Chapter 2: Twist of Fate

Atem's anticipation grew as the puzzle drew near completion. A cool breeze from the window next to him nudged the curtains hard enough to brush his chair. The clock on his desk was ticking past three AM on an early autumn night when he picked up the final piece.

Ka-chack.

An eye, much like the one on the gold chest, stared at him from an upside-down pyramid. Atem grinned. It had taken him the rest of the spring semester and the entire summer to solve, but now it was complete. And Marik said it would take him until graduation. He stood, holding the puzzle with both hands. "I can't wait to see the look on his- ugh!"

The teen recoiled as golden light flooded from the artifact. One foot caught on his chair, sending him toppling backwards over it. The puzzle left Atem's hands. He lifted his head in time to see the light from it disappear out the window.

"No, no, no, no!" Atem scrambled up and thrust his upper body over the sill.

His brain did not register what he saw, but it registered what he heard quite well.

"Wha-ahh!"

Thud.

Whack!

"Ooh."

Silence.

Atem froze. Shoot, he thought. Shoot, shoot, shoot! I've killed someone!

Next he knew, he was tearing through the living room, Isa's anxious voice calling to him from upstairs. Another mental blank, and he was at the side of a face-down, unconscious figure on the lawn.

Atem's breath came in shallow gasps. I don't know what to do!

Even so, some latent instinct pulled his hand to the victim's throat. It was warm. A steady throbbing pulsed against his fingers.

Atem felt a surge of relief. They're alive! ...And they're going to kill me when they wake up.

He shoved his thoughts away and moved his hand to the victim's shoulder. "Hey. Can you hear me?"

No response.

His gaze wandered to the person's head. It looked like they had spiky hair, like his... was that a wet spot?

The porch light flashed on behind him. His heart stopped. Blood. There was blood in the person's hair.

Isa's voice called from the house, "Atem, what is going on? What are you-"

"Call 911!" he blurted. "They're hurt!"

"Who is?" Isa finally noticed the prone figure. "Good heavens!" She was there in an instant, also trying to feel for a pulse.

"I already checked. They're alive. Just call 911!"

Isa looked Atem in the eye. "Atem, I want you listen very carefully. Run to the house, get me a phone, a towel, and the first aid kit. Do you understand me?"

Atem nodded shakily.

"Go."

He disappeared. Gently, Isa lifted the person's head onto her lap to keep it elevated. She bent to inspect the wound. It was a clean, straight gash with a large bruise around it. The blood was oozing from it slowly.

Atem reappeared, out of breath. The requested items were in his hands. Isa took the phone first.

"Press the towel against the wound. Gently," she instructed.

Atem complied while she dialed the paramedics.

"9-1-1; what is the location of your emergency?"

...

Yugi's eyes flickered open to bone-white radiance. He squinted, then peeled his lids open again. He lifted his head to take in his surroundings. They were extremely white and high-tech. Reminiscent of a hospital room.

Is that where I am? A hospital? Did I just hit my head and dream all that?

He rubbed the back of his head absently. "Ow!" The hand dropped, brushing the bandage on his cranium. Well, I hit my head, at the very least.

A panel on the wall before him slid open – a door, he realized. A young man in white uniform – probably a nurse – walked in. "Oh, good. You're awake. You really gave the doc a scare. Not to mention those people who brought you in."

People?

"I'm gonna go tell the Doc you're up. Try to stay awake in the meantime. Oh, and don't go anywhere!"

The man turned, the door closed, and Yugi was alone again. He slowly sat up and crossed his arms to contemplate the situation.

Okay, Yugi, think. You know none of the past was a dream, regardless of how you feel about it, so what's going on? Atem was putting the puzzle back together, he put in the last piece... and then what?

He honestly couldn't remember.

He straightened. Waitaminute! If I'm here, doesn't that mean I'm in Atem's body?

His train of thought was interrupted by the arrival of the doctor. About ten minutes and seven removed stitches later – how long was I out? ...Or... maybe medicine has gotten that fast? – Yugi was good to go.

"You should avoid falling asleep for the next twelve hours," the doctor advised, "plus, no strenuous activity for two weeks. Other than that, you should be fine. The people who brought you in are out in the waiting room if you'd like to see them."

"People?"

"A middle-aged woman with dark hair – I think her name was Isa – and a teen who looks just like you."

Yugi's heart stopped. "W-what?"

"I figured he was your brother, but they both say you're not related to either of them."

Yugi stared at his sheets in shock.

"Is it all right if they come in? They've been real worried about you."

"...Huh? Oh, yeah. Sure."

"Alright. They'll be here in a minute."

Alone once more. Yugi's mind was racing. A kid who looks just like me. That can only be Atem.

He raised a hand to his face. How? Just- how? How did he have his own body, separate from Atem's? He should still be connected to the puzzle, a spirit forced to share a body with another to exist physically. ...On the other hand... maybe this was a good thing. His stories might be harder to prove, though.

...

Atem was still trying to wrap his mind around all this. The young man he had managed to knock out looked as much like him as Ryou looked like Bakura. How? Why? He had no idea what to make of this. Especially since his brain had finally registered what he had seen when he leaned out the window.

There had been the puzzle, sailing out into the yard. Nothing else.

Then there had been a person, falling next to it. It was him who had screamed.

The person had made contact with the yard first, hence the "thud."

Then the puzzle had landed on the person's head, hence the "whack" and subsequent groan.

None of it made sense.

While in the waiting room, he stared at the puzzle in his hands. The blood had been cleaned off of it long ago.

How does someone just appear out of thin air like that? Could he have come out of the puzzle?

Where did that idea come from? It's just a piece of gold.

...Or was it?

"Atem," Isa called softly.

Atem looked up. His stepmother was gripping the receptionist's desk. Two police officers stood in front of her, next to a nurse with a hand-held screen. "Come here please."

Atem stood and approached the desk. Isa turned to the officers and the nurse. "Tell him what you told me."

The nurse turned the screen toward Atem. She tapped an image, and the screen projected the image in front of them holographically. Two strands of DNA rotated side-by-side.

"One strand belongs to you," an officer said. "The other belongs to the kid you and your mom brought in. What can you tell me about them?"

Atem was silent for a moment as he analyzed the molecules. His brow furrowed. "They look the same."

The nurse tapped the screen, and the hologram disappeared. Atem realized everyone was looking at him expectantly. Two and two came together. "Does this mean that–"

The second officer nodded. "Even taking your appearances into account, we ran the test twice to be sure."

Atem's mouth went dry. "Then, the guy I knocked out is..."

"Your twin brother," Isa said softly.

Atem's head spun. He was dimly aware of Isa's hand gripping his arm. Everything else faded away.

A brother. He had a brother. For most of his life, he had been completely alone; Isa and his friends had been his only real family. But now...

He swallowed. There were so many questions, his brain couldn't process them. The emotions were easier to make sense of – though not by much. Confusion, excitement, denial (that one was gradually being shoved out the back door, though).

When his surroundings made themselves known again, he was sitting in a chair with several concerned faces hovering over him.

"Atem, are you alright?" Isa asked.

Atem barely heard the question. "I-I really have a brother?"

Isa blinked. Her face melted into a gentle smile. "It appears so."

Atem's hopeful face melted into a look of horror.

"Atem? Are you alright?"

"I landed my brother in the emergency room! He's going to hate me when he finds out!"

"Take it easy, son," an officer said. "It was all an accident."

"But I nearly killed him!"

"Atem!"

The teen froze at Isa's sharp command. She took his hands in hers, looking him straight in the eye. "It was an accident. Surely he will understand. I can't promise he won't be angry at first, but we'll put this right. We've been putting it right by bringing him here and waiting up for him. Do you understand me?"

Atem nodded. Isa smiled. "It will all turn out right in the end."

"Mrs. Benkhamen?"

Atem looked up at the doctor approaching them. Isa did the same. "It's Ms., actually. How is he?"

"Is he alright?" Atem heard himself say.

"He's fine. A bit disoriented, maybe."

Atem's shoulders slumped in relief.

"He'll need to take it easy for two weeks and remain conscious for the next twelve hours, but he's alert and in sound shape otherwise. Would you like to come see him?"

...

So here they were, in the door of the hospital room, staring at each other... sort of. Atem was caught between staring at his... twin (that would take some getting used to) and the floor.

"Um, hi," the twin offered. He had apparently changed out of his hospital clothes before they got there. The clothes he was wearing mirrored Atem's own tastes.

Does he remember what happened? Does he know I did it?

Isa smiled. "Hello. My name is Isa. Isa Benkhamen. This is my son Atem. We're the ones who brought you here."

The young man nodded. "The doctor said something about that. Thanks, by the way. Um... do you know what happened to me?

Atem reattached his gaze to the floor. He felt his twin's eyes shift to him momentarily.

"Don't you remember?" Isa asked.

"No. I remember I was... walking around, and after that... nothing. Except for waking up here, that is. Hey, are you okay?"

The ending question was directed at Atem. The teen looked up in shock. This guy is sitting on a hospital bed and he wants to know if I'm okay?

Isa looked at her stepson. When it became clear he wasn't going to say anything, she stepped in. "I'm afraid there was an accident. Atem dropped something out the window early this morning, and it landed on your head."

The twin blinked repeatedly. "Seriously?"

Isa nodded soberly. "I'm afraid so."

Atem looked at the floor again. "I'm sorry," he muttered.

...

So that's why he looks so guilty, Yugi thought. He tried to offer a smile. "It's fine. I'm sure it was an accident."

Atem looked dumbfounded. A grateful smile made itself known.

"At least I don't have amnesia." Yugi chuckled at his private joke.

Isa's face remained serious. "What were you doing out in our yard at three am in the first place, young man?"

"I-uh, don't remember," he grinned sheepishly. "Maybe I spoke too soon about the amnesia?" Isa's eyes widened. Too much? "Probably just some mild memory loss thanks to the concussion." Much better.

Isa's brow furrowed. "Do you remember your name?"

He nodded. "Yugi Muto."

Isa relaxed a bit. "Good. What about where you're from?"

Yugi considered his answer. After a good deal of thought, he settled on a half-truth. "It's a little hazy, but I do remember I can't go back. As in, I'm not able to."

Isa's frown deepened. "What about your family? Your friends?"

Yugi's face fell. No issue there. He bit his lip. "Gone. They... they all passed on a long time ago."

Isa's eyes widened. "All of them?"

"All of them." Yugi looked away. Consequently, he missed the glance that Atem and Isa shared.

"Yugi," Isa began. "The police have... discovered something."

"What is it?"

"Your DNA and Atem's are... identical."

"Say what?" A pause. On second thought, that actually makes sense.

"The two of you are long-lost twins."

"I-" Yugi shook his head. "I don't think that's right."

As easy as it would have been to go along with, Yugi didn't want to lie about something like this.

"I know it's a lot to take in, but the test results don't lie. Neither does your appearance."

Oh. Right. No plausible deniability, then.

"The police are having difficulty locating your records, but the test results show you're a minor, so I have been given custody of you until further notice."

Yugi's head jerked up. A minor? I was twenty when I went into the Puzzle! Wait. Hold on. "Custody?"

Isa nodded. "You'll be coming home with us. If that's alright."

Yugi gripped the side of the bed. This was a lot to take in. Especially all at once. Good thing he'd handled overloads of strange information before... just never ones this personal.

"I know this probably isn't ideal for you," Isa continued, "but it's the best that can be done under the circumstances."

"I... It's fine. I just... won't this be a bother for you?"

She gave him a gentle smile. "No. It's perfectly alright. Once I sign your release papers, we can go home."

Yugi tried to smile back. "Um, okay? And... you're sure about this?"

Isa cocked her head. Her smile turned coy. "Do you have anywhere else to go?"

Yugi blinked. "Umm... no?"

"In that case, I'm doubly sure."