Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters, please don't sue me, yadda yadda yadda.

AN: Some people have pointed out that Anzu, Jou' and Seto were in Egypt. While this may be true (I don't know as I haven't seen any eps that flash back to it) they won't be in Egypt here, as they don't really fit in, and I'm not going to cram them in when I haven't even mentioned them before. Although if you like you could always imagine that Seto was one of the healers that poisoned Yami...

I would also like to clarify the fact that I have nothing whatsoever against yaoi, I just don't write it. I'm only telling people so those who don't want to read it know it's not going to be in here...

-------------------------------------------------

Bakurah wondered the halls of the palace, teeth bared maliciously. Whomever he met first would bear the brunt of his fury. His greatest rival, a boy who had beaten him at a game only he could play, had turned out to be the Pharaoh of Egypt. How could he possibly compete with that? He had, of course, planned to kill the Pharaoh before he had met him which would put him above suspicion. The assassin Bakurah had hired in the morning had reported that while he had half drowned the Pharaoh and stabbed him he hadn't actually seen him dead. And since Egypt hadn't fallen into mourning yet obviously Yami was that Pharaoh. It would certainly account for the odd cloth thing he had been wearing over his shoulder. An attempt a few weeks ago to poison the Pharaoh had also failed, and he had not heard from those who he had hired to do it since. Bakurah would have his revenge, even if he had to wait for it.

-----------------------------------------------

Yami was once again in the Shadow Realm, playing the dueling game against Sehka. The game seemed, to him, to be easy as it was mostly strategy, something that a Pharaoh should know instinctively (or after having it beat into you for ten very long years.) Bakurah's stay in the palace was annoying Yami, and thus he spent most of his time in the Shadow Realm playing the dueling game. They did not play for very high stakes as Sehka wanted to work Yami up to it, but still the Pharaoh saw the potential for horrible tragedy in the game. 'Sooner or later someone is going to have to rise up to stop this.' Still, Yami continued playing.

The cards grew to recognize their master, and Yami sorted through his deck, building it up to be as strong as he could make it. One did not want to loose a Shadow Game. The Black Magician was easily his favorite, and most powerful, card. Yami could feel something strange from all the cards but it was strongest in the Black Magician. 'Something will come of all this. Something bad. But I cannot see what.' The Shadow Games exhausted him but he needed to get to know them better, to understand how to use their power.

----------------------------------------------

Makira walked silently through the halls of the palace, searching for Yami. Her brown eyes sparkled with glee. She had snuck past the guards and would now get to see her brother. Well, half brother. Although the former Pharaoh was her father, the queen was not her mother. One of the more important lower wives had bore her, and she was a particular friend of Yami's. Unfortunately when he had become Pharaoh he had not had the time to see her anymore. 'Well, that will change soon!'

She never saw the tall youth with light hair creeping up on her.

-------------------------------------------------

Yami sat on the floor of Yuugi's room looking through his cards. Many seemed very familiar, but he couldn't place where from. The first time he had seen Yuugi's cards something about them had sparked a memory, of darkness and papyrus, but he couldn't remember any more. All his memories were so scattered after a millennium in a puzzle. The only chance he had of ever regaining them was his dreams. Dreams. He had been having some dreams recently, and Yuugi even more that he. Of course Yuugi's dreams wouldn't help him, but his own...

The Black Magician.
The Celtic Guardian
The Ancient Elf, Feral Imp, Curse of Dragon, Winged Dragon, they were all familiar. Darkness. Dark. Shadows. Games, Shadow Games. The Shadow Games. 'Of course, they were the cards, the same cards! The cards...' Yami sat silently.

Yuugi came in, dressed in his Pajamas. Yami stared at the cute sheep pattern. 'Maybe that fever went to Aibou's head.'

Yuugi climbed into bed, laying the puzzle on his night stand. Before he turned off the light Yami picked up the cards.

"Yuugi, may I borrow these? I will return them tomorrow." Yami fingered the cards softly. Yuugi shrugged.

"Sure, if you want... Just don't get bugs or something on them, okay?" He turned off the light. Yami vanished, returning to the puzzle, cards in hand.

In his soul room candles and incense burned. He threw the cards in the air and they glowed softly and then neatly arranged themselves into rows, the Black Magician and the other cards Yami had recognized in the front rows. He touched the Black Magician, eyes closed. The card glowed again and the Black Magician appeared, kneeling with head bowed behind the rows of cards.

"Master. You are still alive?" He did not look up.

"Yes, I was sealed in here, after... You know what happened. And you all, you were brought back in the Duel Monsters card game?" Yami looked over the cards again.

"Yes, the young master seemed to recognize us, he bought all of your deck, and some new cards as there are more allowed now. Apparently we were not exciting enough." The Magician sniffed slightly to show his annoyance and displeasure, "still, all of the young master's new cards are very good and they do their best." The new cards separated themselves and made a pile off to the side. Yami nodded to them.

"Something is happening. People have been using the Shadow Realm again. Bakurah has been reborn as you have noticed. The seal was broken, and it will need to be formed again. You know what that could mean." Yami said no more, but looked at the ground. The Black Magician nodded somberly.

"Yes master, we know. We are all in your service again, and the young master's. We will do whatever you ask of us." The cards shone brightly with their assents, even the new ones.

"Yuugi doesn't know what happened, not yet, although he has been having dreams of my past. But it's bound to lead up to it. We can't allow him to be the one. It must be us who seal it. I will not allow it to be him, you all understand?" The cards shone again and the Magician nodded.

"When he finds out, he will try to stop us. I cannot order you to ignore him, he is as much you master as I am, but you must remember that if you follow his orders it will not stop me, I will do what I must, even if I have to fight you. We have all been brought here to do this, not Yuugi. He will not be hurt by our failure, not like she was." Yami looked away, tears stinging his eyes but not falling.

"We understand master."

----------------------------------------------

"Pharaoh Yami, may I talk to you?" Bakurah's voice cut through the conversation in the room. Yami walked across to him.

"Yes, Prince Bakurah?" Yami would not openly show contempt, but he was feeling it.

"I believe you have a small sibling by the name of Makira? She would like to see you duel me, I think. Will you come with me?" Bakurah fingered his golden artifact, a circle with a pyramid in the middle and various small sharp spearheads attached to it, obviously. Yami snarled, but couldn't say anything. When his words came they sounded forced and cold.

"Very well, I will accompany you. I need to go to my chambers first."

There he found his pyramid and deck. The pyramid glowed and Yami found himself in the Shadow Realm. Makira sat, tied and gagged, behind Bakurah's side of the table. Yami ran towards her but a wall appeared in front of him.

"Ah ah, you cannot pass the center line until the duel is over. I think the stakes are obvious, if I win she dies, if you win she goes free. Agreed?"

Yami snarled again but walked to his side of the table, laying his deck face down.

"Begin."

-------------------------------------------

Halfway through the duel both sides were half out of life points and beginning to look exhausted. Sehka appeared from nowhere, smiling.

"Ah, Yami, Bakurah! So, you've finally arranged a good game, now that you are both better duelists. I'm thrilled! And what are the stakes? This lovely little lady here?" Sehka ran a finger under Makira's jaw. Yami bristled.

"Take your hands _off_ my sister, Sehka!" Yami laid down a card. A large sand coloured dragon appeared, screeching as it dove into a little red elf-thing of Bakurah's, obliterating it. Bakurah's points were now dwindling, although he still had his man on horseback to rely upon.

Sehka clucked his tongue and moved to stand behind Bakurah. A chill ran down Yami's spine. 'I suddenly have a very bad feeling about this duel.' Sehka whispered something to Bakurah, and a card appeared in Bakurah's hand. He played it, and a giant blue dragon appeared, its blue and white attack taking out Yami's dragon. His points took a nose dive.

"But that isn't your card, Sehka gave it to you! You cannot play it!" Yami slammed his palms down on his end of the table.

"The Black Magician wasn't yours, maybe Sehka gave it to you, but I still let you use it. You can't cheat and then expect me not to." Bakurah grinned evilly.

Yami pulled out his Black Magician and stared at it. Another card in his hand caught his eye. A magic card. Chaos the Ceremony of Black Magic. 'This says if I sacrifice two monsters, it will turn the Black Magician into the Magician of Black Chaos.' Yami looked at the field. His small rat warrior was on the field in defense, and next to it sat a green bug. He played the Black Magician and the ceremony card.

"I sacrifice my Beaver Warrior and Man Eating Bug to make Magician of Black Chaos!"

Bakurah laughed.

"It's still not strong enough to destroy my dragon. But go ahead, try." He snickered again, and pulled out a knife, splitting one of his hairs with it.

"Magician of Black Chaos, destroy the knight!"

Bakurah dropped the knife with a clatter.

"What!?!"

The Magician pointed his staff at the knight, and a blinding light flew straight at it. The knight had no chance, and Bakurah's points hit rock bottom.

"You can't! I had the single most powerful card in existence on the table! You cannot win! I won't let you!" Bakurah grabbed the knife and before Yami could stop him had darted forwards towards Makira.

"Sehka! Stop him!" Yami leapt onto the table and ran across it, followed by the Magician. Sehka stood with his arms crossed.

"Sorry Yami, but you have become too much of a danger to us. We cannot allow you to continue here."

Yami streaked past him, but Sehka reached out with an arm and Yami was lifted above the table's surface, leaving him with nothing to run against. The Magician kept running towards his master's sister. Bakurah reached her first, and the blade flashed. Yami screamed, but it was too late. Sehka let him go and he fell to the floor where he landed on his hands and knees and stared at Makira's body, one arm reached out still to stop what had already happened. The Magician stopped and stared, then dropped to his knees as well. He had failed his master.

Sehka and Bakurah advanced upon Yami, Bakurah's bloody knife ready again. The Magician flew forwards with ease and grabbed his master, carrying him back to his other cards which had collected themselves into a pile and floated to meet them. Yami closed his eyes and spoke, not a trace of emotion in his voice.

"Take me back to Egypt."

As simply as that Yami was in his room again, and watched as pieces of papyrus fell about him, landing softly on the ground around him. He stared at them morosely, and then fell to the ground, leaning up against a wall. The young Pharaoh closed his eyes and balled his hands up into fists.

"I will seal the Shadow Games, so that no one will ever be hurt by them again." He stood up, resolution shining in his eyes. Taking the puzzle in his hands he opened a portal to the Shadow Realm, but did not step inside.

"Sehka, your games are corrupt, dangerous and devastating. I will not allow them in my kingdom, or the world. You will be sealed away for the evils you have done." Yami reached out and placed a hand on the portal. He could feel the Shadow Games, feel their exits into the real world. It was all around him, seeping into his room, into Egypt. He coughed and shook his head. It felt almost as if he had been covered in something foul, as if he was drowning in something thick and dark. Light came from his hands, slowly sealing his entrance, but there were hundreds more. Yami couldn't see, couldn't think, couldn't breath. Everything was thick and dark, the air itself seemed heavier than wet sand. Yami slid to his knees, hands on the entrance, light slowly blocking the dark. 'I'm not strong enough. I'll never be able to seal all of them.' He dropped one hand to the ground to support himself. The darkness was overtaking him.

A light filled the room as one by one all of his playing cards came to life to stand by his side. The Black Magician led them.

"We failed you before, master. We will help you now." The Black Magician moved to stand beside Yami's kneeling form, using his magic to seal the entrance faster. The other monsters disappeared but Yami could feel them blocking off the other entrances. His chest started to hurt, even though he was no longer sealing off the exits. 'The cards... supporting them... but they are the only ones that can seal it now.' The Pharaoh made no move to stop them.

Inside the Shadow Realm he could hear Sehka screaming at them. Yami looked up, a fatal mistake. Sehka locked his eyes on him.

"I knew you were too strong. I should have killed you when I had the chance. It is too late now, but if we are to be sealed off, you shall know the same pain!"

Yami felt a searing pain in his chest, and watched his body fall to the ground, eyes closed. The Black Magician was shouting something, but he couldn't focus... The pyramid. The shining golden pyramid. He was being pulled towards it.

-------------------------------------------------

The Black Magician watched in horror as his master fell to the floor, dead. He could feel the others asking questions, demanding to know what happened.

"They've killed him. They've killed our master. We will not allow them to hurt others. That's what the master wanted. We will seal all the exits. They will never bother anyone again."

----------------------------------------------------

From the pyramid, Yami watched as the Black Magician, and all the others, finished sealing the Shadow Realm off, and then slowly disappeared. Their cards stacked themselves up and fell into the golden box he had found the day his father died, the lid shutting with a depressing finality. He heard Aloke find his body, heard Bakurah's splitting scream when he realized what Yami had done, and heard the palace inhabitants blame Bakurah for his death. Bakurah could never escape from an enraged empire, he would be dead before morning. After that there was nothing but darkness.

----------------------------------------------------

Yuugi woke up with a scream. His room was dark. He hurried to turn on the light, knocking over the Millennium Puzzle as he did so. Yami appeared in a flash, the deck in his hand.

"What _are_ you doing, Aibou. It's a little early for tag, isn't it?" Yami stopped his joking when he saw the expression on Yuugi's face.

"The Shadow Realm _killed_ you? They... And Bakurah, your sister?" Tears were running down Yuugi's face, he wasn't even able to speak in comprehensible sentences. Yami couldn't answer.

"And the cards. They aren't just cards and holograms." Yuugi looked at the deck in his other self's hand.

"No. They could, can, come to life, if you have enough magic to support them, or are in the Shadow Realm."

Another light in the room startled Yuugi, but he was startled even further to see the Black Magician kneeling before him, before he stood up and faced Yami.

"You support us here? Then our being there on the day you... Supporting us... it was us that killed you?" The deck shone in Yami's hand.

"No. It drained me, but it couldn't kill me. When I ran out of energy you would just have returned to your card forms. It wouldn't have killed me." Yami was lying, but his stone cold eyes held his lies well, and no one could have recognized it. The Shadow Realm had killed him, but supporting the cards had certainly given him a push into the grave. Still, it didn't matter. They had sealed the Shadow Realm, and that was all that was really important. To him at least. Yuugi was the first to speak.

"And now it's back. And we have to seal it again?"

"No." Yami stood, voice firm. "I have to seal it. The cards may help. But you cannot. Aibou, you must stay here. The dreams didn't come on their own, something made them and it could be dangerous. We will go seal the Shadow Realm, you stay here." Yes, the dreams were something dangerous. They wanted Yuugi to seal the game, and that was more than dangerous, it was deadly. And so it would never, could never be allowed to happen.

-------------------------------------------------

Well, that will probably be the last of the flashbacks... We've run out of things to flashback to. I'm sorry for killing off Yami, but he isn't really dead, and we all knew he had to die eventually to be here. This does contradict my story of how he died in SoH, but hey, we have to work with what we're given. Thanks to those who reviewed, it's very encouraging (I know I always say that, but it's true!)

Cards used in the duel:

Ba: Whitty Phantom Attack 1400 Defense 1300
Ya: Curse of Dragon Attack 2000 Defense 1500

Ba: Blues Eyes White Dragon Attack 3000 Defense 2500
Ya: Black Magician + Chaos the Black Ceremony = Magician of Black Chaos Attack 2800 Defense 2600