Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or anything related to it what-so-ever. The only characters in this fic that are truly mine are:

Lady Aurora Phoenix

Lady Natara Fear

Lady Sapphira Star

Dorian "Chaos"

Bryant "Havoc"

Sanura

Zahara

Adais

A/N: This is a fantasy as you can tell. It is part 2 to the Eternal Love fanfic that I ended a little while ago as it was getting to be too long. The story of the Pharaoh and his family is far from over however. His children are still around and they will incorporate themselves in the lives of little Yugi and his friends in one way or another. Fair warning, I am not one for writing out duels so you may not see a lot of them- barely any actually, as the fic is about the events that happened outside the duel arena. There will be some familiar scenes to fans of the show but most of those scenes will have a small twist or two in order for it to fit with the plot being laid out.

I understand many will not agree with a lot of what is written but that is why this is in the fantasy genera and not in just the general one. This is purely a concoction out of my own head and I am just going where the ideas lead me.

What's in the Mailbox?

DDCfreak- Glad you liked the filler chapter. I was also glad to hear it helped fill in the gaps without taking too much away from the actual story itself.

Atemu Fangurl- Yes I am dragging out the meeting for one more chapter lol… I just had to as this one got to be too long lol. I promise the next one is the one you are waiting for though. I already have started writing it actually. (grins)

And now to the next chapter

Game of Death

Zahara reeled in shock and all but snatched her hand away from the gentle boy in front of her. That name! Bakura! She shook her head and looked down, her face going crimson in fear and embarrassment. No, it can't be him. She looked up again and stared deep into his eyes. Ryou had been giving her an odd look.

"Are you alright?" he asked her. His English accent suddenly becoming more evident in his voice.

Wait! English! She took a breath to steady her still rapidly beating heart. Bakura was Egyptian. Not English. Though he is more than three thousand years old as well, he could have adapted… Again, she studied the flawless face just inches from hers. She knew that her mother had told her Bakura had a scar on his face and had been trapped by the Millennium Ring. She also knew the ring had been sold to some unknown tourist. Surly this white skinned boy had never set foot on the sands of Egypt. Finally she managed a weak smile.

"I am fine, really. Your name..." She made a couple of attempts to explain but her words failed her.

"What about my name? You look as if it scares you." If only you knew how badly it scared me, she thought as she sighed.

"It is nothing really. Just reminded me of someone from my past, that's all." Or rather, my mother's past, she added to herself. She glanced at her watch and gasped. "If we are to get there on time we had better get going. It is times like these I remember why I wanted a car." She sighed as they began walking. "Guess that will be something I make an attempt to get this weekend."

"You can just go out and buy one whenever you wish?" Zahara giggled nervously.

"Something like that. I have had a long time to save. It is time for me to do something with that savings anyway." They chatted along the way and she found that even with the unsettling feeling she had at his name, she enjoyed his company. He seemed gentle to her. Almost innocent.

She never saw the red glint that flashed in his eyes at one point when he had dropped back behind her. She never saw when his innocent features twisted into an evil sneer. She had no idea she had found herself in the presence of evil. And when she looked back to see if he was still with her, he gazed back at her with his curiously innocent eyes again.

A van caught her attention as they neared the school. There was a satellite attached to the top of it. The title of a television company was plastered on the side and a reporter stood off to the side of it. She was smiling brightly as she pointed up to the school. Zahara narrowed her eyes as she tried to figure out why the reporter looked so familiar. It bothered her as they headed inside.

Ryou had stayed near her desk as they waited for the teacher to arrive so he could give her his paperwork. She still felt odd around him, but she was most certainly enjoying the attention. They looked up as the door opened and saw Joey and Yugi walking inside. Joey was rambling excitedly about a star being somewhere inside the school. Yugi was grinning up at his taller friend. He smiled and waved as they past her desk and made their way to their seats near the back. Seto had long since arrived and was eyeing the two friends over the edge of the book he was reading.

"I haven't heard anything about a star," Téa commented lightly, confusion filling her eyes as Joey told her about his idea.

"Moron, they are coming to school in disguise so no one can tell. But I am going to find them."

"There is no star in this school!" Téa shouted at him.

"You wanna make a bet!" Joey shouted back, shaking his fist. Yugi had hung back a little, trying not to pay attention. He seemed to be lost in his own little world. Zahara wondered just what he was thinking. Her attention was once again distracted by the opening of the door as the teacher walked in. She handed Ryou's papers to the teacher and the white haired boy turned to face the class as his arrival was announced. Quietly, he made his way to an empty desk a short distance away from where Yugi sat. Zahara looked down at her desk, trying to mask a yawn. The lack of sleep had finally managed to catch up with her. She suddenly wished she was still in her bed, fast asleep.

Class had begun to feel like it would never end. Zahara had done everything she could to keep herself distracted. She noticed during free period that Ryou and Yugi seemed to get along pretty well. Joey joined them eventually and they all joked around. Ryou still kept himself at a distance. He knew he was still the newcomer to the group and had wanted to remain cautious. She admired the group though. Every one of them was so different from each other. Yet, they all seemed to get along fairly well. Still she was slightly disappointed when Ryou walked out with them after class. So she resigned herself to her notes as she prepared to clean up and head back home. She had just finished cleaning off the board, her desk, and picked up her bag to leave when the door opened and Ryou came bursting in.

"Ryou? What is it? Is something wrong?" She met him at the door as he gasped for breath.

"A fight, behind the gym. I was headed home when I heard shouts." Forgetting her disappointment, adrenaline surged through her veins and they took off down the halls.

"Yugi! Are you alright?" they head Joey shout as they neared the gym. They rounded the corner and stopped suddenly as Joey grabbed a much taller man by the front of his shirt. "Are you asking to die!" Everything happened so fast, Zahara had no idea what was going on. One minute, Joey was standing and looking fierce. The next minute, he was on the ground and Yugi was kneeling beside him.

"I can make you the laughingstock of the world!" the man boasted as he walked away. His cameraman scurrying to catch up with him. It hit her then why the van had bothered her. The name of the show was on the man's shirt. "Survival Morning."

"Joey!" Her attention was brought back to Yugi. Tears slipping down his face. "I'm sorry," he whispered. It was clear he had not even noticed the arrival of Zahara and Ryou. She gasped as she felt the ground beneath her seem to rumble with the force of Power. She looked on wide-eyed as the puzzle around Yugi's neck began to glow. He seemed to grow taller. When his eyes opened, they had lost the violet, round, innocent look. They had turned cat-like and crimson. His blonde bangs were no longer drooping in his face but a few strands standing perfectly in place with the rest of his hair. Her heart seemed to stop when she noticed the Sennen Eye on his forehead. She may not have had any clear memory of her father's face, but she was fairly certain she was looking at him. It was all she could do to not call out to him as he stood and looked on after the man and his lackey, plotting his next game.

"Joey, come on," Ryou called softly as he gently shook the blonde on the ground. Yugi turned to see them, his crimson eyes flashing. He glanced over at her and they stared for a long time at each other. The only sound she could hear was the thundering beating of her heart in her ears. She wanted to go to him. To hug him. To finally talk to the one she was certain was her father. She blinked to clear the tears stinging her eyes. When she opened them again, the boy in front of her had regained his innocent violet eyes and shorter stature. She sighed and turned her attention to Joey.

"How come every time we run into each other, you are getting beat up?" she commented softly, trying to distract her mind.

"Just lucky I guess," he groaned as his eyes opened.

"Come on, let's all get out of here. I am exhausted, and even a little hungry. Anyone want a burger? My treat." The thought of food brought Joey to his feet and a smile on Yugi's face. They were all in agreement and together, they walked into town.

Standing outside the new restaurant in town, Joey's stomach growled causing laughter all around. The doors opened and they gasped in shock as Téa greeted them in her work uniform. She had begun her greeting, but her eyes widened and she stopped short as she saw Yugi and Joey.

"What you guys doing here?" Her voice was filled with fear. They all knew why. Students were not allowed to get jobs just yet. They could get expelled from the school if they were found with one. Whatever Téa was up to, she was desperate for the money to take such a chance.

"We just came to get something to eat, Téa," Yugi said lightly. He was looking at her with admiration n his eyes. Zahara raised her eyebrow. He may be chosen to wield the Millennium Puzzle but he was still a boy after all, she thought as she tried to suppress a smile. Muttering under her breath, Téa ushered them in and showed them to a booth by a large picture window. She took their order and then disappeared, leaving them to chat amongst themselves.

"How are you guys feeling?" Zahara asked Joey and Yugi. They looked down for a moment before answering. When Joey looked up, he had a smile on his face.

"Couldn't be better. I've had worse than dat before. Dat's nuttin'." He paused a moment. "Course the idea of food makes things feel even better," he added with a grin. Yugi laughed as he fiddled with the puzzle around his neck.

"I guess I am just too used to it to feel much of it anymore," he answered. His violet eyes showing faint signs of sadness. For a moment anyway. Then it was as if something in him had lit a fire in his soul. He looked up with grim determination. "One of these days I will be stronger than them. I will show them that I won't be pushed around anymore." Zahara and Ryou nodded.

"That's the spirit Yugi!" Zahara cheered. Her smile faded quickly as Téa arrived with a tray of food and a scowl on her face. The tray slammed on the table, nearly causing the drinks to spill over and the table grew quiet.

"You guys better not tell anyone that I am working here, or else," Téa threatened as she squirted ketchup all over their food. Zahara's stomach grew sick at the sight of so much ketchup and suddenly did not feel very hungry. She also learned it was not a good idea to tick Téa off.

"Hey! Cool it Téa," Joey called out as the ketchup began to splatter on everyone.

"Yeah, we won't say anything," Yugi added trying to calm her.

"All we wanted was something to eat. This was the first place we came across, and Zahara was buying, so we came here," Joey continued. Téa looked over at Zahara who's face had gone green with the sight of the ketchup and she had closed her mouth to prevent anything further adding to their food. Téa stopped squeezing the ketchup bottle. She turned her back to the table.

"Well, now that you already know I work here, I guess I have nothing more to hide," she said. "I might as well tell you why I took this chance. I am saving money to go study dance in New York. It has always been my dream, and I will be going to America when I graduate." She spun around at glared at them. "Don't you dare laugh at my dream either."

"Why would we do that?" Yugi asked her.

"Yes, why?" Ryou added.

"I think it is a wonderful dream," Zahara chimed in. "And America can be such a beautiful place. I have seen New York and though it is busy, there is almost always something exciting going on."

"Yeah, Téa, we won't tell, promise. In fact, I will eat a thousand of these burgers if I tell." Téa smiled at them. Grateful for their alliance. Joey looked up at her with a raised eyebrow. "Though I have ta ask; does this place actually make you pay for burgers drowning in ketchup? That's nasty," he added. Téa flipped her hair and turned to head back to her spot at the counter.

"Don't worry, these will be on me," she said with a grin. Zahara watched as the guys dug into the food, her stomach growling, but still unable to touch her ketchup covered food. Ryou had noticed this and offered a few pieces from his plate that had somehow managed to be left untouched by the condiment. She gave him a grateful smile and snacked a little, thinking she would just get something else when she got home.

The group laughed and joked around as they all got to know each other a little more. They also decided that Téa was not all bad and thought to give her more of a chance at friendship. They even called her over a few times just to chat with her when she was not busy. They had finished their meal and stood to leave when a cry interrupted their fun and made them stop in their tracks.

"Help!"

"That's Téa!" Yugi exclaimed, fear in his voice. Zahara looked up to see the brunette being held roughly against a taller man with a gruff look to him. He held a gun and began making demands.

"Nobody move or she gets it!" he hollered out. He forced Téa to use her hair ribbon as a blind fold so she could not see what was happening. He kept telling her that if she made a sound or attempted to run, he would kill her. She whimpered in fear but did as she was told, included taking a seat beside him as he waited for some food. He looked around and saw Zahara and her group near their table. He pointed his gun at Yugi. "You! Yeah, you, the wussy looking one. You will take my order. Everyone else on the ground. Anyone move and she dies."

Téa, Yugi… Zahara watched in fear as Yugi stepped forward. Father, if there was ever a time Yugi needed you, now is that time, she thought desperately. Yugi made his way carefully and slowly to the man who held Téa. Zahara could tell his mind had become filled with thoughts of attempting to rescue her. When he disappeared around the corner closest to the man's table she cursed silently and attempted to crawl closer to see. A hand stopped her. Looking back, she saw a pleading look in Ryou's eyes and she sighed, stopping her movements.

"First off, I want some booze and smokes," the man demanded. There was a moment of silence as Yugi gathered the items the man demanded. Suddenly Zahara gasped as she heard Téa's voice.

"No, Yugi, don't do this! Stay back! It is too dangerous!" Zahara cringed when she heard the smack that followed her outburst. She heard Joey growl behind her and even Ryou's breath hissed in beside her. She realized he must have moved to stay beside her in order to make sure she stood in one spot.

"Téa!" Yugi cried out. Zahara felt a rush flow over her, much like the surge of power she had felt back at the school. She knew her father's spirit had come to face the challenge Yugi was being dealt.

"How dare you lay a hand on my friend! You made a grave error in choosing me to be your lackey." Zahara closed her eyes, trying to imagine her father's face to go with the voice she was hearing. She heard a tray slamming down on a table.

"Hey, who said you could sit down?" the man shouted at him. Yugi's new voice laughed.

"I brought you what you asked for. Now I thought I would help you pass the time. How about a game, that is, if you think you have the guts to play." She could almost hear the smirk she was sure to be on Yugi's face.

"A game?" the man's voice was thoughtful. "All right then, we can play a game. This could be interesting."

"There is a catch. The one to lose this game will die." Zahara's heart froze at those words. Die! No! Surely, Father wasn't that cruel of a man! She thought as she desperately made another attempt to move and see what was happening. Ryou's arms snaked around her, forcing her back down.

"Don't," he whispered. "Let him do this." She looked over at Ryou with a pleading look only to see his eyes seemed to have changed. His voice was darker. It caught her off guard and decided it was better to listen to him than fight with him. She sighed and resigned herself to just listening to the events as they unfolded in the aisle beside them.

"This game has but one rule," The darker voice of Yugi's was saying to the criminal in front of him.

"Let's hear it."

"As long as we sit at this table facing each other, we may move only one of our ten fingers. And once the game starts, that finger cannot change. However we may choose which ever finger we like." There was a brief pause as the criminal thought this over. A small bead of sweat slid over Zahara's temple as she listening intently to the game rules. "So what finger do you choose?" Yugi asked. The criminal laughed.

"I choose my index finger, of course. It is the only finger I need to pull the trigger of this gun and get rid of you." She heard the sound of his drink being poured into a glass.

"Very well, then. I choose, my thumb." What! Zahara shrieked in her head. He is supposed to be protecting Yugi, not getting him killed! "We are free to do anything after the signal to start this game. You can even pull the trigger."

"Then let's go!"

"Game start!" Yugi said gravely. Zahara could still hear the glass being filled with the man's drink. The seconds that passed seemed like an eternity and Ryou had to hold her even tighter to keep her down.

"This game is over!" The criminal laughed. He stopped as the sound of a Zippo lighter lid being flipped open was heard. The man growled. "I can't believe I forgot to ask for a lighter. All right, the last thing you can do with your thumb is light my smoke, then I'll kill you."

No! She began to fight harder against Ryou. She was surprised at how strong he was, but she was not about to let him stop her from saving Yugi herself if she had to. Though she had not yet worked out how she planned to do so. She heard the click as the lighter was lit and heard the criminal groan iwith pleasure as he inhaled that first puff. She could almost see the grin on his face. Then there was silence. She heard the drink falling to the floor as if it had been spilled.

"You can keep the lighter," Yugi had said darkly. "Take it with you to Hell!" The criminal gasped.

"I-I can't move! If I move the lighter will fall and catch the vodka on fire!"

"And if you fire your gun, the recoil will cause the lighter to fall for sure. By the way, that is Russian Vodka. One hundred and eighty proof. That is ninety percent alcohol." Zahara heard the sound of feet running. "Come on Téa! Let's go!"

"B-b-but, my l-luck!" the criminal was stuttering. Then all she heard were the sounds of his screams. The smell of smoke made her gag and she curled up to stop herself from retching. Ryou held her tightly for a moment before helping her to stand. Joey pushed passed them and lunged toward Yugi. Zahara looked over at him and realized he had his round innocent eyes. That meant that she had once again missed the opportunity to see her father's face on the boy. Smoke was burning her eyes and the smell was getting to be too much for her. She finallybroke away from Ryou and rushed outside, just off the pathway to the restaurant to rid her stomach of the little food she had eaten. A light hand touched her back as she trembled slightly.

"Are you going to be ok?" the gentle voice of Ryou was asking her. She looked up and he handed her a napkin for her mouth.

"Thank you, I will be yes. Now," she added with a soft laugh. She stood straighter and noticed the others had joined them as paramedics and cops were arriving to the scene. "I think we had better be going. That guy isn't going to be pressing charges that is for sure." Everyone nodded and said their good byes as they walked their separate directions toward their homes. Ryou kept glancing over at Zahara. She was lost in thought. First with the idea of her father's spirit actually possibly causing the death of a man while in Yugi's body- even if the man deserved it. Thenwith the thought that she knew shehad seena difference in Ryou. She just did not understand it. How could he have changed? He blushed slightly when she looked up over at him.

Is there something about him that I should know? she wondered.

Several months passed with Zahara learning more and more about Yugi and his friends every day. They had become a tight group. Even Ryou had been equally accepted which had seemed to make him very happy. She did not see him as often anymore as a result, which she chalked up to being a good thing. At night, her mother's club had really taken off and it kept her busy. Every night, Zahara helped her mother by working the counter. Dorian was there as well. He had basically claimed security detail. The karaoke building that had been added on was a huge success and they had several regulars there. One guy in particular was there at least once a month. Though he rarely had anyone to listen to him. Zahara cringed at the memory she wished she could forget as she walked in on one of his shows one night. He was dressed as Elvis and his voice was horribly off-key. She did not think she could escape the room fast enough.

She shuddered again as she entered the now familiar classroom. So many things had happened there. A fake psychic and then a school fair. Yugi's other side made a few appearances but she still had yet to really find out more about that side of him. The side she knew was the spirit of the puzzle. She noticed Yugi sitting quietly at his desk. He seemed upset about something, but when Joey tried to get him to talk about it, he merely shrugged saying t was nothing. She cast an odd look at him, but remained seated. This was something she could not help him with, she was sure. Besides, if he was in danger, it was not as if he was not already being protected. All she could do was watch now.

She turned her gaze over to Téa. Ever since that day at the restaurant, she had been walking around in a daze. She constantly talked about a guy in her life with a mysteriously dark voice. The guy who had saved her from the criminal. She spoke even more about it after the kid who claimed to be a psychic had been found unconscious in the classroom, under the apparent influence of chloroform. She was smitten by the man with the voice. Yugi had noticed as well and had become disheartened by the idea of Téa liking another other than him. Zahara felt for him, but knew it was events such as these in life that could make or break a person's character. She only hoped Yugi would be ok. As for Téa…

Zahara grinned as Téa stared starry eyed straight ahead at basically nothing. She knew the young teen was daydreaming again.

If only she knew he belonged to another, she thought slyly.

The club was busy as usual when Zahara entered the doors and made her way to the counter. Aurora looked up at her with a grateful smile. She looked around.

"Where's Sanura? Wasn't she supposed to be here to help tonight?"

"Kaiba called her a little while ago. She had to go." Aurora handed a glass to teen while preparing another drink. "I have to get onstage here for the next set."

"Go then, I got this," Zahara told her as she nodded toward the stage. She took the glasses from her mother and began to immediately fill and pass them out. She saw the doors open and Yugi walked in, looking around at the crowded room. He seemed nervous. Wonder what he is doing here? she thought. She watched him in between getting drinks as he headed for the karaoke room. It hit her then as she glanced up at the calendar. Oh, no, poor guy. He got taken in by the no talent jerk. She only hoped he made it though the evening in one piece.

Ok an A/N here:

You may recall I mentioned somewhere about the possibility of song fics being scattered throughout this series. Well, the next chapter technically has two of them that will be found on the website mentioned in my home page. There is one fro Yugi's entrance to the club and one near the end of the chapter. I won't give out more details about them now for that would be revealing too much. The first song fic won't give away too many details so by not reading it- you wouldn't be missing anything. However- a small catfight is started in thenext chpater and the second songfic is the lead in to that- so you may want to read that one just to see who the catfight is between and why (grins) aren't I just too mean lol...

They are not up yet- I will announce them being up when I post the next chapter. Hope you enjoy! And please remember to Read and Review...