Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh.
My Notes: I looked ahead at some of the later Yu-gi-oh manga and did more research, and let's just say that I'm very confused at whatever happens during the Ancient Egyptian story arc. So if any of you are expecting this story to conform to those events, that's not going to happen. So I'm declaring this story divorced from that arc, although I may borrow a few ideas here and there. I don't think I'll give any spoilers from that, but it could happen. So consider yourself forewarned.
And this isn't exactly moving as fast as I thought it would, which might not be a bad thing.
Pieces of the Puzzle
Yugi Moto yawned for the fifth time in Advanced History and he was going to settle down for a middle-of-class nap when a thump on his desk brought him back to full attention.
"Is there something you find boring about the Victorian Era, Mr. Moto?" the history teacher asked.
All of it, he was tempted to say. "No, Mr. Robinson. I...just, uh, didn't get much sleep last night."
"Out dueling again?"
"No sir...I was," he paused to yawn. "I was busy studying for a test." Silence. "A test in math." A blatant lie, which was unusual since Yugi never lied.
"Try to at least keep your head up, otherwise Mr. Wheeler will follow suit. Now I was saying..." Mr. Robinson continued his lecture.
The minutes dragged on and on. It seemed the entire world revolved around the Industrial Revolution of England and Europe. Progress and technological achievements. Specialization. Assembly lines. Joey Wheeler's large coif of hair.
"Yugi...Yugi...Hey Yugi!" The short duelist mumbled some words before he was shaken awake. "Yugi! Class is over man."
"It is?" He looked around and found that he and Joey were the only ones in the classroom. "It is!"
"Told ya. Come on, let's go. We gotta meet the others." Joey led Yugi out into the crowded hallway, jammed packed with students and lockers. The general hub-bub kept Yugi awake long enough to make it to the commons area. There the two met up with Tea and Tristan and settled into their usual table. After a few minutes, the crowds departed for their classes, save for them and a few other regulars who had this free period. They all were seated at a round table.
"Man Yugi, you look tired. What happened?" Tristan asked, breaking the silence.
Yugi, who was going to sleep, stared at Tristan for a moment, before realizing he had been asked a question, and then another moment before he realized he needed to answer it. "Oh...uh, Kaiba dropped by, for a visit."
"Last night?" Tristan waited till Yugi nodded. "Why would he want to come to visit you, especially with what happened yesterday?" he inquired.
"Because...," there was another yawn, "...apparently Mokuba thought he saw...saw a ghost," Yugi informed everyone.
"A ghost?" Tea repeated.
"Yeah... he said...it looked like Kaiba...and it scared him."
"What? But Kaiba's not dead. Although I haven't seen old money bags today." Joey remarked.
"Knowing him, he's probably skipping so he can work." Tristan said. "Man, I hope I never become like that."
Yugi continued telling his story, not realizing he had been interrupted. "Around two in the morning, when normal people were...sleeping," A silly smile appeared on his face, "...there's this pounding at the door. Very LOUD pounding. Woke the entire neighborhood up. Since Grandpa was in the Great War, he could sleep through anything. I slowly got out of bed, crawled downstairs, and opened the door."
"And then?" Tea asked.
"The pounding stopped." Yugi then lowered his head to the table, his hands covering his ears. "...then the yelling started." He shuddered and started rocking back and forth. "So much yelling..."
"Let me get this straight Yuge, Kaiba comes knocking at your door at two in the morning, starts yelling at you, all because Mokuba thought that he was dead?" Joey asked in a brilliant display of deductive reasoning.
"Wait a minute, that doesn't make any sense," Tea commented. "Mokuba would never rat out on Yugi."
"I don't think that he would, under normal circumstances. But ya hafta remember that Mokuba thought he saw his brother's ghost. He could have been much freaked out and said whatever popped into his head. The bond between siblings is very strong. I should know," Joey smiled. Then he noticed the odd stares coming from Tea and Tristan. "What?"
"Are you sure you're our Joey?" Tristan asked.
"Yeah, you've been making way too much sense today." Tea added.
"WHAT? I make sense all the time. Why there's nothing that can escape my reasoning skills," Joey boasted. "Ain't that right Yuge? Yuge?"
Yugi had given in to his desire; his face was down on the table and was quietly snoring.
"Aww the poor guy's all tuckered out," Tea said. "You know, maybe one of us should take him home and let him get some sleep."
"Good idea Tea. I'd do it, but I got Calculus next period." Joey gritted his teeth. "I can't afford to skip any more of that class."
"I'd do it too, except I got Chemistry next. And you know how Mr. Collins hates people missing his class," Tristan said. "What do you have next Tea?"
"Business Law."
"Oh good. You can skip that. No problem." Joey assumed.
"Yes problem. Today I'm the prosecutor in this mock lawsuit we've been preparing. I can't afford to miss this and still get a passing grade." But she turned her head to the sleeping schoolboy. "Still we can't leave him like this."
Joey leaned back in his chair, putting his feet up. "Hey, isn't that Bakura? Hey Bakura!" Joey waved down the white haired teen. He was walking along and seemed a bit distracted. But when he heard Joey's voice, he turned and smiled as he joined the gang.
"Hi guys. What's the matter with Yugi? It's a bit early to be taking a nap." He chuckled as he straightened his button up school uniform.
"Oh that. Apparently Yuge had a late night visitor by the name of Kaiba and kept him up all night." Joey informed.
"Oh my. That doesn't sound very pleasant at all. But why would Kaiba come and stop by Yugi's?" Bakura looked around for an empty seat.
"Mokuba said he thought he saw a ghost of Kaiba...and well you know how Kaiba gets...," Joey's logic skills were trying to find a connection.
"That still doesn't explain...," Bakura started. He remained standing.
Tea struck the bull's-eye. "The Millennium Rod! Kaiba must have found it and realized it could have only come from Yugi."
"Yeah. And that would explain Kaiba's tantrum at Yugi." Tristan added.
"Wait, are you saying that the Millennium Rod caused Mokuba to see a ghost of Kaiba?" Joey asked. "But it's not like we've ever seen ghosts when we're with Yugi."
"Yeah but a lot of weird stuff does happen to him." Tristan said.
"And we've all been caught up in it." Tea put in.
"So fill me in. Yugi has the Millennium Rod and he's been trying to give it to Kaiba...," Bakura began.
"But of course he doesn't want it, but then Mokuba took it for him." Tea continued.
"And then Mokuba goes and sees a ghost of Kaiba, but Kaiba's not dead, but it freaks him out anyways..." Joey added.
"So Kaiba pays Yugi a visit. Ah I see. Oh dear." Bakura said. "If I didn't know Yugi personally, I would be very upset by all that occurred."
"That's Kaiba in a nutshell alright." Tristan said. "I swear that guy doesn't have a fun bone in his body. "
"Hey Bakura, what are you doing next period?" Joey asked.
"I was going to do some research in the library."
"Would you mind taking Yugi home? I don't think he's in any condition to stay in school." Yugi's snoring had turned into quiet murmuring.
Bakura looked around. "I take it that everyone else is busy?" All nods. "Well I guess I can take him. Does anyone have some bus fare?" After receiving some cash donations, he picked up Yugi by the arm, and let him lean-walk against him. "Come on Yugi. Time to take you home." Rounds of thanks were given by everyone and the two walked out of Domino High. Safely out of the way, the Millennium Ring emerged around Bakura's chest.
So, an unwanted Millennium Item, the Tomb-raider spirit thought to himself. Fitting that the High Priest doesn't want the responsibilities that are rightfully his. He grinned. And what the High Priest doesn't know won't hurt him.
When the two arrived at the Game Shop, Bakura, who was no longer displaying the ring, was kindly greeted by Grandpa Moto. He was in the process of sorting some strange mail from Kaiba Corp. After explaining the situation, Mr. Moto allowed Bakura to take Yugi to his room. Allowing him to rest in his own bed, Bakura quickly espied the two additional Millennium Items that were in the room.
Yugi may contain the spirit of the Pharaoh, but that doesn't entitle him to possess all the Millennium Items. Reaching out to the rod and the necklace, Bakura was suddenly blinded by a bright light.
"Thief, those items do not belong to you." It was Shadi.
Bakura scowled. "Is there a law against taking what isn't wanted?"
The white turban man held out the Millennium Ankh as if he was confronting a great evil. "These items were never meant for one person alone."
"Yet the Pharaoh seems to possess many. I only mean to unburden him from his material wealth." The Tomb-raider stared at Yugi's direction. "Especially since his spiritual wealth seems to be scattered across the sands of time."
The Millennium Puzzle glowed and out came the Pharaoh in spirit form. He did a quick glance at Bakura, Shadi, and the necklace and returned rod. He turned to Bakura. "You! What are you doing here? I did not give you back your Millennium Ring."
Bakura only showed his incisors. "The Ring knows its true master."
"Explain yourself. What are you doing here?"
"I am only here to claim my property." The tomb-raider eyes narrowed. "After all, the bloods, sweat, and tears of an entire people lie in these items. A people you failed, pharaoh."
"What do you mean? I served Egypt and all her people to the utmost of my abilities."
"Did you pharaoh?"
Shadi stood between the two. "Enough of this bickering. These items shall be given to their rightful owners."
Both pharaoh and tomb-raider exclaimed, "But they're in my possession!"
"The time of dispersion is at hand. Those who are destined to wield these objects are appearing. My task as Guardian is coming to an end," Shadi explained, as he picked up both the Millennium Rod and Necklace in his hands. "Whatever happens afterwards is in an authority beyond my control." He turned to Tomb-raider. "Know that there are consequences for trying to coerce powers which you are not ready for." Turning to the Pharaoh, Shadi added, "And there are events that even the nameless Pharaoh does not know about, before and after his reign." With that, he disappeared.
"Seems we've both been robbed," the Pharaoh stated.
Bakura just scowled. Then laughed as he left.