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I Know You're Out There Somewhere	By : Firewing Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 3536 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh!, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 44
- 45
- 46
Chapter 45 Rescue and Retaliation

��
Yugi strained to feel the presence of his dark, but still could not sense him. For two years he had never really been alone and he�d forgotten what a scary feeling that could be. He was cold and thirsty and found himself wishing that Pegasus would come back. That in itself was a slightly frightening thought, yet Pegasus radiated a strength that didn�t come from a need to be domineering or out of a fear of being thought weak. In that sense it was a strength more formidable than Seto�s if only because it was flexible.
�Pegasus�.� Yugi whispered with parched lips. He drifted into a garish dreamland and looked out a barred window into a forest of dark and twisted thorns. As he watched some creature he could not quite cried out from the forest floor, another answered, and then both fell silent. It was a forlorn sound and suited Yugi�s mood perfectly. He felt no fear, no sense of being threatened in this place, although his surroundings suggested he was still a prisoner, if only of his own mind. He had lost more than he could bear already. Whatever suffering he felt was blanketed by numbness and shock. Seconds or decades may have passed before he became aware that he was no longer alone. In a dulled lethargy he looked from the narrow window to the presence intruding on his grief.
�Yugi-boy, you don�t belong here. You�re very weak and I�ve got a battle to commence.� Pegasus commented and uninvited took a seat next to the teen on the narrow cot where Yugi sat with his legs drawn to his chest in an upright fetal position. �Hm�it�s no wonder Mokuba kept escaping, these tower accommodations are appalling��
Yugi slowly turned to face the wielder of the Millennium Eye. �Yami�s gone. It doesn�t matter what happens to me.�
�Yes, Yugi, it does matter because you�ve managed to wander into the landscape of my mind and I can�t have your death on my conscience now can I?� Pegasus smirked playfully. But Yugi�s eyes glistened with tears and he took pity on the boy by gathering the small body into his arms. �Nothing will happen to Yami. He�s a spirit. Joseph will be here soon. He�ll be most anxious to find you and so you�d best go back and wait for him.�
�I�d rather stay.� Yugi pouted.
�Well, of course you would, Yugi-boy. It�s every teenage boy�s fantasy to be trapped in the cartoon landscape of a madman�s mind.� Pegasus chuckled and patted the spiky crown.
All of the older man�s attempts at lighthearted humor fell flat as Yugi automatically tuned out the inane comments. �I miss Yami.�
�We�ll get him back, Yugi, I give you my word. But you must let me complete the task I have set for myself. Shadi will fail, it is all a matter of timing, Yugi-boy. You must not give up. When haven�t your friends come through for you?� Pegasus asked gently and the Millennium Eye flashed like a beacon in darkness.
�Never�� Yugi whispered as his consciousness faded out. He slept fitfully as he passed through dreams and memories.
��..

Illusionary Airs landed on an abandoned air strip outside the ruins of an ancient village.
�Cecelia, I want you and Mokuba to stay here with the pilot.� Seto�s tone made this request a definite order.
�No,� they both replied in unison.
Seto groaned, �We don�t have time for this!�
�No, we don�t.� Ryou agreed holding the Ring out in front of him. It glowed faintly and its points defied gravity as it directed Ryou�s attention to the barren stretch of desert to the west of the ghost town.
Jou puzzled over its choice of direction as well. �What�s it focused on?�
�Probably the Millennium Eye.� Ryou answered quietly.
�Joseph, you don�t know what you may be getting yourself into. You may need all the help you can get. After all, I�ve spent more than my share of time in the Shadow Realm.� Cecelia reasoned with her son. Now she not only worried about her husband�s safety, but also desired a very good explanation from him. There was a part of her that had wanted to return to the Shadow Realm with Gina and never look back. Still, Max had spent seventeen years trying to raise her from the dead, maybe things weren�t as bad as they seemed. Her imagination worked overtime to give her an image of her perfect Maximillion in Christopher Croquet�s arms and she shuddered in revulsion.
Jou looked from one set of blue eyes to the other, uncertain and caught between them. While he understood what his mother was saying, he agreed with Seto, if only to keep both her and Kuba out of harm�s way.
�We need to travel fast and light.� Seto impatiently interjected.
�And you think we�ll slow you down? We don�t deserve to be treated like babies!� Mokuba pouted.
�You should both stay.� Ryou added his vote to Seto�s. Mokuba glared at him. His eyes told Ryou uncertain terms that he was a traitor. Oh well, it�s not the first time I�ve made someone I loved feel that way. But he couldn�t deny the sorrow he felt over the silent accusation.
Once more Cecelia turned to her strangely quiet son, �Joseph, please don�t treat me like I�ll break�.�
�Mom, I�m sure you can probably handle whatever�s out there,� He indicated the endless sands with a wave of his hand, �But what about Father? He might break me.�
Cecelia�s face darkened the way only a mother�s can when she�s being crossed, �Your father would never harm you, Joseph! I have far more experience in dealing with the Shadow Realm than all of you combined!�
�Cecelia,� Ryou took her hands and tried to calm her by stroking them, �You have been through a lot, but you�re whole now. We just want to protect you. You�ve done a great deal just by bringing us information that we had no knowledge of. Without you we would have had no chance of stopping Shadi�s madness. Please stay here.�
Fresh tears streaked her face, but finally she nodded. Joey hugged her and whispered his own reassurances in her ear.
�Seto�� Mokuba started in again.
�Mokuba, it�s bad enough that I have to take the Mutt with me. You�ll help me best by staying safe.� Mokuba turned his back on them and stormed off to the jet. He paused long enough to kick the nearest decent sized rock in his path and then he was gone. Ryou took one hesitant step toward the jet before Seto stopped him. �Lead the way.�
��.
Max chose the Great Hall of Toon Castle Pegasus for his confrontation with Shadi. While he would never admit as much to Christopher, he actually wasn�t sure how much help the bodyguard would be in a mental battle fought with magic. What he did know was he felt stronger knowing Chris was with him.
Croquet entered the black marble hall first and announced Pegasus� arrival to the vast array of cartoon characters lining both sides of the cavernous room. Whoops and whistles greeted Master Pegasus who was now lavishly attired in a purple velvet suit and an ankle length purple and black cape. He bowed graciously to his subjects. As one purple shoe touched the floor of the Great Hall a red carpet appeared and unrolled itself.
Croquet rolled his eyes.
�Hmph�.you lack appreciation for a dramatic entrance, Croquet.� Pegasus chided.
�Yes, sir.� Chris agreed.
�Tsk, tsk, Christopher, see how my loyal subjects adore me?�
�Max, they�re figments of your imagination.� Croquet answered him through gritted teeth.
Pegasus pouted, �At least I have an imagination. Really, you are such a killjoy. Can�t you leave a fellow to a few illusions?� Max frowned at what he had just said thinking about Croquet�s confession to Cecelia. �No, you can�t, can you?� he asked with more than a trace of bitterness.
But Croquet was staring at the other end of the Great Hall. �Are they illusions too, Master Pegasus?�
Pegasus� �guests� were both dressed in white. Shadi was covered head to foot except for his face and hands. Bakura was half-naked and barefoot with a sword slung low on his hips. But Pegasus was more fascinated by the single exotic detail of Bakura�s bare chest than he was the duo�s appearance.
�Hm�you seem to have forgotten your necklace, Kura-boy.� Bakura snarled in response, but Pegasus had already moved on to Shadi. �Master Shadi, your visits are always such a delight.�
�You cannot hope to defeat us, Pegasus. We are both five thousand year old beings. You are but an infant.� Shadi responded smoothly.
Pegasus strode up to his nemesis undaunted. �Age before beauty, Shadi? The student has exceeded the master. I may have been but a pawn in your sordid little game, but it seems destiny has chosen me to wield the Millennium Eye after all.�
�You are a fool!� snorted Bakura.
Pegasus stopped midway across the room, �Truly? Perhaps. One of you seeks death, the other power, when the only thing worth fighting for is those you love. And I will fight.�
He glanced at Croquet who pulled a concealed lever by the door even as the Toons vanished. They had served their purpose as a distraction to buy Pegasus time. He sensed rather than saw Chris take his position behind and just to the left of him as the long walls of the Great Hall slowly inched their way toward one another.
�The walls are moving!� Bakura announced.
�So they are.� Pegasus laughed maniacally. �Shadi, if you destroy my mind within the walls of Toon Castle Pegasus your soul will be trapped within the Millennium Eye.�
Having focused only on getting Pegasus out of his way, it had not occurred to Shadi that the one-eyed man had mastered the Millennium magic so completely. Outwardly, he remained impassive, �You�re bluffing, Pegasus.�
Max shrugged and examined his fingernails, �Are you willing to wager your soul on it? After all, trapped in here, among my Toons�.I can think of worse ways to spend eternity. It would disrupt your plans, I admit. You would become a spirit and be denied your death, not to mention that a certain pharaoh would not dominate the world with unremitting darkness�.�
Bakura growled, �Shadi! I�m not going to be trapped here! You want to that worthless pharaoh to rule the world? I won�t have it!� He drew the jeweled sword and advanced on Shadi, �Release me! You promised me an empty vessel of my own! Not imprisonment in another in another Ra-damned item!�
Shadi raised his hand palm out as if to push Bakura away. Bakura flew back through the air, hit one of the moving walls, and slid down it, winded, but glaring.
�You have no power here.� Shadi told him calmly.
Bakura gathered himself up and gave Shadi a regal bow, �I am humbled by your awesome stupidity.�
Bakura then charged at Pegasus, fully expecting Croquet to intercept him. Which Croquet automatically did putting his body between the cartoon crazed madman and Bakura�s charge. Bakura smiled ferally in triumph as he ran Croquet through up to the hilt of his sword.
Chris hardly had time to register that his movement to shield Max played right into Bakura�s plans before he was sinking to his knees. There was no pain, actually he felt nothing at all, though he was aware that there must at least six inches of the sword�s blade sticking out of his back. He wondered if it had severed his spine, but all he was really aware of was a high-pitched shriek.
�Max�� He whispered as he identified the voice�s owner, then arms encircled him.
�No, Christopher, this wasn�t supposed to happen.� Pegasus whispered.
The walls were closing on them and Bakura�s voice overrode everything else. �Release me or I will kill Pegasus as well. We�ll be trapped here, but I�ll enjoy making your existence hell, Shadi!�
He quickly pulled a dagger from his waistband, went to Pegasus, and grasped a handful of his silver hair yanking the man�s head back forcefully. He allowed the blade of the dagger to just break the tender skin of his next potential victim�s throat. Pegasus let go of his bodyguard and instinctively grasped at the hand holding the dagger. With Croquet neatly skewered and out of the way, neither Pegasus or Shadi could hardly doubt Bakura�s intention to carry out his threats.
�I should have killed you last time when I had the chance,� Bakura sneered before he wetly licked Pegasus� cheek.
Shadi had grown impatient with the rescued spirit�s antics, �I have decided your fate, thief. You shall return to the Millennium Ring at once.�
Without further ceremony, Bakura vanished. The sudden release of Pegasus� head made it snap forward and connect painfully with Croquet�s skull. The man he had come to depend on for so much was slumped over the hilt of the sword. Shadi had given him hope that if it wasn�t already too late Chris might yet survive.
�Christopher�?� Pegasus gently cradled his head and look into glazed over gray eyes, �Listen to me. Your body is not here. You know that. This is all an illusion. You are really quite unharmed.� There was no response. �Oh, Christopher, you simply must hold on.� The Eye flashed and Croquet also vanished. Pegasus rose to his full height, regal, imposing, and enraged. �It was wrong of you to draw others into a contest that should have been between us two.�
Pegasus� voice had hardened and carried a determined edge that should have warned Shadi not to cross him, but instead Shadi placidly taunted him. �You waste your energy on that which does not matter.�
�My wife, my son, my�� His voice faltered and finally he allowed his last shred of denial to dissolve, �My lover�all that truly matters is love, Shadi. Five thousand years have taught you nothing.� His hands were shaking with his fury so he clasped them behind him.
�Love is transitory, fleeting, empty. It is the wind blowing across the desert. It is something that only a romantic imbecile would place any faith in.� Shadi countered in a monotone that would have made even Chris cringe at its coldness.
�Love is eternal.� Pegasus felt strangely calm now. He felt the power of the Eye building to a crescendo with his anger and hatred. He could give into it easily, let its power overwhelm him again. But those days were over. �You have no power here, Shadi.�
For a solitary fatal moment, Shadi was stunned. He understood now that he had underestimated his opponent. Pegasus had not been bluffing about trapping their souls in the Millennium Eye. He had also not guessed that Pegasus was intelligent enough to realize that Shadi had no more power in Pegasus� mind than Pegasus himself allowed him to have. Then the walls stopped and Shadi focused on bringing Pegasus down. Millennium magic met Millennium magic as their duel began.
Pegasus redirected the power of the Eye from rage to love, concentrating on driving Shadi into retreat. But his power was greater than he knew and Shadi�s exquisite screams expressed an agony no one should ever bear. The Egyptian disappeared, defeated.
Moments later, Pegasus slowly raised his aching head and opened his eye. The Millennium Key and Scales were laying in powdery dry chemicals on the chair opposite him in the underground chamber of the long lost pyramid. Shadi had finally gotten his wish for eternal death.
��.
Croquet returned to consciousness suddenly, disorientated, but apparently whole. Was that some sort of bizarre dream? No, not possible. I don�t have that much imagination, that�s Max�s department. He recognized Max�s private cabin on the jet and everything came back to him. �Crap!�
He heard voices outside of the cabin.
�Croquet�s awake.�
�Are you sure, Mokuba?�
Blonde curls and a black shaggy head poked in through the half open doorway. Croquet was already on his feet patting his abdomen where the sword had sliced through him. He seemed to be unwounded, but his balance wavered with the memory of Bakura�s charge.
�Croquet, maybe you should lie down.� Cecelia suggested without real compassion. �You passed out. Do you remember?�
He nodded, �Where is everybody?�
�They went to get Yugi and Pegasus.� Mokuba answered glumly.
�Where? Can you show me?� He avoided Cecelia�s eyes, not out of shame but in an effort to prioritize. Saving lives was more important than dealing with the woman�s emotional trauma. But he need not have concerned himself as he caught the victorious look Mokuba and Cecelia exchanged.
�They didn�t leave that long ago. There should still be tracks.� Mokuba said.
Croquet shook his head, �They left you here to keep you out of harm�s way.�
�No,� Cecelia responded sharply, �They left us here to look after you.�
Chris raised an eyebrow at her. He was smarter than the average sand dune, after all, and he knew a lie when he heard it. Then he relented as her eyes clouded with tears. He couldn�t believe he was about to embark on a dangerous rescue mission with a Barbie-doll look-alike and a child. �You must promise to do exactly as I say without argument.�
�Okay,� Mokuba nodded.
�Yes, Croquet.� Cecelia agreed.
The sad note in her voice was enough to make Chris want to do everything in his power to comfort her, apologize for the cold hard truth, bow out of the impossible love triangle, and make any sacrifice in order that she and Max could be happy. But he had made a very different vow to his master, a vow to stand by him no matter what, and in this, as in most things, Max�s preferences took precedence.
�Where are my sunglasses?� He grumbled.
They set off on the trail Seto, Jou, and Ryou left for them moments later.
��.
Instead of feeling a sense of victory, Pegasus felt despair. While he believed Croquet had successfully returned to his corporeal body, the image of him being pierced by Bakura�s sword remained. Am I truly prepared to choose one love over the other?

A feminine shriek from behind him was his first indication that he was not alone. He rose and faced the woman without surprise.
�Anya? Is there a problem? You are quite pale, my dear,� he intoned in a pleasantly modulated voice. So much really did depend on one�s presentation. Yet he was incredibly weary, having had precious little sleep in the last two days, and he knew the Millennium Eye would fail him now if attempted to use it.
Simply the sight of the chair across from his and mere fact that he was breathing was enough to send Anya fleeing from the chamber. He sighed heavily in relief. He had a moment to consider his options when a belated thought occurred to him. �Hm�why do I have a feeling that I should have prevented her exit? No matter, I must find Yugi.�
Pegasus pondered Shadi�s chair, his brow furrowing in deep thought. There was something not quite right about the old scribe�s remains. He picked up the Millennium Key, cringing a bit at touching the chemical remains of Shadi�s body as he did so. The Key, the Scales�.but Shadi had also had the Ring. Where was the Ring? Bakura had not had it.
He had no time to wonder about it. He was certain Anya would be returning with Ennead henchmen any moment. Cautiously, Pegasus stepped out into the passageway and briefly examined the hieroglyphs and paintings adorning the walls. Under different circumstances he would have loved to study them in detail, but as it was they would help him navigate the underground labyrinth.
�Such a pity,� he muttered to himself.
��
Gina teleported back to the Shadow Realm and went in search of her brother. He stayed close to this dimension�s version of the pharaoh�s tomb. She was certain the purple-clad mage manifested the shrine himself. She knew only what Cecelia told her of the events that had followed her new incarnation into her world. The fact that Souleater had captured the pharaoh�s host was deeply troubling. Already she could feel the barriers thinning out between the dimensions. Her mistress� mere thought of her was enough to summon the little mage to her side too easily. Not all of the monsters of the Shadow Realm were evil or insane, but they were in the majority.
The Dark Magician stood with his shoulders slumped staring down at the pharaoh�s sarcophagus. It was molded out of gold into the image of Pharaoh Atem with large inlaid rubies for eyes. Gina had memorized the details centuries ago. But now she gasped as she saw what had riveted her brother�s attention. Ethereal still, the pharaoh�s spiritual form rested over the golden image. �Big brother?�
The dark mage cast his turquoise eyes on his little sister as if the effort to focus on her cost him dearly. /The Ennead may succeed in opening the gates between the dimensions this time. Souleater has been vanquished, but another will step into his place. The pharaoh�s soul will turn to darkness and he will be little more than the puppet of evil gods./
�We must do something!� Gina cried out.
/If I could, little sister, do you think I would not have done so already?/ He asked her telepathically. /There is nothing I can do unless I am summoned./
She stamped her foot in irate frustration, able to identify with Cecelia�s feelings of helplessness. Even after having spoken to her mistress she had not understood how dire the situation truly was. She could only hope that Cecelia would call on her again soon. //Who will take Souleater�s place?//
/I know not, little one./ The Dark Magician answered gravely.
Gina sighed and sat down crossed legged on the floor with her elbows on her knees and her chin resting on the back of her hands. There was little to do but wait. She might as well wait in this place with her brother as he had for so many millennia.
��.
The three teens simultaneously stopped and took in the sight of endless miles of nothing but sand.
�But it�s right here!� Ryou insisted. The Ring confirmed his statement, glowing with its points nearly forcing the albino blond to his knees.
�Are you sure?� Joey asked.
�Yes, he�s sure, Pup. These are the exact coordinates your father gave us.� Seto growled. Yami�s theory that he had once been an Egyptian priest was totally wrong. He hated Egypt. He hated the sand, the blazing sun, and the desert.
The lovers were startled when Ryou cried out in pain and, clutching the Ring, sank to his knees.
�Ryou, what�s wrong?� In a heartbeat Jou was beside him.
�I�m not Ryou, you fool!� Bakura sneered hatefully.
Joey�s eyes widened in surprise, �But�but Yami put a spell on you��
�And Shadi broke it. The imbecile forgot to replace it when he returned my spirit to the Ring.� He laughed menacingly. �I will be free! I will destroy my hikari�s soul and take his body for my own!�
Joey thought about telling the spirit he was crazy, thought better of it, and tackled him instead. �No, you won�t, Bakura!�
After Jou�s last encounter with the dark spirit, Seto was none too willing to stand by and watch as they fought, but he could do little else as he waited for an opening so he could pry them apart. He shifted his feet, ready to intervene, when his boot connected with something solid. A large rusted ring barely poked up out of the sand. He was standing on a trapdoor.
�Set�o!�.Some help�.please!� Joey choked out.
Seto had time to register the sand coating Jou�s face and streaming off of his hair like a golden waterfall before he realized that Bakura had his foot in the center of the blond�s back with his head pulled back into a position where the spirit could easily break his neck.
Once Bakura had Seto�s undivided attention, he sneered, removed his foot from Joey�s back, and instantly dropped to his knee making Joey�s spine crunch with his full weight. Jou screamed in agony, though the sound was somewhat muffled because Bakura�s hands forced his jaws tightly closed.
�I should have killed you instead of just sending you to the Shadow Realm.� Bakura hissed. �Little Yugi and that man whose seed gave you life will die in the ancient crypt beneath the sands. But don�t worry, Joey, you and your precious lover will join them shortly.�
The white haired thief sealed his mouth over his victim�s, letting his grip on Jou�s chin slacken enough that he could force his tongue into the blond�s mouth. Laughing, he stared into Kaiba�s ice chip eyes, �I thought I�d take the pleasure of his last kiss while he�s still breathing.� He let his eyes rove over Kaiba suggestively and smiled the cruel smile of a hyena, �You would be the perfect host. You have both money and power, and while your looks are so-so, they�ll have to do. I�ll have your company and your brother, of course��
Seto refused to let his rage control him. The cold businessman part of his brain was calculating his next move, pros and cons, discarding one strategy in favor of another faster than the thief had assessed his sex appeal. �What do you want, Bakura? A vessel of your own? Your freedom? Enough money to start an empire of your own? No one has to die. I can give your own body and the money to buy you a new life. If that�s all you want, that�s easy enough.�
Bakura blinked and then growled. �No! I won�t be suckered by more empty promises!�
Sighing, Seto sat down on the trapdoor and spread his open hands in a gesture that suggested weariness and an honest offer. �Let go of Jou and I�ll explain.�
Bakura looked down at Joey, puzzled by the change in Seto�s attitude and wondering what was so special about the dumb blond. He shrugged, � I can always kill him later.�
Released, Joey groaned. He could barely move, let alone sit up. Sharp pains shot through his back and his muscles simply wouldn�t respond. Coughing and gagging he tried to roll to his side. Breathing was actually only a secondary priority compared to getting the taste of Bakura out of his mouth. Seto glared at the thief and went to help Jou into a semi-reclined position.
�You can�t�Seto�you just can�t�not like you did with my mom. He�s evil. Who knows what he would do if he were set loose in the world?� Joey whispered as he loosely wrapped his arms around the brunet�s neck.
Seto wiped the sand and dirt from his puppy�s face, �There are risks, Jou, but think of the alternative. If Bakura stops us from saving Yugi and the Shadow Realm is merged with our world�� He shook his head, �Sometimes there are no good choices. Sometimes you have to choose the lesser evil.�
�Are you two quite finished with your little reunion? You�re sickening pathetic mortals�� Bakura scoffed impatiently.
�I can create a body for you.� Seto told him coldly. �But to put your soul in it I�ll have to have the help of those you are so willing to destroy.�
Bakura frowned. They had resurrected Cecelia Pegasus��And what is your price, Seto Kaiba?�
Seto nodded. So far so good. �I�ll give you five million dollars to start over with. What you do with it is up to you as long as you make a reasonable effort to live by the laws of whatever country you end up in. You�ll leave Japan forever. You�ll surrender the Ring to�� he hesitated and then gave into the possibility of Pegasus� misguided good intentions, �Jou�s father. You�ll leave all of us in peace. I have the ability to find you, anywhere, anytime, and take the life that I�m offering you. You�ll retreat into the Ring now and stay put until Ryou summons you.�
Bakura raised an eyebrow and looked at Joey who was rubbing his injured back, �How do you put up with this arrogant, demanding��
�Either accept my offer or don�t.� Seto broke in.
�I accept.� The Ring glowed a bit brighter and Ryou was back in control. �Joey�I�m�so sorry. Are you going to be able to walk?�
�I think so�� Joey answered, wincing as both Ryou and Seto helped him to stand up.
�What now?� Ryou asked Kaiba, �Should we get Joey back to the jet?�
�I found the trap door. Do you think you could get him to the jet?�
�Yes, but��
�Hey! I�m not a sack of potatoes!� Joey interjected. �And you are so not going anywhere alone, Seto!�
Seto�s face twitched with the barest hint of a smirk, �That�s my Pup.� He patted Joey�s head to emphasize his point. �Seriously, Jou, I don�t want you going down there if you aren�t up to it.�
�My back�s bruised, but you�ve got a bullet hole in your leg. You aren�t leaving me behind!� Jou insisted.
Ryou watched their exchange curiously and came to the conclusion that they really were made for each other. �If we�re all going��
�Right.� Seto pulled open the trapdoor easily. Careful maintenance had kept the hinges working smoothly in spite of the gritty sand. The passage down was pitch black. �Ryou, can that Ring of yours light the way?�
Even with the magical light Ryou could only see three or four steps ahead of him. Anything could be waiting for them in the dark. They searched the walls for some kind of lighting mechanism but came up with only a couple empty torch sockets. It was just as well though, for the use of brighter lighting would have only served to announce their presence.

��..
The pyramid had been buried under the skin of the desert for more than a thousand years. Structurally sound and magically maintained, nevertheless it had started to crumble under the sheer weight of sand and time. Without Shadi�s magic the magnificent tomb�s decay would accelerate.
Anya returned to Shadi�s chamber with six angry Ennead men. They were fully prepared to rip Pegasus limb from limb, but the man was no where in evidence. She had not really expected him to sit there and wait for her to return, but she had to get reinforcements. Every passageway and every exit to the tunnels that lead to the surface were guarded. Pegasus would not escape from them alive.
Anya couldn�t believe Master Shadi was gone. She had been little more than a starving waif living off the streets when she had stumbled onto a secret meeting of the Ennead in Cairo. Shadi had turned his cold eyes on her and she was certain her miserable existence was over. Instead he had given her a choice between death and joining the cult.
Now as she knelt before Shadi�s remains she could not accept the failure of the Ennead�s sacred mission. Through the monsters of the Shadow Realm the dark Egyptian gods would have once again ruled civilization, but with their leader gone and no one to take his place�She started an ancient prayer to those same gods and the men she brought with respectfully gave her some space. The Ennead were lost and about to be buried the tomb that had been their base.
She paused when she noticed a glow coming from Shadi�s robes and reverently moved the cloth aside to reveal the Millennium Scales. She touched them almost fearfully and felt an ages old, yet terrible power possess her. As Anya passed form shadow to darkness hope stirred within her. The Ennead were not leaderless, their mission had not failed, and she would complete what Shadi had begun.
��.
A painted archway on a section of the wall Pegasus followed caught his attention. He took the Millennium Key from his trousers pocket and placed it into an empty groove in the wall. The last of his strength seemed to drain away from him as the Key glowed and the wall divided allowing him direct passage into the Shadow Realm.
Apparently, the Key literally was the key to a portal between dimensions. He was amazed that its magic had worked for him as he was not the item�s master nor did he have any desire to be. He stepped through the portal believing that as the pyramid in the physical dimension was Yami�s tomb the Shadow Realm version lay just over the threshold. He thought that was probably where he would find Yami.
An imposing purple being appeared directly in front of Pegasus causing his heart to race with such force it actually hurt. The Dark Magician was not among his favorite monsters and then he remembered why.
/You will help my master./ The mage demanded telepathically.
�Your master is the reason I�m here.�
/Very well./ The Dark Magician nodded and thumped his staff on the ground.
Pegasus felt dizzy for a moment and steadied himself with an outstretched hand to the nearest solid object. He jerked away from it abruptly when he realized it was Yami�s sarcophagus. Worse the spirit himself was present and Pegasus had put his hand right through the insubstantial form. When he tore his gaze away from the spirit his eye met that of the Dark Magician Girl.
�Master Pegasus? We have little time. He must be rejoined with the Millennium Puzzle and his host before the Ennead complete the ritual.� She seemed strangely stern to Pegasus for being such a little pixie.
�Of course.� He turned to the silent Dark Magician and offered him the Millennium Key. �Would you find a safe place for this? The Ennead must not reacquire it.� He took the mute nod for acquiescence and looked from one sibling to the other. �How do you suggest we return the pharaoh to the Puzzle?�
The dark mage raised an accusing eyebrow at the mortal, �You revived the Shadow Games that my master gave his life to ban.� His deep bass boomed ominously, �Now it seems his soul too shall cease. We are powerless to do anything in the realm of light unless we are summoned.�
Pegasus felt vaguely threatened by the purple magician in the tall pointy hat. There seemed to be no love lost between them in any case. The mage still held the Key in his free hand. It seemed small and inconsequential in his guardianship. He raised his single brown orb to meet twin pools of turquoise with the understanding of what must be done. Shadi had used the Key to temporarily house Bakura�s soul, just as he had used the Eye to contain Christopher�s, though Christopher was a living being not a spirit. He was beyond weary and he would need help, but he had little choice.
He cleared his mind and focused on psychically reaching out to Yami. //Pharaoh, I need your counsel to return you to the Puzzle and to Yugi.//
He did not feel the presence of the ancient spirit or any direct response to his request, but the spell flowed into his mind like a mild river current. Pegasus spoke the words even as they came to him, the rich timbre of his voice shaping and empowering them with beauty and conviction. He was caught within the spell himself, strength flowed into him, and for the first time he understood what it was to have a yami even if this was only a temporary arrangement. The spell faded and the pharaoh was in residence within the Millennium Eye.
He listened carefully to the pharaoh�s instructions before bowing to the Dark Magician, �Your master thanks you for your loyalty and long service.�
Now Pegasus was used to hearing voices in his head, but this new entity within his mind was an entirely different matter. He felt strange, as though his soul itself had developed a stigmatism, a doubling in perception as his mind attempted to adapt to Yami. Yugi Motou was more remarkable than he�d ever guessed.
/Yugi./ Yami insisted through the mind link.
�Hm�I don�t believe I was meant for this, your ancientness, but by all means, please lead the way.� Even as Pegasus spoke a Shadow portal opened.
��
Croquet followed the footprints to the trap door in the middle of nowhere. He took in the wide pattern of disturbed sand at a glance. �There was a struggle here.�
�Did they get caught by the Ennead?� Cecelia asked anxiously.
Croquet shook his head, puzzled. �It was just the three of them.�
Mokuba sighed in exasperation, assuming Seto and Jou had gotten into another scuffle. �Who won?�
Croquet frowned and then his moustache twitched when he realized what Mokuba was thinking. �We�ll have to ask them.� The salt and pepper haired man pulled out a small but powerful flashlight and proceeded down the dark stairwell. �Stay close,� He ordered.
Mokuba lost his footing , staggered, and grabbed for Croquet�s jacket to steady himself. Croquet stumbled, unprepared for the impact, and slipped as Cecelia tried to save Mokuba from falling. Finally, they all had their balance again and stood there huddled in a darkness broken only by a single beam of bright light.
�Not that close.� Croquet grumbled, reminding himself that he could only die once, for if either of these two ended up with so much as a scratch he would likely be a dead man.
The thought brought the image of Bakura�s evil look of triumph as his sword cut through him to mind. Chris� resolve hardened. He had sworn his life to protecting Max when they were merely children. He remembered all the nights he had woken from a deep slumber and snuck into the castle through hidden passageways to Max�s bedroom. He couldn�t explain the compulsion he�d felt then. He�d only known the silver haired innocent needed him. Invariably he would find the smaller boy thrashing in his bed or huddled on the floor in tears. Sometimes they talked, more often than not they didn�t. Even then Max had just needed Chris� silent presence to soothe him. Such memories filled him with both longing and despair. That he still felt that same compulsion was testament to the fact that he would leave Max when his corpse was stuffed into a box, wife or no wife. Duelist Kingdom was home and Pegasus had stolen his soul with no more than a child�s smile.
They reached the end of the stairs and Croquet stopped. He wished Max would send for him now so he knew which way to go.
��..
Yugi drifted in and out. At one point the even dreamed he was in a bizarre technicolor version of Castle Pegasus and begging Pegasus to let him stay. He could no longer draw the line between his dreams and his reality. His body ached and his soul was bereft without its dark twin. Slowly he became aware of lights, footsteps, and angry voices. The Ennead had returned bringing with them a new playmate.
�You don�t know who you�re messing with, you old bitty� Hey! Those are mine! Give �em back. Nobody messes with my deck!�
One of bigger members of the cult backhanded Jou forcefully. He shut up abruptly and was grateful to still be on his feet. He�d had a heck of a time convincing Seto and Ryou to let him play guinea pig when the Ennead had come prowling through the halls. He saw the opportunity to both distract the cult from the other two and lead them straight to Yugi.
�Had you been my son, Joseph Pegasus, you would have learned proper manners and respect.� The petite Egyptian woman�s eyes were deadened with hatred.
�What the heck are you talking about�?� Jou started and this time it was the woman who had him seeing stars. He heard a scuffle and a low growl come from a concealed space just behind him and knew Seto wanted to inflict some damage. He could only hope that it was because he was aware of the other two�s presence that he heard them so easily and not because they were actually that loud.
The woman�s laughter made Jou wince. The sound was like the small hollow bones of little birds being broken. �I brought you into this world little one. I delivered you of that foolish filly, made her body worm food, and sent her soul to the Shadow Realm. You were supposed to be my reward. You should thank me. Shadi wanted you strangled on your birth cord. I saved your life so your life is mine. You belong to me.�
Though the woman was obviously insane, Jou�s mounting rage would not be deterred by false sympathy.

�You murdered my mother!� he screamed. His voice echoed throughout the chamber and reverberated off the walls. The whole place seemed to tremble with his anger. He grabbed Anya by the shoulders and shook her like a rag doll. �You�re evil! You�re all evil!�
The earth literally moved beneath their feet. Joey stumbled and Anya was thrown back. Her head connected with one of the ceremonial stones in a sickening way that made Jou think of a crushed raw egg.
Anya�s eyes remained open but unseeing. Jou understood how Dorothy felt when she accidently killed the Wicked Witch of the West. A murmur passed through the Ennead. Somehow Jou didn�t think Shadi�s followers were going to thank him�
As the Ennead advanced, Joey retreated. He heard a low moan to his left and tried to move to the right within the stone circle drawing the Ennead away from Yugi. His attention was caught by the splayed cards of his deck close to Anya�s body. Blood pooled in an ever-growing circle from underneath her head closing on the space where his cards lay. For a moment his only thought was that his monsters would be forever tainted by evil if so much as a drop of the sticky dark substance touched them.
Vaguely, he was aware of a low rumble and chanting, but his focus was trapped by the single card laying face up. Instinctively he stretched out his hand to it and backed up one more step. The heel of his shoe caught on one of the chains binding Yugi to the floor and he fell, sprawling on top of his already helpless friend. Yugi cried out in pain.
And still Jou�s concentration never left that one face up card.
�I�� his voice broke, his throat was suddenly as dry as the desert itself, �I summon��
The Ennead turned as though they shared a group mind as a massive Shadow portal opened behind them. It yawned liked a mouth growing ever larger and more terrible.
Joey took advantage of the their distraction. He had no idea what he was trying to do, only that, like so much else in his life, he was going with it simply because it felt right. �I summon the Red Eyes Black Dragon�fire blast attack!�
Through the portal the great dragon emerged, claws scraping on stone, massive wings unfurling as he drew his great head back and prepared to attack. The Ennead broke and ran helter skelter, some of them screaming in terror.
�Joseph! Call off your dragon!� The voice came out of nowhere, but was instantly recognized by the teen.
�Red Eyes, stop!� Joey shouted.
He managed to crawl off of Yugi and stumble to the dragon. He caressed the great snout as Red Eyes lowered his head and nuzzled his human. Jou smiled with tears in his eyes, �I love you too, my faithful friend.�
He noticed the man-shaped white force field in the Shadow portal for the first time. Pegasus shone like a star in his white shirt with his white hair flowing out behind him. The gold of the Millennium Eye stood out in bold contrast. Demon or angel? Both and neither, Jou decided.
�Max!� Cecelia threw herself in her husband�s arms so happy to see him that she had completely forgotten her troubles.
The portal closed and Pegasus was once again human, flesh and blood, mortal and fallible. Red Eyes had vanished when the portal closed. The Ennead had become ghost-like, hiding and unseen. Only Anya�s body remained, her blood mingling with that of the cult�s innocent victims.
For a long silent moment all Pegasus could do was hold Cecelia in a vice-like embrace. She was alive, she was whole, and she loved him with a love that was more than love in spite of the fact that she knew him better than he knew himself.
�Lady Pegasus.� He smiled into the priceless sapphire jewels of her eyes saying with those two words all that needed to be said. For a moment his life was perfect, was all he had ever hoped it would be. But he had come to realize that perfection was only possible in minute doses and life was not a pretty picture hanging on a wall.
�Christopher�� His voice ached with deep longing and withheld tears.
Croquet started toward him as if he was a puppet on a string with no resistance to his master�s command. Then the stone floor beneath them cracked, the walls started to crumble, dust and small sharp pebbles flew like shrapnel through the air.

/There is no time, Pegasus! Get Yugi out of here!/ The forgotten pharaoh demanded through the mind link.
Pegasus was momentarily blinded by the force of the mental communication and he reached out instinctively for Croquet.
Joey went to the bloody body of his one-time nanny to retrieve his deck and saw the small silver key that hung around her neck. He took a deep breath and removed it as scenes from every scary movie he�d ever watched resurfaced of the alleged dead returning to a form of zombie life, bent on revenge, grabbing the hapless hero by the ankle�
His foot touched the dead woman�s hand. He jumped away from the body with a surprised yelp as he connected with another body behind him.
�Hush, Pup, it�s me.� Seto whispered and wrapped his arms around his startled lover.
�Oh�� Jou relaxed even as Seto tensed.
�Mokuba! You knew I didn�t want you here!� Seto snarled.
From the collapsing pyramid more rocks showered down. The floor buckled and two of the ceremonial stones vanished.
�Seto, we�ve got to get out of here!� Mokuba yelled back.
Ryou was beside him squeezing his hand. Personally, he agreed with Seto. He really wished Mokuba hadn�t come back down here.
Joey pulled away from Seto and unlocked Yugi�s shackles. �Yug, you okay?�
He nodded. �The Puzzle�Yami��
Pegasus half-knelt on the other side of the King of Games, �Yugi-boy, I have Yami. I admit I will be most grateful to have him out of my head as soon as we are safe.�
�Pops, he won�t go anywhere without the Puzzle.� Jou reminded him as he gathered the smaller teen into his arms and lifted him. He�s so light. He looks like a holocaust victim.

The Millennium Puzzle had been resting on a makeshift alter where the Ennead had opened the portal between the realms, but now even the alter was gone. Ryou saw the Puzzle just as it was about to sip into a crevasse and made a lunge for it.
�No�!� He yelled as the chain slipped through his fingers. He dove in after it. He alone of Yugi�s friends had first hand knowledge of what the item and the dark spirit meant to Yugi.
He would have fallen into the widening gap himself had Mokuba not grabbed his legs. The underground pyramid was coming down all around them. Large chunks of stone were falling and sand poured in eagerly through every gap.
�Damn it, Mokuba!� Seto yelled through the growing cacophony caused by the disintegrating chamber. He scrambled to reach his brother as both Mokuba and Ryou slid into the yawning gap.
�I�ve got it! I�ve got it!� The Puzzle had landed on a jutting piece of rock. With all of the slipping and sliding he�d managed to finally reach it.
Seto unceremoniously hauled Ryou out of the fissure glaring ominously, �You�re a heck of a lot of trouble!�
�I hate to be a party pooper, but if we�re leaving perhaps now would be a good time, hm�?� Pegasus suggested.
�How are we going to get out of here?� Seto snapped at him.
Pegasus answered by opening another Shadow portal and herding first Cecelia and then Jou with Yugi cradled in his arms through it. The rest of them followed quickly and when they stepped out they were back on the beach at the beach house in the glaring late afternoon sun coated from head to foot in millennium old grime.
�Yugi! Yugi, oh no!� Tea cried as she ran from the house with Tristan and Serenity following on her heels. �What happened, Joey?�
Jou knelt and laid Yugi in the sand. He shook his head in answer. He didn�t really know. But Tea was already looking at Pegasus, her eyes pleading with the older man to tell her that everything would be all right.
�Tea,� Max took her hand compassionately and they knelt with Joey in the sand. Ryou slipped the Millennium Puzzle over Yugi�s head and Pegasus nodded. Softly he said, �I am a man of my word, Yugi-boy.�
Then for an instant everything changed.
�We�ll be together again soon, Yugi.� Pegasus� powerful voice carried with it the resonance of another�s and his single brown orb glowed crimson.
Yugi clutched the Puzzle with one hand and with the other reached out to touch Pegasus� face. �Yami��
Pegasus quickly swept the moon silver veil away from the glowing Millennium Eye. A moment later his task was done, his sins redeemed, and the pharaoh and his light were rejoined.
Yugi sat up slowly only to be knocked back down by Tea, although Jou quite literally had his back this time so he wasn�t completely flattened by his anxious girlfriend.
�Joey?�
�Yeah, Yug?�
�Next time you decide to invite Yami and I on a vacation�don�t.� Yugi deadpanned.
Joey grinned, �Are you and Yami okay then?�
Yugi nodded, �We�re exhausted and I�m thirsty, but we�re okay.�
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