A/N: Here we are again, with another chapter. I was finally able to get some R/B interaction in. Scant as it, that still made me happy. Just as a note, Yami's parents are just random OCs I made up for the story. They're not from the anime or manga so don't strain yourselves trying to recognize them. I realize that biologically, Yami shouldn't be able to look the way he does with "normal" parents, but it's Yami. Enough said. Enjoy the story.

As the sun began to rise once more for a brand new day, Yami quietly got out of bed and dressed in what passed for his school uniform. Normally, he enjoyed sleeping in until the very last minute, but this was one where day where he didn't mind get up early. It was time to confront his little partner. He'd been shocked the day before when, while he'd been out with his friends, the power of the Millennium Puzzle had activated and whisked him away to an unfamiliar place with a very familiar boy. The memory of Yuugi's exhausted, confused face was enough to make Yami smirk to himself as he eased his bedroom door open and crept down the stairs. Explaining this would be fun, no doubt, considering that sometimes he barely believed it himself.

"Atemu! Atemu, come in here, please."

Yami suppressed a growl and reluctantly entered the dining room. He'd been so close to getting out of the house without his parents noticing! Sometimes he really envied Bakura's ability to sneak around without anyone seeing or hearing. "What is it, Okaa-san?" he asked, standing just inside of the entrance.

Tenno Akemi leaned forward and looked intently at her only child. Even though she smiled, there was no warmth in her blue eyes. "Your father wants to speak to you."

"I'm going to be late meeting my friends," Yami pointed out. "Can't it wait?"

"No, it can't," said Tenno Daiki, taking a long sip from his cup of tea. His deep brown eyes studied his son, taking in every detail, and he spoke carefully. "How are you enjoying your school?"

"It's fine."

"Your teachers all appear to be very pleased with you. Your grades last semester were adequate, though you'll need to keep a closer eye on your maths and sciences," his father said, finally getting to the point of the matter. "You are almost eighteen years old, Atemu. That was the age when the Pharaoh was sealed away. The Millennium Puzzle should be calling out to you soon."

"I'm sure it will," said Yami, who had absolutely no desire to inform his parents that it had already happened. As far as he was concerned, it was none of their business. "But I haven't felt anything yet."

"You will," Daiki said confidently. "You're going to save the world."

Yami said nothing, and after a few more artificial words about keeping his grades up, his parents allowed him to leave. He made sure to slam the door of their home as he did. That was all he'd heard about while he was growing up; the fact that he was the reincarnation of the Pharaoh who had been prophesized as the one who could control the realm of darkness. The Pharaoh who was apparently missing something very important – like the other half of a soul. The Pharaoh that his whole family had been waiting three thousand years to see. Sometimes he was certain that his parents didn't even see him, but the Pharaoh he had supposedly once been.

It was nothing short of infuriating to constantly live in the shadow of someone who wasn't even alive. While he was growing up, Yami would have thought his parents were completely insane, were it not for the little bit of shadow magic that he was able to use and the fact that he'd always felt like he was missing something. His parents didn't particularly care about the fact that their son was missing half of his soul; they were far more interested in Yami being able to claim the riches of the Pharaoh once he had proof that he could use of the Millennium Puzzle's power.

"Greedy humans," he muttered, glancing down at his hand as a ball of shadow magic formed. Already, he could feel that it was much easier to call upon the shadows, and the bond between he and his hikari was still new and fresh. He shuddered to think of what kind of power would be at his disposal once the bond was whole. Hopefully, the prophecy would come true, and his light would be able to stop him from descending into the depths of madness. After all, he sometimes felt as though he was already halfway there, and that it wouldn't take much to push him the rest of the way. Yami sincerely doubted that the small boy he'd met the night before would be able to do that... and for that reason, he feared for the future.

GMA

The next morning, Yuugi finally awoke when the snooze button on his alarm clock went off for the fifth time. He sat up slowly and pressed the button to make it stop, then rubbed his eyes, wondering how it could be past seven in the morning already. It felt like he'd only gone to bed five minutes ago. Reluctantly, he pushed the covers on his bed back and climbed out. Taking a shower would have been way too much effort, so instead he just got dressed. By the time he was done putting his jacket on, he was exhausted, and had to sit back down on the bed for a moment. Something sharp dug into his hip, and, curious, he glanced down and gasped at the sight of the completed Millennium Puzzle, which had apparently somehow ended up on the bed with him while he slept. That's when he remembered the night before, including the odd appearance of his classmate, Tenno "Yami" Atemu.

"I must have been dreaming," Yuugi muttered, placing the puzzle in his lap. He thoughtfully ran one finger over a sharp corner and realized that he didn't feel quite so tired when he was holding it. "There's no way that Tenno was here in my bedroom... Great, now exposure to Rebecca is giving me nightmares!"

Rolling his eyes, Yuugi stood up and carefully made his way out the door, carrying the Puzzle. He went down the stairs and into the kitchen. There was no sign of Sugoroku, but a pile of pancakes was on the table with syrup and butter, and he could smell eggs frying in a pan on the stove. As he gave the eggs a quick stir to keep them from burning, he took a bolt of strong cord out of the cupboard and cut a length from it. The cord fit easily into the hoop on top of the puzzle, allowing Yuugi to tie the two ends into a knot.

"Yuugi, there you are. I wondered if you were going to get up today," Sugoroku said, entering the kitchen as Yuugi placed the puzzle around his neck.

"What do you mean, Jii-chan?" He muffled a yawn as he slid into his place at the table, too tired to even set out the plates and utensils like he normally did. Sugoroku shot him a worried look as he put the eggs on a plate and brought them to the table, then poured milk (for Yuugi) and tea (for himself).

"You fell asleep right after dinner last night. I kept trying to wake you up for dessert and you kept rolling over and muttering something about the puzzle and... yami? The darkness?" Sugoroku shook his head. "I didn't know what you meant. I finally gave up and told Arthur-san and Rebecca-chan that you were just overtired from being stressed about a new school. Rebecca-chan was awfully disappointed, I must say."

Yuugi stared down the table, blushing. Had he really been talking about Yami in his sleep? Thank god he'd never mentioned the man to his grandfather, preventing him from making the connection. "I'm sorry. I guess I wasn't feeling too great," he mumbled. "After I solved the puzzle, I felt so tired..."

"I'm really happy that you solved the puzzle, Yuugi. It's quite an accomplishment, and you should be proud. But I hadn't intended for you to put so much effort into trying to solve it. That's really not healthy, and I wish you'd hadn't stayed up so late. It caught up with you all at once. Are you sure you're well enough to go to school today?" Sugoroku reached out and placed a hand against Yuugi's cheek, then moved it to his forehead. He frowned thoughtfully. "You do feel a bit warm. Maybe you should stay home."

"No, Jii-chan, I'm fine."

In spite of his words, Yuugi mostly picked at his breakfast, even though he was well aware of his grandfather's concerned expression. He just didn't feel like eating that morning, not when he was so tired that keeping his eyes open was difficult, and he couldn't seem to force the pancakes or eggs down no matter how hard he tried. When it was time to go, he scraped the remains of his uneaten breakfast into the garbage and said his farewell to Sugoroku, who still didn't seem very sure about letting Yuugi go. Yuugi picked up his backpack, forced a bright smile for his grandfather's benefit, and went out the door with a bounce in his step. Only once he was sure that Sugoroku was no longer watching after him did he allow himself to lean against a store window, eyes half-closed as he fought off another yawn. How was he going to make it to school?

"You don't look like you feel very well, Little One."

"Gah!" Yuugi jumped and spun, nearly tipping over backwards. He swallowed hard when he saw that Tenno Yami was standing right behind him. "What... what do you want?"

"I told you that we needed to talk today," said Tenno calmly. "I see you're wearing the puzzle. Good."

Realizing that maybe the night before hadn't been a dream after all, Yuugi took a step backwards. "I don't know what you're talking about," he lied.

"Really? I think you do. I can feel it," he said, looking highly amused. "You don't need to be afraid of me, Little One. I would never hurt you. We're partners in every way imaginable, you know."

That was enough for Yuugi. He turned, intending to summon all of his strength in order to make a run for it, and was surprised when Tenno's hand shot out and clamped around his wrist. "Hey, let go of me!"

"Sorry. I can't have you running away before you understand. Why don't we go somewhere and talk?"

"Talk? Why would I want to talk to you?" he demanded, lowering his gaze to Tenno's hand. Strangely enough, the fear and anger that was pounding through his body began to ebb away, and he felt his body begin to relax. He raised his eyes to meet Tenno's and saw that the boy no longer looked amused, but rather fascinated. Clearly, he was feeling it – whatever 'it' was – as well. "Alright, let's go somewhere and talk," he said grudgingly.

Tenno just nodded silently and led the way down the alley, which put them out onto Domino Street. Yuugi swallowed hard when Tenno went into a small but extremely expensive cafe that was well known for amazing pastries and exorbitant prices. He was pretty sure that a month's allowance wouldn't buy a cup of tea, but he wasn't about to say as much to Tenno. Instead, he followed the man to a table and sat down when Tenno did, placing his book bag on the ground beside him. It felt good to sit. His whole body ached like he'd been in a fight the night before, even though he hadn't.

"Drink," said Tenno, and Yuugi opened eyes that he hadn't realized he'd closed to see that a cup of tea had been placed in front of him. There was a note of concern in his voice that made Yuugi study him warily as he spoke again. "You're tired, aren't you? It will make you feel better."

Suspicious but willing, Yuugi studied the cup of tea. It was a light yellow color, and the smell rising from it spoke of citrus. Knowing that the cafe was also famed for tea, he cautiously lifted the cup to his lips and took a cautious sip. The taste of orange mixed with a hint of chocolate flowed across his tongue, sending a shiver through his body. Almost instantly, he felt just a little more alert. He blinked at Tenno, who graced him with a smile before looking out the window. There was a cup of tea in front of Tenno, but the man didn't touch it as Yuugi drank from his own. When his cup was empty and a waitress had immediately approached to replace it with a new, steaming cup, Tenno finally glanced back at him.

"What do you know about the Puzzle?" he asked.

Startled by the question, he paused a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking. "My grandfather gave it to me as a gift. He told me that it came from Ancient Egypt and that there was a great mystery surrounding it. No one has ever been able to solve it, so no one is sure of what the riddle on the side means. I know that it took me ages."

Tenno nodded. "I imagine it did," he muttered. "The Millennium Puzzle belonged to a Pharaoh in Ancient Egypt. His name has been lost to time, but many believe that it was "Atemu"."

"Atemu?" Yuugi repeated, remembering that even though Tenno went by "Yami", Ryou had found out that his first name was Atemu. He eyed the man as he took another sip of tea. "How do you know that?"

"You could say that my family is very interested in the Millennium Items," said Tenno. "I have grown up knowing of the legend that surrounds the Puzzle. There are seven Millennium Items, each with a special power that can only be used by a specific person. The Puzzle originally belonged to a Pharaoh that was murdered by his brother, who sought to seize the throne for himself. The first Pharaoh's son ascended to the throne in his place and fought a war with his uncle for possession of the country. It was a difficult battle because the new Pharaoh couldn't use the Millennium Puzzle the way it was meant to be used."

"Why not?" asked Yuugi, fascinated by the story. He'd always longed to know more about the origins of the puzzle. "Wasn't the Pharaoh the person meant to have the Puzzle?"

"Oh, he was, but the Pharaoh was missing something very important, and it turns out that he wasn't the only one." Tenno's eyes moved up from the Puzzle to lock onto Yuugi's, crimson connecting with violet. "A Priestess who owned the Millennium Tauk, which is a kind of necklace, had the ability to receive visions. She discovered that the Pharaoh was missing the light half of his soul. Without his hikari, the Puzzle would not respond to him because the power of the shadows would be too strong. The Pharaoh would have been overwhelmed and been driven crazy, and the whole world would have suffered." His voice became quiet, his gaze distant. "So the Pharaoh agreed to allow himself to be sacrificed, so that he could be reborn at the same time as his hikari."

A silence descended upon the table. Yuugi fought against the urge to squirm and wondered what he should say. Tenno seemed as though he was a hundred miles away. "What an interesting story," he said at last, one hand resting lightly on the Puzzle. "I've always been curious about the Puzzle, but I had no way of finding out about its origins. Thank you for telling me."

"I had a vested interest in doing so," Tenno replied quietly. "Yuugi, the only one who could solve the Millennium Puzzle is the Pharaoh's hikari, the other half of his soul."

Yuugi was so taken aback by the fact that Tenno had called him by his first name that for a moment, he didn't fully process the last part of the man's sentence. Once he did, his eyes widened and he sat back, shocked by what Tenno was trying to imply. "Are you trying to say that I'm the Pharaoh's hikari?" he asked incredulously. "I'm very sorry, Tenno-san, but I believe that you have me confused for someone else."

"You solved the Puzzle, didn't you?"

Silently, Yuugi nodded.

"Then you are the Pharaoh's hikari," he said firmly. He paused, and something that might have been anxiety flashed across his face as he leaned forward, reaching across the table to cup Yuugi's cheek and force him to look straight into Tenno's eyes. "Yuugi, you are my hikari and the other half of my soul. I am the Pharaoh reincarnated, and the other half of your soul."

GMA

Because Yuugi had neglected to show up to school that day, Malik planned to visit the Kame Game Shop after school that day and see if he was around. Ryou begged off, citing a large research project in one of his courses that he didn't share with Malik, and headed home by himself, trying to ignore the unsettling feeling that came from lying to his friends. The real reason he didn't want to visit Yuugi was because he had a dreadful headache. He'd been plagued with migraines for much of his life, ever since the death of Amane and his mother. His father had taken him to many doctors before giving up after every doctor told them the same thing: there was no discernible physical reason for the migraines, and so nothing could be done to treat them except for pain medication when one hit.

Malik often worried over him when a headache struck, but truthfully, sometimes it was much nicer just to lay on his bed with his room dark and quiet and a cool cloth across his eyes instead of having someone fuss over him. He was looking forward to doing just that when he rounded the corner to his street and made his way to his house. His head was throbbing so badly that at first, he didn't even register that something wasn't right until he'd actually stepped into the front hall. The door was unlocked, the lights were on, and he could distinctly hear voices coming from the kitchen.

"What the..." Ryou hesitated, wondering if he should retreat and call the police. But what kind of burglars would make it so obvious that they had broken into a home? The decision ended up being made for him when a somewhat familiar man came out of the kitchen and spotted him.

"Ryou-kun!" he bellowed.

"Otou-san," Ryou gasped in surprise, flinching at the noise. In the next second, he was grabbed in a hug so tight that all of the breath left his body in a whoosh. He squeaked something unintelligible, too shocked to even protest the rough treatment even though it made his head worse. His father was normally so depressed when he was in Japan that he barely spoke to Ryou, much less embraced him so exuberantly. What was going on?

"Darling, let him go. You're holding on too tightly," a female voice said.

Bakura Osamu laughed heartily and dropped his son on the floor. "Sorry, kiddo. I was just happy that you were home. Seems like we've been waiting for ages."

"Happy that I was home?" he repeated blankly, looking from his father to the woman standing behind him. As he watched, she stepped forward and laid a possessive hand on Osamu's arm even as she looked at Ryou and smiled. A bad feeling began to creep up on him. "Otou-san, what's going on? I thought you were sending me a package. I wasn't expecting..."

"I know. I was going to put your gift in the mail like I said in the letter, but then Samira suggested that I deliver it to you in person," said Osamu, winding an arm around Samira's shoulders. "We have some exciting news, and she thought that we probably shouldn't tell you over the phone." The two of them exchanged meaningful, tender looks before Osamu cleared his throat and spoke roughly. "Ryou-kun, Samira and I were married. This is your new step-mother."

A dull roaring filled Ryou's ears as he glanced between the two of them in disbelief. His father was a surprisingly tall man at just over six foot, with dark hair and brown eyes. Samira was shorter, about the same height as Ryou, with long, dark red hair that she wore freely around her shoulders. Her eyes were a deep shade of green and her skin was paler. Together, they looked good... and yet it was so wrong, because just over Osamu's shoulder, he could see a picture of his mother, with her pale hair and blue eyes and kind smile. He opened his mouth and then closed it as words failed him. What was he supposed to say?

Samira seemed to sense that he was too stunned to respond. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm so happy to meet you, Ryou-kun," she said in softly accented Japanese, holding him at arm's length. "Your father has told me so much about you, I just had to visit. I hope that's okay."

"Ryou-kun?" his father said hesitantly. "Are you alright?"

Ryou shook his head numbly, unable to speak, and pulled away from Samira. Silently, he turned and walked right out the front door of his house. He broke into a run as soon as he was outside, ignoring the way that Samira and Osamu called out to him as he reached the sidewalk, and took off down the street. His head was pounding in tune with his heart, making the knowledge of what he'd just learned that much worse. How could his father be married? This was the man who had been utterly broken after the death of his wife, the man who had been unable to even look at Ryou because he resembled his mother so much. Years of unbearable loneliness had followed that horrible day, and his father had had the nerve to bring a new wife back to the house? To hug and kiss her in the same house where his first wife had once lived and laughed?

His stomach tightened warningly at the thought of his mother and he staggered, clutching at his midsection. A woman protested when he swerved into her, and he stumbled away, knowing that if he opened his mouth to apologize, everyone was going to be sorry. He finally spotted a garbage can and clapped a hand to his mouth as he hurried over to it, reaching it just in time for everything he'd eaten that day to come up violently. Ryou hung over the side of the can once he was finished, gasping softly. The pain in his head was so bad that the mere thought of straightening and trying to walk away was nearly impossible.

"What a weakling," someone said in disgust, right before a strong arm wrapped around his chest and practically lifted him off of his feet. Ryou moaned and clutched his head, in too much pain to do anything else. The man dragged him over to the grass, away from the path and the people walking by, before setting him down on the ground. He collapsed into a heap and curled up with his knees close to his chest, holding onto his head and wondering if it was going to explode.

The man sighed loudly and then hands touched his head, curling around his cheeks and tightening when he tried to bat them away until he gave up. A soothing, cool feeling gradually became noticeable, chasing away the overwhelming pain and making it bearable. Ryou opened his eyes and stared at the fuzzy face right in front of him, inches away from his own face. He recognized the white hair and tanned skin, but his mind still had trouble processing the fact that Takahashi Bakura was trying to help him, of all people. Bakura frowned in concentration and then, abruptly, let go, letting Ryou fall back against the ground.

"If you're going to be this much of a pain, the least you could do is get the Ring," he told Ryou.

Ryou just stared in response. The pain in his head had lessened to the point where he would actually be able to sleep, and he could feel exhaustion settling over him in great waves. It always happened when he had a migraine. Even though he would have liked to ask Bakura a great deal of questions, he settled for leaning back against the cool grass and closing his eyes. He didn't actually fall asleep, but just laying there in the fresh air and quiet seemed to be doing the job... and even though he wouldn't have wanted to admit it, the fact that he could sense Bakura hovering somewhere nearby helped as well.

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