A/N: Okay, I lied, here's the first chapter already. ; Thank you to anyone who read it, and please review! This chapter is where the plot starts to get rolling. And no, the prologue won't be explained yet... but I love you all, so I'll tell you all that the guy was... Yami Bakura.

About names: I live in the US. When I first started reading fics, I was always surprised that hikari Bakura is referred to as "Ryou". He's called "Bakura" in the anime over here, and so I continue to call him that. ;;; I'm sorry if that confuses anyone... Although it's not the most confusing thing... Later on, I'll refer to yami Bakura as "Ryou". Gomen ne! When I was starting this fic, I needed a name for him, so I just chose hikari Baku-chan's surname. I'm sorry for any misunderstandings... If there's too much confusion, I'll switch the names in later chapters. Thank you!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Do I have to say this for every chapter? 0.o

Book One: Change

Chapter One: Inauguration

Malaise bent her head forward, closing her eyes and giving a silent moan to the gods. She placed one hand over her eyes, grown wrinkled and veined with weariness, of seeing too many things that one should not see, never see. The area around her rocked; her once-strong body reeled with it, taking the punishment as she had been doing for so long now.

"Excuse me."

Malaise looked up. Her eyes wandered for a moment, then came to rest on the boy who had spoken. Focusing on his face, she gave a very small smile to herself, one of recognition but no joy. Of course he was here.

The boy seemed unsure whether to ask of her health or of something for himself, but Malaise straightened her back, giving off a hint of the woman she used to be, and looked the small boy straight in the eye. "Yes, child? What is it?"

Given this display of physical well-being, the boy shifted his bag to the other shoulder and asked politely, "Is this seat taken?" He pointed to the empty space on the plastic seat next to her as the city bus lurched, and he with it.

"No, it would be my pleasure," Malaise replied, after searching her subconscious mind for a short moment. She smiled at him, a pretend smile, but one that looked so convincing to the onlooker that he grinned and bounced down happily, sliding the school bag off his back with a loud, contented sigh.

Malaise took in the violet eyes, small stature, and most especially, the large gold talisman he wore around his neck. Then she refocused her eyes on the back of the driver's head.

The door opened again. Another boy climbed on, facing away from Malaise and the small boy, sitting in the back. Malaise's heart suddenly leapt into her throat and throbbed there painfully; she did not want that boy to turn around. Please, the gods couldn't let him be -…

The little one next to her sprang up. He waved and called the other boy's name as he finished paying the driver, causing Malaise to clasp her trembling hands together quickly, so hard that her fingernails bit into the soft flesh of her hand and drew small droplets of blood.

"Bakura!"

The one in front turned. Malaise saw long, white hair, fair skin, the gold charm around his neck - but the eyes were the most painful to see: they were dark and kind, but the familiar essence was gone. They were innocent and hurt, and Malaise could sense the separate, unsure spirit, just as she could with the other boy, she could feel it... The gods must have been laughing at her as she shivered. Why did this hurt her so much…?

"Hi!" Bakura waved back, smiling, and threaded his way through bulky purses, schoolbags, people, unbalanced by the shifting of the bus, and finally reached them. "'Lo Yugi."

"Wanna sit?" Yugi glanced at Malaise. "Is that all right, ma'am?"

"Of course," Malaise said lukewarmly. "If there is not enough space, I will move if you would like."

"Thank you, there's more than enough room," Bakura replied, and slid into the end of the seat, up against the window.

The boys began to speak, chatting about school, and the game - that game. "And Joey beat me hands down, but I won against Tea…."

"Tea tries hard. That's the important thing."

"Hah! Yes, and I tried against Joey too…."

Malaise winced as the gods enlightened her, telling her of what had to be done. She sighed inwardly, but respectfully agreed to obey.

It was almost half an hour before Bakura suddenly glanced up. He blinked in surprise. "Oh - sorry, Yugi, I missed my stop!" He gathered his bag in one hand and tugged on the bus's cord with the other, causing the vehicle to grate to a shaking halt. "See you." he began to shove through the various people again.

"Bye." Yugi leaned to the side and rested his temple against the window, fingers rubbing in a circular motion over his gold necklace. The Eye of Horus gleamed at Malaise, stroked to a polished golden glow.

Malaise listened carefully to the gods' instructions, then let her eyes slide over to Yugi, staring unblinkingly at him. She continued to look at him as the bus made its rounds around the city, letting people on and off, rumbling past schools, stores, offices. It was almost an hour before Yugi recognized the streets near his grandfather's shop.

Malaise was almost boring holes into the boy's head, her gaze was so intense, so focused upon the single eye she could see, not looking at her. But finally, as the bus turned onto the shop's street, and Yugi reached for his bag, he happened to glance at her.

She had been staring at him for a long while, he knew, but it was usually better to leave people like that alone. He knew enough to go into a busy store or call home if a person got off with him and followed him, or else he could just ask his companion to help him - the friend he wore around his neck. He wasn't very worried about the woman.

But….

"Do you want something?" he asked cautiously, as he stretched high up to pull the cord, keeping an ear out for her and turning to face the window. He gave the cord a sharp tug; the bus rattled down to its faulty brakes and screeched to a stop, quivering. Not hearing an answer, he turned and began to walk up the aisle.

Malaise spoke.

"I know what it is you want, Yugi Mutou."

Instantly, the boy halted.

"You and His Majesty."

Slowly, Yugi turned. His mind tumbled through several responses, and he finally settled on "I have to go home. Sorry."

Malaise eyed him. "You are not expected home. Your grandfather knows that you duel often with your friends, and that you are late almost every day, because you could not interrupt your game with Joseph Wheeler -"

Yugi drew back slightly.

"Or Miss Tea Gardner -"

He clutched unconsciously at the chain fastening the Puzzle to his neck.

"Or R-" Malaise cocked her head, swallowing saliva. "Or Tristan Taylor."

"Wh-" Yugi licked his lips, dry. "Who are you?"

"I am called Malaise. Sit back down, little Mutou boy. We have very much to talk about."

Slowly, hesitating, Yugi returned to his former seat, only this time he kept one hand around the Puzzle, and he leaned slightly away from the woman. Malaise noticed as the bus picked up speed once again. "You do not have to alarm the pharaoh," she told him, now keeping her eyes steady on the overcoat of the weighty man in front of them. "I will not hurt you. Either of you. I only wish to have a conversation - in private."

They rode the bus in silence, waiting as people disembarked, one by one, group by group, until they were the only riders left, and the sun was sinking to the horizon. After the final person had gotten off, Malaise waited for a few minutes, then smoothly reached up and pulled at the cord. The bus stopped, rattling, and she stepped through the aisle and down the stairs, Yugi following her.

They were at the entrance to the city's park. She pushed through the gate, not holding it open for the boy. He walked after her, glancing around uneasily as they entered a stand of trees and continued, walking farther and farther into the woods. The sun no longer reached this place.

At last, he stopped. "Ma'am - is this far enough?" he called softly, faltering. To his surprise, she halted as well, and turned toward him, nodding.

"Quite." She pointed to a stone. Yugi sat, awkwardly perched on its rough gray top, and gazed none too comfortably up at the woman. Her hood shadowed her face, making her impossible to identify, and the folds of the long, dusty cloak could easily conceal a pistol or a knife….

He pressed back onto Yami's presence within his Millennium Item, and was reassured by the wave of self-assertiveness and courage. Yugi sat up straighter, feeling the young pharaoh's essence shielding him, the unwillingness to let him be hurt making him feel safe. "Okay… what do you want?"

"No, Yugi Mutou, this is not about what I want. This is about what you want."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand."

Malaise leaned forward, her hands on her knees, back arched. Her eyes, the color of a faded, cracked sapphire, studied his own amethyst ones. "What you want," she whispered. "What you both want."

Yugi wanted her to stop looking at him in that way. It was unnerving. "I don't really want anything," he said a little too loudly, "except to go home." In his mind, he could see Yami frowning at him, reminding him to never show fear or great emotion to an opponent. And, at the moment, Malaise was an opponent.

The woman gave a very small, taut smile. "Khemet," she said, almost inaudibly.

Yami's interest was caught and held immediately, and because of this, so was Yugi's.

"What?" Yami said, speaking through Yugi's mouth, forgetting to ask for permission, but Yugi could overlook that. He knew very well why Yami was so captivated all of a sudden. "What about Khemet?"

"Ancient Egypt," Malaise said, aware that this was the pharaoh that she was talking to now. "You wish to have your home back, your subjects?"

Yugi felt Yami's pulse begin to increase, but also an edge of wariness. "Perhaps," he allowed, still using only Yugi's voice.

"You wish to have your memories, your own body back, no longer needing to share the vessel of a child?"

Yami stayed silent. So did Yugi. This was a very delicate part of their relationship, one that they treaded about carefully, never really coming to terms with the fact that Yugi, while loving Yami's presence always there, had noticed that it gave him a certain feeling of being watched, even when Yami was completely withdrawn; and for the pharaoh, it was a matter of pride, that he had to depend on a mere boy for his very existence. True, they helped and cared for each other, and neither desired to be rid of the other, but still….

"Well…." said Yugi, not answering.

"And you, child… you wish to see the King as his true self?"

"I… er…." Yugi considered. It certainly would be interesting to see Yami as pharaoh… and he couldn't deny that, at times, he had thought that it would have been much easier if Yami had his own body to go around challenging people with. And, the fact that he was the reincarnation of an ancient Egyptian sometimes made him feel as though he should be there, instead of this city.

Yami doubted that a mortal woman could do this. "Yugi, I don't think -" he began, but the boy wasn't listening to him at the moment.

"Okay…." he told Malaise uncertainly. "So… you mean Yami'll have his body back, and he'll be pharaoh again?"

Malaise eyed him. "Technically," she said.

"Technically?" both violet-eyed youths said at the same time, one arching an eyebrow and scowling, the other blinking in innocent confusion. The result was a very odd expression.

Malaise had to explain further. But not too much information. "I will return the pharaoh to ancient Egypt, otherwise known as Khemet," she told them. "Yugi, you may go and see if the transition is to your liking. If the change does not settle well with the two of you -" she gave a nod, which served the same purpose as a shrug, " - then, the decision is not permanent."

Yugi thought the offer over. It sounded all right to him… but Yami still was unsure. "What's wrong?" he silently asked the spirit. "This seems great. You get to go home! Get your memory back! See your people again! Your family!"

"You seem very enthusiastic about it," Yami muttered, fiddling with the door of his Soul Chamber. "Anxious to get rid of me, are you?"

Yugi blinked in surprise. "Of course not!" he insisted, surprised by how unwilling the spirit was. "But this is what we've been working for, right? I mean, it wasn't fair that you had to sacrifice yourself for Egypt, right?" Yami mumbled something incomprehensible. "Right?" Yugi pressed.

"I suppose," Yami said, and pushed one strand of gold-colored hair out of his diamond-shaped eyes. He narrowed them. "But I don't trust that woman, Yugi."

"Yami, you don't trust anybody."

Yami muttered again, but it didn't sound like he was protesting. Then, he said, "If I get myself killed because of this, or someone assassinates me, or that dragon tries to eat me again, I am holding that woman personally responsible when I get to the afterlife."

"If Ammit doesn't destroy your soul."

"Ammit doesn't eat pharaohs."

"Yeah, right." Yugi opened his eyes, taking a moment to focus on Malaise's. "He says it's okay with him." He shifted slightly, causing a rough, scraping sound as thick school-uniform material chafed against stone. Somehow, it reminded him of his grandfather, waiting for him at the shop. "Um, ma'am -"

"Malaise."

"Malaise - I'm sorry, but I have to go home -"

"That is fine." Malaise straightened. "So you accept?"

"…Yeah…."

"A wise choice, Yugi Mutou - and My Lord," Malaise said, turning, dried leaves cracking and turning to brittle shards beneath her feet. "Oh, and child…"

"Yes?" Yugi said, standing quickly and brushing leaves and twigs from his school jacket.

"Bring your friends."

"Wha? Um - but - I don't even know how I'm supposed to bring Yami back to Egypt -"

"You shall. When the time is right, I will instruct you myself."

"Well… okay then… so Joey and Tea and Tristan and Bakura -"

"No."

"What?" The voice was Yami's, taking over as Yugi shied from the harsh tone of the enigmatic woman's voice.

"Only three. No more."

"Oh… well, Tea, Joey and Tristan, then," Yugi replied, voice rising in uncertainty at the end of the sentence.

"That is correct," Malaise said, beginning to walk deeper into the trees, shadows pooling on her body and wrapping around her, the early evening calm muting her, until there was no sight nor sound of the woman - only leaves swirling in her wake.

"Ooooookay," Yugi said, snatching up his bag. "That was very weird."

"I am not doing anything related to that woman," Yami announced. "I trust her even less than most."

"Do you want to go home, or not?"

Yami didn't reply, but Yugi felt a cloud of irritation rise up within the pharaoh's spirit. Finally, Yami said sullenly, "The only reason I'm wary of all these people is because you're too willing to have faith in them," almost to himself.

"I heard that," Yugi answered. He slung the bag onto his shoulders and sprinted in the direction of the road. Leaves crunched beneath his sneakers, and branches snatched at his jacket and shirt. The heavy Puzzle hit his chest every time he took a step, bringing with it a small pang as the sharp gold ends dug through cloth into skin.

Yugi emerged from the trees and jogged up the concrete path, rubber soles tapping against the pavement and echoing in a strange way - as though he were the only person in the park, the city, the world, even. It gave him a feeling of faint loneliness - one he hadn't experienced since learning that the soul of an ancient king was trapped inside the necklace his grandfather had given to him. Or, perhaps right after - when Joey had stopped teasing him at school and started sitting with him at lunch, and asking him advice on how to win duels. Or, maybe, when he had first looked at Tea and realized how she was really quite pretty….

"Yugi!" Yami surged into control of the body, slamming one foot sideways onto the ground and letting the weight of the school bag pull them over backwards. "Do not just run straight out onto the road!" he mentally shouted in exasperation. "We didn't have cars in Egypt, and even I know better than that!"

Yugi blinked, looking at the street that stretched across the grass in front of him, the Interstate. A van flashed past him, a blur of roaring blue metal and slick rubber tires, a machine of crushing, speedy death. Then it was gone, and an instant later the exhaust-filled wind and the sound of the engine washed over him.

"Sorry, Yami." Heh, what would happen when he didn't have ancient teenagers to keep him from killing himself?…

It took ten minutes to walk to a bus stop, another fifteen for a bus to actually arrive, this close to the outskirts of the city, and, after the half-hour ride, Yugi was exhausted. The day had been trying, for him and Yami, and he hoped that the shop wouldn't be busy, and so he could do his homework and go straight to bed.

When he finally stepped off the bus and the doors trundled shut behind him, the vehicle coughing and sputtering down the road, Yugi was surprised to see the shop's sign turned to CLOSED. His grandfather never closed until eight, even on holidays.

He walked slowly up to the door, turned the knob and slid in, his backpack banging against the doorframe. The small bell on the top of the door jingled as it swung shut behind him.

Most things seemed normal in the shop, with rare or powerful cards being displayed in the glass counter, the cash register locked after another day of work, shelves covered with boxes and packs of cards stacked high, the carpeted stairs leading up to the house section, where Yugi and his grandfather lived above the shop.

But, in front of the counter there was Joey, his face flushed and covered in perspiration, and behind it was Yugi's grandfather, speaking rapidly into the phone, addressing, it sounded like, Tea. Tristan could be heard yelling from upstairs, sounding like he was in Yugi's room.

"Grandpa?…" Yugi asked, dumbfounded. "What's going on?"

Mr. Mutou turned and dropped the phone, Joey doing the same, except he was holding his school bag instead. Then, suddenly, Yugi's grandfather was shouting at him, looking relieved, "Yugi, where have you been! You were supposed to be home hours ago!" and Joey was slumping against the wall with a very loud "Umph!" and Tristan was galloping down the steps, leather jacket flapping.

"What?" Yugi said, blinking large purple eyes around at everyone.

"It's almost seven, man," Joey said, obviously worn out. "Maybe you haven't noticed, but school lets out at two-thirty. Gramps thought you'd been kidnapped or somethin'."

"Oh," Yugi responded. "Er…." He scratched his head. "… Sorry?"

"What the heck were you doing for almost five hours?" Tristan said hastily, noting that Mr. Mutou looked rather close to spontaneous combustion.

Hearing that, Yugi suddenly became quite animated. "Guys, I met a lady who says she can bring Yami back to ancient Egypt!" he cried enthusiastically. He let the bag drop from his back with a rustle-bump onto the linoleum-tiled floor. "And she says that I can bring you guys and Tea with us!"

Joey blinked and shot up, grinning. "Hey, that's great, Yami!"

"Enh," Yami replied inarticulately.

"Yami doesn't like her," Yugi explained promptly.

Yami kicked slightly at the floor of his Soul Chamber. "You don't even know what malaise means, Yugi."

Later that night, after finishing his homework and after Yami had retreated to his Soul Chamber to rest, Yugi lugged the enormous dictionary off of the shelf and thumbed through it, until -…

malaise, n., a feeling of illness, depression, or pain.

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