The archmage and his friends

Dawn was peeking up when Yugi finished his story. He hadn't said Atem's name once.

"I was reborn in Wehs Afah, Haou's kingdom. He found me, and taught me afterward what it was to be a Signer. Life after life, I studied magic in the hopes of finding a way to destroy the Millennium and free my brother. I have searched for three thousand years and, so far, nothing. On the other hand, I have become greatly knowledgeable in the topic. My Signer epithet is the Archmage of Silence for that reason. So, that concludes our tale."

He felt his brother's love radiate from the Puzzle. Sugoroku held his grandson tight.

"Oh, Yugi…"

"It's alright." The teen said as he sipped his tea. "I learned to endure. I reincarnate, so I can afford to take the long path. Ten thousand years can go and I still won't give up on my goal. Big Brother will be safe. I made a vow. I will uphold it. Now, Grandpa, I need a moment to reawaken Big Brother's memories. Don't worry, it will be quick."

The Puzzle flashed briefly and Yugi fell unconscious. Within the Item, however, he and Atem were face to face. Yugi joined their foreheads. And the memories came flowing back. The pharaoh's eyes widened as he remembered. It came back. All of it.

Except his name, but he knew the reason why. It was fine. Holding his twin before him, he smiled warmly.

"You've changed, Little Brother."

"Everyone changes after three thousand years. It's good to see you again, Big Brother."

Then they hugged fiercely.

Sugoroku decided to make more tea, and maybe start on breakfast. He was working on toasts when Yugi entered the kitchen. There was a translucent silhouette at his side, a tanned young man who looked strikingly like the teen. The elderly man smiled warmly.

"So, are you two done?"

"We're done. Grandpa, this is my past self's twin. We can't use his real name, so you can call him Yami instead."

"Very well. Nice to meet you, Yami."

"Likewise."

It was a slow morning. As they headed to school, Yugi filled in his brother on History and the modern world. More than once, Yami found the progresses impressive.

"Compared to now, our age feels backwater."

"Our people are still renowned for their mastery of architecture and medicine, and Egyptian jewelry is still appreciated today. We can be proud of our homeland."

They met Joey, Tea, Tristan and, to Yugi's surprise, Miho. The group was quick to welcome the girl, she and Yugi bonding over their Japanese origins. Class made Yami snicker.

"Given you reincarnate, don't you already know all this?"

"Depends the topic." Yugi smiled. "Knowledge is constantly evolving. Literature, History and Geography, along with language classes, don't really change from one life to the next. Language is notable because I was reborn a large number of ethnicities and I can access their knowledge, so I – and every other Signer by extension – am effectively polyglot. History? More than once, I saw it with my own eyes and even influenced it somewhat. Geography is tied to History. Literature is… not unimportant but it isn't essential to life. The really interesting topics are sciences."

Yami perked up. Yugi explained.

"One and one will always make two, so basic math isn't an issue. But equations and formulas are actually challenging enough they remain interesting from one life to the next. Physics, chemistry and biology are fields in which new discoveries are regularly made, which means what we know is constantly evolving. This is where it's important to pay attention. It takes me about fifteen years to fully reincarnate, from the moment I die to the moment my memories return. It may not look like it but a lot can happen in this time."

"I see. I concur. We didn't know half of what you're learning back in the days."

And so, Yami ended paying as much attention as his brother during classes. The band gathered during lunch. Apparently, something big had happened.

"You know that Kokurano guy from 1-C? The one they say he can do divination? Well, one of his predictions came true: Willis's house burned down."

Miho winced.

"Poor him. Was he alright?"

"Yeah, he and his family made it out. But still, his prediction came true." Joey frowned. "A lot of people go see him to have their fortune told, especially girls. I wonder if he's real or a fluke. Hey, Yugi, do you know if there's magic which can predict the future?"

"There are several." The teen confirmed. "But Divination, the Divine Path of the Celestial Sphere, is the one which actually lets a mage glimpse the future. All other methods give room for interpretation."

"So, it is doable." Tristan frowned. "Makes you wonder if he's an actual mage."

Being a mage himself, Yugi was curious as well, and so was his brother.

"Is magic yet another field in which progress was made?"

"Yes." The teen smirked. "And, in this case, I literally wrote the books."

"You're joking."

"Wait until we're home. I'll show you."

"Let's go." Joey decided. "Just to see. We don't need our fortune told. Hey, Yugi, since you started practicing magic, you could predict the future, if you tried?"

"Hardly. Tarot, geomancy and the likes are easy to perform but hard to interpret, and Divination may be accurate but requires massive focus and Celestial energy. From what I read, it is one of the hardest Celestial Paths to walk."

"Aw, man…"

They ended gathering at the edge of a classroom, watching as the short, rotund kid in mystic clothes told fortune after fortune. Yugi frowned.

"Something is wrong. The flow of energy shouldn't be so still. It's like he isn't manipulating it at all."

"Could you explain?" Tea asked.

"I'll give you the bases. There are four Spheres of magic, each drawing energy from a different place. Celestial energy come from space and the rest of the universe and *rains* on Earth. Nethereal energy comes from the dimensions beyond our own through invisible cracks. Elemental energy is generated by the geosphere. Finally, Natural energy is generated by the biosphere. These energies are in constant motion, and mages cast spells by drawing one kind of energy to bend the laws of physics. That's why, for those who can sense it, paying attention to the flow of energies is important. And given the way magical energy flows, I can tell Kokurano isn't using magic."

"So, he's a fluke."

"Very likely, yes."

They left, unaware of the small student's lingering eyes. Yugi had people to meet after school. Now his memories were back, there were two very important people he needed to be reunited with. And he could tell through the Mark they were equally looking forward to their reunion. He was about to wave Tea goodbye when Kokurano appeared.

"Tea Gardner. You and Miho Nosaka are the only female students who didn't come to see me today. Don't you want to know your fortune?"

"Because you can tell?" Tea retorted. "Yugi can actually use magic, and he gave pretty solid arguments against the fact you got any power. I'm not interested in a stage magician."

The words hit home. Yugi tensed. In the end, though, the boy turned away and left with his acolytes. Yami frowned.

"Stay on your guards, Little Brother. This isn't the last we see of that fraud."

"Agreed."

As soon as he was alone, he summoned the Scepter of Silence, sent a short pulse through the Mark and hurried to the beach. He didn't have to wait long. First came a man with empty blue eyes and linen robes. Next was a pristine humanoid dragon with a prosthetic arm of silver and white wood. Finally came a humanoid dragon clad in many jewels. Yugi beamed.

"Shadi. Dragon of Silence. Oath-Keeper Dragon."

Shadi's smile was radiant.

"It's good to see you again. Welcome back, Sinuhe."

The pair firmly shook hands before Dragon of Silence held his partner in his arms, purring like a cat all along.

"I missed you, Partner. I missed you so much. That wasn't one of your smoothest remembrances."

The memory of he and Yami being intimate briefly flashed back.

"Yeah. It really wasn't. So, what happened while I was away? Are we the only ones?"

"No. The Viridian Wing is also awake. Her current identity is a casino dealer in Las Vegas: Mai Valentine. She seems to be enjoying her life so far, but with you back and…"

His eyes fell on the Millennium Puzzle.

"Yes, the Millennium is waking up. Trouble is coming, Shadi, and I hope all six of us will be awake to deal with it."

"The Front Claw, Heart and Rear Claw are still dormant." Oath-Keeper pointed. "But just the three of us should be able to limit its influence, especially since you and Partner both saw the Items being used during the War."

Yugi felt his brother's curiosity from the Puzzle. This earned him a smile.

"Right. Big Brother, you remember Shada? Shadi is his reincarnation."

Yami's translucent form appeared, still in his Egyptian clothes. Shadi smiled brightly.

"Your Highness. You remembered?"

"Little Brother brought my memories back except for my name. It's good to see you again, Shada."

Shadi bowed, a hand on his heart.

"I am pleased to see you well."

"Likewise. Still, why did Little Brother only say *reincarnation* instead of *current one*?"

"Each Signer has a power." Shadi explained. "Sinuhe's power is an affinity for all four Spheres of magic, where regular people only have one or two affinities. My power is immortality. I am neither alive nor dead, but kept in an in-between state to watch other my companions during their amnesiac period. I only reincarnated once."

"Oh. Useful. Doesn't it get lonely?"

"Not that much, with the dragons to keep me company."

They ended buying ice cream and walked in a park, Shadi bringing Yugi up to speed. The next day, he and his friends found Kokurano in their way.

"What do you want, again?" Tea asked exasperatedly.

"I have two messages for you." He pointed Joey. "Wheeler, be wary of falling lights. Gardner, in places you don't know, a man is watching over you. And you will come to him."

The group shared a look.

"Yeah, whatever you say. Let's go."

They walked past him, ignoring him royally. That afternoon, however, their class has sport in the gym. As they played dodgeball, Yugi had to hold himself from throwing back the ball with a wind burst. Now his memories were back, using magic was as natural as breathing, and he had to force himself to not rely on it in fights.

Then, one of the ceiling lights snapped and fell on Joey. Yugi reacted, jumping at his friend's side. A green forcefield covered them both. The lamp bounced on it. Joey starred at his friend.

"What was that?"

"I'll explain later. For now, let's say it's my magic."

The other students gathered.

"Another of Kokurano's prophecies came true… Are you alright?"

"We are." Yugi reassured. "More shaken than hurt."

Still, something felt wrong and his brother agreed. The school wasn't old. A ceiling light didn't just snap and fall like that. He glanced at the broken apparatus.

"You're right." Yami confirmed. "The cord was damaged."

"It isn't an accident. Someone caused the lamp to fall on us."

The moment everyone looked elsewhere, he knelt. The cord had the telltale sign of wind-cutting. It had been sabotaged, and by magic at that.

"There are some at school who practice magic, at least as a hobby. But they're few. Finding them shouldn't be hard."

"What bothers me is that Kokurano's prediction came true. Are you sure he doesn't have magical powers?"

"Certain, but it won't hurt to pay him another visit. Besides, I have met fake seers in my past lives. It wouldn't be the first time one tried to fulfil their own prophecies with artifices."

"There's a precedent. Good to know."

He went to find the prophet, Tea with him. Kokurano was waiting for them.

"It is as I foretold." He said as he retrieved a paper slip. "Tea Gardner will visit me this afternoon. Have you come to know more about the mysterious man watching over you?"

"No." Tea retorted. "I am just accompanying Yugi."

"Ah. Of course. The Little Archmage. I had a vision of him too, of both of you to be exact."

The pair tensed. Kokurano held a hand. Tea reluctantly took it and grimaced as the short student caressed it. Yugi held the urge to blast him. He saw his face. Kokurano was doing a poor job at hiding his lust. It took Yami hugging him to restrain him.

"Patience, Brother. Let him expose himself."

"I see." Kokurano finally said. "The man from the shadows will appear to you at the end of the day. At five in the science room, you will fall in his arms. And you…"

He glared at Yugi. Yugi glared back. He could feel Kokurano's followers. Several could use magic, but only one was drawing to herself the energy of the wind.

"Countless words shall fall from the Heaven as a great misfortune strikes you. Beware, Yugi Muto. Beware of falling words."

"We'll see." Yugi retorted. "I have always been tougher than I look. As for misfortune…" He let a teeny, tiny bit of his true identity slip through. "I had my share. It never stopped me."

For a brief moment, it wasn't a small schoolboy that appeared before the seer and his acolytes. It was a man, ancient and powerful and worn by the hazards of fate, but standing strong nevertheless.

Then it faded. No one said a word as they left.

"So, what do we do?" Tea asked. "Do we head to the science room?"

"Yes. I'll hide while you go in. Then we'll see who that mysterious man is – given he exists."

Usually, he wouldn't bet on it. But Kokurano had an interest in Tea and a demonstrated habit of fulfilling his own prophecies. Better safe than sorry. They were on their way when they found a book.

"It belongs to the library. Um, I'll return it. Here." He took a paper pen and magically sharpened it to needle point. "If you meet the shadowy man while I'm away and he tries to attack you, stab him and run. It will buy you time."

Tea took the pen and hid it in her sleeve as Yugi left. Finding the book' place was easy. What was less was reacting when the bookshelves suddenly fell, unloading books upon books on the teen. But all Signers could summon a forcefield from their Mark and Yugi did just that. The shelves fell harmlessly. A glimpse of a green coat made him react, summoning an earth spike which nailed the coat to the wall. Kokurano's acolyte glared.

"You shouldn't have challenged Master Kokurano. Misfortune will befall you, as well as those you love. So it is said."

"You are the wind mage." Yugi realized. "Why you keep following a magicless fraud when you have magic yourself is beyond me but it doesn't matter."

He took her arm and pinned it on the wall, where the concrete formed a cuff against her wrist.

"So help your master if he dares to touch Tea. I am not known for my mercy when my friends are involved. As for you, the police will handle you once I'm done with that bastard."

Then he ran. Tea, meanwhile, was waiting in the science room. She wasn't particularly surprised when Kokurano showed.

"Fulfilling your own prophecy? Yugi was right about you. You truly are a fraud."

She was about to grab the pen when someone came from behind and put a strange-smelling handkerchief on her face. Her head started feeling woozy. Half-blinded, she grabbed the pen and rammed it behind her, groggily smiling when she felt it strike flesh. She heard a scream and knew no more.

Yugi barged in the science room, just in time to see Kokurano slip a greasy hand under Tea's shirt. He didn't say a word. His fury was too great. Yami retreated in the deepest part of the Puzzle and watched as his brother, through sheer force of will, unleashed a gale that blew the fake seer straight through a window. His acolyte tried to run. One look was all it took for them to sink in the floor. He didn't say a word, and Yami soberly remembered why people called his little brother Sinuhe the Silent.

When Sinuhe raged, he never said a word.

Putting a hand on Tea's shoulder, he cleansed her body from the chloroform. The girl blinked.

"Yugi? You were right. It was him."

They turned to the acolyte, who had the paper pen stuck in the leg. Yugi didn't heal it. Instead, he looked through the broken window. The fake seer had mercifully fallen through a tree, but the subsequent tumble had gotten him out of his coat and the glass shards still dug in his skin.

"Let's stay together. Someone will call the police soon enough."

"You're right."