The puzzle was pure gold and compiled of different shapes that were scattered in a golden box. The box was etched with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. The eye on the front was about the size of his palm and protruded off the box ominously. Yugi had found the box in his grandfather's storage eight years go. He had asked him about it and wanted to know what it was. At first his grandfather had been cross with him for going through his personal things, after all he had mementos of his late wife in there. Yugi had only been eight at the time and was very curious. Sugoroku took the box and sat his grandson in his lap telling him a story of how the puzzle had come from an ancient time in Egypt. He told Yugi that that the ancients used to play games to determine the fate of those who were evil. A person had a chance to change his fate if he won the game. His heart would be weighed on the scales. If he lost and his heart was full of darkness his soul would be consumed by the great beast of the underworld. The puzzle had been a representation of those very games. Sugoroku despite being an adept and master gamer could not solve it. Yugi was responsible even at a young age so he passed the puzzle down to his grandson.

From that moment on Yugi was obsessed with the puzzle for a while as a child. In his free time before bed every night he tried to solve it with no luck so far. Over time he would piece it together here and there. Over the last few years though his interest in it had somewhat faded. He still took it out and tried to piece it together now and again but since entering his school his time was spent in other areas. At that certain point in time it was with his new found friend Kiley Tomoe. The girl one year his senior was fast becoming a good friend. She spent most of her afternoons with the teenager doing odd things. He was slowly drawing her into playing more games. Mostly it was popular board games and video games. She was bent on making him remember there were other things then games. Kiley was surprised to find herself growing so fond of Yugi.

She waited outside the school gates for him as she had done a couple of times before. Sometimes it was faster for her to meet up with him then to wait for him at the park or his home especially if they were going out in the city. She stared at the students as they all filed out going home. They didn't really spare her too many glance. Kiley looked at the students conversing and hanging out in their little cliques and groups of friends. Her heart clenched a little at the sight because she had never had the chance to make many friends not finishing regular high school. Yugi always commented about how exciting her life must be getting to go different places in the world and experience new things. Kiley more and more was realizing just how lonely she really was with her lifestyle.

"Hey! Jounouchi please give it back!' Kiley looked up hearing Yugi's voice

A taller classmate of his had a hold of something above Yugi's head and he was grinning. The boy had a mop of blonde hair that didn't look like he gave much care to style it at all. Another boy stood beside him laughing with a crew cut and a girl with short brown hair was yelling at the two. "Jounouchi why won't you grow up!" she squawked

Kiley knew she wasn't really allowed on school property since she wasn't a student but she walked through the gates anyways approaching the commotion. "What's going on?" Kiley asked crossing her arms

"Back off girly just trying to teach Yugi here to be a man and too stop being such a geek." the boy known as Jounouchi said

"Jounouchi give it back please." Yugi pleaded

"What is that thing anyways?" The boy who had been laughing asked

"I don't know let's find out." Jounouchi lifted the lid to look inside when he was pelted by a back pack in the stomach.

With an "OOOFFF!" he dropped the box and the other girl in Yugi's class snatched it away.

Kiley held her back pack threatening another hit glaring at the boy "Back off! Why do you guys always have to pick on Yugi!"

"Yeah! He doesn't ever do anything to you." The other girl chimed in with the short brown hair.

"Ugh...would you two nags quite squawking you're hurting my ears." Jounouchi said annoyed rubbing his side

"Come on Jounouchi let's get out of here." Honda said frowning at the two girls protecting the smaller male

"Getting girls to fight your battles now Yugi?" Jounouchi sneered

Honda laughed "The shrimp has to have someone fight for him if he isn't going to."

"Later Yugi...ladies." Jounouchi said walking away with

"Yeah you better run." Kiley snapped

She turned to see Yugi talking to the girl who had caught his golden box.

Yugi sighed taking the golden box from Anzu as handed it to him. "Sorry about that Yugi. You know Honda and Jounouchi are just idiots they don't mean anything by it."

"They need to leave him alone." Kiley said putting her back pack on her shoulder

"I could have handled it Kiley." Yugi said frowning and putting his box back in his own back pack "I can take care of myself sometimes you know."

Kiley scowled "Well excuse me."

"Yugi that wasn't very nice she was just trying to help. We both were." Anzu scolded him

"Sorry Anzu but Jounouchi's right. Maybe I need to be more of a man." Yugi said rubbing his neck

"I doubt that." Anzu said

"Yeah right." Kiley snorted and Yugi rolled his eyes

"You must be Kiley. I'm Anzu Mazaki." Kiley looked at the brunette.

The girl was pretty no doubt. She was tall with shapely legs and walked gracefully. Her eyes were a dark blue and when she smiled you kind of wanted to smile back. "It's nice to meet you."

"We should all hang out some time. But right now I have to go to dance class. See you later guys!" Anzu called and trotted away

"New friend?" Kiley asked curious

"Sort of. That's Anzu." Yugi said smiling watching her run.

Kiley watched where he was looking and flicked his shoulder "OW! What was that for?"

"For staring at her butt."

"What! I was not." Yugi said defensively

Anzu had recently started talking to him again after years. They had been friends in grade school and she had transferred to another middle school. She had just come back this semester and it had taken her awhile to remember who he was. He was surprised when she had randomly sat down to him at lunch the other day saying his name. It had started a conversation and she had been hanging around him at school since. Yugi had to admit he had always sort of had a crush on Anzu.

"Well come on. I don't have all day." Kiley said walking out of the gates and Yugi turned following.

Yugi could tell she was irritated at him for snapping at her. Kiley was very protective of him he was learning when someone was rude to him or threatened him she always stood up for him. Although in the beginning he didn't mind it was starting to become a little much. He was a boy and she was a girl. His grandfather said that a young man was supposed to protect his female friends and be polite to him. Kiley so far didn't need his help he hoped there would be one day where he could really protect her.

"Hey. Kiley." he called

"What do you want Yugi?" she asked

"I just wanted to say I was sorry I didn't mean to snap at you." He said

Her gazed softened "It's okay."

"You don't have to protect me all the time. You know before you came along I was doing okay." He said

"Okay? Yugi you're a walking bully magnet." She snapped

"I know but...sometimes a man has to fight his own battles!" He said holding up his fists in emphasis.

Kiley's anger dissipated and burst in to laughter. "Hey! I might be little but grandpa always says big things come in small packages."

"Oh man you're too much." She giggled

Yugi was glad he had made her smile Kiley didn't smile enough in his opinion. She looked a lot cuter when she did smile. Her blue-gray eyes and face lit up and she didn't look so mean and serious.

"So whose you're girlfriend?" Kiley teased

"Who? Anzu? Oh...she's just and old grade school friend. She moved away and came back we've been hanging out at school." He said smiling

"She seems nice." Kiley commented and was surprised to feel a burst of envy in the pit of her stomach

"Anzu is nice."

"And pretty too..."

"I didn't say that." Yugi said blushing

"You didn't have to." Kiley grinned

"Well...she is pretty its true but she also nice and she sticks up for me." He said emphasizing there were other things he liked about her.

"She seems pretty cool. Maybe when she's not busy we can all hang out after school some time." Kiley suggested

"I think Anzu would like that. She's new like you and doesn't have a lot of friends. I told her about you though and she asked me if you had been to any ballets in Paris." Yugi said

"My mom did drag me to an opera with dancers in it. She said I needed to be more cultured so I guess that counts."

They sat down in the park on a blanket Kiley had brought and Yugi started digging in his back pack. "So what exactly was that golden box those guys snatched from you."

"Oh...it's just a puzzle." Yugi said

"Well...can I see it?" Kiley asked curious

"Sure. But it's my treasure you have to be careful with it." Yugi lectured pulling it out

Kiley was surprised to see the ancient artifact and her jaw dropped "Wow...that's pretty cool. Is it really gold?"

"Grandpa says it is. He said it came out of an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh's tomb in Egypt."

"Um...wouldn't it be cursed then?" Kiley said snatching her hands away she had wanted to touch it but at the mention of its origins she decided not too

"I don't think so. That stuff is only in movies." Yugi said waving her off and opening the lid.

Kiley saw a partially completed puzzle inside and she got up the courage to pick up a piece looking at the brilliant glinting artifact. "This is neat."

"I've been working on it for eight years. I still haven't solved it." Yugi said sighing heavily

"Well I used to kick ass at jigsaw puzzles. Of course they were like 6 pieces and of cows when I was six." she joked

"You want to help me solve it?" Yugi asked in surprise

"Why not? It looks like it could be fun and if we get bored we can find something else to do."

Honestly Kiley didn't know why she wanted to help solve the puzzle. She had become more interested in it when she had touched the pieces. The pieces were so beautiful she wandered what the completed puzzle would look like and she wanted to see it in its fullest. Yugi kept talking to her and she occasionally answered back as they worked on individual pieces together. Kiley stopped answering him after a while and was staring at her glinting gold pieces. She started to feel light headed and blinked a few times. Yugi was still talking to her telling her about a new capsule monster game or something. His voice started to fade and the pieces in her hand started to separate into a double image. She let out a shaky breath as she fell forwards and promptly passed out.

"Kiley!"

Kiley saw a brilliant light surrounding her. She looked up and literally saw the expanse of the city upside down. She closed her eyes and rubbed her face knowing this had to be a dream. She felt a coldness touch her skin and she opened her eyes in curiosity. She found herself staring at a great expanse of darkness. She looked around surprised and confused. Kiley looked down away from the darkness and saw the literal divide between the darkness and the light beneath her feet. She looked up into the darkness and felt fear grab her. The dark swirled together soon forming a figure with glowing eyes. She reached out a hand to touch it but the darkness lashed out at her hand. She winced pulling it back and holding it to her chest .

"You are not the one. Why do you attempt to solve the puzzle?" a deep voice echoed from the figure

"I was helping my friend." came her own reply

"You already have a destiny laid before you. To solve the puzzle is not within it. Leave it to the boy for it is his destiny."

"What are you talking about? Yugi?" She asked

"The one who holds the puzzle is its chosen wielder. You girl are not."

"Are you a ghost?" she asked

The voice chuckled "Perhaps. Stay your course we will meet again. Kiley Renee' Tomoe."

The darkness started to clear "Wait! Are you going to hurt Yugi! You better not hurt him!" She cried trying to run forwards

Kiley screamed as the darkness lunged forwards at her and she stumbled back into the bright light.

Yugi had watched Kiley literally faint falling face forwards on the blanket. The puzzle pieces in her hand scattered on the ground. Yugi had never seen anyone faint before but he knew that it wasn't a good thing. He discarded his own puzzle pieces and quickly started shaking the limp body of his friend. She remained motionless for about five minutes and he was just about to go get help when she gasped shooting up. Yugi jumped back surprised and watched as she looked around wildly. Her eyes were full of fright and she was gasping for air.

"Kiley are you okay?" he asked softly

Her eyes landed on him without warning she lunged forwards and grabbed him in a tight hug. "Oh my god." She whispered "Yugi."

He froze at the sudden impact of her body pressed to his. He realized she was trembling and was quick to hug her back gently. "Kiley its okay. What happened?" He whispered gently

Kiley sat back as he gently held her shoulders and looked at him. "I-I had a nightmare...I guess but it felt so real. What happened to me?"

"I think you fainted. You just stopped talking and passed right out. You were helping me with the puzzle."

"The puzzle? The puzzle!" Kiley cried looking back at

Yugi just sat and watched as she erratically packed all the pieces away in the golden box and slammed the lid shut. She thrust it deep into his back. "Kiley. What's the matter?" he asked

"Don't...ever...solve that puzzle!" she snapped at him

"What? Why?" he asked

"There is something weird about that puzzle. Give it back to your grandfather and tell him to send it back to wherever it came from." She ordered

"Kiley you're acting crazy. It's just a puzzle there's nothing evil about it." Yugi said

"That's not true." she said "I had a dream I saw something."

"Did you drink enough water today? Maybe you're dehydrated."

Kiley sighed "I'm not dehydrated. I did see something."

"Um...okay...what was it?"

"A dark figure with glowing eyes." She explained

He laughed "Oh I get it you're joking. Picking on me for playing games again right?"

"No. Yugi! I'm being serious."

"It's okay Kiley I get it you don't like the fact I play so many games...you think it's weird." He said grabbing his back pack and putting it on his shoulders and standing "I'm going to head out. I'll see you later."

"Yugi...wait..." Kiley said watching him go

"I'll call you." He said over his shoulder and walked away

Kiley sighed heavily sitting back down before looking at the setting sun "I did see something." she whispered to no one.