Chapter Two

"Grandpa..?" Yugi began tentatively as he set down his chopsticks.

"Yes, Yugi?" Solomon said calmly as he gathered up the dishes to wash them.

Wide innocent eyes peered up at his grey-haired Grandfather, Yugi absently fiddled with the Puzzle as he tried to ask his question,

"When I was younger...when...when Dad was...still alive," He began stammering slightly, "Did I ever...have nightmares?"

Solomon's expression froze for just a second, but he answered casually,

"Of course, Yugi. All children have nightmares occasionally."

Yugi shook his head, looking down at the table.

"Please, Grandpa. I don't just mean an occasional bad dream...I mean something serious."

Solomon's shoulders bowed slightly, as though he were carrying some great weight, and then he sighed deeply,

"It had us all so worried," He began in a defeated sort of voice, "You mother and father and I. Nothing we could think of really helped. We tried nightlights, one of us staying with you, lullabies...everything. But no matter what we did, you always woke up screaming. You were so young...but we could all work out the words 'shadows' and 'darkness' that you babbled when you woke."

Yugi stared in astonishment and in the back of his mind, he could feel the spirit stirring something like surprise or alarm filtering through their bond, "What did you do?" He asked softly.

"The doctor couldn't find anything wrong, and you were too young to be given sleeping drugs. We finally ended up taking you to a psychologist..." Here Solomon paused as though loath to speak anymore, "He recommended hypnotherapy."

Yugi fought back the surge of raw anger he felt on finding out his mind had been tampered with, recognising that not all of that heated surge of emotion was his own. Solomon stared miserably at his grandson with violet eyes so much like his own.

"I'm so sorry, Yugi. But it was all we could think of to do. It was making you ill..." He trailed off helplessly.

Yugi nodded shortly, slipping down from the kitchen chair.

"Thanks for telling me, Grandpa." He said quietly, "I think I'm gonna need to think about all of this."

He barely heard his Grandfather's quiet acknowledgement.

Yugi made his was back up to his room and threw himself on the bed, trying to get his jangling emotions under control.

He couldn't blame his Grandpa, or his parents, really. They'd been worried - scared - and done they only thing they could. But even so...someone had tampered with him. Blocked off a part of him...a painful part, maybe, but still a part of him.

Then Yugi felt a comforting hand stroke his hair gently, Yugi looked up to see his ghostly other half sat on the edge of the bed.

"Yami..." He began, but his partner interrupted him,

"I heard," The Spirit soothed, "It's all right."

Yugi leaned into the gentle caresses Yami was giving him. Why? Why had no one ever told him, or even mentioned it? That surely meant that whatever 'blocks' had been put in place to stop the nightmares were still there. Why had they never been removed? Frustration made tears gather in the corner of his eyes and his teeth grind together...had they thought he was damaged somehow?

"Aibou," Yami's deep, rich voice cut through his anguished thoughts and Yugi looked up into his other half's crimson eyes, "I could probably dissolve any blocks in your mind, if you wish."

Yugi started. He desperately wanted to say 'yes' but at the same time...

"What if the nightmares come back?" He asked. Yami smiled and stroked Yugi's hair again,

"I will defend you from any dark dreams, Hikari."

Yugi sat up and nodded, "Do it."

Insubstantial fingers reached out to touch Yugi's face, and he felt a strange warmth, and a peculiar tingling in his temples...then...

The sun beat down like a hammer on an anvil, the air was dry, dusty, and filled with the scent of incense and spices, as well as the far less pleasant smell of dried animal dung.

He was stood next to a huge wedge-shaped wall, covered in smooth plaster and painted in stunning beautiful designs. Stretched out in front of him was a long collonade lined either side with statues of crouching lions...sphinxes..?

Something glinted from inside the huge walls - a tall needle-shaped pillar, its point covered with a crown of shining gold...

Yami's fingers dropped from Yugi's face, both their faces recognising their total shock. They both recognised that vision as an unmistakable look at Ancient Egypt...had that really been Yugi's memory?

Determined violet eyes met crimson as Yugi spoke,

"Keep going."

End of Chapter Two