The Pharaoh and the Wayfarer (Atem/Yami Yugi x Spirit! Reader)

Chapter 5: From One Thief to Another

Is it wrong I'm blitzing through a lot of these duels to get to the main event? I really just wanted to get to Bakura this chapter. Tell me down in the comments which duels you want to see.
I own nothing
Chapter 5: Mokuba and Bakura

A few duels later, and one instance of the group stealing food, a harpoon, and Rain nearly beating said owner of the harpoon for throwing a weapon at them, Yugi now had 5 star chips, Joey had 2,  and Rain had an impressive 8 after an overconfident duelist challenged her to all or nothing duel and got thoroughly wrecked.
"That was kinda cold blooded back there, Rain." Tristan joked as they headed inland.
The girl rolled her eyes. "Hey, that guy had an ego the size of a continent and a mouth to match, it's not my fault he didn't have the skills to back them up. I would've only taken 3 of his star chips if he was a graceful loser."
"I'd say she's well within her rights to cream a jerk like him." Tea back up her friend as Joey seemed all too eager to agree.
"Yeah, besides I might've decked if he kept running his mouth."
"Joey, Tristan had to stop you from doing that during the duel." Yugi pointed out.
"Don't pretend like you didn't get angry when he tried sweet talking Rain when he realized he she was out of his league, Yugi."
The shorter male blushed hard, not having a come back.
Rain laughed with a bright smile on her face. "Aw, you guys are really sweet. To be honest, it feels nice having non Wayfarer friends."
"Well congrats! You're stuck with us!" Tea teased, hugging her from behind.
Everyone laughed before a voice called out.
"Someone! Help!"
"What's that?" Joey asked.
Rain looked down the path and saw one of the security guards dragging some poor kid roughly along. "Hey! Knock that off!"
They all ran at the guy as the kid kept struggling.
"Help! You gotta help me!"
"Put that kid down!" Tristan yelled, actually tossing guard over his shoulder.
It was impressive, but not as impressive as when the guard rebounded and kicked across the chest, knocking Tristan down. The kid tried to run for it, but the guard easily caught him again.
"That's not how you handle kids!" Rain yelled. "Drop him!"
Yugi ran up next to her. "What do you think you're doing!?
"This is none of your business. This duelist lost his star chips, and the rules say he has to be kicked off the island."
"But I didn't lose my chips in a duel!" The boy insisted. "My cards were stolen too!"
"I don't care what lame excuse you have, kid. You need star chips to duel and you haven't got any, so you're shippin' out of here! Those are the rules and my orders from Pegasus."
Rain helped Tristan who groaned. "Big creep. I say we follow him."
No one raised any objections as they all took off after the guy, finding a dock nearby. Yugi seemed to get a burst of speed as he called out before the boat could leave.
"Hey! Hey, you!"
"You again?" The guard sneered.
Yugi ignored him. "What did the guy who stole your star chips look like?"
The kid looked shocked. "Well, I couldn't see his face cause it was covered with a bandana, but he was a little guy and he challenged me in the meadow, but as soon as I put my star chips and my deck down, he snatched 'em up and ran off with them!"
"Hey, he shouldn't be kicked out for that!" Rain yelled at the guards. "What happened to fairness?"
"The rules are no star chips, you're shipped out!" One goon said.
"Fine, then we'll get them back then!"
"This boat leaves in exactly 30 minutes."
"Fine!" Rain huffed.
Tea was also insistent. "We'll get them back before then!"
"We won't let you bully him out of the game!" Tristan said, Joey backing him up.
"We'll catch that little thief and bring him to justice! Believe me, kid, you can count on us!"
The kid looked so grateful, he was in tears. "But, who are you guys?"
"We're the guys that are gonna save your chips. Don't worry, you've got the brilliant mind of Joey Wheeler on the case, and I always get my man!"
Everyone else sighed as Rain grabbed Joey by his jacket and pulled him away.
"Come on, Ace Detective, we're losing time."
(Timeskip)
The most logical plan Rain ((Y/N) suggesting to Rain) was to stake out the crime scene. Evidently, she was right on the money because not a minute after sitting down to come up with a plan, the thief jumped out.
"I've found you at last, Yugi!"
Everyone shot up, Joey clenching his fist.
"That must be the kid we were looking for! I can handle him!"
Tea gave him a look. "I hope so. You're twice his size!"
"Just try me, you big jerk!" The kid shot back.
"Back off, kid!" Tristan warned.
"And hand over the star chips you swiped from that other duelist!" Joey added.
Rain quirked a brow, recognizing the kid's voice somewhat, however Yugi recognized the kid wanted to duel him and took him on, wagering all his star chips. The spirit took over and as the duel progressed, it became evident that this kid didn't know what he was doing, likely because he wasn't playing with his own deck. Eventually, Rain realized who this kid was.
"Mokuba!?"
The boy looked down, hearing his name be called and his eyes widened. He had been so focused on Yugi, he hadn't even noticed her.
"Rain!?"
"That's Kaiba's little brother!" Joey yelled before looking at Rain. "Wait, ya know him!?" 
"Gramps owns a shipping company. We send products out all over the world. We recently went into business with Kaiba Corp, so I've met the brothers on a few occasions."
"Rain, is there anyone significant you don't know?" Tristan asked genuinely.
"Good question." She then turned to the young boy. "Mokuba! What on Earth are you doing!?"
"I have to, Rain!" He insisted angrily. "Thanks to Yugi, Seto's gone and Pegasus is trying to take over KaibaCorp!"
"Pegasus wants KaibaCorp?" 'Yugi' repeated as (Y/N) appeared.
"I suggest you call your grandfather and tell him to comb for any of Pegasus's moles."
"Noted." Rain said. "Mokuba, please calm down. Just talk to me."
"I don't know what he did to my big brother when they dueled, but ever since that defeat, he hasn't been the same." Mokuba explained his brother's recent behavior, and though Seto didn't seem to outright abandon him, Rain understood how Mokuba came to that conclusion. "It's all his fault! Seto deserted me because of Yugi!"
"You don't understand, Mokuba, your brother hasn't deserted you." 'Yugi' insisted. "He's searching for himself."
"Save it!"
Mokuba again attempted to attack, but it was futile as the spirit continued to try and talk him down.
"Battling me won't bring your brother back, and we want to stop Pegasus as much as you do. He's taken my grandfather prisoner."
"He what!?" Rain yelled as Tea sweatdropped.
"Oh right, Yugi never had time to fill you in."
Joey ignored them. "He's right. Pegasus is the bad guy here!"
"You're wrong." Mokuba shot back. "I have to protect my brother's company, and Yugi's the one Pegasus has to beat in order to take it over."
"So that's it." Rain said. "You're trying to eliminate Yugi before Pegasus can get to him, that way he can't take over the company."
The spirit glanced away from the battle for a moment to agree with her, only to look up to see Mokuba gone.
"Where did he go?"
Being a little guy, Mokuba was quick, snatching a good number of them before taking off. Fortunately, (Y/N), now in control, was there to grab him by the collar of his shirt.
Mokuba flailed. "Let me go, Rain!"
"Young man, stop this right now." To everyone's shock, Mokuba listened, turning to Rain with the expression of a child being scolded by their mother. "Now, we are going to help you, but before that, you need to understand this: Yugi isn't to blame for Seto. Your brother is just confused and trying to figure things out. He's trying to find the correct way to do things. And I know you understand this isn't right."
Mokuba just looked sad now. "Then, what can I do?"
(Y/N) lowered herself to his eye level. "You can ask for help, Mokuba. At the very least, you can always ask me for help."
He hugged her, exhausted it seems. "I didn't know you were here! I would've if I did!"
She sighed with a smile, comforting him. "I'm sure you would have. Now, we're going to return what you stole, then all of us will find a way to stop Pegasus and save KaibaCorp, but you need to trust me."
"...okay. If you trust them, then I'll work together with Yugi."
"You are also going to apologize."
He hung head. "Yes ma'am."
"Rain, while your parenting skills are very impressive, we only have 3 minutes!" Tea urged.
"Let's go then!" (Y/N) ordered as everyone ran for the dock.
Unfortunately, the boat had already taken off by the time they got there.
"What gives!?" Tea demanded. "That wasn't a full thirty minutes!"
"Pegasus sets the schedule here." The jerk guard stated.
(Y/N) had to stop Joey from surging forward. "Let me at 'im, Rain!"
"You've gotta call the boat back!" Mokuba pleaded, running forward. "I've gotta return that kid's star chips to him!"
The guard snatched the chips and cruelly chucked them into the water.
Again, Joey had to be held back. "What gives!? A bunch of those star chips were Yugi's!"
"I'm so sorry, Yugi." Mokuba apologized, only to be snatched up by the guard.
(Y/N) let go of Joey, stepping forward in a calm rage. "Put. Him. Down."
"This little ingrate is a special guest of Mr. Maxillion Pegasus, and he's been invited to attend a special dinner in his honor back at the castle. Right, Mokuba?"
"Rain! Help!"
"Hold on!" 'Yugi' demanded. "I still have 3 of my star chips left. I challenge you to a duel, and if I win, Mokuba comes with us."
The guard grinned. "I don't know why you'd risk your chips for this punk, but if that's how you want to waste your last star chips, then meet me back at arena 146 in exactly 4 hours. You'll have your duel."
(Y/N) glared, one that terrified everyone. "No tricks. If you try anything or Mokuba isn't with you, you will regret it."
The guard, almost shaking, was about to retort with a snarky remark, but the fierce look and the blazing emblem made him hold his tongue.
(Timeskip)
"Well, we're here." Joey announced. "Where's Antenna-Head?"
Rather than humor his question, (Y/N) turned to her fellow spirit. "Yugi, let me duel him instead. I can afford to risk my star chips, you can't."
He smiled at her. "Have faith in me, Rain. Besides, for all we know, Pegasus has something planned for you. It's better you aren't separated from us."
"Yeah, Rain!" Tea agreed. "What if Pegasus targets your grandfather like he did Mokuba?"
She chuckled. "I'd love to see Pegasus try to touch my grandfather. If I know Samson, he's long since raised the alarm to the other Wayfarers. By now, my grandfather is long out of reach, even for someone as affluent as Pegasus."
"Your family's kinda scary, Rain." Tristan admitted as 'Rain' smiled.
"We prefer the term...experienced."
"Regardless." 'Yugi' interjected. "I still think you would be safer here with all of us."
"Very well."
"Rain." He said as if he wanted to say something else. "Promise me: you won't risk yourself. Promise me."
She blinked at the sincerity in his voice. The logical part of her brain began deducing this spirit was an ally, or at least not a threat. Yet, her heart blazed with warmth as he showed such concern for her. She smiled and nodded.
"Fine, I won't. I promise."
He smiled and nodded back. Just then, the guard appeared, still holding Mokuba hostage. The boy was still trying to wriggle free.
"Get him off me!"
"Mokuba!" (Y/N) called.
'Yugi' stepped beside her. "Put him down, now!"
"I'll consider it, if you win the duel." The guard stated.
"Oh, I'll beat you, all right."
The man smirked. "I never said I would duel. There is your opponent."
He pointed to the other side of the arena, and to their shock, Seto Kaiba was standing there, not looking too great.
"He met with an unfortunate accident today, but he came all this way just to duel you."
"Kaiba!?" 'Yugi' yelled.
"Yugi, you don't stand a ghost of a chance." The goon declared. "Because this time he is a ghost."
"Stop it!" Mokuba yelled.
"It's the truth. Two witnesses saw him fall to his death."
Everyone else besides (Y/N) gasped as Mokuba began hitting the man.
"Liar! Take back what you said!"
"Get used to it. All that's left of Kaiba are your memories and a vengeful spirit."
(Y/N) crossed her arms, giving the goon a sharp look. "I thought I warned you: no tricks."
He put on a confident smile. "I suppose you were friends. Believe me, little girl, that is Seto Kaiba. When he's done with Yugi, you're next. Mr Pegasus wants to speak to you."
Before she could retort, 'Yugi' stepped in front of her with an enraged look. "That won't be happening."
Shocked at first, she placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. When he turned to look at her, she motioned to him to let her handle this. Hesitantly he nodded, stepping aside as she spoke.
"I don't know if Kaiba could ever consider someone a friend, but we were acquaintances. The Seto Kaiba I know would never come back as such a thing, unfinished business or not. He's too proud. If you thought that pathetic, two-bit illusion would be enough to fool me, you and your employer have vastly underestimated me. I'd start being more polite. You won't like what will come after this duel. Mokuba." The boy perked up. "Whatever that thing says, don't believe it. That isn't your brother."
He nodded. "Right!"
She turned to walk away. "Yugi, I have enough respect for Kaiba to be angry on his behalf for this farce. Obliterate this imposter."
He smirked. "Anything for a friend."
(Timeskip)
To the shock of literally no one after 'Rain's' bold declaration, Kaiba was indeed revealed to be a fake. There was a near heart attack moment from Rain in spirit form when the imposter summoned Blue Eyes White Dragon, but the second the monster started acting up and destroyed itself, it only reassured Other Yugi that the girl was right all along and the imposter was exposed. As 'Yugi' began to seriously lay into the plump freak, (Y/N) noticed the guard looking ready to bolt. 100% done with this jackass, the female spirit snuck up behind him.
"This is the second time I've had to remind you. Don't say I didn't warn you."
"Why you-!"
The guard swung at the girl, seeming to go to draw a weapon, only for the Millennium Bracelet to shine. The next second, he collapsed with a petrified look on his face. At that same time the Other Yugi wiped out the imposter, an escaped denizen of the Shadow Realm, with a powered up Blue Eyes White Dragon.
"Pegasus may have helped you escape the Shadow Realm once before, but it won't happen again! Never again!"
The field was engulfed in light as everyone else was forced to look away. As the imposter was sent back to the Shadow Realm, the male spirit made a threat.
"Pegasus, I sense that you're watching, consider this a warning. Nothing you send against me will stop me, and when we finally duel, believe me, victory will be mine. I'll win back my grandfather's soul and you will pay for all the people you've hurt in the name of your sick little game. I'm coming for you, Pegasus!"
With that, the light faded, and the male spirit took note from the corner of his eye only one person remained standing, Rain...or rather, the spirit controlling her body. (Y/N) stared back as Rain appeared by her side.
"He's getting stronger."
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Rain asked.
"Unsure, but, I think it's safe to assume he's not our enemy."
"He just blasted a guy to the Shadow Realm and basically threatened Pegasus with the same. What are you basing this on?"
(Y/N) placed the knuckles of her right hand over her heart. "My own feelings."
Rain wasn't exactly sure of this, but she shrugged. "All right, I trust you. I just hope you know what you're doing."
"Rain?" Mokuba spoke up, cutting off their conversation. "What did you do to him?"
Mokuba was of course referring to the guard who regained enough consciousness to curl into the fetal position and weep. (Y/N) was quick to push the young boy away from such a scene.
"Never mind him. Let's just say he won't be causing anyone else any trouble again."
"Whoa, did you ax the dude!?" Joey yelled, noticing the guy on the ground.
(Y/N) sighed. "He'll be fine. I doubt we'll run into him again."
"But, what did you-," She cut off Tea.
"I really think we should leave before more of Pegasus's goons show up."
"I agree with her." 'Yugi' said as he collected the stolen deck. "Pegasus is after Mokuba to bait Kaiba. If we stay in one place for too long, it could be disastrous. Mokuba, I assume you have no objections to traveling with us for the time being?"
He looked at them a little puzzled, probably shocked they were willing to help after everything he did.
"Well, I guess if Rain's with you, then I can trust you."
The Other Yugi smiled and nodded before looking at (Y/N). It was clear on his face he wanted to ask her something, but considering everyone else was in earshot, he turned around and let Yugi take back control. (Y/N) followed suit.
(Timeskip)
In rapid succession, Joey managed to not only get his next set of star chips, but also a rare Red Eyes-Black Dragon from Rex Raptor, who seemed eager to swipe Joey's Time Wizard. Like Weevil, Rain had met Rex before at tournaments, and while he was more tolerable than the bug (not a difficult task), he was a perv and she spent the whole duel behind Tristan and Yugi to avoid any comments, urging Tea to do the same. After such a long day, the minute the sun went down, everyone collapsed in the first spot that looked like a halfway decent campsite. While Joey helped Rain set up a fire, Yugi decided to make small talk with Mokuba, who was pretty quiet throughout his entire time with them, really sticking close to the Wayfarer girl.
"So, Mokuba, you seem pretty close to Rain."
"Yeah." Tristan agreed. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think she was your sister."
"Her grandfather works with your brother, right?" Tea asked.
Mokuba nodded, a bit more confident. "Yup. Mr (L/N) runs a huge shipping company, one of the biggest and most well connected in the world. We started doing business with him not long after Seto became CEO of KaibaCorp, and since Rain lives with him, she usually came along. Mr (L/N)'s actually pretty funny for a business president. He likes to act like everyone's grandpa when he's around, so I like whenever we have business meetings with him. Rain's the best though!"
Yugi smiled at him. "You really look up to her."
"Yeah. Rain's always been nice to me, even before she found out Seto was my older brother. She always plays with me whenever she visits and even brings me cool stuff from the places she visits. Oh, and she tells the best stories!"
"That true?" Tristan said. "Hey Rain, any chance we can hear one of those famous stories?"
"In a minute!" She shot back. "Joey and I are trying not to burn the forest to the ground!"
Everyone laughed as Joey began moaning.
"No offense, Rain, but what good is a fire gonna do us if we don't have any food to cook?"
She gave him a look. "Joey, you'd die of cold a lot faster than hunger."
"Doesn't feel like it! If I don't get anything in me, I'm gonna turn into a ghost! Oh hey! There's my meal ticket!"
Rain had to tackle Joey before he could snatch a dubious looking mushroom.
"Can I get some back up over here!? I am not in the right weight class for this long term!"
Tristan took over as Yugi scolded his friend.
"Wild mushrooms are poisonous, Joey."
"Yeah, if you're gonna take a gamble, do berries, you've got better odds." Rain said.
Tea glanced down at her. "Rain, you're not helping."
"I'm not wrong. If you know what colors to avoid, high chance you won't poison yourself. But I guess that's why you have a Joey in your group."
Mokuba snorted at her dark joke as another voice joined them.
"Just do us all a favor and let him eat it."
Everyone looked up to see Mai, probably enjoying the show.
Joey, his mind off his stomach, growled. "Now what do you want?"
She immediately had their attention as she chomped into a candy bar.
"That's it!" Joey declared. "You can duel me, you can insult me, but you're not eating in front of me."
"You're that hungry, are you?" Mai taunted. "Okay then, give me your star chips and I'll give you some food."
"Counter offer, I know how to start a fire. You share food, we share warmth." Rain offered.
Mai rolled her eyes. "I was just kidding, but now that you've kindly offered, I will accept. Though I would appreciate being asked politely by a gentleman."
"Right." Joey growled. "So then you can make fun of me for that, too?"
"Look, by tomorrow, I'll have won entrance to the castle, so there's no point in me keeping an entire knapsack full of food."
"Sure would be nice not to have to duel tomorrow on an empty stomach." Yugi not so subtlety hinted at Joey.
The blonde boy crossed his arms. "How do we know this isn't another trick? Give me one good reason to trust you."
"Cause it's either me, that poisonous mushroom, or being the berry tester for Rain."
Everyone's stomachs growled, making the decision clear. Rain finally got the fire going and everyone sat in a circle. As Joey and Tristan tried to call dibs, Mai stopped them.
"Sorry boys, no dibs until you complete your chores."
"How come Rain gets to eat the chips then!?" Joey pointed out as the girl happily munched.
Mai smacked him. "She got the fire started, she's earned her keep. Yugi, Mokuba, you guys go find more firewood to keep it going."
"Sure." Yugi agreed as Mokuba nodded.
"We can do that."
She then turned to Tristan and Joey. "And you two boys can go and fetch us some water."
"You bet." Tristan responded, pushing away a muttering Joey.
"If she's not slinging insults, she's barking orders..."
"I'm willing to swallow my pride if it means swallowing food."
Once the boys were gone, Mai looked at the girls.
"If you two want to freshen up, there's a makeshift shower just over there."
"Thanks, Mai." Rain said.
Tea was a bit more hesitant. "Y-yeah, thanks."
Rain volunteered to stand watch as Tea freshened up. While Mai got the boy's to work, the two girls talked through the curtain.
"Hey, Rain?"
"Yeah, Tea?"
"Mai's a pretty hard gal to read, don't you think? One minute she's starting trouble with us and the next we're sharing a campfire."
The Wayfarer shrugged. "Maybe we've had a more positive effect on her than we realized."
"You think so?"
"Maybe." Rain looked over as Mai kept the boys from creating more fire or poison. "I think she just has trouble trusting people. You can't tell a person's story just from the front they put on."
Instead of responding, Tea yelped.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Mai yelled, hearing the gasp.
The blonde woman ran inside to check on Tea.
"I-I thought I heard something!"
Rain ran to the other side of the curtains, studying the brush for any signs of movement.
"I don't see anything." Her nerves suddenly turned to ice as (Y/N) appeared beside her, a concerned expression on her face. "(Y/N)?"
"There's something watching us."
"What?"
"I don't know."
"What was that, Rain?" Mai called.
"Nothing!" She lied. "Probably just an animal."
(Timeskip)
Everyone dug into their curry, happy their bellies were full.
"Not bad!" Yugi said. "How's yours, Rain?"
"I'd rate this a solid 3 stars, but I've been spoiled when it comes to camp out curry."
"Speaking of stars, I've heard you've gotten some, Mai." Yugi said. "How many do you have? 8? Or is it 9? However many, it sure sounds like you're in the zone."
"Ha." She said in response. "Don't think you're gonna fool me with your nice guy routine, Yugi. It's only a matter of time before you-,"
Tea butted in. "Can we just forget about the tournament for one night? Let's make fun of Joey instead, that's always fun!"
"Okay." Mai agreed. "Just as long as everyone is crystal clear about one thing: any duelist in my way is going down. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go for a walk."
Mai then got up and walked away.
"Oh, man." Joey mumbled. "She can really ruin a meal..."
Everyone else ate in relative silence after that, the mood ruined. Once their bellies were full, the thought of sleep became persistent.
"Man, I'm fading here." Joey said through a yawn.
"Don't you think we should check on Mai?" Tea asked.
"Yeah." Rain said. "She has been gone a little longer than I'd like."
"It's probably some trap." Joey insisted.
"I'll get her." Mokuba volunteered, getting up.
"Mokuba, you shouldn't be going off on your own." Rain said. "Not just because of Pegasus, but in general."
"She's just by the cliffs. It'll just be a second!"
He ran off towards where Mai had gone.
"Mokuba!" Rain got up to follow him, but rustling from the bushes caught her attention.
Tea shrieked. "What was that!?"
Joey and Tristan immediately got up and got ready for a fight, only for a boy to come out from the bushes. He was a...less than intimidating looking thing. He wasn't much taller than Yugi and Rain, his hair was pure white and long, and his brown eyes were very doe-like. Everyone else from the group gasped.
"It's Bakura!" Tea said. "I told you I wasn't seeing things!"
"Hey, you guys pulled the reverse on me: someone you know that I don't." Rain joked.
Joey ignored her. "What are you doing way out here, Bakura?"
"Same as you guys, I guess." He answered softly.
"You really really scared us, sneaking around in those bushes." Tristan said as Joey straightened up.
"Yeah, for a minute there, we actually thought we had something to worry about. Pretty silly, huh?"
The boy's eyes wandered over to Rain, who rubbed her arms awkwardly.
"Who's she?"
Yugi did the honors. "Bakura, this Rain, she's a new friend of ours. Rain, this is Bakura, he's a friend of ours, though I didn't expect to meet him here."
"It's a pleasure to meet you." He smiled, extended a hand.
Rain reached out to accept the shake. "Likewise."
The minute their hands so much as brushed, it felt like lightning burst through Rain's head. Images flashed before her of white hair, a scarred face, and a cruel, taunting smile. Before she realized it, Rain was on the ground, clutching her head as Yugi propped her up.
"Rain, are you okay!?" He asked.
She groaned. "I'm fine, I just got a splitting headache all of a sudden."
"You should lie down then!"
Yugi helped her back over to the fire as she protested. "No, I should get Mokuba."
"You're not going to be able to help him if you collapse before you reach him." Tea scolded. "He should be back soon with Mai. She's a tough girl, I doubt she'll let anything happen to him."
Not given much of a choice, Rain accepted the decision and tried to collect herself. As time drifted, Tristan decided to interrogate Joey, who had been combing his deck.
"Dude, you've been staring at that card for a while now. What gives?"
"I'll tell ya, just don't laugh. Sometimes, when I'm in a duel, I pretend that it's me out there on the field, swapping blows with whatever cards my opponent has out. Isn't that dumb?"
"Nah." Rain assured. "I do that too sometimes."
"Well, if you were a card, what would you want to be?" Bakura asked.
"This one!" Joey said confidently. "The Flame Swordsman kicks everybody's butt! Ha!"
"Not mine!" Tristan insisted, holding up one of his own cards. "Guys, the Cyber Commander."
"You boys and your cards are hilarious." Tea said.
"I think everyone has a card they can identify with." Yugi argued. "You should see if you can pick one for yourself, Tea."
"Okay. I pick this one, Magician of Faith."
"What? You gotta be kidding." Tristan said.
"More like the Magician of Freaks if you ask me." Joey teased.
"Shut up!" Tea growled as Bakura turned to Yugi.
"Tell me which one you identify with, Yugi."
"Oh that's easy. Dark Magicians, hands down."
"Figures it would be your ace." Rain said, peaking one eye open.
"Maybe, I'm just out of the loop, but don't you guys think it's a little silly to be comparing ourselves to playing cards?" Tea asked.
"Maybe a little." Yugi admitted. "But it's like grandpa says: it's not about the cards, it's about putting a little bit of your heart into anything you care about, you know? What about you, Rain?"
"Gotta go with this little guy." She slipped her hand into her cardholder and pulled out Ori. "He was the first card I ever got, and he's saved me more times than I can count."
Yugi smiled then turned his head. "So which card do you care about most, Bakura?"
"This one is my favorite."
Unlike the others, he didn't hold up a monster card. Tilting her head up sightly, getting motherly glares from Tea, Rain recognized it.
"Change of Heart? Interesting choice."
"Kinda weird lookin' picture, don't you think?" Joey said.
"Hmm." Bakura hummed. "If you want to see how it works, we can have a duel right now, not for star chips, just for a little fun."
"Sure, I'm down for that." Joey said. "After all this star chip stuff, it'll be nice to have a duel with no strings attached."
"I agree." Yugi said with a bright smile. "I think just a regular old duel sounds like a great idea."
"I guess it couldn't hurt." Rain said, sitting up.
Bakura nodded. "Why don't you guys each put your favorite card into Yugi's deck, so it'll be like we're all playing."
"Sounds good to me." Joey said.
"Great!" Yugi nodded. "But I should warn you, with this all-star team of cards, we'll be tough to beat."
"True, but maybe I'll surprise you." Bakura then turned to Rain.
For some reason, Rain felt an inkling of distrust within her. (Y/N) had been unusually silent and she couldn't help but feel something was off about Bakura. The board and cards were laid out on a tree stump nearby. Rain and Yugi sat side by side facing Bakura.
"All right, we're all shuffled." Yugi said.
"Now, are you sure you want to play alone?" Tea asked worriedly. "I'm sure Rain would be happy to be your partner."
Joey went a different route. "Don't worry about a thing, Bakura. We'll go easy on you."
"Right, thanks." He said.
He smiled at Rain who again felt that bad feeling. His smile didn't seem to reach his eyes, and for the briefest second, she thought he was smirking. The minute she blinked though, it was gone.
"Before we get started, there's a little something I'd like to share with you all." Bakura announced. "And especially with you, Yugi."
Bakura held his hand over his chest as Rain suddenly heard (Y/N) scream in her mind, causing her to grip her head.
"RAIN, RUN!"
Hearing her spirit partner sound scared baffled the girl.
"No! It can't be!" Yugi yelled.
Looking up, Rain now saw something hanging from Bakura's neck, an artifact she was all too familiar with.
"The Millennium Ring!?"
"Yes." Bakura's voice was now deeper and more hostile. "And the magic of my Millennium Ring will take us to the Shadow Realm."
As the world around them began to warp, Rain held up the Millennium Bracelet which began to glow. Bakura's eyes widened.
"How do you-!?" Suddenly he smirked. "I see, now this is much more interesting. I'd put that down. That will only protect you. You wouldn't want to abandon your friends, would you?"
Rain's eyes widened as she realized he was right. At her current strength, the Millennium Bracelet could only protect her from Shadow Games. Theoretically, it could protect others, but Rain didn't have that mastery yet, even after all these years. Still, how did Bakura know this?
"He's another spirit." (Y/N) said. "And this one is definitely a threat."
"Why are you doing this, Bakura!?" Yugi demanded.
"You've something I want, Yugi and I aim to take it!"
Rain's blood ran cold as she saw the Millennium Ring glow. Before she could question him though, the world went dark. Everyone fell over, lifeless. Bakura stared down at them.
"That wasn't too difficult. Their souls have been locked away, and now, after waiting countless centuries, the Legendary Millennium Puzzle is mine."
He moved to grab Yugi's puzzle. He and Rain had fallen against each other, causing a bubble of anger to swell in him as he saw the two Millennium Items brushed up against each other. Before he could rip the puzzle away from the bracelet, both items glowed as both spirits took over.
The evil spirit felt a flash of anger as he saw the Other Yugi help (Y/N). "No. It can't be!"
"You want my Millennium Puzzle?" The male spirit challenged. "Then you're going to have to duel me for it. If I win, you'll release my friends and send us all back."
"Haha!" The evil spirit chuckled. "I agree to your ridiculous terms, Yugi."
"I'll be helping then." (Y/N) declared. "You did insist."
Bakura smirked. "I wouldn't have it any other way. It's so nice to see you again, (Y/N)."
The female's eyes widened. "How do you-!?"
"(Y/N)?" The Other Yugi said.
(Y/N) sighed. "No need to play coy. I know you're well aware of what I am, what we all are it seems. This is a Shadow Game. We must work together or it'll be our vessels that suffer."
He looked at her, as if he was trying to remember something, only to take her hand.
"Right."