The puzzle glowed for the first time in weeks as the Pharoah emerged, quickly reversing positions. The yami's stared each other down, the feel of anger and the need to do violence growing between them. Yami no Yuugi attacked first.

"You."

Yami grabbed Bakura by the throat, fisting his shirt and slamming him into the building's wall.

"Always," slam.

"Always," again.

"You!" he tossed the other yami deeper into the alleyway.

Bakura looked up at the Pharaoh from where he'd landed, a shark-like grin spreading across his face. The taste of blood on his lips filled him with glee.

"Hehehe." Bakura stood slowly, licking blood off his lips. "Pharaoh," Bakura sneered, bowing slightly, "How nice of you to show yourself. I was starting to worry."

Sarcasm born of centuries worth of destruction roll off the white haired boys tongue as naturally as the air they both breathed. It served its purpose, however, enraging the Pharaoh enough to lose his self contained grip on reality.

He ran towards the other, the shadows chasing behind and around to surround them as the two collided once more. It was a difficult feat to cross dimensions in such a way outside of any official shadow games and the two forces met each other, blow for blow, the eye of Horus burning brightly on their foreheads.

"This was it," Yami thought to himself. This was what was missing. The power, the destruction, the ability to enforce his will upon another without restraint.

Soon enough the blows slowed, his anger cooling. The two rolled in the dark until Yami was able to get a grip on Bakura's neck. With no care of the true owner of the vessel, he held his grip tight, surely bruising the other. Bakura made no move to free himself, which may have been his only savior.

The grip loosened and Bakura gasped heavily at the freedom to breath, his body shaking, eyes rolling towards the back of his head, harsh words of a long lost language murmur through bloodied. The Pharaoh's crimson eyes took the sight in with an fascinated impartiality.

"Did you just-"

The scream pierced through the realm and the items shivered, the owner's gasping harshly at the disturbance. It took them away from the agitated reunion to the unknown presence shattering the chaotic peace the shadows held.

Yami lifted himself quickly, calling forth Gaia the Fierce Knight to his side. He placed himself upon the knight's horse, and the duo rode toward the source of the disturbance, showing no care for the one being left behind, though the other seemed to make his way with little effort, bloodied though he was.

"Stupefy."

A red light shot of the stick the odd man held as he spun in all directions. The intruder seemed panicked, his pale skin glowing oddly in the purple hues of the shadow realm. The red streams seem to make those who attacked him collapse, soon becoming trampled as more came forward. There was a curious vibe about him and as they moved closer the two shadow mages were able to recognize it for what it was.

"Enough," Yami called, stalling all movement.

The intruder's heavy breathing was all that was heard, even the frantic footsteps as he spun, attempting to keep an eye on all those before him, was oddly silent in the darkness.

"What are you creatures? Who are you? Where is this place?"

The words were indistinguishable to the Pharaoh's ear, though by the frown on the thief king's face, Bakura understood.

"I am he who rules this dark realm."

The foreign words were hissed and made all the shadow creatures shift, creating an opening for the item wielders to be seen.

"You do not belong in such a place," Bakura continued, "Any intruder of this realm should instantly be swallowed, and yet you still stand. How can this be?"