Author's Rant

Lady A: Welcome to Chapter 1 of the Aura Duelist: Return of the King! I apologize, in advance, because if you haven't watched the whole series then you will be seeing a lot of spoilers. The story is post-series so yeah, sorry.

Joey: It's about time ya got around to us! Too busy making out with Kaiba again, I bet!

Lady A: *twitches slightly before a frying pan appears out of nowhere and slams down on Joey's head, sending him to the ground rather quickly*

Atem: Perhaps it is not the wisest course of action to anger the authoress, Joey.

Tea: *crosses her arms* I'll say.

Tristan: Dude, pick your moments. You know how she gets sometimes.

Lady A: *glares at Tristan, who shrinks away from the hostile woman*

Seto: So you have come at last, Lady A.

Lady A: Sorry it took so long, Seto. My muse got kinda busy there for a while.

Seto: *nods* Understandable. The creation and continual flow of stories is taxing much like running a gaming corporation.

Lady A: Thanks for being so understanding about it, Seto. Now without further ado, Chapter 1 of the Aura Duelist!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, but I wish I did. :(

Chapter One: Return of the King

Joey Wheeler, a young man with blonde hair, and his friend, Yugi Moto, a triple tone colored young duelist walked along in silence towards the Kame game shop owned by Yugi's grandfather, Solomon Moto. For the last twenty minutes, it had been a rather uncomfortable silence and Joey loathed silence of any kind with a passion.

"Hey Yug, you alright?" Joey asked unable to take the silence any longer.

For a moment, his spikey haired friend didn't respond.

"It's nothing, Joey. Forget about it." Yugi answered his voice oddly distant and lacking any true emotion.

Joey glanced down at his slightly shorter friend and sighed inwardly. Yugi was in one of those funks again, the kind that made someone want to scream and punch something, but instead they stay eerily quiet. He knew his long time friend was extremely depressed and honestly, no one could blame him. Tomorrow was a very important day for all of them, but for Yugi in particular. It was the anniversary of the day Atem passed over.

Atem was once the pharaoh of Egypt and was the spirit sealed within the Millennium Puzzle, one of seven mystical items from Ancient Egypt that had incredible and dangerous magical powers. Yugi and Atem had shared a single body for years and Joey knew that kind of connection was something one couldn't get over, at least not easily. Atem had been Yugi's closest and dearest friend and they saved the world together so many times that everyone had lost count.

Tomorrow would make it three years, three years since that final epic duel between Yugi and Atem. Yugi defeated the former pharaoh and in doing so, set his soul free. Atem and the Millennium items vanished into the Spirit World. Joey remembered the look on Yugi's face when Atem disappeared. His eyes were filled with so much pain like his other half had been ripped away. After three years, Yugi still hasn't recovered.

Yugi was still the King of Games, the number one duelist in the world, and the owner of the three Egyptian God cards, but without the pharaoh, it seemed completely meaningless. Yugi had tried to keep it together, but they had all seen how much he was hurting. He just wouldn't let anyone in to help him. They could never fill the hole left behind by the pharaoh, but they could at least try to smooth the edges.

The duo came to stop in front of the game shop and the silence stretched on. Finally Yugi grasped the handle of the door.

"Yugi…?" Joey started but then stopped, his voice catching in his throat when his friend turned and faced him.

Yugi's eyes were dim and hollow. There was the barest flicker of light in them, but it looked like it was dying. There was so much pain and agony in those deep pools that Joey felt his own heart clench painfully. Yugi's eyes returned to a semi-normal state and his friend gave him an overly cheery smile that didn't fool Joey for a second.

"I'm fine, Joey. Really, it's okay. I'm going to turn in early tonight so see you tomorrow." Yugi stated before going inside.

Once Yugi was out of sight, Joey slammed his fist into a nearby light pole. His eyes burned as tears threaten to fall, but he held them back.

"Damn it, Yugi. Why won't you let us help ya? We're your friends. Isn't there something we can do to help?" He growled under his breath.

Joey straightened himself out and walked briskly down the sidewalk, his emotions all over the place. He shoved his hands roughly into his pockets and glared at the ground as he walked. He felt so damn helpless and it made him sick.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Yugi sat in his darkened bedroom, a single lamp turned on to peruse the object in his lap. He had changed into his pajamas and had run across an old photo album in the process. He flipped through the pages, remembering all the times he shared with the pharaoh. They had fought so many battles and had gone through so much together. Now it was just gone and that time was forever over.

His eyes misted over slightly as the hole in his chest throbbed painfully. He thought, with time, the pain would begin to dull, but it had gotten stronger. What started out as a simple sense of loss had transformed into a void of nothingness, sucking everything away inside of him. Losing Atem was much more than just losing a friend. Yugi had lost a brother, a confidant, and his soul partner. For so long, he shared his body with the pharaoh and he was just gone. The pain was agonizing, so much so that he could barely contain it.

Worse still, he knew his friends were worried. They knew he was in pain, but he couldn't risk letting them in. It was selfish to burden his friends with his pain. They had gone through enough because of him including kidnappings, mind controlling, and soul stealing. He wouldn't put them through any more, so he did his best to act normal, but the pain refused to go away. He was dying inside and he knew it. The silence in his mind was deafening and he felt so empty and hollow.

Tears rolled down his face and splashed onto the photo album. His eyes blurred as he was blinded by the fierce onslaught of tears. The pain intensified and the album slipped from his lap and onto the floor. No matter how much he cried, he knew his best friend was never coming back and it was ripping him apart. He didn't realize just how much Atem meant to him until he was gone and now Yugi felt completely lost without him.

Yugi managed to crawl under his blankets and raised the covers over his head. In the back of his mind, he was worried about Grandpa finding him like this. His grandfather would worry senselessly and he didn't need that kind of stress at his age. No, this was his burden to bear and his alone. He brought the pillow around to his front and hugged it fiercely, burying his face into it in a vain attempt to muffle his sobs. After several hours, Yugi cried himself to sleep, his mind pulling him deep within himself to escape the all consuming pain.

*Dreamscape*

Yugi raced through the multi-faceted and physics defying, darkened maze. The torches offered little light to dispel the darkness, but that did not deter him. The sound of his footsteps on the stone flooring echoed throughout the maze. It was the only sound besides his ragged breathing in the eerily quiet maze. He checked door after door, corridor after corridor for some hint or clue to the pharaoh's whereabouts. Each time he found nothing and his panic and fear rose.

"Pharaoh! Atem, where are you?!" He yelled his voice revealing his desperation.

He continued his search, running down endless hallways and corridors until finally his legs gave out. He fell to his hands and knees, tears streaming down his face and falling to the stone floor. He tried to stand up, but he collapsed. For several minutes, he just sobbed, letting his pain filled screams echo throughout the unforgiving maze.

"Am I really alone? Atem, are you really gone? I don't want to be alone. Please…someone…help me." He pleaded his voice layered in a deep sadness.

The space directly in front of Yugi began to shine with a bright silver light. The light faded and he looked up. Standing in front of him was a young woman who looked very similar to the Dark Magician. Her spell castor outfit was a deep, beautiful blue with silver lining the edges here and there. Her hair was long and a shiny silver and her eyes were a deep, royal blue. She smiled softly at him and held out her hand. He took it and rose to his feet.

"You are not alone, mighty warrior, and you have suffered long enough. Come, he is waiting for you." She stated drying his tears.

Yugi was confused. Who was she? Why was she here and who was waiting for him?

"Who is?" He asked.

Her eyes became gentle and kind.

"Why do you ask questions to which you already know the answers to, young warrior?" She countered a small smile playing on her lips.

Yugi thought about it for a moment. His eyes widened as her words sunk in. She couldn't possibly mean…?

"Atem?!" He asked shocked.

She smiled and nodded in response. Yugi's face broke out into a massive grin and his eyes shined with new life as hope threatened to overfill him.

"Where?! Where is he?! Please…I have to see him!" He exclaimed.

She chuckled softly, her eyes full of warmth.

"And soon you shall, my warrior. I will take you to him." She replied bringing Yugi close and wrapping her arms around him.

Within moments, they lifted into the air and flew up and out of the maze.

"What was that place?" Yugi asked as the maze began to disappear.

"The maze was created by you as a means to escape your pain, if only for a moment. Now it is no longer required and thus vanishing into nothingness once more. You should not have traversed so deeply into your mind, little warrior." She answered as they flew higher.

"Why?" He asked looking up at her.

"Such places are dangerous for someone as pure as yourself. If you had remained much longer than you would have been permanently locked within your own mind and not even I would have been able to reach you." She answered.

"I just wanted…" He started but stopped as his voice failed him.

"You simply wanted your soul partner to return and now he has, but there is a reason for his return and you must find what that reason is." She informed.

"Will he go back afterwards?" Yugi asked.

"No. In order for events to be set in motion and if victory is to be won, Atem had to return to this world, but in doing so; he will remain until it is time for you to make the journey to the Spirit World. You will not be abandoned again. The gods have felt your pain and will not separate the two of you again. Neither of you would survive a second separation." She answered.

Yugi felt like crying, but he held it in.

"But who are you and why are you doing this?" He asked.

She smiled at him.

"That is something you should ask the next time you see me; though our second meeting will not be as you would expect. Have faith in the person who wields my power, for you will need their help in the events to come." She replied as a bright silver light engulfed them.

*End Dreamscape*

Yugi bolted upright and looked around wildly. After a few moments, he realized he was back in his room, but where was Atem? He shifted slightly to get out of bed when he felt a small weight against his chest. He looked down and his eyes widened. There, around his neck, was the Millennium Puzzle. His hand traced over the grooves and edges and a smile crept onto his face. He immediately turned his mind inward to seek out the pharaoh.

*Mindscape*

When Yugi opened his eyes once more, he was in his soul room. It was rather tattered and very worn out. Many of the toys were broken and everything was just a wreck. He realized that his room reflected his soul and he had been through one hell of a time. He carefully made his way across the room and opened the door. He smiled again when he saw a door on the opposite wall. He walked over to it and placed his hand on the handle. He swallowed hard and took a deep breath. He opened the door and walked inside.

Though enshrouded by darkness, he could feel the familiar ancient energy of his counterpart flowing over him and eased the tension he didn't know he had. Suddenly things became much brighter and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust. He was standing in an ancient Egyptian throne room and on the far side of the room was the one person he most wanted to see.

"Atem?" He asked hesitantly.

The young pharaoh turned around and he smiled.

"Yugi." Atem replied his voice filled with relief and joy.

That was all it took for the boy to run across the room and embrace his soul partner. They stood there for a long time. Neither were willing to break the silence in fear of the other disappearing.

"If this is a dream then don't wake me up." Yugi commented his grip tightening.

Atem chuckled softly and Yugi reveled in the sound.

"It's not a dream, Yugi, but how did I get here?" Atem asked.

Yugi took a step back and looked up at him in confusion.

"You don't know?" Yugi asked clearly baffled.

"No. I was talking to Father and Mahad about a strange presence when I was suddenly enveloped in some sort of silver light. Next thing I knew, I was here in my soul room." He answered his eyes softening as he looked at Yugi, "I've missed you."

Yugi smiled at that.

"I missed you too. Things haven't been right since you left. I felt so lost." He admitted his voice becoming slightly pained.

"Even though I was with my family and friends on the other side, I felt somehow…out of place…like I was missing something and now I understand what that something was. It was you, Yugi. Life or in my case, afterlife was incomplete without you by my side." Atem replied.

Tears slipped down Yugi's face unbidden.

"I was told that you won't have to go back this time. Not until, I cross over too. She said that the gods wouldn't separate us again." Yugi stated trying to dry his tears.

"Who said that?" Atem asked.

"I don't know who she was, but she reminded me a lot of the Dark Magician. She said that there was a reason for you coming back and that we would have to find out what that reason was." Yugi answered.

"So it would seem we have another mystery to solve, Yugi." Atem commented.

Yugi nodded as determination filled his eyes.

"And we'll solve it…together." He replied.

Atem nodded as well.

"Together." He repeated.

*End Mindscape*

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Things had gotten very crazy when Yugi's friends learned of Atem's return. Joey and Tristan had insisted on throwing a huge party and Tea, for once, sided with them. The party turned out to be a fiasco when Joey somehow caught the curtains on fire and Tristan had put his foot through the coffee table, but Yugi's grandfather was the most outrageous of them all. He insisted on dueling Atem for over half the afternoon which got Joey involved and they ended up dueling well into the night. His friends were crashed out all over the place and it was a devil of a time trying to tiptoe around them.

Finally Yugi made it to his room and he sat down on his bed. On his desk were the other six Millennium items: the ring, the eye, the key, the necklace, the scale, and the rod. They had shown up while Yugi was in Atem's soul room. The pharaoh had concluded that the Millennium items were all interconnected so when the puzzle returned so did the rest.

For the next few hours, Atem and Yugi debated over the reason why he had returned and they both settled onto one thing; a battle was coming. The only logical solution they could come up with was that they would have to save the world again, but this time they had no idea who their nemesis was supposed to be. The information provided from the mysterious woman left something to be desired. They had little to no information with the exception that they would have an ally. As to who that ally might be, remained a mystery.

After exhausting all possible theories and going over the information a few hundred times, they realized that they were talking in circles. It was then decided that the best course of action was to first, get some rest then seek out research materials on possible mystical threats which contrary to popular belief, was quite vast and was like looking for the proverbial needle in a hay stack. Without more information, they were trapped in a state of stagnation.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Three weeks later, Yugi was walking through the shopping district, heading towards a local café to get some much needed caffeine and sugar. For the last three weeks, he had been pouring over historical documents, mythology textbooks, and even a few papyrus scrolls that were on loan to the museum from the Egyptian government. Thus far, he had found nothing to point to a possible threat and he was quite frustrated.

'Three weeks, Atem. You've been back three weeks and we have found absolutely nothing on our enemy or the reason why you were brought back; though I'm not complaining about that last part.' Yugi commented inwardly.

'Neither am I, but there must be something about what is to happen. Perhaps we should contact Ishizu and Marik. They might know something about this.' Atem suggested.

'I've tried calling them in the past, but it's like they just disappeared. I haven't heard anything from them since what happened at your tomb three years ago.' Yugi informed.

'That is disturbing. No one knows more about me and ancient Egypt than the Ishtars. Perhaps they will come to us when the time is right.' Atem stated.

'I hope you're right, because I don't like being in the dark about this. It makes me edgy.' Yugi replied.

Yugi's attention was immediately drawn away from his internal conversation with Atem to several people running down the opposite sidewalk.

'I wonder what's going on.' Atem mused.

"Come on! We've got to hurry or we're going to miss her!" One shouted.

'Her?' Yugi thought.

"It's not every day that we get to see the Aura Duelist in action!" Another yelled.

Yugi's eyes widened as he recognized the title. He immediately shifted directions to find the duel, caffeine and sugar forgotten.

'Aura Duelist?' Atem echoed confused.

Yugi smiled slightly. It wasn't every day he was the one dispensing information.

'The Aura Duelist is the title of one Artimes Blaine, current Champion of the West. After Pegasus defeated Bandit Keith, a void formed in the dueling world. Everyone scrambled at the chance to become the new champion. The void was filled by the Aura Duelist and not only did she become the U.S. Champion, but also the champion of the entire Western hemisphere.' Yugi explained quickening his pace towards the distant sounds of cheering.

'She sounds like a powerful opponent, but why is she called the Aura Duelist?' Atem asked clearly curious.

'The title 'Aura Duelist' is in reference to a one of a kind set of powerful cards called the Aura set. Rumor has it that she had to complete a set of incredibly difficult challenges given to her by Pegasus in order to be deemed worthy of the Aura cards.' Yugi answered as a large crowd came into view.

Atem frowned at this.

'Pegasus does not act without purpose. Perhaps we should learn more about this 'Aura Duelist' and discover what that purpose is.' Atem suggested as his counterpart struggled to get through the crowd.

'I don't know, Atem. It's not like she's a selfish or greed driven duelist. From what I've heard, she's one of the friendliest and kindest duelists in the game.' Yugi countered finally reaching the front of the crowd.

He quickly took in the current stage of the duel and what states the duelists were in. To the right was a young man with brown hair and eyes. He wore a white t-shirt and baggy jeans. He had a Summoned Skull on the field in attack mode. There were also three cards face down in the magic and trap card zone. He was sweating profusely, doubt swirling in his eyes. He seemed to be scared out of his mind.

To the left was a young woman with crimson red hair braided down her back in a single braid. She wore snug blue jeans, a tight v neck white shirt, a crimson leather jacket, and black boots. Her sapphire blue eyes held a flicker of annoyance as she glanced at her watch, but was otherwise the perfect picture of calm. A fully stuffed duffle bag lay a short distance away from her feet.

Her duel disk was quite unique and he recognized it from the latest dueling customization magazine. It was a sleek black color. The card slots were silver and there was blue jewel in the middle marking the place of the miniature holographic matrix. She had two monsters face down and in defense position. There was also two cards face down in the magic and trap card zone.

As life points stood, her opponent was in the lead with 2700 while she only had 2200.

"Not many can duel me into a corner. Fortunately, you're not one of them." She stated smirking slightly as she drew a card from her deck.

'She doesn't sound friendly.' Atem commented.

Yugi noticed her glancing at her watch again. Something was up, because she kept getting more irritated every time she looked at her watch.

'She's annoyed by something and it isn't the duel.' Yugi informed.

'Then what's causing it?' Atem asked.

'I'll get back to you.' Yugi replied.

She glanced at her watch once more and her annoyance morphed into something shy of desperation.

"It's time to finish this. I activate the magic card Harpy's Feather Duster." She declared as the card revealed itself.

The three cards in her opponent's magic and trap card zone shattered and disappeared. She smirked and her opponent cringed.

"Now I sacrifice my two face down monsters to summon Aura Magician!" She stated as her two monsters disappeared in a flurry of light.

Yugi's eyes widened to the size of saucers as the Aura Magician was revealed with an attack of 2700 and a defense of 2100. Silver hair, royal blue eyes, and a blue spell castor's outfit: it was the woman from Yugi's mind, but what did it mean? The woman had said that their next meeting wouldn't be as he expected and she said to have faith in the person who wielded her power.

Yugi looked between Artimes and the Aura Magician and back again. How was the Aura Duelist and Western Champion connected to the pharaoh's return? It didn't make sense unless…Artimes was the ally the woman spoke of? He had to find out for certain, but it would have to wait until after the duel and away from people.

"Now to clear the way to victory. I activate the trap card Aurian Temple." Artimes informed as the card lifted up, "Though it takes half my life points to activate it, its power allows me to destroy all monsters on the field without Aura in its name."

Her life points dropped to 1100 and Summoned Skull screeched loudly before it shattered.

"Now my Aura Magician, show him the true majesty of your power and attack his life points directly, Aura Magic Attack!" She yelled as her monster raised its staff and sent a blast of silver light at her opponent.

Her opponent screamed as the blast made contact. The force of the attack sent him to his knees and his life points dropped to zero. The holograms faded and Artimes removed her deck from the duel disk and placed it back in its case at her hip. The duel disk folded itself into its standby position and deactivated. She turned to leave, but the young man's voice stopped her.

"I knew I couldn't win. I'm nothing but a pathetic loser." He said quietly to himself.

Yugi watched as she glanced at her watch once more and then sighed heavily in defeat. Her eyes took on a more gentle look as she turned around and walked towards her former opponent. Once in front of him, she knelt down and placed a hand on his left shoulder.

"You're not pathetic and one learns more through defeat than through victory." She stated giving him a warm smile as he looked up at her.

"What can someone learn from being thrashed?" The young man asked.

"For starters, you can learn a lot about a person's dueling style. You, for example, are excellent with trap cards, but suck royally with spell cards." She answered bluntly.

He tensed at first then just hung his head in shame. She lifted his head until his eyes met hers.

"Instead of using cards that you're not good with, redesign your deck to suit your dueling style. In this case, you have the gift of traps, use it. Put your heart and soul into your deck and it will give you its all." She suggested.

Disbelief swirled in his eyes.

"Will that really work?" He asked.

"Yes and no." She answered standing up and offering a hand.

He took it and rose to his feet.

"What else is there?" He asked his eyes filling with the resolve to better himself.

"There are two things required to be a successful duelist." She started.

"Yes?" He asked his face transforming into that of an eager listener.

She smiled slightly.

"The first is you must have faith in yourself. If you go into a duel believing that you will lose then that is what will happen. You cannot give into your doubts lest they become your downfall. It will make you hesitant and you won't try your hardest in fear of failure. Moreover, do not give into the fear you may have for your opponent. Even if they have more experience and better cards, there is always a way to succeed if you are willing to find it." She continued.

He nodded vigorously.

"And the second thing?" He asked his tone filled with hope and slight desperation.

Her eyes softened slightly.

"Have faith in your deck. Put everything you are into your deck and it becomes an extension of yourself. Believe me, I speak from experience. It was no picnic overcoming each challenge that Pegasus threw at me in order to get the Aura set. I put everything I was into it and I eventually succeeded, but that isn't to say that I didn't fail. I failed many times, but I kept going and I never gave up. Sure, you will be defeated in future duels, that's a given, but with each defeat you learn more, not only about your opponent, but about yourself as well. Understand?" She finished.

The young man's face was set into a determined look.

"Yes, I understand and I won't give up. I'll get better and become the best damn duelist out there." He replied confidently.

"Good. Now, what's your name?" She asked smiling brightly at him.

"Tyler, my name is Tyler." He answered blushing slightly.

She turned on her heel and walked over to her duffle bag. She picked it up and slung the strap over her head. She glanced back at him.

"Come find me when you have rebuilt your deck. I'll be expecting a rematch." She commented.

"Yes ma'am!" He said standing up straighter.

"One more thing…" She started.

"Yes?" Tyler asked.

Her eyes became tender, kind, and if one looked carefully, a little sad.

"Don't let me down. Believe in yourself and in your deck, like I believe in you." She said softly.

Tyler blushed brighter than tomato, but managed to nod all the same. She walked away, the crowd parting for her to pass. Yugi chose that moment to make a discreet exit and followed her. He kept his distance while there were still so many people around.

'It seems you were right about her, Yugi. She has a very kind heart, but I couldn't but feel as if she were somehow lonely.' Atem commented.

'You picked up on that as well, did you? I think I figured out what was irritating her during the duel.' Yugi replied.

'What was it?' The pharaoh asked.

'You remember how she was glancing at her watch all through the duel?' Yugi commented.

'Yes.' Atem answered.

'I think she was meant to be somewhere at a particular time, but was challenged to duel before she could make it. Then when the duel was over, she had the option of continuing on her way, but she couldn't just leave him like that so she stayed and probably missed her appointment.' Yugi concluded.

'She chose to bolster his spirit and encourage him to try again even though it cost her to do so. She is an honorable duelist and a worthy opponent.' Atem replied nodding his approval.

'You think everyone is worthy opponent, no matter how arrogant or pretentious they might be.' Yugi countered continuing to follow her through the shopping district.

'I take it that Kaiba is still challenging regularly?' Atem asked knowing the answer to his question.

'Every chance he gets. He's more stubborn than Tristan and more persistent than Joey. After what happened in Egypt, he has become a bit more willing to deal with 'mystical' stuff, but he's still a jerk at times. He should get himself a girlfriend. Maybe that would mellow him out.' Yugi answered altering his course when Artimes walked into a nearby alley.

'It would take a strong woman to contend with Kaiba.' Atem stated.

'No kidding.' He answered coming up on the alley.

"Why couldn't I just say no to his challenge? I didn't have to stay and help him, but it's what you would have done, right Sage? Now I'm beyond late." She commented her voice sad and dejected.

'I wonder who Sage is.' Atem commented.

'Don't know, but from the way she's talking, I guess he's not around anymore.' Yugi answered as he rounded the corner.

Artimes was leaning against the right wall. She was no longer the perfect picture of calm like she had been in the duel. She looked very upset, troubled, and very sad.

"I guess no one told that fame comes with a price." Yugi commented.

Her sapphire eyes cut over to him and for a brief moment, they were filled with an indescribable pain and loneliness that would drive a normal person insane. It made Yugi's heart ache; the look in her eyes was very much like when he was suffering from losing Atem. The moment passed and her eyes calmed, the pain vanishing like it was never there. She pushed off the wall and faced him. She crossed her arms as her eyes roamed over him, analyzing every inch of him. It took all his willpower to not fidget under such scrutiny. He knew she was sizing him up like how a warrior would analyze his enemy.

"And who might you be?" She asked her voice cold, sharp, and suspicious.

'She has the mindset of a warrior. It seems out of place in this era.' Atem commented.

"My name is Yugi Moto." He answered ignoring his soul partner.

He was going to try his hardest to befriend this woman, but thus far she was not making it easy. Her eyes widened a fraction and Yugi knew that she had recognized his name and most likely knew who he was in the dueling world. She turned around and walked away. That made him confused. She stopped and glanced back at him.

"What? You can't walk and talk at the same time? If you have something to say to me then it will have to be in transit. I have places to be." She stated and began walking again.

'Are you certain that she is the friendliest duelist in Duel Monsters, because she sounds more like Kaiba?' Atem commented.

'I think we caught her off guard. She probably wasn't expecting someone to follow her, let alone that it was the King of Games.' Yugi countered catching up to her.

"That was an excellent duel earlier." Yugi commented glancing at her.

Artimes did a very unladylike snort before replying.

"It was barely mediocre." She countered.

"Why's that?" Yugi asked.

They exited the alley and onto one of the sidewalks on the opposite side of the shopping district. She started walking towards the residential district before answering.

"He was afraid, edgy, and he gave into his hesitation. He doubted himself, his abilities, and his deck. If he had simply loosened up and had fun then the duel would have been amazing, but he was stiff, inflexible, and possessed the rigidity of steel. It wouldn't have mattered how late it made me if I had enjoyed the duel, but I didn't and now, I'm extremely irritated." She answered said irritation coming through loud and clear in her tone.

"But you encouraged him after the duel. You didn't have to, but you did. Why?" Yugi asked curiosity eating away at him.

Artimes let out a small sigh.

"A long time ago, I didn't have much in the way of hope and no one believed me or had faith in me. I was on my own, but then one day I made a friend…" She started.

"Sage?" Yugi interrupted.

Artimes tensed and Yugi wondered if he shouldn't have said it.

"Yes, Sage. He gave me hope when I had none and he believed in giving that same hope to others. He instilled his lofty ideals in me after a few years and it's because of him that I am able to stay strong and keep going. I just couldn't turn my back on someone who needed help. Especially if there was something I could do that no one else could. It was the right thing to do." She answered her eyes sad.

"What happened to him?" Yugi asked innocently.

A great deal of emotion entered her eyes and the pain he saw earlier came back with a vengeance, but this time it was a hundred times worse. Her jaw clenched tightly and it looked like she was about to scream.

'Yugi, it's obvious that talking about her friend places her in great pain. Quickly, change the course of the conversation to something else.' Atem suggested wishing to ease her pain.

"So where are we headed?" Yugi asked changing topics.

The pain faded from her eyes and the tension in her body ebbed away. Her once torrential sapphires were now calm and focused.

"Takasato Apartment Complex." She answered simply, some strain left in her voice.

"Do you live there?" Yugi asked.

"That was the plan, but the duel made me late for my appointment with the superintendent, Mrs. Sakimoto." She answered.

Yugi frowned slightly. He had heard of Sakimoto and the Takasato complex and they had some pretty tough tenant policies. He was pretty sure that being late would not put Artimes in their favor. He needed to come with an alternative, but what?

"But isn't that complex rather strict?" Yugi asked going with the obvious while mulling over her other choices.

She shrugged nonchalantly.

"Yeah, but it was the only one that would accept a tenant whose chosen occupation was dueling." She answered.

"You're a professional duelist! That's awesome!" Yugi exclaimed in awe.

'Professional duelist?' Atem echoed.

'It means that person duels for a living. It's their job.' Yugi explained.

"I certainly think so, but apparently ninety nine percent of the landlords do not share our enthusiasm. If this falls through at the Takasato Complex then I'm going to be homeless…again. Hotel rates are ridiculous especially around this time of year and an extended stay is not within my budget, not by a long shot." She replied her tone dejected.

Yugi had to think quickly. The Aura Magician had said to have faith in the person who wielded her power and that they would need that person in future events. That person was Artimes, but he couldn't let her be without a home. No one deserves that kind of luck so he decided to do what he does best, be a friend.

"That's terrible. If it doesn't work out then you can come and live with me at my Grandpa's game shop. We have a spare bedroom and there is no way Grandpa will turn down a fellow duelist." Yugi offered without hesitation.

'Are certain that this is wise, Yugi? We know nothing about her except she has had dealings with Pegasus.' Atem cautioned.

'Yes, I am. The woman that saved me from my mind, the one who reminded me of the Dark Magician, said to have faith in the person who wielded her power. That person is Artimes and the woman was the Aura Magician.' Yugi informed.

'But what does she have to do with my return?' Atem asked shocked by the turn of events.

'I don't know so in the meantime, I'm going to be her friend and a friend wouldn't let her be homeless.' Yugi answered.

Atem nodded his approval.

"Yugi, you barely know me. You don't just invite strangers to come and live with you. Did it occur to you that I might murder you and your grandfather while you slept? You should be more careful about who you show kindness to." Artimes chastised.

"I trust you, Artimes. I know you would never do something like that. It goes against everything that you are to commit such an evil act. Besides I won't just stand by and let you live on the streets. That would be heartless and cruel, so my offer stands." Yugi countered.

Artimes stared at him for a few minutes, her eyes swirling with conflicting emotions. It would seem that she was deciding whether or not to trust him and it was causing one hell of an internal struggle. Finally, she closed her eyes and sighed heavily. She started walking again, a slight frown on her face.

"Very well, but only if it doesn't work out at the Takasato Complex and that it is alright with your grandfather." She conceded.

Yugi smiled widely and grabbed her hand.

"Great then let's hurry!" Yugi exclaimed dragging her down the sidewalk.

"Whoa! Slow down, Yugi!" She yelled finally matching his speed so she wouldn't trip.

Together, the duo ran hand in hand to the Takasato Apartment Complex.

Author's Rant

Lady A: Tada! Chapter 1: Return of the King is now complete! Chapter 2: Dark Dreams will be arriving soon so be on the lookout for it!

Atem: It's good to be with Yugi again.

Yugi: The feeling is mutual.

Lady A: You guys do make the perfect team.

Atem: Lady A, I am under the impression that you have made quite the discovery recently, am I correct?

Yugi: What discovery?

Lady A: Well I did find something but unfortunately my profile on Fan Fiction won't allow them to be posted.

Atem: So you require a suitable medium if they are to be viewed by others?

Lady A: Correct.

Yugi: What's the discovery?

Atem: It would seem that Lady A has discovered the card maker program on another site and has used it to create the two cards for this chapter.

Yugi: The Aura Magician and the Aurian Temple! I want to see them, Lady A! Please!

Lady A: Therein lays the problem. Fan Fiction will not allow the cards to be viewed in the profile and cannot be posted within the story itself. I need an external site to post the cards for this story, but I have no clue as to what site would be capable of that.

Yugi: So you need someone to tell you what would be a good site for posting the cards, right?

Lady A: Bingo.

Atem: Readers, if you are aware of a site that can solve this problem, please PM Lady A with the link and you will be able to view the Aura cards and others as they are created through the story.

Yugi: Also be sure to leave reviews too! Lady A loves reviews. It makes her very happy and happy authoress means less pain for Joey and anyone else who manages to make Lady A mad. *chuckles nervously when Lady A glares at him*

Atem: Perhaps we should simply end this chapter before Lady A decides to use us for target practice rather than Joey.

Atem and Yugi: *runs away* If you want to save us, leave lots of reviews! *few hundred pointy objects are thrown in their direction*