As some fellow sand blew in the air, a young tricolored haired boy stirred to awaken. As a head flowed pounding, the boy wonder where the hell he was. As he got up he noticed that his normal clothing has changed. He was wearing an all black clothings; black long sleveed button up shirt and black pants. The only thing that hasn't changed were his boots, chained necklace, and belt collar.

//Yami,// he called mentally but no reponse. He tried again and again, but no answer. He worried and panicked. He's all alone. By himself. What he could do?

He got up and dusted off the sand on his clothing and started to go on moving to find someone to help him at least. After several long minutes he found something in the sand near a massive building and a river. He began digging and found it was a friend of his. Dead? 'No it couldn't be!' Ran though his mind. He called out to him, "Marik! Marik! Wake up Marik." Still no response from the dirty blonde. The young boy shook hard against the body until woken up from his sleep.

"What the hell!?" was all he said. He saw who was next to him, and said, "What do you want?"

"I'm just gald that you're okay," Yugi responsed griefly. Then he too noticed that he wasn't the only one whose clothing has changed. Marik's clothing were now a black trench coat, a hoister with his item on his black belt going diagonally on his hip. His shirt was white, and black pants. He still had all his gold accessories as far as he could see. Yugi wondered and asked Marik, "Hey do you know where we are?"

"I'll tell you that were still in Egypt for one thing," Marik said confidently staring at the building and something caught his eye. "What the hell!? Is that Ryou!? And why is he running!?"

It was Ryou running at high speed and British cursing as he was being chased by somethings. A few angry wild grey hounds to be exact. He ran and stumbled down the sandy hill leaving a cloud of dust and the dogs still chasing him. Yugi and Marik ran to his aid as the white haired boy hit the bottom of the ground and tried to get up. Marik stood infront as a shield and Yugi aided the boy. As the dogs were about to attack Marik, he whipped out his Rod and sent a blast of shadow power to the dogs which caused them to run the other way.

"Bloody dogs," Ryou said huffing after being chased. Marik snickered at his words. Yugi only wondered about something.

"Hey Ryou, I've just noticed something. Where's Bakura? 'Cause he would've sent the dogs away, " The tri colored haired boy asked.

"He's gone. I just woke up and found that he was gone," Ryou said grasping the sand hard in his hands. Marik and Yugi looked at the worried boy as a couple of tears were forming. To Ryou, Bakura was like an evil twin doing evil things and hated Ryou, but inside he cared for his well being like the day where he took the blow from Osiris, Yugi's god card at battle city. He wiped his almost complete tears, got up, dusted off the sand off of his light blue pants and his opened button shirt with his chest and his Ring revieled. (A/N:Yes, his clothes also changed! And NO this is not a Ryou/Bakura coupling FF! I'm saying that they cared about each other as like in twin brothers!)

"You too?" asked Yugi surprisingly. "'Cause when I woke up Yami was gone as well."

"That's impossible," Marik said surprisingly. "There is no way to them to be gone in an instant. If this were to happen, it meant that their work is done or........" Pause.

"Or what?" Yugi asked.

"...Or a stronger magic that surpasses the item's dark power took them away."

"Damnit!" Yugi cursed.

"I know. I know, but we must find who did this. Lets go and look for some answers. Maybe we can find some there," Marik suggested pointing to a massive stone building and the two boys agreed. "Oh and Ryou, you still have some sand in your hair."

"Blast it," Ryou complained shaking his long white hair as Yugi laughed abit behind them.

~*~

The trio enter the dim lited halls of the building and Ryou was silently qivered in fear. Marik noticed Ryou's qivering and whipered something like 'Big baby.'

"I'm not sure if we should be here," Yugi said looking curiously at some detailed hieroglyphics of some Duel Monsters battles and shadow games. Marik and Ryou looked at Yugi in disbelief, well not Ryou. He wanted to leave as well. He wasn't used this type of places just like what happen at Duelist Kingdom in the cave with that skeleton on his back that fell out of it's coffin. That was a scare and it was one of those things he can live without. (A/N: *Cracking up like hell remembering Ryou panicking with the skeleton on his back.*)

"Come on," Marik said walking into a dark hallway. Yugi and Ryou followed but only to find the long hallway empty. The two boys started to run into the hallway calling for Marik, trying to find him. They can't be split up at this time, not like this.

Meanwhile as Marik walked down a hallway he turn quickly to, he noticed that he lost the two. Well, he sometimes like to be alone. What the hell, he sound almost like Malik! That bastard. At least he gone forever. All this deep thought caused him to not watch where he was going.

"Watch where you are going," a deep male voice said. Marik stopped and looked infront of himself which was an old man sitting on a stone backless chair. He sort of look of Indian heritage with his clothing, looks, and such. (A/N:Think of a old (North America) Indian who looks like he smoked the peace pipe too much. HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Sorry, the peace pipe thing keeps reminding me of a hilarious debate at school! Don't get mad at me!) He then said, "What is that on your arm?" Pointing to his duel disk.

"It's just my duel disk," he replied. The old man stared in interest at the young stranger making him uncomfortable. The old man asked if he has any dueling experience and responsed yes. Then he said if he can take out Marik's rarest card from the top of his deck in the card slot then both will duel for it as well for his rarest card. Marik snickered as the old man drew Marik's card.

As he looked at it and his eyes widen, it was a shock to him almost like a heart attack. He then shockingly said, "You hold Ra!?" How can this be, no one can handle the power of the gods and they were not even sealed, but the card was authentic. He thought, 'If I obtain this card, I'll be the strongest duelist ever!' "Since I drew your strongest card I'll shall put up my own and we shall duel at the area right away."

"Fine," Marik said wondering how Ra got in his deck and taking the card back from the old guy. The three cards were supposed to be hidden, locked away. How could this happen?

~*~

"Yugi, where's Marik?" Ryou asked.

"For the 6th time, I'm don't know. Lets try this one," Yugi said point down a hallway on the left which all the sudden some Egyptain teens ran across in front of them talking about a duel starting with a weird teen in it. This gave the idea to the two that Marik must be the one dueling. So they went ahead and go, running.

After abit, they found a crowd surrounding the field, barely making out what happening until they saw it. Marik and the old man took their places at the massive dueling arena. The dirty blonde activated his duel disk and drew five cards as the old man placed his cards in a stone slot standing next him and drew his five cards. No one seem to notice Yugi nor Ryou, only focused on the beginning duel.

"I'll start," the greezer said pulling his first card, Ameba(Effect. 300/350). Alright, one of his best cards. He started to form his plan of how to destroy this stranger and get his rarest card in just in a matter of time and skills. His hand were: Nightmare Steelcage(Magic.), Kycoo the Ghost Destoryer(Effect. 1800/700), Gravity Bind(Trap.), Shadow of Eyes(Trap.), and Fairy Metor Storm(Magic.). A great hand to be unbeat with. "I'll summon Ameba," the old man grinned as a blob of blue bubbling liqiud appeared. "And set two cards. In addition, I'll activate Nightmare steelcage. That shall end my turn." A metal cage appeared out of no where locking Marik inside.

"Alright," Marik responsed drawing Elf's Light(Magic.). He didn't need this card, not now when there's barely any light monsters in his deck and/or hand. 'What a bad draw,' he thought as he looked at his cards: Remove Trap(Magic.), Dryad(1200/1400), Neo the Magic Swordman(1700/1000), Call of the Haunted(Trap.), and Call of the Grave(Trap.). 'Just great, just great,' he was thinking of a lame excuse of a drawn cards and even worse if he can't attack for two turns. Sigh. "I'll set one card face down defense, and two more cards face down as well," he said closing his eyes in abit of disgust, knowing he'll lose if he will get these type of card.

"You know, by the time this duel ends, I'll own your most strongest monster in you deck, your god card," the old man said evilishly grinning on his rigged face.

Yugi gasped from he crowd. "What does he mean by his god card!?"

=+=+=+=+=+=

How will Marik get out of this? Where are Yami and Bakura? How the hell should I know. Oh yeah, I'm the writer and I made the timeline. I just hope Marik get out of this duel still possesing his god card. Sorry if this chapter was short 'cuz I've been busy lately(like HTML= EVILNESS!), working on chores, making a site, drawing, etc.

Sakura-san & San-san:Don't worry San, he'll be back in a few several chapters chapters or so(same thing with Kaiba!). AND I DO MEAN IT! So don't expect him yet. Thanks, I really did need Noah for a reason and I know he's dead. But it will make the story a lot interesting, ne? Don't worry, I'll try. I just get hyper when writing duels. .

*Duel Continues in the Next Chapter(Everyone:Duh!)*

PS. This FF won't be always duels! There's romance too! But not for a long shot. Only fighting for now. VIA LA VIOLENCIA! VIA!