Author's Note: I'm really sorry about this chapter-I had a little too much fun writing the Thief King, so some of his lines may be a little over the top. I don't actually know where I'm going with this except that this story does have an ultimate goal (which I can't tell you, of course, because I don't want to give the plot away). Beyond that I'm writing as I go because it feels more organic this way and I enjoy the journey more. I do have a vague plot line in my head, so don't worry, I'm not completely stumbling around. How can I when I have so many characters whispering lines in my ear?

I hope you enjoy your second update in two days!

Thanks to lalalei for her review, and to everyone else who has taken the time to read my story.

-ForeverLily

Higher Stakes Chapter 7: The Pharaoh's Riddle

Joey and Tristan immediately got up and stood between the door and Akari and Tea. Kaiba stood tall next to Yugi with his millennium rod in hand..

"Now now, I'm not here to cause a fuss. I'm here to deliver a warning." A devilish smirk slithered across Bakura's lips.

"What do you want you little punk?" Joey yelled.

Bakura was disturbingly relaxed for someone that outnumbered. "You may want to consider calling off your attack dog before he gets kicked. Unlike cats dogs don't have nine lives, and not everyone can be as fortunate as you."

"Shaddup already or tell us what you came here for!"

Yugi agreed with the sentiment entirely. Surely Bakura hadn't come just to gloat? "Didn't you say you had some sort of warning to deliver?"

"Oh yes, very well," he waved his hand dismissively. "You should hand over the millennium items before someone gets hurt. Our previous encounter has proven to me how useless you've become in your old age- I'm rather disappointed actually. I had expected better from you. I suppose that's the curse of the human-even this body is starting to wear out."

"If that's all you came for, leave." Yugi firmly commanded. He wasn't sure that he had the stomach to declare a penalty game. The few that he could even remotely remember were gruesome affairs in which Yami had always had the advantage. Could he really best Bakura in a contest of skill with using their items? Yugi doubted it.

"To think, this is what I get when I try to play nice. Have it your way then." A malicious predatorial grin crept up Bakura's face and sent chills down Yugi's spine. "Well now, no one can accuse you of cowardice now can they? You're playing a dangerous game. Who would have thought that little Yugi Mutou would have the guts to stand up to me twice without his precious Pharaoh? Let the games begin-let's see what you're made of! This isn't the kind of game you're used to so I hope that you're up to task!"

"To your left!" Ishizu shouted. Yugi obeyed without question moved instantly. Out of the corner of his eye he saw gleaming metal.

Bakura grunted in frustration, "I should have known you'd be here woman. That certainly makes the game more fun because I know you'll be watching my every move just as I watch yours. For now I'll take my leave."

"Grab the girl-she's coming with us!" A shadow ghoul emerged from a shadow in the room and grabbed Akari. She tried to run, but was unable to because the creature was simply too strong.

He could feel the magic pouring from the millennium rod next to him. Seto must have been trying to control Bakura's mind and it clearly wasn't working. He'd had far longer than any of them to master shadow magic so he it was hardly surprising that he could block Seto's clumsy attempts at controlling his mind.

"You think you can control me boy? I am as old as the Pyramids of Egypt and I have been steeped in shadow magic from the time that I was child. How can you ever possibly hope to control my mind when you don't even know how to use your own millennium item? The priest was far more fun to play with!"

"I will not lose to an eternal teenager throwing a temper tantrum. Let the girl go or face the consequences!" Seto hissed.

"Let me go!" She writhed and kicked in hopes of forcing it to lose its grip.

"That is enough! Leave my daughter alone. I am who you're really after so face me like a man in a duel!" Yugi shouted with as much confidence as he could muster.

Bakura gave a mock bow and looked towards the creature that had somehow materialized behind him with Yugi's daughter. "Although I'm flattered by the invitation I'm afraid that I'm going to have to decline. The board hasn't properly been set yet!" Like the creature he too disappeared into the shadows. For a moment neither parent could move. Yugi just stood there, staring at the spot where his daughter had been only seconds ago. How had this happened to them? They had been so careful and yet all he all had to do was snatch and her run. Rational thought was nearly impossible as he tried to wade his way through the fear and anger that clouded his mind.

Tea whispered, "Akari," and fell to her knees.

Joey and Tristan both offered her a hand. She took them up on the effort and latched herself onto them. "My little girl…" she sniffled. "He has her. She's gone." With those words all warmth seeped out of the world. They had failed as parents.

"It'll be okay,"

"You'll get her back." They tried to comfort her.

"Snap out of it Mutou! This is not your fault! Instead of standing here crying like a child you should man up and do whatever it takes to get your daughter back! That goes for you too Gardner."

"It's Mutou," she sniffed.

"Whatever. This is hardly the first time one of us have been kidnapped." All eyes turned to Mokuba and Tea.

"He's right Tea. Just look at me. I've been kidnapped multiple times and I'm perfectly fine." Mokuba tried to comfort them, but somehow it fell flat. Yugi noticed that Marik looked slightly uncomfortable. Ishizu put a hand on his arm. He still felt bad for what his darkside did.

Mokuba's reassurance wasn't the least bit comforting. Both Kaiba and Mokuba had lost their souls when Pegasus kidnapped Mokuba.

However, they did have a point. Things worked out in end because they never gave up, so why were they mourning her loss when she wasn't even dead?

The Pharaoh used to be the dispenser of wisdom. Once he left there was a vacancy in that area, which was eventually taken up Mai. Once again Mai took up her role with practiced ease. "Instead of just standing here we should be trying to find the last two items. If we find them, we should be ready to confront that weirdo and save my niece. This is all some sick game to him, so we'll have to play along if we ever to get anywhere. I guess it's a good thing we're so good at games isn't it?"

With every last bit of strength that he still possessed he summoned up his courage. There could be no what ifs. There could be no doubt that he would save his daughter. "Let's do it."

"Does anyone have any idea where start?" There is no need. I have sent them your way. "I don't think we're going to have to look too hard."

"Why not?" Joey scratched his head in confusion. "We don't have any leads!"

"The Pharaoh says that he's sent them our way."

Ishizu closed her eyes and touched her necklace. "Very well then. I'm afraid that isn't much more that we can do. Something is blocking my necklace...perhaps their future is not set yet. All I get is a blurry image of a future yet to be decided."

"For someone who's not supposed to be able to contact us easily he is sure chatty." Was that resentment that he had heard in Tristan's voice?

"That's not fair! The Pharoah's doing everything he can for us and he doesn't even have to! He's done his duty, but he's still helping us anyway. He's a true friend and don't you ever forget that! The Pharoah's saved us more times than we can count and you still have the nerve to talk to him about that!"

Tristan had the grace to look ashamed, but he still stood his ground. "Look Tea, I'm not saying that he hasn't done some amazing things, because he has. He's done a lot for us and I'm not ask'en for him to solve our problems for us. It just hurts that Yugi get's to see him and we can't. I get that they have a special bond or something, but we're his friends too! We have a bond that can never be broken! At least that's what I thought we had…"

I never meant to hurt anyone. Explain Yugi, I think you know why... "He can communicate with me right now because of the magic of the puzzle. I don't exactly know how, but my guess is that he's using shadow magic to contact me that way, and because we are already connected and the puzzle was around his magic was attuned to his magic he is able to use it to communicate with me like when he was a spirit."

"I get that, but what about the dreams?"

"I think it has to do with…" how could explain it "our mutual destiny? We had what the other lacked, so we became really close. I mean, we shared a living space and a mind at times so not only did we very become close, I've become attuned to his magic."

Tristan sighed. "I know man, I know. Sometimes I just can't seem to help myself. We miss him too ya know."

I know. For me no time has passed, and yet a great deal of time has passed. I have watched you all grow and have separate lives but I remain ever the same here in...the other world.

There was such longing in his voice that it made something ache inside of Yugi too. What adult didn't long for the days when things seemed simpler and he felt invincible? "Yami feels the same way…"

"Why'd you just call him Yami anyway Yugi? Isn't it always Pharaoh this and Pharaoh that with you boys?" Mai asked.

"It's just a slip of the tongue. That was what we called him before we found out that he was a Pharaoh. I just..." Yugi found himself a little out of breath all of a sudden. What was wrong with him? Was he coming down with something? "I just sometimes…" he could feel himself growing light headed.

Yugi!

"What just happened?" Yugi mumbled as he looked around. He seemed to be…why was he on a blimp?

When he saw Atem standing in front of him he knew. "I passed out didn't I?"

"It appears that your body is still becoming acclimated to shadow magic. I have been using it to speak with you, so you were overwhelmed and your body shut down in order to process it. I'm sorry-I never meant to bring you any harm. If I had known-" For some reason the Pharaoh's face grew dark and he lowered his eyes solemnly. He looked haunted by something.

"How could you have known? I guess it's true what they say-the young adapt more easily than adults. This isn't your fault. You need to stop acting like you just attacked me or something. I'm fine, just a little tired." His old friend was thoroughly ashamed of himself, but for what? It really was an accident.

"There is no excuse for my carelessness! Sometimes I forget that you're not used to this anymore, but I shouldn't have. It seems that I've broken my promise to you."

Suddenly Yugi remembered that this sudden exhaustion was not a new phenomenon. "This isn't the first time this has happened is it? Do you remember the final duel with Pegasus?"

"Yes?"

"Do you remember when we dueled in the shadow realm and we used that strategy where we switched every turn?" Yugi could remember it vividly. With each turn had felt the energy being sapped from his body until he started to feel lightheaded and couldn't stand.

"I remember. However, there is one key difference."

"What's that?"

"It was unavoidable and the fate of the world was riding on that duel. Once again I've fallen into the sin of greed."

Once again? "You're not talking about what happened just now, are you?"

"I never understood how you could forgive me for what I did that day. I could never atone for what I've done. I vowed that I would never cause you harm and I've broken my promise."

That day? What was he talking about? The Pharaoh had never hurt him on purpose? He thought back. There was only one thing that the Pharaoh had felt so much guilt over. "You still feel guilty over using the orichalcos don't you? Do you blame Mai?"

"No, of course not! The orichalcos had used her."

"So why would you blame yourself?"

"I knew what it did, and I knew that it was a corrupting influence, but I couldn't lose."

"Has being pharaoh gone to your head? You're not perfect pharaoh, no one is. So you made a mistake, big deal. You took responsibility and fixed your mistake. You've got to let it go-I was never angry about it in the first place!"

"I don't think that's a good idea. For now on I should only connect to you that way in an emergency. Otherwise we can meet in dreams such as this."

Yugi agreed with him. He couldn't be much help unconscious. "That might be a good idea for now. Besides, you've done too much for us already. I don't want you to get in trouble with your gods on our account. Didn't you tell me that there are rules about what you can and can't do for us?"

The Pharaoh gave an almost Kaiba like smirk. "I am a pharaoh, a vessel for the gods among my people. Did you truly think that I would not be able to bend the rules for something like this? The Thief King nearly ended the world twice, and since I am a vessel for the gods I was able to justify helping you...for the sake of the world, of course."

"That was surprisingly manipulative of you." On second thought, maybe it shouldn't have been all that surprising. He had never really had the chance to know who he was with his memories intact, and there were those penalty games in very beginning. Yugi supposed that who he was after they had begun their journey together had eclipsed the memories of what he was like in the very beginning, when he had perhaps earned the name Yami.

"Yugi, have you forgotten the reason why we were brought together?"

"To save the world."

He chuckled a bit at this. "Well, that was the overarching purpose, but the reason that we were brought together is because I am a strategist and I am confident, perhaps even to the point of arrogance. If I couldn't even make a good case for helping you with your destiny what kind of pharaoh would I be?" There was a short pause. "However, If I could do more I would. I don't blame the others for being unhappy with me-it does seem unfair that I am able to communicate with you almost exclusively, but you are my other self, my descendant, and my former vessel, so it is much easier to justify my actions. They are my friends too, so I wish to help them as much as I can."

Yugi understood their point, but thought that it was unfair for them to hold something like that against him. "I think that they know. I think that we're all just a little frustrated with the situation more than anything. Our lives and souls are at stake and we don't know what to do about it. It reminds me of battle city all over again. This blimp isn't helping, by the way. It's the blimp, isn't it?"

He nodded. "Yes. I thought it seemed appropriate."

"Maybe next time you could pick somewhere that none of us were almost killed." Yugi suggested. He wasn't really annoyed about it, but he would like to be somewhere that evoked a pleasant memory for once.

"And where might that be?"

Yugi couldn't answer that. He was stilling living in his hometown, in the same house, and working in his grandfather's shop. There wasn't really anywhere in Domino where someone hadn't tried to kill him.

The Pharaoh chuckled, "I thought so. Even before you solved the puzzle your luck wasn't much better."

"Why do you always have to be right?"

"I am Pharaoh," he teased. "Even when I'm wrong I'm right." This was weird. His sense of humor hadn't changed much, but it had changed just enough for Yugi to realize how little he still knew about his friend.

When he saw the expression on Yugi's face he quickly corrected himself. "I was joking Yugi. I am right about as often as any other person, and I am quite aware of that. When I start getting arrogant Mana puts me in my place."

"I know you were, I just have a whole lot on my mind." He couldn't lie to him and tell him that it was nothing, because how do you lie to someone you've shared a head with?

"What is it Yugi?"

"I have a lot of things on my mind. My daughter's missing, we still don't have a clue about what we're doing, and I'm feeling nostalgic. I can't forget how weird this is. Lately I've been feeling more and more nostalgic. I'm told it's pretty common once your children hit their teenage years."

"I feel nostalgic as well."Something shifted in his demeanor. Where he was relaxed before, now he stood tall and. The man before him had gone from being the casual friend to the self assured leader. This was the man who had faced Pegasus, Marik, Dartz, and the Bakura. "All will be well in the end Yugi, I promise. I give you my word that you will find your daughter in one piece-I think you'll find that she's stronger than you realize. I'll do what I can from the other world and you'll do what you can from your world. Together we'll succeed, like always." For some reason Yugi felt so much more confident than he had before. There was something about his friend that inspired confidence in him that everything was going to be okay. "Until next time I have something that you must remember: The two will come without much fan fair-one is a prince, and the other a would be queen. Wait until the seven are gathered and my cousin and I will set the board. You must prepare to play a game of a darker kind, both as pawns and the queen. Prepare yourself Yugi, it will test you in ways you don't realize." What the hell was that supposed to mean? He got the seven were the items, and he and Priest Seto would help them, but what did the rest of that mean?

"Are you being this vague because you have to, or are you doing this because you get some sort of sick enjoyment out of it?"

"I'm not allowed to tell you more than that until the time is right," he said apologetically.

"And that will be?"

"That's up to fate isn't it? And Yugi," Yugi found himself desperately hoping that it wasn't another one of his riddles. "Remember what's important and everything will work out. Have faith." The pharaoh's next move took him by surprise. He pushed Yugi off the blimp."

Yugi woke up with a jolt. "I can't believe he just pushed me off of a blimp like that!"

"What?" Tristan asked.

"I was-"

"Speaking with the pharaoh."Joey guessed.

Yugi nodded. "He told me that the reason that I passed out is that my body is still getting acclimated to shadow magic, and because he used it to talk to me it caused an influx of magic and I had to pass out in order to process it. We agreed to not talk like that except for emergencies, and he also gave a riddle before he pushed me off of a blimp."

"A blimp?" Mokuba asked.

"It was the one from Battle City. Somehow he's able to pick the scene of our...dreams."

Seto cleared his throat "You morons are all missing the most important part."

"And what would that be money bags?" Tristan asked. "Right now we should be worrying about Yugi!"

"Magic can wait. We need to make sure that Yugi's okay!" Tea pressed a hand to his forehead. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine. Seto's right, we need to focus on the riddle. He said, 'remember that the two will come without much fan fair-one is a prince, and the other a would be queen. Wait until the six are gathered and my cousin and I will set the board. You must prepare to play a game of a darker kind, both as pawns and the queen.' Any ideas?"

No one spoke for a moment. Mai was the first to say anything. "I'm feeling kind of left out. I wasn't there for most of the Egypt stuff, so this is beyond me. I only know what you guys have told me. Why don't we start with the prince. Do any of you know of some prince from Ancient Egypt?"

"No. I know about Atem and Priest Seto and that's it. I don't know anything about his predecessors."

Ishizu gasped. "Perhaps we are looking at this a bit too narrowly." She looked straight at Mokuba.

"I don't get it." Joey scratched his his head in confusion. "How else are we supposed to see things?"

"Sister?" Marik asked.

"Surely you understand Marik. You know the ancient stories nearly as well as I do! Think hard brother." He looked at Seto, and then looked at Mokuba, as if willing himself to make some sort of connection, and then it clicked.

"Wouldn't we know already?" Marik asked.

"How are we to know destiny?" Ishizu sagely replied. "There is a reason for everything."

"Are you sure?"

"What are you two talking about?" Mai asked. "Care to translate for those of us not fluent in Egyptian history?"

"Five thousand years ago the Pharaoh managed to free the one whom he had been locked in battle with from his true enemy. When the Pharaoh sacrificed himself it was he who ascended the throne."

"Seto? But he already has the rod!" Tea pointed towards his millennium item. "It can't be about him."

"No, he wasn't a prince, but he was a King." Yugi said. He couldn't believe that it had taken him so long to figure it out. "If Kaiba's a King, then doesn't that make Mokuba a prince? He did raise Mokuba after all, and if you think about it, they do basically run domino."

While Mokuba looked a little embarrassed at this, Seto acted like all was right in the world now that he was reassured of his dominance over Domino. It wasn't power that he cared for-he just wanted control. It took Yugi years to realize that he used it like a security blanket. "You're wrong," he said bluntly. "He would have it by now if he were the prince."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that. The puzzle wouldn't let me solve it until the time is right. I don't exactly know how Mana and Mahad are doing it, but I trust them."

Seto snorted. "I trust no one, present company excluded except Joey."

"You a-" Tea shot him a reproaching glare. "You Jerk." He corrected.

"Whatever mutt." It was an odd old dance between Seto and Joey that had started when they had first met and they had never grown out of it. The difference was that they did it then out of genuine animosity. Once they became friends they kept at it just because they both enjoyed bickering too much to stop. Neither of them really meant it. "We need a backup plan."

"If I'm the supposed 'prince' then why won't anyone let me get a word in edgewise?"

"Sorry kid."

"I think I stopped qualifying as a kid when I got married, Joey." Mokuba rolled his eyes at his friend-sometimes he just couldn't seem to help himself. "No can we please get back on topic? I swear, sometimes you're as bad as children. We need to stay focused if we're ever going to get to the bottom of this."

"Mokuba is right, and at the same time wrong. We need to stay focused. However, he is wrong in that he does not think that he is the Prince. I still cannot see a clear vision of that part of our future, but I believe that he is the most likely candidate. Now that Seto has accepted his fate will you deny yours?" Something about Ishizu's voice didn't sound natural. He couldn't point out what it was, but it was exactly. Maybe it was the way she spoke, as if she had wisdom far beyond her years. "What will you do now Mokuba Kaiba, now that that you are the one chosen to wield such great power?"

"I haven't been chosen for anything!" Mokuba protested. "However, if I really do get one of these things, I'll do what I can to help. I still don't think I am it, thought."

Marik shook his head. It was futile to argue with Ishizu, and just about everyone knew it. "Mokuba, you shouldn't bet against Ishizu, with or without the necklace. I'm warning you now that she has the uncanny ability of being right all of the time."

"There's also the part about the prince arriving- I'm already here." They pointed out.

"But you did arrive without much fan-fair-nobody rolled out the red carpet or anything Mokuba. Sorry," Tristan elbowed him, "Hate to break it to you, but here you're just one of the guys."

Yugi started to get dizzy again. "Sorry guys, I know it's early, but I should duck out. You guys are free to stay over if you need someone to sleep, or if you just want to hang out more, but I'm…"

He noticed that Tristan wasn't moving. His eyes were pitch black as he began to shout in a voice that was not his own. "Audacious humans! You think that you have defeated me, but you can never truly banish me, for I am the darkness. As soon as the flame is blown out it returns. The world will bow at my feet and tremble at my will. For I am the mighty one, and one day soon I shall return!"

"Who is that?" Mai whispered in horror.

"That's-" Yugi covered Joey's mouth before he could say the name.

"It's the Dark One." Yugi whispered.

Tristan fell back onto the couch and looked around in confusion. "What's going on?"

"You were just possessed by-"

"The Dark One. Names have power-He was just in the room inhabiting Tristan's body. Don't add to it now!"

Seto opened his mouth, presumably to make some remark about superstitious nonsense, but he kept his comment to himself.

More to himself than anyone, Marik said, "Let's hope the gods are on our side."

Author's Note:

I'm having way too much writing this! It's one of those stories that just seems to write itself. This is my first new attempt at a long multi chapter story since my one of my first stories, which was about seven years ago. I think that I've grown enough as a writer to be able to successfully make the attempt this time around. I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have. Please read and review. Your comments mean a lot!

-ForeverLily