A/N: Once again, I want to thank those who reviewed the previous chapters. I really appreciate it. Before you start, I would like to clear things out about Bakura having regrets. I am going to write a story next to this about Bakura. Although I can't decide to whom he'll be paired to. Ryou or Malik? You choose. I really need your help.

Before I forget, don't forget to drop a word or two and no, the story about Bakura and whomever the readers will choose will not come out yet. Perhaps when I'm done with this. I'm not sure but I'll tell you if it's up.

On with Chapter 10!

Chapter 10: Guess who's back?

Last time…

The celebration resumed but Atemu's focus was on his cousin. Seth acted so concerned and angered by the fact that somebody wanted to kill him. Why? Suddenly, a low voice, so familiar, caught his attention.

"I'm back," the voice said. Atemu looked up to see who it was and gasped.

'No, it can't be!'

Atemu paled at the sight of the familiar face.

"Bakura!"

The Tomb Robber sneered and slowly made his way to the pharaoh. "Miss me?" he asked mockingly.

Atemu flinched at Bakura's every step, his mind was racing, his vocal chords refused to work. Why was he here? Why now?

To his relief, Seth and the others already blocked Bakura's path protectively.

"Don't worry. I just want that pretty little thing hanging on your neck along with its companions. Is that too much to ask?" Bakura queered, pointing at the puzzle. Somehow sometime ago, he finally accepted that he was finished with the prince. Aoujii never happened and all that mattered was collecting the Millennium Items to unleash ultimate darkness.

"You will not go near the pharaoh, thief!" Seth said, totally blocking Bakura. Shadi, taking it as an opportunity, took out his Millennium Key and attempted to search Bakura's soul only to pull back out of breath, his face etched with an undistinguished horror and surprise.

"What did you see High Priest Shadi?" Mahado asked. Shadi stared at Bakura, "Too dark… it had consumed him… too powerful," Shadi breathed in between gulps of air.

"Nonsense! Nothing is stronger than the Millennium Items," Seth argued, revealing his item. Using the Millennium Rod, he forced Bakura's soul monster out and sealed it in the stone tablet near it. He smirked triumphantly before turning to assure his cousin everything was all right.

"I told you—" and then he paused.

The stone tablet started to crack one by one as Bakura smirked knowingly. Before they knew it, the tablet shattered into pieces, the monster sealed within coming forth, hovering above its master loyally.

"Impossible!" Mahado gasped, "No monster can run away from the power of the Millennium items," he added. The other High Priests agreed with him but Bakura just laughed at them mockingly.

"Fools! My Diabound is stronger than all of your items combined!" Bakura said before turning to Atemu who was watching them.

"I suggest you hand the items now, pharaoh, before you all end up dead," he added.

Atemu, who finally managed to find his voice, answered, "I will not. You will only taint it with the darkness you allowed to consume you."

"Very well, much as well see you all die one by one," Bakura answered.

"I will allow no such thing to happen! Dios!" Seth interrupted, calling forth his monster. A small flash of light illuminated the room before Dios, his warrior, appeared ready to attack. With a direct order from the high priest, Dios charged towards Diabound and attacked, only to be forced back.

Bakura laughed, "That's pathetic! No one can defeat my Diabound!" he said. Seth growled in anger before calling an attack, only to be stopped by Akunadin.

"No, we must work together if we were to beat him, Seth," Akunadin reasoned. Reluctantly, the younger priest agreed and watched his fellow priests call their monsters.

Bakura watched them in amusement, confident that Diabound will not suffer from even a scratch as the priests' monsters attacked.

"It's too strong," Mahado admitted as he took in gulps of air, his Illusion Magician floating in front of him.

"You talk about those items being a way to stop darkness but you fail to consider that those items you boast of are made of darkness!" Bakura answered with a chuckle, "Amusing, really, pharaoh. Your High Priests can't even beat one monster, how pathetic!"

"You will not talk about them that way, Bakura! And no, you will not change my mind. I will never give the items to you!" Atemu answered, "You are full of darkness, I will not allow it."

"And what makes you think those items are free of such darkness?" Bakura answered back, "They were created by darkness! Their very cores were stained by the blood of the people."

Akunadin gasped at the outburst despite his exhaustion. How did he—?

"You lie! The former pharaoh will never allow such thing to happen," Isis snapped.

"Lie? Tell me, how sure are you that he made them for destroying darkness?"

Silence.

"How do you know that he won't take them for his own and unleash the dark power within them?" Bakura asked again, "Why will he order the death of 99 civilians from Kura Elna?"

Everyone was taken aback. But nobody noticed the horror that etched Akunadin's face. How did this person know? No one, they made sure of that, knew. It was a secret and anyone else who knew of it already died. So how—?

"My father will never do that. Shame on you for disgracing him!" Atemu answered in anger. But Bakura just smirked at him.

"Well why don't we ask him then?" Bakura asked before whistling. His steed came hurrying with a sarcophagus trailing behind it. The coffin slid its way towards Bakura who stepped on it.

"Say hello to your beloved pharaoh."

"The former pharaoh!" Shimon gasped at the sight of the sarcophagus.

"Father!" Atemu cried," Bakura how dare you!"

"I have to admit. You did a good job fooling me back then," Bakura answered, "Running around the town saying you're a thief. That's a good one."

Memories raced through the pharaoh's mind, going back to when they first met. "I never said I was a thief. I was looking for a ride back to Memphis," he said sadly. How could one that started nice end so wrong?

"So you decided to play with me first?" Bakura answered back, his anger rising.

"You will not accuse the pharaoh of anything!" Mahado defended.

Bakura glared at him angrily.

"You stay away from this, priest," he retorted. Calming down, he smirked evilly, "Although it doesn't matter anymore. I had my fun anyway," he answered, putting emphasis on his words.

Atemu paled at the meaning of the words. He could feel his cousin, Mahado and Isis' eyes on him. One of confusion, and the two understanding.

"Can't talk, pharaoh? Or should I remind you how you struggled madly –"

"Enough!" Atemu exclaimed. Bakura wisely shut his mouth but the smirk never left his face. A tooth for a tooth as the saying goes.

"Does that mean you'll give me the items now or must I force you again into giving what I want?" Bakura taunted.

Atemu rose from his throne angrily and went down.

"My pharaoh, we will deal with the thief," Mahado reasoned but Atemu raised a hand to stop him.

"I will deal with him this time," he answered before fixing a glare at the smirking Tomb Robber.

"You messed with my father's tomb, disturbed the peace and insulted me. Anything else, Bakura?" Atemu asked.

Seth watched his cousin in awe, never had he seen his cousin that angry. No, angry was an understatement. Furious was the right word. Never. He was always in control with his feelings. And to see him right now, it was a new sight that definitely scared him a little.

"Could you add killing you and taking your items on the list?" Bakura answered back. Atemu purposely ignored him before kneeling over his father's sarcophagus and then he heard it.

'Justice is the name of the gods'

"Justice is the name of the gods," Atemu called. Everyone watched as the ground shook, announcing the call of a god.

"Come forth, Obelisk the Tormentor!"

With a growl, Obelisk appeared gloriously behind the pharaoh. Atemu smirked. Bakura shrugged it off and ordered Diabound to attack. The god countered its attack with one of its own, thrown both Bakura and Atemu back. The pharaoh stood immediately to launch an attack when Bakura smirked.

"I hate to ruin all the fun but I'm going now. Thanks for the entertainment, Aoujii," Bakura said before running off.

Seth, who finally got over his shock, ordered the guards to run after the Tomb Robber but it was too late. Bakura had gone away. It still confused him why the thief was calling his cousin 'Aoujii' and why his cousin reacted to Bakura's words. But Atemu calling a god was what surprised him the most. He never saw his cousin call on any monster. He was always locked in his room. But perhaps it was in the scrolls the pharaoh was reading?

High Priest Seth shook it off and forced himself to start doing his job. "Are you alright, pharaoh?" he asked. Atemu nodded. "Your efforts did not go unnoticed. Thank you for defending me," Atemu answered.

"It is our duty to protect you, sire," Isis answered before bowing in courtesy.

"Shall the celebration resume, my pharaoh?" Karimu asked.

Atemu sighed. Why did he feel something was going to happen pretty soon? And somehow, he knew it would not be good.

"Proceed."

A/N: Aha! I'm done! Finally. I guess I'm implying here that Atemu once fell in-love with Bakura but no; I'm not confirming it. Somehow while I was writing this, the words started to type itself in my laptop (my computer's still dead X.X). But if you want to take it that way, I'm fine with it. It doesn't change anything anyway. Still, tell me what you think, okay? Oh yeah, and don't forget to tell me if it's Ryou or Malik.