A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! I absolutely love receiving them, almost as much as I loved writing this chapter. I was really pleased to be able to bring in some R/B, and I promise that next chapter will have some more Malik (and a bit of Mariku) and S/J. You've probably noticed that Y/Y is in like every chapter, and there's a reason for that... they're my favourite, my OTP for Yu-Gi-Oh, and have been for roughly ten years now (I get the feeling I shouldn't be admitting to that on the internet, but oh well). I'll just assume that no one minds that. Enjoy the chapter!

It was finally Saturday, and as he rolled over in bed, secure in the knowledge that he didn't have to jump up and rush around his room while trying to get ready, Yuugi found himself glad for that. The day before had been a complete disaster, as he'd reluctantly dragged himself to school and ended up spending the whole day trying to avoid Tenno Yami, who seemed to be determined that Yuugi was going to honour his agreement to spend time with the man. Ryou had appeared to be unusually tense as well, though he'd refused to explain why, and Malik was just a ball of nerves. By the time all three of them had returned to the Kame Game Shop, all anyone really wanted to do was go to bed. Both Ryou and Malik were currently camped out on his bedroom floor – an odd occurrence, as most sleepovers tended to happen at Ryou's, but a welcome one nevertheless.

"You awake, Yuugi?" Malik asked, having heard his friend's movement.

"No," Yuugi said into his pillow. He was still rather tired, although he was no longer sleepy. "Being awake would mean getting up, and I don't think I'm ready to do that yet."

"Ryou, how about you?"

There was no answer from the white-haired boy, and Yuugi pushed himself into a sitting position so that he could look in Ryou's direction without straining his neck, expecting that he'd see an empty set of blankets. Much to his surprise, Ryou was still in the room, sprawled out on top of his sleeping bag. He was fast asleep, wearing a borrowed set of pyjamas that were too big for Yuugi, and drooling a little. Normally, Ryou was always the first one up, so to see him still sleeping at nearly ten in the morning was alarming. Yuugi and Malik exchanged concerned looks.

"What do you think is wrong with him?" whispered Malik.

"I don't know. He's been acting strange ever since yesterday," said Yuugi, rubbing his eyes and muffling a yawn with his hand. A glint of gold caught his attention and he reached out to pick up the Puzzle so that he could place the cord around his neck. He hadn't yet told Malik or Ryou about his meeting with Tenno, mostly because if it weren't for Tenno stalking him the day before, he would have thought that it was all a weird dream. Maybe on some level, he was still hoping that it was.

"He is awake and knows that you're talking about him," Ryou mumbled without opening his eyes. "Since you're both so curious, I guess I should tell you. My father was at the house when I got there yesterday – "

"Really?" Yuugi gasped.

"He was?" Malik sounded shocked.

" – and he brought a new wife home with him."

Dead silence. Malik propped himself up on his elbows and a mountain of pillows to gaze at Ryou in disbelief. Yuugi just stared, his mouth open as he tried to understand that. Ryou smiled grimly, apparently pleased that he had shocked the two of them, and rolled off of his sleeping bag. He stood up, picked up his brush, and began working through the tangles in his hair while waiting for his friends to overcome their surprise. It was Yuugi who recovered first.

"I can't believe it," he said at last. "Your father, Ryou. Wow."

"Her name is Samira and I don't know where she's from or where they met," he said, anticipating some of their questions. "We didn't exactly get the chance to sit down and have a long conversation. But she's very pretty, with red hair and green eyes, and she seems very sweet. A good match for my father," he went on, brushing harder. "It was all her idea to come to Japan to and tell me in person, you know. Otou-san was going to just drop my birthday gift in the mail and give me a call to let me know that he had decided to re-marry." The bitterness in his voice was overwhelming. "He wasn't even going to tell me in person. If it wasn't for someone I don't even know..."

"Ryou, stop," Malik said, gently laying a hand on Ryou's arm. He pulled the brush out of Ryou's hand and set it down on the ground. "You're going to end up bald at this rate."

Ryou just shook his head and leaned over, burying his face in Malik's shoulder and taking slow, deep breaths to keep from bursting into tears. Yuugi scrambled off of the bed and hurried to Ryou's side, offering support in the only way that he could. Malik wrapped an arm around both of them and laid his head on top of Ryou's. The three of them remained huddled together in the middle of the floor until a gentle knock came at the door. A moment later, Sugoroku poked his head in.

"I hate to interrupt, but one of your friends is here to see you, Yuugi," he said, breathing heavily. "He said that his name is Tenno Yami?"

Three heads popped up instantly. Yuugi turned a deep shade of red as Malik and Ryou, who seemed to have recovered from being upset, looked at him with considerable interest. Pointedly avoiding their eyes, Yuugi seriously considered asking his grandfather to make Tenno leave, but finally sighed and gave in; asking the man to intervene would mean having to explain to Sugoroku why he didn't want to see Tenno, and the last thing that he wanted was to make his grandfather upset.

"Okay, Jii-chan," he said, trying and failing to escape from Malik's grasp. "You can... um... let him know I'll be down in a few minutes." Sugoroku nodded and closed the door. The second that they heard his footsteps on the stairs, Yuugi began to squirm with all of his strength. Unfortunately, Malik was a lot stronger than he looked.

"Yami? Tenno Yami is visiting you?" said Malik incredulously, tightening his grip on Yuugi's waist. "Oh no you don't. We want to hear all the details."

"You'll think I'm nuts," Yuugi whined.

"You can tell us anything, Yuugi, you know that," Ryou said, looking curious.

Yuugi gave up and settled for pouting. "Okay, okay. After I solved the Millennium Puzzle, I think... Well, Tenno appeared. Here. In my room," he said.

Malik's eyebrows rose. "Yuugi..."

"I know. Just hear me out, okay? He told me that the Puzzle brought him here. I didn't really want to, but somehow we kind of ended up meeting for tea the next day, and he told me the story behind the Puzzle. Basically, it belonged to a Pharaoh back in Egypt, who was missing half of his soul... his hikari." Yuugi's fingers unconsciously tightened on the Puzzle. "He couldn't use the power of the Puzzle properly because of that missing hikari, so he agreed to be sacrificed so that he would be reborn in a time where his hikari existed." He stared intently at the floor and forced him to say the last part. "The Pharaoh's hikari is the only one who could solve the Millennium Puzzle. Tenno is the reincarnation of the Pharaoh, and he thinks that I'm his hikari and that he's my... my yami."

Another silence fell over the room as Malik and Ryou exchanged glances. Their first reaction was to think that Yuugi had been fed some extremely wild tales by Tenno, but... Ryou couldn't help remembering the hours that he had spent in the park with Bakura, and the way that Bakura had been able to remove the pain of his headache just through touch, as well as Yuugi's encounter with Yami, Seto, Bakura and Mariku in the park. As for Malik, he was thinking of Ishizu, his family's strong ties to Egypt, and the strange magic that had been known to dwell there, as well as the Pharaoh's tomb that his clan had once guarded so closely. Yuugi glanced up when neither of his friends spoke, and the three boys exchanged a long look.

"What have we gotten ourselves into?" Malik asked at last.

"I don't think Tenno is right," Yuugi said quickly. "I denied it, of course. Anyone could solve the Puzzle. But then he wanted to take the Puzzle away from me because it belongs to him. In return for letting me wear it, I have to help him find his real hikari. That means I have to spend time with him." He made a face to convey his displeasure at the thought. "It's crazy. Isn't it?"

Again, none of them spoke, not wanting to be the first one to admit that just maybe, it wasn't as crazy as they were all hoping. As if by some silent agreement, all three of them stood up and started getting ready for the day. Malik went to take a shower while Yuugi and Ryou got dressed; Ryou borrowed a pair of jeans and the most normal t-shirt that he could find in Yuugi's wardrobe. Yuugi was mindful of the fact that Tenno was waiting downstairs for him as he placed the Puzzle around his neck again once he was dressed. Part of him was tempted to just suck it up and give the Puzzle to Tenno, but he had the feeling that Tenno was more stubborn than that.

"I don't suppose you'd like to come with me today," he ventured at last.

Ryou gave him a small, wicked grin in the mirror. "And deny you the experience of hanging around with the other half of your soul?" he teased.

"Shut up," Yuugi muttered, blushing again. He tossed a pillow in Ryou's direction and walked out of the room, realizing that he might as well face Tenno while Ryou and Malik weren't around to watch. Tenno was actually waiting in the shop, keeping Sugoroku company while the older man sorted through some new inventory that had come in the day before. Much to Yuugi's surprise, they were chatting about Duel Monsters, which was one of the newer, more popular games.

"Ah, there you are, Yuugi," Sugoroku said, glancing up when Yuugi entered the room. "I heard the shower and wondered if that was you."

"It was Malik," said Yuugi, who was very purposely not looking at Tenno. "You know what he's like when it comes to showers."

Sugoroku smiled. "Do you have boys have plans today?"

"I was hoping to make some." Tenno spoke before Yuugi could answer, forcing the shorter boy to acknowledge his presence. "Yuugi, I was thinking that you might want to come spend the day with me and a couple of my friends. I think that you know at least one of them. Jounouchi Katsuya?"

"Jou?" Yuugi squeaked before he could stop himself, instinctively taking a step towards Tenno. He hadn't seen his blond, lanky friend for some time, not since they had changed from middle school to high school, and he'd often missed him. There was a noticeable gap in their small group, and he had to admit, the thought of seeing Jou again was almost worth having to spend time with someone like Tenno. "You know him?"

"Kaiba Seto is my cousin, and Jou is his boyfriend," Tenno explained. "Friends of friends."

A thoughtful look passed over Sugoroku's face as he glanced between the two of them. "You go ahead, Yuugi. I won't have any problems working by myself in the shop today."

"Are you sure, Jii-chan?"

"Absolutely. I know that you'd like to see Jou again," he said with a warm smile. "Try to bring him around some time, okay? I'd like to see him again, too."

"I will. Thanks, Jii-chan." Yuugi walked over to the door and let Tenno out first, then waved to his grandfather and stepped out behind him. It was a fairly warm day, which meant that his casual t-shirt was enough to keep him warm. But as he fell into step beside Tenno, he couldn't quite stop a shiver from passing through his body when the taller boy smiled at him, and grimaced in an effort to hide it. He suspected that Tenno wasn't fooled and looked away when the smile turned into a smirk. A promise was a promise, but that didn't mean he had to like it. Or at least, that's what he was telling himself.

GMA

Ryou peeked over Malik's shoulder, watching as Yuugi and Tenno Yami walked away from the house side by side. He had to admit, the two of them looked good together. Yuugi was short, barely reaching four foot eight and a half inches, and Tenno couldn't have been over five foot even. Even their wild hairstyles were similar, though Tenno had more gold in his, and his hair was also tipped with crimson as opposed to violet. Tilting his head, Ryou fought back a smile when Yuugi glanced away, recognizing the look on his friend's face. That was the look Yuugi wore when he wanted to do something but was trying to pretend that he didn't. Interesting.

"Can you believe that?" Malik asked once Yuugi and Yami had turned a corner and disappeared from sight. He shook his head. "Yuugi went with him! Why didn't he just tell that Tenno guy where to go? The Puzzle is his. Jii-chan gave it to him and he solved it. Tenno can't take it away."

"He did promise," Ryou reminded him, picking up his bag. He folded the top over, latched it, and took hold of the strap so that he could securely hook it over his shoulder. "You know what Yuugi is like when he makes someone a promise. Anyway, Malik, I don't want to hang out here all afternoon without Yuugi, and I know that I can't hide from them forever." From the front pocket of his bag, he took out his cell phone and held it up. "Otou-san actually sent me a text message to let me know that he and Samira-san are waiting for me to come home. I didn't even know that he knew my number."

Malik chuckled. "I guess it can surprise you, what parents know," he remarked.

"No kidding. I guess I'm going to go home now," Ryou sighed, his shoulders slumped. He dreaded the thought of facing his father and that woman again, but he couldn't avoid them for too much longer. Yuugi didn't have many clothes that would fit him, and what little Malik had usually couldn't be spared. "Do you want to come with me?"

"I was thinking about heading to the Museum to visit Nee-san," Malik admitted. "I haven't seen her for a couple of days and I really should check in with her."

"Oh, okay," Ryou nodded, downcast.

"Good luck," Malik said, patting him on the shoulder. His face was sympathetic. "If you really want me to come with you, I could. I can always visit Nee-san later on. I don't mind."

"No, go visit Ishizu-onee-san, I'll be alright," answered Ryou, mustering up a smile. "It's my father. How bad it can be?"

Famous last words, Ryou was discovering as he walked into his house. The walk to his house from the Kame Game Shop never took very long, but that day it was shorter than ever. In no time at all, he was walking up the front path. His house was largely silent when he entered, and for a moment, he thought that maybe he'd been fortunate enough to pick a time when both of them were out. He was dreaming about going upstairs and taking a long, hot bath when he heard footsteps and stiffened as his father came around the corner of the living room. To say that the man didn't look happy was an understatement. Ryou stared at him nervously and obeyed when Osamu silently beckoned him into the room. Wondering how this "talk" was going to go, he sat down in a chair across from the couch and placed his bag on the floor beside him, refusing to squirm even when Osamu simply stared at him for several minutes without speaking.

"I'm very disappointed in you, Ryou-kun," Osamu said at last. "Samira-chan was really looking forward to meeting you after all of the wonderful things I've told her about you, and that's how you react to her kindness? She was very upset yesterday, and kept asking if she had done something to offend you. I did my best to reassure her that she hadn't done anything, but I don't think my words had much effect. I thought you were more mature than that."

Ryou swallowed hard, biting back his original sharp retort, which was to ask how else he was supposed to react to such news. It would be one of those "talks", then. This was the way it had always been with his father, even before his mother had died. Bakura Emiko had possessed the unique ability to somehow make Osamu realize that he wasn't the only person whose thoughts and feelings mattered. It was a quality that Ryou had found himself lacking, which was why he bowed his head, staring at his knees as his father proceeded to launch into a lecture about being more polite. His hands stung from where he was digging his nails into his palms in an effort to keep quiet about what he was feeling, only because he knew that it would do no good whatsoever.

"I'm very sorry, Otou-san," he said quietly. The words burned as he forced them out. "I was just very... surprised, that's all. I didn't expect you to come home with... with a new wife."

"Well, I suppose that can be expected," Osamu said, still frowning slightly. "But I'd like you to apologize to Samira-chan."

"I will." Even if it his father hadn't required it of him, he would have done so, anyway. Alienating someone who was going to be such a big part of Osamu's life would have been foolish. His father had a hard enough head as it was without making things deliberately worse. "Where is she?"

"She's gone to do some grocery shopping, but she should be back very soon." Osamu stood up, picking up a medium-sized, square container that was covered with brown paper. He held it out. "I shouldn't be giving this to you, and believe me, I was tempted to toss it away after your behaviour two days ago, but Samira-chan convinced me that since it was your birthday, you still deserved to have it. Here, Ryou-kun. Happy Birthday."

A shiver went down Ryou's spine when he took the package, and he blinked in surprise at the strange feeling emanating from the box. Deeply curious, he tore off the brown paper and opened the cardboard box, half-expecting some weird little trinket. Inside, nestled on several pieces of white tissue paper, was an odd-looking piece of jewellery. Made from pure gold, the main part was a circle with an upside down triangle inside. Five razor-sharp cones hung from the outside of the circle. Tentatively, he lightly stroked the edge of one of the cones, realizing that the symbol on the triangle matched the symbol on the Millennium Puzzle.

"What is it, Otou-san?" he asked, forgetting his anger towards his father temporarily in lieu of his fascination.

Osamu smiled in satisfaction. "I was told that it's called the Millennium Ring. Not much more is known about its history, but that alone is interesting. I came across a stall in one of the Egyptian towns I was visiting that had a lot of older jewellery for sale. Originally, I was searching for a piece for Samira-chan to celebrate our six month anniversary, but the man who owned the stall seemed to feel very strongly that I should buy this for you. I figured it was the sort of necklace that a boy could wear, don't you think?"

"Yeah," Ryou said softly, his mind flashing back to the park, when Bakura had scolded him for not having the "Ring" yet. Was this the "Ring" that Bakura had meant? He picked it up by the slender brown cord that was attached to the top of the circle, intending to slip it around his neck, and was startled when someone screamed. The Millennium Ring slid from his hands and landed in the box as both he and Osamu turned to see Samira standing in the doorway.

"Samira-chan, what's wrong?" Osamu asked, approaching his wife quickly.

"Darling, where did you get that?" Samira demanded, sagging against him. "That is... that is... that thing is evil!"

His father looked astonished. "Come now, Samira-chan, it's just a piece of jewellery. I purchased it for Ryou-kun's birthday. What do you mean, it's evil?"

"Get away from it, Ryou-kun," ordered Samira, ignoring Osamu as though he hadn't spoken. She kept her eyes on the Millennium Ring, like she expected it to jump up and attack. "If you put that around your neck, grave danger will befall you. Had I known that your father had purchased that for you, I wouldn't have encouraged him to give it to you. I would have destroyed it instead. Quickly! Place it on the ground and step away from it. We'll drop it over the side of a bridge."

Ryou looked at her blankly and then glanced at his father, wondering just how sane Samira was if she was under the impression that a piece of jewellery could be dangerous. His father was frowning in confusion, and as he watched, Osamu wrapped an arm around Samira's shoulders and physically turned her away from Ryou so that they could speak in low whispers. Left to his own devices, Ryou picked the Ring up again, liking the way the cool gold felt against his fingers. It was heavier than he had expected, but the weight was solid. He stood up and placed the box on his chair, keeping the Ring pinned against his side. Samira and Osamu were deep into a heated, whispered conversation, and he was able to slip by them and hurry up the stairs to his bedroom with notice.

"Dangerous... give me a break," he mumbled, pushing the door closed. "I wonder what kind of woman Otou-san's gotten involved with this time?" Shaking his head, he turned to his mirror and placed the Millennium Ring around his neck.

The instant the Ring made contact with his chest, a blinding flash lit the room, so bright that Ryou cried out and threw his hands over his eyes, and pain shot through his body. The golden necklace grew warm against his chest, and when he lowered his hand and tried to touch it, the heat made him wince. For a moment, the pain seemed to be overwhelming, but when the brilliant light vanished the pain did as well, and he was able to take deep breaths. His muscles ached, and all of a sudden, he felt extremely tired.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, blinking past the black spots that now danced in front of his vision. The intense burning of the Millennium Ring had lessened into an almost pleasant heat against his chest, which told him that the light and pain had not been imagined. That was confirmed when, in the mirror, he saw another boy standing over his shoulder, someone with wild white hair, tanned skin, and wild eyes that many a man had described as "evil".

"T-Takahashi!" Ryou sputtered in shock, spinning around. Sure enough, Takahashi Bakura was now standing right behind him. "What... How did you get into my bedroom?"

Bakura didn't answer for a moment; his attention was elsewhere. Almost hesitantly, he reached out and touched the Millennium Ring, tracing the line of the gold lightly. His expression grew softer, and he looked at Ryou. "I knew it would be you."

"Me what?" Ryou asked, bewildered. "What are you..."

"Ryou-kun? Can I come in? Listen, I wanted to explain to you about – " There was a knock on the door, which hadn't actually been closed all of the way, and it swung open, revealing Samira. Whatever else she had been about to say was cut off abruptly when she saw Ryou and Bakura. Her eyes went wide, and she gasped in terror. "You!"

"Me," said Bakura with a smirk. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of what's mine." A flick of his fingers slammed the door shut just as Samira started to launch herself forward. The lock slid into place with a faint click. Almost immediately, Samira began pounding frantically on the door.

"Ryou-kun! Ryou-kun! Don't listen to anything he says. He's a thief! A tomb robber!" she screamed. "He can't be trusted. He's only interested in power, and he'll destroy you. Ryou-kun!"

"What a pest," Bakura muttered, striding over to the window. He pushed the curtains aside and snapped the window up easily so that he could take a good look outside. There was a large tree just outside of Ryou's window, and Malik had often joked that Ryou would be able to escape that way if he ever needed to. Ryou had never taken him seriously, but when he saw the look on Bakura's face when the older boy turned around, he realized that Malik wasn't the only one who thought that way.

"Oh, no..." he said, backing away. "You can't be serious."

"You can stay or you can come, I won't force you," Bakura said coldly. With practiced ease, he flung one leg outside and straddled the windowsill, his dark, reddish brown eyes burning a hole through Ryou. "It's up to you, Rabbit. But you don't belong here, and you've only got one chance to make your choice."

He looked at the door, which was actually vibrating with the force of Samira's fists. She was still screaming, and now he could hear the sounds of his father running up the stairs and demanding to know what was wrong with her. In no time, he would be at the door as well, and Osamu would likely have the strength to take it down. Several thoughts ran through his mind at once. What was there to stay for? Ryou would never be a part of the new family that Osamu was trying to create. Bakura was right; he didn't belong here. Maybe his place wasn't with Bakura, but he suspected that he would be better off with the older teen. His eyes met Bakura's, and he nodded.

"I'm coming."

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