Joey ran as tears fell down his face.

Only moments after having his memories returned, Seto had been cruel to both him and Danielle. They had both been there for the CEO when he had been at his weakest moment and that was how the brunet had thanked them.

By throwing insults in there faces.

Joey had even cried for Danielle when Seto had insulted her parents. The look of absolute agony, pain and sadness that had been on her face would haunt him for the rest of his life; no one deserved that kind of pain.

He ran and ran until he seemed to collapse inside Domino City Park. He just wanted to run and never look back.

"Joey," a voice said.

Joey looked up and saw Danielle in her spirit form, silent and transparent tears down her face as well. He smiled slightly at her.

"Hey, I'm glad I found you. I wasn't sure what had happened to you after . . ." Joey started but felt himself unable to finish.

Danielle gave him a small smile in return, "Thanks for worrying about me Joey. I'm glad somebody does,"

Joey looked up at her in shock.

"We all care and worry about you Danielle and don't ever think otherwise," Joey said.

A small tear fell down her face before her body shimmered with light as she turned herself into a corporeal form. She smiled brightly at him.

"Thanks Joey, I needed to hear that," she said, grabbing hold of him and pulling him up to stand.

They walked in silence until the two reached a Sakura tree and sat down at the base.

Joey heard Danielle sob before turning to look at her. Tears fell down her face and she was biting her bottom lip to stop it from trembling. Her body shaking as she placed her face in her hands.

He grabbed her and brought her into his embrace, rocking her back and forward, brushing her hair back and making soothing sounds.

"Hey what's wrong?" he asked.

Danielle sniffed and wiped her tears away.

"Just what Seto said about my parents," she whispered.

Joey nodded and continued to brush her hair back, "Yeah, that was pretty cruel to say,"

She seemed to chuckle at something, "If only he knew the truth," she whispered so softy he had almost not heard her.

"The truth?" he asked.

Danielle tensed and looked up in his eyes in shock, before blushing and looking away.

"Hey, it's okay, I won't tell anybody else," he reasoned.

Danielle stood up and walked over the edge of the lake near the Sakura trees and held her arms close to her body, like she was trying to hug herself as a way to protect herself from harm and rejection.

"Would you believe me if I said that I was born between the union of two men?" she asked.

Joey's eyes widened at her words. She was born from a man. This probably topped all the weirdness that they had ever experienced before.

"After everything we've been through since Yugi completed the Millennium Puzzle, I wouldn't be surprised if that was true," he said chuckling.

She sighed; this made Joey frown, as the sigh had been one of sadness.

"You know of Seth and Jono right?" she asked.

Joey nodded, "Yeah, Yami said that I was the reincarnation of Jono and Kaiba was the reincarnation of Seth,"

"They're my parents,"

Amber eyes widened at her words before he took a good look at Danielle.

She was just as tall as him but stature was more like Seto's, yet her hair and her eyes was a cross between both his and Seto's. The proof was in front of him, but why had it taken him so long to see it himself.

"Wow," he whispered.

Danielle looked at him, almost expecting him to retaliate and say it wasn't true.

"Seth gave birth to me and I was raised by both Seth and Jono to be a warrior and a priestess. Father taught me how to fight and how to survive, I was often sent on mission for Uncle Atemu because of how good I was. Papa taught me the rules of court and how to control my magic," Danielle told him.

"What happened? Why did you die?" Joey asked, wanting answers.

Danielle sighed and looked up at the sky, "Papa had a lot of suitors before I was born. One suitor in particular was very persistent and tried to force himself on Papa at one time, or at least that was what I was told. Father stopped the man and swore to protect Papa, as Papa was the High Priest in Uncle's court. I guess one thing led to another and Papa and Father fell in love and realised they were soul mates. Though not with a lot of arguments and bickering along the way, according to the stories that Uncle Atemu told me,"

She giggled and Joey couldn't help but smile at her laugh, it was beautiful and very sweet to hear, yet something so familiar he could almost deem that his past life was starting to break through.

"Papa and Father eventually got married and found out that Papa had the ability to have children. When that man found out, he was furious. After I was born, he tried to have Father and I assassinated and have Papa kidnapped so that the man would have children with Papa. Every try was stopped and Uncle Atemu became furious and tried to have the man imprisoned but he escaped with the help of thieves and mercenaries. The attempts stopped for about ten years after that, I was eight at the time. But someone still tried," she explained solemnly.

Danielle looked up at him with sad eyes.

"Papa was almost near the end of another pregnancy not long after my 18th birthday. We were talking in the gardens and assassin came out and tried to attack us. I killed him but another one was hiding and sent arrow towards Papa. I pushed him out of the way and the arrow ended up killing me before I could be taken to the healers. I never knew what happened and I barely got to live my life," she stated.

Joey couldn't believe all that he had heard; yet he knew it was true. Something still bugged him. If Seth could have children, did that mean Seto could too?

"Could Seto be pregnant?" Joey asked.

Danielle smiled brightly as she looked up at the sky.

"My last act among the living – the man who had wanted him, wanted to have a child through Papa. I placed a spell on Papa, meaning that only Father would be able the only male that he could have children with. Papa's soul would only be able to conceive a child with his soul mate," Danielle explained, before looking at Joey, "Seto can only have a child with you Joey. That's why Seto isn't pregnant,"

Joey looked at her wide, shocked amber eyes. Seto . . . would be able to have his child if they ever got together. They were soul mates.

He sat down and drew his knees to his chest, "That won't ever happen. Seto doesn't want me,"

"He does, why do you think he felt like he was drawn to you and felt safe with you when he didn't have his memories? No matter what, souls don't lie. You're his other. Its just this life that he is living now has given him the need to adapt to the danger so that both he and Mokuba could survive. Papa may be as cold as ice when he wants too but inside he is as warm as the sun and he will use that fire to protect anything he cares about, including you and Mokuba," Danielle explained, moving the hair from his face.

He looked up into amber speckled sapphire eyes and nodded before another thought came into mind.

"Does Seto know?"

Danielle shook her head, "Only Uncle Atemu. I know Seto had a vision in one of his nightmares about when I was killed but that's all he knows,"

Her long hair fluttered past her face as she chuckled sourly, a tone that didn't seem right for her. He frowned and looked at her with deep concern in his eyes.

"You know, each of the Hikari's has the ability to have children," she stated.

Eyes widened in shock as Joey began to process the information, "What?"

She nodded, "They do and Yugi is pregnant. The ability makes itself known around the time they turn 18," she sobbed as tears ran down her face, "I always knew that I felt a connection with Uncle Atemu. Just not in this way,"

Joey brought her into his arms and rocked her she cried into his chest, "What's wrong?"

"My soul mate is Yugi's and Yami's son," she whispered, "And I'm nothing but a spirit. Gods why has my life been so screwed over? What did I do to deserve this? I wish I had just stayed in the Afterlife, rather than live this agony, even as a spirit,"

Joey couldn't even begin to understand what she was going through and personally, he didn't want to. When they were all safe, he was going to make things right with Seto. As long as Seto knew that Joey loved him, Joey could take anything that was thrown at him, just as long as Seto knew, even if he didn't want him afterwards. He didn't want to suffer the same pain that Danielle was experiencing.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, kissing her forehead.

Danielle sniffled but a small smile came to her face, "Thanks . . . Dad,"

Joey chuckled and gave Danielle a noogie.

"You're a goofball but you're my goofball," he stated, bringing a smile to both their faces.

Suddenly pain etched Danielle's face as she screamed and fell to her knees, clutching her head.

"No! Seto! No!" she cried as she clenched her eyes shut, panting in pain.

Joey paled at her words, Seto was in danger.

Danielle panted as she released her head and her eyes opened before looking at Joey with a lost expression. Tears formed in her eyes.

"I can't believe I didn't see it before," she whispered.

"Didn't see what?" Joey asked.

"The man who raped Seto is the reincarnation of the man who tried to take Papa 5,000 years ago," she explained, "And he's going to try again but this time he's going to do it with Seto remembering all his memories. It will crush Seto,"

Joey gasped and clenched his hands. He felt so helpless. He looked at her with great hope in her eyes.

"What can we do?"

Danielle looked at him as if planning something but her eyes showed that she wary of her plan for some reason.

"I have an idea but I would need you to trust me Joey," she said, holding out her hand.

Joey looked at her and saw the depth of concern and hope that she had in her eyes. He looked at her hand and knew that she would everything in her power to stop the man from getting Seto ever again.

He grasped her hand and gasped as he felt energy flow into his body and the form of a black dragon seeming to ease its way onto his skin, like that of a tattoo. Danielle began to disappear, not only in corporeal form but spirit form as well. He felt a tug at his soul and sighed as he felt the warm embrace of another soul on his.

From the outside, if anyone had passed by, they would have seen his hair grow brown streaks and grow a little longer than its original length. Joey's eyes opened to reveal sapphire speckled amber eyes.

Joey and Danielle had merged to become one.

And with both powers combined, nothing seemed like it could stop them.

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