Chapter One: The Former Self

Grandpa Muto had been knocked out by the vast amounts of energy flowing overpowering him; now, he still felt an amount of strange power within him, but it wasn't nearly as consuming as before. He slowly stirred back to consciousness.

Something was…different about him. Not a bad sort of different, and certainly not different from a human, but…different.

He opened his eyes and found himself looking up at his grandson, who was holding him in his arms and staring down at him in pure shock.

"Yug?" he murmured. His voice sounded a little funny, but he put it down to still being slightly out of it.

"Grandpa?" Yugi slowly said. For some reason, his voice had an underlying note of uncertainty in it. "Are you…okay?"

"I remember being enveloped in this really bright light…and I felt this really powerful stuff flow through me…ahh, my head…" He raised a hand towards his aching forehead-and froze.

The hand had smooth, pink flesh, and was slightly smaller-like that of a kid's, not a grandfather's.

Grandpa stared at it in absolute shock. He slowly bent the fingers up and down, as if to make sure it was really his. "Wha…wha…" he stuttered.

He reached up and felt his hair, now uncovered by his headband. He pulled one strand out with a slight wince and stared at it.

Black and red. Not even remotely grey-just raven-like black and ruby red. Another pull, this one at his bangs, revealed a sunshine yellow as well.

He looked down at himself and saw his clothing had gone from overalls to a T-shirt with light green sleeves and blue jeans. Underneath it was a young, thin, healthy body, not even remotely like his older one save for the eyes which, he assumed, were still violet.

As if that wasn't shocking enough, however, he suddenly felt some of the strange energy flow through his arm and up his fingers. Out of them started coming little sparks of a light blue color.

Sir? Are you all right? D.M. asked.

"Ah…" was the most he could get out. He was way too shell-shocked to speak even remotely coherently at the moment.

"Mr. Muto, please try to calm down," F.S. said soothingly. "There's no need to worry; you've just been restored to your original form, that's all."

Now Grandpa finally snapped out of it. He let Yugi lower him back onto his feet, and he turned and looked at the three.

"Are you three seriously saying that I'm a prince of some other world?!" he cried out.

"Yep," F.S. replied. "And your grandson's friend Spencer is said prince's father."

"I'm…oh wow…I'm a prince…" Grandpa put a hand to his forehead. "This is…so bizarre…oh…" He slowly took a step backwards. "I think I need to…sit down…"

Yugi dashed up behind him and held him up from underneath his arms before he slumped backwards in a small faint. "Grandpa, are you okay?" he asked.

"I…I don't know…" he murmured. "I suddenly feel a little…weak…"

His eyes slowly closed and his outline suddenly started glowing with a soft, light blue light.

"Grandpa?" Yugi cried.

Grandpa's eyes opened half-way and he murmured, "Who is that? Why are they calling me 'grandpa'? I'm too young to be one…" His eyes shut once more.

Yugi looked up at the three. "What's happening to him?!"

D.M. bit down on one of his fingernails. Oh, dear...We apologize, Yugi, but apparently only one set of memories is allowed to be kept unlocked in a soul at a time, and if it's Yuri's body and magic that's currently dominant…those memories are going to be his…

Yugi was horrified. "What about my grandfather?"

Oh, don't worry, he'll still be in there. His memories are just becoming locked up like Yuri's were, that's all. You and your friends' presences should eventually help break them back out again. In the meantime, however…you might want to watch out for him…take him somewhere that he'll be surrounded by people who care a lot for him.

Yugi blinked. "Are you saying that…"

D.M. smiled. Yes. Let Spencer see his little one once more.

He snapped his fingers. The portal at the top of the stairs reopened at the front of Spencer's house. The sun was starting to come up in his world, and birds were letting out small, happy chirps.

Yugi gently picked up the prince in his arms and gazed down at him sadly. "I hope you come back soon, Grandpa…but in the meantime…" He smiled wanly. "Maybe you'll somehow have better experiences in your world this time, Yuri."

He slowly started walking up the stairs; however, he paused for a moment and gazed down at the hand which still clutched his grandfather's headband. "You wouldn't want to lose this, Grandpa…" 

He gently put the child down on the step in front of him and slipped the headband it into his pocket. "Don't worry, I'll keep it for you."

He picked the prince up again and carried him up the stairs to the open portal. Once he'd stepped through to the other world, the portal closed up behind him.

The three stared after where the hero and his former grandpa had walked through. "You think everything's going to be okay with them?" F.S. asked.

I hope so…D.M. replied. But if I know our heroes…something is going to have to happen, whether we'd like it or not…