Oooh, guesses! I love when people make guesses! It is so much fun to see where people think this will go! Sometimes it even gives me ideas… more guesses, please!

Promised WARNing: the point of view gets a little wonky in this chapter… just follow along and it should make sense… I hope. It is still Seto first person pov, just… with magic.

Also, mild angst ahead…

Part V: Separation Anxiety

Chapter 15

Yugi had been gone two weeks without calling me once. I tried not to worry; this was a big deal for the Pharaoh and he didn't always think of things like telephones, or consider that others might be concerned, but it was very unusual for Yugi. I tried to let work consume me, but work was slow and I found myself unable to concentrate on little things that my employees could easily handle. I had considered hopping on a jet to Egypt a dozen times, if not a dozen times a day, and rejected it each time, angry at myself for my neediness.

I went to the storage facility with Ryou on both Thursdays. Ryou was pleased to spend time with the Spirit; Bakura, he called him. I could not imagine calling my lover by my own family name, but theirs was not a relationship that was normal by any stretch of the imagination. I locked Ryou in the room with the Ring. It was the only Item the Pharaoh did not take with him to Egypt. Without the Pharaoh and the other Items, Bakura would be able to take control of Ryou's body. Nothing implied by that fact was something I was prepared to witness, so I stayed outside the locked door.

When we left, I ensured that the Ring was still in the room, and Ryou's was the only soul leaving the facility in his body. I was pleased that the Spirit of the Ring did not try to escape. He would have had to pass two more locked doors and several guards to gain true freedom, but I respected that he did not try. Ryou laughed when I stated as much. He had more confidence in the Spirit. He ignored my contemptuous glare at his naiveté. I ignored his hints that we could come more often. Yugi would have been pleased by how well we were getting along.

As exciting as it was to stand alone outside a steel storage box for two hours, I decided it was a twice in a lifetime only experience. I had better things to do with my time.

So it was that I was home, moping, when Yugi arrived at my door with tears running down his face.

"Yugi!" He fell into my open arms, and clung there, beginning to sob. I stroked his back and rocked him, humming a little in his ear like I used to do for Mokuba, years ago when our parents first died. When the sobs seemed to subside, I lifted Yugi into my arms and carried him into the house, to the couch. I held him close and gently asked "What happened?"

His breath became ragged again with dry sobs and I rubbed his back more. I realized I had never seen Yugi this upset before, or really ever upset at all. Usually Pharaoh would take over, giving Yugi time to self-soothe before facing the world. It felt good to be there for him in this new way, but I was growing alarmed. Why was Yugi so upset? Where was the Pharaoh?

Yugi lifted his face from my chest with visable effort. "Ph-ph-pharaoh-oh!" he ended with a sob. So, something had happened to the Pharaoh? Yugi was still wearing the Puzzle. Could the Spirit be missing? Yugi caught his breath enough to begin again. "He, he…" Had the Pharaoh done something? Or maybe Marik had done something to the Pharaoh?

Yugi continued, his voice stronger. "I… I remember landing… in Cairo, and seeing Marik waiting. Then… it was like I was hit with a wave. Everything was too much: too much noise, light, emotion… and Pharaoh… he pushed me aside… it was like I was thrown to the floor of my soul room. Then I woke there later, and… the door was locked. The mind link… I could not even find it to open it. I lost track of time. Then… then I woke up in my bed, and checked my computer… Seto! It's been two weeks!"

I tightened my arms around him as he was reduced to sobs once more. I felt his horror keenly as it so strongly resembled my own. What had happened? I did not know whether to feel anger or fear for the Spirit of the Puzzle. Where was he?

"Yugi, the mind link… is it…?"

"Gone," he moaned. He was quiet for a few minutes, and I gently brushed the blond bangs away from his face. His voice, low and quiet, floated up from my chest. "I knew… I knew... He was blocking me, every time we talked about Egypt. I knew something was wrong; that something would happen…" I recalled Yugi's strange mood when he told me about the trip. I wished he had told me his fears. Though, I did not really believe in foresight…

Emotionally and physically exhausted from his sobs, Yugi sighed sadly into me and fell asleep. I continued to hold him, rocking him gently. My eyes were half closed, but I did not miss the light from the puzzle. The bundle in my arms did not move, but I still felt the shift as a new consciousness took over. I continued the gentle rocking and petting, but let my voice convey my awareness of the new presence.

"Pharaoh."

He sighed, leaned his head harder against my shoulder for a moment, them moved to step out of my arms. "You don't have to get up," I said even as my arms dropped away, letting him go.

"Yes." He stopped a few feet away, his stiff back to me. But seconds later his head bowed, the proud shoulders slumped, moving up and down only with the exaggeration of a deep sigh. "I'm glad he came to you. I almost brought him here, instead of home… his home—"

"Not your home? Last I knew, you lived there too and were loved as family."

"I… I don't think you can go home again when you've betrayed the trust of your loved ones so greatly."

I rose and stood behind him, my hands on his shoulders. "Tell me." My voice was soft, but pitched in the way that gets me what I want. The soul before me was one of only three who could defy that voice, but this was not one of those times. He sighed, then tuned to face me. I let my arms drop from his shoulders.

"I wouldn't know how to tell you, but I could show you…"

"Show me?" I asked. My body begged to back away from him, but I called upon my Kaiba willpower to keep my feet and face still. I did not want the Pharaoh to suspect what I did not even want to acknowledge myself: at this moment, I was afraid of him. I took my fear and tucked it away, stealing my thoughts as I awaited his answer.

He raised his hands, holding out the Millennium Necklace across his open palms. "While I was unable to retrieve all my memories, I did learn more about the Items. I can control the necklace, have it show you parts of the past I wish you to see."

He dropped his hands slightly, his eyes also dropping to gaze at the gold necklace. "You've no reason to trust me…" he began again softly, "but I ask it of you anyway…"

I reached for the Item, resting my hands over his. "What do I need to do?"

The Pharaoh looked at me appraisingly, nodded, then guided me back to the couch.

I remembered when Ishizu had used the necklace on me. The experience had probably opened me to the other 'memories' and nightmares I had experienced. I worried that they would come back, but my concern for Yugi, and the Pharaoh, outweighed my personal fears.

With a sickening lurch I left the present. Instead of floating above the scene from the past, I seemed to be looking through the Pharaoh's eyes. Well, Yugi's eyes, but the Pharaoh's consciousness.

I recognized this scene, in fact I could see myself standing to the side. The Battle City Finals were over, we were all on the tower. I would be announcing the tower's destruction in a few minutes. What happened between? What relevance did it have on the Pharaoh's betrayal. The Egyptian, Marik, walked towards 'us.' People were speaking; if I concentrate I can hear.

Marik holds out the Winged Dragon of Ra, and the Millennium Rod. Emotions rock me, as if a current had struck a boat. The Pharaoh's emotions. Pride, relief… hunger. The last… he wants the Rod, he wants the God card, but there is more. Marik turns, lifting off his shirt. I feel the Pharaoh suck in his breath. The tattoos, they hold the keys to his past, his future… no, my past, my future.

Even as I feel the God cards call out to me, I don't break my gaze, letting my eyes travel below the tattoos, where the golden skin dimples before dropping below the waistband of leather pants. Marik turned. I notice how golden he is, golden brown skin adorned with gold arm bands and earrings, a shower of molten gold crowning his head, brushing the golden shoulders. I hear a voice try to break me from this moment, something about the tower exploding, but I do not want to listen. As I look at the shirtless youth, the hunger is still there…

I am floating now, but at ground level. Well, airplane level. Yugi is beside me; he shares my enthusiasm as the Kaiba Corps private jet lands, but he cannot know my anxiety, my fear, my…hope? We descend the stairs to the tarmac; the brilliant desert sun ripples the air at our feet. Ahead, like a mirage, a figure walks towards us through the shimmering air. Even at a distance I see the gleam of gold. The sun catches the precious metal, and I am blind for a moment.

The anxiety, desire, and hunger steal my sight just as surely and threaten to overwhelm the mind link to Yugi. I brace myself, then thrust just so. I ignore the cry in the mind link and slam shut a door that I haven't used since I revealed my presence to Yugi. His body reels as I force my control over it, and I start to fall. Strong arms surround me, hold me steady. "My Pharaoh, come with me, out of the sun."

I see glimpses of the next week and a half. I try to concentrate on solving the riddle of my past. I spend hours studying a scanned copy of the tattoos. Marik sits, always, nearby; his bright presence is a comfort and a distraction. Ishizu brings food and drinks, I know not what, and otherwise is silent. Neither ask about Yugi, or anyone else; I am suspicious, but grateful. I ignore my guilt. I ignore my hunger. I focus all of myself on the riddle before me, but it refuses to be solved. I am exhausted. The Golden One moves his chair by mine. Sitting on it backwards, he removes his shirt. "Maybe the scanner missed something…" Before I can stop myself, I reach out a hand and touch his back, tracing the black ink where it marks the golden skin. I feel my body temperature rise and flinch my hand away, as from a glowing ember. I stand and back away, then turn, fleeing to my room.

In my room I sit, awake, deep into the night. I study another copy of the markings; I've worn through several during my stay. I must solve it, and return home. I think fondly of Yugi, his friends… of Seto. Guilt pushes them all from my mind and in the void, another emotion I had blocked comes to exact its due.

I can control the hunger no longer. I cannot remember any longer why I tried. There is nothing else, no where else, no one else. I remember that I have no name, yet I know now that I do. Servant of Min, Desire is your name.

I stand and leave my room, walking the short distance to another. I do not knock; he knew I would come. Rising from the bed, wearing only loose linen pants, he approaches.

"Pharaoh, I was bred to be yours; I am your servant in all things." The voice is unwontedly serious, but I am beyond the ability to register surprise. The insouciant smirk returns, and lilac eyes dance as he continues: "Perhaps we'll have better luck this time, if I take off my pants as well."

Reaching one hand to the drawstring of his pants and the other to my hand, he kicks the door, closing us together in the darkness of his bedroom.

A/N:

(There are many Egyptian gods and goddesses who symbolized fertility. It was, after all, vital that the earth and the people be fertile. I chose Min, god of Potency and Fertility because he was a male deity, and because I liked the word 'potent.' I also considered Bastet, goddess of Love and Sex.)

Well, imagine my surprise when Yami revealed that! I accept no responsibility. As I've stated, I only record what they tell me. I just wanted to write a nice Seto-and-Yami-fall-in-love story. Where this came from… I don't know.

Geez, Yami, melodrama much? Eh…

Review Responses:

Clarity – I hope the point of view wasn't too hard to understand. It was Pharaoh's pov because they were his memories, but we got to 'see' it since Seto was, and the fic is is pov. Ugh, I think I just confused myself ;p Don't worry, separation anxiety does refer to something other than the trip, but its not as traumatizing as the series ending… I think. And no, Yugi is not so pathetic to cry about two weeks away from Kaiba. Seto, on the other hand…

Dragon – lol, Seto is needy, isn't he… I actually stressed that even more after reading your review. Too funny to pass up!

Dimitri – well, I've had lots of time on my computer… typing my girl's papers! Thank God for stepfathers' laptops… I hope you get lots of computer time soon. I'd hate to think what would happen if you did not have an outlet for all your story ideas… scary. So, now we know why Yugi-boy was sad last chapter. I… I don't think his tears are done quite yet… And, yes, Seto is approaching sexual/emotional maturity. Hmm, maybe Yugi is really waiting until Seto is ready, not the other way around… I'll have to think on that.

Moonjava – Hi! Welcome to the fic. Glad you like it. Come visit any time!