Six months prior to meeting the Half-Angel

Pegasus trembled, tied up with chains to his chair. Five beings stood before him, the one he feared most had his golden eye. The orb was in the maker's left hand as he read from a document in his right.

"Maximilian Pegasus, you are charged with the unjust crime of trapping souls and we count twelve souls in your possession. You are also under judgment for seven counts of attempted soul trapping and this is all in violation of your Contract with the Winged Kingdom; how do you plea?"

Cold azure eyes stared at said man. Shadi squeezed the eye in his hand; betrayal was not an emotion he dealt with easily. Jono Franke was there, with Queen Mai. Pegasus had made the contract with them to be trusted with magic and recreating their world into Duel Monsters. King Atem, the most powerful stood to the side with his cousin. Pegasus bowed his head in defeat.

"I am guilty. Go ahead and do your worst, I couldn't bring her back."

Pegasus took one last glance at his beloved, Cecilia, the painting of her on his wall. He was close. The soul of Yugi Motou was perfect, so pure and innocent, but strong. Footsteps came into view, it was the man he modeled Red Eyes Black Dragon after, Jono along with Shadi.

"The chains are gone," Pegasus blinked confused as Shadi continued, "although you're actions caused harm and you lied to us, you still hold good in your heart. Pegasus, for betrayal and illegal soul trapping, you have lost our trust and broken your contract, but those chains were your greed and avarice, since they broke you will be given one last chance."

Jono brought his clawed hand to Pegasus' face; he squirmed in his seat as the sharpness of the appendages pierced the skin around his eye.

"However, we are here to punish you nonetheless."

A loud screech escaped the tower, several bodyguards, including Croquet banged the door.

Pegasus lay in a heap on his chair, his left eye in Jono's hand bleeding and the golden eye in its place. Shadi leaned in and said, You are now connected to the Shadow Realm, Maximilian Pegasus. We will keep a close eye on your actions. Heed this and make no more mistakes.

When Croquet and the rest burst in, they found their employer in his chair and nothing else but blank cards; the news the next week reported twelve people miraculously waking from comas, all duelists.

Present Day

Yugi and his husband ate breakfast. He would be returning home today from winter break.

"Do you think Motou-sama will be upset?"

The Half-Angel looked at Atem, "That's an understatement Yami. He'll be furious. Probably want to cut off your manhood too," Atem paled until he saw the smirk Yugi held.

"No, don't worry. By now he's cooled down, although he'll still be angry and want a full explanation for everything, and he'll definitely be asking if we shared a bed."

"You did, but nothing happened, 'cause Atem such a gentleman," Akefia sneered from his side of the table. Atem threw a biscuit filled with jelly at the man hitting him dead on; Ryou giggled as his lover wiped off the sticky orange substance.

"It's true, but let's not tell him we did."

"Your grandfather has a grudge against me, yes?"

Yugi bit his lower lip and nodded, "Yeah, he doesn't like the fact I could get hurt, simply being your wife. Also, I think…" he gestured to his chest were the bullet wound was, "he still has nightmares about this. It makes sense. He…saw me get shot in the heart. Sometimes I don't believe it." His voice became small at this point. Atem held Yugi's hand and rubbed the wedding ring.

"Yugi," said Mahad sitting next to the king, "your grandfather was frightened, we all were."

"Yes," said Ishizu, "I thought when Red pulled the trigger we had lost you."

A collective nod went through the other occupants at the table. Marik especially felt horrible, it was his duty to protect Yugi from harm and instead they had ended up in a trap.

The boy sighed and got up, "I need to face him sooner, Atem can you help me pack?"

88888888888

"You all packed up and ready to go," Bathsheba chirped.

"Yes, and I want to thank you for your help," Yugi said. "I know I still have a lot to learn and much of it will be a surprise."

"Aw, dearest as long as you got the basics down the rest is easy peasy lemon squeezy," she leaned to look Yugi direct in the eye, "Remember, Dearest, Shadi can continue your training, but like your new talent for singing and vast knowledge of musicals, there are still bumps ahead, although I am happy you mastered your sword and flying first."

"Okay," he stepped back, "there's something that's been bothering me. It's about the essence and my new talent-"

"Dearest, you are you. The essence did not influence your personality in any way, shape, or form. Now here's a question, did you like singing before?"

"I sung along with the radio a lot, and I guess I had a decent voice," he said anticipating her next question.

"And now, you have a classically trained one. The essence just enhances the strengths you already have. The knowledge is from the Angel, but that is your voice, not his."

HW

Entering the Kame Game Shop, Atem gulped. Only he and Yugi, in human form, entered, the guardians had a new place to live, a condominium, where they would still attend Domino High, but hide from Sugoroku. Yugi saw a limo outside, assuming it to be Seto Kaiba.

When the two reached the living room, Yugi halted Atem following. Pegasus sat there with his grandfather drinking tea. The man's hair had grown out and it covered one of his eyes.

"Why, good to see you, eh, Yugi-boy or should I say Your Majesty, Princess."

"Wha…"

"Yugi, if I may, Pegasus is a human who wields magic and works for us. Specifically for the Winged Kingdom, Jono told you how Duel Monsters is based off of our world."

"Yes."

"Pegasus created the game and used our people as models for the characters."

"And that's why I'm here," he got up and bowed.

Atem glared, distrust in his eyes. He heard a grunt and saw Sugoroku glaring at him. The married couple sat down.

"Tell them what you told me, Pegasus."

"Well, as Sugoroku and Yugi-boy here know, the monsters I recreated for my game are the beings of the Shadow Realm. And as our king knows, some of the cards do hold small portions of the magic of those beasts. Some hold more than others, like the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, that's why there are only four. Exodia too, reason for him to be in pieces. What you don't know is…" Pegasus hesitated at this last part.

"Go on," Atem said. He bit his tongue to hold back; this was the man that could have stolen Yugi's soul. Taking a human's soul was easy and painless, but a being of the Shadow Realms or Angels was different and it was disastrous t for the creature's health and mental state.

"I made three that were unchecked for."

"WHAT? After our warning, you slimy-"

"Quiet," Yugi said gently. He took Atem's hand in his and stroked it, making the king's ragged breath slow. "Please continue, Peagasus."

You are whipped, Pegasus thought thenhe continued. "The cards do not resemble any actual beings but it is the symbols and carvings hidden in the cards themselves that hold power. I modeled them after ancient Kehmet legends. When they became aware, things happened…"

Pegasus explained that before Duelist Kingdom, he had created what he dubbed the Egyptian God Cards. The people involved in the project had died horrible deaths and he figured his saving grace was his golden eye. When the monsters started to speak in his nightmares he knew he had to hide them. With his magic he made a seal to cloak the power of the cards and scattered them in various places in Egypt.

"The problem is-"

"They were stolen," Atem finished.

"Yes and I know who did it."

Pegasus took out a small dagger, with the rune for glory, wunjo, on it. The symbol resembled a p with a sharpened edge to the round part. Atem quickly shot up from his seat.

"What's wrong, Yami?"

"That..that is the calling card of our enemies. They leave no trace and their locations change, along with the symbols, but they all mean glory and embedded on a dagger."

"Yes, and now they have two of the most powerful cards in the world," said Sugoroku.

"Had, they had two of the most powerful cards. That's when you two came in."

"Pegasus, do you know what this means. Those monsters could use the cards to find us," if it were not for Yugi and Sugoroku in the room, Atem would launch himself at Pegasus for the man's stupidity and endangerment of the Shadow Realm's safety.

"What?"

Yugi looked to his Grandpa, the old man did not know the whole story. "It's a story I'll tell you later, Grandpa, but for now Pegasus, did you retrieve one of the cards back."

"Yes, and that's why I am here," Pegasus took out a card pouch from his pocket and handed it to Yugi. The picture revealed a red dragon with a dark under belly and serpentine body. It had two mouths and a blue crystal on its head. The card read Osiris the Sky Dragon.

"I tell you the other two are Obelisk the Tormentor and the Winged Dragon of Ra. Obelisk is still hidden but Ra went missing. From the information I gathered about this group, they run in sects throughout the world, ranging from harmless satanic worship to being able to do some real damage, as the ones who broke my seals. But the worshippers provide money through websites run by the dangerous sects and they deal in the Black Market with anything. Rare cards being one of them."

"So, the rare cards, depending on resemblance have either magic from our world or are just good for the game, correct?"

"Yes, King. Also, I believe not that many groups are looking for your world. This Black Market dealing has been going on for years, and nothing has developed from it."

"Possible and true, but this dagger proves that those scum are still looking for us."

"I don't understand, Yugi please explain," Sugoroku huffed, rubbing his head.

"Uh…well to make a long story short, the Shadow Realm did not always exist. The beings, like Atem, use to live alongside us but a catastrophe happened, which brought God and the Angels to create a world for magical creatures to be safe. But, we still need them as they need us, so they can come out, as you know and how people, such as Pegasus have magice; some people believe the Shadow Realm to be a ring of Hell, so have tried to find it and destroy, like this dagger and the symbol of the ones who took the God Cards."

"These people have been the closest to my world's destruction. They are the ones who unleashed Zork," Atem clenched his fist, but calmed as Yugi soothed him.

"That they are, but here's what I noticed. They go to large tournaments taking cards from the challengers. The next one will be here, and I know from insider info. Kaiba-boy will hold it in the spring, when and where I don't know, but they'll be there."

"But, Atem can't interfere in human affairs."

"I can't Little One, but you and your guardians can," he said hesitantly. Atem knew where Pegasus train of thought had been, even without the ability to read minds as the man had, but he did not want Yugi in anymore danger. But he knew Yugi was the one being capable to capture those fiends and find that card. He had faith in his Angel.

Yugi looked up to his husband. Atem and the Shadow Realm needed to stop this group before they caused any real damage. Zork had done enough to last one hundred years and it could not happen again. Yugi stood up.

"I'll do what I can. Mana, Marik, and Ryou are the best at this game so they'll enter too, we'll find the card and locate the sect."

"Excellent, now I need to tell you about some of their tactics."

88888888

Two hours had passed and as Pegasus left, with Atem running out of time leaving too, Yugi and Sugoroku sat finishing off the last few slices of pizza.

"I don't approve of this."

"I know."

"There's nothing I can do."

"No, I have to fight."

"Yugi, you fight all the time and have the scars to prove it. Please don't tell an old man that he must watch his only grandson suffer."

"I'm not asking anything," Yugi said as he went to sit by his grandfather, "just believe in me and don't give up. Grandpa, I'm the only one powerful enough to do this. And remember I'm no longer alone. Grandpa, I have heart and so do my cards."

Sugoroku yielded and embraced his grandson. He did not notice the small flinch Yugi had at the contact. He remembered what Bathsheba told him.

"As the Angel part of you, dearest, you sense a person's death day. You know, their final day on Earth, since you have just uncovered your powers and can feel it, it means your grandfather's death day is eminent. That his life has come to its end; I don't know when myself because it is not that close yet, but I guess you have three years, two and a half at the least, before the Grim Reaper comes."

Hugging his grandpa now, Yugi could feel the time of the elder's life fading. He was hoping for three full years, so he could take it. Deep down, he knew when the time came, he would not and that knowing when only increased the pain.

SR

Atem placed the dagger on the table for the Three Leaders to see. They gasped.

"It's true then," Dartz spoke first. Atem nodded.

"We need to send security for the ones leaving and sealing the portals," said Mai.

"This means…less contact with the human world."

Everyone turned to Noah and nodded.

The next, several teams of high ranked mages, casters, and soldiers from each kingdom and territory went to the portals. Even as people came in or left, they were sealed with force. Atem sighed as he felt three pairs of eyes burn holes in his back, once not from Seth. Mahad and Isis could not talk to their children as Akefia could not see Ryou. Mai and Jono had the same problem, but they knew the situation. Atem went to his dais, prepared for the council to join and tell them the bad news, already missing Yugi sitting by his side. As the boy was there, they spruced up the old dais for the queen and he sat in it during meetings, not participating but understanding the politics. Prince Noah had been the most vocal of his argument against the portals being sealed, although nothing could be done.

HW

In Detroit, Michigan, a hooded figure impaled a pixie trying to escape. He then took her blood for storage. Heading back to base he heard some of the higher ups talking about the tournament.

"We need a patsy or two, you know, so the King's Angel bitch doesn't spot us."

"How about Kaiba," the other said, "he's a power hungry sociopath who will do anything to beat that Angel bitch. But, remember, we must be careful, that freaks half-human, and he might not be completed clouded by darkness."

"Well, that's why he got the other one," the first said as he held up a card. On it was a muscled blue humanoid creature with a skeletal face and red eyes. Its head was shaped like a head piece Pharaohs' wore. The first higher up placed it next to another card. It had a golden dragon with a blue crystal on its head and red eyes, the dragon had a mystic look about it and its head resembled an Egyptian head piece with a crescent circle on its shoulders.

The two cackled at their success as the lower rank went to store the blood.