The Start of a new Adventure

In the morning, Solomon Muto swept the doorstep of his game shop. His next door neighbor, Emily Briar, and her best friend, Téa Gardener, came by and greeted him. "Good morning, Mr. Muto," the girls greeted in unison.

"Ah, Téa, Emily, good morning," he returned. "Yugi's upstairs getting ready. I'll call him for you. Would you girls like something to drink?"

The girls kindly refused. "Oh, no, thank you. We're already late."

"Yugi, Téa and Emily are here," Solomon called to his grandson.

"I'll be right there, Grandpa," Yugi replied as he was getting ready to go. This new chain ought to keep my Millennium Puzzle safe, he thought, securing it around his neck. Seems like everyone wants their hands on it lately.

"And we're going to need it now more than ever," said the spirit of the Puzzle.

"We are?" Yugi asked. "Wh-What do you mean by that?"

"The Millennium Puzzle connects us, Yugi, and I sense fate has more in store for us."

"Well, we're in this together no matter what," Yugi promised, picking up his backpack and exiting his room.

"Good," Yami sighed. "I wish I knew more, but our destiny is still unclear to me."

Yugi stopped for a moment at that last statement, then went back on his way to join the girls. "Well, I'll help you figure it out."

"About time, Yugi," Téa said as she saw him come outside.

"We're going to be late for the big game," Emily told him. "What took you so long?"

Yugi felt like the girls had a right to know, so he told them, "I was talking to the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle. He seems kind of… worried."

"About what?" the girls asked.

"About the future, I think," he answered. "He said something about our destiny being unclear. Ever since we defeated Pegasus together, the spirit's been talking about fate like there's something more he has to do." The girls looked at each other in concern. Yugi paused for a minute and told them, "When you think about it, he doesn't really know all that much about himself like where he came from and why he's here. But I'm babbling and we're late. We should get going."

"Oh, right, the soccer game," said Téa. "We definitely don't want to miss it." So the three friends bid Yugi's grandfather goodbye and hurry on their way to school.

As they passed through the streets, Emily decided to break the silence and ask for Yugi's opinion about the big game. "So who do you think's going to win?"

"Win?" Yugi echoed. "Win what?" Clearly his mind was somewhere else.

"Earth to Yugi," Téa was saying. "The soccer game at school."

"Oh, um, well, I don't know," he finally replied, obviously still not paying attention.

"You don't really care much about sports, do you," Téa asked.

Then a voice spoke up. "Futures told, fates unfold. Step up, boy, and I'll reveal the secrets of your future."

Yugi turned and saw a man wearing a black hooded cloak and sitting at a table with a crystal ball. Taken in by his words, he wonders, "Can you really see into the future?" Téa and Emily turned around and asked Yugi what he was doing. "Girls, maybe this fortune teller can figure out the spirit's future."

Téa and Emily knew they didn't have much time for this, but if it meant helping the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle, then they would agree to it.

The man put his eyes on the Millennium Puzzle. "Boy, in order to tell you your future, I must hold a personal item. Your necklace will do nicely."

"My what?" asked Yugi. "No, I'm sorry. I can't."

"Then I can't tell your fortune," warned the mysterious fortune teller. "I need it in order to properly read your aura and see what fate has in store for you." Yugi remembered his promise and finally submitted into giving the man his Puzzle. The girls suddenly got a bad feeling about this. He takes the Puzzle and says, "Yes, something is coming to me. I see that this Millennium Item now belongs to me!" and kicks the table towards them and starts running down the alley.

"My Millennium Puzzle!" Yugi cried, chasing after him. "Come back here!"

"He's getting away! What do we do?" Téa asked.

Emily got up and started following Yugi. "We'll follow him this way! You try to cut him off around the corner!"

"You got it," she called back and started running. "Be careful, you guys!"

Yugi stopped and saw a trail of arrows posted on the walls. Clearly the thief wanted Yugi to follow him. Emily warned him that it might be a trap, but Yugi didn't have a choice but to keep going. He couldn't lose the Millennium Puzzle.

Téa ran through the streets, but couldn't find the phony fortune teller. Max and Bakura were walking together along the path to school and noticed her. "Hey, Téa, what's the rush?" Bakura asked.

Téa finally stopped to catch her breath. "Oh, Max, Bakura, someone stole Yugi's Millennium Puzzle!"

Max's eyes widen. "What?"

"No!" gasped Bakura. "Where is Yugi?"

"He and Emily are in the alley," she answered, pointing to the route behind them. "We split up to catch the guy."

"Well, don't let us detain you," said Bakura. "Keep looking and we'll get some help."

Téa thanks them and starts running again. Once she's out of sight, the evil spirits possessing Max and Bakura take control. "No one shall have the Millennium Puzzle but us." They took their Millennium Ring and Cobalt Star shard and began using them to track the Item. "Show us the way," the spirit of the Millennium Ring ordered. "Trace the Item's mystical energies and lead us to the Millennium Puzzle." And they began backtracking on the path Téa was on. "If we can control all seven Millennium Items, we can control power unimaginable. And we will make sure that nobody stands in our way."

They stopped in front of the alley where the table had been knocked over and the crystal ball had been shattered. "Which way?" And the Millennium Ring pointed down the path in the alley. "Ah, yes, Yugi and his Millennium Puzzle are close."

"Sorry, Téa, but we can't have you and your sniveling friends interfering with our destiny," the evil Max said and began rearranging the arrows. Her partner joined her as they went down the path.