A/N: I don't own Yugioh! How many times did I write that now…? Oh well!^_^ Since I can't italize, please read the following so you won't get confused:

'thought'

///dream///

"speech"

~*~

1 A Moment in Time

1.1 Stronger Bonds

Yami surveyed the Nubian Desert. Endless specks of gold and brown stretched before him, bleak and unforgiving. The fiery sun hung in the afternoon sky, baking the thirsty earth under its immense heat.

Three hours had pasted, but there was still no sign of Yugi. Yami had commanded his best trackers to search for any trace of the disappearance, to no avail. Two squads of Nubian soldiers along with his most trusted bodyguards followed him, waiting for his to signal the continuation.

A bead of sweat rolled down Yami's forehead as he stared out at the moving dunes of sand. A dry breeze washed over him, offering no ease to the arid climate. Yami was on the verge of submission. His men had searched all along the Nile River for horse prints or chariot tracks, but returned with nothing.

"What am I going to do?" Yami muttered, glaring into the distance. Suddenly, Seth's words flashed before him.

'If you lose your way, follow your heart, for it is the best guidance of all.'

'I must…follow my heart…' Yami realized that he must trust this new source of aid if he were to find his lover. Lifting his head to the desert wind, Yami concentrated on Yugi's presence. 'I trust my heart; no one can keep me in the dark for long. Don't worry, Yugi, I'll bring you back, as love is the greatest strength of all.' Yami unconsciously slapped the reins to his horse. An unknown force seemed to pull him in the direction to Yugi. Yami let it guide him, trusting that it'll help him reach his love.

Galloping down from the desert knoll, Yami descended into the mountain of sand, his men close behind.

***

Yugi's mouth tasted like copper, rusty and dry. He despised the taste, and tried hard not to swallow. The air was muggy and stifling. His legs arms were numb from being forced behind his back all the time. His captive had bounded his limbs to a large stone column that protruded from the ground of the cave. After the last rapping, Bakura had left him unconscious, lying against the cavern walls. Now, fastened with thick bundles of rope that cut into his skin, Yugi waited for his nightmare to begin again. And it did.

At that moment, Bakura entered the dimly lit shelter, a whip in hand.

"Well, well, well," Bakura tantalized, smirking. "Here's little Yugi, the pharaoh's pathetic love. He's not going to save you, you know. Why should he? After all, all he cared about is wealth and greed."

"That's not true!" Yugi screamed, his voice cracking. Droplets of tear fell from glistening violet orbs. "Yami's the kindest person I've ever met!"

"You fool!" A hand connected with Yugi's cheek, making him wince in pain. "How well do you know him? You've only been in the palace for two days! Two measly days! How do you know he doesn't just want lust? Doesn't it even occur to you that he only wants your body?"

Bakura's voice grew louder by the minute, fire raging in his eyes. "You know what happened to my father! How do you know he won't do the same to you once he's finished playing with you?"

"Stop it! Stop it, please!" Yugi pleaded, half crying and half yelling. "Yami isn't like that! I just know it! He's been so nice to me, I know he won't do anything to hurt me!"

"He's a liar, a fraud, an imposter!" Bakura slapped Yugi's on his other cheek. "He doesn't deserve to be pharaoh!"

Yugi cried out at the attack. New blood oozed from his gums and lips, reviving the copper taste. Finally, Bakura left, leaving Yugi to contemplate his warnings.

'Could Bakura be right?' Yugi thought as he stared at the dank gray wall. 'It's true that I haven't gotten to know Yami that well. And it's strange how he was so mean to me at first then nice the next. But…' hesitant, Yugi released an agitated sigh, 'I have to trust Yami. I love him…or do I?'

***

Yami felt something bite at his heart. It wasn't his anxiety for his love, but the misdoubt of his close companion.

'Yugi, I'm not sure if you're beaten right now or suffering a fate far worse than death, but I want you to trust me,' Yami silently communicated, even though he knew that it was seemingly impossible to be heard.

The party had been crossing the desert for quite some time now. The scorching sun was sinking into the horizon, leaving the sky a deep ocean blue. The heat had vanished, and cool gales roamed the land.

Yami shivered; the desert could be so cold at night. When the flaming ball of heat had completely descended into the red slit in the sky, the world was enveloped in a dark indigo hue. Yami wanted to continue searching, but had to strain to see the road ahead.

"Your Majesty," one of the guards spoke up. "I think it's best if we set up camp."

Yami reluctantly agreed, and answered with an almost imperceptible nod. If the guard wasn't perceptive, he would have missed it, but his command for the troops to halt assured his understanding.

The king dismounted while one of the few slaves he brought along led the obsidian horse to be fed. Yami didn't want to leave Yugi when he was sure he was close, but raised as a royalty from the warrior class had taught him of the dangers in the desert at night. The thoughts of any mishap on his quest disturbed Yami, so he pushed the thoughts to the back of his head and headed to a lofty tent made of animal hide and lotus vine the slaves set up.

About an hour later, when all the charioteers and workers were resting in their own tents, Yami was still awake. The recent event just couldn't seem to leave him, always playing itself over and over like a broken movie projector. Yami groaned in annoyance and shifted his position, hoping to render some sleep for the continued search tomorrow.

***

Yugi's eyelids drooped heavily, persuading him to take a rest. He wanted to, but was afraid that Bakura might return and torture him again. He rubbed his eyes tiredly; at least Bakura was nice enough to free his hand and tie his chest to the column instead. Finally, weak and feeble, Yugi closed his eyes and allowed sleep to claim him.

///He found himself in a green pasture, fresh and invigorating with the scent of the new beginning of spring. An assortment of flowers carpeted the lust ground, coloring nature's floor with splashes of red, yellow, and blue.

Yugi inhaled deeply, the smell of fresh morning air tingling his nostrils. The place was too beautiful beyond imagination. As he continued to admire the scenery, he hadn't noticed a handful of white feathers flutter through the air.

"Hello there, Yugi."

The voice was like wind chimes softly rattled on a cool day. The small boy turned at the call and gasped.

At his side stood a young woman with long golden hair that cascaded over her shoulder and down her back. Her snow, white gown billowed in the wind, and her azure eyes stared patiently at Yugi. But the most amazing thing was her wings--- white, feathery wings that expanded from her back and ended in a gentle curve. Feathers fluttered into the air and swirled about the two. Something about her can send a wave of tranquility through a person and show him the finer things in life.

"W-who are you?" Yugi asked once he found his voice.

"Anything you want me to be," was the reply.

"An angel?"

"Perhaps. But I am here to inform you of your connection to Yami."

Yugi waited, watching intently as she picked a poppy from the vast bouquet.

"You are starting to doubt him, are you not?"

Yugi was slightly taken back at his. "Well…maybe. Bakura said---"

"Don't worry about what someone else says. You have to learn to trust Yami. He has changed ever since he met you. Your acquaintance with him may have been short, but even through that ephemeral period of time he had learned about compassion and love. You are special to him, Yugi. He trusts you with all his heart. Love is a strong bond. Once united it can never break. Do you give him your trust?"

"Y-yes." Yugi swallowed his anxiety and gazed out at the field. Never in his life has he been in something this serious before. "I-I…love Yami."

"I'm glad to know." The angel smiled, her form radiating with a pure white tint. "Now, it is Yami who must know."

Yugi looked up, confusion on his face.

"He senses doubt, Yugi, your doubt. Don't let him down. Follow your heart; it will lead to a world of light." The angel paused. "Take this." She held out golden locket with a symbol of ying and yang. "You are his light, Yugi. You mean everything to him. May you both be blessed."

A brief silence settled between the two, until Yugi spoke.

"Thank you"///

Yugi's eyes flew open, only to find himself in the cold cave once more.

"Was it all a dream?" the small boy asked himself. But when he looked at the locket in his hand, it was evident that the event was real.

Yugi toyed with the locket curiously; it was shaped like disk boring the symbol of ying and yang in the center. On the border were carvings of the sun and moon and hieroglyphic inscriptions. Yugi wasn't sure what they said, but he was positive that they meant well. Opening the locket revealed a silver ring. Inside it laid a glowing white light…almost like magic. Yugi's eyes widened in surprise and reached out to touch the glow. The speck of white was warm, like the rays of the sun, and Yugi soon fell into a peaceful slumber, the locket clenched tightly between his hands.

~*~

YK: Finished!!! Oh, and about the angel part, I must give credit to Chibizoo who inspired me with "Club 0013" It's a great fic! Go take a looksie!^_^

Yami: Do I have to find Yugi?

YK: Yes!

Yami: But why?

YK: Because I'm the authoress and what I say goes

Yami: …

Yugi: Why am I always the one that gets abused?

YK: Because…you're just too cute not to!^_^

Yugi: …

YK: R&R please!