Author's Note: I have legitimate excuses for the extreme tardiness of new chapters (for both this story and others), but you probably don't want to hear them.

On with the show then.

P.S. Yes, that first line is, in fact, a direct stab at myself due to this chapter being months apart from the last. Aren't I hysterical?

Chapter 35

"I feel like it has been forever since I last spoke to you," Mahad teased Ryou as they strolled down the corridor to the room where they would conference together. "Heh. Pity the subject of our talk will not be that pleasant."

Though Mahad was in the mood for jokes, Ryou was quite the opposite. "However cliche, it is still sound advice to not speak ill of the dead," the spy chastised, his gaze firmly on the ground a few paces ahead of him.

Mahad snapped back into seriousness instantly. "My apologies, Ryou. I had forgotten you two had spent much time together."

To lighten the atmosphere, Ryou chuckled softly. "Yes, well... I doubt Lord Akhenaden really cared all that deeply for me. And, as you suggested at, our time together was not exactly... fond." Ryou opened the door to their destination and allowed Mahad to enter first. "In any case," the white-haired man added as he followed, "we are not here to discuss the man specifically. Rather, we are going to have to debate over his... inheritance, so to speak."

The door shut behind the two, effectively cutting off the room from the rest of the palace.

"You mean this little trinket." Mahad went into his pocket and retrieved a pile of scrap metal.

Ryou examined it, hovering over the pieces as he evaluated each one. "Not much of a keepsake anymore, now is it?" Ryou turned some of the chunks over and wrinkled his nose in concentration. "Did you do this to it?"

Mahad nodded solemnly. "But you know what this means, don't you?"

Ryou sighed, though there was the feeling of a facetious smile in it. "Indeed. After I went to the effort to retrieve it from his eye and everything..." There did not seem to be an ending to that sentence; either that, or Ryou was too bombarded by thought to bother finishing it.

"I am sure it was no easy task," Mahad sympathized. He made his way the lone table in the room and set the remnants of the object on its surface. "So... You are sure, yes?"

Ryou shadowed the magician across the room and stared down at the item in question. "Yes. If there is anything I am completely confident in, it is that this is not the real Millennium Eye."

Now that the statement that they had been avoiding was finally and clearly out in the open, Mahad took a deep breath, releasing some of the tension that had been festering inside him. "Well... I suppose we can start then."

"Yes." Ryou picked up a single piece of the destroyed replica and moved it back and forth between his fingers. The light caught it at one point and shined brightly before turning dull once more. "The first question we should ask is probably the most obvious one: Who made this?"

"Someone with wealth," Mahad started off with. "Or... at least someone with substantial resources."

"I agree." Ryou followed the intricacy of the item with his gaze. "Either the original owner of this forgery has wealth beyond compare, some crafty subordinates, or is crafty him or herself."

"Then, that narrows it down to... say... nearly everyone in Egypt?" Mahad sported a grin, proud he could muster a joke in the midst of overwhelming possibilities.

Ryou only nodded, not nearly in such good spirits. He closed his eyes and delved deep into his memory. "I believe..." His expression was pained. "I believe I could narrow down the potential suspects to a more manageable list-if only slightly-if I could figure out exactly when the Eye was exchanged for a fake."

"Who says it was real to begin with?" Mahad suggested haughtily, "Knowing Akhenaden, a trick like that is not below him. You should doubt not only the Item's legitimacy but also its owner's."

"If only it were that simple," Ryou replied emotionlessly. He seemed to take sudden extreme interest the floor. "That would make our search quite short. But I am certain Lord Akhenaden had the true Eye when he died. I saw the power for myself in his final moments," he insisted, his voice distant as he recalled it.

Mahad shook his head dejectedly. "Well... While you are thinking, I could narrow it down just a bit..."

Ryou snapped back into the present, his curiosity piqued. "How so?"

Mahad smirked at Ryou's interest, but he was solemn again the next moment. Gazing down at the "Eye," the Item Bearer informed, "It is weak… But magic was definitely used in the construction of this… this…" Mahad tapped his fingers on the table. "Anyway—" (He supposedly gave up trying to label it.) "—if I had to guess, I assume the magic was to disguise it—to make anyone who felt its presence believe it possessed real power."

"How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Well, magic certainly was not used to protect it, if anything." Mahad laughed briefly. "I mean, it broke rather easily." He held a piece of the broken reproduction up for emphasis to his point.

"Then… Are you sure?" Ryou's voice was rising in volume. "You are absolutely sure a magician was involved in the making of this?"

"Yes…" Mahad stared questioningly at his friend. "But this is rather trivial, is it not? Why are you getting so animated about this?"

"Because, Mahad, you have just made my life infinitely easier," Ryou answered. Without delay, he began gathering up the parts of the "Item" and began organizing them in some unknown fashion. "Quickly now, hand me that piece you were just looking at!"

"Mind telling me what you could possibly be thinking, Ryou?" Mahad inquired as he handed off the golden scrap to the other.

"In due time, Mahad. In due time." Once Ryou had gotten some kind of intellectual grasp on the indefinite enigma he was attempting to solve, he explained while he struggled on the puzzle: "From my personal experience, I have found that most magicians tend to be the arrogant type—no offense, Mahad—and I assume this magician to be similar." The more Ryou worked on the jumbled mess, the more it started to look like a coherent whole again. Yet, something seemed different about it this time. Though, Mahad could not quite put his finger on it. "If you created something so magnificently impressive that it could make a fool out of an elite spy," Ryou continued, "would you not want to receive credit for such a feat?"

"I… suppose." Realization dawned on the magician's face. "You… you think that perhaps the magician responsible signed it?"

"Spells leave signatures, but magic this weak would not. However, what if our magician friend decided to leave a sign of themselves on it anyway, attesting to their toil?"

"It is madness, Ryou. Why would they?"

"Is it madness, Mahad? Why would they not?"

"Fear of being caught?"

"Hardly. I think, rather, they may wish to be caught."

"Wish to be caught? For what purpose—?"

"There." Ryou stared down at the fruits of his labor. "The only step left would be to do something to it for the signature to appear."

"Cast a counter spell?"

"Too obvious."

"Bring it to a specific area?"

"Too obscure."

"A password?"

Ryou went silent for a moment. "If I had to guess…" he said at last, "I would think the password to be our magician friend's master."

Mahad rose from his seat and began to scan the books and scrolls that lined the walls of the room. "If you gave me some time, I could compile a list of magicians in the area who actively teach students," he suggested.

"Unnecessary," Ryou stated bluntly. "I think this particular 'master' we seek is not a magician at all."

Mahad instantly turned from the texts. "Ryou… You have an inkling as to who is behind this, yes?"

Ryou winced and lost eye contact with Mahad. "Just… a thought or two," he admitted.

"Then…" Mahad gestured vaguely in front of him.

Ryou understood. With great reluctance, he leaned down to the table, breath hot on the forged Millennium Item, and whispered the name of their number one suspect:

"Thief King Bakura."

-transition-

"You lost… again. Sorry, Jounouchi."

"Argh!" Jounouchi glared at the cards with vehemence. "This is the seventh time in a row—oooooowww!" With that fervent objection to his seventh loss, the blonde had inadvertently pushed himself back enough to end up belly up on the floor. He glowered at the ceiling in silent protest to his defeat. All the while, Yugi tried to hide her giggling.

"I wish I could say I am surprised that you are still pathetic, mutt," Seto commented from across of the room. His headache had not yet subsided entirely; the priest was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. But, evidently, the pain was not enough to curb his attitude.

"Who asked for your opinion?" Jounouchi snapped back, sitting up instantly. Seto merely snorted in retort. Whether the curt response was due to his headache or sheer overstimulation due to having too many clever comebacks in his mind to pick a single one was unknown. Nonetheless, the result was the same.

Jounouchi rolled his eyes but turned his attention back to Yugi. "You know," he observed as he picked up the cards to set up another game, "you always were good at strategy games, Yugi. Even when you were still blind, I lost all the same."

"Unsurprising," Seto coughed. There was at least a little bit of effort to conceal this latest remark, but not enough so that it went flawlessly unnoticed.

"Eh, be quiet," Jounouchi yapped, but it was only halfhearted. "Oh, Yugi! Remember how you always let Yami win? Did he ever catch on?"

"I think at one point he did." Yugi snickered as she recalled. "Before he started leaving on those strange expeditions, we still played now and again. It was hard to lose to him because he was also trying hard to lose to me at the same time. Really, it was a miracle that I could purposefully lose at all." The laughter was genuine and very much appreciated by those there to witness it.

"Why did he wish to lose to you?" Atem asked curiously. He examined the cards on the table in the lull. They were strange copies of the real life monsters Item Bearers could summon through the use of their DiaDhanks, and Atem was fascinated.

"Because I was blind, he probably did not think I had a chance at winning unless he tried to lose. He was wrong though." She picked up a card fondly. "The pictures are carved into the cards. I could feel them and usually decipher which cards were which."

"I figured that out after you beat me a couple hundred times in a row," Jounouchi weighed in.

"Only a couple hundred?"

"Why you—!"

Seto turned to face the wall, but the smirk was evident enough in his tone. "You make it far too simple for me."

"Jounouchi, before I forget—" Yugi cut in before her friend could think up a new insult for the high priest. "—I have to tell you something crucially important."

This caught his attention. "What is it, Yugi?"

Yugi held her hands out over the table, and Jounouchi immediately knew to do the same. While Yugi felt over the composition of the man's hand, she mumbled, "I can see now… I can see now, and yet, I still feel the need to hold your hand while I tell you this." She looked up at Jounouchi, and the difference in Yugi's eyes struck him all over again. They were clear and bright and focused. She had been vivacious in character all her life, but her eyes had not always reflected it. But now… "Jounouchi, I want to thank you."

"Thank me? For what? Losing to you seven times in a row? I promise, I was not doing it on purpose."

Yugi laughed and then persisted, "No, not that. I want to thank you for helping me out of the village and allowing me to meet Prince Atem."

"It was nothing, really—"

"Wrong!" Yugi realized her tone had risen substantially, but she could not help it. If it had not been for him… Then she would have…! And then…! And to have never met Atem…! It was all too much.

"Yugi…? Are you… crying?"

Yugi blinked away the moisture that had formed in the corners of her eyes. "N-no. That is not it. I…" The words had escaped her. She had been so sure she knew exactly how to thank him, but at the critical moment, her inner monologue had all but abandoned her. Only tears remained. But tears of what? Sadness? Happiness?

Gratefulness, she realized. It was gratefulness.

At some point during Yugi's internal struggle, Atem had retrieved one of her hands. He squeezed it between the two of his and brought Yugi back to reality.

"Oh… Forgive me," Yugi excused, though who the apology was directed to was unclear.

"Yugi." Jounouchi was beginning to gather that there was more to this thank-you than met the eye. "You know I am a little slow on the uptake… Will you explain to me all that has been going on? I mean, I understand your sight has been restored and that you are engaged now… But I feel like I am missing a major piece to this puzzle."

Yami. Yugi would have to explain Yami to him, and she knew it.

She sighed. "It is a rather long story…"

"I have nothing but time," Jounouchi insisted. Atem nodded at her in concurrence.

"Oh, yes, perfect! More time in this Ra-forsaken village! I could not be more enthused!" Seto interrupted noisily, reminding the other three that he was still present.

The tension was broken, and they laughed at Seto's expense. The priest only growled into the wall, muttering curses on Ryou for being a traitor and leaving him there stranded.

-transition-

This was not like any of the other dreams Bakura had been having. Instead of the history of Kul Elna being repeated over and over in front of his eyes, Bakura found himself in a complicated room. There were hundreds of doors on each wall, stairs that led to nowhere, and dark abysses at every turn.

And yet, it was all completely familiar. Bakura knew the key to each lock, the code to each door, the traps from the shortcuts, and most importantly, the right way from the wrong.

While Bakura tried to contemplate why this was, a door behind him suddenly swung open, and something as familiar as the maze in front of him appeared.

"Marik?"

"Heh. I suppose even you cannot tell the difference."

The tone of voice gave him away in an instant. "Ah," Bakura stated smugly. "You're no Marik. You are that irritating evil spirit. What a pleasure it is to meet you face-to-face." He gave a facetious bow.

"Overconfident as ever." The demon scowled. "If it had not been for you, I would be feeding on my host right now! That weakling was mine for the taking, but you had to place yourself where you did not belong!" When this did not seem to rile up Bakura like the spirit had hoped it would, it continued, "Well, all is well that ends well, right? I have a new host now, and stubborn as he is, I think I could get used to him."

"I do not recall ever offering you a residence," Bakura replied, not missing a beat.

"Oh, no need to worry." The evil spirit's tongue lashed out threateningly. "You will break. They always do. Once I wear you down enough, you will be begging me to take control of your body and send you into a slumber."

Bakura was not shaken. "Oh? Is that so? What a pitiful creature you are. You do not have enough power on your own, so you have to resort to sapping the power of those who are kind enough to offer you a dwelling."

"Shut up!" the demon hissed. It made sporadic movements, its shadow rising and falling as though it was breathing itself, but the Thief King did not flinch. "Give in! Give in so I can be free from this accursed hell!"

"That almost sounds like begging to me," Bakura observed. The spirit quieted at this. "Pathetic. Truly pathetic." He glanced around the room and suddenly understood. "You are lost. You cannot find your way through my mind. Marik's was easy enough to maneuver, but this? No, you are too weak. You cannot master my despair. You cannot handle it, because it scares even you."

The demon cackled. "Scared, am I? We will see. As I told you, everyone breaks eventually." It began to slither back deeper into Bakura's mind to form another plan of attack.

"Perhaps," Bakura told it as it left, sneering all the while. "But you disregarded one essential factor. You forgot who I am. You forgot that I am Thief King Bakura. And that will be your last mistake."

Author's Note: Done! This is probably my new favorite chapter. I'm so happy I finally wrote something after all this time. I hope you enjoyed it.

Chapters will be published with more regularity now. This I promise you.

Please review.