I own nothing.
Chapter 6: The Shadow Realm

The three spirits faced each other, the benevolent spirits glaring down their assailant. Other Yugi from the corner of his eye studied the female beside him. Bakura had called her (Y/N), not Rain, and she didn't correct him. That confirmed his suspicions. Truly, he had known from the minute they had seen each other on the boat that she was in a nearly identical situation as him, though given Rain's behavior, she was much more aware of this spirit's presence. Unlike him, these two seemed to recognize each other as individuals and partners.
"What have you done, Bakura?" He asked. "Why have you taken us to the Shadow Realm."
"Bakura?" The male repeated. "Bakura is no longer with us."
"If you're not Bakura, then who are you?"
"He's like us." (Y/N) answered. "A spirit sealed within the Millennium Ring. Though clearly this one had a good reason to be sealed away."
"Oh (Y/N), do you truly not remember? That hurts my feelings." He then smirked at the Other Yugi. "But to think you both don't seem to recognize each other. Now that is truly laughable."
"Who are you really? How do you know us?" The female spirit demanded.
"I am a thief and a stealer of souls, and I have done terrible things in my quest to possess the Millennium Items. I would think a Wayfarer would remember the legends." The other two's eyes widened with realization. "Whosoever wields all 7 Millennium Items will possess power unimaginable, and before I'm done with you," He was looking at the Other Yugi. "Your Millennium Puzzle will be mine. As for the bracelet, I know better than to touch an item only to be wielded by a Wayfarer. Besides, you and I will have much to discuss after, (Y/N)."
The other male spirit pushed in front of (Y/N), as if to obscure her from his view. The malevolent spirit glared at him.
"That's not going to happen." Other Yugi declared.
"Then let the Shadow Game begin! The first move is yours."

Yugi 2000 LP/Bakura 2000 LP

'Yugi' drew, plucking one card from his hand.
"For my first move, I summon Cyber Commander, Tristan's favorite card."
He placed Tristan's card in defense mode. However, to both benevolent spirits' dismay, Tristan was seemingly summoned as the monster.

Cyber Commander
750 ATK/700 DEF

"Tristan!?" They both yelled.
The male seemed unaware at first of what was going on. This was reasonable given how the Shadow Realm tended to affect the mind.
"Huh? What a weird dream. Where am I? What's going on here?" He then turned to see the duelists towering over him and screamed.
(Y/N) bit her thumb's nail. "He's using the Millennium Ring to imprison the others in their cards. I'd be careful. I don't want to know what would happen if they got sent to the Graveyard."
"Astute observation, (Y/N)." Their opponent mocked. "I guess you were always the studious type."

Yugi 2000 LP/Bakura 2000 LP

Bakura drew and sent out his own monster.
"I summon the White Magical Hat."
A human-like magician with a white cape and top hat appeared in attack mode.

White Magical Hat
1000 ATK/700 DEF

The monster attacked a panicking Tristan, who was immediately destroyed.
"No!" Other Yugi yelled. "Tristan!"
Bakura laughed. "Aw, looks like that card's been defeated and your poor friend's soul was trapped within it."
"Where is he!?"
"Your friend is gone, on his way to the graveyard."
"Tristan can't be gone!"
"When you duel in the Shadow Realm, the stakes are always higher, Yugi. You made a sloppy move, and now your friend has paid for it. It won't be long before the god of death finds him. Now, which of your friends will you sacrifice next?"

Yugi 2000 LP/Bakura 2000 LP

'Yugi' glanced down at his cards, knowing he had to play the Flame Swordsman to beat Bakura's monster. However, he knew Joey was bound to be trapped in that card.
"Calm down." (Y/N) interjected, making him give her a shocked expression. "He's trying to rattle you. This might be a Shadow Game, but it is still tethered to the rules of Duel Monsters. We can get Tristan back, but not if you panic."
Her cold logic reassured him as he pulled out the card Joey gave him. "Right. I summon Joey's favorite card: the Flame Swordsman!"

The Flame Swordsman
1800 ATK/1600 DEF

Joey appeared on the field, armed with a fiery red sword and impressive armor. He was also equally as confused.
"Hey? What gives? Hey, Yugi-." He of course screamed when he turned to look at them. "What the-!? You're both giants!"
"No, you are just small." (Y/N) corrected.
"Oh man, I finally cracked."
"Joey, listen to me." 'Yugi' said. "Your soul has been sealed inside your favorite card. You've become the Flame Swordsman."
"I'm the who!?"
"Yugi needs to duel to restore you to normal." (Y/N) took over the explanation. "But if you're defeated, you'll be sent to the Graveyard like Tristan."
"Graveyard!?"
"In order for me to win this duel, restore you all back to your bodies, and get us out of the Shadow Realm, I'm going to need your help." The male spirit said.
Joey perked up at this. "You want my help, you got my help!"
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I figure I've lost my mind, but I'm gonna go with it. Now, who wants a beating, huh?" He then faced Bakura. "Giant Bakura!? Now I know I'm nuts! I'm like 6 inches tall, wearin' a dress, about to fight my giant friend!?"
"That wouldn't be your friend currently." (Y/N) corrected. "A malevolent spirit sealed in the Millennium Ring is currently controlling him."
"Well...I have no idea what you're talkin' about, so here goes nothing!" Joey charged at White Magical Hat, cleaving the monster in two and dropping Bakura's lifepoints. "Whoa, man! I did it, Yugi! Now what?"
"Now, it's his turn."
Yugi 2000 LP/ Bakura 1200 LP

Bakura growled at them, drawing his card. "Your little swordsman got lucky last time, Yugi, but not this time!"
The malevolent spirit placed a facedown in defense and ended his turn.

Yugi 2000 LP/ Bakura 1200 LP
"This reeks of a trap." (Y/N) warned.
Joey, still not noticing the spirit was a different person, readied his sword. "Don't worry, Rain! Joey the Swordsman's got this!"
"Joey, wait!" 'Yugi' warned as the card Joey attacked flipped to reveal Morphing Jar.

Morphing Jar
700 ATK/600 DEF

Joey sliced through the beast, causing Bakura to smirk.
"What a dolt."
"A Morphing Jar." (Y/N) growled.
"Huh? A Morphing Jar?" Joey said, not liking her tone. "Did I screw up?"
"Not as much as you could have." (Y/N) assured. "When Morphing Jar is attacked, all cards in both players' hands go to the Graveyard. Fortunately, no one was in his hand."
Joey got on his knees apologetically. "Whoa, sorry, Yuge!"
Both players discard their hands and redrew. Other Yugi immediately took notice of Dark Magician and began to panic. What would happen if he played it? However, he also noticed a few of these cards, besides the ones given to him by his friends, were not his own. He didn't recognize two spell cards, however he noticed how thematically tied they seemed to be to Rain's monsters through the artwork. This was Rain's deck!
(Y/N)'s eyes widened. "How did you-!?" She then took a deep breath. "Joey, when you shuffled Yugi's deck for luck, did you accidentally mix my deck with his?"
The blonde froze up before giving a bashful smile. "Uh, maybe?"
She looked ready to strangle him, but kept her composure. "It's fine, we'll fix it later. Most of my cards function similarly to yours so it shouldn't be an issue."
"I hope you're right." He then read the effect of the other spell from her deck and realized he could use it, setting it facedown and ending the turn.

Yugi 2000 LP/ Bakura 1200 LP

"With a new hand comes a new perspective." The malevolent spirit taunted, choosing only to set a monster facedown and what was likely a trap. "The game is ever shifting. New dangers surround every turn."

Yugi 2000 LP/ Bakura 1200 LP

The Other Yugi drew, drawing Monster Reborn. He realized Bakura was trying to scare him, to make him mess up, yet despite not knowing his strategy, the spirit knew he had to risk it.
"I summon the Dark Magician."
The real Yugi then appeared on the field, dawned the armor of and wielding the staff of the Dark Magician and looking very confused.

Dark Magician
2500 ATK/2000 DEF

Before Little Yugi could comprehend what the heck was happening, the spell card Bigger Yugi had set the previous turn became active.
"I reveal Envoys of Light and Shadow (I imagine this card has Ku and Ori happily circling each other in front of the Spirit Tree). Since I summoned a Dark Attribute monster, if I have a Light Attribute monster in my hand, I can immediately summon it. I summon Ori the Forest Guardian!"
Rain then appeared on the field.

Ori, the Forest Guardian
2000 ATK/1000 DEF

Unlike the other two, who wore the clothes and wielded the weapons of their respective monster, Rain had gained Ori's animalistic features, namely the long ears, antenna, tail, and slighting longer legs for maneuverability. She was also slightly disoriented, but once she got her bearings and looked around, she groaned.
"Not again..."
Bigger Yugi ignored that comment (for now) and played Monster Reborn from his hand (please tell me if this is an illegal move, I am struggling to understand the game. If it is, I'll try to fix it later), bringing Tristan back from the Graveyard.
"Huh?!" He said scared. "What the-!? Joey? Yugi? Rain? You guys dreamin' this, too?"
"Nah, this ain't no dream, Tristan." Joey explained. "This is just me going insane. S'all one big delusion."
"God I wish." Rain muttered. "We'd all be better off."
"Rain, you seem to actually know what's going on." Yugi said, very concerned.
"We're in the middle of a Shadow Game. And I'd wager our lives are on the line currently."
Yugi's eyes widened before a look of confusion settled on his face. "But, just one second ago, I was up there."
"Yeah." Tristan suddenly realized. "If you and Rain are down here, then who're they up there!?"
Rain glanced away guiltily as did (Y/N) to a lesser extent as the two nearly identical males stared at each other.
"I have noticed that sometimes when I duel, it feels as if someone is guiding me, and sometimes it's like I can hear a strong voice calling out to me from my Millennium Puzzle, a powerful voice."
The male spirit nodded as Tristan and Joey looked at Yugi, stunned.
"Huh?"
"Really?"
"Technically, it's more than just guiding." Rain jumped in. "He takes control, but since you're not aware of the shift, it seems as if you're still in control, just on autopilot."
"Wait, how do you know that?" Yugi asked.
Rain pointed up towards (Y/N). "Because I'm in the exact same position as you, Yugi. Both our Millennium Items contain spirits that we're now tethered to."
As Tristan and Joey had collective meltdowns, Yugi frowned at Rain sadly.
"You knew...for how long?"
Her ears and tail drooped in shame. "When our Millennium Items touched on the boat, we saw him appear behind you, then your duel with Weevil confirmed it for us."
"Why didn't you say something?!"
"Because we didn't know if we could trust you." (Y/N) answered.
Her fellow spirit glanced at her. "Trust us? You thought we were dangerous?"
"We believed it to be possible. The Millennium Items are capable of great destruction. With the knowledge of the Wayfarer tribe, we had to be certain you weren't a malevolent force intending to wreak havoc. Case in point."
Both girls pointed at Bakura, which the boys all kinda had to accept as a valid explanation because duh. Yugi still looked sad.
"Yugi, I'm sorry." Rain pleaded. "I promise, after this, I'll tell you everything we know, but right now, we need to get out of here."
He thought for a moment, before he put on a more neutral expression and nodded. "Okay."
Relieved, Rain looked up at her spirit partner. "(Y/N), try to get us all out of this."
The female spirit finally cracked a smile. "Oh, have a little more faith than that."
"I'm not sure what's going on, but if Yugi says we can trust them, then it's okay by me." Joey said as Tristan nodded in agreement.
"So, what now?" Yugi asked, turning to Rain.
The girl pondered for a moment. "We should finish this duel before Tea's card can be played. The less experience you have of this place, the better."
"All right!" Joey yelled. "I'm gonna bash me some Bakura!"
"Hold on, Joey. I was just played, so I have to attack." Yugi held up his staff, taking aim at the facedown. "Dark Magic Attack!"
The spell connected, only to reveal a familiar monster.
"Another Morphing Jar!?" Rain yelped as it was destroyed and both players yet again discarded their hands.
(Y/N) bit her thumb nervously once again. "So he does have more."
Yugi looked up at both of them guiltily. "I'm sorry!"
(Y/N) composed herself to comfort the boy.
"It's fine, Yugi. The damage isn't too bad." She then whispered silently to her fellow spirit. "Thank goodness you played Yugi and Rain this turn."
Bigger Yugi nodded in agreement before drawing a new hand. To both of their horrors, the last card was indeed Magician of Faith, and given Bakura's pension for discarding hands, it was dangerous for the card to stay there. Other Yugi then set down a trap card that was another one of Rain's.

Yugi 2000 LP/ Bakura 1200 LP

Bakura looked quite pleased, probably guessing he had drawn Tea's card.
"Hmm, I wonder. Maybe you should play that card and see what happens, but, then again, you don't know what I'm laying here. So you might be putting her in danger. A dilemma." He then proceeded to set a monster and flip his facedown. "While you decide, I'll just activate this trap card."
"Uh oh." (Y/N) said, recognizing it as a trap that deals 500 damage for each monster on the opponent's field.
"Just Desserts!" Bakura declared attempting to go for game. "I think you'll find it will help you come to grips with your present situation."
"I play my trap, Eki's Dash! Since you just activated a trap card while Ori was on the field, I can halve the damage. I'll have to bounce them back to my hand for now, but they'll be back at the end of my next turn."
Bakura sneered as Rain felt her body being empowered by the trap card. With her new powerful legs, she leapt at the spectral hand that Just Desserts was represented by, causing it to flinch. Rain disappeared after that as Just Desserts continued with its attack. Though its grip was weakened, it still latched onto Other Yugi and gave him a shock. Thankfully, he had the foresight to set that trap card beforehand, otherwise that trap would have been lethal instead of just halving his lifepoints. Still, it looked like it hurt as the male spirit bent over in pain. (Y/N) helped him up.
"Are you all right?" She asked, very worried.
"Yes." He assured her, giving a slight smile. "Though I'm starting to be grateful Joey mixed our decks."
She snickered weakly at his poor attempt to lighten the mood as the others were still concerned.
"Big Yugi!" Joey called out. "You sure you're okay?"
"Yes. But another attack like that could mean the end for us."
Bakura, annoyed that his perfect blow was foiled by a mistake on Joey's part, ended his turn.

Yugi 1000 LP/ Bakura 1200 LP

Other Yugi drew, looking down at his hand and thinking.
"Tea's soul card isn't safe in my hand. I'll have to play it. At the very least, Rain will returned to field at the end of the turn."
He placed Tea's card in defense, facedown, but she still appeared, rather cheerfully might I add.
"Hey! What's up?"
The boys all sweatdropped at her.
"Oh, boy." Joey muttered before they all encircled her. "Tea, stay quiet!"
"It's a little early for Halloween." Tea noted, not realizing the danger they were in, before noticing the staff in her hands. "What the-! What's this!?"
"Shush!" Joey yelped. "Bakura, Yugi, and Rain are big dueling giants and are fighting for our souls!"
"But Yugi's right here!"
"Yeah, well, the big guy's not really me, and she isn't Rain for that matter!" Yugi insisted. "It's complicated, and Rain seems to know a lot more than us, but it has something to do with the Millennium Items Bakura, Rain, and I all have. It's some kind of magic."
"Magic? So I'm not crazy?"
"Not unless we're all going crazy." He reassured before muttering under his breath. "Though I wouldn't put it past us yet..."
"Just think of it this way, Tea." Joey tried to explain. "There's two Yugi's. The cool one's up there and the puny one's down here. Same thing for Rain when she shows back up."
"Hey!" Yugi protested.
"Just a joke, relax!" Joey teased as Tristan snickered behind him.
Yugi huffed. "You forget that here, I have the powers of the Dark Magician."
"Um, Yugi?" Joey said as the shorter male prepared to attack. "I wouldn't do that if I were-,"
"I'll show you who's puny around here!"
Yugi attacked the facedown card, revealing Electric Lizard.

Electric Lizard
850 ATK/800 DEF

"Yugi, wait!" His spirit half tried to warn, but it was too late.
The gang cheered as the benevolent spirits scowled and Bakura grinned. Yugi was then electrocuted, forcing him to the ground with a shriek.
"What? No!" Tea yelled.
"What was that?" Tristan asked.
"Whatever it was, it's making me go numb." Yugi said, shaking.
"Yugi!" His other half yelled.
"You can't attack Electric Lizard without some rather shocking feedback." Bakura explained. "A lesson your little Yugi won't soon forget."
"He's right." (Y/N) said, slightly angered. "Yugi won't be able to attack next turn. Will you boys please stop attacking without our input!"
Glad he wasn't on the receiving end of the female spirit's rage, Bigger Yugi set Horn of Heaven and ended the turn. Rain then reappeared on the field.
"Rain!" Tea said.
"Oh, hey Tea, you're in this now too?" She asked, half jokingly.
"What's going on? Yugi said you understand this better than him. Also, those ears are actually really cute on you!"
Rain, blushing a bit at the comment, scratched her head. "Well, I really shouldn't explain during this mess. I already promised Yugi I'd explain everything to him after we get out of here."

Yugi 1000 LP/ Bakura 1200 LP

The boys scrambled to cover Tea again, only for Bakura to scoff at them.
"Don't bother, you fools. I can see her perfectly well. Now I have all five of you right where I want you, helpless on the field, easy prey for my Man-Eater Bug!"
He set the card facedown, ending the turn.

Yugi 1000 LP/ Bakura 1200 LP

Joey turned to Yugi. "Yugi, what's that card do?"
"The Man-Eater Bug can automatically destroy one creature on the field as soon as it's flipped up."
They all gulped as Rain gritted her teeth. "And we need to get through it if we want to get to Bakura, which will activate it. One of us is gonna have to make the attack."
"Guys, I really don't wanna go back to that Graveyard!" Tristan pleaded.
"I'll do it." Rain volunteered. "Something tells me that the trap card Bigger Yugi laid down isn't just a bluff, but someone still needs to go down. I'm used to the supernatural anyway."
"Rain, stop." Tristan said. "Without Yugi, you're the strongest of us. That thing is gonna take out one of us, so it might as well be me!"
"Uh, I'd disagree." Joey interjected, nailing Tristan in the gut to stop him. "You just got back from the Graveyard. If anyone's going, it's me."
"Joey, wait!" Yugi pleaded.
The blonde ignored him and charged the monster, flipping it up.

Man-Eater Bug
450 ATK/600 DEF

As Joey wrestled with the surprising large and humanoid bug, he called out.
"Big Yugi! Use the trap! Do it! Do it now! Please! I don't want my friends to get hurt! Sacrifice me!"
Honoring Joey's determination, the male spirit nodded. "I activate my trap, sacrificing my Flame Swordsman to do so, the Horn of Heaven! Blasting its celestial tune directly at your Man-Eater Bug, destroying it once and for all."
The monster and Joey were engulfed in light. Yugi tried to reach out for Joey, but stumbled. Rain caught him.
"Joey!" He yelled.
"What's happening to him!?" Tristan screamed. "He's disappearing!"
"Don't worry about me!" Joey insisted before vanishing.
As the others began to breakdown, Bakura laughed at their misery.
"Don't worry, you'll soon be joining him in the Graveyard. You can spend eternity together. I hope you don't harbor any hopes about rescuing your friend Joey. You've already played Monster Reborn, the only way to get him back."
Tea began to cry. "Joey..he sacrificed himself. He can't be gone..."
Just then, she was engulfed in light, catching Yugi and Rain's attention.
"Tea!?" Yugi yelled.
Rain snapped her fingers. "Now I remember. Magician of Faith's ability!"
"That's right!" Yugi said, relieved.
(Y/N) nodded. "The effect of Magician of Faith allows the user to bring back one magic card from the Graveyard and add it to their hand."
"The card I choose: Monster Reborn, which I'll play right away!" The Bigger Yugi declared as (Y/N) smirked.
"Now, what was that about not being able to save Joey?"
Joey reappeared, cowering from something. "No! I don't wanna-!"
"Joey!" Rain cut him off. "It's okay! You're not in the Graveyard anymore."
"Huh?" He raised his head looking around. "I'm back?"
"Yeah, thanks to Tea."
"All right! Thanks for the save, Tea!"
She hit him with her staff. "You idiot! Don't scare us like that again!"
"Ow! Cut me slack, will ya!?"
Bakura glared at his opponents. "You waste your time and your turns rescuing these foolish mortals."
"Our friends are never a waste of time." Other Yugi corrected. "Make your move."

Yugi 1000 LP/ Bakura 1200 LP

Bakura drew, again smirking. "Heh, oh, I'll move and you will lose. This is the play that will end the match and win me your Millennium Puzzle. First, I will play Lady of Faith in attack mode."
A brightly dressed female monster appeared across from them.

Lady of Faith
1100 ATK/800 DEF

"Now, for the card that will turn your friends against one another: Change of Heart!"
Rain went pale. "That's not good."
"With this card, I can turn you against your comrades, the very friends you sought to protect you will now destroy!"
"I refuse!" Yugi yelled defiantly.
"You won't have a choice in the matter!" Bakura said. "Change of Heart allows me to control any opposing monster. Now, who to choose: Rain or little Yugi?"
"Leave the young ones out of this!" Other Yugi demanded.
(Y/N) growled. "Your quarrel is clearly with us. Leave them alone."
"Why should I? By simply destroying them, I defeat you as well. You're both here to guide and protect them? Then protect them against this!"
He played the card, and as he did, a figure appeared,
"The real Bakura!" Tea yelled.
"Bakura!" Yugi called out. "So your soul was sealed too?"
The frail looking boy had a determined look on his face.
"I want to help! But we must act quickly, Yugi!" Rather than attack Yugi or Rain, the real Bakura latched onto Magician of Faith, taking her over instead. "I'll control her while you attack me! You can win against Evil Bakura!"
"I can't!" Yugi cried. "I'd be destroying you and sending you to the Graveyard."
"I don't care! It's better than being enslaved by an evil spirit! Do it!"
"Be quiet!" The evil Bakura yelled furiously as (Y/N) crossed her arms.
"It seems you underestimated your better half. Now you'll pay for it. However, Bakura shouldn't have to."
The eye emblem appeared on both benevolent spirits' foreheads as their Millennium Items glowed in unison.
"I agree." The male spirit said. "If the evil power of Bakura's Millenium Ring can pull souls from people, then perhaps the power of our items can do the same!"
The two spirits locked hands and blasted the evil spirit together. He screamed in protest, but a moment later, the true Bakura was back in control.
He looked around, confused. "Where did he go?"
Just then, Evil Bakura appeared, still possessing Magician of Faith. He glared at the others.
"This can't be!"
"Yugi, blast him now!" Rain urged.
"You've got it!" Yugi yelled. "Dark Magic Attack!"
The evil spirit was blasted away, ending the duel to everyone's relief. The next moment, they were all back in the real world, the two benevolent spirits back in their respective items. Yugi smiled at Bakura.
"I'm glad you're okay, Bakura."
The white haired boy sighed in relief. "I am now, thanks to you."
"Just, where did you get your Millennium Ring from?"
"My father picked it up on one of his trips. He told me it's from Ancient Egypt."
Rain nodded. "Yeah, that's where all the Millennium Items besides mine are from."
"He was in a bazaar when the Millennium Ring caught his eye. The man who sold the Ring to my father said it had something to do with Duel Monsters, but that never made any sense to me since the game is relatively new and the Ring is ancient."
"Duel Monsters is new, but its origins are just as ancient." Rain said, a look of fearful realization on her face. "So that's where Pegasus got the idea from!"
Bakura didn't seem to hear her or the others trying to process what just happened and finished his story. "When my father got back, he said he felt I was destined to have it." He then turned to greet the others. "Sleep well?"
Tristan and Joey held each other and shrieked. "Bakura!"
"Relax boys, the spirit's gone." Rain assured before smirking. "No need to hold each other like teddy bears."
They looked at each other before breaking apart in disgust, causing everyone else to laugh.
"You know, I dreamt we were all dressed up like duel monsters and that there were two Yugi's and two Rain's." Tea said.
Yugi stopped laughing and turned to Rain. "Rain, you promised."
She sighed. "I know. Wayfarers keep their promises. Where to start?"
Before she could even begin to explain, a shriek pierced the air, getting everyone's attention.
"What was that!?" Joey yelled, shooting to his feet.
"That sounded like Mai!" Rain's eyes then widened. "And Mokuba went after her!"
She shot towards the sound of screams, the others trailing behind her.
Once again, explanations could wait.