That night Paris glowered with it bright lights under the clear night sky.

Mokuba, Seto, and Pegasus were outside the

Opera, waiting for Yami who was in the car with Mai and Joey. All three were wearing the classic black tailcoat suit with a white shirt, a black cloak, and a classic top hat.

Mokuba sighed when another car passed by and looked at Seto.

His brother was sitting on the stairs that lead to the entrance with his elbows leaning on his knees and hands interlocked under his chin. Seto wasn't exactly a talkative person when it came to small talk but he had been strangely quiet since that afternoon, he'd rarely opened his mouth to say sharp remarks. Mokuba could tell there was something off. Seto could be very oblivious to his own feelings but Mokuba could see right through his wall. He'd seen the fond looks his brother gave Yami. Now that he thought about it. . .

"Seto?" Mokuba asked, sitting beside his brother.

"What?"

"I was thinking about what you said earlier."

Seto raised an eyebrow and Mokuba continued.

"About Yami being really the prince. . ."

"Well, we know now that he is the prince," Pegasus said without showing any doubt.

Seto scowled. "No, you don't know!" he snapped, standing up. "I was the boy in the palace. The one who opened the wall." His voice became less aggressive with each word. "He's the real thing."

Pegasus' mouth hanged open as the words sunk in while Mokuba felt any left enthusiasm wash away. He finally understood his brother's strange behaviour because. . .

"That means Yami-boy has found his family!"

Seto bit his lower lip and turned away.

"We have found the heir to the Russian throne!" Pegasus continued with wonder but then he stopped when nobody seemed happy. Understanding, Pegasus gave the older Kaiba a sympathetic look. "And you. . ."

"Will walk out of his life forever," Seto finished, rushing down the stairs with a determinate pace.

"But Seto!" Mokuba protested, going after him.

"Kaiba-boy-"

Seto raised a hand and interrupted their protests. "We're going to go through with this as if nothing has changed."

"You've got to tell him," Pegasus said with a stern expression.

"Tell me what?"

Seto turned around while Mokuba and Pegasus looked over his shoulder. Yami had arrived and was staring at them curiously. Mai and Joey were only a few steps away from him. He was wearing the same classic black suit and coat as them but his hair was tied back in a ponytail.

"How-" Seto stuttered, caught off guard.

"How good you look tonight," Mokuba chimed in, scratching the back of his neck.

Seto glared at his brother, feeling his face warm up, and Mokuba smiled cheekily.

"Uhm, thanks," Yami replied, shifting his weight.

Mai glanced at the two young men from behind and smirked.

"Well, can we go now?" Joey asked, unaware of the awkward situation.

"So, you finally found a parking space, Chauffeur?"

Only Seto could make sound everything like an insult. Since they had discovered that Joey had once been Mai's driver he took any possibility to mock him.

Joey growled and raised a fist but Mai grabbed him by the coat.

"Stop being children and now let's go."


The inside of the Opera was marvelous as the outside. The hall was crowded, people chatted around the place as they waited for the spectacle to begin.

Yami started to climb the stairs leading to the seats that Mai had booked for them. He stopped halfway up the staircase and looked down at Seto who was giving his coat to the valet. When Seto raised his gaze their eyes locked. They stood there, looking at each other. Amethyst eyes drowning in sapphire ones.

Mokuba gave his brother a little nudge when he didn't still move. Seto lowered his head and rolled his eyes when Mokuba had an amused expression.

Mai and Joey departed from the group since they watched the spectacle with the Mutos and agreed to meet later at their private box.

"Very nice," Pegasus commented as they entered in their balcony.

Yami and Seto took the first two sits and Mokuba and Pegasus sat behind them.

Seto put out the opera-glasses and looked around the crow. He smirked when he spotted his target. "Look there," he whispered, handing Yami the glasses. "That's them."

At the opposite side of their box, Solomon Muto was sitting beside his nephew Yugi as they chatted with Mai, Joey and another brown-haired man.

They looked happy. . . Yami lowered the glasses. Please let them remember me, he thought as the lights dulled down and the Cinderella ballet started.

Yami wasn't able to concentrate on the spectacle, he became gradually more distracted and unfocused. He sat up straight and gripped the arms of his chair.

Suddenly Seto's hand covered his own and Yami blinked at the action.

"Just calm down," Seto whispered, leaning closer. "It'll be fine."

Yami stared at Seto in surprise but then he nodded slowly and leaned back in his seat, without pulling his hand away from Seto's grasp.

Seto knew this wasn't the time for sentimentally but he smiled when he felt his hand being squeezed lightly.

Finally the intermission came. The curtain closed and the light came up.

"The time has come," said Seto, standing up.

He turned around and arched a brow. Pegasus was chatting with a young lady while Mokuba was asleep on his seat.

"I told him this wasn't a place for children."

"Don't worry, Kaiba-boy, I will look after your little brother," Pegasus said, winking, and added, "good luck Yami-boy, I'm sure you'll be great."

"Thank you, Pegasus," Yami answered with a confident smile.

"Humph, luck doesn't exist," muttered Seto disgusted. "And now let's go."

Seto left the box and Yami shook his head fondly as he went after him.


The pair made their way through the crowd with a fast pace and arrived before the private box Mai had told them about.

"Wait here just a moment. I'll go in and announce you properly," Seto said.

He went to the door but Yami stopped him.

"Kaiba, wait."

"Don't tell me you are scared," Seto mocked him.

"It's not about that," Yami replied, folding his arms.

Seto moved away from the door. "Then what?"

"Look, we've been through a lot together." Yami dropped his head, trying to find the right words. "And I just wanted to. . ."

"Yes?" Seto asked eagerly.

"Well, thank you I guess," Yami said, giving Seto a half-smile. "Yes, thank you for everything."

Seto felt disappointed but he didn't let show it. "You can thank me later," he answered sharply. He turned away and entered the room, not noticing he had left the door opened.

Yami sighed and waited outside.


As accorded Mai was waiting for them. Joey was also there, chatting with the other brown-haired man, while Solomon was sitting alone on the balcony. There were no traces of Yugi.

Joey nodded to Seto while the other man gave him a curious look. Seto ignored them both.

"Yugi isn't here now," Mai informed him quietly.

"Doesn't matter, lets' keep going," whispered Seto and then raised his voice to let Solomon hear him, "please inform Mr. Muto that I have found his grandson, the Grand Duke Atem, he's waiting to see him just outside the door."

Mai smiled knowingly and played her act. "I'm very sorry, young man, but Mr. Muto will see no one," she said, leading Seto to the balcony.

"You may tell that impertinent young man that I have seen enough Grand Duke Atem to last me a lifetime," Solomon stated bitter, dismissing them with a wave of his hand.

Mai grimaced. "You better go."

Solomon was usually a nice man but it seemed like he wasn't in the right mood tonight.

"Please, let me just-" Seto started, not moving away.

Solomon turned around tiredly. "Now if you'll excuse me I wish to live the remainder of my life in peace."

"Come, I'll see you to the door," Mai said, closing the curtain.

She walked away to the exit but Seto didn't follow her and instead stepped into the balcony. "Mr. Muto, I intend you no harm," he uttered like a perfect actor, sitting beside Solomon. "My name is Seto Kaiba, I used to work at the palace."

"Well, that's one I haven't heard, I must say," Solomon replied amused as he stood up.

"Wait!" Seto said, stopping his path. "I'm not done."

"I know what you're after," Solomon affirmed, "I've seen it before, men who train young men in the royal ways."

Solomon left the balcony and Seto trailed after him.

If the old man through he gave up so easily he was deeply wrong.

"But Mr. Muto, if you will just listen-"

"Haven't you been listening? I've had enough!" Solomon interrupted him, losing his patience.

Outside Yami could hear the voices argue now. He frowned and leaned closer to the door, listening carefully to Solomon's rant.

"I don't care how much you have fashioned this boy to look like him, sound like him or act like him. In the end, it never is him!"

"This time it is him!" Seto insisted.

"Seto Kaiba," Solomon said to himself thoughtfully and then pointed an accusing finger at Seto. "I've heard of you. You're that conman from St. Petersburg, who was holding auditions to find an Atem look-a-like."

Yami stiffened. The words made his blood ran cold.

The brown-haired man whistled. "Really, man?"

"What?!" Mai shrilled outraged.

"I know there was something fishy about him," Joey commented.

Seto ignored the accusations and kept a cool head even though his instincts told him to strangle them.

"But Mr. Muto, we've come all the way from Russia just to see you."

"And others have come from Timbuktu," Solomon replied unimpressed, sitting on the couch.

For once Seto wasn't thinking about the money.

"No, it's not that, it's not what you think!"

Solomon shook his head. "How much pain will you inflict on an old man for money?"

So, this was about it? Yami felt his head dizzy and took a step away. His hands started to tremble and he clenched his fists so tightly that he left bruises. Nobody could hear his heart breaking.

"Joey, Tristan, please lead this young man outside," Solomon said with a tone of finality.

Joey was happy to oblige.

"But he is Atem!" Seto hissed as two men grabbed his arms and dragged him away. "I'm telling you, he's the Grand Duke! If you'll only speak to him, you'll see!"

Seto was thrown out of the box and he glared back as the door closed. He will make that two bastards pay for it. He raised his head and found Yami staring at him with eyes full of anger and disappointment.

This wasn't how he had predicted things to go. . . Seto cursed under his breath and stood up.

"It was all a lie, wasn't it?" Yami asked rhetorically.

"Now wait-"

"You used me," Yami continued, barely holding his rage. "I was just a part of your con to get his money!"

Seto went after Yami as he started to walk away.

"Look it may have started out that way," Seto confessed, "but everything's different now because you really are Atem, you are!"

"Stop it!" Yami shouted back, facing him.

Both didn't care about the looks the people were giving them.

"From the very beginning you lied and I not only believed you, I actually-" Yami stopped not wanting to say more.

He'd never felt so humiliated, if only he had listened to his instincts at the beginning. He couldn't believe he had been tricked in this way. He'd always been just a tool for Kaiba's plan.

"Will you just listen to me?!" Seto yelled, stepping before Yami. "When you spoke of the hidden door of the wall opening that time, and the little boy it was-"

"No more, Kaiba!" Yami cut him off. He'd enough of his bullshit. "I don't want to listen anymore to your lies! You just leave me alone!"

Yami made to leave but Seto grabbed his arm, trying to stop him. Yami gritted his teeth and punched Seto in the face. The people around them gasped shocked. Finally free Yami walked away, leaving a shocked Seto behind.


Well this was fun, for once it is Kaiba the one without power XD

Anyway I wanted to thank you all for the nice comments, it's good to see people enjoy this :) The story is coming to an end and I feel a bit sad about it.

To the next time!