Duel Monsters Are Magic: The Original King of Games

by snivygamer97

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Violence, Crossover, Death, Human, Twilight Sparkle, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Rainbow Dash, Comedy, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Yu-Gi-Oh, Spike
Length: 48988

The Mane 7 work to save the world with card games.

Everything began with a dream. Soon, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and their friends end up in a strange new world where card games decide everything. With the help of their new friends, Yugi Muto, Yusaku Fujiki, and their friends, some more reluctant than others, the Mane 7 now have to go on many perilous journeys to help keep this new world and their world safe.

Published 2023-01-06 07:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2023-05-18 23:00:49 UTC

The Heart of the Cards Part 1

Author's Note

Hello everyone. Sorry for part of this being from the GX story. I'm planning on restarting the story as part of a series starting from the Original Yugioh. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. More coming soon.

The Heart of the Cards Part 1

Long ago, when the pyramids were still young, the Egyptian Kings played a game of great and terrible power. But these Shadow Games erupted into a war that threatened to destroy the entire world. Until a brave and powerful pharaoh locked the magic away, imprisoning it within the mystical Millennium Items. Now, five thousand years later, a boy named Yugi unlocks the secret of the Millennium Puzzle. He is infused with ancient magical energies, for destiny has chosen him to defend the world from the return of the Shadow Games, just as the brave Pharaoh did five thousand years ago.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow Dash zoomed faster than lightning across the sky, either spinning the clouds she passed or even busting them to pieces. Much to Rainbow’s glee, all of Ponyville was watching her performance and everyone seemed to love it, especially her friends.

“I can’t believe that Dashie was able to win the grand flight competition of the century and earned the title of fastest flier of all time! Woohoo!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“Not only that, but she was able to perform a Double Rainboom on top of that!” Fluttershy agreed.

“Yeah! A Double Rainboom shouldn’t even be possible, but Rainbow still pulled it off!” Applejack was in awe, with hearts in her eyes.

“If Rainbow doesn’t end up becoming a Wonderbolt after that performance, I don’t know what will make her become one,” Twilight threw in her own two cents.

“Looks like she may become one right now. Look over there!” Rarity pointed to Spitfire as she flew up to Rainbow Dash.

“So, Spitfire, what are you doing here? Are you here to tell me how awesome I am?” Rainbow asked the yellow pegasus.

“I don’t think I need to tell you about that, Rainbow Dash. You should already be more than well aware of your reputation as a hero and awesomely amazing flier by this point. I was here to ask; Do you want to become a new member of the Wonderbolts, Rainbow Dash?” Spitfire asked the pegasus, who was quick to look excited.

“YES! A thousand times yes! Being a Wonderbolt has been my dream ever since I was a little filly! Part of the reason I love to fly is because of you guys!” Rainbow Dash answered passionately.

“Well, we better get going. Our first show with you as a part of the Wonderbolts starts later tonight. And don’t worry about your friends. They’ll have front row seats to see you perform with us!” Spitfire reassured.

“This…is the best day of my life! Nothing can make this moment bad!” Rainbow cheered ecstatically.

Suddenly, however, the sky was quick to turn dark and stormy, thunder ringing out wildly. All of the ponies that were both in the sky and on the ground were scared for their lives as they grabbed their friends and loved ones and ran for their homes, except for a confused Rainbow Dash and her friends.

“Well, that can’t be a good sign,” Spike muttered to Twilight.

“No kidding. Storms like this would usually come with some sort of warning. Still, whatever this is, I’m sure we can handle it. We just need to get the Elements of Har-,” Twilight was interrupted by a loud roar, scaring Fluttershy and Spike.

“Whoa nelly! What in the name of Celestia could be causing this storm and that roar?” Applejack asked, confused.

“I have no idea, but running to the train station may be a good call right now,” Rarity suggested as another roar rang out.
Rainbow Dash flew on down quickly to where her friends were. “Twilight! Do you know what is causing this storm? I mean, today is still great, what with me becoming a Wonderbolt and all, but ponies can still get hurt if we don’t fix things!”
“You? A Wonderbolt? Uh…,” Pinkie Pie nervously responded.
“Last I checked you were still trying to get into their academy,” Applejack confirmed.
“W-w-what?” Rainbow was shocked and saddened.
“But, I must say you will make for a marvelous Wonderbolt, darling, I mean when the time comes,” Rarity said supportively.
“Um, sorry to interrupt, but can we save this talk for after we save all the ponies and animals?” Fluttershy asked meekly.
“Y-Yeah! Saving everyone should take priority!” Spike agreed.
“I would do something if we had the Elements of Harmony, or at the very least knew where this storm was coming from! Could it be from the Everfree Forest?” Twilight wondered.
“The Everfree Forest? How naive. No. Your pain and misery will come from a much different force than that old place.”
Everyone was confused and scared on where this voice had come from and what they had meant.
“Uh, Twilight? You know where that creepy voice came from?” Spike asked in fear.
“I wish I did,” Twilight responded.
All of a sudden, a strange demonic eye started to form into the sky.
“Ah…one of my beloved loves. And- her soon to be suffering friends. How nice to see you all,” The eye said.
“Well, this is new, girls. What do y’all think we should do?” Applejack asked.
“I say we rush it and hit…her?” Rainbow suggested.
“I am of both genders. I am neither male or female, intersexed. But sure. You can say I am a girl if it makes you feel better. Either way, feel free to hurt me. I know what it means.”
“Whatever! Time for you to feel the burn!” Rainbow yelled as she was about to fly at the eye…only for Applejack to hold her back.
“Dash? Why don’t we stay away from the ominous floating eye for now?” Applejack suggested.
“Also, are you sure about hitting her, Dashie? I mean, the eye could be friendly, after all,” Pinkie Pie suggested.
“W-Well…seeing as how she said we’d be suffering, I’m not sure. Hopefully we can put a stop to her before things get out of hand,” Fluttershy tried to be brave in spite of her fear.
“Fluttershy is right. We may need to flee in order to stop her. Hopefully we can make it to Canterlot and find the Elements. I just wish it was for better reasons,” Rarity decided.

“Sure. Believe that your little stones can stop me or those other threats that seek to hurt you.”
“Look, I don’t know why you wanna hurt me or my friends. But know that we will stop whatever you plan to do and keep Equestria safe from your grasp!” Twilight said bravely.
“That’s very touching, my little pony. However, you’re not the one I’m interested in. You may be the magical friendship Element, the one which your six stones need to combine into, but my interest does not lie with you.”
“W-What?! But then what do you want?” Twilight wondered.
“All will be revealed with time. For now, say hello to my little friends.”
At this point, the six ponies and the young dragon saw many brief glimpses of many threats. These included a few shadows surrounded by seven golden items, several massive dragons, a strange multi-appendaged angel, a strange space machine and a strange dangerous light, a skeletal beast, and finally a massive trio of demons colored red, yellow, and blue.
“What the hay is all this stuff?!” Rainbow demanded.
“I don’t know. But I know it can’t be anything good…,” Twilight muttered before the three demons shot out energy bursts ready to hit and destroy their targets.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

However, before the blast could hit the mare and her friends, Twilight suddenly opened her eyes. She and her friends were no longer being confronted by those three ferocious beasts. She was back in her room at the Golden Oaks library right at the crack of dawn. Looking down, she saw Spike had also just woken up as well.

“Twilight! What are we going to do about…,” Spike yelled only for him to realize that what just happened was a dream. “Oh, thank goodness! All that just happened was a dream! What a strange one, though. One minute I was about to move into an ice cream house with Rarity, and the next we’re being confronted by an evil eye and three massive monsters!”

“Uh…Spike?” Twilight asked nervously.

“What?” Spike asked only to begin to understand that what had just occurred wasn’t a simple dream. “Oh. It wasn’t a dream, was it?”

“I don’t know. All I know is that this wasn’t a normal dream. It appears that we’ve both shared it. I recall from Princess Luna that the only dreams that are shared between individuals are those that a certain magic user allows to be shared. I wonder if any of our friends had that dream also,” Twilight explained.

“Could be. So, what do you think was the deal with those monsters anyhow? Do you think that they could be coming to hurt us?” Spike wondered.

“It’s a possibility. We need to put a stop to whoever plans on summoning them before it is too late,” Twilight said just as she realized something. “Spike. Take a letter to the Princess. We need to tell her what we just dreamed about.” Spike nodded and got out a scroll to write down the warning that the young unicorn had for the Princess.

Not very long after Twilight woke up from that terrifying nightmare, Rainbow Dash woke up a bit worried. No, a bit worried would be underselling it. Even though she would never admit it to anyone, even herself, she was scared. Some strange monster and her pets, one that she knew felt familiar even though she never met, appeared in a dream that felt almost real and threatened not only herself and her friends, but also the innocents of Equestria. Wanting to calm down about her worries, she decided to go and see the one pony who she knew wouldn’t judge her over her fears; Fluttershy.

And so, Rainbow Dash zoomed past the beautiful sunrise and was able to arrive at Fluttershy’s cottage so fast that the Wonderbolts would be proud. Rather than knock on the door, Rainbow flew up to the bedroom window and knocked on it in rapid succession. After a few seconds, she got a response from Fluttershy who looked very worried, about as much as Rainbow was.

“Fluttershy! I need to talk to you! You see, I had a dream that started off awesomely sweet only for it to turn dark! Some monster and her giant pets appeared and destroyed us!” Rainbow confessed, trying to hide the worry in her voice.

“I know, Rainbow Dash! I had the same sort of nightmare and it has me worried about my pony and animal friends!” Fluttershy squeaked out in fear.

“I know you’ll think it means nothing, but- wait. You had the same dream as me?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Yes. A-A-And I’m worried about what it means. Is something bad going to happen to us and the creatures of Equestria? I really hope it was just a normal dream and we don’t have to worry about anything,” Fluttershy confirmed.

“Something tells me that this dream is more than just a normal nightmare. What if we or anyone else we know dies as a result of that monster’s sadism. I’m scared something bad is about to happen and that we won’t be able to do anything about it!” Rainbow confessed her worries.

“Don’t worry, Rainbow Dash. I bet the others are already getting the Elements ready to combat that creature. Plus, Twilight is the smartest mare we know. She’s probably already coming up with a plan to stop them,” Fluttershy reassured. “Oh, and don’t worry too much, Rainbow. I won’t bring up that you were scared to the others.”

“Hey! I’m not…never mind. Still, we should be better safe than sorry. I mean, once that storm started up, things felt a lot more real and we both appear to have had the same dream. I bet the rest of our friends may have had that dream too,” Rainbow Dash guessed.

“M-Maybe we should go and see Twilight and the others to make sure. After all, Twilight and Spike may have contacted the Princesses and gotten some sort of answer on what is going on here,” Fluttershy suggested. “I just hope we don’t have to go on another dangerous quest so soon after the Nightmare Moon incident.”

“And give up being awesome with my friends? Come on, Fluttershy! Let’s go get the others so we can-,” Rainbow said, only for Angel to enter the cottage and try to get Fluttershy’s attention. “Hey, Fluttershy, your jerkish bunny is here and trying to say something.”

“Don’t be rude, Rainbow!” Fluttershy said boldly before backpedaling a bit. “P-please? I’ll see what Angel is trying to say. So, what do you need, my little furry friend?” Angel was quick to run out of the cottage, which Fluttershy guessed meant that they should follow him. “Come on, Rainbow Dash! We should follow and see what Angel is trying to say.”

“But what about the demon in our dreams?” Rainbow asked impatiently.

“We can find out more later! Angel looked worried to me! Now, please! Let’s go!” Fluttershy pleaded while trying to be polite.

“But-Ugh, fine! We’ll see what your bunny wants!” Rainbow begrudgingly agreed, with both ponies flying after Angel to see what he was referring to. A few minutes later, both pegasi reached the location that Angel was leading them to… only to be massively confused at what was there.

“Rainbow…do you know what-,” Fluttershy asked nervously.

“No, I don’t. Maybe Twilight knows?” Rainbow suggested in regards to what was present; a giant stone tablet with a carving of a Blue Eyes White Dragon.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It didn’t take long for Rainbow and Fluttershy to find Twilight, who with Spike’s help was in the middle of investigating another tablet, this one with Dark Magician carved onto it.

“Fascinating! Even though these tablets just started to appear, they appear to be thousands to years old. Spike, where do you think they came from?” Twilight asked her brother/assistant.

“No clue. Maybe it’s like it was in one of my old comics and it came from space,” Spike suggested.

“No, it can’t be that. There would be craters much bigger than the ones surrounding the tablets if they came from space. Besides, objects this big crashing down would have done much more damage. I don’t quite understand it, Spike. First our shared nightmare, now these strange tablets. What in the name of Celestia is going on?! Are we all going to be invaded by monsters? Will there be another tablet crashing down that will destroy Equestria?! What are…?!” Twilight began to panic with tears in her eyes.

“Aw, don’t worry, Twilight! I know things seem stressful right now, but we’re here to help you figure things out,” Fluttershy said as she hugged Twilight.

“Fluttershy is right, Twilight! We may not have the whole story yet, but we will! Celestia and Luna already received your letter and are sure to be thinking of a way to fix everything and solve all these mysteries. In the meantime, please don't give yourself a heart attack from stress,” Spike comforted while hugging Twilight as he half-joked.

“Yeah. Spike has a point. No use in figuring everything out if you can’t live long enough to see things get fixed,” Rainbow said as she reluctantly hugged her as well.

Twilight cried in relief as she said, “Thanks, you three. I needed that. Now, I take it that you girls had the same thing happen? You know, a scary dream involving dangerous and unfamiliar creatures straight out of Tartarus?”

“Correctamundo, Twilight. Of course, I wasn’t scared of the dream,” Rainbow lied badly.

“Seriously? You weren’t scared by the monsters bigger than the Princesses’ castle?” Twilight snarked.

“Well, it looks like Twilight may be calming down,” Spike teased as Twilight blushed..

“So, it looks like all of us may have had the same dream then?” Fluttershy asked as Twilight nodded.

“Worse still, from the sounds of it, you know even less than we do,” Rainbow asked, with disappointment present on her face as Twilight nodded slowly.

Suddenly, before Rainbow Dash could say anything else, Pinkie Pie popped up between her and Twilight. “So guys, what are you doing here? Were you all chatting over the same dream I had last night involving mean old evil beasties?” Pinkie asked as she finally noticed the tablet in front of them. “Oh, are we going to throw a party involving that strange rock in the middle of town? Because that would be so cool!” Pinkie Pie cheered at the idea of throwing a party for her friends, wanting to think of something else.

“I don’t think that this is what is going on, Pinkie Pie,” Rarity said as she walked towards the growing group. “However, I believe that I could potentially make some interesting outfits back at home based off of it.” Rarity said with sparkling eyes as she was getting inspired.

“Rarity? Maybe focus on the shared dream part and the mystery rather than your business right now?” Applejack said.

“Sorry. But as an artiste, you have to be able to find and follow any opportunity to grow and create your craft. Still, you have a point. First we have the same creepy dream and then these alluring yet mysterious and dusty old stones? Something is going on here all right,” Rarity said.

“So, wait, there’s more than just the ones here and in the woods?” Rainbow asked.

“I heard that there are apparently more of these stone pieces in towns all across Equestria,” Applejack said as she approached them, having found this out due to her connections with the rest of the Apple family.

“Yeah, and these stones have even gotten the animals confused,” Fluttershy revealed. “Plus, it’s kinda terrifying.”

“What do you think is going on, Twilight?” Applejack asked the purple mare.

“I don’t know. I know as much about this as you do. Maybe the princesses know more about this. I had Spike write a letter asking Celestia and Luna what they currently know,” Twilight wondered, looking a bit disappointed for not knowing more.

“Hey, don’t worry, darling. It’s not like we’re really much in the know either. Besides, how exactly could we know more about these things anyhow?” Rarity asked.

“Yeah! It’s not like you know something we don’t,” Pinkie Pie said cheerfully. Suddenly, Spike belched up a letter from Princess Celestia.

“So, what does the letter say, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“It says for all of us to meet Celestia and Luna at the castle in Canterlot,” Twilight admitted the news to her friends.

“Does it say we need to go get the Elements of Harmony and defeat whatever threat is popping up?” Rainbow asked, feeling amped up.

“I hope it isn’t that serious,” Fluttershy hoped.

“We may just be getting invited to the next party at the palace after the Gala,” Pinkie suggested, trying to be optimistic.

“As fun as that would be, I have a bad feeling that the news may not be good,” Rarity warned.

“I wouldn’t count my chickens before they hatch. We should let Twilight continue talking before we judge the situation,” Applejack said.

“Well…it just says we should meet them in Canterlot and that we have things to discuss,” Twilight responded.

“Well that was very unhelpful,” Rainbow grumbled in annoyance as Twilight started to look annoyed with Rainbow.

“Uh, to be fair we may get a better understanding of what is going on when we reach the castle,” Spike said supportively to his older sister.

Twilight sighed before responding, “Thanks, Spike. Girls, we’re all heading off to Canterlot!”

It took a few hours, but the group of seven eventually made it to the castle in Canterlot.

As they walked down the hall, or flew in Rainbow Dash’s case, they were in the middle of thinking up an explanation as to the origin of the tablets.

“G-girls? So, what do you think about this whole mess? I mean, first the shared nightmare and now strange tablets with unfamiliar creatures? Who or what do you think is responsible for this?” Fluttershy meekly managed to ask with some difficulty.

“I don’t know, darling. I may not be a historian, but what I do know is that there is a strong chance that these things are connected,” Rarity suggested.

“No duh! What I can’t get over is how the strange eye monster appears to be familiar with us and was aiming for us specifically,” Rainbow admitted.

“You have a point. Do you think it has to do with us being the bearers of the Elements of Harmony?” Applejack wondered.

“I doubt it. It appears that they had other reasons, possibly more personal, for wanting to hurt us,” Twilight said.

“Twilight has a point. She wanted to hurt us, but showed no interest in going after Twilight or the Elements,” Applejack reasoned.

“But what could that reason be? We never hurt anyone without at least apologizing afterward,” Rarity noted.

“You’re right. Also, it appears that they loved at least one of us at some point,” Fluttershy agreed.

“Maybe this is all a big misunderstanding and she wants to do nothing bad at all and believes pain is love. I bet if we hash things out we could be good friends!” Pinkie Pie suggested as the others stared at her.

“Uh, not a bad idea, Pinkie Pie, but perhaps a bit too optimistic,” Spike whispered.

“Well, regardless of what harm she’ll do to me or my friends, I’m gonna find out what’s going on and save all of my friends and Equestria!” Rainbow cried out.

“But first we should talk with the princesses and see what they know,” Twilight reminded the group as they opened the door to the throne room, with both princesses sitting down next to each other looking a bit worried.

Upon arriving at the throne room, the group all bowed with respect towards the reigning princesses. Shortly afterward, Twilight was quick to bombard Celestia with questions. “It’s nice to see you, princesses. Now…What was that dream we had about? What are these stone tablets? Why are they showing up now? Are they the work of another villain?”

“Relax, Twilight.” Celestia calmed down her faithful student. “I don’t think that any villain is the source of these stone tablets. No, I think that these tablets come from another world entirely.” At this, the six ponies and one dragon gasped.

“Hold on. Other worlds exist? That sounds a bit far fetched if you ask me,” Rainbow Dash said.

“I don’t think this is a lie, darling. They seem to be serious,” Rarity whispered.

“You see, in ages past my sister and I used to travel through different worlds through a pair of Dimensional Scissors that allow for travel through different dimensions. I believe that another world may be sending these stone tablets out as a means of getting our attention and perhaps are asking for help,” Luna explained.

“That poor dimension! Perhaps we should go over and cheer it up,” Pinkie Pie sympathetically said as everyone but the princesses comically fell.

“Um, Pinkie? While you have the right idea, perhaps it was someone from that dimension asking the help,” Applejack suggested.

“Still, whoever needs help may be terrified. We may need to do something,” Fluttershy said.

“Especially if our home may end up in danger as well,” Twilight said grimly before she thought of something. “Do you think that the creature in our nightmare is the one responsible for the chaos we are being asked about?”

“It’s possible. I apologize for not interfering with your nightmare sooner, but there was a strange light magic that was keeping me from helping you all out,” Luna bowed apologetically.

“It’s okay, Princess Luna. We didn’t experience that much trauma,” Spike genuinely apologized before Twilight covered his mouth.

“So, what should we do, Princess? Do we go to the dimension that needs help and give it to them?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I was thinking just that,” Celestia agreed. “After all, for all we know the suffering of that dimension could come back to affect ours as well. However, before you all go I need to make something clear. Not many are aware of there being different dimensions outside of a select few different dimensions. Said knowledge would be bad to get out into the public eye as there are those that would attempt to damage the different dimensions for their own purposes. So, for that reason I think that you should avoid tipping off others that there are different dimensions as much as possible. Understood?”

All of the ponies agreed with this, ready to do what was necessary to save the different dimension and their own.

“Uh, I just realized something, everypony,” Pinkie Pie realized something.

“What is it Pinkie Pie?” Rarity asked.

“How are we supposed to give the creatures of this other dimension help if we can’t ask questions about the situation?” Pinkie Pie asked worriedly.

“Pinkie Pie has a point, believe it or not. What are we supposed to do? Ask the local animals if they know what’s up?” Rainbow rhetorically asked.

“Now that would be cute!” Fluttershy squeed.

“Right…So, Princesses, what should we end up doing?” Applejack asked.

“I understand your concerns, everypony, but we happen to know a few trusted individuals in certain dimensions that you can talk to,” Luna reassured.

“That sounds good! They know what is going on, right?” Spike asked.

“Yes, he does. While most creatures are not aware of other dimensions, there is at least one ally in the dimension you will be going to that knows of the existence of different dimensions. His name is Maximillion Pegasus. He will be sure to help set you on the right path.” Celestia got out her pair of Dimensional Scissors and opened a portal. After opening the portal, Celestia proceeded to give the pair of scissors to Twilight to hold onto. “Now, keep in mind, time flows a lot differently in the dimension you are about to go to. One day there can be as small as a few seconds here. The dimensional scissors can remain synched up with both times for a few hours, but after that the difference in time will start to be felt. So, if you want to head back home, you will be able to. Also, this means that even if time does go slower in the other dimension, you will not miss much of anything at home. So, good luck to each of you.”

“Don’t worry Princess Celestia.You can count on us to save that world that needs our help!” Twilight said in determination. “Right girls?”

“Right!” All of Twilight’s friends said at once.

“Are you sure? You all may be gone for a very long time, even if it isn’t felt in the time you are absent from this world,” Celestia tried to give everyone an out just to be safe.

“We could always go instead of you if you really want to,” Luna suggested.

“We can handle this mission, Princess. Don’t worry about a thing,” Twilight reassured her teacher.

“Hey, wherever Twilight goes I go,” Spike made clear.

“Hey, sometimes heroes need to make sacrifices for the good of many,” Rainbow Dash reassured the Princesses.

“Yeah, we can’t just leave this place to suffer,” Rarity said.

“Whatever that world throws at us, we can take it on if we stick together,” Applejack said.

“And who knows? Maybe we can have super fun parties with the residents of this new place,” Pinkie Pie said optimistically.

“Um, right.” Fluttershy agreed.

“Alright then. Take care,” Celestia said. At this, the six ponies and dragon entered the portal to a brand new reality.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In an instant, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Applejack appeared out of the portal into this new world. However, as soon as the trio had arrived, they suddenly fell over.

“Man! That was some trip we just had. Are you girls okay?” Twilight asked in concern as she looked over…only to see that Fluttershy and Applejack were no longer ponies, but humans.

“Oh, I’m fine! You don’t have to worry about me,” Fluttershy said shyly.

“Yeah! I’ve dealt with some rough tumbles before. That was nothing I can’t handle,” Applejack agreed.

“Um, girls?” Twilight asked nervously.

“Yes, Twilight? Are you okay?” Fluttershy asked.

“Do you have any idea why you two turned into humans?” Twilight asked.

“Hu-what? Look, Twilight, I don’t know what y’all are tryin’ ta pull, but I happen to still be a…,” Applejack said as she looked at what was once her hoof and now a hand. Applejack looked around at last, seeing that Twilight and Fluttershy were also humans and was quick to yell out. “Land sakes! What in the name of Celestia happened ta us?!”

“Are you okay, Appleja-?” Fluttershy asked before seeing that they were no longer ponies. “I think…I need to lie down,” Fluttershy said before she fainted.

“I don’t know what happened to you, but I assume I may also be human?” Twilight asked as Applejack nodded as she tried to calm down. “Well…this is a lot to take in. Strange. I read about humans in a few books, but I never thought they’d actually be real. Since we transformed into humans, I’d say that we’re more likely to run into more of them then.”

“If ya don’t mind me askin’ Twilight, what exactly are these ‘hoomans’?” Applejack asked as she tried to wake Fluttershy.

“It’s humans. And humans are creatures with a variety of varying skin tones that walk on two legs and have claw-like appendages on their front and back limbs. They also wear clothes at nearly all times except for when they’re alone like when changing clothes or bathing,” Twilight answered.

“Sounds…weird. I guess it must be good we came here with clothes in these forms then, huh? Strange. I don’t see Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Spike, or Pinkie Pie around anywhere. Where do ya think they are?” Applejack asked.

“I guess so…wait. The others aren’t here?!” Twilight cried out as she looked around, trying and hoping to see them nearby. “Rainbow Dash! Pinkie Pie! Rarity! Spike! Where are you?! Please tell me this isn’t a sick joke!” Twilight cried out with massive worry present in her voice, the yelling finally waking up Fluttershy.

“Um…are you okay, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked as she placed a hand on Twilight’s shoulder.

“Okay? OKAY?! Of course I’m not okay! Our friends have vanished and we have the entire world on our shoulders right now! How can I be okay?!” Twilight screamed, scaring Fluttershy.

“Twilight…I know this situation must be stressful. However, please keep in mind that the others are strong…even Rarity. They’ll be fine. They may have just gotten lost around here. From the looks of it, it appears ta be some sort of forest, so it makes sense to get lost,” Applejack tried to console her friend.

“Applejack is right. The others are more than capable of helping themselves. We shouldn’t worry too much. We’ll find them. It’s only a matter of time before we will be able to do so,” Fluttershy agreed.

Twilight appeared to be calming down at long last. “You girls are right. We’ll find them. I just hope we can find this Pegasus person and get help finding the others,” Twilight said.

“May be a bit easier if we knew where this Pegasus man was,” Applejack said.

“Do you think we should ask the animals to see if they’ve seen the others?” Fluttershy asked.

“Possibly. Well…considering we are able to find any animals,” Twilight noted. “This could be a problem judging by the size of this place.”

“Ah agree. Just wish we could narrow down the search,” Applejack said.

“Um, girls? I think I may have an idea,” Fluttershy said as she pointed towards a massive castle on the top of a hill.

“Whoa nelly! That place looks almost as big as Celestia’s castle back in Canterlot. So, y’all think that Pegasus is in there?” Applejack asked.

“Probably. There aren’t many other places where he could be, seeing how much forest there is,” Twilight noted.

“Well…let’s go…,” Fluttershy nervously said. “Let’s just hope he is friendly.”

“Don’t worry. Ahm sure he will be,” Applejack tried to comfort Fluttershy.

“Same here. If Celestia trusts him, then we should too. Well…let’s go,” Twilight said as the trio began to walk on up to the castle.

The trio began to walk on up to the castle via a staircase they found close to their location. It took some time, seeing how many stairs there were and how the trio had to get used to walking on two legs, but the trio had finally managed to make it up the stairs and to the front door of the castle.

“Phew! We finally made it up to the front door! I must say that this Pegasus fella really loves his stairs. Still, I guess it got us a good workout and some walking practice along with it,” Applejack noted.

“Yeah. Now, we should probably let this Pegasus person know we are here,” Twilight said as she knocked on the door of the castle. The trio began to wait for Pegasus to make it on up to the front door.

“So, what do you think that this Pegasus person will be like anyway?” Applejack asked.

“I’m not sure. He could be a wise mentor figure or a grumpy man with a heart of gold or…,” Twilight said just as the front door opened.

“Halt! Who goes there?” A man in a black suit demanded.

“Um…no one. We can go look elsewhere now!” Fluttershy fearfully said.

“Fluttershy…now isn’t the time for this! Sir, our names are Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Fluttershy. We’re here to see Pegasus. Are you him?” Twilight asked.

“No, I’m not. And I’m sure that he isn’t looking for the paparazzi with strange names to bug him while he’s busy coming up with new cards. Now, beat it!” The man rudely yelled.

“Now hang on! We’re here on important business, where this world will be at stake if nothing is done! So, please let us see this Pegasus fella now!” Applejack demanded.

“Likely story! You paparazzi make me sick, breaking onto private property to bug Maximillian Pegasus. Now, leave or we’ll be forced to give you a not so nice welcome and goodbye!” The man threatened.

“But sir! It’s an emergency! If we don’t do something fast, some evil demon could hurt everyone or worse!” Fluttershy pleaded, ignoring her shyness for a moment.

The man still looked unconvinced. However, before he could respond, a man in a red suit and with white hair covering his left eye came to the door. “Now, now. What’s all the ruckus? I was in the middle of watching some of my favorite cartoons with my son and daughter only to get interrupted by a knock on my door! Richmon, who are these kids?”

“Ah! Master Pegasus! So sorry to interrupt you! These crazy paparazzi just showed up and tried to get in to see you, likely looking to catch you drunk on your red wine or something. I was just telling them to beat it!” Richmon explained.

“That’s not it at all! You see, we’re here to help save your world and ours from a dangerous threat related to some stone tablets!” Twilight explained.

“Really…? And who, mind you, told you about all of this?” Pegasus asked skeptically.

“We were sent by Princess Celestia. She said you knew of other worlds,” Fluttershy answered innocently.

“Princess Celestia?” Pegasus asked as he look contemplatively.

“Yeah! She said for us to talk to you in order to learn more of a variety of magical threats to our wor-!” Fluttershy responded before being interrupted.

“Maybe we shouldn’t say that in the other guy’s presence,” Applejack whispered as she covered Fluttershy’s mouth.

“Look, I don’t know what you are cooking up, but know that we’ll have you arrested if you don’t give up right now!” Richmon warned.

“But please! You have to believe us! We are trying to help!” Twilight pleaded.

“You know what…? I do believe these kids, Richmon. You may go. I can handle these three on my own,” Pegasus said as he motioned for Richmon to leave. “Please, follow me Twilight, Fluttershy, and Applejack.”

“Wait! How did you know our-?” Twilight asked, confused.

“Now. come on! This way, Twilie and pals!” Pegasus called as he began to lead the trio into the castle.

“Did ya think he would seem to be this strange of a po-er-person?” Applejack asked Twilight.

“Not really,” Twilight answered as the trio followed after Pegasus.

The trio were lead through the many long hallways of the castle, with there not being many people present here in spite of the castle’s massive size. Every so often, the man would motion them to turn down a hall, but otherwise was quiet for some time. Eventually, however, they were finally brought over to a large door.

“So, Twilie and pals, if I’m right, which I usually am, you’re here to try and stop some dangerous threats related to the Shadow Games and Light of Destruction?” Pegasus asked.

“I guess….Wait! How did you already know that? And what are these games and evil light?! And what about our friends? Do you know where they are?” Twilight demanded in confusion.

“Oh, I’m not sure where your friends are currently. However, chances are they are safe. If my people run into them, then we’ll let you know. Anyways, as for the threats, I guess I’ll give you a brief rundown. You see, the Light of Destruction is an ancient evil that craves only death and destruction. It will stop at nothing to cause the death and destruction of everything in existence! Fortunately, it hasn’t made it here to Earth…yet. As for the Shadow Games, they are connected to a game called Duel Monsters. I take it you’ve heard all about it from Celestia then?” Pegasus asked the trio…who looked on in confusion. “Seriously? Well, Duel Monsters is a card game that was invented a while ago by me. It is starting to become very popular and soon there will be a tournament being held here on this very island.”

“Wait…island?! We’re on an island?!” Twilight was shocked.

“Well…at least that gives us a smaller area to look fer them in,” Applejack sighed in relief.

“I guess…,” Twilight said.

“I just hope that they don’t get scared or hurt out there,” Fluttershy said.

“There aren’t many, if any, animals on this island, so I wouldn’t worry. Now then it’s about time we get to dealing with these threats. Chances are they are connected to Duel Monsters,” Pegasus said.

“So, wait. How is a card game going to affect the fate of our worlds?” Applejack demanded.

“I’ll tell you more later. For now, the card game is connected to an ancient game where real monsters were summoned. Dark magic brought the monsters on tablets to life and those that lost could end up dead, or, if lucky, locked away in the empty Shadow Realm forever!” Pegasus said with a grin.

“S-Sounds terrifying!” Fluttershy shivered.

“I-I know. I just hope we won’t have to deal with these Shadow Games!” Twilight noted.

“I wouldn’t be so sure if I were you…but the card game on it’s own is safe and harmless. So…, wanna learn how to play?” Pegasus asked the trio.

“Well..,i-if the card game is safe, I’ll give it a try…,” Fluttershy agreed reluctantly.

“Ahm more for physical activities, but ah’ll give it a go if we need to,” Applejack agreed as well.

“What about you, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked the former unicorn.

“Well…I guess we can take some time to learn. How bad can it be?” Twilight asked.

“Perfect! Now, to begin with, here is a rule book that will tell you how this card game will play,” Pegasus said as he gave Twilight a small booklet.

“Sounds good! I’ll be sure to read it from cover to cover!” Twilight said.

“Also, I have a pleasant surprise for you three! You see, behind this door lies a chamber that happens to hold nearly every card that currently exists in Duel Monsters. You will build your decks using these cards. With them, you’ll fight for the fate of our world,” Pegasus said ominously as Twilight and Fluttershy looked a bit nervous. “Well, enough talking. Let’s get on with the show and begin your Deck building good luck!”

At this, the door opened, showing a massive room filled with thousands of various cards of all types, ready to be built into viable Decks to be used.

“Do y’all think this is a good idea, Twilight?” Applejack asked.

“I’m not sure…but if this really will help us save the world, we should at least give it a try,” Twilight answered before looking a bit giddy. “Wow! I can’t believe we have so many options to build a Deck with! This may be a blast…once we read the rules.”

Around the same time where all of this was taking place, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Spike ended up in Domino City…and both Rarity and Rainbow fell over almost immediately.

“Ow! That really hurt!” Rarity complained.

“I know! How did I fall? And better yet, why did I stop flying? I shouldn't have fallen over so easily!” Rainbow agreed.

“Oooh! Look at our new claws!…or was it hands?” Pinkie Pie cheerfully said.

“Um, darling? We’re ponies. We don’t have what we’d call claws,” Rarity responded.

“Yeah. I get that you’re weird, but this is new to me,” Rainbow said.

“Uh…actually…you do have claws-er-hands,” Spike broke the news to the others.

“Wait. What?!” Rarity overdramatically yelled as she looked and saw she had new appendages where her hooves used to be. Not only that, but after feeling her forehead, she realized that she no longer had a unicorn horn either. “I have these weird claws. I lost my horn and tail. What in the world is happening?!” The former unicorn overdramatically cried.
“I wouldn’t worry too much, Rarity. You’re still beautiful regardless of these changes,” Spike complimented his crush.

“Yeah, casanova, real subtle. Now, calm down, Rarity. If we’re gonna fit in and not reveal the big secret, we need to remain calm,” Rainbow said as Rarity puffed her cheeks in annoyance. Now, I just need to take to the sky and-,” Rainbow stopped upon realizing she couldn’t feel her wings on her back. “What?! My wings! W-Where are my wings?! Okay! Whoever is responsible for this is definitely gonna pay big time!” Rainbow yelled, trying to hide her sadness.

“Who’s the one who needs to calm down now?” Rarity snarked.

“Aw, don’t worry Dashie! We’ll probably get our missing parts back once we return home! For now, isn’t it fun to be able to walk on two legs like those ‘hoomans’ Twilight’s book mentioned?” Pinkie Pie asked excitedly.

“No offense, darling, but why aren’t you more worried or upset?” Rarity asked her silly friend.

“About what? The big city we’re in?” Pinkie Pie questioned back as the group realized they were in the middle of a big city.

“Oh! This is just like Manehattan or Canterlot! Maybe we should take a look around once we’re done here!” Rarity gushed.

“Sure we can, Rarity. But first, like Rarity asked earlier, why aren’t you worried about becoming human and stuff like that?” Spike wondered.

“Oh! That! Well, I read a book Twilight was reading about other hyper-hypno-...guessed worlds and creatures and hoomans were one of them. Right, Twilight?” Pinkie Pie asked…only for everyone else to realize that Twilight was currently absent…and so were Applejack and Fluttershy. “Uh…is Twilight playing the same vanishing game the Princess played a short while back or is this bad and we need to find our friends?”

“Pinkie Pie? It’s the bad one. Where did the others go?” Spike wondered in worry.

“No clue! To be honest, they could be anywhere in this big city! But…where did they go? Twilight isn’t the type for abandoning others out of nowhere. I know she wasn’t peachy keen with us when we first met, but she at least talked to us before leaving,” Rainbow noted.

“I don’t know where the others went. Perhaps…they got distracted by someone and got lost?” Rarity suggested.

“Or…the scissors got us all separated somehow?” Spike suggested.

“Oh! Do you think the scissors are playing hide and seek with us?” Pinkie offered up a guess.

“What should we do, Rainbow Dash? The others could be in danger without our powers!” Rarity asked in worry.

“I know! Twilight can handle herself part of the time, but she’d have a panic attack without me to keep her in line!” Spike agreed. “So, Rainbow, you have any ideas?”

“Uh…,” Rainbow looked a bit awkward for a moment, not sure what to do. She could be a leader when it came to weather or Winter Wrap Up, but leading an adventure with no easy to stop villain was something else. Eventually, however, she came up with an idea. “Perhaps we should look around and possibly find them or at least where the demon or her pets are hiding?”

“Good call! But where should we get started at?” Spike asked.

“Oh! Perhaps we should look over there!” Pinkie Pie pointed to a large multi-story building behind a fence. “‘Domino City High School.’ Maybe we can find them there. I mean, Twilight loves to read and learn!” Pinkie Pie cheerfully quipped.

“Not a bad idea Pinkie Pie! Twilight probably sat down for class or something. Let’s get this show on the road and get looking!” Rainbow said as she ran towards the school, with the others following after.

“Do we have to run? It’s not like we’re in a rush after all!” Rarity complained.

“Our friends are missing and and our worlds are at stake and somehow that isn’t something to rush over?” Rainbow asked rhetorically.

“Sounds a little troubling to me!” Pinkie Pie said.

And so, the group ran towards the school and entered inside. As soon as they entered, they were told off for both running in the halls and for not wearing the school uniform. In order to avoid getting in trouble, Rainbow and the others sneaked off before they could be taken to the office and given detention.

Shortly after, the group began to split up and looked inside of each of the classrooms one by one. Unfortunately, the quartet had no luck, not having seen anyone that looked like their friends in any of the classrooms.

“Seriously?! Where are Twilight and the others? You’d think that it would be easy to find them in a school when they aren’t wearing the school uniform! I guess they aren’t here…well…I better go and find the others and look elsewhere,” Rainbow was about to give up the current search when she suddenly heard a voice come from one of the classrooms.

“Hey Joey! Earth to Joey! Hey, are you in there? It's your turn,” a boy with red, yellow, and black hair told his friend in regards to a card game they were playing. There were no cards on Joey’s side while his friend had a card called Alpha the Magnet Warrior on his side.

“Ummm…,” Joey looked over his hand as he thought over his move.

“Oh, isn't he cute when he's thinking?” Another boy teased Joey.

“What? Whenever I was in Flight School, I only had to do boring nerd work, not get to play a nerd game! What are they playing, though?” Rainbow wondered.

“Hey Tristan, Yuugi here's teaching me how to play Duel Monsters,” Joey told his friend.

“Drooling monsters?” Tristan asked in confusion.

“Duel Monsters, you nimrod,” Joey chided his pal that teased him earlier.

“Sheesh,” Tristan huffed.

“Well…I guess at least some people found fun at this school. Now…where are my friends at?” Rainbow wondered as she pushed against the door and accidentally pushed it open, falling over as she did so. “Aw, my back!” Unfortunately for the brash girl, she managed to get the attention of the entire class. “Uh…oops?”

“Oh, hey there! How is it going?” Yugi, the boy with the weird hair, greeted.

“I don’t know?” Rainbow was confused.

“Well, you may wanna go to the office and get yourself a uniform. The school has a bit of a strict dress code and you have to wear a uniform,” A girl, named Tea, warned.

“I know! I know! I’ve been warned already! But…before I go, have you seen three girls named Twilight, Applejack, or Fluttershy here at all?” Rainbow asked.

“Uh…nope, sorry! You may wanna try a different class!” Tristan responded.

“Aw! But I already checked nearly all of them!” Rainbow complained. “Well…I guess I’ll get going then. Have fun with…whatever this nerd game is.”

“Uh…Duel Monsters isn’t a nerd game! It just so happens to becoming a massive hit with almost anyone of any age. You should try it once we’re done with our Duel!” Yugi said.

“Okay…fine. I’ll bite. How does this game work…?” Rainbow offered as she asked for their names.

“I’m Téa. And these are my friends Yugi, Joey, and Tirstan. It’s nice to meet you Miss…” Tea introduced herself and her friends.

“Rainbow Dash! Soon to be a household name where I’m from! So…the game?” Rainbow asked.

“Oh, right! You see, these two have been at it for hours. Joey's starting to get the hang of the game, but Yugi's like an expert at the game!” Tea began.

“Well…maybe Joey can still win! I mean, I’ve won a few sports without knowing the rules much before,” Rainbow said.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Rainbow! Okay Yugi. It's time to duel,” Joey cried out.

“See, each card has an attack number and a defense number. They also have a level that helps to determine if the can be summoned without Tribute or not. The monster cards battle each other during the battle phase, and the monsters with the higher points win! You must battle in order to reduce the opposing player’s Life Points. Spells and Traps can be used to support the monsters in a variety of ways. The first player to eliminate the other player's Life Points wins the duel,” Tea explained.

“I guess…that sounds kinda cool. Do the monsters come to life to battle?” Rainbow asked with excitement.

“Uh…no. Sorry, but they don’t,” Yugi apologized. "Though they kinda do with the new Duel Disk. We can't use them in class, but we can try and buy them later on..."

“Okay. Well…maybe the Duel will still be interesting?” Rainbow asked, not quite believing what she was saying.

Joey-500 LP

Yugi-2700 LP

“It will be! I play the spell card Flame Sword Revival! With it, I can summon my most powerful monsta, Flame Swordsman, from my Extra Deck (1800 Attack)! Now, attack and wipe out his Alpha the Magnet Warrior (Yugi-2300 LP). Pretty good move, huh Yugi?” Joey asked, hoping he impressed his pal.

“Yup! Pretty good move, but not good enough. I now play the spell card Monster Reborn! With it, I can revive a monster from my Graveyard. And I choose Obnoxious Celtic Guardian(1400 Attack)! Next, I’ll release my mighty warrior in order to Tribute Summon Dark Magician Girl(2000 Attack)!” Yugi summoned one of his favorite monsters.

“Well…I guess she looks pretty-uh pretty cool!” Rainbow said with a blush.

“Not bad, Yuge. But I’ll still have some Life Points left,” Joey pointed out.

“Not after this you won’t! Next, I’ll play the spell card Magic Formula! With it, I’ll increase my Magician’s power by 500 points (2000->2500 Attack)! Now, Dark Magician Girl, wipe out Joey’s monster! Dark Burning Attack!” Yugi cried out as Joey lose his remaining Life Points.

“What?! Thanks a lot. A card that powerful totally wipes me out,” Joey grumbled.

“Wait. That’s it? That’s all this game is? Kinda boring if you ask me,” Rainbow grumbled.

“Well…give it a try or two. I trust you’ll have a good time,” Yugi suggested.

“Yeah! I didn’t immediately love this game,” Tea agreed.

“I do have to say, you stink at this game, Joey,” Tristan teased as Joey looked ready to hit him.

“I can’t really judge myself as I’m new to the game, but judging by the remaining points on this…thingy,” Rainbow said as she pointed to a calculator. “I’d say you did poorly as well.”

“What is this? Roast Joey day?!” Joey grumbled.

Yugi laughs good-naturedly before saying, “You did fine, Joey. I just have better cards. See, my Grandpa owns a game shop and I get all my best cards from him.”

“Really? You do? So…does that give you an advantage over the competition then?” Rainbow asked.

“Well…a little. But really, my Deck is pretty basic compared to some of the pros. My Deck doesn’t even have Synchro, Link, or Xyz monsters,” Yugi admitted.

“Really? But doesn’t your Grandpa have some cool cards or something?” Rainbow asked.

“My Grandpa doesn’t have a lot of those types of cards and the ones he does have don’t suit me very well, so…,” Yugi noted.

“Hold on. Your own game shop? Your Grandpa owns a game shop? What're we waiting for? Let's go!” Joey cheered.

“But guys! Class isn’t over for another ten minutes!” Tea reminded.

“You’re right, Tea. We can wait a little bit before going. So, Rainbow, you game?” Yugi asked.

“Well…sure. Why not? Just let me find my friends and we’ll meet you outside and go there together. See you outside!” Rainbow said goodbye as she began to leave the classroom.

“Okay, maybe I could even get my Grandpa to show us this super rare card he's got,” Yugi said.

“Rare card? Could they have found the card that I've been searching for?” An older teen wondered as he looked over at Yugi and the others.

The Heart of the Cards Part 2

“So, wait. You’re telling me that Yugi here has a family owned game shop and that we can learn more about this one fun card game by doing so?” Pinkie Pie asked cheerfully as she and her friends along with Yugi and his friends were on their way to the Turtle Game Shop.

“Yep. Though I wouldn’t exactly call the game fun. I mean, on paper it could be fun. Monsters battling other monsters? Sign me up! But…the game is kinda boring with just the cards,” Rainbow said. "I hope that the game can be better with the holograms or whatever..."

“Aw. I hope the game could still be fun, though,” Pinkie Pie said, not giving up on having a good time.

“I’d at least try it. I’ve had fun Dueling my Grandpa and Tea in the past. It’d be fun to have more friends to play the game with,” Yugi said.

“We-we’re friends? Really?” Pinkie Pie looked very cheerful, like she was about to burst from happiness.

“Of course! I know we haven’t known each other long, but you all seem to be very interesting and nice people,” Tea confirmed.

“Why, thank you darling. I hope we’ll be able to prove ourselves to be as good of friends as you’re thinking we are!” Rarity said.

“Uh…maybe we’re jumping the gun a bit, Tea. I mean, they seem nice, don’t get me wrong. But we did just meet them,” Joey reminded Tea.

“I actually kinda agree. It’s nice we’ve made friends and all, but we need to find Twilight and the others soon! We have important business to attend to,” Spike reminded.

“Aw, boo!” Pinkie Pie jeered. “Can’t we at least see the game shop real quick before we go back to searching?”

“I agree. Maybe we can find out some important info if we go over there. We may even find the others there or get a clue as to where they are,” Rainbow pointed out.

“Well…,” Spike began to consider.

“Please, Spikey? It’d be best to have a place to stay while we’re here. We can’t just sleep on the street after all,” Rarity pleaded.

“Uh…,” Spike began to blush. “Okay…we’ll still go there. But we go back to searching once we’re done, okay?”

“Okay!” Rainbow, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie agreed.

“Wait. Why don’t you have a place to stay?” Tristan asked.

“Well…you see…,” Rainbow began.

“Oh! We come from a world where magic exists and humans are practically nonexistent. We’re ponies where we come from and we’re here to find some dangerous demonic threat before it ends up endangering this world or any other world,” Pinkie Pie explained, confusing the others.

“Great job, Pinkie Pie. You certainly made us look good,” Spike snarked.

“You’re welcome!” Pinkie Pie blindly accepted the sarcasm.

“Looks like we found a few nuts back at school, huh guys?” Joey noted.

“I’m afraid so, Joey,” Tristan said.

“At least they seem nice, right Yugi?” Tea asked her childhood friend.

“Actually…they may not be lying,” Yugi said, surprising the others.

“You actually believe us?” Rainbow asked.

“Of course! This isn’t the first time that magic has appeared in my life. I mean, take a look at this Millenium Puzzle around my neck!” Yugi pointed to a triangular puzzle that hung around his neck.

“You mean that hunk of gold?” Rainbow snarked.

“Rainbow Dash! Don’t be rude! Personally, I’d say it makes him look very cool!” Rarity complimented.

“Thanks, Rarity!” Yugi accepted the compliment. “Anyway, ever since I first solved the puzzle, it feels like there is another me that takes over and works with me. Whether it be during some of my Duels or when a jerk tries to hurt us, someone takes over to help me out.”

“Really? That happens?” Tea asked, remembering a few past incidents where that other him may have helped.

“Uh huh! I don’t know why that is the case, but it feels like a spirit of some sort is helping me,” Yugi said.

“So, you have a clone or something?” Rainbow bluntly asked.

“I wouldn’t call it that,” Yugi said.

“Maybe it’s the ghost of some dead guy then?” Spike asked.

“Kinda rude there Spikey,” Rarity whispered.

“Anyways, to make a long story short, I believe that you aren’t native to here. But…I trust you aren’t crazy or ill intentioned. Right guys?” Yugi asked his friends.

“Of course Yugi! Anyone you trust is someone I trust!” Tea agreed.

“Same here! You’ve helped us out of some tough jams in the past, second you or not. I’ll return the favor by trustin’ ya,” Joey agreed.

“What about you, Tristan? You still trust us?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Well…okay. I don’t quite believe in this magic mambo jumbo. But…you do seem to be nice so…I’ll roll with it for now,” Tristan decided.

“Perfect! We’re all pals here then!” Pinkie Pie cheered. “So…are we at the shop yet?”

“Miss Pie, I’d say we’re still a ways away before we get there, right Yugi?” Rarity questioned.

“Actually…we’re just about there!” Yugi revealed as he pointed to a small game shop that doubled as Yugi’s home.

“Wait. This is it? Seems kinda small if ya ask me,” Rainbow bluntly noted.

“Seriously Miss Dash! Show some respect! I personally think this store looks fairly cute. We shouldn’t judge Yugi’s store for being small,” Rarity scolded.

“Sorry,” Rainbow grumbled.

“Well…what are we waitin’ for? Let’s go in!” Joey cheered excitedly as he and Tristan ran in, with the other following in shortly after.

“Grandpa? I'm home,” Yugi greeted his grandfather as everyone got inside.

“And I see you've brought company. A lot of it, in fact,” Solomon noted happily.

“Yep! We just became pals today!” Pinkie Pie said.

“Anyways…we’re here on important business. Have you seen anyone named Twilight, Applejack, or Fluttershy around here?” Spike asked, hoping that he would say yes.

Sadly, he responded, “No. I haven’t. Are they friends of yours?”

“Yes, they are! I may not have known one of them for now, but we’re still getting fairly close. For now, though, what games you got here?” Rainbow asked.

“Mostly some smaller games and some Duel Monsters cards,” Solomon asked.

“Well…I’ll say that these cards have some pleasing looks!” Rarity noted. “Maybe when I get some more money on me I can buy some of them.”

“I agree! The points on many of these cards are insane!” Joey agreed.

“It may take some time for that,” Tristan grumbled.

“What was that?!” Joey yelled.

“Nothing!” Tristan lied.

“You certainly have some kind and colorful new friends, Yugi,” Solomon noted.

“Yep. But…to be honest, we’re not just here to look at some cards. Gramps, could you show my friends your awesome, super rare card?” Yugi asked.

“Rare card? My special card? Hmmm…,” Solomon considered.

“Come on! We wanna see it!” Pinkie Pie pleaded.

“Yeah! It must be a good one if Yugi believes it to be special!” Rainbow agreed.

“Please! Please!” Yugi begged.

“Pretty please?” Joey asked.

“Hmmm... Hah hah! How could I refuse? You kids are in for a treat. I don't take this card out too often. Ready? Here it is,” Solomon said as he got out and showed a card that had 3000 Attack Points without being an Extra Deck monster. “The Blue-Eyes White Dragon, so rare, so powerful, I never let it leave my hands.”

“Awesome!” Joey cheered.

“I have to say it looks cool,” Rainbow noted.

“And beautiful!” Rarity agreed.

Suddenly, Tristan snatches the BEWD out of Solomon's hands. “It doesn't look all that special to me…”

“Ahh! This card is priceless. There are only four of them in all the world,” Solomon pleaded as he tried to take the card back.

“Really? That rare?” Spike asked.

“Uh huh! Only one other person has the other three cards,” Yugi confirmed.

“Well…you may not know it, but I am a dragon back at home. Guess that makes me pretty rare too, huh?” Spike tried to brag only to comically fall when the others said nothing.

“Aw, don’t worry about it, Spike! You’re still priceless in our book! Which is kinda strange seeing as how you lack price tags and we don’t have a book on us…,” Pinkie Pie started to ramble.

“Well…thanks?” Spike didn’t know how to feel.

“Speaking of priceless, I'm ready to trade!” Joey cheered.

“Not for this card,” Solomon denied as he finally got the card back.

“Huh? Nah, I didn't mean that card. I meant, show me some other cool cards to get me started,” Joey corrected.

“Yeah! Do you have any powerful cards? Or maybe another copy of that Dark Magician Girl?” Rainbow asked.

“Why? You found her pretty?” Tristan teased.

“Uh…no! I just thought she was very awesome and rare is all!” Rainbow denied.

“Don’t worry! We won’t judge you for liking girls, Rainbow. Also…we do happen to have one extra copy you can have if you want it…,” Tea reassured.

“Well…sure! She’s sure to be an awesome card to own for myself! If only I could also have myself that Blue Eyes card as well,” Rainbow said.

“Speaking of which…who does own the other three copies of the card anyhow?” Joey asked.

“Yeah! I’d love to meet them one of these days!” Rarity agreed.

Suddenly, the door opens with the man from earlier standing inside the entrance.

“Who’s that guy?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Another customer maybe?” Spike suggested.

“Hello, can I help you?” Solomon asked.

“Huh?” Tea asked as she looked over to see the man in the entrance.

“If you can't, it certainly wouldn't surprise me,” The man snarked.

“Seto Kaiba!” Yugi was shocked.

“Kaiba?!” Joey asked.

“Who’s that guy?” Rainbow asked.

“I don’t know, but he does look a little handsome for his age. May need a better outfit though,” Rarity noted.

“Seto Kaiba is a top level champ at the game of Duel Monsters. He also happens to own the other three copies of the Blue Eyes White Dragon,” Yugi answered.

“Wait. He does?!” Rainbow was shocked. “That. Sounds. Awesome! We get to meet the man with the other three copies of a rare and cool card…not that I care!”

“I guess you don’t,” Tristan snarked. “But…what is Kaiba doing here? Doesn't he have a big fancy company to run?”

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

Joey, meanwhile, smiles and steps forward. “Hey, are you into Duel Monsters too? This is perfect. Maybe we could all duel together sometime.”

“Yeah! That would be fun! We can possibly even have a mini tournament!” Pinkie Pie cheerfully said.

“If this game is actually fun…Anyways, it’s nice to meet you,” Rainbow greeted.

Seto finally walks into the shop. “Me? Duel you? I'd have more of a challenge playing solitaire. I don’t care for meeting a bunch of clowns like you.”

“What?!” Joey yelled.

“Yeah! What did you say?!” Rainbow agreed.

“Simply put, you mutts are way out of your league. I am the number one ranked duelist in the country, and the favorite to win the Duel Monsters championship. Hah, you two wouldn't last two minutes in a duel against me,” Kaiba grinned jerkishly.

Joey clenches his fist. “Ooh, I'm shaking. Maybe you'd like to settle this with fists instead of cards.”

“Agreed! You’ll pay for disrespecting me and my friends!” Rainbow yelled as she began to rush towards Kaiba. However, Spike and Rarity held back Rainbow and Yugi and Tea, Joey.

“Whoa! Take it easy, Joey,” Yugi tried to calm his friend down.

“Yeah! We can’t stoop down to his level…even if he is being a jerk!” Spike agreed.

“But Yugi, Kaiba's asking for it,” Joey said.

“Can’t we just hit him once?” Rainbow asked.

“No! We aren’t gonna hit him!” Tea scolded.

“Fine! Be a stick in the mud like Applejack!” Rainbow yelled.

“Now does this shop have any worthwhile cards or not?” Kaiba asked as he catches sight of the BEWD, and lurches forward. “Can it be? The Blue-Eyes White Dragon in a dump like this? It is. The card I've been searching for.”

“But why? Don’t ya already have three copies of da card?” Joey asked.

“Yeah! Don’t be greedy like Rarity can be!” Rainbow agreed.

“Hey!” Rarity yelled out.

“Well…maybe he wants it for playing with. And…maybe we should let him just borrow it?” Pinkie Pie suggested.

“Not likely?” Tea awkwardly said.

“You see, you can only have a maximum of three of a certain card in your deck at once,” Yugi explained.

“Maybe he wants a collection of all of them?” Rarity suggested.

“Makes sense…,” Spike said.

Solomon, meanwhile, covers the BEWD, “Well, enough window shopping. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

Seto growls, lifts his briefcase onto the counter and opens it, showing many cards of various types.

“Huh? Oooh,” Solomon looks on in awe.

“Pretty cards!” Pinkie Pie oohed.

“Listen to me, old man. Gimme your Blue-Eyes White Dragon card and I'll trade you all of these,” Seto made a proposition.

“Whoa!” Everyone was impressed.

“Makes sense to me. Could even help out your shop,” Rarity said.

“Just wish it didn’t have ta go to such a jerk,” Joey grumbled.

“I agree,” Rainbow said.

“Ahh, nice. But no thanks,” Solomon politely declined.

“Huh?!” Everyone was shocked.

“Nngh. Fine. If you won't trade, maybe you'll sell it. Name your price. I can pay anything you ask,” Kaiba demanded.

“I'm sure you could. But this card is worth more than you could ever offer. Not because of its power or because it's so rare, but because of what it means to me. 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,” Solomon explained.

“Sounds very touching…,” Spike said as he fought tears.

“I know! Don’t give up that card!” Pinkie Pie cried out.

“Well…looks like dat jerk won’t be getting his way!” Joey said.

“Yeah!” Rainbow said as she held out her hand as a fist and fistbumped awkwardly with Joey.

“No!” Kaiba yelled.

Yugi then said, “You'd feel the same even if it were a common card, right Grandpa?”

“Exactly. You see, this precious card has bonded with my heart,” Solomon agreed.

“Fine! I've heard enough of your nonsense,” Kaiba yelled as he closes his briefcase and walks away. “Senile old fool.”
“Yeah? And good riddance!” Rainbow yelled.

“So…now that that’s over, any other cards you’d like to see?” Solomon asked as he began to put away his Blue Eyes.

“Sure thing! If they can be as divine as any of the cards that Kaiba had I’d definitely love to see more!” Rarity answered.

“Same here! These cards just seem to be the best! I wonder if any will call to me,” Pinkie said.

“Um, girl? Maybe we should get going now,” Spike noted.

“Aw, really?! But why?! We were just starting to have fun again!” Rainbow complained.

“Simple. It’s clear that our friends aren’t around here. Not only that, but we can’t inconvenience Yugi and his grandpa much longer. I mean, their store is pretty small and may not make too much. We’d be better off finding a new place to stay for now,” Spike explained.

“Aw, come on! Well…fine! We have to get going, you guys,” Rainbow told the others.

“But why? Weren’t you going to stay here?” Tea asked.

“I’m afraid Spikey has a point. We can’t just inconvenience Yugi and his grandpa. We’ll get going…,” Rarity said as they all began to leave.

“I can’t believe we have to leave our new friends already!” Pinkie Pie sadly said.

Before they could get out of the store, Solomon interrupted, “Wait! I suppose that as long as you kids find work somewhere to help pay expenses, Yugi and I can let you stay here for a while. Would that be okay, Yugi?”

“Sure! It would be nice to spend some more time with our new friends, right guys?” Yugi asked as his friends all nodded.

“So…you’re letting us stay then?” Rarity asked.

“Just pull your own weight and it’s a deal!” Solomon said.

“Perfect! Now, why don’t we celebrate with a party?!” Pinkie Pie suggested as confetti appeared from out of nowhere.

“Is that normal with her?” Tristan asked.

“Trust me that over the last week I’ve learned that when it comes to Pinkie Pie to not question it,” Rainbow said.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, inside of Kaiba’s car…

“Heart of the cards. Ridiculous. Cards are all about power. And one way or another, his Blue-Eyes White Dragon card... will be mine,” Kaiba said to himself ominously.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day…outside of the KaibaCorp building…

“Gentlemen, there's a little something I'd like you to pick up for me at the Game Shop,” Kaiba said.

“Gladly, Master Kaiba,” The lackey said to his boss.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Inside of the Game Shop, Solomon is standing in front of the counter.

“Good morning,” Solomon greets as he turns around to see two men in black suits. “Hmm?”

The lackey steps forward. “My master, Seto Kaiba, challenges you to a duel. You may come with us now.”

“And if I were to decline?” Solomon asked.

The lackey’s glasses glint ominously. “I'm afraid I must... insist.”

Realizing that he might get physically hurt if he declined, he decided to agree. “Young Kaiba doesn't understand. But I'll teach him a lesson about the heart of the cards.”
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Man, I hope he has some cool cards today,” Joey said as he and his friends were on their way to Solomon's store.

“Me too!” Yugi agreed.

“Yeah!” Tea said.

“So…it looks like we’re not the only ones that have been excited to see more of the cards,” Rarity said as she walked over to the four friends.

“Oh! Hey, Rarity! What are you doing here?” Tea asked.

“Well…I just finished my new job as a dressmaker at a store for the day. Did great. Had some fun. Now, me and the girls are on their way back to the card shop for now,” Rarity explained.

“Are the others close by any chance?” Yugi asked as Pinkie Pie jumped from behind a building.

“Hey there, guys! It’s great seeing you again!” Pinkie Pie greeted the friends.

“Uh, we saw each other yesterday, Pinks,” Joey pointed out.

“Yeah, but it’s nice to see each other again regardless. It was fun being able to sell candy to so many nice people. Just stinks that I couldn’t have any for myself. But…I have to say it was nice for Yugi’s grandpa to give us some cards to make a Deck with. I can’t wait to try it out! I’m nervouscited!” Pinkie Pie yelled as the others looked confused. “What? I’m nervous and excited. Not that hard to understand here, people!”

“Uh…?” Tristan looked confused.

“Like I said yesterday, don’t question Pinkie Pie. She’s very weird,” Rainbow said as she finally ran up to the group.

“So, how was today so far? Find a job that suits you in this world yet?” Tea asked.

“Of course! I was able to make a decent amount at a sports store just around the corner. Just wish I could take a nap on duty. Aw well! I’ll just make up for it at the card shop!” Rainbow said.

“But, Dashie! Aren’t we supposed to Duel each other to try out our new Decks?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Sorry, but I’m tired. Besides, the Deck I have is kinda weak. Most of my cards don’t even have 1000 Attack Points!” Rainbow huffed.

“Yeah, but look on the bright side. You have a decent number of Synchro Monsters in your Deck if that helps,” Rarity reminded.

“Yeah! Don’t be such a sourpuss, Rainbow Dash!” Joey teased.

“Well…maybe you can look over more of the cards. We’re here!” Yugi said as the group arrived at the game shop.

“Okay Gramps, I'm back to get more cards. Hey, hey Gramps!” Joey called as the group began to realize that Solomon wasn’t here.

“Grandpa, I'm home,” Yugi called, hoping his Grandpa was just in the back.

“Maybe he... went out?” Tea suggested.

“Maybe. But why would he leave the door unlocked?” Joey wondered.

“I don't know. There may be something wrong going on. But who…?” Rainbow wondered.

“Oh, hey guys! You’re back!” Spike cried out as he got out from the back of the store.

“Spike? Did Yugi’s grandpa leave you in charge of the store already?” Tristan asked.

“Uh, no? He just went out with some guys in suits. I decided to help him out and see if I could run the store in his absence. He’s been gone for a while, though. I just hope he’s fine…,” Spike muttered.

“He could have gone to make friends with those guys or maybe they took him to a surprise party!” Pinkie Pie suggested.

“I kinda doubt that, Pinks,” Rainbow said.

“Yeah. This could be a sign of foul play like in my Shadow Spade books!” Rarity said.

“Uh…I don’t read. Too nerdy for me,” Rainbow confessed.

“Rarity may have a point. Someone took Yugi’s grandpa somewhere. The only question is where?” Tea wondered.

Suddenly, a phone rings.

“Ah! A ringing beast!” Pinkie yelled.

“Pinkie Pie? I saw one back at work. It’s a phone. For communicating with people,” Rarity noted.

“Oh,” Pinkie Pie said.

“Do you think it’s the suits on the other end?” Joey asked.

“Could be. Maybe we’ll get our answer,” Spike suggested.

Yugi picks up the phone. “Hello. Game Shop.”

“Ahh, Yugi. Perfect.”

“Kaiba?!” Yugi yelled in shock.

“That snake from yesterday?!” Rainbow yelled.

“So those were his men!” Joey yelled.

“He must have wanted the Blue Eyes card!” Tea realized.

“Your grandfather's here visiting. But he's not feeling well. Why don't you come by my office and pick him up?” Kaiba said with a smirk on his end.

“Kaiba! What've you done, Kaiba?!” Yugi demanded with worry.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At a KaibaCorp building…

Yugi and his friends run into an elevator. As they waited for the elevator to take them to the floor where Kaiba and Yugi’s grandpa were, they had a lot of worried and anxious thoughts, especially Yugi. Eventually, they finally made it to the floor where Kaiba said they were.

“Grandpa! Grandpa. A-are you okay?” Yugi yelled out as he ran out of the elevator, with his grandpa having fallen onto the floor with Kaiba smirking over him.

Solomon is propping himself up on his elbows. “Yugi. I failed. I wanted to teach that boy Kaiba a lesson about the heart of the cards, but I lost.” Solomon groaned out.

“Grandpa!” Yugi cried out.

“He must have hurt him after the Duel ended! That…jerk!” Rainbow yelled as she began to run towards him again. Once more, however, she was held back by Rarity and Spike. “Hey! We can’t just let Kaiba get away with this!”

“I know…but we can’t stoop to his level,” Tea said.

“I agree. That would be massively uncouth of us to get our hands sullied fighting such a battle. Though…it is kinda tempting to be fair,” Rarity said as Solomon coughed.

“How's the old man feeling, hmmm?” Kaiba mockingly asked.

“Kaiba, you sleeze. What've you done to him?” Joey demanded.

“He hurt him! That’s what he did!” Rainbow yelled.

“We had a duel, that's all. 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,” Kaiba explained with a smirk.
“And what? Did you hurt him after you ended up winning?” Spike demanded.
“Of course he did!” Rainbow yelled as she looked ready to try and run for him again.

Téa points at Seto. “Kaiba, you should be ashamed of yourself.”

“Yeah! How could you hurt that sweet old man?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“It was fair. It’s not like I cheated or anything,” Kaiba said as he holds up the BEWD. “And look at the sweet prize I won.” To the shock and horror of everyone else present, Kaiba begins tearing it up.

Yugi cries out, “Grandpa's most treasured card!”

“Ahh, my Blue-Eyes White Dragon. My treasure,” Solomon cried out.

“Okay! If I didn’t hate this guy before, I certainly do now!” Rainbow yelled.

“Yeah! He’s a big mean meanie pants! He could have just kept the card, not tear it up!” Pinkie Pie agreed.

“Why did you tear it up, Kaiba?!” Spike demanded.

“Simple. You see, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon is a rare and powerful card and this one will never be used against me,” Kaiba answered.

“You still didn’t need to tear it up you…you…beast!” Rarity yelled as she rushed to slap Kaiba, hitting him across the face. “That’ll teach you to mess with us!”

“Alright! Good going, Rarity! Now, let me have a piece of him!” Rainbow yelled as she tried to punch him…only for Kaiba to grab Rainbow’s fist now that he was prepared. Afterwards, he threw her into Rarity.

“I’ll be charitable and not hurt you any further. But…there is no guarantee I’ll still feel this way if you try it again!” Kaiba said.

“Grandpa! Hold on,” Yugi reassures as he looks up at Seto. “How could you do such a thing?”

“When you want to do something, you need to be willing to do anything in order to achieve your goals. No questions or exceptions,” Kaiba answered.

“You’re a rotten apple, Kaiba!” Rarity yelled.

“Yugi…I want you to try Duel Kaiba. Use the Deck I’ve given you and teach Kaiba…Teach Kaiba respect for the heart of the cards, Yugi,” Solomon pleaded.

“But Grandpa, you need help. I've got to get you to a doctor,” Yugi protested.

“That sounds like an excuse. Your friends can care for your grandfather while you and I duel.... unless you're afraid?” Kaiba mocked.

“Take him Yugi!” Joey yelled.

“Huh?” Yugi turns back to see the others.

“We can take care of your grandpa while you take care of creepy Kaiba. Teach that rich, spoiled brat what a real duel's all about,” Joey yelled

“Make him wish that he was a better person!” Rainbow yelled.

“And who knows? Maybe you can turn his frown upside down by showing him these Heart of the Cards! Which is weird because cards don’t have hearts. Or blood. Or-,” Pinkie was interrupted by Spike and Rarity.

“Just do what you feel is right,” Spike said.

“For your grandpa, Yugi,” Tristan said.

“I don't know…,” Yugi was uncertain.

“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!” Joey reassured.

“We all do,” Tea agreed.

Yugi nods, reaching for his deck. “Okay, Grandpa. I'll do it.”

“I know you will, my boy,” Solomon said with confidence.

Téa whips out a black marker. “Everyone, put your hands together and I'll mark us with a special sign,” Tea says as she draws a smiley face on their combined hands.

“What gives, Téa?” Joey asked.

“Yeah. What is with the strange writing?” Rainbow asked.

“Simple. 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.

“Seems like a sweet gesture,” Spike noted.

“Kinda wish I didn’t have my hand written on though…but it’s the thought that counts!” Rarity corrected.

“Great. Great. So…can we please get Yugi’s grandpa to the hospital now?” Rainbow grumbled.

“You know, she does have a point…even if she was kinda rude about it,” Tristan said the last part under his breath.

“Alright? Then let’s go!” Joey cried out as the group was about to leave.

"Perfect! The geek patrol is going to leave at last. Now I can crush Yugi with my three Blue Eyes!" Kaiba smirked.

"Hey! Yugi can kick your butt easy! Heck, I could probably beat you if I Dueled!" Rainbow challenged, not caring if what she said was true or not.

"Is that so? Well then, I have a proposition for you. I'll Duel both you and Yugi. You'll share a pool of 4000 Life Points. I'll let you use my new Duel Disks for said Duel as well. If I lose, I'll apologize for my actions and even let you have some Duel Disks for you and your dork patrol. You lose and you'll give your pathetic cards to me for me to trash!" Kaiba challenged.

"Uh...maybe we should not do that. I mean, Rainbow hasn't ever Dueled yet and this Kaiba person was able to beat Yugi's Grandpa easily," Rarity suggested.

"Hey! I can still learn! Besides, no one messes with my friends!" Rainbow yelled.

"I understand that. And it's very cool of you...but at the same time, he's a pro!" Tristan warned.

"What do you think, Yugi?" Tea asked.

"Well...I guess as long as Rainbow is fine with it I'll Duel with her. We may be able to do better with some help," Yugi agreed reluctantly.

"Perfect! It's a deal, Kaiba!" Rainbow rashly agreed.

"Perfect! Better say goodbye to your cards now! It'll be the last time you ever get to see them," Kaiba gloated.

"Good luck, Dashie! Now...let's take Yugi's grampy to have his ouchies looked at, stat!" Pinkie yelled as everyone but Yugi, Kaiba, and Rainbow Dash left.

"So...do we just go to a table and play the game then or...?" Rainbow asked.

"How naive. We won't be Dueling at a table. Come with me! I'll show you the dawn in the next generation of Dueling!" Kaiba said with a smirk.

The Heart of the Cards Part 3

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

The Gauntlet is Thrown

Inside of the sweet shop that Pinkie Pie works at when the Mane 4 are off duty, one week after the Kaiba incident...

Tea

2300 LP

Joey

700 LP

“Joey, make a move already,” Tristan said as Joey was taking forever to make a move.

“Okay, here you go, tough guy. My Rock Ogre Grotto 1's gonna rock your block off (800 Attack),” Joey responds.

“Kinda a weak monster to play on the attack, especially since he doesn’t have an effect,” Spike noted.

“I know! But…maybe he has a way to counter an attack,” Pinkie suggested.

“Um…good point, Pinkie? He could have a spell or trap to play,” Rarity agreed with some confusion.

“Yep! Good point! Maybe he’ll win this time!” Pinkie said.

“I end my turn,” Joey said as the other fell over comically.

“Seriously? That’s all? You don’t have spells or traps to help you out at all? Even I know to use them!” Rainbow complained.

“Yeah! Even though you’ve lost like three times each to each of us,” Pinkie Pie said as Rainbow looked annoyed.

“Gee, thanks,” Rainbow grumbled sarcastically.

“You’re welcome!” Pinkie said, not noticing the sarcasm out of naivete.

“Hmmm…, I’ll play Sunny Petit Angel in Defense mode (Level 3/Fairy/Light/600 Attack/900 Defense/Looks like Petit Angel with a harp),” Tea said as she placed a card in defense mode.

“Yeah, Téa. Like that wimpy card has a chance against my giant rock guy. Give it up!” Joey said.

“I wouldn’t give up yet, Tea! Remember, you’re in the lead!” Rainbow cheered on.

“Gee, thanks. But…it doesn’t matter. I can still win this Duel!” Joey said.

“Yep, you can. I guess I don't stand a chance... unless maybe I use the Breath of Life card,” Tea played the spell card

“Huh? Can she do that?” Joey asked.

“Oh yeah, the Breath of Life wears down rock monsters,” Yugi confirmed.

“It reduces them to rubble,” Tristan confirmed.

“How is that?” Rainbow asked.

“Simple. It can destroy any Rock monster on the field, like with Rock Ogre Grotto 1,” Spike pointed out.

“And…Due to Sunny Petit Angel, Joey takes 800 Damage every time a monster he controls is destroyed.

“So…Joey loses!” Rainbow realized.

“Ahh!” Joey screamed.

“Yep, the others are correct. That brings your life-points down to zero, Joey. Once again, you lose, and I rock,”

“You stink at this game, Joey,” Tristan teased.

Joey groans as Pinkie Pie pops up next to him, “Aw, don’t feel bad. You’re not the worst Duelist in the world.”

“If anything, that would more fit Rainbow Dash,” Spike whispered.

“What did you say?! Remember, you’re talking to the same person who was able to defeat Seto Kaiba!” Rainbow boasted, trying to save face.

“Yeah, and you only won due to Yugi’s help. He was the one who summoned Exodia,” Spike reminded. “Tea did show us the footage.”

“But…,” Rainbow tried to interrupt.

“Spike isn’t wrong…You aren’t the worst out there and you did help out Yugi during the Duel, but you do need more help at getting better. I mean, the last time we Dueled you still forgot to summon your Sonic Chick in Defense mode,” Rarity reminded as Rainbow blushed in frustration and embarrassment.

“Either way, the point still stands that Joey and Rainbow here need to improve by leaps an bounds before they can hope to win,” Tristan said.

“Well, look on the bright side. At least you won’t lose to little kids,” Pinkie said as Joey and Rainbow both stormed out of the sweet shop. “Uh…are the two of them okay? I didn’t hurt them, did I?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“No, Pinkie. I think they’re just being sore losers,” Spike noted.

“Well…maybe we were a bit mean…,” Tea admitted.

“Yeah. We didn’t need to dig in that deep,” Rarity admitted.

“But…that Rainbow Dash keeps on bragging about being a pro after beating Kaiba…and…,” Spike tried to counter.

“Still, Spikey, we should be more sensitive,” Rarity said as Spike looked lovestruck and guilty.

“Fair enough…Maybe we should apologize,” Spike finally admitted. “I’ll go talk to them, seeing as how I was the meanest…”

“Maybe I should go too. It would be best to have an unbiased third party,” Yugi agreed as they both left the store and followed after the two Duelists.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I can’t believe my own friends don’t have faith in our abilities. You forget to place monsters in Defense mode a few times and suddenly you’re seen as having the skills of a five-year old!” Rainbow grumbled.

“Yeah! We could…do…aw, who am I kidding? I stink at this game, like the others said!” Joey finally admitted to himself.

“N-No we aren’t that terrible! W-We’re…you’re right! I suck at this game too! I haven’t won one Duel since Dueling Kaiba!” Rainbow begrudgingly confessed as Spike and Yugi approached, having heard what they both had said. “Uh, looks like we have company, Joey.”

“Oh. It’s good ta see ya again,” Joey reluctantly said.

“Have you come to laugh at how much we fail at Duel Monsters?” Rainbow bluntly said.

“No, we weren’t,” Yugi denied.

“We’re sorry we made you feel bad. Maybe we were a bit rude and jerkish about your Dueling talents,” Spike said.

“A little…but you weren’t wrong. Yugi? Spike? Why can't I ever win? Teach me what I'm doing wrong,” Joey asked.

“I understand that my Deck may be a budget one, but I could still do better! Why can’t I win?!” Rainbow yelled.

“Rainbow…while it is true that you could use some stronger cards, your Deck is less the problem and more needing to adapt to your Deck,” Spike said.

“Spike is right. Try to adapt to your cards and maybe look for ways to improve and work with your Deck. As for Joey…Well, let's start by checking your deck,” Yugi said.

“Huh? 'Kay…,” Joey agreed as he pulled out his deck. “Here you go.”

“Thanks,” Yugi says as he begins looking through cards, eyebrow slowly rising as he looks.

“Uh..should I take a look?” Spike wondered, seeing Yugi’s reaction.

“Uh…?” Yugi was uncertain, not wanting to be rude either way.

“Powerhouse liner, don't you think?” Joey asked pridefully.

Yugi and Spike cringe. “No one could win with these. Joey, your deck's filled with almost nothing but monster cards.”

“You got it, I packed it with every butt-kicking monster I could find,” Joey said.

“That…seems problematic?” Spike noted.

“Yeah…I’m sorry, Joey. But you need more than monsters,” Rainbow admitted. “And…Maybe I should think things through more.”

“Good start, Rainbow. As for Joey…using mostly monsters is not how the game works,” Yugi admitted.

“Huh?” Joey wondered.

“See, Duel Monsters is all about combining your monster cards with your magic cards to increase their strength,” Yugi said as he looks down at Joey's deck,” Yugi said.

“With no magic in your deck, your monsters will be creamed every time,” Spike noted.

Joey runs over to Yugi and takes him by the shoulders. “Hah! See? That's the kind of stuff I need to know! Yuugi, you've gotta help me learn more!”

“Me too! I need as much help as I can to learn better combos for my Deck. I need to do more of what Yugi and Kaiba were doing!” Rainbow agreed.

“Umm…,” Yugi looked at Spike who shrugged playfully. “Look, I can give you two some advice, but what you really need is a true expert.”

“Aren’t we experts, though? We have the most wins,” Spike said.

“Not quite. I know someone who could be a good contender, though,” Yugi said.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Rainbow, Joey, Yugi, and Spike walked towards the Game Shop… Yugi was explaining, “My Grandpa's the real game expert in the family, maybe he can help you.”

“Makes sense. Hre may help me make my Deck work better,” Rainbow said. “After all, he gave me these cards.”

“Correct. We’ll need all the help we can get,” Joey agreed as they walked into the store, Solomon finishing putting up a poster of the Red-Eyes Black Dragon and Black Luster Soldier.

“Hey Grandpa! I brought you a few new students!” Yugi said.

“Huh? Student?” Solomon asked.

“I was hoping, since you know more about Duel Monsters than anyone, maybe you'd teach me,” Joey suggested.

“We need all the advice and tactics we can think of in order to become better Duelists,” Rainbow said.

“Teach you? Duel Monsters is a very complex game,” Solomon noted warily.

“Yeah. Tell me about it. Téa beat me three games in a row,” Joey said.

“And I lost to Yugi and Spike at least three times,” Rainbow said.

Yugi then said, “Actually, Téa beat you five times in a row, Joey.”

“And, Rainbow lost to everyone, even Tristan, three times.

“Five? Aww man,” Joey groaned.

“Hey! We’re here to get better. And…as much as I hate to say it, learn. So, gramps, can you help us?” Rainbow asked.

“Hmmm. Yes. I could teach you to be a great tournament duelist. But only if you're willing to spend endless days and sleepless nights filled with rigorous training,” Solomon warned.

“Ahh. Piece of cake,” Joey said over confidently.

“Yep! Getting some tips will turn us into pros in a day!” Rainbow agreed.

“That’s not the right way to think. With an attitude like that, teaching you may not be worth my effort,” Solomon said.

“Ahh!” Joey yelled.

“No way!” Rainbow yelled.

“Nice going there, smartmouth,” Yugi whispered.

“Yeah! Maybe being overconfident isn’t the right move,” Spike said.

“R-Really?” Rainbow asked. “Well…I guess we have no choice. Ready, Joey?”

“I guess,” Joey said as he looked at Rainbow before both of them got down on knees before Yugi. “Please, Yugi. Help me convince him. I will work hard, I promise!”

“I want to learn to the best of my ability! If we’re going to keep everyone safe we need to become better. So please! Give us help! I will do anything!” Rainbow pleaded, tears starting to enter her eyes.

“Wow…Talk about overdramatic. Still…good to see you want to improve,” Spike said awkwardly.

“I understand what you must be feeling you two. But…Listen, teaching you both Duel Monsters is too big a challenge, even for my grandpa,” Yugi said sadly.

“Hmmm... It's not impossible,” Solomon said.

“Huh? You mean it, Gramps?” Joey asked.

“You mean you’ll really help these losers become winners?” Rainbow asked as well.

“Joey, he already said he can't do it. And if he can't do it, he can't do it,” Yugi shook his head.

“Maybe there is some forum or official school that can teach you…,” Spike said a bit sadly, thinking about his MIA sister.

“That won’t be necessary. After all, I never said I couldn't do it. But if I agree, you must work hard,” Solomon warned.

“I'll do anything, I promise. I promise!” Joey yelled.

“Same with me! I’ll even try to read, as nerdy as it is!” Rainbow agreed.

“Not sure about the girl’s attitude…,” Solomon said as Rainbow looked nervously aside. “Fine, then we'll begin your instruction immediately, my young friends. And believe me, under my tutelage, you will learn. Now, can you name the most powerful Duel Monster?” Solomon asked.

“Is it the Blue-Eyes White Dragon?” Rainbow asked.

“No. They’re powerful, but not the strongest,” Solomon said.

“Uhhh... No?” Joey answered.

“Then no,” Rainbow shook her head.

“Can you name the weakest?” Solomon asked.

“Sonic Chick?” Rainbow guessed.

“Not her,” Solomon said.

“Wait. There are some weaker than her?!” Rainbow cried out.

“...Noooo,” Joey answered.

“You do know what a trap card is, don't you?” Solomon asked, hoping they could at least get this one right.

“Kinda... Uhh, I have no idea,” Joey answered bluntly.

“Isn’t it the purple one that can be used at any time?” Rainbow asked.

Solomon sighed, “Not on the turn it is set. We’re gonna need to do a lot of work…”
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A month and a half later, inside Yugi’s home…

“Good evening duel fans and our ten million viewers at home, and welcome to the Duel Monsters Duel Dome, where tonight, the Duel Monsters Regional Championship will be decided. Of the over two hundred duelists who have competed in this marathon tournament, only two competitors remain standing. Put your cards together for Weevil Underwood, the Bug Brawler. His opponent, the number one ranked, Rex Raptor, Dino Duelist,” An announcer said.
Joey, Rainbow and Yuugi are sitting on a couch together. Téa and Tristan are on ottomans on either side of them and Spike, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie on the floor.

“Isn’t this tournament the best?! We get to see the best Duelists square off!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“Kinda. But…Bug Boy versus Dinosaur Man, what kind of match is that? That should've been me in there!” Joey yelled.

“I agree! We should be in that matchup! We’d win for sure at this point!” Rainbow complained. “What I’d give for us all to be there.”

“What I’d give to be on an actual seat, or at least a pillow,” Rarity said as the others looked at her. “What? A lady should have a better spot than on the floor, right Tea?”
“I guess? As for you guys, I know you've been training for weeks, but those guys are in another league. You're just not ready yet,” Tea tried to console.

“Sure, rub it in,” Joey groaned.

“Yeah! I get we’re not on the same level as you or Spike! But we’ve improved! I’ve actually won a few matches! And so did Joey!” Rainbow reminded.

“And we’re proud of you for certain!” Pinkie said thoughtfully.

“And on top of that, you're both so tired you can't keep your eyes open,” Yugi pointed out as he heard the duo snore. “I think Grandpa's lessons have been a bit too tough for them.”

“Too rough for Dashie? Impossible!” Pinkie yelled.

“Yeah! How can Rainbow possibly be this tired?” Spike asked.

“Well…it makes sense. Having spent most of her time working, training, and looking for our friends would take a lot out of someone…,” Rarity said sympathetically.

“Yeah…I just hope Twilight’s okay…,” Spike said sadly as he and Rarity looked down.

Seeing this, Tea said, “Hey, I’m sure you’ll find your friends eventually.”

“Yeah! Domino city may be a big place, but it’s not like they’re dead. It’s only a matter of time before we finally find where they are,” Tristan said, confusing the duo.

“And…when we find them we can throw a big party!” Pinkie cheered as confetti popped out from behind her, making Spike and Rarity laugh.

“You’re right. We shouldn’t give up!” Spike said, full of determination.

“Yeah! Joey and Rainbow haven’t given up on their training, so we shouldn’t give up on our search! Speaking of which, how has that been going?” Rarity asked.

“Well…,” Yugi began as he thought back to an earlier point in the duo’s training from what he heard his grandpa said.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Joey starts to shuffle cards, but drops them all. “Aw man! I screwed up the shuffling again! You havin’ any betta luck shufflin’, Dash?”

“I’m not sure. I have to say, Joey. I’m feeling tired. Normally, I’d have a nap right about now,” Rainbow said.

“Yeah…I think we’ve earned at least some rest,” Joey agreed. “But what if Yugi’s grandpa finds out?”

“I’m sure he’ll understand. I’m just so tired…,” Rainbow said as she laid down.

“I guess you’re right,”Joey said as he puts his head down on the table in front of him. “So tired. Must rest.”

Suddenly, Solomon stands over them with a sword. “You have no time for rest!” Solomon yells as he whacks a sword he was holding down on the table next to Joey's head, waking them both up.

“Ahh! Twilight, I told you before-wait! You’re not Twilight! Yugi’s grandpa! How nice to see you!” Rainbow said as she tried to talk her way out of trouble.

“Yeah…we just were catching up on some sleep and we’ve been workin’ so hard and-,” Joey tried to talk only to be interrupted.

“No sleeping right now, you two! Did you come here to learn Duel Monsters, or did you come here to catch up on your sleeping?” Grandpa yelled.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“See, it's true what they say- you snooze, you lose,” Tristan teased as Rainbow and Joey were woken up by Pinkie Pie. The duo, having heard the comment, growled as Tea and Spike laughed good-naturedly.

“I must've been nuts to think I could ever learn this crazy game,” Joey groaned.

“I know! I have so much card tactic junk stored in my head that it’s not funny!” Rainbow agreed.

Suddenly, Solomon enters the room holding a large box.

“Time for your lesson, you two!” Solomon yells.

“Wha-? We're not done?” Joey was shocked.

“Yeah! We shuffled our Decks for hours, thought up many combos for our new spells and traps to work off our monsters, and we sorted all the cards by type and name! Aren’t we done training yet?” Rainbow asked, exhausted.

“Not by a long shot, you slacker,” Solomon shook his head.

“Nnngh,” Joey groaned.

“I know it’s important we improve, but can’t we take a break?!” Rainbow groaned.

“Now quit your whining, Joseph and Rainbow. I know you've both been working long and hard. Over the last month and a half, you’ve worked on your skills and knowledge and, I must say, you both really are coming along as duelists. And I'm quite proud of you both,” Solomon said.

“Really? You are? We may be able to soon stand up to pro opponents?” Rainbow asked as Solomon nodded, causing both Joey and Rainbow to have watery eyes. Upon noticing this, Rainbow tried to wipe her eyes. “Stupid allergies!”

Joey, meanwhile, said, “Gramps. Thank you!” Joey cheers as he reaches forward to hug him. Solomon, however, neatly sidesteps the hug.

“Oh, by the way, Yugi,” Solomon said as he turned to talk to Yugi.

Joey, meanwhile, overbalanced from the attempted-hug and fell on his face.

“Well, good I didn’t embarrass myself like that,” Rainbow snarked as Joey looked annoyed before smiling.

“This package came for you, Yugi,” Solomon said as he held out the package for Yugi.

“A package? What is it, Gramps?” Yugi asked curiously.

“I don't know. It just came in the mail,” Solomon said.

“Really? Sounds ominous!” Pinkie Pie said.

“More liek dangerous!” Rainbow said suspiciously.

“I’m sure that the package does say who it is from, right Yugi?” Tea asked.
“Right, Tea! Let’s see…Huh, “Yugi said as he pulls the package into his lap. “It's from Industrial Illusions.”

“Industrial Illusions? What’s that?” Rarity asked.

Joey, meanwhile, hops back onto the couch. That’s easy! That's the company that makes the Duel Monsters game. Why the heck would they be sending a package to you, Yugi?” Joey wondered.

“I have no idea. Is it possible they heard I beat the world champion?” Yugi thought out loud.

“You mean... Kaiba?” Tea asked as everyone thought back to that day.

“Well, seeing as how our Duel made it on T.V., probably,” Rainbow said. “Maybe they wanna thank us…or you.”

“Strange. I was outside earlier and there were packages that had an address to both Pinkie and Rainbow,” Spike pointed out.

“Wait. There were?! Why didn’t you say something sooner?!” Rainbow demanded.

“Well…I had a lot on my mind then and you and Joey were busy and…,” Spike said a bit nervously.

“Don’t hound him, Rainbow, It’s not like you’ll be late for anything,” Tea said.

“Yeah! You think there will be a special party we’ll be going to?” Pinkie asked.

“I don’t know. I also don’t know why they’d respond to our Duel? It wasn't an official duel or anything, but Kaiba did drop out of the tournament because of me,” Yugi admitted.

“Just hearing Kaiba's name gives me a headache,” Joey grumbled.

“Yeah! I still can’t get over how he ruined your grandpa’s card Yugi. Still, thanks tto our teamwork and that PEndulum Summoning, we were sable to show him!” Rainbow said, pumped up.

“Speaking of which, what was that Pendulum thing?” Joey asked. “Do you know, Pinkie?”

“Hmm…Nope! No clue! One minute I’m cheering my friends on the next I feel all funny and then I woke up a minute later,” Pinkie said.

“Just like with me in the hospital…,” Spike noted to himself. “Strange. What exactly was all that?”

“Wait. Spike reacted the same way?” Rainbow asked.

“Yeah…It was weird. He turned out to be okay, but still. Things got weird all of a sudden. We tried to contact a doctor for help, but he was back to normal before we could find one. Hopefully it was nothing,” Tea said.

Before anyone could talk any further, Tristan interrupted, “Whoa, guys, this Duel has been intense! Raptor just stomped Weevil!”

“Really?” Rainbow asked as she looked over at the T.V., seeing that while both fields were empty, both sides had massive differences in Life Points. “Looks like Rex is gonna be the winner! Unless…Weevil has a plan.”

Weevil

300 LP

Rex

1800 LP

“Yugi, are these guys any good?” Joey curiously asked.

“Oh yeah. They're both pretty tough customers. Weevil specializes in insect cards and he's a great strategist,” Yugi explained.

“Uh huh! And then there’s this Rex Raptor and his dinosaur cards. He uses their power to overwhelm his opponents. Hmm I wonder if his dinos would be happier with some new friends,” Pinkie wondered.

“I’m…not sure. How did you know about Rex?” Rarity asked.

“Oh! I read an online guide for the tournament! I also found a site that sells candy!” Pinkie said.

“Well…thanks for the info, you two. But still; itsy-bitsy bugs against dueling dinosaurs? Raptor has got this one in the bag, especially with his big Life Point lead,” Joey said.

“I wouldn't be so sure,” Yugi reminded Joey.

“Yeah! Like Rainbow said, Weevil may have a plan to turn things around,” Spike reminded.

“Yeah, yeah,” Joey responded.

“What? You don’t think Weevil can win?” Rainbow asked. “Remember, Yugi’s grandpa taught us to find value in any card. Weevil still has Life Points. He can win!”

“Well…okay. But it still looks like Rex can win,” Joey said.

At the Dueling Arena on the screen…

“Alright Weevil. You used your Mirror Force to stop my attacks for the turn and destroy my monsters, but next turn, you’re mine! Consider yourself... dinosaur chow!” Rex cried out as he summoned the terrible Two-Headed King Rex(1600 Attack).

“Oh! And Raptor plays one of his favorite cards, and the strongest lower level card in his Deck; the terrible Two-Headed King Rex! Looks like this match could be over right here, right now! And with the Two-Headed King Rex in play, it looks like this duel is all done,” The announcer said.

“Your move,” Rex said as he played a facedown.

Weevil laughs in a way pretending to be evil. “And all I have is this weak little bug.” Basic Insect(500 Attack) appears on the playing field.

“Weevil counters with the Basic Insect card,” The announcer comments.

“Looks like you messed up, Rainbow. He plays a wimpy bug against a giant dinosaur? The place'll be covered in bug guts,” Joey said.

“Maybe, but I wouldn't underestimate Weevil. Remember, he still has a facedown card,” Yugi reminded.

“Yeah, and so does Rex. Anyone can win,” Tea said impartially.

“I play my facedown card Double Summon! With it, I can Normal Summon twice this turn. So, I summon out Crawling Dragon #2(1600 Attack)! Then, I’ll sacrifice both my monsters in order to summon out my Serpent Night Dragon(2350 Attack)! Serpent Night Dragon, let's take this championship. Stomp 'em!” Rex played his trump card.

Weevil laughs wickedly, “You've attacked your way into my trap! But then, how could your tiny dinosaur brain know, when an enemy attacks, my vortex activates.” Weevil had played Vortex.

“Oh no! It's a trap card!” Rex was shocked and worried.

“Which totally traps your Dragon in its inescapable embrace, keeping him from attacking so long as I control Vortex!” Weevil played.

“No. My Dragon!” Rex cried out as a vortex surrounded the Dragon.

“And while he's trapped there, I'll finish this Duel off! I play the powerful Chainsaw Insect(2400 Attack)!” Weevil summoned a powerful monster.

“W-What?! 2400 Attack Points at Level 4?! That must be illegal! There has to be a downside!” Rex was shocked.

“There is! When he attacks, you get to draw a card. But…that won’t matter because this Duel will end this turn. Now, I’ll upgrade my Basic Insect by giving him two Armor with Laser Canon,” Weevil activated an equip spell. Basic Insect receives both Armor with Laser Canon(1900 Attack). “Not such a wimpy little bug after all, hmmmm? Attack! Chainsaw Insect! Ground up that Dragon! Now…attack him directly Basic Insect!” Basic Insect attacks the dino Duelist directly, reducing his Life Points to zero.

“Nooo!” Rex yelled out.
“You know…I thought that Duel would have been harder,” Weevil laughed.

“A stunning upset by Weevil Underwood, our newest champion,” The announcer said as Weevil smirks, holding up his deck in triumph.

“Man, that cool dragon squashed by an insect?” Joey noted.

“If it make you feel any better it was massively powerful for a bug…,” Pinkie consoled.

“Talk about a come from behind victory,” Spike said.

“And now a very special honor for our new champion, here to present the Duel Monsters championship trophy, the creator of Duel Monsters and the president of Industrial Illusions. Ladies and gentlemen and fellow duelists, I give you Maximillion Pegasus!” The announcer said as Pegasus, holding a trophy, is raised by a platform into the middle of the dueling arena. He walks over to Weevil and kneels.

“Who’s the old man?” Rainbow bluntly asked as the others fell over.

“Are you kidding?! That is Pegasus! The guy who created Duel Monsters!” Tristan yelled.

“Also…I think he is just a young adult,” Tea pointed out.

“Well, I must say he looks fabulous, either way,” Rarity said.

“Congratulations,” Pegasus said.

“Uh,” Weevil says as he reaches for the trophy. “Thank you.”

“And, as regional champion, I invite you to compete in the bold new tournament I'm hosting at Duelist Kingdom,” Pegasus said.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Inside of a car…

“Mr. Pegasus, with the announcement that you made tonight, we'll have thousands of duelists flocking to Duelist Kingdom,” A lackey said to Pegasus.

“Yes. And events such as this will hopefully attract those who possess the Millennium Items I seek. Which reminds me… did you deliver the packages to the three people I suggested?” Pegasus asked.

“The package was delivered to the boy and his two friends just as you ordered, Sir,” The lackey answered.

“Excellent. At this point, I’ll find out about this Pendulum Summoning very soon, gain the Millenium Puzzle, and see, once and for all, if I’ll find those that can eventually fight for the fate of our world…,” Pegasus said ominously.

“Um…daddy? What are you talking about?” Pegasus turned and saw that it was Jaden that had asked the question.

“Yeah. What do you mean about some Myloonium Pyramid?” Jesse asked.

“Oh, nothing to worry about my little angels. Just preparing for some special guests to come to our tournament. Just think about it. We’ll be able to see thousands of fantastic Duelists from across the globe fight for the top prize. We just need to wait a while for the tournament to start. Won’t that be fun?” Pegasus asked.

“New Duelists?! Of course that’ll be fun!” Jaden cheered.

“Maybe we’ll even see that Yugi guy and that Rainbow haired girl. That would be so cool!” Jesse agreed.

“Don’t worry! They’re definitely coming to our tournament. I’ll see to it. Now…who wants to get ice cream?” Pegasus asked.

“I do!” Both his son and daughter raised their hands excitedly.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back at the game shop…the trio of Yugi, Rainbow, and Pinkie had their packages in front of them as their friends were gathered around them.

“Hah! With all the excitement of the championship, you fall forgot to open your packages,” Solomon said.

“What could it be?” Yugi wondered.

“Maybe it’s a pinata!” Pinkie suggested as the others looked at her. “Or not…”

“It could be a bunch of rare cards…,” Rainbow suggested. “I still need to work on my Deck, after all. If it is cards, I can share, though…”

“Perhaps it’s a golden trophy or something,” Joey suggested.

“I don’t think so…the box is light,” Spike reminded.

“Well…there’s only one way to find out,” Tea said.

“Let’s open the boxes,” Yugi said as he opens his box. It contains a VHS tape, a red glove and two gold stars.

“Huh?” Everyone was confused.

“Some kind of glove…,” Tea noted.

“And stars,” Joey said.

“That’s a weird reward for defeating Kaiba…,” Rarity noted. “Darlings, what are in your boxes?”

“The same thing minus the video tape Yugi had. What about you, Pinkie?” Rainbow asked.

“Same here! And a few cards. Oh…! There’s also this paper that says Duelist Kingdom instructions!” Pinkie Pie said.

“Pegasus did say something about a Duelist Kingdom,” Spike pointed out.

“Looks like we may be going to a tournament! Aw yeah!” Rainbow cheered.

“Only one way to find out. Maybe there's an explanation on the video,” Tristan said.

Yugi reaches for the VHS tape in his box.

“Pop it in and check it out, Yuge,” Joey said.

“Okay,” Yugi puts the VHS tape into the VCR.

Static appeared on the screen for a few moments before, finally, Pegasus materializes on the TV.

“Greetings, little Yugi.And a hearty welcome to your pals Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. I am Maximillion Pegasus,” Pegasus greeted.

“Pegasus?” Joey asked.

“We just saw him on TV,” Tea noted.

“The famous Maximillion Pegasus sends greetings to my Yugi?” Solomon wondered.

“Looks like we are going to a tournament!” Rainbow cheered.

“Don’t be rash, darling. We don’t know that,” Rarity said.

“I have heard some terribly interesting things about you, Yugi. I watched your Duel with Kaiba and I must say you and your friend’s present defeat of Seto Kaiba intrigued me so much, I've decided to investigate your amazing dueling skills personally.,” Pegasus said partly dismissively.

“Hey! We can Duel!” Rainbow grumbled.

“I wonder when and where you’ll Duel?” Tea asked.

“Maybe we’ll get to travel to a luxurious location for the match,” Rarity sighed dreamily.

“Oh, Rarity! I figured you’d be a bit frivolous yet magnificent in your thoughts, just like Applejack said,” Pegasus noted.

“Wait! How did he know what Rarity said?! It’s a tape!” Joey yelled.

“No clue!” Spike answered.

“Wait..you know where Applejack is?!” Rainbow asked.

“But of course, Rainbow Dash. Also, right here, right now, is where 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.

“Wha-?” Yugi was shocked.

“Wha-? He can't seriously expect you to fight a duel against a video tape,” Joey was befuddled.

“I don’t think this is a normal tape…,” Rarity said.

“Maybe, but that's still crazy,” Tristan said.

Pegasus laughs evilly as his Millennium Eye glows. “No, it's magic.”

“Huh?!” Everyone is confused.

Suddenly, Rarity, Tristan, Téa, Solomon and Joey fade into background.

“Whoa! Where are we? Is everyone okay?!” Spike asked, with the others being perfectly still and not responding.

“Uh…I don’t know what Pegasus did, but he did something bad to our friends! They’re like statues!” Rainbow yelled.

“Yeah…but on the bright side they could win a staring contest!” Pinkie said.

“Okay, Pegasus, spill! What have you done to them? Where have you taken us?” Yugi demanded.

Pegasus laughs evilly. “I must say I am surprised your three pals are here. My spell should have only transported you. But, regardless, We're no longer in the world you know. But I will return you... after our game.”

“Hold on! How are you able to do this? Why do you know who our friends are?” Rainbow demanded.

“Do you know where Twilight is?” Spike asked.

“Now, now. It is not currently the time for talking. Now it is time for Dueling,” Pegasus said.

“Can’t we talk and Duel at the same time?” Pinkie asked.

“Perhaps…I have plenty of answers for you…but I won’t tell you them all just yet. Play my game, Yugi. Do so, and I may give you the answers you seek,” Pegasus gave a proposition.

“Then it's time to duel!” Yugi said as his voice and height changed once more. “Start the clock and make your move, Pegasus.”

“Certainly. Let's begin,” Pegasus said as the VCR timer is shown set to 0: 15.00.

“Nervous, Yugi-boy? You should be. You have never faced a duelist like me before,” Pegasus said confidently.

“You may be good,” Yugi said.

“I assure you, I am. And I’ll prove I’m good by playing my favorite card! Do any of you four like cartoons?” Pegasus asked.

“Oh! Yes! I’ve seen some,” Pinkie Pie raised her hand.

“Perfect! Then, maybe you’ve heard of some of my top hits! Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, even modern classics like Gravity Falls, the Owl House, and Spongebob! But my absolute favorite is my adorable Funny Bunny! I love them all so very much! I could spend hours of my free time watching all of them. Having a blast at every joke and emotional moment they have,” Pegasus gushed.

“Just make your first move already!” Spike yelled.

“You’re wasting time we could spend Dueling!” Rainbow agreed.

“True. True. I’ll now pay 1000 Life Points in order to play an entire wonderful cartoon world! Toon World (Pegasus-3000 Life Points)!” All of a sudden, bouncy and mischievous music played as a big book appeared and opened up, showing a cartoony castle.

“This guy is crazy!” Rainbow noted. “Even crazier than Pinkie Pie!”

“Maybe…but he could have some plan prepared…,” Spike warned.

“I’ve never heard of this Toon World. What exactly is it?” Yugi thought in his head.

“Let the fun begin! I continue my turn by summoning Toon Cannon Soldier (1400 Attack)!” Pegasus said.

“Wait…the monster is real?! But…how?!” Yugi demanded.

“I don’t know, but I have a feeling we’ll find out,” Spike warned.

“Toon Cannon Soldier? There is a toon version of that card? He’s so cute!” Pinkie Pie cooed.

“And probably dangerous!” Rainbow yelled.

“Yes, he is! And you’ll see what I mean on my next turn! But food now, I play two facedowns and end my turn,” Pegasus ended his move.

“You may think you can psyche me out with your unfamiliar cards…But I will beat you to save my friends,” Yugi said as he drew and was about to summon a monster.

Pegasus’s Millenium Eyes suddenly glowed. “You won't save anyone with that dragon card. Komouri Dragon(1700 Attack)!”

“Wait. Did he just guess Yugi’s card?!” Spike yelled.

“I…don’t know?” Rainbow was baffled.

“How?” Yugi asked.

“Simple, I told you, you've never faced anyone like me before. I know every move you'll make. Before you can even make it,” Pegasus explained.

“Isn’t that cheating?” Pinkie Pie asked as Yugi glared.

“I’d say it is! But…how can he know?” Rainbow asked.

“That’s a story for another day. Now…Knowing every move you'll make gives me a distinct advantage, wouldn't you say? For example, I can anticipate your next play and counter it with this Dragon Capture Jar trap card,” Pegasus countered.

“Aghh!” Yugi groaned.

“It will draw the Kimori Dragon from your card and imprison the beast. Trapped. Never to be played against me,” Pegasus played.

“This is crazy. First he reads my mind, then he brings the monster on my card to life…just like with his!” Yugi was befuddled.

“Do you have any other moves, Yugi?” Pegasus asked.

“I end my turn by playing Gamma the Magnet Warrior in Defense Mode(1800 Defense). I’m confused. How can this all be possible?” Yugi asked himself.

“To answer your question,this dark dimension we're in is known as the Shadow Realm, a mystical place where incredible monsters can be summoned and the impossible is quite possible. Some have compared being in this empty void as being like he-,” Pegasus said before Pinkie interrupted.

“Language!” Pinkie Pie yelled.

“Okay, got it! Like heck. That better?” Pegasus asked.

“Uh huh!” Pinkie nodded.

“But what you're telling me can't be true,” Yugi noted.

“Yeah! Duel Monsters is just a simple children’s card game!” Rainbow yelled.

“Tell me, Yugi and friends, do you believe there is magic in these cards?” Pegasus asked.

“It’s possible…, though Twilight would want to deny baseless claims,” Spike said.

“But we saw some monsters in our dream a while back…,” Pinkie Pie said.

“I have to agree that it may be a possibility…But don't you know? You invented this game,” Yugi said.

“What if I told you I didn't?” Pegasus revealed.

“Huh?!” Yugi was shocked.

“T-Then where did all this magic and junk come from then?!” Rainbow demanded.

“Simple. There are many different dimensions where magical spirits live. Thousands of them living their normal lives. However, while we normally can’t reach them, some people found a way to summon them here. In ancient times, the Egyptians called this the Shadow Game. Powerful fellows would hold mystical duels in other dimensions just as we're doing now. But not with cards, they battled with real monsters and their spirits and with real magic. Magical forces so powerful, the Egyptians lost control of them and nearly destroyed the entire world,” Pegasus revealed.

“It's a good story, Pegasus. But these monsters can't be real,” Yugi denied.

“Tell that to my Dragon Piper(200 Attack) as his flute of resurrection frees your Koumori Dragon, but puts him under my control. Next, I play Pot of Greed in order to draw two cards. And now…I play my other facedown Toon Antics! Once per turn, I can Normal Summon a second time this turn! I sacrifice my Dragon Piper and my Komouri Dragon in order to Tribute Summon my Toon Dark Magician(2500 Attack)! But I’m not done. I activate my Toon Dark Magician’s effect! By discarding my Toon Masked Sorcerer, I can now Special Summon a Toon from my Deck! I choose Toon Dark Magician Girl(2000 Attack)! Finally…I’ll attack you directly with Toon Dark Magician Girl!” Pegasus declared an attack.

“But I control a monster in Defense mode!” Yugi yelled.

“Yeah! You need to control no monsters in order to be attacked directly!” Rainbow yelled.

“Oh, my Toons don’t care about other monsters, just Toons! I can declare a direct attack with my Toon cards. Toon Dark Magician Girl, strike at Yugi-boy’s Life Points directly! (Yugi-2000 LP)!

“He just lost half his Life Points like that!” Rainbow yelled.

“Uh…is it just me or was that fire burst actually real?” Pinkie asked.

“Actually…I did feel the impact from here! What’s going on?” Spike wondered.

“Maybe…Pegasus is telling the truth,” Yugi scowled.

“Hah! As you see, Yugi, these monsters are very real,” Pegasus laughs evilly. “And also quite dangerous. Ah, Yugi-boy. You really are quite entertaining- the way you scowl and sneer so defiant and yet helpless. And so completely ignorant of the power of your Millennium Puzzle.

“What?!” Yugi was shocked.

“You mean that spirit thing that Yugi mentioned?” Rainbow asked.

“Five thousand years ago, a powerful pharaoh locked the power of the Shadow Games away,” Pegasus said.

'What's this have to do with me?” Yugi asked.

“The pharaoh captured these vast magical energies in seven mystical Millennium Items,” Pegasus revealed.

“Do you think the pharaoh created the spirit then?” Pinkie asked Spike, who shrugged.

“Seven items? You're saying that... is my puzzle one of them?” Yugi asked.

“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 said.

“But why are you telling me this?” Yugi asked.

“Why? Simply because I need you to know. But perhaps I have said too much. And since the clock is still ticking, I propose we resume playing our little duel,” Pegasus said.

“He's right, times running out and I still haven't figured out if he can really read my mind or if it's some kind of trick,” Yugi thought.

“Fortunately for you, Toon Dark Magician can’t attack you directly this turn. But my other monster is another story…Aw, don’t worry my dear Toon Cannon Soldier. You won’t be missing out on the fun. I’m going to let you attack Yugi-boy directly as well!” Pegasus cried out.

“I play my facedown card Pendulum Barrier! With it, I can negate one attack and place a Pendulum monster from my Deck into a Pendulum Scale! And I choose Kuriboh(Scale 8)!” Yugi played.

“You bought yourself another turn…but we’ll see if it will last. I end my turn with a facedown,” Pegasus said.

“I've gotta try something, maybe by Pendulum Summoning! I set the Pendulum Scale with Scale 2 Buster Blader and Scale 8 Kuriboh! I’ll be showing off the Heart of the Cards starting now! Witness the power of my monsters, as they enter the action! Pendulum Summon! Go, Dark Pendulum Magician(2500 Attack/Scale 3) and Dark Magician Pendulum Girl(2000 Attack/Scale 5)!”

Pegasus sarcastically says, “Whoa, the big, scary Dark Magician and his protege.”

“Mock me all you like, Pegasus. But my magicians will destroy those Toons,” Yugi said.

“Go right ahead, if you think it'll help,” Pegasus said.

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

“Awesome! Yugi just summoned his go to cards!” Rainbow cheered.

“This is so amazing! He can win this!” Pinkie cheered.

“Impressive how you’ve graced me with a Pendulum Summon, Yugi-boy. Now. let’s see if you can turn things around!” Pegasus said.

“Now, I’ll activate…,” Yugi began as he noticed Pegasus laugh and smirk. “Wait a minute, he definitely knows what I'm about to do. But how? It's gotta have something to do with that weird eye of his. That's it, isn't it? That weird eye must somehow let him see the cards in my hand…maybe even my moves, meaning he may have a counter if I power them up. So no matter which card I pick, he's already one step ahead of me. But that gives me an idea.”

“Hurry up now, Yugi-boy. Time is running out for you and your friends,” Pegasus teased.

“Don't let him psyche you out, Yugi!” Rainbow yelled supportively.

“I guess he's expecting me to play one of the cards in my hand. Or my Pendulum card’s effect. But what if I play a card even I haven't seen yet?! What happens if I draw a new card straight from the deck without even looking at it? I now play the spell card Pot of Greed in order to draw two new cards!” Yugi said as he drew a spell and activated it.

“Nice try, Yugi. But I already know that you plan on playing Buster Blader’s Pendulum effect to power up your monster. But…Toon Antics will power up my Toon Dark Magician instead and force you to attack him!” Pegasus revealed.

“Looks like this Pegasus guy really did figure everything out!” Spike worried.

“I wouldn’t count Yugi out yet. He looks like he has a plan!” Rainbow said.

“Correct, Rainbow! I play spell card Thousand Knives! Since I control a Dark Magician or in this case a Dark Pendulum Magician I can destroy a monster you have out! And I choose Toon Dark Magician!” Yugi cried out.

“So, you believe that you can gain the lead in this Duel then, young Yugi?” Pegasus asked.

“I know I have! I switch Gamma into attack mode! Now, Dark Pendulum Magician, attack Toon Dark Magician Girl with Dark Magic Attack (Pegasus-2500 LP)! Now, Dark Magician Pendulum Girl! Attack Toon Cannon Soldier(Pegasus-1900 LP)! Finally, Gamma will attack you directly!” Yugi cried out.

“You think you’re close to victory, but you could never be more wrong! I activate the final effect of my Toon Antics trap! Now, I can draw one card and Special Summon a Toon from my deck in exchange for it not being allowed to attack! Come forth, Toon Gemini Elf(1900 Attack)!”

“You bought yourself another turn, Pegasus, but you’ll lose come my next turn. I end my turn now,” Yugi said.

“Alright! Pegasus just got schooled big time!” Rainbow cheered.

“If this keeps up, Yugi will win for sure!” Pinkie Pie agreed.

“I don’t know…Pegasus doesn’t seem to be worried,” Spike warned.

Pegasus laughs triumphantly, before saying, “Nicely played. But by using your Dark Pendulum Magician, you've let me manipulate you once again.”

“Huh?” Yugi was confused.

“Yeah! How could he influence that move?” Pinkie questioned.

“Yugi outsmarted you! Just admit it!” Rainbow agreed.

“Actually, no…By playing that one card, you have ensured my victory,” Pegasus revealed.

“No, you haven’t,” Yugi denied.

“We shall see, Yugi. Oh, a very rare card. First off, I play my facedown card Toon Mask! With it, I can special summon a Toon monster from my Deck so long as they are equal to or lower in Level than your monsters. And…I choose My Toon Cyber Dragon(2100 Attack)! True, he can’t attack this turn, but it won’t matter. I now play the effect of my Toon Mermaid in order to summon her in Defense mode(1500 Defense)! I activate the spell card Card of Demise! This powerful card allows me to draw until I have five cards in my hand. Though…in exchange, I must discard all the cards I hold during my fifth Standby Phase after activation. I’ll now Normal Summon a second Toon Gemini Elf in attack mode(1900 Attack)!” Pegasus said as he now controlled four monsters.

“That’s a pretty good board, Pegasus. However, my monsters and I will find a way to clear it, especially since you no longer have Toon Antics on your field to protect you!” Yugi pointed out.

"Correct! You blundered big time, summoning monsters in Attack mode that can't attack! Looks like you lose, old man!" Rainbow yelled.

“First, I'm not that old! Second, you have a point, Yugi. True. I can’t attack with any of them. But…that won’t matter here. Now…Appear, the circuit that leads to fun times for the soul!” Yugi looked shocked as Pegasus’s monsters suddenly turned into light and a circuit appeared, with the top, bottom, left, and right arrows being lit up. “The summoning requirements are at least two monsters that are Toons. Now, I set Toon Cyber Dragon, my two Toon Gemini Elf, and my Toon Mermaid in the Link Arrows! Link the Circuit! I Link Summon Toon Firewall Dragon(2500 Attack/Link 4/Dark/Cyberse/A toonified version of Firewall Dragon/Arrows pointing up, down, left, and right/If your opponent controls no Toon monsters, this card can attack the opponent directly. Once while face-up on the field (Quick Effect): You can target monsters on the field and/or GY up to the number of monsters co-linked to this card; return them to the hand. If a monster this card points to is destroyed by battle or sent to the GY: You can Special Summon 1 Toon monster from your hand or graveyard.)!”

“A-A Link Monster?! You have a Link Monster?! But…I get it…you have access to multiple Extra Deck summoning methods, don’t you?” Yugi asked in shock.

"I'm still a bit stumped. What is a Link monster?" Rainbow asked.

"To put it simply, it's a monster that can be summoned from the Extra Deck. They can't be in Defense mode and have Link Arrows instead of levels," Spike answered. "You seriously never learned that?"

“But of course, Yugi boy. And…he won’t be alone. Since I control a Toon monster, I can now Special Summon my Toon Harpie Lady(1300 Attack)! And…I’ll play the effect of my Monster Reborn in order to bring back Toon Dark Magician(2500 Attack)!” Pegasus played.

“Why him? Why not bring back Toon Dark Magician Girl for a direct attack?” Yugi asked.

"Maybe he's trying to be nice?" Pinkie suggested.

"I doubt it...," Spike warned.

“The boy is correct! You think I’m dense, Yugi boy? I know your Kuriboh can negate the damage of a direct attack. So…why bother attacking that way when I can do so much more! I now play the spell card Premature Burial! By paying 800 Life Points(Pegasus-1100 LP), I can special summon another monster from beyond the grave! Say hello to Toon Masked Sorcerer (900 Attack)! Now…Appear, the circuit that leads to fun times for the soul!” Pegasus cried out as the three monsters became light. The summoning requirements are at least two monsters that are Toons. Now, I set Toon Dark Magician, my two Toon Masked Sorcerer, and my Toon Harpie Lady in the Link Arrows! Link the Circuit! I Link Summon Toon Decode Talker(2300 Attack/Link 3/Dark/Cyberse/A toonified version of Decode Talker/Arrows pointing up, bottom left, and bottom right/If your opponent controls no Toon monsters, this card can attack the opponent directly. Gains 500 ATK for each monster it points to. When your opponent activates a card or effect that targets a card(s) you control (Quick Effect): You can Tribute 1 monster this card points to; negate the activation, and if you do, destroy that card.)

The VCR timer reads- 0: 05.00.

“I'm up by nine hundred life-points, but only because Pegasus is toying with me. He now has yet another Link monster on his field, and if what I know is accurate, they gain effects by pointing to each other! I've got to find a way to beat him at his own Shadow Game,” Yugi glares. “Pegasus knows all kinds of tricks. But I gotta find a way to defeat him. I just have to trust in my grandpa's cards.!”

“Please, Yugi! My monsters have more than enough bite to beat you! First off, these monsters can attack on the turn they’re summoned…unlike other cards that are Toons. Second, I can play a few different special abilities of my own. I’ll just have to attack your monsters!"

“Wait. You’re not going to attack directly?” Rainbow was confused.

“You’re very boarish in terms of thoughts like Twilight said. I don’t need to attack directly,” Pegasus explained.

“Wait…Twilight? You know Twilight? Where is she?!” Spike demanded as he tried to rush for Pegasus.

“Whoa there, buddy! Let’s calm down!” Pinkie held back Spike.

“Answer me, Pegasus!” Spike yelled.

“All will be revealed soon enough…,” Pegasus cryptically said. “As for you, Yugi. Our game is done. I’m aware your spell card Big Return will activate when I try to attack you directly in order to negate my direct attacks. So...I'll attack your Spellcasters instead! Toon Decode Talker gains power by 500 points for each monster it points to, making his power 2800(2800 Attack)!” Pegasus played.

“No!” Yugi growled.

“I can’t beat you this turn…but I can rough you up big time! Toon Firewall Dragon, attack Dark Magician Pendulum Girl (Yugi-1500 LP)! Now, Toon Decode Talker, finish off Gamma the Magnet Warrior(Yugi-200 LP)! Well, Yugi, our time together is nearly up, and as I have more life-points than you, it appears I am the victor. I end my turn,” Pegasus said. “Yugi. Our game is done.

“Time's not up yet, Pegasus. And you've left your monsters vulnerable to a physical assault. I draw! I play the spell Pot of Greed to draw two cards!” Yugi drew Magician’s Valkyria and Magician’s Barrier! I will now perform a second Pendulum Summon! Rise again, from my Extra Deck, Dark Magician Pendulum Girl and say hello to Magician’s Valkyria(1600 Attack)!”

“Oh, no! A bunch of monsters weaker than mine! Whatever shall I do?” Pegasus teased mockingly.

“You’re going to lose, that’s what. I play the effect of Buster Blader, giving my Dark Pendulum Magician power by my monster, Dark Magician Pendulum Girl for the turn in exchange for him being the only monster that can attack (4500 Attack)!” Yugi said. “Now…attack Toon Firewall Dragon! Dark Magic Attack!” Yugi cried out.

"Yugi's got this in the bag! With no spells or traps on the field, Pegasus has no way to keep himself safe from an attack!" Pinkie cheered.

"Yep! Looks like dopey Pegasus made an oversight!" Rainbow agreed.

“Oh, we’re not done yet! I play the effect of Toon Firewall Dragon! With it, since he is linked to Toon Decode Talker, I can now return a monster on your field to the hand! And I choose Dark Pendulum Magician!” Pegasus countered.

“That won’t work! I use Kuriboh’s Pendulum effect! Once per turn, I can negate the effect of a monster, spell, or trap that is used!”

“Not so fast, Yugi boy! I play Toon Decode Talker’s effect! Since a card I control was targeted, I can negate and destroy that card! Better luck next time!” Pegasus countered back.

“I play my spell Big Return in order to play Kuriboh’s ability again. So much for your final attempt at saving yourself! Now, end this Duel!” Yugi cried out as the attack was launched.

“Way to go, Yugi! You won!” Rainbow and Pinkie cheered.

“Sweets will be on me once we’re home!” Pinkie yelled.

Pegasus growled for a minute before he suddenly smiled, which Yugi noticed. “You-You knew I’d be able to counter your move, regardless of if I used that spell card. Didn’t you?”

“But of course, Yugi boy,” Pegasus confirmed.

“Then…why bother use your effects?” Yugi asked.

“Simple. Because…,” Just as the attack was about to hit, the timer hit zero and both fields disappeared.

“What?! But Yugi had the stronger monster!” Rainbow yelled.

“You forgot about the timer already, Dashie?” Pegasus teased as Rainbow looked annoyed. “Well, we've run out of time. But how close was that? If you had been able to complete that attack, I would have lost. But I didn't, did I? I have taken the measure of your talents this day, Yugi Muto. And when next we duel, we shall play for far higher stakes. I’ll let you and your friends go…for now.”

“I'm done with your games,” Yugi growled.

“Yeah! You still haven’t told us about our friends!” Spike reminded.

Pegasus shakes his finger. “You’ll see them soon. As for you, Yugi, you presume I'm giving you a choice in the matter. But…,” He lifts hair aside to reveal the Millennium Eye. “I'm not, for I too possess one of the seven Millennium Items- the all-powerful Millennium Eye!”

“A Millennium Eye?” Yugi was shocked.

“So that’s how you know so much about the Millenium Items!” Pinkie realized.

“That's right, Yugi-boy and Pinkamina. And now I'll show you the true extent of its magic. You see, I have found that- given the proper incentive, anyone can be made to play my game.” The Millennium Eye glows and pulls Yugi's grandfather's soul into the television screen.

Huh?” Yugi and the spirit are shocked by what occurred.

Solomon, from the television screen, cries out, “Yugi!”

Yugi becomes himself again and runs toward the TV. “Grandpa!”

“What did you just do, you manchild?!” Rainbow yelled.

“What I needed to do. Yes, we will duel again, Yuugi. How else will you reclaim your grandfather's soul?” Pegasus asked as he finally disappeared. Everyone returned to Yugi’s living room, the world returns to color and Yugi's friends are now able to move.

Solomon's eyes are blank and he falls over.

“Uh…did we miss something?” Joey asked.

“I think so. Yugi’s grandpa just fell!” Tristan said as he rushed over to check on Solomon.

“Yeah! The creepy Pegasus won against Yugi and claimed he stole his grandpa’s soul!” Pinkie Pie said.

“But…that’s impossible! No one has that power!” Rarity thought the idea was ridiculous.

“I’m afraid it’s very possible. He had a Millenium Item, too,” Rainbow admitted.

“And he may have Twilight’s soul,” Spike shook from anger as he clenched his fist.

“You okay, Yugi? Tea asked as Yugi fell onto his knees in front of his grandpa.

“Grandpa! Grandpa!! Grandpaaaaaa!” Yugi cried out in anguish.

Back with Pegasus that night, in his bedroom…

“Sir, I’ve done as you suggested. I’ve stolen Yugi boy’s grandpa’s soul and have challenged him to a new game in order to win his Millenium Puzzle. It’ll serve us well, for both our missions,” Pegasus said to a voice in his Duel Disk.

“Perfect. You did cut it a bit close, though. For a moment, I thought that pathetic human was going to win. But…you were able to win thanks to the timer I suggested. Not a bad idea burning time and giving the boy more reason to come after you.”

“I did do good, didn’t I? Soon, I’ll be able to use the Millenium Items to reunite myself with Cecilia and, as for you, you’ll be free…,” Pegasus said.

“Yes…I always wondered what humans other than you did with your lives. Perhaps I’ll find out before I ready the world for its ultimate fate. But for now…goodbye.”

As the voice turned off, Pegasus sat there looking sad for a moment. “Soon, Jaden and Jesse, we’ll be a happy family like I always dreamed.”

Author's Note

i hope you enjoy this chapter and that you're excited for the next one. If anyone has any problems, please feel free to ask.

Link into the Shadow Realm

“Come on! Don’t break down! I don’t know about you and I don’t really care but I don’t wanna be digitized to kilobits!”
“Just calm yourself. I have three reasons why I cannot and will not be defeated. One: I must uncover the truth about my past. Two: I must free Kolter’s brother from the darkness that haunts him. And three: I must absolutely save the one who saved me!”
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“I’m not logging out of Link VRAINS just yet.”
“That’s it! Your motherboard’s officially glitched beyond repair! Ya mind explaining why you zigged instead of zagged?”
“I could’ve logged out, but there are three good reasons why I didn’t. First, the Gore is presenting me with unexpected strategies and techniques, moves and techniques that I am able to learn from to improve my own dueling. Second, continuing this duel may provide insight as to who would go to such lengths to trap us here inside this quantum cage for the sole purpose of acquiring you, Ai. And third, I’m choosing to continue this battle with Gore and not log out because I feel like it.”
“After listening to you, my mind needs a reboot!”
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“It’s Yusaku, right? You got a sec?”
“Uh, yeah. What’s up?”
“I don’t want to keep you from class if you’re busy…”
“...So why exactly did you decide to join the duel club?”
“Well I didn’t technically-”
“They’re kinda like family. But don’t tell my brother that.”
“I heard your brother works for SOL Technologies. Some say he might run the whole company someday.”
“Ah, so that’s why you joined the club.”
“Uh…”
“It happens all the time. ‘Hey, can you ask your brother for the new Duel Disk?’ or ‘Can you pull a few strings and get me a job at SOL Technologies?’ It seems like it never ends.”
“That’s not what I-”
“Yeah, don’t even try. It’s not like Akira even listens to what I say anyway.”
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Playmaker. I-I don’t know what to say. You’re going to duel him to save my sister, even after everything that I put you through, refusing to believe anything that you said. But you will still fight to help me when you really should despise me.”
“I forgive you. But I will never forgive the Knights of Hanoi.”
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“So goes your last ditch effort, Playmaker. I stopped it like all the others, with not a single problem. You’re like a pebble in my shoe. Annoying and uncomfortable, yes, but ultimately small and worthless, not given a second thought once it’s tossed away. And when you lose, you’ll be lost to history.”
“You’re wrong. I must win. And there happen to be exactly three reasons why I will. For one I must avenge the horrors that the Knights of Hanoi put me through a decade ago. Two: Defeating you is a step towards uncovering the truth about that incident. And three: I must rescue the one who rescued me.”
“Did you say three? No way…Can it be you? After all these years?”
“Ten years to be exact. But I’m back to get justice!”
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When Yusaku woke up, he found himself stuck in an empty purple void. For a moment, it seemed like he was all alone…or he would have been if it weren’t for Ai.

“Aw, glitch! I told you that opening that letter from Industrial Illusions was a bad idea! ‘It could be a trap from the Knights of Hanoi’ I said! ‘Listen to your best buddy’ I said! But no! You had to jump in without thinking once more! You meat bags are just as unpredictable and frustrating as ever!” Ai yelled.

“I have to admit that you make a valid argument for once,” Yusaku said.

“For once?! What about all the time?!” Ai demanded.

“But…I have three good reasons why it was best to play the video file sent with that letter. For one, it would answer why the company would want to talk to me after all that we’ve been through so far. Second, if the company has any connections with the Knights of Hanoi or SOL Technologies, we would find out about it. And third, if Industrial Illusions isn’t on either side, they could prove to be of help in finding out the truth of what happened ten years ago,” Yuaku answered.

“That’s insane, Playmaker! And besides, what happened to not wanting help from Gore? You gonna flip flop already?!” Ai demanded.

“No. I never said I’d work with them to stop the Knights of Hanoi. I just said that they could know what happened to me and the others and why. Still, perhaps my haste did get me trapped here. I just wish I remembered why,” Yusaku answered.

“Wait…so you’re Playmaker?” A third familiar voice said. The duo turned around and saw that they weren’t alone in this place. They saw that Skye Zaizen was also here in this void. It was at this point that Yusaku looked and saw that he was still Yusaku, not Playmaker. His cover had been blown.

“Um, why no, meat bag. We don’t know who this Playmaker guy even is! He’s as much of a mystery to us as the correct final number of pi is to scientists!” Ai lied badly. “Did I do great, best buddy?”

Yusaku sighed for a moment before answering, “Yes. You got it. I’d rather no one find out, but I am Playmaker.”

“Well…looks like I now know who the elusive Playmaker now is,” Skye admitted factually.

“I’d recommend you keep that information to yourself, Skye. The last thing I need is to be swarmed by the media and be found out by the Knights of Hanoi so soon,” Yusaku said.

“Ya know…you could have also said that it’s because you didn’t wanna see me gone when either SOL Tech. or the Hanoi come after you!” Ai snarked.

“Relax. I won’t say anything…for now. Anyway,…I can now see why you brought up my brother the other day. You wanted help with your quest, right?” Skye asked.

“No. I wanted to know if I could find out what the purpose of the Lost Incident was that occurred ten years ago,” Yusaku shook his head.

“Okay…so quick questions. Why are you fighting the Knights of Hanoi alone? And…Why are you keeping this information to yourself?” Skye asked.

“Well…to keep it simple, I don’t want to be in the public eye if I can help it. I don’t want anyone else to join my fight against the Knights. This is not anyone else’s battle but mine and Kolter’s,” Yusaku answered.

“I take it Kolter is a friend then? At least you aren’t doing this alone…Anyways, do you have any idea where we happen to be at? This doesn’t look like any part of Link VRAINS that I’ve seen. Last I remember, Akira opened up an email from Industrial Illusions and then…I was here,” Skye wondered.

“This is new to us as well. All I remember is that one moment we’re opening a file sent by Industrial Illusions, just like you, and the next Ai and I are trapped in this strange place with you, Blue Angel,” Yusaku responded, with Skye gasping.

“Yeah…because revealing that lovely little piece of info is definitely gonna help us all out! What happened to keeping secrets?” Ai demanded.

“Circumstances have changed, Ai. I figured it would be best to reveal that we know Skye’s identity so that we can deter her from telling others mine. Besides, what’s important now is that we find a way out of this strange place,” Yusaku explained.

“What? I said I’d keep quiet!” Skye complained.

“Correct, Blue Angel. But…I’m afraid that keeping secrets is impossible with me around,” A new voice said. Suddenly, Pegasus appeared in front of the trio, looking ready to Duel.

“So, wait…This is the meat bag that captured us and wants to steal me now? Ha! Like he’s gonna be a threat! He isn’t from Sol Tech or the Hanoi!” Ai laughed.

“Don’t be too overconfident, Ai. For all we know, he could be a powerful Duelist,” Yusaku warned.

“Play- I mean, Yusaku is right. I recognize him. He’s Maximillion Pegasus from Industrial Illusions. The creator of Duel Monsters!” Skye revealed.

“So…the card game tons of little kids, lonely adults, and handsome programs like me, play on a near daily business was made by him?! Hmm…I thought Lightning said that there was some foreign magic at work to cause this game to exist,” Ai noted.

“Actually…he is right. You see, there are other dimensions out there where spirits and monsters live and have been existing for years. Some of them have been brought into existence thanks to Shadow Games in Ancient Egypt,” Pegasus revealed.

“I heard about this in Duel Club. There are rumors where people used dark magic to bring about dangerous monsters to fight each other, often to the death,” Skye confirmed.

“Sounds a little far-fetched to me. What is the real history of this game then?” Ai demanded.

“I assure you. What I’ve just said is the truth. In fact, we're in the Shadow Realm right now. But…I didn’t come here to tell you more about my card game…I came here on business. You see, I’d like to invite you to compete in a tournament called Duelist Kingdom in less than a week. More information will be brought to light once you get your mail and packages containing all you need to know,” Pegasus said.

“No thanks. I only Duel in order to fight the Knights of Hanoi and get my revenge for all they put me through…,” Yusaku declined.

“Couldn’t even give it an I’ll think about it?” Ai asked.

“No. I don’t have any need to face other opponents that are just your run of the mill opponents. Remember, I only Dueled Gore and Blue Angel due to other circumstances,” Yuskau said.
“ You were the one who challenged me!” Skye complained. “Well…I don’t know about this guy here, but…I don’t think I’ll go either. My older brother has been extra protective ever since I was put into a coma by the Hanoi. I…don’t wanna get involved in Dueling again just yet…”

“Oh, you silly kids, Playmaker and Blue Angel. You talk as though you’re being given a choice in the matter,” Pegasus laughed.

“Red flag, Playmaker. Maybe we shouldn’t say no here,” Ai warned.

“I wouldn’t think like that, Ai,” Yusaku said.

“But…I’ll give you a chance to walk free, you two,” Pegasus began.

“Three!” Ai butted in.

“I’ll Duel Playmaker here, and if you win I’ll let you go and this experience will become a distant memory. Lose, and you’ll be joining the Duelist Kingdom one way or another…,” Pegasus said ominously.

“The whole being forced into this tournament thing is kinda freaking me out here, Playmaker!” Ai warned.

“I agree with the program here, Yusaku. Can’t I Duel for my own freedom?” Skye asked.

“Hmm…I’m afraid not. Yusaku it will be!” Pegasus declined.

“Don’t worry, you two. There are three reasons why I will win and not lose. First, if this Pegasus person wanted to indeed hurt us, he would have done so by now. Second, this Pegasus person appears to be cocky, which could be a sign as either his immense skill or overconfidence, both of which could prove to be helpful for us. And third, I have too much riding on a win to let myself lose so easily here!” Yuskau said.

“Perfect! And, to make this Duel even more interesting, I’ll give this Shadow Game a time limit! When the clock hits zero, the Duel will be over! The one with higher Life Points by then wins. You ready, Playmaker?” Pegasus asked as the Master Duel field appeared in front of them.

“You’re not giving me a choice. But…I won’t be losing so easily!” Yusaku said as he drew his hand.

"Uh...you're looking very confident for being in this void and being challenged by a stranger to a darkness game," Ai said.

"Technically, it's a Shadow Game...though it's doubtful it's real," Skye noted.

"The conditions don't matter right now. All that matters is that we win!" Yusaku yelled out.

“Let’s Duel!” Both Duelists yelled.

“I’ll start this off! And…I summon my Bitron in Attack mode(200 Attack)!” Yusaku played as he selected the card in front of him.

“Uh, Playmaker? Mind telling me why you summoned such a weak monster in Attack mode? Don’t tell me you’re giving up already,” Pegasus teased.

“I wouldn't count him out yet, Pegasus,” Skye said.

“Yeah! My buddy Playmaker is much tougher than you’re giving him credit for! After all, I taught him to be a great Duelist myself!” Ai falsely claimed.

“Uh…no. That’s not how I learned to Duel, Ai,” Yusaku said, causing Ai to comically fall down on the Duel Disk. "Create the Ultimate Circuit! Link Arrows authorized! The summoning conditions are one Normal monster. I set Bitron in the Link Arrows! I Link Summon Link 1 Link Spider (1000 Attack)! Now, I’ll use the effect of my Link Spider in order to summon a Normal monster next to it’s Link arrow! I summon my second Bitron(200 Attack)! Next, I’ll use Backup Secretary’s effect to special summon her from my hand while I control a Cyberse monster (1200 Attack)! Create the Ultimate Circuit! Link Arrows authorized! The summoning conditions are two Cyberse monsters! I set Bitron and Backup Secretary in the Link Arrows! I Link Summon Link 2 Link Bumper(1400 Attack)! Now…I’ll Link Summon one more time! Create the Ultimate Circuit! Link Arrows authorized! The summoning conditions are at least two Effect Monsters. I set Link Spider and Link Bumper in the Link Arrows! I Link Summon Link 3 Decode Talker(2300 Attack)!”

“My oh my. That sure was a lot of Link Summoning to summon out just one monster, Playmaker. That really all you plan on doing this turn?” Pegasus mocked.

“Uh…he has a point. Decode Talker may be tough, but he’s still a monster with only 2300 points. Oh…I bet you have a move to summon a monster and power him up! Good old Playmaker! Always one step ahead of the competition!” Ai chirped.

“I end my turn with a facedown. Your move, Pegasus,” Yusaku ended his move.

“Really?! That’s all?! What, you want to lose here and risk me?!” Ai was shocked.

“Now, now. This is the same guy who beat me and the Gore. He probably has a move in mind…I hope,” Skye noted.

“Not a bad turn, Playmaker. Now…to show you a real special turn. I draw! Do you like cartoons, you two?” Pegasus asked.

“Uh…not really. Never been into them,” Yusaku said.

“Haven't watched any in a few years,” Syke agreed.

“What are they, anyway?” Ai asked.

“Well then, get ready for the plot twist of the century as I start my turn by playing an entire cartoon world! Welcome to Toon World! At the cost of 1000 Life Points, I can send us to this world, allowing my Toons to be ready for battle (Pegasus-3000 LP)! Next up, I summon my Toon Gemini Elf in Attack mode(1900 Attack)! Sadly, they can’t attack this turn, but I have someone who can! But I’m getting ahead of myself. First off, say hello to Toon Harpie Lady(1300 Attack)! She can be summoned from my hand when I control another Toon monster. And now…I Overlay my two lovely Toons in order to build the Overlay network! I Xyz Summon Toon Parrot Dragon (2000 Attack/1300 Defense/Wind/Rank 4/Dragon/Toon/A toon that resembles Parrot Dragon with darker highlights/If you control Toon World and your opponent controls no Toon monsters, this card can attack directly. Once per turn, you can detach an Overlay Unit. This card gains 500 Attack until the End Phase. Also, this card can’t be destroyed by card effects this turn.)!” Pegasus revealed.

“That’s…an Xyz monster! Looks like we’re dealing with a wild card here, Playmaker! Nothing we can’t handle, though,” Ai cried out.

“We can’t underestimate him, Ai. He must be planning something,” Yusaku warned.

“He’s right. We don’t know what his effect is, after all,” Skye agreed.

“Not that he’ll tell us. He holds more secrets than a magician does!” Ai snarked.

“Now, now. Don’t be rude! I’ll tell you! You see, my monster can use an Overlay unit in order to gain 500 points of power for one turn (2000->2500 Attack)! Now, use Swift Bombarding Beak on Yusaku’s Life Points!” Pegasus yelled out.

“But…he can’t perform a direct attack so easily! I mean, this meat bag still has a monster out!” Ai complained.

“His monster must have an effect to work around that little hiccup, Ai,” Yusaku said.

“Correct, Playmaker! Toon monsters can attack you directly if you have no Toons to absorb the damage instead. So, now Toon Parrot Dragon, direct attack!” Pegasus cried out.

“Guess again! I play my set Sakuretsu Armor in order to destroy your monster and shield my Life Points!” Yusaku countered.

“Guess again! My Toon has another ability to defend herself from destruction due to card effects! So, back to business, Yusaku (Yusaku-1500 LP)! Good try, but no dice!" Pegasus smirked.

Suddenly, Yusaku began to pant heavily. "Uh, you okay there, buddy? You're panting very hard from one attack."

"I know! I was fine right before the attack, but now...I can barely stand!" Yusaku groaned.

"I don't get it...unless...this really is a Shadow Game!" Skye realized.

"I’ll end my turn with a simple facedown. Not a bad start to a Duel. Still, I’ve yet to see anything that can be of note. You’re second rate compared to me!” Pegasus gloated.

“I wouldn’t be so sure. I mean, I’ve learned from experience that the more a Duelist trash talks, the more they’re trying to cover up for their own insecurities or a secret of some sort,” Skye noted.

“Skye has a point. Not everyone who seems to be confident always is. Still, it’s not our place to judge him, especially seeing as how it’d just waste the limited time we have left,” Yusaku pointed out as the time said 7 minutes remained.

“Good point. Is good. But…you couldn’t have made it sooner?!” Ai complained.

“It’s my turn. I start off by playing the spell Pot of Greed to draw two cards! Next, I summon Cyberse Magician in Attack mode(1800 Attack)! And…since he’s next to my Decode Talker’s Link, my monster gains 500 extra points(2300->2800 Attack)! Next up, I play two cards facedown. Finally, I’ll use Cyberse Magician’s effect, switching your monster to defense mode and allowing my monsters to deal piercing damage in exchange for them being the only target of attacks this turn!” Yusaku cried out.

“Perfect! Now that Parrot Dragon is in Defense, Yusaku can now deal more damage, leaving the Duel to end in a Draw at least!” Skye points out.

“Which is good, how?! Remember that Peggy here could still turn things around given he has a facedown. And…even if the Duel ends shortly after he never said he’d let us go with a draw! Seriously, you meat bags need to remember this stuff more!” Ai huffed.

“Then I’ll just have to win then, won’t I?” Yusaku bit back. “Decode Talker, strike at Pegasus’s dragon (Pegasus-1500 LP)! And with that, I end my turn. Make your move, Pegasus,” Yusaku said.

“Yeah! Though, to be honest, you could be up a creek without an oar! I mean, how can you deal with two decently beefy monsters and two face downs so easily? This Duel is won!” Ai claimed.

“I thought you were scared a moment ago. Why the change?” Skye asked.

“Well, it’s clear now that his set card was a bluff, meaning we had nothing to worry about this whole time! We also only have four minutes left. As long as Pegasus doesn’t stall, we can win on our next turn easy!” Ai sighed. “We’re gonna win, like I knew all along!”

“Right,” Skye rolled her eyes.

At this, Pegasus began to laugh to himself.

“Uh, looks like we spoke too soon,” Ai noted.

“We?” Yusaku asked sarcastically.

“Oh, Ai, you think I’m gonna lose, don’t you? Well, what if I were to tell you that this game of ours has gone exactly to plan so far?” Pegasus asked.

“Wh-What?!” Ai was shocked.

“I’d say you were reading the board poorly, for three reasons. One, you may have a facedown on your field, but it isn’t one to stop attacks, seeing as how you didn’t use it to save your dragon earlier. Second, you have no more monsters to attack with, and even if you do gather more, I read the text of your two Normal effect monsters and they said they can’t attack when summoned that turn. And third, you may be making that claim to psyche me out, whether you believe it or not,” Yusaku said.

“Some very good points, and I can say you have a couple facedowns as well. But…will they save you? Your left facedown is Shrink, which can be used to halve the attack of one of my Toons, should I get an attack off. While your right one is Cyberse Computer Virus, which can destroy a monster that just attacked if you control at least one Cyberse monster. Clearly, you plan on wiping out my monster and saving yourself in one turn, then attacking me directly the next! But since I know your game plan, I doubt we’ll be able to see you pull it off,” Pegasus explained, much to the trio’s shock.

“B-But how did-?” Ai was shocked.

“Is he telling the truth, Playmaker?” Skye asked.

“He is. Pegasus, how did you know what my move was going to be?” Yuskau asked.

“Simple. I have a lovely toy with me called the Millenium Eye, which allows me to see into the minds of anyone I please! Your cards and strategies aren’t new to me. I’ll admit you are a smart opponent, smarter than most I’ve met, but you can’t beat me with my eye!” Pegasus boasted.

“So, he’s a cheater then!” Ai cried out.

“I agree! Being able to see an opponent’s cards and strategies isn't fair! It can’t be allowed!” Skye yelled.

“We’ll see…remember, I decide what is fair and what isn’t in this game. Anyways, it’s my turn! First, I summon Toon Goblin Attack Force(2300 Attack)! Next up, since I control a Toon, I can special summon Toon Dark Resonator from my hand(1300 Attack/300 Defense/ Toon/ Fiend/ Level 3/ Dark/ Tuner/ A toonified version of Dark Resonator/Cannot attack the turn it’s summoned/Can’t be destroyed by battle the first time it’s attacks or is attacked in a turn/ If you control a Toon monster, you can special summon this card from your hand. Can attack directly in you control Toon World and your opponent has no Toon monsters)!” Pegasus prepared his ultimate move.

“He has a Tuner monster!” Yusaku realized.

“Meaning…we’re going to be in hot water!” Ai sadly noted.

“Of course you are! I tune my Toon Dark Resonator with my Toon Goblin Attack Force! Toon forces mesh together in order to form a nightmarish toy the likes of which haven’t been seen before! I Synchro Summon! Toon Bickuribox (2300 Attack/2000 Defense/ Toon/ Fiend/ Level 7/ DarkA toonified version of Bickuribox/ Can attack directly in you control Toon World and your opponent has no Toon monsters. When this card attacks, your opponent cannot activate cards or effects until the End of the damage step)!”

“Gotta say, this guy’s taste in monsters is kinda poor. I mean, this guy looks UGLY if you ask me!” I whispered to Yusaku.

“But…he must have an effect ready against us to make up for it,” Yusaku reminded.

“How right you are! My Bickuribox prevents spells or traps from being used when I attack! But that’s not all I have in store! I play my facedown card Special Des Shot! With it, I can destroy a facedown spell or trap, while also keeping it from activiating! So, say bye bye to your facedown Shrink!” Pegasus said as he overconfidently laughed as Yusaku looked on in shock.

“Please tell me you have another move in store to stop ol’ creepy dude’s attack, please!” Ai pleaded.

“I-I don’t,” Yuskau was feeling defeated.

“Now, now, Playmaker. I thought that you were a greater Duelist than this, defeating even the mighty leader of the Hanoi after all. But…don’t worry. I have big plans in store for you yet…provided you survive,” Pegasus smirked. “Now then, Toon Bickuribox, attack Yusaku’s Life Points directly and end this Duel!”

“Y-You can’t! It can’t just end like this! You must have another move, Playmaker!” Ai cried out once more.

“I don’t think he does…,” Skye sadly noted.

Fortunately, before the final attack could hit, the timer hit zero. “Oh…right. The timer…,” Pegasus grumbled. Worked for you once and now works against you. How ironic,” Pegasus snarked.

“What was that?” Skye asked.

“Oh, nothing! Fortunately, you managed to get off easy this time with a draw. But…don’t think I’m just gonna be quiet. We both know that I would have won if the timer took a little longer. So, I expect to see you three at Duelist Kingdom in a few days. After all, if you wish to keep your identities a secret and to save some lost souls, you’ll need to come after me,” Pegasus warned.

“Look, don’t steal the souls of others! I won’t let you get away with doing a nasty trick like the Knights would pull!” Yusaku yelled.

“Like you can talk after realistically losing? Besides, I think you’ll come after me one way or another. Because the souls I’m stealing…are those of your closest people!” Pegasus revealed as he stole the souls of Akira Zaizen and Kolter, both in separate cards.

“N-No!” Yuskau and Skye yelled as Pegasus smirked.

“You low down…I may not care much for these people, but that was evil! How do you sleep at night?!” Ai demanded.

“Not the easiest, I must admit. But…this may only prove to be a temporary accommodation, provided those two enter my tournament. When they do enter, I still plan on being nice enough to keep their identities secret. I’ll have my best hackers working to hide their identities,” PEgasus revealed.

“Y-you’ve gone too far, Pegasus! They didn’t do a thing to you!” Skye was furious.

“Give Kolter and Akira back now!! I don’t plan on standing by while you continue to do this stuff to hurt many innocents!” Playmaker yelled.

“Oh, I will…once they’ve served their purpose…Goodbye for now, though,” Pegasus smirked as the trio left their current prison, knowing that, as much as they loathed it, the only way to fix things was to risk going after Pegasus.

Author's Note

Hope you enjoy this chapter. I hope to involve a few more characters and plot threads from VRains in this story at certain points. I wanna work on Vrains content with the originsl Yugioh, see if they can be tied together even thought they have many differences.

Journey to the Duelist Kingdom (Editing)

Outside, right outside of the Turtle Game Shop, Yugi is standing next to a fence watching the sunset. Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Spike are watching Yugi and seeing how forlorn he looks.

“He’s been outside for a good few hours now. Do you think Yugi is doing okay?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Yes, Pinkie Pie. Yugi is doing super peachy after losing his grandpa’s soul,” Rainbow snarked.

“Are you sure? I know sunsets are beautiful, but he could still be doing something with one of us or one of our other friends. Maybe we should help cheer him up,” Pinkie Pie suggested.

“Not a bad suggestion, Miss Pie. The only question is what should we do?” Rarity wondered.

“We could watch one of those football games this world has or perhaps rewatch the tournament on one of these phones Rarity bought,” Rainbow suggested.

“Maybe I can bake him some cupcakes for us all to share!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“Not bad…but maybe we should see if he wants to talk about things first. We can talk about doing the other stuff to cheer him up afterward. Right, Spike?” Rarity asked…only to see that Spike looked as poor of spirits as Yugi was.

“I can’t believe we weren’t able to save Yugi’s Grandpa…and what if Twilight also lost her soul to that madman?” Spike mumbled to himself, not paying attention to the conversation that was going on around him.

“Spikey? Are you okay?” Rarity asked in concern.

“Huh?! Wha?! Oh…it’s you. R-Rarity…,” Spike blushed awkwardly as he fell over.

“I was saying that maybe we should try and cheer up Yugi from his depression by giving him some support. Sounds like a good plan, correct?” Rarity asked.

“Uh…Yep! O-Oh o-of course! Sounds like a good plan! You always make the best plans y-your beautifulness!” Spike awkwardly responded, hoping that Rarity couldn’t see his transparent crush.

“Smooth move, loverboy,” Rainbow whispered teasingly.

“Well…I guess that I’ll go and help Yugi feel better,” Rarity said as she began to walk off.

However, just as Rarity left, Rainbow said, “I think I’ll go too! I kinda wanna say something to Yugi.” And so, Rainbow ran off to follow her friend.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, outside with Yugi…

“How did I get into this mess? I can't believe that grandpa's actually gone. One minute he's right beside us, and the next, Pegasus shows up and uses some sort of weird magic to steal his soul away. But why? What could Pegasus possibly want with me? And could it have something to do with my Millennium Puzzle?” Yugi wondered to himself sadly.

At this point, Rainbow Dash and Rarity approached Yugi, him noticing them very quickly. “Hello there, Yugi. How are things going?” Rarity gently asked the teen.

“Not so good,” Yugi mumbled in response.

“Way to go, fashionista,” Rainbow snarked before turning back to Yugi. “L-Look. I understand that you feel bad. That Pegasus jerk is horrible for what he did! He will pay for stealing your Grandpa’s soul!”

“But…what can we do? I mean, even with the spirit’s help we stood no chance against Pegasus, what with his apparent mind reading powers and his intricate card collection,” Yugi reminded the duo.

“True…I wasn’t there for the Duel, but I heard enough from Rainbow and the others. I can understand why you are down in the dumps. Losing a family member like this can’t be easy…I mean, as much as I have problems with Sweetie Belle, I wouldn’t want for her to be kidnapped by some lavish yet beastly madman,” Rarity said, trying to relate to Yugi.

“Wait…you have a sister?!” Rainbow was surprised to hear, only for Rarity to give her a glare to remind her to stay on topic. “The point is…maybe we can get his soul back. Pegasus may be powerful, but he can’t be invincible! We’ll find him at this Duelist Kingdom place and get him back!”

At this, Yugi began to look a bit more determined. “You’re right, Rainbow. I can’t give up! I'll get grandpa back. I'll beat Pegasus at his own game. Whatever that is.”

“Not just you! We’ll do everything we can to help you out! Pegasus will be sorry for stealing your Grandpa’s soul once we get through with him!” Rainbow pointed out.

“Right! I won’t be alone! I just wish we could all go. After all, only Rainbow, Pinkie, and I have invitations and even then the instruction booklet hasn’t told us everything yet…,” Yugi said, looking like he was doing a bit better but wasn’t fully back yet, which Rarity and Rainbow noticed.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Inside of Joey's house…

Joey looks at the VHS tape he has received in the mail speculatively. Sadly, he didn’t recognize the return address on the package it came in. All he knew is that it came from a hospital. “Wonder who this is from,” Joey wondered as he places the VHS tape in the TV’s VCR.

The Television shows static as the tape plays…before a young girl a few years younger than him materializes and waves.

“Hey Big Brother. How've you been? I really miss you,” The young girl greets Joey.

“Serenity?” Joey was surprised.

Serenity laughs goodnaturedly. “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.”

Joey remembers racing after his mom’s car, not wanting to say goodbye to his younger sister. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to keep up. It was definitely sad to see his sister go after their parents divorced. They were able to keep in touch through letters, but they couldn’t get phones or computers to chat with each other nor did they have the extra money lying around to pay for visits, since they lived elsewhere in Japan. As nice as it was to see his sister again for the first time in years, he wondered why Serenity sent this tape…Then he remembered something just as Serenity continued.

“I'm sending you this video just so you don't forget your little sister's face. 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,” Serenity said goodbye.

“Run out of time? It can't be,” Joey said in shock and fear.

“So long. Take care, Joey,” Serenity said goodbye as the television went to static.

“Huh? Serenity,” Joey sadly said.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Down the street on the way to the Game Shop…

“I can’t believe that we still haven’t found out where this Duelist Kingdom place is! We’ve been spending so much free time looking to find where Pegasus’s base of operations is and nothing!” Rarity wailed overdramatically.

“I know! We even looked on one of those computers that Yugi showed us and called the company’s customer support!” Pinkie Pie groaned. “What did we do wrong?”

“Maybe it was the part where you asked, ‘Where do you have the souls stolen by that meanie bo beanie and can you give them to us?’” Rainbow snarked.

“How are we going to find Yugi’s Grandpa and learn more about our friends now?” Spike asked, as the trio of former ponies looked sad at being reminded that their friends could be kidnapped by Pegasus as well.

“We’ll save them. We just need to keep searching,” Yugi said.

“Yeah, but where do we go now? We’re running out of options!” Rarity noted.

“Maybe…, but we can’t give up! Maybe we can ask around at school or on a Dueling forum…,” Rainbow said.

“...Or maybe he’ll come to us!” Pinkie said as she pointed to a couple of letters stuck between the door and frame.

“Huh? What's this?” Yugi wondered.

“I bet Peggy is gonna apologize to us and give our friend’s souls back!” Pinkie guessed.

“Doubt it!” Rainbow yelled. “Besides, these letters may not be from Pegasus.”

“They could just be junk mail, though…,” Spike noted.

“The only way to find out is to check,” Yugi says as he reaches for it. He opens it to find Duel Monsters cards.

“Ooh! It’s some strange cards!” Pinkie was impressed.

“Well…maybe it is from Pegasus after all,” Rarity noted. “Sorry we doubted you, darling.”

“It's from Pegasus,” Yugi says as he lifts one out. “Huh? It's an invitation to the tournament at Duelist Kingdom.”
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meanwhile, at Yusaku’s school in Den City…

“Hey, Yusaku! I take it that you’ve heard about that brand new Duel tournament that will be taking place in a few days, right?” Shima asked his kinda sorta friend before he could leave after class.

“Why no. I haven’t,” Yusaku played dumb while trying to be apathetic.

“Really? Come on now, Yuskau! Anybody whose anybody knows about that Duelist Kingdom tournament coming up in just a few days! Duelists will be traveling to an island in order to Duel for the top spot in the world. In fact, it’s said that invitations have been sent out to a buncha real strong Duelists from across the globe! Rumor has it that there are servers on the island that will work just like Link Vrains does here in Den City!” Shima gushed.

“Really now? So, did you manage to get yourself invited into the tournament?” Yusaku asked.

“Well, um, no…I don’t see why not, though. I mean, I’m only the best Duelist in Duel Club. I don’t understand why I didn’t get an invite,” Shima said sadly.

“Well, maybe there is a bright side to not being in this tournament,” Yusaku noted.

“Huh? Really?”

“There are three reasons I can think of for why that is. First, since the tournament takes place on an island, you would be out of your comfort zone. Second, while it would be great to Duel against other strong opponents, there is also the downside of being unprepared to deal with them. And third, you can use this time in order to learn and improve your skills so that you can become prepared for the next tournament that comes up,” Yusaku answered.

Shima looked dumbfounded for a moment before a smile formed on his face. “You know, you have a point! And maybe when the time comes I can stand next to Playmaker as the greatest Duelist ever!...or second best. Well, time to go and prepare! Bye, Yusaku!” Shima said as he ran off.

Just as Shima had run off, Ai popped up on Yusaku’s Duel Disk. “Ya know, I don’t know what’s more surprising. The overconfidence in his skills that that kid has or the fact that he may be your only friend aside from Mr. Hotdog sandwich man…and me of course.”

“I’m not sure if I’d call Shima a friend. He’s just a classmate, Ai. Also, who said we were friends?” Yusaku asked.

At this, Ai looked annoyed. “Ya know, if it weren’t for my help you wouldn’t have been able to defeat Varis a little while back ya know! I’d feel very grateful if I were you!” Ai yelled. “Heck, I’m not sure you would have beaten anyone recently without me.” At this Yusaku looked a little sad. “Though, speaking of your one pal, I must say that I kinda am starting to miss the hotdog sandwich obsessed hacker meatbag to be totally honest.”

“Yeah…me too…,” Yusaku said sadly.

“Uh…was it just me or did I just see you express an emotion other than anger or apathy? Why the long face? Is Kolter being gone and without a soul affecting you that much? Well, I guess it does make sense seeing as how he’s one of your only friends and all and…,” Ai probed.

“...And to be honest, I kinda understand your pain too, Yusaku,” The duo were shocked to turn and see that Skye was listening in on the pair’s conversation.

“So, Skye. How long have you been listening for?” Yusaku asked.

“About enough to know that you were blabbing loud enough to know that if anyone wanted to listen in they coulda,” Skye answered.

“Well…at least we are alone for now, so we don’t have to worry about sneaky spies getting up in our secret business! So, Blue An-,” Ai began as Yusaku and Skye gave him a look. “I mean, Skye. Is your brother still in a non-literal vegetable state?” Skye began to look furious upon hearing Ai’s comment.

“You’ll have to excuse Ai here. He may be worse at reading a room than me,” Yusaku snarked.

“Really? Mr. Socially awkward here is worse at speaking to others than me? The expert at everything!” Ai boasted.

“It’s fine, Yusaku. Well…not really. Akira is still in a coma because of the manchild corporate jerk that apparently knows magic tricks. I just wish there was another way to get him back than going to his trap of a tournament,” Skye snarked.

“Agreed. Losing Akira couldn’t be easy. After Kolter was put into a coma, I’ve been…,” Yusaku began to look…off. It was hard to tell from the outside looking in what exactly Yusaku was feeling right now. However, in a moment, Yusaku looked a lot more determined and mad. “I’ve spent the last few sleepless flights looking for Kolter’s consciousness data. Unfortunately, I currently haven’t found anything. This Pegasus is doing a good job at covering his tracks.”

“Did you try and back up the data, Yusaku?” Ai joked as Yusaku gave an annoyed look, silencing the program for now.

“I’m afraid it’s just like you said, Skye. Ai and I will have to go to Duelist Kingdom if we’re gonna find our loved ones and return to our current lives,” Yusaku noted.

“And have me sit and twiddle my thumbs while you risk your lives alone? Fat chance! I’m getting my brother back with my own Duel skills! I’m not going to stop until he’s back with me! And maybe, just maybe, he’ll finally see I can take care of myself!” Skye yelled with determination.

Yusaku was quiet for a moment before he finally decided, “Fine. Do what you like. Just don’t rely on being bailed out by me if things go wrong. I’d rather you not be hurt.”

“...Because you care about her as a friend or at least an acquaintance?” Ai asked as Yusaku quietly walked away, getting ready for the next class.

“A tournament at Duelist Kingdom? Isn't that an island?” Tea asked.

“Uh huh! That’s what the paperwork in the boxes and these letters we have say,” Pinkie Pie agreed.

“So, that's where Pegasus is keeping your grandpa?” Joey asked.

“And maybe our friends and…Twilight…,” Spike said sadly to himself.

“It could be. Maybe. The only way to know for sure is to become a contestant. The boat's going to be leaving in two days,” Yugi noted.
“But you can't go. It could be dangerous,” Tea warned.
“I agree! Pegasus could trap your soul in a card too!” Rarity warned.

“Thanks for your concern. But…I have to go. It's the only clue I have for rescuing Grandpa,” Yugi said.

“To be fair, he won’t be going alone. Pinks and I will be there the whole time looking for our pals and helping out Yugi!” Rainbow said.

“I still can't believe it. 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,” Tristan said.

“Right. And without invitations, we can't even go there with you. I wish we could help you, pal,” Joey wished.

“Still wish I could be there myself…,” Spike noted.

“Me too…,” Tea agreed. “This is bad.”

“Well…on the bright side, Dashie and I can help Yugi, right?” Pinkie asked.

“I guess…,” Joey was still concerned.

“Hey, Yugi. Check this out. According to this card, the tournament winner takes the grand prize of three million dollars,” Tristan noticed

“Three mill?” Joey asked, his attention drawn to what Tristan said.

“Is that a lot?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Darling, that’s a fortune. You’d be set for life! Imagine all that I could buy for that much!” Rarity sighed dreamily.

“Hey! Remember, our friends are more important than that!” Rainbow yelled as she shook Rarity.

“Agreed! Remember, there are more important things than money right now!” Tea agreed.

“I agree with the others, Tristan. Who cares about money at a time like this?” Yugi asked.

“Hey, gimme that,” Joey humbly said as he pulled the card out of Tristan's hand. “Ahh. Three million.”

“Guess Joey does…,” Yugi said.

“Bit greedy if ya ask me,” Spike mumbled.

“Three million. In cold cash,” Joey whispered to himself. —----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outside of the Game Shop… Spike, Rainbow, and Joey are sitting on the ground behind the fence.

Joey and Spike sighed, catching Yugi’s attention. “Joey? Spike? What're you doing here?”

“Hmm?” Joey mumbled.

“What's with you?” Yugi asked his best friend.

“Yeah! I get why Spike and I are down in the dumps, but you?” Rainbow noted.

“Rainbow…remember that Joey could still be sad for us,” Spike pointed out.

“Oh…sorry?” Rainbow said nervously.

“It’s, nothing. I'm just thinking about a whole lot of stuff. Yugi, you do know that I care about your gramps, right? I mean, he taught me and Rainbow about the heart of the cards,” Joey reminded.

“Of course I know,” Yugi said.

“Yeah! The old guy was pretty knowledgeable and strict. Pretty good guy, though,” Rainbow agreed. “When we get there, we’ll confront Pegasus and force him to spill everything!”

“I agree! One way or another, I'll help you all beat Pegasus and save your Grandpa…oh and your guys' friends too!” Joey said as he turned his attention to Spike and Rainbow.

Yugi nodded. “Mmmm. Hah, that really means a lot to me, Joey. I'm glad we're friends.”

“Yeah…I bet you were friends from birth the way you act. Twilight would probably be jealous considering how she just got interested in making friends,” Spike said.

“Honestly, it wasn’t always like that,” Joey said with a fond look. “We should tell ‘em. Remember the first time we met, Yuge?”

“I'll never forget it. It was all because of the Millennium Puzzle,” Yugi said as he remembered assembling the 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 thing 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. Although you sure didn't act like my friends at first,” Yugi noted.

“You didn’t?!” Rainbow and Spike were shocked.

“Hah, you mean when we were playing keep away with the Millennium Puzzle? 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,” Joey defended his behavior.

“Teasing? You took a piece of the Millennium Puzzle and threw it out the window. And I was the one who helped you guys out when that bully picked on you,” Yugi reminded.

“He was a mean one alright,” Joey noted seriously as they thought back.

“What do we do?” Tristan asked nervously.

“Shhh,” Joey shushed his pal.

“Well look who just showed up, it's little Yugi. Just in time to watch me wipe the floor with these guys,” The bully, Trudge, grinned.

“Get back! Leave them alone!” Yugi challenged the bully.

“Who's going to stop me? A little shrimp like you? I don't think so. Get lost,” The bully brushed him off.

Yugi stands between Tristan and Joey and the bully, holding up hands defensively. “I won't let you. These guys are my friends.”

“Huh?” Joey was shocked to see Yugi defending them.

Trudge laughs. “Okay, tough guy. You jumped to the head of the line. Say your prayers, you runt.” Trudge hits him repeatedly.

“You stood up for us, Yugi. I'll never forget that. Because of you, we got that moron expelled. And Tristan and I learned what it was like to have a true friend.

“Well, at least you retrieved the lost puzzle piece. If you hadn't done that, I could never have solved the Millennium Puzzle,” Yugi reminded as they thought back once more.

“I want to apologize to you, Yugi. I've been acting like a real jerk,” Joey apologized humbly.

“Oh, were you acting?” Yugi snarked.

Joey laughed, “Guess I deserved that one. If you ask me, I think Tristan and I may've underestimated you.”

“Huh?” Yugi was confused.

“You know, Yugi. You're a tougher kid than I ever gave you credit for. Maybe we should hang out more often. What do you say?” Joey suggested as Yugi nodded.

“The truth of the matter is, you're the best friend I've ever had,” Joey admitted.

“Yeah!” Yugi nodded. The duo, however, were interrupted by the sound of sniffling. Upon turning, they saw that Rainbow and Spike were crying tears of joy.

Upon noticing that they were being looked at, Rainbow tried to wipe away her tears. “Stupid allergies!”

“Y-Yeah! What’s being grown around here? Dragon sneeze trees?” Spike hid his tears poorly.

“Looks like our friends here got all emotional,” Joey teased.

“W-Well…,” Rainbow tried to think up a lie.

“It’s fine! We won't tell on ya!” Joey reassured.

“R-Right! No need to be so sappy over a friendship benign formed,” Rainbow said.

“But…didn’t you say something about your friendships with the other girls?” Spike asked.

“Really?” Joey asked.

“So…what happened there?” Yugi asked.

“Well…to be honest, outside of Fluttershy, Applejack, and Gilda, I barely had friends growing up. I had many admirers, of course, but no friends. Then…I met Twilight. I kinda gave her a poor first impression when I flew into her and made her all messy. Though, to be fair, she wasn’t exactly friendly to everyone at first. Still, she was a very smart egghead that I kinda started to like very quickly. Soon, I made friends with not only her, but with Spike, Rarity, and even Pinkie as time went on. We…we’re close noe,” Rainbow said looking sad for a moment before shaking it off. “So, I can relate a bit. So…in a few days we’ll be goin’ to save everyone, right Yugi?”

“Uh Huh! Too bad you all can't go with me to rescue Grandpa,” Yugi noted sadly.

“Don't worry. Somehow, some way, I promise we'll do it together,” Joey said filled with determination.

“Huh?! Together?!” Yugi was confused yet touched.

“You bet. We're a team, Yugi,” Joey agreed.

“But how can you go without an invitation?” Yugi asked as Joey tried to think up a plan.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At the ferry for Duelist Kingdom…

“Attention all duelists. 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,” One of the lackeys said as Yugi, Rainbow, and Pinkie were waiting in line.

“Present your star chips as you board the vessel,” Another lackey said as a man showed his two chips.

“Thank you. Next,” A third lackey said after getting confirmation that they had their star chips.

“Well…looks like we’re going to go on another life or death journey,” Rainbow noted.

“Sounds a little extreme for a card game contest, Dashie,” Pinkie Pie pointed out.

“Yeah, but remember what Pegasus did to our friends? We need to go and stop him and save everyone he’s stolen the souls of!” Rainbow reminded.

“Rainbow has a point. We have to remember what we’re really here for,” Yugi said.

“It’s still a shame we couldn’t get the rest of our friends to come with us!” Pinkie glumly noted.

“Yeah. We couldn’t find a rule that says we could bring guests at all. If only Yugi would have gone along with our plan to sneak them on,” Rainbow grumbled.

“I know you were well intentioned, but that could have gotten us in-,” Yugi said only to be interrupted…

“Hey you both, get out of here. Only official contestants are allowed on board,” Another lackey barked out.

“How do you know we’re not official?” Joey asked as Spike facepalmed.

“You really had to ask that?” Spike grumbled.

“Because the official duelists aren't trying to sneak on board through the lower hatches,” The lackey answered.

“Joey? What the-?” Yugi was surprised.

“Well! Looks like we may not be leaving all our friends!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“I know right?!” Rainbow agreed.

“They may not be here for long without help…,” Yugi warned.

“Stop your struggling. We're going to have to throw you both out,” One lackey yelled.

“No way. I came here to duel and I'm gonna duel,” Joey yelled.

“Same with me! I wanna learned what happened to-,” Spike yelled…only for him to be interrupted by another voice.

“Is some idiot really trying to break on this expensive ship and mess up the tournament?” One tan girl in blue and yellow clothes asked with annoyance.

“It looks like we have two idiots, Julia,” A purple-haired kid noted.

“They aren’t seriously trying to mess things up for all of us, are they?” A third kid, a boy with a sword and brown hair grumbled.

“They better not, Kit and Dipper. The last thing we need is for the tournament to get delayed because of those fools!” Julia grumbled.

“Why those mean old-!” Rainbow was about to yell at them only for an employee to stop the complaining.

“Calm down, kids! No need to be rude! We just need to get these intruders out of here and we can return to business!” The employee reassured.

“But we really need to go there!” Spike yelled.

“You don’t understand!” Joey yelled.

“Does it matter?” One employee holding the duo back yelled.

“Leave him alone,” Yugi said as he got out of line and walked over to his friends.

“Hey, Yugi,” Joey greeted his pal.

“Joey! What're you doing here, Joey?” Yugi asked joyfully.

“Hah. Did you really think I'd let you do this on your own? C'mon, help me out,” Joey said.

“We’re not letting you go and get hurt on our watch!” Spike agreed.

“Thanks, you guys! Now then, about them getting on…,” Rainbow began.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, at another part of the outside of the ferry…

“They're distracted. Let's go,” Tea said, followed by Tristan and Rarity.

“Right,” Tristan nodded.

“As much as I’m glad to be able to help our friends, I regret it had to involve sneaking in this way. I wish we could go on in the fancier areas!” Rarity complained.

“Woukd you rather not go at all?” Tea asked.

“No! I want to help out anyway I can!” Rarity said as she walked on the boat with the others. —----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back with Joey, Yugi, and the others…

“Hey! Let me go, you jerks!” Rainbow yelled as she was being held back by a guard.

“Silence! Unless you wanna not go to Duelist Kingdom, stand down!” The guard warned.

“F-Fine…,” Rainbow grumbled.

“Is this really the competition we have to deal with here?” Kit asked from aside.

“Looks like we have to deal with a bunch of clowns for a few days…,” Julia said as she and her two friends shook their heads.

“They’re with us. You've got to let them on,” Yugi asked.

“Only people with a star chip can get on board. There are no exceptions. Understand?” The lackey reminded.

“Aw! Well…looks like we…,” Pinkie said sadly.

“But Joey has a star chip. Didn't he tell you?” Yugi said.

“I do?” Joey asked.

“He does?” Both Rainbow and Pinkie asked in confusion.

Yugi holds out a star chip. “See?” Yugi gives it to Joey.

“What's this?” Joey asked.

“According to this card, a star chip's proof that one is a duelist,” Yugi reminded.

“It is?” Rainbow realized what Yugi was getting at. “Actually, I’d like to say that Spike here also has a star chip! Right here!” Rainbow said as she handed one to Spike.

“Yo-You’re giving me one of your chips? But-,” Spike was surprised and concerned.

“I wouldn’t fully be satisfied without my friends to cheer me on,” Rainbow responded.

“So…since they have star chips, does that mean they can go with us?” Pinkie asked excitedly.

“That may be, but all participants are given two star chips. You'll be at a disadvantage,” One employee warned.

“Maybe. But I'd rather take that risk than be without my friend when we get to the Duelist Kingdom,” Yugi responded.

“Without all my friends, things wouldn’t feel complete, so count them in!” Rainbow agreed.

“G-Guys…,” Joey and Spike looked touched.

“What should we do?” One guard asked.

The other guard pulled out his phone. “Mr. Pegasus, we've got a problem, sir.”

“What is it? Can’t you deal with it without interrupting movie night?” Pegasus groaned.

“We have a few people that are willing to give star chips to their pals to let them be part of the tournament. What should we do?” The employee asked.

“So…we have a few new guests then? Well…let them join. Let’s see if they can stack up to the best our world has to offer,” Pegasus decided.

“Understood,” The employee said with a nod as he hung up.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Well…now that that interruption has been dealt with, you two ready to continue watching Frozen?” Pegasus asked.

“Yes we are!” Jaden yelled.

“We wanna know if Anna can convince Elsa if they can go back home together!” Jesse agreed.

“You think that Hans and Anna will live happily ever after?” Jaden asked.

“Of course! These types of movies always end happily ever after!” Jesse cheered as Pegasus’s smile went away for a moment.

Author's Note

Hope you all enjoy this next chapter. I was wondering if you all would be fine with me making blog posts telling how I feel about certain MLP episodes. Tell me if you'd like to hear my thoughts.

Journey to the Duelist Kingdom Part 2

On the deck of the ship, Joey, Rainbow, and Yugi are leaning on the railing as Spike and Pinkie are standing close by.

“I'm glad they let you on board, Joey,” Yugi said to his best friend.

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

“Aw, I doubt that anyone here would do that,” Pinkie optimistically said.

“Chances are there are people that would,” Spike pointed out.

“Spike is right, Pinks. You may still have both star chips, but remember that the rest of us only have one. We can’t go losing them right away….not that we’ll lose them,” Rainbow partly boasted.

“If all goes well, Rainbow, we should do fine. However, we need to make sure to be quiet about our star chip situation for now,” Yugi reminded.

“Yugi is right. We can’t just rush into a Duel without thinking here,” Spike agreed.

Mai walks up behind them, “Hmmmm.”

“Kinda exciting, isn't it Yugi?” Joey asked all pumped up.

“Yeah,” Yugi agreed.

“You better believe it is! We get to test out our Duel Monsters’ skills against other opponents. No doubt we’ll win, however,” Rainbow said confidently.

“Now, now. We can’t get too confident. We should come up with a plan of some kind for when we get to the island,” Spike warned.

“What? We are amazing at this game now! We’ll win this tournament and save our friends in no time! Plan or no plan!” Rainbow boasted as the others looked on in worry.

“Well what do we have here?” Mai said as she approached the group

“Huh?” Everyone turned to see Mai.

Joey blushes before saying in awe, “Wow.”

“So…who is this girl? Oh, do you think she wants to be our friend?” Pinkie excitedly asked.

“Friends? Please! I’m not here to make friends. They just slow you down,” Mai admitted.

“Yeah. Right. Like we should listen to the woman that likely just grew up without a friend!” Rainbow snarked.

“Remember, though. Twilight went here entire younger life without friends. So it’s nothing new,” Spike reminded.

“Yeah, Dashie! Maybe we just need to befriend her! You wanna be friends miss-?” Pinkie asked innocently.

“I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to win,” Mai declined before turning to Yugi, “So, you're the Yugi kid everybody's talking about, huh?”

“Whoa. Check it out,” Joey said.

“What? The rude girl is noticing Yugi?” Spike asked snarkily.

“But I'm amazed that a squirt like you could beat Kaiba. You're famous, you know,” Mai admitted with some respect.

Yugi responded, “Uh, thanks very much. I think…”

“Hey! I did help him pull out a win against Kaiba, you know. Guess that means I’m pretty respectable too, right?” Rainbow asked.

“Uh…no. You may have gotten in a few lucky moves, but you were a weak amateur compared to the Pendulum Duelist,” Mai responded, much to Rainbow’s anger.

“Why you! Joey and I were able to learn more about Duel Monsters and have improved a lot since then! Tell her, Joey!” Rainbow countered.

“Rainbow here has a point. We’re really good friends of Yugi, the master duelist, in fact-,” Joey began, only to be interrupted.

“Look, you're either a champ or a chump. Cut this guy loose,” Mai said in regards to Yugi. “He's fashion challenged and deserves to be crushed in the games.” Mai then began to walk off.

“Please, crush me,” Joey grumbled.

Mai looks back before responding, “I'll crush you all eventually. The name's Mai.”

“Why you-!” Rainbow grumbled before trying to rush Mai only for Yugi, Pinkie and Spike to barely hold her back.

“We shouldn’t stoop to her level, Rainbow!” Yugi said.

“Yeah! Do you want to get kicked out before we find our friends?” Spike reminded.

“N-No…I’ll play nice for now, but when the tournament begins I’m gonna kick her out fast!” Rainbow begrudgingly said.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Téa said from hiding, “How arrogant. There's nobody better at playing Duel Monsters than Yugi.”

“Shhhh! Quiet, they'll hear you,” Tristan warned.

“Also, for all we know she could still give Yugi trouble. Remember, she was invited to this island to compete, so she must have skill,” Rarity pointed out.
Téa responded, “I don't care. He's still the best.”
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inside of the ferry…

“Hey, is this a joke or what? This is a luxury cruiser. I know you've got better rooms somewhere,” Joey complained.

“Does that really matter? I could just fly up and…oh. Right,” Rainbow sadly remembered her lack of wings.

One of the employees runs up and restrains Joey. “You again? We cut you a break and now you're causing more trouble?”

“Uh…nopey dopey! He just wanted to be more comfortable is all!” Pinkie said.

“Yeah…so please don’t be too mad,” Spike agreed.

“Fine…but remember, Pegasus was kind enough to let you and your little friend go on this ship. Don’t mess this up by picking a fight with us. Do you want to get thrown out of here?” The minion warned as they let Joey go.

Before anything else could be said, they suddenly heard. “I’d listen to them if I were you.” As they turned around, they saw Weevil and Raptor walk up.

“Huh? Hey, aren't you that kid Yugi?” Weevil asked.

“Yeah. And you're-,” Yugi began only for Joey to cut in.

“Weevil. And Rex the dino duelist,” Joey said, impressed.

“Pleased to meet ya!” Pinkie said as she held out her hand.

“Same…,” Weevil reluctantly shook her hand.

“So… you were saying?” Spike asked.

“If you were looking for a good room, you're wasting your time with those guys. The private rooms only go to champions from the last tournament, like us,” Rex revealed.

“Congratulations on winning the regionals, Weevil,” Yugi said.

“It was nothing,” Weevil said smugly.

“Yeah. I went easy on him. That time,” Rex smirked.

“You sure? Weevil was able to summon a really powerful beastie that had 2400 Attack Points without releasing a monster!” Pinkie was in awe.

“Well…I guess I was fairly talented,” Weevil said smugly once more.

“Well this time, my pals and I are going to take the tournament. Right, Yugi?” Joey said.

“I guess…,” Yugi blushed in embarrassment.

“Yep! We are dead set on winning this tournament! Still, it’ll be fun to challenge you and win!” Rainbow said.

“Uh…who are you?” Weevil asked.

“Seriously? I’m Rainbow Dash! I helped Yugi win that Duel, ya know!” Rainbow answered.

“Right…you did…,” Weevil said with indifference, much to Rainbow’s annoyance, before saying to Yugi, “Though, to tell you the truth, winning the last championship didn't feel like that much of an achievement. I guess I can't really call myself a 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 said with a warm smile.

“I'm looking forward to some dino demolition,” Rex said.

“And for my Synchro monsters to turn the contest on its head!” Rainbow said confidently.

“Wait…you’re a Synchro summoner?!” Rex was shocked.

“Of course! With my Junk Warrior on my team, I can’t lose!” Rainbow boasted.

“Junk Warrior? Sounds like a lame monster to me,” A boy with brown and yellow hair that was listening in said.

“Well, Yugi…Let me tell you a little secret. It's something none of the other players know about the games yet,” Weevil said.

“Oh, isn't that cheating?” Yugi asked with concern.

“The other duelists will find out soon enough. I just got early info thanks to winning the championship. But there are no rules on the island that require more strategy,” Weevil claimed.

“Ahh, rules are for wimps. In dueling you either smash your opponent or get smashed yourself. It's one or the other,” Rex said.
“I kinda like this guy’s approach. But…it’s also reckless,” Rainbow said.
“Excuse me?” Rex looked annoyed.

“Yeah! Strength is good, but you also need to combine them with other types of cards,” Joey said kindly.

“Who asked you? Stay out of my way, or I'll stomp you, like everyone else!” Rex yelled before storming off.

“Looks like he has a shorter temper than Rainbow,” Spike noted.

“Yeah…but I bet he’s a softie deep down!” Pinkie said.

“Maybe? Either way, we'll see who stomps who when we get to the island,” Joey decided.

“Ignore him. Let's scope out the competition,” Weevil suggested.

“What d'ya mean?” Joey asked.

“Check out those chumps. They're already trading over there. 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,” Weevil noted.

“Oh, I bet this is how Weevil gets so much insight into his opponent's strategy,” Yugi noted to the others.

“Oh! Strong cards! Hey, wanna trade? How about you? Anybody? Help me out here,” Joey said as he ran over to the trading challengers.

“Guess Joey's trading,” Yugi said.

“If you've come all this way and you're still trying to improve your deck, you've got to be pretty desperate. I'll catch you on the flip side,” Weevil shook his head before walking away.

“He seemed nice,” Pinkie said.

“Yeah…at least we may have more friends to help us out on the island,” Spike said.

“And more friendly rivalries!” Rainbow said.

“Friendly? Weevil? Please!” A female voice said as everyone turned and saw Julia.

“And you are?” Spike asked.

“The name’s Julia Crystal. I am known as one of the strongest Fusion Duelists in the world,” Julia introduced herself.

“Nice to meet you! Wanna be friends?” Pinkie asked.

“No. I don’t. Listen here, you pests. In tournaments like this one, you either win or lose. Making friends with your opponent is a bad idea,” Julia coldly said.

“Says who?!” Rainbow grumbled.

“Says her and our friends!” The teen with the brown and yellow hair said as he approached the group.

“Oh! You’re the guy that said something earlier! Did you say something about Rainbow’s Junk Warrior?” Pinkie asked.

“Yes! The name’s Sylvio! But trust me. That monster is totally useless in a Duel. As fitting for a worthless Duelist like you as it is, I’d suggest you replace that card before you lose the tournament too soon for us to Duel,” Sylvio said.

“Sylvio… as true as you’re being, I’d suggest you at least be careful and not look down on your opponent. She could be tough, seeing as how she miraculously helped beat Kaiba,” Julia reminded.

“F-Fine. But I’ll still win soon enough. Let’s Duel right now. The sooner I win, the sooner I can advance,” Sylvio said.

“Uh…aren’t we not supposed to Duel for star chips prior to the tournament?” Yugi asked nervously.

“What?!” Sylvio grumbled.

“The twerp has a point, Sylvio. The rules forbid us from Dueling for star chips until the tournament officially begins,” Julia confirmed.

“So, stand down!” Spike said.

“F-Fine. You got lucky you rainbow-haired punk. I’m gonna go and get myself a steak from my lunchbox. I’ll show them I’m gonna be the winner later,” Sylvio said as he left.

“So…thanks a ton for the help there!” Pinkie thanked the tan girl.

“Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t do it for you. I did it to prevent Sylvio from getting disqualified,” Julia said dismissively.

“Yeah? Well, we didn’t need your help, anyhow!” Rainbow yelled. “Between all the help I’ve received from Yugi and his grandpa and from all the help I’ll get from Weevil, I’ll be the winner in no time!” Rainbow challenged.

Julia looked annoyed for a moment before warning, “Look, I know Weevil and, to be perfectly honest, he’s a massive jerk. He doesn’t play fair and he’s willing to do anything to get ahead. I’d rather earn my victories, even when they come from weaker victims. I’m outta here. I’d suggest you wake up before he messes you up.”

“Well…they sure were colorful…,” Spike grumbled, not wanting to be overheard and start a fight.

“Maybe…but we’ll show her once we make it to the finals by beating her and that Sylvio!” Rainbow said overconfidently.

“Aw! Can’t we try and make friends with them?” Pinkie asked as they all looked at her confused.

“As nice as that would be…for now let’s focus on the tournament,” Yugi said as he thought to himself, “Was Julia telling the truth? OR was she just trying to mess us up?”
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Mai was yelling at a lackey, “This is truly, truly outrageous. You expect a lady like me to stay in this dump without even a shower?”

The lackey retreated as he apologized, “Rules are rules, ma'am. There's nothing I can do.”

“Call your superior. Get him on the phone right now. I mean, he let those two dweebs on board even though they weren’t invited!” Mai yelled.

Rex walks over and warned, “Keep acting up and they'll throw you off the boat.”

“Who do you think you are?” Mai demanded.

“A champion with a luxury room,” Rex responded without thinking.

“Really? Could I see it?” Mai asked seductively.

“You bet,” Rex agreed while blushing. “Come check it out.”
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Outside of the ferry…

“Hey, Téa, stay down or we're busted,” Tristan whispered loudly.

Téa responded miserably, “But I really need to go to the bathroom and we could get seen if I try and head over there!”

“You know you could just go over the edge?” Tristan joked.

Téa growls, “That's not funny, Tristan.”

“Agreed. Ladies don’t have the capability to do that without making an uncouth mess, I’m afraid. Maybe we should…,” Rarity was about to suggest risking going to a bathroom when suddenly a nearby door opened.

“Get down!” Tristan whispered loudly as Tea ducked.

A boy with silver hair, Bakura walks out of door.

“Look, isn't that Bakura?” Tea asked.

“Bakura? You mean Bakura from school?” Tristan asked.

“Wait. Bakura who?” Rarity asked.

“We don’t really know much about this guy. All we know is that he moved here some time ago and, apparently, his father died at some point,” Tea explained.

“Oh…I’m sorry for his loss…,” Rarity sincerely apologized.

“What do you think he's doing here?” Tea asked Tristan.

“Uhh. I guess he's in the tournament,” Tristan suggested.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inside of Rex’s private room…

“So, what do you think of my cool digs?” Rex boasted.

“It's beautiful. You must be quite a strong card player,” Mai complemented.

“I am,” Rex said, taking the bait.

Mai proceeds to laugh. “Really? I love Duel Monsters. How about we play a game?”

Rex laughed overconfident, “Who do you think you're talking to. There's no way you could beat me.”

“Please? Let me try,” Mai said in a faux nice way.

“You'd never win,” Rex warned.

“Tell you what, if you win I'll give you a kiss,” Mai offered.

“Huh?” Rex says before he blushes and smiles.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the deck, exterior of the boat, Yugi's sitting at a table with the others and Joey's standing next to him.

“Yugi, I got some good card trading in,” Joey said.

“Really now? I bet you got yourself some good cards!” Pinkie said.

“Hey, let me see them. Salamandra and a Kunai with Chain. Baby Dragon and Shield and Sword! Great! With these new magic cards combined with your monsters, you'll have a real strong deck,” Yugi complimented.

“Are you sure? Some of those cards don’t seem to be the best,” Rainbow said.

“Says the girl that has a deck of mostly weaker monsters,” Spike reminded.

“Hey! I can pull off some combos to make them work, remember?” Rainbow pointed out. “We’ll win for sure when the tournament starts in a few hours!”

“Agreed! So now I'm ready to win every duel I play,” Joey agreed.

“I think you're going to find it's a bit harder than that, Joey,” Yugi politely pointed out.

“Yeah, you two! We’re facing champions in this tournament. We’ll need every edge we need to win,” Spike reminded.

“Speaking of which, why didn’t you trade, Dashie?” Pinkie asked.

“Well…As much as I’d like to get stronger cards, I don’t wanna give up the ones I have. I wanna keep them and find ways to make them work better for me,” Rainbow said.

“Aw! Dashie’s loyal to her cards!” Pinkie said as Rainbow tried to hide her blushing.

“Spike is right about us needing all the edges we can get. So…Here,” Yugi said as he reaches into the box, and pulls out Time Wizard. “Add this to your deck. It can be helpful in a tight spot.”

Joey takes the card. “Thanks. I'll take it. I can't get over how you're always helping me out.”

“Aw, think nothing of it, Joey! You’d do the same for me,” Yugi said kindly.

“Ahh, we meet again,” Weevil greeted.

“Ah, Weevil,” Yugi said, not noticing that Weevil’s smile wasn’t really genuine.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back in Raptor's private room…

“Okay then, cut the cards,” Mai said.

“Playing with your deck, huh?” Rex says before he laughs. “This'll be a snap. What if you win?”

“If I win, you agree to clear out of the room for the rest of the trip. Okay?” Mai said in a false kind way.

“Clear out? I'm not gonna lose. You've got a deal,” Rex agreed recklessly.

“Hmmmm. The first card is Shadow of Eyes,” Mai guesses.

Rex flips the card, seeing that it was that card. “How'd you do that?”

“Hmm!” Mai smiled before saying, “The second card is Harpie Lady 1. Then Elegant Egotist. Followed by Cyber Shield. Finally, Harpie Harpist.”

“Oh no. She's right again,” Rex began to panic a bit.

Mai laughs as she grabs her five cards. “This is my own card technique. I always know what cards I have and can pick any one I like at any time. So, go ahead and deal 'em, Rex.”

Raptor has a frozen smile. “Oh, I think I'm in trouble.”

“Seeing as how you are frozen in panic, I’ll go first. I summon Harpie Lady 1 in Attack mode(1300->1600 Attack). When she’s out, all my Wind monster’s gain 300 Attack points. I’ll then set Shadow of Eyes facedown and end my turn. It’s your move, Rex,” Mai began.

“R-Right! My turn! I draw! And…I summon Crawling Dragon #2(1600 Attack)! Next, I play the spell card Double Summon! This will allow me to Normal Summon again this turn. Say hello to Two-Headed King Rex(1600 Attack)! Battle! I’ll have Crawling Dragon wipe out your Harpie Lady 1! And then…I’ll have my Rex attack you directly(Mai-2400 LP)! I end my turn! So, Mai…you impressed with my skills?” Rex asked, beginning to regain confidence.

“Not all that much. You’re being way too confident if you ask me. My turn. I draw!” Mai drew without looking. “And I drew the spell Pot of Greed, which I’ll play in order to draw two cards!” Mai said as she drew Double Summon and Cyber Harpie Lady. “Now…I summon my Cyber Harpie Lady(1800 Attack)! Next up, I play my spell Double Summon in order to Normal Summon again, just like you did hon. I summon my Harpie Harpist(1700 Attack)!”

“Y-You must be cheating! There’s no way I can lose now!” Rex nervously and angrily yelled.

“Oh, hon, you make the silliest jokes,” Mai said with a grin.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the outside of the boat near the railing…

“Ahh, the evening wind sure feels nice. So, did you trade for any good cards, Yugi?” Weevil asked, seemingly nicely.

“Nah. I'm gonna duel with the cards I brought along with me,” Yugi said.

“And you, miss Synchro Summoner?” Weevil asked.

“Like I told my friends earlier, I’m not giving up the cards I currently have. If I get nay new ones, it’ll be to make them work with my Deck,” Rainbow answered.

“Right…I figured as much…for both of you. You used the Exodia cards in your duel with Kaiba, right? Those are the strongest cards of them all…well…aside from those Pendulum cards stashed away in your deck that is,” Weevil noted.

“Yep. All of those cards are not only my most powerful, but they are also really rare,” Yugi agreed.

“Could I possibly see those legendary Exodia cards?” Weevil asked.
“Um…I guess-,” Spike began to reluctantly answer.

“Why, of course! We’re all friends here! Can we take a look at your Deck too?” Pinkie asked.

“I have to agree with Pinks here. It’d be great to see what a championship Deck looks like!” Rainbow agreed. “Still, why does this guy give me a funny feeling?”

“Maybe afterward I’ll show you my Deck…But first, Yugi?” Weevil asked as he held out his hand for the cards.

“I don't see why not. Just be careful with them. Okay?” Yugi politely agreed as he opened the box.

Weevil’s glasses glint sinisterly as he replies, “Hah.”

“Am I the only one that suddenly thinks this isn’t a good idea?” Spike nervously asked.

“Now that you mention it…Something doesn’t sit perfectly with this guy. But…maybe we shouldn’t judge him too harshly,” Rainbow responded uncertainly.

“Yeah! I mean, he tried to help us earlier with some advice! What’s the worst that can happen?” Pinkie asked.

Yugi rummages through the box until he finally finds the Exodia cards and grabs them. “Here!”

Weevil finally grabs the cards and looks at them. “So these are the cards to summon Exodia. 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’s smile suddenly becomes much more sinister as he walks toward the edge of the boat.

“Huh?” Yugi is confused for a moment until…to his horror, throws cards off edge of boat.

“Say goodbye to Exodia!” Weevil yells out with a cruel laugh.

“No!” Yugi yells out in horror.

“Grrr! I had a feeling that we shouldn’t have trusted you! I should have listened to that inkling sooner!” Spike yelled.

“Of course you shouldn’t trust others! The only one to trust is yourself!” Weevil sneers. “Now there's no one who can challenge me.”

“Why you-!” Joey growls as he looks ready to punch Weevil.

Before he can, however, Yugi cries out, “My cards! Those were the Exodia cards that my grandpa gave me.”

“I'll get 'em!” Joey decides as he jumps over the railing and into the water.

“Joey, don't! Joey, where are you?!” Yugi yells out in concern as he looks for Joey, unable to see him struggling to stay afloat in the water.

“Looks like I’ll have even less of a challenge. Well, time to get going to sleep for a good while. After all, the best of the best should be well-rested,” Weevil said as he began to walk away…only to be knocked over by Rainbow Dash who looked ready to hit him again as she grabbed him by the shirt.

“I’ll show you not to mess with me or my friends! I thought I could trust you! I thought you’d be a friend that could save my other friends from Pegasus! But…you’re just a cruel bully! You’re just like Gilda!” Rainbow growled as Pinkie looked worried and Spike was watching for Joey.

“Please! Have mercy on me! I don’t wanna get hurt!” Weevil pathetically begged.

Rainbow stood there for a second before she turned and saw that Pinkie looked scared. In an instant, she calmed down, realizing that, as much as she wanted to, hurting him wouldn’t help. So, she let him go for now. “You better hope we don’t run into you again during the tournament. Now…go!”

Weevil immediately returned to being smug after being freed. “Good luck with trying to survive long enough to even get the chance to face me, rainbow-haired freak!” Weevil laughed as he left.

“A-Are you okay, Dashie?” Pinkie asked with worry.

“I-I’m fine. Right now we should help Joey,” Rainbow said as she and Pinkie turned to look for Joey in the water. “Joey! Where are you?!”

“He’s right there!” Spike finally noticed the blonde teen as he pointed over to him swimming and looking for the Exodia cards.

“I promise you, I'll get them, Yugi!” Joey reassured.

“No, Joey! They're not worth drowning over,” Yugi cried out, more worried for his pal than the cards.

“Don't worry, Yugi. Look, there. I got one of them,” Joey tried to reassure as he finally found one of the cards.

Yugi proceeded to yell out, “Joey, swim back to the ship!”

“No way. At least this time there's something I can do to help someone I care about,” Joey says as he goes under for a moment.

“Oh no! I know the water is rough, but I’m not losing another friend!” Rainbow yelled as she tried to jump in after Joey. However, before she could jump, Spike and Yugi grabbed her arms.”What in the-?”

“I know we can’t just leave him alone, but without a plan you could end up drowning as well!” Yugi reminded Rainbow.

“We need to think fast, though! Otherwise we could lose Joey!” Spike agreed.

“Screw the plan! I’m jumping in!” Rainbow yelled as she broke free and jumped in after Joey.

“Current sure is strong though. It's hard to fight. But if I punk out now, who's going to help my sister, Serenity?” Joey says to himself as he grabs a card. “Just three more now.” Joey is relieved for a moment before he is pulled under.

At this point, Rainbow reaches Joey and tries to help him up…only for the water to begin dragging her under as well. “Y-You won’t be claiming our lives today, water!” Rainbow yelled as she struggled to help Joey.

“Joey!” Yugi yells as he ultimately forgoes a plan and dives into the water.”Joey! Hold on!”

“Well…so much for a plan…,” Spike noted as he began to look for a way back up.

“Should we tell those crew guys about the others?” Pinkie suggested. “I mean, that water bath looks fun, but I could be wrong…”

“Not a bad idea…but…can we find them in time?” Spike wondered as he suddenly saw some familiar faces.

Meanwhile, down in the water…

“Yugi, just three more,” Joey goes under the water once more as Rainbow tries to regain control and save him and herself.
“And I thought I could be reckless!” Rainbow yelled.

“Joey!” Yugi yells as he works with Rainbow to pull Joey back up.

“Look, I get wanting to undo that jerk’s stunt, but risking our lives to do so isn’t always the best idea,”Rainbow said.

“And when is a good time?” Joey snarked.

Suddenly, the trio heard a familiar voice from up on the ship. “Yugi!” The trio looked up and saw that in addition to Pinkie and Spike, there was also Rarity, Tea, who was the one to yell, and Tristan.

“I understand you were trying to do good, but maybe this was a bit too reckless to do…,” Rarity noted.

“Are you okay?” Tristan asks as he unrolls a ladder down to the water.

“Grab ahold!” Tea yells.

“Hurry!”

“Téa, Tristan!” Yugi is partly relieved and touched by the action.

“Well, what are waiting for, an invitation? Climb on up!” Spike yelled.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the hallway, where Rex’s room is…

“Get out, loser. And thanks for the room, Rex,” Mai says in a faux nice way as she had kicked Rex out of room after winning their Duel.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outside of the ship…

“That was close. I'm sure glad you all showed up. Really glad,” Yugi looked relieved.

“We're a team. We'll all stick together,” Tea reassured.

“We'll always watch your back,” Tristan agreed.

“If you thought we’d just stand idly by while you all went on an adventure, think again!” Rarity agreed. “We’ll help in any way we can!”

“Thanks a lot, you guys,” Yugi thanked the trio.

“So…did you three stow away or is this a massive party list change?” Pinkie asked.

“We still weren’t invited. But…I figured we couldn’t leave you guys to deal with the trials of Duelist Kingdom alone,” Rarity noted.

“So we snuck on while Joey and Spike had distracted the guards,” Tea explained.
“Well, either way, I’m happy to see that we’re all in this as a team,” Yugi said.

“I'm sorry, Yugi,” Joey sadly apologized.
“Huh?!” Yugi turned to look, confused.

“I failed. I only found two of your cards,” Joey said sadly.

“It's okay, Joey,”Yugi tried to reassure.

“Yeah! What’s important is that we’re all safe,” Spike said.

“Yeah! We’ll find a way to make Weevil pay for that jerk move! It’ll be fine!” Rainbow tried to reassure.

“It's not okay. It's always this way with me. I'm never able to help anybody. Not even my own sister, Serenity,” Joey admitted sadly.

“Serenity?” Yugi asked, surprised.

“Really? You have a sister, Joey?” Tea asked.

“You never told me about them. Huh…Twilight was right when she said you learn more every day…,” Rainbow noted as she felt sad at remembering her missing friends once more.

“So…is she just a young little girl or something? Maybe she’s just lonely and needs a party to cheer up!” Pinkie suggested.

“Uh…Pinkie? I don’t think it’s that simple…,” Rarity warned.

“It isn’t. Ya see, our parents divorced 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,” Joey revealed.

“Wait. What?!” Spike was shocked.

“Well…that was a sad twist…,” Rainbow noted.

“That isn’t easily fixed…is it?” Pinkie asked as Rarity shook her head.

“I'm sorry, Joey,” Yugi said sympathetically.

“Thanks, Yug'. She sent me a message,” Joey revealed. “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. I have to win. For her! Winning in the Duelist Kingdom, and getting the prize money, is the only way I can help Serenity!”

“That’s…so very sad!” Pinkie cried as tears rolled down her face.

“I know! And…so noble as well!” Rarity agreed also in tears.

At this point, it is finally dawn, with the sun starting to rise on the horizon.

“So beautiful…,” Rainbow noted.

“You know, I’ve heard that in this world the sun and moon work without magic…,” Spike revealed.

“Really? This place is already strange enough, but that…,” Rainbow noted.

“I think we should focus more on the important details though. Like helping our friends,” Rarity said as she finally regained her composure.

“R-Right!” Spike said with a blush.

“I agree. We'll both do our best, Joey! You, for your sister. And me, for my grandpa. Oh, and you guys with your friends!” Yugi reassured.

“That's right. We'll do this together,” Tea agreed.

“Look, the island!” Tristan said as he pointed to the island in the distance.

“That's the Duelist Kingdom. That's it. We're almost there,” Yugi noted.
“And with it, the beginning of the real challenge…,” Rainbow thought.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading and sorry for taking so long to update. With luck, I should start to update more often in the coming days. Have a good day. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Moths, Darts, and Raving Fans Part 1

It is now morning, with the ship just about ready to dock at Duelist Kingdom.

“Man, this Duelist Kingdom looks like a pretty big place, huh Yugi?” Joey asked.

“Finding your grandpa's not going to be easy,” Tea agreed.

“And then there’s the matter of finding our friends…,” Rainbow noted with worry.

“And Twilight…,” Spike noted sadly.

“Uh…are you guys okay?” Tristan asked.

“Of course not, Tristan. Just like we have to worry about Yugi’s Grandpa and Joey’s sister, they have their own friends to worry about,” Tea scolded the tactlessness of her friend.

“Oh…sorry,” Tristan apologized.

“It’s okay! It’s just a matter of talking to that Pegasus man and asking him to give everyone back!” Pinkie said optimistically.

“Maybe a bit too optimistic there, Pinks,” Rainbow noted.

“Yeah…but maybe this Pegasus can be reasoned with. After all, if I’m remembering correctly, Celestia did trust him, so he can’t be all bad,” Rarity agreed.

“We’ll see…,” Spike grumbled.

“What do you think, Yugi?” Tea asked.

“Well…I don’t fully know what to think, but we should still try and look for everyone once we dock. After all, we gotta start somewhere,” Yugi said as the ship continued on with the island in sight. ____________________________________________________________________________

As soon as the ship arrived at port and the anchor dropped, the group began to walk on over to the bridge that was being set up, seeing the guards nearby.

“Whoa. Check out the suits,” Joey noted as the bridge was finishing being set up.

“I know. One false move and we could be in for some trouble,” Rarity noted as Tristan looked worried.

“So…I guess fighting them is not an option then?” Rainbow questioned.

“I’d say so,” Rarity whispered. “Right, Spike?” Rarity turned to see that Spike looked mad and in thought.

“Just you wait, Twilight. I’ll rescue you and your friends in no time,” Spike thought with clenched fists.

“Uh…you okay, Spike?” Tea asked.

“Just thinking,” Spike cryptically answered.

“It’s about Twilight isn’t it? Either that or jewels,” Pinkie guessed as some of the others comically fell.

“Maybe not something that simple, Pinks,” Rainbow noted.

At this point, the P.A. turned on. “Attention, all duelists. Please disembark in an orderly fashion.”

“Hey, Téa, I’m kinda worried about what Rarity said earlier. What if one of those security guys finds out we're both stowaways? We oughta just play it safe and swim back,” Tristan suggested as he tried to leave only for Tea to grab him by the collar.

“We're in the middle of nowhere, lamebrain! If you can just try and act normal, We'll be ok,” Tea said as the group began to walk down the bridge and onto the port.

While everyone walked by the guards, Tristan thought, “Just act cool. Act cool. Cool as a cucumber. Keep it cool–.”

“Hey, you!” The guard said as Tristan looked worried. Thankfully, the guard just responded, “Don't look so nervous. You guys are our guests here.”

“That's right! I'm your guest,” Tristan said, hiding his worry as he turned back to the group, panting heavily. “I think I just had a heart attack.”

“Way to play it cool, Tristan. That wasn't suspicious at all,” Tea snarked.

“Yeah…maybe we should be less transparent about whether or not we belong here before they find out something’s up,” Spike noted.

“Hey!” Tristan yelled, offended.

“To be fair, he has a point,” Tea agreed as Tristan looked down sadly.

“Soon, however, it won’t matter as I doubt that those gentlemen will be super strict for long. After all, if they really did want us gone, they would have checked for identification just now,” Rarity noted.

“Maybe…but we should still be careful…at least until we can save everyone,” Spike said.

“Okay…but for now, things are lookin’ good! Every single one of us made it here Safe and– Ah-choo!” Joey was interrupted as he sneezed on Tea, who reacted with disgust.

“Eww! I’m not mad, because I know you couldn’t help it, but can you please keep your sneezing away from us?!” Rarity demanded with some disgust.

“Yeah…because that is totally what is important right now and not the fact that our friend is likely sick,” Rainbow snarked as Rarity looked at Rainbow annoyed.

“You okay? Did you get the sniffles from being in the cold ocean?” Pinkie asked, trying to be serious.

“I’m fine! I can still Duel just fine. Don’t worry about me,” Joey reassured.

“Well…okay. If you need some cheerin’ up, I have plenty of sweets and confetti I was saving for later!” Pinkie cheered.

“I don’t think that will be necessary, Pinkie. Still…Joey would never have caught that cold If it wasn't for Weevil,” Yugi said sadly.

“Speaking of our wormy friend, looks like he just slithered his way off the boat and is already looking to start some trouble,” Joey grumbled as the group looked over at the lying cheat.

“Want me to punch him?” Rainbow asked only to get looks from her friends. “Fine! But what do you suggest?”

“We could just tell the guards of what Weevil did,” Pinkie suggested.

“Though, considering that they work for Pegasus, that may not be the best move,” Rarity reminded.

“Guess a Duel will do then?” Tea suggested.

“Maybe…Either way, that slimeball. I'd love to wipe that smirk off his face,” Joey grumbled.

“I would, too, but we don't have time for Weevil right now,” Yugi thought to himself.

“Well, well, well. Here we are again you rainbow-haired freak. So, you still haven’t run away to mommy before the tournament started? I thought you would have known well enough to surrender while you still can,” Sylvio gloated as he laughed.

Rainbow grumbled as some of the others tried to hold her back from attacking Sylvio.

“Remember, if we wanna find the others, we can’t get kicked out!” Spike warned.

“Fine! So, Sylvs, I was kinda wondering how good of a Duelist you are. I mean, you did manage to get into this tournament after all. Or did you use money to buy your way in?” Rainbow taunted.

“Grr! You unrefined freak! For your information, I managed to get into the top eight in the regionals without Extra Deck summoning, so I’d say I did great!” Sylvio seethed with overconfidence. “What about you? You think you’ll stand a chance in this tournament with your one star chip? Please! I won’t have to worry for a second about losing to you, like I even could!”

“Well, we’ll see about that! You know, I did manage to get some training ever since I helped take down Kaiba. I’d say my chances of winning are very good if we’re being honest…Sylvinope!” Rainbow yelled back, angering Sylvio.

“Wanna Duel right now, Skittles? I’d like to stop your mouth from running sooner rather than later!” Sylvio challenged.

“And it looks like Sylvio doesn’t know when to quit antagonizing the weaker competition,” Dipper said aside to Julia and Kit.

“Neither does that girl. Doesn’t she know that she’ll lose?” Kit shook his head.

“Apparently not. She thinks that because of a few lucky moves that she’s a hotshot? Well…one of us should go warn Sylvio once more,” Julia said as Dipper and Kit looked aside and whistled to themselves. “Fine! I’ll do it. Again!” Julia groaned as she walked over to the pair. “Apparently, I guess once wasn’t enough to stop you two. There are plenty of guards here that I’m sure would be more than happy to kick you out and send you home, you know!”

“You know, the girl has a point,” Tea agreed.

“The last thing we need is to be unable to compete, Rainbow,” Spike said.

“But…this guy…!” Rainbow groaned.

“Can be dealt with later. We need to find the others first!” Rarity reminded.

“Well, Sylvio, you’re lucky that we have places to go otherwise we’d settle this Duel right here and now! See you after the tournament starts!” Rainbow begrudgingly said as she turned away.

“Very well then. We’ll see if your lame Synchros can best the top-eight’s Dueling deck in due time!” Sylvio said as he walked away from the group.

“He’s such a jerk,” Rainbow grumbled. “You sure we can’t just have a non-tournament Duel with him?”

“Look, I understand yer beef with him. After all, he seems to be rude and arrogant. Not as bad as that cheat Weevil, but still unpleasant,” Joey agreed.

“But?” Rainbow asked.

“But we can’t waste any time right now! Twilight could have her soul in a card for all we know!” Spike reminded.

“So please put the focus on us saving them, please! You can worry about your ego later!” Rarity said.

Rainbow’s annoyance faded after hearing this. “You’re right. I’m sorry, you guys. We’ll put our focus on saving the others first. Then we’ll play this Pegasus guys’s game for a while.”

“If at all,” Tea reminded.

“Yeah…,” Yugi agreed.

“Well, now that that’s settled, why don’t we enjoy some of my delicious cupcakes!” Pinkie asked as she held out a plate of cupcakes.

“Um, where did you get them?” Yugi asked.

“Don’t question it,” Rainbow responded.

At this point, one of the guards with standout hair yelled out, “Welcome, all duelists! Please, follow the stairs to meet your host.” The guard motioned to a set of stone stairs that led to a yellow castle at the top of it.
____________________________________________________________________________

As the group was walking up the stairs, most of the group was looking and feeling determined…except for Rarity.

“Are they seriously expecting for us to walk up all these stairs?! There really isn't an elevator or something?! Well…at least the castle is gorgeous…” Rarity complained.

“Don’t worry, most beautiful one. We’ll be at the top soon,” Spike lovingly sighed.

“What was that?” Tristan asked.

“Nothing!” Spike denied.

“Yeah…that looks like nothing…,” Rainbow snarked.

“Speaking of that castle, thats gotta belong to Pegasus,” Yugi said.

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s finish going up these stairs and confront the big dolt!” Joey yelled.

At this point, Tea looked towards the forest and saw a familiar face nearby once more. “Huh? What's that?”

“Huh? What do ya see, Téa?” Joey asked.
“Is it that Mai lady that also acted arrogant?” Spike suggested.

“It’s not her. It looked like...Bakura,” Tea answered.

“Bakura from school?” Yugi asked.
“Uh huh. I guess he must have gotten into the tournament or something,” Tea confirmed.
“Again with this Bakura stuff?” Tristan asked with annoyance.

“Hey! I can’t help that I’ve seen him acting like he was here in secret!” Tea grumbled.

“Don’t worry, Tea. I believe that he’s here. Still, wonder why he’s here,” Rarity wondered.

“Better yet, what does he look like?” Rainbow asked.

“He has spiky white hair and some sort of necklace,” Yugi answered. “I haven’t gotten a good look at it seeing as he has it on under his shirt.”

“I don’t see anyone matching that description. You sure you saw this Bakura guy?” Spike asked.

“Maybe he can turn invisible!” Pinkie suggested.

“Uh…,” Rarity looked flabbergasted for a moment before responding, “Yeah…so maybe we should narrow down the search as to where this Bakura person is?”

“Agreed. So, where is he, Téa?” Joey asked.

“He’s down there, hiding in the trees of the forest,” Tea pointed to where Bakura was…only to see he was now gone.

“Wow! He must be playing hide and seek! And he’s good at it!” Pinkie cheered.

“Looks like you might have been seeing things there, Tea,” Tristan noted.

“B-But…I did see him a moment ago,” Tea responded.

“But he's not there anymore,” Joey noted.

“Don’t worry, Tea. He probably just left for now,” Yugi reassured as Tea smiled for a moment before noting.

“It’s strange, though.” Téa then said, “That's two times that I've seen him now. Maybe it's all in my head.”

“Possibly. If he was indeed there, then he likely wants to remain hidden for some reason,” Rainbow pointed out.

“But…why come here if not to be in the competition?” Rarity wondered.

“Maybe he just wants to watch it in person?” Pinkie suggested.

“Seems like an unlikely reason to be there…Look, we need to get going up to the castle. We need to find Twilight and the others asap. We can’t afford to play around or wonder about this Bakura stuff at the moment!” Spike snapped before continuing up the stairs.

“He has a point…We should go,” Yugi agreed as most of the group began walking up the stairs.

“But…why is he here?” Tea wondered.

“Maybe we should wonder later like Spike said. Come on. We're on a rescue mission, remember?” Tristan snipped as he continued up the stairs and after a moment of consideration, Tea followed along.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“But daddy!” Jaden yelled out to her adoptive father. “Can’t we go and watch the Duels in person? We really wanna meet some of the famous Duelists that you brought to our summer home!”

“Yeah! Weevil, Rex, Julia. Sylvio, Dipper, and even Yugi are here! Sadly no Kaiba, though…,” Jesse agreed.

“Wonder why he’s not here…,” Jaden wondered.

“Not sure…but it would be fun to own so many famous autographs! They’d be as treasurable as my Crystal Beast cards!” Jesse cheered.

“I know, right! Please let us go on down, daddy! You know you want to see these amazing Duelists with us!” Jaden pleaded.

“Look, I’m sorry my darling angels, but the answer is no,” Pegasus declined.

“But why?” Jesse asked.

“For starters, I have far more important work to attend to. Keeping this tournament running properly is very difficult work, believe it or not,” Pegasus answered.

“Well…maybe we can just go on down and meet the Duelists on our own then!” Jaden suggested.

“Yeah! We can take care of ourselves easily! After all, we’ve been around this island on our own many times before! We know it better than anyone!” Jesse reminded.

“I’m afraid not. The last thing we need is you being too overconfident and getting lost or hurt,” Pegasus declined.

“Then…maybe with some bodyguards then?” Jesse suggested.

“Yeah! Like some of those celebrities have!” Jaden agreed.

“They’re all busy televising parts of this tournament and making sure no one cheats or stuff like that,” Pegasus shot that idea down.

“But…,” Jaden sadly began.

“I’m sorry, but the final answer is no. Now…go to your room for now. I need to greet our honored guests in a few minutes,” Pegasus pointed to the two young kids to go for now.

As soon as the duo left, Pegasus turned on a screen, with Twilight appearing on the other side of it. “Aw, Twilight! You’re in your position, I presume?”

“I guess…I’m not sure why we need to be some of the eliminators in this tournament. Haven't we already boosted our Dueling skills?” Twilight asked confused.

“Simple, Twily. We need to build up our Dueling might in order to keep our world safe from the coming threats. This tournament will help us check and see who is worthy to help us out when the time comes,” Pegasus reminded.

“Uh…sure?” Twilight was still a bit uncertain but decided to not say anything.

Suddenly, another person wanted to talk to Pegasus on the screen.

“Hold on. I have another call,” Pegasus answered, seeing Fluttershy on the other end. “What is it, my dear?”

“Um, well…I just wanted to know if I could maybe…get a different job…please?” Fluttershy asked.

“What do you mean?” Pegasus asked, looking annoyed.

“Well…I may have gotten used to Dueling my friends…but I don’t know about doing so in front of strangers…especially since the cameras may or may not be on for me…,” Fluttershy meekly squeaked.

“Look, squeaky. Your position is important. I don’t have the time to look for replacements right now, so you have to take on this important position. End of discussion, got it?” Pegasus coldly and forcefully demanded.

“Um…o-o-kay,” Fluttershy meekly whispered.

“Good. Now, get your deck ready to Duel. You have a little over an hour,” Pegasus said calmly as he hung up. “So, everything has fallen into place. Soon, everything will be fine and we can mostly all live happily ever after…”
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Aw man! I can’t believe we’re not going to be able to watch all these amazing matches!” Jaden groaned as she walked back and forth across their bedroom.

“Yeah! This is the biggest Dueling event of the year, taking place right outside our window and our dad doesn’t want us to even watch it! Can you believe it?!” Jesse was mad.

“Yeah…I know he just wants us to be safe, but it’s a Dueling tournament with guards at a lot of places. How dangerous can it be?” Jaden asked.

“I don’t know…but it looks like we won’t be seeing these people Duel their decks out…,” Jesse said sadly.

“Maybe…unless…,” Jaden began.

“Unless what? “ Jesse asked.

“We could sneak out and see some Duels real quick,” Jaden suggested.

“But…won’t dad be mad if we disobey him, though?” Jesse asked.

“That’s the best part. Since he’s busy, as he said, we can simply just sneak out and watch a few Duels, then return before he’s any the wiser! What do you think?” Jaden asked.

“Not bad…but how do we sneak out? There are guards near the entrance after all,” Jesse reminded.

Jaden stood there thinking for a second before looking at the bed sheets and window. “I think I have another brilliant idea!”

“Wow. Two in one day? That’s kinda rare, sis,” Jesse teased.

“Hey!” Jaden playfully yelled in faux annoyance.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, outside of the castle at the top of the stairs…

“Wow, look! That's Weevil Underwood! He's the regional champion,” One contestant said as they saw the champ smugly smile.

“And that's the runner-up--Rex Raptor,” A second guy said as Rex smiled, still annoyed he was kicked out of his room earlier.

“And there's Mako Tsunami. He was ranked third,” A female Duelist cheered.

“Better yet, look over there! Julia Crystal and Sylvio Sawatari! They ranked high as well. And…some other two guys,” A fourth girl said the last part dismissively.

“Some other two guys?! We’re Kit Blade and Dipper O’Rein!” Kit yelled.

“Yeah! My Constellar Deck is going to make quick work of all of you chumps entered in this tournament!” Dipper agreed.

“Yeah…whatever,” The third girl dismissed as the two looked mad with Julia giving the two of them a look to not mess things up for them.

“Wow, these are all the best duelists in the world. But where's the world champion Kaiba?” The second Duelist asked.

“Didn't you hear? Some kid beat him. On his own turf, too,” The first guy revealed.

“Are you serious? I thought Kaiba was the best. He owns the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!” The second guy yelled.

“He was, but not anymore. Yugi's supposed to be the kid to beat now,” The first guy said.

“Look! There he is now!” The third girl cheered as she saw Yugi and the others finally make it to the top of the stairs.

Many of the other Duelists looked at Yugi, some in admiration while others looked dismissive.

“Wow, Yugi! Did you hear them? You’re famous!” Pinkie cheered.

“Maybe…but it was nothing!” Yugi nervously blushed, trying to hide the awkwardness.

“Come on! We managed to beat Kaiba in a Duel and you were almost able to beat Pegasus too! Even though he cheated!” Rainbow boasted. “You wanna see if we can get autograph offers?”

“Now, Rainbow Dash! Remember, we have more important reasons to be here than to pump up your ego!” Rarity scolded.

“Yeah…the last thing we need is to waste our time when we should focus it into saving everyone,” Tea agreed, looking over to see that Yugi and Spike were looking more determined now.

“Sorry about that…just wanted Yugi to feel proud of his accomplishment. But yeah…we need to find some way to confront Pegasus,” Rainbow said.

“The only question is where we should start?” Tristan said.

“Attention! Please gather around. Your benevolent host is anxious to greet you all,” The man with the impressive hair said as Pegasus walked down the hallway in his castle to the balcony above the challengers of the tournament.

“Hmm,” Pegasus smiled upon seeing that Yugi was present in the crowd.

“Boy, would I like to get just minutes alone with that guy,” Joey growled.

“I know! I wish I could fly and get us all up there to that snake!” Rainbow grumbled as well.

Meanwhile, Yugi gave a glare over to the man who was responsible for his grandfather’s soul being stolen, remembering what had happened.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“As for you, Yugi, you presume I'm giving you a choice in the matter. But…,” He lifts hair aside to reveal the Millennium Eye. “I'm not, for I too possess one of the seven Millennium Items- the all-powerful Millennium Eye!”
“A Millennium Eye?” Yugi was shocked.
“So that’s how you know so much about the Millenium Items!” Pinkie realized.
“That's right, Yugi-boy and Pinkamina. And now I'll show you the true extent of its magic. You see, I have found that- given the proper incentive, anyone can be made to play my game.” The Millennium Eye glows and pulls Yugi's grandfather's soul into the television screen.
Huh?” Yugi and the spirit are shocked by what occurred.
Solomon, from the television screen, cries out, “Yugi!”
Yugi becomes himself again and runs toward the TV. “Grandpa!”
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I'm not leaving this island until I save my grandpa. No matter what Pegasus has planned for me,” Yugi thought to himself as he looked at Pegasus.

“Greetings, duelists! I am Maximillion Pegasus! 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 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 $one million dollar prize, you must win star chips! Star chips will admit you into my castle, where you'll face me in one final duel!” Pegasus explained to the excited tournament goers.

“If grandpa's here, I'd bet my dueling glove he's hidden away
in that castle. But I'll never be able to get in there with all the guards around. We're just gonna have to win enough star chips to get inside,” Yugi thought to himself.

“Soon…I’ll save you and our friends, Twilight. Don’t you worry!” Spike thought with determination.

“This will be a tournament unlike anything you have ever experienced. 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 finished his speech to the crowd.

As the speech was finished, the entire crowd cheered loudly and excitedly.

“The duelists have arrived, Yugi has taken the bait, and the games are about to begin! Everything goes according to plan.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I gotta win my way into that castle. I just gotta!” Yugi thought with determination as he sat on a rock in the woods, with the others thinking over the situation.

“Yugi, I don't know if I can win this thing. Maybe it'd be best for you to take your star chip back,” Joey uncertainly suggested.

“But…you’ve improved so much with me…and your sister!” Rainbow was shocked.

“Knowing how much of a noob I still am, I bet I’d just mess it up. Besides, Yuge needs all the chances he can get to save his grandpa. So, just…take it back Yugi,” Joey sadly held out the chip.

“Joey…,” Pinkie and Rarity looked sad.

Almost immediately, Yugi answered, “Nah, you keep it. Your little sister's counting on you to win the tournament's prize money for her.”

“Thanks, man,” Joey said, touched.

“You can do it. You just gotta steer clear of the more experienced duelists at first,” Tea reassured.

“Yeah, it's just a matter of working your way up,” Tristan agreed.

“Thanks, you guys. Well, Yugi, Between your grandpa, their friends, and my sister, we don't have any room for mistakes,” Joey reminded.

“Right!” Yugi nodded in agreement.

“And Rainbow…don’t get too overconfident and lose your star chip out of the gate…,” Tristan teased.

“B-But! Hey! I improved as well! I can beat just about anyone here!” Rainbow countered.

“You’ve improved, but you’re not invincible. Remember, we’re facing many pros here. We can’t make mistakes,” Spike pointed out.

“You only have one chance. Blow it, and we can’t save the others,” Rarity warned carefully.

“O-Okay…,” Rainbow nodded with determination.

Suddenly, a bunch of lights exploded into the sky.

“Whoa! Pretty! You think this is the fireworks that Pegasus mentioned?” Pinkie asked.

“I’d say so! It's starting!” Tea agreed.
“Let's do it! The team that will make a clean sweep is in action!” Rainbow cheered as the group got up and began to look for opponents.
“Now, if I were Sylvio, where would I be?” Rainbow wondered.
“Um…Is it really worth challenging him right now? I mean, we should probably stick together,” Spike reminded.
“Agreed! We may have difficulty finding each other again if we split up now,” Tea said.
“But…what about proving myself to him?” Rainbow asked.
“What about staying in the tournament?” Rarity asked.
“F-Fine. But I plan on challenging him soon enough!” Rainbow yelled.

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

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

“I was hoping you'd say that,” A voice said, which, upon the group looking, saw that it belonged to Weevil.

“Isn't that him?” Pinkie pointed towards the manipulative snake, who was near a forest. “Hey, you big old meanie! Apologize for ruining Yugi’s cards! Now!” Pinkie yelled.

“Like I’ll ever do that! Let that situation be a lesson to not trust everyone you meet!” Weevil laughed.

“Weevil. Weevil, I challenge you to a duel!” Yugi yelled out. However, instead of agreeing, Weevil laughed and ran off into the forest.

“Hey, wait–!” Tristan yelled as the group started to run off after Weevil.

“Do we really have to be running after this guy?” Rarity asked, not liking the intense exercise very much.

“I can't believe it! Weevil's running away!” Joey yelled.

“Hey, wait up!” We want to challenge you!” Pinkie yelled out. “Isn’t the whole point of the tournament to challenge each other?”

Author's Note

For those of you waiting to see some intense Duels, sorry but you'll have to wait for next time. Until then, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Moths, Darts, and Raving Fans Part 2

As the group made it into the forest, Weevil still proceeded to run, laughing maniacally as he did so. Suddenly, a bunch of moths started to flutter through the sky above them.

“Ugh! Where are all these moths coming from?” Tristan yelled out.

“Ecch! They're disgusting!” Tea agreed.

“I know! I don’t want our lovely clothes to be devoured!” Rarity wailed overdramatically.

“Yeah…because that is definitely what is important,” Rainbow snarked as she suddenly saw a nearby familiar face; Sylvio. “Wait. Sylvio?!” Rainbow stopped for a moment as she saw him leave through a path. Rainbow thought for a moment. Sure, she did want to cheer on her friends. However, she did need to gain Star Chips and it may be a good opportunity to do so. She struggled as she tried to think of what to do as she didn’t want to abandon her friends. However, before she could do so, Sylvio reappeared and gave a smug look at her, mockingly motioning for her to follow. “F-Fine! I should be able to beat him quickly and return to my friends in time to see Yugi kick Weevil’s butt!” And so, Rainbow rushed after him, not knowing that she was about to be in for a longer Duel than anticipated.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, with the rest of the group…

“He's fast for a small guy,” Joey complained.

“Maybe you're just slow for a big guy,” Pinkie suggested as Joey gave her a look.

“It could just be that he’s more physically adept than you guys,” Spike suggested.

“Please! I could throw down with the big boys! And so can Tristan!” Joey defended.

“To be fair, it does look like they have some muscles,” Rarity agreed.

“What’s the use? We're never gonna catch him at this rate,” Tristan complained.

“Agreed! As long as the whole island's inbounds, he'll keep running all day!” Joey yelled.

“What's Weevil up to? He's wanted to duel with me ever since we met on the boat. So what's he running for? Wait a minute! What did he say on the boat?” Yugi began to realize what was going on.

“Everyone will soon learn that there are new rules on the island. But nothing that requires more strategy,” Yugi remembered Weevil’s words.

“It must have something to do with the new rules, so I better figure out what...and fast!” Yugi thought.

Finally, Weevil stopped in the middle of a forested and rocky clearing. “There he is!” Joey yelled.

“Thanks for the run! That was fun! Now…You ready for Yugi to Duel you?” Pinkie asked.

“I’ll deal with you later, pinkie. But for now…"Welcome," said the spider to the fly. You flew right into my trap...again!” Weevil laughed to the group.

“It's time you answer for what you did on the boat, Weevil,” Yugi said as he suddenly grew a few feet once more.

“Um…am I the only one that noticed that Yugi just grew a bit?” Rarity asked.

“I think this may be the spirit at work,” Spike whispered.

“Well…hopefully between him and Yugi they can beat this jerk-o-manerco!” Pinkie Pie yelled. “Right, Rainbow?” She noticed that her friend was gone and began to look for her, thought the others didn’t notice.

“Heh. All right, Weevil. Time to find out if you're as good at dueling as you are at running away,” Yugi’s spirit, Yami Yugi, snarked.

“Was I simply running away or cleverly weaving you into my web?” Weevil asked.

“It's time to duel!” Yami Yugi yelled out.

“Heh heh heh. As you wish!” Weevil chuckled.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake.

“It's an earthquake!” Joey yelled.

“Heh heh heh,” Weevil laughed.

“What have you done?” Yami Yugi demanded.

“I don’t know…but I don’t like it!” Spike said as Weevil continued to smirk as the ground opened up.

“Whoa! The entire ground is transforming!” Tristan yelled as a massive Dueling platform appeared out of the hole.

“It's gigantic!” Tea was in awe.

“And like that machine that makes holograms appear at that tournament!” Rarity noted.

“Man, these aren't going to be like the duels back home,” Joey noted.

“You've just stepped into a hornet's nest, and there's no way out!” Weevil smirked.

“What is that?” Yami Yugi asked.

“These giant arenas must be set up all over the island. I'll just meet you on the field,” Weevil laughed.

“I don't like this. Weevil's a little too cocky,” Joey was suspicious.

“I know. I just wish I knew what the trap he has in store is,” Spike was wary.

“I can handle him, guys. Don’t worry,” Yami Yugi gave a supportive thumbs up to the group as he got on the platform on the blue side.

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

“Not if I take yours first,” Yami Yugi threatened.

“What?” Weevil was confused.

“This will be an all or nothing match for the both of us,” Yami explained.

“Ha! Why should I risk both my star chips when you only have one?” Weevil asked.

“Because I have something else I think you want--My whole Duel Monster's deck!” Yami gave his ultimatum.

Weevil smirked. “So, you'd risk your grandpa's deck? Including your Pendulum cards?” Weevil asked. “Fine with me. Hee hee hee hee! Winning all your cards will be an easy way to exterminate you once and for all!”

“Exterminate? He loves bugs too much,” Spike quipped.

“Well…at least he has hobbies,” Tea said.

“Swat that little twerp like a mosquito!” Joey cried out.

Just as the group was about to begin the Duel, Jaden and Jesse started to walk over into the clearing.

“See, Jesse? I told you that we’d find a Duel platform sooner or later,” Jaden cheerfully said.

“Well, you weren’t wrong. I just hope no one realizes we’re gone yet,” Jesse noted.

“We’ll be fine. Now, let’s just calm down and watch a sweet Duel!” Jaden gushed.

“Uh huh. Sounds good!” Jesse agreed.

“Uh…who do you think they are?” Tea asked Rarity.

“No clue. They could have snuck on the boat too,” Rarity suggested.

“If so, then why didn’t we see them?” Tristan asked.

“Dunno. Could be they got a front row seat fer some reason,” Joey said.

“More likely something else…,” Spike shook his head.

“Now, who is the Duel between?” Jesse asked as they both looked up and saw Weevil and Yugi.

“Aaaah!” Jaden squeed as Rarity and Tea covered their ears. “I can’t believe it! We’re about to watch a Duel between two of the best Duelists in the world!”

“I know, right? Looks like our first matchup is gonna be a dream matchup,” Jesse fanboyed.

“Do you think we should try and get an autograph from them?” Jaden wondered.

“Only one way to find out,” Jesse said as he turned to Weevil. “Hey, buddy? You think we can get an autograph after the Duel?”

“Uh…who are you two clowns supposed to be?” Weevil asked rudely.

“Don’t be rude! These two kids seem to admire you and Yugi. You should feel honored!” Rarity said.

“Yeah! Just throw them a bone! Even you can’t be that cruel,” Tea said.

“Right…,” Weevil said dismissively. “So, what do you want?”

“One autograph please,” Jaden answered.

“Well…sure. I can give you one,” Weevil baited.

“Eeeeeh! Dad will be so happy he’ll forgive this decision for sure!” Jesse cheered.

“...If…you give me a rare card apiece,” Weevil revealed his hand.

“But...dad said that our cards are a piece of us. That we should treasure them and not let them go,” Jaden looked sad.

“Sad to say your dad lied. Now, cards. I won’t ask again!” Weevil demanded.

“Well…I guess…,” Jaden began to hand over Polymerization before Yami Yugi intervened.

“Now, hold on, Weevil! You shouldn’t be mean to kids like this!” Yami warned.

“Yeah! Generosity is about giving for others, but they shouldn’t give up something so important for a autograph,” Rarity agreed. “Give to them, not steal their soul after all.”

“You should be ashamed, Weevil!” Tea yelled.

“Well, I’m not,” Weevil stuck his tongue out to the two kids. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way…”
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow ran off after Sylvio, looking for the jerk teen that dared to mock her and her cards. Eventually, she finally found Sylvio near a Duel platform that had began to rise from the ground. Said platform was near a mechanical shack with some grassland nearby. “Whoa! Looks like we got the fancy stuff for this tournament.”

“You better believe it, rainbow-haired freak! I heard rumors that this tournament would use these platforms, and it looks like they were right! What a way to begin my first victory of the tournament!” Sylvio smirked.

“Oh…I’m sorry. This is reality calling, and it says that I’ll be getting the win over you!” Rainbow laughed.

“Grrr! You’ll pay for this insubordination soon enough! After I win, your lone Star Chip will go to me and the riches of this tournament will belong to me, the king of all Duels!” Sylvio laughed.

“Oh, great! His ego is huge,” Rainbow grumbled, not realizing the irony of this statement. “Okay then…let’s get to our Duel now. The sooner I win, the sooner I can return to my friends!”

“Well, don’t wait up for them. You’ll be swimming home in no time!” Sylvio said as they both got up on the platforms, Sylvio on the red side and Rainbow on the blue. “Well…without further ado…”

“Let’s Duel!” Both Duelists yelled out.

“The first move will be mine. I draw! And…I’ll summon an oldie but a goodie. Thunderboard in Attack mode!(A blue and red electronic surfboard with a blue electronic eye on the front/Light/Machine/Level 3/1500 Attack/1200 Defense/When this card is destroyed by battle, add one Dart monster from your deck to your hand. You can banish this card from your graveyard;special summon a Dart monster from your hand. You cannot Normal Summon or Set the turn you use this effect)” Sylvio summoned.

“Wowie. A board that can be used to ‘surf the web.’ Are you gonna be an egghead like Twilight and bore me with sciency stuff?” Rainbow snarked.

“Grr! You’ll see soon enough what I have planned. But…for now, I’ll play two facedowns and end my turn,” Sylvio ended his move. “Your move, Rainbow Crash!”

At this, Rainbow began to look real MAD. “What did you say?” Rainbow bitterly asked.

“Oh…did I hit a nerve? For a second I thought you were overconfident, what with how you kept coming at me with sarcasm and all,” Sylvio said as he began to realize he could use this to his advantage.

“Why you little…I’ll show you who’s the loser! I draw!” Rainbow drew her Speed Warrior. “Perfect! I summon my-”

“But before you make your move, I have a bit of a warning for you, Crashy. I play the trap Skee Ball Crasher! Now, during this turn, you must attack me with a monster or else you take damage equal to the Attack points of one of my monsters,” Sylvio explained.

“Sounds like an easy decision!” Rainbow quipped.

“But…there’s a catch. If you attack me, any damage I take from a battle involving a monster I control is dealt as double to you instead and your monster will be destroyed too. So go ahead and wipe out my Thunderboard! You’ll only be helping me rather than hindering me! Good luck!” Sylvio said.

“Great! I can’t attack him with my Speed Warrior or else I’ll take damage. I need to think of another play or else I could be in trouble,” Rainbow looked over her hand, seeing her hand, which included Scrap Fist, Speed Warrior, Scrap Iron Scarecrow, Junk Servant, Double Summon, and Quillbolt Hedgehog. “Wait…I got it!” “I summon Junk Servant from my hand in Attack Mode(1500 Attack)!”

“Not a bad monster.But it won't help much against my Thunderboard,” Sylvio said.

“Not really! See, they both have the same number of attack points, meaning that they’ll both be destroyed and I won’t take damage from either effect!” Rainbow pointed out.

“Hmm…clever move, but it won’t work. Even if you wipe out my monster, I can get in a direct attack on my turn later on,” Sylvio said as he laughed. “What a waste of a move!”

“Well, don’t laugh now, Sylvie! I play the spell card Double Summon! With it, I get another Normal Summon this turn! I summon Speed Warrior(900 Attack)! Now, Junk Servant, attack and wipe out Sylvio’s Thunderboard!” Rainbow cried out as the monster threw an electrical bolt at the board…only for Junk Servant to be destroyed by a saw-like slash from Thunderboard. “What?! But…how did…?”

“Well, well. Looks like that rumor I heard was true after all,” Sylvio smirked.

“What rule?!” Rainbow demanded.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Whoa, sounds like a duel is about to start over there,” One Duelist said as he and a few other Duelists arrived on the scene.

“That's Weevil Underwood, but who's the other guy?” Another girl asked.

“That guy is Yugi Muto. He beat Kaiba, And I happen to be his best friend, Joey Wheeler. And these two? These two are trespassers,” Joey answered, Tea and Tristan comically falling in response to the last part.

“Gee, thanks,” Tea groaned before she and Rarity noticed that Jaden and Jesse were looking sad.

“I don’t understand, though…why did Weevil have to ask for a card in exchange for an autograph?” Jaden asked sadly.

“Dunno. You think this is the norm?” Jesse wondered.

“No, it isn’t,” Tea said as she and Rarity approached them.

“So…who are you two? Are you Weevil or Yugi fans as well?” Jesse asked.

“No, we’re friends of Yugi. Though…I will admit I have heroes I’ve wanted to meet as well. I have read that some heroes aren’t always what you expect though,” Rarity said sympathetically.

“Gee. Thanks,” Jaden said sarcastically as Tea gave Rarity a look.

“What I think my friend is trying to say is that some people can be jerks, but there are still some good eggs out there. I mean, Yugi is probably the type to give you an autograph as soon as the Duel is over, and he’ll do it for free,” Tea consoled as the kids looked uncertain.

“I thought I wouldn't be seeing a Weevil/Yugi match-up till the finals,” another guy said.

“Weevil's the regional champ. No new kid's got a chance against him,” A girl noted.

“Well, Yugi, my adoring public is waiting, so we should begin,” Weevil said.

“Now…let’s Duel!” Both Duelists cried out.

“Let's see how you like my Gokibore in Attack Mode(1200 Attack)! I then place a facedown and end my turn. Your move, Yugi!” Weevil said with a confident smirk.

“You'll have to get through my Mammoth Graveyard first (1200 Attack).

“A monster only as strong as Weevil’s? What is Yugi thinking?” Spike asked with worry.

“Dunno. But at least both monsters will be gone after the battle,” Tea said.

“This massive monster will match your annoying insect point for point. Attack!” Yugi cried out.

“Gokibore, let's show the Mammoth your stinger. Attack!” Weevil yelled as the insect stung and destroyed Mammoth Graveyard.

“No!”

“Ha! Gone after one sting? He must be allergic,” Weevil mocked.

“I don't get it. Both creatures were evenly matched. It should have been a stalemate,” Yugi thought, shocked.

“Have you begun to figure it out yet? Why I led you all the way to this forest area? If you just look around, then you will see that this area is an exact replica of our surrounding environment– One part 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 area, I get a field power bonus of 300 Attack Points (Gokibore-1500 Attack). 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
In the previous tournament and won it, you’d know to avoid this field against me, or even find a way to get a field power bonus instead of me!” Weevil laughed smugly and manically.

“He cheated!” Tristan was outraged, and so were most of the others.

“He led us here 'cause he knew he'd have an unfair advantage,” Joey realized.

“Well, technically he didn’t cheat. It is a rule. However, he’s still being a jerk. First the card and now this,” Jaden said as she stuck out her tongue to Weevil.
“Don’t forget ruining Yugi’s Exodia cards,” Spike noted.
“He did what?! But…those are very rare cards!” Jesse was shocked.

“It’s the truth. And I almost died trying and failing to get ‘em back! That snake” Joey was furious.

“Go ahead! Call me names! 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,” Weevil laughed, expecting Yugi to be defeated. However, he couldn’t be any more wrong.

“Ha ha ha!” Yami laughed.

“What? How can you be laughing?” Weevil was confused.

“Because. Take a look at your ferocious Gokibore now,” Yami answered.

“W-w-what?” Weevil looked and saw that his insect was also being destroyed. “Oh, no! My monster! What have you done with my monster?!” “This makes no sense. My creature was supercharged with the field power bonus, but according to this, Yugi's creature somehow became just as powerful (Mammoth Graveyard-1500 Attack).”

“Looks like my Mammoth got a field power bonus from the wasteland area just like your bugs do from the forest!” Yami said confidently.

“Great! Now Yugi has a chance to turn things around!” Tea cheered.

“Maybe…but with no monsters out he could be in trouble,” Spike reminded.

“Way to bring down the mood…,” Joey snarked.

“Sorry,” Spike apologized.

“Grr! The field-point advantage was supposed to be mine alone!” Weevil growled.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You see, my Machine and Thunder monsters are able to gain more power so long as they are present near this shack. 300 points per monster to be exact! Why do you think I chose this spot to battle in?” Sylvio gloated.

“W-Why you!” Rainbow growled.

“On the bright side, you won’t take extra damage, but this Duel won’t be lasting for very long at the rate it is going so far. In the future, don’t be an overconfident weakling,” Sylvio taunted with a laugh.

“Uh…I wouldn’t be too sure of yourself yet, Sylvio. Take a look at the field,” Rainbow said as she pointed and saw that Thunderboard was being destroyed as well.

“I-I-what?! But this shouldn’t be happening! My monster was stronger!” Sylvio was outraged and confused.

“Well, well, well. Looks like you don’t know everything after all. The field is also a grassland, which can benefit my Warrior monsters, also giving them a field power bonus like Junk Servant, or…Speed Warrior(1200 Attack)!” Rainbow cried out.

“The Duel isn’t over yet, Rainy! I play my trap card Billiard Netting! With it, I can send two more copies of my Thunderboard to the grave! And get this…when Thunderboard is destroyed by battle, I can add a Dart monster from my Deck and place it in my hand. Say hello to Ultimate Dart Striker! Impressed with my best monster?” Sylvio asked.

“Not really. You lack two tributes to bring him out, meaning I’ll have the advantage! Now, Speed Warrior, attack Sylvio directly with Hyper Sonic Slash! Oh, and check it out! When my monster attacks on the turn he’s summoned, his original points double (2100 Attack)! Now, take a huge chunk out of Sylvio’s points! (Sylvio-1900 LP) I place one card facedown and end my turn. Looks like I really did improve after all! I took a pro and brought his points down by half on turn one! Might as well apologize for the name calling and insults now, Sylvio. You won’t have the chance to do so for much longer!” Rainbow boasted as Sylvio growled in annoyance.

“No…I won’t. I’ll admit you were better than I initially expected. Maybe you weren’t fully useless after all. However…, I’ll still be the winner of this Duel in the end, and you’re about to see why! I draw! I play my Thunderboards’s effect from my graveyard! By banishing my Thunderboards from my grave, I can special summon a Dart monster from my hand for each one! So…I banish my three Thunderboards in order to bring out my ultimate trio! Say hello to Power Dart Striker (1800->2100 Attack), Rocket Dart Striker(1900->2200 Attack), and my most powerful Ultimate Dart Striker(2400->2700 Attack)!” Sylvio played.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You know…I kept wondering about something on the boat ride here, Weevil. Why were we traveling to some remote island just to duel? But as soon as I saw this holographic display grid, it all came together. Every monster has a type of field that 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. And now…I’ll play a facedown and end my turn,” Yami explained.

“Wow! He really pieced it all together that easily?” Rarity asked.

“Looks like it. And now that we know that fact, we can look out for the bonus in other areas as well!” Tristan said.

“Well…some arenas lack a field power bonus to be fair,” Jesse noted.

“How do you know that?” Spike asked.

“Well…you see-,” Jaden began.

“Cease your blabbing! Grr! Hee hee hee hee!” Weevil went from growling to snickering. “You're awfully clever to put it all together like that, Yugi, But figuring out one rule won't be enough. There are surprises hidden under every rock, And I know them all.”

“You can beat him, Yugi!” Tea cheered.

“Don't let that flea scare ya! He's bluffin',” Joey agreed.

“Maybe…but…,” Rarity was suspicious.

“He may use the other info to win? I agree bea-,” Spike said, almost letting his crush win over logic for a moment before stopping and looking away with a blush.

“Really? Then let's just see how you handle this bluff. I summon out my Flying Kamari #2! (1500->1800 Attack)! And…since you don’t control a monster, I’ll attack yout directly!” Weevil laughed as the insect sent out a wind gust.

“Look out!” Jesse cried out.

“It won’t be so easy, Weevil! I play my trap Magic Cylinder! With it, I can negate your attack and deal you damage equal to your monster’s power!” Yami countered.

“So that’s why he attacked like that! It was to set up for this moment!” Rarity cheered.

“Now, Yugi can take this opportunity to deal some major damage!” Tea cheered.

“Maybe..but why do I have a feeling Weevil has a counter?” Joey asked.

“Because I do! I play the trap Trap Jammer! With it, I can negate and destroy your trap card with ease! Say goodbye!” Weevil laughed sinisterly as Magic Cylinder was destroyed and Yugi took damage (Yami Yugi-2200 LP).

“Eeeeeh! So cool! Weevil is able to predict his opponent's moves and counter them with ease! That’s what makes him one of the best!” Jaden squeed.

“Um, Jay? Remember that he’s a jerk,” Jesse reminded.

“I know! But he’s still a great Duelist!” Jaden apologized.

“I’ll end my turn. See? Don’t expect to win just because you figured me out! I have more tricks up my sleeve than that!” Weevil gloated.

“Ahh, even though I know about the field power bonus, it's too late to rebuild my deck now. I guess a combo attack would be my best bet,” Yami Yugi thought. “I play Celtic Guardian(1400 Attack)! And now I'll add this Horn of the Unicorn so its magic will raise
my attack points(2100 Attack)! Now, wipe out Weevil’s Flying Kamari #2! (Weevil->3700 LP) And with that, I end my turn. Your move, Weevil.”

“Hee hee hee hee! Not bad, Yugi. Not bad, But you’ll have to do better than that! I play the Armored Bee in Attack mode(1600->1900 Attack)! And…I’ll use his ability to cut your warrior’s power in half! Poisoned Stinger (2100->1050 Attack)! Now, attack and wipe out Yugi’s Guardian! Stab him! (Yugi-1350 LP) That outta do for now. Your move, Yugi,” Weevil ended his turn.

“Even that bug-eyed tick's weakest bugs are gonna be tough to beat so long as he's got that field power bonus,” Joey remembered.

“I know! Will every Duelist be untouchable like Weevil?” Rarity wondered.

“No clue…hopefully not,” Spike shook his head.

“Yeah, but it's not exactly like it can just be turned off,” Tristan reminded.

“That Weevil's a no good cheat!” Joey yelled.

“Um…is it just me, or is it strangely a little quiet?” Tea asked as she looked and noticed that Rainbow and Pinkie were gone.

“You’re right! Where did Rainbow and Pinkie Pie go?” Tristan asked.

“Yeah! They’re missing out on this Duel. Don’t tell me…,” Spike shook his head.

“That they left ta Duel that Sylvio creep without us? Probably. Should we go look fer ‘em?” Joey asked.

“Why don’t we stay here for now? Yugi needs our support. If they aren’t back by the time the Duel is over, we’ll go search,” Tea suggested. “Still wish they would have waited.”

“I draw!” Yugi drew Kuriboh. His hand also contained Buster Blader, Big Shield Gardna, and Power Shield. “Sadly, I don’t have any monsters to attack with. Maybe I should use my
next monster to defend. By putting my card in defense mode, my monster will take a hit, but my life points will be spared.” “I’ll use Scale 2 Buster Blader and Scale 8 Kuriboh in order to set the Pendulum Scale! I’ll be showing off the Heart of the Cards starting now!” At this Weevil gave a massive smirk. “Witness the power of my monster, as they enter the action! Say hello to Big Shield Gardna in Defense mode(2600 Defense)!” At this, the entire crowd of people cheered and were in awe at the sight of the monsters.

“So cool! A Pendulum Summon at last!” Jaden cheered.

“If only the circumstances were better, though,” Jesse noted.

“Well…it could be worse. At least Yugi can defend himself,” Spike consoled.

“I see you’re finally gracing us with a Pendulum Summon. But… I see we're
defending now, are we? Very clever! But I can switch your Gardna to attack mode with one attack and then wipe out your remaining points with another attack!” Weevil pointed out.

“Weevil has a point. Yuge’s in trouble,” Joey was concerned.

“I wouldn’t count him out yet…,” Rarity said with full confidence.

“I play my spell card Power Shield! With it, I can prevent my Big Shield Gardna from being switched to attack mode while he is equipped and save him from being destroyed by battle! And with that, I end my turn,” Yami played.

“Well done. You set it up so that I can’t switch your monster from defense to offense. But even your strongest monster can't stand against my Basic Insect (500->800 Attack). Not only does he get a field power bonus, but I'm upgrading him with a Level 3 Laser Cannon and a Lev. 2 Power Boost! (800->2300 Attack) Now, Yugi, for all the innocent little bugs you've squashed, stomped, crushed, or fumigated, it's… Payback time! You’re lucky I can’t attack this turn, so I’ll end my turn!”

“Ungh!” Yugi groaned as Weevil laughed.

“You'll have to do better than that if you hope to survive my bug's laser-powered arsenal,” Weevil mocked.

Yugi drew a very strong trap card and decided to set it. “Then I'll play this card.”

“Hmm, another defense card, no doubt. And I'll make sure that defending is all he can do!” Weevil thought. “Heh heh heh. I'm going to keep you on the defensive. Attack now with any monster, and you will instantly activate this trap card.” Weevil laughed as he set a card. “And I’ll end my turn with Flying Kamari #1! (1400->1700 Attack).”

“That Weevil's got Yugi cornered!” Joey grumbled.

“Yeah, he can't even counterattack!” Tristan agreed.

“Yugi can at least keep himself safe from a direct attack, though,” Tea sighed.

“For now…,” Spike reminded.

“As long as my trap card remains in play, you're powerless to make a move against me! So, does my tightening web make you squirm?” Weevil mockingly asked.

“He's so busy bragging, he's not paying any attention to my moves. He didn’t even notice my trap card. Maybe I can set a little trap of my own,” Yugi thought. “I play a second facedown and end my turn.

“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! Each turn you cower, I create a new monster. I summon my Giant Flea (1500->1800 Attack)! My turn ends here!” Weevil said.

“I play a facedown monster(Alpha the Magnet Warrior) and end my turn,” Yami said.

“Keep drawing, Yugi. My army of insects just keeps getting bigger! I'm going to wipe out all your monsters In one bug blitzkrieg!” Weevil laughed.

“He appears to be too overconfident. Rainbow would get along with him very well with how she can be,” Spike noted.

“Eh…she has a complex of some sort. Weevil is just a jerk,” Rarity noted.

“Agreed,” Joey said.

“That's right, Weevil. Put all your monsters on the field. That's exactly what I'm counting on. I can end this in one fell swoop the next time you attack,” Yugi thought.

“I don’t know if Yugi can win at this rate. I know Yugi is a great Duelist, but Weevil has four insects on his field and a trap that can prevent Yugi from performing an attack. This is bad!” Spike was concerned.

“I wouldn’t be too worried,” Joey said.

“Yeah! If you can tell, Yugi is smiling right now,” Tea agreed.

“He-he is?” Spike was surprised.

“Uh huh. I bet that one or even both of those facedowns can turn this game around in his favor,” Rarity agreed.

“Well…when you put it like that…Weevil may be the one that needs to watch out,” Spike said more confidently.

“You bet! Just look at our Yugi. He's so confident up there,” Joey said.

“I know! When he's duelin', it's like he becomes a totally different guy,” Tristan noted.

“It may be that spirit we’ve heard about. Though Yugi himself has been shown to be great as well,” Spike said.

“Between those two, this Duel will be won,” Tea said.

“Hee hee hee! Well, what do ya know? I'm down to my last monstrous insect and my most powerful. Chainsaw Insect (2400->2700 Attack)! And you know what that means, Yugi? You're about to be exterminated! As soon as your final defense is gone, this Duel will be won!” Weevil gloated.
“We'll see what my cards have to say about that! I draw!” Yami Yugi yelled as he drew Dark Pendulum Magician;his ace. “Yes, the Dark Pendulum Magician! This is perfect! There's no way Weevil can resist him as a target.” “All right, Weevil! I defend with Dark Pendulum Magician(2100 Defense/Scale 3)! Your move, Weevil!”

“Whoa! What a cool monster to summon!” Jaden was amazed.

“Yeah…but with Weevil’s facedown Yugi can’t attack,” Jesse pointed out.

“So why sacrifice his only defense?” Spike wondered.

“I don’t know. But hopefully his facedowns will help turn things around,” Tea said hopefully.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“See? Your pal’s Pendulum Summoning isn’t the only way to summon a whole lotta monsters in one move. There are other ways to do so,” Sylvio pointed out.

“Well…I’ll admit that you are much better than I anticipated. You actually got the drop on me. But…I’m not worried! I have monsters stronger than these in my Deck,” Rainbow half-lied.

“Maybe…but if I beat you before they come out, then it won’t matter!” Sylvio pointed out.

“So, I have to ask what your deal is, Sylvio. Why go to all the trouble of challenging me over so many other opponents?” Rainbow asked.

“You really wanna know? Simple. For too long now I’ve been overlooked by the Dueling world. While Duelists like Kaiba or Weevil or even Julia are popular, they don’t deserve their popularity as much as I do. I don’t even use any Extra Deck methods, yet some people don’t remember me as much as I’d hoped!” Sylvio explained.

“I wonder why,” Rainbow said under her breath.

“Then I saw the day that Pendulum Summoning became a thing. When I saw that Duel, I was beyond mesmerized by what I saw!” Sylvio said with stars in his eyes.

“So what? You in Yugi’s fan club now? Or better yet both of ours?” Rainbow snarked.

“Grr! No way! I’ll admit those cards were cool, but the Duelist who uses them are definitely not! Yugi is a small-time opponent, with cards that would be better in hands like mine,” Syvio said. “I will now be the most popular Duelist. I’ll have more fans than anyone else put together! I just need to obtain some Pendulum cards. And who better to test my readiness for defeating Yugi than the weak little clown who worked with him to beat Kaiba.”

“I-I’m not a clown!” Rainbow yelled. “I’ve grown a lot as a Duelist since that day and now I’ll prove it!” Rainbow yelled.

“Yeah, but only if you get another turn, which you won’t. Rocket Dart Striker, take aim at Speed Warrior!” Sylvio cried out as a bunch of darts shot out of their arm.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Excellent! You decided to just submit and summon your ace to be the monster I finish off to beat you! I'll destroy your very favorite card! Now, my pet Basic Insect, power up your laser cannon! Hee hee hee! Attack!” Weevil cried out.

“Suddenly, Yami Yugi began to laugh.

“Wh-why are you laughing?” Weevil started to get worried.

“Weevil, you're not the only one who can set a trap card,” Yami revealed.

“What?!” Weevil was shocked.

“You were so busy grandstanding,you paid no attention to the cards I put into play,” Yami reminded.

“But I thought you only put down monster c-c-cards?” Weevil nervously buffered.

“Not all. While you loaded the field with your bug monsters, I prepared a special surprise. The power of my Mirror Force trap card!” Yami played his set card.

“Hold your fire!” Weevil cried out, terrified as Basic Insect’s attack was reflected back at his monsters.

“Too late, Weevil. You already ordered your attack on my Dark Pendulum Magician, and mirror force will deflect it right back at you! And with it…all Attack Position monsters are destroyed!” Yami cried out as all the insects were destroyed. “But that’s not all…I play the trap card Mirror Buster! I can activate it when a monster you control is destroyed by card effect. When used, you take 700 points of damage per card, for a total of 3500! (Weevil-200 LP)”

“My life points are devastated!” Weevil wailed.

“Yes!” Joey cheered.

“Yeah, Yugi!” Tea called out.

“Hey! Way to go!” Tristan said.

“How cool! I figured Yugi would find a way to turn this game around!” Jaden cheered.

“You were right not to get worried last round, sis,” Jesse said.

“Uh huh! See, you two? Now that Yugi’s ahead, he can win with ease on his next turn!” Rarity said.

“Yeah…he did great. It almost seems too easy…,” Spike noted.

“He obliterated my army of beautiful bugs. How dare he!” Weevil thought.

“You're a liar and a cheat, Weevil. But it was your overconfidence that allowed me to get the best of you. Your insects are decimated, your life points are low, and as you yourself said before, you have used up all your monsters,” Yami pointed out.

“This Duel belongs to Yugi for sure!” Jaden cheered.

“Don’t count yer chickens before they hatch,” Jesse reminded. “Weevil still has a set card and one card in his hand.”

“Hee hee hee hee! Actually, Yugi, the one snot-nosed boy is correct. I lied about that, too!” Weevil admitted.

“Huh?!” Yami was shocked.

“I still have monsters left in my Deck. In fact, I still have my most formidable creature waiting in the wings, And this unconquerable insect will swat you down once and for all!” Weevil revealed as he began to laugh manically.

Author's Note

Hope everyone enjoys this chapter. If anyone has any suggestions to make or Decks they'd like to see appear, please let me know.