Sapphire Gardevoir: To lighten up the mood I've added a tid bit of humor to this chapter. Also, I was up at three last night writing it, because if I didn't I wouldn't be able to sleep...

Atemu's soul room was very small and thin;much like his temper this afternoon. Naturally there wasn't very much space for pacing. Unfortunate;y, that's what he was doing. One step. Two step. Turn. One…you get my point. He always paced when he was nervous or angry, to the obvious displeasure of his shadows who were disturbed and excited by those emotions.

Bakura had taken Yuugi out again today. Atemu could barely see, let alone talk to his aibou all day because of it. He could only watch as the demon stole lustful glances at Yuugi when he wasn't looking. The once pharaoh knew full well that if Bakura could, he'd take Yuugi's innocence where he stood. He would not let that happen.

'I have already lost one partner that way…Sakusa. I havn't forgotten you. But I know you wouldn't want me to mope forever.' The memory of his previous partner brought tears to his eyes.

Surprised, Atemu reached up to feel moisture at his eyes. How long had it been since he last cried? He couldn't remember. If he had to guess, it was probably when Sakusa died. He had never felt so much pain and sadness all at once. Finding her; raped and stabbed by Bakura. He had vowed to protect her and failed horribly, and he was not going to let it happen again. The only memory he had before being sealed away again was that night, and Bakura's last words.

'Know this pharaoh. For the pain and suffering you induced upon my village, you to will feel the same wrath every two thousand years. I will follow you forever, and destroy all things you hold dear!'

"I will protect you. Yuugi…"

His mind made up, he left the cold of his own room to visit Yuugi's.

He smiled walking in. The room felt calm and peaceful. Like Yuugi, Atemu noticed. His smile became softer as he walked towards the bed. Ever since the puzzle was completed, Yuugi's mind would drift here when he slept. Atemu didn't mind though. It made it easier to guard him from…certain things.

Atemu's rage with Bakura diminished as Yuugi sleepily muttered his name, clutching the blankets closer. He didn't have the heart to wake him and instead opted for sitting on the bed, watching his even breaths while he slept on.

The sun streamed through Yuugi's window, forcing him to get up. He groaned and put a pillow over his face.

"Someone turn down the sun…"

"You should wake up Yuugi. You'll be late for the school." Atemu couldn't understand why kids in this time went to school. Sure he had lessons in Kemet as a child but they lasted only two hours, and his teacher was a wizard. Big difference.

Yuugi sighed. It had been a week since releasing Atemu, and he treated him like an honored guest (much to Atemu's comfort) but if he could just stop 'popping up' as Yuugi put it. He had not yet told his grandfather.

"One of these days," he said, brushing his wild hair, "Your gonna give me a heart attack. Then I'll die. Do you want me to die?"

"Of course not"

Atemu couldn't believe that this was the same Yuugi he watched over at night. The way he dressed, you would think he was in a gang or a cult. Dumbfounded, he shook his head, and put the headphones to Yuugi's CD player on. An item that when, first introduced to Atemu, he had deemed it "The cursed device of Anubis!" Now, he frequently had it within arms reach.

"Your gonna have to start buying batteries for that thing you know. You go through two AA's a day."

Atemu didn't know what the AA's were, but if he could get people to sing to him through a pair of earmuffs, he could certainly control the AA's.

"Tell me. Where do I find these AA's? And how do I defeat them?"

…

"Uh. You get them at a store. And they can't really be defeated. They're just little metal things filled with acid. They power electric stuff like that CD player. Without them you wouldn't be able to listen to it. You know, I think I should take you out after school today. I could teach you about things like cars and telephones."

Atemu stared at him. "Tel-a-fone?"

Yuugi laughed. "Nevermind. I'll show you later. I have to leave!"

"Yuugi! Wait up!"

Yuugi turned and smiled at Bakura's approaching form. The sun had finally showed up yesterday and melted all the snow, much to Yuugi's relief. If he had to wake up to see Atemu glaring at the snow through the window one more time, he'd kill himself

"Hi Bakura. Out getting breakfast?"

"No. I just thought you'd want some company on your way to school. Do you?"

"Sure that's be nice."

They walked in silence most of the way. The only sound being Atemu's low growling within the puzzle. But only Yuugi could hear that.

/Everything okay? Your uh…growling./

/Yes. I am fine./

He obviously wasn't fine, but Yuugi did not press the issue.

Yuugi sighed and looked out the window of his math class. Why the hell would he care about turning fractions into decimals? He didn't get it anyway, and just jotted down random numbers on his paper.

He suddenly wished Bakura was a student there, then they could at least pass notes. He was buisy counting the dots on the ceiling when a ruler snapped on his desk.

"Mr.Motou! Are you paying attention? Or is this lesson to easy for you? If so, then please tell us the answer to number six."

/Mrs.Takamy is more of a bitch then usual today./

/Yuugi/

/Oops…/ He hadn't realized those words got through the mental link they shared.

Obediantly he looked at number six. And looked. And kept on looking. Turn the fraction (some strange number) into blah blah blah. The rest was all jibberish. Some of the kids began to snicker and he flushed with embarassment. Like magic, Mrs.Takami switched from evil math witch to worried mother.

"Are you sick? Maybe you should go to the nurse. Yes, go on." Everyone knew she hated it when kids got sick.

Surprisingly Yuugi did feel a little warm. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

/Are you alright Yuugi/

Yuugi ignored his comment and stumbled out of the school doors. Atemu asked again. /Yuugi. Are you okay? Answer me./

Worried, Atemu appeared in front of him and gripped his shoulders. "Yuugi! Are you alright? Your acting very strange."

Yuugi looked up at him weakly. "I don't feel so…"

Before he could finish he fell, and his body vanished into the puzzle. Atemu knew he was safe in there but now he was in control. His instincts told him to take Yuugi to his house, but he had no idea where that was, or how to get there. He was a four thousand year old pharaoh, stuck in a city, in the year 2005. Also, he had no idea where he was going. I sense some humor coming…