A.N. First - a very short chapter to prove I'm alive and still writing - I just had the genius idea to take Latin and Ancient Greek at the same time, so I'm kinda busy.

Quick note to my reviewers: thanks so much for your responses, I love getting feed back or just encouragement. Just please don't feel snubbed if I don't write back - for some reason answering e-mails and reviews fall under the same category as talking to answering machines. I always feel so strange doing that... -_-; don't ask me why. But I thank you all the same! ~ Lost Socks

"Paths, once crossed, remain crossed."

The Watcher King, Act One

Scene Four: Sunday Morning

The letter came on Friday.

It had no return address, and its stamps had pink roses on waves. Inside was an invite to an Industrial Illusions tournament and a post-it.

They sent it with mine again. Sorry.

He'd been having a dream about fighting a water demon (with a pen light, which didn't strike him as very effective, but apparently it was) to save the country when Elly ran in bubbling something about beached melon.

Or sea lion. Whatever. It was early. Noon could be early. Really.

Which was why a mug was shoved under his nose and he was shortly dressed and on his way to the boardwalk.

Skirting the odd debris from the previous week's quakes, they meandered down to the sands in silence.

"So why are we here again?"

Elly sighed. She knew she couldn't expect much from someone who'd just finished pulling three consecutive all nighters. "The girls at Starbucks were talking about the sea lions," she flapped her hands out lightly in the general direction of the sound, "and the whales are in the area so I thought we'd have a look."

He thought he could have looked that afternoon.

"When the heat kicks in? It's your own fault for not doing those projects earlier."

Boots clunking on the boards she turned to face him, prancing backwards, grinning:

"'Sides! I haven't done this since I left home, and you've probably never seen them outside an aquarium, 'an seeing the whales on your own is lame." Giving a self-satisfied nod she spun again, righting her course, and dragged Yugi to the end of the pier.

"Look! See?"

Sure enough in the distance several dark shapes were making themselves known, rounded backs breaking the waves, almost sizzling in the unusual heat.

A spout drew the attention of the masses, and the railing quickly grew crowded. They watched the whales leave in an odd, drowsy sort of silence even the sea lions seemed unwilling to break.

Yugi peered around and poked his friend. Interesting as they were, didn't whales usually bring excitement and loud children? Small children were hardly lacking on the wharf and the reverent silence was mildly unnerving. What type of whales were they, anyway, to get such a reaction?

"Hells if I know."

As if a spell broken by the noise, the whales dove and the stillness lifted as the crowd began to move away.

"Well, I dragged you out here, how about we find you some breakfast?"

"You look like a truck hit you."

They were eating in the Kaiba's home, having offered Yugi refuge for his reading week.

"Love you too Seto." Yugi yawned. "Class projects."

Seto gave him a hard look which clearly said 'And like a dumbass you left it to the last minute' although he'd have never been caught saying such a thing.

"What? Not my fault. They were all assigned in the same three days and we were given a week to do them." He sighed – Seto whacked him, "Right, right, no sighing. But at least I'm scot-free until exams. Anyway, when's the opening for the tournament?"

"Seven. First round is at eight. We leave as soon as we're done." They finished eating in silence and gathered their things when Seto ventured to speak again:

"The geek squad will be there."

Yugi barely flinched, "I expected as much." He caught himself sighing before Seto could reach over, and got in the car. "Actually... I wanted to ask you about him."

Cool blue waited.

"You were one of Atem's priests, right? I-I know you don't like it! But – please – let me finish." Kaiba loosened his jaw. Slightly. Yugi breathed. "In the shadow game, the memory world, he acted strangely. And remembering his past doesn't cover it. He still doesn't remember anything but a couple names and Zork, and no one thinks he'll ever get anything more. So it can't be that."

Seto shifted in his seat, watching, his guarded eyes suddenly thoughtful.

Yugi laboured on:"But he was different. He's always been hard. Even when he was being considerate he was being hard, he has edges everywhere. He was insane. Killed without thought. Drove people mad. And even when the madness passed he never really felt guilt. But in the Game... In the Game he was... soft. No, not soft. Open, maybe? Generous. Or just kind... Yami is not kind, by any stretch. Everything he did was different. His mannerisms were gone. His way of speech. He had charisma! Yami has never had charisma. Attitude, sure. But people come to Yami because he looks good, because he's famous, because-because he's this dangerous bad boy who they'd rather not piss off so they make friends. Not because he's actually worth following or can speak to the heart.

"Yami is nothing like that Atem. He is not that Atem. But we also know that the pharaoh in the Game was Atem as he was... neither the demon nor the thief created that world. Which made me think... if that game wasn't a duel, it was role-playing. Yami just filled the role. He acted the Pharaoh, but he isn't him. But if I'm right, if he isn't Atem... then who is he? And who, for that matter, is the Pharaoh?"

Seto said nothing, frowning darkly at the steering wheel as they pulled out of the drive.

"... I'm right, aren't I."

He didn't respond. What was the point?

He'd never really understood how Duels got to be this popular – they had been a craze long before Seto had developed his holograms.

But San Francisco was abuzz tonight and cities up and down the coast were alight with tournaments and festivals this week. This was but the first night of many.

The opening rounds went off without a hitch. Lots were drawn, matches set and ended, and half the tournament hopefuls knocked out within the space of half an hour.

Seto, struck with a spectacular opening hand, had eliminated his own opponent before the poor boy had had a chance to draw a single card, but he had left laughing that if nothing else he could tell people he'd gotten his ass handed to him by none other than Seto Kaiba, and he'd gotten to see the feared CEO get chewed out by both his rival and his little brother. A fair consolation prize.

Yugi's own match had taken only slightly longer but was no less decisive – he then got bored waiting for his ride (who had to give a speech at the end of the night – something about the technology) and took to giving advice to passing duel enthusiasts, all more than happy to listen to the unbeatable Game King.

More than once he glimpsed a familiar set of heads drifting though the crowds of revelers, but they never approached and he never sought them out.

Although he suspected Seto may have done something to keep them away. He'd have to ask him later.

But just once he'd caught a glimpse of his once-other though the crowds and could not suppress a shiver. He stood by all that he'd said to the elder Kaiba, and the black look in blood red eyes did nothing but reinforce his position.

He'd ask Seto for Ishizu's number later, too.

He knew what the Shadows did to a soul, but something always remained.

And that sure as hell was not the Pharaoh.

Author's Notes: 'Sunday Morning' by Maroon 5 because he missed it :D

I wanted to make this longer, but it'll continue in the next chapter - this just felt like a very natural place to end. Also, not sure how clear this is, but this all takes place on the same day.

Yugi has a Saturday class – Canadian universities give them, I assume US ones do too.

Reading week, for the uninitiated in the ways of university, is a break. The winter one is March Break, and often takes place in February. :D

This tournament may or may not be the same one Mokuba mentions in Scene Two. Haven't decided. It doesn't actually matter.

Also, as has been pointed out, Yugi's description of Yami is highly uncharitable: there is a reason for this, but as the Atem-Yami identity crisis is a plot device and plot point I refuse to discuss it just yet. Also, Yugi, strong front or no is hurting and has correctly divined just who is the ultimate cause of his pain. Lashing out is to be expected.