A/N: I sincerely apologize for the delay. I've had a rough past few weeks. Long story short, I broke up with my fiancé and lost the desire to write for a while. Well, not the desire exactly. I wanted to write, I just...couldn't. Impromptu writer's block courtesy of emotions. That said, I'm doing better now so here's the long overdue update. Sorry it's a bit shorter than I typically prefer.

Side note: To anyone playing Pokémon Go, stay safe, and choose Team Mystic! I'm level 15 and absolutely hooked to this game. Oh my lord. Everyone here in Athens, GA, is wandering around downtown and UGA's north campus hunting pokemon and taking over gyms. Literally, almost everyone. I've walked over 10 miles over the past several days catching pokemon, leveling up, and hatching eggs. It's awesome. ...I'm a little afraid of my data bill at the end of the month though. ^^; Oh, and remember, it's just a game. Team Harmony reigns supreme. Instinct, Mystic, and Valor are rivals, not enemies.

Chapter summary: In which Yugi is distressed, those who were lost return, Pegasus is back, and gladiators should stay away from lions.

50: Prodigals' Return

The resulting burst of light was blinding and final. There was no scream. There was no sound at all. Just light. Bright, blinding light. When it faded, there was nothing left of Paradox, not even a whisper. The duel disk he'd had on his right arm was lying singed and crunched on the ground, cards spilling haphazardly out the graveyard slot across the stones of the plaza.

The Light of the Judgement Game was gone as well leaving only sunlight, the dull roar of the ocean, and the young King's hungry gasps of air behind. The moment the golden barrier separating the Pharaoh from his beloved partner dropped, Yami dove blindly for the center of what had been the Judgement Game. Once his eyes had recovered from the overwhelming brightness, he located Yugi lying still on the stone.

"Aibou!" he cried. He gathered Yugi in his arms and held him close, not at all liking the glazed expression on Yugi's face. "Aibou look at me," he pleaded. He tilted Yugi's face over so he could look directly into those violet eyes he loved so much. If only those eyes would focus and look at him. "Aibou. Yugi, please."

"Yami?"

He couldn't fight the smile of relief from stretching across his face when he heard his Ba's soft voice. But it quickly vanished when he noticed the sparkling fear in Yugi's eyes and the tears begin to flow down his cheeks towards his reddening throat.

"I didn't do it," Yugi said, shaking his head weakly. "It wasn't me. I didn't do it. I wanted to save him. Yami," Yugi reached up and grabbed the Pharaoh's collar, "they did it. They wanted to save me. They killed him. Oh Ra. They killed him using me."

Yugi buried his face in the Pharaoh's chest and began weeping, each sob shaking his thin body. There was nothing Yami could do but hold the little King as he cried and try to make sense of his partner's broken sentences in both Japanese and hieratic. It made no sense. He lifted his eyes to his Regent who stood still, a stunned comprehension on his face.

"What happened?" Yami demanded with as much authority as he could muster.

Kaiba jerked, focusing his full attention on the Pharaoh. He swallowed, his ice blue eyes flickering back to Yugi before returning to Yami's burning crimson. "He... They, ah..." Yami narrowed his eyes, unnerved by his Regent's uncharacteristic stuttering.

"They what? Who are 'they'?" the Pharaoh said, aiming a glare at Kaiba. "What happened? Yugi would never do that."

"I, uh... He didn't," Kaiba said. He heaved a sigh looking very much like a lost child trying to understand his parents weren't ever coming back. "The Shadows did it through him. They...took over and acted in his defense."

"What?" Yami gasped, dropping his gaze to Yugi who still clung to him. "How is that possible? That Shadows can't just possess-"

"They can," Kaiba snapped, beginning to regain control. "This isn't the first time I've seen it happen." His eyebrows furrowed. "It happened in the other reality when I went to get Mokuba and Helios back. They... I had an attack and-"

"An attack?" Yami asked, stiffening.

Kaiba hissed a warning. "I nearly lost my soul," he said. "The Shadows held me in place, yanked Arrow into them, and forced all of us to a Travel back to my Sorceress and Green Lantern."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Yami gasped, dumbfounded.

"Because it wasn't exactly in the forefront of my mind at the time," Kaiba said coldly. "I was too busy trying not to fall asleep on my feet."

Yami shook his head, having trouble believing all of this. "How is this even possible?"

"Clearly they're more sentient than we gave them credit for," Kaiba said, shifting his feet to a more comfortable stance. His shoulders, however, remained tense. "Not to mention more possessive."

"Woah," Jounouchi murmured. "I'm not sure how I feel about all this."

"Um, who is this 'they' you're all talking about?" Yugi's voice asked.

Both Yami, Kaiba, and Jounouchi stiffened and spun to their audience. "Damn," the Jounouchi muttered. "I forgot they were here."

"What the hell was that?" Judai demanded furiously.

"Yeah," Yusei said suspiciously, his eyes wide and slightly glazed. "What happened?"

"Yeah, and don't lie!" Judai warned.

Yami pressed his lips together firmly and held Yugi's still shaking body close. "We'll discuss this later," he said, moving to stand. He was careful to make sure his arms never left there place around his partner's back.

"No." The Pharaoh's eyes narrowed at the voice he recognized as his own but not. "We'll discuss this now."

However, before he could voice a response, his Regent spoke up in his usual unflappable manner. "Unless you want to spend more time in the Shadow Realm even though one of your friends is clearly still injured, then we'll discuss this later. Oh and by the way," he said, his eyes glacial cold, "you have no power over us. We don't answer to you. I suggest you remember that."

"Woah," Jounouchi said. "Dude, man calm down. Yug' -damnit!- Mouto needs t' get outta here."

"Jounouchi's right," the Pharaoh said. "He's still supportin' this Field Spell."

"I'm fine," the King murmured, pushing himself away from the Pharaoh's embrace.

He couldn't back up very far before his partner's arms tightened, preventing him from slipping away. He placed a reassuring hand on his Ka's chest and used it to support himself as he pulled the Field Spell back. He closed his eyes so the warping and stretching of this piece of the Shadow Realm shrank and returned to its summoner in the form of a Field Spell card that materialized in Yugi's free hand.

"There," he sighed as he allowed his power to fade away. He tucked the card back into his Deck holster. "I'll be okay. Eventually."

"Yug'," Jounouchi said soberly, his face grim, "buddy, I don't think I ever told you, but your a bad liar."

Yugi's shoulders hunched as if the young King was trying to fold in on himself. It bothered Yusei in a way he couldn't explain. Something inside him just outright rejected the sight of the Yugi look-a-like looking so defeated.

"Hey," he said, stepping forward and resting a comforting hand on Motou's shoulder, drawing his attention. "It's alright. I know you didn't mean to do it," he said. And he did, he realized as he spoke those words. He did know it wasn't Motou's fault. It was some sort of intuition. "Even if you did," he added gently, "you would have been acting in self defense. He was trying to kill you and we couldn't get to you to help. It... I'm sorry about that, by the way." His gaze dropped when Motou's violet eyes softened curiously. "I couldn't really think straight back there. I just...froze up."

"You were overwhelmed by the Light," Kaiba said, uncrossing his arms and striding over to the ruined duel disk. "That much Light around you was probably intoxicating."

"What?" Yusei asked, confusion evident in his expression. "What do you mean?"

"He means that Light," Judai said, his eyes still narrowed in distrust. "I've fought something like it before."

"You have?" the Yugi from this reality asked with interest.

"Yeah." Judai glared at this reality's King of Games. "It possessed my friends and tried to wipe us out for reason."

"Look man," Jounouchi said, shooting a warning glare at the younger duelist, "that Light and this Light are different, kay? Just cause they look alike don't mean their the same."

"Doesn't," Kaiba muttered.

"Who asked you, rich boy grammar Nazi?" Jounouchi snarled.

"Oh yeah? Then- Ow! WHAT THE HECK?!" Judai cried, rubbing his now throbbing head.

Jounouchi cracked his knuckles. "Listen kid, I don't know you, but I bet I could whip yer butt to the moon 'n back without breakin' a sweat. You mess with Yugi, you mess with me. Now lay off."

Kaiba ignored the posturing in favor of digging through the cards scattered around the stone plaza. None of them were his stolen Blue Eyes. His brows drew low over his eyes in growing frustration. He snatched the duel disk up and pressed the graveyard release button to free the cards still in the graveyard slot, but nothing happened. The faintest hint of fear began gnawing at his gut. What if she was gone for good?

He lifted the damaged duel disk and slammed it viciously on the ground, cracking off the fanned arm extending out for the cards on the field. Nothing.

"Where is she?!" he roared, manhandling the duel disk so he had a good grip on it. He braced it on the ground and pulled the bent metal until it squealed in protest, ripping apart so the cards in the graveyard slot finally fell out. Immediately, he dropped the mangled metal and sorted through the Duel Monsters cards.

"Kaiba!" Yugi, Kaiba didn't bother to think about which, cried.

"Shit! My Red Eyes!" Jounouchi said, joining Kaiba on the ground.

Kaiba ignored the voices when a flash of white and blue caught his eyes mixed in with the dark swirls distinctive of the backs of Duel Monsters cards and the colors of the other dragons from the Bastard's accursed Deck. He snatched the card from the pile and, sure enough, it was his Blue Eyes. But it was right. It was distorted and...

Fading.

"No," he breathed, feeling his stomach drop. Where-?

A soft blue glow emanated from his side, startling him. He looked down at his Deck still securely in its holster. The now blank card slipped from his fingers which found themselves scrabbling for the holster's catch. He managed to lift the cover and pull out the glowing card.

It was Kisara's card. He just knew it was. His hand shook as numb fingers pulled the single slip of paper out of the Deck and held it up to his face. There, glowing in the cool, comforting light that was as pure as her soul, was his Blue Eyes White Dragon. His Kisara had returned to him.

"Red Eyes! You're back!" Jounouchi whooped, raising his fist in a rock on gesture victoriously.

Kaiba ignored it. Everything faded into the background. There was only Kisara. A heartbreakingly familiar rumble reverberated through his mind, filling his soul room and warming his heart. She was back. She had returned to him. She was home.

"Kisara," he murmured, unable to tear his eyes away from her form lovingly depicted on the card.

:Seto.:

Kaiba stiffened. What...? Was that...? How...?

"Kaiba!"

He blinked back to the present and noticed a helicopter on the ground not too far from his position, the engine whirring down as it was turned off. How had he missed that? The helicopter's side door slid open revealing an elegant interior disturbingly plain next to the flamboyant presence stepping out of the compartment. The glaring red suit and long white hair was distinctive of only one person. Maximillion Pegasus.

Pegasus took in the tableau of exhausted duelists in front of him with a mild gaze. However, his lone brown eye narrowed as he approach the group. Then he smiled. "Well, well, two Yugi-boys. It must be my lucky day," he said in his obnoxious voice. "And even Yami-boy came out to join us. I consider myself blessed." He chuckled.

Kaiba got to his feet, clutching his safely returned Blue Eyes White Dragon card protectively to his chest his eye. Unfortunately, the movement caught Pegasus' unwanted attention. The smile became a hungry smirk.

"Even Kaiba-boy came out to see little ole me," Pegasus continued, tossing his long, lustrous hair over one shoulder. "Come to pay back your debt to me, hm?"

"Debt?" Kaiba repeated, at a loss.

"Yo," Jounouchi said, pointing at Pegasus. "Call me crazy, but ain't you dead?"

"Not in this world, no," Yami said, standing close to his partner.

"World?" Yusei asked, eyeing the Pharaoh strangely. "What do you mean by 'this world'?"

"You aren't from the future, are you?" this world's Yugi asked suspiciously.

The young King shook his head. "No, we're not," he said aloud. He pressed a hand to his head, grimacing slightly.

Kaiba noticed the move, and so did Jounouchi surprisingly enough. The proximity to Yugi's counterpart in this world must be taking a toll on the young King.

"That Blue Eyes and Red Eyes," this world's Yugi said hesitantly. "They were from another world?"

"The Bastard stole her from me after he tried to murder me and my brother," Kaiba snarled, slipping his recovered Blue Eyes card back into his Deck where it belonged.

"Did a number on your house too," Jounouchi added with a smirk, earning him a glare. The blonde ignored it in favor of aiming a serious look at Pegasus. "The damn bastard shot Yugi too. Damn near killed him." His gaze dropped and his shoulder shook with pent up fury. "And stole my Red Eyes when I summon him to fight back."

"It wasn't your fault, Jounouchi," Yugi said gently, resting a hand on his taller friend's arm.

"Wait, he tried to kill you?" Judai gasped, reeling back in shock.

"Yes, yes, while this is all very interesting," Pegasus said loudly, drawing everyone's attention back to him, "there's still the matter of your debt, King." He grinned that same slimy grin that sent snakes crawling up Kaiba's spine and screamed at his senses to drop everything and run. "Kaiba-boy," Pegasus sang, "I believe there's someone you need to introduce me to. Isn't that right?"

Kaiba's mind raced, trying to recall what... He knew. The color drained from his face followed closely by heat and fury. "Go fuck yourself asshole," he hissed viciously.

Pegasus just waggled a finger at him and clucked patronizingly. "Such bad manners," Pegasus drawled. "And in front of minors, no less."

"Hey," this world's Yugi groaned. "I'm not that short."

Judai awkwardly raised a finger. "Actually, I'm a minor in this country," he said. "But, I've heard worse so carry on."

Pegasus shook his head. "Well since my convention seems delayed due to a sudden thunderstorm," he winked, "and my equipment-"

"You mean KaibaCorp's equipment," Kaiba snapped.

"-damaged by a...lightning strike, shall we say," Pegasus continued with a wry grin, "why don't you and I have a little chat, Kaiba-boy."

"Go to hell."

"My people will get to work cleaning up the area while we get down to business." Pegasus held out a hand in an invitation that Kaiba would die before accepting. "So, as the spider once said, come into my layer."

"Fuck you."

"Regent," Yugi said, yanking Kaiba's attention to him. Glacial blue eyes, cold with fury, met soft violet filled with sympathy and steely resolution. "A deal's a deal. You know that." Kaiba held his ground, narrowing his gaze. "It was the only way he would make Kisara's card for you," Yugi said.

Kaiba visibly shook, his eyes flickering between Pegasus, his enemy and soul thief, and his King and Pharaoh. Yugi was right. A deal was a deal. Already, he could feel the Shadows slinking around his ankles, attempting to urge him forward. He considered his options.

He could run, but the Shadows would continue to urge him to fulfill his end of the deal; a deal he never made but was made without his input or permission. Or he could give in and follow Pegasus into the helicopter's compartment. They would be alone, no witnesses, no one to overhear. Just Kaiba and Pegasus. The thought alone was terrifying.

He stiffened when Kisara grumbled in his mind, then his shoulders drooped. Reluctantly, he straightened. "You'll pay for this," he said to his King and Pharaoh, refusing to acknowledge their almost identical wince. "Both of you."

Without another word, he strode forward to join Pegasus. The millionaire smiled and reached out to shake Kaiba's hand. "Touch me and I'll murder you," Kaiba hissed, walking right past Pegasus and climbing into the helicopter.

"Prickly much?" Pegasus said. He shrugged and pulled out his phone to make a quick call. He'd have to work fast if this convention was going to continue. Which it would if he had anything to say about it. "Yugi," he called to the group of duelists still outside. "Not the King, but my Yugi," he clarified when two sets of near identical eyes met his. "You might want to clean up that mess and take cover. I doubt it would make sense to most people if there were suddenly three of you."

"Three of...oh!" This world's Yugi jolted. "Right. Um." He bit his lip and scanned the area for someplace to hide. "That tent's still standing."

"Right behind you," Jounouchi said with a friendly salute.

"I expect an explanation when we get there," Other-Yugi said.

The King wilted. "I'll tell you what I can, but..." He hesitated. "Some things are better left unsaid."

"First question," Judai said, raising his hand. He pointed to the helicopter just as Pegasus climbed into the compartment and slid the door shut. "What's up with the whole 'Yugi-boy' and 'Kaiba-boy' thing? I mean, was it just me, or does that not sound a little creepy?"

Yugi flushed. "Put it this way, kid," Jounouchi said as they walked towards the tent as Industrial Illusions employees arrived for mess control. "You familiar with gladiators?"

"Uh, you mean like men fighting lions in the Coliseum?" Yusei asked curiously.

"Yeah, Judai said. "We do still have movies when I come from, you know."

Yusei glanced at Judai in mild amusement. "Don't you mean history books?"

Judai shrugged and waved Yusei's words aside. "Boring," he drawled. "Good sleeping class though." Yusei coughed a laugh, not sure whether to be amused or appalled by that answer.

"Anyway," Jounouchi said, stopping that rabbit trail from going any further, "let's just say the gladiator is a piece of fresh meat to a hungry lion, yeah?"

Yusei blinked in confusion, then paled in understanding. He glanced back over his shoulder, suddenly uncomfortable with the thought of leaving Kaiba alone with Pegasus. He barely knew Kaiba, but no one deserved...that.

"I don't get it," Judai said after a minute.

This time it was the Yugi of this world who replied. "Kaiba is the meat to Pegasus' hungry lion," he said.

Judai's mouth formed a small 'oh' and his eyes widened. "Kay. Second question," he said, trying to change the topic to something less awkward. "That Light that you used to killed Paradox," he said seriously, "what was it?"