"We came as soon as we heard!" Mahad panted, bursting into the Pharaoh's chamber a few seconds ahead of Bakura. "Fadil-"

Bakura ground to a halt beside his friend just as the Pharaoh cut him off. "The Ring is without a master," he murmured quietly. "Yes. You heard correctly."

The look in Mahad's eyes made it obvious that he instantly regretted his exclamation in such a manner. Aknamkanon's few words were enough to show how much he felt the loss of the Ring's former guardian.

Akunadin stepped forward from the group of the other five Guardians. "Mahad…Bakura…I'm glad you two came. Come with me." Leaving his brother and the others, he led the two of them back outside the room.

"Master Akunadin, please tell me how this happened!" Mahad exclaimed as soon as they were out of earshot. "What's going to happen now?"

Akunadin shook his head sadly, and Bakura felt a stab of concern for the man who had raised him. Perhaps Aknamkanon wasn't the only one who was feeling Fadil's loss with pain. "Fadil was a good man. He will be greatly missed." He suddenly looked up sharply at both Bakura and Mahad. "But we have to time to spend mourning him today; the longer the Millennium Ring is left without a Guardian, the greater the threat we face from lack of its protection." He turned to Bakura. "Bakura, I want you to gather together all of the older magic students back here as quickly as possible. When you find Atem, tell him to go to his father directly."

Bakura nodded. "Yes, Master Akunadin."

"Mahad, stay here; I'd like to talk with you a little longer in private."

Without hesitating, Bakura turned and made for the meal hall where he knew most of the students would be eating. But when he was around the corner, he drew to a steady halt.

"Forgive me, Mahad," he whispered, flattening himself against the wall and straining his ears.

"Mahad, I want to make something clear," Akunadin was saying. Bakura stiffened.

"You and I both know that you are the one the Ring is going to choose."

Bakura couldn't see Mahad's face, but he imagined a look of bemusement. "Master Akunadin, with all due respect, the will of the Millennium Items cannot be predicted by mortal men. It could be anybody; that's why you're gathering the rest of the students, surely."

There was a sigh. "It's true that the Ring will choose its own master, but gathering all other possible candidates in merely a formality; the Ring knows as well as I do that you are the one destined to be its possessor. You must remember that it has chosen you once before."

"When I was ten. I remember. But Master Akunadin, you must also recall that the Ring was pointing to Bakura as well; I don't see you making such predictions to him."

Another sigh. "Bakura is one of the smartest and most skilled people in the palace and he has been a great friend to you over the years, but even you must understand that he is not your equal, either in talent, social status or…lineage."

Mahad's voice hardened. "Are you suggesting that Bakura would make any less of a Guardian because of who his parents were?"

"All I'm saying is that-"

"Bakura is a good man, Master Akunadin. Ask King Aknamkanon or Atem if you doubt my word. I would trust him with my life a thousand times over before I would most of the people in this palace. He had proven himself time and time again; you who raised him of all people should know that."

There was a moment of silence before Akunadin spoke again. "The Ring will choose who it will choose. And I can assure you personally that it will know what is best for itself and for the rest of Egypt. You don't need to doubt yourself, Mahad; you will make a fine Guardian. Perhaps even greater than myself."

"You do me a great flattery, Master Akunadin." Mahad's voice was still cold. "However, I think I'll wait for the Ring's decision to develop any kind of emotion on this matter. If you will excuse me, I'd like to pay my respects to Fadil."

There was a short burst of footsteps which faded quickly, followed by a second; Akunadin's. Then silence.

Suddenly much more sombre, Bakura turned away again and made towards the meal hall again, his mind processing what he had heard.

Thinking about it now, eavesdropping had been a bad idea; Akunadin always knew who was nearby. It was impossible to hide anything from he who possessed the Millennium Eye. This meant that Akunadin himself had made no attempt to hide from Bakura that he didn't believe he was worthy of the vacated role.

And, whether Bakura cared to admit it or not, this hurt. No matter how distrustfully Akunadin often treated him, he was still his mentor and the closest thing he had to a father. Through all of his childhood and even his short adult life, he really did want to make the Pharaoh's brother proud of him.

Bakura gave a sad sigh, shaking his head.

He had been right about one thing, though. All of the bets were on Mahad for the Guardian of the Millennium Ring. He felt incredibly touched by Mahad's loyalty to him. Was he really worthy of what his friend had said?

He rubbed his forehead abstractly. Mahad trusts me with his life – and anybody can tell that I trust him with mine. He's like a brother to me.

But do I really deserve his friendship? He hated to admit it, but Akunadin was right; he was not Mahad's equal. Mahad was stronger, smarter, better with magic, and he had lived his whole life in the palace. Bakura's dirty roots as the last survivor of a village of thieves were nothing.

He gave another sigh. Maybe he should follow Mahad's example; wait until the Ring had made its decision to develop any emotion. That couldn't be too hard. Could it?

He shook his head with frustration. Now was no time to be thinking about his prospects as a Guardian. He had work to do.

As he reached his destination he began to slow his pace, running a list of names through his head as to who he would need to find. There was Atem, of course, but he wasn't a candidate. Who was old enough by now? There was Shada…and Isis…