Here is the next chapter, in which everyone- with the exception of Atem and Mana - continues to suffer.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

Broken Dreams

Chapter 20. Heartache

The next couple of days passed by in a haze of gloom for Yugi. Ishizu had been unable to bring their flights forward due to the busy time of year so they were forced to wait for their original flight.

Yugi was feeling antisocial and spent most of the time in his room, moping and trying to understand why Anzu would have done such a terrible thing!

Ishizu and her brothers tried to help him, but found him rather unresponsive. Being around him was awkward and in the end Marik and Rishid were glad when it was time for him to go home. They were less happy that their dear sister also had to leave.

The journey home was not very enjoyable. Yugi had retreated into himself and was barely talking unless he absolutely had to, making Ishizu rather concerned for his well being. He was usually so open, friendly and chatty but she could feel the wound up tension radiating from him and it frightened her that at any moment, the easy going young man might snap.

He almost did when someone tried to push in front of him in the queue for the check in desk, causing him to snarl and curse threateningly. Ishizu was quite frightened by his reaction. Luckily the man sheepishly apologised and retreated, otherwise Ishizu felt sure Yugi might have punched him, ending up in serious trouble with the Egyptian authorities!

"So what?!" He did not seem to care about what could happen to him. "I'm fed up with people walking all over me just because I'm soft and stupid," he growled.

"I'm sorry Yugi, I wish I knew how to help you, but please don't do anything that might get you into trouble," Ishizu said quietly. Yugi saw the fear on her face and instantly felt bad that by taking his anguish out on other people, he was making things difficult for Ishizu.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

It was a relief for Ishizu when Yugi fell asleep during the flight.

Back on Japanese soil, they were met at the airport by Mahado. Yugi skulked in the background as Mahado pulled Ishizu into his arms and kissed her. It was obvious to Yugi how much they had missed each other and it only served to make his insides twist into knots. He beat a hasty retreat to the restroom.

While Yugi was in the gents, Ishizu took the opportunity to quickly inform Mahado of what had happened.

"Would you like me to try and talk to him? I do deal with young people and their problems almost every day," he offered.

"I don't think Yugi is ready to talk to anyone about it yet. He is very defensive at the moment."

"Hmm... He needs to come to terms with it in his own time. Breakups like this can be very distressing for the person who has been cheated on." When Yugi returned, Mahado touched his arm lightly. "When you are ready to talk Yugi, I'm available okay?!"

"There's nothing to talk about," Yugi mumbled. "I have been cheated on and dumped by a woman I thought loved me! End of story."

He grabbed the handle of his case and marched out towards the car park. Ishizu and Mahado exchanged looks and Ishizu shrugged.

"I did warn you."

Arriving back at the game store, Yugi got out of Mahado's car. Mahado got out to speak to him as he pulled his case out of the boot of the car.

"I know we're not back at university for a few more days, but if you need to talk to me before then? Here's my number." He handed Yugi a card with his mobile phone number on.

"Thanks, but I'm fine. Bye Mahado, and thanks for the lift home." Scrunching the card up in his hand, Yugi turned away with an expression that said he was really not fine and strode towards the shop.

Although the shop was open, he chose not to go in through the entrance to the shop. He knew his grandfather would be sat behind the counter and he really did not want to speak to him at the moment, so instead he used the other entrance that lead directly to the kitchen and living quarters.

Thankfully, no one appeared to be home.

"Is that you Yugi?!" Sugoroku heard the car pull up and was surprised when Yugi used the other entrance to the house. From inside the shop, he could hear Yugi shutting the upstairs door.

"Yes Grandpa! I'm pretty jet lagged. Going to have a bath and then sleep for a bit." He managed to make his voice sound normal. He knew he would have to face his grandfather at some point – just not right now.

He took his bag straight up to his room and unpacked, dumping the dirty clothing into the laundry basket.

He had not bothered to shave for the last week and his face was showing the beginnings of a rather scrappy looking beard. Feeling grubby, he shaved and then took a nice, long hot soak in the bath.

He finished drying his hair and dressed in a pair of jogging bottoms and a sweat top.

Deciding he needed some refreshments, he was just about to go downstairs to get something to eat and drink when he heard Atem come home with Mana.

"Where's Yugi? I can't wait to hear all about his trip to Egypt," Mana was giggling excitedly.

"Shhh.. don't shout. Grandpa said he was jet lagged and has gone up to his room to rest. We can talk to him when he wakes up."

"Oooh! And we have to give him our news!" She hugged her fiance' lovingly.

"Yeah, we have a lot of catching up to do. Yugi's only been away ten days but so much has happened. This is going to be one hell of an amazing year." Atem kissed her lovingly.

Yugi paused in his doorway at the sound of their happy banter. "Amazing! Like hell.." he growled to himself. The first few days of this year, were the worst ever in his opinion.

After standing there for several minutes, Yugi steeled himself. He knew that Mana would hear about his breakup with Anzu from Ishizu or Mahado. He did not want his brother to get it second hand so he had no choice but to get it over with now.

Putting on a forced smile, he trotted downstairs. He found his brother in the kitchen with Mana, making tea.

"Hi Yugi! Sorry, did we wake you up?" Atem asked.

"No, I wasn't asleep. I came down for a drink." He could not bring himself to say anything about his breakup, so he kept quiet.

"I'm making a pot of tea if you want some?" Atem offered.

"Yeah, thanks." Yugi was so thirsty, he poured himself a glass of water as well and gulped it down in one.

"We have so many exciting things to tell you Yugi!" Mana giggled excitedly. "But first, how was Egypt?" Mana could not wait to find out what he thought of her home land. Yugi did his best to try and appear his usual, happy self.

"Yeah, I liked it there. It's such an interesting place. We worked in a tomb that was only discovered a couple of months ago. I even helped to remove the mummy!" Mana was not keen on mummies and shivered, making Atem laugh and make a creepy, ghoulish face at her.

"Prince! Stop it!" She shrieked, slapping his arm. Even Yugi managed a weak chuckle at the pair of them.

"Anyway," Yugi continued, "I also visited the Valley of the Kings and saw our f... Atem's tomb," he corrected himself, "It was a pretty weird feeling." Yugi felt his voice crack slightly as he started to feel the knots inside his chest rising into his throat making him shudder. Atem thought that talking about the man they believed to be their father was the reason Yugi was getting upset.

"You were brave to go on your own Yugi. It is something we should have done together," Atem said quietly and with some regret about not having been there with Yugi.

"Yeah," Yugi tried to smile. "When you have some free time, we really should go. I didn't have the courage to visit his display in the museum on my own... I could not bring myself to see him like that... as a mummy." Yugi admitted.

"What did you do to your hand?!" With a quick change of subject, Atem gestured to the bandage on Yugi's hand.

"Oh this! It's nothing. I cut it on something sharp while I was working. Needed four stitches!" He had no intention of telling them the truth.

"Four stitches! That doesn't sound like nothing Yugi!" Mana gasped.

"Anyway Yami. How are things going here? What's happening about your international football selection." Yugi could feel himself falling apart and needed to talk about something that did not remind him of what had happened in Egypt.

"Yeah, I have been selected for the Japanese under twenty one team. I am going to be playing in a world cup qualifier against Australia next month, in Sydney! How about that?!" He grinned excitedly.

"Wow! That's awesome! I knew they would ask you. You're way too good not to be selected." Yugi was genuinely happy for his brother and for one moment, his own misery faded to the back of his mind.

It came back like a dagger to the chest when Mana slowly drew her left hand out from behind her back and waved it about, showing off the gold band containing three dainty diamonds.

"We also have something else to tell you," she smiled happily. "Prince asked me to marry him!"

Atem wrapped a proud, protective arm around her and grinned.

They looked so perfect standing there, holding each other lovingly. To Yugi, it almost felt as if they were gloating. His bottom lip trembled as he muttered. "When?" He sounded bitter.

"What do you mean?!" Atem was shocked at his brother's reaction. "New Years morning! You don't mind us getting engaged, do you? Is something wrong Yugi?!" He narrowed his eyes in concern.

"Of course there's nothing wrong," he huffed. "Why wouldn't I mind?!" He responded abruptly. He was trying very hard to be happy for them but he just felt sick. "I'm tired, I'm gonna go have a lie down. Con.. congratulations." He forced out the words and forgetting about his mug of tea, stomped out of the kitchen and ran up the stairs to his room, slamming the door.

"What was that about?!" Mana whispered tearfully. She was in such a happy place right now and thought Yugi would be pleased for them. His reaction hurt her feelings and she found it hard to understand why he would behave like that.

"I'm not sure," Atem muttered, frowning with concern.

"Do you think he's alright?" Mana worried.

"I don't think so... That is not how Yugi would normally behave. Something must have happened. Wait here while I find out," he ordered.

He quietly ascended the stairs and paused outside Yugi's room. He could not hear much apart from some muffled shuffling around. He knocked on the door. "Yugi, can I come in please?"

Yugi did not answer.

::::::::::::

Even though she had slept for twelve hours, Anzu still felt lifeless. She was light headed, queasy and starting to get desperately homesick. She put this down to emotional stress and a broken heart.

She tried to keep up her usual exercise regime but it was a struggle. She still had to get through four more shows and was not sure how she was going to do so. Her friends all kept commenting on how pale and tired she looked.

"I'm okay," She told them tersely – she was beginning to get irritated by all the fuss they were making.

"You're not okay Annie. What happened the other night? You have been miserable since that date with Kaiba! What did he do to you?!" Her friend Sally pushed.

"Nothing okay! Just get off my case," she snapped uncharacteristically. "I just have a bit of a virus or something, I will be fine in a few days."

It all came to a head when she fainted during the pre-show warm up. As she went to perform a cabriole the room started spinning. White stars filled her vision and the next thing she knew, she was laying on the floor with someone gently lifting her to sit.

"Anzu!" Voices sounded like they were coming from a long way off and she slowly started to grasp what had happened. "You fainted," the choreographer was saying. "I am sending you to the medical centre to get checked out."

"No! I will be okay, just give me a minute," Anzu slurred shakily.

"No sweetheart, you're not going on stage like this," she was told firmly.

Anzu was devastated that she was not going to be in this afternoon's show. She was a fighter and also conscientious in her work. She was letting the team and herself down. "Please, I just need to rest," she pleaded desperately. But when she tried to stand a wave of nausea hit and she started to sway. She was unable to stand without being supported.

"I can walk!" She snapped at Sally and another girl who were holding onto her as she was taken to see the nurse.

"We are not letting go, you're all over the place," Sally scolded.

A blood test quickly confirmed she was very anaemic and in need of a blood transfusion. Lots of tests were done to ascertain the reason for her drastic blood loss but no internal bleeding was found. It was concluded that she was training and working too hard while fighting a virus. They were also concerned that she may not be eating properly either.

Sally was quick to explain that Anzu had a very healthy appetite. As soon as the doctor left the room she turned to Anzu, demanding some answers.

"Okay Annie, what's wrong? You've been a basket case the last couple of days. You keep snapping at your friends and you are unhappy. Please... talk to me? I'm your friend." She took Anzu's hand and squeezed it gently.

There was a moment of hesitation before Anzu burst into tears.

"I.. I did something terrible.. Yugi broke up with me!"

"What?! But I thought you two loved each other!"

"Yes," she sniffed, "we do, but... I hurt him so badly... He sounded so angry and..." She started sobbing so hard that she could no longer speak.

Sally did her best to comfort her and eventually Anzu calmed down enough to explain what had happened that night.

"My god! No wonder you're so miserable! That bastard must have given you a date rape drug! He's so rich and powerful he must think he's above the law! You need to report what happened," Sally said angrily.

"But how can I prove it? It will be out of my system now so it's my word against his. I was so gullible and such an easy lay. It makes me sick to think about it."

"You must ring Yugi and explain. There must be a way for you two to work through this!"

"I'm halfway across the world! How can I get him to speak to me?! God! I feel so awful. You haven't met Yugi, he's such a sweet guy; so caring and sensitive. He doesn't deserve to be to be subjected to what I put him through. You should have heard the hurt and anger in his voice... He slammed the phone down on me and I don't blame him!"

"You have to at least try! I will stay with you, okay?!"

"Okay.." Anzu nodded weakly.

The following morning, Anzu was released from the medical centre. Sally was determined to try and get Anzu to at least talk to Yugi.

"I don't think I can." Anzu's hand was trembling as she looked at Yugi's picture icon on her phone.

::::::::::::

"Yugi! Can I come in?" Atem hammered on the door again and called to his unresponsive brother.

"Leave me alone Yami," Yugi called threateningly, making Atem feel even more concerned for his well being.

"I'm not leaving! I'm coming in..." Atem shook his head to himself and ignoring Yugi's request, opened the door. "Yugi What's..?!." He paused when he saw his brother sitting on the bed, back against the wall, with his knees pulled up to his chest and his head resting on his arms, which were folded over his knees.

Yugi looked up and rubbed his hand across his tear stained face. He glared at Atem, who was standing there looking worried. "I told you to leave me alone," he hissed.

"I won't leave you. Not when you're like this!" Atem knelt on the bed beside him and touched his shoulder. "What happened?" He asked softly. Yugi was embarrassed and responded by turning his face away. Atem stayed there and waited for him to open up.

After a few moments Yugi faced him. "How could she Yami? We confessed our undying love for each other and she... she just..." Yugi just managed to force out the words as he started sobbing.

"Yugi!" Atem could feel his brother's pain and anguish. They may not have spent very much time together lately, but as twins who had once shared a womb together, their souls would forever be bonded. He wrapped his arms around Yugi and hugged him close as though they were back in the safety of their mother's womb.

After a few minutes, Yugi seemed to calm down a little. He lifted his face from his brother's shoulder and mumbled horsely. "I'm such a cry baby..."

"No you're not! Cry as much as you like, get it all out – I won't tell anyone." He patted Yugi on the back and pulled away slightly, resting his hands on Yugi's shoulders and looking into his face with all the kindness and loving concern a close twin would show. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"Not really," Yugi shook his head. "I feel so stupid and humiliated. I rang her to wish her a happy new year and Kaiba answered."

"Kaiba?!"

Just at that moment, Yugi's phone rang. They both looked at it on the dresser. Atem noticed that the screen was cracked and the casing was held on with gaffer tape. He was surprised it still worked! "Do you want to answer that?" Atem wondered.

Yugi huffed and reached over to grab his phone.

"It's Anzu!" Atem spoke as they both stared at the caller id. Yugi rejected the call. A minute later the phone beeped to say he had a message. I still love you. I'm so sorry. Please Yugi? I need to talk to you. x Yugi huffed and deleted the message.

"Do you want to tell me what happened Yugi?"

Reluctantly, Yugi told him his side of the story: How Kaiba and Mokuba showed up at the dig site. The card game that turned nasty when Kaiba lost his temper and threw him across the table, resulting in the cut to his hand. And lastly, his phone call to Anzu which had been answered by a gloating Kaiba. Atem was horrified.

"I'm so sorry Yugi. I don't know what to say! I thought she loved you... If there is anything I can do to help?"

"I thought she loved me too," Yugi said sadly. "Thanks Yami, but I don't think anyone can help with how I feel right now."

Sugoroku appeared in the doorway. "Is everything okay Yugi? Only Mana said you were not feeling very well so I came to check...!" He was shocked to see Yugi's tear stained face. Atem quickly explained what had happened.

"Oh!" Sugoroku looked sad as he sat down. "I know it's probably not much help right now Yugi, but this old man has a bit of experience when it comes to a broken heart. Trust me, it will get better. When I had my heart broken I thought the world had ended, but then I met your grandmother and I realised that she was my one true love."

"I appreciate you trying to help Grandpa, but nothing will make me feel any better. I have tried to think about what I might have done wrong for her to do something like that. I have also tried to hate her, but however hard I try I just can't stop loving her. She is my true love," Yugi said miserably.

"Well, there is something that might help to take your mind off it a little. How about your favourite chocolate cake?" He suggested hopefully. Yugi ignored him so he tried again. "Your mother made it specially for you coming home."

"I guess it can't make me feel any worse." Yugi gave him a cross between a frown and a half smile.

"Come on then." Sugoroku patted him on the shoulder.

Atem jumped off the bed and offered Yugi his hand. "Do you remember when we were little and we said we would always be partners."

"Yeah, we got caught picking apricots from a neighbours tree and you said we were partners in crime." Yugi smiled a little at the memory and accepted the hand offered.

"That's right." Atem pulled him to his feet. "Come on then partner!" Atem slung his arm around Yugi's shoulder and gave him a reassuring hug. "Grandpa is right, It might take a while but you will get over it eventually."

"I really don't think I ever will," Yugi sighed, shaking his head.

"Well, we're all here for you. So if there is anything we can do to help please don't hesitate to ask."

"There is one thing you can do for me?! Don't tell Jonouchi who Anzu cheated with, he would only go and confront Kaiba and get himself in trouble."

"Yeah, I will keep quiet. I will make sure Mana doesn't say anything either. But you will have to tell him at some point. Mai works for Kaiba so she is bound to find out."

Yugi was quiet, he hadn't thought of that.

::::::::::::

Anzu was distraught but not at all surprised that Yugi would not talk to her. She really had hoped that he would at least give her the opportunity to explain.

"Let me try speaking with him?" Sally suggested. "He doesn't know me so it's worth a shot."

"I don't know, I think we should just leave him to calm down. I know Yugi and he can be stubborn. He will only talk to me when he is ready."

"Just let me try? If he won't speak to me, I promise to not push it. Only I can't stand seeing my friend so upset." Sally gave her a pleading look.

"Okay." Anzu let out a huge sigh of resignation.

Yugi was enjoying his huge chunk of chocolate cake. He had not eaten very much the last few days because every time he thought about Anzu his stomach kept twisting into knots. When his phone rang again with an unknown number, he was caught off guard. "Oh!" He assumed it was a nuisance telemarketing call or something. He was in the mood to be rude to some poor call centre employee so he answered it without thinking. "Hello!" He said abruptly.

"Is that Yugi Mutou?" Sally was shocked that he answered so quickly.

"Yes," he barked making Atem, Mana and Sugoroku raise their eyebrows in surprise.

"You don't know me, my name is Sally and... well, I'm a friend of Anzu. I just..." She paused when she heard him sigh in annoyance on the other end of the line. "Please, don't hang up Anzu needs to tell you...?"

"Tell her to leave me alone..." Yugi raised his voice so that he was talking over her and ended the call without letting her continue.

"Damn! He didn't give me chance to say anything," Sally groaned. She had felt sure that he might have given Anzu a second chance had he known that she had been drugged.

"It's okay Sally," Anzu hugged her friend. "Thank you for trying. But if you don't mind, I would like to get some sleep now. I think we should do as Yugi asks and leave him alone for a while."

Nodding reluctantly, Sally left her to rest. She was determined not to let it go completely and would do her best to try and mend her friend's broken relationship.

::::::::::::

Having slept and recovered from her jet lag, Ishizu told Mahado all about her trip to Egypt.

Now that she had time to think about the events following the exhumation of the priest's mummy, she was starting to have concerns.

Mahado listened with a serious expression while she told him about how the mummified priest had a large stone placed in his mouth and how the stone had become dislodged.

He waited until she had finished talking before he spoke. "And you say that there was no evidence of any demonic possession?" She shook her head.

"I don't think so."

"Okay," he continued. "You didn't notice any strange change in atmosphere or in anyone's behaviour after the rock dislodged from its mouth?" She shook her head slowly and frowned as she started to recall events in detail.

"Well," she hesitated. "Now that you mention it, I did feel a cold chill. Yugi noticed it as well. I thought it was a gust of cool air from outside. It was approaching late afternoon and the temperature was starting to drop as it often does at this time of year. Seto Kaiba did behave oddly after we extracted the mummy. He had a sort of convulsion, but shrugged it of as a tummy upset he had been suffering from."

"And how was his behaviour afterwards?"

"His usual caustic self! We had dinner with him in the evening and he seemed... normal." She paused for a moment and a nagging concern started to well up in her gut. "It might be nothing... but later that night, after I went to bed, they played cards and apparently he was aggressive towards Yugi because Yugi beat him. Marik tells me he got quite angry and threw Yugi across the table. I didn't see him after that, he left for New York. And then, to be spiteful, he seduced Yugi's girlfriend. At the time, I was more concerned about the cut to Yugi's hand and his state of mind. I was also angry with Marik for disobeying my wishes and arranging the card game."

Mahado raised his eyebrows. "We should be on our guard. I will arrange a meeting with Seto Kaiba when he returns to Japan so that I my judge his behaviour. I think it is also time you started to wear the Tauk again. I should also wear the Ring for my meeting with Kaiba. It will help me to sense if there is a demon inside him."

"What about Yugi and Atem? Should we start preparing them yet? And Mana! She and Atem have only just become engaged! She is bound to want to help him!"

"I intend to keep Mana safe and out of harms way. I am sure Atem will want to protect Mana as well."

"But her heka is growing stronger and with Atem's influence she is getting much better at controlling it. If she was to help, perhaps she could assist Atem and Yugi in accessing their own heka, it would allow her to feel involved." Ishizu suggested.

"Hmm, that is one possibility," Mahado nodded. "Let us hope it doesn't come to that."

Ishizu let out a long sigh. "Just when I thought we were all safe and everything was going to be fine. I have made a grave error of judgement in letting my guard down." Ishizu could not help but blame herself. If only she had known that it was Aknadin's mummy before they started work in the tomb! If only she had been more careful with the mummy during its extraction. She remembered reading in the scrolls that Aknadin was part of the same ruling dynasty Pharaoh Atem had belonged to, and had turned against his family. He had been defeated in the battle in which Atem also died. He had not been buried in his intended tomb but had been placed elsewhere, and Pharaoh Set had ensured the location was kept unknown. Now she knew why!

"You must not blame yourself Ishizu," Mahado soothed. "None of the scrolls stated that the priest would be part of the prophecy or that he was cursed."

"No, but we knew that he had been the one to use dark alchemy to forge the Millennium items...What if the shadows poisoned his soul in some way! That could account for him turning against his own nephew."

"You were not to know who was buried in that tomb when you started work! So don't blame yourself!"

"I discovered his name after we cleared debris that had been piled up on top of his sarcophagus to keep it hidden should anyone enter the tomb! That was strange in itself. I should have halted the excavation but I didn't. I put Yugi and the Kaiba brothers at risk."

"Well, no one could have known that the evil would survive inside a corpse for so long. And punishing yourself is not going to make things better. First of all, we need to ensure Kaiba is not possessed and if he is, maybe we can help him without involving Atem,Yugi and Mana, or anyone else for that matter"

"Yes, lets hope that is possible." Ishizu smiled weakly and Mahado wrapped his arms around her in comfort.

::::::::::::

It had been a lonely New Year for Mokuba. His big brother had more or less abandoned him, leaving him with a woman called Marcia. She was very nice to Mokuba and had taken him to see the firework celebrations. But she was not Seto and Mokuba had really wanted to see in the New Year with his brother.

He did did not see Seto at all until the morning of January 2nd. Seto had locked himself in his private suite and had told Mokuba he was too busy with some urgent work that needed his attention, so Mokuba was left to entertain himself. It made him feel pretty miserable.

That particular morning, they shared a rather awkward breakfast together. Mokuba noticed that Seto seemed distracted and twitchy. He also had not bothered to shave, which Mokuba found completely out of character. Seto was always meticulous about his appearance and had always commented that men who did not bother to shave, or who grew beards, did so because they were lazy! Something seemed... off about his brother.

Seto sent Mokuba home on their private jet, KC1, telling Mokuba that he had business to attend to in New York and would be home in a few days.

Mokuba protested, but Seto told Mokuba that he could not stay in New York because he had to go back to school. Unfortunately, Mokuba could not argue against his brother.

But when Mokuba arrived home to find that no transport had been sent the airport to collect him he started to worry about his brother's mental health. He phoned the mansion to ask for a car to be sent to collect him and discovered that Hobson was unaware he would be returning that day! This added to Mokuba's concern – Seto always took great care in making sure his younger brother was being cared for in his absence.

What was going on?!

Not a happy chapter!

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