A/N: Ok I am really excited and nervous about this (and the new few) chapter(s)! I can only cross my fingers and hope that it's not going to disappoint anyone. Enjoy!

Isis's head hurt and her eyes were aching. She blinked, fighting against the urge to just close her eyes and slip into a deep sleep, and reached out to pick up her goblet. The fresh, cold water inside helped to wake her up, though it did little to help with the throbbing pain that was thrumming deep within her temples. Around her, the other priests and Siamun all looked equally exhausted and no one was speaking anymore. The walls still seemed to echo with the hours of conversation that they had just fought their way through and if Isis had her way she would never hear any of them speak ever again. Unfortunately, that wasn't really an option.

"So we're decided," Mahado said finally, sounding as weary as Isis felt.

"There's nothing really to decide," Siamun said, not for the first time. "Atemu is the prince. He will become the Pharaoh. It is his duty as the heir. He has been preparing for this moment since the day he was born, and although he is young I feel that he is ready. There is no need to appoint someone to rule in his stead." He leveled a cool look in Akhenaden's direction. The man scowled.

"All that I am saying is that Atemu is very young and foolhardy. I know that my brother was not nearly ready for the boy to take the throne yet," Akhenaden said loftily. There was something in his eyes, a hard, burning stare that made Isis shift uncomfortably. "I believe we should be working in the best interests of the country and not worrying about whether or not his feelings will be hurt if we appoint someone temporarily. You must admit it is a great deal of responsibility and I'm not sure he can handle it."

"Well, I am," Siamun said firmly. "He is ready. Do the rest of you agree?" He twisted and looked expectantly at Isis, Mahado, Karim and Shada. "Do you not feel that the prince could easily take over and that it would be a smoother course to take?"

"I believe that would be wise," Shada murmured quietly, folding his fingers together. "It will be best if there is as little disruption as possible."

The other priests nodded in agreement and Akhenaden fumed silently, his hand clenching into a fist beneath the table. Isis gave him a wary glance. "We will begin spreading word," she said, "and it will become official tomorrow."

Without saying a word to any of them, Akhenaden rose to his feet and stormed out. The tension lightened considerably once he was gone. Isis stood up and beckoned to Mahado before she stepped outside. Mahado followed her willingly, looking curious, but she didn't say a word to him as she led the way back to her rooms. This was not a topic that she wanted anyone to overhear and she knew that this would be more safely discussed in her rooms where a privacy barrier could be enacted. Only once they were inside and her wards were set did she turn to face him.

"Mahado, I need you to do something for me."

"Of course," Mahado said, seemingly surprised by her request. "Anything you need, Priestess, you have but to ask for my help."

Isis smiled thinly. "The Pharaoh's body was taken to the temple so that they could begin preparing it for burial," she told him. "Naturally he will be given a large collection of treasures to take with him but there is one thing that he cannot have. You must go to the temple and fetch the Millennium Puzzle. Atemu needs it. The puzzle belongs to him, not the Pharaoh, and if it is buried all will be lost. It has to be done tonight."

"I don't mind retrieving the puzzle but why must I go tonight?" Mahado searched her face and whatever he saw there made him frown. "You don't anticipate trouble? Do you think the temple will refuse our request?"

"I can't be certain," she said honestly. "Not everyone understands the significance of the Millennium Items. They are a mystery to all of us, but more so to some than others. I believe that if we pressed the issue the temple would be willing to give it to us, but it's not safe there. If the items could be stolen from a place that is as well guarded as the palace, I'm not sure that the temple, where any man or woman has the right to enter, would be much of an obstacle."

"You believe that Akefia might return," Mahado said flatly, eyes darkening slightly at the idea. He had yet to forgive the thief for stealing the Millennium Ring. It pained him that he was the only priest who did not have an item yet and the thought of getting a bit of revenge sat well.

"Like I said, I can't be sure," Isis repeated. "I believe that even Akefia would balk at stealing, if not from the dead from the temple, but there is always a chance. Atemu needs the puzzle, Mahado. Without it, I fear that Khemet may crumble from within."

Mahado reached out and gripped her shoulder. "I will retrieve the puzzle tonight and bring it to the prince in the morning," he said. "I'll guard it closely in the meantime. No one will be able to steal it from me."

It felt as though a weight had been lifted off of Isis's shoulders and she found herself smiling. "Thank you, Mahado," she said gratefully. "I hate to ask this of you, and I would go myself but I don't think it's a good idea for one person to possess two items right now. None of us should be any more of a target than we already are."

"As always, you are wise. I will go right now." Mahado nodded to her as he turned and left. Isis dropped the wards just long enough for him to pass through before she raised them again. Alone, she walked out onto her balcony and stared out unseeingly, her mind racing.

She hadn't said as much to Mahado, but her fears for the Millennium Puzzle were not limited solely to Akefia. There was something going on that she couldn't quite place: a darkness in the castle that was steadily growing. The Tawk had remained silent in terms of visions, but every once in a while she would feel a little warning pulse that simultaneously warmed her throat and made her feel cold on the inside. She had the strong suspicion that if Mahado didn't retrieve the Millennium Puzzle, it would be gone by morning and all of Khemet would suffer the loss.

STGY

The morning dawned with overcast gray clouds, unusual, yet fitting considering his mood. Atemu was up as early as the sedative would allow him to be. He paced his room restlessly, knowing that Tristan wouldn't let him out until Seth or Mahado came for him. It was times like this that even being the prince had no effect, as people were more than willing to ignore or outright disobey his orders if they felt that he was somehow in harm. Touching as it might have been to know the depths of loyalty that his subjects felt for him, on a morning like this it only made Atemu that much more anxious and unreasonable. By the time that the door opened to reveal Mahado he was about ready to climb out the window.

"Finally!" he growled, striding towards his friend. He stopped a few feet away, studying Mahado's face with narrowed eyes. Mahado was an expert at keeping a composed expression no matter what was going on, but Atemu had known him long enough that he could read Mahado fairly easily. What he was seeing now did not fill him with confidence. Mahado looked grim and Atemu hesitated. "Is there something wrong?" he asked, suddenly seized with dread. There were other targets if Atemu was locked away. "It's not... Seth isn't..."

"No, no, your cousin is fine," Mahado said hastily, stepping inside of the rooms. Something glinted between his cupped hands and Atemu drew back in shock when he realized that Mahado was holding the Millennium Puzzle. The last time Atemu had seen it, the puzzle had still been around Aknamkanon's neck. Mahado followed his gaze and swallowed hard, oddly nervous. "I know it's difficult, but technically this belongs to you now. Isis asked me to fetch it from the temple this morning. She seemed to think that it was important you had it right away and I thought that having it in your possession might make you feel a little more secure." He held it out and waited for Atemu to take it.

Atemu found himself hesitating. Even though he'd known this moment was coming, his heart was still pounding suddenly. For as long as he could remember the Millennium Puzzle had belonged to his father. As a child, he'd enjoyed playing with it and he'd often thought about the day when he would wear it and know it was his own. Sometimes he'd even dreamed about it, that golden puzzle that fit so perfectly between his hands, and been consumed with a wanting so fierce that it was almost frightening. The reality of being so close to it and knowing that it now belonged to him…

"Atemu?" Mahado's voice jerked him out of his daze and he blinked, shaken.

"Thank you," he said hoarsely, reaching out and gently taking the puzzle out of Mahado's hands. It felt cold beneath his fingers, not warmed from the heat of Mahado's skin at all. Slowly he took hold of the cord and slipped it into place around his neck. He wasn't sure what he was expecting but nothing happened at all. Atemu frowned and tried to reach out to the puzzle, wanting to know what its power felt like it, but it was like colliding with a wall. He couldn't feel or draw anything.

Mahado saw the look on his face and frowned. "What's wrong?"

"I don't…" Whatever else Atemu was going to say trailed off when they heard shouting coming from outside of the room. Atemu ran forward, pushing past Mahado, and was out the door before his friend could stop him. Outside there was chaos: guards were converging from every direction, surrounding someone in the middle of the corridor. He couldn't see who it was and before he could get any closer Mahado caught up to him and stopped his progress with a firm hand on Atemu's shoulder.

"Don't!" he said urgently. "It could be the assassin, Atemu. You know better than that."

"But I…" Atemu swallowed hard. He felt strange, like every bone in his body wanted - no, needed to get closer to the guards and whatever they were surrounding. It felt like an ache in his very soul when he resisted the pull and he grabbed hold of his chest, breathless at the resulting throb. When he could speak, he shouted, "Guards!"

When they heard him several of the men swung around, allowing Atemu and Mahado to see who their target was: a boy, kneeling on the ground. A young boy, Atemu mentally amended, staring at the child curiously. He looked to be a couple of years younger than Atemu, with dark hair that stuck up in violet-tipped spikes. Gold bangs framed a cherubic face and big violet eyes, which were staring back at Atemu. His skin was pale, paler than even a newborn babes, and he was wearing odd clothing that was comprised of some strange black material that clung to his body.

"Yami…" the boy said and his eyes welled up with tears. The sight tugged at Atemu's heart. He instantly wanted to go over to the boy and hold him, to dry his tears and give him cause to never have to cry again. Again, Mahado's hand stopped him.

"Look!" Mahado whispered, and only then did Atemu notice what had caught his friend's attention. It was the Millennium Puzzle, or as close an approximation as Atemu had ever seen. The solid gold puzzle hung around the boy's neck, resting just over his ribs. Atemu stared at the puzzle in bewilderment and only looked back up at the boy's face when shaking hands wrapped nervously around the item.

"Who are you?" he demanded, pulling free of Mahado's grip and striding closer. Mahado stayed close to him, eyeing the boy warily, and the guards tensed, but Atemu wasn't afraid. He couldn't imagine a world where this child, this boy, would ever seek to harm him, even though he didn't know how he could be sure.

"You… you don't know who I am?" The tears spilled over, sliding quietly down the boy's cheeks. He spoke with a strange lilting accent that Atemu had never heard before.

He hesitated and then shook his head. "No, I've never seen you before." Somehow, admitting that out loud hurt more than he was expecting.

The boy took in a sharp, trembling breath. He dropped the Millennium Puzzle against his chest and stood up on legs that shook, taking an unsteady step in Atemu's direction. One of the guards started to reach out and Atemu stopped the movement with a look that promised retribution. The boy didn't seem to notice this; he took another step closer, and then another, until he was standing right in front of Atemu. This close, Atemu noticed that the boy only came up to his shoulder, and distantly the thought occurred to him that it was nice, for once, to be taller than someone else.

"Yami…" the boy said again. He paused and then a bitter smile broke out across his lips. "No, I suppose your name is… Atemu now, isn't it?"

Atemu stiffened. No one, save for very close friends or family, dared call him by his name. Who was this child? "Who are you?" he repeated, injecting a stern note into his voice.

"My name is Yuugi. I'm the part of you that you don't even know you're missing yet," Yuugi replied. It was a strange name, a foreign language of some kind to be certain, and Atemu cocked his head as Yuugi closed the space between them with another shuffle. He looked down when Yuugi lifted a hand but made no move to stop him when Yuugi reached out to touch his chest.

"Stop!" Akhenaden's voice made them both freeze. Yuugi flinched and a terrified whimper escaped him as he whirled around to face the priest. Obviously someone had gotten word out that there was an intruder in the castle, because Isis, Siamun, Shada and Karim were all standing behind Akhenaden. Even Seth was there, though his cousin was keeping back and observing from a distance.

"Prince, do not allow that boy to touch you. He is dangerous," Akhenaden said quickly, taking a step forward. "He must be disposed off. Quickly, allow me take him to the dungeons and get him out of your sight."

"I'm not dangerous!" Yuugi cried out, his small hands clenched into fists. "I know you know who I am."

Akhenaden looked at him so coldly that even Atemu was surprised. "I have no idea who you are," he spat. "I know only that your presence here threatens the life of our prince. It would not surprise me in the least to discover proof that you were the one responsible for the Pharaoh's death last night. To that end, you should be questioned until all of your knowledge has been extracted and then put to death for your actions."

"That's enough!" Even as Atemu spoke, his body was moving before he fully registered it. He stepped forward in front of Yuugi to shield him from Akhenaden's ire. He knew all too well what went on in the dungeons when people were interrogated and he had no intention of subjecting Yuugi to it. He had no idea where this surge of protectiveness was coming from but he felt the desire to make sure that no one could ever hurt Yuugi, no matter what.

"My prince - " Akhenaden looked rather taken aback by his actions.

Atemu didn't give him time to finish. "I will take care of this, Uncle. I know this boy and he has no cause to hurt me." The lie came to his lips easily and yet it didn't feel like a lie. "Call off the guards and you may leave us in peace. If you are so anxious to do something, you may fetch us food and bring it to my rooms."

The look on Akhenaden's face was burning, but he seemed to realize that he had no room to protest. "You heard the prince!" he barked at the guards. Most of them moved to disperse immediately and in seconds the hall was clear of everyone except for the priests, Seth, Siamun, Atemu and Yuugi. Akhenaden tossed them all one last look of loathing before he whirled on his heel and stormed away. Atemu winced. He would have to make up to the man later if he didn't want Akhenaden holding a grudge.

"Atemu, do you truly know this child?" Siamun asked, frowning. Yuugi was staring at him with a look of wide eyed wonder.

"No," Atemu admitted. "But he is not a danger to me. This I know in my heart." He looked at Yuugi, who blinked back at him, and impulsively held out a hand. It was very rare for anyone to touch Atemu beyond a casual clap on the shoulder or a hand on his arm. Usually only Mana dared, and even then when she remembered herself she usually hastily pulled away. But there was something inside of him that was crying out for Yuugi's touch, for just one little brush of skin on skin, and he was pretty sure that if he didn't get it soon he was going to lose what little bit of his mind he had left.

Fortunately, Yuugi didn't hesitate. He reached out and took Atemu's hand, and oh. There was no physical reaction, no explosions or lights or anything like that. Just a deep throbbing pain inside of Atemu that immediately eased and a warm feeling from head to toe that made him feel lightheaded. It was like being in the shadows on a cool day and stepping out into the sun, like a piece of him that he hadn't even known was missing sliding seamlessly back into place. He stared in wonder at Yuugi, who allowed a shy smile to grace his lips at his fingers tightened around Atemu's.

"Who are you?" he asked, unable to stop the question from slipping out. It was the third time he had asked but he was no closer to knowing the answer.

"I'm your light," Yuugi said simply, something sad flashing over his face. "You are... well, you will be, one day, my darkness. I'm the other half of your soul, the part you didn't know you were missing." He lifted his free hand and reached out cautiously to touch Atemu's Millennium Puzzle. As his hand slid over the eye of Ra Atemu felt a jolt of magic spark through his body. It was unlike anything he'd ever experienced and he drew in a breath sharply, fascinated.

"What are you doing here? Where did you come from?" Curiosity swept through him like a flood. He was seized with the desire to know everything there was to know about Yuugi, who had made that sharp, nagging sensation of having lost something disappear.

"I'm from the future, from a very long time away. I'm here because there's a threat to your life," Yuugi answered. He squeezed Atemu's hand tightly. "Someday you will be reborn as my yami… that is, my darkness, my other half. I need to make sure that you're safe. I need him." Again, that flicker of deep sadness that cut through Atemu as painfully as a knife.

"Have you anything that can prove your story?" Mahado asked. At the look he received from Atemu, he said, "I'm sorry Atemu but you don't know this child. Regardless of what your instincts may be telling you about him, I'm concerned about how you are acting. I doubt Akhenaden's accusation that this child was involved in the plot to kill your father but we must be careful. It's possible that he has put some sort of a spell on you and you just don't realize it."

"I understand," Yuugi said softly, though he didn't let go of Atemu's hand. "I think the Millennium Puzzle is proof enough. This isn't a copy, which is what I'm sure you're thinking. It's real." He looked at Isis. "You're going to have a vision soon that will tell you that the pharaoh, the assassin and the thief king can't use their items. Without the light halfs of their souls, they have nothing to tie them to reality, and so if they do try to invoke their items the shadows will consume them and that will end in madness for the whole world." He hesitated for a split second before adding, "The Millennium Puzzle will be shattered into many pieces and it will stay that way until thousands of years from now, when my grandfather will give it to me as a present. I'll put it together and your reborn soul will be brought to my side." Now he turned his gaze to Atemu. "The puzzle, when you put it on, it didn't react to you, did it?"

"No, it didn't," Atemu confirmed, fascinated by the brief mention of what his future would be like. At least now he knew why the puzzle hadn't reacted to his touch. "When you touched it, it reacted."

"Yes, it does that," Yuugi replied with a tiny smile. "Here." He brought their combined hands to his Millennium Puzzle and Atemu gasped out loud at the difference. It was truly astonishing. While his puzzle was cold and lifeless, Yuugi's puzzle was thrumming with power, a slick, heady feeling that made Atemu shiver. The power of the shadows was just beyond his reach but when he stretched they answered him through Yuugi, churning restlessly under his call. He knew that if he wanted their strength they would eagerly respond.

"Yuugi," he breathed, stunned.

Yuugi smiled. "Yes, I know," he said gently, and nodded.

Please review… to see more reunions!