Summary: They were indifferent towards one another, but any interaction was a clash between fire and fire. She found him insufferable, unbearable, and egotistical; he didn't find her important enough to even acknowledge her existence. However, mysterious visions convince Yugi that the two unlikeliest of people, Seto Kaiba and Tea Gardner, ultimately belong together. Fate, however, had other plans: Kisara's presend-day reincarnation enters their lives, threatens to change the course of all their futures, and shatters Yugi's long-standing belief in the power of destiny.
A/N: I neither own Yu-gi-oh or its characters, nor do I profit from this story.
Chapter 1
A blinding light.
There it was again. That bright flash of light that preceded each of his dreams. Pharaoh Atem had departed from this world more than four years ago, but perhaps traces of the magic of the millennium items still lingered in this world – just as the pharaoh's memory lingered so heavily in Yugi's memory. As fast as the blinding light appeared, it had disappeared and was replaced with darkness. A little girl's laughter echoed. In the pitch-blackness, the laughter's childlike, carefree innocence seemed to serve as a beacon of light that gave the coldness of the dark a comfortable warmth. Warmth in coldness, light in darkness, this dream was one of great contradictions.
He had been having dreams like this for three nights already, with every dream seemingly becoming stronger and more realistic than the last. They weren't dreams that indicated an imminent danger, or so he hoped. Rather, the dreams were centered on a mysterious presence that revealed itself to him a little each night. From the laughter, he could deduce that this once mysterious "presence" was a little girl. Her laughter rung through his ears clearly.
His eyes fluttered open. Yugi was at the Kame Game shop in his old bedroom, visiting for the summer until his graduate classes started back up again in the fall. He glanced over at his alarm clock on top of his books – 3:00am. Tossing the sheets over him, Yugi walked over to the nearby bathroom and turned on the faucet. He leaned over it, looking into his reflection in the mirror. Four years – four long years had gone by since the passing of the Pharaoh. Four years to grow, to change, and to reflect. Yugi stared intently at his reflection, for every time he stared at himself, he could see the great pharaoh staring right back at him. His pre-pubescent body had been replaced with a tall, lean, muscular build. His large child-like eyes had been sharpened to a deep, steely, and determined gaze. His face now had a refined sculpt, and his once high-pitched voice was replaced with an eerily familiar velvety, deep baritone. Yugi knew he was Atem's present day incarnate, but he didn't know that he would inherit the great pharaoh's appearance down to the T.
The four years didn't change everything, however. Yugi was still the Duel Monster's World champion. However, when he wasn't dueling, he was focused on his second passion: Egyptology. While Yugi had a deep, personal connection with Egypt, his family seemed to have an obsession with the country's rich history. His grandfather, Solomon, was a renowned Egyptologist and archeologist, and Yugi intended to follow in his footsteps. Splashing cold water on his face, he stared again at his reflection in the mirror and began to ponder about his dreams again. These weren't ordinary dreams; these dreams were calling out to him, trying to tell him something. What that was, he didn't know, and he hoped to find out soon.
"Yugi?" asked a voice, shaking him out of his thoughts. "Yugi? Are you alright, dear?" the voice beckoned.
Turning off the faucet and wiping his face with a face towel, Yugi opened the door to the bathroom and came face to face with a middle-aged woman with her graying hair tied up in a bun.
"I'm fine, mom," Yugi said with a smile.
"Well, alright," she said, indicating her hesitance to believe him. "Try to get a good night's sleep – I can hear you tossing and turning in your bed," she said as she made her way back to her bedroom.
Simultaneously, Yugi made his way back to his own room. Closing the door, he made his way to his bed and stared up at the stars from the sunroof. It had been four years already, and it seemed as if there was some sort of weird magic that still lingered in this world. That wasn't what scared Yugi: what scared Yugi was that this magic might pose a danger to his family and friends. Most importantly, with no Atem to guide him, he was afraid of meddling with forces beyond his control.
"Yug!" "Earth to Yug!"
Yugi was far too caught up in his thoughts to hear the thick Brooklyn accent of his friend. He was too focused on those dreams and what they meant. He wished Atem were still here. Yugi had undoubtedly grown much more courageous over the years, a trait he had learned from the Pharaoh. However, he never had to deal with what appeared to be supernatural forces on his own before.
"Sorry, Joey," Yugi said, finally snapping out of his thoughts. "Just another Duel Monsters stategy came up," Yugi said thinking quickly. The last thing he wanted was to worry his friends.
"Of course you were," Joey said sarcastically, which was followed by a laugh. Yugi had met up with Joey, Tristan, and Tea at a local coffee shop. One thing that certainly didn't change was that the four of them were still best friends after all these years. For that, Yugi was thankful.
Joey was still Joey – a world class Duelist with an unforgettable sense of humor. While Joey was already a top-class Duelist four years ago, he had made a name for himself in the Duel Monsters community by competing and placing 2nd place at all of the tournaments he competed in. Second place in the tournaments Yugi had entered of course. What's more, Joey was also dating Mai Valentine. It was about time, as well.
Tristan joined the military after high school, and just happened to finish another deployment during this summer. While he was still a bachelor, he had his eyes set on Joey's sister, Serenity.
And finally, there was Tea, sitting next to Yugi. Tea had fulfilled her dream of studying dance in New York's prestigious Julliard School, and was even cast as the lead dancer in the latest production of Swan Lake. Like Yugi, she was home for the summer. Her chocolate brown hair now touched her shoulders, her blue eyes still paling a bright summer sky. She was dressed in a long-sleeved turtleneck dress. Black, which hugged her curves and was cut a few inches above the knee. What a beauty she had become. They laughed and talked over coffee, just like old times – coffee replacing the milkshakes they had during their high school days. High school was long gone, but none of them had really changed. And with the exception of ONE person, that was a good thing.
Some people were walking past the floor-to-ceiling picture windows of the coffee shop, and the four didn't pay any heed to the passerbyers. Until now. From the corner of his eye, he saw it – they all did. That slick and signature blue trenchcoat. A hint of silver from the company logo on his lapel. Yugi held his breath as steely blue eyes met his wide-eyed violet orbs – a glance that took a millisecond. The bell atop the coffee shop door dinged, and there, stood the one man the four them didn't expect to see – Seto Kaiba.
