I own nothing. Oh, the parts with Atem are from a different time line by a few days.

Demon Lover

Twin Bond

By the end of the week, Anzu had Atem's letter memorized. However, that did not stop her from keeping it folded and placed in her pocket. Hearing the crinkle of paper each time she sat down or moved a certain way, reassured her that he was still alive; that someone, somewhere had made a mistake. Yuugi had a point. He was his twin. He would know if Atem were truly gone, for a piece of himself would be gone as well.

Though, nothing could prepare her for Kaiba's next visit. She had been sitting in the drawing room when she heard the knock at the door. She set aside the ballet slippers she had been preparing and gracefully moved through the room and to the door. She inwardly groaned at seeing her fiancé waiting for her. She had yet to break it off with him…

Kaiba appeared more irritable than usually. She opened the door further and stepped back, allowing him to enter. He merely entered the mudroom and looked at her. She did not like the way he towered over her.

"Kaiba, my parents aren't home right now…" She said, implying that he should make his visit rather quick.

Kaiba nodded. "Don't worry. I won't be here long. I just came to give you something."

Anzu blinked in confusion. Kaiba had never given her a gift before, why start now? She opened her mouth, but he held up a hand silencing her. He then reached that hand into his jacket and pulled something out from one of the pockets within. He held the object out before her and it took her a moment to realize what exactly she was looking at…and another moment to figure out where she had seen it.

She gasped and snatched it from him, cradling it close to herself. Her moved caressed the roughened leather of the black choker. She noted how it was missing a few silver studs. She looked up at him with wide eyes.

Kaiba met her gaze evenly. "You wanted proof. And there it is. My father was finally able to get in touch with someone that had bunked with him. That's all that is left of him."

Anzu's throat tightened. "No…there must be some mistake…I got a letter…"

Kaiba turned away from her. "There's no mistake. I'm moving the wedding to tomorrow. Don't be late." With that, he smoothly left her alone, slamming the door shut behind him. A picture hanging on the wall beside the door shook and then crashed to the ground, the fragile glass cracking and distorting the family portrait that was inside it.

Anzu's knees knocked together once before giving out beneath her. With a sob, she curled into a ball, still clutching the choker.

She cried silent tears. She was surprised she had any left to cry after all that she had been through in the past three weeks. However, she apparently still had a few tears to shed. She had had her heart shattered…Then repaired again, only to have it shattered again a few days later. She continued to stroke the leather, memories of her childhood coming back to her clearly. Atem's laugh…His eyes…His smiles…His last kiss…

"Oh…Kami…Why?" She whispered.

X

Seto stepped off of the Mazakis' manicured lawn and entered the awaiting car. His father's look asked a question and he nodded.

"Excellent." Gozaburo smirked.

Once Seto closed the door, the driver took off slowly down the quiet street. Seto looked out the window at all of the ordinary homes and lives they passed. He wondered what it would be like to have one of those for just a few moments. An ordinary life…The concept seemed foreign to him.

His thoughts were interrupted by his father. "…disappeared. Figured that that baka Shadi could not keep up his end of the deal. Regardless, as soon as Yami comes out of hiding, he'll have the puzzle, Shadi guaranteed that. I've already sent word that your marriage should be announced to him as soon as those Egyptians spot him. To be honest, I don't trust them."

When his father finally took a break in his rant, Seto spoke up. "What did you say about him disappearing?"

Gozaburo eyed him as if he was some form of strange animal. "Where you not listening, boy? I said that Shadi claimed that after they found him, they lost him and his been missing for the past two weeks."

"Perhaps he is actually dead?"

Gozaburo snorted. "Don't be a fool. Shadi spoke too high of him to kill him. I doubt he could because of that tainted Egyptian blood in him."

Seto thought back to the blank look that had been on Anzu's face after she had accepted his proposal. That look had remained until the day Yami's brother had returned. She had mentioned something of a letter. Perhaps that letter had given her hope…Hope that Yami was still alive. And he had crushed it…He had without a doubt brought back that blank look in her eyes. A look that he himself had once worn like an irremovable mask…A mask that had been removed the instant he learned of a way to bring Kisara back.

As his father droned on, Seto began to wonder: Was it right of him to cause Anzu this pain just so that he could be happy again?

X

Atem's head pounded. It felt as if all of the gunfire and explosions that had once lulled him to sleep where being set off inside of his head. He groaned. The ground below him was hard and bits of pebbles dug into his flesh. He pushed himself up by his hands and shook his head to dispel the fog that muddled his thoughts. He slowly blinked and stared at the aged ground below him. He realized that he was still in the underground cave.

He tilted his head up and looked at the pedestal that was before him, where the odd pyramid had rested. It no longer shined brightly. It looked like an ordinary pyramid miniature. He slowly stood, his limbs shaking from exhaustion. He reached out again for the puzzle and this time, there was no bright light, no black out. He grasped it in his hand and lifted it from where it lay.

Sensing movement behind him, he twirled around, reaching for his shotgun with his free hand. His eyes widened when he realized he must have dropped it when he fell from the level above. He fleetingly wondered how long ago it had been since he had been chased by then cloaked figures, one of which, no stood before him.

Atem narrowed his eyes at him. "What did you do to me?" He snapped.

The figure stepped closer and Atem tensed. The figure removed his hood to reveal a white turban covered head, a deeply tanned face, and wise brown eyes. "My name is Shadi," he spoke in Egyptian.

Atem, having had his father teach him the language, was able to understand. He replied back in Egyptian, "What do you want, Shadi?"

"It's not what I want; it's what the Shadow Realm wants." He replied.

"What in the name of Ra is the Shadow Realm?"

Shadi glanced at the puzzle within Atem's hand. Atem's crimson eyes fell on it. "The puzzle chose you for a reason. You are to be the protector of all of the Millennium Items. By doing so, you will bring an end to the pointless war that Kaiba Gozaburo has raged for the past three years."

Atem looked back up to the Egyptian. "Gozaburo? What does he have to do with the war? And aren't the Millennium Items supposed to be missing?"

Shadi slowly returned his gaze to Atem. "Kaiba made up the silly lie to obtain them. He wishes to gain control of them for ultimate power. When he learned that there was only one person that could activate their powers, he demanded that I reveal their identity. I told him of you and he knew of your liking to Mazaki Anzu. Around that time, his son's romantic interest died, he used Seto's heartache and your longing to devise a plan to lure you here to activate the puzzle, which in turn, activates the others."

Confusion swept through Atem. "I can understand why Gozaburo would want the Millennium Items and my involvement –though, I think someone got their wires crossed, because I don't see why I was chosen-, but what does Anzu and Seto have to do with this?"

"Gozaburo made a deal with Anzu's parents that if he was able to send you away, if they would give their daughter to Seto. They easily agreed and thus you were drafted. Anzu remained faithful to you until the Kaibas told her you were dead, she then accepted his proposal. They are to marry within three days."

Atem's stomach twisted and bile rose in his throat. Anzu was…marrying someone else? Had she even mourned his alleged 'death?' He wheezed, feeling a massive pressure in his chest. "Anzu…"

Shadi stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "There is still time. This is all a part of Kaiba's plan. He wants you to return to Domino City and exchange the puzzle for Anzu."

Atem stiffly looked up at him. "What'll happen to Anzu?"

Shadi levelly kept Atem's gaze. "Gozaburo will kill her."

X

Yuugi lay on his warm and cozy bed. He was not really awake, and not really asleep. He was in that comfortable in-between. His blue blanket was pulled up to his shoulders and he was curled on his side, facing the cream colored wall, his back to the door. His eyes were half closed and he was sleepily gazing through his thick ebony lashes. He sighed contently.

That sigh quickly turned into a gasp when he felt a tug at the back of his mind, almost like a dull headache being to pound in his occipital lobe. His eyes snapped open and he jerked up into a sitting position.

He pinched his eyes tightly closed, hoping it would help but it did very little, if only making it hurt worse. He thought he heard his name whispered. His violet eyes snapped open and darted around only to see his empty room.

"Aibou, it's me!" The voice continued.

Yuugi gasped again. He was certain that he was hearing Atem's voice. 'Aibou' had been Atem's nickname for him while they had been fighting together. Yuugi jumped to his feet, swaying slightly.

"A-Atem?" He called out.

He received no loud reply, instead it was that quiet whisper again. "Yuugi, can you stall Anzu and Kaiba's wedding? At least for a little while?"

Yuugi's brows knitted together. "What? It's tomorrow! How can I stall it? Why? What's going on?"

Atem's whisper became desperate. "Please, Aibou. At least keep an eye on her. I'm on my way home."

"I guess…What do you mean you're coming home? What's going on?" Yuugi shouted, confusion and anger sweeping through him.

"I can't explain…" Atem's voice faded away, as did Yuugi's headache.

"Atem!"

Yuugi's door opened and in walked his grandfather. Gramps' brows raised as he looked at Yuugi with a wondering look in his eye. "Yuugi?"

Yuugi's mouth opened and closed. "Uh…Sorry, Gramps, I have a headache."

Gramps nodded. "Probably from squinting at all of those children's trading cards. Why don't you take a nap?"

Yuugi shook his head. "I'm fine now. But, um…I'm going to go see Anzu." He then rushed passed Gramps and headed down the stairs.

Gramps took a step after him and then raised a brow. "Kids these days."

Yuugi did not know why he was rushing to Anzu because a delusion of Atem told him too, but his twin bond with Atem told him to listen to it and his every instinct was pointing him to Anzu…

Next chapter will be a songfic and will alos include the wedding scene. Just two more chapters.

~MutantEnemy6789