Chapter 4

Amber deposited Yugi on the ground, pausing a moment to catch her breath. Though he wasn't heavy, she wasn't used to lifting more than herself from any great depth. No air currents were underground to help her fly, and it was mostly a straight ascend. Thank the gods her brother had decided to go back into the Millennium Puzzle. With her Ankh having unlocked it, he now had free access between the Puzzle and the real world. Yami materialized just as Amber dropped back down to retrieve Bakura. "I was starting to get claustrophobic down there," Yugi joked, sitting on a flat rock.

"I'm glad she has those wings, otherwise we would've had to do another underground trek," Yami replied, smiling at his light half.

"I don't think Bakura would've been able to do that."

"No, he probably would not. As it stands now, we'll need to get him help."

"We should try and find the others too."

"Yes Yugi, but where to start-"

"Yugi!" a voice called out.

"Bakura, Yugi, where are you?" Yami and Yugi smiled at one another.

"That sounded like Joey and Tea," Yugi said, standing up. Sure enough, the two duelists soon saw the group heading towards them, led by none other than Seto Kaiba. "Over here!" Yugi called, waving his good arm.

"Yug'!" Joey yelled, running over and hugging Yugi tightly. The smaller teen winced as his shoulder was squeezed, and Yami immediately moved in to separate the two. He placed a hand on Joey's shoulder, gently easing Yugi out of his grasp. The blonde opened his eyes and stared dumbstruck at the ex-pharaoh. Tea and Mai gasped when they saw the two boys, and Tristan's eyes widened. Seto was looking quickly from one blue- clad duelist to another, jaw hanging slightly slack. He hadn't really taken the time to go over why Yugi's personality always seemed to change when he dueled, but suddenly it all made sense. The two teens looked enough alike to pass as brothers, but it was clear from the look in his eyes that the taller one was the more confident one.

"Well, it appears I've solved one mystery," he said to them.

"Oh really, Kaiba?" Yami asked. "What mystery is that?"

"How Yugi beat me in our duel. It wasn't Yugi after all."

"Yes it was," Yugi replied. "But I didn't fully understand it myself, so you were really dueling both of us."

"Two against one doesn't seem very fair."

"Quit it, Kaiba. Yugi had no idea what the Puzzle was doing to him," Joey shot back. "Besides, you don't fight fair either."

"What would you know about dueling in the first place, Joey?"

"Why you-" Joey lunged at Kaiba, but Tristan and Mai grabbed him.

"Don't let him get to you, man," Tristan said.

"Yugi, um, who's this?" Tea asked, looking shyly at Yami. He smiled at her, which only made her cheeks turn pink.

"Everyone, this is Yami, the Spirit the of the Puzzle."

"Pleasure to meet you all properly."

"Likewise," Tea and Mai replied, looking him up and down.

"Yugi, where's Bakura?" Tristan asked, looking around. Suddenly, a rustling of wings alerted Yami to his sister's arrival. He turned to see her emerge from the hole with Bakura clutched tightly in her arms. Everyone but he and Yugi pulled back in fright, and Tea and Mai screamed.

"What is that thing?" Joey demanded.

"It looks like some sort of demon," Mai suggested.

"Or a Duel Monster," Kaiba added.

"Watch your mouths!" Yami shouted, stepping in front of Amber. "You stand in the presence of my sister!" Stunned silence followed his statement, and Yugi looked up at his darker half. Yami's face was contorted in anger and frustration. Had this scene happened long ago in Egypt? Had he needed to defend Amber from those who did not understand? Amber, for her part, looked sad. Surely she knew she would not be easily accepted because of her looks. Well, Yugi didn't think that was fair.

"Stop it, all of you!" he yelled, hands curling into fists. "Amber helped us when Bakura and I fell into that hole. She was able to release Yami from the Puzzle with her Millennium item. I'm glad to call her my friend."

"Yugi," Amber whispered. "No one has ever accepted me so easily."

"Well, that's our little Yugi. He'd make friends with a rabid dog."

"Joey," Tea admonished. "Just stand there and look intelligent."

"I get no respect around here."

"As interesting as this family reunion is, we do have other matters to attend to," Kaiba brought up. "We still need to get into Pegasus' castle."

"We also need to get Bakura to a doctor," Amber said. She gently laid him on the ground, running her fingers lightly over his forehead. His skin was still cold, and a thin sheen of sweat covered his face.

"What happened?" Tristan asked, kneeling beside her.

"A metal beam hit him after we fell," Yugi explained.

"Look, Pegasus probably has a medical staff at his castle. I say we cut the chitchat and get there. The sooner we do, the sooner we get off this weird island."

"Why Mai, are you saying you'd forgo three million dollars?"

"All I'm saying, Tea, is that I've had enough of these mind games."

"A game is the only thing Pegasus understands," Amber said, folding her wings.

"Yes, and he's playing a dangerous one," Yami added. "We must get to his castle quickly." Amber picked up Bakura again, not minding the added weight.

"Agreed," the others said in unison.

"Amber, let me carry Bakura," Tristan offered. "He can't be very light."

"Actually, I'm all right. But thank you anyway." She walked past him and started down the trail, cradling Bakura in her arms. Everyone, including Yami, stared at her.

"For a girl, she sure is strong," Joey noted.

"Maybe because she isn't completely human, you unobservant dolt," Kaiba said.

"What'd you call me?" Joey demanded, fists clenching. Yugi immediately got between them.

"Fighting and name-calling aren't going to solve anything. Let's just get to the castle." Both boys backed down, but glared at each other.

"We don't have time to stand around," Amber called back. Without another word, the others followed her through the woods.


Pegasus sat in one of his dining rooms, sipping a glass of red wine. The four guards he'd sent after Kaiba had returned empty-handed. Two of them had said that Yugi's friends had made a surprise attack against them, knocking them out long enough to escape. But the other two were bruised and bloody, telling him a tale of an animal that had attacked them while they were bringing Yugi and Bakura to the castle. Pegasus had laughed them off in public, but while alone he began brooding. "Mr. Pegasus?"

"What is it, Croquet?"

"Our cameras have found Yugi Mutou and his friends. Seto Kaiba is also with them. But sir, there are two people with them none of my security team can identify." Pegasus turned to face his head of security.

"Two strangers? Were there other stowaways you missed?"

"Sir, you might want to look at the monitor." There was fear in the man's voice, and Pegasus felt suddenly uneasy. Croquet had been with him for many years, the longest of all his servants and henchman. He had seen things that would boggle most minds, so what could've unnerved him? Pegasus pressed a button on the table, and a flat-screen monitor descended from the ceiling. The view showed Kaiba, Yugi, and his frie- Wait, what was this?

"Does Yugi-boy have an older brother we didn't know of?"

"No sir. All reports show Yugi Mutou lives alone with his grandfather. We've no idea who the other boy is." Pegasus looked again, watching as Yugi stayed close to the mystery teen. They both wore identical clothes, and even their hair was similar. Who- And then Pegasus saw it. Around this new guest's neck was the Millennium Puzzle. But Yugi was still wearing his, so was it a copy? Suddenly, his Millennium Eye began glowing softly, showing him scenes of Yugi dueling. In the visions, Yugi transformed into the taller boy. And two words echoed through Pegasus' mind: Game King.

"Croquet, I'd like you to meet the Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle. I've heard rumors that he was the pharaoh who originally sealed the Shadow Games."

"Rumors? Oh, from-"

"Yes, from that charming woman."

"Mr. Pegasus, there's still the other uninvited guest." Croquet got back to business and pressed another button on the table, making the picture zoom out. Walking slightly ahead of the main group was-

"HER!" Pegasus yelled, leaping from his chair. The wine glass smashed on the floor, spilling the contents in a dark puddle. There could be no mistaking it. Black hair, black clothes, the red and purple eyes, and the telltale sign: The Millennium Ankh.

"I didn't want the other guards to panic, so I came to you first." Croquet had seen the Hunter once before when she'd come after Pegasus. Only his quick thinking and even quicker trigger finger had allowed both he and his boss to escape.

"Tell them nothing, but have her brought to me once they arrive." Pegasus had regained his composure, and pressed a button to call a maid in to clean up the shattered glass. "My shadow powers have grown since we last met, and I shall duel her for the Millennium Ankh."

"Is that wise, sir? She's had over five thousand years to perfect her powers."

"Perhaps, but I doubt she knows how to duel in this century."


Back in the woods, the group had reached the duelists' door, but there was no one guarding it. "I don't like this," Joey said, eyes darting every which way. He was expecting either more goons to pop up, or a cage to slam down on them.

"It's way too quiet," Tristan added.

"Well we can't stand around all day waiting," Mai said, walking towards the door. A minute later she had placed all her star chips in the lock and turned it. They all walked in, and were confronted with two guards.

"Hey, you-" one began, before Amber was in front of him.

"My friend is hurt. Where is your medical wing?" Both guards blinked in surprise, and one pointed down the hall.

"Make a right, fourth door on the left."

"I'll be back," she said, carefully running down the hall. After she left, the guards turned back and regained their stony expressions.

"Mr. Pegasus would like to see Yugi, Kaiba, and Bakura."

"Bakura is heading towards your medical wing," Yami told them.

"The girl?"

"No, the one she was carrying." The goons shrugged, then pulled Yugi and Kaiba from the group.

"You two, come with me," #1 said.

"I'm coming with Yugi," Yami said. "I'm sure Pegasus will want to meet me as well." The guards looked at each other and shrugged.

"All right, you three follow me." "The rest of you will be shown to your guest rooms," #2 said. The two groups separated, and no one had any idea what was going to happen next.