Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-oh characters are not mine, but this glass sphere that I inhabit in the Shadow Realm is mine! Mwah-ha-ha-ha-COUGH-ha

From the depths of the Shadow Realm, I pen this tale. I trust that you will enjoy it. I enjoyed it, but then again, I also enjoy the Shadow Realm.

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Yugi Motou was said to be the King of Games, unbeatable, unafraid, and powerful in his own right. Through his many journeys, numerous in quantity and superb in quality, he has had the assistance of 'another half'. This half was Yami, Pharaoh Atem from ancient Egypt and to save the world, Yami must find his name, but doing this would also send him back to the past.

Domino City lay in ruins. Shop windows, if they were lucky to be unscathed, did not reflect the city as it had been when the young Yugi Motou first completed the Millennium Puzzle. The sidewalks were crumbled, not even weeds growing from the cracks and the air was stale, lifeless. People had fled the area months ago, but strangely, a group of teenagers stood together amongst the rubble and decay. One group in a world so wronged.

"This doesn't make sense," Tristan said throwing a rock down the deserted street. "All the clues, all of the mystery, led back here. We should have never left."

Yugi's eyes followed the rock's progress down the street until it came to a rest in front of a battered car.

"I cannot believe that this is our home," Tea whimpered as she backed into Mai's comforting arms. "I cannot believe that they would target our home."

Inside, Yugi heard another voice, someone he had grown used to.

Yugi.

'Yes, partner?'

Yugi, I apologize.

'For what, partner?'

This is my doing. I am the target.

'We are in this together, remember? They did this to hurt me, not you. They wanted to get us down. We are stronger than this.'

Yugi, you and your friends were fortunate to be released from the Millennium Puzzle.

His mind allowed him to see Yami for the first time in days. Long, dark lines covered his once flawless face and his eyes looked sunken and dead. It was almost as if he had given himself up for dead.

'Partner!' Yugi cried to his other self. 'What happened to you?'

Yami turned away from Yugi and his shoulders fell as he sighed deeply.

My mind is torn.

'We know that, partner. We share minds.'

That is not what I mean, Yugi. I fear the future, our future.

'Remember what Tea said, partner. You have friends beside you.'

I have friends here, Yugi, but what will life be like in the past?

Before Yugi can respond, he is jerked back into reality as Tea quickly shakes his shoulder.

"Come on, Yugi!" she shouted. "Serenity doesn't have much time."

Yes, that's right. Serenity, Grandpa's shop . . . He has to save her. There is an item that the elder Motou had collected when he spent his months in Egypt. He needed that item to reawaken Serenity before the sand passes through the hourglass.

The hourglass!

Yugi turned toward Joey. "How much time is left?"

Joey's eyes studied the object, "One and a half inch?"

"Oh, give me that!" Mai said with a voice of steel as she tore it from his hands. "It reads about twenty minutes, Yugi."

"What about my brother!" Mokuba screamed from the back.

Yugi's eyes darted around the group. Mokuba and Rebecca stood farthest away from him, but reasonably unharmed. Mai's arm sported a large gash on the upper portion, Tristan had a cut across his cheek, and Joey looked like his leg wound would become infected. Tea and him had not been attacked on their way to the city.

Then, there was Seto, trapped in the Kaiba tower. They had roughly twenty minutes to get to the Kame Game Shop to save Serenity, but Seto could be taking his last breath as they spoke.

'Partner, I need you,' he urged himself in his mind.

After a delay, Yugi Hikari took over. He would talk to Yami later.

"Alright! Joey, you go with Rebecca and Mokuba to the Kaiba Tower to retrieve Seto. I am only sending you, Joey, because of your condition. Find any medical bandages if you find it. Mai, Tea, and Tristan will come with me. We have to get Serenity to Kame!"

Joey stopped and looked around at his friends, "Yugi, buddy, maybe I should go wit' you-"

"-No, Joey," Yugi interrupted. "I am trusting you to do this."

Joey gave a mock salute, "No prob, pal."

Yugi didn't bother to watch them go and turned his attention to his own group.

"Come on. We do not have too much time."

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Review and I will continue.