Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Let Me Help ❯ One-Shot

They looked out as one. Mai's strategy was good; there was no doubt about it. At this point she had him, both of him, unable to attack, yet unable to defend. Her Harpy Lady was a formidable opponent, but one that must be beaten.

He looked down at the cards held in his hand; Curse of Dragon, Mystic Elf, and Celtic Guardian. None of those could help him right now, not with her wall of mirrors up the way it was, and if he played them they would simply destroy themselves. He couldn't afford to lose another monster, not with only three hundred points remaining. Sword of Dark Destruction, a useless accessory; he had no one with which to play it. Monster Reborn, now there was potential there. With that card he could retrieve his Dark Magician.

He shook his head. What was the use of reviving his Magician if he couldn't play him? There was nothing he could do; any card he laid down would be swept away by Mai's feather duster, any monster would be forced to attack itself, possibly destroying itself. It was hopeless.

Let me help you, the voice repeated.

No! he retorted firmly, shoving the presence further away from him. He was about to draw a card when he felt it break free, somewhat.

What are you doing? It asked him. Randomly drawing until you get a card that will let you live until the next round? You're better than that.

I can't be, he said angrily.

What are you afraid of, the spirit asked him. It was difficult to glare at someone who wasn't even exactly someone and who was, on top of that, residing inside of you, but he managed somehow.

You, he replied. There was a moment of silence.

Why are you afraid of me? The voice asked softly, genuinely. He frowned, trying to find an answer.

You could have killed Kaiba, would have killed him, for all you knew. You didn't care about that. You … I don't know what you did to Panic, but he's … as good as gone. You could hurt my friends, and I won't let you do that. I can't let you do that.

A hollow sigh echoed in the back of his head, but before anything could happen a voice brought him back to awareness again.

"Come on, Yugi! I don't know what's gotten into you right now, but this is no challenge any more. I had expected better from you, but I guess you'll just have to snap yourself out of your little moping spree after I've won." Mai put a hand on her hip. "Come on, Yugi. Play."

He shoved the spirit back and drew a card from the pile. Waboku. He looked at the monster on the field, the Beaver Warrior. An idea had begun to form. It was hardly a long-lasting strategy, by any means, but it might just hold something off long enough to come up with a better one. There was, if he remembered, something special about Waboku.

"I play this card, face down," he told Mai, laying the trap card face down on the recognition pad. Mai gave him a quizzical look.

"What's wrong with you, Yugi?" she asked him. "Falling for this trick again?" she shrugged, never one to look a gift horse in the mouth. "Ah well, Harpy's Feather Duster!"

He watched as the holographic picture on the screen sprouted green wings and sent a blistering wind towards the glowing square that represented his Waboku. Nothing happened.

"What?" Mai jumped. "What's going on?"

He smiled, feeling a little bit of his confidence returning. "Don't be so sure you've got this won, Mai," he told her. "Now, since that was an ineffective spell card you get another turn. What will you do with it?"

Mai frowned at him for a moment, wondering what he was up to. Then, sounding somewhat unsure, she looked at the board again. "Harpy's Pet Dragon, attack!"

Flames emerged from the hologram's mouth, and shot towards Yugi's unprotected Beaver Warrior. Yugi smiled.

"And now, Mai, I play my Waboku, which was face down."

Three shimmering figures rose and shielded the Beaver from the Dragon's attack.

Very nice move, the voice in his head complimented him. It saved you for one turn. But what next? Let me help you!

No! He cried sharply within the confines of his mind. You can't hurt her.

We need to win, the spirit pointed out sensibly. If nothing else, you need to win for your grandfather. You can't win divided like this. Let me help you!

Why do you even care? He demanded. I don't know where you come from, but he's not your grandfather, why do you need to win this? Why are you even trying to help me?

There was another sigh. This is more complicated than you can imagine, the spirit said, as if it wasn't about to explain. Right now is not the time for this.

You're right, he thought, pushing the spirit back and drawing another card. Reverse Trap. This was just the card he needed for the moment, though he knew it would fade after one turn. He took the Celtic Guardian from his hand and placed it face up on the field.

"I play the Celtic Guardian in Defence Mode," he said, receiving himself a shocked look from Mai. "And I'll play this, face down." He put out the Reverse Trap card and drew again to complete his hand. The Book of Secret Arts card. Interesting, it might come in handy later on.

"What are doing?" Mai asked.

"Wait and see," he replied. She frowned at him.

"Shadow of Eye," she called out and shadowy mists went to surround his Celtic Guardian. Slowly, the figure stood. "What has gotten into you?" She demanded. He smiled at her. "Celtic Guardian," Mai began the order. "Attack Harpy's Pet Dragon."

He turned the card that had been facedown over, and watched as his Celtic Guardian raced up with his sword out to attack the Dragon. The Guardian had fewer attack points, and so the attack was not fatal to the Pet, however its life points dropped dramatically. Mai looked stunned.

"What just happened?" she asked.

"You'll find out when your turn ends," he told her.

"Well," she retorted. "You may have gotten through my wall, somehow, but you haven't destroyed my dragon! Harpy's Pet Dragon! Attack Celtic Guardian!"

He smiled as he watched the fireball collected and blasted towards his Guardian, only to have a shiny wall appear. Mai watched, aghast, as the fireball returned to her, obliterating her dragon.

"You didn't remember to use your duster, Mai," he told her. "I laid my Reverse Trap card down at the beginning of the turn. That reversed the effect of your Wall of Mirrors."

"Clever," she noted. "But, it will only last you for this turn. After that, I'm back."

She's right, the spirit told him. You got lucky, and you're talented. But you're not good enough guarantee a win right now, and if she destroys anything you're out of the running. Let me help you!

I can't! he shouted back.

Then, you'll loose, the voice said with deadly certainty. You're not going to be able to focus enough to make the right plays, not if you're protecting both your Beaver Warrior and your Celtic Guardian. And you can't win with a defensive strategy. You can't do this alone.

He frowned, and the voice continued more softly.

Let me help you. It's the only way we can win this, and I think you can see that. I can help you win this, if you'll let me.

Why, he persisted. Why do you want to help me?

I can't explain it now, the spirit insisted. It all began a long time ago, and it's time it was over.

What? He demanded.

The shadow games, the spirit answered. A game similar to this, dangerous. A game that can trap people's souls.

Pegasus, he thought suddenly, thinking of his grandfather, of Mokuba, and of Kaiba.

They have to be freed, the spirit said with finality. But they can't be freed if you lose here, now. Please, let me help you.

Finally, with a sigh, he stopped fighting. He felt himself float backwards, somewhat. It was as if he was watching himself, he still had some control but to exert it was tiresome. Slowly, everything became clear before his eyes.

The Wall of Mirrors was a spell card, a trap card but nonetheless a spell. Therefore, all he needed to do was to take it away with a simple card, one of the most basic ones there was. And, he had the perfect attack waiting, just begging to be set up.

Mai suddenly noticed a change. He had straightened, minutely but it seemed to add something phenomenal to his stature. His confidence was back, his gaze hardened. There was a small smile playing at the corner of his lips.

"Come out of your shell, I see?" she said approvingly. He smiled at her, a somewhat eerie smile but one without malice.

"I told you I was going to win, Mai," he told her and she noticed his voice was firmer, deeper. "Well, here it comes."

Pegasus was sitting in his chair beside the arena, watching. Suddenly, something shifted. Yugi-boy was getting his guts back. This might actually be a match worth watching after all. He would enjoy the sweet taste of victory when it came down to just the two of them.

Yugi heard his friends cheering for him from the balcony, but so far it was all sheer bravado. Everything rested, as it always seemed to do, on a single card. Sending a plea to the Heart of the Cards, that mystical idea that held so much weight with him and defined him as a dueller, he drew a card from the deck. De-Spell.

Mai watched him as he drew and realised that she was in for a tough ride now. Of course, she still had ten hundred life points, while he was at a measly three hundred, but she didn't know how much that would matter now. The death of her Harpy Lady would be devastating, should it come to that.

He looked at his hand, sorting everything out, then drew one card.

"First," he began, "I will play Monster Reborn and summon my Dark Magician from the Graveyard." The arena shimmered and the magician stood magnificent in his violet robes. "Next, I arm him with the Sword of Dark Destruction, raising his attack power by four hundred and his defence by two hundred."

Under any other circumstances Mai would have been seriously intimidated, however she knew she was protected by her Wall. However, he had something up his sleeve, and a Monster with twenty-nine hundred attack points and twenty-three defence was something to be wary of.

"Then, I will further arm it with the Book of Secret Arts, raising both its attack and defence by three hundred points."

A monster with thirty-two hundred attack and twenty-six hundred defence. This was not something she could fight should it come to that. She sincerely hoped that it didn't.

"Next," he continued, enjoying the moment, "I will play my De-Spell card which will remove your Wall of Mirrors. And finally, Dark Magician, attack with Dark Magic Sword attack!"

The Dark magician extended both sword and staff, crossing them. A ball of energy gathered there and shot towards Mai's Harpy Lady, destroying it.

She looked up at her opponent. "Wow," she declared. "When you shape up, you shape up." She looked at her life points, down to nothing. "Well, I guess you beat me. I didn't think you could do it."

He smiled at her, that mysterious smile. "I guess you just have to believe in yourself, sometimes," he replied, shaking her hand.

He returned to his room and sat down on the bed. He felt the other presence, the true presence, push ahead again.

As long as we fight each other we'll never be able to win, the spirit said, and he nodded.