Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or its characters. I do own my OC, Akunriou / Tory and Kishtoh / Lucca, plus the storyline.

Read the notices!

MidnightBallad: Yay! Reviews! I luv you all! –hugs– Anyway, here's the new update. Took a while to post, on account of me being very busy at school... –cough–

To Auroran-Wings: Did I almost make you cry? Wow, I feel special!

To T-Bone: I tried hard to get this chapter done fast! And damn those cliffies, eh?

To SladesDaughter: Hurry up and update your stories!

Past / Present: A Brother's Grudge

Past:

Atemu and Akunriou, still standing less than a foot apart from one another, gazed down at the robed figure in the sand. His jagged, brown hair was dotted with sand; his eyes matched the hue of his hair perfectly, and at the moment, they glowed with a cunning evil. His deep purple robes rippled in the breeze.

'Kishtoh?' Akunriou asked her brother in disbelief. 'You are alive...'

Kishtoh grinned, a single golden piercing in his ear shining. 'Yes. I am so sorry to interrupt this lovely...moment, but I really must speak with my little sister.'

Akunriou did not move. She did not wish to go any closer to her brother: what had Bakura said? Did Kishtoh not work with the dark forces now?

Kishtoh saw his sister's hesitation, and chuckled, 'So, Bakura told you about me? Well, I shall not lie to you then, sister: I do run with the dark forces now...but my manner is not better than your own.'

Akunriou went very still. 'And what would that mean, Kishtoh?'

Her brother began to ascend the stairs, slowly, reaching into his robe as he did so. 'What would all of Egypt say when they found that their Pharaoh was in love with a slave – a poor, mutated slave?'

At long last, Atemu spoke up. 'I have heard a great many things about you from others. They say that you stood by your sister's side, at whatever cost. Now what are you saying?'

Kishtoh pulled something out of his robes – Atemu instantly recognised it as his High Priest's Millennium Rod, but it was silver. Pharaoh Atemu was stunned.

'Where did you...' he muttered, before Kishtoh cut him off.

'This is the Essence Rod, Pharaoh!' he shouted, the silver rod glowing with bright, incandescent blue light. 'Prepare to fell its power!'

The entire palace and surrounded city was plunged into darkness. Candles flickered and died. The stars blinked out one by one, and a cold mist wrapped itself around the ankles of Atemu, Akunriou and Kishtoh.

'Stop it!' Akunriou shouted. 'Kishtoh, stop!' She had never felt the powers like those of the Shadow Realm's, and instantly became weak against it. Akunriou dropped down, seeing shadows racing toward her out the corner of her eye. Shadows that took the forms of creatures only from nightmares...

Akunriou felt Atemu hold her close to himself, pressing his forehead against hers. 'Don't move,' he said. 'They won't hurt you.'

Akunriou squeezed her eyes shut. 'How do you know?' She whispered.

'...I just do.'

One of the shadows attacked. It came down with horrific speed, screeching like an eagle, ready to strike and to kill –

Quite suddenly, something remarkable happened. A shield of pure white light sprung up around Akunriou and the Pharaoh, incinerating the shadow and all others around it.

Kishtoh gasped, gritted his teeth, stood back. How has Akunriou figured out how to use her powers yet!? He asked himself, watching as the light around his sister and the Pharaoh grew. They should not have awoken for some time later!

The light stretched outward, growing by the second, until the entire land of Egypt was as bright as a star. People gazed up into the sky, wondering what had caused the brightness, until they were forced to close their eyes. Another wave of light followed the first, a violent purple colour, rippling the water of the Nile and making the tops of palm trees wave. No one screamed – no one spoke. There was silence, a silence so deep that it almost devoured the world.

'Akunriou,' Atemu said without moving. 'You are the one who can save us...'

'How?'

'Your light can conquer the shadows.'

The light vanished. It did not even return to the place whence it had come from. It was just gone. And with it, it took the creatures of the Shadow Realm, never to be seen again.

- -

Akunriou opened her eyes to see Atemu lying on the stairs, definitely unconscious. His Millennium Puzzle was devoid of bright light, and he breathed softly, as if wounded. But there was not a scratch on him. Taking a deep breath, Akunriou gazed down the stairs to Kishtoh –

He was gone, not even his footprints left in the sand.

Still on her hands and knees, Akunriou leant over the Pharaoh, feeling her heart race. Surely, he was not too badly hurt?

'Pharaoh?' Akunriou asked gently.

Atemu twitched, and slowly opened his eyes. He sighed, smiling and saying, 'See? They didn't hurt you.'

Akunriou gazed around her, eyes changing colour as the moonlight struck them. 'Where did they go?'

Atemu sat up, his arms shaking as he did so. To Akunriou, he looked rather unwell. 'The scriptures said that your power would vanquish them.'

'The scriptures?' Akunriou splattered. 'Whatever do they have to do with me?'

Atemu took her by the shoulders. 'I must show you...but, promise me, you will keep it a secret. It is for the royal's eyes only, and if anyone ever found out...'

Akunriou shook her head. 'I will say not a word. But why are you letting me see them?'

'Because I trust you.'

- -

Present:

Tory suddenly pulled her hand back from Yami's, and before he knew what had happened, she had sprung to her feet and left the room. Yami thought about going after her, but then he realised why he should let her go. After all, it was as if Tory had kissed him.

Yami climbed to his feet – his door burst open, and Joey came careering into the room. He leapt to his feet, looking left and right quickly. 'Okay, where is she? I got a tip off that a certain girl was here, Yugi. Where'd she go?'

Yami returned to the Millennium Puzzle, and Yugi said, 'She just left. Didn't you see her running down the stairs?'

Joey twitched. 'She went down the stairs?' He must have missed her during his rage. 'When I find her, I'm gonna make her wish she'd never been born! I'll stomp her, and her Duel Monsters flat.'

The door creaked, and Joey spun around. 'Oh, yeah. Yugi, this guy was waiting outside.'

Yugi felt himself go red – or, rather, felt Yami's rage bubbled within him. It was Lucca (A/N: Remember? All the way back in chapter eight?). Yugi leapt to his feet, Millennium Puzzle glowing fiercely. 'What do you want?'

Lucca made a face that said 'I'm confused'. Joey, truly, did look confused.

'Wait a second; you two do know each other?'

'More than you think...' Yugi said, wringing his hands by his side. 'When I last saw you, Lucca, I thought you were going to take my Millennium Puzzle.'

Lucca raised one eyebrow. 'I don't seem to recall that –'

'Liar!' Yugi shouted, leaping forward. Joey caught him by the back of his jacket and flung the little kid away.

'What's the matter with you, Yugi?'

Yugi pointed the finger of accusation at Lucca. 'He duelled Tory and I! And he tried to take my Millennium Puzzle!'

Lucca's face seemed to darken. 'Ah, yes, I suppose Tory has been showing you many of her memories since then?'

'Of course!' Yugi spat. 'And I know who you really are! You want to destroy Egypt, and the rest of the world.'

Lucca began to laugh silently to himself, reaching into the back pocket of his pants. His laugh became so loud – and evil – that it sent a sharp chill down both Yugi and Joey's spines. From his pocket, he pulled a very familiar silver Millennium Rod. The Essence Rod.

'What the heck is that?' Joey gasped.

'The Essence Rod,' Lucca said, voice doubling over...Yugi could feel the dark presence within him. 'You've seen this before, haven't you, Yugi? Or should I say, Pharaoh!'

The room was plunged into darkness, only the Essence Rod glowing with blue light. Lucca's face was lit up; Yugi could see the aged soul of Kishtoh behind his young face. He and Joey fell to the ground.

'It may not have destroyed you three thousand years ago, but I'm willing to try again!' Lucca shouted, the light growing stronger around the rod. 'Goodbye, Yugi and friend.'

The Essence Rod fired a long string of blazing blue fire –

'Lucca!'

Out of nowhere came Tory. She leapt in front of Yugi, the fire colliding with her side, and with a bright flash of light, Tory was hurled into the wall, where a deep crack formed. The girl hit the ground, floppy and unconscious.

'You!' Lucca said, striding forward, picking up his sister by the back of the shirt she wore. 'You just made a very bad mistake, and it shall be your last!'

Wham!

Light returned to the room, and the Essence Rod spun through the air, before vanishing without a trace. Lucca was out cold on the floor, a small stream of blood running out of the corner of his mouth. Joey stepped away from him, shaking from head to toe. He and Yugi went straight over to Tory.

'Tory!' Joey shouted to the girl. 'Can you hear me?'

'It's no use,' Yugi said. 'She's been struck by something not from this world. We have to get her to the hospital.'

Joey gave a single, determined nod. 'I'm right with you!'

Together, he and Yugi held Tory upright, slinging an arm each around their shoulders. Joey jutted his chin at Lucca. 'What do we do with him?'

Yugi glared at the unconscious Lucca. 'Leave him there. The sorer he is, the better.'

Joey glanced at Yugi. He had never seen him acting like this before. It was as if he felt something for Tory...something more than friendship. He didn't know it, but Yami's emotions were showing through. It was he who loved Tory, and it was he that could have saved her.

-End Chapter 12-

MidnightBallad: Sorry for the slow update. I had a writer's block, so I refused to keep writing, because it'd probably screw the story. In other words, "the quality would be bad". Anyway, please review! And for all the people that have previously, THANKS!