What happens when the Thief returns, and no-one is there to stop him?

The cast of Yu-Gi-Oh and Yu-Gi-Oh GX bring you:

Returned

Chapter One; Introductions

"Uh… Headmaster?"

A groan.

"Headmaster! There's a call on the videophone for you!"

"Mmkay…"

Now, the room comes into focus. It looks like a study of sorts; the walls display photographs, on the desk is a selection of trinkets and behind the desk a cabinet containing a multitude of trophies is bolted to the wall.

The man owning the study is slumped behind the desk; it looks like he's fallen asleep on the job. Our gaze turns to the photographs on the wall; one stands out in the centre of the others. It is of eight youths; about sixteen in age. One is younger than the others; his black hair flops over his eyes as he sits on the shoulders of his tall, brown-haired brother. Two other sixteen-year old boys stand at the shoulders of another, shorter boy with wild tricoloured hair. A black-haired, green-eyed boy has his arms around the only girl in the picture, a brunette who seemed to be laughing as she snuggled up to him.

And the final person in the picture? Another boy, with white hair that cascaded down his shoulders in natural spikes. His chocolate-brown eyes looked slightly embarrassedly at the camera as he fiddled with a brown messenger bag slung over his shoulder.

Our gaze turns now to the trophy cabinet. Two large trophies dominate the space – a shield with the engraving 'Tri-school championship'. This year it was won by Slypher Primary Duelling School.

The second trophy: 'Domino City under-fifteens tournament'. This year won by 'Y. Bakura'.

The trinkets on the desk were just small things; a little model of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon, A small silver cartouche on a chain and a conical golden spike with a loop on the top, which looks like it used to be part of something else.

"I swear… Headmaster! Mister Bakura!"

The man woke up, his brushing his white hair back from his clean-shaven face. Chocolate-brown eyes looked up at the woman who'd burst into his office. "Uh… I'm sorry, Miss Takato, I was…"

"Asleep. Yes. Mister Kaiba wants to talk to you; he's been patiently waiting on the videophone for you to finish your afternoon nap."

"Kaiba!?" The man stood, pushing back his chair and accidentally hitting his knee on the edge of the desk. "Ouch…"

Miss Takato, his secretary, smiled and opened the door as her superior rushed out. He was a very good headmaster; a little absentminded sometimes, but that was why he had her to do his paperwork for him.

"Ah. So Sleeping Beauty finally wakes."

"Seto! It's been ages; how are you, old friend?"

Seto Kaiba grimaced. "The usual."

"You need a break, Seto. Work is getting to you again. You know what Kisa will say if she hears you've been overnighting again." And, indeed, Kaiba's face was slightly pasty, and he had dark rings under his eyes.

"I'm thirty-nine years old, Bakura; I don't need a break at this time of life. And don't even think about going to my wife; she's got enough to deal with, with Seth on the way."

"Oh, so it's a boy?"

Kaiba grinned. "Yes. We found out last week. That's why I've been working so hard; I need to set an example to him."

"Oh, come on." Bakura smiled. "Surely you can let Mokuba take over sometimes?"

"He's not cut out to be CEO. I know it sounds a little harsh, but he isn't. He prefers to work in the development sector, not admin. He never had the stomach for paperwork." Kaiba coughed slightly as he said this. "Anyway. To business. You've heard of my Duel Academy, yes?"

"Yes…"

"The head of Slifer Red house, Midori Hibiki, was taken ill yesterday. She fell into an unexplained coma, much like your old school friends did twenty-three years ago, Bakura."

Bakura paled. "Uh… I can assure you it wasn't me, Kaiba…"

"Don't bother. I know it wasn't you. I've been handed the task of finding a replacement for her."

"What does that have to do with me?"

Kaiba raised an eyebrow at him, his sapphire-blue eyes sparkling. "Think about it, Bakura. You were always the intelligent one."

"You mean… me?"

Kaiba frowned. "The only reason I'm asking you is because you're the only Ranked Duelist left with the needed qualifications. "

"What about Yugi? Or Serenity? Serenity's got the required qualifications…"

"Serenity isn't ranked in the top twenty, and Yugi flatly refuses. It's only temporary, Bakura, until Midori recovers."

"But… What about my school?"

"I'm sure your secretary can do a good enough job without you. Bakura, you're my last hope."

"I'm still not sure I can…"

"You'll get paid twice what your Board of Governors pays you."

"Uh…"

Seto flushed. "Bakura, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity!"

Bakura sighed. "Alright, fine. But, on one condition."

"What?"

"I get to bring my son."

Seto's eyes widened, and then he nodded. "I'll send a copter to pick you up on Sunday."

"Great."

The vidphone blinked out.

Drrrring!

The bell rang, signalling the end of the day. Bakura ducked back into his office as a flood of students began to flow past the secretaries desk and out through the main doors of the school.

Except one.

A white-haired fourteen-year old with piercing green eyes, wearing the school uniform of red and black, knocked on the headmasters office door, shifting his dueldisk on his arm as he did so. The door swung open, and Bakura hurriedly stood up from where he'd been tidying his desk.

"Yami! I thought you'd arrive soon. How was your day?"

"Fine, dad." The boy – we now know he's called Yami – shifted his messenger bag on his shoulder as he walked across the room to hug his father. Bakura hugged him back, before sweeping a pile of papers into a drawer.

"Just give me a minute, and I'll drive you home."

"Sure, dad." Yami sat on the desk as his dad bustled around him, clearing his drawers and picking up the trinkets off his desk.

"I'll help, Dad!" Yami jumped off the desk and picked up the gold cone-shaped object. He then stiffened as something inside it gave him a small shock.

Bakura didn't see this; he was busy stacking up some loose sheets of paper. If he had looked up, he'd have seen the shadow that passed over the eyes of his son at that moment.

Wahey! I thought I'd post this because, you know, what the heck.

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