A/N: So, I recently started re-watching Yu-Gi-Oh and well in love with it again. I had an idea for a story that I could not resist. This goes out to everyone who grew up with the original show. Those who didn't but still enjoy it, you're cool too.

This will basically follow the series, but there may be some twists later on. I will summarize parts of episodes where I do not think my OC can add much to the story. If you think I'm doing this too much or too little, feel free to say so.

This is based on the English dub of the anime. All names will be taken from it. From what I can tell, Bakura's dub name is Bakura Ryou. Therefore I will use Bakura as his first name. I think it sounds better anyway.

The prologue takes place four years before the main story begins.

Prologue

"I'm a wizard!" a boy in his mid teens declared, jumping on the couch and striking a heroic pose.

A little girl shrieked and hid behind a boy in his late teens. "Hey, Kenji, you're scaring Sakiko."

Kenji rolled his eyes and hopped off the couch. He turned to the 12-year-old girl with short black hair who was watching quietly from the side. "Come on, Samia." He shook her shoulders. "What do you want to be?"

Samia blinked several times, seeming surprised at the question. "Uh, can I be a magic cat?"

Sakiko brightened. "I like that!"

Kenji frowned. "What is a magic cat going to do against a wizard?"

"Well, I'm a magic dog, so you'll have to deal with both of us!" Raiden declared. He walked over to his sister and puffed up his chest.

"No fair!" Kenji cried. He darted forward and wrapped his arms around Sakiko. "I've got the princess. Now do your worst!"

Raiden turned to Samia and grinned. "Let's use our magic against him."

A soft smile graced Sami's lips. She nodded once. "Ok." The two of them raised their arms while Kenji pointed a finger at them, his other arm securely around the youngest girl.

"What are you kids doing?!"

Samia froze in place. She thought her parents would not come back from the marker until later on that day, but their errand seemed to have taken shorter than usual. She did not dare turn to look at the owner of the voice.

"Samia," her mother said in a hard tone.

"It's not her fault," Kenji said, freeing Sakiko. "I started it."

"And I let it happen," Raiden said. "I'm in charge."

"I just wanted a magic cat," Sakiko muttered sadly.

"How many times have I told you that there is to be no magic in this house?" The woman put her hands on her hips and clicked her tongue.

The man next to her put a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down, Layla," he said gently. "There just having fun."

"Magic is not fun, Susumi," Layla said, turning her disapproving look to her husband. "Someone could get hurt."

"Like who?" said Kenji.

"Like Samia."

Samia flinched and hid behind Raiden. She wanted to tell her mother that she as the one currently causing her pain. She could feel the anger coming off of her like waves. It mixed with the fear, creating something that could be hard to curb. Her siblings emitted small wafts of fear, but they were overpowered by Layla's strong emotions.

Samia knew it was not normal to be able to sense other's emotions. It was a trait passed down in her family. Her mother had it, and her grandmother had it before she passed away. She wondered how they could get through life living through emotional events multiple times – once for themselves, and then for everyone else involved. Her mother said she had to learn how to control her 'power.' She did not feel very powerful. She thought this was a curse… especially when Layla seemed to think that it was the reason she should fear magic.

"Grandma thought Samia could handle it," Raiden spoke calmly.

Layla gave him a hard look. "Grandma is not here right now. Where did you even get the idea for such a silly game?"

"Raiden brought home cards!" Sakiko piped up.

Samia felt her mother's horror as she gazed at her oldest son. "What cards? Let me see, Raiden."

The brown-haired boy hesitated before pulling cards out of his pocket. "They're just samples," he mumbled as he held them out to Layla.

Layla's eyes narrowed as she looked over the cards. Samia could not feel any dark energy from the cards, but she could sense her mother's worry and fear. After several minutes of silence, she turned to her husband and spoke: "We need to talk, Susumi. Now." Her voice was soft, but there was something about her tone that suggested she had to be obeyed.

Susumi nodded. Then he swept his gaze over his children. "No more magic games. Put the groceries away." Then he followed his wife down the hall.

Dread filled Samia for an unknown reason. Experience, however, had told her to trust her instincts. "I – I'll be back," she said.

"Hey, don't leave us to all the work," Kenji said indignantly.

Raiden placed a hand on his shoulder. "We can do it," he said gently. He nodded at his sister. "God find out what's going on."

Samia gave her a grateful smile before turning to quietly make her way down the hall. Just as she expected, her parents' door was closed, and she could hear their voices inside. She tried not to make a sound as she leaned up against the door, her ear near the crack where the door met the wall. She forced her nervousness down so she could figure out what they were saying.

"This can't be it," Layla said in fear.

"But your senses say otherwise," Susumi said. His emotions were more under control, but they still held a hint of fear.

"Y – yes. There is something ominous about them. It's not evil per se, but…" She sighed. "This is a Japanese game. My mother left Egypt so we would be safe."

"I knew your mother well, and I'm not sure it was safety she was after. I've never known her to run from danger."

"You really think this will all unfold in Japan?"

"That's a possibility. We can't know for sure that those cards mean anything."

"But I've been feeling something for awhile now. I've been trying to deny it. That's why I have to protect Samia. It can't be her. She can't be the one who will be engaged in the heart of the battle. Not now. She's not ready."

"Could she ever be ready for something like this?"

Layla's sorrow now overpowered her emotions. "I don't know, but I have to find out. I have to make sure I'm the one who goes through this, no matter what. Will you stand with me?"

"If that is what you want."

Samia's eyes widened when she heard them stand up. She tried to scamper away, but she had only just passed the door when it opened. She looked into her parents' shocked eyes and swallowed hard. They were not the only ones who needed answers. This was her chance. "Th-they're just cards, aren't they? Magic isn't real."

Layla gazed at her with sadness, compassion, and love. "Oh, Samia, I'm afraid magic is all too real. That's why I don't want you to play those games. You may think it's fun, but there are dark forces out there that could destroy you."

Now Samia's own fear clouded over the motions of her parents. "Wh-what?"

Susumi smiled grimly and nodded. "I'm afraid your mother's right. Both of you have the ability to sense magic and spirits. You can use this to protect yourself."

Samia felt a slicker of curiosity arise in her. "Spirits?" That was not a word she had heard them use before.

A mix of emotions poured from Layla, making it impossible to decipher them. "Yes," she said slowly. "You must be especially careful of spirits. There are some that would cause harm to you and those you love. There is not much you can do about evil spirits but run from them."

"What about good spirits? Don't they exist?" She doubted she would stick around a spirit long enough to find out if it was good or evil, but her sense of righteousness had gotten the better of her.

"Stay away from good spirits too," Layla said firmly. "They do exist, but they are still dangerous. There is absolutely nothing about a spirit, especially an ancient spirit, that is safe. You would do well to remember that. You are not ready to go up against any type of magic. That is why I will protect you."

"And why we're going to Egypt," Susumi added.

Samia widened her eyes. "Egypt? That's where grandma is from." Oh, how she missed her grandma. She had told her great stories of magic and fantasy, which her mother always promptly put an end to. Grandma had believed in her ability to succeed in any type of situation like no one else had. She had passed away two years earlier, and she wished she was still there.

Layla nodded. "There's something going on, and we're going to figure out what it is."

"But isn't that dangerous?" She felt her mother's fear, but her determination was stronger.

"Yes, but I would do anything to protect you and your siblings." She hesitated. "I know I just told you to stay away from danger, but you are the child and we are the parents. Sometimes love requires you to put yourself in danger so your loved ones will be safe. You'll understand someday."

Samia suddenly had the strange feeling that something terrible was going to happen. She willed her frantic heart to slow down, but it still felt like it would break through her chest. "Let me come with you!"

"No," her mother said firmly. "This is something I have to do. Raiden will take care of you here. You have nothing to worry about."

The feeling of impending doom did not leave. She had to stop them. "But-"

Susumi smiled at her warmly and placed a hand on her head. "No matter what happens, Samia, stay safe. We love you."

"Listen to your intuition," said Layla. "It will not steer you wrong. Work on your special abilities. Go to those people with a pure heart, and stay away from those whom you sense danger."

Samia frowned. "I – I don't know if I can."

Her mother smiled at her. "I believe you can. No matter what, follow your heart. We'll be back from Egypt soon."

"No, don't go!" the girl cried out. She did not know why, but she did not want them to leave the country. Something was wrong.

Her parents merely smiled at her as they strode down the hall to discuss the situation with her siblings. With a sinking feeling, Samia knew there was nothing she could do to stop them. They would soon be gone.

Samia stood in the back during the wake and funeral services. The family was expected to sit up front, but she did not have it in her. She needed to be close to the edge so she could slip away if need be. It was not that she wanted to disrespect her parents. It was simply too difficult to feel the emotions of everyone else at the service, and it was easier to soak up emotions up front.

They hadn't even found the bodies. Samia had no idea what had happened in Egypt, and no one would tell her. The government said it was classified. She bet they did not know the truth either. She wondered if it really had something to do with magic or if it was a coincidence and an accident. Her intuition told her it was the former.

At the conclusion of the funeral, everyone was invited to bring flowers to the empty caskets at the front. Samia took this chance to bolt out of there. She was glad the service was held outside, for she could simply turn and run. She knew her parents' friends would consider her rude, but she could barely handle her own sorrow, let alone that of dozens more.

She ran through the grass until she tripped on something. She fell flat on her face, and she heard her black kimono rip. She grabbed fists full of grass as the tears poured out. She had told them not to go. Surely her mother had sensed the danger as well. Why had they left her and her siblings all alone? How was she supposed to learn to control her abilities now? How was she supposed to get through life without someone to show her how sensitivity could be a strength and not just a weakness?

"Excuse me? Are you alright?"

A quiet voice spoke to her. She would have told him to buzz off if not for the kindness and compassion she could feel coming off of him like heat. She wiped her eyes and slowly stood up, turning around to face the person who had spoke.

Standing before her was a boy about her age. He must have been at the service, for her wore a black suit with a white shirt. He had thick white hair that fell past his shoulders and brown eyes that were filled with concern. She had never seen him before, but her intuition told her she could trust him.

She shook her head. "M-my parents are gone." Fresh tears flowed down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry."

Samia sniffed. She could tell he meant it. "Who are you?"

"My name is Bakura. Our dads worked together."

"M-my name is Samia." Another tear slipped down her cheek.

She flinched in surprise when Bakura moved closer and wrapped his arms around her. It usually took her a long time to become comfortable around anyone, but she could not resist the warmth and kindness coming from him. She held onto him tightly and cried into his shoulder.

"Why did you run away?"

"I can feel other people's emotions. There was too much sadness."

"Then let me give you some happiness."

Se was shocked to feel mild joy coming from him. In the past, she had soaked up others' positive emotions to improve her mood, but no one had ever purposefully manipulated their own emotions to make her feel better. And he did not even know her. She did not doubt his intentions, though, for she could feel that he had a good heart.

Several minutes of silence passed before Bakura spoke again: "What happened to them? The bodies aren't there."

This brought on a fresh round of tears from Samia. "Th-they went to Egypt. Mom said she had to protect me from evil magic. I think it got her instead. What if it comes for me now?" She was not ready for this. Her mother had said so herself. She did not have what it took to stand up to evil magic and spirits…

"I'll protect you," Bakura said in a confident tone.

Samia blinked and looked up at his face, her vision blurred from her tears. "What?"

He smiled at her, and his face shone with determination. "I'll protect you from any magic that comes for you. I won't let any evil spirits get you."

Despite herself, a small smile crept onto her face. She did not know who this boy was or why he was vowing to protect a girl he had just met, but her intuition had told her to believe him, and the last thing her mother said to her was to trust her intuition. "Thank you."

She leaned her head against his chest and closed her eyes. Her crying ceased as peace started to fill her. She was not sure if it was from her intuition or the good feelings the boy was giving her, but she suddenly knew that, despite the recent tragedy, her future was not bleak. Everything was going to be fine.

Bakura was there.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the introduction. Let me know what you think. If you don't understand Samia's abilities, they'll make sense later on.