Yami-chan: Okay, minna. Here's chapter 3 of Lost Souls! If you've gotten this far in the story and you're still interested, I'll send you a cookie!! Okay, time to get motivated and type. Here you go! This fic will probably be about four to five chapters long.

I DO NOT OWN YU-GI-OH OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!! Unrealistic owns Celena and I own all of the monsters' names, if they get mentioned in this chapter.

I'll be using some Egyptian words in this part. I did not find the meanings for myself but copied them from another fic by Akemi.

child: khered

friend: mer

prince: re-pat

son: sa

thief: itja

father: it

majesty: hm

If I use any of the above words, they'll be in italics. Not too hard, people.

Oh, and by the by, I'm SORTA changing Malik's heritage in this fic. But…wait and see why I said sorta…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Six years later…

(boys at age 15)

"Come on Bahku!"

"No! I'm not going!"

"It's about time you met a pretty girl, so come on!" countered Yami, trying to free his mer's deathgrip from a stone pillar.

"I told you! I'm not going anywhere!" yelled the slave, holding on to the pillar for all he was worth.

Little did he notice the figure creeping up on him.

"Hi Bahku!" chirped Celena.

Bahku yelped and let go of the pillar, both he and the prince tumbling backwards down the stairs to land in a pile.

"Great going," mumbled Yami, his golden Sennen headband now around his neck.

"It's your fault," retorted Bahku, getting to his feet.

"You two are so immature," said the eleven-year-old Celena.

"Go away!!" the teens yelled at her.

~*~

The pharaoh watched the scene with a smile. Those two…Even as they grew older and their separate respective classes in society grew further and further apart, their bond just grew stronger. He shook his head as both the white and tricolor haired boys chased Celena up and down and around the palace entrance.

Though only Yami was his sa, he was very proud of both of the boys. Both had grown to be both handsome and intelligent. Many suitors had already come for Yami. Even the majority of the female slaves, and even higher classes, had their eyes on Bahku. The pharaoh laughed out loud as Celena tripped Yami who fell, causing Bahku behind him to trip over his body and the two landed in yet another undignified heap.

But a sudden fit of coughing seized the pharaoh. Over the years, the illness had remained with him, slowly but surely overcoming his body. Only one person knew of it for the pharaoh hid the signs well. Heishin was the only person who knew and the High Priest had tried countless cures and potions, but it was futile. Not even Yami and Celena knew what was soon to come. The Red Eyes let out a quiet roar, worried for its master. But the ruler just smiled and returned to his chambers.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

That night…

Yami awoke to someone gently shaking him.

"Mer-pat Yami, have you forgotten what is to take place tonight?"

"What?" he asked, the priest groggily.

"Your first real Shadow Game is tonight. Your father and Guardian are awaiting you at the temple's dueling arena."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be right there."

The priest left the room and Yami climbed out of bed, fighting the wave of exhaustion and dizziness that came with sitting up too fast. The upcoming task was enough to jar him awake though. Since he was 10, he had been going through lessons with Dark about the Shadow Games. When he was 13, he was awarded his deck which he had improved over the years.

As the teen slid his sandals on, he looked across the room toward the other bed. Bahku was fast asleep, breathing light and hands curled by his face. With a tired groan he rolled onto his back and resumed sleeping, covers pulled to his chest.

Yami smiled, the turned and followed the servant, who waited by the door patiently.

~*~

(AN: I know this part doesn't relate to Bakura's past, but I couldn't leave you guys hanging. I won't be writing the whole match because I'm too lazy to figure out life points and stuff like that. I probably only write the last half. Oh, and I know the monsters were sealed in stone tablets, but I'm sticking with cards. It's easier to keep track. ;- ) But on with the fic…)

~*~

The Dark Magician was waiting for Yami at the entrance of the battle arena, dressed in his full armor and fingering the green staff in his hands. "You ready?" he asked as Yami approached.

"Of course," replied Yami. But the he noticed the expression in the mage's eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not permitted to tell you. You'll see for yourself." He turned and opened the door. "Let's go."

The arena was a vast structure attached to the temple. It was a beautiful stone and marble structure where all the major Shadow Games in the city were held. Members of the royal family practiced here normally.

Yami followed Dark into the arena. He instantly spotted his father who was sitting on a marble throne. Heishin stood a few feet away. Yami growled as he remembered the events six years ago.

"It has been awhile, prince," said the High Mage.

"Yes it has," Yami responded curtly. "Are you my opponent?"

"Of course not."

The pharaoh nodded towards his son. "I know not who your opponent will be, but I wish you luck."

Yami smiled. "Thanks father."

"And now, the challenger," announced Heishin.

Across the field, a figure stepped from out of the shadows.

Yami gasped at who it was. "S-Seito?!"

The other teen bowed respectively, his blue eyes blank. "I am honored to have been chosen as your first opponent, my lord."

Yami was taken aback at Seito's coldness and aloofness. "Wha--?"

"Let's begin the match!" yelled Heishin.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Back at the palace…

A certain blonde-haired elf leaned back in his chair, boots propped up on the table. The Celtic Guardian sighed as he awaited his summoning. If it came that is. He didn't need to be present at the match, for he would be teleported there if he was needed by his master. The elf yawned and rubbed his eyes. Man, I'm tired…I wonder if he is coming… Better stay awake. A yawn. Easier said then done. The amber eyes fluttered, then slowly closed. The warrior was asleep in minutes.

~*~

Due to his little nap, Celtic wasn't aware of a shadowed figure watching him from a window. The figure smirked as he gained his footing on the roof. This was gonna be fun. With hardly any effort, the tall figure leapt into the air and landed on the windowsill and after a precarious moment of gravity struggling to pull the person down, he regained his footing and entered Celtic's room.

The figure tried to hold back his laughter as Celtic remained asleep. This was too easy. Creeping behind the chair, the figure bent low to be level with the sleeping monster. The figure took a deep breath..

"WAKE UP SAGE!!"

~*~

"AHH!"

The Celtic Guardian flew out of his chair and onto the floor with a clang of armor. Groaning, and becoming increasingly aware of the laughter behind him, he sat up to spot the Black Luster Soldier behind him, holding onto the table to avoid falling down on the floor with laughter.

Celtic growled. Well, if he thinks that is funny, what about this! The warrior kicked out and tripped the unaware monster, who also fell to the floor with a similar clang of armor as his companion.

"Now that's funny!" laughed the elf.

But the black clad figure didn't get up. Concerned, Celtic crawled over to Luster. "Hey, man. This isn't funny. Get up."

No response.

"Oh crap," mumbled Celtic, running a hand through his hair. He leaned over to try to get a better look at the warrior's face, removing Luster's helmet.

Lavender eyes shot open and a grin covered Luster's tanned features. Before Celtic could react, Luster rested his foot on Celtic's stomach, and used his own weight as leverage to flip the elf up and over him. Celtic hit the ground hard and lay on the cool stone floor, panting as he tried to catch his breath.

Luster stood as he pulled his long red hair back into a ponytail. "You're getting easier and easier to trick every time I see you, Sage."

He offered the guardian his hand. Celtic smiled and accepted as he was pulled to his feet.

Rubbing a hand on his sore abdomen, he winced. "Take it a little more easy next time, Ryon. You're wearing me down."

Luster chuckled as he sat in Celtic's former chair. "That's the point."

Celtic sat on the bed and flopped back, closing his eyes. "You know what's going on right now, right?"

Luster nodded as he fingered his black and gold helmet. "Yeah, Yami's first match."

"Think you'll be called?" asked the elf, looking over at his close friend.

The warrior shrugged. "I doubt it. He probably won't exert much effort into summoning me in his first official duel."

"You never know."

Luster sighed and shifted position as he rested his arms on the back of the chair and rested his head on them. He closed his eyes.

Celtic looked over at him. "You're worried about him, aren't you?"

"And you're not?" came the instant reply.

Celtic winced. "Got me there."

"Is Calypse with Yami?"

"Of course he is."

"You know he hates it when we call him that," said Luster, a smile on his face as he thought of the dark mage and their unselected leader.

"Well he's not here to correct us now, is he?"

Luster shrugged again and the two monsters lapsed into silence.

"How are the others doing?" asked Luster. He wasn't usually around the palace or in the city like the rest of Yami's monsters. He chose to wonder abroad, traveling all around the continent, acting as a sort of mercenary for money. He rarely stopped by. The only reason he was here in the first place was because he had sensed the upcoming match, as only a monster can sense his master's anxiety.

"Everyone's pretty much okay. Not busy but okay. Milyna has been hanging around with the healers and priestesses, Asura has been bugging Calypse as usual, and Mura has been tending to her charge. I haven't heard much from the Blue Eyes lately. Any of them."

"That's unusual," mused Luster. "The youngest one usually visits now and then, correct?"

Celtic nodded. "Yeah. He just lately perfected his humanoid form. Looks pretty good too, though you wouldn't confuse him with a normal human. His brothers don't know of his visits."

There was no response. Then, "Should we head over?"

"I was thinking the same thing," said Celtic, sitting up.

Luster stood and slipped his helmet back on, and then checking to see if his scimitar was in good shape.

Celtic noticed his actions. "Why are you getting worked up about this?"

"You are, too," retorted Luster, sliding the weapon back in its scabbard. "You sense our master's deepening anxiety as well."

"You read me all too well," said Celtic, grabbing his own weapon from behind the bed. In one fluid motion, the blade was bared and the waning candlelight reflected off the steel. Celtic felt comforted at the familiar feeling of the old broadsword in his hands, but then he sheathed the blade.

He looked over at Luster. "Let's go."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

At the arena…

Life points;

Yami: 300

Seito: 900

"You've been a worthy opponent, prince. But I'm afraid I have to end this!" Seito threw a card down on the field. Light emerged from the card to form his signature monster. "I call upon the mighty power of the Blue Eyes White Dragon!"

Yami growled at the sight of the legendary dragon. He had no basic monster to counter it, but-- He looked down at his facedown card --if Seito would attack the Mystical Elf he had in defensive position on the field, he would be able to lower the Blue Eyes' attack enough for him to attack.

He needed no card for his next summon. "I choose the Dark Magician as my next monster!"

From the sidelines, the mage leapt into the dueling field, staff held in attack position.

"I also lay one card facedown on the field and end my turn," said the prince, laying a card in his magic and trap zone.

"I'm surprised you'll sacrifice your Guardian," jeered Seito. But, he thought, that face down card could be a trap. But…I just need one attack. "Blue Eyes! Attack the Dark Magician! White Lightning!"

The dragon roared and a ball of white light formed in its mouth, then it fired. On the field, Dark tensed.

But Yami was ready. He flipped his first facedown card up. "Your attack activates my trap! Spellbinding Circle, which blocks your attack and lowers your dragon's attack by 700!"

Seito quickly reacted. He flipped his facedown defensive monster face up. "My Trap Master eliminates your trap. But still, your mage is safe," growled Seito. He had reacted too slowly, but still had at least saved his dragon.

"And with your attack, it's my turn," said Yami, drawing a card. "First I play from my hand, Ookazi! Which inflicts 800 direct damage too your life points!"

Seito growled in frustration as his life points fell to a mere 100.

"And then I play Book of Secret Arts to raise Dark's attack to 2800!"

"And what good will that do you?" mocked Seito. "Your attack is still too low."

"My turn isn't up yet," countered Yami. "Last, I play my second face-down card, Sword of Dark Destruction to raise Dark's attack by another 400, to a total of 3200!"

The mage's staff morphed into a violet and crimson sword which radiated dark energy.

"No," whispered Seito.

"And now, Dark Magician, attack the Blue Eyes White Dragon! Lunar Apocalypse Slash!"

Dark leapt into the air and brought the sword down. He aimed for the dragon's side, not wanting to kill the fellow Guardian. The Blue Eyes roared in pain and instinctively snapped at the mage, its teeth clipping Dark's arm. He leapt away and back to Yami's side, holding his injured arm. With a final roar, the Blue Eyes collapsed to the floor.

The duel was over.

"How could you?!" Seito slammed his fist down on the stone slab, his cards fluttering to the ground. "I've never lost a match in my life!"

Yami glanced with pity over at his former mer as he checked his Guardian's arm. "You better tend to your dragon. It'll die without some magical or medical attention."

Seito's blue eyes flashed and for a moment seemed to clear. As if for the first time, he noticed the condition his Guardian was in. With a cry, Seito ran to the Blue Eyes.

Yami turned away as he worked on tearing a strip of black fabric from his tunic. Across the arena, Seito was mirroring his actions, unfastening his light purple cloak and trying to stop the bleeding, for the sword had long since dissipated. Yami tied the fabric around the tall mage's arm.

"Thanks Yami."

"No problem," he said, tying the knot.

"Great match," said the pharaoh, resting a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Thanks father." Yami glanced back over at Seito.

With everyone's attention seemingly averted, Heishin stormed over to Seito and yanked the teen to his feet. Seito almost cried out, but Heishin slapped his across the face. He crumpled to the ground next to his dragon.

"HEISHIN!" roared Yami.

The High Priest froze and composed himself. "What is it, my prince?"

Yami growled and leapt forward. Heishin yelled a word and Yami was suddenly suspended in midair, unable to move.

"Heishin! Stop this!" yelled the pharaoh.

From the ground, Seito raised a hand a yelled a foreign word along with a cutoff motion. The spell was canceled out and Yami fell to the ground, gasping for air.

"How dare you do that to the prince of Egypt?!" yelled Dark.

Heishin closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, my lords. It was a reflex."

"Yeah right," grumbled Dark, rushing to his master's side. A spell like that could be no reflex. After all, he should know.

Heishin pulled Seito to his feet, ignoring the wince of pain from his apprentice as his large hand closed over one of Seito's gold manacles, causing it to cut into his skin.

"Place your monster in its card, boy," he hissed.

"I-I can't," panted Seito, exhausted.

Heishin growled and refused the urge to strike his apprentice again. "Go." He shoved Seito in the direction of the temple. With a glance at the remaining threesome, he followed after.

Yami slowly go to his feet.

"Are you okay?" asked the pharaoh.

"Yes, I'm fine. How is the Blue Eyes?"

The Dark Magician had already started tending to the dragon. "It'll be okay. It just needs some time to recuperate. Apparently, it has been neglected for quite some time now."

"That's unusual," commented Yami. Seito took great care of his dragons. They were his pride and joy since he had first been granted them. With a shake of his head, Yami turned to the pharaoh.

"It, don't trust Heishin. He's up to something."

"Yami, the only reason he attacked you was defense. Besides, you aren't hurt in any way."

"But--"

"No. Heishin was chosen as High Priest and I trust him with my life." The pharaoh turned away. "You may return to bed."

"Father! Don't trust him!" Yami yelled.

But his only answer was his own plea echoing in the stadium.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Celtic and Luster ran down the pathway to the temple. The growing anxiety they had felt from their master had greatened, then faded. It had the two monsters very confused indeed. Halfway to the arena, they ran into the pharaoh.

"Hello, hm," said Celtic, bowing his head slightly in respect. "Do you know where Yami and Dark are?"

"Yes. Yami is taking a different route to the palace and the Dark Magician is tending to the Blue Eyes in the arena."

"Blue Eyes?" asked Luster. "His opponent was Seito?"

The pharaoh nodded. "Yes. As always I am impressed with your sharpness, Black Luster Soldier. It's good to have you back here. I have the feeling we'll soon need all the help we can get."

Luster nodded. "I hope that isn't true, sire."

"As do I," sighed the pharaoh. "As do I." The ruler turned and continued back to the palace.

"'As always I am impressed with your sharpness,'" mocked Celtic. "Pharaoh's pet."

"What did you say?!" demanded Luster.

Celtic irked. "Uh, nothing. Let's get going!" The elf turned and started running towards the stadium. With a shake of his head, Luster followed.

~*~

Dark looked up as the two burst into the arena. "It's about time," he muttered as he tried to convince the dragon in front of him to drink some water.

"Which one is it?" questioned Celtic as he arrived at his comrade's side.

"The youngest. The one I believe Seito calls Rane." The mage brushed strands of hair out of his face as he leaned over the dragon once more.

"Anything we can do?" asked Luster.

"No. I suggest you guys rest up."

"Why?" questioned Luster.

"Doy!" Celtic slapped his head. "I forgot! The Babylonians and their monsters are coming tomorrow!"

"Exactly," said Dark, as he stood and wiped his bloody hands on a rag.

Celtic then noticed the fabric around Dark's forearm. "What happened to you?"

"It's nothing but a scratch. It'll be gone in a week." The mage rubbed his sore eyes with his wrist.

"You should go to bed," said Luster. "You're exhausted. We can keep an eye on the Blue Eyes tonight. You need to rest for tomorrow."

Dark waved him off. "No, no. I'm fine. You two go back to the palace. I'll be there tomorrow morning."

Celtic sighed. "Fine. But promise us you won't strain yourself over this."

Dark smiled. "What? The big bad Celtic Guardian worried about me?"

"Yes."

The mage laughed. "Fine. I won't overdo it this time."

"This time?" echoed Luster, eyebrow raised. "I take it this is a normal occurrence?"

"Yeah," said Celtic. "He overdoes everything. He'll keep going until he faints or something. Happened before."

Dark hit the elf on the back of the head. "Don't bring that up."

Luster crossed his arms. "He's serious?"

Dark ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Look. Everything will be fine. I guarantee it."

Celtic closed his eyes. "Okay. But if I find you out cold in the morning, I'll kill ya."

Dark laughed at the sound of his friend's statement. "And you two will be going now…"

"We know when we're not wanted," said Luster, smiling.

"Obviously not," countered Dark.

"We're going, we're going. Sheesh." Celtic started for the door, Luster following.

Just before he walked out the door, Celtic looked back, his amber eyes worried.

"What's wrong?" asked Luster.

Celtic shook his head as he watched the mage, who had knelt back down by the dragon once again. "It's just that he overdoes everything. He thinks he's invincible."

"Actually, it's probably just the opposite."

Celtic looked over at the warrior, curious,

Luster shrugged. "He knows he's not immortal. He wants to do what he can while he's here. That's all."

"But he has his limits."

"As does everyone."

Celtic sighed. "His name doesn't fit him."

Luster smiled and the elf joined his outside. "And that is why you call him Calypse?"

"Does Apocalypse seem like a name for someone like him?"

"You got a point."

Celtic rested his hands behind his head as he walked. "Calypse. Almost sounds like a song. Fits him well."

"He can be almost too gentle at times is what you are saying."

The elf nodded. "You're not around him enough to know."

Luster looked out over the city. "In my travels, I've seen many rogue monsters."

Celtic looked over in interest at the warrior. Luster never told stories of his travels.

"All of them at one time were just like him. But, being outcasts without masters, rejected from both human and monster society, they have turned into machines that do anything they have to do in order to survive. They've lost their innocence."

"You're calling Calypse innocent?"

Luster shrugged. "In a way, yes. In a way we aren't. He has bonded with the humans stronger than we ever could. And despite the powers he has, he wants to help people more than fight. He fights only when he needs to. And you saw that back at the stadium."

Celtic narrowed his eyes. "How so?"

"You saw his injury. It could've only be caused by the Blue Eyes. The same one Dark is nursing now while he could be resting up. He could've just let it die."

Celtic shook his head. "That's not Calypse."

"Exactly."

The monster looked up at the sky with settled amber eyes. "Calypse…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Bahku awoke to soft footfalls entering the room. Sitting up and rubbing his eyes, he made out the figure of Yami flopping down on his bed.

"Hey Yami?"

The prince jumped at the voice and looked over at him. "What?"

"Where were you?"

"That's none of your business," snapped Yami, rolling over so his back faced the slave.

Hurt and confused, Bahku lay back down and tried to get back to sleep. After all, the Babylonians were coming tomorrow.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Next morning…

Yami groaned and rolled over, trying to ignore the sunlight that poured through the window. Who had opened the curtains anyway? Giving up, the teen sat up, brushing the mess of bangs out of his face. He looked over at his friend's bed and was surprised to find it empty. Why? Oh yeah. The Babylonian royal family were coming today. Bahku was probably already summoned for a briefing of the day's events.

Getting up and getting dressed, the prince slowly made his way to his father's chambers, running through tasks in his mind. The king and prince plus other lesser nobles of Babylon were coming. For an earlier peace proposition, Celena and the prince were to be married. Needless to say, Celena wasn't too pleased about he arrangements. The actual marriage wouldn't be for a couple more years due to Celena's age, though the prince was the same age as Yami.

As he entered the chambers, he spotted Dark, Change of Heart, and a numerous amount of palace slaves. Yami was able to spot Bahku by his pale hair. The crowd was dismissed and Yami caught his friend by the arm as he went by.

"Well, good morning to you," he said jokingly.

"Yes it is, isn't it?" Bahku retorted, brown eyes hard.

Yami was taken aback by this glare and his grip lessened on Bahku's arm. The slave jerked his arm away to join the other slaves going about their duties without a second glance to Yami.

"Yami…"

The prince turned to see his father.

"You should just leave him alone for awhile. Something is bothering him. He will not be attending to you today."

Yami's eyes widened. Something was wrong. Even when Bahku was sick and could barely get out of bed, he was by Yami's side. A gentle hand on his shoulder shook Yami out of his thoughts.

Change of Heart smiled. "Don't worry. He'll probably be back to himself by tomorrow."

Yami nodded weakly. Then the pharaoh spoke up.

"The Babylonian royals will be arriving soon. Wash up and get Celena down here when you get a chance."

"Yes father."

Yami turned away and headed back to his chambers.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After washing up, Yami walked down the hall and tapped on Celena's door.

"I'm not coming out!!"

Yami sighed and tried to open the door, but to his surprise he couldn't.

"Celena! Open this door!"

No answer, which worried Yami even more. Getting an idea, Yami reached into his pocket to withdraw his deck. He pulled out a magic card. He hoped this would work.

"Remove Trap, unlock this door."

Silvery dust was emitted from the card and it swirled around the cracks in the door. Then with a 'click,' the door opened and Yami just glanced a small figure jumping out the window and into the gardens.

~*~

At that exact moment, the prince of Babylon was walking along the palace walls, pondering on the meeting ahead. Sighing, he looked out over the gardens that almost opposed the ones at home. Suddenly, he heard a scream and something heavy landed in his arms, early knocking him off his feet. He was startled to come face to face with the princess of Egypt.

~*~

Selena screamed as she leapt out the three story window. But instead of landing on the hard ground, she landed roughly in a pair of strong arms. She opened her eyes to confront a pair of light purple almost lavender eyes framed by pale blonde hair. (AN: Any guesses people? ;-)) Celena felt her heart skip a beat. Who was this handsome stranger?

Switching to charm mode, she cuddled against the tanned figure.

"Hello. And who are you?"

The teen stuttered in surprise.

"Hey you down there!"

Uh oh, thought Celena as recognized her brother's voice.

"Is she okay?" Yami yelled from the window.

Before she could answer, the pale-haired stranger yelled up, "Yes! She's fine!"

"I'll be right down!"

Yami retreated from view.

The stranger placed Celena back on the ground, nearly being strangled in the process as the eleven-year-old's arms tightened around his neck. Yami appeared from the palace, doubling over for breath.

"Th-thanks…whoever you are."

The stranger smiled.

Yami extended a hand. "I'm Yuugioh."

"The prince of Egypt?"

Yami nodded.

The stranger chuckled. "What a coincidence." He took Yami's hand in his own and gave it a firm shake. "I'm Malik, prince of Babylon."

Both Yami's and Celena's eyes widened in surprise.

This is my future husband? thought Celena, shocked. Well then hook me up with the marriage bandwagon and slap a ring on me! I'm all for it!

Yami noted Celena's change in attitude and placed a hand on her shoulder, prohibiting her from moving.

"Well Prince Malik--"

"Just Malik."

Yami nodded. "Malik, thank you for saving my sister."

Malik scratched his head. "Well, it wasn't intentional." Suddenly his hand froze. "Wait. You said she is your sister?"

Yami nodded and Malik looked over at Celena, who chose that moment to wink at the pale-eyes prince.

"And that means she's…"

Yami nodded.

"Oh Ra…" mumbled Malik.

Celena grabbed Malik's hand and pulled him back to the palace. "Come on! We're going to miss the meeting!"

Yami chuckled and followed the 'happy' couple.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Bahku watched the meeting from an upper level secluded from the rest of the top floor. He leant back against the railing, crossing his arms. He smiled as he saw Celena clinging to the Babylonian prince's arm. Bahku also saw in the corner Yami's Celtic Guardian and Black Luster Soldier. Celtic was behind Luster, granting him the 'privilege' to annoy the warrior by tapping his sword on Luster's helmet. But soon, both of the monsters soon found interest in torturing the poor little Kuriboh who was unlucky enough to be walking/hopping by.

Bahku looked over at the Egyptian throne and saw Yami almost falling asleep by his father's side. Luckily, occasional pokes from the Dark Magician kept him awake. After one of these such jabs, as Yami turned to retaliate, his eyes caught the white-haired figure on the upper deck. But as soon as he blinked, the figure was gone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Later that night…

Bahku quietly made his way over to the royal chambers. He knocked on the door as was necessary and entered the room. He bowed as he caught the attention of the pharaoh and the King of Babylon. The pharaoh nodded and motioned that he would be with him in a moment. Bahku returned the nod and stood to the side.

The discussion between the two rulers soon ended. Bahku respectively stepped away and bowed his head. The king lent him a small smile that the slave returned.

"And now, Bahku. What do you need?" asked the pharaoh.

The teen looked at the floor. "Well, I--"

"Don't look at the ground when you're speaking. Look at me."

Bahku obeyed, somewhat surprised at the pharaoh's order. "Lately, I've been somewhat…conflicted with myself."

"How so?"

Bahku sighed and sat on the steps that lead up to the throne. "A part of me wants to be friends with Yami and the others, but another part says to keep my distance or something bad is going to happen in the future."

"That is interesting. But what is right depends on what you think is best."

"But what if something bad happens to Yami, Seto, or Celena because of me? I couldn't live with myself, not after…" Bahku trailed off and rested his head in his hands. "…not after what happened to my family."

The pharaoh rested a hand on the slave's shoulder. "I'm sorry for what happened back then. I'm still not sure why I got so out of control. I take full responsibility."

"No, no," protested Bahku, rubbing tears from his eyes. "It's not your--"

"But it is," the raven-haired man said sadly. "It is and I regret it deeply. But, I couldn't really talk to you about it until you were older and could deal with it. But now it seems you've come to me."

The pharaoh walked over and sat on the steps beside Bahku. "You can't blame yourself for everything. It's too heavy a burden to bear. Even for you."

Bahku smiled. "I guess you're right. About the burden thing, I mean."

The pharaoh laughed. "Oh, Bahku. What am I going to do with you?"

Bahku laughed, but the familiar phrase Miren often used on him hit him hard in the stomach. He stood. "I'd better be going. I'm not even supposed to be here."

He headed for the door and then paused, a hand on the cool stone wall. "Thank you."

The pharaoh nodded. "No need to thank me. You've always been like a second son to me."

Bahku smiled, then left before his tears could overcome again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A lone white-haired figure walked silently through the gardens, the light breeze ruffling his long hair. Bahku sat by the pond, dangling his feet in the water. He let out a sigh and rested his head in his hands as he looked over the mirror-like water.

"What are you doing here?"

Bahku jumped and turned. Yami had been sitting behind him on a rock and he hadn't even noticed. Bahku looked back over the water.

"Why would you care? Anyway, what are you doing here?"

"I have as much right to be here as you do."

"Almost," Bahku whispered.

Silence passed between the two and Bahku had a weird sense of déjà vu.

"You know, a couple of years ago, we were in this same exact spot."

Yami looked around. "Yeah, you're right. Things were different then."

"Were they?" The words slipped out before Bahku could stop them.

Yami looked over at the pale figure, then back up at the sky. "So, what did you talk to my father about?"

Bahku whirled. "How--?!"

Yami smirked. "I saw you enter his chambers before I came out here."

"It was nothing," retorted Bahku.

Yet another empty silence enveloped the two. But this time, it was Yami who broke the silence.

"Look Bahku… I'm not sure what I did but…what's been going on between you and me? We've been avoiding each other like plagues. This is the first time we've even talked to one another for a couple of days."

"Yeah, I know and I'm sorry." Bahku rested his chin on his knees. "I've just been having some internal conflicts lately. But I'm sorry to have snapped at you now and then."

Yami smiled. "You don't have to say you're sorry more than once, you know. And I take some of the blame as well. I haven't exactly been Mr. Conservation lately." He stood. "Apology accepted?"

"Only if mine is," said Bahku, also smiling.

Yami extended a hand and pulled his friend to his feet. "Of course."

"Then we're even," said the slave.

"Yep," said Yami, reaching up and ruffling Bahku's unruly hair.

"Hey!" Bahku laughed. He retaliated by rubbing dirt on the prince's silk robes.

Suddenly a yell pierced the air.

"Stop him now! He's after the prince!"

Guards swarmed around the two. A pair of scarlet clad figures grabbed Bahku by the arms. "What?!"

"I demand to know what's going on!" roared Yami at the captain.

The captain rubbed a finger over the scar on his left eyes, but then bowed. "I am captain Kaju, your hm." He straightened and pointed an accusing figure at Bahku. "This slave murdered the pharaoh and he was after you, my liege."

"What?" whispered Yami, eyes wide.

"What's happened to the pharaoh?!" yelled Bahku in confusion.

Kaju whirled and punched the teen in the stomach. "You're in no position to be making demands, boy."

Bahku slunk to the ground, holding his stomach.

"What has happened to my father?" asked Yami, trying to keep his voice steady as his throat tightened with worry.

"I'm sorry. He was found murdered in his chambers a couple of minutes ago, my lord."

Yami collapsed to his knees in disbelief. "No…"

Bahku looked up. "He can't be…" he whispered.

Kaju glared down at the boy. "He is. You did your job well, boy."

Yami looked up with tear filled eyes at his friend.

Bahku's eyes grew hard. "No, Yami. Don't believe him. I would never, NEVER do anything to hurt you or your father."

"Shut up, khered. Your lies will get you nowhere," mocked Kaju.

The prince looked from the captain to Kaju in confusion. Bahku strained against his captors.

"Yami! Come on! You know I wouldn't do such a thing! Please! You've got to--"

Bahku's plea was cut off as Kaju swung around and uppercutted the teen. Bahku fell to the ground once again, disorientated.

"Just shut up, slave. You'll need your excuses to convince the executors to let you have a quick death."

"When?" whispered Yami.

"At dawn." Which was in a few hours. Kaju turned to the two guards. "Take him to a cell. If he escapes, it'll be you under the blade tomorrow."

"Sir!"

The guards hauled Bahku to his feet. "Yami! Please!" he yelled.

The prince didn't answer, still in shock.

"YAMI!!"

Bahku's yells faded as he was dragged to the dungeons.

Kaju turned to Yami and extended a hand. "Here sire, let me help you up."

Yami nodded numbly and let the captain pull him to his feet.

"You should get some rest, prince. Oh excuse me, it would be pharaoh now, wouldn't it?"

Yami was too dazed to notice the sneer in the captain's voice. The new sovereign turned away and headed back to the palace.

~*~

Once Yami was out of sight, Kaju pulled a small bag out of his pocket and smiled at the jingle of coins. "That Heishin doesn't pay me nearly enough for a task like this," he muttered. Then he slid the bag back in his pocket and headed for the chaotic palace himself.

"That was an unusual way to carry out your task," came a voice from the shadows.

Kaju whirled to see a figure leaning against a tree.

"Master Seito, what are you doing here?"

The violet and gold clad figure stepped into the light. "Why did you use the slave?"

Kaju shrugged. "It worked out better that way."

Blue eyes flashed briefly in remorse but were quickly back to emotionless blue orbs.

"Fine."

Seito threw an object at the captain. Kaju caught it by reflex. It was a small bag and the metal clinking inside was unmistakable.

"The other half of your pay. Though I am surprised you would frame your own son."

"What?!"

Kaju whirled, but the Dragon Tamer was gone, leaving the captain in confusion.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Let me go!! I didn't do anything!!" Bahku yelled, trying to pull away from the guards.

One of his captors painfully twisted his arm behind his back as the other opened a cell door. The first guard roughly shoved Bahku into the cell. The teen landed heavily on the ground, his hands stinging from the impact on cold stone. The door shut with a deafening and final clang that echoed down the seemingly endless halls. He waited until the footfalls of the guards faded, then he slowly sat up, fighting the wave of dizziness that overcame him. He was alone to wallow in his thoughts. The pharaoh was dead? And why was he being accused of the murder?

A sudden light breeze caught his attention. Wait, a breeze in a dungeon? He looked up to see Change of Heart. Bahku stumbled to his feet and toward the bars.

"Change!"

The angel-demon smiled. "Are you okay?"

"Considering the circumstances. Do you know what happened?"

Change shook her head. "Not exactly. Dark and DM Girl were the ones to find him."

Bahku bowed his head. "Does Celena know yet?"

"No. Both Dark and DM Girl are going to tell her. Though I think it would be better to hear from you or Yami. And Yami isn't in the right…state of mind right now."

"And what can I do? Everyone thinks I'm the one who murdered the pharaoh." Bahku rested his head against the bars. "My execution is at dawn."

"No…" Change reached through the bars and pulled the slave in a half-hug. "Don't give up hope. You can't die."

"He won't."

The monster and teen whirled at the voice. A cloaked figure stepped forth from a shadowed corridor. The person pulled the hood back.

"Yami!"

The prince nodded. "I'm getting you out of here," he said, bringing forth a ring of keys and unlocking the doors.

Surprised, Bahku stepped out. "Why?"

Yami smiled. "You would never do anything…like that. I'm not just going to stand by and watch you die as well." Yami unbuckled his midnight blue cloak and handed it to Bahku. "You'll need this." The ruler turned to Change of Heart. "You better get in your card. Maybe even stay there for awhile. You're an unique guardian and people will put two and two together if they see you with Bahku."

Change nodded and faded, then disappeared altogether.

Yami withdrew an object from his pocket. "Here's your deck. I've added some things here and there that'll help you out in tough spots. Use it well."

Speechless, Bahku took it.

"Now, let's get out of here."

Yami turned and ran down a corridor, Bahku following.

~*~

After what seemed like hours to Bahku, the two emerged into the night. Yami led his friend toward the stables. Opening the door, the teens dashed into the building.

"It's about time."

Bahku jumped at the voice. A torch was lit and Bahku spotted the Dark Magician in the corner, stroking a black stallion's mane in one of the stables. Yami walked further into the stables. "You have to get away from here as quickly as possible."

Dark led the black stallion from its paddock and started buckling the saddle on the horse.

"This is Raol. One of my favorites," said the mage as he tightened the cinch on the saddle. "He's good tempered, has great stamina, and he also has an excellent fighting spirit," said Dark, smiling as he moved on to make sure that the saddlebags were secure to the rest of the tack. "He'll get you to the next city by this time tomorrow at the latest."

Bahku smiled, despite the butterflies in his stomach. "You have a way with animals, Dark."

Dark chuckled as the stallion turned to nibble on the mage's hair. Pulling it from the horse's grasp, Dark rubbed Raol on the nose beneath the bridle. "All an animal needs is instruction, a soft hand, and a kind word now and then. And in return he'll serve you faithfully."

Yami intervened. "As much as I hate to break this up, we need to get moving."

Dark nodded and Bahku swung the cloak over his shoulders. Dark grabbed Raol by the reins and led him out, the two humans following.

~*~

At the city gates, the three stopped.

Yami took a deep breath as he turned to his best friend for nine years. "Well, I guess this is it."

"Yeah," whispered Bahku. He looked up at Yami to see the prince had tears in his eyes. Seeing the weakness in his friend also brought Bahku to tears. "Yami…"

Yami looked up with watery violet eyes. The two smiled and took each other in an embrace. Yami let out a sob as he buried his head in his friend's hair. "Take care of yourself," he whispered.

Bahku closed his eyes. "Yeah, you too, mer."

The two pulled away.

Bahku wiped his eyes on his sleeve. "Whoever went after your father will be after you sooner or later. Be careful."

"Just worry about yourself."

"Bahku, you must leave now," Dark said softly.

Yami patted Bahku's arm. "It's time."

Bahku nodded, pulling the cloak closer around him. He turned and mounted the stallion in one fluid movement. He looked over at Dark. "Watch Yami and Celena. Take care of yourself."

"I will. Here, take this." The mage handed a scroll to Bahku. "A old, but reliable map. Your path is already marked out. After a long trip, you'll cross the Nile. The closest city is Memphis, which is mainly a business orientated town, and then head out for the Faiyum oasis. There's a small city there that is friendly to people like…in your situation. Some Babylonian citizens also live there. Maybe even Prince Malik is still there before journeying home. I'm sure he'll take you in."

"Thank you," said Bahku, tucking the map into a saddlebag.

Dark nodded back, nervously crossing his arms and looking back at the city, as if expecting soldiers to come running into view at any moment.

Bahku looked back over at Yami, who was trying to compose himself. "I'll be back someday. No matter what."

"I'll try to smooth things over. But I don't know how successful I'll be."

Bahku nodded. "You're going to be an excellent pharaoh and guide to Egypt." He looked through the gates at the desert, which was already starting to turn an orange-red from the rising sun. "I guess this is good-bye then."

Yami nodded back. "Hopefully I'll see you soon."

Unable to continue unless breaking into another fit of tears, Bahku pulled the cloak's hood over his face and pulled a covering over the lower part of his face. Then he jerked the reins to bring Raol around, kicked him in the sides, and galloped out the gates of Cairo.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Yami-chan: Well, there's part 3. I think this makes it more interesting that Bakura and Yami are now enemies in the present. Why? Well, you'll see….

I know everyone's a little OOC, but this is before we see them in the show or anything so I'm basically making up personalities as I go. Don't worry *winks* Soon, they'll be the characters you all know and *cough* love. *cough*

More reviews = more and faster updates!

Oh! By the by, Memphis is really a city in Egypt and the Faiyum Oasis and the town of Faiyum DO exist. Maybe not in ancient Egypt, but they exist in Egypt nonetheless. ;-)