Summary: "Then this stranger shows up, some big-shot from Japan who's deeply involved in the spread of the game." A reborn Yami runs into Seto Kaiba. AU.

Author's Notes: Second fanfiction I've written. I think it's an interesting concept. Basically Yami has been reborn into the same lifetime as the others, but without memories of his past life, or of his adventures as a spirit. He meets Kaiba from the canon storyline, and my story continues.

Warnings: Some parts could be taken as shonen-ai (intended to be taken as so).

Disclaimers: I love Yu-Gi-Oh, but I don't own it, nor do I want it.

History Repeats Itself

Yami's heard of this new fad sweeping America, he thinks that you'd have to be hiding in a cave to not have noticed it. Despite his friend's insistence, he can't find himself interested in the game. Well, that's not quite true. That's what he tells his friends, though (no one can combat a vague statement like that, and the fact pleases him).

The truth is that whenever he looks at those cards, especially when he holds them in his hands, a wave of emotion washes over him, emotions too fast and too intense for him to handle, and he has to drops the cards and lie about paper-cuts.

He hates lying to his friends.

Things have gotten so bad lately, that looking at the monsters on the cards causes splitting headaches and a sense of power so strong that it frightens him. Now Yami avoids everything to do with the game, and snaps at his friends whenever they mention it. They hang out with him less, these days.

Then this stranger shows up, some big-shot from Japan who's deeply involved in the spread of the game. Naturally, Yami avoids him. This doesn't quite work out the way he plans, and one day while in a game shop, its shelves stocked to the ceiling with cards, he collapses. He wakes up to intense blue eyes looking into his.

Since then, he's seen the man around a lot. Whenever Yami goes out he's in the background, watching him, with those eyes. One day Yami asks why, and the man claims that he knows him. Yami doubts this, as he doesn't think he could ever forget someone with such eyes, and he says so. A strange look flickers across the man's face, and he replies that Yami's forgotten him before. Before Yami can respond, the man walks away. He doesn't look back.

This man is as intense as the cards are, but somehow that doesn't frighten Yami.

Now Yami spends his time watching the man. The cards still affect him, but he finds them easier to ignore while observing this man, so he continues to do so. He knows that the man is aware of him, but he doesn't seem to care, so neither does Yami.

One day the man walks up to him, and asks Yami to come with him. Yami finds himself saying yes.

He leads Yami to the museum, talking the whole while about some exhibit that's been traveling the world since it was discovered a number of years ago in Egypt. Yami walks into the room, sees himself on the wall, and sees nothing else for a long time.

When Yami wakes up he doesn't know where he is. Then the man walks into the room, and for the second time Yami is captivated by powerful blue eyes.

He greets him, "Hello, my priest."

A frown crosses the man's face, until he recognizes the teasing tone in Yami's voice, and then a small smile appears upon his features.

Yami smiles back.