"Is that definitely them?" A gruff, almost impossibly deep, voice asked. His friend with the binoculars nodded.

"Definitely," he had a voice just as sharp but not quite as low. The one with the binoculars lowered them and stood up, his red cape flowing around in the wind along with his sharp, white hair. The notorious criminal Bakura Yami, wanted in the kingdom of DM for numerous crimes, everything from pickpocketing to mass murder. His brother, Marik Yami, equally as ruthless, came up behind him, looking down at the palace. The two had secured a small base atop one of the towers around the palace. Conveniently on the side of Yuya, Zuzu, Tate, Fredrick and Ali's rooms. From here they could spy on the group freely, though, there was a minor issue earlier when they'd set off an alarm sneaking in, they'd managed to avoid the guards with skills that could only come from years of experience in these things. Right now they could see Zuzu and Yuya both relaxing on their beds in their respective rooms. From the looks on their faces, they both had a lot on their minds.

"Shall we strike now?" Marik asked.

"No." Bakura replied. "We'll wait until the sun goes down, we need the cover of darkness."

Marik nodded and smiled. The kind of twisted evil smile only people with a love for the suffering of others can pull off.

Meanwhile, the two they were spying on were too wrapped up in their own turmoil to even consider the oncoming danger.

Zuzu couldn't stop thinking about her father. He was a noble… What would he think when he learned his daughter was a penniless street urchin? She groaned in frustration and grabbed her pillow, slamming it over her head in an attempt to block out her thoughts.

In his room, Yuya wasn't faring much better. He was putting himself down as normal. The voice of his master echoing in his head; tormenting him even now.

"You're a monster."

"Worthless brat, how dare you!"

"Don't touch me you disgusting creature."

"I should have slaughtered you when I found you."

"No wonder your parents never wanted you."

Tears welled in his eyes. He sat up and rubbed them fiercely with his hands, determined not to break down. For years he'd heard these things said about him, and while they hurt he accepted them as the truth. But now, it was so much worse. Now he'd spent time outside, met other people, even traveled to another kingdom. He was beginning to question his status as a monster, and that made the words all the more terrifying. Before they had been the definite truth to him, but now that he had been given hope they might not be true. He was scared his master had been right all along and that his new hope would be ripped away from him.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Yuya?"

It was Yuma, Yuya recognised his voice immediately. The door opened and his familiar black and pink covered head poked into view.

"It's time for dinner." He said, smiling that goofy smile of his. Yuya smiled also and the two walked to the dining room together. When they arrived, Zuzu, Tate, Ali, Fredrick and the Emperors were already there. Astral, Kite and Shark were all absent.

"I'm afraid they're still looking into the breech yesterday." Yuma explained as they sat down. "Apparently someone managed to sneak inside the palace grounds!"

"Really?" Tate asked, getting nervous.

"Oh, don't worry." Yuma said. "They won't be able to hide forever, believe me the Emperors are the best, they'll catch 'em, no doubt."

"Got that right!" Alito shouted from down the table, giving Girag a high-five. Everyone laughed and continued to eat. It was silent for a while, then when mostly everyone had finished, Tate decided to speak.

"Zuzu, Yuya." He addressed his two friends.

"Yes?" Zuzu asked. He looked nervous all of a sudden, Ali nudged him and she and Fredrick gave him encouraging looks.

"We've decided to stay." He said finally.

"What?" Both Yuya and Zuzu gasped.

"We were speaking with the healer here, Dextra, yesterday," Ali explained. "She said it might take a while but she could make a potion to cure us."

Both Zuzu and Yuya's faces softened in understanding.

"You can still come visit and we'll visit you guys when you find your families, it's just, we can't pass up the opportunity to be human again. We're not exactly much use as animals." The three of them sighed.

"What are you talking about?" Zuzu said. They looked up, seeing her and Yuya smiling at them.

"Yeah," Yuya continued. "You guys were the only ones able to sneak past my master to get the keys to help us escape. If it weren't for you, we'd still be captured and I'd only have three days to live. Not only that but if it weren't for you guys I'd have been lonely for my entire life, I'd never have gotten up the courage to go outside and meet new people. In fact, I don't know where we'd all be right now without you."

The three small animals felt tears forming in their eyes as they jumped into the arms of their friends. The five of them hugged each other tightly, knowing they might not be able to for quite some time. The kids were like a sister and brothers to Yuya, he'd grown up taking care of them. They were amongst the first people to accept Zuzu as more than a dirty, street girl. Unable to resist, Yuma jumped on them and forced his way into the hug causing them all to laugh, even the emperors all cracked smiles at the display.

"We understand, but we're gonna miss you guys." Yuya said, wiping tears from his eyes. Zuzu nodded.

"Don't worry." Yuma said. They all broke away to look at him. "I promise we'll take good care of them, and the three of you will be back to normal in no time."

He grinned at them and they grinned back.

"Well," Zuzu said, getting up. "I think that's enough excitement for one evening, I'm gonna turn in."

The others nodded, making to leave as well. On the way back Zuzu was stopped by the last person she expected. Astral.

"Zuzu. A word." He said, opening a door and gesturing for her to follow him. She entered the room to discover it was a small library with maybe four rows of bookshelves jutting out from the walls and a desk opposite them. Astral went and sat on the chair by the desk but turned it to face her.

"Um… Yes…" She said hesitantly. "What do you need?"

"I thought it best I ask you as it's obviously a distressing topic for the others, but what can you tell me about Yuya's former master."

Zuzu flinched at his request.

"W-why do you want t-to know?" She stammered, both shocked and confused.

"I want to help him, I suspect there is more to him than any of us realise and his master kidnapped him for a reason. If we can figure out why he was kidnapped it might lead us to where he was taken from, so knowing as much as possible would be useful." Astral explained. Zuzu's face seemed to register understanding of his logic and she relaxed a great deal.

"Well, I don't know much, I only met him briefly, but I do know he is a cruel man. He turned Ali, Fredrick and Tate into animals and kidnapped Yuya and kept them all locked up for years. I know that he forced Yuya to work for him and tortured him often. He convinced Yuya that he was a monster and also forbid him from ever using his magic. He's also a very powerful sorcerer."

"Did he have a name?" Astral asked, sounding a little irritated. Zuzu pretended not to notice.

"I think it was Don Thousand."

Astral flinched, very obviously. Then almost instantly his mask was up, he turned away from Zuzu and asked, politely but forcefully, for her to leave. She wanted to know what got him so freaked out but his tone told her quite clearly he needed to be alone for a bit. She felt it would be better to ask when he was calm again.

As soon as she'd left, Astral let the damn burst, allowing the river of memories to flood into his head.

5 years ago…

"Your time is up your highness." The evil sorcerer sneered. He'd defeated all the emperors and had challenged the prince directly to a duel, with the entire kingdom of ZEXAL on the line. He'd made it clear his goal was to one-day control all the kingdoms and drain the power from all magical beings to become the most powerful being in the divided lands. He'd drained a large portion of magic from people of the kingdom already, destroying parts of the kingdom in the process.

"Your insane plan will never work. I shall defeat you!" Astral cried, drawing his next card.

Present day…

Astral rubbed his head as the images of his people being drained of their magic and their homes being destroyed swarmed his mind. He'd beaten Don Thousand and sent him running, but he should have realised he wouldn't stay down for long. He'd only won because of Yuma. On the verge of defeat, almost ready to surrender, his friend had jumped in and reminded him to "feel the flow", and together the two managed to preform a Zexal morph. Their souls had a special connection, they'd been chosen by a special type of magic, the power of Zexal. With it, they could merge their bodies, minds and hearts. With Zexal, the two could become one and together they triumphed over Don Thousand and his evil.

"I should have known he'd return." Astral sighed. "But why Yuya…" Astral gasped as the answer hit him. If Yuya was the lost prince, he had light and dark magic. The most powerful light and dark magic seen in the divided lands in centuries. With power like that, Don Thousand could defeat them all easily, none of the kingdoms could stand up to that kind of power.

"But he's had Yuya for almost fourteen years… Why wait? Why not drain him as a child?" He placed a hand on his chin. "So many questions…"

The door to the room suddenly slammed open to reveal a distressed looking Nash.

"My prince, the visitors, Yuya and Zuzu, they've been kidnapped."

"What?!" Astral cried. "What of their other friends?"

"They were with Yuma, I've got Dumon and Marin protecting them and the servants are all barricaded in the servant's quarters."

"Excellent work." Astral praised, getting up and joining him to run down the corridor. Kite and Mizar were waiting for them outside Yuya and Zuzu's rooms.

"The other emperors are searching the castle." Mizar said, Nash nodded at him.

"What happened?" Astral demanded.

"See for yourself." Kite replied, opening the door to Yuya's room. Astral and Shark looked in to find the place torn apart. The dresser was pushed over, sheets and curtains were torn and scattered, the mattress of the bed and the walls had numerous, unnerving slashes through them.

"Oh no…" Astral whispered. "He's found them."

"Who?" Kite asked.

"Don Thousand."

"What?!" All of them cried.

"That nutcase that attack us five years ago?" Asked Mizar.

Astral nodded. "Zuzu told me he was the one that tortured Yuya all these years."

They all gasped again.

"Pardon me sir, but this doesn't look like his handiwork." Shark said. Astral waited for a second.

"No." He finally said. "It doesn't, but he wants Yuya… Perhaps he isn't working alone."

"Well whatever's going on we need to find them." Kite stated firmly. Everyone agreed and split up to help with the search.

Yuya and Zuzu were at the top of the west tower, bound and gagged. Marik and Bakura loomed over them with a disturbing hunger in their eyes.

"Hmmm Mphmm." Yuya tried to speak but the cloth over his mouth prevented the words from being coherent.

"Aw, what was that?" Marik asked tauntingly. "You want us to beat you into submission? Well if you insist." He kneed Yuya in the face, sending him sideways onto the floor, moaning in pain. Zuzu cried out as Marik and Bakura were overcome with sadistic laughter. Bakura knelt down by Yuya and removed his gag, curious as to what he wanted to say.

"What…" Yuya rasped. "What do you want with us?"

"It's not what we want." Bakura replied. "Rather, what your master wants."

Both Yuya and Zuzu's eyes widened. Zuzu's in surprise, Yuya's in fear.

"Yes." Marik laughed. "He's put quite the price on your head, and those of your friends. Only difference is, you he wants alive." He pulled a knife from his pocket and placed it on Zuzu's neck, she reeled back. "Whereas your friends, are expendable."

"No!" Yuya cried, as a sharp surge of light exploded from his chest. Marik and Bakura screamed as they were both knocked back into the wall on the opposite side of the tower. They slumped to the floor, dazed but conscious.

"Don Thousand wasn't kidding." Bakura hissed, trying to regain focus. "He is powerful."

Yuya was scared, he still wasn't use to using his powers, he was still afraid of hurting others with them.

"Humgh, Urghm." Came the sound of Zuzu's muffled voice. Yuya looked over at her, bound and powerless. He knew then he had to protect her. No matter what.

Okay… Focus… He thought, his chest tightened with fear at using his powers but he pushed ahead. He had to save his friend. Astral… He called, using his magic to call out to the prince. Astral help.

Astral was with Shark searching the east wing of the castle when he felt the powerful magic calling out to him. He froze, clutching his head as the words penetrated his mind.

"My prince!" Shark cried, worried.

Astral, please help. Yuya's voice resonated inside his brain.

Yuya? Astral replied. Where are you?

I don't know.

Show me. Astral tried to connect with Yuya, tried to see what he could. Yuya allowed him through, allowed him see what he could. Astral's eyes snapped open, showing their determination.

"Prince Astral?" Nash asked, slightly confused as to what was going on.

"They're in the west tower." Astral said, taking off in that direction. "Come on, we may not have long."

Shark was even more confused now but decided to follow him anyway. The prince was usually right about these sorts of things.

While the two rescuers were making their way over, the two master criminals were beginning to regain their strength. As soon as they looked over at their captives they saw, a now freed, Yuya attempting to undo Zuzu's binds. Growling in anger, Bakura shot a blast of dark magic at him, sending him flying into the wall.

"Yuya!" Zuzu cried. The young hybrid groaned in pain and staggered to his feet, determined to protect Zuzu from these evil sorcerers. Marik laughed, seeing the situation clearly. He took aim at Zuzu, who's eyes widened in horror.

"No!" Yuya cried, jumping in front just in time. He spread his wings around the two of them, letting his back take the full force of the attack. Zuzu gasped and looked up into his face as he shielded her. It was contorted in unimaginable pain but he bore it as best he could for her sake.

"Yuya, please stop." She begged. The magic dissipated and Yuya fell to his knees, hissing and moaning in pain but refusing to collapse. "Go, save yourself."

"No!" He insisted. "Not without you."

"Aw… Isn't that sweet… What do you think brother, should we let them go?" Marik asked, tauntingly.

"How about we destroy them both, that way they'll be together forever, in hell!" Bakura cried, laughing manically.

"You're the only ones going to hell!" A new voice cried. Everyone turned in shock to see Astral and Shark stood in the doorway, panting heavily from the long run over. Yuya and Zuzu both smiled in relief while Marik and Bakura scowled. Bakura hid his right hand behind his back, allowing one of his most powerful spells to charge up undetected.

"Too late your highness, their time is up!" He cried, then without warning, sent his magic straight at Yuya and Zuzu.

"NO!" Astral and Shark cried, unable to stop him. Zuzu and Yuya both looked on in horror as the immense amount of magic came hurtling towards them.

It struck.