Jounouchi would honestly be more surprised if Marik didn't remember everything and was just going through the motions for lack of anything better to do.

Even so, he was not missing a prime opportunity to take as many pot shots as he could at the ass.

"Hey Prince Caspian, have you found Narnia yet?" he snarked.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" demanded Yami Marik.

"Well you're so deep in the closet that I would have assumed that you'd found Narnia at this point. That or you're inside a freaking TARDIS."

That set Yugi off, and Bakura sure as hell wasn't any better as the implications hit them hard. They both started howling with laughter. It got even worse at the clueless expression Marik had on his face at what Jounouchi was implying.

For the entire duel, Jounouchi kept making pot shots at the fact he knew damn well Marik had the hots for Bakura. Some of his comments would send the two cackling idiots on the side into fresh hysterics, mostly because it was becoming clear Marik didn't remember...or at the very least, his Yami had no idea what Jounouchi was implying.

Then again, the Narnia movie hadn't come out yet and it's unlikely Marik had ever read the books. And the reboot of Doctor Who had only just finished it's first season.

While he might have lost due to the fact Marik had that "overgrown fried chicken" as Jounouchi flippantly called the Winged Dragon of Ra, he felt some glee in having openly mocked the bastard and gotten Yugi to laugh again.

"Roi du Poison, are you alright?" asked Rook. He had never seen Vil laugh so hard and for so long. He looked red-faced from exertion.

"I'll be fine," said Yugi, wiping tears from his eyes.

The look of utter confusion on Marik's face had been pretty damn funny. The look of shock and irritation on Kaiba's face when he happily whipped out Slifer against his Obelisk (and immediately trounced his ass) more so.

Marik was staring at Yugi in disbelief.

"How the hell did you get Slifer? I know for a fact you never dueled the one I sent out with it!"

"Same way my grandpa's been getting a surplus of free cards to sell to the duelists who got knocked out of the tournament. You should have made your Ghouls harder to spot and isolate," said Yugi smirking. Bakura cackled at that.

Kaiba gave him an annoyed look.

"Are you telling me you mugged random duelists to get into the finals so fast?"

"Of course not. I won those locator cards fair and square," said Yugi. "However the majority of his henchmen are also known criminals and I made a mint selling off their decks and helping the police arrest them with how many warrants they had out for their arrest."

"Wait...is that how you got that money you gave me for the phone to record Kaiba's reaction?" said Jounouchi.

"Yes," said Yugi without hesitation or remorse.

He was very, very glad that Idia had that signal jammer, so none of this shit was being recorded.

Marik stared at him in disbelief.

"You mean to tell me you mugged all my Ghouls I sent out after you?"

"The one with the alternate Dark Magician was particularly tricky to deal with," said Yugi deadpan. "And I'll state this right now. You won't be dealing with the Pharaoh in the final match. You'll be dealing with me."

To be honest, Yugi somewhat suspected the pharaoh partially remembered everything, but was keeping silent since it was his Name that was keeping the darkness sealed. He was likely putting off the final duel for as long as possible for the same reasons Yugi had when it came to putting the Puzzle together.

Marik scoffed, not taking that as the threat it was.

That is, until he saw Yugi walk out onto the stage with heels and an outfit to match. His hair was done up in a simple, but elegant braid that had a hair clip with an odd apple with a dagger going through it holding it together. His hands were well manicured, and had a fresh coat of purple nail polish on them, and his eyes were expertly lined in dark purple kohl.

Marik lived in Egypt, he knew damn well the difference between kohl and dark eye shadow, and he really wanted to know where Yugi had gotten that shade.

There was a calm grace and elegance to his walk, and his very aura practically screamed "Don't mess with the Queen, bitch."

Kaiba couldn't help but stare at him as well.

"This is a dueling arena, not a fashion runway Muto!" he snapped.

Yugi let out an elegant snort.

"Shows what you know about fashion. It's an even more vicious battlefield than any dueling arena you could create," said Yugi.

Marik thought he would have an easy time because this was the pharaoh's reincarnation, not the god-blessed man himself.

He was so very, very wrong. Yugi was considerably more vicious and reminded Marik of a few of his ex's who took particular pleasure in making others suffer during that time of the month. Odion usually looked more relieved than worried when he had to dispose of the bodies that used to be his brother's lover.

The desert was such a convenient place to dump things until it was no longer his problem.

He found himself gasping for air, as Yugi hadn't given him a chance to use any of his better strategies or monsters, and destroyed him as quickly as possible.

When he went to reveal the sacred tattoo that was forced upon him, Yugi stopped him.

"Don't bother, I already know about the pharaoh and his true name. And if I ever run into any of the people responsible for that tacky tattoo they placed on your back, I will make them wish for death," said Yugi.

Marik could sense he was being entirely truthful.

"That being said..."

Marik really should have known from the look on Yugi's face and the tone that he was in for it.

"Bakura, keep your damn boyfriend on a better leash! Or at least introduce him to some better goons! Their dueling skills sucked!"

Bakura cackled and Marik squawked when he was picked up and thrown over the albino's shoulder.

"I make no promises he's walking out on his own power after this," said Bakura.

Rook let out a laugh of his own.

"I would say the same of Roi du Poison, especially with the promise he made me before getting on that blimp!"

Yugi blushed a bit at that, but at the same time he had been anticipating this since he was reunited with Rook again.

"I hear nothin', I see nothin', and I want to know nothin'!" said Jounouchi, putting a hand over his eyes in exasperation.

Mostly because he could guess what sort of promise Rook had commented on.

Yugi snorted at that.

~*~*~*~*~

Yugi had the fortune of not having a drink in hand when he got a sudden call from Idia. Idia had left a few things behind for Yugi to keep, mostly so he could stay in contact with Ortho Beta. Besides, this Shadow Magic was far too much like Blot for his family to leave alone.

"I would say I hate you, but you did give my youngest brother back to me," said Idia.

"How did your parents react?"

"Same way they did last time," said Idia. "Except this time Ortho is there to enjoy it. Also, what the hell did you do to the memory card? There's some weird programming on it that prevents me from making any alterations."

" I did nothing," said Yugi. "All I did was talk to him even when he couldn't reply back. If anything, I'd say the fact he was bonded to Ortho Alpha's phantom caused it. Bakura straight up confirmed that card had a soul of it's own, though it was pretty weak."

Idia shared a Look with Yugi, mostly processing that Ortho Beta now had an actual soul. The AI he had created to replace his lost brother had developed a conscience of his own.

He wasn't sure how to feel about that, but it didn't change the fact Ortho Beta was his youngest sibling.

"If anything, mom is absolutely thrilled and it's giving dad headaches."

"What did they say about the shadow magic?"

"Ah...about that."

Yugi stared him down.

"Do you think you could handle having all three of us around full time? I know you'll be joining NRC with me in next year anyway, but the reports I gave had the security division really concerned."

"Grandpa would probably be thrilled, honestly," said Yugi. "If nothing else let your parents know I can set up a mirror portal straight to STYX so you can go to and from home without spending an absurd amount of money."

"Wait, that's you doing that?!" said Idia. "You've been driving our sensors absolutely nuts trying to track down who's been creating these illegal portals!"

"How else was I supposed to live as both Vil and Yugi?" said Yugi incredulous. "It's not that hard to begin with."

"...What do you need to create a portal, and would you mind if we record it?" said Idia.

It would be great to finally find a way to filter out the illegal portals all over the place.

"I'll need a full sized mirror, not enchanted in any way, and I have to have a visual of the place I'm going to. Easiest way to do it is to bring me to STYX again and I can simply portal home with whatever recording devices you plan to use. But if you try to collar me with that anti-magic thing again, I'll set the pharaoh after your entire research division. He's not nearly as merciful as I am."

It honestly shouldn't have surprised him that it took less than five hours for STYX to send a transport to bring him to the Island of Woe.

Yugi had already alerted Rook as to what was going on, and this time Rook wouldn't need his signature spell to track him down since he knew damn well where the place was after last time.

Meeting Idia and Ortho's parents was...interesting...to say the least. Idia clearly took after his father, while the Ortho twins took after their mother in personality. It didn't bother him in the least that they wore concealing helmets.

"Yugi-nii!" said Ortho Beta.

Yugi could totally get why Jounouchi, Kaiba and Idia were all overprotective shits when it came to their siblings. It was hard not to dote and be protective of the twins, who saw Yugi/Vil as yet another older brother.

He ruffled the hair of the twins, who beamed at him.

"So you're the one creating all those illegal portals," said Idia's father.

"It's not that hard, and I only figured out how by accident," said Yugi.

"And this...shadow magic...stuff?" said his mother.

"If you want more details, you can ask the pharaoh. I've only skimmed the top of what's possible with it," said Yugi quickly.

Yugi was incredibly leery of the devices they put on his wrists to measure his magical output, but ignored it. He could still use his magic and if nothing else he was sure the Pharaoh could deal with it.

Creating a portal was as easy as breathing to him at this point.

"Did you get it?" said Ortho's father.

"Affirmative sir. This is the same signature we've been trying to track down for almost eight years," said another tech.

Yugi popped his head back through the mirror, having created a portal straight to his room and had come right back almost immediately to insure the path was stable.

Idia really should have been more worried about how quickly Yugi returned.

A few hours later...

"Wait, you want me to what?!"

Yugi looked almost demonic as he had in his hands instruments of what Idia could only describe as torture.

Well, for a poor introverted nerd like him anyway.

"Oh hush you. With how your hair is I'm more surprised that no one has commented on the sheer number of split ends you have. You are overdue a hair cut and we both know it."

"Ortho, help!" Idia called out.

"Sorry Idy-nii," said Ortho Alpha, though he looked a mite too amused by all this.

"Mama overrode your objections when Yugi-nii explained what he planned to do," said Ortho Beta, also looking a bit too gleeful.

"Be glad I don't plan to force you to undergo a full beauty regimen. Just clearing up your complexion and getting you into a healthy body weight will be sufficient," said Yugi, unsympathetic.

Idia was entirely too skinny and pale. Even Yugi had been better before he became Vil, though he still disliked sports.

Idia found zero sympathy from his parents, who were somewhat relieved that their eldest had made a new friend out this mess.

His mother also cooed and took many, many blackmail photos of him after Yugi gave him a very overdue haircut. That wasn't to say long hair didn't suit Idia, it was just that his was in such bad shape it was easier (and healthier) to cut most of the dead ends off and let it regrow to his old length.

And if that meant Yugi had to bully the idiot scientist into taking care of himself, then he'd bully the idiot scientist.