(a/n: disclaimer: don't own yugioh, but I own most of this idea and I most definetly own Julia and Tina.... warning: people may be TOTALLY out of character.)

Yugi Mouto closed his eyes. With a destiny that was intwined with that of an ancient Egyptian Pharoah who saved the world, how could his own future go so wrong? He worked in a coffee shop, still in Domino, at 23, with all his friends scattered. Tea had gone off to dance school in New York. Tristan had gone who-knows-where, and Joey.... well, Joey wasn't in any condition to sniff at. At that very moment he was comatose.

Yugi squeezed the glass he was holding so tightly that it began to crack, and he immediatly set it down. There was no use in focusing on it now. He was no longer 10th Grade, innocent little Yugi Mouto of the past. In the past years he had grown a lot, his final height averging at 6 feet tall. He looked like Yami. Yugi shook his head.... Yami. No, don't think about it, Yugi told himself firmly.

For on Yugi's twentieth birthday, Yami and the Millenium Puzzle disappeared. Just... Poof. One day it was there, and the next it had vanished without a trace. Yugi was devastated. Without Yami, well, he just wasn't a whole person anymore! That was back when Joey was okay, and Joey had helped Yugi get through the loss of his dark self, Yami.... Yugi desperately turned around and looked up at the clock. Come on, come on.... Four o'clock, hurry up.

"Are you Yugi Mouto?" Avoice said from behind him, making him jump.

Yugi spun around. Did I mention that he even sounded like Yami now, seeing as he no longer had his high-pitched, girly, childish voice? Yeah, don't think I did. But he sounded more... well.... masculine now.

"Yeah, that's me. Can I help you?"

"Good. You're Yugi Mouto."

The lady nodded. She had long black hair with blue and silver streaks all through it that went past her waist, deep lilac eyes that where khol rimmed, and wore an odd black and purple robe. Yugi stared at her, startled. Robe. Weird clothing, maybe even Egyptian clothing! He just might be one step closer to getting his life back on track. Yugi wavered then nodded to confirm what the lady was saying.

"My name is Julia," she said, as if this explained everything. She paused, then suddenly reached out and touched Yugi's forehead. "Do you want to find the Pharoah?"

"Yes!" Yugi blurted a little to loudly and everyone stared at him. He didn't really care.

"Come with me then," Julia said, and everything seemed to happen in slow motion.

Yugi watched as his own body fell to the floor. He gasped and looked down to see just what was happening. He was.... transparent! The girl was lying on the floor too, but her see-through self was standing right next to Yugi. Yugi shook his head. It had been what, three years since something so strange had happened to him? Magic had all stopped when Yami disappeared. Speaking of Yami....

"How do you know Yami, and what just happened and how did you--"

"Calm down," Julia laughed softly, putting her hand to his mouth to silence him. "Yami is the Pharoah. Of course I know him! For I am the spirit of the Ninth Millenium Item... The MilleniumBlade. Your soul just left your body. I thought it would be a rather familliar experience by now, after so many years with Pharoah, Yugi," she smiled sadly, "....It will be much quicker to show you than to tell you. Now whatever you do, don't let go of my hand!" she instructed, her hand slipping firmly around his, even though neither of them seemed to be solid at all.

She floated suddenly off the ground, Yugi being dragged along with her. He neither objected nor seemed excited. He was sure any minute he'd wake up and be in his apartment again, and find he'd overslept. It wasn't like he lived in the Game Shop with his grandfather anymore. He would probably wake up and hurry to work on his bike and get told off. Yeah, that was it. Sure. Mm hm. The world around them faded from the setting of a shabby old coffee shop to a swirling world of black, silver, and purple mist. Yugi shuddered, chilled to the bone.

"Julia, enough... I don't want to be back in the Shadow Realm," He said, unnerved. He could already feel the stength slowly leaving him. She clasped his hand tighter, and his strength started to come back.

"No, not enough. If you want to see Pharoah, you must endure this. He'll give you strength. Many times have I visited this place. Beware, Yugi.... Yami isn't quite himself anymore. And he has something to tell you. Can't you feel his presence?"

Indeed Yugi could. He ran forward, letting go of Julia. She nodded and turned her back respectfully. Up ahead Yugi could see a faint outline of tall man with spiky hair. Yugi ran faster, excited now. This had to be for real... It just had to be! Yami turned around, and Yugi just kind of gaped at him for a minute. His amythyst eyes were hollow, totally and completely, and the khol around them made him look eerie instead of heroic now. Yugi didn't care. He ran forward and threw his arms around Yami. Yami awkwardly embraced him for a moment.

"Are you..." Yami trailed off, then blinked, startled, "....Yugi?" He suddenly hugged Yugi back tightly.

"Where.... why..." Yugi stared at him, confused and dazed, grinning.

"Yugi... so much to tell you..." Yami sighed tiredly. "...I don't really know how to tell you this, or maybe I shouldn't tell you at all. I was in this time before you put the Puzzle together... Have you ever wondered why you live with Sullivan Mouto? Well, it's because when you were born, your mother died and your father... well, was captured, basically. As a matter of fact, I came here before you were born... Now, almost 28 years ago." Yami stared down at his hands as if contaminated. "....Should have told you this sooner, Yugi... About twenty-eight years ago, I came to this time period by way of the Millenium Puzzle. You were not the first to unlock it. A lady named Tina Mouto did. I met her, and hung around and... sure enough... I fell in love with her. She didn't know that I would never grow any older, but it didn't really matter, seeing as I was 24 and she was 17. She was a great woman, Tina," Yami looked up, not that there was anything to look at, "....You have her personality. She was always a strong believer in things... And always had a group of friends around her. We dated for about a year, the time gap between us slowly closing. By the time we were 'engaged', or the term I was more familliar with, bethrothed, and got married, she was almost nineteen and I was still twenty four. When she was twenty, she had a boy, and died in the process. Sullivan Mouto took the boy in, because someone found the Millenium Puzzle and sealed me away, so I could never get to my own son." Yami shook his head, "... For several years it continued like that. I never even got to see him. I tried to call to Sullivan Mouto, Tina's father, and soon he found me.... The Puzzle... And gave it to you."

"So what happened to your son?" Yugi stared at Yami, wide-eyed.

"...Tina used my name reversed. My name is Yami Yugi. Your name is Yugi Yami Mouto."

"Wait....!"

"Yes, it's true," Yami sighed.

"Why didn't you ever tell me, Yami? I was with you what, five years before you disappeared? Why did you disappear anyway?"

"...Do you remember when the spirit of the Eighth Millenium item was destroyed?"

"Anubis?"
"Yes," Yami nodded, "Anubis.... Is back. What is left of him.... Cursed you when you destroyed his body. On your twentieth birthday, you would be cursed and I would be sent away. I would miss out on the rest of your life.... Not that I really got to see much of it anyway. You've grown up to be a good man. I'm sorry, Yugi. I understand if you're mad at me. But I truely am glad to have you back..."

"I'm not mad at you... Not one bit," Yugi said, for a minute the innocent, little Yugi Mouto again, depending on Yami, putting his trust in him, "It's not your fault... Not really. If I find Anubis and destroy him, then will you get to come back?"

"Yes, but that's easier said than done. Yugi--"

There was suddenly a distant shout, and Yugi and Yami turned around in unison. They really were exactly alike. The only difference was Yami was still wearing his blue outfit and Yugi had started dressing in black jeans and black tshirts. Running toward them was a blonde with brown eyes (a/n: at least I think he has brown eyes....other jonouchi groupies, help me out here! I heart him but I never can remember his eye color! Crap! ; Cripes!) wearing a white tshirt and jeans with black and white converse tennis shoes.

"HEY YUGI!" Joey Wheeler nearly flew at Yugi.

"Joey! What are -you- doing here?!"

"I could ask you the same thing!" Joey exclaimed, "But I dunno, Yug (a/n: pronounced youg. Long u. Like he does,er, in the tv series.)... I was just, y'know, working hard--"

"Copying a friend's homework," smiled Yugi.

"Well, yeah," Joey grinned sheepishly, "Man, is it great to see you!"

Yugi turned to Yami for an explanation.

"Tristan and Tea are also comatose. It's part of the curse, Yugi."

"Cruds...." Yugi sighed, "...How long do I have to find and defeat Anubis?"

"Whoa, wait, Anubis?! That creepy mummy we fought?!" Joey exclaimed, horrified.

"Yes, Anubis has returned.... as a human. He cursed Yugi, banished me, and because of the curse, you, too, were sent here. Yugi, you will know when you're one step closer to Anubis... One of us will come back every time you get closer to defeating him. Until then, you must put up with the unfortunate effects... of the Curse of Anubis."