LazerWulf: Woo-wee! Man, it's been a while!

Seto: And it's about time, too.

Joey: Hey! What's Moneybags doin' here?

Seto: What do you think, Mutt? I'm doing your job.

Joey: WHAT!

LazerWulf: Relax, he's just here to help. I'm not gonna kick you off.

Seto: Not yet, anyway.

Joey: Watch it, Moneybags.

LazerWulf: Now, now, be nice. On to the select review responses... In no particular order:

Evil StormSister – Yes, I owe this all to you. Thank you. And I'm sure that several people would find the mystery man "hot" once they find out who he really is.

Amme Moto – Duel Monsters rules allow only 3 of the same card in a deck (and then only 1 or 2 of certain cards). Therefore, Kaiba needs 3 BEWDs to summon BEUD because that's all he can have in his deck. It's also why he ripped up the 4th BEWD after he won it from Yugi's grandpa; he couldn't put it in his deck, so he made sure no one else could use it against him. But keep in mind that that was the evil Kaiba, before Yugi defeated him the first time.

SirisAnkh – He'll find out. When the time is right, he'll find out.

Yollandak – Who ever said they couldn't? Maybe they can and they just choose not to.

Wolfbane420 – No, I am not putting Vega in my fic. But I will admit that there is a possibility of a duel in this fic's future.

LazerWulf: Okay, now that that's said, I am looking to expand my C2 staff. There's only 2 requirements. 1) You have to be a registered FFnet member (that one's kind of obvious) 2) You have to have a SetoXOC fic. It's a SetoXOC C2, so I would like people who have one under their belt. Now start the fic!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kisara, but I own Lyn. I don't own Mokuba, but I own Abukom. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but I own this AU. I also own Max and Sam.

'Yami to Hikari'

'Hikari to Yami'

The Return of the Priest

Chapter 14: Strange Things


Lyn's POV

It was Monday morning. I had just dropped my brothers off at their school and was stopped at a red light when something in an alley caught my eye. Two figures slumped against the alley wall. Normally, I would have paid it no mind, just a couple of hobos catching a nap, but one of the "hobos" looked really familiar. When the light turned green, I pulled over and ran to the alley. Sure enough, it was Tristan that I had seen. At first, I thought he was asleep, so I tried nudging him.

"Tristan?"

Just the slightest touch was enough to send him toppling on his side.

"Tristan?"

He still wasn't moving.

"Tristan, are you okay?"

No answer. It was then that I noticed his eyes. They were open, but they had an empty look to them.

I turned to the other guy. He had long, black hair that was held back by a red and black headband. He was wearing black pants, a black shirt, and a red vest. I had never met him, but judging from the die earring he had, I knew that this was the Duke Devlin the gang had told me about.

He had the same vacant expression Tristan had.

I didn't know what to do, so I called Anzu.

"Hello?"

"Anzu, It's Lyn."

"Lyn? What's wrong? You sound terrified!"

"It's Tristan, he's unconscious in an alley and he's got this soulless look in his eyes!"

"Soulless?"

"There's another guy here, too. I think it's that Duke guy you told me about. I don't know what to do!"

"Just stay there. Where are you?"

"I'm in the alley between Third and Fourth Street on Parker Avenue. Should I call the cops?"

"No, don't call the cops. Just stay put. I'll be right there."


Yugi's POV

"What's going on?" I asked Anzu. She, Joey, and I were standing in the school hallway when her phone rang.

"Lyn found Tristan and Duke unconscious in an alley. She said that they had a 'soulless' expression."

"Do ya tink dat dey were sent to da Shadow Realm?"

"I don't know, Joey," I replied. "It's possible."

'What do you think, Pharaoh?'

'It's impossible to tell until we see them for ourselves, but I have a bad feeling about this.'


Yami Yugi's POV

By the time we had reached the alley, the Yugi and I had switched places.

"It is as we suspected," I said. "Their minds are lost to the Shadow Realm."

"But how?" Anzu asked.

"This kind of thing can only be done by a Millennium Item, perhaps the Ring, or the Millennium Rod."

"But Yug," Joey interjected, "I thought Marik gave ya da Rod afta you beat 'im."

"He did, but when we arrived back in Domino, he stole it and ran."

"So do ya tink...?"

"Either he or Bakura had something to do with this."

"Millennium Rod? Marik?" Lyn sounded confused. She probably was.

'Pharaoh, I don't think Lyn knows what we're talking about.'

'You're right, aibou. She's new to our group, but time is of the essence.'

I turned to Anzu.

"Anzu, help Lyn get Tristan and Duke into her car, and take them someplace safe. Joey and I will head to the museum to talk to Ishizu. Maybe she'll know where to find Marik."

"But..." Lyn tried to interject.

"What about Bakura?" Anzu asked.

"We just have to hope to run into him, but Ishizu is our best lead right now."

"But..."

"Anzu can explain everything to you later."

"But..."

"Come on, Joey, let's go."


Lyn's POV

I wanted to tell them so badly, but they just wouldn't listen.

Now, there were more important issues.

"Where were we going to take Tristan and Duke?"

"We can take them to the game store. Yugi's grandpa can keep an eye on them. Now what were you trying to ask?"

Before I could open my lips, I was interrupted by a strange laugh.

"Kukukukukuku."

Anzu and I turned to see a pale, white-haired boy with a golden circlet hanging from his neck.

"Well, well, what have we here?"


Yami Yugi's POV

It didn't take us long to reach the museum. I was surprised to find Marik there.

"Hello, Pharaoh. I've been expecting you."

Joey, however, was feeling a different emotion as he lifted the Egyptian off the ground by his collar.

"A'right, ya punk. What'd ya do ta my buddy Tristan?"

"Set me down, you buffoon!"

"Joey, calm yourself."


Lyn's POV

"Bakura!" Anzu shouted at the newcomer. "What have you done to our friends?"

"It appears they have been sent to the Shadow Realm, but it wasn't I who did it."

"Not you?"

"Please! It's not my style. Well, maybe it is..."


Yami Yugi's POV

After Joey had let go of Marik, I questioned him further.

"So you know what happened to Tristan and Duke?"

"Pencil Head and Dice Boy? What would I want with them?"

"We were comin' here ta ask ya dat very question."

"Their minds were sent to the Shadow Realm," I explained.

"I had nothing to do with that."

'You think he's telling the truth?' Yugi asked me.

'I don't know, aibou. It all seems too convenient.'

"So, if it wasn't Marik, den it has ta be Bakura."

"Wait," Marik said, "there could be another."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't have the Rod anymore."


Lyn's POV

"So if it wasn't you, then it has to be Marik."

"But..."

"Marik? I thought he gave the Rod to Yugi."

"But..."

"He did, but..."

"WOULD YOU PEOPLE LISTEN!" I screamed.

"Lyn, what do you..."

"I've been trying to tell you guys. It can't be Marik because Marik doesn't have the Rod. Seto does."


Joey: Dun dun DUN!

Seto: Do you have to do that?

Joey: No, I just like ta.

Seto: Well, knock it off.

Joey: Make me!

Seto: Glad to!

LazerWulf: Guys! Don't make me separate you.

Seto: Oh, please, do. I can't stand to be around this buffoon any longer.

Joey: What'd you call me?

Seto: You heard me.

Joey: Dat's it!

((Seto and Joey disappear into a cloud of dust))

LazerWulf: ((Sighs)) Not again. Ok, guys you know the drill. Review!