular enough to have actual tournaments to decide champions!" Rainbow said in wonder. "I'd be willing to train and become a competitor in that tournament!"

"Yes, I could teach you both to become great tournament duelists. In fact, if your friends wanted, Rainbow, I could teach them, too. But only if you're all willing to spend endless days and sleepless nights filled with rigorous training." said Solomon with a stern voice.

"Ah, piece of cake!" said Joey with confidence. But Solomon wasn't fooling around.

"With an attitude like that, teaching you may not be worth my effort!" Solomon said sternly. Joey then realized that Solomon wasn't fooling around, so did Rainbow.

"Nice going there, smart mouth!" said Yugi.

"I'm willing to train to become the best! Bring on as many days or weeks as it takes!" Rainbow said with confidence.

"Well, looks like I'll be teaching seven students instead of eight, and they says seven is a lucky number." Solomon said as Joey got on his knees in front of Yugi.

"Please, Yugi! Help me convince him! I will work hard, I promise!" Joey begged.

"Listen, Joey, teaching you Duel Monsters is too big a challenge. Even for my grandpa." Yugi explained as his grandpa nodded in agreement. "But Twilight and her friends seem willing to go through with it, so they might make it as students."

"He's right about Twilight and he friends wanting to go through with it, and about teaching you being too big a challenge, but it's not impossible." Solomon finally said.

"You mean it, gramps?" Joey asked.

"Joey, darling. He already said he can't do it. And if he can't do it, he can't do it." said Rarity. "That's all there is to it."

"I never said I couldn't do it." said Solomon. "But if I agree, you must work hard alongside your fellow students."

"I'll do anything! I promise! I promise!" Joey said quickly.

"So will we!" Applejack chimed in on behalf of her friends.

"Fine, then we'll begin your instruction immediately, my young friends, and believe me.." Solomon spoke as he paused to crack his knuckles. "Under my tutelage, you eight will learn. Now, can any of you name the most powerful Duel Monster?"

While Joey paused to think, Rainbow answered immediately.

"Is it Exodia, since he's the only unstoppable monster in the game?" she asked.

"Correct, Rainbow. Looks like someone's been paying attention." said Solomon as he prepped his next question. "Now, who can name the weakest?"

"Isn't that a little fur ball name Kuriboh?" asked Spike. "It's a level one dark attribute Fiend monster with only 300 attack points and 200 defense points."

"Very good, Spike." said Solomon. "Next question, do any of you know what a trap card is?"

"Isn't a card called Trap Hole a trap card?" Applejack asked.

"Good answer, AJ." Solomon confirms. Several weeks later, the regional championship duel is underway at the local arena known as the Duel Dome. The duelists remaining and participating in the final duel to decide the champion are known as Weevil Underwood and Rex Raptor. As for the gang, they're watching the duel live on television.

"Bug boy versus dinosaur breath?!" Joey asked in disappointment.

"What kind of duel is that? That should've be one of us in there!" put in Rainbow.

"I know you all have been training for weeks, but those guys are in another league and you guys just aren't ready yet." Tea answered.

"Sure, rub it in!" Joey said in defiance.

"She has a point, though." said Fluttershy. "We still have probably weeks of training left to do before we even come close to being ready to compete in a tournament."

"And on top of that, Joey's so tired, he can't keep his eyes open." Yugi added as Joey is heard snoring. "I think grandpa's lessons have been a bit too tough for him."

"For him, maybe, but not for us." Rainbow said with confidence, thinking back to their recent lessons, including shuffling, picking which cards to use as part of the decks they each built, how the different cards work, and putting all the things they learned together in practice duels.

"You see, it's true when they say 'you snooze, you lose'!" Tristan says, which wakes Joey up, but he hangs his head in shame.

"I must've been nuts to think I could ever learn this crazy game." says Joey, leading Rainbow to think he might give up. Just then, Solomon comes in with a box in hand.

"Time for your lessons." he said to Joey, Spike, and the other girls. Joey, however, is surprised.

"We're not done?!" Joey asks in disbelief.

"Not by a long shot, you slacker." Solomon replies, the the groans and whines of Joey.

"Now, quit your whining, Joseph." the wise teacher said in calm. "I know that, like your fellow students, you've been working long and hard for the past several weeks, but you're all really coming along as duelists. And I'm quite proud of all of you." Joey started tearing up with joy to hear Solomon say things like that.

"Gramps. Thank you!" said Joey, but as he reaches out to give Solomon a hug, he turns and walks towards Yugi, causing him to fall flat on his face.

"Oh, by the way, Yugi." Solomon told his grandson. "This package came for you."

"A package? At this hour?" Twilight asked with curiosity.

"Ooh! I love packages! Especially if it's something sweet with sprinkles, frosting, and candles!" Pinkie chimed in.

"What is it, gramps?" asked Yugi, equally curious as to why someone would send him a package so late at night.

"I don't know. It just came in the mail." Solomon answered as he handed Yugi the box. Yugi then read the tag on the lid of the box, saying that it was sent by Industrial Illusions.

"Industrial Illusions?! That's the company that makes the Duel Monsters game!" Joey said as he got back on the sofa.

"So THAT's the name of the company that makes Duel Monsters cards!" said Rainbow with awareness.

"But my question is, why would such a famous company send a package to you, Yugi darling?" Rarity asked.

"I have no idea." Yugi responded, until he thought about what happened several weeks ago. "Is it possible they heard I beat the world champion?"

"You mean, Kaiba?" Tea asked.

"Yeah." Yugi confirmed. "It wasn't an official or anything, but Kaiba did drop out of the tournament because of me." Yugi began to think back to when he beat Kaiba by drawing the final piece of Exodia and summoning it to blast all of Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragons into dust.

"Just hearing Kaiba's name gives me a headache." Joey spoke up.

"Me, too." agreed Rainbow. "Boy, am I glad that he hasn't been seen or heard from after Yugi kicked his rich butt."

"Whoa! Guys, Raptor just stomped Weevil!" Tristan said in shock as he continued watching the regional championship duel.

"Yugi, these guys any good?" Joey asked, hoping to get some inside information on both duelists.

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

"Itsy, bitsy bugs against dueling dinosaurs? Raptor has got this one in the bag." Rainbow said with confidence.

"I wouldn't be so sure." Twilight said to her friend, knowing full well that if Weevil is a strategist, then he might have a plan to bounce back. And at the duel, it looks to be quite the contrary.

"Alright, Weevil. Consider yourself, dinosaur chow!" said Rex with confidence as he plays a monster, which the commentator calls the Two-Headed King Rex, which is Rex's strongest card, as it's not only a level four monster, but it also has 1600 attack points.

"Your move!" Rex tells Weevil, who chuckles.

"And all I have is this weak, little bug." Weevil says as he plays one of his signature insect monsters, which the commentator calls the Basic Insect, which is only a level two monster with 500 attack points.

"He's playing a wimpy bug against a giant dinosaur?" Rainbow asked in puzzlement.

"The place will be covered in bug guts!" put in Joey.

"Maybe, but I wouldn't underestimate Weevil." Yugi said at last.

"I agree, Yugi." Twilight concurred. "If Weevil's an expert strategist, he's likely gonna lead Rex into a trap." And at the duel, it seems to be the contrary.

"King Rex, let's take this championship! Stomp him!" Rex commands as the mighty Two-Headed King Rex prepares to attack. However, Weevil chuckles, knowing full well that Rex fell for his plan.

"You attacked your way into my trap!" he announced. "But then, how could your monster's tiny dinosaur brain know when an enemy attacks, my Infinite Dismissal activates?!" Right on cue, on both players' screens, a picture of Weevil's trap card appears.

"Oh no! It's the Infinite Dismissal trap card!" Rex said in shock.

"Which totally traps your King Rex in its inescapable embrace!" Weevil added as the trap surrounds the mighty dinosaur.

"No, my King Rex!" Rex shouted as he watches helplessly as his dinosaur is ensnared.

"My word! That Infinite Dismissal trap card caught Rex totally off guard!" Rarity said in surprise.

"Rex better be lucky that King Rex is a level four monster, because if he were level three, he would've been destroyed on the spot!" Pinkie chimed in. "And looky! I think King Rex's attack points dropped by 600!" Indeed, back at the duel, King Rex's attack points dropped to 1000.

"And while he's trapped there, I'll upgrade my Basic Insect with this card, Insect Armor with Laser Cannon!" Weevil announced as he activates the card, giving the Basic Insect a 700 attack point boost, bringing its total to 1200, just enough to destroy the King Rex.

"Not such a weak little bug after all, hmm? Attack!" Weevil calls out as the empowered Basic Insect fires and destroys King Rex, bringing Rex's life points down to zero.

"And King Rex is extinct." Weevil says with a smile as the holograms disappear.

"Beaten by a bug." Rex says in defeat as the crowd roars while Weevil's platform is lowered to allow him to receive the trophy for winning the tournament and the regional championship.

"Man, King Rex squashed by an insect?!" Joey asked in disbelief, and Rainbow was equally surprised.

"Remind me to always expect the unexpected next time I'm in a duel." she said with disbelief in her eyes. At the duel, Weevil is given the trophy by a gentleman in a red suit with long white hair, whom the commentator says is the creator of Duel Monsters and the president of Industrial Illusions. The man rises out of the floor as the commentator announces his name as Maximillian Pegasus. Pegasus then approaches the new regional champion.

"Congratulations." Pegasus says as he hands Weevil his trophy, who accepts with a thank you. "And, as regional champion, I invite you to compete at a bold new tournament I'm hosting at Duelist Kingdom." Later, a limo is seen driving away from the Duel Dome, its Pegasus' limo.

"Mr. Pegasus, with the announcement that you made tonight, we'll have thousands of duelists flocking to Duelist Kingdom." says a guard sitting next to Pegasus.

"Yes. An event such as this will hopefully attract those who possess the Millennium Items I seek." Pegasus said with calm, revealing that he, too, knows about the Millennium Items Twilight and her friends learned about from Celestia back home. "Which reminds me..."

"The package was delivered to the boy just as you ordered, sir." the guard confirmed.

"Excellent." Pegasus said, knowing that Yugi would open it soon enough. Back at Kame Game, the group has turned off the television.

"With all the excitement of the championships, you forgot to open your package, Yugi." Solomon pointed out.

"What could it be?" Yugi wondered aloud.

"Maybe it's a deck full of sweet, new cards!" Rainbow suggested.

"Or maybe it's a cake that says congratulations!" Pinkie chimed in. Yugi opened the package and inside it, was a glove with star indents in the wrist, two stars that would fit in said indents, and a VHS tape.

"Some kind of glove." Rarity pointed out.

"And stars." put in Joey.

"Maybe there's an explanation on the video." Tristan wondered as Yugi took the VHS tape out of the box.

"Pop it in and check it out." Spike suggested, and Yugi does so. And as soon as he does, Pegasus comes up on screen.

"Greetings, little Yugi, I am Maximillian Pegasus." he said, as our heroes were completely shocked as they just saw Pegasus not too long ago.

"Pegasus?!" Joey asked in shock.

"We just saw him on TV!" put in Tea.

"The famous Maximillian Pegasus sends greetings to my Yugi?" Solomon asked, puzzled as the rest of the group.

"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." Pegasus continued.

"What does he mean by that?" Twilight asked.

"Right here, right now, we shall hold a special duel. We'll play with a strict time limit of fifteen minutes. And when time's up, the player with the highest life points will be the winner. Are you ready?" Pegasus asked, as our heroes were in disbelief at the very idea.

"He can't seriously expect you to fight a duel against a video tape!" Joey said in shock.

"That's crazy!" Applejack added, but Pegasus chuckles as his left eye begins to glow.

"No. It's magic!" he says as Yugi, Spike and the girls are pulled away from the others while everything around them grows dark and cold.

"What in tarnation's going on here?!" Applejack asked aloud in shock.

"I don't know, darling. But it seems dreadful." Rarity put in.

"Yeah. And everything's grown dark and cold and the others aren't moving!" Twilight said in shock as she looked at their friends.

"Where are we?" Fluttershy asked in worry.

"What have you done to them and where have you taken us?!" added in Rainbow as Pegasus chuckled.

"Well, it looks like there's more to some of your friends than meets the eye, Yugi. But as for where we are, we're no longer in the world you all know. But I'll return you all, after our game." Pegasus said finally, Yugi then turned toward Pegasus, ready to do battle.

"Then it's time to duel!" Yugi said with confidence as his Millennium Puzzle works its magic, making him taller, and more confident once again.

"I love it when that happens." Rainbow said to herself, as she thought Yugi looked more awesome than before every time his Millennium Puzzle activates.

"Start the clock and make your move, Pegasus." Yugi says as he confidently puts his deck down, ready to play.

"Certainly. Let's begin." Pegasus concurs as the clock starts ticking.

"Nervous, Yugi-boy?" Pegasus asks as he lays a facedown. "You should be. You have never faced a duelist like me before."

"You may be good.." Yugi says as he draws a card, though Pegasus interrupts him confirming how good he is at the very game he made. "But I will beat you to get me and my friends back home." However, as Yugi picks a card to play, Pegasus' left eye starts glowing, which Twilight quickly notices.

"You won't be doing anything with that dragon card." Pegasus said nonchalantly, and Yugi and the girls cannot believe what they just heard as the girls see that Yugi's card of choice was, indeed, a dragon. The Koumori Dragon, specifically. A level four dragon with 1500 attack points.

"How.." Yugi wondered in disbelief, as there was no way Pegasus would've known he had the Koumori Dragon in his hand.

"I told you you've never faced anyone like me before." Pegasus clarified. "I know every move you'll make, before you can even make it." The girls were shocked by the revelation.

"Knowing every move you make gives me a distinct advantage, wouldn't you say?" Pegasus asked. "For example, I can anticipate your next play and counter it with this Dragon Capture Jar." Pegasus proceeds to reveal his facedown to be the Dragon Capture Jar he mentioned.

"But Yugi doesn't even have his dragon on the field! How can you even..." Twilight began to say until Pegasus interrupted her.

"Allow me to demonstrate, my dear." Pegasus says as a bright light shines in front of Yugi and the spectating girls. "It will draw the Koumori Dragon from the card and imprison the beast." And right on cue, the dragon is pulled from its card and right into the Dragon Capture Jar card.

"Trapped, never to be played against me." Pegasus said with a grin. None of the group could believe it.

"This is crazy! First he reads Yugi's mind, then he brings the monster on his card to life!" Rainbow said, still in disbelief.

"Just where are we, Mr. Pegasus?" Rarity asked.

"Well, my dear, this dark dimension we're in is known as the Shadow Realm." Pegasus explains as he draws his next card. "A mystical place where incredible monsters can be summoned and the impossible is quite possible. And you seven should know, as Celestia must've told you." The girls and Spike couldn't believe that Pegasus knew about Celestia, and possibly about Equestria and Ponyville.

"Twilight, who is this Celestia? And how does she know about this place?" Yugi asked.

"Well.." Twilight began. "I think it's time we told you the truth. You see, we come from a place called Equestria. But there, everyone is a pony instead of human."

"So, you all are from a place where everyone's a horse? And Spike is really a dragon in this place?" Yugi asked, completely baffled. "But how were you all pulled into the Shadow Realm?"

"Back home, we possess what's known as the Elements of Harmony. It's incredible magic that flows through us." Twilight explained. "Celestia gave us a pair of scissors that led us here so we could find out why giant stone tablets with duel monsters on them started raining down in our homeland. And when we arrived, we became humans. But I didn't tell you right away because we were worried you wouldn't believe us or think that we're crazy."

"I believe you seven.." Yugi told them as he turned to Pegasus. "But Pegasus, what you said about this place, what you're telling me can't be true."

"Tell me, Yugi, do you and your friends believe that there is magic in these cards?" Pegasus asked.

"Don't you know?" Yugi asked.

"I agree. After all, you invented the game." put in Applejack.

"What if I told you I didn't invent the game?" Pegasus pondered. The girls and Yugi were in shock to hear Pegasus say that, causing Twilight to remember what Celestia told them.

"As I'm sure Celestia told you seven, in ancient times, the Egyptians called this a Shadow Game." Pegasus began. "Powerful pharaohs and sorcerers alike 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." Yugi said, not believing what Pegasus had said.

"Tell that to my Dragon Piper..." said Pegasus as he summons his next monster. "As his flute of resurrection frees your Koumori Dragon, but puts him under my control." Right on cue, the Komouri Dragon is freed from the Dragon Capture Jar and put under Pegasus' command.

"I have to counterattack. Silver Fang!' Yugi says aloud as he summons his first monster, a level three white wolf with 1200 attack points called Silver Fang. The monster appears, but is burned alive when the Koumori Dragon attacks, and when it does, the heat of the flames proves to the girls, Spike and Yugi that the monsters summoned are real while Yugi's life points drop to 1500.

"As you all can see, these monsters are very real.." Pegasus says with a chuckle and a smile. "And also quite dangerous." he adds. But none of the spectators nor Yugi are amused.

"Ahh, Yugi-boy, you really quite entertaining-- the way you scowl and sneer. So defiant and yet helpless." Pegasus taunts. "Your friends also seem quite hopeful, and yet unlike them, you're so completely ignorant of the power of your Millennium Puzzle."

Yugi can't believe what he heard, nor can Spike or the girls. This causes Twilight to wonder if Pegasus somehow heard about the legendary power of the Millennium Puzzle when it was first discovered.

"How do you know about the power of that Millennium Puzzle, Pegasus?" Spike asked.

"It's quite simple, Spike." Pegasus began. "5000 years ago, as I'm sure Celestia told you, a powerful pharaoh locked the magic of the Shadow Games away."

"But what does this have to do with me?" Yugi asked.

"The pharaoh captured these vast, magical energies in seven mystical Millennium Items." Pegasus explained.

"Seven items? You're saying that, my puzzle's one of them?" Yugi asked, now curious about how much Pegasus knows.

"Yes, and there are mystical energies locked within it.. Magic that could change your life forever if you only knew how to unleash it." Pegasus confirmed.

"But why are you telling him this?" asked Twilight.

"Why? Simply because I need him to know." Pegasus answered as he sets his next card. "But perhaps I have said too much. And since the clock is still ticking, I propose we resume playing our little duel."

Yugi realizes that Pegasus is right, as time is running out and he and the others still aren't sure if Pegasus can really read Yugi's mind or if it's some kind of trick. Pegasus pulls the hair covering his left eye back to see what Yugi's next card could be, allowing Yugi and the others to see it in person. Yugi decides to play his Zombie Warrior monster, but stops himself as he sees Pegasus smile, realizing that Pegasus knows exactly what move he's gonna make and wonders if his left eye can allow him to see the cards his hand, meaning that no matter what card he picks, Pegasus would be one step ahead of him.

"Hurry up, now, Yugi-boy. Time is running out, for this brief encounter." Pegasus urges. Yugi realizes that if Pegasus is expecting him to play one of the cards in his hands, he should play a card not even he has seen yet, therefore he draws his next card without even looking at it and sets it down.

"I already know you plan to play the Zombie Warrior, and I'm already prepared to counter it with a trap card called Sun Shower, which can make even zombies lie down and play dead." Pegasus says with confidence as he reveals the Sun Shower card. However, Yugi executes his plan.

"Not this time." Yugi says with a smile. "I 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." Yugi's strategy not only baffles Pegasus, but also the girls watching.

"I think Yugi may be on to something." Rarity says with a smile.

"My next card is..." Yugi says as he pauses to reveal his next card. "The Dark Magician!"

"Alright! That's my personal favorite!" Twilight says with glee.

"So, the big bad Dark Magician appears before us." says Pegasus in a mocking tone.

"Mock me all you like, Pegasus, but my magician will destroy that dragon!" Yugi says with confidence.

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

"It'll do more than help, Pegasus." Yugi explains with a smile. "It'll bring you closer to defeat and bring us closer to getting out of here and back to our friends."

"If it can do all that, by all means, play it." Pegasus suggests.

"You may regret saying that, Pegasus." Twilight says with a smile as Yugi summons the Dark Magician.

"Dark Magician! Dark Magic Attack!" Yugi commands as the mighty mage attacks and destroys the Koumori Dragon, but Pegasus just laughs it off.

"Nicely played, but by using your Dark Magician, you've let me manipulate you once again." Pegasus says with a sly tone, puzzling Yugi and the girls. "By playing that one card, you have insured my victory."

"That's impossible!" Twilight said aloud.

"We shall see, my horse-turned-human friend." Pegasus replies as he draws his next card. "Oh, a very rare card. This is the fearsome Illusionist Faceless Mage.

"I've never seen that card before." Yugi said as he looked at the card. The girls nor Spike had never seen it before either.

"It may be a level five monster..." Twilight says as Pegasus puts the card on the field to summon the monster. "But it's only got 1200 attack points, and the Dark Magician is one of the strongest Spellcasters in the game."

"But how will he fare once I combine my Faceless Mage with the equally rare Eye of Illusion?" Pegasus asks as the Faceless Mage appears and goes on the offensive.

"Dark Magician, Dark Magic Attack!" Yugi commands, but it seemed that the Faceless Mage blocked the attack.

"That attack had no effect at all!" Rainbow shouted in disbelief.

"We can see that, darling." Rarity agreed. "That Faceless Mage should've been destroyed and Pegasus should've lost the duel!"

"Well, it's still standing and time's running out! Look!" Applejack said as she pointed to the timer, which had already reached the five minute mark.

"Well, Yugi's up by 300 life points, but only because Pegasus has been toying with him." Spike says, but all seven of them and Yugi know that there has to be a way to beat Pegasus at his own Shadow Game before time expires completely. Yugi puts all his trust into the deck his grandpa gave him and draws.

"I attack your combo with the Celtic Guardian!" Yugi calls out as the monster appears.

"Now we're talking!" called out Rainbow. "That mighty warrior's gonna cut your Faceless Mage down to size!"

"True, you guardian is mighty, but you have once again underestimated the incredible power of my Eye of Illusion!" Pegasus decreed as the girls and Spike are left in shock.

"Dark Magic Attack!" Pegasus calls, and in no time, the Celtic Guardian is destroyed and Yugi's life points go down to 400.

"But that's impossible!" Yugi says.

"I agree, Yugi!" Twilight concurred. "The only monster that responds when you call out Dark Magic Attack is the Dark Magician! Unless.." Twilight then pauses as it's revealed that it was really the Dark Magician that attack, under the influence of the Eye of Illusion.

"I can't believe it! The Dark Magician was under Pegasus' control the whole time!" Rainbow said in shock. Yugi then began to wonder what could be protecting the Faceless Mage if Pegasus was using the Eye of Illusion to control the Dark Magician. Pegasus then sets one last card.

"Well, Yugi and company, our time together is nearly up, and seeing as I've more life points than you, it appears I am the victor." Pegasus says as he begin to applaud Yugi's efforts as the clock ticks down from ten seconds.

"Time's not up just yet, Pegasus, and you've left your Faceless Mage vulnerable to a physical assault." says Yugi as he reveals his next monster.

"Hurry and attack!" Rainbow called out.

"Summoned Skull, attack!" Yugi called as the clock ticked down while the monster comes forth. However, it's too late as the timer goes off and the monsters disappear.

"Well, we've run out of time, but how close was that? If you had been able to complete that attack, I would've lost. But I didn't, did it?" Pegasus says with a smile.

"If we ever meet you in person, Yugi could beat you easily without a time limit!" Rainbow said in frustration.

"Perhaps, my dear." Pegasus said with a wicked grin. "I have taken the measure of your talents this day, Yugi Muto, and when next we duel, like Rainbow foretold, we shall play for far higher stakes." Twilight was puzzled as to what Pegasus meant by 'far higher stakes'.

"We're done with your games." Yugi said in stern defiance, but Pegasus wagged his finger.

"You all presume I'm giving you a choice in the matter, but I'm not..." said Pegasus as he pulls his hair back to reveal his golden left eye, surprising the girls, Spike and Yugi. "For I, too, possess one of the seven millennium items-- the all-powerful Millennium Eye."

"A Millennium Eye?" Yugi and the girls ask.

"That's right, my young friends, and now I'll show you the true extent of its magic." Pegasus said as the eye begins to glow and shoots a beam over the group's heads and onto Yugi's grandpa, pulling his soul out of his body. "You see, I have found that, given the proper incentive, anyone can be made to play my game." Pegasus says as his Millennium Eye works its magic and pulls Solomon's soul into the TV set. Yugi, now changed back to normal, and the others look on helplessly as Solomon's soul fades away into the static of the TV set while they are returned to their home dimension.

"Grandpa!" Yugi shouts as he watches his grandpa's soul fade.

"Yes, we will duel again, Yugi." Pegasus says as his magic loses its influence on the room they were in. "How else will you ever reclaim your grandfather's soul?" Pegasus asks as his voice fades with laughter. Everyone soon wonders and/or comes to grips with what happened as Solomon falls over, soulless, while Yugi calls for him through the TV set.

Journey to the Duelist Kingdom

Some time after Yugi's first Shadow Game with Maximillian Pegasus, which concluded with both Pegasus revealing that, like Yugi, he possessed a Millennium Item, the Millennium Eye, and with Pegasus stealing Solomon Muto's soul as incentive to get Yugi to duel him in the future, Yugi looks out over the city of Domino from the roof of Domino High, wondering how he got into the mess he's in. Soon, Twilight and her friends show up.

"Hey, Yugi. Are you feeling okay?" asked Fluttershy.

"I'm fine, Fluttershy. Just wondering how I got into this crazy mess." Yugi replied. "I can't believe grandpa's actually gone."

"Yeah." Applejack agreed. "One minute, he's right beside us, and the next, Pegasus shows up and uses the magic of his Millennium Eye to steal his soul."

"But why?" Twilight asks. "What could Pegasus possibly want with you, Yugi? And could it have something to do with the Millennium Puzzle around your neck?"

"I don't know." Yugi answered. "Well, one thing's for sure, I'll get grandpa back somehow. I'll beat Pegasus at his own game... whatever it may be."

Meanwhile, at Joey's place, he finds that he got a VHS tape in the mail.

"Wonder who this is from" he says aloud as he pops the VHS in. Soon, a young girl comes on the screen.

"Hey, there, big brother. How have you been? I really miss you?" said the girl, who revealed herself to be Joey's little sister just by the intro.

"Serenity?" Joey asks as he can't believe his little sister sent him a video message.

"I can't believe it's been six years since we've seen each other. I'll never forget the day mom took me to live with her." Sereneity says, causing Joey to remember when his mom took Serenity away after her and her husband's divorce.

"I'm sending you this video just so you don't forget your little sister's face." Serenity continued. "It seems like I'm running out of time. I was hoping to see you once more before-- Well, uh, you understand. Bye-bye, brother."

Joey can't believe what he heard.

"Run out of time? It can't be." he says as he begins to tear up.

"So long. Take care Joey." Serenity says as the video ends. Joey realizes that the place where the video was made was a hospital, and he may not be able to do anything to help his sister. Later that evening, Yugi returns home to find an envelope in the door.

"What's this?" he wonders as he opens it. When he does, he finds that there are 5 Duel Monsters cards inside, leading Yugi to believe they came from one person, Pegasus. Yugi looks at one of the cards and sees a picture of an island on it. The next day, at school, he shows his friends what he found.

"My guess, it's an invitation to the tournament at Duelist Kingdom." Yugi told them.

"A tournament at Duelist Kingdom? We heard about that when the regional championship duel ended, but isn't that an island?" Tea asks.

"So, that's where Pegasus is keeping your grandpa's soul?" Spike asks.

"Maybe." answers Yugi. "The only way to know for sure is to become a contestant. The boat's going to be leaving in two days."

"But you can't go. It could be dangerous." Fluttershy said.

"Or it could be a trap so Pegasus can get your Millennium item and YOUR soul!" Twilight added.

"I have to go. It's the only clue I have for rescuing grandpa." Yugi said firmly.

"I still can't believe it." said Tristan. "Pegasus used some kind of weird spell to grab your grandpa's soul away, and now he's toying with you, forcing you to duel in the tournament."

"Right." agreed Joey. "And without invitations, we can't even go there with you."

"Neither can we. And I really wish we could help you, pal." Spike chimed in.

"Actually, I think that someone handed me these envelopes earlier today." Rarity said as she pulled said envelopes out of her backpack and handed each one to each of her friends. They each opened them, and saw that they each had an invite to the Duelist Kingdom inside along with the voyage card, and just those two.

"Strange. No other cards about the glove and stars or the prize." Twilight said.

"Well, looks like Pegasus wants us to be there, likely as spectators for Yugi." Rainbow spoke.

"I'm guessing the cards Pegasus sent all resemble something in the tournament." Twilight said as she looked at the cards. "The boat represents the voyage to the island. The castle on an island is, not just the invitation, but the representation of the destination. The glove and stars are the same ones as Yugi got in his package from Pegasus, and they represent what are needed to prove your a contestant and to monitor your progress in the tournament, and the treasure represents the prize for the winner, whatever it is. But the one card I don't get is that blank one."

Soon, Tristan gets a better look at the prize card.

"Hey, Yugi..." said Tristan as he picks it up. "Check this out. According to this card, the tournament winner takes the grand prize of $3 million!"

"3 Mil?" Joey asks.

"So what, Tristan? Who cares about money at a time like this?" asks Yugi. Joey then snatches up the prize card, getting an idea as to what he could do with the money.

"Guess Joey does." Pinkie says as Joey keeps looking at the card. Later that day, Joey is up on the roof of Domino High looking out over the city when Yugi, Spike and the girls arrive.

"Joey, what are you doing up here?" asks Yugi as Joey looks up at them.

"Yeah, what's with you? You've been acting quiet ever since you heard about the prize at Duelist Kingdom." Applejack pointed out.

"Nothing. I'm just thinking about a whole lot of stuff." Joey replied. "Yugi, you do know that I care about your gramps, right? I mean, he taught me, Spike and the girls about the Heart of the Cards."

"Of course, I know. So do they." Yugi answered.

"I mean it!" Joey said with determination. "One way or another, I'll help you beat Pegasus."

"That really means a lot to me, Joey." Yugi said as he sits next to his friend. "I'm glad we're friends."

"Remember the first time we met?" Joey asked.

"How exactly did you two meet and become friends?" Pinkie asked.

"I'll never forget it." Yugi began as he started to think back. "It was all because of the Millennium Puzzle. The way grandpa explained it to me, the puzzle was originally found in some Egyptian Ruins. My grandpa gave it to me and kind of dared me to solve it. It was the most incredible think I'd ever seen. As soon as I touched it, I knew it was special. I made a wish on the puzzle. I asked it to give me a real friend, and I think the puzzle came through for me. That was when I met up with you and Tristan, Joey, although you certainly didn't act like my friends at first."

"Well, that's a surprise." said Pinkie. "You first met Joey and Tristan and they didn't act like your friends?" Joey laughs at what Yugi was referring to.

"You mean when we were playing Keep-away with the Millennium Puzzle?" Joey asks as both he and Yugi begin to think back. "It was for you, man. We just wanted to toughen you up so you could stand up to the real bullies. We were only teasing you."

"Teasing?" Yugi asks. "You took a piece of the Millennium Puzzle and threw it out the window! And I was the one that tried to help you guys out when that bully, Tetsu Trudge, picked on you." The girls and Spike couldn't believe what they heard.

"He was a mean one, all right." Joey admitted, remembering how Yugi sacrificed himself to save them from being beaten further. "You stood up for us, Yugi. I'll never forget that. Because of you, we got that Trudge expelled. And Tristan and I learned what it was like to have a true friend."

"Well, that's a touching moment." Fluttershy said with a smile.

"Well, at least you retrieved the lost puzzle piece." said Yugi. "If you hadn't done that, I could never have solved the Millennium Puzzle." Yugi proceeds to think back to the day he and Joey became firm friends.

"The truth of the matter is you're the best friend I've ever had." Joey said after the trip down memory lane.

"Yeah." Yugi agreed. "It's too bad you can't go with me, Spike and the girls to rescue grandpa."

"Don't worry. Somehow, some way, I promise, we'll do it together." Joey replied. Yugi, Spike and the girls couldn't believe what they heard.

"Together?" Yugi asked.

"You bet." Joey concurred. "We're a team, Yugi."

"But how can you go without an invitation, darling?" Rarity asked, which causes Joey to think. Two days later, at 9:30 PM, the boat to Duelist Kingdom is ready to depart from the docks, and all the duelists who got an invite, and Twilight and her friends, are about to board.

"Attention, all duelists." says one of the guards aboard the ship. "Welcome to this event sponsored by Industrial Illusions. You received with your invitation the star chips that will grant you entry into the contest. You are all elite, invited by us after close observation of your past Duel Monsters contests. You each have a fair and equal chance to win. It all comes down to how well you've chosen your cards, and how well you play. Now then, duelists, cross the ocean, and enter the Duelist Kingdom!"

Soon, the contestants prepare to board. But during the boarding process, the guards catch someone trying to sneak aboard, that someone being Joey, and Yugi and the gang notice and rush over to help.

"Leave him alone!" Yugi called out.

"Hey, gang!" Joey said with a smile of relief.

"What in tarnation are you doing here, Joey?" asked Applejack.

"Did you really think I'd let you do this by yourselves?" Joey asked back. "Now come on, help me out."

Meanwhile, Tristan and Tea enter one of the cargo crates to get themselves onboard. As for Yugi and the others, they proceed to convince the guards to let Joey onboard.

"He's with us." Yugi said. "You gotta let him on."

"Only people with a star chip or an invitation, like your friends have, can get on board. There are no exceptions." explains the guard. "Understand?"

"But Joey has a star chip. Didn't he tell you?" asks Yugi.

"I do?" Joey asks.

"He does?" Rainbow asks as well.

"See?" Yugi says as he hold out a fist, and puts one of his own two star chips into Joey's hand, to the surprise of both Joey and the others.

"No offense, Yugi, but what are you thinking?" asks Rainbow as Yugi holds up his entry and progression monitor card.

"According to this card, a star chip's proof that one is a duelist." Yugi explains.

"That may be, but all participants are given two star chips." says the guard. "You'll be at a disadvantage."

"Maybe, but I'd rather take that risk than be without my friend when we get to the Duelist Kingdom." Yugi rationalizes. "I need him."

"We all need him. So he either comes with us, or we walk out." Twilight adds.

Unsure what to do, the guards decide to inform Pegasus of the situation. Soon, all our heroes are onboard, and the ship departs for Duelist Kingdom.

"I'm glad they let you on board, Joey." Yugi tells his friend as the boat departs.

"So are we." concurs Twilight. "It's all for one and one for all."

"Only because you sacrificed one of your star chips for me." Joey responds. "But if any of the other players find out we only have one star chip each, they could really take advantage of us."

"Then be quiet about it." Yugi says. However, none of them are away that someone was listening in on what they had to say.

"Kind of exciting, isn't it, guys?" Joey asks.

"I know, right?" Pinkie replies. "All of us, traveling across the ocean to a remote island together for a card game tournament. I just can't wait!" Soon, the someone who was listening in comes in.

"Well, what do we have here?" she asks as our heroes turn around to see a woman with a lavender jacket and long blonde hair. "So, you're the Yugi kid everybody's talking about, huh?" Joey, however, is transfixed by her face and hair.

"But I'm amazed that a squirt like you could beat Kaiba. You're famous, you know." she adds.

"Thanks very much, I think." Yugi says, sheepishly.

"Hey, miss. I'm a really good friend of the famous Yugi, the master duelist." Joey says with a smile, hoping to get the girl's attention on him.

"We all are, ma'am." Spike spoke up.

"Look." the woman says in a stern manner. "You're either a champ or a chump. Cut this guy loose but keep the girls and their young friend. As, unlike them, he's fashion-challenged and deserves to get crushed in the games." She proceeds to walk away.

"Please, crush me?" Joey asks, wondering if she was joking.

"I'll crush you all, eventually." She says as she walks away. "The name's Mai." However, from the shadowed corners of the ship, Tristan and Tea listen in and watch

"How arrogant!" Tea says. "There's nobody better at playing Duel Monsters than Yugi."

"Quiet. They'll hear you." said Tristan, hoping to get Tea to shush.

"I don't care. He's still the best." Tea said stubbornly. Inside the ship, another fuss is heard and seen, this time Joey is being loud about not getting a better sleeping quarters, ultimately causing the guards to warn him off. Soon, none other than Rex Raptor and Weevil Underwood show up.

"Hey, aren't you that kid Yugi?" asked Weevil when he spots Yugi, who turns and sees who it is.

"Yeah. And you're..." Yugi begins, but Joey intros them for him.

"You're wasting your time with those guys." says Rex to the guards, then turning his attention to Yugi and Joey. "The private rooms only go to the finalists from the last championship, like us."

"Congratulations on winning the regionals, Weevil." Yugi says.

"It was nothing." Weevil replies.

"Yeah. I went easy on him that time." put in Rex.

"Yeah? Well, this time, Yugi and I are gonna take the tournament. Right, Yugi?" Joey says with confidence.

"To tell you the truth, winning the last championship didn't feel like that much of an achievement." Weevil admits. "I guess I can't really call myself the champion until I defeat the duelist who beat Kaiba. But I'm sure I'll end up battling you in the big tournament, Yugi. Frankly, I look forward to it."

"I look forward to it, too." Yugi replies.

"I'm looking forward to some dino-demolition." put in Rex.

"Let me tell you a little secret, my friends." Weevil says, softly. "It's something none of the other players know about the games yet."

"Me and my friends may be guests of Pegasus, which is how we're coming to the island with Yugi and Joey, but isn't knowing about the rules of the game before they're officially given considered cheating?" Applejack asks.

"I agree." Pinkie adds in. "Because it's like knowing about a surprise meant for you, before it's time for you to be surprised."

"The other duelists will find out soon enough, and since you ladies and your young friend are guests for Mr. Pegasus, it shouldn't hurt to tell you, but there are new rules on the island that require more strategic thinking." Weevil says just loud enough for them to hear.

"Rules are for wimps." Rex butts in. "In dueling you either smash your opponent or get smashed yourself. It's one or the other."

"From my experience in dueling, strength is good, but you also need to combine them with other types of cards." Rainbow responds.

"Who asked you?" Rex asks smugly. "Stay out of my way or I'll stomp you like everyone else." Rex proceeds to walk away.

"We'll see who stomps who when we get to the island." Joey says with anger.

"Ignore him. Let's scope out the competition." Weevil suggests.

"Smart idea." Twilight admits.

"Thank you." Weevil says as he points to some duelists nearby. "Check out those chumps. They're already trading over there." And he was right, the duelists already started strengthening their decks. "Players here are swapping cards and strengthening their decks, getting ready for the big tournament. It's also a good chance to get a feel for your opponent's cards."

Yugi realizes that scoping out the competition before it starts is how Weevil gets so much insight into his opponent's strategies. Next thing they know, Joey starts trading some of his cards with other duelists.

"Guess Joey's trading." Fluttershy says. "But honestly, I don't think any of us would want to trade our cards away like they were postcards to complete a collection."

"If you've come all this way and you're still trying to improve your deck, you've got to be pretty desperate." Weevil says. "I'll catch you all on the flip side." he concludes as he walks away. Meanwhile, Rex hears Mai complaining to one of the guards.

"This is truly, truly outrageous. You expect a lady like me to stay in this dump without even a shower?" Mai asks, clearly offended.

"Rules are rules, ma'am. There's nothing I can do." says the guard.

"Call your superior. Get him on the phone right now." Mai demands, when Rex steps in.

"Keep acting up and they'll throw you off the boat." says Rex.

"Who do you think you are?" Mai asks.

"A championship finalist with a luxury room." Rex answers.

"Really? Could I see the inside of it?" Mai asks.

"You bet. Come check it out." Rex agrees. Meanwhile, outside the boat, Tea is trying to keep herself warm from the cold sea air.

"Hey, Tea, stay down or we're busted." Tristan says.

"It's freezing out here. I can't sit still." Tea responds.

"In another few hours, the sun will rise." Tristan says jokingly.

"That's not funny, Tristan." Tea says, clearly not amused. Suddenly, a door opens.

"Get down!" Tristan says quietly. But instead of a guard, Tea spots someone familiar.

"Look. Isn't that Bakura?" she asks.

"Bakura?" Tristan asked. "You mean Bakura from school?"

"What do you think he's doing here? Tea asked back.

"I guess he's in the tournament." Tristan answered. Back inside the ship, Rex and Mai are in Rex's luxury room.

"So, what do you think of my cool digs?" Rex asked.

"It's beautiful." Mai answered. "You must be quite a strong card player."

"I am." Rex responded

"Really? I love Duel Monsters. How about we play a game?" Mai asks.

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Rex asks. "There's no way you could beat me. I am a regional championship finalist."

"Please? Let me try." Mai asks, innocently.

"You'd never win." Rex answers.

"Tell you what. If you win, I'll kiss you." Mai wagered, giving Rex some incentive to play. Meanwhile, Yugi, Joey and the others are on the lunch deck, checking out some cards that Joey traded for.

"Yugi, Spike, girls, I got some good card trading in." he says with happiness.

"Hey, let us see." Rainbow replied on behalf of her friends.

"Salamandra, Kunai with Chain, Baby Dragon, Thousand Dragon, and Shield and Sword? Great!" Yugi said as he read off the card names.

"Let's see, Salamandra can give a fire attribute monster 700 attack points when equipped. Sounds perfect for that one monster I know of in your deck." Spike said as he read up on the cards. "With the Kunai with Chain, you can either target an attacking monster and change it to defense mode or equip it to a monster you control to give it 500 extra attack points. Baby Dragon is a level three wind attribute dragon with 1200 attack and 700 defense points. Thousand Dragon, a level seven wind attribute fusion monster with 2400 attack and 2000 defense points. And Shield and Sword can switch the attack and defense points of all monsters on the field. Guess you finally have a use for that Polymerization card I saw in your deck"

"With those new magic cards and that trap card combined with your current monsters and those two new ones, you'll have a real strong deck." Yugi said.

"All right!" Joey said in excitement. "So now, I'm ready to win every duel I play."

"I think you're gonna find it's a bit harder than that, Joey." Yugi responded. He then opens the box the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle once rested in and takes out a card to give to Joey. "Here, add this to your deck. It can be helpful in a tight spot."

"The Time Wizard?" Spike queried. "That's JUST what Joey needs to form the Thousand Dragon, along with Baby Dragon."

"Thanks. I'll take it." said Joey as he takes the card. "I can't get over how you're always helping me out."

"That's what friends do." Fluttershy said, then, Weevil came in behind them.

"Ahh, we meet again." Weevil said aloud. Back inside Rex's room, Rex and Mai are about to begin their game.

"Okay, then, cut the cards." Mai says as she lets Rex do the honors.

"So this is your deck, huh?" Rex said as he cut the deck, thinking that the duel will be a cinch for him, but he soon thought of an important question. "What do you get if you win?"

"If I win, you agree to clear out of the room for the rest of the trip, okay?" said Mai, letting her true intentions become clear.

"Clear out? In that case, I'm not gonna lose. You've got a deal." Rex said boldly. Soon, Mai predicts the first card on top of the deck is called Shadow of Eyes. Rex looks, and is amazed at how accurate she was.

"How'd you do that?" Rex asks.

"The second card is Harpie Lady, then Elegant Egotist, followed by Cyber Shield." Mai says, and all her predictions are right.

"Oh no. She's right again." Rex says to himself, realizing that this might be tougher than he thought.

"This is my own card technique and my own deck." Mai explains. "I always know what cards I have and can pick any one I like at any time. So, go ahead and deal 'em, Rex." Rex openly admits that he's in trouble after hearing what Mai had said. Outside, the group and Weevil take in the breeze.

"Ahh, the evening winds sure feel nice." says Weevil. "So, did you trade for any good cards, Yugi?"

"No. I'm gonna duel with the cards I brought along with me." Yugi replies.

"I figured as much." says Weevil. "You used the Exodia cards in your duel with Kaiba, right?" he then asks. "Those are the strongest cards of them all."

"And really rare." Spike adds. "That's why I don't think it would be fair to use them in the tournament, Yugi."

"I don't plan to." said Yugi.

"Speaking of them, could I possibly see those legendary cards?" Weevil asks.

"I don't see why not. Just be careful with them, okay?" Yugi says as he pulls out and lets Weevil hold the rarest cards in his deck.

"So, these are the cards to summon Exodia." Weevil said slyly. "For a long time, I've been trying to come up with some kind of strategy to finally beat these cards, but I couldn't come up with anything... until just this moment." Weevil then turns and does the unthinkable.

"Say goodbye to Exodia!" Weevil says with glee as he tosses the Exodia cards overboard to the shock of Yugi an his friends. "Now there's no one who can challenge me." Weevil gloats as he walks off, proud of what he did.

"Why, you--" Rainbow says in ferocious anger, but Applejack reminds her that they have more pressing business.

"Those were the Exodia cards that my grandpa gave me!" Yugi shouted as the cards float away.

"I'll get them!" Joey says as he dives off the side of the boat, even though his friends advise him not to.

"Joey, where are you, darling?!" Rarity calls out as Joey surfaces.

"I promise you. I'll get them, Yugi." Joey calls.

"What in tarnation are you thinking?! Those may be rare cards, but they ain't worth drowning over!" Applejack calls out.

"Don't worry, guys!" Joey answers as he spots and grabs one of the five.. "Ah, look. There. I got one of them."

"Joey! Swim back to the ship!" Yugi shouts, but Joey doesn't listen as he swims to another Exodia card.

"No way! At least this time there's something I can do to help someone I care about." Joey responds as he starts feeling the force of the current. "Current sure is strong, though. It's hard to fight. But if I punk out now, who's gonna help Serenity?" he said to himself, thinking back to the video he got from her two days ago as he reaches the second card. "Just three more now." he says as the current pulls him under, prompting Yugi to dive in after him.

"Yugi!" Twilight and her friends call out as Yugi reaches Joey.

"Joey, hold on!" Yugi calls as he approaches.

"Yugi, just three more." Joey says as he starts to sink. Yugi goes down after him and pulls him back up. Soon, familiar voices are heard. The voices of Tea, Tristan, Spike and the girls.

"Yugi!" Tea calls out.

"Are you ok?" Tristan calls out as well. Soon, they lower a rope ladder so Yugi and Joey can get back aboard.

"Grab ahold! Hurry!" Twilight calls.

"Tea! Tristan!" Yugi called. "I don't know how you got there, but I'm glad you're here!" Meanwhile, Rex is kicked out of his room, the loser of his game with Mai.

"Bon voyage, loser! And thanks for the room, Rex." Mai says as she shuts the door after putting him, his deck, and his bag out. Back outside, Yugi and Joey are back aboard the ship.

"That was close. I'm sure glad you two guys showed up-- Really glad." said Yugi.

"It's like Twilight said, we're a team. We all stick together." Tea said with a smile.

"We'll always watch your back." Rainbow adds.

"Thanks a lot, you guys." Yugi says with a smile of appreciation.

"I'm sorry, Yugi. I failed. I only found two of your Exodia cards." said Joey in a sad tone.

"It's OK, Joey." Yugi reassures. "It's like Spike and me agreed on earlier, I wasn't planning on using Exodia in the tournament anyway."

"It's not OK." Joey responded. "It's always this way with me. I'm never able to help anybody, not even Serenity, my own sister."

"Serenity?" Yugi asked.

"Really? You have a sister, Joey?" Pinkie asked.

"She's my little sister." Joey said. "Our parents divorced six years ago when we were kids. She lives far away with my mother. My sister's had really bad eyes since she was born. Eventually, she'll go blind." The group couldn't believe what Joey just said about his sister's poor eyesight.

"I'm sorry." Yugi said, as did the others.

"Thanks, guys." Joey responds. "Three days ago, she sent me a message saying that she's running out of time. The doctors told her that the time has come. Soon, her eyes will be impossible to repair, even with surgery. But there are specialists who could perform an operation now before it's too late. They could save her eyesight, but there's no way I can pay for the operation."

"So that's why..." Spike said.

"Exactly, Spike." Joey confirmed. "I have to win the Duelist Kingdom prize money for her. Winning in the Duelist Kingdom and getting the prize money is the only way I can help Serenity."

"Then we'll support you like we'll support Yugi." Twilight said with confidence. The next morning, the whole team is standing on the stem of the ship watching the horizon.

"We'll both do our best, Joey-- you for your sister, and me for my grandpa." Yugi said with hope in his heart.

"And maybe we'll find out why stone tablets of duel monsters are landing all over our homeland, too." Twilight thought to herself.

"That's right. We'll do this together." Tea agreed.

"Look! The island!" Tristan said as they approached their destination.

"That's the Duelist Kingdom!" said Rainbow.

"That's it. We're almost there." Yugi concurred as the ship approached the island, paving the way for the quest to follow.

Into the Hornet's Nest

The group sees Duelist Kingdom approaching them, and are amazed at the size of the place.

"Man, this Duelist Kingdom looks like a pretty big place, Yugi." Joey says.

"Yeah, finding the hiding place of your grandpa's soul isn't gonna be easy." put in Rainbow.

"Well, we gotta start somewhere." Yugi responds. Soon, the boat docks and the anchor lowers, allowing the duelists aboard to disembark.

"Whoa. Check out the suits." Rainbow says as she looks at all the guards posted at the docks. Soon, the P.A. sounds off.

"Attention all duelists. Please disembark in an orderly fashion. If you are the party of Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow, Rarity, Pinkie, and Spike, you may disembark first."

"Hey, Tea, what if one of those security guys finds out we're both stowaways?" Tristan asks in worry. "We oughta just play it safe and swim back."

"We're in the middle of nowhere, lamebrain! If you can just try and act normal, we'll be OK." Tea says in a fit.

"Yeah, just play it cool and casual. And if a security guy spots you, just tell them you're with me and the others." Rainbow suggests. Soon, everyone disembarks. Suddenly, a security guard flags Tristan down.

"Don't look so nervous. If you're with Twilight and her acquaintances, you're our guest here." says the guard. Tristan agrees and walks off to rejoin the group, though Tea and Rainbow weren't impressed with how he tried to 'play it cool'. Joey loudly expresses his happiness that everyone made it to the island safe and sound, until he lets out a sneeze.

"You would never have caught that cold if it wasn't for Weevil." said Yugi, thinking back to several hours ago when Weevil threw Yugi's Exodia cards overboard and how Joey dove in to save them, but only got two of the five.

"Speaking of that little worm, looks like he just squirmed his way off the boat and is already looking to start some trouble." Rainbow said, pointing Weevil out over by the dock.

"That slimeball. I'd love to wipe that smirk off his face." put in Joey. Yugi, in thought, wholeheartedly agreed, but knew they had no time at the moment for Weevil. Soon, one of the guards comes up to welcome the contestants.

"Welcome, all duelists!" he called out. "Please, follow the stairs to meet your host." The guard pointed the duelists to the stairs leading to a castle.

"That castle's gotta belong to Pegasus." Yugi said.

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Joey. Soon, the whole gang is walking up towards the castle. On the way up, Tea spots someone she saw earlier on the boat.

"What's that?" Tea said, bringing the gang to a halt.

"What did you see, Tea?" Spike asked.

"It looked like...Bakura." she answered.

"Bakura from school?" Yugi asked, but Bakura was gone.

"You mean that kid with the ghost white hair and the British accent?" Rainbow asks.

"Where is he, dear?" Rarity asks. However, Bakura seemed to had vanished before the others could see him.

"That's twice I've seen him now, but he's not there anymore." Tea said.

"Maybe you just miss home." Fluttershy suggested.

"Or maybe it's all in my head." Tea retorted.

"Come on. We're on a rescue mission, remember?" Rainbow asked as the gang continued upward. However, Bakura comes out from behind a tree and watches the gang continue on. Soon, they reach the castle. Some of the duelists soon point out several well-known duelists. Among them, regional champ Weevil Underwood, runner-up Rex Raptor, a duelist who made third place at the regionals named Mako Tsunami. However, when they wonder where world champion Kaiba is, they realize and point out that Yugi beat him, making him the best of the best without actually owning a championship title. Soon, one of the guards addresses the crowd.

"Attention! Please gather around. Your benevolent host is anxious to greet you all." he calls. Everyone waits to see Pegasus emerge.

"Boy, would I like to get just five minutes alone with that guy." Joey said.

"Get in line, Joey. You ain't the only one." put in Rainbow as Pegasus appeared. Yugi thought about what Pegasus did to his grandpa, and told himself he would not leave the island until he saved his grandfather. No matter what Pegasus had planned for him.

"Greetings, duelists! I am Maximillian Pegasus!" he began. "It is my great honor and pleasure to welcome you all to the Duelist Kingdom. You stand before me, the world's greatest duelists! But come tournament's end, only one shall be crowned King of Games! I implore you all to assemble your dueling decks with care, with creativity, and with cunning, for this competition will test your skills like never before! To track your progress in the tournament, you've each been given a dueling glove. You've also been given two precious star chips. You must wager these star chips on each duel you compete in. To advance to the final level of competition for a chance at the $3 million dollar prize, you must win ten star chips! Ten star chips will admit you into my castle, where you'll face me in one final duel!"

Upon hearing that, Yugi thought that his grandpa's soul had to be locked inside the castle, but with all the guards around, he'd have to win the required amount of star chips to enter.

"This will be a tournament unlike anything you have ever experienced." Pegasus continued. "State of the art dueling arenas cover this entire island, and intriguing new dueling rules will be in effect. I could tell you what these new rules are, but what fun would that be? You'll discover them as you compete, or you won't last very long. Remember, play boldly think strategically and duel mercilessly! You have one full hour to prepare, both your cards and yourselves. When the skies light up with fireworks, the duels will begin!" Pegasus then leaves to the applause of the crowd, thinking to himself about how everything in his plan has fallen into place, while Yugi thinks about winning his way into Pegasus' castle. Later, our heroes are out in a meadow.

"Yugi, I don't know if I can win this thing." said Joey, thinking about giving up before the competition even starts. "Maybe it'd be best for you to take your star chip back."

"Nah, you keep it." Yugi replied. "Your little sister's counting on you to win the tournament's prize money for her."

"Thanks, man." Joey says.

"You can do it, Joey." Fluttershy said with a smile. "You just gotta steer clear of the more experienced duelists at first."

"Yeah, it's just a matter of working your way up." put in Tristan.

"And we'll cheer you on all the way." finished Pinkie.

"Thanks, you guys." Joey said. "Well, Yugi, between your grandpa and my sister, we don't have any room for mistakes." Yugi agrees just as the fireworks start.

"The fireworks are starting!" Pinkie shouts as soon as she sees and hears them.

"Let's do it!" shouted Yugi, knowing that it was time to duel, with the fate of his grandpa's soul at stake. Soon, they all started heading towards a forest.

"So what's your plan, Yugi?" Joey asked.

"Well, I might as well stick with Weevil." Yugi answered. "After all, we do have a score to settle."

"I was hoping you'd say that." Rainbow said.

"Isn't that him?" asked Tea, spotting him on the edge of the entrance to the forest.

"Weevil, I challenge you to a duel!" Yugi calls out, but Weevil runs into the forest.

"I can't believe it! Weevil's running away!" Joey said in disbelief.

"Rotten little cockroach!" Rarity said in anger. "After him!" The whole gang soon goes after him, but soon, they're bombarded by a swarm of moths.

"Where are all these moths coming from?" Spike asked as they ran.

"I don't know, but they're both disgusting and a fashion designer's worst enemy!" said Rarity, knowing full well what a moth could do to a dress.

"He's fast for a small guy." said Tristan.

"Maybe you're just slow for a big guy." Rainbow retorted.

"We're never gonna catch him. As long as the whole island's inbounds, he'll keep running all day!" Joey said. Yugi wondered why Weevil would run away from a challenge, as he said that he would look forward to when they did battle on the boat, but he then remembered that Weevil said new rules that required more strategic thinking would be in effect on the island, prompting Yugi to try and figure out what those rules are, and fast. Soon, they reach Weevil, standing in a clearing.

" 'Welcome', said the spider to the fly. You flew right into my trap...Again!" Weevil said, remembering what he did on the boat.

"It's time you answer for what you did on the boat, Weevil!" Yugi declared as his Millennium Item activates, turning him into his more confident version.

"The other Yugi comes out to play." Rainbow said to herself.

"All right, Weevil. Time to find out if you're as good at dueling as you are at running away" Yugi says.

"Was I simply running away or cleverly weaving you into my web?" Weevil asks with a sly look.

"It's time to duel!" Yugi says aloud with confidence.

"As you wish!" Weevil yells as the ground begins to shake, as if an earthquake is beginning.

"What have you done?" Yugi asked with concern. Soon, the ground starts to open, and from deep down, the first of many dueling arenas rises out of the ground.

"It's gigantic!" Tea says in amazement as the arena sets up.

"This is starting to remind me of Yugi's duel with Kaiba, only with a smaller arena." Pinkie points out.

"Well, one thing's for certain, these duels aren't gonna be like the ones back home." put in Rainbow.

"You've just stepped into a hornet's nest, and there's no way out!" Weevil shouted.

"These giant arenas must be set up all over the island." Twilight said.

"I'll just meet you on the field." Weevil tells Yugi as he takes his place in the red player platform. Yugi takes his place in the blue platform as the others start noticing that Weevil's looking too confident and cocky. Soon, both players put down their decks.

"I noticed that you have just one star chip, Yugi." Weevil points out. "I guess that means I'll have the pleasure of eliminating you from the tournament! Once your gone, everyone else's chips will be easy pickings."

"Not if I take your two chips first." Yugi retorts, confusing his friends and his opponent. "This will be an all or nothing match for the both of us."

"Ha! Why should I risk both my star chips when you only have one?" Weevil asks.

"Because I have something else I think you want-- my whole Duel Monsters deck!" Yugi said, holding up his deck. Twilight and the others can't believe that Yugi would be putting his deck on the line along with his only star chip.

"So, you'd risk your grandpa's deck? Fine with me." Weevil says with a chuckle. "Winning all your cards will be an easy way to exterminate you once and for all!"

"Exterminate?" Fluttershy said, worried.

"Swat that little twerp like a mosquito!" Joey called out. As both players get ready, some more duelists come in to watch the action, amazed that the first duel of the tournament is Yugi, the kid who beat Kaiba, versus Weevil, the regional champion.

"Well, Yugi, my adoring public is waiting, so we should begin." Weevil suggested.

Both duelists agree with a confident 'Let's duel!' and draw their hands as their life point counters set to 2000.

"Let's see how you like my Killer Needle." Weevil says as he summons his first monster, an oversized bee of the wind element with a power level of four, 1200 attack and 1000 defense points called Killer Needle. The hologram projectors activate and bring the Killer Needle to holographic life.

"That's got to be the biggest bee I've ever seen!" Fluttershy said in disbelief.

"You'll have to get through my Mammoth Graveyard first." Yugi retorts as he summons his first monster, a giant level three woolly mammoth skeleton of the earth element with 1200 attack and 800 defense points called, appropriately, Mammoth Graveyard.

"This massive monster will match your annoying insect point for point!" Yugi says with confidence. "Attack!" On command, the Mammoth Graveyard charges at the Killer Needle.

"Killer Needle, let's show the mammoth your stinger. Attack!" Weevil calls out.. The two monsters collide, and it seems that the Killer Needle came out on top.

"Gone after one sting? He must've been allergic." Weevil suggested. Yugi wasn't sure how the Killer Needle got the victory in the exchange.

"I don't get it." said Spike. "Both monsters had 1200 attack points, they were evenly matched, so why weren't they both destroyed in a double KO?"

"Have you begun to figure out yet why I led you all the way to this forest area?" Weevil asks. "If you just look around, then you will see that the field is an exact replica of our surrounding environment-- one part desert/wasteland and one part forest-- and who thrives in the forest? Bugs. The strongest, most powerful insects rule the forest! So as long as I play my bugs in the forest half of the field, I get a field power bonus. In short, all insects I play get a 30% increase in attack and defense points. I guess you just weren't listening when Pegasus said that this tournament would have exciting new surprises in store for us. Maybe if you were smart enough to sneak a peek at, let alone steal the tournament's secret new rules like I did, you'd be getting a field power bonus instead of me!"

"That field power bonus just increased Weevil's monster's attack points to 1560!" Twilight pointed out, as she was the smartest and most organized of the group.

"He cheated!" Rainbow said. "He led us here because he knew he'd have an unfair advantage!"

"Go ahead! Call me a cheater!" Weevil said, not caring a bit about what he did. "You're all just angry that you didn't swipe the rules yourselves. And because you didn't, little Yugi is about to get stung." However, Yugi starts busting out laughing, causing Weevil to wonder why.

"How can you be laughing?" Weevil asks.

"Because. Take a look at your ferocious Killer Needle now." Yugi says with a smirk, and right on cue, the monster begins to fade away, and Weevil is devastated.

"Oh, no! My monster! What have you done with my monster?!" Weevil asked in anger.

"I think I know why!" Spike called out. "Just look at your screen, Weevil!"

Weevil does do, and can't believe what he sees, Yugi's Mammoth Graveyard had the same attack points as the Killer Needle after the Field Power Bonus kicked in. Meaning only one thing...

"Looks like my Mammoth Graveyard got a Field Power Bonus from the desert portion of the field just like your bugs do from the forest!" Yugi declared, to the shock and anger of Weevil and the surprise of his friends.

"The Field Power Bonus was supposed to be mine alone!" Weevil said with a scowl.

"I kept wondering about something on the boat ride here, Weevil. Why were we traveling to some remote island just to duel?" Yugi pondered. "But as soon as I saw this holographic field display grid, it all came together. Every monster has a type of field it does best on, kind of like a home-field advantage, and what makes this island so special is that it contains every type of field imaginable! So when you deliberately led us to this spot, you were clearly hoping to get some kind of field advantage."

"But I guess that just isn't the case anymore, Weevil!" Rainbow called out. However, Weevil started laughing at how Yugi put the whole thing together.

"You're awfully clever to put it all together like that, Yugi, but figuring out one specific rule won't be enough." Weevil gloated. "There are surprises hidden under every rock on this island, and I know all of them."

"You can beat him, Yugi! No matter how many surprises he knows!" Pinkie called out.

"Don't let that flea scare you! He's just bluffing!" put in Rainbow as both players draw their next card.

"Really? Then let's just see how you handle this bluff." Weevil says as he holds up his next card and subsequently summons it. "My Hercules Beetle will find a way to crawl under your skin!"

"That's a large stag beetle!" Fluttershy said in shock.

"It's more than large." Spike added. "Without the Field Power Bonus, that level five, earth attribute bug is 1500 attack points strong, even thought it has 2000 defense points, making it a good defense monster. And with the 30% power boost, that means its attack points jump to 1950!" Yugi realizes that, even though he knows about the Field Power Bonus stipulation, it's too late to rebuild his deck. So he decides to try a combo attack and plays the first part of his combo.

"I play the Feral Imp!" Yugi says as his monster appears.

"The Feral Imp?" Spike asks puzzled. "That thing's got only 1300 attack points, far too less to take on the Hercules Beetle!"

"And now I'll add the Horn of the Unicorn to raise its attack points!" Yugi says as he plays the second part of his combo. Right away, the Horn of the Unicorn goes to work, increasing the Feral Imp's attack power greatly.

"I see what he did!" Twilight said in amazement. "He's going for a combo attack, so by adding the Horn of the Unicorn to the Feral Imp, it'll boost its attack points from 1300 to 2000!"

"You'll have to do a lot better than that!" Weevil said with confidence. "Hercules Beetle, attack!"

"Feral Imp, Magic Lightning Attack!" Yugi calls at the Hercules Beetle launches its attack. However, Yugi's attack doesn't faze the Hercules Beetle while the Feral Imp gets destroyed.

"That can't be!" Rainbow said in disbelief. "The Feral Imp had 2000 attack points! How come its attack didn't destroy that beetle but the beetle's attack did? Is this another trick, Weevil?"

"No, of course not." Weevil responds. "I just thought Yugi knew that all monsters with a Field Power Bonus were also resistant to any type of magic attack, and since my Hercules Beetle easily deflected those lightning bolts, he has more than enough power left to destroy that puny Feral Imp and continue to eat away at Yugi's life points."

"He's right." Spike says as Yugi's life points decrease. "And my guess, any other magic card that Yugi gives his monsters will have their effects negated. Meaning that the Feral Imp's attack points went back to what they were before the Horn of the Unicorn was played. In short, Yugi got hit with all 1950 of that beetle's attack power!"

"Even that four-eyed tick's weakest bugs are gonna be tough to beat so long as he's got that Field Power Bonus advantage." Joey said with worry.

"Even if there wasn't a Field Power Bonus in effect, Yugi has to keep on his toes to compete with the regional champion, even if said champion is a no good cheat." Twilight said with concern.

"It's your turn. Make your move." Weevil urged to Yugi. Yugi decides to put his next monster in defense mode, knowing that even though his monster will take a hit, his life points will be spared. So, he sets his next monster.

"So, we're defending now, are we?" asks Weevil. "Very clever! Since I can't see your monster's defense points, I can't be sure I can beat it. But even your strongest monster can't stand against my Basic Insect." Weevil proceeds to summon said monster.

"That's the same card he used to win the regional championship!" Spike shouted as soon as he saw the Basic Insect. "And now it's gonna become more powerful with the Field Power Bonus in effect!"

"You're right, Spike." Twilight agreed. "Normally, the Basic Insect has a small 500 attack points, but with the Field Power Bonus, it has 650."

"Not only does he get a Field Power Bonus, my friends, but I'm upgrading him with the Laser Cannon Armor equipment magic card, and a Level 2 Power Boost!" Weevil says with glee.

"Oh man, as if a bug with 650 attack points was bad enough." Twilight said with worry. "Now with that Laser Cannon Armor, which is just a 300 attack point boost by itself, and that Level 2 Power Boost, which boosts attack points of the monster that uses it by 1200, that brings the Basic Insect's attack points up to a grand total of...2150!" None of the others can believe the added up total attack point power of the Basic Insect, and Yugi knows that his defending monster won't stand a chance against it, and when it falls, his life points will be next.

"Now, Yugi, for all the innocent little bugs you've squashed, stomped, crushed, or fumigated, it's... payback time!" Weevil shouts as the Basic Insect's attack blasts away Yugi's defense monster, Griffore. "You'll have to do better than that if you hope to survive my bug's laser-powered arsenal."

"Then I'll set this card." Yugi responds as he sets his next monster. Weevil notices on his screen Yugi's action, and decides to make sure defending is all Yugi can do.

"I'm going to keep you on the defensive." Weevil says with a sly look in his eyes. "Attack now with any monster, and you will instantly activate this trap card" Weevil proceeds to set his trap card.

"That Weevil's got Yugi cornered!" Rarity said in worry.

"Yeah, he can't even counterattack!" put in Joey.

"As long as my trap card remains on the field, you're powerless to make a move against me!" Weevil declared. "So, does my tightening web make you squirm?" Yugi realizes that Weevil is so busy bragging, he's not paying attention to Yugi's moves at all. Therefore, he decides to set a trap of his own.

"Face it, Yugi! I've got you pinned down, and while you're totally unable to attack me, I can attack you anytime I want!" Weevil said boastfully. "Each turn you cower, I create a new monster." Right on cue, Weevil summons his next monster, a giant, spherical, level four cockroach with 1200 attack and 1400 defense points, increased to 1560 and 1820, respectively, with the Field Power Bonus, called Gokibore. The next turn, after Yugi draws, the next monster Weevil summons is a giant level four ant with 1200 attack and 1500 defense points, increased to 1560 and 1950, respectively, with the Field Power Bonus, called Big Insect.

"Keep drawing, Yugi." Weevil taunts as Yugi draws his next card. "My army of insects just keeps getting bigger!" As he talks, Weevil summons his next monster, a level four man-shaped mantis with 1150 attack and 1400 defense, increased to 1495 and 1820, respectively, with the Field Power Bonus, called Kamakiriman. "I'm going to wipe out all your monsters in one bug blitzkrieg!" However, unbeknownst to Weevil, Yugi is prepared to spring his own trap. Next to the arena, the group notices how confident Yugi is, and only Twilight and her friends know why.

"Well, what do you know? I'm down to my last monstrous insect, and you know what that means, Yugi?" Weevil asks. "You're about to be exterminated!"

"We'll see what my cards have to say about that!" Yugi retorts as he draws just the card to use as bait for his trap, the Dark Magician. "All right, Weevil! I defend with my personal favorite, the Dark Magician!" Twilight can't believe what she just heard, as she, too, likes the Dark Magician.

"Excellent! I'll destroy your very favorite card first!" Weevil declares. "Now, my pet, power up your laser cannon!" The Basic Insect charges up for the biggest blast yet. "Attack!" Weevil calls. However, Yugi starts laughing, catching Weevil off guard.

"Why are you laughing?" Weevil asks, somewhat worried.

"Weevil, you're not the only one who can set a trap card." Yugi answers, to the shock of Weevil. "You were so busty grandstanding, you paid no attention to the cards I put into play."

"But I thought they were all monster cards!" Weevil said, a bit more worried than before.

"Not all." Yugi explained. "While you loaded your half of the field with your bug monsters, I prepared a special surprise." Yugi proceeds to reveal the trap card he put in play several turns ago. "Behold, Weevil, the power of my Mirror Force trap card!"

"Hold your fire!" Weevil called to his monster, but it was too late.

"Too late, Weevil." Yugi said. "You already ordered your attack on my Dark Magician, and Mirror Force will deflect it right back at you!" Right on cue, the attack is reflected and strikes all of Weevil's monsters at once, taking out over half of his life points.

"My life points are devastated!" Weevil says in disbelief as Yugi smiles over his plan going as predicted. On the sidelines, Twilight and the others can't believe what they just saw.

"Now that's how you get rid of a bug infestation!" Rainbow called out as Weevil seethes with fury after his army of bugs goes boom.

"You're a liar and a cheat, Weevil, but it was your overconfidence that allowed me to get the best of you." Yugi explained, triumphantly. "Your insects are decimated. You're life points are low, and as you yourself said before, you have used up all your monsters." However, Weevil starts laughing.

"Actually, I lied about that, too!" Weevil admits with glee to the shock of Yugi. "I still have my most formidable creature waiting in the wings, and this unconquerable insect will swat you down once and for all!"

First Duel

Up in the castle in the center of Duelist Kingdom, Pegasus talks to himself about the competition.

"All over the island, my unwitting pawns are in place." he says. "The duels have begun, and by now, the slow process of elimination is well underway. Only the strongest Duel Monsters players will survive, and those of insufficient skill will fall by the way side."

Outside, the group is in a meadow, fresh off of Yugi's victory over the regional champion, Weevil Underwood, and Joey is itching for a duel.

"Ok, bring em on. I'm itching to duel, and I'm taking on the first player we see." Joey says with anticipation and passion as the rest of the gang watch him run up to a cliff overlooking the sea.

"You know, I'm not so sure Joey's up to this." Tea admitted.

"Yeah, there are tournament level players here. Minus one champion who was defeated by Yugi." put in Rainbow. "But maybe Joey's smart enough to realize that?" she asked as Joey comes to a stop.

"Here I stand, the next Duel Monsters champion!" Joey shouts in triumph.

"He needs a reality check." Tea says, slightly embarrassed. But Joey tells himself that he has to be the next champion, for Serenity's sake, since she's always counted on him, even when they were kids. He starts thinking back to when he took Serenity to the beach for the first time for a full day of fun, despite their parents oncoming divorce. Joey remembers the promise he made to Serenity to take her back to the beach that day, and vows to take her back once she has her eyes fixed. Soon, after the others join Joey on the cliff, they all hear people cheering. And when they look over to the left, they spot Duel Monsters arenas and active duels on them. Joey decides to head down.

"Right. I'm going in." Joey says, but the others slightly put the brakes on that idea.

"You sure you want to do this?" Tristan asks. "If you lose, you give up your only star chip." Joey collapses, realizing that Tristan has a point.

"Don't panic, Joey." Fluttershy reassures him. "You can do this. You just have to remember all that Yugi's grandpa taught you."

"I hope you're right, Fluttershy." Joey replies. "This is my first official duel, and I can't afford to get knocked out."

"True, but not everyone here is a pro." Yugi points out. "I'm sure you can find someone on your level."

"I guess I should think about what kind field my cards are best suited for, first." Joey says. "They're mostly warriors and beast-warriors. I guess that makes this meadow region my kind of turf."

"That's right, Joey." Twilight said. "See? You know what you're doing." Soon, the group hears the familiar voice of Mai Valentine telling her first fallen opponent to hand over the star chips she won from him. As the young duelist walks away, defeated and humiliated, she soon spots Yugi and the others.

"Well, look who's here." Mai says.

"Looks like Mai's already won two star chips." Spike said, looking at her dueling gauntlet.

"Hey, Yugi, are your duels going well?" she asks.

"I'm making progress." Yugi replies.

"Well, he did just beat Weevil Underwood and take his title of regional champion." Pinkie pointed out as Mai looks at Yugi's gauntlet.

"Well, guess that match with Weevil really helped you out if you managed to get both his star chips to make an even three." Mai said. "I might be up for another duel myself."

"Take her." Tea whispers to Yugi. "Knock her out of the contest and of the island!"

"You do realize that there are more important things to think about than getting one duelist off the island, right?" Applejack whispers to Tea. "Such as getting the soul of our friend's grandpa back?"

"You know, I definitely in the mood to get more star chips." Mai said at last. "So get ready, because I choose to challenge you, Joey!" Joey and the others were in disbelief. "Do you have the guts to accept?" she asks.

"Guess you heard about my growing skill." Joey said in response.

"Don't flatter yourself." Mai retorted. "I overheard you and Yugi talking on the boat, and I know he gave you the only star chip you have. My motto is, 'take out the weakest players first'. And considering that you wouldn't even be here if Yugi hadn't given you one of his two chip he got when Pegasus invited him, you've got to be the weakest duelist on the island."

"Do you have to be so insulting?" Joey asks.

"This time, she was being truthful." Tea said nonchalantly. "Mai's ruthless. Don't duel her first."

"Tea has a point. If you lose this contest, you're out for good." Spike added.

"Yugi, stand up for Joey. You have to fight her in his place." Tea tells Yugi, but Yugi doesn't go along with it.

"It's Joey's decision to make, not mine." Yugi answered. "Show her what your made of, Joey."

"Right. She thinks I'm a pushover, but she'll see." Joey agrees.

"You can't be serious, Joey." Tristan said.

"I've never been more serious." Joey replies. "Don't you see? This is my chance to prove myself...to show everybody. Don't forget, gramps trained me. I mean, sure, gramps didn't get a chance to finish my training. And granted, I wish I'd had a chance to practice more before getting thrown into a tournament this huge with so many heavy hitters. But honest, I think I can take her."

"We hope you're right, darling." Rarity said. "For your sister's sake."

"We have faith in you, Joey." put in Fluttershy.

"I accept. Let's duel." Joey says.

"Get ready to lose." Mai retorts. Soon, both players take to the field with Joey's friends cheering him on.

"Yugi, do you really think Joey can win this?" Rainbow asks.

"He'll do fine." Yugi answers.

"Since you only have one measly star chip, I only have to bet one of mine against you." Mai says as she takes one of her star chips out of her gauntlet. Joey does so as well, thinking that the meadow region will give him a field advantage. However, his calm attitude changes when he sees that most of the terrain on the field isn't meadow.

"Oh no! What are all those mountains doing on your half of the field?" Joey asks in shock.

"The field we're battling on is 40% forest, 40% mountain, and the last 20% is meadow." Mai explains. "So deal with it or surrender."

"Just calm down, Joey." Fluttershy calls out. "You'll be just fine because your monsters will still get a Field Power Bonus from the meadow."

"Right." Joey replies. "Listen, Mai, not for nothing, but I gotta ask you one question before we duel." Mai is puzzled by what Joey says. "Why did you decide to take part in this tournament? Tell me, Mai, why is it you duel?" Joey asks.

"Why do I duel? For all the comforts that I crave: designer clothes, travel perks--anything to avoid real work." Mai explains. "Hot cars turbo charged for living large."

"So that's why you want the prize money?" Joey asks. "Some would call that selfish."

"How dare you try and judge me!" Mai angrily responds. "Who do you think you are, you pathetic little punk?"

"Hey, you're only dueling for things that can be replaced." Joey calmly says. "But for your information, two of us are fighting for the people we love."

"You'll show her, Joey." Fluttershy said with confidence. "Show her what it's like to duel from the heart." And so, with both players saying 'Let's duel!', the game is on and Joey's up first.

"So to start the game off, Masaki the Legendary Swordsman." Joey says as he plays said level four monster.

"Smart idea." Spike said. "Normally, Masaki has 1100 attack and defense points, but the 30% Field Power Bonus will bring it's attack and defense points up by 330, bringing it up to a grand total of 1430!"

"Hey, I made my first move!" Joey said with a smile. But soon, Mai starts acting and sounding weird.

"What do you think you're doing?" Joey asks, confused.

"Divining my card." Mai replies. "I have to mystically choose which one of them is the best choice." Joey can't believe what he heard.

"What are you, a psychic?" he asks.

"Mai, a psychic?" Twilight ponders. "That just can't be."

"And the best card would be...this one. The Harpie Lady!" Mai says as she picks one of her facedown cards. In moments, the level four Harpie Lady appears, sporting wings and 1300 attack points. "And just like your samurai, her strength is boosted by the mountain region's Field Power Bonus." she adds.

"Great, the first monster Mai calls out and it's already more powerful than Joey's!" Rainbow says. "1690 is enough power to slice deep into Joey's life points."

"I'll still take it on. Attack!" Joey calls out as Masaki charges.

"Joey, wait!" Yugi calls. "Land monsters are at a disadvantage against flying monsters!" This is proved all too true when the Harpie Lady takes to the sky.

"Since she has wings, the Harpie Lady has a big advantage over monsters that don't, such as your samurai." Spike adds. "And worse yet, since the Harpie Lady can fly, Masaki loses his Field Power Bonus!"

"So Joey blew it already?" Tea asked.

"No, but he attacked too soon--before he thought about what that Harpie was capable of." Yugi explained as the Harpie Lady swipes at Masaki and destroys it.

"My samurai's sushi!" Joey says as his life points drop to 1410.

"Oh, cards, speak to me!" Mai says aloud. "And I'll choose again without looking." she adds as she slides her next card into her spell and trap zone.

"How's she doing that?" Joey wonders.

"I think he's starting to lose his cool." Rainbow said.

"Guess he really wasn't ready or a tournament like this, or a duel like the one he's in." put in Tristan.

"Joey, think about you're next move." Fluttershy said, but Joey is still trying to wrap his head around how Mai can tell what her cards are when they're facedown. As for Mai, she notices that her card trick is making Joey forget everything he ever knew about Duel Monsters. Soon, Joey picks his next card.

"Maybe this one will work better, Tiger Axe!" Joey says as last as his level four, earth attribute, 1300 attack point beast-warrior appears on the field. "The Field Power Bonus from the meadow should raise its attack power so it can take on the Harpie Lady head to head!" And indeed, Tiger Axe's attack power increases to the same amount as Harpie Lady's.

"That won't work!" Spike called out. "The Harpie Lady still has its wings!"

"Right. Tiger Axe is another handicapped and wingless monster." Mai confirmed as Harpie Lady takes out Tiger Axe, lowering Joey's life points down to 1020, due to Tiger Axe losing it's 30% power boost when battling Harpie Lady.

"It'll take stronger monsters than your land-based wimps to beat my Harpie Lady." Mai says with confidence. "Now I'll play this lovely card without even looking." Mai proceeds to slide another card into her spell and trap zone. "I'll give you a hint. It's an equipment magic card that will help me defeat your next card in one turn."

"Again with all that psychic stuff?" Twilight asked. Joey wondered if Mai could see the cards in his hand, so he decides to set his next monster in defense mode.

"Running scared, huh?" Mai asks as she proceeds to pick up and reveal her facedown. "Well, let me show you my surprise--Cyber Shield, to juice up my Harpie Lady." In no time at all, Harpie Lady's new armor is revealed and it raises her attack points to 2190.

"Aw, man." Spike says with worry. "A Harpie Lady without armor is bad, but a Harpie Lady with magic armor that can increase its attack points by 500 is even worse!" The newly empowered Harpie Lady lands and crushes Joey's defense monster.

"How's she doing that?" Joey wonders again as Mai laughs, enjoying herself enormously.

"This is so much fun." she says aloud. "In case you were wondering, the next card you were thinking of won't work either."

"Mai has ESP, that has to be it!" Joey says in worry. "I'm gonna lose this duel, and the chance to save my sister!"

"Settle down, Joey!" Yugi called. "Remember what my grandpa taught you about how to play Duel Monsters!"

"Don't let her rattle you!" put in Tea. "She's just trying to psyche you out!" Mai had heard enough.

"Stay out of this!" she bellowed. "Your brainless pep talking won't help him overcome the superior power of my Harpie Lady. Don't you guys get it yet? Friendship doesn't win duels, never has and never will. It hasn't helped him, he's defeated, and he knows it."

"That's not true!" Fluttershy retorted.

"No? I beg to differ." Mai responded. "There can be only one champion. On this island and in this game, someone can be your best friend today, and your worst enemy tomorrow. Once the competition forces you to face each other in a duel, where's your friendship then? That's why the only person a duelist can trust is him/herself. I hope your defeat today teaches you that lesson, kid."

"That's it!" Rainbow calls out. "No one messes with my friends and gets away with it! Yugi, bring out that Millennium Puzzle of yours and show her up for the cynical know-it-all that she is!" Right on cue, Yugi's puzzle activates and his more confident half appears.

"Don't listen to her, Joey." Yugi spoke. "We're here to help you, just like you're always there for us." Mai and Joey quickly noticed Yugi's deeper vote of confidence. "Trust me on this, she's trying to divide and conquer. A strategy that's been used for centuries. Believe me, I know." Yugi concluded as the Eye of Anubis appeared on his forehead.

"For some reason, when you get that look in your eye, I believe everything you say." Joey said as he looked at Yugi. But Mai just laughed.

"Do you really think that Yugi wants you to be the grand prize winner?" Mai asked. "He's a duelist too, you know. To win, you'll eventually have to take him on." Joey realizes that Mai was right.

"She's right. We will have to duel for the grand prize." Joey says with awareness, remembering the promise he made to him two days prior and his sister.

"You are a team, Joey." Twilight said. "Even though you may have to win the contest for your sister, you and Yugi can just look forward to a duel between friends, regardless of who wins."

"Twilight's right. Now I have to stop listening to Mai's nonsense and start thinking about how I'm gonna win the game." Joey said to himself. He started thinking about Mai's tactics thus far, knowing that if she's using the divide and conquer strategy, she's not psychic. Then, it hit him. An odd smell he didn't notice when his eyes were open. What it was, was the combined smell of different perfumes, and it was coming from Mai's cards. Joey had finally found out how Mai was mentally getting the best of him, she was clearly cheating.

"Let's go, kid! It's your turn!" Mai called, but Joey was about to bring her plan crashing down.

"That's it!" he declared. "I see right through your little card trick!" Mai was surprised. "You sprayed all your cards with different perfumes!" Joey said. "And by smelling each different scent, you could tell which card was which and pick which ones to play, even though they were facedown! So you didn't have to look at your cards to tell which ones were which, that way you could psyche the other player out!" Mia was in disbelief.

"No way! How could a punk amateur like you see through my aroma strategy?! It's just impossible!" Mai shouted. Soon, the others on the sidelines got a whiff of what Joey and Mai meant

"I smell it, too!" Spike said in disbelief.

"So Mai was cheating the WHOLE TIME?!?" Rainbow asked in fury.

"That is just a DISGRACE to perfume manufacturers ALL OVER THE WORLD!!!" put in Rarity.

"I gotta admit, Mai, you really had me buying into the whole psychic power schtick." Joey said. "I was too freaked out to think things through because of that, but you're not a psychic at all! You're just a big fake!" The whole gang start giving Joey more support.

"Just because you saw through my little psychic act, doesn't mean you're going to be able to defeat me in a duel!" Mai said in anger and frustration.

"I think you're wrong." Joey retorted. "Before, you were winning by confusing me and trying to pit me against my friends, but now my mind is clear. I know who I can trust. All you got left are your cheap tricks, and I'm not falling for them anymore. I'm gonna blast your Harpie Lady out of the sky with a one, two, three, four combo!" Joey proceeded to reveal one of his cards, one of the ones he got on the boat to the island, Baby Dragon. "First, I'll play this!"

"Good card, Joey." Yugi said.

"But what can a Baby Dragon do against a Harpie Lady?" Rainbow asked.

"Let's find out." Twilight answered.

"Baby Dragon in defense mode!" Joey calls out as he plays his card. Mai just laughs.

"That wimpy card is part one of your grand play?" she asked in sarcastic disbelief. "I only wish it was in attack mode and worth some more points so when I devastate you, it would do more damage to your life points. My card will be, Elegant Egotist." Mai proceeds to hold up the card before playing it. "Its magic will make two duplicates of my Harpie Lady, essentially making a whole new monster!" Soon enough, the one Harpie splits into three, to the shock of Joey.

"Harpie Ladies one, two, three!" Mai said with confidence.

"Three Harpies at once?" Rainbow asked.

"I've seen that card in someone else's deck some weeks ago." Spike replied. "That's not just three Harpie Ladies, that's a whole new monster. A level six, wind attribute monster with 1950 attack and 2100 defense called Harpie Lady Sisters!" The others couldn't believe that the name of the monster included the word 'sisters'. "And worse yet, that Field Power Bonus from the mountains increases its attack power to a whopping 2535!"

"It's three times the trouble!" Applejack said in shock.

"Now what?" Tea asks "He was struggling when there was only one!"

"Don't worry, he said he has a four card combo in mind." Twilight said with calm. "He'll bring out the next parts shortly."

"I don't have any card in my hand strong enough to take down three Harpie Lady Sisters!" Joey said with worry.

"Too bad, because I'm going to keep using the magic of Elegant Egotist to bring out more Harpie Lady Sisters again and again each turn!" Mai said with a laugh. "However, while my Harpie Ladies multiply, I can't attack you. So it's your move. Of course, you'll soon be up against an army of Harpies!"

"An army of Harpies? How do I fight of an entire army?" Joey asks himself.

"Don't give up, Joey!" Yugi calls. "Think hard about her strategy thus far. She's been using only one variety of monster and strengthening it with many magic cards. But there's a serious flaw in her plan, Joey."

"She's using magic around one single monster?" Joey ponders. "I guess that means the flaw is that if she's been powering up a Harpie Lady each turn, her deck has mostly magic cards, and her Harpie Lady and its sisters are the only monsters she has!"

"You're right! That's the big flaw, overexposure of one card!" Spike calls out.

"So if I destroy her Harpie Lady Sisters, she might not have anymore monsters left to play!" Joey realizes.

"That's right, Joey!" Yugi calls. "Now, think. What card in your deck will be the next step in your combo and help you win?"

"Which card in my deck? You tell me!" Joey asks. But then he remembers on the boat ride a card that Yugi gave him, the Time Wizard. Realizing that this is the kind of tight spot Yugi was referring to the night before, Joey thinks about how to use it and looks in his hand to see if he has it.

"If I had known how long it was going to take you to make a move, I would've brought a magazine." Mai says, clearly annoyed.

"Uh oh. The Time Wizard's not in my hand!" Joey says as he realizes that the card he needs isn't in his hand. "I'll have to draw for it. But what if I don't get it?"

"Trust in yourself and in the Heart of the Cards, Joey." Twilight tells him. "That helped Yugi, and it'll help you, too."

"Here I go. It's all or nothing!" Joey says, worried about not getting the card he needs. Joey draws, and the card he gets, is just what he needed. "Alright! It's the Time Wizard!" Joey calls out as he plays said monster, puzzling Mai.

"What good is that thing?" Mai asks, puzzled.

"Don't you know? The Time Wizard can make time go faster, causing my Baby Dragon to grow up into something much better!" Joey explained.

"Right, Joey." Yugi concurred. "And that's not the only effect your Time Wizard will have once you play the next card that I know you're going to play next."

"That's part two of my combo, and here's part three! Polymerization!" Joey calls out as he proceeds to activate his card, fusing Time Wizard and Baby Dragon together, creating the mighty Thousand Dragon. But Mai isn't impressed.

"So now you have a bigger dragon, big deal! My Harpie Lady Sisters still have greater attack power from the Field Power Bonus they get from the mountains." Mai said. "Attack it, my Harpie Sisters!" However, the Harpie Lady Sisters have changed, for the worse, as they've grown older and more grey, shocking Mai.

"What?! What happened to my Harpie Lady Sisters?!" Mai asks in shock. "They've gotten so old!"

"And weaker!" Spike adds. "Their attack power dropped to 1300!"

"I warned you." Yugi says to Mai with a chuckle. "Thanks to the Time Wizard's magic being fused with the Baby Dragon to form Thousand Dragon, a millennium has passed on the battlefield and your Harpie Lady Sisters have become old and decrepit. Face it, Mai, time's running out for you and your ladies!" Mai panics, realizing that she's about to lose.

"I believed, and the cards came through for me!" Joey said in awareness, now knowing that the Heart of the Cards pulled him through. "Awesome! Go, Thousand Dragon! Attack with Inferno Flame Breath!" he calls out. In an instant, the Harpie Lady Sisters are turned into three piles of ashes and Mai's life points drop straight to zero. All of Joey's friends celebrate Joey's first major league dueling win, and he thanks them.

"How?" Mai wonders aloud. "How could I ever lose, to such an amateur?"

"Hey, Mai!" Joey calls. "I tried to tell you, there's more to Duel Monsters than just kicking the other guy's butt. If you're ever gonna be a real champion, you gotta learn to care about someone and be willing to fight for that someone, other than yourself. Isn't that right, Yugi? Girls?" Yugi agrees as he turns back to normal, and Twilight and the others also agree.

"We're all proud of you, Joey." Twilight said. "All your hard work and training paid off. You went from nothing but a guy with eagerness and attitude, to a winning duelist who battles with his head. And his heart."

Attack from the Deep

Joey is still beaming with pride that he won his second star chip from his first official tournament duel, but some of the others aren't too pleased with Joey's constant crowing.

"Is there a time limit on how long he gets to crow?" Tea asked.

"Come on, Tea." Fluttershy responded. "He has every right to be happy about winning his first official tournament duel. Think about it, before this, Joey was just a beginning duelist with eagerness and attitude. And now he's more confident and knows to fight with both his heart and his head." Soon, Joey's stomach starts growling.

"All that dueling made me hungry. Did any of you guys remember to bring any food with you?" Joey asks. However, none of them did.

"What were we thinking coming here with no food? How are we ever gonna get through the rest of the competition without anything to eat? Especially Yugi and Joey?" Rainbow asks.

"That's a good question, Rainbow." Yugi responds. "All this dueling really takes it out of you, and I haven't seen any burger stands or restaurants since we got here."

"Well, we better do something fast!" Tea said. "I've gotta have my five basic food groups, or else it's metabolic meltdown!"

"Hey, chill out, you guys." Tristan said. "I got it covered." Tristan then pulls out a book. "Check it out...the Great Outdoor Survival Guide." The gang wasn't amused.

"Can we eat it?" Joey asks.

"Better that that, it lists all the plants, roots, berries, and grasses we can eat." Tristan explained. Most of the gang was disgusted with Tristan saying that some grasses and roots were edible.

"Aside from the berries, all those are other options wouldn't be the best ideas for food." Fluttershy says.

"Besides, do any of us look like squirrels, you big doofus?" Joey asks in fury. Suddenly, his nose catches a scent.

"I don't need your dumb book anyhow." Joey said. "I smell something cooking that-a-way." Joey proceeds to run off towards the smell. "See ya!"

"I think I smell what Joey's smelling!" Rainbow said as she rushed off to catch up with Joey.

"They're hallucinating." Tea said nonchalantly.

"Don't be so sure." Spike said. "After all, he didn't use his head to beat Mai. He used his nose." Soon, everyone follows Joey and Rainbow all the way to a cliff overlooking the sea. Once they catch up with them, they spot three fried fish on a stick by a fire.

"Oh, man! I just love barbecued fish." Joey said with a wide, hungry eye.

"Smells good." said Rainbow. "And I bet they taste even better." Soon, Joey and Rainbow rush to the fish.

"Hold on, what makes you think those fish are yours to eat?" Applejack asks, surprised at how rude they were being.

"Hey, trust us. We eat first and ask questions later. Your stomachs'll thank us." Joey replied as he and Rainbow headed for the fish.

"Guys!" Tea called. "Oh, they'll say anything to fill their stomachs."

"Some people have absolutely no self-control." Tristan says, to the surprise of the others, before running off to join them. "Guys, save some for me!" Tea and the others can't believe what they saw while the three hungry friends grab their dinner. However, before they could dig in, someone comes up the cliff and stops them before they take their first bite.

"Enjoy yourselves, you fish thieves. This is your last meal!" the stranger said, clearly unhappy that someone was taking his fish. "How dare you eat my fish, you thieving poachers? Has no one taught manners?" Soon, a wave comes crashing down on the stranger, sending him back over the cliff.

"So, can we eat now?" Rainbow asked as the stranger climbs back up.

"All right, let's try that one more time." the stranger said.

"I knew this was a bad idea." Applejack said, embarrassed.

"How dare you steal my fish, you bottom-feeding thieves?" the stranger asks.

"Hey, chill out, guy. It's just a few fish." Joey says.

"A few fish that do not belong to you, and to steal a fisherman's catch is to prove you have no honor!" the stranger retorts. However, Yugi notices that the stranger has a dueling glove and star chips, proving he's a contestant in the tournament.

"A dueling glove?" Yugi asks to himself. But he soon realizes who the stranger is. "Wait a second! Aren't you Mako Tsunami, the top-ranked ocean duelist?"

"And who might you be?" Mako asks.

"Wait a second, now I recognize your name!" Spike said. "You ARE Mako Tsunami! The duelist of the ocean!"

"I am more than just the duelist of the ocean, I am the duelist extraordinaire of all the seven seas." Mako says to correct him. Suddenly, Rainbow, Spike and Tea start laughing.

"What are you three laughing about?" Mako asks.

"On your head. You have some unwanted company." Tea explains as Mako looks up and sees a squid on his head. He quickly rips the squid off and throws it into the ocean in frustration.

"Off with you!" he calls, but Joey, Tristan and Rainbow are shocked as the squid could've been something they could've eaten.

"Are you telling me that those three are here as duelists?" Mako asks.

"No, just the one in the green jacket and the boy next to me." Twilight responded. "The two guys on the cliff are Joey and Tristan, this is Tea, the girl with Joey and Tristan is one of my friends, Rainbow. And the rest of my friends are Spike, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy. I'm Twilight."

"And I'm Yugi Muto. Sorry about your fish." finishes Yugi. Mako couldn't believe it when he heard Yugi's name.

"You? You're Yugi Muto? The only duelist to ever defeat Seto Kaiba?" asks Mako. "What a fine surprise! It would be my very great honor to face you in a duel."

"Same here, Mako." Yugi responds.

"I must apologize. I've been ungracious." Mako says as he turns to the three hungry ones. "If you are friends of Yugi Muto, please, come sit down. Eat your fill." All three thank him and everyone digs in. Soon, they finish eating.

"Wow, that was good." Joey says.

"Where'd you learn how to cook like that?" Rarity asks.

"I've had to fend for myself since I was a tadpole, but it was my father who taught me how to fish and cook my catches." Mako explained.

"So, what brings you here to the competition?" Yugi asks.

"I was raised on a fishing boat where I learned to love the sea, so if I win here, I would love a vessel of my own." Mako explained. "Of course, I'll have to beat a few duelists first."

"Your own boat?" Tea asks. "How great would that be, living life out on the big blue sea?"

"Yes, the ocean is amazing, and we have shared a special bond since I was born." Mako said. "I can tell when the sea is happy by the way it sparkles...and when it is angry by the shifting tides." Mako realized that he was getting a bit too serious. "Excuse me." he said with a sheepish laugh. "I did not mean to be so serious." But the gang is grateful.

"No need to apologize, since you saved our lives from starvation." Rainbow said. "But we best get going." Everyone soon gets up and prepares to leave.

"Leaving so soon, are you?" Mako asks. Everyone bids Mako farewell, but then, as Yugi suggested they might meet in the competition, it happened.

"We certainly will meet in the competition...sooner than you think, my friend!" Mako says aloud as he picks up his harpoon and tosses just close enough to Yugi to get his attention.

"I treated you to dinner. Perhaps you will honor me with a duel." Mako says with a sly grin.

"You ask Yugi to duel by throwing a harpoon at him?! You must be nuts!" Spike said

"No, Spike, but I am an expert fisherman, and you have clearly taken my bait." Mako says with a laugh.

"What bait?" Tea asks.

"Why, the fish, of course." Mako explains. "I laid it out and lured you all right in. But I never expected to catch Yugi Muto."

"Forget this crazy chicken of the sea, Yugi." Joey says.

"Can't we just catch you a few fish as repayment?" Fluttershy asks.

"I reeled in another duelist a short time ago, but he wasn't a worthy opponent." Mako explains. "But a duel against you, Yugi, would be a true test." Right then and there, Yugi's Millennium Puzzle activates and his more confident half appears.

"Mako Tsunami, I accept your challenge." Yugi says with confidence. As soon as Yugi accepts, a duel arena rises out of the water below the cliffs.

"Behold, Yugi Muto. We shall battle beside the majestic sea." Mako says, just as confident. Both duelists take their positions on the field.

"The playing field is equally split into two halves. One half is land. The other is sea." Mako says.

"And the stakes, Mako?" Yugi asks.

"I wager two star chips on this match." Mako says as he takes two star chips out of his glove.

"Two stars it is." Yugi concurs as he puts his two stars down. Mako is pleased that he found an adversary of real merit, something he waited for for a long time.

"Now, let the battle begin!" Mako calls out. With both players calling out a hardy, 'Let's duel!' they both draw their hands.

"I'm curious to see how you will combat my mighty denizens of the deep." Mako says as he plays his first card, but when it appears on the field, it appears under the water on Mako's half of the field.

"His creature is underwater." Twilight says in surprise.

"How do I choose which card to play when I can't even see what I'm fighting?" Yugi asks himself. None of the spectators on the sidelines like this one bit.

"The ocean conceals many things beneath its shifting surface." Mako says.

"As long as that thing stays submerged, Yugi can't attack!" Spike says in shock.

"I promise he won't stay submerged for very long." Mako replies. Yugi knows that since he has no idea what monster Mako played, he'd have to prepare for the worst with as strong a defense as possible. Mako notices that this duel is Yugi's first encounter with sea-based duel monsters, but knows that he will learn firsthand what a powerful ally the ocean can be, because he knows that the ocean gives his monsters a Field Power Bonus as well as conceals them, making their stealthy attacks even more lethal.

"How can Yugi possibly fight what he can't see?" Rainbow asks as Mako laughs in triumph.

"It seems that my ocean-based strategy has taken you by surprise, Yugi." Mako says. Yugi knows that Mako's right, but he knows he can still raise a strong defense as he picks his first card to play.

"I call upon the Horn Imp!" Yugi says as he plays his monster.

"Shouldn't have Yugi played the Horn Imp in defense mode since he doesn't know what monster Mako played?" Applejack asks.

"Either he forgot or didn't think that Mako's monster was stronger than 1300 attack points." Spike answered.

"Now, Fiend Kraken...ensnare him!" Mako called out. Soon, Mako's Kraken lunges its tentacles at the Horn Imp, and none of the spectators can believe it.

"Fiend Kraken, end this now!" Mako commands as the Kraken crushes the Horn Imp completely. "Well done, Kraken." he says.

"That was just his opening move, and Mako's already making a great showing!" Twilight said, amazed.

"You're good, Mako. A brilliant opening play." Yugi says, though still shocked.

"I'm pleased you appreciate it, though I very much doubt your imp did." Mako replied as Yugi's life points drop to 1740.

"Wait, if Yugi's life points dropped to 1740, and the Horn Imp had 1300 attack points, that means that Fiend Kraken was 260 points stronger!" said Spike in shock. "I guess that water half of the field increased it's attack power increased to 1560, since it's original attack point count is 1200, from what I remember."

"Well, now I know what I'm up against." Yugi says.

"Yes, the mighty ocean commands respect, as do the creatures that inhabit it." Mako says. Yugi decides to prepare an attack that'll destroy his Fiend Kraken and any other monsters he brings out, even though he can't see them as he picks his next card.

"Feral Imp, in defense mode!" Yugi says aloud as he plays his next card, thinking that it should dispose of Mako's monsters no matter how deep they are.

"I am familiar with your feral monster from your duel with Weevil, and its electrical attack, so for my next card, I play... my giant Jellyfish." Mako says, revealing he saw Yugi's victory over Weevil, and he proceeds to play it face down and in defense mode. Once it appears, it makes a battle cry.

"I don't like the sound of that." Yugi says in response to what he heard as Mako laughs.

"That is the battle cry of my creature." he responds.

"It'll be crying, all right...once I combine my Feral Imp with the magical Horn of the Unicorn!" Yugi retorts as both he switches his Imp to attack mode and the horn appears on the Feral Imp's head, increasing it's attack power to 2000.

"If I'm correct, the Jellyfish monster has 1200 attack points, like the Fiend Kraken, and the water field should increase its attack power to 1560." Spike said. "But with that 700 point boost for the Feral Imp, that puts Yugi at an attack point advantage."

"More than that." Joey said.

"What do you mean, Joey, darling?" Rarity asks.

"Yugi can't see Mako's monsters, but he knows they're all underwater, and water conducts electricity." Joey explained.

"So they're vulnerable to the Feral Imp's electrical attack." Applejack said with dawning awareness. "Now that's a smart idea if I ever heard one!"

"Magic Lightning Attack!" Yugi calls, and it appears that the attack hits something, but on Yugi's screen, Mako's life points don't decrease. The others on the sidelines quickly notice something's not right.

"Your strategy has failed, Yugi!" Mako declared with a laugh as the Jellyfish rises out of the water.

"How?!" Yugi asks in shock.

"As a sea duelist, I am well aware that water conducts electricity, so I played my giant Jellyfish." Mako explained. "It has the magical ability to absorb all electrical attacks, regardless of where they are aimed, protecting all of my ocean creatures." None of Yugi's friends could believe it as the Jellyfish returns to the water.

"And now it's time for my counterattack." Mako said. "Fiend Kraken, crush his Feral Imp!" The Fiend Kraken's tentacles emerge, grab, and completely destroy the Feral Imp. "Did you enjoy my Kraken's embrace?" he asked as Yugi's life points drop again.

"But how?!" Rainbow asked. "Did the Horn of the Unicorn lose its power?"

"My guess, yes." Spike says. "It would explain why Yugi's life points dropped to 1480. That Field Power Bonus stripped away the 700 attack points that the Feral Imp gained thanks to the Horn of the Unicorn." In his player box, Yugi rationalizes that he's never dueled against ocean-based monsters before, and since its his first time doing so, he feels like he's battling both the monsters and the very ocean itself.

"Do any of your cards have the power to stand against my ocean pets?" Mako asks.

"I have the power of Silver Fang." Yugi says as he plays said monster. "And I combine him with magic of the Mystical Moon to double his ferocity!" he adds.

"That just might give Yugi a chance." says Twilight. "The Mystical Moon card gives Silver Fang a 300 point boost!" But Mako isn't impressed.

"Ferocious indeed, but the moon also controls the tides, causing them to rise." Mako says. "Allowing me to unleash my next creature. Arise, mighty Kairyu-Shin!" In no time, a mighty sea serpent rises from the water on Mako's half of the field.

"Whoa, nelly! That is one big fish!" Applejack says in shock and amazement.

"That ain't no ordinary fish, that's a sea serpent known as Kairyu-Shin!" Twlight says, equally in shock and amazement. "It has 1800 attack points to go along with its power level of five. But with the Field Power Bonus from the water, it's attack points just jumped to 2340!"

"Behold the colossal Kairyu-Shin." Mako says. "A creature so enormous, that when he rises up from the ocean depths, he creates his own tidal wave!"

"What a beast!" Yugi says.

"Your wolf is brave, Yugi, but he will not stand before my Kairyu-Shin's Tidal Attack!" Mako says as the water washes away and drowns Silver Fang. "Gone, but my Kairyu-Shin's Tidal Attack did more than just wash your wolf cub away. It considerably altered our playing field!" Yugi looks and sees that most of his half of the field is covered in water.

"My land!" Yugi says in shock.

"Kairyu-Shin nearly wiped out ALL of the land Yugi can play his monsters on!" Rainbow says in disbelief.

"You should consider yourself lucky, Yugi. In my previous duels, when Kairyu-Shin attacks, nothing is left standing in its wake." Mako says. "I think it was quite considerate of my pet to leave you a little patch of dirt for your monsters to stand on, don't you? Or does it make you uneasy being surrounded on all sides by the sea? All men give pause before the savage power of the mighty ocean. Even the greatest of fishermen."

"You mean your father?" Yugi asks.

"My father was a great fisherman, he taught me my love of the sea." Mako explains. "But, one day, the sea, took him." Mako begins to remember the day he father was taken by the sea. "I loved going out on the boat with my father, just the two of us and the big, beautiful ocean. Never suspecting that the sea would turn on us." Mako remembers when a storm blew in that day, and possibly a big one. "And father was right. Suddenly, the calm, friendly sea turned into a raging maelstrom! It pitched our boat as if it were a toy." Mako remembers his father tying him down to the mast as a tidal wave came rushing in. "When the storm finally died out, our little boat had washed ashore. My father was right, I had been perfectly safe. But because he had stopped to tie me down, he had no time to secure himself to the mast! I thought I had lost him forever, but then, I noticed that our lifeboat was missing! I know my father is alive, so I will win this contest, buy a ship, and search the seven seas until I find him! That is why I duel, Yugi. That is why I must win and you must lose!" Some of the spectators were shocked and heartbroken, if not touched, by Mako's story and his reason for being in the Duelist Kingdom tournament.

"Wow." Twilight said in somber. "I never thought that someone would be so dedicated to finding their missing relatives." Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy were nearly in tears.

"I take off my hat in respect, Mako." Applejack said as she took off her hat.

"I understand where you're coming from, Mako." Yugi said at last. "Believe me, but I still can't let you win."

"Mako's dueling for his dad like Yugi's dueling for his grandpa." Rainbow said. Yugi realizes that with so little land available to him, he'd have to make his next play count so he could turn the tide of the battle. He then selects his next card.\

"Giant Soldier of Stone in defense mode!" Yugi says aloud as the colossal stone warrior appears. "You may have shrunk my battlefield down to an island, Mako, but my stone soldier still gets a Field Power Bonus!"

"Playing the Giant Soldier of Stone in defense mode was the best thing Yugi could do." Spike says after recollecting himself from Mako's sad story. "Its defense points boosted up from 2000 to 2600, just what Yugi needs to protect himself."

"Your massive monster can barely fit on that little rock, let alone do battle with my undersea attack force!" Mako says. "And he is surrounded on all sides by the ocean, making him easy prey for--Great White Terror!" Mako plays said monster, and it leads Kairyu-Shin, Jellyfish and Fiend Kraken to surround the Giant Soldier of Stone on all sides.

"This savage shark will lead my other sea creatures in an all-out ocean onslaught!" Mako calls as all four monsters surround the mighty stone warrior.

"I don't like this!" Pinkie said in worry. "The Giant Soldier of Stone is outnumbered 4 to one, and he could end up becoming fish food!"

"Guess Yugi should've gotten a bigger boat." Applejack says to herself.

"This is it, Yugi. It's over, but you played honorably." Mako says, thinking he has the match clinched.

"You have been a fair and noble opponent, too, Mako, But I also duel with the fate of a loved one at stake." Yugi responds, with a look that makes him seem like he has an idea to turn the duel around. "And I can't afford to lose. I switch my stone soldier to attack mode!" Yugi proceeds to switch his monster.

"Attack mode? But why?" Mako asks. "He cannot attack my sea monsters while they're underwater."

"And even if he could, he only has 1690 attack points, HARDLY enough to damage either Kairyu-Shin or Great White Terror!" put in Spike.

"But his target isn't your sea monsters." Yugi explains, puzzling Mako and the others. "I'm having him attack, a card I put on the field myself. The Mystical Moon!"

"No!" Mako said in disbelief.

"Now, Giant Soldier of Stone, destroy the moon!" Yugi commands as the massive warrior pierces and shatters the moon with his sword.

"What's happening?!" Mako asks in shock, and he soon sees what, as does everyone else. "The tide! It's going out!"

"More than that, all the water on Mako's half of the field is draining away!" Twilight says in shock. "But how?"

"As you yourself said before, Mako, it's the moon that controls the ocean's tides. Its ebb, and its flow." Yugi explains. "So I ordered my Giant Soldier of Stone to obliterate the Mystical Moon, causing the ocean's tides to reverse and recede." Mako cannot believe what he sees and hears

"Yugi's stone soldier beached all of Mako's monsters!" Fluttershy says in surprise. "He has no ocean left, and all the monsters lost their Field Power Bonuses!"

"No! My precious fish!" Mako says, meekly.

"And now, I'll deliver the final blow." Yugi says as he plays his next and final cards. "I combine my Curse of Dragon with the magic of the Burning Land card to wipe out your monsters and all of your life points." Soon, Curse of Dragon appears.

"It's deja-vu, like what happened to Weevil's forest field after he played the Cocoon of Evolution in Yugi's last duel!" Spike says with a smile.

"Burning Land Attack!" Yugi calls as all of Mako's fish are burned alive. "And that takes your life points down to zero." Mako cannot believe what happened as Yugi's friends celebrate.

"Destroying your own Mystical Moon was a brilliant and unexpected move, Yugi." Mako says in sadness, but he soon cheers up. "What a grand duel. I salute you, my friend!"

"This victory was not easily won, Mako. You're a great duelist yourself!" Yugi responds. Later, Mako is back on the cliff with the others.

"I am down to one star chip, but I will start over again." Mako says with determination.

"And I bet you'll do fine." Yugi responds.

"You'd win that wager." Mako says happily as the two shake.

"You know, I can't hep but like Mako." Rarity says with a smile. "He's such a nice guy, and the fact that he fights for his father reminds me of Yugi a lot."

"I hope he finds him one day." put in Fluttershy. Soon, Mako's stomach starts growling.

"My friend, dueling you is hungry work." Mako says with a laugh as he dives back into the ocean and swims out to catch his next meal. "Time for Mako to fish again! Farewell!" Everyone watches as Mako swims away.

"He is a nice guy, but I wish he had left us some fish for the trail." Rainbow says.

"I'd have to duel him again." Yugi says, and everyone laughs at the comment.

"Forget about it." Joey says. "But guys, I am getting seriously hungry."

"Not a problem, we've still got my Great Outdoors Survival Guide, and I have a feeling there might be some berry bushes around this island." Tristan says.

"Go ahead, Tristan, find all the blackberries you'd like." Spike says jokingly as the group heads on and laughs.

Everything's Relative

Up in Pegasus's castle, in one of the towers, a rope of bedsheets is lowered down from the window, and a young boy starts to climb down said rope. Once he reaches the end, he realizes that the rope isn't long enough to get him down to the ground. Suddenly, the rope starts to unravel, and the boy falls down towards the forest, but the trees and bushes manage to break his fall. Inside the castle, one of Pegasus' guards rolls a cart with food on it to a door, possibly the door to the room the boy was in.

"All right, you little runt. Here's your daily gruel." the guard says, but he soon spots the rope and realizes the boy escaped. "Oh no! He's gone!" The guard rushes to inform Pegasus, who's sitting in the dining hall reading a comic book while drinking something and eating cheese.

"Where do these guys get their ideas?" Pegasus asks himself. Soon, the guard from earlier comes in.

"Master Pegasus." he says. "A thousands pardons, sir."

"Gorgonzola cheese and the world's finest fruit juice along with a copy of my favorite comic book. Times like this are more precious to me than any other, you do realize that, don't you?" Pegasus asks, clearly annoyed.

"But the prisoner has escaped." the guard answers.

"Which one?" Pegasus asks.

"The boy we imprisoned in the north tower." he answers. "I have our men searching the island, but so far, there's no sign of him."

"I guess he didn't appreciate my hospitality. Well, no matter, I'm sure I know exactly where our little escapee is heading." Pegasus says as he pulls out a remote. "He'll seek out Yugi." Pegasus says as he presses a button on the remote. "Computer, request data on the status of the Duel Monsters tournament." The computer says that six hours had passed since the competition started and twelve of the participants have been eliminated and are being removed from the island by boat.

"And what of Yugi Muto?" Pegasus asks. The computer says that Yugi has gained five star chips from his past two duels in the contest.

"Wonderful. I expected no less." Pegasus says. "He is determined to work his way up in the standings in order to gain entry to my castle. Which is exactly what I want little Yugi to do. We'll just keep our spy cams trained on our star duelist. Sooner or later, the little runaway prisoner will confront Yugi, for reasons of his own."

"Very wise, sir." says the guard as he takes his leave.

"Actually, the boy's escape plays right into my plans." Pegasus reveals. "And I do have such special plans in store for Yugi, plans I hope he'll find as entertaining as I do." Meanwhile, outside, Yugi's friends are in disbelief that Yugi already has five star chips.

"Just five more of those star chips to win, and you'll be heading to Pegasus in no time!" Rainbow says.

"We should be able to rescue your grandpa after one or two more duels." put in Rarity.

"I wish I had more star chips, rather than just the two I already have." Joey says.

"Don't worry about it, Joey." Fluttershy says. "You'll do fine. You'll be able to help your sister save her eyesight if you just keep your head held high."

"I sure hope so." Joey replies as he starts thinking about how much his sister is counting on him. Suddenly, they all hear a cry for help.

"What was that?" Pinkie asks.

"My guess, trouble." Applejack answers. And soon, they see one of the guards holding a duelist and taking him away somewhere, prompting our heroes to rush to the rescue.

"Hold on, kid! We're coming!" Rainbow calls.

"Let that kid go!" Tristan says as he charges in and tosses the guard over his head. However, the guard recovers as Tristan compliments himself and lands a kick on him. He then grabs the duelist again.

"Quit squirming, you little brat." he says. The others confront the guard.

"Come on, needle-head! Put the kid down!" Joey demands.

"Just what are you doing to that poor child?!" Rarity said with fury.

"This is none of your business. This duelist lost his star chips, and the rules say he's to be kicked off the island." the guard answers, but the kid protests that his star chips and his deck were stolen. "I don't care what excuse you have, legitimate or not, you need star chips to duel and haven't got any, so you're shipping out of here." the guard retorts as he takes the kid away. "Those are the rules, and my orders from Pegasus himself."

"Well, what are we standing around for?" Rainbow asks. "Let's follow that big creep!"

Soon, the guard meets up with two others on a dock.

"Hey, Kemo, what'd you catch?" one of them asks.

"Just another loser." Kemo says as he tosses the kid onto the boat, next to Weevil, who immediately pushes him away.

"Hey, buzz off!" Weevil says. "They may be shipping me out, and I may have lost my title of regional champion, but I'm still Weevil Underwood, bug duelist extraordinaire!" The kid, sad that he didn't even get the chance to duel before his cards and star chips were stolen, soon hears the gang coming.

"Hey, you!" Spike calls as Kemo is puzzled as to why they showed up. "What did the guy who stole your star chips look like?" The kid tells the team that he didn't see the thief's face because it was covered with a bandana, but he does says that he's small and challenged him to a duel in a meadow. But as soon as the kid put his star chips and deck down, the thief snatched them up and took off.

"You shouldn't be shipped off the island for that!" Yugi says. "We'll get your chips and your deck back!"

"This boat leaves in exactly half an hour, anyone without a star chip ships out." Kemo says.

"Then we'll get his chips and deck back by that time." Fluttershy says with confidence.

"Better believe it! We're gonna catch that thief one way or another." put in Rainbow. "Trust us, between the eleven of us, you'll have your deck and your chips back in no time!"

"And with the brilliant mind of Joey Wheeler leading the charge, that thief is as good as caught!" Joey says with confidence. "I spotted a Duel Monsters arena in a meadow near where we were when we heard you, so we'll start there! Forward, troops!" Soon, the "troops" head to said arena.

"So, got any ideas in that brilliant mind of yours now that we're here, Sherlock?" Tristan asks.

"I got nothing, except a brilliant headache." Joey admits.

"Well, I say the first thing we do is stakeout the scene of the crime." Twilight suggests as she and Yugi rush ahead to the duel arena, where they sit and wait.

"Do you think the culprit could return, darlings?" Rarity asks.

"Exactly." Twilight says. "So now, we can plan a way to catch the thief in the meantime. All we need to do is wait." However, little do they know that the thief they're looking for is closer than they thought. And then, at the right moment, the thief leaps out.

"Aha! I finally found you at last, Yugi!" says the thief.

"Well, looks like we'll have to take this little bandit on right here, right now." Rainbow said.

"Just try and take me!" the thief retorts.

"There's an easy way to do this, just hand over those star chips and that deck you stole." Fluttershy says.

"Hold up, I think I know what this kid's after." Yugi says. "He wants to duel me." None of the others can believe it. "That's what you want, isn't it?"

"You better believe it." the thief answers as both he and Yugi take their positions.

"What I don't get is why Yugi's going through the trouble of dueling this guy when we could just take the star chips and the deck back." Rainbow says.

"Honestly, I don't think Yugi even knows he's doing half the stuff he does." Tristan adds.

"I think I might know why." Spike chimes in. "I say it's got a bit to do with that Millennium Puzzle around his neck." Right on cue, said Millennium Item activates, and once Yugi's confident half comes out, the thief steps back a bit.

"Now, how many star chips will you wager?" Yugi asks.

"To wipe you out, I'll wager five!" the thief replies.

"Then five it is, but only because I think I know why you're doing this." Yugi says as he presses a button on his gauntlet to detach all his star chips.

"Who cares what you think, Yugi? Because you're gonna lose!" the thief retorts as he puts own his chips. At the same time, the eye of Anubis appears on Yugi's forehead, and Twilight spots it quickly.

"What does Yugi see that we don't?" asks Tea. "It's like he's looking into the other player's soul."

"I think that might be what he's doing." Twilight responds. "Since the Millennium Puzzle is ancient, it might have some magic we don't know about. After all, if Pegasus has the magic necessary to steal souls, it would make sense for Yugi to have magic as well, only he can see into someone else's soul rather than take it."

"Well, magic or not, I can see that this kid's gonna get his butt kicked." Joey says.

"But Yugi better hurry if we wanna catch that boat in time." put in Applejack.

"I'm sure we'll get the chips and the deck and get to the boat with time to spare." Pinkie says confidently as both players call out 'Let's Duel!' The thief then remembers what Yugi did to his big brother, Seto, indicating that this thief is actually Seto Kaiba's little brother. He remembers the day before the boat for Duelist Kingdom was to ship out, and his brother told him he wasn't gonna go, saying that there was no point in going and that he was in no condition to duel anyone. He further remembers that Kaiba told him that since he lost his duel with Yugi weeks prior, his thoughts about power being what Duel Monsters are all about were shaken and he didn't know what to think anymore, as if he lost a part of himself that day. And after he lost to Yugi, he wasn't feeling like a champion since the day Yugi beat him. The kid remembers further that Kaiba gave him a card from his collection that he saw as his favorite, saying that he would be going away for a while and he wasn't sure how long he'd be gone. He remembers when he asked Kaiba why he was leaving, Kaiba told him he didn't know who he was anymore. His memory ends as he prepares to play his first card.

"My first card, is the Man-Eating Plant!" the kid says as the monster appears.

"Now it's my turn." Yugi says. "I'll counter your monster with the Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress!" Soon, the dragon appears, but the kid is not impressed.

"Bad choice, Yugi." the thief says. "My Man-Eating Plant will eat your dragon alive. You're finally gonna pay for what you did, Yugi. And your dragon's about to be plant food. Man-Eating Plant, attack!"

"Fireball Attack!" Yugi calls, and in no time, the Man-Eating Plant is burned to pieces, lowering the thief's life points to 1400.

"My monster lost?" the thief asks in surprise.

"Of course it did! Did you not see the difference in attack points?" Rainbow asks back.

"I figured that would happen." Spike said. "After all, the Man-Eating Plant has only 800 attack points."

"Not only did you pick a monster that was weaker than my own, but you can't win with cards that don't rightfully belong to you." Yugi says. "How can your heart ever live in a deck that belongs to someone else?"

"Be quiet." the thief retorts. "I don't believe any of that Heart of the Cards nonsense you got your foolish friends to fall for. Duel Monsters have nothing to do with heart, it's all about power!"

"Yes, I can see it now." Yugi says. "I knew I sensed a connection to Kaiba based on the words you used. You're his brother, Mokuba." None of the gang can believe it.

"How did you know my name?!" Mokuba asks in shock as he takes off his bandana and hat. "Well, it doesn't matter."

"No way! Kaiba's little brother?!" Rainbow asks in disbelief.

"That's right, Seto Kaiba is my brother and he's the best duelist there ever was, until Yugi came along!" Mokuba says. "Now, thanks to Yugi, he's gone. And now Pegasus is trying to take over KaibaCorp." Everyone is shocked when they hear what Mokuba says.

"Pegasus wants KaibaCorp?!" Yugi asks.

"But why? He's already the president of Industrial Illusions." put in Rarity.

"I don't know what you did to my big brother after you beat him, Yugi, but ever since that defeat, he hasn't been the same." Mokuba says as he remembers the day Pegasus put his plan to take over KaibaCorp. "He ran away because of you, and with him gone, Pegasus moved right in. Five KaibaCorp executives, known as the Big Five, invited him to some kind of secret board meeting, but I managed to hear nearly every word." He remembers Pegasus repeating the Big Five's proposition so he can understand it. That proposition being, with Kaiba abandoning his corporate station as president of the company, they want to seize control of KaibaCorp and then merge with Industrial Illusions and have Pegasus handle any messy details. The Big Five believed that with Pegasus' leadership and their money, they could easily take control of the company. But for their plan to succeed, Seto would have to be taken out of the picture, permanently. Though there is a catch, as per the corporate bylaws, only a member of the Kaiba family could legally control the company. Therefore, they recommended to Pegasus to kidnap Mokuba. In name, he would control KaibaCorp, but they would control him. And if Pegasus did all that, the Big Five would lay all of KaibaCorps technology at Pegasus' feet. Pegasus agreed to all the terms, but the Big Five laid out one final condition. That being Yugi, whom they claim had tarnished KaibaCorp's name after beating Kaiba. Pegasus then revealed that he already had plans to duel Yugi already at the Duelist Kingdom, Pegasus then proceeded to have Kemo capture Mokuba, whom he knew was listening in through the cracked door, and bring him in before Pegasus and the Big Five, proving that he was the man for the job.

"It's all your fault!" Mokuba says in anger as his memory ends. "Seto deserted me and the company he built because of you!"

"You don't understand." Yugi calmly says. "Mokuba, your brother hasn't deserted you, he's just searching for himself."

"Liar!" Mokuba retorts. "Tell it to my monster!" Mokuba then plays another monster.

"Go, Krokodilus!" Mokuba calls, but Yugi's dragon destroys it just as easily as the last monster Mokuba played, lowering Mokuba's life points to 1100.

"Seriously?" Rainbow asks. "Yugi's got better and stronger cards than you! That Krokodilus monster only had 1100 attack points!"

"More than what Rainbow said, battling me won't bring your brother back." Yugi said. "And we want to stop Pegasus as much as you do. He's taken my grandfather prisoner."

"That's right. Pegasus is the bad guy here, can't you see that, you crazy little kid?" Joey asked.

"You're wrong." Mokuba retorts. "I have to protect my brother's company, and Yugi's the one Pegasus has to beat in order to completely take over it over."

"So, let me get this straight." Rarity says. "Mokuba's trying to save KaibaCorp by beating Yugi, so Pegasus doesn't get to face Yugi at all! In short, if Yugi is beaten by someone else instead of Pegasus, KaibaCorp remains with the Kaiba family." Yugi concurs, but when he turns to Mokuba, he's gone.

"Where'd he go?" Yugi asks. Mokuba then comes up behind Yugi.

"If I can't beat you, I'll have you disqualified!" Mokuba says as he takes two of Yugi's star chips.

"My star chips!" Yugi says aloud in shock.

"Hey, those are Yugi's star chips, you thieving varmint!" Applejack shouts.

"Mokuba, listen to me! You'll never save KaibaCorp that way!" Yugi calls out, which brings Mokuba to a stop. "Your big brother is just confused. After I defeated Kaiba in our duel, I opened his mind. I removed from him all the dark influences and thoughts of duel monster cards being about power only that clouded his thoughts and actions. Free of that evil essence, Kaiba is struggling. Now your brother realizes that his way wasn't the right way and he's searching for answers, including inside his own his heart. And you know deep down in your own heart, what you're doing isn't the right way, either."

"But, then, what can I do?" Mokuba asks.

"You can start by trusting in us." Fluttershy says. "And together, we will save your brother's company and beat Pegasus at his own game. I promise you, we can only bring Pegasus down if we stick together and work together."

"We'll help you protect your brother and his company, Mokuba, but you've got to help us, okay?" Twilight asks "You've got to go back and return those cards and those five star chips to the kid you stole them from."

"You're right, Twilight." Mokuba says at last. "Then we'll take on Pegasus together!"

"We've only got three minutes until the boat leaves." Rarity says, checking her watch. "Let's get going, Mokuba, dear."

"Let's do it." Mokuba says.

Meanwhile, far away from Duelist Kingdom and Domino City, in a cottage by the sea, a familiar person is busy thinking about something he just can't figure out. That person is Kaiba, and that something he's thinking over and can't figure out is how Yugi, a kid who virtually came out of nowhere, able to defeat him, a world champion duelist. He ran computer simulations, probability scenarios, and quantum analysis of their duel, be he still doesn't have the answer. He thinks back to his duel against Yugi, remembering that he dominated the match twice, once with Saggi until Yugi drew Gaia the Fierce Knight, and a second time when he drew his Blue-Eyes White Dragon, which ripped through Yugi's forces. He remembers that he knew he was on the verge of winning, but Yugi refused to give up. And against all odds and with absolute faith in the deck his grandfather gave him, Yugi somehow drew the one card that assured his victory, Exodia the Forbidden One. Kaiba tells himself he always believed Duel Monsters was a game of sheer power, but Yugi claims that every deck of Duel Monsters cards, and every card in said deck, has a heart. He admits it sounds crazy, but wonders if Yugi was right, if there really is a Heart of the Cards that can effect the outcome of a duel, which would explain how he won. But the only way he'll know for sure is to duel Yugi again, and the new portable holo-generators, codenamed Duel Discs, will enable him to challenge Yugi no matter where he is. Suddenly, theirs someone pounding on the door, demanding for Kaiba to come out or they'll break the door down. The door is soon broken down, and two guards with guns trained on him as Kaiba puts his Duel Discs into his briefcase of cards with a deck in each.

"Let's go, Kaiba!" says one of the guards.

"On your feet." says the other.

"Mr. Pegasus would like to have a few words with you." the first guard says.

"I bet he would, but it'll take more than you two goons to grab me." Kaiba says with a scoff.

"This can go easy, or we can snap you in two, wise guy!" the first guard responds, but Kaiba kicks the chair he was sitting in at the two men.

"You'll never take me alive!" Kaiba says in defiance as he takes his briefcase and jumps out the window, just as the guards get up to pursue.

"No way!" the second guard says in shock as they head to the window. "He jumped!" Both guards look out the window and see no sign of Kaiba.

"Nobody could survive a fall like that." the second guard says.

"Looks like he did our work for us." put in the first one.

"Yeah, that just leaves the rest of the job." the second guard adds. "Pegasus was very clear, he wants the deck with the deadly Blue-Eyes White Dragons." Back at Duelist Kingdom, the gang is hurrying to catch the boat before it leaves. They nearly reach the dock, but when they look out on the ocean, they realize their running was in vain.

"No way! We're too late!" Spike says in shock as everyone looks out on the water and sees the duelists departing the island.

"I told you, I'm not gonna row, so quit bugging me!" Weevil says in annoyed anger.

"I can't believe the boat left before we could get there!" Rainbow said in disbelief. "And there's the lowlife that shipped them out!"

"Looks like you're too late." said Kemo. "Those losers are all on their way back home to Domino City."

"That's not fair! It hasn't even been a full half hour yet!" Applejack said in protest.

"Tough luck, cowgirl." Kemo responded. "Pegasus sets the schedule here."

"If Twilight wasn't holding me back, I'd turn that haircut of yours into a flattop!" Rainbow snapped as Mokuba rushed up to Kemo.

"You gotta call the boat back, I have the kid's star chips and his deck." Mokuba said. However, Kemo knocked the chips into the water, to the shock of everyone.

"Two of those stars were Yugi's, you big jerk!" Pinkie shouted.

"I'm so sorry, Yugi." Mokuba said sadly.

"That's why you all should keep a tighter grip on your belongings, don't you think?" Kemo asks. "Then things like that wouldn't happen." Kemo then grabs Mokuba from behind. "Now...let's go, you. Back to the cage. This little ingrate is a special guest of Mr. Maximillian Pegasus, and he's been invited to attend a special dinner in his honor back at the castle, right, Mokuba?"

"Hold on." Yugi says. "I still have my other three star chips, therefore I challenge you to a duel. And if I win, Mokuba comes with us!"

"I don't know why you'd waste your chips for this kid, but if that's how you want to waste your last three star chips, meet me back at the arena you found and dueled this kid, field 146, in exactly 4 hours. Then you'll have your duel." Kemo says. In four hours, everyone meets at field 146.

"We're here, and there's antenna head!" Spike said when he spots Kemo and Mokuba.

"Guys! Please, get him to let me go!" Mokuba says.

"Hold on, dear!" Rarity called. "Put the child down, you great big brute!"

"I'll consider it, if your friend wins the duel." Kemo responds.

"Oh, I'll beat you alright." Yugi retorts.

"I'm not the one you'll be dueling." Kemo says with a smile as he points up to the red player platform on the field. "There is your opponent." None of the others can believe what they see, and what they see is none other than Kaiba.

"He's an old friend who's dying to see you again. He met with an unfortunate end today, but he's returned from beyond just to duel you." Kemo says.

"What are you saying?!" Pinkie asks aloud.

"It can't be!" Rainbow says in shock.

"I think it is!" Applejack responds.

"Kaiba?!" Yugi asks in just as much shock as Pinkie.

"But if that big brute said that he met with an unfortunate end.." Rarity says.

"Then that would mean.." put in Twilight.

"You're telling me he's..." Spike added.

"A g-g-ghost?!" finished Fluttershy in stuttered fear.

"Yes, indeed." Kaiba's ghost answers. "It's me, Kaiba. And this time, Yugi, you don't stand--a ghost of a chance."

Duel with a Ghoul

"Yugi, you don't have a ghost of a chance beating Kaiba, because this time he is a ghost." Kemo tells the group, still in shellshock.

"A ghost?" Yugi asks, doubtfully.

"Stop it, Kemo!" Mokuba shouts. "That can't be the ghost of my brother!"

"It's a fact. Two witnesses saw him jump out a window and fall to his doom." Kemo retorts. None of the group can believe what they heard.

"WHAT?!?" Pinkie shouts. "Kaiba may have been a jerk ripping grandpa Muto's gift from a friend, but he'd NEVER feel so bad about it that he'd jump out a window!"

"Pinkie's right, you liar! Take back what you said!" Mokuba shouts.

"Get used to it." Kemo responds. "All that's left of Kaiba are your memories. Plus, a very cranky ghost looking for revenge."

"It's not him!" Yugi says sternly, refusing to believe what Kemo said about Kaiba jumping out a window and returning as a ghost."

"Well, he's certainly seen better days." Kemo responds. "Get your cards ready, because it's time to duel with the ghoul."

"It can't be him." Twilight says.

"You're right, Twilight." Yugi concurs. "That guy's nothing but an imposter. One of Pegasus' tricks. Don't worry, Mokuba. I'll win your freedom, then we'll find your brother in the flesh." Meanwhile, at the castle, Pegasus is watching the proceedings, finding the whole thing extremely entertaining.

"I just love reality TV." Pegasus says.

"Who is Yugi dueling?" the guard standing next to Pegasus asks.

"It's Kaiba--what's left of him. Or rather, the man he used to be" Pegasus responds. "The poor boy had shown so much promise."

"Wait a minute." the guard says, baffled. "If he's... and he's there... how did you do that?"

"I can't really take all the credit, Croquet." Pegasus answers. "I had help from Yugi. And now, to return the favor, I'm going to teach him a lesson about the real power of the Millennium Items." As Pegasus speaks, Yugi gets himself ready for the duel.

"Yugi, you look like you just seen a ghost." Kaiba's 'ghost' says.

"That's enough." Yugi protests.

"I am no longer of this world, and it's all because of you." the 'ghost' continues. "I could have had it all, but when you beat me, you took more than just the match you stole my life and destroyed my soul."

"You're nothing but an imposter, so stop the lies and let's start the duel." Yugi responds.

"Fine with me." the 'ghost' concurs. "This time, you won't beat me or my deck."

"You might look like Kaiba, but there's no way you can imitate his deck!" Yugi says.

"Don't you mean my deck?" the 'ghost' asks.

"Beat him, Yugi!" Mokuba says. "He's nothing but a fake!"

"Yeah. That so called ghost probably doesn't even have all of Kaiba's cards!" Rainbow adds. Soon, Yugi starts hearing the 'ghost' speaking to him in his head, saying that he knows Yugi could sense his thoughts, adding that Yugi really is dueling Kaiba and that he's dueling someone with nothing to lose.

"Kemo, once I beat Yugi, Pegasus can have KaibaCorp." the 'ghost' says. "All I want is revenge."

"That just proves that ain't the real Kaiba, let alone his ghost!" Spike points out. "I know the real Kaiba, and he wouldn't give up his own company!"

"Three stars says I win." the 'ghost' says to Yugi.

"Fine by me." Yugi answers. "That means when the duel's done I'll have six!"

"Then let's duel." the 'ghost' says as the life point counters set to 2000. "Guess I'll go first. And I'll start off with the Hitotsu-Me Giant." In no time, the monster appears, and Yugi is surprised that his opponent would choose to start off with that card.

"Is something wrong?" the 'ghost' asks. "It's your turn to move, Yugi." Yugi remembers that the Hitotsu-Me Giant was how his duel against Kaiba started.

"There's a Hitotsu-Men Giant card in my brother's deck." Mokuba says.

"Hold on, partner." Applejack quickly says. "Just because it's the same card, doesn't mean it's the same deck." Yugi thinks that if the imposter can confuse Yugi with the same opening play as the real Kaiba, the idea will have the same result as when the real Kaiba summoned Hitotsu-Me Giant.

"I'll start with this card. With an attack strength of 2500, I summon the Dark Magician!" Yugi calls as his prized monster takes the field. With one Dark Magic Attack, the Hitotsu-Me Giant is destroyed, lowering the imposter's life points to 700.

"You're as strong as ever, Yugi." says the 'ghost' with a laugh. "It's funny how things have come full circle, Yugi. Just what are you thinking in that feeble head of yours right now? I bet I know. You've come to the conclusion that, no matter what, there's no way you can win. And you couldn't be more right. Even a simpleton like you now knows that I must be Seto Kaiba. And once you accept that fact, you may as well accept defeat."

"I don't care who you are. You're going to lose to me all the same!" Yugi says in defiance.

"But Yugi, you barely beat me the last time we dueled." the 'ghost' responds. "And this time, your big advantage is..gone."

"What do you mean?" Yugi asks.

"Exodia. You've lost Exodia." the 'ghost' answers. Yugi and the others are shocked at how this supposed imposter knows about Yugi having Exodia in his deck at one point.

"Wait a second. How does he know that Yugi lost Exodia?" Twilight asks.

"You could only beat me with Exodia in your deck, and without it, you can only lose." the 'ghost' adds with a laugh. Back on the mainland, guards are protecting a mansion. This mansion is none other than the Kaiba mansion, and the man of the house, Seto Kaiba, who managed to grab a ledge after he jumped out of the window in his cottage, making the guards who were after him think he was dead, hides behind a tree, waiting to make his move. Kaiba climbs over the wall, grabs a chain in the ground, and pulls it to reveal a secret door leading down under the mansion. Once downstairs, Kaiba pulls a book on a shelf, causing the bookcase to move to reveal a door with a retinal scanner. The scanner identifies Kaiba successfully and the door opens to reveal a large computer mainframe. Kaiba powers on the computer, and the A.I. begins running the identity verification protocol and asks Kaiba for his name. Once he says it, the A.I. becomes somewhat sentient.

"I thought I've seen it all, but having to break into your own house?" asks the A.I. in surprise.

"It's too long a story for right now." Kaiba responds.

"Too long a story?" the A.I. asks. "Well, maybe I'm not in such a talkative mood myself right now."

"I'd find that hard to believe." Kaiba retorts.

"Such a smart guy." says the A.I. "While you were off galivanting, a hostile takeover of KaibaCorp has begun."

"I know." Kaiba says.

"And at the same time the takeover started, Maximillian Pegasus kicked off his Duel Monsters championship tournament at Duelist Kingdom. If Yugi Muto is defeated by Pegasus, or a competitor that represents him, the KaibaCorp board of executives, the Big Five, promised him control of the company once they merge KaibaCorp with Industrial Illusions!" the A.I. added. "In fact, the Big Five told Pegasus that if he could do all they asked him to, meaning getting rid of you and beating Yugi, whom they believe tarnished the name of the company, they would lay all of KaibaCorp's technology at his feet. For what reason he would want said tech, I don't know."

"He won't win, nor will anyone who represents him." Kaiba says. "Yugi is unbeatable. His deck has Exodia." Kaiba remembers his loss as soon as he mentions Exodia.

"Yeah, well, some time after you lost to Yugi, he lost Exodia." the A.I. says and Kaiba can't believe it.

"No way! That means, if Pegasus or anyone who represents him can defeat Yugi, I'll never get my chance at a rematch." Kaiba says, thinking about why he had to leave just before Yugi lost the only cards that saved him from defeat that day.

"When it rains, it pours." the A.I. responds. "Pegasus knows all about the corporation bylaws that require a living Kaiba heir to make any changes of control legal. The Big Five told him to kidnap your little brother so that they could complete the takeover once Yugi is defeated. Now Mokuba is his prisoner, and with you out of the way, even though he has no idea you're still around, it's likely Pegasus will exert all kinds of pressure to make your brother do what he wants, one way or another. So now you know. What are we gonna do?"

"They'll keep my brother safe, at least until the takeover is complete, so I've gotta make sure Pegasus doesn't defeat Yugi in a duel, no matter what." Kaiba says. "I'm not gonna give up Kaiba Corporation without a real fight! It's takeover time, by me. We're gonna hack right into Pegasus' computer mainframe. Next stop: the Duelist Kingdom." Back on the island, the duel continues.

"Are you here to play head games, or Duel Monsters?" asks Yugi. "It's time for your move."

"And it's gonna blow your mind." the 'ghost' says as he hold up his next card. "This next card's a blast from the past, Yugi. With the emphasis on blast." the card turns, and to the shock of everyone but Kemo, it's the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

"I summon the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" the 'ghost' calls out as the mighty engine of destruction appears.

"Only one deck has that card!" Spike says in shock.

"Not just one, THREE!" Applejack says in just as much shock.

"That means...what Kemo said. Could it be true?" Mokuba asks himself.

"Looks like the advantage is mine!" the 'ghost' says with a laugh. Yugi is shocked that the deck this imposter has really is Kaiba's. He then starts to wonder if Kaiba really is dead.

"Don't worry, Yugi. My feelings weren't hurt when you called me an imposter. Now admit that you were wrong!" the 'ghost' demands. But Yugi refuses. "To be honest, not having a real body isn't so bad. You won't believe how much I save in food bills alone. But I still get to enjoy the finer things in life, like revenge. And I'm gonna savor its sweet taste for a very long time." Mokuba believes he's hear enough and demands in anger and sadness over his possibly dead brother that this 'ghost' goes away.

"Almost breaks my heart to hear Mokuba suffer, if I had one." the 'ghost' says. Meanwhile, back at the Kaiba mansion, Kaiba and his computer mainframe manage to break through the Duelist Kingdom computer system, as the A.I. confirms to Kaiba.

"Too easy." Kaiba says. "Okay, when it comes to computer duels, Pegasus has met his match. Now, it should be a piece of cake to find the field in which Yugi is dueling, and it's likely he in a duel as we speak."

"I'm looking. I'm looking." the A.I. says. However, turns out that access to what they're looking for has been denied.

"What did you do wrong?!" Kaiba asks, annoyed.

"Don't blame me, I've finally found the security and it's all around Yugi's duel data." the A.I. retorts.

"I should've known." Kaiba says. "Fine by me, Pegasus. Go ahead and give it your best shot. There isn't a computer system anywhere on Earth that I can't break into. Here's the thing, every computer has a backdoor, if you know where to look. And guess where we're gonna look."

"Beats me." the A.I. says.

"It'll be quicker if I take over on manual for a while." Kaiba says as he starts typing on the keyboard. "Data from all the duels is being beamed to an orbiting Industrial Illusions satellite and back down to their mainframe. These transmissions are obviously highly encrypted. If we can somehow force the Industrial Illusions computer offline, I'm sure their backup systems won't have as much security."

"Are you saying we can make their computer crash, from here? But how?" asks the A.I.

"A computer crash is exactly what I had in mind. The biggest computer crash ever, and I'm going to use Pegasus' own satellite to do it." Kaiba says with a smile.

"But I've already tried to hack into their systems." the A.I. retorts.

"My idea's different." Kaiba says confidently. "Once the computer is down, we should be able to freely access the data. Be ready with a search for the Dark Magician."

"Gotcha." says the A.I. as it loads up the Dark Magician search inquiry and stands by with it.

"Good. If Yugi's dueling, he's sure to use that card." says Kaiba.

"So, spill it already." the A.I. says at last. "How the heck are we going to use Industrial Illusions' own satellite to bring down their computer?"

"By bringing down the satellite itself." Kaiba answers. "Down all the way. Begin to hack into the computer system of that thing." The computer A.I. begins to load the schematics of the satellite, revealing that it's part of the M-class Triton series of satellites with booster rocket controls, which are online. Once the A.I. locates the satellite's orbital coordinates, it starts to breach the onboard computer security. Soon, the A.I. confirms that the hack was successful.

"Great. Now plot a crash course for the computer mainframe." Kaiba says. The computer uploads the new coordinates, nd in no time, the satellite heads down to earth, and locks on target for the computer's location in southern California, as confirmed by the A.I..

"Virus software won't stop this." Kaiba says. "Pegasus, you are on notice that the Kaiba Corporation's still mine!"

"Satellite impact in ten seconds." the A.I. says. And within that time, the satellite crash occurs. Back at Duelist Kingdom, the 'ghost' decides to hold off on unleashing the fury of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

"I won't attack just yet." he says with a chuckle. "Why rush to victory when I can draw it out as long as possible instead?" The 'ghost' sets a card, prompting Yugi to think there's more to it than that. So, thinking that the facedown is a magic card, he switches his game plan.

"I switch the Dark Magician to defense mode." Yugi says. "And I summon Curse of Dragon, on the defense as well."

"Good idea, but I wish those cards had higher defense points." said Spike. "The Dark Magician only has 2100 defense points, while Curse of Dragon only has 1500. And if the Blue-Eyes White Dragon attacks, they'll be history."

"Smart playing, Yugi. Unfortunately it wasn't smart enough." the 'ghost' says as he reveals his facedown. "You played right into my hand, Final Attack Orders." Soon, the monsters go from defense to offense.

"Oh no! Final Attack Orders can switch Yugi's monsters into attack mode!" Twilight says in shock. Yugi knows that with Final Attack Orders in play, neither Dark Magician or Curse of Dragon can defend themselves. Meaning he'll have to think of another way out.

"It's time, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" the 'ghost' says with a confident smile. "White Lightning Attack!" And with one blast, Curse of Dragon is blasted away, along with half of Yugi's life points.

"Well, so much for your Curse of Dragon." the 'ghost' says. Meanwhile, Kaiba is busy looking all over for Yugi's duel.

"No Dark Magician there." says Kaiba. "Next field."

"We've exhausted almost every possibility of locating Yugi Muto." the A.I. answers. "Field 146 is the final active duel."

"Then he's gotta be there!" Kaiba says with angst. "Search field 146!"

"You got it." the A.I. responds. But when it tries to enter the field, something happens.

"What happened?" Kaiba asks.

"Looks like I've crashed." the A.I. answers.

"Reboot." Kaiba replies. And soon, the A.I. does reboot

"Back online." the A.I. says.

"Enter field 146." Kaiba says. But the same result occurs.

"No good. I'm frozen again." the A.I. says. "It's worse this time."

"Hang on. Let me see." Kaiba says as he starts typing on the keyboard. "Gotcha." he says at last. "Just as I thought. So, a virus. A good one. That means, just one thing. Searching for Yugi's cards activates the virus. Yugi's inside! Get ready to go in."

"But the security door." the A.I. protests.

"We've come this far already, and I'm not gonna blow it." Kaiba says with determination as virtual dynamite appears on the screen. "Actually, yes I am." The virtual dynamite goes off, and the door is blown away, only for a new obstacle to appear and impede Kaiba's progress.

"What's that?!" asks Kaiba in surprise.

"It's a virtual fortress." the A.I. replies. "Sensors indicate that all of the data from Yugi's duels is processed here. You won't blow your way through this thing. It's the ultimate defense. And it's impossible to penetrate without the password."

"A password." Kaiba says. "If I know Pegasus, that egomaniac would never think that anyone would outsmart him and get even this far. We're going in."

"The password?" asks the A.I.

"Pegasus." Kaiba responds with a confident smile. Back at the duel, Yugi wonders how he can defeat the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

"Hey, Yugi. You gotta admit, for a stiff, this Kaiba's sure got game." Kemo says.

"That's not my brother! There's just no way!" Mokuba protests. "Yugi, you know that's not him. Everyone thinks he's a bad guy, but I know my brother, and he's not mean like this! He's my best friend in the whole world. That thing's not him! You just gotta believe me!"

"Did someone forget to tell that poor kid that after he won Yugi's grandpa's Blue-Eyes White Dragon, he tore it in half?" Rainbow asks. Yugi wishes that he could be as sure as Mokuba, but he's not sure what to believe anymore. But one thing he does know is that the duel's not over yet as he prepares his next card.

"Magical Hats, conceal the Dark Magician!" Yugi calls as four top hats appear and hide the Dark Magician, catching the 'ghost' off guard and surprising the others. "He's under there, somewhere. But which one?"

"Are you so desperate that you have your Dark Magician doing simple hat tricks?" the 'ghosts' asks.

"It's not a trick, and it's not so simple." Yugi replies. "Your move, but you better think twice before you choose. Just do the math. Four hats, only 25% chance you'll find the Dark Magician. The real question is, what else is hiding beneath those hats?" This worries the 'ghost' a bit.

"The Magical Hats is a bit of a gamble, especially when you lose two of those hats, giving your opponent a 50-50 shot at winning the duel." Twilight says. "It's a 25% chance that he'll find the Dark Magician now, but once two of those hats are gone, that means a 50% shot for him to blast away 500 of Yugi's life points."

"But you gotta admit, that's pretty clever." Rainbow says. "An old fashioned magician's trick that just might work is what I call pulling one right out of the hat!"

"And I just love magic tricks!" Pinkie says with glee. Meanwhile, the virtual fort doors open for Kaiba.

"You were right about the password!" the A.I. says. "The virtual fortress is unlocked, we now have access to Yugi's duel data, and it was just his turn."

"Pegasus thinks he can make up all the rules in this game, but he could never have imagined this brand new twist. I'm back!" Kaiba says with confidence. Back at the duel, the 'ghost' makes his choice as to which hat hides the magician.

"So predictable." the 'ghost' says nonchalantly. "I know where the Dark Magician hides."

"If you're so sure, than move." Yugi says with confidence.

"It's a shame this duel's going to end in just two more turns, starting with this one." the 'ghost' says. "White Lightning!" And with that command, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon fires a blast at one of the hats. But Yugi knows that if the attack hits the right hat, he'll lose much more than just the duel.

Author's Note

Yes, I know that Stop Defense only works on one monster, blame the anime for not applying the rules of the actual game, not me.

Therefore, thanks to one of the many readers, I switched the card used from Stop Defense to Final Attack Orders, seeing as it has the same effect as "Defense Paralysis"

Give Up the Ghost

The White Lightning Attack hits the hat on the far right, but the hat was empty, to the frustration of the 'ghost'.

"One down, three to go." Spike says, thankful and relieved that the destroyed hat was empty.

"Yugi'll beat that faker!" Mokuba says.

"Your guess was wrong." Yugi says as he prepares his next card. "Guess wrong again, and it will cost you." Yugi proceeds to play his selected card. "There are still three magical hats left on the field and one of them holds a special surprise just for you. If you destroy the hat that hides the Dark Magician, you'll be one turn away from winning this duel. Choose the empty one, and it'll be my turn again. But I'm betting you'll pick the hat that conceals the trap card I just put in play."

"A trap card?" the 'ghost' asks.

"Now which hat will it be?" Yugi asks back. But the group knows that Yugi's taking a big gamble by revealing his surprise.

"Three chances left. But if he guesses right, it's over." Tristan says. Finally, the 'ghost' makes his decision.

"Blue-Eyes White Dragon, attack the middle hat!" the 'ghost' commands as the attack fires. However, judging by Yugi's smile, it was apparent to the spectators that Yugi got the better end of the exchange.

"Well, now you've done it. Activated my trap card, that is." Yugi says as his trap is sprung. "Spellbinding Circle!" The 'ghost' can't believe he fell for Yugi's trap.

"A Blue-Eyes White Dragon is normally unstoppable, but once drained of its energy by the Spellbinding Circle, it's not match for the full power of my Dark Magician!" Yugi says as he reveals his magician. And in no time, the dragon is destroyed.

"And that puts an end to your Blue-Eyes White Dragon." says Yugi with confidence as the 'ghost' loses 200 life points. However, just as the group celebrates, a second Blue-Eyes White Dragon appears and destroys the Dark Magician, bringing Yugi's life points down by 500, matching the amount the 'ghost' has.

"And that puts an end to your Dark Magician." the 'ghost' retorts. "There are only 3 Blue-Eyes White Dragons in the world, and they're all in my deck. Your grandpa had the fourth, but I ripped it in half. But how could I possibly know that if you claim I'm not really Seto Kaiba? You know, I couldn't believe it when you beat all three of my Blue-Eyes White Dragons with Exodia. But now, without that monster in your deck, there's absolutely no way you can win. Your move."

"Everyone in Domino City and beyond heard about your duel with Seto, that's probably how this loser knows about it!" Mokuba says. "That's not my brother, Yugi. I'm sure!" Back at the Kaiba mansion, the true Kaiba is checking in on Yugi's duel from his personal super computer.

"I am now rerouting the data from the duel on field 146 at Duelist Kingdom." says the onboard A.I. "After that, we'll be able to confirm if Yugi Muto is dueling there."

"I'm sure he is." Kaiba responds. "Now show me what you've got."

"Here it comes." says the A.I. "Now downloading duel data. You were right. Yugi Muto is in this duel."

"Can you show it to me on screen?" Kaiba asks.

"My pleasure." the A.I. responds. "I think that part you'll find most interesting is the name of Yugi's opponent." Kaiba soon finds his name on screen.

"What?! Is this your idea of a joke?!" Kaiba asks, annoyed.

"I'm a computer, so I never joke." the A.I. retorts. "Sensors indicate that the opponent opposite Yugi is registered as Seto Kaiba, and he's using your deck!"

"Those goons sent by Pegasus must've taken my deck!" Kaiba rationalizes.

"The duelists are tied at 500 life points each, and the imposter has his second Blue-Eyes White Dragon on the field." says the A.I. "Yugi defeated the first one with a combination of the Dark Magician, Spellbinding Circle, and Magical Hats. Like the imposter, he currently has 500 life points and no cards in play, meaning both could be one major attack away from defeat. It's his move."

"But without Exodia, he can't win." Kaiba says. "He probably has no other cards left in his deck that can beat the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, let alone two of them."

"Well, then I hope you have a plan." the A.I. responds.

"Yes, but we've got to work fast!" Kaiba says. "Yugi will lose on the next attack from the Blue-Eyes White Dragon unless we decrease its power from here."

"Can we do that?" the A.I. asks.

"Oh, yeah." Kaiba answers. "Upload a virus into that monster's holo-computer. That dragon is about to get sick. Real sick."

"Standing by, but shouldn't we first wait to see Yugi's next move?" asks the A.I. as it preps the virus.

"We can't afford to risk Yugi losing the duel." Kaiba answers. "Upload."

"Viral injection underway." the A.I. soon says. Back at the duel, Yugi knows he has no monsters that can stand up to a Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

"This duel is over, Yugi." the 'ghost' says with confidence. "I'm sure we'll be hearing the fat lady sing right after your turn. I still have Final Attack Orders active, so whatever monster you pick won't be able to defend itself." Yugi soon makes what could be his final choice.

"I choose the Feral Imp." he says. But as he summons, Kaiba takes notice and gets a bit worried.

"I wish Yugi waited a few more seconds before moving." he says. "Isn't there anything you can do to get that computer virus uploaded faster?"

"Were already halfway there. This is as fast as it goes." says the A.I. as the viral injection percentage continues to climb. "Viral implant now at 60 percent, but it doesn't seem to be working. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon is still showing no signs of weakness." Kaiba gets even more worried, as he realizes that something is wrong. Back at the duel, the final attack is about to be launched.

"This is almost too easy." the 'ghost' says with a chuckle.

"There's gotta be SOMETHING Yugi can do!" Rainbow says in worry.

"The first time he took down a Blue-Eyes White Dragon, he used a combination move." Rarity points out. "But I don't think he can do the same thing again."

"It's time, Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Attack!" the 'ghost' commands. But before anything can happen, something happens to the dragon. "What are you waiting for? Attack!" Back at the Kaiba mansion, the A.I. confirms that the virus is starting to take effect.

"The Blue-Eyes White Dragon's attack power is beginning to drop." the A.I. says.

"But it's still too strong. It has to get weaker, or it'll still beat Yugi!" Kaiba responds, doubly worried. Back at the duel, Yugi and the others are seeing what's happening both on screen and on the field, respectively, and none of them can believe it.

"What's going on?" the 'ghost' asks. "My Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" The dragon begins to melt, worrying Kemo.

"This is Kemo to Pegasus. I hope you're watching, sir, because we got a real problem out here!" Kemo says. At the castle, both Pegasus and Croquet watch what's happening.

"How did Yugi do that?" asks Croquet.

"It wasn't Yugi. It was Seto Kaiba." Pegasus answers.

"How? I thought you told me Kaiba jumped out a window while avoiding capture, falling to some cliffs below." Croquet asks, baffled.

"Well, it seems that the real Kaiba is still very much alive." Pegasus answers. Back at the mansion, Kaiba watches and hopes the virus will make the dragon too weak to fight.

"The Blue-Eyes White Dragon's attack power is dropping rapidly." the A.I. says. "The virus implant is successfully disabling the monster completely."

"All right. Now let's get to work on dragon number 3." Kaiba responds with a smile.

"Standing by." says the A.I. Suddenly, something happens.

"What's the matter?" asks Kaiba.

"We've been locked out by a remote terminal. Looks like we've been hacked!" the A.I. answers. Kaiba, frustrated, soon sees a pink rabbit with goggles, red suspenders and big, yellow shoes walk onto the screen and start saying 'Hey, Kaiba!' over and over as more of that same rabbit appear on all three screens. Kaiba knows right away that it's Pegasus that locked them out. Back at the castle, Pegasus watches the proceedings while guards prepare and proceed to break into the Kaiba mansion with guns loaded.

"The Blue-Eyes White Dragon's attack power is now holding at 2000." the A.I. says at last.

"But this should've worked!" Kaiba says in shock and worry.

"The Blue-Eyes White Dragon is now launching its attack!" the A.I. adds. Back at the battlefield, said dragon, though melting prepares the final attack.

"Now, Blue-Eyes White Dragon, time to obliterate him!" the 'ghost' says with wicked glee. Everyone worries as the dragon fires. As for Kaiba, he calls out Yugi's name, and Yugi, the main six and Spike suddenly hear him. And as they do both the eye of Anubis appears on Yugi's forehead and the attack dissipates, leaving the Feral Imp and Yugi's remaining 500 life points undamaged. Everyone sees this and all are shocked as the Blue-Eyes White Dragon essentially destroys itself.

"This can't be!" the ghost says, completely dumbfounded.

"It's gone." Spike says in disbelief.

"Can someone tell me what the hay is going on?" asks Applejack.

"It's a trick. It's gotta be!" Kemo says in shock. Back at the mansion, Kaiba sees what happened.

"Pony feathers!" Rainbow protests. "I think someone somehow destroyed that dragon!"

"The Blue-Eyes White Dragon is destroyed, but the virus wasn't responsible!" the A.I. says.

"Then how? Did Yugi somehow do it?" Kaiba asks.

"How could he? The only card he had in play was the Feral Imp, and it's your deck he's going against." the A.I. answers. Kaiba then realizes that it was just one thing.

"It's the Heart of the Cards. Yugi was right!" Kaiba says in disbelief.

"Come again?" asks the A.I.

"Yugi told me that every card and every deck in Duel Monsters has a heart, so THAT must've been how the dragon was destroyed." Kaiba explains. "When I called out to Yugi, the dragon must've somehow heard me and destroyed itself. Because it's heart is connected with me!" Suddenly, outside, Pegasus' goons find the secret door. Back at the duel, the 'ghost' can't believe what just happened, wondering why it had to happen to him.

"Why you? Because the real Kaiba is still alive!" Yugi explained in triumph. "He was the one who stopped you and that dragon."

"That's right, and we know it because like Yugi, we heard him calling out to Yugi!" Twilight concurred.

"The Blue-Eyes White Dragon destroyed itself because it, too, heard Kaiba calling out. Because its heart is connected with his own." put in Fluttershy. "That just proves that you're not the true Seto Kaiba!"

"Silence! I AM SETO KAIBA!" the 'ghost' says in angry frustration.

"Enough!" Yugi says aloud. Your charade is over!"

"My brother's alive!" Mokuba says with joy.

"Could someone explain what's going on to me again?" Tea asks.

"It's like Yugi said. Last time he dueled my brother, he showed Seto that the Heart of the Cards was real." Mokuba explains. "This faker may have taken his deck, but the real Seto Kaiba is still alive!" Everyone but Spike and the girls truly understand what Mokuba's saying.

"Imposter!" Yugi says aloud to the 'ghost'. "The real Seto Kaiba destroyed that monster. Me, Spike and his friends know, because we sensed him calling out to me when it happened."

"Now, enough of your lies!" Rarity says aloud. "We know you're not Kaiba! It's time for you to show us who you really are!" the 'ghost' just holds his head and laughs as he speaks like a madman.

"I told you, I am Kaiba." the imposter says as he begins to transform. "Or at least I was part of him--the darkest part." the imposter takes on a much more grotesque new form, causing Spike to nearly puke, Fluttershy to hold Pinkie in terror, and Rarity to faint. "I can see you don't recognize me, Yugi. I wasn't lying when I told you I was Seto Kaiba. The evil part of him that you sent to the Shadow Realm after our last duel!" As the being speaks, Yugi remembers when he opened Kaiba's mind at the end of their duel, as do Twilight and his friends. "Now I'm back, thanks to Pegasus."

"Face it, you're not part of my brother anymore!" Mokuba calls out.

"Talk about hideous!" Rarity says as she gets back up.

"🤢 I think you mean UUUUGLLLLYYY!!" Pinkie says. Back at the mansion, the guards break into Kaiba's computer room, but find the computer offline and Kaiba gone. One of the guards reports to Croquet that Kaiba managed to escape.

"Search the grounds. Everywhere." Croquet answers.

"It appears young Yugi's nemesis, the real Seto Kaiba, has come to his rescue." Pegasus says. "I must admit that this little development is one twist that even I did not foresee."

"I have some bad news, sir. The real Kaiba has eluded us once again." Croquet says. "Your were right. He was using a terminal underneath the Kaiba mansion to access the Industrial Illusions mainframe. If I thought he was alive, I would've beefed up security."

"That's two escapes, Croquet. Must I lock you away, again?" Pegasus responds. "Get me Kemo on the radio." Back at the duel, Mokuba taunts the being who was posing as Kaiba by telling him to worry about what the real Kaiba will do to him once he catches up to him. Soon, Pegasus' voice comes on Kemo's radio.

"Pegasus to Kemo. Seto Kaiba has gotten away. Don't lose the little one, no matter what." Pegasus says.

"Understood." Kemo answers.

"I guess I just don't know what to call you." Yugi tells his opponent. "I was thinking of calling you a monster, but I didn't want to insult the cards. It's your move. You've got a whole deck to go through and only one Blue-Eyes White Dragon left." The being draws.

"Just call me the Mimic of Doom." the being says. "Now for my card of choice, Grappler in defense mode!" Right on cue, the monster appears.

"This guy ain't much of a smart thinker. Grappler could easily get crushed by Feral Imp, as there's a 100 point difference between Feral Imp's attack power and Grappler's defense." Spike points out. Yugi knows that the Mimic of Doom is just biding his time until he draws the third Blue-Eyes.

"It's my turn." Yugi says as he preps his next card, though he'd play it in defense mode if it weren't for Final Attack Orders. Meaning that with no defense and if the Mimic of Doom draws the Blue-Eyes within his next turn or so, his life points will be history. "I'll set one card facedown and summon the Cletic Guardian to the field!"

"Why does that Celtic Guardian look somewhat familiar with those ears?" Pinkie asks herself. I thought I saw someone like him in a video game once. Soon, the Celtic Guardian attacks and slices the Grappler in half.

"Your Grappler's split!" Yugi says confidently.

"Ah, parting is such sweet sorrow. I suppose I'll place my Mystic Horseman in defense as well." says the Mimic of Doom. "And I'll also lay one card facedown just as you did." Yugi wonders if the card he set is a magic card or a trap, he then draws.

"Again, I'll play one card facedown and summon the Mystical Elf to the field. Plus, I use this Book of Secret Arts will raise its attack and defense power by 300 points!" Yugi says as said elf appears with increased attack and defense points.

"If it weren't for that Final Attack Orders card, the Mystical Elf could be a formidable defensive wall to protect his life points!" Rainbow says in annoyance.

"My turn is over." Yugi says.

"Patience, Yugi, for it will soon be all over." the Mimic of Doom says. He then starts to think that Yugi must be trying to strengthen the Mystical Elf to withstand an attack from the Mystic Horsemen, but rationalizes that if he draws the final Blue-Eyes and destroy any one of Yugi's monsters, he'll lose his remaining 500 life points anyway.

"Come on, your freakish loser! Make your move!" Mokuba shouts.

"As you wish." the Mimic of Doom replies as he draws. He soon finds that he drew the very card he needed. "Now, prepare...for the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Said Dragon soon appears, worrying the group, but Mokuba thinks that what happened to the last one will happen again.

"Don't worry, Yugi. My brother will help you out, just like last time!" Mokuba says with confidence.

"Dream on. Your luck's about to run out." Kemo says. "Just see for yourself. Unlike the last Blue-Eyes, this one's at full power and your brother's in no position to do a thing about it. 'Cause we found where his hiding place was and now he's on the run."

"So that means Kaiba is alive?" Tristan asks, confused.

"Dimwit. It means don't expect another miracle, cause this duel's about to end." Kemo answers with a laugh.

"Such a good dragon, wouldn't you say, Yugi?" the Mimic of Doom asks. "This duel's about to end now! Go, White Lightning Attack!" The attack is launched at the Mystical Elf, but Yugi is ready.

"This duel's not over yet. Activate Mirror Force now!" Yugi says with determination as the attack is stopped while the Mimic of Doom panics. "The Mirror Force trap card will reflect your attack right back at you!"

"Pretty good trick, but I'm ready with one of my own. I'll use Negate Attack." the Mimic of Doom says as the reflected attack is nullified, shocking Yugi of how clever the Mimic of Doom was in putting Negate Attack on the field just in case. "As you can see, Negate Attack neutralizes any attack thrown at me, even if it's one of my own." Mokuba starts to think the duel is all over, and so do some of the others, until Yugi starts laughing.

"It's time to finish this duel, with Monster Reborn!" Yugi says confidently, surprising everyone, especially the Mimic of Doom, as he knows what Monster Reborn does.

"Oh, man!" Rainbow says in surprise. "Monster Reborn can bring back any monster from either player's side after they were destroyed!"

"I'm glad you and my friends are familiar with Monster Reborn, now guess which card I want." Yugi says. But most of the group knows just the one he's after. "Be reborn, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" In no time, the mighty dragon is brought back for one more attack, but the Mimic of Doom thinks that it's not going to go as Yugi planned.

"A fat lot of good that move's gonna do you, Yugi." says the Mimic of Doom. "Both of these monsters are evenly matched."

"He kinda has a point, because both dragons have 3000 attack points." Applejack adds.

"Their powers are not the same." Yugi responds, shocking everyone. "You forgot about my Mystical Elf. She's been chanting a spell ever since I placed her on the field. It allows the Mystical Elf to transfer her own attack power to any other monster I choose."

"What? This can't be." the Mimic of Doom says in worry.

"This move was inspired by Seto Kaiba himself." Yugi explained. "He showed me that you can alter the attack power of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. But I'm going to raise the power of mine, instead of lowering it like Kaiba did to yours!"

"This can't be happening!" the Mimic of Doom cries out.

"Oh, you better believe it's happening!" Twilight says with confidence.

"Consider this a message from the real Seto Kaiba: you lose!" Yugi says with determination. "Now, Blue-Eyes, OBLITERATE!!!!" With an extra fortified White Lightning Attack, the second Blue-Eyes is turned to dust and the area around the playing field is enveloped in a bright light, and only Yugi, Spike, Twilight and her friends, and the Mimic of Doom can see through it. Soon after, the eye of Anubis appears on Yugi's head, Spike's hair begins to glow, and the Cutie Marks the girls had while in pony form appear on their hands.

"What's happening?!" Rarity asks.

"I think Yugi's tapping into the power of his Millennium Puzzle, and it's causing our OWN magic to react!" Twilight hypothesized.

"Pegasus may have helped you escape the Shadow Realm once before, but it won't happen again! NEVER AGAIN!!!!" Yugi shouts as he mind crushes the Mimic of Doom, sending it back to the Shadow Realm for good. Immediately following, the energy of the Millennium Item surges in and around Yugi, shocking and frightening his friends from Equestria. "Pegasus, I sense that you're watching. Consider this a warning." Yugi says as Pegasus watches the proceedings in the dining hall in the castle. "Nothing you send against me will stop me! And when we finally duel, believe me, victory will be mine! I'll win back my grandfather's soul, and you will pay for all the people you've hurt in the name of your sick little game! I'm coming for you, Pegasus!" As Yugi finishes, Pegasus' glass of fruit juice shatters and the screen he was watching cuts off. But he just laughs at what he just saw.

"Yugi, you developed your shadow powers quite a bit in such a short time, and even your friends from Equestria must've felt it." he says at last. "But when we finally duel believe me, your Millennium Puzzle will be mine." Back at the battlefield, Yugi retrieves Kaiba's deck.

"That so-called ghost is toast, huh, Yugi?" calls out Joey.

"I think we all had a feeling that the real Kaiba was alive whole time." Applejack says.

"Now let's get dear, little Mokuba and.." Rarity says but she stops herself when she finds that someone is missing.

"That creep Kemo took Mokuba!" Tea says as soon as she realizes he's gone. Everyone calls for him, but no answer.

"Ah, pony feathers, I can't believe it!" Rainbow said. "That jerk in a suit and glasses broke his end of the deal! He must've snuck off with him during that bright flash."

"Well, we're going to find him. No matter what it takes!" Twilight said with confidence as they all headed out to search for the young boy.

Author's Note

Yes, I know that in the card game, Mystical Elf doesn't have the ability to transfer her attack points to any other monster. Another case of the anime making up rules for story sake.

The Dueling Monkey

After discovering that Mokuba was taken by Kemo during the conclusion of Yugi's duel, the group of heroes heads across the island calling for him, but getting no response.

"We know you're just a kid, but this is not the time to play hide and seek!" Pinkie calls out.

"My guess, that varmint Kemo took the little feller back to Pegasus' castle, likely where he escaped from in the first place." put in Applejack as the group reassembles.

"Great, first he gets the soul of our teacher, Yugi's own grandpa, and now they've got Kaiba's little brother. Can this day get any worse?" Rainbow asks, knowing full well that she may end up regretting it later.

"Don't worry, Rainbow. It's just another reason for both me and Joey to get 10 star chip to enter that place." Yugi answers.

"No doubt!" Joey says in agreement, but he soon finds Duel Monsters cards on the ground near Tristan's feet, thinking someone dropped them. "It's my lucky day." he says when he spots them.

"Hands off! Those are mine." Tristan says, surprising the whole group.

"Well, Tristan, I sure didn't expect you to train in order to become a duelist." Rarity said in surprise.

"Yeah. Well, I figured if someone like Joey can hold his own in this game, then, hey, I'll probably be an expert at it." Tristan says, though Joey seemed a bit offended. Soon, however, Joey spotted a card that looked familiar.

"Hey, I recognize that monster." Joey says as he picks it up.

"Didn't I see that card in your deck, Joey?" Twilight asks.

"Not this one, but I think I got something just like it." Joey answers as he looks through his deck until he finds the card he's referring to. "Bingo! Swamp Battleguard."

"Well, I'll be. Those two Battleguards look like their long lost brothers or cousins." Applejack says.

"You're right. Of course, that doesn't mean your boy packs the same kind of wallop mine does." Joey replies, cheekily, towards Tristan.

"His wallop is just fine!" Tristan answers. "My Lava Battleguard as never let me down. Try him out. You'll see."

"Thanks. They both say that they work best together." Joey replies.

"Good point. The cards both say that they gain an extra 500 attack points for each of the other on the field." Spike adds.

"You know something, girls? I think I kinda see a resemblance between them and those muscle-heads." Tea says, but while everyone else laughs, save for Fluttershy, Joey and Tristan are furious.

"Tea, you know it's wrong to tell your friends that they look like something they aren't and laugh about it." Fluttershy says. Meanwhile, Mai is busy wrapping up another duel with one last attack from her Harpie Lady Sisters. After the duel, she lays back looking at the clouds while the sun sets, wondering why she's not having as much fun dueling as she used to. She then says aloud that it's because of her loss to Joey. But as she's trying to find a way to get even with him, a familiar face shows up.

"Listen up, Mai, I, Rex Raptor, am really itching to finish the match we started on the boat!" Rex says furiously, remembering when she kicked him out of his room on the way to the island.

"Funny. I thought I already knocked you on your Jurassic tail." Mai responds.

"Think whatever you want. But you're about to get stomped!" Rex retorts.

"You think I'm gonna waste another minute with a runner-up like you?" Mai asks. "I'm busy over here, so beat it, dino-breath."

"I ain't no runner-up, Mai! I may have lost in the finals of the regionals, but I have five star chips to prove my strength!" Rex retorts in anger. However, Mai shows off that she won eight chips, shocking Rex.

"How'd you get eight chips already?!" Rex asks.

"From wannabes like you who think that by dueling a girl they'll win some easy stars." Mai responds. "I've only lost once, but once I find that punk, Joey, it's payback."

"Joey Wheeler?" Rex asks in disbelief. "How could you lose to him?"

"I'd love to see you try and beat him." Mai responds, but she soon gets an idea. An awful idea. "Ok, Rex, I'll duel you, if you do something for me first." Later, the group spots the remaining competitors that barely managed to hang on to what star chips they have.

"Wow. After all the crazy duelists we've been running into, save for Mako, it's nice to see some normal kids for a change." Tea says.

"Well, at least none of them are cheaters like Mai and Weevil." Applejack adds.

"But I'm guessing that these duelists somehow managed to fly under the radar of the more experienced duelists." Twilight says.

"Well, how about it, tough guy, and of these tykes puny enough for you to take on, or do you wanna go looking for some three year olds who just made their first deck?" Tristan asks jokingly.

"Come on. Be nice." Tea says. "You know Joey's just biding his time until he finds a dueling monkey to challenge."

"Tea! That wasn't very nice, either!" Fluttershy said. But as Yugi, Tea, Rainbow and Tristan laughed, Joey lost his cool.

"Who wants some?" Joey shouts. "Just one more word about dueling monkeys, and I'm gonna..." But before Joey can finish his sentence, they all heard a familiar laugh.

"Tell me that's not who I think it is." Spike said, but right on cue, Mai shows up.

"How are you, Joseph? Glad to see me?" Mai quickly asks.

"Ecstatic." Joey answers.

"Tell me, Joey, is Yugi still fighting all your battles for you?" Mai asks. "Everyone knows that if Yugi wasn't there to give you one of his star chips or pointers during our duel, you wouldn't have beat me. Right, Yugi?"

"That's not true." Yugi answers.

"Oh, really?" Mai responds. "Then I propose he steps out of the shadow of the so-called 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon slayer' here and now. If Joey thinks he's so tough, let's see him play for himself!" Everyone is shocked by Mai's proposition. "Well, Joey, we're all waiting for your answer. Think you have the guts to step up and face the duelist I've arranged for you to battle?"

"It's not you?" Joey asks, puzzled as to why Mai would get someone to fight him for her. From behind a tree comes Rex Raptor.

"I'm dueling on Mai's behalf." Rex says. "Recognize me?"

"We know who you are, Rex Raptor." Rainbow says.

"You supposed to scare me or something?" Joey asks. "He may have been in the finals of the regionals, but he lost in the final match, so he's not as tough as Weevil had to be, despite the fact that Weevil's a cheat."

"You make a good point, but I don't know about challenging a finalist in the regional championship." Rarity says.

"Well, Joey, you gotta ask permission from your babysitters or not?" Mai asks.

"No way!" Joey says. "They're my friends, not babysitters. And just like with you, this is my fight and I'm accepting it."

"Joey, are you trying to prove something?" Applejack asks. "You gotta learn to pick which battles are worth the fight." Rex watches on, in disbelief that Mai agreed to duel him just for beating Joey. Mai believes that it was Yugi that led Joey to victory over her, and without him, he can only lose.

"And here's an extra stipulation..." Mai says. "If Yugi does any of his backseat dueling, Joey is automatically disqualified and the match goes to Rex. And the same thing goes for any of you ladies and your purple and green haired pal." None of the gang could believe that Mai would have Joey fight alone and without any support. "What do you say, Joey? This is your big chance to prove yourself and show that you are as good as you think you are, or are you gonna hide behind your friends and back out?"

"He's not hiding behind us like a shield, Mai." Fluttershy says. "We're just looking out for a friend, now I suggest you change your stipulation or there won't be a duel."

"No." Joey says at last. "This is the way I want it. I don't need you guys to be an excuse for why I win my duels. It's just gonna be me and him. Sure, it may end up costing me my two lone star chips, but I don't deserve to keep them if the only reason I'm winning is because of the combined smarts of Yugi, Spike, and the girls. My whole life, people try to help me because they don't think I can help or take care of myself. Well, I'm not gonna be helped out this time."

"You've lost it, Joey." Tristan says. "You can believe whatever you want, but I'm not gonna stand by and let you throw your only star chips away. I hope you two don't mind, but Joey won't be dueling. Maybe once he beats more weaker duelists, he'll take up the offer."

"THAT'S IT!" Joey shouts and shoves Tristan to the ground, shocking everyone but Rex.

"Joey, what did you do that for?!" Fluttershy asks as she checks on Tristan.

"Didn't either of you hear or understand what I just said? I'm tired of everyone thinking that I need help all the time!" Joey explains.

"But Joey, there's nothing wrong with friends helping friends out." Twilight says, hoping to calm tempers.

"Please, Twilight, keep out of this." Joey responds. "Just let me duel."

"Fine." Tristan says as he gets up. "Go ahead and duel, just don't blame us when you lose the chance to save your sister's eyesight." Joey thinks about his sister for a minute.

"Tristan, let's just cool off for a second." Spike says.

"Forget it." Tristan responds. "If Mr. Macho wants to lose, he can do it himself."

"Tristan, dear, wait!" Rarity calls out.

"Let him go, Rarity." Joey says.

"Some trouble in paradise?" Rex asks.

"Stay out of this, your prehistoric varmint!" Applejack snaps.

"So, what's it gonna be?" Mai asks. "You plan to do what you said you would or run off and apologize to your friend?"

"I'm still standing here, aren't I?" Joey asks. "So take that as my answer. And Yugi, no offense, but per the stipulation you, Spike and the girls should stay out of this one."

"Alright, then it's dino feeding time!" Rex says aloud as the arena rises.

"We all believe you can do this, Joey." Fluttershy says as he gets into position. "Just don't forget what and who your fighting for." Joey knows what and who's he's fighting for, but it's who he's fighting against is what's making him sweat.

"Rex, don't forget our deal. Beat him, and you get to duel me." Mai says.

"I can't believe that you reduced yourself to being Mai's personal attack dog." Joey says.

"At least I ain't no dueling monkey!" Rex retorts, having heard the joke Tea made. But that tactic only gets Joey mad. "So how many chips do you want to lose to my dinos?"

"I got two, but I plan on doubling them right here!" Joey responds.

"You wish! I bet your deck isn't even prepared for the fields we'll be playing our monsters on!" Rex retorts. Of course, he's right, because Joey knows he's still having trouble using the fields he battles on in any strategic way, meaning he'll have to try and make his attacks hard and fast before any of his larger dinosaurs can come out. He then thinks he has just the cards to do the job, Baby Dragon, Polymerization and Time Wizard, and if he can use just Time Wizard or all three of those cards, Rex's dinosaurs will become fossils and his Baby Dragon will become the Thousand Dragon, remembering how effective those cards were against Mai.

"Alright, amateur-us rex! Let's duel!" Rex calls out as both players' life points set to 2000. However, Yugi, Twilight, and Fluttershy figure that something should be done on their end.

"Hey, Tea, you and the others cheer Joey on for us, me, Twilight and Fluttershy have to go see about something. Come on, you two!" Yugi says as Twilight and Fluttershy follow. Up on the field, Joey manages to get the cards he needs to play his combo on the first draw. But he soon notices that Twilght, Yugi and Fluttershy are gone, so he goes ahead and tries to play his combo early.

"Baby Dragon, defense mode!" Joey calls out as said monster appears, though Rex is baffled. As for Mai, she knows what Joey is trying to do, but is grateful that Joey can't summon another monster on his first turn.

"You never leave a baby unattended, nor defend on your first move in a duel, and you're about to find out why!" Rex calls out as he plays his first card. "Two-Headed King Rex...attack!" Right as the Two-Headed King Rex appears, it immediately stomps Baby Dragon to dust. "Poor baby. Looks like we've found out what he's made of, the hard way."

"Great. There goes my special combo." Joey says aloud.

"Just like I said, even a three year old knows better than to defend on their opening move." Rex says. "Guess you'll have to try something else, you rookie."

"Even we made mistakes in a duel before, Joey." Rarity says. "Just try not to make another one." Mai starts laughing.

"You don't get it, do you? Little Joey's already made the one fatal mistake that's gonna cost him this entire duel." Mai says. "That and ever agreeing to this match in the first place."

"Face it! With your Baby Dragon crushed, my Two-Headed King Rex can terrorize the field for the rest of the match!" Rex says aloud.

"So what if I messed up on the first move? I still have a way to beat that King Rex. Leogun!" Joey says as he plays his next card. "Show that overgrown, two-headed iguana who the real king of beasts is!" Right on cue, Leogun charges

"Wrong move, amateur." Rex says. "Since I'm playing my cards in a desert region, my King Rex gets a nice, big Power Bonus. Tough luck for your pussy cat!" Joey can't believe that Rex waited until that moment to tell him about the Field Power Bonus. "King Rex! Foot Stomp!" Within second, Leogun is flattened, dropping Joey's life points down to 1670. Rex knows that the quicker he can beat Joey, the sooner he'll get to beat Mai. "Your Baby Dragon and Leogun were just the appetizers, and my King Rex is ready to move on to the main course!"

"I've got plenty to serve, now let's see if I can get this Field Power Bonus as well." Joey says as he picks his next monster. "Axe Raider!" The monster soon appears, and its attack points were affected by the Field Power Bonus, increasing them to 2210. "Alright, now my monster's stronger!" In moments, the King Rex is sliced in half, dropping Rex's life points to 1870.

"Not bad, Joey." Spike says.

"Those two are almost even with 200 life points separating them." put in Rarity.

"Don't let it go to your head!" Rex calls out as he plays his next dinosaur. "Sword Arm of Dragon! Cut that Axe Raider down to size!" The girls and Spike were surprised, yet mostly baffled, that the Sword Arm of Dragon looks more like a Stegosaurus than a dragon. "Sword Tail Slash!" With one swipe, Joey's Axe Raider is defeated and his life points drop to 1605. Joey realizes that Rex took out three of his monsters already, and even the Field Power Bonus isn't helping much.

"Come on, Joey, you know that Rex can't intimidate a guy who's fighting for someone he cares about." Applejack says. "We're right behind you the whole way." However, Joey doesn't believe her since Tristan, Yugi, Fluttershy and Twilight left. Out in the forest, Tristan is washing himself off after Joey shoved him when Yugi, Fluttershy and Twilight show up.

"You okay, Tristan?" Yugi asks. Tristan can't believe they're not with Joey.

"Yugi, Fluttershy, Twilight? What are you three doing here, you should be helping Joey." Tristan says.

"Joey made it clear that he doesn't want help this time." Fluttershy says.

"And since you left in a huff, we figured we could try and see if you calmed down a bit." put in Twilight.

"Me being there and you three being there are two totally different things." Tristan says. "Without your support, girls, and without Yugi's coaching, Joey won't last two minutes against Rex. No matter what he said, you have to go back and help him out."

"We can't do that." Yugi says. "Just like with Mai, Joey needs to fight his battles himself and we need to respect his decision."

"Yugi!" Tristan says as he frustratingly grabs Yugi by his shirt collar.

"Tristan, calm down and listen!" Twilight says. "If we go back on our word and go against the stipulation Mai put into the duel, he'll be automatically disqualified and lose his star chips and his opportunity to help his family! His baby sister!"

"Twilight's right." Fluttershy put in. "If we don't believe in him, he won't believe in himself."

"Yeah, well...maybe I don't think he can win." Tristan says.

"You don't get it, do you?" Twilight asks. "To Joey, this is more about than winning or losing, it's about him being a strong big brother for his sister. And even thought he doesn't need our help, he needs to know he has our support." Tristan, however, isn't sure. Back at the duel, Joey's trying to find out what to do and even starts second-guessing himself. However, Joey quickly pushes those doubts aside and looks to his hand to find an answer. He then realizes he still has the Time Wizard, and even though he doesn't have the Baby Dragon to play his combo with it and Polymerization, he decides to put it on the field anyway.

"I defend with the Time Wizard!" Joey says at last. Mai then realizes what could happen if Joey tries to play it.

"Raptor! Watch that Time Wizard!" Mai calls out.

"Ah, without Yugi's help or Baby Dragon or Polymerization to play with it as his intended combo, this chump probably doesn't even know how to use it!" Rex retorts. He starts to think that if Joey tries to play another monster on his next turn, he'll simply crush it, too. While Mai starts to think that Rex may have a point in what he said about Joey, all the while, Rex passes his turn.

"To protect the Time Wizard, I play Rock Ogre Grotto in defense!" Joey says as he sets said monster.

"I figured that Joey didn't know what he was doing. So I play Megazowler!" Rex says as his monster appears. "Time to wreck that rock, old school style! Horn Ramming Charge Attack!" The giant Triceratops charges and destroys the Rock Ogre. "Reduced to Rubble! I sure sent him back to the Stone Age!"

"Fine!" Joey says. I use Polymerization to fuse Masaki, the Legendary Swordsman and Flame Manipulator in my hand to summon Flame Swordsman!" Said monster soon appears with a giant flame colored blade in hand. "Time to turn up the heat and carve that dino like it was a big turkey!"

"Didn't you see what I did to your Rock Ogre?" Rex asks. "Do you really think your puny little Flame Swordsman is gonna last any longer? Looks like I'm gonna have to teach you respect for my dinosaurs the hard way! Attack!" The Megazowler charges in for a Horn Ramming Charge Attack, but Mai realizes Rex's mistake as Joey orders the Flame Swordsman to counterattack with a Flaming Sword of Battle attack. With flames all over it, Megazowler gets burned to a crisp, baffling Rex.

"How can a swordsman beat a dinosaur?!" Rex asks in disbelief as his life points drop to 1330. Even Joey can't believe that he won that exchange.

"There is no way Joey could've known that dinosaur cards are especially vulnerable to fire." Mai says. "That jerk got lucky on that one."

"Looks like Joey found the secret to beating Rex's dinos!" Rainbow says with a smile.

"And that's gotta make Rex feel sore!" Pinkie added with a laugh, hinting that she made a joke.

"I switch my Sword Arm of Dragon to defense mode!" Rex says.

"Want some?" Joey asks. "Then come and get it!" Joey's Flame Swordsman starts slashing Dinosaurs down left and right. First Sword Arm of Dragon, then Crawling Dragon #2, then Uraby.

"Yes! We knew you'd make a comeback, Joey!" Pinkie says with glee.

"This is far from over, you know." Rex says. "One card alone won't win this for you."

"Alrighty, then. I'll just bring out another for you! Swamp Battleguard!" Joey says as he plays said monster, while its attack power increases to 2340.

"Big deal! I have a beast that can wipe that smirk off your face permanently!" Rex retorts as he draws his next card, and gets what he was looking for. "Alright! Meet the top link of the food chain! Serpent Night Dragon!" None of the girls nor Spike can believe what monster Rex just brought out. "This rare card is awarded to the elite few who made it to the final round of the regional championships each year they're held. But for a rookie loser like you, it should be an honor just to get thrashed by it! Nightmare Sonic Blast! In next to no time, Joey's Flame Swordsman is gone, along with ten of his life points.

"Oh dear." said Rarity. "I suppose that's one of the perks of being a finalist of a championship tournament." Joey starts to think that no monster in his deck can save him. He draws, and finds none other than Tristan's card, Lava Battlegaurd. He starts to remember something that happened a long time ago, when some local street thugs were picking on a kid and he stood up against them, until Tristan arrived to give him backup, though unwanted. Then, it hits him, Tristan was always looking out for him, not because he thinks he always needs help, but because he's a true friend. Soon, a familiar voice is heard calling to Joey, he turns to see it's Tristan, with Yugi, Twilight, and Fluttershy.

"We're here for you, buddy!" Tristan calls. "So how about it? You gonna take that card of mine for test drive or what?"

"You got it, pal!" Joey responds. "Go, Lava Battleguard!" Soon, both Battleguards are standing together, side by side.

"What a touching reunion!" Rex says sarcastically. "Too bad my Serpent Night Dragon is gonna blast it to shreds! Now, attack the Swamp Battleguard!" The dragon launches a Nightmare Sonic Blast, but it suddenly gets deflected right back at Serpent Night Dragon, destroying it, baffling everyone, and lowering Rex's life points to 840.

"How did my attack get deflected?! There aren't any trap cards on the field!" Rex says. Then, everyone realizes what happened.

"I get it! The Lava Battleguard blocks attacks aimed at the Swamp Battleguard, and vice versa!" Spike says in realization. "And they get 500 attack points for being on the field together!"

"Tristan's card was there right when I needed it most." Joey says, deeply touched.

"They helped each other out just like we help each other out." Applejack said. "That's what being a real friend is all about."

"Thanks for everything, man." Joey says to Tristan. "I owe you one."

"There's more to celebrate, because those two made a nice dent in Rex's life points!" Twilight said with pride.

"Right! And now that we're together again..." says Joey.

"There's not a monster Rex has that can stop us!" finished Tristan. However, Rex knows that what Tristan said is wrong, as he knows he has a super powerful monster just waiting in his deck. One that can prove to be a real powerhouse surprise.

Author's Note

For clarity's sake and for the sake of making the game make more sense, I put in the necessary fusion materials to bring Flame Swordsman onto the field.

Trial by Red Eyes

"Your horned freaks may have won control of the field, but now it's time to see if they can hold their control." Rex says as he sets a monster in defense mode. "I defend with Trakodon!"

"Rex has a point. Joey's two Battleguards may have dominance over the field, seeing as they both have enhanced attack points from both being on the field at the same time and from the Field Power Bonus on Joey's half of the field, but now comes the hard part. Keeping the field under his control." Spike says.

"Lava Battleguard, give that dino a bashing!" Joey commands as the Lava Battleguard slams its club down on the Trakodon, destroying it.

"I gotta admit, those two are some tag team." Rainbow says impressed. "Being on the field together and the Field Power Bonus makes them nearly invulnerable."

"No joke. And since Joey's already taken out Rex's best monsters, Two-Headed King Rex and Serpent Night Dragon, the rest will be a cakewalk." Tristan says.

Just as Tristan tells Joey to finish the duel for good, Rex interrupts with a laugh.

"Who said that the Serpent Night Dragon Joey destroyed two turns ago was my best card?" Rex asks as he draws the card he needs, bringing a smile to his face. "My supreme monster is a dragon, but of a different sort! The Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" None of the gang can believe what they heard, even Mai.

"A WHAT DRAGON?" Mai asks in shock. But she and the others soon get their answer when said monster appears.

"You pair of primates can power up till they're purple in the face, they're still no match for the thrashing power of this beast!" Rex says with pride.

"So it does exist." Yugi says in disbelief. "My grandpa told me about this card."

"He also told us about it too, Yugi." Twilight added. "They say that its powers rival those of even the mighty Blue-Eyes White Dragon. And if there's a card that can be a near match for Kaiba's dragon, it's that one."

"It's about time Rex played a card that'll put Joey in his place." Mai says to herself as she marvels at Rex's superior beast.

"And if you think those braindead brutes will rescue each other from this dragon's rampage, think again!" Rex says as he plays a magic card. "With my Dragon Nails card, my Red-Eyes gets a power boost strong enough to clobber an army of your Battleguards! Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Inferno Fire Blast!" With one blast, both of Joey's Battleguards are annihilated.

"How could he torch them both with just one shot?!" Rainbow asks in shock.

"Those who defend together are destroyed together." Rex explains. "Don't tell me you thought their little clubs would be enough to save them from my dragon's wrath."

"I think I'm starting to miss the Blue-Eyes White Dragon the more I look at the Red-Eyes Black Dragon." Fluttershy said, a bit frightened, as Joey's life points drop to 235.

"That's a good boy, Rex. Nice work." Mai says to herself.

"Do you smell that odor in the air, Joey?" Rex asks. "It's the stench of your defeated Battleguards. So who's up next for the roast?" Joey knows that he has to stay calm, and so do the others, but then a thought comes to Tea's mind.

"Yugi, tell that that dragon isn't as tough as it looks. I mean, there must be something Joey can do to stop it." Tea says. Yugi wishes he could answer, since there is one last move that could save Joey, but he's barred from giving advice in this duel, like the girls and Spike, meaning Joey will have to find out for himself.

"Go ahead and play every monster you've got. My dragon has enough firepower to turn your entire deck into a smoldering pile of ash!" Rex says confidently. Joey knows that there's not a card in his deck that can outmuscle the Red-Eyes. That is, until Tristan reminds him that he has the brains to beat it. The others chime in by reminding him that dueling is more about heart instead of strength. Joey then draws.

"Yeah, that's right, Joey. Slap down another card from my Red-Eyes to fry up." Rex says, but soon realizes that the Time Wizard is still on Joey's side of the field, though he continues to think that without Yugi's help, Joey couldn't use it properly.

"Hey, are you gonna nab me the victory you promised, or are you gonna stand there with that dumb look on your face?" Mai asks impatiently. Rex then starts anticipating the duel he and her will have, but then gets an idea. If he can get his hands on Joey's Time Wizard, it would be the perfect way to get Mai off his back for good, knowing that she can't find away to beat it.

"Oh, Joey?" Rex asks. "I have an idea. Let's make this duel more exciting and each put one card up for grabs with our star chips. And just so it's fair, we'll both put up whatever card we have on the field. Sound good?" Joey quickly realizes what Rex meant, as do the others when they hear Rex's proposal. "And for him, I'll give you my rarest card. The supreme Red-Eyes Black Dragon. And I'll even throw in my Dragon Nails card as a bonus." Neither Joey nor the others can believe that Rex would put his best card and a magic card to give it a power boost on the line with his star chips.

"Just what do you think you're doing, you disobedient dolt?" Mai asks furiously. "You're up there to take Joey out of this tournament, not to improve your deck!"

"Stay out of this!" Rex retorts.

"Rex, you double-crossing snake, I know what you're scheming!" Mai retorts back, more furious than before. As they bicker, Joey thinks about Rex's offer. He knows that the Red-Eyes and Dragon Nails could really help him get through the rest of the tournament and win the prize money for his sister, but on the other hand, he also doesn't want to risk losing a card his friend gave him like it was a bargaining chip. However, Joey gets an idea on how to win the duel.

"You got a deal, Rex." Joey says at last. "Your Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Dragon Nails and my Time Wizard, winner takes all." Neither Mai or the others can believe it, though Rex is pleased that Joey accepted.

"It's gutsy move, even for Joey." Twilight admitted. "After all, that Time Wizard is, not only a card Yugi gave him, but also the only way Joey can summon Thousand Dragon."

"But while I'm at it, Rex, I'm making him my weapon of choice, too! Go, Time Wizard!" Joey shouts as the Time Wizard appears on the field, shocking everyone, especially Rex.

"What are you doing?" Rex asks in shock.

"Joey just figured out the best possible move in this situation." Yugi says.

"This wouldn't be happening if you just obeyed my commands, Rex!" Mai shouted.

"I hope you packed your bags, Rex, because if my Time Wizard's Time Roulette spin arrow lands on a time warp, you'll be on the next boat off this island!" Joey says.

"Do you really want to leave this entire duel up to a single spin?" Rex asks, still in shock. "You do know what'll happen if that arrow lands on a skull, don't you?"

"It's a risk I gotta take. Time Roulette, go!" Joey says aloud at last as the arrow starts spinning.

"Not that I want to know, but just out of curiosity, what happens if that arrow lands on a skull?" Pinkie asks in worry.

"The Time Wizard will open a time warp above the field and destroy itself, taking a chunk out of Joey's life points." Yugi explains.

"Oh, man. All he's got is a chunk." Tristan says.

"I can't believe this entire duel's come down to a single spin!" Rarity says. "It's almost too nerve-wracking to watch!"

"All we can do is hope that Joey gets the better part of this game of roulette." Twilight says.

"Then let's keep our fingers crossed." Applejack adds. Round and round the arrow went, it soon started to slow down, and then, it lands on a time warp, to the joy and relief of Joey and his friends, and to the horror and shock of Mai and Rex. Soon enough, the Time Wizard works his magic, causing the time-space continuum to go spiraling.

"You jerk!" Rex shouts. "Look what you've done! The entire time-space continuum is speeding out of control! Eons are passing by like seconds!" Soon enough, the time warp ceases and everyone sees what happened to Rex's dragon.

"No way!" Rainbow says in disbelief.

"He's been, fossilized!" Spike says in shock. However, Mai denies it and asks Rex to give it a command to prove it. However, right as Rex speaks, the Red-Eyes Black Dragon crumbles apart to Rex's disappointment.

"The millions of years, no, EONS that passed has made Rex's dragon into a fossilized shell of the creature it once was." Spike explains to his dumbfounded friends. "Reducing it to dust!"

"More than that, according to the rules of the tournament, Rex took damage equal to half his dragon's attack points!" Twilight added.

"So I guess you won my star chips, huh?" Rex asks disheartened as his life points hit zero.

"Wait a second." Joey says, remembering the wager he made with Rex earlier. "Not only did I win your star chips, but I won your Red-Eyes and Dragon Nails, too. Fair and square!" Rex realizes he's right as Joey's friends celebrate. Joey returns to the ground, but gets shoved to the ground by Tristan when he goes in for a hug on his best buddy as payback for what Joey did to him. Thus resulting in a squabble that Applejack and Rainbow try to break up.

"I guess the reason they fight like that is because they care about each other, and this is their unique way of showing it." Fluttershy says.

"Whatever you say. I just hope they don't care about me that much." Yugi says. Later, night has fallen on the island.

"Boy, it sure got dark in a hurry." Yugi says as they walk through the moonlit night.

"Maybe we should set up camp for the night?" Rarity asks.

"Don't tell me you're afraid, Rarity." Tristan says. "You got us protecting you."

"Yeah, but who's protecting you guys?" Tea asks.

"Uh, good point. Let's set up camp." Tristan responds.

"Even so, there's no reason to be afraid." Fluttershy says. "The forest and the island are just the same as they look during the day. Only darker."

"Fluttershy's right. So relax, guys." Joey adds. "There's nothing in these woods but crickets and squirrels. And maybe some fireflies." But little did they know that they were being watched from the bushes by someone, or something. Later, once they find a place to set up camp, Tristan tries telling a scary story, but it doesn't work out as he hoped.

"A ghost story with a double cheese pizza?" Rainbow asks. "What kind of ghost story is that, Tristan?"

"Ah, if I don't get some food I'll be turning into a ghost!" Joey shouts, annoyed at the mention of food. Soon, Joey spots something he thinks is food.

"Hey, my meal ticket!" Joey says, eyeing a mushroom. But Tristan and Applejack manage to stop him.

"Joey, wild mushrooms are poisonous." Fluttershy points out.

"So do us all a favor and let him eat it." a familiar voice says. They all look and see that it's Mai.

"Now what do you want, Mai?" Joey asks, more annoyed than before as Mai starts eating a candy bar. This makes Joey more mad than annoyed. "That's it!" he says. "You can duel me, you can insult me, but you're not eating in front of me!"

"You're that hungry, are you?" Mai asks. "Okay, then. Give me your star chips and I'll give you some food." Joey can't believe what Mai said.

"Forget it!" he snaps. "Potato chips--I mean star chips are priceless!"

"I was just kidding, Joseph." Mai soon says. "I'll be more than happy to share if you can manage to ask politely like a gentleman."

"Yeah, so you can make fun of me for doing that, too?" Joey asks, suspicious.

"Look. By tomorrow, I'll have on entrance to the castle, so there's no point in me keeping an entire knapsack full of food." Mai responds.

"Sure would be nice not to duel on an empty stomach tomorrow." Yugi says, but Joey is still suspicious.

"How do we know this isn't another trick?" Rainbow asks. "Give me and Joey one good reason to trust you."

"Because it's either me or that poisonous mushroom." Mai answers. Soon, they agree and Mai lays out the contents of her knapsack.

"Look at all this stuff! Candy bars--" Yugi says.

"Dibs on one of the candy bars." Rainbow says immediately.

"Potato chips--" Yugi continues.

"Dibs on the chips." Tristan says as immediately as Rainbow called her dibs.

"Canned fruit, soda." Yugi finishes.

"Dibs on the soda." Joey says as quickly as his friends.

"Sorry, boys. No dibs on anything yet, at least not until you complete your chores." Mai says. "I want Yugi and Spike to go look for firewood."

"Sure." both boys say.

"And you two boys can go fetch us some water." Mai says to Joey and Tristan.

"You bet." Tristan says as he gives Joey a bucket and pushes him to a nearby river.

"If she's not slinging insults, then she's barking orders." Joey says as he reluctantly does the task given.

"I'm willing to swallow my pride if it means swallowing some food." Tristan says.

"Me and Spike will go gather up some firewood Mai mentioned." Yugi says as he and Spike head off.

"What are your names?" Mai asks the girls. "Rainbow, Fluttershy, Applejack, Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie and Tea, are they?" the girls confirm. "Well, ladies, if any of you want to freshen up a bit, there's a makeshift shower just over there."

"Thanks, Mai." Rarity says. I could use one after being in the sun and in the woods all day."

"You may hang out with Spike and have no problem with it, but still, that's no reason Tea has to smell like the other boys she hangs around." Mai says. Later, the boys are handling the cooking duties while Tea is in the shower. As for the other girls, they finished showering before her and are waiting on Tea. Twilight realizes that Mai is hard to read, as one mine she's starting trouble with the group and the next their all sharing a campfire.

"Not too shabby with the rice cooking, Joey. Only thing missing is a chef's toque, and maybe a French accent." Rarity says jokingly.

"And I was expecting Mai to be the one to say that." Joey responds.

"Never mind Rarity's joke, just keep cooking." Mai says aloud.

"You're a pretty tough girl, Mai." Twilight admits.

"Us gals have got to look out for each other. Especially with those four boys around." Mai responds. "I don't see why you bother hanging out with Yugi, Joey and Tristan, Tea. Same for you six girls hanging out with a young fella like Spike."

"That's easy for all of us, Mai." Fluttershy says. "They're all our friends.

"Spike, I get, but Yugi and those two goofballs?" Mai asks in astonishment. "In my experience, Joey and Tristan's type are only good for moving furniture and fixing cars. But little Yugi and Spike, I could maybe see them running a few errands for someone or delivering newspapers."

"Hey, Mai?" Tea asks until something outside the shower startles her.

"What's wrong, Tea, darling?" Rarity asks.

"I heard something moving around right outside!" Tea replies. The other girls look around the shower, but find nothing.

"Well, whatever it was, it's gone now." Applejack says. "Likely just a nocturnal critter looking for some food." Later, dinner is ready. On the menu, aside from candy bars, chips, canned fruit and soda, curry and rice for the main course.

"Is sure smells good." Rainbow says. And so, everyone says it's time to dig in, and they do so.

"Joey, darling, you did fantastic with the rice!" Rarity says.

"Hey, thank you very much!" Joey says with a smile.

"Not bad. How's yours, Tea?" Yugi asks.

"Four stars." Tea responds.

"Speaking of stars, you said you've nearly won the ten needed to enter Pegasus' castle, Mai." Yugi says. "Judging from your gauntlet, I count eight star chips. You definitely look and sound like you're in the zone."

"Don't think you're gonna fool me with your nice guy routine, Yugi." Mai responds. "I've seen what happens when you start dueling, you get more serious. Plus, it's only a matter of time before you.." However, Tea interrupts.

"Can't we just forget about the tournament for tonight?" she asks.

"I agree. Save the dueling for the morning, and focus on dinner for now." Rainbow adds.

"Ok, just as long as everyone is crystal clear on just one little thing--any duelist in my way to winning my last two star chips is going down." Mai says before she gets up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go for a walk." Mai soon walks off.

"Man, she can really ruin a meal with just a few words." Joey says. Mai soon realizes that she sat down with her own enemies in the tournament, thinking both Yugi and Joey and their friends to be losers. But she kinda realizes they were being nice and friendly to her, but she tells herself that she can't go soft since she's a duelist first and foremost and everyone with star chips is an enemy, meaning she has no time for friends and she'll gladly win the tournament alone. However, a stranger comes up and grabs her from behind, pulling her into the dark. Back at the campsite, Fluttershy is getting worried about Mai.

"I hope she didn't get lost. We should probably check on her." Fluttershy suggests. Almost everyone agrees, since Joey thinks it's a trap. Suddenly, a noise in the bushes startles Tea, prompting the others to investigate.

"I bet she was waiting in those bushes for the right moment to try and scare us." Rainbow figures. "Come on out, Mai!" However, instead of Mai appearing, it's the boy Tea saw twice before, Bakura.

"You were right, Tea! It is Bakura!" Pinkie says in surprise.

"See? I told you." Tea responds as she remembers both times she saw him. "I knew I wasn't seeing things!"

"Bakura, darling, what are you doing out here?" Rarity asks.

"The same as you all, I suppose." Bakura answers.

"You gave us a bit of a startle with all that sneaking around, Bakura." Applejack says.

"Yeah. For a minute there, I thought we actually had something to worry about." put in Joey. Soon, everyone is sitting by the campfire with a Duel Monsters card in hand.

"Joey, you've been staring at that card for a while, but what for?" Spike asks.

"I'll tell you, just don't laugh." Joey answers. "Sometimes, when I'm in a duel, I imagine I'm out there on the field swapping blows with whatever monster my opponent has out."

"Some would call it silly, but I think there's nothing wrong about it." Fluttershy says.

"Well, if you were out on the field as a Duel Monster, which one would you pick to be, Joey?" Bakura asks.

"I pick, this one." Joey says as he brings out his Flame Swordsman. "The Flame Swordsman can kick anybody's butt! Especially a dinosaur!"

"Well, here's mine, guys." Tristan says. "The Cyber Commander."

"I guess you picked that card because it's hair nearly matches your own." Tea says.

"I think everyone who plays Duel Monsters has a card they can identify with." Yugi says. "How about you, Spike and the girls pick one for yourselves, Tea?"

"Ok." Tea says as she chooses a card. "I pick this one, Magician of Faith."

"It may not be strong, but it does have a great magical ability." Spike points out.

"Wonder if that magical ability can make it less of a wimp." Joey says, jokingly, though to Tea's ire.

"Tell me which one you identify with, Yugi." Bakura says to Yugi while the other girls keep looking for a card to pick.

"Oh, that's easy." Yugi says as he holds up his favorite card. "Dark Magician, hands down."

"I think we picked the cards we like best." Twilight says at last. "I'll start. My pick is just like what Yugi picked, the Dark Magician."

"My pick is Luster Dragon #2." Spike says.

"Swift Birdman Joe, since it's got a need for speed like me." Rainbow says.

"This big fella is my choice, Sauropod Bracion" Pinkie adds.

"The Amazoness Paladin is my choice of card." Applejack says.

"I choose, the Dunames Dark Witch." put in Fluttershy.

"And my choice is the Thunder Dragon, seeing as I have three of them in my deck." finishes Rarity.

"Maybe I'm just out of the loop, but don't you guys think it's a little silly to be comparing ourselves to playing cards?" Tea asks.

"Maybe a little, but it's like grandpa told me, Spike and the other girls: 'It's not about the cards themselves, it's about putting a bit of your heart into anything you care about.' you know?" Yugi says, and everyone agrees. "So which card do you care about most, Bakura?"

"This one is my favorite." Bakura says, holding up a magic card.

"Isn't that the Change of Heart magic card?" Spike asks. "The same one that can turn an enemy monster into an ally for one turn?"

"That's the one, but it's got kind of a weird picture, don't you think?" Joey asks.

"If you want to see how it works we can have a duel right now." Bakura says. "Not for star chips, just for a little fun."

"Sure, I'm down with that." Joey says. "After all this star chip stuff, it'll be nice to have a duel with no strings attached."

"I agree." Yugi concurs. "I think just a regular old duel like at school sounds like a great idea."

"Why don't you guys put each of your favorite cards into Yugi's deck?" Bakura asks. "Then it'll be like we're all playing."

"That's a good idea, Bakura." Twilight says.

"Yeah." Yugi concurs. "But I should warn you that with this all-star team of cards, we'll be tough to beat."

"True, but maybe I'll surprise you." Bakura says.

"This should be fun." Pinkie says as they each hand Yugi their cards. Later, both duelists have a playing field set up on a tree stump and their decks are ready.

"Alright, I'm all shuffled." Yugi says.

"Now, you sure you don't mind playing alone?" Rarity asks.

"Don't worry about a thing, Bakura." Rainbow says. "We'll go easy on you."

"Thanks." Bakura says.

"Right. Then let's get this duel on the road." says Joey. But Twilight notices something different about Bakura in the face, something like what happens with Yugi.

"Before we get started, there's a little something I'd like to share with you all." Bakura says. "And especially with you, Yugi." Everyone seems a bit baffled by what Bakura means.

"What is it?" Pinkie asks.

"You'll see." Bakura answers as he puts his hands close to his chest.

"What's he doing?" Applejack asks.

"This is getting freaky." Joey says with worry. Soon, something appears around Bakura's neck, something that Twilight, the girls, Spike and Yugi are shocked to see.

"No! It can't be!" Yugi says in shock.

"A Millennium Item?!" Twilight says in just as much shock.

"Yes. And the magic of my Millennium Ring will take us to the Shadow Realm." Bakura says as the environment turns into the Shadow Realm.

"Man, I hate magic." Joey says.

"Why are you doing this, Bakura?" Yugi asks.

"You've something I want, Yugi. And I aim to take it!" Bakura says as he uses his Millennium Ring to rip the gang's souls from their bodies and sends them into the deck. Bakura then gets up with a chuckle.

"That wasn't too difficult." he says. "Their souls have been locked away. And now, after waiting for countless centuries, the legendary Millennium Puzzle is mine." But as Bakura reaches down to take the Millennium Puzzle, the cutie marks on the hands of Twilight and her friends, the Puzzle itself, and even Spike's whole body starts to glow.

"No! It can't be!" Bakura says, shocked that Yugi, Twilight and her friends are back on their feet.

"You want my Millennium Puzzle? Then you're going to have to duel me for it." Yugi says. "But if I win, you'll release my friends and send us all back!"

"I agree to your ridiculous terms, Yugi." Bakura answers. "But I promise you and your seven magical compatriots, there is more at stake here than you comprehend, and this is one Shadow Game you cannot win!"

Author's Note

Seeing as I had to pick the right cards for Twilight and her friends to put in Yugi's deck for the Shadow Game, I went with the first cards that were picked for each of them when their decks were being constructed.

Evil Spirit of the Ring

"Bakura, what have you done? Why have you taken us to the Shadow Realm?" Yugi asks. But Bakura gives them an answer that's too cryptic.

"Bakura? Bakura's no longer whom you're talking with. He's no longer here." This baffles everyone.

"If you're not Bakura, then who are you?" Twilight asks.

"I am a thief, and a stealer of souls. But you may call me Yami Bakura." the being says. "And I have done terrible things in my quest to possess the Millennium Items. You do remember the legends, don't you?" Yugi and the others are shocked that this thief knows about the Millennium Items.

"What do you know about the legends around the Millennium Items?" Twilight asks.

"Oh, plenty, my dear. The legend says: 'Whosoever wields all seven Millennium Items will possess power unimaginable.' and before I'm through with you, Yugi, your Millennium Puzzle will be mine." Yami Bakura explains.

"That's not going to happen, whoever you are!" Yugi says as both duelists prepare their hands.

"Then let the Shadow Game begin." Yami Bakura retorts. "The first move it yours."

"And my first card will be, the Cyber Commander, Tristan's favorite, in defense mode." Yugi responds. Suddenly, to the shock of Yugi and the spectators, Tristan appears as the Cyber Commander.

"Tristan?" Yugi asks in surprise. Tristan looks at himself and realizes he's dressed like the Cyber Commander.

"What a weird dream." Tristan says. "Where am I? What's going on here?" Tristan turns and is shocked when he sees Yugi, Twilight and her friends as giants.

"Bakura must've used his Millennium Ring to capture Tristan's soul within his favorite card!" Yugi says.

"You mean Tristan became the Cyber Commander?" Spike asks. "But how come we're out here and Tristan's down there?"

"I think it's because of the magic of our own world." Twilight explains. "Just like the magic of the Millennium Puzzle, our magic pulled our souls back to where they belong."

"Who's your little friend, Yugi?" Yami Bakura asks. "He looks pretty tough, even though he's in defense mode, but can he deal with this?" Yami Bakura then plays his first card. "The White Magical Hat. Attack!" In moments, the monster materializes and charges toward Tristan, while Tristan still keeps telling himself that it's just a dream. Soon, the monster attacks and Tristan disappears.

"No! Tristan!" Yugi shouts as Yami Bakura chuckles.

"Aw, looks like that monster's been defeated and your poor friend's soul was trapped within it." Yami Bakura says.

"Where is he?" Yugi asks, clearly upset. "What have you done with Tristan?"

"Your friends is gone, on his way to the discard pile." Yami Bakura explains. "Or the graveyard, as it's called in Duel Monsters."

"It can't be." Rarity says in tears.

"Tristan can't be gone!" Fluttershy says. Speaking of Tristan, he is soon wandering around a graveyard, trying to make sense out of what just happened.

"Man, this place is creeping me out big time." Tristan says to himself. "But how'd I get here? I remember being attacked, and the next thing I know I'm wandering around this graveyard." Soon, Tristan spots a tombstone, and is shocked to see what's written on it.

"No! According to this tombstone, I'm dead! But this can't be!" Tristan yells in shock. Back at the duel, Yugi is angry that Yami Bakura sent one of his friends to the graveyard.

"When you duel in the Shadow Realm, the stakes are always higher, Yugi." Yami Bakura says. "You made a sloppy move, and now your friend, he paid for it with his very soul. Now, which of your friends will you sacrifice next?" Yugi knows he'd avoid playing the cards that have the souls of his friends inside them, if he could, but in order to save them, he'll have to win and he sees only one card in his hand that can beat the White Magical Hat.

"By using the Polymerization card, I fuse Masaki, the Legendary Swordsman and the Flame Manipulator together to summon Joey's favorite card: The Flame Swordsman!" Yugi says as he plays said card. Once he does, Joey appears dressed like the Flame Swordsman.

"Hey? What gives?" Joey asks as he realizes what's going on, he then turns to ask Yugi what happened, but is shocked to see Yugi much larger than him. "What the--you're a giant! All of you are!"

"Joey, listen to us." Twilight says. "Your soul has been sealed inside your favorite card. You've become the Flame Swordsman."

"I'm the who?" Joey asks in shock.

"If I don't win this duel, we can't restore you to normal. And if you're defeated in this battle, you'll be carried off to the card graveyard just like Tristan was." Yugi explains.

"Graveyard?!" Joey asks in shock and fright.

"In order for me to win this duel, restore you all back to your bodies and get us out of the Shadow Realm, I'm going to need your help." Yugi says further.

"You want my help, you got my help." Joey says.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Pinkie asks.

"Okay? I figure I lost my mind, but I'm gonna go with it." Joey answers. "Now, who wants a beating?" However, Joey soon notices the size of Yami Bakura. "Giant Bakura?! Now I know I'm nuts! I'm like 6 inches tall, wearing a dress, about to fight my giant friend?!"

"That's not really Bakura." Twilight says. "An evil spirit from his Millennium Ring has taken him over, turning him into a being named Yami Bakura."

"Well, I have no idea what Yami means, so here goes nothing." Joey says as he charges forward and destroys the White Magical Hat.

"Say goodbye to the Cat in the Hat!" Rainbow says with a smile. "Along with 800 of Yami Bakura's life points!"

"Well, that's that. Now what?" Joey asks.

"Now it's his turn." Yugi answers.

"Your little swordsman got lucky last time, Yugi." Yami Bakura says as he draws his next card. "But not this time!" He then sets his next card in defense mode.

"I don't get it. Why'd he play that card face down?" Applejack asks. "Is it because it's not strong enough to attack Joey?"

"No, it's because he's afraid of what Joey the Swordsman will do to it!" Joey responds.

"Hang on, Joey. It could be a trap." Yugi says.

"Nevertheless, I'm going in." Joey says, though Yugi protests, as he reveals and destroys Yami Bakura's monster.

"What a dolt." Yami Bakura says.

"It was a Morphing Jar!" Yugi says in shock.

"A Morphing Jar?" Joey asks. "Does that mean I messed up?"

"I don't think so, but doesn't that card have the ability to make both players discard their entire hand?" Rarity asks.

"That's right, it's one of my least favorite cards in the whole game." Rainbow says.

"We're just really lucky that I didn't have Tea's soul card in my hand right now." Yugi adds.

"Sorry, Yuge." Joey says as Yugi sends his hand to the graveyard and draws a new hand. He then spots his own favorite card, the Dark Magician, he quickly wonders if his own soul is inside it.

"With a new hand...comes a whole new perspective..." Yami Bakura says with a chuckle as he plays his next monster face down in defense mode. "The game...ever shifting..." Yami Bakura then plays a card in his Magic and Trap zone. "New dangers around every turn." Yugi knows that Yami Bakura is just trying freak him out, but at the same time, he can't figure out he's up to. So he goes ahead and risks playing the Dark Magician. Soon enough, Yugi appears on the field, confusing Joey, Twilight and her friends.

"And now, I'll play a magic card that will allow me to revive a monster from the graveyard. Monster Reborn!" Yugi plays the card, and Tristan soon appears and can't believe that Joey and Yugi are there.

"Are you guys dreaming this, too?" Tristan asks.

"Nah, this ain't no dream, Tristan. And it's likely not just me going insane, either." Joey answers.

"He's right, because just a second ago, I was up there." Yugi says.

"Yeah. If you're down here, who's that with Twilight, Spike and the girls up there?" Tristan asks. Yugi admits he doesn't know, but the tries to describe what he noticed to have had happened to him whenever he duels.

"Well, I have noticed that sometimes, when I duel, it feels as if someone is guiding me." Yugi says as his larger counterpart smiles and nods in confirmation. "And sometimes it's like I can hear a strong voice calling out to me from my Millennium Puzzle. And ancient, powerful voice." None of the other boys can believe it, but Twilight and her friends seem to understand it somewhat. "I'm not sure what it's all about, guys, but I'm pretty sure we can trust him, whoever he is."

"Well, just to tell who's who, I think we'll call this Yugi 'Yami Yugi', at least for now until we learn what his true name is." Twilight suggests.

"Hey, if the big guy is okay in your book, then he's okay by me." Joey says. Tristan concurs.

"So, now what?" Yugi asks.

"Maybe we should try and find Tea." Tristan suggests.

"She must still be in the deck." Yugi responds.

"Then we should try and win this thing before her card gets drawn, or worse, played." Joey adds, to which Yugi agrees. "I'm gonna bash me some Bakura."

"Hang on, Joey, I was just played so I have to move." Yugi says. "Dark Magic Attack!" However, Yugi ends up revealing another Morphing Jar and destroys it, to his shock.

"We'll have to send all the cards in our hands to the graveyard again." Yami Bakura says with a chuckle. Both players do so, while Yugi apologizes for his action, though Joey admits he made the same mistake. Yami Yugi then finds that one of his cards is Tea's.

"No! The Magician of Faith!" he says in distress.

"Isn't that Tea's favorite card?" Yami Bakura asks. "Do you suppose that her mortal soul is trapped within it? I wonder? Maybe you should play it and find out. But, then again, you don't know what I'm laying here, so you might be putting her in danger." Yami Bakura soon reaches for his facedown from a bit ago. "A dilemma, and while you decide, I'll just activate this trap card." Yami Yugi and Spike know exactly what card Yami Bakura just played.

"That's the Just Deserts trap card!" Spike says aloud. "It takes away 500 life points for every monster on the opponents side of the field!"

"Correct, my young friend." Yami Bakura says as the trap saps away over half of Yami Yugi's life points. "I think it'll help you all come to grips with my opponent's present situation. Just as Spike explained, for each monster on your half of the field, you lose 500 life points. And you'll feel like each and every point has been ripped from your beating heart."

"Big Yugi! Are you okay?!" Tristan calls.

"Yes." Yami Yugi says weakly. "But one more attack or activated trap card like that, and it's over for all of us. Tea's soul card isn't safe in my hand, so I'll have to play it." Yami Yugi places the card facedown in defense mode, but Tea appears from under it anyway. The boys panic and try to hide Tea to Yami Bakura doesn't see him, urging her to keep quiet, though she thinks they're dressed up for Halloween, but a bit early. But when she sees her staff, she becomes more puzzled.

"Bakura and Yugi are big dueling giants and are fighting for our souls." Jory explains.

"But Yugi's right here." Tea says.

"Yeah, well, the big guy is from my Millennium Puzzle, he looks like me, but he's more of an extension of me that comes out when I duel." Yugi explains. "I think it pretty much revolves around the two Millennium Items Bakura and I have. It's some kind of magic."

"Magic? Like what Pegasus used on your grandpa?" Tea asks. "So, I'm not going crazy."

"And further proof is that Twilight and her friends are cheering the larger me on from the sidelines." Yugi continues.

"Just think of it this way, Tea. There's two Yugis, the confident, older looking and magical one up there, and the younger and punier one we all know and love down here." Yugi quickly gets furious at Joey's joke.

"That's not how it works at all!" he shouts.

"It's just a joke, relax." Joey says.

"You forget that here, I have the powers of the Dark Magician." Yugi retorts as he steps forward, though Tristan advises against it. "I'll show you who's puny around here." Yugi then points his staff at the facedown monster on Yami Bakura's side of the field. But Yami Yugi knows that what Yugi's doing is a bad idea, but Yugi attacks anyway and destroys the monster, causing him to get zapped by some electricity.

"What was that?" Tristan asks.

"Whatever it was, it's making me go numb." Yugi answers.

"I know exactly what that was! That was the Electric Lizard!" Spike says in shock. "Any monster that isn't a zombie that attacks it can't attack on the next turn!"

"He's right, you know." Yami Bakura says with a laugh. "You can't attack the Electric Lizard without some rather shocking feedback. A lesson your little Yugi won't soon forget." Yami Yugi sets a trap card facedown.

"Alright, soul stealer, I'll play my next card facedown. And it's your move." Yami Yugi says as Yami Bakura spots Tea.

"Don't bother trying to hide your friend, fools, I can see her perfectly well." Yami Bakura says. "Now I have all four of you right where I want you--helpless on the field, easy prey for my Man-Eater Bug."

"Man-Eater Bug?" Tea asks. "Glad I'm a girl."

"I don't think that it matters if you're a boy or girl, because that monster is one of the most lethal to any duelist that doesn't know how to prepare for it." Applejack says.

"Yugi, what's that card do?" Joey asks.

"The Man-Eater Bug can automatically destroy one monster on the field as soon as it's flipped up." Yugi explains.

"Guys, I really don't want to go back to that graveyard." Tristan says, worried.

"Don't worry, Tristan, none of us are going there." Joey says. "We'll destroy that bug before he plays it."

"That won't work." Yugi responds. "The moment we make an attack, that card will activate."

"Graveyard, here I come." Tristan says, hopeless.

"Are you saying that one of us is gonna end up as worm food?!" Joey asks.

"I'm saying there's only one way out of this, and we're standing right in front of it." Yugi explains.

"You're right. The facedown Big Yugi laid down." Tristan says in realization.

"But I'm afraid that in order to use it, the card requires one creature to be sacrificed." Yugi says. Tea can't believe that one of them will have to be sent to the graveyard in order to destroy the Man-Eater Bug.

"Don't worry, Tea. I'll go." Tristan says, but Tea urges against. "Think about it, that Man-Eater Bug is gonna take one of us out no matter what we do. At least, this way, I'm taking it out with me." But the next thing they know, Joey nails Tristan in the guy with the handle of his sword, showing that he disagrees with Tristan's idea.

"You just recently got back from the graveyard. If anyone's going, it's me." Yugi tells him not to, but it's too late as Joey charges in for an attack and grabs on to the monster and holds on for dear life once he lands on it after being flung upwards by it. "Big Yugi! Use that facedown! Do it now! Please! I don't want my friends to get hurt! Sacrifice me!" Yami Yugi agrees and reveals his trap.

"I'm activating a trap, sacrificing my Flame Swordsman to do so. The Horn of Heaven!" Yami Yugi says at last. "Blasting its celestial tune directly at your Man-Eater Bug, obliterating him from the field once and for all!

"No way! That card requires a sacrifice to negate the summoning of a monster!" Twilight says in shock. Everyone is left in shock as Joey tells them not to worry about him as he's destroyed along with the Man-Eater Bug.

"Don't worry, you'll soon be joining him in the graveyard. You can spend an eternity together." Yami Bakura says. In the graveyard, Joey starts to wonder if he can be brought back like Tristan was, but he soon gets the fright of his life when he spots a creature with a scythe, ala the grim reaper, and wearing a necklace with Duel Monsters cards on it coming towards him.

"The Reaper of Cards, and he's come for me! Oh, no!" Joey says in fright.

"I hope you don't harbor any illusions of about rescuing your friend, Joey, from the graveyard." Yami Bakura says. "You've already played Monster Reborn, the only way to get him back. And soon, the Reaper of Cards will claim his soul forever!"

"Poor Joey. He sacrificed himself for his friends." Fluttershy says in tears while Joey keeps running from the Reaper.

"He can't be gone." Tea says as she sheds a tear for him. Suddenly, something happens, Tea starts glowing.

"Wait a second! Tea's the Magician of Faith, and her tear just activated the special ability of her favorite card!" Twilight says.

"You're right, Twilight!" Spike concurs. "The Magician of Faith can bring one magic card back from the grave!"

"That's right, and the effect of the Magician of Faith also allows me to put the card I selected back into my hand." Yugi says. "And the card I choose: Monster Reborn, which I play now!" Just in the nick of time before the Reaper could take his soul, Joey is brought back to the field, to the happiness and relief of his friends.

"You waste your time and your turns rescuing these foolish mortals." Yami Bakura says.

"My friends are never a waste of time." Yami Yugi retorts. "Make your move."

"Oh, I'll move." Yami Bakura says with a chuckle. "And you will lose. This is the play that will end the match and win me your Millennium Puzzle." Yami Bakura plays his next card. "First, I will play the Lady of Faith in attack mode. And then the card that will turn your friends against one another: The Change of Heart." As the Lady of Faith appears, Yami Bakura reveals his Change of Heart card. Everyone remembers that Bakura, the real Bakura, said it was his favorite.

"No way! That's Bakura's favorite card!" Rarity says in disbelief.

"And a very magical card it is." Yami Bakura replies. "With this card, I can turn the Dark Magician against his comrades. The very friends he sought to protect, he will soon destroy."

"No! I refuse!" Yugi says defiantly.

"You won't have a choice in the matter." Yami Bakura responds. "The Change of Heart card can allow the user to take control of any opposing monster, and I choose you, little Yugi."

"Leave the young one out of this!" Yami Yugi demands.

"Why should I?" Yami Bakura asks. "By simply destroying any one of them, I defeat you as well. You're here to guide and protect him?! Then, protect him from this!" Yami Bakura plays Change of Heart, but everyone sees that the real Bakura has become the Change of Heart.

"Bakura! So your soul was sealed into your favorite card, too!" Rarity says in disbelief. Bakura then heads towards Lady of Faith instead of Yugi.

"I want to help, but we must act quickly, Yugi." Bakura says as he takes over the monster. "I've taken over the Lady of Faith instead of you!" Yugi and the others can't believe what Bakura just did, especially Yami Bakura. "I'll control her while you attack me! You can win against the evil version of me!"

"I can't! I'd be destroying you and sending your soul to the graveyard!" Yugi protests.

"I don't care, it's better than being enslaved by an evil spirit!" Bakura retorts. "Do it!"

"Be quiet!" Yami Bakura shouts, but as he does, the eye of Anubis appears on Yami Yugi's head.

"I have a better idea!" he says as the Millennium Puzzle glows. "If the evil power of Bakura's Millennium Ring can pull souls from people, than perhaps the power of my Millennium Puzzle can put them back!" In no time, Bakura and Yami Bakura have their places switched.

"Excellent! Our Bakura is back where he belongs, and Yami Bakura is in the form of the Lady of Faith!" Rarity says with glee.

"This can't be!" Yami Bakura says in disbelief.

"Listen closely, Yugi. Use the power of the Dark Magician! Send him to the graveyard, now!" Yami Yugi says.

"You got it! Dark Magic Attack!" Yugi says aloud. In no time, Yami Bakura is sent to the graveyard, where the Reaper of the Cards finds and attack him. Back in the real world, Yugi and Bakura are back to normal before everyone else wakes up.

"Are you okay, Bakura?" Yugi asks.

"I am now, thanks to you." Bakura says.

"Bakura, where did you get your Millennium Ring?" Twilight asks.

"My father picked it up on one of his trips." Bakura says as he recalls what his father told him after he returned from said trips. "He told he it's from ancient Egypt, which is where they're all from. He was shopping in a merchant bazaar when the Millennium Ring caught his eye. The man who sold the ring to my father said it had something to do with Duel Monsters, but that never made any sense to me since the card game was new at the time and the ring is clearly ancient. When my father got back, he gave it to me. He said I was destined to have it." Soon, Joey, Tristan and Tea start waking up, thinking that what they saw was a dream.

"That's the last time I snooze with dueling cards under my pillow." Joey says as Bakura goes to greet his now awakened friends, though he startles Tristan and Joey in the process, getting a laugh from everyone.

"I dreamt, we were dressed as Duel Monsters, and their were two Yugis." Tea says. But before Yugi, Bakura, or Twilight and her friends could begin to explain, they hear a scream off in the distance.

"What was that?" Joey asked.

"My guess, other than a scream, trouble." Applejack answers.

"May be." Yugi says as they all begin running to the source of the scream. "But whatever it is, we'll face it together."

"As a team." Twilght adds.

Author's Note

Had to make the game make somewhat more sense as to how a fusion monster like the Flame Swordsman can be summoned.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

"Oh dear. I think that scream came from Mai!" Rarity said in realization as everyone rushes to see what Mai's screaming about. Soon, they find out just what, or who, caused Mai to scream in terror.

"Mai! Are you alright?!" Yugi calls out as they approach.

"You're too late." Mai says in sorrow.

"Too late for what, darling?" Rarity asks.

"Is this Paul Bunyan wannabe giving you a hard time?" Applejack asks.

"That's right, just as Pegasus pays me to do. Root out all the dueling filth on this island and dispose of it." the stranger says.

"Doesn't that make you a garbage man?" Tristan asks.

"This is no joke!" Mai retorts. "Panik's one of the island's eliminators and if you don't get out of here, he's gonna do to you what he did to me!"

"Eliminator? What's that, Mai?" Yugi asks.

"Look. This is what she means right here. Check out her duelist's glove" Panik says as he pulls Mai's dueling gauntlet up for the group to see. "Not a star chip left."

"But that would mean she's been disqualified." Fluttershy says.

"You're out Mai?" Rainbow asks. "You?! When you recently said you were just two chip away from getting into Pegasus' castle?!"

"I am." Mai says sadly. "It all happened so fast. The way Panik duels. I just lost it."

"This isn't right." Pinkie says.

"She was one of my easiest victims yet." Panik says with a laugh as he pushes Mai towards the group.

"You creep!" Joey says as he prepares to rush toward Panik, though Applejack, Tristan and Bakura hold him back. "There's no excuse for pushing a girl!"

"Calm down, Joey. I know how you feel, but that's guy's more than twice your size!" Applejack says.

"With Rainbow as back up, I can take him." Joey retorts.

"No, Joey. Fists are the answer." Yugi says. "Violence won't solve anything. I've dealt with a lot of bullies in my life and I'm afraid there's only one way to deal with them." Yugi then steps forward. "You have to stand up to them." Yugi's Millennium Puzzle soon activates and Yami Yugi takes over.

"But, Yugi--" Mai starts to say.

"No, Mai. Let Yugi handle this." Fluttershy says.

"Now, let's see you try your intimidation tactics against me, Panik!" Yami Yugi says with determination. "I don't scare easy, especially when I'm standing up for my friends. So, let's duel!"

"You twerp! I'll eliminate you from the tournament just like I did her!" Panik retorts. "Go ahead, Mai. Tell him how I trounced you."

"Please, Yugi." Mai says

"Let her go, Panik!" Yami Yugi says. "If you're looking to bully someone, try bullying me. Playtime is now over, Panik! It's time to duel!" Soon, both players have taken the field.

"This'll be a walk in the park for you, Yugi!" Rainbow calls out. "Time to show Panik how we deal with thugs like him!"

"Yugi, huh? As in, Yugi Muto? The only duelist to defeat Seto Kaiba?" Panik asks. "It must be my lucky night. Pegasus has promised a generous bounty to the Eliminator who defeats you. I wonder. Think he'd throw in some extra cash for inflicting bodily harm? Not that I wouldn't do it for free."

"You better start thinking about different ways to make money, Panik. Because after I get done with you, not only will you be out of some star chips, but you'll be out of a job." Yami Yugi retorts.

"Whoever said I was an Eliminator just for the money, Yugi?" Panik asks. "I've made enough cash to have retired long ago. But I won't quit because there's no better thrill than breaking weak duelists like you and Mai. So get ready, Yugi. I'm about to take you into a world of hurt!"

"I won't be bullied by the likes of you, Panik." Yami Yugi retorts. "I play with my heart--that's why I'll always win against your type."

"You've never faced my type before." Panik answer. "When I'm in a match with someone, there's a lot more to it than sheer dueling strategy."

"Meaning?" Yami Yugi asks.

"Panik's ruthless, Yugi." Mai says. "He had me totally terrified!"

"That's right, and she's not the first either." Panik says. "We Eliminators have built our career on stalking weak players like her, and strong-arming them into dueling us. You see, when you're as good as I am, you learn to appreciate the hunt as much as the duel itself. And now I'm gonna take you down just like I did Mai!"

"I see how you work, Panik." Yami Yugi says with a smile. "Sneaking up on unsuspecting duelists because you haven't the courage to challenge them face to face."

"Watch your mouth, you insolent cur!" Panik angrily says.

"True duelists fight with honor and respect, not the underhanded tactics of a poacher." Yami Yugi retorts.

"Looks like Yugi's rattling the cage, trying to get under Panik's skin." Applejack says.

"I just hope that's a good idea." Rarity responds.

"And to prove it, I wager all the star chips I have to win back Mai's." Yami Yugi says.

"Did he say ALL OF HIS STAR CHIPS?!?" Rainbow asks in shock.

"It's a deal." Panik responds. "If you win, I'll give you all eight of her star chips. The bet makes no difference to me."

"What do you mean?" Yami Yugi asks.

"What I mean, little Yugi, is that when you duel against Panik, you're putting much more than just your measly star chips on the line. Much more!" Panik says with a laugh as he activates some leg shackles in Yugi's player box and some flamethrowers around the arena.

"Holy smokes! Panik plays with fire!" Applejack says in shock.

"We have to get Yugi out of that thing!" Rainbow says.

"What's the matter, Yugi? Can't take the heat?" Panik asks. "Well, get used to it, because your strapped in for the long haul."

"Turn it off, Panik!" Joey shouts.

"Panik used those on me, too." Mai says.

"Yugi can handle this." Fluttershy says. "I don't know how I can explain it, but he just can."

"I can see the fear growing in your eyes, Yugi." Panik says as the flames die down. "I can hear you quaking in your boots! You're beginning to realize the nightmare you've stepped into! I do believe you're beginning to panic."

"Get a life, you psycho!" Tea shouts.

"Forget this guy, Yuge! This wasn't part of the duel stipulations!" Joey says.

"I'm with Joey, let's get you down from there and get out of here!" Spike concurs.

"Are you finished blowing smoke, Panik?" Yami Yugi asks, to the surprise and shock of his friends.

"What's he think he's doing?" Joey asks.

"It'll take much more than some cheap pyrotechnics to make me lose my cool." Yami Yugi says with a confident smile.

"The last time someone had the nerve to say something like that to me, I broke them in half!" Panik retorts angrily. "Now, let's duel!" Right then and there, both players' life points are set and ready. Mai knows that Yugi is a good duelist, but she also knows he's never faced an Eliminator before. She further knows that once Panik gets in Yugi's head, it's all over for him. "Seeing how the blaze of my fire didn't faze you, let's turn down the lights." Panik proceeds to play his first card. "My Castle of Dark Illusions will turn this duel into your darkest hour, Yugi. Its magic shrouds my half of the field with a veil of shadows, and the castle itself is extra fortified, thanks to the Field Power Bonus I get for playing it at night."

"I'm not afraid of the dark, Panik." Yami Yugi says as the shadows cover Panik's half of the field completely.

"You would be if you only knew, the fearsome nightmares within its shade." Panik responds. "The blanket of shadows cast over my entire side of the field make it impossible for you to see the creatures I summon, but leaves your entire side exposed and vulnerable to my attacks. Unnerving, isn't it, Yugi, how the darkness preys on your fears, on your mind until you're too scared think, too terrified to fight!"

"Don't listen, Yugi!" Mai shouts. "This is exactly how he threw me off my game!"

"Now you tell us?" Joey asks.

"And if you think you can storm my castle with the help of a Field Power Bonus of your own, think again." Panik says. "Because just as my shadows block the light from above, they've blocked the field power from the ground below. Only the night grants bonuses here." Yugi knows that without any idea what's waiting for him in the shadows, he can't risk attacking so he decides to play defensive.

"Celtic Guardian, defense mode!" Yami Yugi says aloud as his monster appears.

"Not a very bright idea." Panik says as he prepares his next card. "I use the Polymerization card to fuse my Frenzied Panda and my Ryu-Kishin together in order to summon a much more powerful beast." Yugi knows well that he can't see the monster he just played, and that leaves his Guardian vulnerable.

"Barox, attack! Dark Grasp of Fury!" Panik calls out. In mere seconds, the Celtic Guardian is swallowed by the monster within the shadows. "Our first victim of the night."

"That's cheap! How can you fight and defend yourself from something you can't see?" Rainbow asks.

"Yeah, or defeat a monster you can't find?" Rarity adds.

"Anybody got a flashlight?" Tristan asks, jokingly.

"Now's not the time for jokes, Tristan. Let's let Yugi duel." Fluttershy says.

"Looks like all but one of your friends has lost hope for you." Panik says with a laugh. Yugi knows he needs to get Panik's monsters out of the shadows, but the only way to do that is by destroying the Castle of Dark Illusions, which has over 2500 defense points, making it untouchable. Yugi then starts to realize why Panik got his name, as he's already flustered, and the game just started. "Play any monster you like. The creatures within my veil of shadows will consume them all!"

"Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress in defense mode." Yami Yugi says as he plays said card.

"This defensive maneuvering may keep your life points safe from one monster, Yugi, but not two!" Panik says with a laugh as he summons another monster. Yugi knows that Panik is right, because defending alone won't win him the duel. "You're terrified aren't you, Yugi?" Panik soon asks. "Admit it! All your courage has been devoured by my shadowy fog! Yes. All that's left is a trembling little duelist powerless to defend himself.

"How's Yugi supposed to take this guy out, Mai?" Tea asks.

"If I was able to figure that out, we wouldn't be in this situation." Mai answers. Yugi then gets an idea. He may not be able to attack either Panik's monsters or his Castle of Dark Illusions, but he can attack the darkness itself.

"Guardian of the Fortress, take flight!" Yami Yugi calls. Soon, the dragon takes to the air. "Fireball Attack!" Yami Yugi commands. The attack temporarily illuminates Panik's side of the field.

"His monsters! I can see them!" Spike calls.

"And I recognize both of them!" Fluttershy calls out. "The one on the left is Barox, a level five, dark attribute fusion monster made from Frenzied Panda and Ryu-Kishin. Normally it has 1380 attack points and 1530 defense points, but with that 30% Field Power Bonus from the night, it has 1794 attack points and 1989 defense points. And as for the creature on the right, that's called Dark Chimera. It, like Barox, is a level five, dark attribute monster. But thanks to the Field Power Bonus, it's attack and defense points went from 1610 and 1530, respectively, to 2093 and 1898."

"And what about the Castle of Dark Illusions?" Applejack asks.

"It's attack and defense points are normally 920 and 1930, respectively, but thanks to the night Field Power Bonus, they increased to 1196 and 2509." Fluttershy responds as the light from the attack fades.

"So you saw my creatures, but I doubt it gives you the foresight to see what's coming next." Panik says. "Dark Grasp of Fury!" he soon calls out, and in no time, the little blue dragon is devoured by Barox. "Lights out for your Guardian of the Fortress." Panik says as Yugi's life points decrease to 1606. "My creatures hungrily eye your remaining life points, Yugi. And I'll see to it that they feed again quite soon."

"Well, at least Yugi knows what he's fighting against, even though it cost him his Winged Dragon." Spike says.

"Has it sunk in yet, wimp?" Panik asks. "Standing up to a bully leaves you nowhere to go but down!" Yugi knows Panik's right, as his life points are down by 304. Meaning he's out maneuvered and overpowered, but he knows he'll find a way to put him in his place and to keep his cool and not panic, no matter what happens. "The night has eyes, Yugi, and all of them are on you!" Panik says with a laugh. "Keep struggling, Yugi! Bullying's so much more fun when the victim resists!"

"Tough talk, Panik, coming from someone who makes all their attacks while hiding in the safety of the shadows!" Yami Yugi responds. But this only causes Panik to activate the flamethrowers, causing the others to worry.

"I don't think that was the best idea." Rarity says as the flames die down.

"You uppity little cretin!" Panik snaps. "Perhaps you should think twice before insulting someone who can scorch you with a touch of a button! You're afraid, Yugi! You're lost and alone in the dark like a child, and I'm the big, bad boogeyman, about to leap out and give you the scare of your life!" Yami Yugi soon starts chuckling, puzzling Panik. "If you could see what I have in store for you, you wouldn't be laughing!"

"But that's why I'm laughing." Yami Yugi explains. "Because I can see...right through you."

"What? What are you talking about, you little runt?!" Panik asks.

"You are the boogeyman, Panik, scaring children and duelists into being afraid of both the dark and the night." Yami Yugi answers. "Until they realize that both are nothing to be afraid of, like you. Once a person conjures up the confidence not to be fearful of the unknown, they've disarmed the only weapon the dark and the night both have and share."

"You wish it was that simple..." Panik says.

"But it is that simple!" Yami Yugi retorts before Panik can finish his sentence. "I have the card to prove it."

"What card?" Panik asks.

"A card that'll expose you, and lift up that veil of shadows you cower behind." Yami Yugi explains.

"What is it?" Panik asks, more worried than before.

"It's just a little something that'll teach you a tough lesson in broad daylight." Yami Yugi answers.

"Hey, Mai, why would Yugi tell Panik what he's planning?" Pinkie asks. "It's like saying that you plan a surprise party for your friend to your friend before you can even set it up."

"It's panic." Mai says bluntly. "The same thing happened to me. You start making amateur mistakes."

"I don't know, Mai." Bakura says. "He doesn't look like he's panicking to me."

"I'll admit, you almost had me there." Panik says with a laugh. "But we both know that card you're holding is nothing but a big, fat bluff! Prove me wrong, Yugi. Go ahead. Let's see you give me my 'tough lesson'!"

"Why should I show you my card after you've gone to such lengths to keep yours in the dark?" Yami Yugi asks with a scoff.

"I think you're stalling." Panik answers.

"You don't trust me, Panik?" Yami Yugi asks. "Believe it or not, not all duelists are lying dogs like you. And to prove it, I'll show you. After all, I wouldn't want you thinking I was some kind of liar."

"Show me!" Panik says.

"Yugi doesn't need to prove anything to that slime." Rainbow says.

"Ready, Panik?" Yami Yugi asks. "Here it is. The Swords of Revealing Light!" Yami Yugi proceeds to show Panik his card of choice.

"The Swords of Revealing Light?" Panik asks.

"The blinding magic of the swords not only stops all enemy monsters from attacking for three full turns, but it bathes the entire field in a light so luminous that even your lurking shadow creatures will be exposed!" Yami Yugi explains. "Soon, Panik, the monsters in your dark empire will have nowhere to hide. But rather than play it now, I'll take a page from your book, and let you worry about when and how I'll use it. Just like you do with the monsters you hide in the dark. You're going down in five turns. Five turns, Panik! Then my monsters will finish you off. Curse of Dragon, defense mode!" Soon, the Curse of Dragon appears while everyone on the sidelines star questioning what Yugi is thinking.

"How can Yugi be so sure he can beat Panik in five turns?" Twilight asks.

"I don't know, but it's like I think I can feel what Yugi has in mind." Fluttershy says.

"And, of course, the card that'll make you see the light." Yami Yugi says as he plays a facedown, making everyone think that he just told Panik he played the Swords of Revealing Light. "Your five turns start now, Panik. It's your move." Panik knows that Yugi's taunting him, which is usually what he does, and starts thinking that the facedown Yugi laid out is the Swords of Revealing Light. "What's the matter, Panik?" Yami Yugi asks. "Has bullying lost its thrill?"

"I'll teach you about loss, just you wait!" Panik retorts.

"I still don't get it. If Yugi's gonna have that card out, why didn't he play it yet?" Applejack asks.

"I hate to say it, guys, but it's not a good sign." Mai answers. "I was able to keep it together for about this long, too. But after a while, Panik has a way of getting to you and making you slip up."

"Not my pal." Joey says. "He knows what he's doing."

"I sure hope so." Bakura replies.

"He does, and somehow, I just know it." Fluttershy adds.

"Listen, I know Yugi's good, good enough to beat Kaiba and Weevil, but fighting Panik isn't about being good, it's about keeping a level head while you're lost in the dark or being attacked by fire." Mai says. "Yugi's gonna need guts to win this duel, not skill."

"He's got more than guts, he's got heart to back it up." Fluttershy says with confidence.

"That may be, Fluttershy, but he just left his best card out in the open and vulnerable." Bakura responds. "You don't make those kinds of mistakes unless you're nervous, and Panik's not one to let a mistake like that go unpunished."

"Make your move, Panik!" Yami Yugi says aloud.

"I must say, it was quite a daring move to illuminate me with the presence of that card, little Yugi, but it was a critical mistake to leave it on the field completely exposed!" Panik says. "If you thought idle cards were safe from attacks, you were dead wrong! I summon, Reaper of the Cards!"

"The Reaper?" Yami Yugi asks, surprised that Panik would bring that out.

"When the Reaper is summoned, all magic cards hear the ghostly toll of doom!" Panik says with a wicked smile. "He'll be sending your Swords of Revealing Light straight to the graveyard, leaving you defenseless! Reaper, attack!" Everyone on the sidelines worries that this could be the move that clinches the match for Panik.

"But that card was Yugi's only chance!" Mai shouts as the Reaper approaches its target.

"Your fate belongs to me now, Yugi!" Panik says with wicked glee. "Call of the Graveyard!" he shouts. However, everyone soon notices that the Reaper's scythe didn't strike the facedown and destroy it, even Panik.

"What's going on?" Panik asks. "It can't finish its attack!" Yami Yugi soon starts laughing. "It should've destroyed your facedown Swords of Revealing Light!"

"I said my Swords of Revealing Light was the card that would illuminate your monsters, I never said it was the one I placed on the field. You just assumed that." Yami Yugi explains.

"But if that's not--" Panik begin to say until Yami Yugi cuts him off.

"The card I placed on the field was a different card. The Spell Binding Circle, a trap card." Yami Yugi says as he reveals his facedown.

"You set...a trap card!" Panik says in shock.

"Yes, a trap card that ensnares your Reaper, stopping him dead in his tracks!" Yami Yugi explains. "Encircling him in a magical prison." The circle soon indeed ensnares the Reaper. "In Duel Monsters, one must be wary of the Reaper of the Cards and its ability to send magic cards to the graveyard. I figured that you probably had one stalking around your deck somewhere. But now that he's frozen, unable to damage my deck, I'm free to lay whatever magic cards I want on the field." Yami Yugi says as his friends start celebrating.

"Nice play, Yugi!" Spike shouts.

"Way to put one over on that lummox!" Rainbow says with a smile.

"What is it with this kid?" Mai asks in wonder. "I can't even keep up with him on the sidelines."

"He's doing good, but it's not over yet." Bakura says.

"Well, Yugi did say he'd win in five turns, and that was turn one." Fluttershy responds

"How dare you!!" Panik shouts. "You fooled me!"

"You fooled yourself, Panik." Yami Yugi says with a chuckle. "And wasted quite a powerful card, too. But now that the coast it clear, I'll really lay my Swords of Revealing Light! And a second magic card, both facedown." Yami Yugi puts both cards facedown while Panik stews in his anger.

"Facedown? Why?" Panik asks.

"Now what's up?" Joey asks.

"I think I know, but it's best for Yugi to show us instead of tell us outright." Fluttershy says. "Either way, Panik's gonna find out soon enough."

"So what. You captured my Reaper, but he's only one of my powerful monsters." Panik says. "And the ones that remain will destroy you!"

Author's Note

Once again, the anime messes with the rules, because the Reaper of the Cards destroys only trap cards, not magic cards.

Winning Through Intimidation

"Getting nervous, Panik?" Yami Yugi asks after capturing one of his best monsters. "I may have yet to launch an effective attack against you and your night creatures, but that will all change very soon."

"Ridiculous." Panik responds. "What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about. I made you a promise that in five turns I would teach you a lesson you would never forget, and I intend to make good." Yami Yugi answers. "You only have four turns left, Panik. Four more turns before I drag you from your shadows and show you up for the bully you truly are."

"You dolt! Have you forgotten who you face here? I am Panik the Eliminator!" Panik responds as he activates the flamethrowers again.

"Is that supposed to scare me? Or are you running scared?" Yami Yugi asks, not even flinching.

"I sure hope Yugi knows what he's doing, after all, this big bully plays with fire." Rarity says, worried.

"I agree, because when that nut-job plays Duel Monsters, he plays for keeps." Rainbow concurs.

"Oh, yeah." Mai says. "Panik enjoys breaking people's minds apart. Making them sweat, watching them squirm. For him, dueling is just an excuse to practice his cruelty."

"But I know, somehow, that Yugi is going to win this." Fluttershy responds.

"You can't stall forever. Sooner or later, you'll have to make your move." Yami Yugi says with a smile.

"Silence!" Panik says as he draws. He soon smiles at the card he drew and laughs with wicked glee. "This beast will win the entire match for me! King of Yamimakai! But don't take my word for it." Soon, the monster materializes as Panik plays said card.

"I remember that monster as well." Fluttershy says. "Another level five dark attribute monster, but this one would normally have 2000 attack and 1530 defense points, but thanks to the Field Power Bonus from the night, it's got 2600 attack and 1989 defense points."

"Powered up by the Field Power Bonus that all my monsters get from the night, my King of Yamimakai is far more powerful than your pitiful creature." Panik says. "King of Yamimakai, destroy his Curse of Dragon! Electro-shock Attack!" The attack is launched, but it soon veers away from the intended target, right to a light source.

"What? It's veering away!" Panik says in disbelief. "Instead of destroying Yugi's Curse of Dragon, it's attacking my Reaper of the Cards!" And in no time, said Reaper is destroyed.

"Your Reaper of the Cards is vanquished." Yami Yugi says with pride. Neither Panik nor the others on the sidelines can believe what just happened.

"Talk about a massive mess up!" Rainbow says with glee. "And since he didn't lose any life points before, that cost him 1504 of them!"

"No! My life points." Panik shouts in disbelief as his life points decrease from 2000 to 494. "Curse you and your Spell Binding Circle! Its light drew in my monster's attack and destroyed my precious Reaper!"

"They don't do well when they dare step out of the darkness." Yami Yugi says. "Now let's bring all your monsters into the light. I dispel all your darkness with the Swords of Revealing Light!" Yami Yugi activates the card and in not time, the shadows are dispelled.

"Stop! Stop it! I can't stand bright lights!" Panik shouts as the Swords of Revealing Light appear and illuminate the field.

"Your monsters are revealed!" Yami Yugi says triumphantly.

"What did I tell you?" Fluttershy asks. "No one can keep Yugi in the dark. Thanks to the Swords of Revealing Light, we and Yugi can finally see Panik's monsters and his life points."

"No more hiding, Panik." Yami Yugi says. "Your darkness will shield you no longer. Three turns left, and then you're finished. But I didn't use the swords just to illuminate your monsters, it also causes them all to be frozen for three turns, starting right now. That means you can't make any attack while I implement my strategy." Panik asks himself if an upstart thinks he can cause an eliminator, like himself, to panic. He knows that aside from a second facedown, the only card Yugi has is Curse of Dragon while he still has Barox, Dark Chimera and King of Yamimakai and despite the swords, all his monsters still keep their Field Power Bonus from the night, and after three turns, they'll be free to attack once more. "You're stalling Panik." Yami Yugi says at last. "Afraid to draw your next card?" Panik knows that around the current point in the duel, his opponents would usually be sobbing and broken, but not Yugi, though he admits he will enjoy crushing his spirit. Soon, Panik draws a card that will help him out greatly.

"This is the card to crush your spirit for good. Yugi, you can forget your foolish delusion of defeating me in just three turns, because I've just drawn a Yellow Luster Shield card!" Panik says with wicked glee.

"A Yellow Luster Shield?!" Spike says in shock. "But that can put Panik's monsters into defense mode and raise their defense points by 300!"

"You're thinking too small, down there, you fool!" Panik responds. "Or don't any of you realize that I can combine my Yellow Luster Shield with my Castle of Dark Illusions?"

"This is bad!" Mai says.

"How bad?" Pinkie asks.

"My guess, really bad." Twilight answers.

"With this combination, I can project a defensive shield over my entire half of the field." Panik says aloud as the Yellow Luster Shield envelops all of Panik's monsters.

"Great! Now Yugi can't get anywhere near Panik's monsters!" Rainbow says in annoyance.

"Worse yet. It means Panik's untouchable while Yugi's a sitting duck!" Mai says in worry.

"As long as my Yellow Luster Shield is in place, your monsters can't touch me." Panik says. "Do you still think you can defeat me in three turns, you impudent shrimp? Admit defeat, now. You can see how the shield raises the defense points of my monsters." Yugi knows he's right, as the Yellow Luster Shield can protect Panik's creatures from even his strongest monsters.

"I'd hate to say it, but at this point, Yugi doesn't really stand a chance." Mai says bluntly. "Breaking duelists is what Panik does for a living. He's brutal, ruthless, everything the ultimate needs to be."

"Mai, you've become so cynical about Duel Monsters." Bakura says. "And you don't understand Yugi at all, really. There's much more to him than meets the eye."

"Joey, please tell me there's a way Yugi can beat Panik." Tristan says.

"I wish I could tell you, but after Panik beat Mai, I got no idea what Yugi's chances are." Joey responds.

"That's why it's best that we let Yugi duel and finish the game his way." Fluttershy says.

"Give up!" Panik shouts. "Admit defeat! I'm going to crack you like an egg!" Yami Yugi just chuckles.

"You'd like me to crack, wouldn't you, Panik?" Yami Yugi asks. "Because it's worked for you before. Winning through intimidation, not through skill."

"You mock my skill?" Panik asks. "My skill is what's defeating you!"

"Don't be so sure." Yami Yugi responds.

"What do you mean by that?" Panik asks.

"You think you're winning, that your tactics are taking me by surprise, but I saw your strategy the minute I saw what kind of man you are." Yami Yugi responds.

"You're talking nonsense." Panik says.

"I knew you would use Yellow Luster Shield, cowardly bullies like you always try to hide behind something." Yami Yugi retorts.

"Shut your mouth!" Panik snaps. "I'm in no way a coward and I never try to hide behind anything or anyone!"

"Your whole strategy is nothing but hiding and cowering." Yami Yugi retorts.

"You dare to call me a coward?" Panik asks as he preps his flamethrowers. "You insignificant little worm. Nobody talks to me that way! I am Panik the Eliminator!" The flamethrowers fire, but Yugi dodges both shots.

"Are you finished?" Yami Yugi asks. "Or are you going to continue to hide behind your bluster and battlements, like a big coward?" Panik growls in anger. "The truth hurts. Doesn't it, Panik? Facing up to your true self is usually more than big bullies like you can bare, so you hide in the shadows." Yami Yugi taunts.

"You will taunt me no longer!" Panik says.

"Yugi, Panik's dangerous as long as his flamethrowers are active! So stop stirring him up or you'll get hurt!" Tea shouts.

"Don't interfere." Mai says.

"Mai's right. Yugi's just using Panik's own tactics against him." Fluttershy concurs.

"It's basically psyche-out warfare." Finishes Mai.

"I will burn you to a cinder!" Panik threatens.

"That would prove you're a coward." Yami Yugi retorts. "If you're not afraid, then you should stop hiding and play this game with honor. Or I will rip your pathetic, fearsome façade away."

"You bluff!" Panik says aloud.

"There's only one way you'll know for sure, play out this game." Yami Yugi responds. "After all, we'll know in two turns. Can you last just two turns? Do you have the courage?"

"Do I have the courage?" Panik asks, angrily. "Panik fears no duelist. I will crush your spirit and wipe out your life points!"

"Boy, Yugi really shook Panik up." Mai says as Joey wipes the sweat from his brow. "Psychology is half the game."

"And it looks to me like Yugi's using that to his advantage, much better than Panik." Twilight adds.

"And now, it's my turn." Yami Yugi says as he draws. "And my card is Gaia the Fierce Knight!" In no time, Gaia appears.

"Idiot! Do you really think a monster with attack power that weak can break through my Yellow Luster Shield?" Panik asks.

"Maybe not by himself, but I also have a magic card." Yami Yugi answers as he reveals his second facedown. "Read it and weep."

"A Polymerization card?!" Panik asks in shock.

"And with this card, I combine Curse of Dragon and Gaia together to create Gaia the Dragon Champion!" Yami Yugi responds as he brings out his fusion monster. "Now my fusion monster's attack power is raised to 2600!"

"Gaia the Dragon Champion?" Panik asks.

"My turn's over, you're finished as well." Yami Yugi responds. Panik wonders what Yugi means, considering that even though Gaia the Dragon Champion has 2600 attack points, it's still not strong enough to break through the Yellow Luster Shield, meaning that there's likely more to it than Yugi just summoning a fusion monster with incredible attack power, otherwise he wouldn't be so confident. Therefore, he can't risk attacking, but if he waits one more turn, the Swords of Revealing Light will fade away, allowing him to deactivate the Yellow Luster Shield and sic his monsters on the Dragon Champion and the remainder of Yugi's life points. Panik draws, and gets just the card to help him out.

"Perfect. Metal Guardian in defense mode." Panik says as he plays said card. "He will further shield my creatures, and the Field Power Bonus raises his defense power to 2795. With him on guard, any attack against my monsters is totally impossible."

"It figures. You're cowering again." Yami Yugi says.

"Insolent dog!" Panik snaps.

"Your strategy is nothing but putting up defenses." Yami Yugi retorts. "You're showing how weak you are."

"Silence!" Panik shouts. "In the next turn, the Swords of Revealing Light will be extinguished, then I'll hit you with everything at once!"

"It'll be too late." Yami Yugi responds. "I've already led you deep into my trap." Panik is puzzled by this. "The stronger you make your defenses, the more you lock yourself into defeat.

"That's a joke. You're nothing but talk." Panik says.

"The time for talk is over." Yami Yugi replies. "That was your last turn." Yugi reveals his next card, the card that he believes will end the match for him. "The end is now! I summon the Catapult Turtle!" Soon, the monster appears.

"Did he say 'Catapult' Turtle?" Applejack asks.

"Alright! Now we're talking!" Rainbow says, remembering her turtle, Tank, back home.

"Slow and steady wins the duel, Panik. For I can use the turtle's catapult to launch Gaia the Dragon Champion and shatter your defenses." Yami Yugi explains. "The Catapult Launch will raise Gaia the Dragon Champion's attack power all the way up to 3200. You weren't expecting that, were you?"

"My monsters' defense power combined is still much too strong for you." Panik says with a laugh. "Protected as they are by the Yellow Luster Shield, you still can't touch them. You can only watch helplessly as they prepare to assault you next turn!"

"Who said anything about attacking your monsters?" Yami Yugi asks. "What I'm attacking is...the castle." Yami points to the Castle of Dark Illusions, and everyone is shocked by Yugi's plan.

"You fool! My castle is still unassailable. Its walls are still invincible to any of your attacks, so I won't take any damage at all!" Panik says.

"We'll see about that." Yami Yugi says with a smile. "Turtle, Catapult Launch my Dragon Champion!" In no time, Gaia the Dragon Champion is launched straight at the Castle of Dark Illusions, and the light of the impact illuminates the entire field.

"Whoa! Yugi lost a lot of points with that maneuver!" Spike says as Yugi's life points decrease to 300.

"About 1303 of them!" Rarity adds.

"And on top of that, due to the effect of Catapult Turtle, he sacrificed his Dragon Champion!" put in Twilight.

"Losing both a monster and life points like that is a pretty hefty loss." Rainbow says. "And if that move doesn't work, Panik will wipe out the rest of Yugi's life points!" Soon, the smoke clears, and the ring surrounding the castle starts the crack and eventually falls off.

"No! It's still floating!" Tea says in shock while Panik laughs.

"Fool! For all your threats, my castle is unharmed!" Panik says with glee. "Your worthless attack simply knocked its flotation ring off! And now that your attack has failed, I'll eliminate you once and for all! It's been five turns, and I'm still standing, Yugi. My monsters are still contained and protected within the Yellow Luster Shield. When this turn is over, the paralyzing effects of your Swords of Revealing Light will vanish. Then, on my turn, I'll attack you with all of my monsters, and wipe you out forever!"

"There is no next turn for you." Yami Yugi replies. "This duel has already ended."

"It's not over." Panik retorts.

"Doesn't it seem strange to you that a castle that's lost it's flotation ring is somehow still floating?" Yami Yugi asks. "What if the Swords of Revealing Light had locked in place, not only your monsters, but your castle as well? Then what would happen next?" Right on cue, the Swords of Revealing Light begin to flicker, showing their about to fade away, and Panik knows what will happen when they do according to Yugi.

"It can't be!" Panik says in shock.

"Can it?" Mai asks lowly.

"I think so." Spike says. "He had this all planned out, just like Fluttershy eluded to!"

"That's right, Spike." Fluttershy answers. "Now all that's left is for Yugi to end his turn."

"Right now, the only thing holding up your castle are the Swords of Revealing Light." Yami Yugi says. "And when this turn ends, each and every sword will vanish."

"But...that means..." Panik says in shock and worry.

"It's over!" Yami Yugi says, cutting Panik off before he can finish. "And now your world's about to come tumbling down!" Panik is in complete disbelief.

"No! No one defeats Panik!" Panik shouts.

"Until now! Five turns have passed, and now, you're done!" Fluttershy says with confidence.

"My turn, is over." Yami Yugi says as he points his thumb down. At the same time, the Castle of Dark Illusion begins to crumble and fall as soon as the Swords of Revealing Light disappear.

"Run, monsters! Get out of the way!" Panik shouts to his creatures.

"It's not good." Yami Yugi says. "The Yellow Luster Shield is keeping them from running anywhere. You've trapped them all inside." Right before Panik's eyes, his entire dark empire comes tumbling to the ground and his life points hit zero.

"I knew he could do it!" Fluttershy says with beaming pride.

"And Panik's not taking it well." Joey adds.

"I'll say, from here, he looks like he's having panic attack!" put in Rainbow.

"Nobody beats Panik. Nobody!" Panik says as he looks down at this side of the field in disbelief until he turns to Yugi. "Look at him. That smug little worm, still he mocks me! I may not have defeated you, Yugi Muto, but I can still eliminate you! PERMANETLEY!!!" Panik slams on his flamethrower controls in rage, destroying them, and causing the flamethrowers to reach maximum output, causing Yugi's friends to worry as the fire surrounds him.

"Oh no! Yugi's trapped by all those flames!" Twilight says in fright and worry. "And with those shackles, he can't escape!"

"We'll see who's the coward, now! Fire!" Panik says as he activates two front flamethrowers on his player box. However, as the flames rush towards him, Yugi's Millennium Puzzle activates, indicating Yami tapping into its magic, as the eye of Anubis appears on his head. At the same time, Twilight and her friends' cutie marks appear and glow, too, as does Spike's hair.

"Yugi! He's gonna be fried to a crisp!" Tea says in shock and worry. Everyone jumps out of the way, save for Twilight and her friends, who somehow manage to create a shield around them to protect themselves. Within the swirling vortex of fire surrounding the entire arena, Panik is shocked to see that Yugi is still alive.

"You survived!" Panik says in disbelief. "How can this be? It's impossible!"

"Not quite, Panik!" boomed Twilight's voice as a mental projection of her and her friends appear alongside Yugi, shocking and spooking Panik. "There's more to Yugi and us than meets the eye!"

"We have a bond that not even the likes of you can sever!" Fluttershy says.

"A bond of friendship!" Rarity says.

"And that bond got bigger and stronger when we met Yugi!" Applejack adds.

"It's over for you, Panik! You trapped yourself in here with us!" Rainbow says.

"The party's over for you!" Pinkie says.

"The only place you'll be going, is down!" put in Spike.

"Like their magical marks, and the bond of friendship they share, my Millennium Puzzle protects me from your cowardly assault." Yami Yugi says as Panik tries to back away and leave, but can't. "But nothing will protect you from...OBLIVION!!!!" In mere seconds, Yami Yugi's mystical powers shatters Panik's mind and takes him down once and for all. When the fire vortex disappears, Panik is nowhere to be seen.

"Say, where'd Panik go?" Rainbow asks.

"My guess, Yugi, or Yami Yugi, I should say, sent him to the Shadow Realm." Twilight answered as Yugi is lowered to the ground. "Just like the Mimic of Doom."

"Yugi, you were incredible!" Tea says with a smile.

"Guess your Millennium Puzzle has more magical power than we thought." Tristan adds. "Same for you girls and those marks on your hands, and of course, that hair of yours, Spike."

"Not only did they protect them, but it also protected us from the flames, too." Joey says. Yami Yugi then walks up to Mai to return her star chips.

"Yugi, I don't know what to say." Mai says.

"Here." Yami Yugi says as he hands the chips over. "These star chips are yours. Take them." But Mai is hesitant.

"I'm sorry, but I can't except them." Mai says at last. "I fight my own battles."

"Mai, Yugi battled for you. He risked his life in that duel for you." Fluttershy says.

"I know, but--" Mai starts to say, but Joey cuts her off.

"Guess there's no point in arguing." Joey says as he steps forward. "She's way too set in her ways. But if she'd rather be booted off the island, I'll take them." Joey begins to laugh as he takes the chips, infuriating Mai.

"You think me losing all my star chips is funny, Joey Wheeler?" Mai snaps.

"I thought you didn't want them, Mai." Joey says as he holds the chips out of Mai's reach.

"Give them back!" Mai demands.

"Of course you can have them. They're yours." Joey says as he hands the chips back to her.

"Really, Joey?" Mai asks in surprise.

"Didn't you learn anything from this duel?" Twilight asks. "You can't always keep your defenses up, because they'll just get between you and the other people who are trying to be your friends. I learned that myself when I first met my friends."

"Twilight's got a point. So, can't you let your shield down, just this one time?" Joey asks.

"Who would've thought that Joey could be such a sensitive guy?" Rainbow asks as the group walks away.

"Only when he's not being a real pain." Tristan answers.

"Which is most of the time." Tea adds.

"My adoring public." Joey says.

"I think it's nice that Joey is sensitive towards Mai." Fluttershy says. "It makes him that much better of a friend."

"Yugi, wait!" Mai shouts, prompting Yugi to stop. "I'll repay you for what you did today. You're the one who won these, so as far as I'm concerned I still owe you. More than I've ever owed anyone. And when we finally do face each other in a duel, it'll be an honorable one."

"Sounds good to us." Twilight says.

"Yes, an honorable one indeed." Yami Yugi concurs as the gang walks away. As they do, he tells himself that an honorable duel with Mai is one he's looking forward to.

Author's Note

Anime messing with card effects again. This time, with the effect of the Catapult Turtle. In the game, once per turn, you can tribute 1 monster to inflict damage to your opponent equal to half the tributed monster's attack points on the field. Meaning that Panik would've lost. Whereas what it did in the anime would be incalculable in the actual game.

The Scars of Defeat

Up in Pegasus' castle, the Big Five have a word from their associate.

"With Kaiba still reeling from his loss to Yugi Muto, it's time to seize control and bring this company's reputation back to what it once was." says one of them.

"Patience, gentlemen." Pegasus soon says. "Once I defeat little Yugi, Kaiba's company will become ours."

"Of course, had you disposed of Kaiba as originally promised, we would have already assumed power." the first of the Big Five says in response. "But don't worry, we'll finish what you started."

"No. No one is to lay even a finger upon Seto Kaiba." Pegasus retorts.

"But if he's able to rescue his little brother, we'll lose our only tie to the Kaiba name." the Big Five member says.

"Mokuba's future role as figurehead of KaibaCorp will now be jeopardized by his older brother's presence." Pegasus replies. "Trust me, gentlemen. I have my own plans for Seto Kaiba, and the technical knowledge he possesses." The Big Five relent and agree.

"Don't fail us." the member says as Pegasus rises from his chair.

"Gentlemen, KaibaCorp is about to enter a new era of prosperity, and you are all about to become obscenely rich." Pegasus says confidently with a chuckle as he heads to the window. "As for you, Kaiba, our partnership is just beginning." Outside, just a mile or so away from the island, a helicopter flies toward it. The pilot, Seto Kaiba himself. Seto can't believe that all his business associates would turn on him after a single Duel Monsters defeat. But he admits that losing to Yugi has shaken his own self-confidence as well, remembering when Yugi summoned Exodia to destroy all three of his Blue-Eyes White Dragons. He then thinks about what Yugi said to him after he won, wondering if what he said was right. However, he knows that he didn't have time to start second guessing himself, not when his little brother is held captive by Pegasus. Therefore, if he plans to face off against Pegasus, he'll have to rely on his old dueling instincts, believing it's the only chance he has to free his brother. And he knows for a fact that once Mokuba is out of harm's way, he'll turn his attention to the Big Five and unleash his wrath on them, knowing that he wasn't going to just sit idly by while they dismantle his life's work, further stating that he would make them all regret ever crossing him. Down on the island, while Tea sleeps with some of the girls inside a tent and while Joey and Tristan snore the night away with the rest of the girls and Spike, Twilight and Yugi are up with Bakura.

"Bakura, am I seeing things or is your Millennium Ring actually glowing?" Yugi asks.

"If it's not, then all three of us are hallucinating." Bakura says as they all look at one of the points on the end of the ring glow and point somewhere.

"That's kinda spooky, don't you think?" Yugi asks "The way it's pointing like that."

"Yes. It's almost like it's being tugged toward the castle." Twilight answers.

"Pegasus' castle?" Yugi asks. "Why would it do that?"

"I don't know, but it did the same thing the day I met you and the others." Bakura says, remembering the very day he arrived at Domino High and met the group. He remembers that he was watching Yugi and Joey play Duel Monsters when one of the points on his ring suddenly started glowing and pointed right towards Yugi's Millennium Puzzle.

"Wow, Bakura. Those pointers are able to zone in on other Millennium Items." Yugi says in amazement.

"But then why would it point to the castle?" Bakura asks.

"Because of what's inside the castle." Twilight answers. "Pegasus' Millennium Eye. That's what took Yugi's grandpa's soul."

"My, it's all kind of scary, eh, guys?" Bakura asks. "Pegasus grabbing souls with his, and I'll never forget when mine took us all to the Shadow Realm." Both Twilight and Yugi nod. Later, while Twilight and Bakura sleep, Yugi wonders why the more involved he gets with the whole tournament and Pegasus, the more it all seems to be connected to the Millennium Items. First, Pegasus' Millennium Eye, and now Bakura's Millennium Ring. And, of course, his own Millennium Item. Yugi admits that ever since he first solved his ancient puzzle, playing Duel Monsters has never been the same. Now, every time he duels, he feels the strong, courageous presence of Yami Yugi within him, realizing he's a spirit, and whatever it is, he prays it'll help him save his grandpa, whom he misses so much. Suddenly, his thoughts are interrupted by the sound of an approaching helicopter, Kaiba's helicopter, unbeknownst to him. At the castle, Pegasus also senses Kaiba's arrival. Soon, everyone at the campsite wakes up as the helicopter approaches, though Joey and Rainbow are both annoyed. Soon, to the surprise of everyone, Kaiba steps out of the copter.

"What's Kaiba doing here?" Pinkie asks.

"I don't know, but it looks like he means business." Applejack answers as Yugi approaches him.

"I haven't seen you since our duel, Yugi." Kaiba says. Yugi then pulls something out of his pocket.

"Here, your deck. I've been keeping it for you since that imposter left it after I beat him." Yugi says as he hands the deck to Seto. "Just think of it as a thank you for that duel you helped me win."

"Thanks." Kaiba says as he takes the deck. "I'll see to it that you'll be compensated for all your trouble."

"Actually, Kaiba, I was thinking that since we're all headed for Pegasus' castle, you could stick with us and get us inside somehow, that way we can take Pegasus down from the inside out." Yugi suggests. "After all, you're not a competitor in the tournament."

"Don't be so naïve." Kaiba replies. "This isn't just a game anymore, Yugi. It never was for me, at least. I'm going after Pegasus to save my brother. Not so I can win a silly prize of $3,000,000. Have fun with your tournament." Kaiba proceeds to walk away, to the anger of Joey and Rainbow. Both of them proceed to rush toward Kaiba.

"Hey, listen, tough guy! We can understand you wanting to save your little brother, I'd do the same for my youngest friend back home, but don't go thinking that you're the only one here with a noble cause." Rainbow says.

"I'm with her, after all, like you, Yugi's fighting for his grandpa and I'm fighting for my sister." Joey concurs. "That means there's no reason to think you're the only noble one here, capeesh? We both, like you, have something and someone worth fighting for, so if you want a piece of Pegasus, you'll have to get in line behind Yugi or deal with both me and Rainbow."

"That just proves it, Kaiba, neither of us are afraid to stand up to you." Rainbow says with a look of prideful defiance.

"Nice grip, Joey. Let me show you mine." Kaiba says as he grabs Joey's hand and tosses him aside, to the shock of everyone.

"That was uncalled for!" Bakura says as Yugi checks on Joey.

"I agree, Bakura, darling. Unnecessary, too." Rarity adds.

"Oh dear. Are you okay, Joey?" Fluttershy asks.

"Relax. I'm fine." Joey says as he gets up.

"Do you really think I'm going to let you and this little tournament you're in delay me from finding Pegasus?" Kaiba asks.

"Never mind Pegasus, now you got me to deal with, so bust our your cards and let's get it on!" Joey says, clearly irked.

"I don't think this is a wise move, Joey. You may be have been able to beat a runner-up in the regionals when you dueled Rex, but you're talking to a world champion." Twilight says.

"She's right. So how about you go find someone else you can actually beat, like someone as bad as Rex Raptor. Or a monkey." Kaiba says as Joey gets up, more mad than before.

"I wouldn't push it that far if I were you, Kaiba." Applejack says. "Calling Joey a monkey is bound to get you on his bad side."

"I don't have time for your nonsense or throwing insults, anyway." Kaiba says as he turns to walk away.

"Go ahead and run." Joey says aloud. "Everyone knows you're washed-up has-been!"

"Joey, be careful what you say around someone as rich as Kaiba." Spike says. "He may be called a creep by some, but he's still pretty much considered the top ranking duelist in the whole world."

"Not anymore." Joey retorts, causing Kaiba to stop and look back. "That's right, tough guy, I bet ever since Yugi mopped the floor with you, you can't even lay a trap card without flinching!" Everyone else tries to get Joey to back off, but to no avail. "What do you say, money bags? Care to prove me wrong?"

"On one condition...we play using my latest innovation in holographic duel technologies." Kaiba says, puzzling the gang.

"What do you mean by 'latest innovation in holographic duel technologies'?" Twilight asks, a bit intrigued.

"It means that if Joey's that eager to duel me, he's gonna have to do it using my latest holographic system." Kaiba explains as he holds up his briefcase. "In this briefcase is a prototype of a new hi-tech dueling device that allows players the realism of arena matches in any setting."

"A dueling device that can create holograms anywhere?" Twilight asks, more intrigued. "Like, a portable dueling field?"

"Something similar, but you're not wrong." Kaiba says as he opens the case to reveal his devices and tosses one of them to Joey. "It's technology is unprecedented."

"What is it called? Because it looks like a disc to me." Applejack says.

"You're close, it's proper name is Duel Disc." Kaiba says as he preps the second device for himself. "This is the most state of the art display modulator ever built. So, if you think you have what it takes to handle it, just strap it on." Soon, both players have their Duel Discs ready.

"Now that he's strapped it on, what happens?" Twilight asks.

"Just insert your deck into the display drive recognizer." Kaiba explains. "A life point count will light up and keep score for you the entire match." Kaiba inserts his deck into his recognizer. "Then choose a card you want to play and set it on the digital card reader. I think the rest will explain itself." Kaiba then sets his first card on his Duel Disc. "All set? Then let's duel."

"You got it." Joey responds.

"Now, brace yourself...for my Battle Ox!" Kaiba shouts as he tosses his Duel Disc out to the center of the field. In mere moments, the same effects seen on an arena during a duel.

"Whoa! Check out all those lights!" Tristan says.

"It's like a rain of glitter, only it's going up rather than usual rain would come down." Rarity says in amazement.

"Yeah, it's like something from an enchanted dream." Tea says. But soon, the Battle Ox appears and her tone changes whilst its appearance gives Fluttershy a scare.

"Make that a virtual nightmare!" Fluttershy says in terror.

"No way! That's a hologram?" Twilight asks in disbelief.

"A hologram of unprecedented realism." Kaiba explains. "It breathes, it snarls, my new Duel Disc technology even simulates its odor."

"You're telling me. That thing really stinks." Joey says. "Good thing he won't be around for much longer." Joey proceeds to put his card on the disc. "Alrighty, here goes nothing!" Joey then spins the duel disc out on the field. "Go, Armored Lizard!" In no time at all, the Armored Lizard appears.

"Go, Battle Ox! Axe Slam Attack!" Kaiba commands as the Battle Ox slices into the Armored Lizard, though it looks like nothing happened.

"Yes! He withstood your attack!" Joey says with a smile.

"Oh, did he?" Kaiba asks. "Look again!" Right on cue, the monster begins to disappear and the card goes flying off the disc.

"Okay, that's real enough for me." Joey says in shock as his life points decrease to 1800.

"Man, guess Joey didn't realize that Kaiba's overgrown ox had 1700 attack points while the Armored Lizard had 1500, just the right amount for the Armored Lizard to be cut in half." Spike says.

"This new technology isn't for the feint of heart, Joey." Kaiba says. "It's intended to force duelists to think on their feet. If it's too much for you, maybe you should give up now."

"Fat chance!" Joey retorts as he retracts the disc back to him. "Don't you worry, Kaiba, I'm a quick learner." Joey draws his next card. "Watch. Set the card, spin the disc, and...bingo! The Flame Swordsman! Ready to slaughter that sirloin of yours! Attack, with Flaming Sword of Battle!"

"But, Joey, the Battle Ox has a magical resistant to all fire attribute creatures! Dropping your monster's attack power by 300 points!" Yugi calls, but it's too late as the Flame Swordsman is destroyed, dropping Joey's life points to 1600.

"Why am I not surprised that you made such an amateur mistake?" Kaiba asks. "And Applejack said that you managed to beat Rex Raptor. But then again, he was a runner-up in the regionals. Maybe from now on, you ought to let Yugi or Spike pick all of your moves for you. Or better yet, why don't I teach you some of the advanced moves of the game, the hard way?" Kaiba proceeds to put both Mystic Horseman and Polymerization on the Duel Disc once he retracts it back to him. "Mystic Horseman and Battle Ox, merge into Rabid Horseman!" In no time at all, both monsters have fused into a bigger and stronger creature.

"As if an axe wielding bull-vine was bad enough, now a creature that looks like a centaur?!" Rainbow asks in shock.

"You think I'm afraid of that deformed pony?" Joey asks. "I'll show you something that you should be afraid of! Swamp Battleguard, attack!" However, the monster is quickly dispatched, dropping Joey's life points to 1400. But Joey keeps sending out monsters, losing more life points with each one. First Axe Raider, bringing his life points to 1100, then Battle Steer, dropping his life points to 900, then Garoozis, dropping his life points to 700, then Rock Ogre Grotto #1, though his life points were spared as the monster was in defense mode, and then Rude Kaiser, dropping Joey's life points to 500 before Joey drops to his knees, exhausted.

"Joey, you're forgetting everything that you were taught about playing Duel Monsters!" Twilight calls. "You can't attack a monster that's clearly more powerful than your own! That monster has 2000 attack points, and all you've been doing is sending out monsters in attack mode to take it down!" Kaiba soon starts laughing.

"She's right, Joey. You did forget everything you ever learned about playing this game. Now you're beaten, forced down to the dirt like a whimpering dog." Kaiba says. Joey knows that he'll have to come up with a card to turn the duel around, just as his friends start urging him to get up.

"Joey, I've known you for a while, and you're always an expert at coming up from behind." Applejack says. "Your duels with Mai and Rex proved it."

"She's right, Joey." Rainbow says. "Now get up and show Kaiba that there's no way anyone gets away with calling you a canine!"

"You're right, Rainbow." Joey says. "No one gets away with calling me a dog, and once he sees what I got in store for him, and when he sees what I got in store for him, he's gonna be the one on the ground!" Joey them draws his next card and plays it. "Check this out! Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" Kaiba smiles, somewhat impressed that Joey got such a rare monster.

"Joey's best card, compliments of Rex Raptor!" Applejack says with a smile.

"Kaiba's in big trouble now!" Tristan says.

"Inferno Fire Blast!" Joey calls out as his best monster attacks and destroys the Rabid Horseman, bringing Kaiba's life points down to 1600. "Take that!"

"It's just like a novice to rejoice when there's no reason to celebrate." Kaiba says. "True, the round may be yours, but the duel is about to become mine."

"Say what?" Joey asks

"Your Red-Eyes is a powerful, and very rare, dragon, but his ferocity pales in comparison to my beast." Kaiba says as he holds up and plays his next card, and everyone knows exactly what card it is. "The legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" In seconds, the dominant dragon emerges.

"Yugi was right, the only thing stronger than the Red-Eyes Black Dragon is the Blue-Eyes White Dragon." Spike says.

"Blue-Eyes White Dragon, White Lightning Attack, now!" In one blast, the Red-Eyes Black Dragon is destroyed, completely depleting what's left of Joey's life points.

"No! I lost!" Joey says in agonizing defeat.

"That's right, Joey. Stay down." Kaiba says. "Stay down like the sniveling, defeated dog I've turned you into."

"Are you alright, Joey?" Fluttershy asks as the group approaches Joey.

"I'd say my Duel Disc system has proven quite effective." Kaiba says. "Not only did its stunning realism jar Joey into complete and utter submission, but just look at him. He's moping like a frightened dog with his tail between his legs. Which is exactly how I intend to leave Pegasus."

"But using Joey as a test subject, someone who's fighting for the wellbeing of a family member." Fluttershy says.

"Yeah, you jerk. Did you have to take his confidence away with his life points when his dragon was destroyed?" Rainbow asks, clearly upset. "After all, Joey was just starting to get his feet off the ground as a duelist with two wins over both a tournament worthy duelist and a runner-up from the regionals."

"She's right. Beating an opponent doesn't give you the right to humiliate them." Twilight says.

"Quiet, Twilight. Don't give him the satisfaction." Joey says.

"Look, guys, do you honestly believe that if any of you were dueling Pegasus, he would've been any merciful with you than I was with Joey?" Kaiba asks as he turns his attention to Yugi. "I understand that the Heart of the Cards is a powerful and proven philosophy, Yugi, and that it all works well for you, but I need to duel my own way now. I can't risk trying something new. But maybe Joey should keep trying new ways to last in a duel, rather than just relying on the Heart of the Cards alone, unless he likes life as a losing dog. Scrounging on the scraps of past victories and begging for mercy from far more experienced duelists."

"Please, Kaiba. That's just not true, and you know it." Yugi retorts.

"Oh, yeah? Well, that's the attitude you have to take if you want to stand a chance against Maximillian Pegasus." Kaiba says as he looks up towards the castle. "You don't understand, Yugi, this is the man who created Duel Monsters. He has every card that's ever been made at his disposal, he's mastered every strategy that's ever been played. Pegasus always makes sure that he has every possible advantage working in his favor. If I'm to stand any chance against him at all, I'll have to play by my own ruthless rules. Not his."

"Well, Kaiba, once Yugi and Joey get the right amount of star chips to enter the castle, they'll both have a chance at winning a duel against Pegasus in the finals." Twilight says.

"Open your eyes, Twilight. Even with Yugi's prodigious talents, he'll be defeated like all the others." Kaiba responds. "Because when Pegasus duels, he uses much more than mere skill. I've seen him use a tactic or magic or whatever it is that's stronger than any magic card." Kaiba then remembers an example of what he means. "It was at the Intercontinental championship tournament, in New York City, long before I completed development on the holographic technology used in duels both here and some back in Domino City today. I had been invited as Pegasus' guest of honor. A skilled hot-shot duelist called Bandit Keith had made it to the final match, having already won the title, the duel against Pegasus was a bonus for winning. He was playing well, but I could see that Pegasus was just toying with him. Of course, Keith had no idea. Pegasus just stared straight into Keith's eye after Keith drew his next card with unnerving confidence. Then he scribbled something on a piece of paper and called over some kid from the crowd. I couldn't believe that Pegasus was allowing the kid, a boy named Sam, to duel in his place. He handed the paper to him, and took a seat right next to me. Keith then revealed his card, Garnecia Elefantis, a powerful level 7, earth attribute monster with 2400 attack points. But the kid then played as per the paper that Pegasus gave him, which was the Flying Elephant, the original version of it before it was changed. The monster was much weaker than Keith's, having only 1850 attack points, but it had a special ability to attack Keith's life points and destroy the monster at the same time, winning the match for him!" None of the group could believe the story that Kaiba told as his memory of that match ended. "I still don't know how he did it. I only hope my new duel Disc system will give me the edge I need to beat him once and for all." The story causes Yugi to remember when Pegasus stole his grandpa's soul, and the duel that came before.

"That story...it reminds me of when I first dueled Pegasus." Yugi says. "It was like Pegasus could see my cards and know my every strategy. But, Kaiba, that's still no excuse to take it out on us and turn Joey into your new system's guinea pig.

"Perhaps. But that system could be my only way to beat Pegasus, so I had to test it." Kaiba retorts. "This is war for me, Yugi. Your friend was a casualty." Kaiba proceeds to turn to walk away.

"Kaiba, we may not agree on each other's methods, but at least we both understand that Pegasus must be stopped." Yugi says, prompting Kaiba to stop. "I hope you succeed in rescuing your brother."

"We all do." Twilight says.

"And I hope you succeed in your ventures." Kaiba says to Yugi. "Let's just hope our paths don't cross again before this is all over." Kaiba then walks away, but up in the castle, Pegasus laughs.

"I can sense you, Kaiba." Pegasus says with a wicked smile. "But are you hunting for me, or am I hunting you?"

Author's Note

Had to come up with some reason why the full effect of Flying Elephant wasn't utilized in the anime.

Arena of Lost Souls Part 1: Call of the Living Dead

Joey awakens from a nightmare he had about being chased by Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragon and being turned into a dog once he found himself at a giant Kaiba's feet.

"Kaiba, we'll see who eats the dog chow on this island!" Joey says in anger. "Everybody, wake up!"

"What in tarnation is going on, Joey?" Applejack asks.

"I thought I heard you sobbing while you were asleep, maybe you had a bad dream." Fluttershy suggests.

"Nothing's wrong. It's just a brand new day in the tournament and I'm hot to find me a duel!" Joey replies.

"Well, you don't have to yell about it." Tristan says.

"Hey, guys, what's all the commotion?" Tea asks as she walks up with a full knapsack.

"What's with the knapsack?" Spike asks. "Gift from someone?"

"Yeah, from Mai." Tea answers. "But she said she had somewhere to go. And she wanted me to give you this note, Yugi." Tea pulls out the note which reads: 'I owe you eight star chips. See you around. Mai.'

"Guess you can kiss those eight chips goodbye." Tristan says.

"I don't know. Maybe we really can trust Mai." Yugi responds.

"And if not, well, we're still the team supreme, right?" Rainbow asks. And everyone agrees.

"Okay, then. Move out." Joey says. Later, the group is wandering around, pondering how many contestants are still in the tournament.

"I wonder how many duelists there are left." Rarity says.

"Well, counting Weevil and that kid Mokuba tried to return some star chips and cards to, I'd say a couple dozen were sent back to Domino City yesterday." Twilight says.

"And I bet even more have been eliminated by now." Tea adds.

"And some of them were likely really good players with powerful cards, too." Spike says. "Yugi, you and Joey could be the next targets."

"Not a chance, Spike." Fluttershy says. "Those other duelists were in this for the prize, those two are fighting for a loved one, and that makes all the difference in the world."

"You're right, Fluttershy." Yugi concurs. "I have to rescue my grandfather's soul from Pegasus, and Joey needs the prize money to save his little sister's eyesight. But the duelists either me or him face today will be stronger because they survived the first round."

"Even stronger than Weevil and Rex?" Joey asks as he stops.

"Careful what you say, Yugi, you've got little Joey shaking in his sneakers." Tristan says.

"What? You think I'm a scared, little puppy like Kaiba said I was?!" Joey snaps.

"I ain't like Kaiba." Tristan says as Applejack separates them.

"You just bring on any duelist, then I'll cream em." Joey says.

"That's the attitude, you gotta believe in yourself, Joey." Yugi says. However, little do they know that three duelists are watching them from above on a cliff.

"The blonde one's mine." the smallest and youngest of the three says.

"If you like em tall, skinny and stupid, Bonz, that blonde geek sure fits the bill." the tallest and largest of the three replies as he look as them through his binoculars.

"Oh, yeah. You'll demolish him." concurs the second tallest of the three. "So, who are they, anyway?"

"Will you just keep your shirt on, Sid? I'm trying to see if I can get a tighter focus on them." the tall and large one says.

"I don't know who the others are, but I think that little runt with the black, purple and yellow hair is that Yugi Muto kid." Sid says.

"Yugi? He's the one who beat Kaiba." the tall and large one says in surprise. Even Bonz is surprised.

"We better tell the boss about this, Zygor." Sid suggests. Zygor agrees and all three of them head for their 'boss'. They soon meet with him, and it's revealed to be none other than Bandit Keith from the story Kaiba told the group the past night.

"Alright, spit it out." Keith says, impatiently.

"We found two duelists." Zygor begins.

"One's just a stupid geek with blonde hair." Sid adds.

"But the other one's supposed to be pretty good." put in Bonz. "A kid by the name of Yugi Muto."

"Yeah, the same kid who beat Kaiba on his own turf." finishes Zygor. "Everybody figures that he might make it all the way to Pegasus' castle."

"Yugi Muto, huh?" Keith asks. "Yeah, I've heard of him. Everyone knows about his duel with Kaiba. He's supposed to be a tough little squirt. That is, if you believe his reputation without actually seeing him duel."

"Yeah, good point." Zygor says. "Seeing as we never seen him in a duel, we don't know if he's as good as people say he is."

"Right. Nobody's going to that castle accept us, because we teamed up with the most brilliant bloomin' duelist on the whole island." Sid concurs. "The intercontinental champion himself, Bandit Keith."

"That's right. So if you three want to win this tournament, you'll keep your mouths shut, you'll keep cool, and let Bandit Keith do all the heavy thinking for you." Keith says with a smile as he removes his shades.

"No argument from me, boss." Zygor says. "You got all the brains, and I'm just the muscle."

"And we'll hammer any blinking duelist who gets in our way. While likely making them tremble, too." Sid concurs. Keith looks at the castle, remembering what happened to him at the intercontinental championship tournament.

"Now, you said you found another duelist with Yugi?" Keith asks.

"Yeah, we managed to catch that his name is Joey." Zygor answers.

"Good. We'll take the dweeb out first." Keith says as he stands up. Meanwhile, Joey is showing signs of paranoia.

"Did you hear that?" Joey asks. "I think we're being followed."

"I didn't hear anything." Twilight says.

"I think he's getting a little paranoid." Applejack suggests.

"You've been on edge and hyper ever since you woke up this morning, after you had a bad dream like Fluttershy suggested." Rainbow points out.

"I'm telling you, somebody's stalking us." Joey says in worry before running off.

"Joey, where are you going?" Pinkie asks.

"To stalk them!" Joey answers as he runs off. Little do any of them know that Sid and Zygor are stalking the group, and preparing to go after Joey. Meanwhile, in some kind of cave, Bandit Keith and Bonz are walking.

"Boss, where are we heading?" Bonz asks

"To a hidden arena." Keith says. "One that I found out about yesterday."

"This arena, is in a cave?" Bonz asks, a bit creeped out. But he soon gets spooked when some bats fly past his head.

"I'm surprised at you. You oughta feel right at home down here, Bonz." Keith says. "It's dark and dank and really creepy, just like you are. Now, about your deck. You did load it up mostly with zombie cards, didn't you?"

"Yeah, just like you said." Bonz confirms.

"Let me see what you got in your deck." Keith suggests. Keith then looks through Bonz's deck. "It's good, but I think you could use a little more brute force."

"But where could I find cards that can grant more brute force?" Bonz asks.

"Don't you worry, kid." Keith says as he opens his jacket to reveal a dozen pockets worth of cards. "I got all the power you need right here to build the strongest zombie deck in Duel Monsters history." Soon, Keith puts a few more cards into Bonz's deck. "Now that your deck is enhanced, it's time we moved on to the graveyard."

"The graveyard?" Bonz asks, more spooked than ever.

"It's a perfect arena for you, Bonz. And with all these new zombie cards, you just can't lose." Keith answers.

"Thanks, boss. And you can bet that I won't let you down." Bonz says.

"You better not, or you're gonna find yourself in a world of hurt." Keith says as he takes the flashlight and smacks Bonz to the ground. "You wouldn't want that, now would you?" Bonz soon finds himself face to face with a skull, scaring him further. "What are you afraid of? Some musty old skull?" Bonz quakingly confirms that he is a bit spooked. "Gimme a break. Your face is scarier than this old thing." Keith tosses the skull aside as he and Bonz move on. Outside, Joey is at a waterfall washing his face off.

"Maybe Applejack is right. I guess all I heard was this waterfall." Joey says. Soon, Zygor comes up behind him, but Joey quickly senses him. "Can I help you?" But instead of an answer, Joey gets blacked out and soon wakes up elsewhere.

"Wake up, dweeb." Zygor says.

"What? Where am I?" Joey asks.

"The boss wants you." Zygor answers as Joey is lifted up. Soon, Joey sees what kind of nightmare he just stepped into, a duel monsters arena that looks like a graveyard.

"What is this place?" Joey asks as he looks around in terror. Soon, Bonz comes up in the other player box, eerily.

"Welcome, duelist, to the unluckiest arena on the island." Bonz says. "Field 13, the arena of lost souls." Joey is quickly spooked by Bonz's appearance. "Abandon hope, for no duelist gets out of this arena with star chips in his glove, nor with a soul in their body, for no duelist leaves this arena alive."

"Help! A ghost!" Joey screams in terror. Outside, the others are worried about Joey.

"Joey's been gone for a while now." Yugi says.

"You don't think he got lost, do you?" Fluttershy asks.

"No way. But he could have been challenged to a duel." Yugi answers.

"That must be it." Tristan says. "I must've gotten on his case about being scared after his loss to Kaiba, and now he's gone off to find a duel by himself."

"That just proves that it's never right to tell someone they're scared when they aren't." Fluttershy responds.

"Then I say we split up and cover more ground." Applejack suggests. "Yugi, Tea, and Fluttershy, you go that way. Rarity and Spike head that way. Rainbow and Pinkie go that way. Me and Twilight will head this way. Tristan and Bakura, you head that way." Everyone agrees and splits up. Back at the cave, and at the graveyard arena, Bonz keeps spooking Joey.

"Prepare for your final duel." Bonz says. "This arena will be your final resting place."

"Now that's some spooky talk." Zygor says.

"Spot on, mate." Sid concurs. "He's got the dweeb scared stiff."

"I don't believe it. Looks like the dweeb fainted on his feet." Zygor says.

"Yeah, so do something about it, Zygor." Keith says. "Get busy and wake him up."

"You heard him, dweeb, rise and shine!" Zygor says as he tosses a skull at Joey, snapping him out of his state.

"The spirits of the dead are all around you, Joey." Bonz says. "There's no way to escape from either your fate, or your fear."

"Who says I'm scared?" Joey asks.

"You can't hide the truth from the spirits, Joey." Bonz says. "They see you're frozen with fear."

"Alright, I'll admit I was a bit spooked." Joey retorts. "But not because of the graveyard field or your ooga-booga talk, it was your creepy face that gave me the willies!" Keith and the others start laughing hysterically.

"You have to admit, he's got a point, Bonz." Keith says.

"Yeah, you even creep me out, Bonz, and I'm on your side." Zygor concurs.

"Well, if you're on my side, than stop laughing at me!" Bonz snaps. "So, are we gonna duel or just stand around talking? Lay down your star chips, now!"

"Hold on, I never even agreed with this duel!" Joey protests.

"Tough luck!" Keith calls out. "You ain't got no choice, dweeb." Joey looks around, wondering if there's a way out of his situation, but Keith and the others hear him.

"You want a way out?" Keith asks. "Well, hand over all your star chips and crawl out like a scared little puppy!" Everyone laughs at the remark, but Joey gets mad at it, remembering what Kaiba called him and the nightmare he had.

"Puppy?" Joey asks himself. "If I run from this I will be a scared puppy. If that's the way you want, I guess I've got no choice but to beat you! Four star chips!" Joey proceeds to lay down all his star chips.

"Nice going, boss." Zygor says. "He fell for it."

"Let's duel!" Joey and Bonz call out as their life point counters set and they both draw their hands.

"Put him away, Bonz!" Zygor calls. "Send him straight to the grave with your zombie cards!"

"Did he say zombie cards?" Joey asks himself. "Now I get what he's up to. I was led here so that those zombies he mentioned will get a field power bonus.

"You got that right. And you don't stand a chance." Bonz answers. "This arena is one big graveyard, and all my zombie cards get a Field Power Bonus here." Meanwhile, outside, everyone calls out for Joey, but get no answer.

"Where could he be?" Fluttershy asks. "If he were in a duel, we should've been able to find the arena."

"I'll admit that I'm worried, Fluttershy." Yugi says. "It's like Joey vanished off the face of the island." Back in the cave, Bonz prepares to make his first move.

"Here goes." Bonz says as he picks his first card. "My first zombie card." But before he can play his card of choice, Keith stops him.

"Not so fast, Bonz." Keith says. "Remember that strategy I told you about? If you want it to work, play the card on the far left instead of the one you had in mind."

"The far left?" Bonz asks. "But that's not a zombie."

"I know, but you needed some raw muscle, so I slipped it into your deck, Bonz." Keith explains. "It's part of your strategy, remember?"

"Yeah, I know, but why go for it early?" Bonz asks.

"Just do as I suggest and keep to the game plan." Keith answers.

"Just play the card already." Zygor says. "Bandit Keith won't steer you wrong. After all, we all managed to get this far in the tournament after following his advice."

"What is this?! Dueling by committee?! You gonna play the card or aren't you?!?" Joey snaps.

"Alright, boss. Whatever you say." Bonz relents. "Zanki, in attack mode!" The monster soon appears.

"This'll put a major dent in Zanki's armor!" Joey shouts as he plays his first card. "Go, Axe Raider, attack! Wind Blades!" In seconds, Zanki is destroyed and Bonz's life points decrease to 1800. "Alright! So much for your armored warrior!"

"You wiped him out!" Bonz says in surprise.

"That's just step one." Keith says reassuringly.

"Are you telling me the first step in a winning strategy is playing a lame card?" Bonz asks, annoyed. "If that were one of my zombies I would've clobbered him easily."

"Where's all your spooky chatter now, you little creep?!" Joey says with a smile of confidence. "Go ahead and play your next card, because whatever it is, I'm ready."

"I really think I could use some zombies." Bonz says.

"Not yet, Bonz." Keith interrupts. "The second card to the left is your best bet." Bonz looks and sees what Keith is talking about. But he knows that the monster Keith suggested, the Crawling Dragon, isn't a zombie either. "Look, I know you don't like the idea, but you have to be patient, Bonz. Your strategy is coming together. After all, no duelist has ever beaten Bandit Keith without cheating." So Bonz relents and sets his Crawling Dragon.

"I'll set a monster in defense mode." Bonz says at last.

"Running from me already, skull face?" Joey asks. "Guess you're not so scary after all. Go, Axe Raider! Slice 'em and dice 'em!" In no time, the Crawling Dragon is destroyed. "I win again!"

"Now play the card that's on the far right." Keith says to Bonz, frustrated that it's not a zombie. "And this time, don't put it in defense mode. If the dweeb can't see your monster, he might hesitate and wait to attack. But if you don't want to trust me, Bonz, I'll keep my advice to myself. It's up to you." Bonz draws and relents

"Crass Clown, in attack mode." he says as his monster appears.

"Is that the best you've got?" Joey asks as he plays his next card. "Flame Swordsman! Flaming Sword of Battle!" In no time, the Crass Clown is wiped out and Bonz's life points drops to 1350. "Too bad. One Crass Clown going down. Along with 450 of your life points." Joey knows he can see fear growing in Bonz's own eyes, thinking he has him on the run, and he intends to keep it that way, seeing as there's too much riding on the duel for him to lose.

"Now what?" Bonz asks Keith.

"Just relax." Keith answers. "You've already neared the end of your strategy, meaning you've practically have this duel won, Bonz."

"What's the problem, Bonz?" Joey asks. "Can't fight this duel on your own? Maybe your coach would rather take me on, and I'll cream him, too!"

"Oh, yeah?" Keith asks. "Looks like you could use a lesson in strategizing, dweeb." Joey is confused, while Bonz grows a wicked grin as he draws his next card.

"Oh. Wow. I had totally forgotten about this card, boss." Bonz says. "Now I understand what you meant by strategy."

"Then lay it down, Bonz! Play your trump card!" Keith says with a smile.

"You're finished!" Bonz says to Joey. "This card here is unstoppable! I play Call of the Haunted!"

"Call of the Haunted?" Joey asks.

"It can bring every monster you destroyed back from the graveyard." Keith explains.

"But since we're playing on a graveyard field, they come back as zombies, with the power of immortality!" Bonz adds as the three monsters Joey's warriors slayed rise out of the ground as undead zombies. Meanwhile, outside, the gang has reunited and found a clue to Joey's disappearance. His wallet.

"Isn't that wallet Joey's?" Applejack asks.

"It is, since there's a picture of his sister, Serenity, inside." Tea answers.

"Joey would NEVER be careless enough to lose something like that." Rainbow says. "Especially when his sister's photo is inside it. Since she means more to him than anything else."

"If you ask me, this is starting to sound like foul play." Pinkie suggests.

"Look over there!" Twilight says as they find the cave that Joey is in.

"I don't like the looks of this at all." Tristan says.

"Neither do any of us." Applejack concurs as they all head to the entrance to the cave. Soon, they all head inside and investigate.

"What is this place?" Tristan asks as they come across two coffins.

"Careful, this could be a trap." Applejack warns. "Those coffins could be part of it."

"Who would leave them just standing in a place like this?" Bakura asks.

"I wouldn't touch those if I were you guys." Yugi says.

"Uh, Fluttershy, could you kinda loosen your grip on my arm?" Tristan asks.

"Sorry, Tristan." Fluttershy says.

"Don't worry, Rarity." Spike says, a bit spooked. "I'll protect you."

"Well, I feel safer already." Rarity responds.

"Don't be silly, guys. It's just a couple of empty wooden bo..." Rainbow says before something starts happening. Soon, the coffins open and skeletons fall on her and Bakura, spooking them both and prompting Yugi and Tristan to get them off the two.

"That Pegasus sure has a sick sense of humor." Tristan says.

"You said it, Tristan." Yugi concurs. Back at the duel, the monsters Joey destroyed have fully risen from the grave and are back on the field as zombies.

"I can't believe it." Joey says in shock. "Your monsters are back."

"Call of the Haunted brought all three of them back from the grave, and they turned into zombies thanks to the field we're playing on." Bonz responds. "And as zombies, they get a Field Power Bonus from the graveyard. Armored Zombie's attack power is now 1950, Dragon Zombie's attack power jumps to 2080, and Clown Zombie's attack power is now 1755. Dragon Zombie, attack the Axe Raider!"

"Axe Raider, bash that undead lizard!" Joey retorts, and it seems that the Axe Raider destroyed the Dragon Zombie, however the monster simply reforms itself. "Oh no. A direct hit on the head, and the Dragon Zombie recovered!"

"That's thanks to both the field and Call of the Haunted, dweeb." Keith explains with a chuckle. "It'll take more than an axe to take one of them down."

"Now to finish what I was about to start." Bonz says. "Dragon Zombie, destroy Axe Raider! Deadly Zombie Breath!" With one blast of its foul breath, the Axe Raider is turned to dust and crumbles. "One down, and one to go. Now your Flame Swordsman is outnumbered three to one." Joey begins to wonder what he'll have to do next, otherwise he'll be considered dead meat.

Author's Note

Again, the anime messes with card effects. Normally, Call of the Haunted can bring a monster back once per turn, but this time it brought back three monsters once activated. Therefore, I put in the suggestion that the field turned the slayed monsters into their zombie counterparts once Call of the Haunted was activated.

Double Trouble Duel Part 1: Tag Duel in the Labyrinth

Everyone keeps pushing on the boulder with all their might, hoping to get it to budge, but to no avail.

"Looks like this thing ain't budging, boys and girls." Joey says as the pushers and shovers stop at last. "Looks like we're trapped in here."

"Joey's right, and not even I, the strongest among my friends, can get this thing to move." Applejack adds.

"Come on, guys, think! There's got to be some way out of this cave." Twilight says.

"But these tunnels could go on forever, and might run across the whole island. We could be lost down here forever." Tea responds, reminding Rarity and Fluttershy of the time they got trapped in a secret dungeon-like room in the Castle of the Two Sisters when they first went inside it so Rarity could restore the tapestries within. But as everyone ponders that all too real possibility, Bakura notices one of the points on his Millennium Ring glowing and pointing in a direction, seemingly tugging him towards another tunnel.

"Hey, Bakura. What gives?" Joey asks.

"It seems that my Millennium Ring is tugging me in this direction." Bakura answers.

"But, how? And why?" Tea asks.

"I'd like to know that myself." Rainbow adds.

"Well, Yugi, Twilight and I think my Millennium Ring can detect and home in on other Millennium Items, and lately it's been homing in on Pegasus' Millennium Eye." Bakura explains.

"So it could be leading us right to his castle!" Rainbow suggests.

"Pegasus! Boy, I can't wait till Yugi gets his hands on that soul snatching creep." Joey says. However, none of them are aware that Pegasus is watching them from his dining room, enjoying every single minute of the action.

"I love this show." Pegaus says with a laugh. "It's entertaining, and informative, as now I have a chance at getting two Millennium Items instead of one. But, what's playing on Dungeon TV?" Pegasus switches the screen showing Yugi and the others for one showing Mokuba Kaiba in chains and in a cell. "Oh, goody. It's another installment in The Sad Little Saga of Mokuba." In the cell, Mokuba keeps believing that his big brother will be there for him, just like he was before. Mokuba then thinks back to the day he and Mokuba were left alone after their parents died. He believes that Pegasus won't succeed in taking over KaibaCorp, as he doesn't know Seto like he does. Mokuba then thinks back to their days in the orphanage, specifically to when they used to play chess together, remembering that his big bro never lost at anything. Furthermore, despite his loss to Yugi, Mokuba believes that his big bro will beat Pegasus the same way he'd beat an opponent, mainly him, at chess. Meanwhile, back in the tunnels, the surroundings slightly changed for the group as they continue to follow the Millennium Ring.

"So, are we getting anywhere with that ring of yours, Bakura?" Rainbow asks.

"We've been walking forever, and it feels like we've been wandering around a gigantic maze." Spike adds.

"Spike, you may be right about that maze part." Twilight points out. "Look at the walls, the stones were arranged that way. We're not in a cave, we're in some kind of labyrinth, and a man-made one at that."

"You're not suggesting someone's living down here, are you?" Rarity asks. "If so, that would be just dreadful."

"Yeah, the only thing that could live down here are moles, and there's no way a mole could build all this." Rainbow concurs.

"You're right, Rainbow." Yugi says. "And it looks like we've got a dozen directions to choose from."

"Well, which way to we go now?" Tristan asks.

"This way! Follow me!" Bakura answers as his ring pulls him into the second path on the right. "The ring's pulling me this way!"

"Well, tell it to pull slower!" Rainbow says as the gang continues to follow Bakura as he's pulled in various directions. Finally, Bakura stops in front of an exit, and so do the others.

"Bakura! What is it?" Yugi asks as they finally see where they ended up as the light fades. And what they see, is a giant room with a massive duel arena.

"What is this place?" Tea asks, but she soon gets her answer from two voices.

"You have entered..." says one voice.

"Sacred ground." says the second voice.

"Where only duelists..." the first voice says.

"Can be found." the second voice says.

"Well, me and Yugi are duelists." Joey says.

"Before you pass..." says the first voice.

"Across this chamber..." the second voice says as the sources of the two appear, two men in orange and green robes.

"You must agree..." the first stranger says.

"To face the danger." the second stranger says as the group looks on in confused bafflement.

"So let the contest..." the first stranger says.

"Now begin." the second stranger says.

"Notify..." the first stranger says.

"Your next of kin." the second stranger says.

"You're trapped..." the first stranger says.

"And the doors are all locked." the second stranger says.

"You face the brothers, Paradox!" they both say at once.

"Employed by Pegasus as Eliminators..." the first of the brothers says.

"To take all your star chip indicators." the second brother says.

"Eliminators? Like that awful Panik?" Rarity asks.

"Does that mean you gotta duel these two, Yugi?" Joey asks.

"And if by some crazy fluke you manage to win..." the first brother says.

"Why, then, a puzzling new test shall begin." the second brother says.

"For over my shoulder, you see a door and over my brother, Dox's shoulder is..." the first brother, clearly Para as he said the other was Dox, says.

"One door more." Dox says.

"The test? A choice..." Para says.

"That you must make." Dox adds.

"Which of them will you take?" the brothers ask as the group marvels at the duel arena.

"One door leads to an endless maze..." Para says.

"Where you will wander all your days." Dox adds.

"The other door is the path you need..." Para says.

"Choose correctly, and be freed." Dox finishes.

"But which door leads out?" Para asks.

"And which leads to woe?" Dox asks.

"That's for you to guess..." Para says.

"And for the brothers Paradox to know." Dox finishes.

"So even if Yugi wins against them, we could still wind up being lost forever into those dreadful caves?" Rarity asks in worry.

"Against us, one mere duelist would be creamed." Para replies.

"So you two must duel, as a team." Dox adds.

"Two on two? You mean it's a tag duel?" Spike asks. "I think Yugi's grandpa told me about those when I asked how many players can participate in a duel."

"First time I ever heard of someone dueling like that." Tristan admits.

"Well, if it's a tag duel they want, we don't have much of a choice." Yugi says as his Millennium Item activates, brining forth Yami Yugi.

"A tag duel it is." Yami says. "And I'd be honored to have Joey fight by my side."

"You got it, bro." Joey replies, confidently. Soon, both teams are set and ready. "Alright then, brothers Paradox. Me and Yugi are gonna clean your clocks."

"Prepare to be puzzled..." Para says.

"Prepare to be fooled..." Dox adds.

"Prepare to be baffled, for on this field, we rule!" both brothers finish.

"I'm gonna baffle them if they don't stop their constant rhyming." Rainbow says to herself.

"Now then, enough quips..." Para says.

"Time to wager your star chips." Dox finishes.

"I'll throw down two." Joey says, annoyed as Rainbow with the brothers' rhyming.

"Plus four more, for a total of six." Yami Yugi adds. Both brothers agree. "This is it, Joey. If we can play our cards right, we'll both have enough star chips to get into the castle. Then we can finally confront Pegasus."

"Right." Joey says.

"You fool! That's why Pegasus pays my brother and me." Para says with a laugh.

"To keep you from achieving victory!" Dox finishes.

"This should be a cinch for Yugi and Joey, as they're an inseparable team, just like us. Right, girls?" Twilight asks her friends, and they all agree.

"Quiet, fools. Time to duel!" the Paradox brothers say.

"First turn honors are mine." Dox says as he plays his first card. "I play the Labyrinth Wall!"

"The Labyrinth Wall?" Spike asks. "I've always wondered why anyone would have it in their deck, other than as a powerful defensive shield. In fact, I wouldn't have been surprised if Panik has one of those in his deck before he got decimated." Soon, the purple and green haired kid gets his answer as the entire field becomes one big maze.

"I can't believe it! I guess this is the one time where Labyrinth Wall can come in handy." Twilight says in surprise.

"You conjured a maze?" Yami Yugi asks.

"Quite right, and unless you can navigate its passageways correctly, you'll be lost within forever." Dox answers.

"I wonder if someone could make a game where you had to navigate your pieces around a maze-like game board." Pinkie asks aloud.

"Now! No more questions. No more stalls. Make you move, the labyrinth calls." the Paradox brothers say at once. Meanwhile, outside Seto Kaiba continues heading toward the castle, knowing well that Pegasus was going to pay for all the trouble and pain he put both him and Mokuba through. Much like Mokuba did with the Duel Monsters card necklace around his neck that held a picture of Seto, Seto looks at the other half of that same picture, the half with Mokuba on it, in his Duel Monsters card necklace before continuing on. Back in the labyrinth, the brothers Paradox urge the two to make their move.

"Hold your horses, we don't even know how this tag duel is supposed to work." Joey says.

"It's simple. We each start with 2000 life points like in a singles duel." Dox explains. "However, if just one duelist loses all 2000 points, than his teammate loses with him." This causes Joey to wonder if Yugi made the right choice by putting a lot of faith in him by choosing him as his tag duel partner, but he puts those wonders aside quickly.

"The players on each team will alternate turns with each passing round." Para explains. "It is simple; I will play, then Yugi, then my brother, then Joey, then back to me. Now, as for the actual game play in the labyrinth arena, it, too, it quite simple. All monsters summoned during this match will act like pieces on a game board. As for moving, each monster can move a number of spaces equal to its power level. And while your game pieces are moving, ours will be moving, too. Finally, if you somehow manage to get past our creatures and find your way through the maze, your reward will be a choice of two doors."

"Select the correct door, and you'll find the path to freedom and fresh air." Dox says.

"Select the wrong door, and find only despair." Para finishes.

"I don't get it. If one door leads to despair, we'll likely be sent down the wrong way no matter what we choose!" Rainbow says aloud.

"Allow us to help." the brothers say at once.

"We'll give you a clue." Para says. "While everything one of us tells you shall be true..."

"The other will speak nothing but lies to you." Dox finishes. This puzzles everyone both in the duel and watching. As for Pegasus, who's watching the proceedings, he just laughs at the dilemma.

"Come now, Yugi. It's just a riddle, and you had better solve it. Otherwise, you won't see the light of day, or your grandpa, ever again." Pegasus says as he takes a sip of fruit juice from his glass.

"From this point forward, one of us will speak nothing but the total truth." Para says.

"And the other will speak everything but the truth." Dox finishes.

"So you see, it is quite simple." Para says.

"To learn which of the two is the right door..." Dox continues.

"You have only to ask, nothing more." Para finishes.

"Wait. If that's the case, then what if you're lying to us right now?" Yami Yugi asks, suspicious.

"No! I never lie." Dox answers.

"Don't be fooled. My door is most certainly the door that will guarantee you're freed." Para says.

"Liar! My door is the one that will grant safe passage, if they'd only heed." Dox retorts. Joey and Rainbow then realize that they both heard something like this before. An old riddle they know.

"Hey, Yugi. I think me and Rainbow Dash know this riddle." Joey says. "It starts with a fork in the road. Check this out; there's this kid trying to get to the village of truth-tellers. Thing is, there's a village of liars right next to it. The kid doesn't know which way to go, so he asks a villager for directions. But, he doesn't know if the villager is from Truthville, or Liarsburg. So the villager says he'll answer one question. And that's the riddle; What should the kid ask to get to Truthville? So the kid asks the man to take him to his own village. Because a truthful man would have to take him to Truthvlle, and a liar would have to take him to the Truthville, too, because that would be lying. So the first thing we have to do is figure out which one of you tells the truth."

"That riddle might be what leads us to freedom much quicker! Nice thinking, Joey!" Rainbow says with a smile. However, Twilight and Yugi aren't convinced.

"If that's what you would like, then proceed." Dox says.

"In fact, we'll each allow you one question." Para adds.

"Okay, then like the kid in the riddle asking the villager to take him to his own village, all I have to do is ask you to show me your door. So, both of you, show me the door that you're guarding." Joey says, thinking that the truthful brother will have to point to his own door, and the lying brother will have to point to the other brother's door. Both brothers point to Dox's door, but Twilight and Yugi still remain unconvinced. "Worked like a charm. Para's the liar and Dox tells the truth. Now Yugi just has to ask Dox which door leads out of here, and we're set." However, like Twilight, Yugi thinks that this seems too easy.

"I'd hate to disappoint you, Joey, but I don't think we've solved this riddle just yet." Yami Yugi says after a bit of silence. "In fact, I think we're going down the wrong road ourselves, so to speak."

"But I told you, Yuge, me and Rainbow heard this one before." Joey responds.

"Yeah, this is much like the riddle of truths and lies." Rainbow adds.

"Your riddle has some things in common with our present situation, but there are some key differences. And trust me, Joey, those key differences change the entire nature of the problem." Yami Yugi explains. "In your riddle, there was only one person to question at the crossroads. But in our situation, we have two, Para and Dox. Now, Para and Dox have told us the exact same thing. One of them will speak nothing but the truth, and the other will speak nothing but lies. But there's a problem with that already. Because if they were, as they said, one truth-teller and one liar, the liar could never admit to it. That would be telling the truth. The only way they could both make that statement is if they were both lying, and that means we can't trust either Para, Dox or their riddle."

"Yugi's right. This is what's called the liar's paradox. That means they could've both been lying from the start." Twilight confirms

"Thinking about it like that, my brain's starting to hurt." Rainbow says.

"I'm with you Rainbow." Joey concurs.

"Don't worry about it, Joey. That riddle was just meant to throw us off course. Let's duel now, and figure out the door dilemma later." Yami Yugi responds.

"Nice call, Yuge. I do my best work on the field anyway." Joey says.

"Now let's win this duel." Yami Yugi says as he picks what card he should play first. But he knows he'll have to be careful, as this is his first time dueling on a labyrinth field. "I'll go first, with my Beaver Warrior." Soon, said monster appears.

"A good choice. A rat for a maze." Para says.

"But his time will be short, for this is the last of his days." Dox finishes.

"We'll see about that. Beaver Warrior, move forward four spaces, one for each of your level stars." Yami Yugi says as his monster moves forward four spaces into the labyrinth.

"Four spaces in, and you're already in too far!" Dox says.

"Now it's my turn! And I am merging my Shadow Ghoul into my brother's Labyrinth Wall by means of Polymerization." Para says. In moments, Yami Yugi and the others get a shock when they see a shadow moving along the walls of the labyrinth.

"What is that thing?!" Spike asks as the monster reveals itself right next to Beaver Warrior.

"Wall Shadow, Reaping Claw Slash!" Para commands. And in seconds, Beaver Warrior is destroyed. "Goodbye, Beaver Warrior."

"That..That thing came out of the wall!" Applejack says in horror as Yugi's life points drop to 1600. "And it's going back in, where nothing can get at it!"

"Quite a lethal monster. Very lethal." Yami Yugi admits.

"Hold the phone! How can that monster move freely around the maze instead of the number of spaces based on it's lever?!" Joey asks, thinking that the Paradox Brothers are cheating.

"On the contrary, the Wall Shadow didn't move any spaces, it moved along the wall." Para explains. "Hence the name 'Wall Shadow'."

"That's right. Meaning the Wall Shadow can strike when a monster's in range!" Dox adds. Yugi realizes that this is not a good situation, as the Wall Shadow can strike anywhere at any time while his and Joey's monsters have to count spaces to move.

"So, now you know our strategy is unleashing a monster that you cannot see." Para says.

"You fools! You won't know when the Wall Shadow is about to land a blow." Dox finishes.

"We'll see about that." Joey says as he picks his next card. "Axe Raider in attack mode, and I'll also put one other card facedown on the field." The Axe Raider soon appears. "But since I can't see your shifty little monster, I can't attack it, so I won't advance into the maze at all this turn. I'll just keep Axe Raider as far away from the wall and your sneaky weasel as possible. And I'll still be ready to attack at any moment. Not bad, eh, Yugi?"

"Indeed. Nice move, Joey. As long as you keep far away from the wall, you can avoid any sneak attack from the Wall Shadow." Yugi concurs.

"Yugi is right, that was a brilliant move. I just hope Joey can keep this up." Fluttershy says.

"Don't worry, with Yugi as his tag duel partner, Joey just can't lose." Rainbow says with confidence.

"I hope you're right, because since this is a tag duel, the Paradox Brothers could focus on taking out the weakest duelist first, meaning Joey." Tristan says with worry.

"My turn, and I'll set this monster facedown." Dox says as he lays down a card. "Jirai Gumo." Dox knows that if any monster steps on the space that has Jirai Gumo under it, they'll instantly fall victim to its fatal 'surprise'. "I'll also activate a Polymerization card of my own to fuse Giga-Tech Wolf and Cannon Soldier together in order to summon the Labyrinth Tank in attack mode, and move it forward seven spaces." Soon, the massive level 7 tank appears and advances into the maze.

"I think I heard of Jirai Gumo, it's also known as a hunting spider." Fluttershy says, remembering that back home, she has a pet spider named Fuzzy Legs. "I guess now both Yugi and Joey have to worry about avoiding the space that Dox's spider is under, as well as staying out of the range of the Labyrinth Tank."

"Good job, brother. That should keep them trapped in our maze." Para says.

"Thank you, brother." Dox replies.

"It's my turn." Yami Yugi says as he draws and looks over to Joey. "I play the Celtic Guardian in attack mode!" Said monster soon appears on the field. "Advance four paces into the maze."

"He's making his monster advance? But the Celtic Guardian's attack power is much lower than Wall Shadow's." Bakura points out.

"Indeed, 200 points lower." Rarity adds. "If the Wall Shadow attacks now, the Celtic Guardian will be wiped out instantly."

"You fool! Did you not learn anything? Wall Shadow, attack Celtic Guardian now!" Para says aloud. The Wall Shadow rushes toward Celtic Guardian.

"Your guardian is doomed, and your life points with it!" Dox adds. However, as the Wall Shadow appears, a smile comes across Yami Yugi's face.

"I'm afraid not." Yami Yugi says.

"What do you mean?" Para asks, but he soon gets his answer when Joey activates his face down.

"Kunai with chain!" Joey says at last as said card activates and wraps around the Wall Shadow.

"What is this?" Para asks in shock

"My trap card worked!" Joey says with glee. "Reel him in, Axe Raider!"

"Wasn't that a card that Joey traded for back on the boat?" Applejack asks.

"That's right, the card I played facedown before was a trap card--Kunai with Chain. It captures any opponent that attacks!" Joey explains. "I laid that trap card to help Yugi, it raised its strength by 500 points, making it stronger than Wall Shadow's. And since my Axe Raider used it, and because this is a tag duel, he, too, gets 500 extra points."

"Brilliance! Pure brilliance!" Rarity says with a smile.

"Celtic Guardian, attack Wall Shadow!" Yami Yugi commands. In seconds, the Wall Shadow is sliced in half.

"So, now it's lights out for your shadow!" Joey says and Para can't believe it.

"Wall Shadow is beaten!" Yami Yugi and Joey say together.

"That was a brilliant tag team maneuver!" Rarity says.

"Those two are working well together against those wacky brothers." Bakura adds.

"To stop our decline, these two we must halt!" Para says in shock as his life points drop to 1700.

"Don't look at me. It's not my fault!" Dox retorts.

"If we keep this up, we'll win this double duel and have enough star chips to get into the castle!" Joey says with pride. "Teamwork, Yugi!"

"You know what they say, teamwork makes the dream work!" Pinkie says aloud.

"Right, but we haven't won yet." Yugi responds. "We've got to keep on our guard if we're going to beat the Paradox Brothers and win our way out of this twisted, underground labyrinth." Back at the castle, Pegasus watches on.

"A toast to Yugi for winning the first round with the help of his little pal, Joey." Pegasus says as he raises his glass. Soon, there's a knock at the door. The door opens to reveal Croquet.

"Master Pegasus." Corquet says as he enters. "A thousand pardons for interrupting, your greatness."

"I'm growing tired of your constant interruptions, Croquet." Pegasus says.

"I thought you'd want to know that we've spotted Seto Kaiba on the island." Croquet says.

"I already know that, Croquet, as I saw and heard his helicopter last night." Pegasus responds, annoyed. "Why are you, the head of my security, always the last to learn these things? Don't worry. Kaiba will come to us. After all, we have the bait." Down in the castle dungeon, Mokuba continues to look at the picture of his brother when he was a kid, wondering why he didn't come yet and thinking back to when Seto came to help him when some bullies at the orphanage took his toy bullet train. Mokuba continues to wonder why Seto hasn't stopped Pegasus already. Meanwhile, Kaiba continues to walk to the castle, knowing that if Pegasus tries to get in his way, he'd live to regret it.

Author's Note

Once more, the anime messes with the actual rules of the game. Wall Shadow can only be summoned via Magical Labyrinth, but the anime decided to have the monster be summoned by fusing Labyrinth Wall and Shadow Ghoul together through Polymerization.

Double Trouble Duel Part 2: Rise of the Gate Guardian

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.

Double Trouble Duel Part 3: Flight of a Demon Dragon

Gate Guardian's attack rushes towards Flame Swordsman, and Joey seems worried.

"This is one lightning storm I don't think my Swordsman's gonna weather." Joey says. "Yugi, if you've got any bright ideas, now's the time." However, the attack appears to land

"Now you see!" Para says with a scoff. "Our Gate Guardian conquers all!"

"Not this turn!" Yami Yugi retorts, puzzling Para. "Unless he's not affected by traps." Yami Yugi proceeds to reveal his facedown Mirror Force, bringing a smile to Pinkie's face as she loves surprises, even if they're in the form of trap cards. "Mirror Force, reflect his attack!" In moments, the attack is reflected right back at the Gate Guardian.

"Gate Guardian, defend with Squall Barricade!" Para commands as the middle portion of the mighty monster blocks the attack from hitting Gate Guardian.

"Our monster's not felled." Para says with a chuckle.

"You've been repelled." Dox finishes.

"Yes, but your Guardian has deflected the attack right at your Monster Tamer!" Yami Yugi retorts. The Paradox brothers are in shock as the Monster Tamer is incinerated. "You've destroyed your own monster."

"Lucky move." Dox says as Para's life points drop to 900.

"Way to play, guys!" Twilight says with delight.

"If this keeps up, we'll be out of this musty old labyrinth in no time." Rarity adds.

"You got it, Rarity." Joey responds. Meanwhile, back in the tunnels, the guards continue to search for Kaiba, but they haven't found him so one of them suggests that someone stands guard by Mokuba's cell. Once they break and go separate ways, Kaiba drops down and reveals himself before continuing to run towards Mokuba. Back at the duel, Joey prepares to make his move and draw.

"Wait a minute, Joey." Yami Yugi says before Joey can draw. "Don't make your move just yet. Look at the Gate Guardian, it was created by combining three different monsters, right?"

"So?" Joey asks.

"So that may be our ticket to dismantling him." Yami Yugi answers.

"Right, section by section." Joey says in realization.

"I get it! Take out the Gate Guardian piece by piece!" Twilight says, realizing when Yugi has in mind.

"Okay, then! Flame Swordsman, use the magic of Salamandra and attack the mid-section of Gate Guardian!" Joey commands, but as the Salamandra Flame Strike surges forward, the bottom section of Gate Guardian douses the fire.

"You fool! Attack one section, and the others will defend it. You wasted your turn. Now the Gate Guardian will lay waste to you!" Dox says. "Tidal Surge Attack!" In no time, the attack washes away the Flame Swordsman and floods the labyrinth.

"Oh my, the bottom section of the Gate Guardian is flushing out the whole maze, and that means everything in the path of the flood will be washed away!" Rarity says in horror.

"But don't forget, the Magical Hats will protect the Dark Magician, but I'm afraid Joey's Flame Swordsman won't be so lucky." Bakura says.

"We have taken the lead." Dox says with a smirk.

"For now." Joey retorts as his life points drop to 1300.

"Your Gate Guardian may have dampened the field, but not our spirits." Yami Yugi says. "For my turn I lay this card facedown and I call upon the Summoned Skull to finish the job Joey's Flame Swordsman started." In moments, the Summoned Skull appears, which brings a grin to Rainbow's face as its one of her favorite monsters in Yugi's deck.

"You must be joking." Para responds.

"That Swordsman started nothing before he left choking." Dox finishes.

"That's not quite true." Yami Yugi retorts. "If it weren't for him, the stage wouldn't be set for my Summoned Skull's attack!"

"That's right! The water!" Applejack says in realization. "Just like in Yugi's duels with Weevil and Mako, water conducts electricity, and the Summoned Skull attacks with lightning. A similar maneuver turned Weevil's Great Moth into a giant sized lightning rod! And in this case, he'll use the water as a conductor to guide the attack!"

"Summoned Skull, Lightning Strike!" Yami Yugi commands, and in seconds, the bolts jump along the water towards their target.

"Payback time!" Joey says with a grin as the attack gets closer and closer to the Gate Guardian.

"Not yet." Dox retorts. "You may have found a watery trail leading back to our Guardian, but you have yet to breach his defenses, defenses that we activate now!" However, nothing happens. "Wait, what's wrong? Why isn't the Gate Guardian protecting itself?"

"What's wrong is that flooding the whole field with your Tidal Surge, you attacked my Magical Hats, and hidden underneath one of them was a trap!" Yami Yugi explains as he prepares to reveal his facedown.

"What?" Dox asks in disbelief.

"A trap that immobilizes your Guardian and leaves him powerless to defend himself." Yami Yugi explains as he reveals that his facedown was the Spellbinding Circle.

"No! Our Gate Guardian!" Dox says in shock and horror.

"Ensnared by my Spellbinding Circle and 700 points weaker because of it, leaving Suijin, your Guardian's water element, quite vulnerable to my electrical attack!" Yami Yugi further states as the attack hits and destroys Suijin. "One section down, two to go."

"That was pure genius!" Rarity says in amazement as Dox's life points drop to 900.

"Way to go, Yuge! We'll have this ugly lug chopped down to size in no time!" Joey says with glee.

"Hey, look! All the water's disappearing!" Applejack points out as the field becomes dry once again. "Guess that not only is Suijin gone, but he took all that water with him."

"Our Guardian is only damaged, not beaten." Para retorts. "I play Remove Trap!" Once the card is played, the Spellbinding Circle is destroyed. "Even without Suijin, our Guardian is still unbeatable."

"We'll see about that." Joey responds as he reaches to his deck for his next turn. Yugi knows the Gate Guardian may be unbeatable by any monster, but not by his and Joey's teamwork. "Alright, bozo brothers, try this on for size. I summon the Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" In seconds, Joey's strongest monster appears.

"And now, with the magic of my Polymerization card, I'll combine Joey's Red-Eyes with my Summoned Skull!" Yami Yugi adds as both monsters combine to form a new, nigh unstoppable beast.

"What kind of fusion summon is this?" Rarity asks.

"You now face..." Yami Yugi begins.

"The supreme Black Skull Dragon!" Joey finishes.

"I've only heard a legend about that monster." Spike says. "It's a level 9, dark attribute Dragon Fusion monster with 3200 attack points and 2500 defense points! Making it slightly stronger than a Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

"Your Guardian ain't so unbeatable now, is he?" Joey asks.

"Right. Let's see your labyrinth stop him." Yami Yugi concurs. However, both Paradox Brothers start laughing.

"What are you two clowns laughing about?" Rainbow asks.

"You fools! You think your new creature will win the match for you?" Dox asks.

"You're wrong." Para adds. "There is little that your creature can do, for there is a maze rule that we neglected to tell you because we believed you wouldn't even attempt to bring out a dragon or winged beast."

"A rule you didn't tell us? Oh no!" Joey says in shock.

"Oh, yes. And this rule states that the labyrinth is a no-flying zone, as it would seem unfair for either team to have a creature that could strike from the sky where no other monster can get to it." Dox explains.

"Great, and the Black Skull Dragon can only move by flight." Joey says.

"Don't worry, I have an alternate plan." Yami Yugi says.

"I was hoping you'd say that." Joey responds, relieved.

"Excellent, they have a backup plan." Twilight says. "But what exactly is it? And why don't they look worried?"

"You may have a plan B, but with this next card, I will trash your team." Dox says with a laugh. "Riryoku!"

"Riryoku?" Yami Yugi asks in shock.

"What kind of card is that? It's all Greek to me, and likely Joey." Rainbow asks.

"That Riryoku card is a rare and mighty magic card." Twilight explains.

"Too true, my dear." Dox says. "Riryoku's legendary power allows me to take half of my opponent's life points and add them to one of my own creatures' attack points! In this case, the Gate Guardian my brother and I share."

"No way! You could consider that stealing!" Pinkie says, angrily.

"Stay strong, Joey." Yami Yugi tells his frustrated partner.

"Stay strong?" Dox asks.

"The only one on the field who will be staying strong is our Gate Guardian, for he is the one we are powering up with your life points." Para finishes.

"That cuts their chances to win in half!" Twilight says in shock.

"Luckily for you, using the Riryoku card ends my turn." Dox says. "But when my brother's next move is at hand, he will use our Gate Guardian's newfound power to win this duel once and for all."

"He will turn your monsters into smears on the labyrinth walls!" Para taunts.

"Don't worry about them, Joey, I still have a plan." Yami Yugi tells his partner. "First, I draw." Which he does. "Next, my Dark Magician will leave the safety of the Magical Hats and return to the maze." Soon, said monster reappears. "Then he'll move six spaces forward and out of your labyrinth!"

"You fool! Why are you moving your Dark Magician out of the maze when you know our Gate Guardian is right there just waiting to attack?" Para asks as the Dark Magician exits the maze.

"Does it matter? You seem certain he'll win regardless of what I do." Yami Yugi retorts.

"Yuge? Not for nothing, but you want to fill me in here?" Joey asks, clearly confused.

"It's alright, Joey. Trust me." Yami Yugi answers. "Finally, I play this card. Monster Reborn!" However, Para thinks that no matter which of his monsters Yugi summons with said card, it would do him no good.

"Your plan will fail! Gate Guardian, attack the Dark Magician!" Para says aloud. However, Yugi reveals his plan.

"You attacked without waiting to see which monster I resurrected from the graveyard, so you couldn't know." Yami Yugi explains. "You wasted your attack. Suijin, Tidal Shield!" In no time, a wall of water surrounds the Dark Magician and nullifies the attack. "Recognize the monster? You should, seeing as how it's yours."

"He uses his Monster Reborn card to bring back our Suijin!" Para says in shock.

"Only now he's not ours. He's been brought back on their side." Dox finishes as the water fades.

"If you ask me, that's the play of the whole game!" Rainbow says in amazement.

"More like a close one." Tristan retorts.

"But now the question is if they can follow through." Bakura adds.

"You have been lucky, you little louts!" Para says.

"But we promise your luck's about to run out." Dox finishes.

"Fine, but in the meantime, it's Joey's turn." Yami Yugi responds.

"Right." Joey answers. Yugi knows that water elemental he revived bought him and Joey some time, but not a whole lot of it. Meaning Joey's gonna have to be the one to keep them in the duel. Joey soon draws and finds a bizarre card, called Copycat, which can copy a card on the field, giving Joey an idea. "I play Copycat, and use it as Riryoku!" This brings a look of shock to the Paradox Brothers. "Say adios to half your life points, but don't worry. They're going to a good cause--powering up the Black Skull Dragon!" Right on cue, Black Skull Dragon's attack points jump to 4100.

"Great move, Joey!" Yami Yugi says in amazement.

"I'll say, that Copycat was a brilliant idea!" Rarity says.

"Why power up your dragon?" Dox asks. "He's still forbidden to fly over the maze and therefore cannot move. If you were smart, you would have used it on that treacherous Suijin because it's him I'm attacking. Thunderstroke attack!"

"Suijin, raise your Tidal Shield to defend!" Yami Yugi retorts, just in time.

"To be honest, we knew you would defend." Para reveals.

"Indeed. Now hit him again!" Dox finishes as the Gate Guardian attacks and destroys Suijin.

"Good think Suijin was in defense mode, otherwise it would've been game over." Spike says.

"I guess each part of the Gate Guardian can only use its abilities once per turn." Fluttershy adds. "Therefore, the Paradox Brothers split their attack into two waves."

"Yugi, did you really think that one elemental could stand a chance against two?" Para asks. "That miscalculation will cost you and your partner the duel."

"I'm afraid you're mistaken." Yami Yugi retorts. "Not only did I know you could destroy Suijin, but I planned that you would."

"What do you mean?" Para asks in worry.

"Anything to draw attention away from my Dark Magician." Yami Yugi answers as he reveals his facedown card. "After all, if I'm to use this Shift card with our Black Skull Dragon, I needed someone strategically placed to switch places with."

"No! He can't!" Para says in shock.

"He played us for fools, brother. Knowing that his dragon could not move within our labyrinth, he had his Dark Magician do it for him." Dox explains in shock.

"Talk about ingenious playing!" Rarity says in surprise.

"And now...Shift! Exchange the Dark Magician with the Black Skull Dragon!" Yami Yugi says at last as both monsters switch places. "At first, I thought the only way to beat your Gate Guardian was piece by piece, but now with our powered-up dragon, we can finish this duel with one final, ferocious assault. Black Skull Dragon, Molten Fireball Attack!" With one barrage of fireballs, the Gate Guardian falls and takes the last of the Paradox Brothers' life points with it.

"Take that." Joey says.

"The duel goes to us." Yami Yugi adds, triumphant. Everyone starts celebrating, and it also means something else.

"Not only did they win the duel, but now they won ten star chips each!" Rainbow says with glee.

"And that means they'll be able to enter the castle and battle Pegasus!" Applejack adds as the two duelists fill in their gauntlets.

"You're not quite set." Para says.

"There's still one test yet." both brothers say.

"I should've known, the choice of the doors." Yami Yugi says. Meanwhile, in the dungeon, Kaiba takes down the guards protecting Mokuba's cell and takes the keys before heading to see his little brother.

"Mokuba." Kaiba says, getting his little brother's attention.

"Seto, it's you." Mokuba says.

"Yeah. It's me." Kaiba responds.

"I always knew you would come and rescue me." Mokuba says. "Always. So what now? I bet you have a plan to get me out of here." However, as Mokuba tries to approach his brother, his chains hold him back.

"Stay still, kiddo." Kaiba says.

"Whatever you say, big bro." Mokuba concurs.

"Just give me one second to open the lock." Kaiba says as he tries to use the keys. However, a familiar voice is soon heard.

"Well, well. The brothers Kaiba, reunited at last." Pegasus says as Kaiba turns to him. "Bravo, Kaiba. Bravo. I knew nothing would stop you from getting here."

"Pegasus." Kaiba says with a sneer.

"I figured you'd bring up that door choice thing again!" Rainbow says, annoyed.

"Yugi and Joey may have won our star chips, but you still have to choose the path to escape this labyrinth." Para says. "I'm just pleased to know some of you remember."

"Trust me, we all remember." Yami Yugi retorts. "Now, to find out which of you brothers is guarding the door that leads out of here."

"If you cherish your lives, you will choose my way." Para says.

"Select my side or else you'll pay." Dox finishes.

"We already know one of you is lying, and one of you is giving a straight answer." Twilight says.

"But which of us is giving the straight answer?" the brothers ask.

"I say the answer is that we can't trust either of these two." Yami Yugi says. "But I have an idea. We'll decided with these." Yugi then pulls out two 100 yen coins, to the surprise of everyone.

"Okay. Heads or tails?" Dox asks.

"Neither, I marked each coin to represent a different door. The coin that I keep clenched in my fist will be the door that I have chosen." Yami Yugi explains. Down in the dungeon, Kaiba continues talking with Pegasus.

"Kaiba, I knew you'd come for Mokuba eventually." Pegasus says.

"Oh, you did?" Kaiba asks. "Well, tell me something, Pegasus. Did you also foresee what I'm about to do to you if you so much as harmed my little brother?"

"Actually, Kaiba, I predict you won't lay a finger on me." Pegasus answers.

"And why is that?" Kaiba asks. Pegasus just stares at Kaiba with his Millennium Eye. In the labyrinth, Yami Yugi prepares the coins.

"Ready?" Yami Yugi asks. After a brief moment of silence, Yami Yugi reveals the 100 yen coin with the symbol for Dox's door in his left hand.

"That coin is marked for Dox's door..." Para says.

"But was your choice good or was it poor?" Dox asks.

"What say you, Dox?" Para asks. "Shall we tell which was right?"

"In due time, Para. I'm enjoying their plight." Dox answers.

"Come on. Was Para's door the right one, or is it Dox's door?" Rainbow asks, annoyed with the suspense.

"We say..." Para begins.

"You choose wrong! It was my doorway..." Dox continues.

"All along!" Para finishes. Our heroes are shocked by the revelation, meaning the door they must've picked was the wrong one.

"So Dox's door was the way out?" Fluttershy asks.

"Not quite." Yami Yugi answers.

"Yes, it was." Para retorts.

"Except if we had picked it, Para's door would be the right one." Yami Yugi reveals. "You can change which door leads to which path, can't you? Ensuring that we choose wrong."

"That's no fair." Joey says. "You both cheated."

"Too bad. Too late. You chose a way." Dox retorts. "And that means..."

"In this maze you will stay." Para finishes.

"Well, actually, you never saw our choice." Yami reveals with a sly smile as he reveals the other coin.

"The Dox coin!" Applejack says in disbelief, while everyone looks on in disbelief as well.

"I figured the two of you would pull a stunt like this, so I pulled a stunt of my own with these two coins." Yami Yugi explains. "Instead of marking them both with just one door insignia, I marked the second coin with two. With one insignia on each side. That way, we couldn't lose."

"How in tarnation did Yugi figure that?!" Applejack asks in disbelief.

"Doesn't matter, cause we beat them at their own game." Joey answers.

"Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a score to settle with your boss." Yami Yugi says as the door out of the labyrinth opens.

"Alright, then. On to Pegasus' castle!" Pinkie says with determination in her eyes. Meanwhile, in the dungeon, Kaiba and Pegasus continue to talk.

"You conniving snake, trying to take over my company by using my little brother as leverage." Kaiba says angrily. "I should take you down right now for putting Mokuba in chains."

"Don't be ridiculous, Kaiba boy." Pegasus retorts. "In my dungeon, in my castle, in my realm, the only one who makes threats...is me." Soon, Pegasus' Millennium Eye starts glowing, blinding Kaiba and stealing Mokuba's soul. Kaiba turns and finds Mokuba face down as Pegasus holds up a Duel Monsters card with Mokuba on it, indicating that that's where his soul is being held.

"You monster! What have you done? What have you done to him?!" Kaiba demands.

"It's a very real magic trick." Pegasus answers.

"Tell me what you've done!" Kaiba says.

"I've ensured your cooperation, for, you see, Mokuba's soul is now imprisoned in a place where the locks can't be picked." Pegasus explains.

"You're mad! You couldn't have!" Kaiba retorts.

"I did, with my Millennium Eye. And there he will remain, Kaiba boy, until you beat me in a duel." Pegasus replies.

"Duel? With you? Now?" Kaiba asks frantically. "Fine. I'll do anything." But Pegasus shakes his head.

"Not just yet, Kaiba. You must first earn the privilege to challenge me." Pegasus explains. "And you can only do that by defeating Yugi in a duel. And if you can't win against him, Mokuba's soul will stay mine forever."

Author's Note

Again, the anime messes with card effects. According to the actual Riryoku card, you target 2 face up monsters, halve the attack points of one, and add the lost points to another monster. Not the life points of your opponent so you can power up one monster. Also, Copycat can't copy magic or trap cards, only monsters.

Face Off Part 1: Duel of Destiny

"So what will it be, Seto Kaiba?" Pegasus asks. "Do you care enough about your brother's life to try and save his soul? Not that you really have a choice. Mokuba's soul belongs to me." Pegasus holds up the card that holds Mokuba's soul inside. "So lifelike. But you probably preferred him more lively and in the flesh, didn't you?"

"You're not human!" Kaiba says angrily.

"Quite human, actually." Pegasus responds as he puts Mokuba's soul card in his pocket. "Just extraordinarily gifted." Pegasus then tosses five star chips to Kaiba. "Here. You'll need these for your duel with Yugi."

"Why are you doing this?" Kaiba asks.

"My reasons are none of your concern." Pegasus answers as he undoes his tie. "Maybe I just enjoy the struggle, watching the constant tug of war between you and Yugi boy. Or maybe I want something you're incapable of comprehending...something you'll end up delivering to me all tied up in a bow." Pegasus proceeds to retie his tie as he talks.

"Talk straight. What do you want?" Kaiba asks, more furious than before.

"Want?" Pegasus asks. "I want to see if you're capable of defeating little Yugi in a duel. And only if you successfully crush him in a humiliating defeat, like Yugi did to you when he beat you, will you get the opportunity to duel me. Then, if you beat me, I promise to restore your brother's soul."

"For now, I have no choice but to play your game." Kaiba says. "But soon...as soon as I defeat Yugi, I'll be back. And you'd better make good on your promise to restore my brother, because if you don't, I'll take great pleasure in separating your soul and your Millennium Eye from your body in my own way!" Pegasus just chuckles. Meanwhile, the group finally escapes from the underground labyrinth.

"We're out! Fresh air at last!" Joey says.

"I'll never set foot in a cave again!" Rarity says as she lies down on the ground looking up at the sky. Suddenly, Bakura notices one of pointers on his Millennium Ring pointing up.

"What's this?" Bakura asks. "My Millennium Ring is pointing..."

"There...To Pegasus' castle." Applejack says as she points to the castle.

"Right where we're heading." Twilight says with determination.

"Right." Joey concurs. "Because Yugi and I both have enough star chips to get us inside. Right, Yuge?"

"Yeah." Yugi agrees.

"Finally!" Rainbow says. "Now the sooner we learn which other contestants got inside, or have the right amount of star chips to go in, the sooner Yugi and Joey can beat them and face off against Pegasus and save Yugi's grandpa's soul!"

"Say, Twilight?" Tea asks.

"Yes, Tea?" Twilight asks back.

"Can you believe it finally paid off for Yugi?" Tea asks Twilight. "More over, don't you notice that Yugi can change attitudes and personas on a dime?"

"I think I know what you mean." Twilight answers.

"After all, sometimes he seems so gentle, you wouldn't think he could even challenge another duelist, especially in a tournament like this one." Tea continues, thinking back to all the duels Yugi, or rather Yami Yugi, was involved in as she didn't notice the two personalities switched in those contests. "When he duels, it seems like he's someone else. Someone more confident and determined than the Yugi I've known for years. It's almost like there are two Yugis--our friend whom me and my friends have knows for years, and a more mysterious guy who shows up only when Yugi's about to duel against a strong opponent."

"You wouldn't be too far from the truth." Twilight says. "Or don't you remember the night Bakura joined us?" That's when Tea realized Twilight had a point.

"Wait. Maybe there are two Yugis, like you suggested!" Tea says in realization, remembering the duel between Yami Yugi and Yami Bakura. "Now I remember. There was that game in the Shadow Realm. The more confident, and much larger due to our sizes changing and our souls being trapped in the deck, Yugi was playing against that dark half of Bakura. What did he call himself?"

"He called himself Yami Bakura, but I don't think that was his true name as he said he was a thief and stealer of souls." Twilight said. "But Rainbow suggested that, to avoid confusion, we call the larger Yugi, Yami Yugi. And I think you know why, don't you?"

"I do!" Tea says in surprise. "The larger Yugi, Yami Yugi as you call him, was playing against Yami Bakura, but the smaller Yugi was in the game with the rest of us!"

"Well, not all of us were in the game, as me and my friends someone managed to get out of the deck and return to our bodies." Twilight explained. "But you remember that each of you were dressed as your favorite Duel Monsters, right? And Yugi's favorite is the Dark Magician, just like it's my favorite, too."

"You're right. It was like the more experienced Yugi was coaching our Yugi." Tea concurred.

"Say, girls? Something wrong?" Yugi asks.

"No, I was just wondering...do you ever feel like..." Tea begins, but before she could finish, the rest of the gang were already heading up the stairs.

"Hey, you two!" Joey calls. "What's the holdup?"

"Hurry up, or we'll go inside without you." Tristan adds.

"You know, since none of us are even supposed to be here, maybe we should wait for Yugi." Bakura suggests.

"Good point." Tristan agrees.

"Grandpa, here I come." Yugi says with a smile as he turns to the stairs, but he ends up tripping on a rock.

"Is that how you're gonna rescue your grandpa?" Tea asks, jokingly.

"Well, I rescued you. Remember?" Yugi responds, causing Tea to think back while Twilight was confused.

"You rescued Tea?" Twilight asked. "When? And how?"

"I'll explain." Tea says as she thinks back to years before they met Twilight and her friends. It all started back when Tea barely knew Yugi at all. She was working at Burgerpalooza when Yugi and Joey came in for a bite to eat, which caused her to panic as she knows they know she's underage to work at Burgerpalooza, with the employment age being eighteen, and it was against Domino High rules to have a part-time job during the school season, meaning if they reveal her age she'd get fired or suspended from school, and she'd never be able to pay for what she wants most, taking dance lessons. Tea then approaches the boys once they're seated, but shows that she's plenty angry. Joey wonders if waiting tables at a fast food restaurant was what she wanted to do with her life, but she then reveals that she plans to save enough money to take up ballet dance lessons in New York after she graduates. To her surprise, the boys don't laugh at her, encouraging her to follow her dreams and led to her appreciating them. Sometime after that, she found a note in her locker that was apparently from Yugi saying that he and Joey found a space in an old warehouse on Spring Street that could be used as a makeshift dance studio. Tea couldn't believe it, but when she arrived, she found that there was a mugger waiting to rob her. However, Yugi jumped in to save her at the last possible minute, but the mugger knocked him into something and knocked him out. Tea tried to save him, but to no avail. Right then and there, Yugi's Millennium Puzzle activated and Yami Yugi emerged. Yami Yugi then challenged to mugger to a game, possibly a Shadow Game, claiming that the mugger would learn his fate after playing said game. Yami explained the rules, they'd each draw a single Duel Monsters card, and the monster with the highest attack points wins. If the mugger won, he'd go free, but if he lost Yami Yugi would decide his fate. Not willing to make himself look like a coward, the mugger decides to play and draws the Curse of Dragon, which has 2000 attack points. But when Yami Yugi draws, he draws the Dark Magician, which has 2500 attack points, thus making Yami Yugi the winner. However, the mugger decides to beat Yami Yugi his own way, but Yami Yugi proceeds to Mind Crush the mugger, knocking him unconscious and destroying the darkness within him. Soon, Tea woke up and saw Yami Yugi for the first time. "I may remember that day, but Yugi, what was it that you did to that guy?"

"I don't know. When I came to, that mugger was already on the ground." Yugi explained. "I don't remember anything about it."

"You're a mysterious guy, Yugi." Tea says. "Do you ever feel there's something weird going on? Sometimes you seem like you're a completely different person. Does what I'm saying make any sense to you?" Twilight, however, knew the truth as did the others because of what they were told by Celestia, Pegasus, and Yami Bakura.

"I know what you mean." Yugi says with a sigh, and I think Twilight knows, too. "She saw it herself, as did her friends. Sometimes I feel like there's someone else inside me, mainly inside my head. I just hope I'm not losing it."

"Well, whatever's going on with you, both halves of you are really great in my book." Twilight says with a smile. "Trust me."

"Thanks, Twilight." Yugi responds. Soon, everyone starts calling down to the three.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Twilight asks.

"She's right, so come on. Let's go." Tea adds as she extends her hand to help Yugi up. Soon, everyone is on their way up, though Joey and Rainbow wished that Pegasus, as rich as he is, would install an elevator. Suddenly, they see someone waiting at the top of the steps.

"Hey, guys, look. You're not gonna believe who's blocking our way into the castle." Tristan says as everyone looks up to see Seto Kaiba blocking the door.

"I knew that Kaiba was on the island looking to save his brother, but what's he doing at the top of the stairs leading to the castle?" Fluttershy asks.

"I can't let you pass, Yugi." Kaiba says.

"I've won the ten star chips needed, so stand aside." Yugi retorts.

"You may have won enough star chips to qualify for the Duelist Kingdom playoffs, Yugi, but I can't allow you to face Pegasus. He's mine." Kaiba says. "You and I are going to have one final duel. This time, you will lose, and I will win. The winds of change are blowing, Yugi Muto."

"He's so smug up there." Rarity says with annoyance. Kaiba knows that Pegasus might be forcing him to duel Yugi, but it's a rematch that he wanted all along.

"Please, Kaiba. Step aside." Applejack protests. "You made it clear you wanted nothing to do with the tournament last night."

"That may be, but I won't step aside until Yugi agrees to duel me." Kaiba responds.

"I'm not dueling you. I don't have to." Yugi retorts.

"So...no longer confident that your belief in the Heart of the Cards can help you win?" Kaiba asks smugly. "Or are you afraid you can't beat me without Exodia?"

"I don't know how you learned that Yugi lost Exodia on the boat here, but he proved he could beat three Blue-Eyes White Dragons without Exodia when he dueled that imposter who was posing as you!" Rainbow retorts.

"Is that so?" Kaiba asks. "Well, he may have beaten all three Blue-Eyes White Dragons individually, but not all at once. Now he's just afraid he can't beat me a second time, let alone beat all three of those dragons at once. What a coward."

"Back off, Kaiba! He doesn't have to prove anything to you!" Applejack snaps.

"If it's a duel you want, me or Joey can take you on!" Rainbow shouts.

"Why would I waste my time beating someone as amateurish as you?" Kaiba asks.

"Why, I oughta!" Joey says angrily as Tristan and Bakura hold him back.

"Don't forget, the last time you dueled Kaiba, he slaughtered you." Bakura says.

"Like either of you could do any better?" Rainbow asks as Kaiba looks at Joey's duel gauntlet.

"I can't believe the most ambitious duelist I know of with the attitude of an angry chihuahua already has ten star chips." Kaiba says smugly. "You earn them yourself or did Yugi throw you a few bones?"

"Back off and away from my friend, Kaiba!" Rainbow said, more furious than before.

"I'd watch your temper, too, if I were you, Rainbow. After all, there's no challenge in beating either you or humiliating Joey again." Kaiba responds. "There's only one player whose ever beaten me at Duel Monsters, and that's Yugi." Kaiba then thinks back to when he and Yugi first dueled. "But how he did it is a mystery that still eats away at me. I was winning our battle. My Blue-Eyes White Dragon was devastating his forces. His monsters couldn't stand up to its withering attacks. And then I drew my second Blue-Eyes. I was invincible! Yugi thought the attack strength of his Dark Magician could stop me...but he never dreamed I'd draw my third Blue-Eyes, which blew his magician away, obliterating his life points at the same time. But then...just as he was on the verge of defeat, Yugi somehow achieved the unachievable! He assembled all five pieces of Exodia! Before that, no one had ever been able to summon him before, but somehow, Yugi had. Yugi, you said you won by tapping into the Heart of the Cards and for a long time I didn't know what that meant, but now I think I do. And it took Pegasus to show me." Kaiba proceeds to look at his picture of Mokuba from the orphanage. "He gave me a reason to put my heart in the cards." Kaiba knows that not Yugi nor Pegasus will stop him from saving Mokuba. "For the first time, Yugi, I can duel with fire and passion in my heart."

"I can feel it." Yugi says as he feels Kaiba's red hot passion and sees fire in his rival's eyes. Meaning that Kaiba had changed, and he knows he's fighting for something more than just himself, as explained when Kaiba clearly reveals he's putting his faith in the Heart of the Cards.

"Yugi, think this over. You can't accept this duel." Twilight says. "You already have enough star chips to get into the castle, so there's no need for this."

"I've changed. I deserve a rematch. Give me a chance to play against you now, Yugi. Let me play against you for the right reasons." Kaiba says. Yugi knows that he couldn't deny the Heart of the Cards after everything his grandpa taught him over the years. And so, Yami Yugi appears, and Tea quickly notices the switch.

"Kaiba, I accept your challenge!" Yami Yugi says. "We'll see what you've really learned about the Heart of the Cards. You just name the place."

"Our dueling field has been prepared. Follow me." Kaiba says as he picks up his briefcase. Soon, both players are up on the roof, ready to rumble with Duel Discs attached.

"Alright, Kaiba. It's time to duel." Yami Yugi says. Down on the ground, at the door, Bandit Keith shows his star chips to the guard.

"I'm here to qualify for the playoffs." Keith says. "I need ten star chips, right? Well, I got them."

"You qualify." Kemo says. "But the real fun's about to begin on the annex roof. You gotta check it out."

"Some action on the roof?" Keith asks. "Thanks, dude. Maybe I will." Keith heads up to the roof, wondering what's going on. Up on the roof, the duelists are about to begin.

"Yugi, here's the deal: We'll each wager five star chips on this duel, and the winner will be the only one who earns the right to enter the main castle." Kaiba explains with star chips in hand.

"Done. Five chips." Yami Yugi agrees, though Rainbow doesn't see the point in Yugi having fifteen star chips should he win, as both players toss their star chips to the other side.

"As you can see, we'll use my Duel Disc system prototype." Kaiba says, which intrigues Twilight because she was amazed when Kaiba first unveiled them. "Insert your shuffled deck into the card recognition slot. Life points automatically set to 2000." Both players insert their decks, bringing up their life points.

"You beat him once, you beat his dragons twice, you can win against him a second time and against his dragons a third and final time, Yugi!" Rainbow says confidently. Up and away from where anyone can see him, Bandit Keith arrives.

"Looks like it'll take a while for the other finalists to catch up playing by the rules, if there are any duelists left, that is, so I might as well kill some time watching whatever's going on. Maybe it's a duel." Keith says. Soon, he spots the duel and is in shock when he finds the gang out of the caves he and his former cronies trapped them in. "It's those punks I trapped underground! How'd they get out? I thought I trapped them in that underground cave forever! Wait. Who's that?" Keith soon spots Kaiba. "Is that Seto Kaiba? So, Kaiba's in a rematch with Yugi. This I gotta see. For the duel of the century, I need a ringside seat." So Keith heads somewhere close to the action where no one can see him. Meanwhiel, the two players are set and ready.

"Alright. Are you ready to duel, Kaiba?" Yami Yugi asks.

"This is it, Yugi. Whoever wins faces Pegasus and whoever loses will be left a broken man." Kaiba says.

"We'll see who gets broken, Kaiba." Yami Yugi retorts. "I will defeat you once and for all!" And so, with a confident 'Let's duel!' from both competitors, the game is on.

"Stand back and prepare for battle." Kaiba says as he spins his Duel Disc to summon his first monster. "I play Ryu-Kishin Powered in attack mode!" In moments, the more powerful version of Ryu-Kishin appears. At the same time, the holographic hand feature kicks in on Kaiba's side of the field, fascinating Twilight.

"I can't believe it! The Duel Discs can generate holograms of the cards in each player's hand!" Twilight says in amazement.

"On your guard." Yami Yugi says as he spins his disc and summons his first monster. "I play Curse of Dragon in attack mode!" Soon, the holographic hand feature kicks in on Yugi's side of the field, as well.

"Well done. A formidable card, Yugi, and a play I would expect from a duelist of your caliber." Kaiba says.

"Don't patronize me." Yami Yugi retorts.

"Yugi, I know from playing against you once before you're a talented duelist, but you're just not as good as I am." Kaiba says. "Listen up. Only one duelist is gonna challenge Pegasus and that's me!"

"Wrong." Yami Yugi responds.

"Then attack and find out." Kaiba says. "What's the matter, Yugi? No faith in your monster?"

"You'll see. He's mightier than yours." Yami Yugi responds. "Go, Cures of Dragon! Attack Ryu-Kishin Powered! Dragon Flame!" In moments, Curse of Dragon takes flight and the monster is destroyed, dropping Kaiba's life points down to 1600. "There. Ryu-Kishin Powered is no more."

"You're good, but oh, so predictable." Kaiba says as he disc retracts. "Don't you think I expected that attack? And once again you've played right into my hands, Yugi."

"That's a bluff if I ever heard one." Rainbow says. "You took away 400 life points, so the advantage is all yours, Yugi!"

"It's not a bluff, as you will all soon see." Kaiba says as he draws his next card and puts it on the disc. "I play Swordstalker!" The monster appears, and even spooks Rainbow. "The Swordstalker gathers the life-force of a fallen monster, raising his own attack power by 20%. Watch."

"He's not kidding. Swordstalker's attack power just jumped from 2000 to 2400, making it stronger than Curse of Dragon!" Spike says in worry. Yugi then realizes that Kaiba let his Ryu-Kishin Powered to go up in flames so easily so he could power up Swordstalker.

"Attack now, Swordstalker! Vengeance Strike!" Kaiba commands. However, Curse of Dragon disappears before the blow is landed. "What?! The Curse of Dragon disappeared!"

"That's because I activated a Shift trap card on the field." Yami Yugi reveals. "This card can switch the monster on the field with a monster in my hand that has the highest attack power, and you know what that means. The creature with the greatest attack power in my hand is the Dark Magician. Dark Magic Attack!" In no time, the Dark Magician appears and destroys the Swordstalker, lowering Kaiba's life points to 1500. "The Dark Magician vanquishes your Swordstalker."

"Hey, Kaiba. Nervous yet?" Rainbow asks. "Yugi pulled another fast one on you!"

"Clueless." Kaiba retorts. "If those fools only knew what I have in store."

"Now I can replay my Curse of Dragon in attack mode." Yami Yugi says as said monster reappears. "Your move. Kaiba." Kaiba retracts his disc to play his next card.

"I'll take on your magic with a magician of my own." Kaiba says as he plays his next card. "I summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp!" Soon, said genie appears. "My every wish is his command."

"Dark Magician, attack La Jinn! Dark Magic Attack!" Yami Yugi commands.

"Your attack activates my trap--the Ancient Lamp!" Kaiba retorts as his trap activates, saving La Jinn from destruction. "First, it protects my genie by drawing him in. Then the lamp deflects your attack turning it back on one of your monsters." Right on cue, the Curse of Dragon is destroyed, bringing Yugi's life points to 1500, tying his with Kaiba's. "Reflect upon the incredible defensive powers of my Ancient Lamp!" Yami Yugi then sets a new card.

"My deflected attack may have destroyed my Curse of Dragon, but I still have the Dark Magician." Yami Yugi retorts. "Kaiba, for all your bragging, the score is tied. We're evenly matched." However, Kaiba knows that Yugi doesn't suspect that so far, his maneuvers, clever as they are, are all just ploys to distract him from his plan. Which is to assemble all three Blue-Eyes in his deck in order to create a monster more powerful than any he or anyone else has ever seen. For combined, they create the ultimate creature of destruction. A monster known as the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.

Author's Note

Even though Swordstalker is a normal monster and it doesn't have the ability to gain 20% more power from a fallen monster before it was played, I kinda wish it had that effect in the game. And, once again, the anime messes with cards and their effects. Not just with Swordstalker, but with the Ancient Lamp as it's a monster in the actual game, not a trap card.

Face Off Part 2: Rise of the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon

"This is getting intense, fast." Rainbow says.

"Yes, but don't forget Rainbow, Yugi beat Kaiba once before." Bakura says.

"Trust me, I remember. If he beat him once, he can do it again." Rainbow responds.

"I don't understand. Kaiba claims he's changed, but he's not acting like it." Fluttershy says to Tea. Up in a tower, Bandit Keith watches the action.

"Man, look at these two jokers." Keith says to himself. "They're really going at it. Which is fine with me. I got the best seas in the house for scoping out the competition. Namely Yugi, should I have to face him." Yugi realizes that Kaiba's trying to finish him as quickly as possible, which isn't like him because Kaiba normally enjoys toying with his opponents almost as much as he enjoys winning. Yugi remembers that the last time they squared off, Kaiba spent half the match messing with him, but this time he got right down to business.

"What's the matter, Yugi? You look a bit worried." Kaiba says. "Finally realizing that, without the mighty Exodia cards in your deck, you don't stand a chance against me?"

"I won't need Exodia to beat you, Kaiba." Yami Yugi retorts as Kaiba retracts his Duel Disc.

"If I keep drawing cards like this, you will." Kaiba says after he draws. "And I'll start my turn by activating the De-Spell card. This card can destroy any magic card set on either side of the field, and that's a loss I'm quite sure you can't afford, Yugi."

"Oh no! My cards!" Yami Yugi says in shock as the De-Spell card obliterates his Swords of Revealing Light card."

"Looks like you won't be using your Swords of Revealing Light anytime soon." Kaiba says. "That is a tough loss, Yugi. After all, your swords could've paralyzed my Genie for three turns, but I guess now you'll lose three turns sooner.

"Don't count on it, Kaiba." Yami Yugi scoffs as he retracts his Duel Disc.

"That genie is gonna be real trouble, because as long as he has that lamp to hide in, Yugi can't touch him." Bakura says with worry.

"Isn't there a way to destroy the lamp?" Rarity asks. Taking inspiration from Rarity's words, Yugi draws his Mystic Box card and plans to use it to do what Rarity suggested.

"My turn! I call upon the Dark Magician!" Yugi says as he spins his Duel Disc.

"I'm surprised you put your magician at risk, Yugi, when you have no idea what I have in store for you." Kaiba says.

"Then perhaps before I attack, I should see what you're planning for myself." Yami Yugi retorts as he activates a card. "Behold my magic Eye of Truth! So called because the Eye of Truth knows all, sees all, and it will reveal every card in your hand." Kaiba is shocked as his cards are revealed. A second De-Spell, a second Mystic Lamp, Saggi the Dark Clown, and to the shock of everyone, one of his Blue-Eyes White Dragons. "What's this? You've got a Blue-Eyes White Dragon in your hand but you haven't played it?"

"You can always count on Kaiba to have a Blue-Eyes White Dragon or three up his sneaky, slimy sleeves." Joey says.

"They're his favorite cards, so no wonder." Pinkie points out.

"But three Blue-Eyes White Dragons at once with no way of slowing, paralyzing or stopping them?" Rarity asks. "Sure, he can beat them individually with some sort of tactic but taking out all three at once could only be done with Exodia." Yugi wonders what Kaiba could be up to, as it's REALLY unlike Kaiba to not play the Blue-Eyes White Dragon when it's in his hand. However, Kaiba knows that Yugi may have caught a glimpse of the Blue-Eyes in his hand, but doubts that even he could guess his overall plan as it was never done before; taking all three Blue-Eyes White Dragons and fusing them together to summon an incredible creature of unsurpassed power: The Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.

"So, Yugi, the mundane magic of your wimpy Eye of Truth allowed you a sneak peek at the cards in my hand, but what good does it do you?" Kaiba asks. "The fact still remains that your Dark Magician can't do anything against my genie, La Jinn...not while he has his lamp to protect him."

"Then I'll extinguish it!" Yami Yugi retorts. "Thought the magic of my Mystic Box!" Soon, both boxes begin to materialize. "Now, watch closely, Kaiba, as first my Dark Magician is sealed within the first box."

"It's a trick!" Kaiba shouts.

"It's much more than a mere magic trick, as you're about to find out, Kaiba." Yami Yugi responds. "Now watch and be amazed as the first Mystic Box is skewered!" Right on cue, swords plunge into the box where the Dark Magician was placed. "But have I destroyed my own Dark Magician? Or have I magically extinguished your ancient lamp, just as I promised?" As Yami Yugi talks, the first box opens to reveal the Ancient Lamp, pierced and Shish Kabobbed.

"You took away my genie's only source of safety!" Kaiba says in shock.

"And the magic's half done, Kaiba." Yami Yugi continues. "For my Dark Magician emerges from the second Mystic Box...unharmed." Right on cue, the second Mystic Box opens to reveal the Dark Magician, safe and sound.

"But how?" Kaiba asks, but the Dark Magician wags his finger, as if saying 'I can't tell you that.'

"You know a good magician never reveals his secrets." Yami Yugi says while Pinkie applauds, as she loves the Dark Magician's magic tricks. "Now, Dark Magician, Dark Magic Attack!" In seconds, La Jinn is no more.

"No! My genie!" Kaiba says as his life points drop to 800.

"Just as you said, Kaiba. The Ancient Lamp may have protected your great La Jinn, but once it was destroyed, your genie was no match for my Dark Magician." Yami Yugi says.

"Your little magic show may have been entertaining, but let's not lose perspective." Kaiba says. "You know I've got a Blue-Eyes waiting in the wings, and I know you have nothing that can stand against it."

"You know nothing." Yami Yugi responds. "The Eye of Truth showed me your hand, not the other way around."

"I don't need to see your hand." Kaiba retorts. "But I think you need to be taught a lesson, and I'll be happy to make my next play painfully instructive." Kaiba knows that by combining his weakest monster, Saggi the Dark Clown, with his Crush Card Virus trap, he'll be able to turn the duel around and infect Yugi's life points. "Behold...Saggi the Dark Clown!" Soon, said monster appears, but Yugi has no clue that he's infected with the Crush Card Virus.

"Saggi the Dark Clown?" Yami Yugi asks, clearly puzzled, as he was expecting Kaiba to summon his Blue-Eyes. And Yugi also knows that he didn't see any trap cards in his hand when the Eye of Truth was activated, but rationalizes that Kaiba may have drawn some new ones. Therefore, the only way to know for sure is to attack. However, he decides not to attack with the Dark Magician. He retracts his Duel Disc and draws. And what he gets is Gaia the Fierce Knight, a creature that mopped the floor with Saggi when he and Kaiba first dueled, since Saggi had the Negative Energy Generator giving him a power boost. "This monster beat your Dark Clown before, and he will defeat Saggi once again. Gaia the Fierce Knight in attack mode!" Soon, said creature appears and attacks Saggi, but it springs the trap. "Your Dark Clown has been vanquished, Kaiba!"

"Vanquished and sacrificed are two very different things, Yugi. Look again." Kaiba says as the Crush Card Virus quickly begins to spread.

"What's happening?" Yami Yugi asks.

"Something's wrong here. What card did Kaiba just activate?" Twilight asks. But before she can get an answer, Gaia is destroyed.

"Not just Gaia was destroyed, Yugi." Kaiba says, and right on cue, the Dark Magician is destroyed as well.

"The Dark Magician, too?!" Spike asks in shock.

"What have you done, Kaiba?" Yami Yugi asks.

"It's really quite ingenious, actually." Kaiba says. "Knowing that you couldn't resist attacking my Dark Clown, I infected him with the Crush Card Virus." This brings a look of shock to Twilight.

"A Crush Card? You had a Crush Card in your hand?!" Twilight asks in shock.

"It seems that you know it all too well, Twilight." Kaiba says. "But yes, I did. You see, by destroying the infected Saggi, or any monster with 1000 attack points or less that was infected by it, Yugi released the Crush Card Virus--a virus that is so highly contagious to Duel Monsters that even as I speak these words, it is infecting all but the weakest cards in his precious dueling deck."

"No, my cards!" Yami Yugi says in shock as all his powerful monsters are infected.

"The only monsters unaffected by the Crush Card Virus are those with an attack power weaker than 1500." Kaiba explains. "Looks like I've broken the heart of your cards, Yugi."

"Well played, but it will take more than a virus to win this duel, Kaiba!" Yami Yugi retorts.

"Yes, I expect that it will, Yugi." Kaiba responds. "Actually, I'm looking forward to subjecting you to a wide array of debilitating cards."

"Looks like Kaiba can talk the talk and walk the walk, because Yugi fell for that Crush Card trap hook, line and sinker." Applejack says with worry.

"But Yugi's a much better duelist than he was when he and Kaiba first dueled." Rainbow chimes in. "After all, he beat and took Weevil Underwood's title of Regional Champion.

"Yes, but last time, Kaiba didn't have a Crush Card to force Yugi to play magic and trap cards and weak monsters." Bakura points out. Up in the tower, while the others are still hoping that he'd win, Bandit Keith watches Yugi squirm.

"This is turning out to be quite a show." Keith says to himself. "All I'm really missing is a hotdog and a bag of popcorn. Oh, well, from the looks of things, this duel isn't gonna last long enough for me to enjoy them anyway. Besides, getting the lowdown on that Yugi chump's dueling strategy is plenty for my mind to snack on."

"Your turn, Yugi." Kaiba says. "Let's see how your disease-ridden deck serves you now."

"You may have infected the body of my deck, Kaiba, but it's the Heart of the Cards that will see me through this contamination." Yami Yugi retorts. He then draws the Summoned Skull, but knows he can't summon it thanks to the Crush Card.

"Face it, Yugi. To continue playing in this duel, you'll have to serve up your weakest monsters." Kaiba says. So, Yugi sets a weak creature in defense mode.

"Silver Fang, in defense mode!" Yami Yugi says at last as said monster appears. "His attack points are low enough to make him immune to your virus. Now it's your turn."

"Ironic that a wolf will be the first of your sacrificial lambs, but so be it." Kaiba says as he draws his second Blue-Eyes, knowing that when he draws the third one, nothing will keep him from winning with one earth shattering blast, defeating Yugi for good. So, to pass the time while he waits for his third Blue-Eyes, he decides to clear the field of Silver Fang with his Battle Ox. "Battle Ox, awaken and let loose the dogs of war! Axe Slam Attack!" In no time, Silver Fang is slaughtered. "Looks like your rabid wolf cub has been put down." Yugi's friends are clearly worried, though Twilight, Tea and Fluttershy are confident that he'll win, as no one has ever beaten him in a game of Duel Monsters before. "Your pitiful defense can't even withstand the crude assaults of my Battle Ox! How do you expect to protect your life points when your defenses are demolished and you have nothing left to shield you against my even more powerful monsters? I guess we'll find out soon enough." Yugi knows that Kaiba's right, as the Crush Card forces him to summon only his weakest creatures. "You should accept your fate for now, Yugi. After all, you'll have the rest of your entire life to brood over this defeat." However, Yugi chooses to not give in to Kaiba's taunting and let him beat him and stop him from saving his grandpa. Yugi then draws his Griffore.

"I summon Griffore!" Yami Yugi says at last as said monster appears. "Let's see you deal with this attack, Kaiba."

"A Griffore. I think you've made a grave miscalculation, Yugi. His pathetic defenses are no match for my Battle Ox." Kaiba responds.

"Whoever said that I was going to be playing him in defense mode, Kaiba?" Yami Yugi asks.

"What do you mean?" Kaiba asks with worry.

"I'm attacking with my Griffore...with the help of my Horn of the Unicorn." Yami Yugi answers. "Magic Lightning Attack!" IN seconds, the Battle Ox is destroyed and Kaiba's life points drop to 600. "Your Battle Ox has been destroyed."

"Hey, Rainbow. I'm feeling a comeback in the works." Joey says with a smile.

"Good show, Yugi. That play was brilliant at this critical juncture." Rarity says.

"They're right, that move was impressive, Yugi, using that combo attack to combat the perils of both my Crush Card Virus and my Battle Ox." Kaiba admits. "But I'm afraid there are some hazards in my deck that are simply inevitable. It's my turn now." Kaiba draws, and finally gets his third Blue-Eyes in his hand. Meaning all he'd need is a Polymerization card to fuse all three dragons together. "Prepare yourself for ultimate annihilation, Yugi. But first, I'm invoking the Gift of the Mystical Elf. You see, Yugi...if there's one thing in my last match with you, it's that you have an uncanny ability for snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. But I don't intend to give you that opportunity today. Which is why I've activated Gift of the Mystical Elf to reinforce my life points...by 300."

"That card can only increase your life points for every monster on the field, and that means with just Griffore on the field, Kaiba just gave himself a fighting chance." Twilight explains. Yugi, as surely Twilight had noticed, Kaiba was dueling more methodically than the last time they squared off. Every move he made was so precise up to that point, meaning that he was leaving nothing to chance. And it seems to Yugi that Kaiba viewed the duel as a battle of life and death. Kaiba retracts his Disc, reassuring himself that he will rescue Mokuba, and places his next card on the Disc.

"Behold...the mighty Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Kaiba says at last as his signature monster appears. "Now, Yugi, both this duel and your fate belong to me. Take flight, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Soon, the powerful beast takes to the sky. "White Lightning Attack!" From high above, the dragon attacks, destroying Griffore, and bringing Yugi's life points to 400. "Already my Blue-Eyes has you cowering. And this is only the beginning. Soon, you will know what fear is." Yugi draws his next card.

"I don't fear your Blue-Eyes, Kaiba." Yami Yugi retorts as he summons his next monster. "I've defeated three of them before. And with my Giant Soldier of Stone guarding me, I'll manage to defeat your dragons again."

"I'm afraid you're mistaken." Kaiba responds as he draws just the card he needs. "Yugi, when you battled my Blue-Eyes before, they were three separate dragons--formidable, yes, but not invincible." Kaiba retracts his Duel Disc to set his plan in motion. "But now I've found a way to merge their power, combine their attack points to create...a monster with power beyond imagining!" Kaiba spins his Duel Disc and begins his plan. "Now I create a Duel Monster without peer...with attack force so great that no monster can stand against him." Soon, everyone sees the silhouette of Kaiba's new beast, and are in shock, awe, terror and everything in between as the monster is revealed to be a three-headed Blue-Eyes. "I create, the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!" Yugi and the others realize that this behemoth was the reason Kaiba didn't play his Blue-Eyes at first.

"Holy smokes! That thing has to have a power level of 12 with an attack strength of 4500!" Spike said in shock. Twilight was in awe, Rainbow was in disbelief, Fluttershy and Pinkie were both terrified, and Rarity just out right fainted.

"Yugi Muto, there's no escape. Nothing can save you now." Kaiba says after a triumphant laugh.

"I'd hate to say it, but Yugi may have to eat his words when he said he wouldn't need Exodia to win." Rainbow says with worry. "Especially if Kaiba was setting him up for that King Ghidorah look-alike this whole time!" Even Bandit Keith was impressed.

"Yugi is done for. Kaiba had that little twerp on the ropes, and now this ultimate Blue-Eyes is gonna knock him out of the ring." Keith says to himself. While Tea hopes that Yugi will make a comeback, Yugi knows that Kaiba's strategy was brilliant, as all of Kaiba's move led to that very moment.

"Yugi, how I savor this moment." Kaiba says. "This is the moment I've been waiting for ever since you handed me my first and only Duel Monsters defeat. Prepare yourself to see the power of my creature unleashed. Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, Neutron Blast Attack!" In seconds, the Giant Soldier of Stone is turned to dust. "You're lucky your Giant Soldier of Stone was in defense mode."

"He's right, if it wasn't, Yugi would've lost all his life points." Twilight says with a sigh of relief. But Yugi knows he's in trouble, as the Giant Soldier of Stone was the last formidable defense he had.

"My Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon atomized your creature to dust, Yugi." Kaiba says. "You know you have nothing to stand against it. You should concede." Yugi pauses as he draws, thinking that maybe he should, but his friends suggest otherwise.

"Yugi, remember what you're fighting for!" Twilight shouts.

"Tap into the Heart of the Cards, just like your grandpa taught you, me, Twilight and her friends!" Joey adds. "I know you won't lose, nor will you let your grandpa down!" Yugi then remembers what Pegasus did to start this whole thing, stealing his grandpa's soul. Yugi then continues his draw.

"No, Kaiba. I will never surrender to the likes of you!" Yami Yugi says at last.

"That's it! That's the kind of determination I expect from you." Kaiba says. "Fight on. Gather every last bit of your strength, Yugi. I'd prefer to take you down when you're fighting your hardest." Yugi knows that everything rides on the last card he's about to draw: the duel, the tournament, his grandpa's soul, and as hopeless as it seems, he still believes in the Heart of the Cards. With the mental and moral support of his friends, Yugi prepares to draw. "It comes to this. so draw your card and face your fate." With Yugi putting all his faith in his deck and all his trust in the Heart of the Cards, believing that it will guide him, he draws what could be the final card of the duel.

"Let's finish this, Kaiba!" Yami shouts.

Face Off Part 3: The Kuriboh Conclusion

"It doesn't matter what card you play next, Yugi." Kaiba says confidently. "You have nothing that can withstand the phenomenal attack strength of my Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. You might as well give up."

"Kaiba's got a point, he's got the upper hand and he knows it bceause nothing can stand up to that Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, and it can wipe out the rest of Yugi's life points with one breath." Rainbow says. "All he's doing now is waiting for Yugi to back down. I can't see how Yugi could possibly pull this one out!" However, that changes when Yami Yugi starts laughing at the card he drew.

"Kaiba...I just drew the card that will defend me against your Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon." Yami Yugi says with a smile.

"Impossible." Kaiba retorts.

"Watch and learn." Yami Yugi says confidently as he retracts his Duel Disc. "This is it. The beginning of your defeat. Kuriboh...in attack mode!" Everyone in shocked when they hear and see Yami Yugi's choice, due to Kuriboh's reputation.

"That's ridiculous." Kaiba says. "In the entire game of Duel Monsters, Kuriboh is the weakest monster."

"He's right. That little puffball is a level one, 300 attack point wimp." Rainbow says in agreement. "What's he thinking?"

"Yugi, you're free to concede and forfeit the match. But come on...don't embarrass yourself by playing that runt of a monster." Kaiba says with a chuckle. "You must know that's the puniest monster with the lowest attack points in all of Duel Monsters. I've never known a serious duelist to even keep one in their deck. Yugi, don't insult my intelligence pretending that miserable creature can defend against the unbridled might of my Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon."

"Kaiba, you're mistaken." Yami Yugi says at last. "This card will defend everything I have riding on this duel. And, before this duel's over, your dragon will fall!"

"My ultimate dragon? Nonsense." Kaiba retorts. "Hurry up and finish your turn so I can knock the stuffing out of your Kuriboh and win the game."

"As you wish!" Yami Yugi responds as he activates a magic card. "My last card of the turn will be the magic card, Multiply! Multiply works with only Kuriboh, and multiplies it endlessly." Right on cue, one Kuriboh turns into an army. "More than you bargained for, eh, Kaiba?"

"So, is this some kind of a joke?" Kaiba asks.

"The joke's on you, Kaiba." Yami Yugi answers with a chuckle. "You were likely thinking that when you attack, I'd have only one defender, but now I have many. And I'm getting more and more defenders by the second."

"No matter." Kaiba retorts. "Have you forgotten the incredible assault power my dragon possesses? It'll burn them to a crisp. Neutron Blast!" The three-headed Blue-Eyes attacks and destroys a good amount of Kuriboh. "So there!" However, the Kuriboh wall regenerates with more Kuriboh being created to replace the destroyed ones, and Kaiba can't believe it. "But wait, what's going on here? My dragon's attack had no effect on your life points at all, and those annoying creatures continue to multiply."

"That's right." Yami Yugi confirms. "You can't take my remaining life points away, Kaiba, until you wipe out all the Kuriboh. But as quickly as you destroy them, they multiply right back."

"Hairballs!" Kaiba says frustrated. "For each one I destroy, two more take it's place."

"Just like the Hydra in Greek mythology!" Twilight points out. "That makes Yugi's life points invulnerable!"

"That's right." Yami Yugi confirms. "Kaiba, you may have created the ultimate attack monster, but I've created the ultimate defense--an ever expanding army of furry protectors. They may not look like much, but they've stopped your dragon in its tracks. That's just the beginning. For now, I go on the attack!"

"You've nothing strong enough." Kaiba says.

"Watch me, for I'm going to show you the combo that will bring your dragon down." Yami Yugi responds as he reveals the cards to play said combo. "Mammoth Graveyard, Polymerization, and the Living Arrow card."

"What's a Living Arrow card?" Kaiba asks.

"Living Arrow allows me to use my other cards in combination not with my own cards but with my opponent's." Yami Yugi explains. "I'll show you. Normally, I'd make a fusion monster with my own monsters, but, for a new twist, Living Arrow lets me fuse my cards with your cards, opening up bold new possibilities." Soon, the Mammoth Graveyard appears and charges.

"Now what?" Kaiba asks.

"I can use the magical power of the Living Arrow to bond my Mammoth Graveyard via Polymerization to the heart of your beast!" Yami Yugi answers. In no time, the Mammoth Graveyard's head appear out of the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's body.

"No, my dragon!" Kaiba says in shock. "What have you done?!"

"Since my Mammoth Graveyard is part zombie monster, he can't properly fuse with your living Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon." Yami Yugi explains. "Instead, it causes your monster to rot and decay...from the inside out. Each turn, your ultimate dragon will lose attack points, until your creature is no more. Your so-called ultimate dragon--and your victory--is rotting away, Kaiba. It's only a matter of time, now. And there's nothing you can do to stop it."

"There must be something I can do to save my Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon." Kaiba says in frantic worry.

"My Mammoth Graveyard has an attack strength of 1200. That means that each turn that goes by, he drains 1200 points from your Ultimate Dragon's attack power." Yami Yugi responds. "Soon it will be weak enough for me to destroy." Kaiba knows he's right, because his dragon is getting weaker with each passing turn, and there's nothing in his deck that can reverse it. Right on cue, the monster starts to show signs of rotting and decaying as its attack power drops to 3300, to the delight of the spectators.

"I can't believe it! Just one combination move, and Yugi's back from the brink of defeat!" Twilight says in astonishment.

"It's all over for Kaiba, he's got no chance to win this!" Applejack concurs. Twilight, Fluttershy and Tea are amazed that Yugi managed to somehow find a way to overcome his opponent. As for Bandit Keith, he's equally surprised as he never thought he'd live to see the day that Seto Kaiba was outfoxed, admitting that Yugi is good, adding that he's both intense and there's something about him that brings out that intensity, something that wouldn't let him lose.

"I guess what they said about two heads, or three heads, being better than one isn't working for Kaiba in this case." Spike says.

"I can't lose. The fate of Mokuba's soul rides on this game." Kaiba says, determined. Fluttershy, being the gentle, quiet and listening one, manages to catch that and wonders if Pegasus did to Mokuba what he did to Yugi's grandpa. "Attack now, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon! Neutron Blast!" However, the attack fails again because the Kuriboh wall regenerates.

"Again?" Yami Yugi asks as the attack fails. "When will you learn? The Kuriboh multiply faster than you can eliminate them with your Neutron Blasts." And right on cue, the Kuriboh multiply.

"No, I will not, cannot be defeated." Kaiba says with more determination than before, with a hint of defiance.

"I'll draw one more card and let my Mammoth Graveyard finish my turn." Yami Yugi says as he draws, and as soon as he does, the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon loses 1200 more points, dropping its attack power down to 2100. Kaiba knows that if this keeps up, Yugi will be able to destroy his Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon outright, further stating that the only hope he has is to keep trying.

"Go, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon! Neutron Blast!" Kaiba says at last. However, the Kuriboh wall regenerates again, to his horror.

"Once again your attack has failed, Kaiba." Yami Yugi says. "My defense holds. And you have no other strategy to use against me. Your time is running out. You should never have challenged me, Kaiba. You see? My Mammoth Graveyard takes another 1200 points from your dragon." Right on cue, the dragon's attack strength falls to 900. "Even my weakest monsters can destroy it now." In his head, Kaiba imagines his younger self trying to save Mokuba from getting swallowed up by the rotting body of the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, and failing, just as he realizes he failed to beat Yugi, again, and failed to save his brother's soul, and then he imagines himself rotting away like the dragon. Back on the battlefield, Yugi and the other spectators notice Kaiba out of sorts, not even trying to make a move or speaking.

"Why's Kaiba just standing there?" Rarity asks.

"Maybe it finally sunk in that he's lost this duel." Rainbow answers. But Fluttershy knows the truth.

"You're right, but it's always hard to see a duelist taking a loss so hard." Twilight concurs. As for Keith, he thinks that Yugi's gonna beat Kaiba and take his world championship title. "We'll take that silence as a pass on this turn, Kaiba." Yugi agrees, knowing that any monster in his deck can take down the weakened Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon now. And the monster he draws, is the Celtic Guardian.

"This is it, Kaiba! Prepare to meet your demise!" Yami Yugi shouts at last as said monster appears within the Kuriboh wall. "Celtic Guardian, attack Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!" The mighty warrior leaps and comes down with a slash, taking off one of the dragon's rotting heads, lowering Kaiba's life points down to 400 and bringing Yugi closer to victory, and the spectators know it.

"Man, one more attack like that, and Kaiba loses, because each of those heads represents on separate Blue-Eyes!" Spike says in joy. "Since it's a fusion of three, just taking out two heads will mean Yugi wins!"

"In short, Kaiba's toast!" Rainbow adds.

"Yugi...it can't end this way. If I don't defeat you in this duel, Pegasus will keep Mokuba prisoner...forever." Kaiba says. This strikes Fluttershy as she realizes what she thought before was right, confirming that Pegasus did steal his soul. "I can't let that happen, and even though I don't have a card that can keep you from attacking, I think I still have a strategy that will stop you in your tracks."

"What do you mean?" Yami Yugi asks.

"I'm going to force your hand, and win this battle, Yugi." Kaiba answers as he backs up, puzzling everyone.

"Looks more like he's retreating to me." Joey says as Kaiba backs up, all the way to the edge of the wall.

"Is this some kind of trick?" Applejack asks as Kaiba stands precariously on the edge.

"Kaiba! Stop this!" Yami Yugi protests.

"What's Kaiba doing?" Rainbow asks. "Does he really think this cheap stunt's gonna keep Yugi from winning?"

"It's your move, Yugi." Kaiba says at last. "You can attack my Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon again and wipe out my remaining life points, but if you do, the resulting shockwaves might cause me to lose my balance and send me down to the rocks below me."

"Don't tempt me!" Yami Yugi says, hoping he'll talk some sense into Kaiba.

"My fate is completely in your hands, Yugi." Kaiba says. "You'll decide this duel, one way or another. Of course, if you don't surrender, I might end up being seriously hurt, or worse, killed. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

"Stop it, Kaiba! You know this is dangerous!" Tea shouts.

"Kaiba's probably bluffing. Now get off that ledge and play fair!" Rainbow shouts. "You know that Yugi doesn't want to hurt you!"

"He knows, he's just counting on Yugi to surrender." Rarity suggests.

"Surrender?" Pinkie asks in shock. "But he can't, not after everything we've been through! And he'll lose his only way into the castle!" Up in the tower, Bandit Keith laughs.

"Looks like Kaiba'll do anything to come out ahead, just like me." Keith says.

"I'm warning you, Kaiba. Don't push me too far." Yami Yugi says aloud. "I must win to rescue my grandfather's soul from Pegasus."

"And I must win this duel to rescue Mokuba's soul." Kaiba responds. "The difference is I'm willing to risk anything, even my own wellbeing, to do it. You know, I can stand up here all day, Yugi. And I'm certain you won't make any attack for feat that you might knock me off this ledge. Even though you know by not attacking, you give up the only chance you have to save your grandpa. Which means I have the advantage over you. For in my case, there's nothing holding me back." Kaiba proceeds to draw. "Ah, a magic card. Monster Reborn, which I will use to resurrect the Blue-Eyes head that was just chopped off by your Guardian."

"What? Restore a head of the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon?" Yami Yugi asks in surprise as said head appears from the rotting body of the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.

"Now one of my Blue-Eyes with its normal attack power of 3000 has just been reborn." Kaiba says. "With all of your Kuribohs in defense mode, I couldn't touch you, but now that you've put a monster in attack mode on the field, I can take out the rest of your life points. Which I'll do next turn. Two of the Blue-Eyes Ulimate Dragon's heads are still weakened, but the third can wipe out your guardian in a breath. Our life points are equal, Yugi. Strike now, if you dare. Otherwise, next turn, I swear I'll take you down." Yugi realizes that he'll win if he takes down one of the weakened Blue-Eyes heads, he'll win, but wonders if the battle will accidentally knock Kaiba off the ledge and down to the rocks below. "Surrender, Yugi. That is unless you have the courage to unleash your attack!" Yami knows he must in order to win, but Yugi just can't bring himself to do it. but Yami tells him that they must in order to rescue Yugi's grandpa's soul. Yugi tells him it's not right, wondering if there's another way, but Yami tells him there isn't another way as the thought of Yugi's grandpa's soul comes into their minds. Fluttershy and Tea notice Yami Yugi's expression, looking like both him and the Yugi she knows can't agree on what the right thing to do is. But Yami breaks the silence.

"Kaiba, I've never backed away, and I'm not starting now!" Yami shouts. "Celtic Guardian, attack!" As the guardian charges, Fluttershy runs out in front of the Cletic Guardian, hoping to stop it from attacking, even though it was just a hologram, and she knew it.

"Fluttershy, don't!" Twilight shouts.

"You'll get hurt!" Tea calls out, but Fluttershy keeps running until she blocks the rest of the way.

"Yugi, please! You can't do it!" Fluttershy shouts. "You can't take this risk! Call the monster off! This isn't the Yugi we know! You'll kill Kaiba if you go through with this!" Right at that moment, Yugi regains control of his body, sending Yami back into the puzzle.

"She's right! We can't do this! STOP!!!!" At that moment, the Celtic Guardian stops running, as if it knows what Yugi was going through and realizing the peril Kaiba would've been in if he went through with the attack as Tea runs over to check on Yugi.

"Couldn't do it, huh?" Kaiba asks. "Understandable. Mokuba wouldn't have wanted me to do it if you were in my position, anyway. White Lightning Attack!" With one breath, the Celtic Guardian is destroyed and Yugi, for the first time, loses a duel, and none of the others can believe it.

"I can't believe it! That underhanded sneak wiped out Yugi!" Joey says in shock.

"Forget about who beat him, the fact that Yugi lost alone is shocking enough!" Rainbow says as Yugi starts crying while on his knees, trembling. Meanwhile, Kemo tells Pegasus what happened.

"Master Pegasus, just now the battle between Yugi and Kaiba was decided. Seto Kaiba was the victor." Kemo says.

"Thank you, Kemo." Pegasus responds.

"Shall I allow Seto Kaiba to enter the castle then, sir?" Kemo asks.

"Yes. A deal is a deal." Pegasus answers.

"Done. Right away." Kemo responds as Pegasus looks at Mokuba's soul card as well as three other cards.

"Good job, Kaiba boy." Pegasus says. "As you wished, I will be your next opponent. But little Yugi didn't fare nearly so well in this rematch between the two of you. I could sense it. His spirit is broken. And his grandfather's soul remains mine." Up on the roof, Yugi is still in tears over what happened.

"Are you okay?" Pinkie asks.

"What's going on here?" Keith asks. "That punk Yugi could've won the game, but he threw it away to Kaiba to save his skin from falling over the edge. Whoever heard of a duelist doing that?" At that moment, everyone runs over to Yugi.

"Take it easy. It was just one loss." Rainbow says, trying to cheer Yugi up.

"There'll be other duels, darling." Rarity adds.

"I almost couldn't control it--this other presence inside my Millennium Puzzle and deep inside my head. He was willing to go all the way against Kaiba!" Yugi says at last.

"Another presence?" Joey asks, baffled. "You mean, there's two of you?"

"What the heck are you talking about, buddy?" Tristan asks.

"I think it's like what happened to me, and Twilight knows it." Bakura says.

"He's right. Like Bakura, Yugi has some sort of spirit, possibly from ancient Egypt, inside him." Twilight explained. "But while Bakura's was evil through and through, and Bakura couldn't control it, Yugi managed to control his until Kaiba did what he did near the end of the duel. And like Yugi said, it comes from within his Millennium Item, his Puzzle, just like Bakura's came from his Millennium Ring."

"I'm afraid this spirit inside my Puzzle and my mind will make the same attempt again." Yugi says. "So I guess to stop it, I'LL NEVER DUEL AGAIN!" Those words bring a look of shock into the eyes of Twilight and her friends.

:rainbowhuh: "He said WHAT?!?" Rainbow asks in shock.

:pinkiegasp: "He didn't just say that, did he?" Pinkie asks, hoping that she was just hearing things.

:applejackconfused: "Our friend just threw away his favorite thing to do in the world?" Applejack asks, equally surprised as Fluttershy kneels own in front of her traumatized friend.

:fluttercry: "I'm sorry, about your grandpa...but you did the right thing." Fluttershy says. "You couldn't hurt another duelist or any other kind of person, not even to save someone you care about." Yugi then looks up at her. "He wouldn't want to be saved that way."

"Then I guess his morality stays intact." Kaiba says at last. "But then again, Mokuba wouldn't want me to do the same if I were in Yugi's position and if Mokuba was in yours. If Yugi had done what needed to be done, he'd be entering that castle, not me. But his morality kicked in, preventing him to follow through on his play."

:flutterrage: "He spared your life, you insensitive jerk!" Fluttershy snaps "If you hadn't stood up there and made Yugi choose between his grandpa's soul and saving you from dying, he would've gone in to save both his grandpa's soul and your little brother's!" Everyone was shocked to see Fluttershy snap like this. "Yugi showed you something that you never show anyone but your little brother, compassion! And that's more than you deserve!"

"This wasn't a contest of who had the most compassion, Fluttershy, it was a contest to see who would go through with what had to be done to save the one they love." Kaiba says coldly. "And Yugi's morality caused him to lose the game and give up Duel Monsters."

"YOU MONSTER!!!" Fluttershy yelled, so loud that even Pegasus could hear it. "He may have lost one lousy game of Duel Monsters, but he didn't lose his heart like you did, Seto Kaiba! You've spent so much time around machines that you've forgotten what being human is like!"

"You know NOTHING about me!" Kaiba retorts.

"Oh yeah? Well, unlike you, Yugi has friends that will stand by him to the end, regardless of whether he wins or loses at any game." Fluttershy says with her hand on her heart. "And what do you have, Seto? What do you have at the end of the day?! ANSWER ME THAT!!"

"What do I have?" Kaiba asks. "What I need to save the only family I have left! Unlike you or your friends, Mokuba is the only relative I have left in my family. Ever since we were orphaned after our parents died, we've had just each other. And now that I have all that I need to get him back, I'll see to it that we're never separated by anyone ever again." Fluttershy stood her ground, despite feeling sorry for Kaiba after hearing him say his and Mokuba's story. Kaiba then proceeded to walk away.

:twilightangry2: "This wouldn't have happened if you never barged into the Kame Game Shop and forced Yugi's grandpa to duel you for his Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Twilight shouts, completely enraged. But Kaiba keeps walking.

"You can fool yourself all you want, Kaiba, but Yugi's twice the man that you'll ever be!" Applejack shouts.

"Well, that was a fun way to spend the morning." Keith says as he leaves. Meanwhile, Kaiba is at the main entrance to the castle where he puts his ten star chips to unlock the door.

"Your ten star chips qualify you to enter the inner sanctum." Kemo says as the door opens. Kaiba is glad that he finally entered, and he knows he's ready to face Pegasus once and for all as he walks in.

Author's Note

More card effect mess-ups courtesy of the anime. The actual counterpart to the Living Arrow, the Spell Shattering Arrow, allows you to destroy as many magic cards that your opponent controls, and if so, they lose 500 life points for each. The Living Arrow, however, can transfer the effect of a magic card you have to your opponent's monster. Hence the fusion of Mammoth Graveyard and Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. As for Multiply, normally it only creates two Kuriboh tokens from one normal Kuriboh rather than a whole wall of them.

Shining Friendship

Everyone is outside the castle, trying to comfort Yugi, who was on his knees at the door to the castle, and coax him out of the trance he was put in after Yami nearly crossed the line and killed Kaiba in order to win the duel.

"Yugi's totally out of it. He's not answering any of us." Rainbow points out.

"Well, I'm sure you can see why, he lost his only chance to rescue his grandfather." Rarity adds.

"Yugi, let us help you." Tea says. But still no answer.

"Please, Yugi?" Fluttershy asks. But, again, no answer. Inside his head, Yugi wonders what's going on with him, thinking back to when he was battling against Kaiba one minute, and the next he was battling Yami, who was willing to do anything to win the duel, and yet he still didn't know his name. Yugi knows it took everything he had to hold Yami back, but that gave Kaiba the opening to strike down the Celtic Guardian. He rationalizes that he let Kaiba win, as he had no choice because if he hadn't regained control of his body, Kaiba would've gotten himself killed. As a result of all that, he's frightened about what would happen the next time he dueled, if he can't control Yami. Therefore, he decided to never duel again. As for Yugi's friends, they're all still worried. Therefore, Joey and Rainbow step in.

"Don't worry about it, Yugi. You only lost half the chips you need. You can earn them all back." Rainbow points out.

"Or here's one better, you can take half of mine." Joey says with his hand held out.

"But, Joey. What about your sister? Her operation?" Rainbow asks.

"I'll earn the other half back, somehow." Joey answers. "Besides, I owe Yugi bigtime for him helping me get this far. Yeah, sure, Serenity needs my help, but gramps' soul is in danger now. We have to get Yugi in the castle so he can duel Pegasus to save him. So what do you say, Yugi? Let's go in and beat Pegasus. I want you to have them for your duel against Pegasus." But they get no answer as Yugi confirms to himself that he'll never duel again. The continued silence makes Joey see this as the final straw, as he grabs Yugi by the shirt collars and lifts him up. "Come on! Snap out of it! You're really starting to scare me, man! I'm trying to help you out here! Pull yourself together!" Everyone runs over to break this up, but then a familiar character comes around.

"If this is how you treat your friends, I'd hate to see how you treat your enemies." Mai says as everyone turns to see her.

"Mai Valentine. We haven't seen you since Yugi beat Panik." Twilight says.

"What's going on here?" Mai asks. "If you guys have enough star chips to get into the castle, why are you hanging out here?"

"It's Yugi. He lost half of his star chips to Kaiba and now it's like he's lost the will to keep dueling, let alone lost the will to go on." Rainbow explains.

"So the little guy finally lost one, huh?" Mai asks. "Lucky for you guys I came by." Meanwhile, inside the castle, Kaiba continues to head towards Pegasus, possibly either aware or unaware that the man he's looking for is watching him enter.

"Ahh, Kaiba boy. Shall we toast him Croquet?" Pegasus asks to a puzzled Croquet as he raises his glass. "A toast to Kaiba and his stunning upset victory over Yugi. Of course, if he thinks he can just waltz in here and rescue his poor little brother, than he overestimates his chances and underestimates my abilities. But he'll see. He'll see soon enough." Meanwhile, outside, Mai speaks her proposition.

"Okay, now listen up. Especially you, Yugi. You got beat, but that doesn't mean it's the end of the world. When I got beat by Panik, I thought it was all over for me, too. But then Yugi stepped in an saved my star chips. And now I'm returning the favor." Mai says as she holds her extra star chips out, surprising everyone.

"No way!" Tea says in disbelief.

"You said it." Rainbow concurred. "You earned five extra star chips after Yugi beat Panik to get yours back?"

"That's right, Rainbow." Mai confirmed. "Besides, I'm being kind, not stupid. I've already got the ten chips I need to get in, anyway." Mai shows off her dueling glove to prove it. "Now go on, Yugi. You know I owe you from saving me from Panik last night, so take them." But Yugi doesn't answer.

"Well, Yugi did say he'd never duel again after he lost control in his duel with Kaiba." Fluttershy explained.

"You got to be kidding. He said he'd never duel again? He lost control against Kaiba?" Mai asked in disbelief. "How?"

"Kaiba stood on the edge of the roof up there and told Yugi to attack and knock him off if he had the guts, but he couldn't risk sending Kaiba to his death, so he let him win after he lost control of what he was doing." Applejack answered.

"Well, that's a lame excuse to win a duel if I ever heard one." Mai admitted.

"Go on, Yugi, darling. Take those star chips and let's go inside and rescue your grandfather's soul." Rarity said. But Yugi still didn't answer.

"Well, if that's the attitude you want to keep, go ahead." Mai said. "I just wanted to help you out for once, but you just don't know when to grow up and accept defeat and move on."

"Please, Mai." Twilight said. "You don't understand what happened up there."

"Oh, I understand what I need to understand." Mai retorted. "Yugi lost one duel against the very guy he beat weeks ago and now he's too chicken to play another game of Duel Monsters, which is why he said he quit dueling. But talk about pathetic." This shocks everyone. "So instead of me handing them to you, duel me for them, Yugi." Yugi doesn't answer, angering Mai, but she gets a surprise, as does everyone else except for Yugi, when Tea accepts the challenge.

"I'll duel you!" Tea says aloud. "That's right. I'll accept your challenge to a duel on behalf of Yugi. He needs those star chips, and I'm going to win them for him."

"Come on, be serious. An amateur like you wouldn't stand a chance against me." Mai says, trying to get Tea to reconsider.

"Would so." Tea retorts.

"Hon, it's sweet to see you standing up for Yugi, and I'd say the same thing with either Twilight or her friends, but sweet doesn't win duels. Now I'll ask you one last time, are you sure you want to duel me?" Mai says. The boys aren't sure, and neither are the girls, about this as they only saw Tea play against Joey, a fellow beginner, and come out on top.

"I'm sure that Yugi's in good hands." Fluttershy says.

"I hope you're right, Fluttershy, because everything is riding on this one match!" Spike responds. Soon, both players are set up at a field near the base of the mountain the castle sits on.

"So what do you say, Tea? You ready?" Mai asks.

"Totally. Let's go." Tea responds. "It's time to duel!" Both players life points are set to 2000, and the match is on.

"Yugi's still lost in his own head." Bakura says as Yugi isn't even watching the action.

"Well, maybe a little duel action can snap him out of it." Tristan suggests.

"Even though he said he'd never duel again? I hope you're right." Appleajack responds. In her dueling box, Tea preps her first card.

"Alright, Mai. I'm playing the Petit Angel in attack mode." Tea says. Once the monster appears, most of the gang is surprised and flabbergasted that Tea would play such a monster, but Fluttershy gets worried as she knows Tea's deck from dueling against her plenty of times.

"Come on, Tea! Playing the Petit Angel may not be a joke, but if it is, it's not funny!" Rainbow shouts. But Fluttershy scolds her as Mai preps her first card.

"I play Harpie Lady, in attack mode!" Mai says as said monster appears. "And I'll place this, facedown." Mai moves one of her cards into the Spell and Trap Zone of her field. "Harpie Lady, attack!" Right on cue, the Harpie Lady swoops in and crushes the Petit Angel with her talon, dropping Tea's life points to 1300. "You know, Tea, if you're trembling with fear after just the first round of attacks, maybe you should quit right here."

"No way, Mai." Tea retorts as she plays her next monster. "I'm in it to win it. Go, Fairy's Gift!" Soon, said monster appears, but Mai isn't impressed.

"Another of these cutesy cards? Come on, what are we having, a duel or a Duel Monsters pageant?" Mai asks, clearly annoyed. Tea looks at her hand, and among the cards in her hand, including another Petit Angel, Silver Bow and Arrow, Shining Friendship and Magician of Faith, she spots a familiar one. A trap card called Waboku. However, though she remembers that Fluttershy used it against her before, she can't remember what it does. But she decides to put it facedown, regardless.

"This, too, facedown!" Tea says at last.

"Well, that Petit Angel was a bit of a rocky start, but I think Tea's starting to get back on track." Twilight says.

"I hope you're right, Twilight, because like Spike said, everything it riding on this duel." Rarity adds.

"Go, Fairy's Gift! Attack with Enchanted Dust!" Tea commands. However, the attack doesn't seem to effect the Harpie Lady at all, and Tea notices quickly.

"Sorry, hon, but I activated my magic card as you declared your attack." Mai says as she reveals her facedown. "The Rose Whip, a personal favorite. It gives my Harpie 300 extra attack points, more than enough to defend her from your silly pixie dust and take out your fairy, as well!" Tea knows that since her attack didn't work, she'll have to hope for the best. "Now, my Harpie Lady, Whiplash Attack!" With one smack and crack of the Rose Whip, Fairy's Gift is destroyed and Tea's life points drop to 1100. "How about that? Your fairy turned to dust!"

"Clever move." Bakura says. "Mai tricked Tea into attacking by making her think her fairy had the most points. But what Mai didn't reveal until after Tea attacked was that she had a magic card waiting to power up her Harpie Lady. Another mistake like that, and it's all over."

"If you had any idea what you're really up against, Tea, you'd call it quits right now." Mai says. "This isn't going to get easier, you know. Just give up and go back to cheerleading."

"No. I'm not going to let Yugi down, Mai." Tea retorts.

"Please. If this is the start of some friendship rant, just save it." Mai responds, thinking Tea was going to start talking friendship again. "I've heard all your lame speeches before, and from that look on Yugi's face, I'd say he has, too."

"Take that back!" Fluttershy shouts.

"Come on, admit it!" Mai retorts. "You and everyone else can see how scared Tea is. She's just a little girl who's accidentally stumbled into the big leagues. But whatever. She'll learn the hard way." Harpie looks at her hand and spots a familiar card, called Harpie's Feather Duster. "My turn, hon, and I'm playing this, facedown." She proceeds to set her Feather Duster down. Tea knows that every time Mai plays her cards facedown, it's hard for her to know what to play next. She then look at her Shining Friendship monster she just drew, making her think of all of her friends, as well as Twilight and her friends because Fluttershy has the same card in her deck. Tea starts wishing her monster was as strong as the friendship bond she and her friends as well as Twilight and her friends share, then it would be able to beat anything as it would have Joey's and Applejack's courage, Twilight's brains, Spike's will, Tristan's and Rainbow's spirit, Pinkie's joy, and both Yugi's and Fluttershy's heart. While everyone cheers her on, Tea looks at Yugi.

"Yugi. Are you with me?" Tea asks, causing Yugi to lift his head, but not really snap him back to reality. Tea then starts to think that maybe her monster is as strong as their friendship, and knows there's really only one way to find out. "Shining Friendship in attack mode!" Said monster soon appears, by Mai is still not impressed.

"You kept me waiting all this time for that little butterball?" Mai asks, clearly not amused. "Fine, then! Harpie Lady! Whiplash Attack!" The Harpie charges in with Rose Whip in hand.

"Not so fast, Mai." Tea suddenly says as she reveals her facedown Waboku, and she finally remembers how it works. "I placed a trap, so I'm activating Waboku!" Mai repeats the name of the card in puzzlement. "That's right, and Waboku not only saves my monster, but it reduces the attack points of my opponent's creatures to zero, so my Shining Friendship gets to stick around another turn."

"I think Fluttershy taught Tea that move." Joey says.

"Yeah, and Tea must've really took it to heart and waited for the right moment to play it seeing as Fluttershy knows how to use it." Tristan adds.

"You're right. I did teach her that, and I'm glad she's using it." Fluttershy admits.

"You're right, Mai, maybe I am scared about dueling you up here for such incredibly high stakes, but my monster reminded me of something that's helped me face that fear." Tea says. "My friends, and I know with all of them backing me up, I will win! It's like the name of the card says: Shining Friendship. No matter how dark or grim things may get, the special bond that I share with my friends, and that Twilight shares with her friends, will always find a way to shine through. I may be scared, but that fear won't keep me from dueling, or from helping Yugi, or from winning this duel!"

"Yugi, is any of this stuff getting through to you?" Joey ask.

"Don't you see? Tea's putting herself on the line for you." Rainbow adds.

"Even though she's frightened, she still battles on." Bakura adds.

"It's quite inspiring, really." put in Rarity.

"Nice speech, Tea. In fact, it was so stirring, Applejack nearly threw her hat in the air." Mai says, jokingly.

"Can the jokes!" Tea snaps. "I've had enough of your insults!" Tea then looks at her Magician of Faith and decides to play it. "I'm playing this in defense mode, and that's not all! I'm playing the Silver Bow and Arrow card, which raises my creature's power 300 points!" Right on cue, Shining Friendship's attack strength increases to 1600.

"Fine with me." Mai says. "It's not like I don't have magic cards, too. Cyber Shield!" Mai proceeds to play said card as she speaks. "Tell me what you think about this makeover." Piece by piece, the Cyber Shield armor parts appear on the Harpie Lady. "Now Harpie Lady's attack power is 500 points stronger. But wait, I'll also play this De-Spell card. Sorry, Cupid, you've been de-accessorized." As Harpie speaks, the De-Spell card causes the Silver Bow and Arrow to disappear and also causes Shining Friendship's attack power to drop to its original value of 1300.

"This is not good." Spike says. "Tea, I think you should hold on because this might get rough!" Even Yugi starts to notice a bit.

"And I think I'll start by attacking your facedown monster to demolish any hope of winning you have left." Mai says. The Harpie Lady unleashes the Whiplash Attack, destroying the Magician of Faith. "There! No more hope! No more faith! No more chances! But I'm surprised you don't know the rules yet, Tea. Since I flipped over your Magician of Faith to attack it, you get a magic card back from the graveyard." Tea does so. "I mean, how can you expect to beat me when you don't know how effect cards work? Look, honey, I'm sure everyone's impressed that you've lasted this long, but all you're doing is delaying the inevitable."

"I won't give up!" Tea retorts. Yugi then sorta snaps out of his trance.

"Come on, what you're doing is pointless. Yugi's already given up on himself." Mai says. "You're not going to be able to keep fighting for him. He has to fight for himself. He has to stand up to anyone who dares to get in his way. And whatever's going on in his head, Tea, Yugi has to deal with it on his own." Yugi starts to wonder if Mai's right, wonder if fighting harder is the answer. Yugi ponders if he gave up too easily, but wonders what one should do if the thing they're fighting against is some kind of magical spirit from Egypt that can take control of your body and is living inside you. "Face it, Tea, Yugi's checked out. He's given up, he doesn't care about this match and he doesn't care about you. Nothing's worth the humiliation you're going through."

"You're wrong!" Tea snaps. "My friends are worth it! Always! I don't care how much experience you have playing Duel Monsters, I don't care what the odds are against beating you, I won't give up. Not on this match, and not on Yugi either. I won't give up. I won't." Tears start falling from Tea's eyes as she speaks. As everyone looks at Tea crying, Yugi finally snaps out of his trance and says his friend's name. "Don't let these tears fool you, Mai. I may be crying, but I've never felt stronger. So you better get those five star chips ready, because I'm about to beat you! And there's not a thing you can say or do that'll stop me."

"You may have a tendency to run at the mouth, but you've got a lot of spunk." Mai responds. "Give me your best shot." As Mai speaks, Tea looks at one of her cards, called Elf's Light. Tea knows it could boost her Shining Friendship's power, and she also finds that she has a De-Spell card of her own, rationalizing that she could use it to get rid of Mai's Cyber Shield. Plus, she decides to use the Silver Bow and Arrow magic card she got from the graveyard per the effect of the Magician of Faith in tandem with her Elf's Light card, increasing her monster's attack power to 2000. Hoping it'll be enough, Tea puts her strategy into action.

"First, I'm playing the Silver Bow and Arrow I retrieved from the graveyard." Tea says as her monster's attack power increases to 1600. "Next, I'll use Elf's Light to power him up even further!" With the magic of Elf's Light, Shining Friendship not only gains more power, but also changes form. "Now Shining Friendship is 2000 attack points strong!"

"That's still not enough." Mai says. "Harpie, attack!" But as the Harpie Lady charges in, Tea activates the third part of her game plan.

"Yes, it is." Tea says, shocking Mai. "Or does the magic of De-Spell not apply to you, Mai?" Mai is taken aback as her Cyber Shield card is destroyed, lowering her Harpie Lady's attack power to 1600. Even all of her friends are shocked by Tea's excellent playing. "Attack, Shining Frienship, with Silver Lightning Arrow!" With one shot, the Harpie Lady is destroyed, though Mai thinks about playing her facedown Feather Duster, however, she doesn't and takes the 400 point loss. "Bull's-Eye for friendship!"

"What a shot!" Rainbow says in amazement.

"Looks like Tea's doing as good a job against Mai as you did, Joey!" Pinkie says with a smile. Mai looks at her Harpie's Feather Duster, considers playing it, while Yugi wonders if Mai will play a Harpie's Feather Duster card, seeing as she has a deck built around harpies. But then, the most bizarre thing happens.

"I surrender, Tea. I don't have the cards to win." Mai says, this surprises everyone.

"Giving up just like that?" Tea asks.

"Didn't see that one coming." Applejack says.

"Don't rub it in, Tea. Harpie Lady was the best monster I had, and seeing as how you beat her, there's really no point in me going on with this duel." Mai answers as both players return to the ground.

"Nice work, Tea. You really came through for Yugi." Twilight says.

"Whatever, I didn't need these anyway." Mai says as she gives Tea the five star chips.

"Wait, Mai. I have to ask you something." Yugi says. "Wasn't that last facedown..."

"A throwaway." Mai answers before Yugi could finish his sentence. "It was nothing that Tea wouldn't have been able to beat anyway, really. Some cards just aren't worth playing, huh, Yugi?"

"Thank you." Yugi says softly.

"Yugi?" Tea asks. "These star chips I won are for you." Tea hands Yugi the stars.

"I know." Yugi answers. "Thank you so much."

"Sure thing." Tea replies.

"I'll never forget what you did for me, Tea." Yugi says. "You overcame your fears to help me." And Yugi knows that she also gave him the courage to deal with his about Yami, deciding that he will duel again, and hopes that the consequences won't be as bad as he fears.

"So take them already, you're making the girl blush!" Spike says, gently elbowing Yugi.

"Thanks. You're the best." Yugi says to Tea as he takes the star chips.

"Welcome back, Yugi." Twilight says with a smile.

"Your silent treatment really had us worried, pal." Rainbow adds.

"Hey, you slowpokes!" Mai shouts from the stairs to the castle. "Last one to the castle door is a rotten egg!" This baffles everyone, but Yugi rolls with it.

"Let's go!" Yugi shouts enthusiastically. Rainbow concurs as everyone races to and up the stairs, ready to finish their rescue mission once and for all.

Author's Note

I originally wanted Fluttershy to take up the duel, but she doesn't have the right cards when a friend of mine built her deck.

Champion vs Creator Part 1: The Battle Begins

The group rushes toward the front door of the castle, ready to finally complete their mission. Kemo sees them coming, but is not ready to believe that Yugi, Joey and Mai each won ten star chips.

"There's no way you all could've won ten star chips each. And as for the rest of you, this is a place for the dueling elite, not for a club gathering!" Kemo says sternly.

"Oh, yeah?" Rainbow asks. "I'd say these speak for us." Rainbow then holds up her invite, surprising Kemo that she actually had an invitation from Maximillian Pegasus himself. The others hold up their invites, shocking Kemo even further.

"And with these star chips of ours, I guess that means will fit right in." Mai says, causing Kemo to be in stunned silence.

"If this place has housekeeping, make sure to tell them I like my pillows extra soft." Joey says to some chuckles from Rainbow. Once the group puts in their star chips, the door opens.

"At last! We're finally entering the castle!" Yugi says with a smile.

"Oh, and while you're at it, could you please allow these folks to be brought in?" Twilight asks, pointing to Tristan, Tea and Bakura.

"Why should I listen to you? Who do you think you are?" Kemo asks, annoyed.

"Perhaps reading this should clear things up." Twilight answers as she hands her invite to Kemo. Kemo reads it over, and is in shock when he discovers that Twilight is of royal blood.

"Oh, uh.." Kemo stutters. "Please forgive me, your highness. You and your friends are welcome here." Soon, everyone enters and the door closes.

"What did he mean by 'your highness', Twilight?" Bakura asks.

"I'm a descendant of royalty." Twilight simply answers. None of the others, save for Twilight's friends, can believe it.

"We can talk about this later, because right now, there's no time to waste." Yugi says, determined. Everyone soon follows him, as they know that he knows that the sooner they find Pegasus, the sooner they can find Yugi's grandpa. They soon reach a balcony on another floor of the castle and end up finding Bandit Keith, and Joey starts swinging in anger about the time he and his former cronies trapped them in that cave.

"Can't this little grudge of yours wait?" Keith asks. "After all, the real action is about to begin."

"What real action?" Applejack asks. Everyone looks down and sees Kaiba standing on a bridge.

"It's the world champion going up against Pegasus." Keith answers. "I was hoping to get the first duel against Pegasus myself, but I guess they're gonna save the biggest match for last."

"Hold on, Kaiba and Pegasus are going to duel each other?" Twilight asks.

"That is correct, your highness." Croquette says as he approaches from behind. "Welcome, finalists and distinguished guests. I'm Croquette, chief tournament liaison. Congratulations to our four finalists for making it this far. Pegasus is quite taken with all of your dueling talents. In fact, he's so impressed, he wanted to reward you with some entertainment. A special exhibition match. I think you all will be quite in awe of what you're about to see. This match should give you an idea of what's in store for the four finalists."

"So basically, it's meant to show us what to expect and intimidate us?" Mai asks.

"Why would Pegasus want to intimidate you four?" Croquette asks.

"Well, at least it'll show the finalists what they'll be in for." Twilight answers.

"Indeed, your highness. Enjoy the match." Croquette says as he departs. Down on the bridge, Kaiba prepares himself for the battle ahead. Right then and there, the door opens on the opposite side of the bridge and Pegasus and two guards walk through.

"I did your task, Pegasus, so where's my brother?" Kaiba asks.

"No 'hello'? And here I thought we were friends, Kaiba boy." Pegasus answers. "Don't tell me that my kidnapping your brother and taking over company has put a rift between us as businessmen. It was nothing personal. Besides, it's not like I hurt your kid brother, he's perfectly safe. In fact, you can have him back if you like. Just beat me in a duel like we agreed and I'll hand him over. I mean, one little victory shouldn't be too much of a problem for the Duel Monsters world champ." However, Yugi knows Pegasus' Millennium Eye could make it a big problem for Kaiba.

"Honestly, this is one time me and Joey are both hoping that Kaiba doesn't get beaten." Rainbow says.

"You're right." Joey concurs. "I mean, he may have put us through a lot, but I can't help but hope he gets his kid brother back safe."

"And honestly, anyone who stands up to Pegasus is okay in my book." Spike adds. Everyone agrees.

"Come now, Kaiba, it's so gosh to keep us in suspense." Pegasus says, looking up to the group. "Especially with an audience waiting in the wings." Kaiba looks up and is in surprise that Yugi is there.

"Hey there, Kaiba." Yugi says.

"Yugi! How could you be in here after I defeated you?" Kaiba says in wonder. "I should've know you'd find a way." Pegasus, on the other hand, knew that he would, as he passed all the previous tests Pegasus threw at him.

"I hope you're ready, Kaiba. I've been looking forward to this for quite some time." Pegasus says at last.

"Good." Kaiba responds as he opens his briefcase and tosses Pegasus a Duel Disc. "Then you'll have no problem dueling with this."

"You want to duel me with your latest invention?" Pegasus asks. "But I don't even know how this device even works. Do I spin it like a top? Or roll it like a ball?"

"Cut the theatrics!" Kaiba snaps.

"Well, Kaiba means business." Pegasus says. "Okay, then. How about we settle this like businessmen would? I'll agree to use your system if you agree to a request that I have."

"What?" Kaiba asks, semi-annoyed.

"Nothing that will change the game, of course." Pegasus answers. "I just want someone to operate your little device for me."

"I smell a rat." Keith says aloud, knowing that what happened to him all those years ago may end up happening to Kaiba.

"I assure you, I'll still make all the strategic decisions." Pegasus says further. "The gameplay won't change at all."

"So why the request?" Kaiba asks. "Why not fight your own battle for once in your life?" But Pegasus knows all to well that breaking a man's spirit is another way to beat them if you're facing against them.

"Show Kaiba the lad who will play as my pawn and he'll understand my request." Pegasus says as he claps his hands. And right on cue, Kaiba's soulless brother appears, to the surprise of the group watching in the balcony.

"Mokuba! It's me, Seto!" Kaiba says to his brother, but Mokuba doesn't respond.

"Something's not right." Yugi points out immediately.

"Yugi's right. It's like he's been hypnotized." Spike concurs. But only Twilight knew what really happened.

"I apologize if he doesn't seem quite like himself, but I happen to find that the captive I keep are far easier to manage after I've made an extraction of sorts." Pegasus says as Mokuba approaches.

"You monster!" Kaiba shouts.

"Now, now, Kaiba boy. Petty insults aren't the way to get your brother's soul back." Pegasus calmly responds as he shows Mokuba's soul card, shocking nearly everyone in the room and confirming what Twilight figured when Mokuba first entered the room.

"What's Pegasus talking about?" Mai asks.

"He did to Mokuba what he did to Yugi's grandpa." Twilight explains.

"I told you your little brother was perfectly safe, and he is." Pegasus says. "But how long he remains that way is up to you. Beat me in a duel, and I'll release him as promised. But fail, and not only will his soul remain in bondage, but yours will join it."

"Beat you? I'll crush you!" Kaiba retorts. But what Pegasus said about Kaiba's soul joining Mokuba's lingers in Yugi's and Twilight's minds. This harkens back to Yugi's duel with Kaiba, when Kaiba was standing on the edge of the roof, willing to let Yugi send him plummeting to the rocks below if he attacked the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.

"So it's settled. We'll use your new invention, but your brother will operate it for me." Pegasus says as his guards give Mokuba the duel disc.

"Wait! Pegasus!" Kaiba suddenly says.

"What's the matter, Kaiba boy? This was your idea." Pegasus responds. "Using your own system is sure to give you quite the advantage. What's the problem?" Kaiba knows he can't duel his own brother even if his soul is somewhere else.

"He's been through enough already." Kaiba says at last. "Ok, then, Pegasus. You win. We won't use the Duel Disc System."

"But that's his edge." Rainbow says. "If he doesn't duel with the Duel Disc, he may end up being at Pegasus' mercy."

"We'll duel on your terms. Just keep my little brother out of this." Kaiba continues.

"So rather than duel your empty shell with the device he's invented, he'll give me homefield advantage. Fine with me." Pegasus says to Mokuba's soulless body. "Take him away." One of Pegasus' guards comes and leads Mokuba away.

"You creep." Kaiba says as Mokuba is taken out of the room.

"Watch yourself, Kaiba. You're in my world now." Pegasus retorts as he snaps his fingers, signaling the bridge to part, surprising the audience.

"This guy's got an automated bridge?" Spike asks in surprise. But they all get a bigger surprise.

"Forget the bridge! A whole darn arena's coming down from the ceiling!" Applejack points out as she looks up.

"This should be good." Mai says, knowing that she and the other finalists and the rest of the group will get a look into Pegasus' dueling strategy in this match. "The two biggest legends in Duel Monsters going at it? This is what the term 'dream match' is all about." Soon, the bridge and the arena are connected, the players prep their decks, the holographic projectors are activated, and the life points counters are set to 2000.

"Ready, Kaiba?" Pegasus asks. "Your brother's fate hangs in the balance."

"Kaiba! You said you fight with fire and passion nowadays, so use that as your drive to beat Pegasus!" Twilight calls.

"Twilight's right! Tap into the Heart of the Cards when you need it most!" Yugi concurs.

"Keep out of this, you two! I'm fighting this duel my way." Kaiba retorts.

"Just watch out for that Millennium Eye of his! It might put him at an advantage!" Applejack says.

"Even though you took half of my stars in our duel, Kaiba, I know what it's like to duel for someone you care about." Yugi adds. "And I couldn't live with myself if I held back on anything that could help you get your brother back!"

"Yugi, you're a good duelist, but I don't need help." Kaiba says. "It's my battle to fight now, and I will win."

"Poor fool." Pegasus says to himself. "He needs all the help that he can get."

"We've known each other for a long time, and now we'll see if the master is the Duel Monsters creator or the champion!" Kaiba says with heart and determination. "You have nowhere left to hide, Pegasus!" And so, with a confident 'Time to Duel' from both players, the game is on.

"Look at you--the first move and, already, you're nervous." Pegasus says as he preps his first card. "Here. Defense mode. Feel better? Oh, and I'll play this card, too, but I think I'll keep it facedown, for now. Just to keep you guessing." Kaiba doubts Pegasus' words, knowing he must already have a scheme in mind.

"It's my turn now." Kaiba says as he draws. In his hand, he holds Ryu-Kishin Powered, Saggi the Dark Clown, the Crush Card trap card, Rude Kaiser, and a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. But Kaiba knows he can't risk his dragon until he gets a better idea as to what Pegasus has in mind. Therefore, he decides to attack with something else. "I'll lay a card facedown, too. And, also, I play Rude Kaiser in attack mode." Soon, Rude Kaiser appears. "Go, Rude Kaiser! Attack Pegasus' defense card with Forearm Slash!" In no time, Pegasus' defense monster, Toon Alligator, is slashed in half. Pinkie saw the whole thing, and remembers her pet alligator back home, Gummy. "I'd expect more from you, Pegasus."

"I had no idea that you had such powerful cards at your disposal, Kaiba." Pegasus says. "I don't think I have a beast in my entire deck that could compare with that creature." Pegasus draws, and his mood changes. "Hold on. I may have spoken too soon." Pegasus then plays the card he drew. "Yes, here's the perfect card. Parrot Dragon. Attack! Bombarding Beak" Fluttershy is surprised when she sees the Parrot Dragon in person as it appears, as she never thought such a creature was conceivable. The monster divebombs toward Rude Kaiser, but Kaiba springs his traps.

"Not so fast. I placed a card facedown, too, remember?" Kaiba says right quick. "And I'm activating its magic right now." Kaiba then reveals his facedown. "The Mesmeric Control card entrances your monster, and reduces its attack power by 800 points." Right on cue, the Parrot Dragon's attack power drops to 1200. "Rude Kaiser, Forearm Slash! Carve up that bird!" In moments, the Parrot Dragon is carved like a Thanksgiving turkey, bringing Pegasus' life points to 1400. However, Kaiba notices that something's wrong. And so do the others.

"Pegasus may be the creator of the game, and he talks the talk, but when it comes to actually dueling, he plays like a kid in a grown man's body." Rainbow says.

"It's almost like he's toying with him." Mai adds.

"Wait! Didn't he pull this act with you, Yugi?" Joey asks Yugi, realizing that this is similar to when Yugi first dueled Pegasus in the Shadow Realm, as he described to them.

"This is just like when I dueled him, he must not take even the world champion seriously." Yugi says. "I just hope Kaiba catches on before it's too late." Kaiba also knows something's off, as he thinks Pegasus doesn't even seem to be trying, as evidenced by him taking out two of his monsters without even a fight. Like he knew exactly what he was going to do and when and how he was going to attack.

"My turn, Pegasus." Kaiba says as he draws. Kaiba knows he drew another good card, but knows Pegasus might be able to counter his card if he plays it, so he decides to play something he knows he won't be able to defend against, his Blue-Eyes, but before he can play it...

"Stop right there!" Pegasus suddenly says, stopping Kaiba in his tracks. "I'd like to play a little guessing game with that card you're about to throw out on the field."

"A game? But we're in the middle of a duel." Kaiba says in disbelief.

"I know, but my trap card says I can." Pegasus responds.

"What trap?" Kaiba asks.

"This one, here, Kaiba." Pegasus answers as he reveals his trap. "It's called Prophecy, and it gives me the chance to guess whether the card you're about to play has an attack power higher or lower than 2000. And if I manage to guess correctly, Kaiba boy, than the card in question becomes mine."

"What? It can't be!" Kaiba says in disbelief.

"And I think I'll prophesize that is indeed over 2000." Pegasus continues. Kaiba can't believe that he was spot on about his monster's attack power. "But I think I see more of the card in question coming to me. Eyes of blue and scales of white. Yes, of course! I see the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" No one, save for Yugi and Twilight, could believe how accurate Pegasus was on his guess.

"Judging from the look on your face, my guess was right, right?" Pegasus asks.

"Enough! Here! Take it!" Kaiba says in anger as he transfers the card from his half of the arena to Pegasus' half.

"Now the most valuable card in your deck is mine." Pegasus says. Kaiba is still shaken by Pegasus' accurate guess. "Now I have two things you care about, Kaiba. Your dragon and your brother. Let's see what else I can take. After your turn, of course."

"Without my Blue-Eyes White Dragon, I have no choice but to switch my monster to defense mode." Kaiba says as he does so.

"Goody. Now it's my turn again." Pegasus says as he draws. He then notices the anxious expression on Kaiba's face, and decides to look into the matter using his Millennium Eye. He looks at the cards in his hand through his mind, and notices both the Crush Card Virus and Saggi the Dark Clown. Pegasus quickly realizes that Kaiba is trying to contaminate his deck with a combination move. "I'll lay one card facedown on the field, and set one monster in defense mode." Pegasus says at last. "And I'm afraid that's the best move I could come up with."

"My turn!" Kaiba says, knowing that it could be his chance to end the duel in one move, but is unaware that Pegasus is already waiting for him to try his Crush Card combination. Everyone in the balcony then realizes what Kaiba has in mind, as he pulled the move on Yugi during his duel with Kaiba, but Yugi and Twilight know that with his Millennium Eye, Pegasus already knows what's coming.

"Since you just played your Crush Card, I think now would be an opportune time to play this." Pegasus says, and when he reveals his card, Kaiba is in total shock. "Negative Energy! It double's your clown's attack points, and since the Crush Card can only be hosted by monsters with less than a thousand points, my magic card makes Saggi the Dark Clown too strong for the job. So sorry." Right on cue, Saggi's attack points double to 1200. Kaiba realizes that he played right into Pegasus' hands again. "What's wrong, Kaiba? You look so sad. Keep your chin up. I'm certain is was just a lucky move on my part." But Rainbow and Rarity don't buy it. "But you know what they say, Kaiba, it's better to be lucky than good." Pegasus then reveals his facedown monster. "Talking about luck, meet my Dark Rabbit. And thanks to the Negative Energy spell, he's twice as strong." Right on cue, Dark Rabbit appears and his attack points increase to 2200. "But I'm sure he's no match for your stalwart clown." In seconds, Dark Rabbit pummels Saggi, lowering Kaiba's life points to 1000. Everyone in the audience is surprised.

"And I always thought that a rabbit punch was a wimpy move." Joey says.

"I've never seen Kaiba so shaken before." Tea points out.

"We have, when he first dueled Yugi and lost." Fluttershy responds.

"This is bad. The duel just started and Kaiba already lost half of his life points!" Yugi says in worry. Pegasus knows that Kaiba is realizing how feeble his skills are against an opponents like him, thus making Kaiba looks like a novice. But he knows he only just begun to make use of his Millennium Eye.

Author's Note

Another case of anime card effect interference. In the card game, the Mesmeric Control card prevents your opponent from changing the battle positions of monsters, except with a card effect.

Champion vs Creator Part 2: The Invincible Toon World

"I knew this would happen, that Millennium Eye is allowing Pegasus to see the cards in Kaiba's hands." Twilight says.

"Come on! Tell me you're not serious." Mai responds with a chuckle.

"Wow, Yugi. I knew you said that thing had ancient origins and supposed magical powers, but I had no idea it could help him win duels, too." Joey says. "How's anybody supposed to win against that kind of power?"

"Still, I wouldn't count Kaiba out of this match just yet." Yugi says. "He may be trailing now, but he didn't become world champion of this game without learning a few comeback tricks." Down on the battlefield, Kaiba knows that Pegasus being super accurate about his cards and being able to see them before he can play them is absurd, unaware of Pegasus' Millennium Eye and its magic. Kaiba then proceeds to draw, knowing he'd have to trust his old skills.

"No card in my hand can defeat that deranged rabbit, but at least I can protect myself from him by setting a card in defense mode!" Kaiba says at last as he makes his move. "Now I have two monsters on the field guarding my life points. Your turn, Pegasus!"

"As you wish, Kaiba boy." Pegasus responds as he draws. "Tell me something, my old friend, did you like watching cartoons in your youth?" Kaiba remains silent. "Is that a no? Kaiba, you're even more cold-hearted than I thought. For me, they were the absolute best, and none was closer to my heart than the misadventures of one tricky hare!" Pegasus then pictures his favorite cartoon when he was a child. "I am speaking, of course, of Funny Bunny!" That strikes a chord with Pinkie as she remembers discovering all the cuddly cartoons created by Sandrio, the company responsible for such cartoons as 'Hi-ya, Doggy!' and a show penguin named Fancy Danny, when she and her friends first arrived in Domino City. "He was such a clever rabbit, forever evading Ruff Gruff McDogg...🎵 and his long paw of the law🎵" Pinkie's smile then widens and her eyes light up as Pegasus continues. "Oh, how I'd spend hours watching their never-ending antics and perpetual game of hide-and-seek." Kaiba finally decides he heard enough.

"Just make your move!" Kaiba snaps. Pegasus just chuckles.

"But, Kaiba, that's the start of my move." Pegasus says slyly.

"Your move starts by talking about a cartoon?" Kaiba asks puzzled.

"Not just a cartoon, you simpleton." Pegasus answers. "An entire magical cartoon world!" Pegasus holds up the card he drew. "Welcome, Kaiba...to Toon World!" As the card's hologram appears, the name strikes both Yugi and Pinkie as familiar. "Let the fun begin."

"You must be kidding!" Kaiba says in disbelief. Up in the balcony, everyone but Pinkie and Yugi are baffled.

"Toon World?" Tea asks.

"Looks more like a kid's pop-up book to me." Rainbow adds.

"I've never even heard of that whacky card." put in Joey.

"I think we have. Right, Yugi?" Pinkie asks, but before he could answer, everyone notices that the Dark Rabbit is gone.

"Hey, I think that Pegasus' Dark Rabbit just pulled a Houdini." Tristan says.

"So that's the magic of Toon World?" Kaiba asks, annoyed. "Now you can make your creatures disappear?"

"Come now, even cartoon bunnies can't vanish into thin air." Pegasus responds with a chuckle. "My Dark Rabbit simply went to this new home, and it's a home that will prove to be the safest of havens, for as soon as I close that hard-book cover, Toon World's Bindings can't be penetrated by anything. But don't worry. My Dark Rabbit won't lock himself away in those pages without first paying you a visit. Dark Rabbit, Attack!" Soon, the monster pops out of the book.

"Talk about a bad hare day." Mai says as the Dark Rabbit attacks and destroys Kaiba's set Battle Ox. In no time, Dark Rabbit retreats into the book.

"Quite a painful chapter in your Battle Ox's life, wouldn't you say, Kaiba boy?" Pegasus asks. "I'd brace for your revenge but my Dark Rabbit's already safely back inside Toon World. Perhaps the next time that he comes out to give you a thumping, you can try taking a swing at him."

"You coward!" Kaiba protests.

"Well that card being on the field just isn't fair for Kaiba!" Fluttershy shouts.

"Worse yet, he'll keep doing this the entire duel." Yugi says as Kaiba prepares his next move.

"Let's see. I can't attack his rabbit so I'll set this, for later." Kaiba says as he lays a facedown.

"Looks like it's my turn again, and my chance to show off even more toon power." Pegasus says as he picks his next card. "And what better way to demonstrate than on a card I stole from you!" Kaiba can't believe what Pegasus plans to do, that being summon his Blue-Eyes on his side of the field. "Now I'll show you what your beast is capable of under my control. Blue-Eyes White Dragon, awaken!" In no time, the mighty dragon rises. "And cross the threshold into Toon World!" The Toon World book soon opens and the Blue-Eyes is sucked right in. "Meet the new-and-improved Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon!" In seconds, the cartoon counterpart of one of the most powerful dragons in the game of Duel Monsters appears, and Kaiba doesn't take it too well.

"No! You've stripped him of his pride!" Kaiba says, completely flabbergasted and baffled.

"Please! I've transformed this legendary beast into his most supreme form." Pegasus responds. "Also...I've made him look much more cuddly."

"Out of all the things that a Blue-Eyes White Dragon is, cuddly is not one of them." Spike says as he looks at the Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon in bafflement.

"For once, darling, I think Kaiba would agree." Rarity says. Keith just stands by, looking forward to see how the world champion can get out of the current predicament he's in.

"Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon, attack the Rude Kaiser!" Pegasus commands. And he huffed, and he puffed, and he blew the Rude Kaiser to smithereens. "How embarrassing. A world champion blasted by a caricature of his own most trusted beast. However did that happen?"

"Pegasus...your underhanded dueling tactics have gone on long enough. It's time someone put a stop to your cheating ways." Kaiba says as he folds and puts down his hand, to Pegasus' surprise and the surprise of the audience on the balcony. "I may not know exactly how you're cheating, but somehow, you can see my cards, so I'm abandoning my present hand. Perhaps if I can't see what I'm playing, you can't, either." Twilight and Yugi are surprised that Kaiba is going for a tactic they're familiar with.

"I can't believe it. Kaiba's gonna try top-decking." Twilight says in surprise.

"Yeah. A gutsy move." Yugi concurs.

"Wait a second, what's top-decking?" Tristan asks.

"Top-decking is what happens when a player is at a large disadvantage, such as having no cards on the field or in their hand, and draws a card that ends up turning the tables in their favor, usually for a game win." Twilight explains.

"Well, if you're that informed, tell me, how do you think Pegasus is cheating?" Tristan asks.

"I don't know, maybe he's got some secret cameras in here." Joey suggests, though Twilight and Yugi know that it's magic he's using.

"You really think Pegasus would do that?" Fluttershy asks.

"Hey, I wouldn't put anything past him, since he snatched both Yugi's grandpa and Kaiba's little brother." Joey answers. "But I'll tell you this, now that Kaiba's top-decking, he'll have to trust more in the Heart of the Cards if he's going to rescue his little brother." Mai is impressed with Joey's words of wisdom, knowing that he came a long way since they dueled.

"Well, let's see if he'll put his trust in the Heart of the Cards, cause here he goes." Yugi says as Kaiba draws.

"I've put all my faith into this next card, so now let it be revealed!" Kaiba shouts as his second Blue-Eyes White Dragon appears, shocking everyone. "Yes, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

"Incredible! That's gotta be the luckiest draw I've ever seen." Mai says in surprise.

"I think that draw was more about faith than luck." Applejack responds.

"You said it, Kaiba listened to his heart, and that paid off for him big time!" Rainbow concurred.

"Pegasus, your card prophesizing has failed you, and now your Toon Dragon will fail you as well!" Kaiba shouts with determination.

"I never thought I'd see a monster going up against a weirdo version of itself." Rainbow says. But Yugi and Pinkie know differently. Because, normally, a head-on attack against a monster of equal power would end in a draw, but since Pinkie knows more about Toon World than Yugi, she knows what will happen next if Kaiba attacks while Yugi is still unaware of all the machinations of Toon World.

"Oh, this is going to be such fun!" Pegasus says as he applauds Kaiba's excellent draw and summon. "A Blue-Eyes attacking his toon counterpart? There's no end to the zany antics that could ensue from this!"

"Wrong. This isn't one of your hare-brained, after-school cartoons!" Kaiba shouts in defiance. "Your toon won't escape this!" Up in the balcony, Mai knows something's not right as Kaiba prepares to attack. "Blue-Eyes, attack with all your might! White Lightning!" The blast soars right toward the Toon Dragon, but next thing you know, the dragon comically stretches its body toward the right to evade the attack, and neither Kaiba or the spectators can believe it.

"What was that?" Joey and Rainbow ask at the same time.

"That toon just stretched out of the way!" Mai adds.

"You should've watched more cartoons, Kaiba." Pegasus says. "The cuddliest character or creature never, ever gets hit. In 3,013 episodes of Funny Bunny, Ruff Gruff McDogg never laid a paw on our cuddly hero. No, he would try and try, but never would he succeed. Such a clever little rabbit."

"Same thing with Hi-Ya Doggy! Scratches McCat, the bad guy of that show, never laid a single paw on Doggy's head in any episode of that show!" Pinkie shouts. Pegasus turns to her and smiles, almost as if saying 'I know what you mean, I also saw Hi-Ya Doggy as well.'

"And just like both Funny Bunny and Hi-Ya Doggy, like Miss Pie just eluded to, my creatures will employ the same cleverness every time you attack, because as long as my Toon World card is out, everything I throw will be just as hard to pin down as my Toon Dragon!"

"Kaiba will get creamed if all of his opponents are nothing but toons!" Rainbow says in shock.

"This isn't fair!" Joey adds. "Just cause Pegasus invented the game shouldn't mean he can use some super-card that no one knows about."

"Yugi, you ever hear of Toon World?" Mai asks at last.

"Me and Pinkie, but Pinkie knows more than me." Yugi admits.

"Pegasus did make that card, but when it was being tested for the game in testing groups, it was never put into circulation." Pinkie explains. "The reason, it was considered too powerful. And that means Pegasus has the only copy of Toon World ever made. The beta version." Pinkie remembers when Solomon Muto saw her fixing her deck while watching an episode of Hi-Ya Doggy, and the moment he told her about the story of Toon World.

"So Pegasus has the only copy of a card that was too powerful for the game? That stound real fair." Joey responds.

"How can anyone beat Pegasus if he has cards like that at his disposal?" Rarity asks.

"Now, where were we, Kaiba boy?" Pegasus asks. "Ah, yes, it was my turn." Pegasus thinks over the situation, as he knows Kaiba is top-decking, so he can no long see what cards he holds through his eyes, but he suggests looking elsewhere. He knows a duelist of Kaiba's experience would have long since memorized his/her entire deck, every monster, every card. Therefore, he doesn't need to look through his eyes to see what cards Kaiba keeps, all he has to do is look through his mind. "I'll play this. A new addition to Toon World. The Shine Palace!" As Pegasus plays his card, from the Toon World book come beams of light. And when the book opens with a light so blinding that Kaiba can't see what's going on, a giant palace that looks like it's made of glass appears within the open book. "Luminous, isn't it? And it makes for quite a handy plot twist. You see, the Shine Palace raises my Toon Dragon's attack power by 500 points."

"That still won't bring this story to an end." Kaiba retorts.

"I beg to differ, Kaiba boy." Pegasus responds. "I think that I've just written the final chapter of your defeat! The light energy my Toon Dragon absorbs from Shine Palace makes him stronger than your Blue-Eyes. Observe." Right on cue, the Toon Dragon's biceps turn into volcanos, indicating that it did indeed get stronger from Shine Palace as its attack points rise to 3500.

"I'm no cartoon expert, but exploding volcano biceps? That's bad, right?" Mai asks.

"Extremely bad. Just like Pounder, Scratches McCat's bumbling sidekick, after an intense workout." Pinkie answers.

"Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon, attack! White Lightning!" Pegasus commands. But as the blast races toward Kaiba's dragon, Kaiba activates his facedown.

"Not so fast!" Kaiba shouts as he reveals his card. "I activate my trap card! Negate Attack!" In no time, the attack is negated and Kaiba's dragon is safe.

"So that was the card he played two turns back!" Spike says with a smile. Pegasus knows Kaiba made a clever move, but knows that Negate Attack is only good for one turn, whereas the threat of the Toon Dragon will remain as long as possible.

"My turn now." Kaiba says as he draws, knowing that he won't be able to block another attack from the Toon Dragon, meaning he'll have to put his trust in his deck once again. And so, he draws just the card he needs. "Perfect. Go, Shadow Spell!" In no time, chains appear and bound the Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon, to Pegasus' shock. "Now, not only can your toon not move, but his attack power is lowered by 700 points." Right on cue, the Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon's attack power drops to 2800. Pegasus is clearly upset that Kaiba shackled his dragon. "Looks like toons don't always get the last laugh. Blue-Eyes, White Lightning attack!" In no time, the Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon is destroyed and Pegasus' life points drop to 1200.

"Alright! Kaiba sent that cartoon right back to the drawing board!" Pinkie says with a smile. Even Mai is impressed that Kaiba pulled it off.

"Now do you understand that nothing will stop me from rescuing my brother, Pegasus?" Kaiba asks. "Even destroying my own Blue-Eyes?"

"Aw, Kaiba boy, your treasured Blue-Eyes White Dragons mean so very much to you, don't they?" Pegasus responds. "Well, as creator of Duel Monsters, I'm truly touched by your devotion. But...when will you learn that the same devotion is not returned by the Blue-Eyes?" Pegasus draws as he speaks. "For as you'll see...they are not so loyal!" Pegasus reveals the card he drew was a Dragon Capture Jar. "I play Dragon Capture Jar! This will make two Blue-Eyes I've stolen from you, won't it? How you must hate me." In no time, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon is sucked into the jar and locked away. "Now your dragon is trapped inside, never to be played against me." Kaiba knows he can't let Pegasus steal the third and final Blue-Eyes in his deck with the Dragon Capture Jar, meaning he'll have to destroy it. He then draws.

"Okay then, Pegasus, I'll play this in defense mode." Kaiba says as he sets a card.

"Then for my turn, I'll place a facedown...and bring out the Dragon Piper in defense mode." Pegasus says as he plays said cards. Yugi, Twilight and her friends know exactly what Pegasus may plan to do with Dragon Piper now that it's out on the field, and Kaiba knows it, too.

"Pegasus is planning to draw my dragon from the jar and put it under his control." Kaiba says to himself.

"You read my mind." Pegasus says with a chuckle. "And soon, I will make him a toon, just like I did your first Blue-Eyes. And then the fun will begin all over again."

"No way. Not if I can shatter that Dragon Piper right here." Kaiba retorts as he reveals his set monster. "I'm revealing my facedown monster, the Swordstalker! Now attack the Dragon Piper. Vengeance Strike!"

"Forget about the facedown magic card I set last turn, did you?" Pegasus asks as he reveals his facedown. "It's a little doodad called Mimicat. It can copy anything on the field. I think I'll have it copy your Crush Card. And now I'll infect my Dragon Piper with it."

"Oh no." Kaiba says in shock, knowing that that he can't defend against his own strategy.

"Once that Swordstalker hits, Pegasus will have the match clinched in his favor!" Twilight says in double the shock.

"And it's too late for him to do a single thing about it." Pegasus responds, having heard what Twilight said. And in no time, Dragon Piper is destroyed. "His monster just released the virus, my dear, and it incapacitates every one of Kaiba's monsters that have more than 1500 attack points, including the ones in his deck." Kaiba is in shock that his entire deck is crippled.

"All of my cards are becoming infected!" Kaiba says in panic.

"That's what you get, Kaiba boy, when you stack your deck with monster cards that all have more than 1500 attack points." Pegasus says.

"I don't believe it! Kaiba's gonna be done in by the same combo he used on Yugi!" Rainbow says in shock. "That Crush Card Virus just obliterated his deck!" Indeed, all of Kaiba's cards are in the graveyard in moments.

"All of my cards are gone. This is the only one left the virus didn't effect." Kaiba says as he plays his final card. "So it's the only card I can play. I use Monster Reborn to revive Saggi the Dark Clown."

"It's your last move, and you're going to spend it reviving a clown?" Pegasus asks. "Oh, yes, that's right, Kaiba. He's the best you can do with my virus still about. Shame, when you consider all that's on the line." Kaiba then thinks about his little brother, and how he failed.

"Mokuba...I tried my very best." Kaiba says somberly.

"Your best failed you." Pegasus says with wicked glee. "I fuse my Dream Clown and Crass Clown to fusion summon Bickuribox! Emerge and attack!" In not time, the monstrous Jack-in-the-Box like monster appears and lunges forward with a scythe in hand.

"Forgive me, Mokuba. I'm so sorry." Kaiba says as he waits for the final blow. In seconds, it comes as Saggi is sliced to ribbons. Everyone is left in shock as the duel comes to a close, but the worst is yet to come.

"There are no more cards you can play. Therefore, you lose, Kaiba boy." Pegasus says triumphantly as the holograms fade. "And you've lost much more than just this duel, haven't you, Kaiba? You've lost the only chance you had at rescuing your baby brother. You let him down, but don't worry, my dear friend. I'll spare you the agony of carrying on in this world without him." Pegasus then pulls out a soul card.

"What is that?" Kaiba asks as Pegasus activates his Millennium Eye.

"It's the final fate of your soul, Seto Kaiba." Pegasus answers as he snatches Kaiba's soul and seals it away before the entire audience. "And while your soul is away, your body will be used and employed as my obedient servant." Soon, Pegasus holds up both cards containing the souls of the Kaiba brothers. "Ah, the brothers Kaiba. One in each hand, but even though your cards are so very close, your souls have never been further apart. At least when I had Mokuba locked up, you were both living within the same dimension. But now you're worlds apart." Soon, he puts the cards in his pocket and calls in his guards. "Take away that empty shell. Teach it to wash dishes or something." Up in the balcony, everyone watches in shock as Kaiba's body is dragged away.

"Okay, someone please tell me I didn't just see what I think I saw." Joey says in disbelief.

"I wish I could, but you did." Twilight responds.

"He's gone, too." Yugi adds. "Just because he was only trying to help his little brother out." That just shows everyone that Yugi is taking it pretty hard. "He was like us. He just wanted to save someone he cared for. His family. Why, Pegasus? Who are you to toy with our friends, our families? I won't let you get away with it any longer!" Pegasus mentally taunts Yugi to try and stop him, but as soon as he does, the Millennium Puzzle activates and Yami Yugi appears, and Pegasus senses it.

"Pegasus, it won't be long now till I put an end to your games." Yami says boldly.

"Yugi boy, don't forget that you still have to make it through the remaining rounds of this tournament to even win the privilege of challenging me." Pegasus responds.

"Rest assured, I'll be at the finals, but the true privilege will be defeating you and undoing all the evil acts you've committed against my friends and my family." Yami retorts.

"I look forward to your finest efforts, Yugi boy, and wonderful performances from all our finalists." Pegasus says as he talks to the other three finalists. "You truly are the best of the best, the Crème de la Crème." But Pegasus believes that with the power of his Millennium Eye, nothing will keep him from winning, not even Yugi and his Millennium Puzzle.

Author's Note

More anime interference. According to the actual card, Toon World only activates when you pay 1000 life points, which doesn't happen in the anime. Also, in the anime only, you have to pay 500 life points per turn to keep Toon World active and you get all the life points you lost doing so when it goes to the graveyard.

Plus, the only way you can summon Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon in the actual game is by tributing 2 monsters while you control Toon World, plus it can't attack the turn it's summoned and you have to pay 500 life points to attack with it.

Also, I figured that since Pinkie Pie is the perky and excited one, almost like a child, I figured of making fictional versions of Hello Kitty and Tuxedo Sam and the company that made them, Sanrio, so she could be in the know when it comes to cartoons. And I also decided to make her know more about Toon World than Yugi because of that.

Next, the Shine Palace, in the actual game, was supposed to increase Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon's attack power by 700 points, not 500 like in the anime.

Further, the Shadow Spell card is a trap card in the game, not the anime, though the effect is pretty much the same.

Next, the Dragon Capture Jar can't be summoned to the field as an effect monster in the actual game, hence why I made it just a trap card.

Next, Doppleganger, aka Mimicat in the actual game, can only copy a card if you have both Toon World AND a toon monster on the field. And it can only copy a card in your opponent's graveyard.

Finally, I had to come up with some reason for Pegasus to just easily summon the Bickuribox, so I made him fuse the Dream Clown and Crass Clown together via Polymerization, as the actual card in the game instructs.

The Night Before

As evening falls on the island of Duelist Kingdom, everyone is at the table enjoying a fantastic banquet prepared by the castle culinary staff. Everyone's enjoying the food, particularly Joey and Tristan, and Twilight starts to remember all the royal banquets she was used to whenever there was a special event going on back home.

"If this were a duel munchers contest, you two would be in the running to win." Tea says to Joey and Tristan as they continue to chow down.

"On behalf of Mr. Maximillian Pegasus, I'd like to congratulate the four finalists and welcome them to the final phase of the Duelist Kingdom competition." Croquette says. "And I'd also like to welcome her highness Princess Twilight and her friends. I trust all four of you finalists have your playoff entry cards." Everyone is confused, but Croquette explains. "In your invitation to the Duelist Kingdom, you received these two cards: Glory of the King's Hand and Glory of the King's Opposite Hand." Croquette then hold up said cards. One of them is a completely blank card, while the other has a picture of grand treasure. "You must have one of these to participate in the final duels of the tournament. One for claiming the $3,000,000 dollar cash prize, and the other for the winner to challenge Mr. Pegasus himself for the championship. Those without them are disqualified." Yugi then realizes that's why he got both cards in his invite. Joey then panics, as he didn't get an invite. Keith also panics as he didn't bring either of those cards with him. "To make tomorrow's tournament interesting, your host has made the culinary artists in the kitchen add a special ingredient to your soup." Everyone is confused, but right on cue, a fake Millennium Eye pops up in Yugi's, Joey's, Mai's and Keith's bowls of soup.

"Well, not all of us got this little 'surprise'. My soup's eyeball free." Rainbow points out. Her other friends confirm it as well.

"That may be, Rainbow, but this is worse than having a fly in my soup." Joey says, clearly annoyed.

"Open up the eye and look inside it, if you will." Croquette says. The four finalists do so as Croquette continues. "Each of you has been randomly assigned a letter." Each of them opens their fake Millennium Eyes and finds their letters, A-D.

"What's this for?" Yugi asks himself.

"And now the island's computer will pair up the letters to determine tomorrow's duel matchups." Croquette continues.

"I wonder who's going to face who?" Tea asks. Mai knows that once she knows who she'll be up against, she'll use that night to prepare herself and her deck. Joey, on the other hand, knows that if he doesn't have one of the Glory of the King cards, it wouldn't matter who he goes up against. Soon, the computer has the matchups set.

"And tomorrow's duels are as follows: A vs B, C vs D." Croquette says at last. Meaning it's Yugi Muto vs Mai Valentine, and then Bandit Keith vs Joey Wheeler.

"Who has C?" Joey asks aloud.

"Me, runt." Keith answers.

"Alright! That means tomorrow, it's payback for trapping us in that cave!" Rainbow says, glad that Joey got a matchup against Keith.

"Once I crush your friend, you'll all be wishing you were still in that cave." Keith responds, to Rainbow ire.

"Looks like it's you and me, Mai." Yugi says as he and Mai face each other.

"I'm looking forward to this duel." Mai responds.

"Yeah, me, too. And may the best duelist win." Yugi concurs.

"The duels are set. Yugi Muto vs Mai Valentine and Bandit Keith vs Joey Wheeler. Please enjoy the rest of this feast, finalists, because, for three of you tomorrow, your long journey will end in failure." Croquette says as he bows out. Meanwhile, on his own private balcony looking out to the sea, Pegasus sit with a glass of fruit juice as the sun sets, knowing that the finals have begun already. Later that evening, the feast has been finished, and everyone is glad to have eaten something so grand. Yugi then approaches Joey.

"We better get to bed. We'll need our rest if we're gonna be in top shape for the tournament tomorrow." Yugi says to his friend.

"Yuge, what's the point?" Joey responds. "Since I don't have either of those Glory of the King cards..." But Yugi stops him as he shows him what he needs.

"Actually, this Glory of the King's Hand card is yours." Yugi says. "Why don't you just think of it as an early birthday present?" None of the group can believe Yugi's kindness.

"But, Yuge, you need it." Joey protests.

"The rules never said we needed both cards to compete, so we each only need one." Yugi responds.

"He's right. Besides, if you give up now, who's going to save your sister's eyesight?" Applejack asks. "And what kind of big brother would you be if you didn't even try to win the prize money?" Joey's still in disbelief.

"And besides, Joey, think about the odds. If we're both in the tournament, it doubles our chances of winning the entire thing." Yugi says. "So take it, okay?" Joey finally relents and takes Yugi's Glory of the King's Hand card.

"You're a real pal, Yugi." Joey says.

"No offense, but all this happy go-lucky stuff is making my skin crawl." Mai says as she stands to leave. "So good night, boys and girls. And catch you tomorrow, Yugi." Yugi nods. And later, everyone heads into their assigned rooms for the night.

"Yugi. Listen. Thanks again for bailing me out." Joey says as Yugi prepares to head to bed. "You're the best, pal." Yugi nods, and everyone heads to bed, while Tea tells Joey not to keep them awake with his snoring. However, none of them are aware that Bandit Keith is waiting in the wings, ready to live up to his nickname. Later that night, Yugi knows he just needs a couple more victories and he'll be able to go home with his grandpa. In Mai's room, she's fine-tuning her deck in order to beat Yugi, knowing it may take her all night. In Tea's room, she's still awake, even though she finally gets to sleep in a decent bed. Soon, there's a knock at her door. It's Tristan and Bakura, the former of which claims that Pegasus cheated in his duel against Kaiba.

"So, you're telling me that Kaiba was beat because Pegasus cheated?" Tea asks.

"No doubt. After all, Kaiba's the world champion but Pegasus beat him like he was an amateur." Tristan answers, and Tea agrees. "No one can beat Kaiba that easily, at least not playing fair and square. The way he was dueling, it seemed like he knew Kaiba's hand the entire time until Kaiba started top-decking. I'm telling you the truth. Pegasus is as bogus as a three dollar bill. Besides, he used a card that was considered too powerful to be put into the mainstream game of Duel Monsters when he played Toon World. It's clear we can't trust that guy."

"Even if you're right about Pegasus, what can we do, Tristan?" Tea asks.

"Plenty. We'll find out how Pegasus cheated." Tristan answers. "There has to be some clue down at the dueling platform. We'll expose Pegasus for the fraud that he is."

"But with all the guards everywhere, we'll need help from Yugi and Joey, or Twilight and her friends." Bakura suggests.

"No. They need to rest for the tournament, and three people can make less noise than ten." Tristan says. "And besides, a herd of elephants won't wake Joey. This job is a three person job, we're doing it by ourselves." Tea agrees, but little do they know that Tristan is wrong, very wrong. Meanwhile, Yugi, Twilight and her friends are fast asleep. But they all soon hear familiar voices. Yugi hears his grandpa, while Twilight and the others hear Princess Luna. They all soon bolt awake and look around, but don't see wither Solomon or Luna anywhere.

"Grandpa! Is that you?" Yugi asks.

"Princess Luna? Where are you?" Twilight asks as the others look around to find the source of the voice.

"Yugi, I must speak with you." Solomon's voice says.

"Grandpa? Where are you?" Yugi calls out.

"Follow my voice." Solomon's voice instructs.

"Girls, Spike, follow my voice and we will speak." Luna says. Meanwhile, the three snoopers are searching the dueling arena for any clue of cheating on Pegasus' part.

"Keep searching, guys." Tristan says. "There's gotta be some kind of clue around here somewhere. Maybe there's a hidden camera or something."

"Maybe Pegasus isn't a cheater. He could be good at guessing cards since he created the game, or he could really have magic powers thanks to that Millennium Eye." Tea suggests.

"Forget it, I once spoke to a psychic who told me I'd have a girlfriend within six months. It's been a year, not a single date. So that means he either cheated or he is like you said, good at guessing since he invented the game." Tristan retorts. Soon, the clouds outside part and the light of the moon shines down on Tristan's back and Tea quickly notices.

"What's wrong, Tea?" Bakura asks. Tea points to the beam of moonlight shining on Tristan. "Tristan, your back."

"There's something on my back?" Tristan asks and once Tea heads to the arena, they spot the hole in the wall where the light is shining.

"That's strange. How can moonlight enter this room?" Bakura asks.

"I got an idea. Tristan, stand on the dueling platform, and hold up a card like you were dueling." Tea suggests. Tristan does so and holds up his Cyber Commander. Tristan then follows the source of the light up to the top of the entryway, looks through the hole, and spots a tower.

"What do you see?" Bakura calls.

"There's a tower right across the courtyard, and isn't it convenient that the window faces in this exact direction?" Tristan answers. "It'd be a piece of cake for one of Pegasus' guards to hide in the tower with a telescope and spy on Kaiba's hand, then the goon relays Kaiba's cards to Pegasus."

"Pegasus could be hiding a receiver under his hair." Tea suggests.

"Good thinking, Sherlock." Tristan answers. "There's bound to be some kind of proof hidden in that tower. So let's head over there right now."

"But what about the guards?" Bakura asks.

"You'll be safe with me." Tristan says reassuringly. Meanwhile, Yugi bursts out of his room as Twilight and her friends burst out of there rooms.

"Grandpa!" Yugi calls.

"Yugi! You heard a voice, too?" Twilight asks.

"Yeah, my grandpa's. Did you hear it, too?" Yugi responds.

"Actually, we heard the voice of a friend of ours, another princess from our homeland named Princess Luna." Rarity explains. "But come to think of it, I thought I heard your grandfather, as well."

"Yugi! Beware of Pegasus!" Solomon's voice calls as everyone looks behind them. In moments, Princess Luna herself appears in human form, wearing a black dress with hair that was blue and black.

"Princess Luna. What are you doing here?" Spike asks.

"Hello, everyone. You must be Yugi. I am Princess Luna of Equestria." Luna says.

"So, Equestria has multiple princesses?" Yugi asks.

"Yes, myself, my sister, Celestia, Twilight and Princess Cadence." Luna answers. "But there's no time to talk, for we must follow your grandpa's voice at once."

"Luna! You found them?" Solomon's voice asks.

"Yes, Solomon. I did. We're on our way to you now." Luna confirms.

"Yugi, you must stop Pegasus before he destroys the entire world." Solomon's voice continues.

"Pegasus? Destroy the entire world?" Twilight asks in shock. But knowing that there was not time to waste, they all ran down the hall, hoping to reach the source of Solomon's voice.

"We're coming, grandpa!" Yugi calls. Meanwhile, Tristan, Bakura and Tea continue to snoop around towards the tower.

"We've been walking in circles and this castle is like a maze. It'll be daytime before we reach the tower." Tea says. But then, Tristan finds something.

"Look at what I found. A grappling hook and rope. And it gives me a great idea." Tristan says as he takes it. Meanwhile, Mai continues to look for and come up with new card combos for her duel against Yugi. After all, Yugi saw her deck during her battles with Joey and Tea, so she couldn't rely on her old bag of tricks. Meanwhile, Bandit Keith passes the time, waiting to steal a Glory of the King's Hand card. Then, he sits up and sets out to do his job. Meanwhile, Yugi and the others follow his grandpa's voice all the way to the courtyard.

"Grandpa! Where are you? I can't find you!" Yugi calls.

"Yugi! Beware of Pegasus." Solomon's voice says, but then they all look down and find him, trapped in a soul card.

"Mr. Muto. Are you alright?" Twilight asks. "What do you mean by Pegasus could destroy the entire world?"

"Pegasus wields shadow powers of incredible strength. Much stronger than anyone could've imagined." Solomon explains.

"But how? How is that possible?" Yugi asks.

"We know he can steal souls with his Millennium Eye, but how can his magic be getting stronger?" Spike asks. Meanwhile, Tristan, Tea and Bakura are sneaking into the tower via the roof, while trying to avoid being heard and/or seen by the guards below. Tea then slips and shrieks, but the boys catch her and muffle the sound before the guards could notice

"I can't believe your plan is to enter the tower from the outside." Tea says in annoyance.

"Well, you wanted to avoid all the guards, and I don't see any goons up here." Tristan retorts. Meanwhile, back in the courtyard, Yugi, Spike and the girls are getting an answer to Spike's question as to how Pegasus' shadow magic is growing stronger.

"How in Equestria can the shadow magic of a Millennium Item grow stronger?" Rarity asks. "We already know that Yugi's Millennium Puzzle contains a spirit inside it that can clear the evil of someone's mind and heart and tap into the Heart of the Cards like no one else can."

"All the Millennium Items have different powers. In the case of the Millennium Eye, it can read minds and trap souls in the Shadow Realm." Luna explains. "I've been doing research on the Millennium Items once Celestia told me about your quest. But so far, we only know about the Millennium Puzzle, the Millennium Ring and the Millennium Eye. I say the Millennium Ring because, as princess of the night, I can access such places as the Shadow Realm. I also know the Millennium Ring can also send souls to the Shadow Realm like the Millennium Eye does and just like how the Millennium Puzzle sends evil spirits and influences to the Shadow Realm."

"Correct, Luna. And every soul he traps in the Shadow Realm increases his strength." Solomon confirms.

"He's got to be stopped!" Yugi says with determination. Suddenly, Solomon's soul card is pulled toward a large pillar. And next to said pillar are two more, and none of the group there can believe what they see on the other two. The soul cards of the Kaiba Brothers.

"No! Kaiba! Grandpa! Mokuba? This is wrong." Yugi says as he looks upon the three soul cards.

"Worse than wrong, this is terrible!" Fluttershy says in shock.

"Save me, Yugi." Kaiba's and Mokuba's voices say. Meanwhile, the three snoops prepare to sneak in.

"Alright, Tea, you be in the middle. That way if you fall off, Bakura will catch you." Tristan instructs. Meanwhile, Yugi and the others are still surprised by what they're looking at.

"You're next, Yugi." Kaiba's voice says.

"You're the one he wants, Yugi!" Mokuba's voice says, indicating that Pegasus wanted Yugi in the tournament for some other reason.

"Why is Pegasus after me?" Yugi asks. "And could Twilight and her friends be next?"

"He's not after the pure magic of your friends, Yugi." Solomon explains. "Pegasus is only after dark magic, shadow magic. He unlocked tremendous magic with his single Millennium Item, how much power do you think wield if he has your puzzle?" Yugi is in disbelief, the only reason Pegasus wanted Yugi in the tournament was finally revealed.

"So you're telling me that Pegasus wanted to get his hands on the Millennium Puzzle the whole time?" Spike asks.

"That is correct, Spike." Luna confirms. "Let us consider ourselves lucky that he will not be after any of us, seeing as your magic is too pure of light for him, and my previous magic as Nightmare Moon is long gone, therefore I'm safe as well." Meanwhile, the three snoops climb up to the window.

"Try not to grab my leg, Bakura." Tea says.

"If you climb fast enough, I won't." Bakura responds. Meanwhile, the converse between Yugi, his friends, Luna and the three trapped souls continues.

"Grandpa, Princess Luna, how can I stop Pegasus?" Yugi asks.

"Just as Pegasus learned to harness the magic of his Millennium Eye, you must also learn to control the power of your own Millennium Item." Solomon explains.

"You mean, control the power in my Puzzle?" Yugi asks.

"Yes, Yugi. There's great power within your Puzzle, along with that ancient spirit that I still cannot quite understand." Luna confirms.

"But how?" Yugi asks.

"That you must discover on your own." Solomon answers. "But whatever it takes, Pegasus must be defeated. If he wins, with his unlimited shadow powers, and the magic of the Millennium Items, especially if he gets his hands on all of them, he can unleash terrible darkness upon the entire world!" As Solomon speaks, blue flames form and quickly shoot upward.

"And worse yet, with his power, he could invade all other worlds beyond this one, including Equestria." Luna adds, bringing a look of despair, shock, worry and terror to the faces of Twilight and her friends.

"You can do this, Yugi! I believe in you!" Solomon says. Meanwhile, the three snoops manage to reach the window and enter the tower.

"No offense, Tristan, but your plans are horrible." Bakura says as Tea opens the window.

"I got you up here safe and sound, didn't I?" Tristan asks. Everyone enters and looks around, but can't find any clue of Pegasus cheating.

"Nothing, not even a telescope." Tea says.

"How can that be?" Tristan asks. But then, Bakura spots something.

"Who do you suppose this is?" Bakura asks as he looks at what he found. Soon, Tea and Tristan look at what he found.

"Whoa. That's a mighty big painting." Tristan says, amazed.

"I can't see. Can either of you find a light switch?" Tea asks. Right then and there, the lights come on, surprising them all. "Did either of you turn on the lights?"

"Neither of us." Bakura answers.

"Then who did?" Tea asks.

"Maybe the light's voice activated." Tristan suggests. Tea gets a better look at the painting and realizes that it's the same one she saw around the rest of the castle.

"I've seen the portrait before, in the dining hall." Tea says.

"She must be very important to Pegasus." Bakura suggests.

"But I haven't seen her at all since we've been in the castle." Tea points out. "Do you think maybe she's Pegasus' wi..." But before Tea can finish her sentence, Pegasus himself arrives.

"Isn't it past your bedtimes?" Pegasus asks.

"Pegasus! How'd you find us?" Tristan asks back.

"A little birdie told me and saw you three climbing up the walls." Pegasus answers.

"Yeah, well listen to this, Pegasus. You've had someone up here spying on Kaiba's cards during your duel today, so just admit it! The jig is up!" Tristan accuses.

"You break into my private sanctuary through the window and accuse me of wrongdoing?" Pegasus asks. "Absolutely no one is allowed in this room. And I'm afraid you three have seen too much."

"What do you mean?" Tristan asks.

"You should've stayed in your rooms. Instead, you will now be disciplined." Pegasus answers as he pulls back his hair to reveal his Millennium Eye and uses its magic to send the three away. They soon wake up in an Egyptian passageway as multiple men chant the same thing over and over.

"Where are we?" Tristan asks.

"Forget where we are, do you hear chanting?" Tea asks as they continue to hear the chanting.

"Let's go check it out." Tristan suggests. "And before you ask why, Bakura, don't criticize my plan." Soon, they follow the sound and find robed figures standing across from each other, two of which are closer to each other than the others.

"Who are these clowns?" Tristan asks. "And what do you think they're up to?"

"I don't know..." Bakura answers. "But they're creeping me out."

"It seems this place is Egyptian based on the hieroglyphics." Tea points out. Soon, the chanters tell the two figures standing across from each other to 'begin', and from the floor, a tablet rises with a picture of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon on it.

"There's a Blue-Eyes on that tablet." Tristan says as soon as he sees the tablet.

"I don't like this, let's get out of here." Bakura suggests.

"Look there." Tea says as she points to a picture over an alter. "It's that painting again. Who could she be?" Soon, the other figure makes another tablet rise from the floor, but this one had a picture of Crawling Dragon #1 on it.

"Those two look like they're dueling." Tristan says as both men make their tablets face each other. Soon, a familiar voice is heard.

"You lose." says the figure, clearly indicating that it's Pegasus. The Crawling Dragon tablet crumbles and Pegasus' opponent disappears, shocking the three teens. But this alerts the other robed figures and Pegasus to their presence. Meanwhile, Yugi, Spike and the girls are still in shock as the fire surrounds the three pillars and the soul cards on them.

"Unlock the secret of the Millennium Puzzle, only then can you defeat Pegasus." Solomon says.

"And by combining your magic and bond of friendship with the power of the Puzzle, you girls will be as powerful as Yugi." Luna says. "But you must hurry, Yugi, or I fear the consequences will be disastrous for us all." As Yugi calls for his grandpa, he, Twilight and her friends bolt awake, realizing that it was all a dream, but while Yugi is unsure if it was just that, a dream, Twilight and her friends know it was a warning. Meanwhile, Pegasus and the other robed figures face down the teens.

"Where did that robed guy go?" Tristan asks.

"The Shadow Realm." Pegasus answers.

"Shadow Realm?" Tea asks in fright, knowing all to well what happened the last time she was in the Shadow Realm. "Not again!"

"This is how the Shadow Games were played thousands of years ago." Pegasus explains. "These duel rituals released the magic of the Shadow Realm. And every soul I trap there increases the power of my Millennium Eye. You can't imagine the strength of my magic, but one power still eludes me: the ability to control life over death. For that magic, I must capture more souls like yours!"

"You're gonna send us to the Shadow Realm?!?" Tristan asks in shock.

"No way! I've been there once already!" Tea protests.

"Perhaps, but it's not my fault. I can't simply allow you to escape after you've snooped around my castle and learned my secrets." Pegasus responds. "I hope the accommodations in the Shadow Realm are to your liking. And my dear, Bakura, your capture will do more than strengthen my Shadow Powers, for I shall also gain control of your Millennium Ring!" Pegasus chuckles as he prepares to send the three to the Shadow Realm, but something happens that catches him off-guard. "What's this?" In moments, the Millennium Ring appears around Bakura's neck. And instead of Bakura, Pegasus faces his evil double: Yami Bakura.

"Change of plans." Yami Bakura says.

"Can this be?!" Pegasus asks in shock. "I sense a dark soul within your ring!" In no time, both items glow brightly, blinding Tristan and Tea

"You may indeed sense me now, but you won't remember any of this later. Erase their minds!" Yami Bakura says. And in moments, Tea and Tristan wake up in their bedrooms, with Tea wondering if what she saw was just a nightmare, or if it was real like the last time she was in the Shadow Realm, while also feeling that something terrible was going to happen. Meanwhile, in Bakura's room, Yami Bakura chuckles in triumph over his return. "You cannot hide from me, Pegasus. Your Millennium Eye will soon be mine." Meanwhile, Keith sneaks into Joey's room and steals his Glory of the King's Hand card. Meanwhile, Mai finally comes up with a strategy to beat Yugi in their duel. As the sun comes up, Yugi know that what he saw wasn't any ordinary dream, and he's certain Twilight and the others know it, too. Now he has to find out how to unlock the secret to his Millennium Puzzle, and time is running out.

Author's Note

I decided that since Yugi was dreaming in the actual episode, I may as well have Princess Luna involved.

The Arrival

It all started one day in Ponyville. It seemed like an average day as everypony went about their usual day to day routine, but then, things changed. From out of the sky, something was about to rain down.

"What? Is there a giant cloud overhead?" Rainbow Dash asked herself, but when she looked up, she found that she was seriously wrong.

"WHOA!!" she cried out as Rainbow flew out of the way of the falling object in the nick of time. Whatever it was, it landed in an open field with a thud. When the dust cleared, all the ponies nearby saw that the object was a tablet. But not just any tablet, a tablet with a picture of a dragon on it.

"I gotta go get Twilight and the others!" Rainbow said in alarm and she dashed off to get her friends. Soon, the whole team was assembled and were baffled at the sight of the tablet.

"What do you think it is, Twilight?" asked Spike. But his friend was just as perplexed as the others.

"I don't know, Spike. But it looks like a stone tablet with a picture of a dragon carved on it." Twilight finally answered. The others cautiously approached the tablet, and it seemed harmless as they touched it. However, they soon heard another thud, this time from far away. They all raced to the source of the thud, which was in town, and soon found another tablet in the middle of town.

"Another one?" asked Rarity. Now the whole town was curious as the team, but then their curiosity turned to panic as more tablets fell in different parts of town. The rain didn't last long though, and Twilight worried that something was wrong.

"We better go ask Princess Celestia about this. Maybe she has some kind of idea as to what in tarnation is causing this." Applejack spoke. So the group headed for Canterlot Castle to get guidance from the princess. They soon reached the castle and the throne room.

"Princess Celestia, do you know what those stone tablets are and why they're appearing all over Ponyville and Equestria?" asked the worried Twilight.

"I'm afraid I do know, Twilight. And it's tied into an ancient legend from another dimension." the kind princess said softly.

Pinkie Pie was more excited than expected. "I have a feeling this is gonna lead to a super fun quest in another dimension!" she yelled out.

"What kind of legend?" asked Rainbow. Princess Celestia sat on her throne and began the tale.

"Those tablets come from another dimension, but for some reason they're landing here in our own. The monsters on each tablet are known as Duel Spirits." Celestia explained, but the very mention of the words 'monsters' and 'spirits' caused Fluttershy to shiver.

"Monsters? Spirits?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm afraid so." Celestia answered as she continued. "This other dimension has ancient magic of its own. You see, years ago in that dimension, in a country known as Egypt, home to ancient structures known as the Pyramids and a lengthy river called the Nile, the rulers and sorcerers of the country, called humans, played a game of great and terrible power. They called these contests Shadow Games, or commonly referred to as Shadow Duels, and the loser of a Shadow Game would end up losing their soul and be banished to a dark realm called the Shadow Realm."

The group was shocked by the very concept of these games, as Celestia went on.

"However, these duels grew out of the control of the people who would start them, and they erupted into a war that threatened to destroy the entire human world." Celestia said grimly.

"Oh, my." said Fluttershy in fear.

"Think you can show us what these humans and this place called Egypt looked like?" asked Rainbow, who was more of a see rather than hear kind of pony. Celestia agreed and gave the group projected pictures of the pyramids, the people who lived in Egypt, and the Nile river as she continued.

"This war lasted for a long time, until a brave and powerful ruler of Egypt, known as a pharaoh, locked the Shadow Game magic away, imprisoning it within 7 golden objects known as the Millennium Items. However, I fear that with the tablets raining down from the sky, I fear that some of these items may have fallen into evil hands." Celestia said as her story ended.

"So you want us to go to this dimension and find these items?" asked Twilight.

"No, it would be impossible to determine how many items were taken and who would have them. But, there is one item that I know is in good hands." answered Celestia. "You see, 5,000 years after the Millennium Items were buried in order to prevent the Shadow Realm magic from being released, one of the items, known as the Millennium Puzzle, was discovered by archaeologist, Solomon Muto, and it was given to his grandson, Yugi. Within time, he solved it, and unlocked the magic within. I don't know if I'm right, but I believe he has the magic of the puzzle in his body."

The group was amazed by the the revelation. Soon, Celestia handed Twilight the dimensional scissor.

"Twilight, take the dimensional scissor and go see Yugi. I believe his puzzle and the secrets it has may be the key to this mystery." she said to her student.

"We won't let you down, Celestia." said Twilight with confidence. And so, using the dimensional scissor to open a gateway, the brave heroes traveled all the way to a city, but realized that they became human themselves.

"What in tarnation?! We're human!" said Applejack in surprise. However, Pinkie was just fine with her new form, quickly managing to walk on two legs instead of four and work out what her new hands were for.

"My, we're wearing school uniforms!" said Rarity in amazement. And indeed, the girls were wearing traditional school uniforms for girls, while Spike was wearing a traditional suit for boys. Soon, Pinkie spotted something, or someone, intriguing.

"Hey! Is that kid with the large spikey hair the Yugi kid we're looking for?" she asked. Everyone looked and soon saw Yugi Muto, a young boy with spiked hair, and more importantly, a golden upside down pyramid around his neck.

"It must be, because the pyramid around his necklace must be the Millennium Puzzle!" she said as soon as she spotted the puzzle. The girls ran up to him.

"Excuse us, but is your name Yugi Muto?" Spike asked.

"Yes, that's my name. I haven't seen you around Domino City before. Who are you?" Yugi asked back.

"My name is Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Spike." Twilight said with a smile. Yugi looked puzzled at the names of the strangers.

"Are those nicknames?" he asked.

"Uh, sure. Those are just our nicknames we go by, except for Spike. We just got into town some time ago." Twilight said, but the others, especially Rainbow, were surprised at why Twilight didn't explain where they really came from.

"Well, if you wear those uniforms, you must be new students at Domino High. Well, if you want to know which way the school is, just follow me." Yugi said with a smile and the team followed her, while Rainbow whispered to Twilight.

"Twi, why didn't you tell him we really came from Ponyville?" she asked.

"Because I don't think he'd believe us, and I don't think he even knows about the powerful magic in the Millennium Puzzle. So I think it's best we play along with being new students at Domino High so we don't draw too much attention. Are we all agreed?" Twilight asked to all the others. Everyone agreed, and they soon reached Domino High.

"Well, this is the place. And those guys ahead are my friends." Yugi said as he pointed out two other boys, one taller than the other and one with golden hair, and a girl standing just as tall as one of the boys at the entrance waving and calling to Yugi. "Ladies, Spike, these are my friends Tea Gardener, Joey Wheeler, and Tristan Taylor."

"Nice to meet you." they each said.

"Guys, these are some new students I met along the way here. The girls go by their nicknames, so their names are Twilight, Rainbow, AJ, Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and the boy is Spike."

"Nice to meet you, too." they answered.

Soon, the girls started shaking hands with Tea, Joey and Tristan, and thus began a quest they wouldn't soon forget.

The Ultimate Great Moth

As the group watches Yugi from the sidelines, cheering him on they're soon rudely interrupted by the laughter of none other than Mai.

"Mai? What are you doing here?" Rainbow asks.

"Plus, we didn't get your last name on the boat." put in Spike.

"My last name is Valentine, kid." Mai answers. "And you guys and those three losers don't seem to realize who your little pal is up against."

"He's no loser if he beat Seto Kaiba on his own turf!" Rainbow retorted. "And we already know that Weevil is the regional champion!"

"Well, those are the key words, hun." Mai said. "Regional champion. He's likely got moves that not even Yugi could even dream of."

"Did you not see Yugi wipe out five monsters in one move by baiting him in with his favorite card and then springing a Mirror Force trap card on him as soon as Weevil declared an attack?!" Pinkie shouted with an offended voice.

"I'm with Pinkie, you probably didn't see the BRILLIANT trap that Yugi lured Weevil into that resulted in Weevil getting over half his life points taken out." Spike concurred.

"In short, there's not reason for you to opinionize Yugi's dueling, so take a hike and leave this duel to the pros!" finished Rainbow.

"And miss the chance to watch a champion like Weevil as he turns this around and beats the kid who beat the world champion? No way!" Mai retorted.

"Well, Weevil did come from behind to win the regional championship title." Joey admitted.

"He's tough and sneaky, since he openly admitted to stealing a copy of the tournament rule book." put in Tristan.

"Whose side are you two goofballs on anyway?!" Tea snapped.

"All we're saying is, unlike his duel with Kaiba, this is Yugi first official tournament duel." Joey answered.

"Not to mention he's fighting a champion, dear." Rarity added. Tea and the girls were fed up with Mai's know-it-all attitude, and hoped that Yugi would find a way to beat Weevil and shut her up.

"You may have flattened my army of bugs, Yugi, but you haven't won." Weevil said with a scowl. "I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve."

"You've done an awful lot of buzzing throughout this whole duel, Weevil, but I'm still here waiting for the sting." Yugi replied with confidence.

"Since you're new to this whole dueling tournament thing, I'll try to make this simple for you." Weevil said. "I'm gonna wipe that goofy grin from your face. Now let's see which lucky bug gets to take the first bite." Weevil picks a card in his hand. "Oh! But this little bug won't stand a chance against your Dark Magician if he should go on the attack. Oh, well, I'll play him in defense mode." Weevil proceeds to set the monster he picked, however, Yugi is still aware of the trap card he set several turns ago, and plans to do away with it.

"That would've been a nice bluff, but I still haven't forgotten about the trap card you set several turns ago." Yugi says as he decides to get his monsters off the field first and then destroy the trap. "I'll go ahead and spring your trap, Weevil. But first, I play the Monster Recovery magic card. It allows me to call back all the creatures I have on the field." Yugi proceeds to take his Dark Magician and his other defense monster off the field. "Now your trap has nothing to snare, and now that my two monsters are safely shuffled back into my deck, Monster Recovery also allows me to draw a new hand." Yugi shuffles his deck and draws a new hand. "Now all I have to do is sacrifice one of my weaker monsters, and your trap is sprung." Yugi then summons the weakest monster in the game, the level 1, dark attribute, 300 attack point fiend known as Kuriboh.

"Kuriboh, attack!" Yugi calls as Kuriboh is summoned. As soon as Yugi calls his attack, Weevil's trap, known as Parasite Worm, activates and destroys the little fur ball.

"And with that, my turn is over." Yugi says with confident as his life points drop to 1050. "Trap cards only work when they catch you by surprise. So next time, don't give your plan away." However, Weevil starts laughing hysterically.

"I didn't!" Weevil called out. "I don't give a bee's behind about that Parasite Worm trap!" The revelation shocks Yugi and the others. "I tricked you into recalling your monsters so you couldn't attack this!" Weevil proceeds to reveal his face down monster, a level 2, earth attribute, 500 attack and 400 defense point, boosted to 650 and 520, respectively, through the Field Power Bonus, caterpillar-like creature called Larvae Moth. Yugi is unsure as to what Weevil is planning by summoning out such a tiny creature.

"Sure, he's just a little slug now, but the Cocoon of Evolution will change all that!" Weevil said as he played the Cocoon of Evolution and equipped it to the Larvae Moth. "Isn't it beautiful?!" Weevil asks as the Larvae Moth starts encasing itself in silk, to the disgust of the group and Yugi due to the sound.

"Normally, I find a caterpillar sealing itself in a cocoon fascinating, but this is one exception!" Fluttershy said in disgust.

"I agree, darling." Rarity concurred. "That is just utterly DISGUSTING!" As for Mai, she stood correct as she had a feeling Weevil would turn the duel around in his favor.

"Behold my Cocoon of Evolution!" Weevil declares. "Within that cocoon sits my tiny little Larvae Moth, and over the next five turns he will undergo a startling transformation...from harmless caterpillar to the unstoppable Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth!"

"Then I'll crack your cocoon open before that happens." Yugi retorted.

"Easier said than done, Yugi, for my Cocoon of Evolution may have 0 attack points, but it has 2000 defense points." Weevil responded. "And it also gets a field power bonus from the wilderness around it, increasing its defense points. It'll be so strong, you won't even be able to scratch its surface! Just five more turns, Yugi. In five turns, my Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth will fully develop and finish you off." Yugi realizes that if what Weevil says is true, he'll have to act fast because that insect will keep growing and changing with each turn, meaning that he'll have to get a monster strong enough to destroy it. So, he summons Gaia the Fierce Knight to the field. The monster attacks, but due to the 300 point difference between Gaia and the Cocoon of Evolution, the attack fails and Yugi's life points decrease by the difference.

"That's one turn down!" Weevil says with glee. "Care to try again?" Over on the sidelines, the group urges Yugi to fight on, but Mai just laughs at their efforts.

"And just what do you think you're laughing at?!" Rarity says in anger.

"All that stupid encouragement you keep giving Yugi." Mai replies. "You make it sound like Yugi even has a chance."

"Of course he does!" Rainbow shouts as Applejack pulls her back.

"Any duelist that's ever gone up against Weevil's Cocoon of Evolution and the monster that hatches from it has been totally trashed." Mai says smugly.

"No way. Yugi's faced off against three Blue-Eyes White Dragons and came back on the winning side of the duel." Twilight said with confidence. "Facing against a giant cocoon will be no different." However, Mai doesn't think so.

"Hear it growing?" Weevil asks. "The more time you waste, the more powerful it becomes." Yugi knows that if he doesn't stop whatever is inside the Cocoon of Evolution before it reveals itself, he'll lose both his only chance of saving his grandpa and his entire deck. Weevil proceeds to draw.

"Tick tock, tick tock. Just four more turns until my ultimate insect emerges." Weevil taunts. "Then you can stop worrying about how you're going to destroy it, and start worrying about how it's going to destroy you." Yugi draws his next card, which is a level four, beast-warrior monster with 1200 attack and 1500 defense points known as Beaver Warrior, and decides to set it up as defense in case he really can't stop whatever hatches from the Cocoon of Evolution.

"You're wasting your turn." Weevil says. "No defense will save your life points once my moth is out!" Weevil proceeds to pass his turn, followed by Yugi after he draws. Yugi knows he has to turn the duel around, seeing as Weevil's pretty confident that whatever's growing in that cocoon is unbeatable, and find some way to pop the Cocoon of Evolution open.

"Yugi, you gotta win this duel for your grandpa! He's counting on you." Rainbow called out.

"I know he's counting on me." Yugi replies.

"Then you can't keep letting that little bug enthusiast push you around. Now get fired up and start kicking butt like you did against Kaiba!" Rainbow calls back. Yugi then gets an idea from what Rainbow just said.

"Well, the only thing I got from those lame cheers is the fact that Yugi's in this tournament for his grandfather, but don't you guys realize that reminding Yugi what he's fighting for distracts him from the game he's playing?" Mai asks.

"How would you know?" Pinkie Pie asks. "I bet no one ever wanted to be your friend as a kid, let alone care enough to cheer you on in a duel or throw you a surprise birthday party."

"You may be his friends, but so far Yugi's losing, so it seems like it's not working." Mai responds cynically, but she soon sees Yugi get a smile on his face and thank his friends for, unknowingly, giving him the very idea he needed to turn the duel back around to his favor, shocking her.

"Well, Mai, I guess that from the look on Yugi's face, I'd say that having supportive friends rooting for him really helped him out." Pinkie said with a smile of pride. Mai begins to wonder what possible good his friends did for him to make him smile and thank them.

"Go, Curse of Dragon! Take flight!" Yugi calls as he summons out a level 5, dark attribute, 2000 attack and 1500 defense point dragon called Curse of Dragon. "And I'll combine it...with this magic card!" Yugi adds as he plays his magic card. "Attack with Dragon Flame!" Yugi commands as the mighty Curse of Dragon launches a stream of fire at the Cocoon of Evolution.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Weevil asks in fury. "You know your little firefly can't hurt my cocoon." But Yugi starts chuckling. "What's so funny?" Weevil asks.

"Whoever said I was aiming for your cocoon?" Yugi asks back. "I combined my Burning Land Magic Card with my Curse of Dragon to destroy the forest all around your cocoon." The spectators were amazed by Yugi's brilliant plan, while Weevil was in disbelief.

"No forest?" Weevil asks. "That means..I lose my Field Power Bonus!"

"Exactly." Yugi confirms. "Your cocoon was too tough to attack directly, as long as it had 2600 defense points with the Field Power Bonus in effect, but without the Field Power Bonus, it's just a big 2000 defense point target."

"I get it!" Spike realized. "In order to get the Cocoon of Evolution's defense points back down to 2000, making it weak enough for Gaia to attack, he had to get rid of the forest around it with the Burning Land magic card, which would normally destroy field spell cards!"

"Now let's try this again." Rainbow said as Gaia prepared to charge.

"Gaia, attack with Spiral Spear Strike!" Yugi called as Gaia lands a devastating blow that punctures the Cocoon of Evolution, at last.

"All right!" Pinkie said with glee. "He broke that cocoon like it were a piñata!" However, the celebration is short lived as something emerges from the remains of the cocoon.

"You don't think it managed to survive that attack, do you?" Twilight asked in worry.

"I've got a bad feeling we're about to find out." Joey answered in worry. Soon, the monster reveals itself to the shock of Yugi's friends as they look upon the size of the level 8, 2600 attack point insect.

"I'm impressed that you pierced my cocoon, Yugi, but still, you were unable to stop the evolution of my ultimate insect, the Great Moth!" Weevil declares with pride.

"But I thought it took five turns for a Larvae Moth to evolve into that thing." Yugi responds.

"So you stopped him one turn early." Weevil retorts. "He's still strong enough to beat you." On the sidelines, Mai notices that Yugi's friends are worried, and she knows that the Great Moth is the reason why. However, Yugi remains undeterred.

"So, Yugi, feeling outclassed yet?" Weevil asks. "Or perhaps you're enjoying your first major league dueling loss."

"You may have gotten your prized monster onto the field, Weevil, but I'll still find a way to squash that oversized bug." Yugi replies.

"You'll pay for that stinging jab with your life points!" Weevil shouts.

"Try me!" Yugi retorts.

"Great Moth, take flight!" Weevil commands as the mighty bug takes to the air.

"So be it." Yugi says as his Curse of Dragon meets it over the battlefield. "We'll settle this in the skies!" Weevil thinks he has the advantage as Curse of Dragon is 600 attack points weaker than the Great Moth and none of Yugi's monsters on the ground can attack the Great Moth while its airborne.

"I think it's high time I pay back your knight for demolishing my cocoon." Weevil declares. Yugi knows that he can't lose Gaia, as he's the heart of Yugi's attack force.

"This is it, Yugi." Weevil says with glee. "My Great Moth will crush your defenses, slay your knight, and blast your dragon from the sky."

"Not if I can help it, Weevil." Yugi retorts as he plays a magic card, but Weevil doesn't take notice as his own bragging is distracting him again.

"But that's just it, you can't help it. Moth Hurricane Attack!" Weevil calls out as his ultimate insect attack and destroys the Beaver Warrior.

"No! My Beaver Warrior!" Yugi said in shock. "There goes my defense."

"It's hopeless. Nothing can stand against the gale-force winds of my Moth Hurricane. Your knight will be totally blown away" Weevil declares with glee as the powerful wind covers Gaia completely. "That'll teach him to mess with my cocoon!"

"Don't count on it." Yugi says with a smile. "Weevil, you were so busy fawning over your moth, you didn't notice I played a Polymerization card." Weevil can't believe what Yugi says, neither can Yugi's friends.

"We only heard about that card in our dueling lessons!" Rarity said in surprise.

"If I have 2 compatible monsters on the field, I can use a Polymerization card to fuse them into one ultimate creature." Yugi explained. "And in this case, by fusing my Curse of Dragon with Gaia, I have created Gaia the Dragon Champion!"

"I'm not some beginner. I know what fusion does." Weevil says with angry arrogance.

"Then you must know it increases my chances of winning, for my Dragon Champion has the same amount of attack points as your Great Moth, making if powerful enough to take it on head to head." Yugi replies, but Weevil disagrees with laughter.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. Look again!" Weevil says with confidence. Weevil and the spectators look at Gaia the Dragon Champion, and realize that it's losing 100 attack points with each passing second, and fast.

"How is Gaia losing attack points?!" Rainbow asked in shock. "And why?!"

"It's poison, Yugi." Weevil answers. "Poison particles from my Great Moth. Each time it uses its Moth Hurricane Attack, it releases tons of these tiny toxic particles. And your precious Dragon Champion is being poisoned by their deadly touch." Yugi realizes he'll have to find out how to protect his monster from the very air itself.

"Looks like my poison particles are taking their toll, Yugi!" Weevil taunts. Yugi realizes that his deck might have the answer, so with all his faith, Yugi draws his next card, and it's just the card he needed.

"Yes! Ready to be rained out, Weevil?" Yugi asks. "I play Makiu the Magical Mist!" Soon, rain begins to fall on the battle field, as per the effect of Makiu.

"No! My poison! You're washing it all away!" Weevil cries.

"That's right. Makiu's magic water washes the field clean." Yugi explains.

"No fair. I was about to win, and you save yourself with a little drizzle?!" Weevil asks in anger. Yugi knows full well that by playing Makiu, he did more than just save the Dragon Champion. Much more.

"All right then, you may have stopped my poison attack, but I promise you've only won a brief reprieve, because my next move is one you won't be able to think your way out of! Brace yourself for my ultimate insect's ultimate attack! Great Moth, Tornado of Doom!" Weevil declares as his monster nails a direct hit and blows Gaia the Dragon Champion away, lowering Yugi's life points down to fifty.

"Your little rainstorm didn't save you from that one now, did it?" Weevil asks with wicked glee. "Your Dragon Champion is toast. And you're almost out of life points."

"Yugi, keep fightin'." Joey calls out. "You can come back from this."

"If you all think that, you're all delusional." Mai says.

"No. Joey's right." Fluttershy retorted. "Yugi's been in a tough spot before during his duel with Kaiba, so he clearly can bounce back from something like this."

"He never gives up, and we never give up on him." put in Twilight.

"Then you're all nuts." Mai responded. "Weevil totally annihilated Yugi's strongest monster. He's down to a measly 50 life points. He can't win this, so do me a favor and stop yapping."

"Why should we do what you say, you selfish, pompous bleach-blonde, know-it-all windbag?!" Rainbow snapped. "Why don't you take my our advice and get lost?!"

"Don't listen to her, Rainbow." Applejack said. "She don't know Yugi like we do. And right now, he seems to be a right pickle."

"But what can we do?" Fluttershy asks.

"I don't know, but it'd be great if we could trade Mai in for life points." Rainbow says jokingly.

"I know Yugi may be good enough to beat Kaiba, but that was in an unofficial duel." Mai said. "If you asks me, he wastes too much time getting advice from you all instead of focusing on what he's doing."

"Then why didn't Weevil see this coming?" Tristan asked, puzzling everyone else.

"See what coming?" Spike asked.

"Whatever it is Yugi's grinning about." Tristan answered. Everyone looks up and sees that Yugi has a smile on his face.

"Wait, I don't think that's a smile just for the sake of a smile, I think it's a smile for the sake of laughter." Pinkie pointed out.

"He's laughing? At a time like this?" Mai asked. "No way." But indeed, Yugi was laughing out loud.

"Hey, hey! What are you so happy about?" Weevil asked. "Stop that snickering!"

"Weevil, I know it will be very difficult for you to accept losing a duel..." Yugi said. "Especially after spending so much time finding inventive ways to cheat. But if you thought bending the rules would help you win this match, you're wrong."

"No! This is a trick!" Weevil shouted.

"You play dishonestly, so you expect the same of your opponents. But I duel with honor, Weevil, and that makes all the difference." Yugi said in response.

"You got nothing!" Weevil said defiantly.

"Here's what I've got." Yugi responded as he held up his next card of choice and subsequently plays it. "The mighty Summoned Skull!" Soon, the Summoned Skull appears, towering over the field with 2500 attack points to go with its power level of six.

"This is it, Weevil." Yugi says. "Your ultimate insect won't withstand my next attack." Weevil, however, thinks Yugi might be losing his mind, seeing as Summoned Skull is 100 points weaker than the Great Moth, meaning that if Yugi calls an attack, his monster will be destroyed and his remaining life points will be gone.

"There's something you overlooked, Weevil--" Yugi said with a chuckle. "My Magical Mist card's effect is still around us. The entire field is still damp." Both Weevil and the spectators, especially Mai, can't believe what they here.

"He's right! Everything's wet. My Great Moth is totally soaked." Weevil says in disbelief as his Great Moth continues to flap it's wet wings, trying to stay airborne.

"And my Summoned Skull attacks with electricity, making you waterlogged bug a giant-sized lightning rod." Yugi points out. "I hope you're in the mood for some fireworks, Weevil, because thanks to Makiu the Magical Mist, all that water boosts my Summoned Skull's electrical attack power by 1000 points! Making it strong enough to end this duel."

"Now I get what Yugi was doing when he played Makiu!" Spike said with awareness. "He knew that if he played Makiu, he would give his Summoned Skull a power boost in advance before it took the field!"

"Genius!" Rarity called out.

"Summoned Skull, Lightning Strike!" Yugi calls out as the mighty skeleton launches a lightning bolt up, which comes back down on the Great Moth, instantly barbequing it and setting it ablaze.

"It's over. I've won." Yugi said at last as Weevil's life points drop to zero.

"No! Impossible! My moth's unbeatable!" Weevil says in disbelief.

"Not anymore it ain't!" Rainbow shouted as Weevil faints from the shock of losing. On the sidelines, everyone else celebrates Yugi's first victory in the tournament, while Mai stands corrected and impressed that the very kid who beat Seto Kaiba managed to beat the regional champion. Soon, Weevil begs for mercy as Yugi takes his winnings.

"But I'm the regional champion! The regional champion!" Weevil pleaded.

"Not anymore you aren't." Twilight said. "Because according to the rules of official tournament duels like this, if a champion is beaten, they lose their title. Meaning that Yugi's now the regional champion."

"Twilight's right. You call yourself a champion, Weevil, but you only won your duels through lies and cheating." Yugi said. "True champions--they play with honor. They play fair."

"Don't waste your breath on this sneaky slug." Rainbow said.

"He's a dueling disgrace!" put in Rarity as Joey reached for Weevil's glove and pulls it off him.

"And I hereby relieve him of his dueling gauntlet." finished Joey as Yugi put his three star chips into his gauntlet.

"There...three star chips so far." Yugi said with pride. "But I still need to win seven more. Ten star chips will gain me entry into that castle, where Pegasus is holding my grandfather's soul prisoner. And where I'll battle Pegasus and beat him once and for all!"

"And we'll be with you the whole way!" Twilight said with confidence and determination as they all looked up towards the castle.

Author's Note

Yes, I know that Larvae Moth can only be summoned after having Petit Moth equipped with the Cocoon of Evolution for two turns and it takes two turns before you can summon the Great Moth after having Petit Moth equipped with the Cocoon of Evolution for four turns, and I also know that Makiu the Magical Mist doesn't stick around after being used because it's not a permanent magic card, but seeing as the anime didn't officially give those rules, I'm going with what I got.

Arena of Lost Souls Part 2: Shield in the Right Hand, Sword in the Left

Joey stares down all three of Bonz's monster, Armored Zombie, Dragon Zombie, and Clown Zombie, while they eye the Flame Swordsman and Joey's remaining life points.

"You've had it, duelist." Bonz says to the young underdog. "Face it, all my monsters you thought you've killed have risen from the grave as invincible zombies that can't be sent back to the graveyard. And as zombies, they all gain a Field Power Bonus from the graveyard field we're playing on. Come on! Play your next card, Joey!" Joey goes ahead and plays one of the strongest monsters in his hand.

"This one. Garoozis!" Joey says at last as said monster appears. "Go, with Five Slash Strike!" Garoozis slashes the Clown Zombie to pieces. "Yes! Adios, you undead circus clown!"

"Not quite." Bonz says. "I tried to tell you, dweeb. Forgot about my trap card? Call of the Haunted is still in play, and it's gonna stay like that, because it's a permanent trap card."

"Permanent trap?! You mean it sticks around for the rest of the duel?!" Joey asks in shock as the Clown Zombie reforms.

"That's not all. Each and every time a zombie monster is attacked, it will come back to life even stronger and more deadlier than before." Bonz answers. "Let me explain. The Clown Zombie's attack power was originally 1350, but it, like my other monsters, gains a 30% Field Power Bonus from the graveyard field. So now it's 1755. And after being brought back to life by Call of the Haunted, it gets another 10%. So do that math, pea brain. It's attack power is 1890, and that means he's stronger than Garoozis."

"It can't be!" Joey says in horror.

"Clown Zombie, Flame Dagger Acrobatic Attack!" Bonz commands, and in seconds, the Clown Zombie destroys Garoozis with 4 glowing daggers, lowering Joey's life points to 1530, tying with Bonz's life points. Meanwhile, the rest of the gang is still searching the caves for Joey, but with no luck.

"Still no signs of Joey." Tristan says as they come to a stop, but Twilight quickly notices Bakura's missing.

"Hey, where's Bakura?" Rarity asks, worried.

"I don't think we took any turns, so where could he have gone?" Twilight asks. Suddenly, Twilight gets her answer when they hear Bakura screaming.

"Does that answer your question, Twilight?" Rainbow asks. "He must have dragged behind."

"Bakura! This way!" Tristan calls. But they soon run away from him as he has a skeleton on his back, frightening them all.

"Someone, please, get this thing off me!" Bakura shouts. Soon, Twilight gets the skeleton off Bakura's back, bringing a sigh of relief to the group.

"From now on, no one goes picking up any hitchhikers." Tristan says as he stomps on the skull.

"Skeletons, or ghosts." Pinkies says as she catches her breath.

"You gave us all quite a scare with that skeleton, Bakura." Yugi says.

"Sorry." Bakura says.

"I think we have bigger problems right about now." Applejack points out as everyone looks behind them to see a split in the path. "Which way do we go now?"

"Gee, both ways looks so inviting." Tea says sarcastically.

"No one likes sarcasm, Tea." Twilight says.

"If Joey is in this cave, we have to choose a tunnel and hope he went down the one we picked." Fluttershy says. "And we don't have time to sit and think, Joey needs us." Everyone agrees, but suddenly, Bakura's foot starts to sink.

"It looks like you pressed a pressure plate, Bakura." Twilight says. Suddenly, they all hear a faint, distant rumbling sound.

"What is that sound?" Rarity asks worried.

"It sounds distant, but it's a rumbling sound. A kind of rumbling sound that only gets more...rumbly." Pinkie says.

"It's getting louder, meaning it's getting closer." Twilight says.

"Definitely, meaning something is coming our way." Tea adds.

"But just what's coming our way is the question." put in Yugi.

"I think it might be a..." Pinkie says, but her eyes grow wide as she gasps, realizing what it sounds like. "A boulder." she says quietly.

"A what?" Rainbow asks.

"A BOULDER!" Pinkie shouts. Right on cue, a giant boulder rolls their way, causing everyone to run down the left tunnel path.

"Why is that boulder chasing us?" Tea asks.

"Cause we're downhill!" Tristan answers.

"This reminds me of a movie I saw, the beginning of some adventure movie with a guy in a fedora looking for a statue and running away from a giant boulder once he finds and grabs it!" Rainbow says as they continue to run.

"You know, it's funny how a good boulder chase, can give you an energy boost!" Pinkie says.

"Less talking, more running!" Spike shouts. Suddenly, Bakura trips and is seemingly mushed by the boulder.

"No! It got Bakura!" Rarity says in terror, shock and sadness. Spike just looks at her.

"Aside from his British accent, what does Rarity see in Bakura?" he asks himself.

"Do what that actor in that movie about a jungle board game said during a stampede scene, and don't look back!" Tristan says as they continue to run, but they soon reach a dead end.

"Oh, no! It's a dead end!" Fluttershy says in shock and fright. This prompts Rainbow and Tristan to put on the brakes and do a quick about-face.

"Nowhere to run, we may as well fight!" Rainbow says as she and Tristan brace themselves.

"Tristan, Rainbow, you can't punch--" Yugi says.

"A boulder!" finishes Twilight.

"We oughta try!" Tristan says as both he and Rainbow clinch their fists tight and slam them into the boulder, which, to the dumbfounded surprise of everyone, pops.

"You're telling me that that boulder was a balloon?!" Applejack asks, annoyed.

"There's more than that." Twilight says as she points out something left after the balloon burst. "That's a speaker, meaning somebody wired that thing to produce the sound of a boulder rolling, and I'm willing to bet it was Pegasus."

"Bakura? Are you okay? Speak to me." Rarity said as she checked on her friend.

"That Pegasus spared no expense scaring any duelist who comes in here half to death!" Rainbow says, doubly annoyed. Meanwhile, Joey is wondering how to bounce back, knowing that every time he attacks one of the zombies, they come back stronger than before.

"Had enough yet, Joey?" Keith asks. "I told you, there's no way to beat Bandit Keith, or anyone who teams with me, for that matter."

"Yeah, Bandit Keith's the best there is." Zygor concurs.

"You can leave your star chips at the door." Sid adds. Joey knows that if he loses his chips, he's out of the tournament, and he also remembers when Kaiba beat him.

"No way! I'm not a scared puppy!" Joey says with gusto. "And for Serenity's sake, I'm staying in the game. I have to trust in the cards, and in myself." Joey proceeds to draw his next card, and it's a card that Joey knows saved him twice in the tournament. The Time Wizard, and he remembers how it helped him win his duels against Mai and Rex, when it aged Mai's Harpie Lady Sisters and fossilized Rex's Red-Eyes Black Dragon. So, thinking that he's got nothing to lose, Joey decides to play it.

"I play Time Wizard!" Joey says at last as the master of time appears. This bring a look of surprise to the faces of both Bonz and Keith. Keith in particular, knowing well that if Joey gets the Time Roulette right, Bonz's zombies will turn to dust.

"Go, Time Roulette!" Joey commands as the Time Wizard's spin arrow begins to rotate.

"Boss, help me." Bonz pleads.

"Don't worry. Don't you know Time Roulette is totally a game of chance, Bonz?" Keith asks. "It's all a matter of luck. So, if yours is better, you won't be wiped out, see?" Bonz panics as the arrow continues to spin.

"Come on, Time Wizard. You can do this." Joey says, though Bonz hopes for the contrary. The arrow soon starts to slow. "This is it!" The arrow soon comes to a stop, but on a skull instead of a time warp.

"What?! No way!" Joey says in shock.

"Boss, I won!" Bonz says with joy.

"You're really gonna dig what happens next, Bonz." Keith says. "Now his Time Wizard and Flame Swordsman will vanish into a time warp in the sky." In no time, the time warp appears.

"Now! Don't go!" Joey calls out, but it's in vain as both monsters disappear.

"And that's not all." Keith adds. "Half the attack power of those monsters gets deducted from Joey's life points." Right on cue, Joey's life points decrease to 630.

"Want me to play a card, or would you rather defeat yourself?!" Bonz asks with a wicked laugh.

"I didn't know I'd take this big a hit if I lost the spin at Time Roulette." Joey says, still in disbelief.

"Poor Joey. I'll give your a free turn as a consolation prize for the Time Roulette." Bonz says. "Throw my zombie another tasty morsel." Joey selects his card, knowing that he can't risk an attack, and plays it in defense mode.

"Go, Dragon Zombie!" Bonz calls out, but Keith stops him mid-command.

"Hold it." Keith says. "Why just defeat him when you can humiliate him the way Pegasus did me? Beef up your zombies, and you can wipe him out in a few turns. And there's only one way you can do that. Play the king of ghosts!"

"I hear you, boss." Bonz answers as he picks the card from his hand that Keith was referring to. "Pumpking, rise from the grave!" In seconds, a giant pumpkin with one eye, tentacles and wearing a crown appears.

"What is that thing?" Joey asks.

"It's a monster called Pumpking the King of Ghosts!" Bonz says.

"What does it do?" Joey asks.

"Oh, the Pumpkin has a very special ability. Ectoplasmic Fortification!" Bonz explains as Pumpking's tentacles plant themselves within each of the zombies.

"Ecto-whozis Forti-whatzis?" Joey asks, confused.

"Ectoplasm is the ghostly substance that ghosts are made of and it's also what gives my zombies their power." Bonz explains. "And Pumking, as the king of ghosts, can pump up their ectoplasmic energy and their attack points with some ectoplasm of his own, sending said attack points up by 10% each and every turn."

"Oh no." Joey says in worry.

"And as their attack power grows, they become giant zombies!" Bonz says aloud. "Dragon Zombie, attack with Deadly Zombie Breath!" In seconds, Joey's monster, Kojikocy, is turned to dust. "That defensive monster was much too weak. Why don't you give me something stronger to destroy?"

"You wish." Joey retorts. "Armored Lizard, defense mode."

"Ectoplasmic Fortification! Power up my zombie army, and attack!" Bonz shouts as the Dragon Zombie destroys the Armored Lizard.

"Well, so much for Armored Lizard." Joey says.

"Oh, this is so cool! Boss, you've given me great advice!" Bonz says with glee. But Keith knows that the advice he was giving him was just good, not great. And remembers that Bonz has one card that'll demolish Joey for good.

"Man, I can barely defend myself." Joey says as he sets another monster.

"Deadly Zombie Breath!" Bonz commands, and what happened to Armored Lizard and Kojikocy happens to Joey's next monster, Glassman, prompting Bonz to laugh. "I'm wiping them out one by one!"

"He's right, any longer, and I'll be done for." Joey admits as he sets his next card.

"Deadly Zombie Breath!" Bonz shouts as the Dragon Zombie attacks and destroys Masaki, the Legendary Swordsman.

"That dragon's bad breath is killing me. I lose another warrior, and his zombies just keep getting stronger and bigger." Joey says.

"Come on! Throw down another card for my monsters to devour!" Bonz says. Joe wonders if there's a way to beat Bonz's zombie army, thinking that Yugi would know. Right on cue, Yugi and the others show up.

"Someone call for backup?" Rainbow asks.

"Yugi, guys, you're really here!" Joey says in disbelief.

"Block em." Keith says to Zygor and Sid. The two proceed to keep the others back.

"What kind of duel arena is this?" Yugi asks.

"It looks like a graveyard." Fluttershy gulps.

"Why in tarnation did you accept a challenge to a duel in this place?" Applejack asks.

"Like I had a choice." Joey explains. "Those three creeps and their leader ganged up on me and forced me into this crazy duel!" The other realize their suspicious were right.

"I suggest you back away, because this duel's over." Tristan says.

"That's not up to you to decide, chum." Sid retorts.

"We say it is." Rainbow says.

"If you want to stop this duel, you'll have to get past us, first." Zygor retorts.

"With pleasure!" Tristan says as he charges, but Sid flicks a marble at Tristan's head, stunning him and giving Zygor the chance to nail Tristan in the gut, brining him to his knees. Joey tries to go check on his friend, but Keith stops him.

"Hold it." Keith says. "Remember, if you leave the arena, you forfeit the duel and all your star chips go to me and the boys." Joey can't believe it.

"Isn't this duel illegal to start with?" Spike asks.

"Not quite, kid." Sid answers. "He put down his deck and chips, so it's legal."

"Sid's right." Keith concurs. "He accepted the duel, and now he has to fight it to the end."

"In that case, Joey--you're just gonna have to beat that punk opponent of yours." Tristan says. "And just for a little added motivation, take this!" Tristan than tosses Joey his wallet, and Joey sees his sister's photo.

"Serenity." Joey says.

"That's right, Joey." Twilight says. "Remember who you're dueling for...your little sister."

"Thanks, Twi." Joey says with a smile of confidence.

"So, what's it gonna be?" Keith asks. "You gonna cut and run, or are you gonna part with your star chips the hard way?"

"I've had it up to here with your smart remarks." Joey says. "Now spill it, just who are you anyway?"

"Didn't you hear me say my name to Bonz? They call me Bandit Keith." Keith explains.

"You're Bandit Keith? The Duel Monsters Intercontinental champion?!" Applejack asks. "The same guy Kaiba told us about?! The same guy that lost to Pegasus at the end of the tournament?!"

"No wonder skull face has been outsmarting me at every turn." Joey says.

"Which is why you should just pack it up and head home, dweeb." Keith says. "Because I've given my little pal Bonz here the perfect strategy. First, he played three monsters that wouldn't get a Field Power Bonus from the graveyard field, Zanki, Crawling Dragon and Crass Clown. Second, he played Call of the Haunted to bring them back from the gave, turning them into Armored Zombie, Dragon Zombie and Clown Zombie, and giving them the ability to gain more attack power every time one of his monsters attacks them, which subsequently activates Call of the Haunted, bringing them back. And third, he played Pumpking and used it's special ability to increase their attack points every turn. You couldn't beat him with every card in your deck."

"Nobody's gonna get inside Pegasus' castle except for Bandit Keith and us." Zygor adds.

"This will be the last duel you fighy, Joey." Bonz says. "And when you lose, you'll be joining the other zombies and skeletons in the graveyard of a cave. So, come on. Play your next card, or rest in peace."

"For your sake, Serenity, I gotta win!" Joey says as he plays his next defense monster.

"No! All your hopes and dreams will die right here!" Bonz retorts.

"Says you, geek!" Joey retorts back. "I'll keep up my defenses until I can find some way to attack!"

"You know, you shouldn't broadcast your strategy for everyone to hear." Keith chimes in. "Especially when it's a losing one. Bonz has a special card in his deck that'll render all your defenses useless."

"You gotta be bluffing, there's no way he can do that with one card!" Joey says.

"Oh yeah?" Bonz asks as he draws the card he needed. "This magic card is what he meant. It's called Stop Defense!" Joey and the others know just what Stop Defense does

"Like in my duel with that Kaiba imposter, Stop Defense can mean big trouble, Joey!" Yugi shouts.

"And that means, any monster you play in defense mode will activate my card." Bonz explains. "And you still can't stop me from raising the ectoplasmic power of my zombies thanks to Pumpking. So now, all that's left is to snuff the last monsters you have in reserve, starting with the one on the field. Deadly Zombie Breath!" In no time, Joey's monster, Tiger Axe, is destroyed.

"Nearly the end of the road for you, dweeb!" Keith says with a laugh. "You're nearly out of monsters, meaning you got next to nowhere left to run!"

"Come on, Joey! Every underdog fights his way back up!" Applejack shouts.

"Keith may be Intercontinental champion, but he's lacking one thing in this tournament." Fluttershy says. "Someone or something worth fighting for."

"I know, that's why I'm not quitting." Joey answers. "Not while Serenity's counting on me." Joey then draws the card he needs. "Go! Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" In no time, Joey's prize monster appears.

"Red-Eyes? Where'd this dork get a card that rare?" Keith asks in shock.

"If all my defenses are blocked with the impending activation of a magic card, then I'll just have to take to the offense!" Joey says. "Red-Eyes, take out that overgrown pumpkin!"

"What do I do? His attack power is greater than Pumpking's!" Bonz says in worry.

"Inferno Fire Blast!" Joey commands. In seconds, Pumpking is destroyed, lowering Bonz's life points to 855 and prompting the others to celebrate.

"That attack turned that pumpkin into a pumpkin pie!" Rainbow says.

"Nice move, Joey! Now he can't raise his monsters' attack power any higher!" Yugi adds.

"And since Pumpking was already a ghost from the start, he can's use Call of the Haunted to bring him back!" finishes Spike.

"Minor setback, Bonz." Keith says reassuringly. "Don't forget, your zombies still have more than enough attack power to polish him off for good."

"Yeah. Okay, boss." Bonz responds. "Go Dragon Zombie! Blow Red-Eyes away!"

"My Red-Eyes! No!" Joey says in shock as his best monster is turned to dust, lowering Joey's life points to 150 while Bonz laughs in triumph.

"Even Red-Eyes was no match for me, now he's up in smoke!" Bonz says with wicked glee.

"He wiped out, my strongest card." Joey says in disbelief. "Without it, I'm all but done for."

"It's all over for you, dweeb!" Keith says with a laugh. Joey knows Keith is right, as he's out of moves. The only monster Joey has left in his hand is a level 2, earth attribute warrior monster with 700 attack points called Battle Warrior, a far too weak creature.

"Well, are you going to play or surrender?" Bonz asks.

"Somebody please tell me if there's a way for Joey to beat that little ghoul!" Rainbow says in frustration.

"He's in a big jam, Rainbow." Yugi replies. "Attacking his zombie army doesn't do any good, and that facedown magic card will block all of Joey's defenses." Spike then realizes what Yugi just said.

"Wait. Defense! That's it!" Spike says at last. "Joey, there is a way! You've got a magic card in your deck that just might turn this whole duel around!" This confuses both Joey and Bonz.

"He's right! I remember because you traded for it on the boat here!" Yugi adds

"You've gotta be kidding me." Keith responds. "You're Yugi, right? Well, maybe you beat Kaiba, but the strategy I gave Bonz is perfect. Your friend is a goner!"

"Joey, he's wrong!" Yugi retorts.

"You sure?" Joey asks. Yugi just stares at Joey, as if saying 'Trust me. I know you got card you need before we even got to the island'. "Alright. I'll trust in the cards." Joey then draws what could be his final card, but it's just the card Yugi and Spike spoke of.

"Yeah, this is...the one." Joey says, knowing that he traded for it. Shield and Sword, which can swap the attack and defense points of all monsters on the field. Joey figures that if he can take away the attack points of Bonz's zombies, they won't be able to stop his only remaining monster, Battle Warrior. "Yep. It's my only chance. First, I summon Battle Warrior--in attack mode!" Battle Warrior soon appears.

"So, it's the only move you had left, huh?" Bonz asks.

"And now I add this magic card, called Shield and Sword!" Joey adds, shocking Bandit Keith. "Go, Offensive Defensive Flip!" In seconds, the attack power of all of Bonz's zombies switch to 0, while Battle Warrior's attack power switches to 1000. Keith knows well that since zombie monsters don't have a will of their own, they won't be able to defend themselves. Meaning that with their defense now their offense, Bonz is sunk.

"It can't be! My zombie army's attack power dropped to zero!" Bonz says in shock.

"And my Battle Warrior's attack and defense points switched, too. See?" Joey adds. "Smash those zombie freaks! Ultimate Battle Fist!" With one strike to the Dragon Zombie's head, Bonz's life points hit 0.

"How, could I lose?" Bonz asks himself while the others celebrate their friend's victory.

"Guess those zombies weren't the only ones who were brain dead." Rainbow says with a chuckle. "So was Bonz for even thinking that he'd win."

"See you around, loser." Keith says as he walks away, though Bonz tries to stop him.

"Hey, Bandit Keith!" Joey calls, prompting Keith to stop. "Maybe next time you'll have the nerve to challenge me face to face instead of hiding behind your creepy flunkies."

"Duel you face to face?" Keith asks. "You're hopeless, dweeb. The game of Duel Monsters is all about keeping your opponents off balance. Winning the duel's all that matters, not how you go about doing it."

"We'll just see about that, Bandit Keith!" Joey retorts.

"Yeah, right. I'm already quivering in fear, Joey." Keith says with a laugh as he and his flunkies leave.

"What a jerk." Tea says.

"And he calls himself a champion." Rarity adds.

"Guys, I'm sorry." Joey says. "I didn't mean to drag you into all of this."

"Next time, don't be in such a hurry to run off on your own." Tristan responds.

"Never mind. We know that it wasn't your fault, Joey." Fluttershy says.

"You're right. As long as he won the duel, we can forgive him." Tristan says.

"You had us all worried, Joey. But you really came through." Applejack adds.

"I got lucky, that's all." Joey says, modestly.

"It wasn't luck, Joey." Twilight says. "It was your determination, trust in the cards, and the promise you made to your sister that helped you beat Bonz." Joey looks at his gauntlet, knowing that he only needs two more star chips.

"Well, now that that's done, can we finally get out of this creepy pit?" Tea asks. Everyone agrees and heads back the way they came.

"Nothing's gonna stop us now." Joey says happily. Soon, they finally reach the end of the tunnel, but before they can leave, a boulder starts moving in front of the entrance, compliments of Bonz, Sid and Zygor and on the order of Bandit Keith.

"Tough luck, guys. Looks like you're stuck in that cave for life!" Keith says with a laugh while the boulder comes to a stop. "Now we gotta have a little talk."

"Talk about what, boss?" Bonz asks. Suddenly, both Bonz and Sid see Zygor on the ground, out cold.

"Your star chips." Keith answers. "Next?"

"Boss, what's wrong?" Bonz asks.

"What's wrong is that you lost the duel." Keith answers.

"But, boss, I did exactly what you told me!" Bonz protests.

"You still lost!" Keith shouts. "Now hand em over!" Keith proceeds to pummel Sid and Bones and takes their star chips and puts them into his own gauntlet.

"Ten star chips." Keith says at last. "Not exactly the way I planned to get them, but at least now I know I'll be getting into the castle." Keith proceeds to walk away, leaving his former employees behind. "I'm coming, Pegasus. We got a score to settle." Back inside the cave, the group tries to move the boulder, but to no avail. Not even Applejack, the strongest among the Equestria girls, could move it.

"This thing weighs a ton!" Joey says.

"And they say I'm the strongest back home!" Applejack adds. "We can't even get it to budge!"

"Push harder! Come on!" Tristan urges.

"Are we really trapped in here?" Tea asks in worry as they all continue to push on the boulder.

Author's Note

Of course, the rules of the Time Roulette were messed with for the anime, as half of the Time Wizard's attack points weren't deducted from Joey's life points like half of Flame Swordsman's were.