Author's Note:

Welcome to the first chapter of the sequel to "Is This a Game?"! As this is a sequel, it would be very hard to understand what's going on, if you haven't read the first one.

Thank you to anyone who has kept up with this story!

I hope that it's at least half as fun to read as it was to write!

And so, the adventure begins~!


The previous night had been a good one for Yugi. He'd been tired after getting his memories back, so he wasn't awake for long after that. He hoped he could play his character well enough to win. It would be easier now, without her memories.

To his surprise, Yami didn't disappear back to his soul room. He sat close to Yugi on the bed, and Yugi could tell he was trying to hold back how relieved he was, and just how much he missed him the entire time.

"I missed you too, Yami. Even if I didn't know I did." He said, half awake at that point.

Yami seemed surprised to hear him say that.

"You can't hide anything from me, remember?" There was a sleepy smile on his face. This may not have been his bedroom, or even his body, but right now he was happier than he had been in a long time. Since the game started, he was sure.

Of course, nothing lasts forever.

When he woke up the next morning, he was truly surprised.

He stood in the unfamiliar bathroom, in the unfamiliar house, and ripped the note off of the mirror.

Hello, little Yugi.

I congratulate you on finally completing the first goal, although it did take you considerably longer than I would have hoped.

Welcome to phase two of my little game. Are you having fun so far? I didn't think so.

I'm sure you've noticed the considerable changes by now.

The considerable-...oh no. No, not again. He knew he felt funny, and upon glancing up at the mirror, he discovered why.

He was a girl again, that much he could tell. Not the same girl, by a long shot. This girl was taller. No wonder he felt so funny. She was taller, and she had long thick black hair, and dark blue eyes. The longer he looked, the weirder he felt. He had no idea what he'd sound like. He made himself stop panicking and staring at the mirror long enough to continue reading the note.

As you know, we're in a game, and thus we, or more specifically you are not bound to any one particular vessel. As you're also aware, my Ring has the ability to displace souls. Which is just what I've done to you.

And thus the second goal of my game begins.

So that's what this was? Vessel? He was moved to a new vessel?

Ah, but don't go anywhere yet, Yugi. There are rules.

Rules? What were they this time? Did he have to play this character now?

You may have noticed that you're now completely separate from the soul you've so affectionately come to know as "your other self".

His heartbeat sped up. No. No it couldn't be.

Now that you have your own game piece, or vessel for your soul, he'll be using your old one. You're no longer connected in any way.

Yugi double checked that. He closed his eyes, concentrating and trying to feel the spirit there, like he always could. Trying to find any proof that the letter was wrong.

Nothing. There was nothing. He was completely and entirely alone.

"Yami...?"

Surely he wasn't gone. Surely this was just a dream, or some big joke, or... or... So, that's what this character's voice sounded like. It was higher than the last girl's voice. It sounded awkward, and his tone didn't really fit on it.

"Mou hitori no boku...?"

He was close to tears. After all that... after waiting for so long to remember who he was, after being so happy to be himself again, and be "reunited" with his Yami, now he had to be alone? It wasn't fair. He bought his tear-filled eyes back to the paper.

This next goal will be to get him to recognize you. Easy you say? But here's where the rules come in.

Was that all? That fought his tears back a little. That would be easy! He knew what Yami would look like, so it wouldn't be hard at all!

You may not, under any circumstances, tell him who you are. If you do so, you will forfeit the game, and you will lose.

But... how was he supposed to-...

You may not give him any clues as to who you are. No using that little nickname you so fondly refer to him as.

He would have to call him by the character's name. Oh, that would hurt. Not only that, but it would be hard.

He's probably very confused at the moment, little Yugi. These instructions are for you and Ryou only.

He didn't like the thought of Yami confused and alone. That wasn't ever supposed to happen. He was the one who always explained things to Yami when he didn't understand them.

He doesn't know you won't look like yourself. I assume he will desperately search for you, but he'll be looking for the wrong face.

Delightfully fun, isn't it?

Oh no... no... this whole morning was just-... he was so happy last night. Why can't it just have stayed like that? Why did this have to come up? So far, he wasn't enjoying this game at all.

Don't worry, we don't really have an advantage over you. I don't know what you look like either. I've preset the game to do this from the very beginning, so which character it has chosen for you this time, is completely at random.

So this character that he looked like now was completely random? She didn't look anything like him. She didn't look anything like the last girl he looked like, either. The last girl had short hair, and big lips, and green eyes, and more importantly, he was her for a long time...

This new girl... she was taller, and scrawny. She can't have been as old as the last girl. Not even close. She looked like she had hardly hit puberty.

No, I will not erase your memories again. That would make this goal completely impossible and thus no fun at all.

Finally, a silver lining. He didn't think he could handle any more tampering with his memories.

I do not know who or where Ryou is either.

Unfortunately for you and that worthless Pharaoh, I would know my Landlord anywhere. It won't be long before I've completed this goal.

So... he would have to hurry. This goal had to be finished faster.

So, get used to your new face quickly, Yugi, because the second phase of this game has already begun!

All you have to do is get him to realize who you are. But you'll have to find him first.

"Easy, I remember how to get 'home'! Right?

Check again.

What? Of course he remembered how to get to—oh. No. He didn't. He didn't really remember even what the bedroom he was in last night looked like.

No, I didn't lie. I didn't erase YOUR memory. What you had left of the memory from the game, however, Should be gone.

That made this 10 times harder! This just wasn't fair! Wasn't there an easy way he could get Yami to recognize him? Maybe if he didn't look so different...

Don't get any ideas. Any attempts to change your appearance to look more like your original self won't work. I've made sure of that.

He really had thought of everything, hadn't he. This just wasn't fair! After all he had been through, what he really wanted was to go home. He didn't want to have to adapt to yet another body, another face, and try to accomplish something even harder than last time.

Just to make this fair, after I write this, I plan on erasing my own memories of the second goal. I will have no knowledge of it, just like your dear "Yami".

So, are you ready?

Phase two, Game Start.

-"Yami" Bakura.

Just to make it fair? Fair? It already wasn't fair. But at least Yami Bakura couldn't get a head start over him.

He looked back up to the mirror and ran his hand through his hair. The thickness of it felt familiar, but he'd never worn his own quite this long. It was a girl's hair for sure, with little styled layers cut all through it.

He looked around the room for the first time he'd been awake. It looked like a middle-class home. It looked sturdy and decent, but not fancy.

He took the note, and started back towards the bedroom, which he hadn't really gotten a good look at yet.

Pink. There was a lot of pink. The last girl who's character he had to play was nerdy. She liked odd things, and British television, and was considerably older than this girl.

This girl, was apparently in the same boat as every other girl in America.

Her walls were so covered in posters of boys, that he couldn't quite tell what color they might have been. Maybe they were also pink. The bedspread was pink, only it had a famous singer's face all over it.

There were stars and flowers and a lamp shaped like a heart. He didn't think he could ever get used to this. Even Anzu's room didn't look like this. Or at least, it hadn't for a while.

He saw a recent model cell phone on her desk.

This would be really helpful if he could remember Ryou's character's phone number... Did he remember anything from the past few weeks? Well, yes. He remembered a lot of things. How to get to the house, was not one of them. But phone numbers... would Bakura even think to erase his memory of phone numbers?

He picked up the phone and started typing numbers.

"Please be it, please be it, please be it."

The voice still didn't fit him at all. It was too high, and sort of shrill. He could imagine it screaming in excitement over a cute boy.

The phone rang.

Once.

Twice.

"...What?"

Wait. Wait, he had overlooked something very important. If he wasn't using the same "game piece" anymore, and Yami was supposed to be his previous one, and he was just calling Ryou's character's phone... then that meant...

He hung up.

He just called the enemy! He'd have to be more careful than that if he wanted to win.

He'd have to find them on his own.

With no time to spare, he quickly went through the girl's closet, found a backpack, and started throwing clothes into it. He couldn't stay here. At least not during the day. Maybe if he was really lucky, this would all be over by tonight, anyway. He didn't time have for whatever school this character may have been in, or parents she might have had. Speaking of which.

"Jenny! Are you gonna eat breakfast?"

A woman's voice yelled from the other room. Alright then. Jenny. He'd have to go by Jenny now. Or maybe Jen. He remember that.

How should he react? Did they usually yell in this house? Was anyone else sleeping? He risked it.

"uhhh... BE RIGHT THERE."

As soon as he got through the door, he could smell pancakes. He really liked pancakes. He left the backpack in his room. He'd give himself time to think this through, and time to assess the situation before he ran off.

There was a tall woman with dark brown hair, and a young looking face despite how old she must have been if she was the girl's mother.

"Mornin' Jen!"

So she did go by Jen. He made a mental note of that.

"Morning...uhh...mom...?" There was a hint of questioning tone that came through in that last sentence that he had tried to hide.

"Something wrong?"

Ok, that confirmed it. She was the mom.

He sat at the table, and the woman served him pancakes with bacon, Well then. At least SOME part of this day could go well.

The woman seemed really laid back, to his surprise and joy.

"So, mom." He said, trying to sound the least amount of awkward as he could.

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to stay at...the bestie's house tonight, kay?" He winged it. His voice was so different now. So high.

"Annie called you? Yeah, sure. Her mom's cool with it, right?"

"Yup."

He could do this. He could get out of here. Maybe he could even call Annie and have her cover for him.

Of course, he had no plans of going to her house. Not if he could help it. What day was it? He pulled the girl's phone out of his pocket. Friday. Hah. Lucky break. Of course, he had no intention of going to school, either. He'd wear the uniform out of the house, and change somewhere else.

He finished breakfast, which he was thankful for in this awkward situation, downed a cup of orange juice, and found his way back to the girl's room.

He finished filling the backpack, and then took the phone back out.

If he was lucky, Annie might be willing to cover for him. He'd make up some scandalous story, and being a teenage (probably) girl, she'd help.

He scrolled through the contacts. There was no Annie. What? But her mom just said...wait.

He scrolled lower until he found "Bestie". He should have known.

"Hey, An, I'm doing something crazy tonight. Cover for me?" He had no idea if that would work. He was entirely winging it. He'd been around Anzu enough to know how girls work, but would he know it well enough?

"Whoa! Hold on, wat r we tlkin' about here?

So he was believable so far. Maybe he should type more... teenager-y...

"Cover 4 me? Mom calls, I'm at ur place, k?"

"Omgomg, r u going 2 the new club? Take me with U!"

Teenage girls. Gosh.

"Ya, I know a guy. But I can only get 1 person in, sry."

"Uhg fine but u gotta tell when u get back!"

"K. O yea, I won't be in school 2day."

"awe D:"

And with that, the phone went back in his pocket. His cover story was fully in place, and now he could finally leave. He managed a messy ponytail with his hair, slipped the school uniform on, grabbed the backpack, and yelled just before he got out the door,

"BYE MOM! I'LL BE BACK...TOMORROW."

He'd make something else up if he needed longer. Right now he had a day, so he'd do what he could with it. He had found money in a wallet in the girl's room. She had nearly $50 on her.

He didn't know this place at all, he realized as he stepped out the door. Of course not. So he walked until he found a bus stop that wasn't for a school.

When the bus finally got there, he was excited to realize that it would take him to the mall. Finally somewhere familiar!

He stepped on board without a second thought, money in hand, phone in his pocket, ready to go.

He could do this.

He'd find Yami.

He'd make him realize who he was.

He'd win.