Yugi's breath caught in his throat. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't speak, he couldn't move.
How could someone look exactly like you, and not your twin?
Bakura looked from Yugi to the other Yugi, seeming to be just as confused. His eyes were narrowed though, as if he didn't care if he killed one of them or both.
"Prince?" He asked, voice set in a questioning tone with a hint of malice in it. "Prince? Is that you?"
The red-eyed Yugi glared at the man. His eyes didn't appear to see anything else. "Yes it's me! Now let the boy go! It is not he you want!"
Yugi couldn't help but frown, annoyed that, yet again, someone referred to him as "boy." He was a high school student! Not some little boy! He sighed breathily. The prodding at his shortness and child-likeness was getting old. Many people called him tyke, or kid; but c'mon, he was a teenager, a young man! Not some silly child!
"Don't call me 'boy,'" Yugi muttered mostly to himself.
The other Yugi frowned slightly and Bakura looked at him and laughed icily. "You seem to be in a sticky situation, so you are in no position to be making threats, my little Prince." Yugi gulped.
The other Yugi's glare hardened, Yugi felt scared to look at him, even though the glare wasn't directed at him. Something told him that you did not want to mess with this guy. "I told you, Bakura, I can take you!"
Bakura tilted his head. "Is that so?" He crossed his tanned arms and smirked. "Then why not fight me now?"
Yugi could've sworn he heard the other Yugi growl under his breath. "You know I can't do that." He muttered back, eyes sharp and cold. Bakura seemed smug, too smug.
"And why not?" He asked, kindly but with a hint of evil soaked in. Yugi was now sure the other him was growling.
"You. Have. My. Puzzle." He grunted through his teeth.
Yugi blinked. This was all over a puzzle?
"Correct, now," He put a finger on his chin tapping it, as if pretending to forget something. "What was it I threatened to do?"
The other Yugi looked at Bakura with the most bitter glare yet. "Break. It."
Bakura began to clap. "Very good little Prince!" He smiled, but it was not a pleasant sight. "I see someone's been listening."
The other Yugi was grinding his teeth now. The sound echoed through Yugi's little ear drums. Bakura picked up a small glass vase and began to examine it.
"My aibou, Yugi, will soon come, and then justice will be served!"
Yugi couldn't help but to gasp. How did the prince know his...?
Wait a minute.
Was that Atem?
Prince was ATEM?
Yugi gasped loudly at the realization. Both Bakura and the Prince spared a glance over at him. The prince's glare lightened almost instantly, noticing that the boy he was referring to looked almost exactly like him. The minute he looked at Yugi, something clicked.
"I- Yugi!" He managed.
Bakura let out a loud, unimpassioned laugh. "This little brat is here to help you?" His smirk widened as a dark chuckle escaped his lips. "Well, what a little surprise you got Prince."
The Prince's piercing eyes stayed on Yugi. Yugi had to try from looking down at his feet. The crimson orbs were kind, but very disappointed. Yugi could sense that Atem had thought Yugi was...taller. Yugi couldn't take it anymore and he lowered his head in shame.
"Yugi," Atem's voice was soaked with kindness, but something about his tone was a bit off as an all-knowing smile crept across his face. Yugi looked up to crimson-coloured eyes, a bit concerned with what he was planning. "Do you like games?"
Yugi had to keep his mouth from falling open. Of all things in the world to say at that crucial moment, Atem had asked that? Bakura's eyes bored into Yugi as Yugi's facial expression changed to a mixture of confusion and excitement. "Uh, y-yes, I love them!" He said a bit joyously, still utterly confused at the question.
"Good," Atem said, his smile growing a bit broader. Then he looked at Bakura, who was still chuckling slightly, but his flat brown eyes glinted red, for he knew what was about to happen.
"Because we're about to play one."