First things first: none of the characters nor cards nor general plot concepts are mine. They all belong to Kazuki Takahashi and the rest of the Yugioh crew. I make no money from this, and that's as it should be. In fact, I suggest you go check out the arc that inspired this story. It's a good DM specimen, and it includes characters that prove once and for all that "antagonist" and "bad guy" do not mean the same thing. (But you might want to skip the last duel. And maybe the second-to-last one also - emotion-wise, they'll put you right off your lunch.)

The other point to make is: this is not a new story of mine. I wrote this a couple years ago, and as such, it's got some failings. Side effects of writing this story include canon inconsistencies, player errors, interchanged anime/real-life effects, fever, nausea, and drymouth. My favorite is the age-old DM tradition I call "environmental dueling" - by defining a card's effect based on what its hologram looks like, as opposed to the text on the card, you can point its effect in directions where it really shouldn't be able to go. (The classic example is Catapult Turtle vs. Castle of Dark Illusions. Winged Dragon of Ra + De-Fusion is another one.) All disclaimers for especially-galling moments will be added after the last chapter, and all of the made-up cards will be there also.

But who cares about all of that? All you need to know is that it includes pretty much every main DM character and a few minor ones, and there are hints of shipping, and the Sangenshin cards make a definite cameo, and at least three characters get shirtless scenes. (You should also know that one of those statements is a lie.) Grab your popcorn and a night-light, and have fun!

The crowd around the airport strode and rushed without actually running, everyone with somewhere to go. Horns blasting, cars and buses jostling for positions at the curb, and people talking everywhere melted into a confused symphony. But somehow there rose the distinct sound of one young man's voice, hopping on one foot and cursing furiously at the luggage bag that had just fallen onto his toes.

His friend, a lanky man with short, brown hair and sharp brown eyes teased, "Jonouchi, if you can't even carry one suitcase, maybe we'd better leave you in America until you can catch up with us."

His victim stopped clutching his foot, uprighted his case and glared with his deeper brown eyes from under his thick blond hair, though the smile on his face belied his pugnacious response. "Shut up, Honda. I can carry it - it just tipped over, that's all. Hah, they don't make suitcases like they used to." He mockingly kicked his suitcase, causing it to promptly fall on his other foot.

As Honda over-graciously pretended to help Jonouchi with his luggage, their two companions looked on bemusedly. One, a young woman their height, brushed away her straight brown hair from her eager blue eyes as she held her temple and shook her head in resignation. The other, shorter and with hair that spiked up in several directions, laughed easily, sunlight glinting off of the artifact hung on the chain around his neck. At a glance, the artifact had a golden hue, shaped as an inverted pyramid, with a raised Egyptian eye on the front. More closely, one could see it was a puzzle of many pieces so carefully cut that there was no chance of it falling apart, even when hung up or shaken about, unless it were deliberately dismantled - but it gleamed brightly, indicating that its owner took care to not let it suffer such disrespect.

"Ah, Yugi," said the woman to her friend, "Jonouchi and Honda make such excellent traveling companions, don't they?"

Seeing the other two nearly fall into the street wrestling over Jonouchi's bag, Yugi answered, "Anzu, all I can hope is that they calm down on the plane, or else Kaiba won't ever do a favor like this for us again."

"True - without him providing his private plane, we couldn't afford to get back to Japan. But we'd better hurry, or he might not wait for us."

"Yeah. Hey, you two, come on. We've got a plane to catch."

The four of them collected their baggage, wheeling it excitedly to the airport doors - or rather, three of them were excited. Yugi, however, felt nervous, and his mind began to drift. As often happened in such times, a voice echoed in his mind, a calm, deeper tone only he could hear. "Aibou, is something wrong?" Yugi glimpsed the spirit from the Millennium Puzzle slide into view, though he was invisible and inaudible to anyone else. The spirit was nearly the twin of Yugi, though his voice, demeanor, and forceful eyes gave the impression of one much older and more seasoned by painful experiences.

"Mou hitori no boku, this is the chance we've been working for... but still, I don't know what's going to happen. Will you be able to regain your memory? The Egyptian god cards are the only clue we have. What happens if they can't open the way to your past?"

"Don't worry, aibou. I can sense that we are on the right track. But," he added, smiling with a face only Yugi could see, "even if I don't find my answers right away, we will keep working until we do. I have faith in you, aibou, and in our friends."

"Mm. And I believe in you, mou hitori no boku. We'll be okay in the end."

Yugi's thoughts were promptly broken by a voice from further down the terminal. "Darling! Darling!" A blond girl his height with bright green eyes and half-moon scholarly glasses came running straight at him, seizing him in a hug and snuggling her cheek up against his. Yugi tried to calm her ("I'm glad to see you too, Rebecca...") while not rudely flinching away, and Jonouchi and Honda sighed at this newest show of affection. Anzu, on the other hand, scowled in silent annoyance, though she snapped out of it when she saw caught sight of the gentleman also joining them. His hair was duly gray, but he stood straight and attentive, sharply-dressed and dignified, his eyes the same shade as Rebecca's. He was followed by a KaibaCorp associate waiting to escort them to their gate.

"Anzu, I trust you found no difficulties on your way here?"

"No, Professor Hopkins - Kaiba even provided a driver for us."

"Oh, Yugi," chimed in Rebecca, her eyes only for one person, "we just had to come see you off to Japan. Grandpa will have to go back his archaeology work soon, but we still have one more day to be together - all of us!" Her cheery smile was greeted with mixed reactions from the others.

The KaibaCorp man tried to say, "Miss, the plane is supposed to take off soon, and we-" but his cell phone rang at that moment.

Jonouchi broke in, "So we appreciate the offer, Rebecca, but we can't stick around-"

"Oh, it's no problem. I'll walk with you to the gate," and she promptly took Yugi's hand and strolled down the hall to the security gates. Yugi tried to keep up, as did the others.

Anzu was about to say some carefully selected words to Rebecca, when the escort walked up to Yugi, offering his cell phone and saying, "Mr. Mutou, it's for you."

"Huh?" Confused, Yugi took the phone. "Hello? ... Oh!" He announced to the group, "It's Miss Ishizu!"

"What? Ishizu?" exclaimed Jonouchi. "Why's she calling Yugi?"

Mocking, Anzu replied, "Maybe because the spirit of the Puzzle is about to get back to Japan, and maybe because she's the one who's been helping him to find his past?"

"Oh, right..." Clutching his forehead in exasperation, he said, "I can't take much more of this. There's too much happening at once! How did Ishizu even know we were here? I mean, we might as well be hearing from-"

"Hey, Jonouchi!"

He gasped, frozen momentarily, then turned towards the woman who had called his name. From the branching hallway she strode towards them, tall, with long blond hair, her fierce-lashed violet eyes on his.

All were astonished to see her, and Anzu greeted her first. "Mai, how are you?"

"I'm doing well. Been traveling a bit, but I'm glad to see some familiar faces." She smiled expectantly, and Jonouchi managed to smile back.

"I'm... glad to see you're all right, Mai. So, what brings you here?"

"The KC Grand Prix, of course."

"Were you there?"

"No, I saw it broadcast. But I got the invitation, and I almost wanted to join. Anyway, I was in the area."

"Ah," added Honda, "then I guess you saw Jonouchi's star performance? Against Zigfried?"

"Hey, cut it out! I almost beat him - no need to make a big deal out of it."

"Actually-" Mai cut in, as Jonouchi and Honda were about to start fighting again. "you did pretty well, Jonouchi."

Taken aback, he replied, "Really?"

"Mm-hm. And against Sugoroku Mutou too. You've made a name for yourself."

"Well... thank you."

Mai continued, "Anyway, you did all right, but I'm still making my path as a duelist, so don't think you've passed me yet."

"Hah, we'll see about that. Maybe you and I will duel again soon."

"Ah, Jonouchi?" reminded Honda. "Don't you remember we don't have time to stand around and talk? We have a plane to catch."

"Hey, there's time for talking with old friends."

"Well," said Mai, "you're going back to Japan, right? That's where I'm going."

"All right! But... do you think Kaiba will be able to give us an extra seat?"

"No, don't worry about me - I already have my ticket. But if you're on a KaibaCorp plane, I should be able to find you once we arrive."

"Okay, we'll see you there."

"I should go, or else we'll all miss our flights. See you soon!"

As Mai walked away, the others turned their attention back to Yugi, who was just saying goodbye. Leading them down the hall again, Yugi explained. "Ishizu says she's coming to the Domino Museum to take mou hitori no boku's memory tablet back to Egypt."

"Take the tablet?" exclaimed Anzu. "But... doesn't he need it to unlock his past?"

"She's not taking it back right away. She wants to be there when we try to open his past. Also, she says that, if it works, the tablet will have to go to Egypt anyway, and we will, too."

"What?"

"Well, mou hitori no boku will have to go to Egypt, and that means we'll have to be there with him."

"All right!" exclaimed Jonouchi and Honda. Then, a thought struck them. "Um... does that mean we'd have to pay for our tickets ourselves?"

"I guess so," said Anzu. "Well, we'll find a way so we can be with mou hitori no Yugi."

"Easy for you - you have a steady job!"

"Well, it's our responsibility. We can't expect Miss Ishizu to pay for us!"

Prof. Hopkins spoke up, "Yugi, how did Ishizu know to call you here?"

Yugi grinned, replying, "Her family saw the Grand Prix broadcast, and she guessed Kaiba knew where we were staying, so she called him to ask for help passing a message."

Jonouchi laughed, "And he agreed to that?"

"No," broke in a new voice. "I took the call."

Looking ahead of them, Yugi recognized the speaker - a boy several years younger than them, with thick black hair, an assertive stance and a strong smile. "Mokuba, good to see you. Thanks again for arranging the flight."

"Don't mention it. I'm glad to see you got your message all right. Ishizu already knew brother's number, but he's working, so I handled it."

"Thank you."

Jonouchi stretched his arms, saying, "Finally we get to go back to Japan!"

Honda added, "I can't to wait to get home and eat Japanese food."

Rebecca took Yugi to the side, saying, "Yugi, I'm not able to duel you now, but you have to duel me in the future."

"Mm - I'm looking forward to dueling with you." He held out his hand for a goodbye, but she swept it aside with a great farewell hug, winking at Anzu and promising to visit them.

All too soon, Mokuba and the escort were calling for them to climb aboard. The plane and its exclusive passengers taxied and lifted off smoothly. In an executive skyscraper several miles away, its owner surveyed the liftoff, then turned to his desk to resolve a few loose ends. The personal jet would be ready when he needed it; he would be in Domino before they would.

\\\

The drive home had not begun well. Mai offered to give them a ride to Domino City, and most of them were grateful. Jonouchi, however, accepted in a voice that was nervous at best and cold at worst. Hopefully just nervous, thought Honda as the five of them neared the city limits. Attempts at conversation had faltered long ago; though Yugi and Anzu were cheerful enough at returning, they were both asleep beside him in the back seat. Through the whole flight, Jonouchi had seemed on edge, though he had denied it when Honda asked, and when he heard Mai greeting them at the baggage claim, he stiffened noticeably. Now his eyes were wandering over the scenery; Mai too had not taken her eyes off the road in the past half hour.

"Wake up, everyone - we're here!"

Mai's voice woke Anzu first, "We're home? Finally!"

The whole group stirred to life as the blocks and office buildings of Domino City swept around them. Mai called back, "I guess you're going to your grandpa's game shop?"

"Not yet," Yugi answered. "We have to go the museum first - that's where Ishizu is meeting us."

"Ishizu? From the Battle City tournament? Why's she here?"

"I'm surprised you haven't guessed already," Jonouchi responded gruffly. "Mou hitori no Yugi has a job to do, and he can't do it without knowledge of his Egyptian past. You didn't know that?"

"Well... I hardly know as much about mou hitori no Yugi as you do!"

"Jonouchi," urged Honda, "calm down. We all feel nervous for mou hitori no Yugi, but even if we don't know what's going to happen, let's try and stick together." His friend gave no reply but to stare away again.

Yugi smiled, sat back, and spoke privately to his partner, "Honda's right - we'll stay together no matter what task awaits you."

"Are you sure of that, aibou?"

"Wh... yes, I'm sure. Are you worried?"

"Aibou, we have seen many dangerous things, forces both divine and foul, beyond our imagination. Is it inconceivable that we might face a challenge we cannot defeat?"

Momentarily stunned, Yugi replied, "Don't talk like that, mou hitori no boku! Yes, things have been dangerous, but we've always found a way to survive. Just look at all we've done so far - we've fought darkness duels, won the Egyptian god cards, and you know where you came from! I believe that we'll be okay in the end."

"But at what cost? We cannot even be sure of all of us enduring the next step. We have been torn apart in the past."

"But it wasn't permanent! You've beaten the darkness in your soul, and I know you'll stay strong in the future. Nothing will tear us apart."

"Mm... I suppose you're right, aibou. We will find out soon."

Presently, Mai swung the car into museum parking, and the gang made their way up the great steps. Yugi checked the deck holder at his waist for three cards - a red serpentine two-mouthed dragon, a blue muscle-bound fanged juggernaut, and a yellow armor-scaled birdlike dragon. These were Slifer, Obelisk and Ra - the three god cards. They held a magical power often described as divine, and even after seeing his partner command them, Yugi did not understand their true strength, but he did know they were the key to his partner's memories in the tablet. Last time they had tried to unlock the memories, a dark energy had shrouded the connection between cards and tablet, diverting the power to a sorcerer bent on not only preventing the Pharaoh, but destroying him. But that was past - the darkness was broken, it could not return.

Making their way to the museum's basement stair, the five were greeted by several familiar faces. Three of them were of dark complexion - the woman with long, dark hair, the taller man of a fiery gaze, and the younger man with light hair and sharp eyes. But all were smiling warmly, the youngest greeting them, "Yugi, everyone, it's good to see you again!"

"You too, Marik," Yugi replied. "And Miss Ishizu and Rishid, how are you?"

"Quite well," Marik's sister answered. "Did you have a good time in America?"

A scoffing hmph turned attention to the other two members of the group. One was Mokuba, now clutching a heavy metal briefcase. The taller man with the hard blue eyes, brown hair and brooding stance was none other than Seto Kaiba.

Yugi nodded politely, "I'm glad you're here, Kaiba. Have you come to support mou hitori no boku?"

"Of course not. I came here to see what's so important that you have me relaying your phone calls."

"Hey, back off," broke in Jonouchi. "You're not so high and mighty that you have to know everything that's going on."

"I have every right to know, especially if it concerns mou hitori no Yugi."

"Still hoping to get a rematch, huh? Forget it, you'll never beat him."

"Your opinion on dueling strength is less than worthless."

"What? Say that again, you bastard - after all I've been through, I won't-"

The puzzle around Yugi's neck gave a distinct glow, and when his eyes opened, they were the fierce eyes of his partner. "Enough, both of you. Fighting will only get in the way. Ishizu, take us to the tablet."

"Of course, Pharaoh. If you'll all follow me," and Ishizu led them down the locked stairway. Jonouchi, pushed aside by Kaiba, resorted to glaring at the back of his rival's skull. In stony silence, the procession made their way deep underground to a display room that lit as they entered. On the far wall was a tablet bearing images and hieroglyphs familiar to the group. It depicted a battle of two sorcerers conjuring creatures from carved images. One sorcerer strongly resembled the other Yugi, and his opponent looked much like Kaiba. At the top of the tablet were carved versions of the three god cards, surrounding an outline of a radiant Millennium Puzzle.

"Now, Pharaoh - you must present the three god cards to the tablet, revealing the secrets of your past."

As the other Yugi reached for his deck, Jonouchi gave a shudder. "Mou hitori no Yugi, are sure you're ready for this? I have a feeling that something bad is about to happen, and that we can't stop it."

"Don't be ridiculous," sneered Kaiba. "We didn't come here to hear the whimpering of a coward."

"Shut up! I'm no coward - I've faced dangers beyond you. I'm just not sure that what mou hitori no Yugi is doing is safe."

Vexed, Anzu answered, "But this is what he's been after since the beginning. We can't lose faith in-"

Kaiba broke in, "Faith? Don't be such an idiot. I've always believed you were weak, but to hear you keep returning to the same-"

"Enough!" The other Yugi overrode all of them, declaring, "I am not afraid. I'll show you how a true duelist finds his strength with his own hands." He whipped the three cards from his belt and fanned them towards the tablet.

A pulse of light broke from the cards, and the puzzle on the tablet gave a corresponding glow. This is it, thought Anzu. Last time was different, but now we'll finally see...

The light flickered and died, and before anyone could react, the cards spewed forth a dark energy that met another shadow from the tablet, becoming a turbulent cloud. Suddenly, there was a great concussion, and everyone but Jonouchi, Kaiba and the other Yugi was thrown several feet back.

Anzu cried, "Yugi! No!" scrambling to her feet as the three duelists were engulfed in the shroud, swirling and tightening like a tornado. She tried to grab someone's arm, but her hand would not penetrate the cloud, and soon they were lost to sight. But not to sound - presently, she heard them yelling in panic and fear. "Yugi! Anyone! What's happening?"

"No... no, get away from me! Let me go!"

Everyone else joined her, but no one could reach them, see them, or hear anything but cries of terror. Soon even their voices were snuffed out, and the cloud detonated, fogging the entire room - no one saw the three streams fly out. By degrees, the cloud subsided, and everyone tried to clear their sight. But Anzu was already shaking the shoulders of the three forms, collapsed on the floor. "Yugi, everyone, please wake up!"

"Brother!" "Jonouchi!" No one could get them to stir, or even open their eyes. Abruptly, the Millennium Puzzle glowed with light, and Yugi sat up, gasping and trembling.

"Mou hitori no Yugi?" "Pharaoh, are you all right?"

But Yugi was still shaking, and in his welling tears, Anzu saw his eyes had lost their steel.

"Not the Pharaoh... it's our Yugi..."

"He's gone... mou hitori no boku is gone... He took him..."

"Who? Who did this?"

"I, I don't know. I felt him, he was afraid, and I tried to change places, but the Puzzle wouldn't work. Mou hitori no boku said it felt like his own body was pushing him out, and that he felt someone else was there, calling him away... He's gone, and I couldn't stop it!" He broke down completely, and Anzu was near tears herself.

"What about Jonouchi?" "And brother?"

Marik spoke up, "I- I suppose whatever happened to the Pharaoh happened to Kaiba and Jonouchi also. But I've never heard of the god cards stealing souls before... Or, are they... dead?"

Rishid stooped to Jonouchi. "No, he breathes. His heart is slow, but it lives."

"But sister, have you ever heard of this before?"

"Never. The gods may strike men down, even kill them, but not their Pharaoh. Also, they are forthright and do not deal in shadow and torture."

"Torture?" Anzu frantically looked to all of them. "But whatever this was, it has our friends - it could still be hurting them!"

Setting his face, Yugi pushed himself to his feet. "I don't know where the shadow took them, but I know how to find them. We need to get back to the game shop; the Millennium Items are there, and I can use the Necklace to try and see what happened. I'll even use the Ring if I have to."

Businesslike again, Mokuba barked, "Honda, Rishid, help get brother and Jonouchi back upstairs. I have a car outside - we have to get them to a hospital until we find out what happened and how to fix it." After seeing them secured, Mokuba dismissed the driver at full speed; Marik asked his siblings to escort them and ensure they got the best care, saying he would contact them as he learned more. Everyone else insisted on following Yugi, and Mai narrowly escaped several accidents driving to Grandpa Mutou's game shop.

Yugi dashed upstairs, already opening the duffel bag from under his bed by the time the others caught up. Digging fiercely, he extracted a necklace of the same metal as his puzzle, with the same eye. He gripped it in his fist and pressed the center to his forehead, silently begging to be told what had happened to his friends.

In a flash, he was floating in the tablet room again, seeing the dark cloud emerge, swallow his friends and banish the three streams. With a will, he was now floating above the museum, seeing the new shadows vanish. That wasn't enough - where were they going? Calling the magic forth, he mustered his strength to look forward... and now he was not present, but instead presented with many images. Three dark tunnels delivering visitors... locations he knew... screams of pain and fury intermixed... mortal danger to countless innocent souls... and the silhouette of a shrouded figure whose forehead- no, it can't be...

With a yell, Yugi staggered backwards, dropping the necklace and clutching his head. Anzu rushed to his side. "What did you see?"

"I... I didn't see what took them, but I know where they are. Jonouchi is at the beach. Kaiba is at the unfinished stadium."

"Let's go!" Mokuba cried, but his run to the door was arrested by Marik.

"Wait, we don't even know what we're getting into!"

"I don't care! My brother's in trouble, and I'm going after him!"

"Then... then I'll go with you, to protect you if you need me." Mokuba assented, and the two dashed off.

"What about Jonouchi?" exclaimed Honda. "The beach is miles long, he could be anywhere!"

"No," answered Yugi. "When I saw him, he was... brooding. Sitting on the beach. The Necklace told me he had been there before, until you got to him, Honda."

"Me?... Shit - the time he lost his Red-Eyes! That's where I found him."

"Show me the way," Mai ordered. "I'll drive." In no time, her car was screeching back into traffic.

Turning back, Anzu replied, "And mou hitori no Yugi? Did... did you see him?"

"I did. But he's not in Domino anymore."

"What?"

"He's..." his fearful eyes looked into hers. "He's in the shadow realm."

Anzu went deadly pale. "But how can we reach him?"

Yugi swallowed, "I have to use a Millennium Item to go after him. My Puzzle should be best. I don't dare bring more than one into the open." Turning away from her, occupying himself with repacking the bag, he insisted, "Anzu, you need to tell Ishizu and Rishid what happened. You'll be safe with them."

"No way! Mou hitori no Yugi is in danger, and I- I want to be sure he's all right. I'm going with you."

There was no arguing with that face. "Then let's go." Silently, he added, I just hope the others get there before the shadows open again. Yugi closed his eyes and cleared his mind. His Puzzle glowed brightly, and a spiral of shadow sprang up around him and Anzu, swallowing them from the bottom up. The field tightened, then faded to nothingness. Outside, their friends were also nearing their goals as dark clouds contaminated the sky. What Yugi had not known was that the tunnels were already planning to open, and his friends would be the first to greet the ones who came out.

How do you like that? Please leave a review - it's the best way I know to cultivate the stuff that works and clip the stuff that doesn't.