Yugi sat, holding Yami's hand as Malik slit open Marik's wrist, dripping some blood in Yami's mouth. Yugi was frantic. He was rubbing Yami's hand, smoothing his hair, doing anything he could to avoid recognizing and acknowledging the emptiness that he was feeling from Yami. He wouldn't...he couldn't...accept that. He would trust the twins. They would fix Yami. They seemed very...devoted...to him for some reason.

Mai rushed into the room about then, eyes red from crying. Rushing up, she held onto Yami's other hand, sobbing. Marik raised a brow, looking at Malik. Malik shrugged and placed his fingertips over Yami's temples, closing his eyes and chanting as Marik dripped more blood in Yami's mouth. In a few excruciatingly long moments, Yami opened his eyes, turning his head and seeing Yugi. Smiling, he reached up with his hand, caressing Yugi's face with the hand that Yugi was still cradling. "Aibou." He whispered. Yugi's eyes lit up as the smile appeared on his face like the sun through the clouds.

Realizing that Mai was on the other side of him, Yami turned his head as Marik removed his wrist and Malik removed his fingers from Yami. "Mai. Are you okay?" He asked kindly.

Mai was sobbing. "I...I can't feel you any longer. What happened?"

Yami sighed, closing his eyes. "Yugi and I formed an Itupa Bond. I am sorry, I should have told you before we did, but...it just kind of happened." Marik and Malik slipped out, not wanting to be any part of this conversation. They went looking for a room to stay in, as it looked like the Pharaoh would once again need their services...

Mai sobbed more. "So...what now? Am I going to go insane, or die? Human servants can't survive without the bond to their Master." Her eyes filled with tears as her blond hair hung limply past her shoulders.

Yugi suddenly felt very, very bad for what he, inadvertently, did to Mai. This wasn't from Yami...this emotion was all Yugi's. Looking down, he refused to let go of Yami's hand. Yami rubbed his thumb along Yugi's knuckles.

"No, Mai...you are not going to die nor go insane. Our bond is still there. I will still have to feed from you occasionally, and I will still be able to see through your eyes when needed. However, you cannot feel what I can feel and vice versa. That is the cost of the Itupa Bond." Yami's baritone voice was very soothing, but Mai was still sniffling.

"But...I feel so alone. I feel like I can't feel anything." Mai dropped her head onto the bed beside Yami, sobbing quietly. Yami looked over at Yugi, who was still looking down at the bedspread.

Yugi...Yami started, in Yugi's head.

I know, I know...I feel horrible. Is there anything we can do? Troubled amethyst looked up into those crimson pools he fell in love with.

Yami sighed as Mai's sobbing started slowing, indicating that she was falling asleep. I don't know, Aibou...we'll have to see.

Crawling up in the bed, Yugi nodded, wrapping himself around Yami.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Bakura cursed. Sitting up, he grabbed Ryou's shoulder. Ryou sat up, rubbing his eyes; he had laid down to rest and dozed off quickly. "I gotta go to the puzzle. Get up and get ready...I'm going to find out where the next one is."

Bakura disappeared into a mist; Ryou sighed, getting up and going to the bathroom. Letting out a deep breath, he relieved himself, washed his hands, face, and brushed his teeth. Slipping into some jeans, he pulled on a dark blue tee shirt. Running a brush through his hair, he slipped on his shoes and walked out the door.

()()()()()()()()()()

Bakura went into Yugi's room, since he always knew the location of the Puzzle. Slipping into the Puzzle, he got the information for the...oh dear Ra, they had to go after the Thunderbird? Damnit, this was going to be fun. He activated the wrist brands..all except Ryou's.

()()()()()()()()()

Joey stood up as there was a knock on Seto's door. Seto looked up. "Come in." Marik and Malik walked in.

"Priest." Malik said.

Seto rolled his eyes. "I haven't been a priest in three thousand years. Knock it off Psycho. What do you want?"

Malik smirked. "So, which room is ours? You know we aren't leaving."

Seto narrowed his eyes. "I know, you only show when called. Which means that it is going to get bad. You can have the room at the end of the hall, that way we are all on the same level."

Malik nodded, taking Marik out. Joey looked at Seto. "Wanna esplain dat?"

Seto sighed heavily. "Not particularly."

Joey playfully scowled. "Will ya?"

Seto looked up, letting out a deep breath. "Malik and Marik are sangredon. They are basically eternal blood donors that only can be called in dire circumstances by a master vampire's subconscious. The sangredon are born in pairs, bonded at birth, and bound to a vampire...they are created when the vampire is created. When the vampire dies, they die. They can't be killed. Marik and Malik are Yami's sangredon. And if they are here...Yami, and therefore all of us, are in a great deal of danger."

Joey just swallowed. "I meant about da Priest comment."

Seto let out a sharp bark of laughter. "Sorry for giving you the apocalyptic news first. Yami used to be the Pharoah of Egypt three thousand years ago, and I was his high priest. It was always my job to protect him. Therefore, when he became a vampire, I followed not long after. He went by Pharaoh Atem then, but after becoming a vampire, he started going by his middle name."

Joey smiled, a bit sadly. Seto noticed the sadness. "What?"

Joey just rubbed his arms. "Eh, nuttin'...you was just talkin' about family and protecting family and I was jes rememberin' my sister, Serenity. She died abou' three years ago, when she was sixteen."

Seto got up, going to Joey and pulling him in a hug, saying nothing. About then, there was another knock on Seto's door. Seto was getting really tired of his home being grand central station. Growling, "Who is it?"

Roland's voice came through. "It is Roland sir, and we have some...unexpected...visitors."

Seto glared at the door. Looking at Joey, he shook his head, took Joey's hand, and headed to the door. Opening the door, he raised an eyebrow at Roland. "This had better be important."

Roland stared at Seto, his face pale. Seto raised both eyebrows and followed as Roland turned and went downstairs, Joey's hand in Seto's. At the bottom of the stairs, Seto just looked...confused. Standing there was a pair of sangredon. The male was tall, thin, with brunette hair in a point. He was wearing jeans and a white tee shirt. He had a thin girl, shorter than him, with auburn hair and eyes that were a lot like...hearing a choked cry from behind, he looked at Joey, who was looking like he was looking at a ghost.

"Serenity?" Joey choked out. Seto's eyes widened impossibly wide as he turned back.

Serenity looked at Joey. Smiling huge, she ran, hugging Joey as the male followed, making sure she had slack in her chain. Noticing the chain, Joey growled, eyes going canine. "Get. That. Off. Of. Her."

Serenity put a hand on Joey's chest. "Joey...listen to me." She took his cheeks in her hands, forcing him to look at her. "It's okay. I was resurrected as a sangredon...Tristan is my mate. We're here because we are Yugi's sangredon."

The silence was only broken by the tick of the grandfather clock in the hall...and then the cries of pain from Joey and Seto as their brands began to burn.

()()()()()()()()()()()

Yami hissed as the brand burned. Opening his eyes, he looked at Yugi. "Aibou, we have to go. Bakura is calling." Yugi nodded, getting up and heading to his room to get the Puzzle. Yami looked to Mai. "You stay here, you don't need to go on this mission. I need you to stay here and stay safe. I will figure this out and I will find a way to help you." Mai looked up, sad eyes looking at Yami as she nodded in acquiescence. Yami got up and followed Yugi to his room.

Yugi went in and quickly changed into blue jeans, a long sleeved black button up shirt, and black tennis shoes, Yami with a hand on Yugi's cheek the whole time so as not to drive Yugi insane. Taking Yugi's hand and slipping the Puzzle over Yugi's head, Yugi smiled and nodded feeling the comfortable and already familiar weight on his chest. Looking to Yami, he said "Ready."

Yami smiled, kissing the corner of his mouth. "Let's go." Heading out and down the stairs, Yami stiffened at seeing the newest sangredons. Squelching the jealousy in himself at the attractive auburn haired girl who would be the one Yugi fed off of, Yami looked at Yugi, who was looking at him questioningly. He could feel the jealousy, but he didn't know why. "Your sangredons are here. They will have to go with us on this first mission, as you are still new."

Joey growled, looking between Yami, Yugi, and Serenity. "My sistah ain't no snack!" He snarled. Seto grabbed Joey's arms to stop him from launching himself at Yami and Yugi.

Looking with exasperation at Yami, Seto said in exasperation, "Really, Cousin? Now? You had to Sire him now? And with an Itupa Bond?"

Yami looked sheepish. "I...seem to lose control around him." He admitted, a blush dusting his cheeks.

"Well that's just fuckin' perfect you blood sucking dipshit." Bakura growled, coming out of the Puzzle. "So now we have to fuckin' fight and capture monsters while worrying about this little shrimp losing control and draining us dry. Fuckin' wonderful. You know, for being so damn old, you are really dickwhipped like a teenager." Flapping his hands down at his sides, he looked up, seeing Ryou appear at the head of the stairs. "Okay, let's fuckin' go and hope this doesn't fucking end as well as the maiden voyage of the Titanic." Grumbling, he headed out.

()()()()()()()()()()()

"So, what do you propose?" Von Schroeder looked at Pegasus, leaning back in the plush seat, taking a flute of champagne and sipping it daintily.

"Well, we both want the Guardians dead. So, I propose we go after exactly what they are going after...and if we can get to them first...we turn them to our side. If we have a big enough army, it will be easy to defeat them, right?"

Von Schroeder swirled the champagne in his mouth, pondering this proposition. "That sounds like an...interesting idea...but, where would we keep these monsters until then, if we couldn't turn them to our side? Not all of them have intelligence needed to comprehend and agree to a contract."

Pegasus smirked. "My dear boy, do you doubt my intelligence?" Holding up a deck of cards, he showed them to Von Schroeder.

Looking at them, Von Schroeder looked up, disinterested. "What do blank Duel Monster cards have that interest me?" He picked up a plump red strawberry and bit it daintily.

"Normally they would not have anything...however, these are not normal blank Duel Monster cards...these cards can house a soul..." The sunlight peeked in, glinting off of Pegasus's hair.

Von Schroeder smirked. "You have my attention, my dear Hydra." Popping the strawberry in his mouth, his teeth punctured the sweet fruit, the sweet tartness of the juice filling his mouth.

Pegasus smirked. "Let's keep how many heads I have our little secret for now..."