Author's Note: I know I said to some people I would update Thursday but I am trying to update on a M W F schedule with Orchid-Unscripted. So you get it at midnight instead. That enough compromise for you? XD Anyways, sorry to say but this chapter is mainly filler. Hey! It's interesting filler tho! At least I hope so...XD Next update should be Monday August 30th. Do enjoy!

Unreal Truths

Chapter 5: Returns

Yugi's POV

"Yugi."

I knew that voice.

I looked around but couldn't find the source. "Ya...I mean…Atem?" I swallowed and continued looking around but my surroundings were shrouded in darkness.

"Aibou."

I jumped and turned around. It had been so close, "Atem? Is that you?"

I could hear the smile in his voice when he repeated his words, "Aibou. You look well."

I turned again and my eyes widened, "Yami!" I completely abandoned his original name in my excitement upon seeing his face and raced towards him.

"Yugi." He smiled and held out his arms as I barreled into him.

"Yami! It's really you!" I couldn't believe it. He was dressed in a black tank and black pants, and was accessorized in the various belts and buckles that we always wore. He looked the same as he always had except he had retained his bronze skin and ruby colored eyes from his past life.

"Aibou. I've missed you so much." He hugged me tightly then let go to stand back and look at me.

"Yami! Your back!" I laughed and was tempted to run up and hug him again.

"Not exactly Yugi." Upon seeing my puzzled look he explained further, "You're having a dream right now."

I could feel the disappointment write itself all over my face, "O…Oh…So you're not coming back?

"I am afraid I can't." He shuffled his feet and looked around, "At least I don't think so."

I looked at him with a questioning glance, "You think there could be a way for you to come back?"

He shrugged, "I don't know, but it is a nice thought."

"Don't you like it in the afterlife?" I always figured Atem would miss us, but to want to rejoin us instead of being with his friends in the afterlife? I didn't understand.

Atem seemed to get lost in thought for a moment before gracing me with a reply, "It is enjoyable, but I miss life. I miss you, and the others."

I could understand that, I mean, Yami and I had been together for so long and we also shared a soul. It was only natural that he would want to come back.

"How are things Aibou?"

I was torn from my internal mulling by his voice. "Oh things are good. We all still hang out and stuff. Well except Kaiba of course…and Bakura."

"Bakura? Oh you mean Ryou."

I nodded, "Yeah, Joey and the others kind of…well…they treated him like dirt so he moved away. I visited him today though and he seemed well. Marik was living with him."

He cocked his head at that. "Marik? Really?"

I nodded, "I know, it surprised me too. They seemed to be really close friends." I didn't mention Marik nearly taking my foot off in the door and Ryou's cold responses.

"Well that's good then." He looked me over, "And I trust that you are doing well Yugi?"

"Yeah, I am real good though I don't really duel anymore. We all sort of stopped." I shuffled my feet a bit, "It just isn't the same."

It was then a thought occurred to me and I looked up at him in curiosity, "Why are you visiting just now? I mean, why haven't you visited sooner?"

"Well, I was just about to ask you about that." He fixed me with a curious look, "I could feel the millennium puzzle's presence, and so I was able to come through it from the spirit world. How is it that you have the puzzle back Yugi?"

I blinked, I had completely forgotten about the puzzle, "I actually have no clue. I came home from Bakura's and it was sitting on my side table like always."

He frowned deeply, "It sounds suspicious Yugi, I would be very wary."

"You really think something is going on?"

"I don't know, but I can't imagine why the millennium puzzle would just show up in your room without some sort of outside help. And if I am able to be back and communicate with you, then there may be a chance that Bakura is back as well."

I stood there in shock, the thought of Bakura being back had never crossed my mind, "But we banished him!"

He nodded, "We did, but that wasn't the first time we so called 'banished' Bakura. He seems to keep finding ways to come back."

I chewed on my lip, he was right. "I promise to be careful Yami. I will look into it more."

"Good, but just be careful please."

"I will." I stood confidently, we had taken down Bakura many times before and we could do it again if we had to.

He sighed, "Listen, I can't stay any longer, but I will visit again Yugi, I promise."

I felt my heart wrench, "I wish you didn't have to go. I wish you could come back with us."

"Me too Aibou." He gave me a final hug as his form began to go see through. "Take care of yourself, and I will be back."

I fought back tears as I watched him completely fade away, "Take care Yami."

Marik's POV

As soon as I heard the door shut behind Bakura I opened my eyes and spat the pills onto the floor. I was grateful that Bakura was enough of an idiot that he didn't check to make sure that we both actually swallowed the pills.

Unfortunately I don't think Ryou had followed my train of thought.

"Ryou!" I yelled his name and tried to wiggle out of the ropes, "Ryou wake up!" I growled in frustration and fought harder. There had to be some way for me to get out of here.

"RYOU!" I screamed his name again but it was no use, he was out cold.

"Guess I have to get out of this on my own…" I looked around to see if there was anything in sight that I could possibly use to my advantage.

It was then I spotted the kitchen knife that Bakura had used to threaten me with. The only problem was that it was sitting on the side table across the other side of the living room.

"Okayyy…Marik you can do this. Just think." It was then that I had a thought. I remembered seeing this American movie in which the main character had been tied up in a chair and in a similar situation to the one I was in right now. The character had been able to scoot his chair across the room and reach the knife to cut himself free.

I smirked and congratulated myself on the brilliant idea.

"Okay, let's do this!" I set my eyes on my goal and jerked my entire body forward. I felt the chair slide ahead a tiny bit and I grinned in triumph. 'One down and a million more to go!'

Once again I threw my body as hard as I could against the chair and I moved even more, except that I found myself moving in a completely negative direction.

I squeaked in surprise as the chair tipped over and I face planted into the floor.

I groaned in pain and frustration, 'And that Marik, is what they call an epic failure.'

Mokuba's POV

I took off my glasses and rubbed the bridge of my nose. I had been staring at that computer screen for way too long.

With a sigh, I pushed my rolling chair away from my desk and held my arms up in a stretch. I had no idea how Seto managed to do this sort of thing without completely burning himself out.

Speaking of Seto, I hadn't seen him around at all lately.

Frowning, I decided to get up and go for a small walk to the kitchen to stretch my legs and perhaps grab something to drink or eat while I was at it.

The walk to the kitchen was a lonely one. We lived in such a big mansion that it was a rare moment when we would run into each other.

It saddened me that Seto and I had begun to grow so far apart. It never used to be like this. I missed the days when my big brother and I would play together and fantasize about someday living this sort of life.

I shook my head and walked to the fridge and grabbed a water bottle and an apple.

"Mokuba?"

I turned and smiled upon seeing my big brother leaning against the door frame.

"Hey Seto!" My smile didn't last long though when I was able to get a good look at him.

He looked absolutely drained of both life and energy. He had dark circles under his eyes and his skin was a ghostly pale.

"Seto…you don't look so good."

He scowled and walked over to the fridge to also retrieve a bottle of water, "You always say that Mokuba."

I knew we were about to have another all out battle, but it had to be done.

"Because you always look like you just crawled out of a coffin Seto!" I walked over to him and put my hands on his shoulder. "You're really starting to scare me."

He gave me look that had a condescending edge to it and shook my hands off, "Listen. Mokuba. I am doing fine. I just had a rough night is all."

I gave him my best 'you're full of shit' look, "You are having an awful lot of those lately. Maybe you should consider taking some time off." I braced myself for his reaction.

"Mokuba, your concern is dually noted, but completely unfounded." He took a swig of the water and put it back in the refrigerator before beginning to walk away.

I knew I had him irritated when I got him talking in business speak.

"Seto wait!" I could see him take in a deep breath and let it out in a heavy sigh. That didn't deter me though, I was going to be damned if he escaped me again without getting an earful. Maybe one of these times he would actually listen to me.

"Please hear me out just this one time okay? I know you let whatever I say travel in one ear and out the other, but maybe this time you can at least consider hearing me out."

He turned and fixed me with a look, "Okay Mokuba. I'm listening."

"Every time I have seen you these past few weeks, you have looked like crap. I don't want to be mean, but damnit Seto, I have to say something. I know you're not getting enough sleep or enough nutrition and it is wreaking havoc on your body. Quite frankly I am amazed you have managed this long without landing yourself in the hospital."

I saw him roll his eyes and wrinkle his nose, but I could tell by the way he was standing that he was hearing what I was saying.

"I am really getting scared Seto. You won't take any time off at all, not even a few hours! Can you not take a break for one day at least? Just one Seto. One day where you are not beating yourself up over some financial report or some important business meeting. Is there not one day where you can stay home and act like a normal teenage boy or get out and do something fun? Go to the arcade or chase pretty girls! Just do something normal!"

By the time I had finished my little rant, I had tears streaming down my face. I hadn't even noticed I started crying until a tear slid into my mouth and I tasted it.

My brother was looking at me now with a slightly guilty look on his face, "Mokuba…"

"Please Seto. Can you do this for me? Just take a little time off every once in awhile. Even if it's just a few hours for a little nap, or fifteen minutes to take a small snack break. Do something before I lose the only family I have left!"

I finally lost it and the tears came rushing forth like a flood. I couldn't help it, I was so afraid of losing Seto like I lost the rest of my family. First mom and dad, then our stepfather, even though I hated him he was family, then the stepbrother I only learned existed before he was gone too. I was so afraid of losing the only family I had left that I would do anything at this point to prevent it.

"Okay Mokuba. I will take it easy from time to time. Please don't cry."

It was the softest that I had heard Seto speak in a long time.

"Thank you. You don't understand how much that means to me." I stepped forward and took him into a tight embrace. "I love you nii-sama."

"I love you too Mokuba." He patted my back gently before slowly pulling me back.

"You look tired yourself. How about we both go to our bedrooms and take a little nap hm?"

It was then that I noticed how tired I felt, "Okay Seto. Sounds like a good idea to me."

He nodded and gave me a small smile before heading off in the direction of his bedroom.

I watched until he was out of sight and I heard the door to his bedroom open and shut in the distance.

I guessed that if Seto was going to cooperate, I probably should as well.

I took a swig of my water and put both it and my untouched apple back in the fridge then headed towards my bedroom.

A part of me was jumping for joy that Seto actually listened to me and promised to do something about it. I knew my nii-sama never broke his promises, but another part of me was also concerned that this would be a first for him.

I walked into my room, put on my glasses and sat down at my computer to finish up the last paragraph of a report I was doing of the progress of the American Kaiba Land.

Satisfied with what I had wrote, I hit the save button and closed the document manager.

"There." I smiled and moved the cursor to turn off the computer when a little black window popped up.

I frowned and clicked the x in the corner but it didn't close.

After several more failed attempts to close the box I clenched my fists in frustration.

"Oh come on, you have got to be kidding me." I looked away and was just about ready to shut the damn thing off when a voice came from my computer screen.

"Mokuba, wait!"

I paused and shook my head, I had to be hearing things. It couldn't be him, he was dead.

"Mokuba!"

I saw a flicker of something in the little box on my screen and I turned to look.

I was lucky I had been sitting down because if I would have been in an upright position I would have ended up on the floor.

I swallowed hard and leaned closer to the screen, "N…Noah? Is that you?"