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Limerence
(n.) the state of being infatuated with another person.
The rain beat a lovely rhythm on the old brick building.  It was nearing dusk in the port city and every human that had a shred of self-preservation had stayed indoors.  Vampires were bound in two different subspecies: Yoru no chi, known as night walkers, or literally translated 'blood of the night', and their day walking counterparts, Tsuitachi no chi.  However, on rain dampened evenings, when the day looked so much like night, and shadows seemed to creep after those unsuspecting few who dared to venture out.  Well, neither the Yoru nor the Tsuitachi needed to fear their deaths.Such where the thoughts of the ruling monarch of the Vampire race.  Settled in the back corner of Empire of the Night, Domino's only Kyūketsuki Lounge, the Pharaoh sat alone.  Lounging upon a dark velvet chaise the Pharaoh had an arching view of the entire establishment.  The only place hidden from his exquisite eyes was the entrance.Not that it concerned the Pharaoh.  His shadows would warn him long before any threats became visible.They had just come from a meeting with these human’s Head of State.  The man calling himself the Prime Minister of this human country hadn’t waited for the Pharaoh and his court to get to Tokyo.  No.  The Prime Minister had been waiting for the Pharaoh in the airport.  After the tedious formalities the humans seemed to have devised just to get the vampire race’s bloodlust to rise, the Pharaoh had finally been allowed entrance into the city.  It wasn’t anything the Pharaoh hadn’t seen before.  A port city was a port city.  Besides, nothing the humans created today could ever compare to the eras long past.  When the Pharaoh’s empire spread across the world and technology unlike any seen today opened up a world of possibilities.The humans where slowly digging up bits and pieces of that technology.  However, the Pharaoh would never grant the humans access to it in its entirety.  During the Vampire-Human War the Pharaoh’s court had been given a lethal choice.  Destroy their own technology and plunge the world into the dark ages, but save the vampire race from extinction.  Or watch as their technology was used against them by the human uprising and the vampire race, as well as the very planet, was destroyed.As the human race was now, they did not have the knowledge and mental capacity needed to get the ancient technology to work.  Yet, it was the Pharaoh’s one true fear that someday the human’s would once again learn to work the ancient tech.  Throwing the world once again into war, and perhaps even hunt the vampire race to extinction.  It was a fear the Pharaoh knew his court, and any other vampire that had lived through the Vampire-Human War five thousand years previous shared.The Human Race could not gain that technology.Amusingly, or not so amusingly, that was why the Pharaoh was in Japan.  The small human country had made some surprising technological leaps within the last two years.  Veering off in the opposite direction from the rest of the world.  It wasn’t much now, just a few stone throws from the rest of humanity.  However, it was the divergence that had drawn the Pharaoh’s attention.Japan’s new technology was unlike anything modern humans had seen before.   Vampires on the other hand.  Well.  The technology was hitting far too close to home for the Pharaoh’s liking.  And behind it all was the elusive CEO of Kaiba Corps.Kaiba Corps. CEO had refused the Pharaoh’s invitation.  He had refused the offer of having the Pharaoh’s backing of Kaiba Corps.’s new technology.  He had been so audacious that he had offered the Pharaoh an invitation to Kaiba Corps. World Headquarters in Domino, Japan.The CEO knew that the Pharaoh would be accosted by the Prime Minister.  After all, the monarch had refused to help the human country in the human’s latest squabble for world domination. What had it been called again?  Oh, yes.  World War II. The Japanese government held a long memory.  For seventy nine years* it had been holding a grudge against anything Vampire.  It was only the fear of the Pharaoh following through on his threat that kept the human nation from declaring all out war on the Vampire Race.So here sat the Pharaoh, in the only Kyūketsuki Lounge in Domino, silently debating with himself what he was going to do to the CEO of Kaiba Corps. when he got his hands on the human.  The Pharaoh was not expected by the CEO for another three days.  So for three days the Pharaoh would be stuck in this human port city. He wasn’t even in a Khemet port. The Pharaoh was beyond angry.  He was wrathful.  It was only a matter of time before heads would role.  And it was that fact that had the Pharaoh where he was.  Stuck in a vampire only area.  There were no humans in the vicinity for him to take his wrath out on.The Pharaoh had the sneaking suspicion that was what his court had planned.“Peace, Atem.”  The Pharaoh heard as a goblet of wine appeared within his vision.One of the Pharaoh’s sepia colored hands took hold of the glass, revealing the speaker.  A tall muscular man stood beside the Pharaoh.  The man had shaggy dove-grey hair with eyes just a few shades darker.  A scar under his right eye did nothing to mar the man’s beauty.  Instead it accented his caramel skin and handsome face.  Red silk hung to the man’s muscled chest and arms, leaving little to the imagination, well black slacks and leather shoes finished the look. A smirk crossed the man’s face as he sat down on the seat next to the Pharaoh.“Akefia.”  The Pharaoh murmured.  “Do I want to know what you are doing in Domino?”Rich laughter left the man’s mouth.  “No.  I don’t think you do.  You’d have to arrest me most likely, and we’ve been having such a good time lately.”  Akefia shook his head in wry amusement.  “The truth of the matter is that I’m hunting down one of my kin.”Crimson eyes flashed in the low light as the Pharaoh’s full focus settled on the man.  “I thought all your kin died before the Millennium War.”Akefia nodded his head, a scowl on his face.  “I thought so too.  However, thirteen years ago my blood started acting up again, and my contacts keep telling me that he was seen.  I know for a fact that he is still buried in Khemet…”“So it has to be somebody else.”  The Pharaoh finished Akefia’s thought.  “How though?  Your bloodline was the first to be hunted down by the humans.” And vampires, went the unspoken end of the Pharaoh’s sentence.Neither spoke as thoughts of the past surfaced.  When the two of them had been young, even by Vampire standards, yet forced to rule their respective kingdoms.  One the world.  One the underground.  The Pharaoh and Akefia had been mortal enemies once upon a time.  Like their fathers before them, and their father’s fathers.How strange it was, that mortal enemies could become such great friends.  Then again, when the world as you know it is being torn down around you, strange things tend to happen.  In this case it was the unbreakable bond of friendship and brotherhood the Pharaoh and the Thief King shared.  Where one went, the other was sure to follow.  They protected each other, and no matter how many years it had been since they had last seen each other, the two always greeted each other like long lost family.It was this bond that had kept the Vampire Race alive after the Millennium War.  Instead of the infighting for power and prestige that the humans had expected with the destruction of their technology, the Pharaoh and Thief King had stood together.  Two rulers united under the same banner.  The survival of their species.Even now, five thousand years since the war, that bond still stood strong.  It was why the Pharaoh didn’t ask Akefia how he was hunting down his kin.  One could take a vampire out of the underground, but the underground never left the vampire.  The Pharaoh should know.  He had spent a stint in the underworld himself, and there were times when he would revert to the way he had been then. Cold.  Cruel.  Ruthless. Akefia was the only person–vampire or human–who wouldn’t bulk at the sight of him.  Akefia knew the underground better than anyone else; he knew how it could warp people.  So when the Pharaoh regressed Akefia would drop whatever it was he was doing and come to Atem. Not the Pharaoh, Atem.  Names held power, and the Pharaoh’s name even more so.  Very few knew the Pharaoh’s true name.  But the entire world knew Atem’s.  Atem only listened to one man, and that was the Thief King himself.  Oh, how the world would tremble if they knew that the Pharaoh’s name was that of the undergrounds second most powerful member.It wasn’t something the Pharaoh wanted to think about.  It brought up long buried memories of a pale young vampire, and the events that brought the Pharaoh to the underground.  The Pharaoh hadn’t used the name Atem as his own since that day five thousand years ago.  And he had sworn that he never would.  Atem had died with that pale vampire during the Millennium War. There was only Pharaoh and the Thief King’s second-in-command–Atem–now.This truth was the same for Akefia.  He was both Thief King, and the Pharaoh’s most trusted general–Akefia.  Like the Pharaoh, Akefia hid behind his title, using it to banish thoughts of his kin’s death.  Of his death.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Thoughts of pale supple skin and maroon eyes shattered.  Empire of the Night fell silent as every vampire turned to the entrance. 
Thud. Thud. Thump!
The inner door of the Kyūketsuki Lounge burst open, revealing a soaked human that had obviously chosen the wrong safety from the rain.  The Pharaoh glanced over the human before dismissing him.  Any human stupid enough to enter a vampire den, even if it was pouring out, deserved what was coming to them, i.e. being drained of all their blood.The Pharaoh didn’t give the human another thought.  At least, until he heard Akefia breath his name.Once again crimson eyes landed on the human. Leaning in the Pharaoh took in every detail of the human.  From the shaggy white hair plastered to the human’s head and shoulders.  The pale skin, tinted a rosy pink from the chill.  A striped white and blue shirt and long sleeved black undershirt hugged the human’s upper body, leaving very little to the imagination.  Tight blue jeans mirrored the shirts; well black combat boots finished the look.The rain soaked clothing was forming a puddle on the floor.  Yet, it had also given every vampire in the lounge a good idea of the weapons the human was wearing.The Pharaoh noted two knives sheathed in the human’s boots and a dagger strapped to the rim of the jeans.  The Pharaoh didn’t want to admit it, but the human looked exactly like he had a few days before his death.  Reincarnation was possible.  If the soul had died in such a traumatizing way the Gods would allow them a second chance at life.  To right the wrongs.  He had died in a traumatizing way, but Isis would have foreseen his rebirth, just as she had foreseen Seth’s rebirth.The Pharaoh would have collected his cousins reincarnation had the child not been born in Japan.  The Japanese government had barred him access to Seth’s reincarnation, even though the child was the Pharaoh’s by law and blood right.   That was another thing the Pharaoh planned to correct on this visit.His look-a-like shivered slightly, as if sensing he was being watched.  Slowly raising his head the human glanced around the room before settling on the Pharaoh’s corner.  The human blinked once, but it was enough for Akefia to stand up.The human’s eyes where chocolate brown and showed that he knew exactly where he was.  A predator hidden among the prey, too bad the other vampires in the room didn’t get the message.Four vampires lunged for the rain soaked human.  The human shifted quickly drawing a hidden blade. Impact in four. Three. Two. One.The room erupted in whirling tendrils of ink black and dark purple.  Shadows danced around the human in a protective ring, hissing and undulating like a threatened snake. Surprise flickered over the human’s face as cries of shock echoed throughout the room.  The vampires that had attacked the human backed away slowly.  Clutching wounds delivered by the shadows.  The pain was horrible, but it wasn’t enough to make the vampires miss the human’s reaction to the shadows.Surprise was replaced by recognition, and the human physically relaxed.  Dismissing the vampires the human turned his head toward the entrance.  The Pharaoh and Akefia, as well as many of the other vampires looked toward the doorway as well.  But there was no one there.Wait a moment.  There was a heart beat coming steadily closer.  But there was no other noise.  What was going on?Another human entered the Empire of the Night on silent steps.  Just after the inner door the human paused to survey the room.  Narrow amethyst eyes washed over the lounges inhabitants until they settled on the first human.Shadows curled around the new human as he walked over to the white haired one.  Stepping out of the shadowed entry way on silent steps the human’s form was finally visible to the lounges inhabitants.The Pharaoh felt his breath ketch in his throat.The pale vampire that had died during the war stood before him.  No.  A human that looked exactly like the Pharaoh’s pale vampire stood before.  The human’s heart beat curled through the air, reminding the Pharaoh that this was not his lost kin.Vampires around the room began to shy away from the two humans.  As if the shadows protecting them had not been enough of a deterrent.  It was obvious that the native vampires knew these two human.  Why they where weary of them though was the question.Amethyst eyes brought the Pharaoh out of his thoughts as the new human stopped next to the white haired one.  The Pharaoh couldn’t help himself as his eyes wandered over the second human’s body.Unlike the first human this one was dry.  How the Pharaoh didn’t know.  The human didn’t have an umbrella with him. The human had narrow amethyst eyes surrounded by kohl lined sooty lashes.  He was just as pale as his counterpart, and just as tall.  The Pharaoh guessed the two where five-six, five-seven?  Though, with the spiky mess of multicolored hair–red tipped, black, with the blond bangs hanging around the human face–the Pharaoh was willing to give the human a few extra inches.Slim and lean, a black long sleeved shirt gave just a hint of muscle along the human’s arms and shoulders.  Leather boots with silver buckles climbed up the humans calves and devoured a pair of worn grey jeans.  Dangling from the human’s ears where silver ankhs.  Something the Pharaoh noticed was mirrored on the first human.  Though the first human only wore golden studs.  The earrings accented the human’s features, showing all that whatever baby fat there might have once been was long gone.The Pharaoh was entranced by this human.  Just as Akeifa was by the white haired one.The white haired human shifted again, eyeing the vampires with distrust.  “Yugi, what are you doing here?  I thought you were helping your grandfather.”“Seto called in his favor.”  An amused smile passed over Yugi’s face.  “I just got done defeating him.  Again.”“That doesn’t explain why our here.”  The white haired human huffed.Yugi made a sweep of the lounge.  “The shadows told me you were in trouble, so I–”“–finished your duel quickly and came to get me.” A sigh escaped his look-a-like.  “You didn’t have to.  I can take care of myself.”Amethyst eyes flashed in the low light as they settled on their brown eyed companion’s.  “Marik told me what happened last week, Ryou.”  Yugi hissed.  “Don’t think I wouldn’t have found out.”His look-a-like, Ryou, audibly swallowed.The Pharaoh glanced away from the two humans.  Yugi and Ryou, his mind supplied, and looked around the lounge.  The vampires hadn’t made a move toward the humans since Yugi entered the lounge.  Almost as if they were afraid of the young man.A frown slowly worked its way onto the Pharaoh’s face.  This did not add up.  Sure the human–Yugi, his mind reminded him–looked like his pale vampire.  But the human–Yugi–was just that.  Human.  There was no reason for the vampires to fear him.  Even if the human–Yugi–was the reincarnation of the Pharaoh’s pale vampire.Which he wasn’t.  The Pharaoh refused to believe that Isis did not foresee his vampire’s rebirth.Akefia shifted next to the Pharaoh, drawing him out of his thoughts, and back to the situation at hand.  The dove-grey haired vampire looked like he wanted to run over to his look-a-like and not let go.  It was a sentiment the Pharaoh could understand. However.The Pharaoh’s eyes strayed to the shadows curling lazily around the two humans.The two of them wouldn’t get past the shadows.  As long as they were considered a threat the shadows would remain right where they were.  Between the Pharaoh and Akefia, and the maybe reincarnations–Yugi and Ryou.Pain echoed through the Pharaoh’s mind as he unconsciously brushed against the shattered bond.  Double vision aimed to force the Pharaoh to his knees.  Taking in a sharp breath the Pharaoh banished the ringing in his ears and focused on the humans once again.“Not that I’m not glad to see you,” Ryou muttered.  “But what’s up with the shadows?  You never use them when you can get away with it.”Yugi pouted at Ryou.  “Other Me wants me to practice.  I blew up the toaster this morning.”A sympathetic look crossed Ryou’s face as he nodded his head in understanding.Human technology and shadow magic did not mix, much like water and a laptop.  Not like vampire technology…crimson eyes blinked as an idea came to the Pharaoh.Could that be it?  The reason Japan’s technology had taken such a drastic turn.  Humans with shadow magic started popping up.  Or… the Pharaoh could help but think, a certain CEO with access to shadow magic.The question now was how these humans were gaining the shadows.  Only pureblood vampires have the genes for control of the shadows.  It vanishes, goes permanently dormant in non-purebloods.  Humans never had the gene for shadow magic in their DNA sequence. So why now?  Why could humans control the shadows now?  It didn’t make sense.A sigh the Pharaoh didn’t know he had been holding passed through his lips.  It looked like his stay in Japan was going to be longer than planned.   He couldn’t leave without knowing if these humans would be a threat.Once again crimson eyes trailed up and down Yugi’s body.  A smirk slowly spread across his lips as his gaze returned to the human’s face.  It would be an enjoyable extension to his visit though.  The Pharaoh couldn’t let somebody of such beauty pass him by so easily.  After all, humans believed vampires to be pleasure fiends.Why should he prove them wrong?The smirk slipped off the Pharaoh’s face as quickly as it had come. The humans were talking again.“You should come home with me.”  Yugi told Ryou. “I still have some of your cloths at the house from that time Marik flooded your apartment.  If you stay in those any longer you are going to ketch a cold.  You know how Marik is when you’re sick.”Ryou shuddered at the thought.  “It’s kind of you, Yugi.  But I’ll be fine.”Blond bangs swayed as Yugi tilted his head.  “Are you sure?”“Of course I am.” Ryou got a good look at Yugi’s face.  Mischief sparkled within amethyst depths.  “Don’t you dar–”Shadows rose as a wall around the two until the humans where engulfed in a swirling mass of black and purple.  The rest of Ryou’s words where cut off as the humans where swallowed by the shadows and taken away.  Within seconds the only proof that the two humans had been in Empire of the Night was the large pile of water slowly spreading across the oak flooring.For a long moment no one moved, not even to breath.  Then Akefia couldn’t take the silence anymore.“Who in the darkest part of the du’at are they?!” Akefia bellowed from his position beside the Pharaoh.Tension shattered as the words left the general’s mouth.  Wounded vampires slumped into chairs.  Murmurs and muttering buzzed in the Pharaoh’s ears.  Around the lounge vampires converged and discussed the events that just took place.  What the vampires thought was covert glances were thrown at Akefia.  Yet, no one was willing to answer Akefia’s question, much less go near the general.  It seemed the Pharaoh would have to get involved.Clearing his throat the Pharaoh flared his own shadows.  It worked just as he knew it would.  He had every vampire’s attention.  Cool crimson eyes lazily perused the lounge’s inhabitants as the Pharaoh stepped out of the shadows and next to Akefia.There was a collective intake of breath from the vampires.“I know you all know who I am,” the Pharaoh started.  “However, for those of you who have just been turned, or are orphaned fledglings, I will introduce myself.”No one said anything.The Pharaoh straightened and bared his fangs.  “I am the Pharaoh of Shadows, ruling Monarch of the Vampire Race.  It was I that lead our people during the Millennium war five thousand years ago.  It was I that made sure our people survived the human’s attempts at eradication.“Now, my general asked a question.”  Crimson eyes narrowed threateningly.  “I expect it to be answered.”For the longest time no one said anything.  Then a grey haired vampire separated from the rest of the crowd.  Stopping a few feet away from the Pharaoh and his general the vampire bowed.“It is an honor to be in your presence, my king.  I will gladly answer the question”  The vampire stated in a gruff voice.Akefia shifted next to the Pharaoh.  Eyeing the vampire with distrust he growled.  “Well, get on with it fledgling.”The Pharaoh expected the grey haired vampire to become enraged at the insult.  However, the vampire merely nodded his head in ascent.“The two humans you had the pleasure of seeing are one Yugi Moto and Ryou Bakura.”  Akefia tensed at Ryou’s last name.  It the grey haired vampire noticed he didn’t say anything.  “They both posses one of the seven millennium items, Bakura has the ring, and Moto has the puzzle.”The Pharaoh felt his pulse speed up.  The puzzle?  It was here?  He’d been looking for it since the Millennium war.  It had been lost in the sands of Khemet.  How was it in Japan?“Moto completed the puzzle two years ago, and has been wearing the completed form for the past two years.  The ring and the puzzle are never far from the two.  It is actually quite surprising that neither Bakura nor Moto had their millennium item with them.”  The vampire stopped talking here; he seemed to be thinking about how to word the rest of his information.“Just spit it out.”  Alefia snarled.The vampire swallowed.  “The two humans don’t just have millennium items…they have spirits as well–” The Pharaoh felt his heart stop before starting up again double time. “–Bakura’s is malevolent.  It used to possess the human, and is the unofficial ruler of the underground here in Domino. Nothing happens in the criminal world without the spirits say so.  It’s calmed down, but I don’t know why.  It could be that it’s interacted enough with Moto’s spirit to have been tamed.  But that is just a guess.”“Moto’s spirit on the other hand is overly protective.”  The vampire stopped for a moment, just enough time to clear his throat and contain the trembling.  “The spirit has sent souls to the shadow realm.  Doled out punishments for crimes unknown, and even played penalty games with the poor souls he forced into shadow games.  Any threat that is perceived to Moto is dealt with swiftly and violently.”The grey haired vampire bowed his head slightly.  “The spirit only listens to Moto.  The inhabitants of Domino are lucky that the human is such a kind, forgiving person, who does not wish harm on anyone.”“The spirits are very possessive of the humans.  The vampires that live in Domino know that Bakura and Moto are off limits.  It’s the ones from out of town that we have to worry about…”Amethyst eyes swirled through the Pharaoh’s head.  He couldn’t escape them, even hours later.The rain had let up and the Pharaoh now stood on the balcony of a barrowed mansion a lesser vampire had graciously granted the Pharaoh and his court usage of.  The sun would be rising soon and the city would awaken.  The Pharaoh found himself wondering if the human, Yugi, would wake with the sun, or wait until darkness crept across the land once again.Cold wind blew, sending the Pharaoh’s blond bangs flying.  He should have been inside.  Khemet was so much warmer then this port city, with its amber sands and granite cliffs.  But the Pharaoh could not get himself to move. He was Tsuitachi no chi, Pharaoh, the Son of Ra.  He was not afraid of the sun.  Unlike so many of his brethren the Pharaoh welcomed the golden rays of the life bringer.  Too bad the Pharaoh’s court did not agree.Heavy velvet curtains billowed in the wind, disgusting the approach of said court.  At the head of the group was Isis.   Blue eyed, sepia skinned, golden millennium necklace glinting in the light of pre-dawn, Isis was a sight to behold in all her priestess regalia.The same could be said for the rest of the court.  Mahada, purple eyed and caramel skinned.  The magician, former bearer of the millennium ring.  Shada, blue eyed, bald, holder of the millennium key.  Kamin, green eyed, black haired, shirtless, and wielder of the millennium scales.The court had been six priests strong once, now there where only four.  Each a bearer of a millennium item, all but the puzzle, which the Pharaoh always held. The Pharaoh’s high priest, his cousin, Seth had bared the millennium rod.  However, just like with the puzzle and ring.  It had vanished with the vampire’s death.  So too did the millennium eye, priest Akadin’s item, vanish at the vampires death.Every item was said to choose its wielder.  Never before had a human been chosen, but with the knowledge of Yugi and Ryou’s possession of the puzzle and ring, the Pharaoh had to concede that the rod and eye could be in the possession of a human as well. It wasn’t a pleasant thought.Second only to the ancient vampire technology, the millennium items where something that the humans could never learn to use.  If humanity learned how to unlock and control the powers of the millennium items, it could lead to the destruction of the world.“My Pharaoh,” Isis’s honeyed voice breached the Pharaoh’s circling thoughts.  “It is time to come inside.  You need rest if you are to start a hunt in enemy territory.”Amusement colored the Pharaoh’s voice.  “A hunt.  Is that what your millennium necklace has shown you, Isis?  Just who is it I will be hunting?”The Pharaoh’s court shared a look.“My item showed me nothing, my Pharaoh.”  Isis stated softly.  “It has been millennia since the court has last seen you like this.  You have initiated the hunt.  Did you not…notice?”A sigh escaped the Pharaoh as he turned his face into the wind.  Had he really initiated the hunt?  It had been so long since he had needed to hunt for himself, since he had allowed himself to hunt.  To think after all this time it was a maybe-reincarnation that had awakened that instinct.The Pharaoh smirked as pale skin and multicolored hair entered his mind once again.  “I’ve found the millennium puzzle.”“That is great news, my Pharaoh.”  Mahada stated.  “But–” the magician banished his rising confusion “–why is it not with you now?  No vampire would dare keep the puzzle from you.”Dark amusement flashed through the Pharaoh, and he found himself chuckling.  “I never said a vampire has the puzzle.”Green eyes flashed as Kamin caught the meaning of the Pharaoh’s words.  “A human has the puzzle.  That’s why you’ve initiated the hunt.”Reds and oranges began to paint the sky as the Pharaoh looked on.  “Yes, a human has the puzzle.  Not just has, but completed.  The puzzle isn’t just mine anymore…hmm, to think I have been looking for the puzzle all this time without a single hint of its existence.  Yet, I spend one afternoon in Japan and run into it.”“If I may be so bold, Pharaoh.”  Mahada asked softly.  “What is this human’s name?”For the longest time the Pharaoh didn’t answer.  He was lost in thoughts of maroon and amethyst eyes.  Two different sets of memories, one millennia old, the other not even that of a day.  “Yugi.  His name is Yugi.”

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Apparition
(n.) a supernatural appearance of a person or thing, especially a ghost.
Sunlight crept into a small game filled room in southern Domino.  Birds greeted the sun with melodic joy, alighting upon branches and taking in the new day.  The light slowly filled the room with a soft golden glow and awakened the figure sleeping on the small twin sized bed.  With a mighty yawn sooty eyelashes fluttered open to reveal amethyst eyes.“Good morning, Abiou.”  A rich baritone intoned from the other side of the room.Amethyst eyes focused on the voices owner as Yugi sat up.  Smiling brightly Yugi took in the spirit leaning against his desk.  Transparent, yet still physical, the spirit was a mirror image of the young man on the bed; pale skin, unruly gravity defying spikes, sharp features and narrow eyes.  Most people would consider them to be siblings, twins really.  If they could see the spirit that is.Yet, there were differences as well.  Such as the spirits maroon eyes, which flashed bright crimson in fury or irritation.  The color of fresh blood tipped the spirits inky spikes, well bolts of blond bangs shot upward into the black hair.  A preternatural grace expounded the spirits movements, and the most startling of all.  Four needle like fangs graced the spirits mouth.Retractable, the upper and lower sets of fangs could tear out a human throat in seconds.  The two sets revealed that in life the spirit had been the cream of the crop, the top of the proverbial pyramid of power; the spirit had been a pureblood vampire.Yugi had never minded the fact that the spirit found no reason to retract his fangs; after all, the spirit was already dead.  It wasn’t like the spirit was going to puncture his lip and make himself bleed.  In all honesty, Yugi found the fangs fascinating and had spent hours just watching the spirit talk or do other things.Even dead, the spirit seemed to have habits from life, habits Yugi learned the summer his between junior and senior year of high school came from adolescents.  Even if the spirit could puncture his own lip with the fangs he wouldn’t, Yugi mused to himself.  After all, it sounded like vampire adolescents was a painful time if one did not learn how to go about life without retractable fangs.A chuckle drew Yugi from his thoughts.  Glancing at the spirit again Yugi was startled to see the intensity in which the spirit was watching him.  The spirit almost looked…hungry.Yugi shook his head to dispel such thoughts and smiled once again.  “Good morning, Other Me!”“And what a bright morning it is,” the spirit, now dubbed Other Me, stated.  “The storm passed well you where in the realm of Nephthys, leaving a clear view of Nut to her children.  You will not have to worry about Ryou turning in to a drowned kitten anytime soon.”Yugi’s lips twitched at the spirit’s description of Ryou.  Now that he thought about it, Ryou had looked like a wet kitten, not that he would ever say that to his friends face.  Oh, no.  Yugi preferred to live, thank you very much.  But it was an amusing thought.  One, Yugi decided, he would have to tell Marik in secret.  It wouldn’t be too hard.  He just had to make sure Ryou never found out it was him who told the Egyptian, Khemetian, whatever.Once again shaking his head, Yugi laughed softly.  “Do you know what time it is?  I promised the other Hikari that we would meet up before class so we could go over our notes.”Other Me tilted his head like a bird.  Narrowing his eyes to maroon slits, the spirit hummed.  “It’s a little after eight.”“What!”Star covered pajamas met the floor as Yugi threw himself into the bathroom.  A hiss escaped him as cold water sprayed down from the showerhead.  Sweet smelling shampoo filled the air as Yugi quickly washed himself.  Chattering and shivering Yugi wrenched the water off, it was his quickest shower to date.Heat puffed against Yugi’s ear as a tawny towel was draped over his shoulders like a royal cloak.“Abiou,” the spirit chided wrapping an arm around the human.A shudder that had nothing to do with the cold swept through Yugi.  The spirits other arm swept around the human, and down, down, down.“Other Me!”  Yugi squeaked.Dark chuckling filled the bathroom.“Your late already, Abiou.  There’s no reason the kitten and asp can’t look over their notes by themselves.  Besides,” the spirit purred, “you look good enough to eat.” Tsuruhime Ohori University was a small private school settled near the center of Domino.  The nearly 400-acre campus included both modern and historic buildings.  Facilities included comfortable residence halls, subject-specific computer labs, a state-of-the-art health education and sports complex, Kaiba Library with its Blue Eyes Wing, the Sage Center for the Arts, the Byakko Science Building, Amefurikozō Music Hall, and two classroom buildings— Baku Hall and Fūjin Hall. Adjacent to the campus was the model primary and secondary school, Tsuruhime Academy, whose comprehensive Reference Guide was used in hundreds of schools throughout Japan.It catered to both Humans and Vampires, even though it had been founded by vampire slayers, Tsuruhime Ohori had been officially pro-vampire since its inception.  It was founded as Sureiyāyunaiteddo College, in 1844.  Eight years later it moved to Domino and assumed its current name.Tsuruhime Ohori’s educational mission rested upon two principles: academic excellence and species harmony. The University considered itself a trustee of modern man’s intellectual and inheritance of freedom from those who fought in the Vampire-Human (Millennium) War, a heritage finding its clearest expression in the experiment of human self-government under law.Yugi thought it all was just a rather obvious and loud screw you! by the Japanese slayer community toward the vampire race.  However, he wasn’t one to complain; in fact Yugi encouraged the University’s mission whole heartedly.  Perhaps then no one would experience the same travesties he had.  Human or Vampire.  Though, Yugi meant Human more.“Gah!  This is too confusing!  Why did I have to listen to Other Me?!  My thoughts always get jumbled up and I can’t think straight after we do that.”  Yugi shook his head and glared at the cherry trees hiding Baku Hall.  “Though,” he continued softly, “Other Me was very convincing.”Shaking his head to try and get a coherent thought to pass through it Yugi shifted his gaze down at the inverted golden pyramid he wore.   The spirit was oddly silent, not even quipping back.  The spirit was rarely like this now-a-days.  During the beginning, after Yugi had fist completed the puzzle, the spirit had been silent, only appearing when it perceived a threat to its host. Though, Yugi thought, Other Me is a vampire, and a pureblood at that, so that could have just been his possessiveness?Nah.  Yugi graced the puzzle with a soft look.   Other Me may be possessive, alright, overly possessive to the point of obsession, but he’s always been there.  After Other Me and Yugi truly met for the first time the vampire spirit stopped his silent act.  Yugi had begun to spend more and more of his time just sitting and talking with the spirit, until nothing was hidden between the two and both minds where completely open to the other.It was a relationship that worked for them.  Especially considering Other Me had no memories of his own.   Amethyst eyes flashed at the thought and Yugi frowned.   It was something that even eight years later bothered Yugi.Bakura, Ryou’s spirit was in many ways in the same boat as Other Me.  However, Bakura could remember parts of his life before being sealed in the ring.  Bakura couldn’t remember why he had been sealed within the ring, but he remembered more than Other Me.  It didn’t help that the two spirits had hated each other at first sight. No, Bakura had taken great joy in teasing Other Me with the knowledge that he was the one to remember, well the great pureblood knew nothing.  It was only when Other Me saved Bakura and triggered a certain set of memories that the two spirits had finally gotten along.Now they acted like a well oiled machine.  It was almost like they had–“Yugi Moto!  Where in the name-of-Ra have you been?!”  Ryou’s voice bellowed from the front steps of Baku Hall.Jolting out of his thoughts Yugi instinctually shifted into a ready stance.  Seconds later his jumbled mind recognized it was Ryou who had spoken and Yugi relaxed.   Relieved amethyst eyes zeroed in on the two blonds standing a few yards away from him.Ryou was on the right, long white hair pulled back into a plate and tied with a leather strap.  Golden earring seemed to glow in the mid-morning light, drawing attention to his honey-brown eyes, and the golden millennium ring he wore.  The worried look in his eyes was hidden behind a scowl, something most people wouldn’t be able to distinguish.  But Yugi had known Ryou far longer than anyone else in Japan, well, aside from Marik that was.In a stunning show of opposites, yet similarity, yes, it’s a paradox; the young man standing next to Ryou could not have been any more different.  With shoulder length blonde hair, kohl lined lavender eyes, and skin the color of clay, Marik was a sight to behold.  The Khemetian knew he was different, exotic even, compared to the pale skinned humans that inhabited the islands making up Japan.  So to play up that fact, Marik stayed in shape, he wore golden arm bands, earrings, and necklaces, all in the style of his homeland.It was safe to say Marik was the one who made sure the Hikari were supplied with the best of the best, be it jewelry, clothing, or food.  As the only member of their little group that came from Khemet, the land of the Vampires, Marik had deemed it his responsibility.After all, two of the Hikari had vampire spirits that claimed them as their own.  Then there was the fact that all three Hikari were rightful owners of a millennium item.Yugi and Ryou may not know fully what that means, but Marik had grown up in Khemet.  He had heard the stories and memorized the legends.  Hell, he had spent the first eight and a half years of his life guarding the tomb of the Nameless Pharaoh.  He knew what would happen if anyone found out whom and what they were.That was why when Marik caught sight of Yugi he couldn’t help the sneer that crossed his lips.  “What are you wearing?  I thought we talked about this, prince.”Yugi blinked and looked down.  “What’s wrong with my clothes?”Yugi was wearing a pair of old grey jeans, worn and scuffed army boots, black sweater vest, and a hyacinth colored dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up.  Pale purple jewels set in silver hung from his ears and the millennium puzzle finished off the look.  Yugi thought he looked great.“It’s all last season, not to mention the fact that it will all have frayed or be full of hole by the end of the day.  I can already see that you had to cut some of the cloth before you put it on.  Besides that,” Marik couldn’t help but glare at the vest as if it had insulted him.  “I thought we had agreed that you were going to donate those.”“They’re the only things that still fit me!  It’s not my fault I had a late growth sprit!”  Yugi cried, not caring who heard. If the students of Tsuruhime Ohori University weren’t already used to such arguments then that was their problem.  After all, Yugi, Ryou and Marik had been taking classes at the university since their junior year of high school.  The three of them where part of the campus tours given nearly every week, and everyone knew to stay clear of the three when they got like this.  It had saved people their lives. Though, it had taken a few pureblood vampires a while to figure out that the Hikari where not just humans.  They were dangerous, shadow using, humans.  Everything worked out in the end.  Kaiba just had to make an appearance once or twice.  It was honestly, one of the scariest things to happen on campus.  Seto Kaiba was after all called the Lord of Dragons for a reason.“Be that as it may,” lavender eyes flashed in amusement, “we’re going shopping after class.  You obviously can’t be trusted to look after yourself, so we will have to do it for you.”Amethyst eyes turned to their honey-brown companion, but no help came form that corner.“Oh, no.”  Ryou couldn’t keep the laughter out of his voice.  “Think of this as a punishment for not meeting us to review our notes.”“That was Other Me’s fault.”Marik grabbed one of Yugi’s arms and started pulling him toward the double doors.The last thing people heard before the doors to Baku Hall closed was.  “Do we look like we care?”Walking down the teak wood floors of the nearly deserted building Ryou and Marik shared a look.“Prince,” Marik started softly, “did you know you where being followed?  By a group of pureblood vampires, no less?”Yugi jerked slightly, amethyst eyes widened in panic before narrowing again.  “No, I didn’t.  In all honesty I was out of it.  You know how I get after Other Me ‘feeds’, then I was worrying because Other Me was silent the whole way here.  Do you think it was because of the vampires?”“It’s a possibility.”  Ryou stated quietly.  “When did Yami start acting the whole I am an inanimate object routine?”“Just after I left the house now that I think of it.”  Yugi shook his head, blond bangs flying everywhere as they turned a corner.  “Let’s not think about this now.  We have a class to tutor, what are we lecturing on today?”Marik and Ryou shared a wicked grin.  “Our esteemed Headmaster thought it would be hilarious to have us teach Vampire Customs 101.  After all, he knows how much we love vampires.”Yugi laughed. “Well, I hope the Headmaster is ready for some terrified humans and vampires.  I don’t think anyone outside of Khemet knows as much about Vampire Customs as we do.”“This is going to be so much fun.  The little firsties just finished the vampire ranking system, and the Headmaster said that the teacher is going to be out for the rest of the semester.  Meaning we get to teach however and whatever we choose!”  Marik was bouncing down the hall, a manic grin on his face.Ryou resembled Bakura as he smirked.  “Let’s give these freshmen something to remember.”They stopped in front of a set of cherry doors.  Next to the doors was a brass plaque with the number 18.3, showing that beyond the doors was the building’s eighteenth classroom, and that this was the teacher’s entrance.  All the classrooms in the two classroom halls had two doors for the students to enter through, and one door that only opened to teachers.  No one really knew why.  It was simply how Japan’s slayer community had wanted the university to be built.A quite murmur could be heard through the door, signaling that the students were ready and waiting.   The Hikari shared a grin before pushing the doors open and walking into the room.Silence fell over the hall like a tide coming in to the harbor.  No one moved as Marik, Ryou and Yugi got situated.  Yugi hopped onto the table at the front of the lecture hall, well Marik moved to lean against the white board, and Ryou set up behind the lecturen.The Hikari didn’t say anything to each other.  But then again, nothing had to be said.  They where Hikari, they  knew each other better then they knew themselves, and they all knew that they were waiting for the first soul brave enough to ask why they were here.It took minutes, but after a stare off between the Hikari and the class that was going nowhere, one of the students finally caved.“Excuse me,” a small girl with glasses and blond hair started, “but where is Professor Iulia?”Yugi shared a look with Marik and Ryou before turning to face the class again.  “Professor Iulia was called away on an emergency and will not be able to finish the semester–” Whispers started to run through the students.  “–However,” Yugi continued, “Our esteemed headmaster decided that we, as in Marik, Ryou and I, will finish off the semester in her place.”The silence was deafening.Marik smirked as he looked over the class, zeroing in on the vampires that dotted the room.  Pushing off the wall Marik sauntered up to Yugi’s side.  In a movement that had more than one of the students blushing, PDA anyone? Marik grinned malevolently.“Let us begin.” “Now, your homework is to memorize the different lunar festivals and write a one page summary on the festival of your choice.”  Ryou told the class from next to Yugi.“The summary must be one full page, 12 point font, Times New Roman.”  Yugi continued.  “The page margins should be one inch or less.”Marik’s lavender eyes flashed as he looked over the students.  “Now get out!”A flurry of activity came from across the lecture hall as students quickly scribbled down the homework and bolted from the room.  There were some students that took a more leisurely pace as they left.  Trying, no doubt, to show the world they had survived a lecture with Marik, Ryou, and Yugi unscathed. Too bad the shaking of their hands and pale faces showed otherwise.Some of the vampires even looked shocked by what they had learned.  It shouldn’t have come as a surprise though.  They were after all vampires.  Perhaps it was because they were fledglings still?  Yugi didn’t know.“That was an amazing class!”  The girl who asked after Professor Iulia gushed.Yugi blinked slowly.  “Thank you, miss?”“Rebecca, Rebecca Hawkins.”  The girl–Rebecca–said.  “I have to get to my next class.  Classical History.  It’s my favorite, but I can’t wait for next week!  Bye!”Rebecca ran off without another word, leaving the Hikari alone in the lecture hall.“Hawkins, as in the grandchild of Arthur Hawkins?”  Marik mused, still pressed knee to shoulder with Yugi.Shrewd brown eyes stared at the doorway Rebecca had gone through.  “Perhaps, but Seto should have told us she was going here.”“We can yell at the Priest later,” Marik decided with a nod.  “It’s time for shopping.”  And finding out just who it is stalking the prince went unsaid.Yugi rolled his amethyst eyes, but smiled none the less.  Sometimes, aright most of the time, Yugi wondered where he would be without Marik and Ryou.  Most likely six feet under, one of the turned, or there.  It wasn’t a pretty picture, but it was one Yugi knew was the only alternative to his life.Here he was respected, feared even not that Yugi really cared about that, and most of all, protected.Marik and Ryou were the only two living persons Yugi could truly relax around.  They knew everything about him.  Just as Yugi knew everything about them.  There were no secrets between them.  After all, the underground leaves a mark on everyone.The three of them were thicker then thieves.  Bakura had said so himself, and coming from the tomb robber turned Domino’s ruler-of-the-underground, it was quite the complement.Yugi could hear Bakura telling Marik and himself off for drinking a full case of sake he had been saving.  ‘Kura would growl out Squirt, I told you not to drink that!  I’ll laugh in your face tomorrow when you have to deal with a hangover.  Don’t expect any help from me!Bakura would growl and sneer…and, Yugi blinked, he could hear Bakura right now.“Squirt!  Let the Pharaoh out! I need to talk to him.”Bakura stood right in front of Yugi.  The spirit wore clothing similar to Ryou.  White tennis shoes, pressed black slacks, and a white dress shirt and vest finished off the look.  Yugi knew Bakura would wear all white if he could get Ryou to agree to the idea.  Secretly Yugi thought Ryou, and by extension Bakura, would look stunning dressed in all white.However, Ryou was adverse to the idea and Yugi had learned early on not to push certain issues.“Squirt!”  Bakura barked.  “Pharaoh.  Now.”Yugi’s eyes flashed at the demand and Bakura smirked as a scowl slowly crept across the humans face.  The spirit couldn’t keep the smirk off his face even if he tried.  The squirt, and Bakura would always call the squirt that, even if in the safety of his own mind Bakura used the terms prince or mini pharaoh, would always be the tiny Pharaoh look-alike Bakura had first met bloody and broken.  The mini-pharaoh would just have to deal with it.After all, it was better than being called fledgling.The puzzle hummed softly before the squirt’s dark side made an appearance.  Dressed in a dimmer version of the squirts ensemble Bakura couldn’t help but note the pharaoh made a cutting figure.  It made Bakura feel better about a certain set of memoires he hopes the Pharaoh never remembers.Amusement flickered in the spirits brown eyes as he watched the Pharaoh gently push Yugi in the direction of the other Hikari.  “You know,” Bakura started.  “I can see why they call it feeding.  The squirt and my landlord both act like a fledgling drank from them after words.”Maroon eyes flashed with amusement as Yami watched the Hikari.  “It’s because of their blood.  We wake up a side of them that lays dormant when we ‘feed’.”Bakura snorted.  “Why don’t they call it what it is?”“Would you admit that you were seduced by a spirit?”  Yami asked dryly.A white eyebrow quirked.  “I am a spirit.”Yami rolled his eyes.  As one the spirits began to follow the Hikari.  They were in the shopping district now and it was packed.  Tsuitachi no chi and humans alike were out in mass, trying to get their shopping done before the weekend.Pristine–the shopping district–was the first portion of Domino city Seto Kaiba had set his sights on after taking over his father’s business.  In a matter of months the old shopping district and surrounding neighborhoods had been torn down.  From the bones of the old district grew a sleek, technology rich, species diverse one that put Domino into a new era.Pristine was the first of many districts Kaiba corp. had rebuilt, all with the goal of Kaiba technology becoming the backbone and lifeblood of the city.Domino was a city of the future or as the Hikari liked to say one of the past.  Encased in glass and yet rolling in nature, with luscious wild trees entangled between the buildings.  Nature and modern humanity coexisted freely.  And behind all of it was Seto Kaiba, he gave the city and the people in it the hope of a better, brighter future.  The man may have been a tyrant, but he was a very good one.  He knew how to get a nation to do what he desired them to do.  Oh, Seto Kaiba had more influence than most thought.  There is power and then there is…Seto Kaiba.   The fact that Seto had in a few short years built Domino into a powerhouse to be reckoned with using ancient technologies?  Well it was something both the vampire spirits and the Hikari found immense pride in.  Jokingly the Hikari thought Domino City should have a sign saying Welcome to The Age of the Dragon: Seto Kaiba’s Empire.Yet, the spirits wondered what the rest of the world would think if they knew that the new technology coming out of Kaiba corp. wasn’t even human.  Would they scramble to get their hands on it?  Abhor and shun it?  Greedily want to for their own?Perhaps none of the above, but it was a thought that never truly left any of their minds.“You wouldn’t happen to have been to Khemet recently, have you?”  Yami asked watching Marik drag Yugi into one of the more high-end clothing stores.Bakura frowned and turned away from the vampires following Ryou, Yugi, and Marik.  “No, I can’t go there without Ryou, and Ryou won’t go there without Marik.  Marik hasn’t had a reason to return to Khemet, so neither have I.  Why?”“I have a feeling something is happening.  I just don’t know what.”  Yami narrowed his eyes at a vampire that got a little too friendly with Yugi.  “Khemet and what awaits me there has been on my mind lately.”“So you want to go?  Even knowing the risks?”  The former tomb robber leaned against a tree.Yami turned away from the Hikari to fully face Bakura.  “How are the risks any different for me then they are for you or Marik?  I’ve thought about this long and hard.  The truth of the matter is I could wait forever, I would wait forever for the answers that are in Khemet, but it is not just me that I’m thinking about in this decision.  Yugi may not act like it but it is eating him up inside.”Bakura nodded.  “You’re doing this for him.” Silence settled between the two as Marik, Ryou, and Yugi exited the store.  Already the three humans had started to collect a large pile of shopping bags.  This was only the beginning, but the spirits knew that by the end of this excursion there would be double, maybe even triple the amount.The three dropped their bags at the feet of the spirits, giving them bright smiles before rushing into a jewelry store.  No one would take the Hikari’s shopping bags since they had mysteriously disappeared into the shadows.Once Bakura and Yami knew their humans were out of earshot their conversation continued.“Do you know when you want to go?”  Bakura asked his companion.A pondering expression settled upon Yami’s features, reminding Bakura yet again that the spirit next to him had once been Pharaoh.  The tomb robber may joke and tease all he wanted, but that didn’t change the facts.  Yami had been, was, a Pharaoh.  When and if the spirit of the millennium puzzle ever regained his memories hell would raise on earth. Bakura had had time to reckon with what memories he had, to recognize that the world had changed, that not all humans where evil, vile creatures that wanted nothing more than the extinction of their only natural predator.   Yami had not, he could not remember a time when humanity held the vampire race in a strangle hold.  When all of vampirity joined together just to survive. What would the Pharaoh do when he realized he was helping the humans obtain that which he had sworn they would never have?  When the Pharaoh learned what had happened to his people in his absence?  How would the Pharaoh react to the Hikari?  To Yugi?  For it wouldn’t be Other Me, Yami, reacting.  No, it would be the Nameless Pharaoh.The spirit of the millennium ring shuddered.  The Nameless Pharaoh was nameless for a reason.  If, after Yami found his answers, the spirit wished to continue the war with humanity Bakura would have to stop him.  The tomb robber couldn’t chance the Nameless Pharaoh once again rampaging through the world.  Once was enough to nearly destroy it.  Yet, the most chilling thought of all was the fact Bakura knew the Nameless Pharaoh would go after Yugi first.As the completer of the Millennium puzzle, Yugi had a right to the title of Pharaoh, to rule Khemet and the Vampire Race.  It was why Marik called the tricolored haired human ‘prince’.I just have to hope the bond between Yugi and Yami is strong enough to circumvent the memories, Bakura sighed at the thought. He didn’t want to deal with the squirt if it came down to taking out Yami.  The human would be broken far worse than their first meeting, and the tomb robber didn’t know if he and the other Hikari would be able to put the pieces back together again. Seto Kaiba would act like a dragon protecting a hatchling as well.   If there was one thing that could bring out the over protectiveness of the cold hearted tyrant, it was Yugi.“I would go after the blood moon eclipse,” Yami’s voice sliced through Bakura’s thoughts.  “Preferably after Yugi is done with his semester, he wouldn’t need the stress beforehand.”Bakura’s dark thoughts swirled behind his eyes as he studied Yami.  The spirit was doing this for Yugi, was willing to take on memories that could destroy him.  It was one of the purest acts of love Bakura had ever seen.“Then we’ll make a date of it,” Bakura decided.  “I have a few things I want to collect from my tomb anyway.”The tomb robber wouldn’t let Yami and Yugi go alone.  He had followed the Nameless Pharaoh into death once; he would do it again if necessary. They were finally finished.  It had taken them just over four hours, but the Hikari where finally finished shopping.  Bakura and Yami had returned to the ring and puzzle as the Hikari slowly made their way out of the shopping district. Yugi’s stalkers where still following them, Ryou frowned as he glanced at a shop window to check on the stalkers progress.  They were good, these pureblood vampires, Ryou had to concede as he watched two of them stop and hold a discussion on what looked like directions through the reflection on the window.  Most people wouldn’t know that they were being followed. Too bad Ryou, Marik, and Yugi weren’t like most people.Picking up pace Ryou grabbed Marik and Yugi’s hands.  There was an entrance to the underground one block over, if they could get there without being caught there was a chance they could escape.  The undergrounds inhabitants would make the perfect distraction.  Now, they just had to get there.So focused on his thoughts Ryou ran straight into someone.  It was only the fact that Yugi and Marik where holding on to him that stopped Ryou from falling on the ground.  Righting himself, Ryou was about to apologize when he was beaten to it.“Jez, sorry Ryou!  I didn’t see you there.”  Came an accented voice.Ryou blinked as his eyes settled on a pair of hazel.  A large fanged grin settled over the speakers face at Ryou’s look.“Joey,” Yugi said beaming, “what are you doing here, is Seto with you?”The newly named Joey shook his head.  “Nah, moneybags took the afternoon off to spend time with Mokuba.  The kid got Noah to lock down Kaiba corp. until moneybags agreed.”  Amusement flashed through Joey’s eyes at the memory.  “Mokuba didn’t want me around for the afternoon, even though I’m his brother’s bodyguard.  So I got the afternoon off.”“It probably has to do with the fact you and Seto always end up fighting,” Marik pointed out.  “It’s amazing Kaiba corp. is still standing with you two always going at it.”“Or it’s because Joey’s a vampire,” Ryou said.Mokuba Kaiba disliked vampires on principle. It had something to do with his past, but the Hikari had never found out what had happened.  Joey Wheeler had been the Kaiba brother’s bodyguard since they had been adopted into the Kaiba family as children.  Which made Mokuba’s dislike of vampires very interesting, because as much as the kid wanted to say that all vampires should be staked on sight, he actually like Joey as a person.  It was only when Mokuba remembered Joey was a vampire that things got interesting.Joey shrugged.  “Possibly, but then again, you three don’t like vampires either and you’re friends with me.”“That’s because the Priest would have had our heads if we didn’t,” Marik muttered.A bark of laughter broke free from Joey’s lips before he could stifle it.  Yet, Joey’s grin turned into a frown as he looked over Yugi, Marik, and Ryou.  Most people wouldn’t be able to see behind the three’s cheerful expressions, but Joey had seen them at their worst. “What’s wrong?”  Joey asked his accent thickening in worry.Lavender, brown, and amethyst eyes shared a look before turning back to hazel.“Yugi’s being followed, and since we’ve been with Yugi all day so are we.”  Ryou told the vampire.Hazel eyes flashed red as Joey scanned the crowd, marking potential threats quickly one of Joey’s eyebrow’s rose as he saw The Pharaoh’s court trying to act inconspicuous.  The Pharaoh’s court was supposed to be with the Pharaoh, not out and about by themselves, if moneybags knew about this heads would role.  He didn’t want the vampires anywhere near Domino city, even if he had invited them here himself.“Let’s gettcha’ out of here,” Joey muttered lowly already slipping into the role of bodyguard.  “Where yah head’n?”“There’s an entrance to the underground hidden one block over,” Ryou whispered.  “I was taking us there when I ran into you.”Joey nodded, already running through all the escape routes and possibilities.  A group of fledglings caught the vampire’s attention.  Fangs flashed in the light as Joey started to grin wickedly.“I have an idea,” he told the Hikari, “when I say run, run.”The Hikari nodded their heads slightly.Giving them one last glance Joey slowed down as they passed the fledglings.  There was an impossibly good chance that the fledglings wouldn’t know who the Pharaoh’s court was.  As such, Joey knew it would take only a matter of prompting to get the fledglings to do what he wanted them to do.Whispering quickly to the leader of the group Joey continued on his way, silently counting down the seconds.  A roar went up from behind him and Joey couldn’t help the cackle that escaped his lips even if he tried, oh, he knew he should feel sorry for setting a bunch of fledglings on the Pharaoh’s court, but he couldn’t.  Jogging past the Hikari Joey grinned again.“Run.”

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Lacuna
(n.) a blank space, a missing part
The dark dead end alley was bare of any life when the court finally entered it.  The group of fledglings the blond haired vampire had set on them had taken away the chance the court had of cornering Yugi Moto and the other Millennium wielder.  Glancing around the crate filled alleyway Isis felt like she was walking through a dream.In the last five thousand years she had never hoped that she would see her brother again.  Blonde hair, kohl lined lavender eyes that flashed red in mischief, skin the color of clay, Malik had died in the war.  Yet, here he was.  Human.  Another reincarnation she hadn’t been able to see.As if reading her thoughts Shada turned his blue eyes on the only female member of the court.  “Isis, the human with Malik’s looks…”  He trailed off trying to think of a way to ask the question without angering the priestess.“It’s him,” Isis stated staring at the last spot that had her brother’s scent; a pile of wooden pallets below an escape ladder.Mahado stepped closer to her.  His warmth seeping through her senses like a blanket.  It took everything in Isis’s power not to curl up in Mahado’s arms.They had never created a mating bond.  Too loyal to their Pharaoh even after all these years.  Yet, the need of physical comfort overrode conscious thought sometimes.  Mahado and Isis knew each other better than they knew themselves.  It was this that allowed Mahado to know just how much Isis wanted to breakdown and cry at the moment.“Then it is possible that the boy our Pharaoh hunts is his reincarnation?”  Kamin questioned lowly. It wasn’t a thought any of them wanted to think.  That he could have been reincarnated.  Isis didn’t know what would be worse: the boy being his reincarnation or the boy not being his reincarnation.  A shudder slithered down the priestess’s back.  If this boy was his reincarnation then a terrible storm was on the horizon.Looking around at her fellow priests Isis prayed to her name sake that the boy only be that.  A human child that had somehow gotten the Millennium Puzzle and completed it, not the reincarnation of one of the world’s most blood bathed souls. Some things where better left buried in the past, forgotten from the world’s memory.  He was one of them.Forcefully Isis swallowed the lump in her throat.  “It is a possibility.”“Then what are we doing here?”  Mahado hissed.  “We should continue the search.  If the boy really is him we can’t just let him be.  Do you want a repeat of five thousand years ago?”Shada shook his head.  “I felt no evil from the boy.  Even if the boy was his reincarnation we must remember that the boy is human.  Meaning we do not have jurisdiction over him, especially in this country.  Memories of past lives must be triggered.  If this boy is his reincarnation then completing the puzzle would have awoken them and the evil that he was along with them.”“So you’re saying that the boy isn’t him?”   Kamin raised an eyebrow.  “He’s running around with Bakura’s reincarnation and Malik’s.  You do remember how close Bakura and he where, correct?  They nearly destroyed Khemet before our Lord got involved!”Isis allowed her fellow priests to continue their hushed argument.  Memories of a long forgotten time rushed before her eyes and before she knew it Isis was in a vision.
Dusk was settling upon the red sands.  Hiding three figures settled upon a rocky dune above a small camp.  The fire below slowly flickering to life as the camps inhabitants settled in to a quite night in the desert.

Isis walked closer to the three figures.  Noting how small they where, mere children really.  Yet, it was the voices that she recognized.

“Is this wise?”  Questioned one of the small hooded figures.

A soft snort came from the figure on the left.  “We don’t have much choice.  It’s them or us.  Their hunting us, remember thief?  Do you want to go back to that place?”

Isis crouched down next to the three.  She couldn’t be seen in this vision.  It was only that, a vision of the past.  However, some habits die hard.  It had been her brother’s voice asking those questions.  No, her brother had never sounded like that even as a child.  It was her brother’s reincarnation.  Which meant…
Grey eyes glanced over at the other two children.  The gleam of gold caught her attention.  The one that had spoken first wore the Ring.  Hidden as it was under cloak and tunic.  Bakura’s reincarnation, Isis could not help but think.  And settled in the center of the small group was his reincarnation. 
Smaller than even the other two Isis noted the unnaturally pale skin and bruising.  Marks she recognized from far too many raids on Slavers.  A quick glance at Bakura and her brother’s incarnations showed her that they two bore the marks of blood slaves.

Her lips pursed as Isis looked down upon the camp.  No wonder the blond vampire had acted the way he had.  They where fledglings, the three of them.  Human in form maybe, but vampire in spirit.  That was the only way that they would have been able to survive Slavers and escape.  Fledglings where always to be protected.

Another thought passed Isis by as she listened to Malik and Bakura bicker quietly to one another.  They would have regained their past memories if this was their childhood.  Yet, there was nothing in their speech that revealed that they remembered.  That they where reincarnations.

“’Kura says we need to make this quick.  We won’t have enough energy to do this if we wait much longer.”

Isis jerked around as the words left Bakura’s lips.  No.  Not Bakura.  Squinting Isis could faintly see the ghostly outline of the Tomb Robber standing behind the three children.  Russet eyes keeping watch so that they would not be caught unawares.

What was this?

The spirit opened his mouth and this time Isis heard the long forgotten gruff tones of the Tomb Robber.  “Tomb Keeper, Mini-Pharaoh, Little Thief.”

All three of the children’s heads turned sharply in his direction.  None of them spoke, and Isis held her breath. Could it be that they were wrong?  That none of the children where reincarnations?

No, that couldn’t be.  She sensed her brother’s soul.  At least one was a reincarnation.

“I know you three don’t want to do this.”  The spirit of the Tomb Robber squatted down so he could be eye level with the children.  “But it has to be done.  Only two of you have awakened your shadows, and the puzzle hasn’t yet been completed.  Meaning the Pharaoh can’t help us yet.  Until his royal highness has been awakened you three are my responsibility.  And I can’t help you three if I don’t have enough power.”

Bakura turned his attention on his younger look alike.  “Ryou,” he said softly.  “You can only feed me your energy for so long before you’ll run out.  Even if you are only a fledgling, you’re my mate.  I won’t allow you to die over something as simple as this.  I only need to eat one, maybe two of them.  Please let me do this.”

Ryou fiddled with the Ring. Swallowing slightly the young brit looked up.  “What if you don’t give me back my body?”

“I’d never take your body,” Bakura said softly. “I swear on Ra I will give you back your body after this.  I only need to eat two of them.  Then I’ll return your body to you.”

Isis wanted to know exactly what the Tomb Robber’s spirit meant by return your body, but she never found out for she was pulled out of the vision and back to the conversation at hand.
The sudden change from crisp desert air to smog congested city nearly made Isis retch.  But with an iron clad will she kept from throwing up the blood she had drank earlier.  The noise surrounding her felt too loud, ringing in her ears until she was sure she was going to go deaf. None of her visions had ever had such an impact on her before.  A hiss escaped Isis’s lips as the puzzle flared white hot against her skin. The Millennium Necklace’s magik snapped and coiled around the vision she had just had.  Locking it away and sealing off the connection to the four beings the vision had been about.Isis couldn’t get another vision of the humans even if she tried.  The Millennium Necklace had just blocked her from seeing their lives any more then she had moments before.  The necklace could only do such a thing after a vision of the blocked persons had been seen.  Meaning the necklace had shown her that portion of the humans lives just to lock her out.No, it was more than that.  That vision proved that neither the white haired human nor Yugi Moto was a reincarnation.  But she couldn’t tell the other priests that.  Not with the vision she just had locked within her memories by the necklace.A gentle hand upon her shoulder brought Isis back to the real world.  Mahada’s purple eyes asked if she was alright, even as he kept quiet.  Smiling lightly at the magician in what Isis hoped wasn’t a grimace she explained.“The necklace turned hot just now.  It’s possibly because it’s finally been in close range with the puzzle after so many years.”Kamin’s green eyes glinted as he touched the scales dangling from his belt.  “With the puzzle and ring in one place it is not supprising the necklace reacted.  The scales did the same.“That would only happen if the puzzle was in the possession of a shaow weilder.”  Mahado pointed out, still settled next to Isis.  “We all know that only pureblood vampires can use the shadows.  These three are not vampires.”“No, they’re not vampires.”  Kamin agreed.  “But they’re not normal humans either.  At least one of them is a reincarnation.” “There’s more to this then we know,” Shada growled.  “Their human, yet they act far more like vampires.”“Not to mention the way their friend reacted to the knowledge they were being stalked.”  Mahado chimed in.“We need to gather more information before we proceed.”  Isis said softly.  Raising one of her slender hands up to the millennium necklace Isis couldn’t help but think, I can’t see their past or futures.  Is it because they are wielders of the millennium items?  No, that can’t be it.  Something is going on.  Something the gods are not permitting me to see and these humans are right in the middle of it.  “We can’t do any more here.  Let us return to the manor and start contacting the courts spy network.”Green eyes turned on Isis.  “You cannot see the information we seek.”The hand touching the millennium necklace lowered.  “No.  I cannot.”On the other side of Domino Joey, Marik, Ryou and Yugi lay panting in the storage room of Kame Game Shop.  The four of them had run through the underground all the way to Magnolia Antiques, one of the many back entrance for smugglers and thieves into the lower city.  Luckily it was only a few short blocks from the game shop and freedom.Solomon Moto, the owner of Kame Game Shop, didn’t say a thing when the three teenagers and vampire burst into his shop.  He merely nodded in their direction and went back to helping his startled customers.  Joey knew the store would be closed shortly.  Solomon didn’t take any chances when it came to the Hikari.  For bad or for worse Solomon would never let the events that took his grandson from him in the first place happen again.Joey turned his hazel eyes onto the three teenagers slowly ketching their breath as he heard Solomon thank his last customer for shopping with him.  “Do you think they could have been after you because of who you are?  Or what you are?”“There’s never been an inkling of doubt in my mind that one day we’d have to worry about Vampire’s finding out about us.  Either from him or from something we accidently do.”  Marik sat up and looked over at Joey.  It seemed he had been made the spokes person of the group.A frown settled on Joey’s lips as he tracked the elder human around the shop.  It was worrying, knowing that the Pharaoh’s Court had gained an interest in the Hikari.  If the Court had found the Hikari did that mean he might have found them as well?  Moneybags had made sure that every angel had been covered when it came to keeping Marik, Ryou and Yugi safe, going so far as to adopt them into his family.  No one in their right mind would hunt the three of them.Yet, that was exactly what happened.Hazel eyes glanced over the three Hikari.  Noting the flashes of red in the two pale skinned humans eyes.  A shiver ran down Joey’s back at the thought of what would have happened if the Nameless Pharaoh and the Tomb Robber had gotten involved.   Everything Seto was working toward would have been shot to hell. The Pharaoh and the Thief King would both have set their sights on Domino.  If the people of Domino where lucky there would be a city for them to come back to.  Neither the Pharaoh nor the Thief King would stop until they dealt with a perceived threat.  Or, Joey couldn’t help but think, take Yugi and Ryou with them by force back to Khemet.  But that was a lesser chance in the end.  Hikari where Hikari, and the three of them would be perceived as a threat first, potential replacement mates second.Something Marik had said finally registered in Joey’s 180 year old brain.  Once more dousing the vampire in shards of worry.  “Yah think he might have tipped them off to flush you out?”  Joey asked quietly.  Solomon stood just outside the door listening intently to the conversation.  There was no need for the vampire to talk any louder than he was.  They didn’t need to tip off their enemies after all.Marik brushes off Joey’s worry.  “If he wanted us he would have came after us long before now.  This is different,” Marik frowned, “I just don’t know why.”“I’m still going to tell Seto about this.”  Joey warned standing to take a walk around the house.  His instincts where a bundled mess in his stomach and Joey didn’t like that.  The last time his instincts had reacted in such a way he had met the Hikari, and the dozen rouges chasing after them like they were Christmas dinner. Stepping out the door Joey became even more frightened when the three Hikari didn’t argue with him.

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Jaaneman
(n.) (phr.) lit. “soul of me”; gender-neutral word of sweetheart or darling
On the outskirts of Domino roaming fields and forest hid mountain slopes and one of Akeifa’s few legal businesses.  A horse ranch titled Layal Earabia, in honor of his family and the stories his mother once upon a time told him.  There were very few places left on earth that Akeifa considered worthy of his memories, yet the mountains surrounding the port city of Domino where one such place.  Ever since he had first stepped foot in the then small village of Domino Akeifa had known the place was important.   Would be important. Something always seemed to draw him back to Domino and Akeifa had never felt the urge to fight it.  He knew something was going to happen here.  He didn’t know when and he didn’t know why.  But Akeifa knew without a doubt that it would have to deal with his family. When the Theif King had heard that the Pharaoh and his court had been invited to visit Kaiba Corps. CEO?  Well, Akeifa had decided that it was the perfect time to return to the city he had adopted as his own.  It had been roughly eighty years since he’d last set foot in Domino.  Not a long time to a Vampire like himself, but long enough for the isolated vampire community, and the humans living within the city to forget about him.Stepping out of a 2016 LTX metallic Silver Acura Akeifa took a breath of clean mountain air.  Without meaning to Akeifa started to relax as the sounds of nature swirled around him.  He would always prefer the wide open spaces–those untamed by vampire or human–over the bustling cities both species had created.  There was a freedom to the untouched natural world that Akeifa knew even the Pharaoh craved, after all, that was why Atem had been created.Gently Akiefa closed the car door and looked back the way he had come.  At the city he last remembered as a small town.  Across a landscape of rolling hills the cityscape was networked like a grid, intersected with rings of freshly planted grassland and trees.  The web sprawled out toward the sea, spilling over it in a net, expanding out further until even Akeifa with his enhanced vision lost view of it. It all surrounded a great center spire, protruding free from a rising hub of skyscrapers.The center spire drew Akeifa’s attention away from his thoughts of a city that looked like this five thousand years ago.  Lost to the sands that one was, but this one was sleek and clean and new.  Brimming with upstanding vampires and humans who wanted to work together, to bring about a city, a home they could be proud of.  Shaking his head to clear those thoughts Akeifa noted that the entire city of Domino was built around that one tower, the layout of the city in circles. From where he stood on the lowlands of a mountain Akeifa was able to see that the shape of the city was actually in the format of ripples expanding out from Kaiba Tower. Each ring divided into its own division, with its own individual use.The largest was the agricultural ring.  Akeifa searched for the portion of it he could see.  The people of Domino were currently still building it, with portions of the ring being built over the ocean.  Kaiba, the arrogant human, was having to extend the city out into the sea because he'd simply run out of land. Shaking his head Akeifa turned from the city of Domino, but not before he thought.  It's going to be able to sustain the population of the city and more, within another three or so years.  If this continues Domino is going to become its own country soon.  Hell that may even be Kaiba's plan.Grey-purple eyes softened at the sight of Layal Earabia.  600 acres of open field and forest accented by two spacious 200 stall horse barns, and a dotting of small cabins used by the ranch hands.  Arabian, Akhal-Teke, Barb, and the thought to be extinct Turkoman stood grazing in the fields.   Laughter caused Akeifa’s eyes to crinkle as he watched an Akhal-Teke yearling sneak up on a ranch hand and steal the apples the man had been picking. All in all, it was good to be home.The rustle of fabric alerted Akeifa to the approach of the head ranch hand.  Nothing happened at Layal Earabia without his or his mate’s knowledge.  Stepping away from the car a grin settled upon Akeifa’s face as a youthful looking vampire appeared in the shade of the closet cabin, one that existed more as an office then an actual cabin.  It had been the very first one Akeifa had built when he’d bought the land off of a Shogun.The head ranch hand wore loose cotton pants and a traditional white cotton top in the style of his home land.  A head of kinky black hair nearly hid the vampire’s periwinkle eyes.  Nekor in origin Hadi “Alex” Tamesis was a vampire of many things, wealth, knowledge, loyalty, and above all a love for horses. Akeifa had met the five foot seven vampire in Spain after the fall of the Umayyad Dynasty and the beginning of the Taifa kingdoms.   The young recently turned vampire had been born in the small Kingdom of Nekor, in modern day Morocco, and had been sold into slavery after his father’s death as a way to repay his families debts.  Hadi was and had been a natural with horses.  It was as if he knew what the horses where thinking and the horses knew his thoughts in return.The younger vampire had spotted the problem with Akeifa’s horse right away that rainy day in Spain and had done everything in his power to help not only the animal but Akiefa himself.  A debt had been made that day, and after looking around and learning as much as he could about Hadi, Akiefa had finally decided to take the fledgling under his wing.  In the process killing the vampire that turned Hadi to prolong the boy’s usefulness, but that was all in a day’s work.Hadi had returned to Nekor to continue his father’s work raising Akhal-Tekes and Barbs with a promise to answer Akeifa’s call whenever it came.  It took a thousand years or so, but Akeifa had finally called Hadi when he’d bought the land that would one day become Layal Earabia.  Hadi was even now the only person Akeifa trusted with his horses.  Well, and Hadi’s mate that is.“Masa' alkhayr ya sdiqi!”  Hadi called out from the shade of the cabin.  “Come out of the sun Akeifa!  I have chilled AB negative waiting for you inside.”And there was Hadi’s mate’s handy work.  The little blond hajin* wasn’t very good with horses, but he had quite the ability of foresight.  It helped, Akeifa supposed, that the blond was a child of Apollo.  One of the few vampire’s in the world who could claim to be of the great seer’s bloodline.  To this day it astounded Akeifa that the humans once worshiped the curly haired, blue eyed, smug future-seeing-bastard as a god.  Oh, dear Ra, how Akeifa partied when that particular pureblood died.Crossing the gravel parking lot before the cabin Akeifa’s grin grew.  He could feel the weight of being two different people dripping off of his shoulders with each crunch of gravel underfoot.  The contrast of hot to cold on the elder vampires highly sensitive skin was felt immediately as Akeifa stepped into the shade.  Much like a sudden jump from a hot tub into glacier filled water. Hadi waited until Akeifa was standing next to him before he started for the door.  The constant chatter leaving the takhmar*’s lips relaxed Akeifa even more.  By the time he actually got to seeing how the ranch had survived without his presences Akeifa was sure he would be too relaxed to move.“Layal has grown another hundred acres since you’ve been here last and we’ve just gifted ten yearlings to the Kaiba Rehabilitation Foundation.  We weren’t going to give the foundation any horses but our newest trainer talked me into it.  It seems Kaiba created the foundation specifically with him in mind, and has made him the president of the foundation.  Nothing is going to happen without his knowing.  And well,” Hadi smiled lightly holding the large oak door open for Akeifa.  “I know the yearlings will be taken care of.”Akeifa nodded as he stepped into the cozy wooden cabin.  Five chairs where settled before a large bay window that looked out over the ranch.  A rack for coats was settled near the door and photos of horses, ranch hands, and nature littered the walls.  On the right hand side of the room sat a sturdy desk made from Blue Japanese Oak.  Papers littered the top and a small laptop hummed among the mess. It was obvious what Hadi had been doing while he waited for Akeifa’s arrival. The takhmar motioned for Akeifa to take a seat before darting through an open doorway into the kitchen, returning moments later with a goblet of the promised AB negative. Once again nodding his thanks Akeifa sent a pulse of shadows through the blood to burn off any poisons.  Not that he expected such a thing from Hadi, but it paid to be careful.  The cool coppery tang of chilled blood rolled across Akeifa’s tongue like cool silk over his senses.  A sigh left his lips and grey-purple eyes blinked open lazily.When had he closed them?Hadi’s periwinkle orbs glittered in the afternoon sunlight as he watched his oldest friend slowly relax into the seat.  It was a secret pleasure of Hadi’s to watch the feared general/Thief King totally relax.  Akeifa didn’t relax around just anyone after all. Knowing that if he kept talking Akeifa would continue to loosen up and possibly become a pile of vampire shaped goo, Hadi did just that.“There’s not much else to tell you.  All our taxes are up to date.  We haven’t lost any of our ranch hands and requests have been flooding in lately from potential buyers.”  Hadi shifted on his seat for the first time taking his gaze off Akeifa. “We gained one knew ranch hand.  Well, gained in putting it mildly.  Ryou volunteers at the ranch at least three days a week.”  At the mention of the name Akeifa’s attention snapped to Hadi and the elder vampire sat up straighter.  Hadi blinked slowly, now that was interesting, Akeifa almost looked hungry.   “The brats rich and told me flat out that he didn’t need the pay.  He simply wanted to work with the animals he loves. I haven’t seen somebody as good with horses since, well, you.”Akeifa leaned forward, his gaze burning.  “Is he here today?”A hum left Hadi as he made his way over to the desk.  Shuffling some papers around the takhmar nodded.  “He should still be here.  He’s been working with a few of our Akhal-Teke yearlings.  However, today he was going to take Ahriman out along the ranches west border to look at the changing leaves.”“Ahriman?”  Akeifa questioned in surprise.  “You named one of my horses after a Persian god of death and destruction?”“Actually, the name means Evil Spirit.”  Hadi shrugged typing something into the laptop and then turning it around on the desk so the elder vampire could see the photos that popped up.  “I wasn’t the one to name him. Ryou did that.  He helped with Ahriman’s birth and raised the little demon when her mother didn’t make it through the birth.”Standing from the chair Akeifa lazily walked over to the desk to get a better look at the photos.  All of them showed an Aswad* and the maybe reincarnation-Ryou.  The pictures went back four years, from the point of the mare’s birth all the way up to one that had been taken just a few weeks before.The horse was true black in color, with no brown in the ears, muzzle, or flanks; a rare horse indeed.  True Black Arabians had always been rare, just as rare as the pure white Arabian.  However, in these modern times Egyptian breeding had become the most prolific of the black coloration through a mare known as Venus.   She was the root mare of the Hadban Enzahi strain and the stallion Dahman.  The stallion was the sire of Rabdan, who appears three times in the fifth generation of Nazeer’s pedigree and is the grandsire of Fadl. Tracing a finger over the last image, Akeifa looked up at Hadi.  “I never had any Aswads in my herd.”“No,” Hadi agreed.  “Five hundred years ago I went to Egypt to see if the stories where true about the Arabs.  They where, and I had to buy at least one mare.  However, there was no way the Bedouin tribes would let an outsider like me simply buy one.  So I offered up my own horse in a race and well, I won.  As is tradition I took the best stock of the losers herds.  I collected a few celebrated war mares in the process.” A smirk stretched across Hadi’s lips.  “I made a deal with the head of one of the tribes.  He would look after my new Arabian herd as if they where his own, and in return I would deal with the small problem he had been having with thieves and raiding parties.”“That still doesn’t explain why there’s now an Aswad in my herd.”  Akeifa pointed out.“I’ve been keeping tabs on my herd.  At least once every ten years I return to the Bedouin tribe to see my horses and meet with the head man.  They consider me family now and my herd is as much theirs as mine.”  Hadi stepped away from the desk to finger a picture on the wall.  “I hadn’t been able to return for a good hundred years, but when I finally made my appearance I found my herd had Aswads in it.  They’d done the impossible and gained a priceless war mare.”Hadi turned to look at Akeifa seriously.  “Aswads are so rare and I knew it would add to the pedigree of your Arabians as a whole.  So I took three of my broodmares and brought them here.  Last year I went back and bought a young Desert Bred stallion.  Ahriman is the child of that stallion and the daughter of one of my mares.  Ahriman is Asil* and a war mare in her own right.”   Akeifa ran a hand through is dove-grey hair.   “You are just full of surprises aren’t you my friend.”“You are of the Bedouin, Akeifa.”  Hadi pointed out softly.  “You’re tribe was one of the first to breed Arabians before the Millennium War.  The Bedouin still tell stories of your War Mares and your conquests in battle.  It is only right that you would have such mares in your herd once again.” Sighing Akefia knew Hadi was right.  He was of Bedouin blood.  Even if his tribe and bloodline had been wiped from the face of the world five thousand years ago Akefia was still one of the desert people, and the Arabian horses of today where all descendents of his original herd.  Only Hadi would go so far as to return a portion of Akeifa’s past to him in such a manner. After all, Akeifa had not been able to bring himself to visit the Bedouin since the end of the Millennium War.  The war had little to no effect on his people.  Desert nomads that they were, the Bedouin had relied upon horse and camel far more than any of the vampire technology.It brought sadness to Akeifa however, to know that all the Bedouin who might once have been vampires had been killed off millennia ago.  He was the last of his kind, the last one to remember the old ways and traditions of the desert.  Sure Akeifa had taught Atem.  Yet, it was not the same.  Atem was of Khemet’s blood.  He might have been of the desert, but the ever changing desert winds did not flow through his blood like they did Akeifa’s. Ever a nomad.Shaking his head to banish those thoughts Akeifa once again looked at the photos.  An Asil-Aswad war mare and her pale haired rider.  Just as it should be.“Al Khamsa*?”  Akeifa asked gruffly.“Ahriman’s mother was Hadban, and the father of Seglawi’s brood.”“I see,” Akeifa picked up the now warm glass of blood he had been drinking earlier and drained it.  “I will be off then to walk around Layal.  Perhaps I will get the chance to meet this Ahriman and her rider.”Haid nodded and watched Akeifa walk back out into the afternoon sunlight.  For a time he stood there simply staring at the door.  In the end the takhmar sat down in his plush chair behind the desk and turned the still open laptop toward himself.  Smiling at the image on the screen Hadi whispered.“Happy hunting, my friend.”Thunder rumbled across the mountain side as Akeifa finished his tour of Layal Earabia by entering the single two story horse barn.  The storm had blown in unexpectedly and as much as Akeifa liked a good rain he didn’t like to get soaked unless it was unavoidable.Inside the barn was clean, spacious, and well lit.  Just as Akeifa had wanted it.  However, the elder vampire was looking upon a barn that had not existed the last time he had been at Layal Earabia. No.  This barn had a long straight walkway about fifth teen feet wide made of cobblestone.  Near the center of the barn the tack and gear where stored in a large open room, easily assessable from the inside of the barn, as well as the outside of the barn with a set of doors that led directly through the area. The barn had two–no, four exits, Akefia counted as he walked down the center path.  Two on the ends and two opening up to the sides of the barn.  The entire barn was made of beech wood, the stalls for the horses where filled with fresh hay and the few horses that where inside poked their heads out of the wood and metal stall doors to beg sweets and apples off of Akeifa.Glass skylights at the peak of the roof let Akeifa see the dark rolling clouds over head.  As the hanging copper lights flickered on to help keep the darkness at bay, the vampire marveled at the second story of the building.  Cat-walks crossed the center path connecting one side of the building to the other.  Akeifa knew that his ranch hands had cabins to live in, so that couldn’t have been what the upper floor of the barn was for.  So what was it used for?All thoughts about finding the nearest staircase fled Akeifa’s mind as he heard faint singing farther down the path.  The crash of thunder muffled the noise just enough that Akeifa didn’t know who it was in the barn with him, but Akeifa was going to find out.Slowly Akeifa walked down the path, making sure to be as quite as vampirely possible.  Ears pricked to alert him to the slightest signs of a threat Akeifa followed the music.  Faint tones could be distinguished now through the noise of the storm.  It was a male’s voice, a tenor.Rounding a corner into a spacious wash area, grey-purple eyes blinked in surprise.  Akeifa stepped back out into the center path to look back the way he had come.  Turning his head from left to right the vampire realized that this was a hidden corner of the barn.  There was no second story, which left the ceiling vaulted thirty feet and a large doorway was set to the back of the room leading directly into the field.From the look of the area, this wasn’t the main wash room.  Yet, it was bigger than the one Akeifa had seen closer to the front doors of the barn.  Which begged to question; why wasn’t it used by everyone?Stuffing that thought away for future pondering Akefia turned once again to the sight before him.The maybe-reincarnation Ryou stood with his back to Akefia hosing off what could only be Ahriman.  Grey-purple eyes ran over the stunning figure of the Arabian mare. 14.3 hands, pure black, with a perfect mix of the refined, almost feminine elegance of the Seglawi and the athletic muscular build of the Hadban.  Ahriman was fine boned.  Her face was long, profile slightly concave below the eyes, with small ears the tips curved slightly inward.  With large, dark brown expressive eyes set well apart on her head.Akeifa’s eyes continued their perusal.  This time however on the two legged animal in the room.  Ryou’s white hair was tied back in a plate, bound by leather and interlaced with strings of red beads.  The human was dressed in loose white linen pants, black riding boots, and a red button up dress-shirt with the sleeves rolled up past the elbow.  Strapped around Ryou’s waist where his ever present daggers.  This time however, they were on the outside of the human’s clothes, allowing Akeifa the perfect chance to view the lethal weapons.Khemetian in style; the daggers where nine inches in length.  No hand guard dressed the blades.  Only a slim handle inlaid with ebony and rubies well worn from use.  The sheaths where made of ebony also, and etched with ancient prayers and blessings.The whole time Akeifa had stood there watching Ryou interact with Ahriman the human continued to sing.  Something wet and salty hit the floor, causing Akeifa to blink.  Why was his vision so blurry?  Wait.  Was he crying?Scrubbing at his eyes, Akeifa didn’t understand why he was crying.  It didn’t make any sense.  He didn’t cry!  As if in answer a memory appeared unbidden. The festivities of Wepet Renpet were running rampant across Khemet.  Every city, town and village was overflowing with feasts and community events.  All were happy that once again the great mother blessed Khemet with the flooding of the Nile.  As was tradition it was a time for feasting and families.
Settled within his tent, Akeifa wondered where his mate had run off to.  Around him the sounds of revelry and debauchery could be heard.  Oh, his family sure knew how to have a good time.  It wasn’t often that Akeifa’s tribe could all get together in one place.  There was too much risk involved.

Yet, Wepet Renpet was one of the few times they dared come together.  And unlike the rest of his tribe, Akeifa wasn’t getting any.  If his brothers found out about this where would be a roit.  Akeifa was sure.  He had to stop this before his brothers had a chance.

Mind made up, Akeifa stood and left his tent tracking his mate by scent.  It was nearing dusk and the temperatures out in the desert where starting to plummet.  Just where could his mate be?

His mate’s scent brought him to the nearby oasis.  Frown settled deeply upon his lips Akeifa walked through the underbrush until he came upon the pool of water.  There, naked as the day he was born Bakura stood in the shallows washing a pure white Arabian.

Soft singing reached Akeifa’s ears along with the burble of running water from a stream. 
 “Rest now, My warrior. Rest Now, your hardship is over. Live. Wake up. Wake up. And let the cloak of life cling to your bones Cling to your bones. Wake up, wake up–*” The singing continued into the real world, a tenor replacing Bakura’s deeper tones.  Swallowing, Akeifa tried to banish the memory back behind the locked door that had been its home for the last five thousand years.That song, it was the one Bakura used to sing to calm down the horses.  To think that Akeifa would hear it now out of the lips of Bakura’s possible reincarnation?  It was unthinkable.  Grey-purple eyes closed as Akeifa allowed himself to show a little weakness and listen to the song until it had ended.   Remembering all the times he had heard his mate sing those words as if they where a lullaby.As the last notes of the song died off a sigh reached the vampire’s ears.  Ryou had moved on from washing down Ahriman and was now brushing her down with a curry comb.“Things are bad, Ahriman.”  Ryou softly told the mare.  “Yugi and Marik refuse to let me out of their sights.  I had to pull out blackmail just to come and see you today.  We all knew eventually this would happen.  There’s no reason for the two of them to start freaking out on me.”The mare flicked her ears backward to hear Ryou better as he continued.  “It’s not like I’m defenseless or anything.  But even ‘Kura has been acting overly protective.  He nearly had a heart attack when he found out what happened Thursday.”  Leaning down to rub a back leg Ryou muttered to himself.  “It’s not like I meant to wind up in Empire of the Night.”Silently Akefia moved closer to the pair.  As if knowing what the vampire was thinking, Ahriman whined and pawed lightly at the ground.  A warning if Akeifa had ever seen one.  Hands held up to show the mare that he meant no harm to her rider, Akeifa moved over to the right side of the room and a nice shadow he could hid in.  Settling against the wall closest to Ryou’s tack and gear Akeifa made no more movements. Ahriman’s dark brown eyes stayed on Akiefa a few minutes longer before both vampire and mare’s attention was drawn back to Ryou.  “He hasn’t let me remove the ring since then.  It’s not like I’m going to be kidnapped or drained if I’m on my own.”  Akefia could feel the eye roll from where he stood in the shadows. “Besides, I was trained by the best assassin of Persia!  If there’s anyone we should be worried about, it’s Yugi!  He’s the one being stalked by a group of vampires.  Not only that but he’s the owner of the millennium puzzle.  Do you know how many times he’s nearly died because somebody wants the power of the Pharaoh?”  Ryou asked Ahriman.  The mare snuffled the humans shoulder in response.  Sighing, Ryou patted the mare’s snout.  “That’s what I thought.”Ryou made to continue but a startled gasp escaped his lips instead.  Akefia didn’t even have time to react as the scent of an unknown vampire invaded the area.One moment Ryou was standing next to the mare.  The next he was rolling along the floor with a vampire.  Struggling against the unexpected attack Ryou could do nothing as Ahriman freaked out.  He had to make sure that the fight stayed as far away from Ahriman as possible.  Ahriman might mean well, but Ryou had no urge to get trampled by his own horse.As if reading his thoughts the attacking vampire managed to get to his feet and threw Ryou across the barn. 
Crack!
White light flares across Ryou’s vision as the back of his skull connected with a post.  A growl escaped Ryou as instincts from his over half started to kick in.  Tracking the vampire by sound Ryou rolled out of the way just in time to miss a shovel to the neck.That would have been a death blow if it had connected.Still in motion Ryou rolled up onto his feet and lunged.  The vampire hadn’t expected such a reaction from its prey and fell underneath Ryou’s attack.  Quick as a viper Ryou’s  one of daggers was in hand and the human made little work of plunging the blade straight through the vampire’s heart.In one last attempt to kill its target the vampire kicked Ryou into another wall.  Flipping to its feet the vampire grabbed hold of the dagger in its chest and pulled it out.“Foolish food,” the vampire hissed.  “That won’t work on my kind.”Stumbling to stand Ryou gave a bark of laughter.  “Sure.  But you know–”  Ryou’s brown eyes glittered, “that blade was made for a hajin using his own blood.”The vampire froze, realizing that the wound was not healing.  The vampire’s blue eyes had time to widen as Ryou’s words finally resisted before death was upon him.  Like a marionette that’s strings had just been cut the vampire fell to the floor.  The daggers magik quickly did its work turning the vampire into a pile of ash.  Only the vampire’s personal effects remained.Akeifa had seen enough.  Quickly he stepped out of the shadowed corner he had been in.  Grabbing the mare’s halter Akeifa forced her head down to his eye-level.  In calm motions Akeifa slowly ran a hand down her neck, soothing the scared animal.Once he was sure that the mare was not going to bolt at any sudden movements Akeifa turned his attention onto the human.   Frowning at the sight that greeted him, Akeifa nearly kicked himself.  That vampire had used the sounds of the storm and the muddling affect of the rain to hide in plain sight.  If he hadn’t been so focused on Ryou and memories of his lost mate this might not have happened.“You know,” Akeifa finally stated.  “That fighting vampires isn’t something humans should make a habit of.”Slightly unfocused brown eyes snapped to Akeifa. “Excuse me?”  Ryou said incredulously, standing straight.“I said, child.”  Akeifa purred.  “That humans such as yourself should not make a habit of fighting vampires.  It’s quite bad for your health after all.”Akeifa expected a harsh remark.  For Ryou to snarl or throw something at him, perhaps even lunge at him with one of his daggers.  Instead Akeifa’s heart stopped beating as his mating bond snapped back into place.  Flooded with emotions that were not his own, Akeifa had to focus on not harming the horse still within his grasp.Breathing deeply to steady himself, Akeifa closed his eyes.  He had to try and mute as much of the bond as he could.  It hurt, feeling so many emotions that were not his own so suddenly.“I don’t know who you think you are,” a gruff voice that was not Ryou’s, came out of the human’s throat.  “But we’ve done just fine on our own.”Grey-purple eyes flew open at that voice.  Whirling around so quickly it took a few seconds for his hair to ketch up with the movement.  Akeifa’s grey-purple eyes met the brown-red of his mate. “Bakura?”  Akeifa whispered softly.Bakura’s eyes narrowed.  “And who might you be to use my name so candidly?”“I’m…”  Akeifa didn’t know how to respond. His mate was standing before him.  Bakura was standing right there, but it couldn’t have be him.  It couldn’t be Bakura.  Where was Ryou?  No.  Akeifa noted the red beads in Bakura’s hair.  The red dress shirt.  The body was Ryou’s, but the soul inhabiting it was Bakura’s.“I don’t care who you are,” Bakura snarled.  “Stay away from Ryou.  He’s mine.  If I see you anywhere near him I’ll personally take it as a threat to my mate and deal with you accordingly.”There was no recognition in Bakura’s eyes.  No acknowledgement that the old mating bond had returned to the state it had been in before Bakura’s death.   Akeifa felt anger start to bubble up, his own and Bakura.  Yet, just as quickly the anger faded.  What had happened all those years ago to cause Bakura to forget him?   Akeifa had to find out.Taking Akeifa’s silence as an answer, Bakura switched control back to Ryou.  Bakura’s natural vampire healing had dealt with any wound that had been inflicted on the human’s body during the fight.Akeifa watched to subtle shift from spirit to host with interest, noting the minor changes that occurred out worldly.  Even as the mating bond fell almost dormant in the back of Akeifa’s mind.  The flutter of emotions not his own lapped at the edge of Akeifa’s mind.  Nothing Akeifa could handle.Ryou’s brown eyes settled on Akeifa once again.  “I’m sorry, tifl alrriah.  Please excuse my behavior.  I’m a little shaken up at the moment.”Tears once again threatened to fall from grey-purple eyes.  Bakura’s nickname for his lover was being spilled from another’s lips.  Akeifa consoled himself with the knowledge that least one of the pair in front of him remembered who he was.  Maybe not consciously, yet they still remembered.Nodding his head in acceptance of the apology Akeifa started making plans.  He would have to do some research.  Lots of research.  Covertly watching Ryou as the human started fretting over the mare, a gleam entered Akeifa’s eyes. He’d have his mate back, and perhaps one more as well.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Soigné (adj)
possessing an aura of sophistication in dress, manner or design; presented or prepared with an elegance attained through care for the finer details
Stepping out of the only glass and metal elevator that had access to the office of Kiaba Corporations CEO the Pharaoh had to refrain from sneering.  In the three days between seeing Yugi Moto for the first time and the scheduled meeting with the CEO of Kiaba Corporations the Pharaoh had not gained any chances to view the city. Domino was a startling reminder of Zerah.   The ancient city had been the epicenter of Khemetian rule for twenty-four thousand years before that disastrous day five thousand years ago.  Zerah had been ordered abandoned by Heru as Sutekh and Anapa held the wards against the human invading force.  No one had been there to see the battle that had occurred once the wards fell.  For that the Pharaoh was glad.  Three gods against an army of humans, even humans that could use such a disgusting form of magic…the Pharaoh almost pitied the poor fools that had thought it wise to invade the God City.Almost.Nothing had remained of the city but untouched temples, houses of prayer, and the royal palace.  The rest was sand and ash.  Not even the remains of the enemy had survived when the Pharaoh and his court had dared enter the city two days later.  So much knowledge had been lost that day.  Technology so old even the Pharaoh thought it ancient.  Records of pervious civilizations, of magic, how the first vampire had been conceived, all gone in a matter of hours. It was the gods’ price for having their city invaded.  Zerah had been the home of the gods long before it had been the home of mortals.  Then one day Heru had extended his hand and offered his home to the scattered remnants of the Lilitu Empire.  No one knows why he did it, but that was the day Khemet had truly been born.  The tribes of the Black Lands had had a reason to stop warring with each other and could finally reclaim their title as one of the greatest civilizations of the world.Now Zerah was lost to the sands of Khemet.  The Pharaoh and his people had never rebuilt the ancient city.  Instead they had allowed the gods to reclaim it as their own.  A reminder that nothing ever lasted forever, not even vampires.That wasn’t why the Pharaoh was tempted to sneer though.  No.  It was the audacity of the human he was about to meet.  The man–for the Pharaoh knew the females of the human species where far more intelligent when it comes to angry vampires–had changed the time of the meeting without giving the Pharaoh and his court any warning.  If he didn’t take this chance now to meet with the CEO, the Pharaoh would have to wait another six weeks for an opening in the human’s schedule.And that was something the Pharaoh refused to allow.He would meet with the elusive CEO of Kiaba Corporations.  Now.  And when he was done with the human the Pharaoh would turn his sights on to far more interesting things.  Like his hunt for one Yugi Moto.Mm.  The Pharaoh could feel the boy’s supple skin under his fingertips if he focused hard enough.  Oh, how the Pharaoh wondered how the little game would react to his fangs grazing the boy’s neck.  Would the boy arch into the touch?  Shy away?  What would it take for the Pharaoh to bring a moan out of the boy’s throat?The sneer finally made its way onto the Pharaohs lips.  He had to take care of his business with the CEO, now.  Before he lost himself to the hunt and nothing but his little game occupied his thoughts.  It was maddening.  How had he dealt with hunts in the past?  That’s right.  The Pharaoh hadn’t had a hunt since the first time he had met his pale vampire, and that was nearly six thousand years ago.  Give or take a few centuries.Ra, did the Pharaoh want nothing more than to storm into the human’s office and demand what he wanted to know.  Yet, he had an appearance to keep.  It was imperative that the Pharaoh abide by the rules and laws of this human society.  Showing disregard for them would be like putting blood in shark infested waters and watching the feeding frenzy that follows.The relationship between the vampire race and human-Japan was frayed enough without the Pharaoh rocking the boat.  Expecially after the events in Domino’s shopping district the other day.The sneer grew as the Pharaoh and his court were made to wait in the lavish sitting area outside the CEO’s office.  Glass opened the top floor of Kiaba tower to a nearly 360 degree view of Domino city.  Only the seamless metallic elevator shaft and the CEO’s frosted glass walled office broke the view.    Minimalistic clusters of chairs and small tables dotted the waiting area like water frozen just after a rock was thrown into a still pond.   All smooth lines and rippling curves in light blue and clear glass.Even the floor kept to this theme, what with it rippling like fluid at each step the Pharaoh took.  Water appeared to be the main feature, which did not come as much of a surprise when ancient vampire technology was involved.  The Sea States of the past had much the same style and design.  Though it had been a main priority of those States to live and grow with the planet.Humanity just wanted to destroy it.Only two objects stood out of place in this futuristic setting.  The secretary typing away at a slim laptop, and the wood desk she was sitting behind.  Bold blue lipstick lined glittering white fangs as blue eyes narrowed at the screen before her.  Hair as equally dark as her skin, the secretary wore a blue leather jumpsuit and five inch heels.The Pharaoh didn’t know how to perceive the secretary.  On one hand she was a vampire, a Tahkmar to be precise.  She was one of his subjects and should show him the proper respect he deserved being Royalty.  On the other hand.  She was a citizen of Japan and had most likely been turned after Japan had become isolationist and hostile toward the vampire race.  If that was the case then she had never been taught the proper respect and knowledge needed to survive in the vampire community outside of Japan. So truthfully, the Pharaoh shouldn’t fault her for acting as if humans had just stepped off the elevator and where waiting for her boss to be done with whatever it was he was busy with.  Yet, the truth had never stopped the Phara–No.  That was wrong.  The Pharaoh was a creature of order.  It was his divine duty to find the truth in any situation and maintain the law.  Maintain order.  The moment he had been crowned The Pharaoh of Shadows and went through the Ascension that was what he was.  Atem was the one who discarded the truth if it did not fit his model of the universe.Drawing air through his nose and releasing it in a silent breath the Pharaoh closed his crimson eyes.  He needed this meeting to happen soon.  He was slipping more and more with each moment that passed.  It would not do to have Atem enter the CEO’s office, nor attend to the hunt.  It would be disastrous, cataclysmic even.The Pharaoh idly wondered how beautiful his little game would look covered in blood… Damnit.The typing suddenly stopped.“Mr. Kaiba will see you shortly.”  Blue lips smiled reassuringly at the vampires assembled before her.  “He is just finishing up with his meeting, right about now.”As if they had heard her the glass walls that created the CEO’s office became less opaque, showing figures moving closer to the frosted doors leading to the sitting area.  In a matter of seconds seven humans of different sexes, ages, and ethnicities where standing before the court.  Most of them blinked stupidly at the sight of the Pharaoh’s court in full regalia.  A few even turned lust filled eyes onto the Pharaoh himself.The Pharaoh refused to react and instead briskly stalked around the humans and through the doors behind them.  Following their king the court moved beyond the humans.  Many of its members couldn’t help the small smile that graced their lips when the secretary begin lecturing the humans about proper manners.However, all sound died when the doors glided closed behind them and the court had to stop quickly to avoid bumping into the Pharaoh.Sharp crimson eyes widened minuscule then narrowed.  He knew that scent even after five thousand years without it constantly at his shoulder.  The urge to bristle ran through the Pharaoh as his gaze wandered over the man before him. Settled behind a glass consul sat a tall eighteen year old.  Sharp icy blue eyes stared back at the Pharaoh from a stoic face.  A face the Pharaoh knew very well.  Brown hair licked the back of the man’s neck even as bangs threatened to curtain those blue eyes.  Paler then the Pharaoh had last seen, the hauntingly familiar man stood slowly from his seat, giving the Pharaoh and his court full view of his commanding figure.The black slacks wrapped around legs that seemed to go on for miles.  A black turtle neck and Armani white steel-studded sleeveless trench coat accented the CEO’s slim form and pale skin. And numerous leather straps on arms and legs did nothing to hide the lean muscled figure the man had.  The Pharaoh was certain that the slim body was stronger than it looked, just as its darker mirror image had been five thousand years ago.   Long fingers tapped over the consul almost dismissively as Kaiba Corporation’s CEO did his own study of his guest.  The priests where just as he had remembered them to be.  Professional, cold, and dressed in ancient styles even in this modern world.  A frown wanted to cross Seto’s lips at the sight of a shirtless Karim.  The vampire could have at least worn a tunic.  Quickly Seto’s blue eyes glanced over the Millennium Items settled among the priests.  Noting with some satisfaction that Mahada had not taken another item after the ring had been stolen from him.Allowing his gaze to wander yet Seto noted just how close Mahada and Isis where.  It wouldn’t have surprised him at all if the two of them had finally created a mating bond.  Actually, he hoped for it.  There were so few royals left in the world.  Little vampire princes and princesses would bring new life into the slowly stagnating race. Seto knew that these thoughts where simply a way for him to deter looking at the Pharaoh.  He knew it was juvenile, but Seto didn’t want to face the music just yet.  Seto had been planning his introduction to the Pharaoh of Shadows since he was thirteen years old.  However, the vampire had trounced through all those plans with a simple no thank you and stood before him as if Seto was a naughty child.To be fair.  In this case Seto was a disobedient child.  But the Pharaoh acting like he was Seto’s disciplinarian?  That was not acceptable.Blue eyes blinked closed as Seto released a sigh.  If he wanted the meeting to start he would have to look at the Pharaoh.  So he did.Surprise must have shown in his eyes because the Pharaoh’s crimson eyes flickered in amusement before the emotion was extinguished.   Unlike the priests the Pharaoh was wearing modern clothing.  The smallest in the room at five-eleven, the Pharaoh made up for it with his commanding presence and predatory gaze.  Sepia colored skin was cloyingly revealed by the two open buttons of a white cotton dress shirt.  A black sports jacket accented the Pharaoh’s slim waist, well pressed slacks reveled in the vampires long legs.  Slightly heeled leather dress shoes completed the look.However, it was the face that looked no older than twenty seven that really surprised Seto.   A series of thin barely-there discolorations added to the beauty of the Pharaoh’s sharp features.  Seto couldn’t see the discoloration himself, human eyes where not strong enough to see such a miniscule shift in color.  But he remembered that they were there on the left side of the Pharaoh’s face.  Full lips were pursed slightly revealing a hint of straight white teeth and piercing almond shaped eyes glimmered in the low light of Seto’s office.The Pharaoh’s hair was reminiscent of Yugi’s, or more specifically Yami’s.  What with it spiking up away from his head in a mixture of deep red, black, and antique gold.  Golden bangs added to the Pharaoh’s otherworldly features, even as bolts of the color intermingled with the rest of his hair. To put it simply he was exotically breathtaking.And a reminder of things Seto would rather not think about.With a sigh Seto motioned to the seats before his desk.  Just because he didn’t want to have this conversation didn’t mean he could be impolite.  “Per-a-a’, it is a pleasure to finally meet you in person.”“And I you, Mr. Kaiba.”  The Pharaoh took the middle seat and finally allowed himself to peruse the CEO’s office.Shimmering holographic display panels glittered along the office’s walls displaying stock values, multiple news agencies from around the world, reports, even a Monsters and Wizards tournament that was taking place.  The glass walls had gone opaque again and the office was disturbingly clean of clutter or any personal objects.  Not even a plant existed in the large office.   As if the reincarnation couldn’t afford to care about such things.The office should have felt airy and open with the back wall being a window to the world outside.  However, Seth’s reincarnation was obviously as paranoid as Seth had been because as soon as the doors had closed behind the court the window had gone dark.  Leaving only the holographs as a source of light for the room.“I was quite displeased to learn that I would have to come to Japan for this meeting.”  The Pharaoh began.  “However, I have found that this trip has been quite fruitful.”“I am sure it would be,” Seth’s reincarnation stated in a monotone.  “After all, the tie between Japan and the Vampire Kingdom has been strenuous at best these past few decades.”The corners of the Pharaoh’s lips lifted upwards ever so slightly.  Leave it to his cousin’s reincarnation to have knowing set Japan’s Prime Minister on him and feel the need to rub his nose in the knowledge as well. “Yes, it has.  A relatively recent act on Japan’s part nearly severed said tie.  I am quite glad that it did not.  For I would not be here if it had.”Seth’s reincarnation leaned back in his seat.  It was subtle body language that stated he was in control, yet it didn’t insult the Pharaoh.  A flick of the fingers on his right hand told the court to stand down.  Let him play this game, after all, it had been a good three hundred years since the last master had dared played against the Pharaoh.“Oh?”  Seth’s reincarnation asked lightly.   “I was not aware that there had been a situation between our two nations in the last four decades.”A black clade leg was draped over the other as the Pharaoh also leaned back in his seat.  “Yes, eighteen years ago to be in fact.  Japan refused me my right to my cousin’s reincarnation. Even though the child is mine by law and blood.”Seth’s reincarnation didn’t even blink at the information.  Clever fledgling, the Pharaoh thought lightly, to bad I’ve played this game five thousand years longer then you.“Reincarnations are to be handed over to their pre-death kin immediately after birth.  To not do so is a direct violation of Ma’at and can have irreversible implications.”  Seth’s reincarnation frowned darkly for a moment.  “I assume you are planning to collect you’re cousin’s reincarnation at the end of this trip and take them back to Khemet.”“I am,” the Pharaoh conceded.“Then you know that said reincarnation is still considered a minor here in Japan and can only go with you if their biological parents state that it is alright?”  It was supposed to be a statement.The Pharaoh’s lips lifted just a little more.  “I doubt that will be a problem.”An eyebrow was raised.  “Really?”“Yes.  It seems my cousin’s reincarnation was emancipated at the age of thirteen after his father’s sudden death.”   It took quite a bit of the Pharaoh’s control to keep the amusement out of his voice.  They were slowly getting closer to the truth of the matter.“You will still need to prove to said reincarnation that they are you’re cousin’s reborn self.  Besides that, as an adult the only way you will get you’re cousin back is if they go with you willingly.”  Seth’s reincarnation hedged.“I doubt the first requirement will be much of a problem,” crimson eyes glimmered under lowered lashes.  “After all, we’ve been talking in pre-dynastic hetric sense we greeted one another.”A sharp breath rang through the office as Seth’s reincarnation realized he was speaking the truth. “Not that it matters,” the Pharaoh continued. “You’ve been very good at drawing me away from the true reason for this meeting.  We only have a limited amount of time before you’re secretary will start to wonder what is going on in here.  After all, you’re heart beat has slowed down quite a bit since we entered.”  Fangs flashed in the low light as the Pharaoh smiled.  “One of the effects of a reincarnation being without their original kin.  Their bodies try to revert back to their original form when forced to be in the same space as said kin.  In you’re case, my dear cousin that is vampire royalty.” Seth’s reincarnation bared his human teeth in a mockery of a vampire warning.  “I do not have time, nor want for such drivel, Per-a-a’.”“There you go again, Seth, slipping into ancient languages that haven’t been heard or spoken by humans in over five thousand years.”  The Pharaoh flippantly replied, counting his cousins heart beats.  It was startlingly soothing.The Pharaoh could hear the reincarnation’s teeth grinding together from across the consul. “My name is Seto Kaiba.”  Seth’s reincarnation growled.  “And this is not what we are here to discuss.”The Pharaoh sat up straighter.  “Then let us discus why we are here.” He didn’t have to worry about finding nothing on the elusive CEO anymore.  A few words in the right ear and Seth–Seto’s name would grant the Pharaoh all the information he wanted.  Soon the Pharaoh would know exactly what kind of life his cousin had lived these past eighteen years.“I am not giving you any power over my company.”  Seto started.“I do not want any power over this company.”  The Pharaoh scoffed.  “I want to know where and more importantly, who you are getting vampire technology from.  Specifically when I remember ordering all of it destroyed during the Millennium war.”Seto remained quiet.“Well we are on that note,” the Pharaoh continued darkly.  “What in the name of Ra gave you the idea that integrating vampire technology into a Human city was a good idea?  Much less actually make it accessible and workable for them!”The folded arms of Seth’s reinsertion told the Pharaoh that his cousin was not sorry one bit.  Oh, how the Pharaoh wanted to put his cousin in his place.  No one went against the Pharaoh’s orders, his word was law.  Leave it to his cousin’s human reincarnation to disregard the one order that had kept the entire vampire species safe for five thousand years.It made his blood boil.“There are things you don’t know about with good reason, cousin.”  Seto sneered.  “You will never find out who has been giving me this technology.  They have been under my family’s protection since I was a young child.  More over.  If you really want to know where the technology I get comes from then you should look around you.  The ruins of ancient empires are everywhere.  Humanity might have forgotten that the world was round and there were other continents, but we never did!  If one knows where to look then they could find anything!”“Then explain to me why you are doing this,” the Pharaoh motioned to the holographic panels along the walls, the obviously vampire consul Seto sat behind. He was getting tired of not knowing the reasons, and had forgotten how hard it was to argue with Seth when his cousin thought he was right.  It didn’t help that the court not was taking the news that Kaiba Corporation’s CEO was Seth’s reincarnation.Seto sat back in his seat again.  He hadn’t expected the rush of emotions that had come with arguing with the Pharaoh.  He was never an emotional person when it came to business, and that was exactly what this was.  Business.  Seto knew he had be careful as he continued this argument.   There where things set in motion that the Pharaoh could not know about.  Seto had to keep his family safe, even from itself.For once glad that Joey was not sprawled out on a futon before the window, Seto chose his words carefully.  “In the last few years it has come to my attention that there are factions of humanity that are growing more…rebellious.”The Pharaoh nodded.“These…factions have begun their own study of vampire technology and are trying to gain full access to all its potential.”  Seto let his gaze sweep over the vampires before him.  “They have not yet been able to gain an entry point, however, there is talk that they are looking for a…key, of sorts.”“A key?”  Mahada repeated from his standing position to the right of the Pharaoh.  “There is no key to vampire technology.  You must simply be a vampire.”Seto nodded.  “Normally you are correct.  However, when the Per-a-a’ ordered all vampire technology destroyed a safety setting that was built in to every single piece of vampire tech was activated.  It could only be activated by the Per-a-a’ during a threat of thee eminent death of the species, as per the parameters created by the ancients.”“And this setting makes it so not even vampires can gain access to the technology.”  Shada muttered quietly to the Pharaoh’s left.Seto dipped his head lightly in the priest’s direction.  “You are correct.  This key, whatever it may be, has been this faction’s main goal for the past fifteen years.  They had gotten close to gaining this key once nine years ago.  However, it slipped through their fingers before they realized what they had obtained.”“And you possess it.”  Kamin’s green eye flashed at the thought.A smirk settled on Seto’s lips.  “No.  I don’t.”“Then how are you gaining access to vampire technology?”  The Pharaoh asked, oh so lightly.“The same way anyone gains access to a superior piece of technology that they have no hope of knowing how to work.”  Seto’s smirk turned into a full grown predatory smile.   “Reverse engineering.”The court spluttered and Seto couldn’t help but pray Joey was recording the meeting and not simply watching the event unfold from the security room a floor below.“It takes more than reverse engineering,” the Pharaoh’s baritone voice skated through the room.  “One must first know what such devices are made for, and a power source that works–” A flash of eyes the color of amethyst appeared in the Pharaoh’s mind and everything seemed to klick into place, like the lost puzzle piece had been revealed.  “–That’s why you’re integrating vampire technology into this city.  You’ve found out the key to making the technology work.  Or more specifically, who has the key.”“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Seto denied.Fangs flashed as the Pharaoh sat forward.  “I can hear your heart beat Seth. Do. Not. Lie. To. Me.”Silence filled the room as the leader of the vampire race and this former high priest glared at each other from across the consul.  The tension was so thick it hid the office doors sliding open.“Nii-sama,” a child’s voice called out behind the court.  “I can’t seem to figure out where this million has been placed.  Every time I get a lock on it the source scatters into fragments and I’m on the hunt again. Can yo– Oh.”  The child had finally looked up from the papers he was holding and realized he had stepped into the dreaded meeting with the Pharaoh of Shadows.The Pharaoh turned his head slightly so that he could get a good look at the child that had called Seth big brother.  So that was why Seth was being so difficult about being a reincarnation.  A predatory look crossed the Pharaoh’s face as he noted the blue eyes the two siblings shared and the long curtain of black hair that adorned the child’s head.No, not a child.  A young teenager.“Mokuba,” Seto softly called the boy over to him.  “What was it you needed?”The boy, Mokuba, the Pharaoh corrected himself, shot the court an untrusting look before scampering over to his older brother.  Quickly the papers the boy had been holding where lain out on the consul.  Rapidly Mokuba explained what he had been able to do, and what he had not, ending with “– I think we might have a spy in our midst, or somebody has stick fingers.  Whoever it is is good at what they do.”Seto leaned over the papers.  Then with a disgusted snort ran his hand over the consul surface.  Holographic whirled into life in front of the young CEO.  As he began to study the continuing cat and mouse game taking place on the interweb, Seto nearly forgot that the Pharaoh and his court where there.“I need to handle this immediately,” Seto stated too softly for human ears to pick up.The Pharaoh nodded his head in understanding.  Six thousand years of running a species had shown him that some things where too important to ignore.  The threat of a spy–spies more likely, since where there was one there were more–was one of those drop everything moments.“We will continue this discussion at a later date.”  The Pharaoh stood from his seat.  “Perhaps I can host the next meeting.”Seth’s icy blue eyes flickered away from the hologram to his left.  Blue connected with red.“Perhaps.”  Seth agreed cordially.It didn’t escape the Pharaoh’s notice that the younger Kaiba sibling didn’t seem to approve, nor care for vampires.  Oh, how the Pharaoh wanted to snap his fangs in the boy’s direction.  But he relented, there was much to think about with this new information, and he had places to be.Or more specifically, he had a little game to catch.The Pharaoh had just walked through the doorway when Seth’s voice rang through office once again.“Per-a-a’.”  Seth’s voice had taken on a winter chill.  “Stay away from Yugi Moto, Ryou Bakura, and Marik Ishtar.  The same for your court.”Golden bangs shifted as the Pharaoh tilted his head lightly.  “What makes you think I’m interested in them?  Humans have never interested me.”“They have gone through too much already in their short lives,” Seth’s voice had gone artic and a warning the Pharaoh had not heard in Seth’s voice since he had found five fledglings that had been abandoned by their parents rang clear through the office.  “Do not continue you’re interest in them.  They are mine, and I will always protect that which belongs to me.”Crimson eyes flickered.  Those where the same words Seth had used when the abandoned fledglings parents had tried to take them back six months after Seth had nursed them back from the brink of death.  These human’s with shadow magic…Seth viewed them as fledglings, and fledglings are always to be protected.  It seemed that more than just long dead languages had awakened in one Seto Kaiba.  Just how much did the young CEO actually remember from his pervious life?The Pharaoh could understand his cousin’s reasoning.  However, the hunt for the Pharaoh’s little game had already begun.  The only way to end it would be to end the hunt.A smirk slowly stole across the Pharaoh’s lips as he continued toward the waiting elevator. “I would never dream of harming that which is you’re cousin,” the Pharaoh said in Badarian.  “However,” The Pharaoh stepped into the elevator last and turned to look at his cousin’s reincarnation, “if you have harboring something that is mine, dear cousin, I will take it back without a thought.”  The two stared at each other, knowing that they were at a stalemate.  “Good day, cousin.  May you always drink from the Nile.”The elevator doors slid shut before Seto could form a reply.Settled inside the elevator the Pharaoh started to give out orders.  He would know everything there was to know about his cousin’s reincarnation by Iah’s rising.  Seth’s information regarding this faction and their search for the key would have to be crosschecked, and more importantly, the Pharaoh wanted to see for himself if this ancient safety activation really existed.  If it did, why had he never heard of it before?As the elevator slowed down and finally stopped on the ground floor the Pharaoh quieted.  He had only a few seconds before the doors opened.“Find me this information,” the Pharaoh stated lowly.  “We do not need the threat of another millennium war on our hands, one was enough.”The court bowed their heads in acceptance.Mahada took the chance to ask a question he had been wanting to know since Seth’s reincarnation told them Yugi Moto was off limits.  “Will you continue the hunt, Per-a-a’?”The elevator doors opened into a busy lobby.  Early morning light illuminated the white marble and liquid like floor so reminiscent of the one on the top floor of Kaiba Corporation’s headquarters.The Pharaoh was silent for a moment as they swept across the lobby.  “I will.  If I do not find the truth about this Yugi Moto I doubt my fractured psych will be able to handle the endless possibilities.  If my other was still here…” the Pharaoh went silent in contemplation.  “If my other was here this would not be a problem.  The hunt would never be a match for the call of the mating bond, and could be severed in an instant.  For now, this is the only way.”“And Atem?”  Isis questioned quietly.Crimson eyes blinked rapidly at the bright sunlight as they stepped out onto the green.  “Atem wants to know as much as I do.  That is why I must continue this hunt.  So that Atem does not continue it for me.”There was nothing the Pharaoh’s priests could say to that.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Numinous
(adj)
being both fearful an awed by what is before you
The next day Yugi rushed through the game shop and out the door.  If he didn’t hurry he was going to be late for his meet up with Marik. The two of them where taking Advanced Vampire-Human Inter-politics this semester in the hopes of forestalling Seto’s demand that they ‘they get off their lazy asses and actually help him keep the peace between vampires and humans in Domino’.  They all knew that they would need a strong powerbase of both vampires and humans to counter act the reactions the rest of Japan–make that the world–would have when it was revealed that the new technology coming out of Kaiba Corporations was reconstructed Vampire technology.  Not to mention when they found out about the Hikari.It was a fear Yugi saw around every corner.  How the world would react.  One Yugi knew could only be changed through hard work, and even then he knew not everyone would be pleased.Take the Per-a’a for example.  He flew to a country that would sooner have him assassinated than allow him onto their lands simply so he could ‘talk’ to Seto.  Yugi snorted at the idea.  As if the Per-a’a would lower himself to such a feat.  No.  Yugi was sure the royal was here to swindle, steal, and or threaten his way into control of Seto’s pet project.And yes, Yugi thought Seto’s drive to have Domino completely dependent on vampire technology and nothing else within the next twenty years as a pet project.  Not that he would ever let Seto know that.Turning down a street Yugi side stepped a Tsuitachi no chi and wondered if he should take to the roofs to make it to the meeting place on time.  He had a good thirty minute walk on his hands if he stayed on the ground, but on the roofs….. No, it would draw to much unwanted attention if he was seen.  And Seto would kill him in the most painful way he could think of.  Probably turn the safety off of his holographic projectors and have his three Blue-Eyes blast Yugi simultaneously.A shudder went down Yugi’s spine at the thought.  He’d been there when some idiot duelist thought the safety setting on the duel disk was a joke.  Let’s just say that Yugi still can’t stomach the sight of pizza sauce.No.  It was better to stumble through the packed streets of Domino’s south side then risk it.  So Yugi made sure the strap to his massager bag was safely clutched in his hands and used all of Bakura’s tutelage to escape the all-consuming crowds.The south side of Domino wasn’t as impressive as the North or East sides.  Not with those two districts having full access to the sea and the infrastructure that came with it.  Most of the buildings in southern Domino where old little shops and temples with houses peppered throughout.  The streets where cracked, the buildings where in need ofCrime was abundant on the south side, what with Ryou and Marik having taken up residence in one of the few apartment buildings that had managed to weasel its way into the heart of southern Domino.  Bakura ruled the underground and by extension all crime in Domino with an iron fist.  Marik and Ryou–though it was more Marik then Ryou–were Bakura’s liaison to the public aspects of the underground.  As well as the enforcers of Bakura’s laws.Stepping into a small bakery hidden between two temples on the right hand side of the street Yugi couldn’t help but smile at the elderly couple that greeted him.  Shirin Bakery–known to the inhabitants of southern Domino simply as Shirin–was a haven for those who walked the fine line that was being grey.  Neither an upstanding citizen, nor an outright criminal. The elderly couple that ran Shirin had once been Yakuza lords and had ruled Domino’s underground as members of the Lotus Court.  A court Bakura had gotten rid of when he had come to power.  Every member of the Lotus Court had been a Yakuza lord in their own right.  With distinct territories, laws, and colors.  Each had had their own men, and ruled in their own way.That was until the Hikari had come around.The Lotus Court’s destruction had been the very first of a long list of prerogatives that Seto, Bakura, and Yami had created to make Domino a safer place.  As past and hopeful future rulers, the three of them had come together and made a strategy that would insure all of Domino’s citizens would be enraptured with Kaiba and be willing to follow him to whatever end.  They basically made Kaiba a damn snake charmer, or the cobra itself.Coins clanked on the counter top as Yugi picked up the bag of fresh bread the former-Yakuza leaders made for him every Sunday morning.  The elderly couple had backed Bakura when he had made his bid for the position as leader of the Underground.  The two of them had been getting on in years and knew that it was time to pass their positions on to the next generation.  After all, they had been in the minority, being two humans in a vampire run underground.  It was amazing what they had been able to accomplish in seventy years.So they had chosen Bakura as their heir, and all they had wanted in return was to be able to live out their days in relative peace.  It was what they were doing now.  Watching out for the people they had served and that had served them.  The elderly couple had been the ones to hunt down Yugi’s grandfather and reunite the two of them, and were always there when the Hikari had problems they couldn’t bring to Kaiba or their spirits attention.They were the grandparents the Hikari had never had.Well, them and one Solomon Moto.“Pass this on to Ryou when you get the chance, dear.”  Mei held out an unadorned black envelope for Yugi to take.A small smile graced Yugi’s lips as he took the envelope.  “I will, Mei.  Is there anywhere special you want me to go today?  Or is it just the normal deliveries?”“Just the normal ones,” the elderly woman replied primly.  “Now get going.  You don’t want to keep Marik-sama waiting.”Light laughter bubbled up as Yugi walked out of the building.  He could never understand why the old woman gave Marik that honorific, but he was not going to judge.  Shaking his head lightly Yugi regained control of himself and looked down at the black envelope he still held.  The Hikari’s good mood evaporated at the very sight of it.Black envelopes where used only when somebody had broken one of the Undergrounds Sacred Laws.  The name of the person and the laws broken would be listed inside.  As for what was done with this information.  Well, once Bakura received one he checked and then double checked to make sure that the information inside the envelopes where correct.  Then the poor soul who dared break one of the sacred laws would be dealt with accordingly.Something that most often ended in the death of the law breaker.There were many rules to the underground, but in Domino there where laws put in place by the Lotus Court and added to by Bakura that where, well, the law.The first and most important law was that no child was to be killed, maimed, raped, sold, given drugs, abused, used as a test subject, become a vampire food source, or mentally tortured.  Secondly, but just as important as the first law.  No pregnant woman are to be harmed in any way, ever.  The laws went on from there, with a few rather notable ones.  Only the rich or well off would be stolen from.  Death was only permitted in extreme cases, unless said person was a traitor.  All Yakuza from outside of Domino had to inform Bakura of their whereabouts at all times while in Domino, and if they did not do so or where foolish enough to try something in Domino, they would have to play a game with Bakura. So far only one Yakuza leader had tried anything, and their soul was now floating around the shadow realm for eternity.Black envelopes where a good thing and nothing could be said about them to change Yugi’s mind.  If they had existed when Yugi had been a child then maybe he wouldn’t have had to witness his parent’s deaths. 
“Please no!  Not my little boy!  You can’t have my son!”

“Shut up you bitch!”

“Now, you’re gonna to do exactly as I say or I drain the brat.”

The wet noise of a throat bring torn out was his answer.  Then a scream.
Yugi shook his head to rid himself of the unbidden memories.  He didn’t have the time to think about such things.  The past was the past and nothing could change it.  Even if Yugi so badly wished he could.Warmth suddenly seeped through the mating bond and pushed away the darkness clouding Yugi’s heart.Thank you, Mou Hitori no Boku.  Yugi softly thought as he continued to trudge closer to his destination.There is nothing for you to thank me for, Aibou.  The spirit said appearing next to the Hikari.  I know you would have done the same for me if the situations had been reversed.A small smile made its way onto Yugi’s lips as he looked over at the spirit.  You’re right.  Would you be willing to help Marik and me with our studying?  I still can’t seem to get the statutes of a feeder down correctly.Maroon eyes softened.  Of course.  The new laws are quite hard to understand at times.  It was so much easier when the feeder was simply the claimed property of the vampire in question.Mou Hitori no Boku!  Yugi scolded even as he tried not to laugh at the morose tone the former Pharaoh had used.It took more than simply biting a human to make them a feeder, Aibou.  Yami pointed out coolly.   There was social decorum involved, and more often than not the family of said feeder was paid handsomely.The feeder was still considered property though.  Yugi stated just as coolly.  I am not, and will never be property.No, you are not.  Yami agreed scowling out at a crowd that would have ran to get out of the pureblood’s way if he had had corporal form.  No mate of mine will ever be somebody else’s property.Blond bangs bounced as Yugi nodded his head in agreement. Yes, no o–hey!Rich laughter that only the Hikari could hear escaped the purebloods lips.  Yugi hip checked the spirit before speeding up.  He refused to deal with Yami when he got like this.  Yugi knew the spirit was a possessive bastard, but sometimes Yami went over the line. Yes, Yami had been a Pharaoh and had owned slaves.  Yes, Yami had in life had feeders.  Yes, Yami was bound to Yugi through a mating bond.  But!  And it was a big but.  Yugi was and would never be anyone’s property.  Just because Yugi was human did not mean that he was Yami’s property.  Yami was a spirit for Ra’s sake!  No legal party would recognize Yami’s claim anyway.Besides, feeders hadn’t been seen as property for over two hundred years.   With the I.S.O. (International Slayer Organization) and the Vampire Kingdom coming to an agreement on the issue that was later ratified by the United Nations in 1945.  Sure the ratification was 165 years after the agreement had been created, but it was the thought that counts.  The agreement had been in effect for those 165 years before the ratification.   It was the fact however, that the humans that where not members of the I.S.O. had finally been given a chance to choose wither or not they wanted the agreement in the first place.Feeder Subjugation Laws as they were called, happened to be different in every country.  Humanity just couldn’t seem to make up their mind.  At least the vampires followed a code when it comes to their feeders.  One that has existed for millennia and would exist for millennia more Yugi was sure.  Not much changed in the vampire society on a large scale.  Bakura had stated that the only way to get the vampire society to change was to blast down the door and demand they change or have their throats torn out.  Even then they would take a good hundred years before they decided to do anything about the issue.Not that it bothered Yugi.  On the contrary.  It made Seto and the Hikari’s movements so much easier.  They didn’t have to dodge the humans and the vampires at the same time.  Instead they could focus on the humans with the concern over the vampires settled on the backburner.  At the moment humanity was the bigger threat, and everyone involved was glad for that.A city block sized grey building loomed before Yugi.   The Hura Reference Library, built in 1952 by the Kyoto born shipping tycoon Hura Fujimoto, the reference library was a monument to his power and wealth.  Able to weather the years as he had not been able to do. Settled on the border of southern and central Domino the Hura Reference Library gained a lot of attention and happened to be a hot-spot for the college crowd.  Every Friday night in the basement of the library a kind of debate went on.  Students from every portion of the city would come together for these debates.  It didn’t matter if one was vampire or human, as long as you had a college ID and had a topic to discuss you were welcomed.  Though, sometimes things got a little out of control.Two stone benches sat just before the stairs leading up to the entrance.  Yugi plopped down on the one to the right of the entrance and sighed.  It looked like Marik wasn’t there yet.  Oh well, Yugi shrugged.  It would give him time to dole out the bread deliveries.As if on que squealing reached Yugi’s ears.“Look!  Look!  Yugi’s here!”  A little girl tugged her mother forward.“Yugi!”  Another cried.From another direction a pre-teen pulled his younger brother forward.  “Hurry!  It Yugi!”A small smile graced Yugi’s lips as he raised a hand in greeting.  “Hello, everyone.”Every Sunday Yugi came to Hura Reference Library with the sole purpose of completing his deliveries.  Though deliveries was not quite the right word. Every Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday families that could not for some reason obtain their own food would conjugate in front of Hura Reference Library.  Sundays they received one or two loaves of bread.  Wednesdays they got fresh fruits and veggies from Marik, and on Fridays Ryou brought milk and eggs. The Hikari’s considered the ongoing tradition as their own little community service project.  Many of the families that collected foodstuffs from the Hikari were unable to afford food simply because the main breadwinner of the family was a vampire.  Japan had lowered the pay of vampires by a good 75% in the last forty years, stating that ‘since the vampire species lives longer than that of humans, vampires will over their lifetime earn a good million more than their human counterparts’.  What the Japanese government did not take into account or simply ignored was the fact that just because somebody was a vampire did not mean that the entire family was a vampire.A good portion of the people the Hikari helped where children that had a single parent.  The parent had either been turned or was a feeder–something that also caused one’s pay to be cut–leaving the family with a choice of either paying for a roof over their heads or for food.  Most decided on a place they could call home.Yugi and the other Hikari never judged the parents decisions.  They had been in a far worse situation in their youth and understood that sometimes the only decisions that existed where the bad ones.  That had honestly been the motivation factor for the project in the first place.Look at all of them, Aibou.  Maroon eyes swept over the crowd of vampires and humans.  Arms crossed Yami leaned against the back of the bench.  To think society considers this expectable.A mix of ages, races, and ethnicities spread out like a sea before them.  All from different parts of town, but instead of the hatred that had started to appear in the last few years there was only companionship.  They were all there for the same thing, for the same reason.  It didn’t matter what color ones skin was, if they were from a good neighborhood or school, everyone that stood before Yugi and Yami where equals. The sight always brought a smile to Yugi’s face.  He and the other Hikari did this.  They had been able to do what no one else seemed to.  They had brought the species together without worrying about discrimination.They all had a common goal and that was getting food they could return home with.Red flashed through Yugi’s vision, giving him just enough time to prepare for the little whirlwind that was Tamzen.  Small, red haired, young, and a Hajin, Tamzen was the only daywalker in her family.  Her parents had met when her father had been conned into coming to Japan to fix the ongoing problems within the programing company he worked for.  Sadly, after he had fixed the problems the company had ordered he stay in Japan as the branches head.  His higher ups hadn’t cared that his pay would be cut simply because he was a vampire.Tamzen had been forced to learn the hardships of the world by herself.  What with her parents only being able to go out at night.  Yet, she didn’t let that slow her down.  Oh, no.  The little fledgling was a ball of bubbling energy that never seemed to slow down.“Per-a’a!” Tamzen cried as she used Yugi as a climbing wall and finally settled on his shoulders.Turing her bright green eyes on Yami’s translucent from Yugi rolled his eyes.  It should probably be mentioned that Tamzen could see spirits as well…“Good day, fledgling.”   Yami inclined his head.  “How are you’re parents?”“Their good.”  A wide grin made of sunlight spread across Tamzen’s face.Yami nodded regally.  “That is acceptable.  Now, are you going to sit on my mate’s shoulders all day or are you going to help him hand out the bread?”The young vampire had the decency to grin sheepishly before climbing off of Yugi.  She stood on the bench next to the Hikari and stared the crowd surrounding her down with an air of superiority that couldn’t be manufactured.Yami really wanted her to be a member of Yugi’s court when she got older.  Preferably his Public Administrator, or perhaps his ambassador would be a better fit.  The spirit could just imagen her toppling other rulers plans simply for fun.Stretching up to her full height of three foot eight Tamzen narrowed her eyes.  “Alright you lot!  We all know the drill.  However, if this is your first time here step to the left.  My left!  Now. Fledglings first–”And so it began.  For an hour straight Tamzen directed the slowly thinning crowd toward Yugi.  Other fledgling’s like Tamzen where the first to receive their bread.  Each boy got a ruffle of their hair and girl a kiss to the back of their hand.  Yugi would have given the girls a flower each, but the flowers where with Marik.  The elderly where next and finally there was everyone else. Throughout the hour Yugi noted down any physical differences that seemed out of place on his ‘customers’.  Another reason the Hikari continued to provide food was to make sure that no vampire fell into Ekitaibaionodaikikin.  It was a fate worse than death for a vampire.  Consumed by one’s base instincts, any vampire affected by Ekitaibaionodaikikin would hunt until they had gluttoned on blood.  It did not matter if the blood was that of a human, animal, or another vampire.  The worse part was the fact that the vampire in question would be conscious of every action they took during the Ekitaibaionodaikikin, but were for lack of a better example, locked within the confines of their own mind.  The body would act on autopilot, using only the most basic of instincts.Ekitaibaionodaikikin could go on for days, weeks, and in some cases months.  The I.S.O. had termed a name for the vampires that fell into such a state.  Rouges.  However, the I.S.O. did not believe that one of their ‘Rouges’ could revert back to a vampire after the fall.  As such they had ordered all ‘Rouges’ to be killed on sight.It was something none of the Hikari wanted to happen to the vampire community in Domino.  Kaiba had confirmed for the Hikari that the Japanese government had lowed vampire pay specifically for more ‘Rouges’ to be born.  The Japanese government couldn’t outright kill off the vampire’s living in Japan.  However, that didn’t seem to mean they wouldn’t try every underhanded tactic known to mankind to eradicate the threat. For once Yugi had been lucky and no one new had appeared.  He had barely had enough bread as it was.  When the last of the stragglers slipped into side streets and vanished from view Yugi sighed with relief.  It was just so sad to see his people reduced to such a lifestyle.“Time to go,” Yami gave Tazmen a look that brooked no argument.Still the fledgling pouted, large green eyes begging to be allowed to stay.“No.”  Yami stated firmly.  “You have to go home.  Do not think those eyes will work on me, fledgling.  I became immune a long time ago.”“But Per-a’a.”  Tamzen whined.Maroon eyes flashed in warning.  “I was given a hundred lashes for whining child.  Go.  Home.”Like a kicked puppy Tamzen came over to Yugi and hugged him.  Murmuring her thanks and well wishes the young fledgling slinked away.  Amethyst eyes followed her form until she was out of sight and out of his shadow’s reach.  It was only then that Yugi turned to Yami.That was harsh, Yami.  Yugi mentally chided.Yami’s posture showed no sign of remorse.Yugi tried a different tactic. She’s just a child.She is a child now.  Someday she will be an adult.  The spirit turned to look at Yugi.  It is better that she learns now then to enter the adult world unprepared.  One of Yami’s scarred hands snaked over to Yugi.  I would sooner have her stay a child, glowing bright like the first rays of Ra, then force her to have your childhood. Yami’s hand cupped Yugi’s jaw and his translucent thumb rubbed along the Hikari’s cheek. Yet, some things must be taught to the young.  This is one of them.Sooty lashes fluttered over amethyst eyes at the physical contact.  Mou Hitori no Boku.  Yugi mentally whispered.Aibou.   The spirit softly returned.“Excuse me.  You wouldn’t happen to know where in Domino we are, do you?”  A deep baritone voice asked, breaking the moment the mated pair was having.Turning quickly in the direction of the voice words where already tumbling out of Yugi’s mouth.  “Yes.  We are on the border between central and southern Dom–” Amethyst eyes widened slightly in surprise as they landed on the voice’s owner and the explanation was forgotten.Chatoyant crimson eyes burned into Yugi from a face that seemed like a distorted mirror of the spirit sitting next to him.  Yugi felt his mouth go dry as his amethyst orbs did an unauthorized perusal of the man in front of him.  The man was dressed in black leather pants that seemed to be painted on in all the right places, which didn’t help Yugi with the thoughts circling his mind.Good Gods, was he real?  Yugi questioned Yami over their mental link as his eyes continued their perusal.His shoulders were wide and broad and extended into arms that weren’t monstrously thick but had ropes and cords of muscles that showed the man had fought many battles and won.  Hell, the small number of scars crisscrossing the man’s skin said that much.  His upper body was swathed in the finest Khemetian Cotton money could buy and Yugi couldn’t help but note that the man would look right at home in the sands of Khemet.Amethyst orbs eyed the man’s neck and Yugi marveled at the sepia skin that seemed to radiate warmth into the world.  Tricolored hair curled around the man’s neck and went in every direction.  Merely adding to the effect.  Finally, Yugi slid his eyes back up to the man’s face.  Only to flush as he took in the amusement and barely there flicker of interest in those crimson eyes.He hadn’t meant to stare.White teeth flashed as the man blinked slowly in pleasure.  Wait.  Yugi blinked.  Where those fangs?“The border of southern and central Domino?”  The man asked as if he hadn’t just been eye-fucked by an eighteen year old.Yugi cleared his throat.  “Ye-yes.  Head left down the street and you’ll be in the shopping district after a few blocks.”The man pursed his full lips as he looked both ways down the street.  Amusement littered the man’s voice as he turned back to Yugi.  “You’re left or mine?”Blinking rapidly Yugi actually had to think for a moment about the question.  It was only after a few seconds that the Hikari realized he had been staring–more like devouring–the man in front of him.   Yugi could feel his face heating even more as he answered the question.“Mine.” For good measure Yugi pointed in the general direction.  Only to notice that there was no one else on the street.  Leaning forward Yugi slowly turned his head in both directions and extended his senses.  This part of town was always filled with people.  Yet, for some reason no one other than Yami, the man, and Yugi where within a block radius of their spot.“Is something the matter?”  The man–though Yugi was slowly beginning to believe the male was anything but human–asked lightly.Blond bangs bounced as Yugi shook his head.  “No.”  Now would be a really good time for Marik to show up.“That’s good,” the man murmured quietly, drawing Yugi’s attention once again to him.Breath caught in Yugi’s throat as he caught sight of the man’s red gaze.  Predatory hunger seemed to turn the man’s eyes to liquid.  Yugi had never seen such a gaze before, not even Yami looked at Yugi like that.  It made Yugi self-cousins and exhilarated all at the same time.Speaking of Yami.  Why hadn’t he said a word since the man’s arrival?Out of the corner of his eye Yugi looked in Yami’s direction.  The spirit sat ram-rod straight next to Yugi.  However, it was the look he was giving the man that startled Yugi.  It was a complex mixture of abhorrence, sorrow, and yearning.  Other emotions where hinted at in the spirits marron eyes, yet, it was those three emotions that seemed to hold dominance.Yami knew this man from some place–or at least the man reminded Yami of someone in his buried memories.Butterflies seemed to flutter in Yugi’s stomach.  Perhaps this man could tell them more about who Yami once was.  Maybe even wake up a few of the Nameless Pharaoh’s memories. Yugi cleared his throat again.  “I’m Moto Yugi,” Yugi introduced himself, “who might you be?”The man grinned again and it was confirmed.  The man was a vampire, a pureblood by the looks of things, and Yugi had to stifle his natural instinct to bristle at such close proximity to an unknown vampire.“Atem,” the man–vampire said in a honey rich voice.  “Just, Atem.  I grew up long before last names where used.”Okay.  Definitely a pureblood.Yugi cocked his head to the side.  “What are you doing in Domino, Atem?”“I’m in town on business and thought I might see the sights.  This city makes me feel noglistic for my old home and I couldn’t refuse the thought of walking this city’s streets.”  The vampire’s grin stretched further.  “You don’t get many vampires from out of town here, do you?”“No.  We don’t.”There was something about the vampire in front of Yugi that made his instincts revolt.  Atem had done nothing to warrant such a reaction.  He had been nice and friendly.  He respected Yugi’s personal space, and most importantly.  Atem didn’t seem to see Yugi only as food.  However, that all could be a façade.Yugi didn’t disregard his instincts though.  They had been honed through his childhood to recognize dangerous situations and individuals.  And Atem was setting off all of Yugi’s mental warning bells.Would it be better to leave and tell Marik to meet him somewhere else?  Or to stay and keep an eye on Atem?There was a part of Yugi–a part that was slowly gaining ground–that really wanted to stay with Atem.Damn.  Where was Marik? Cursing rent the air as Marik ducked around yet another corner.He’d been just about to enter the flower shop he’d picked out for today’s order of plants when he’d realized he was being followed.  Instead of going inside, Marik had continued down the street and taken a few wrong turns–and had even gone back in the direction he had come from–just to see if his suspicions where correct.  One could never be too careful, especially after the events in Pristine three days before. Marik’s suspicions had been correct however.  The woman following him hadn’t made an attempt to hide the fact that she was trailing him.  Not even when he had back tracked.  The Khemetian was about ten blocks from the Hura Library and roughly three blocks from the last place he had ditched his stalker.  He didn’t expect the three blocks where going to do him any good.Quickly punching the code to unlock his smart-phone Marik thought about what exactly he needed to do.  First of all he had to text Yugi that something came up and he couldn’t make it to the meeting.  The bastard stalking him couldn’t find out about Yugi.The prince might be the oldest of the Hikari, but he had been the last to awaken his shadow magic.  It meant that he was the weakest of the three.  Unlike most magic, the longer you have and use the shadows the more powerful you are.  That was why no one would dare challenge the Pharaoh and his court for their positions.  However, the amount of power and control one has when it comes to the shadows differs for everyone.  Some people are naturally born with a strong connection to the shadows.  The Hikari are an example of this.  Others are born with no connection or a weak connection to the shadows.It would take hundreds of years if not millennia for those with a weak connection to equal the power of a strongly-connected newborn shadow mage. Those with a naturally strong connection usually became high ranking members of vampire society.  Well the weak became the courts of the strong.  It was not only protection from those who would wish to feed from them, but a way to gain influence and prestige for one’s family.Tap-tap-tap went Marik’s clay colored fingers across the screen before he finally hit send.  Exhaling the breath he had been holding Marik closed his eyes and listened.  It wasn’t a hard thing to do really.  To listen.  It was simply a skill that took time to learn, and in this busy-body run world there where very few people who actually took the time.Slowly the world seemed to fall away from Marik.  The constant noise of cars settled into a low humming in the back of his mind.  Next went the chatter of the civilians walking the busy streets and the giggling of children as they played at the arcade.  Shop doors opening and closing as well as the small bells that jingled to announce a new customer bleed out as Marik focused on the uneven footfalls of his stalker. He knew the woman had been tracking his scent.  It was the only way she could have followed him after Marik had gotten three city blocks between them.  She wasn’t a vampire though, a hybrid maybe?  No.  Hybrids didn’t exist, their DNA would be at war with each other and their body would devour itself.Yet, Marik had no other explanation to how she could track him.  Perhaps he’d ask after he ‘got to know’ her a little better.Yes. He would do that.  Now, to call on his Rare Hunters and have a little fun. Game start. “Isn’t that made for a woman?”  Atem asked Yugi eyeing the human’s clothing.Amethyst eyes blinked as Yugi glanced down at the outfit he was wearing.Skinny jeans wrapped around his legs and worn high-top converse adorned his feet.   A long sleeved dress-shirt in white covered his upper half, and over the top of all of it was a Chinese floral sweater wrap.Worn as a loose cape or shawl the Chinese knit wrap was generously sized and Yugi’s preferred way to stay warm on chilly mornings.  It had dramatic fringe and was colored in dark grey, with abstracted floral patterns better known from Art Deco Shanghai.   Especially those found on the form-fitting cheongsam dresses worn by actresses and socialites of the by-gone era.Marik hated the damn thing with an unholy passion.  Every time he saw Yugi wearing it the Khemetian would look skyward and ask the Gods what he had done to warrant such torture.  It always made Yugi roll his eyes.  Marik hadn’t been complaining when they had been kids stuck huddled underneath the warp for warmth. So Yugi wanted to keep a little of their past with him.  What was so wrong with that?“Yes,” Yugi narrowed his eyes.  “Is there a problem with that?”“No.  No.”  Atem smirked.  “It’s just that I never expected to see a Prince dressed in such a way.” Tension short through Yugi like an arrow and Yami finally reacted.  The spirit leapt to his feet as his eyes flashed red.  Making to take a step forward and tear out Atem’s throat Yami stopped when Yugi forced calm through their bond.I do not like him, Aibou.  Yami growled as his eyes bled red.  He is untamed, feral in ways not even I am.What do you mean?  Yugi asked.Yami stalked closer to the invading vampire.  Slowly, eyeing Atem with no small amount of contempt, Yami answered. He is cold, cruel even, ruthless beyond measure.  The fact that he is using the shadows to keep everyone away shows that he has a disregard for the law that holds no bounds.  From his stance and posture I can tell he is used to getting what he wants no matter what the consequences are.  What is more, for some reason I know he is highly possessive of what he believes to be his, yet there is a hint of…sweetness, perhaps?  In his reactions to that which has captured his affections.  Yami gazed at Yugi over Atem’s shoulder.  He is not to be dealt with lightly, Aibou.  Tread carefully with this one.  You will not be able to win if it comes to a show of power.It had taken seconds for their conversation to start and end.  Yet, as Yugi turned away from Yami he had the distinct feeling that Atem had known the two had been talking.  That there were two people present.  Even if he could only see and hear one of them.“Prince?”  Yugi asked lightly.Atem dipped his head a smidge.  “You wear the millennium puzzle.  Only a member of the Royal family can wear it without losing their soul.  That alone makes you a prince.”Yugi stifled his curiousness at that comment.   There was only so much the Hikari knew about the Millennium items, even with the Ishtar archive in Khemet.   Marik knew Yugi was the prince because he had completed the puzzle, nowhere had it been mentioned that only a member of the royal family could wear it.The purest of purebloods the Royal family was, with different branching families included in the vampire rank Royal even though they were not related to the ruling line.  Most of the Pharaoh’s court were Royals.Yugi pursed his lips as he thought about what he could say to that.  “Most people don’t know what it is.”  Was what tumbled out of his mouth.“Of course not,” Atem snorted lightly.  “The Millennium Items are one of the Purebloods best kept secrets.  It’s only when a fledgling turns two thousand that they are brought into the fold.  Most vampire’s think the items held by the court are shiny heirlooms of a bygone era with no true value other than the price they’d fetch at auction.”Yugi leveled a look at Atem.  “That’s harsh.”“Eh,” Atem waved off Yugi’s statement.  “It’s the truth.”Opening his mouth, Yugi shut it once again as his phone started going off.   “Na na na, come on Na na na, come on Na na na, na na come on Na na na, come on, come on Come on, na na-na na come on Na na na, come on Na na na–”Scrambling to answer the phone Yugi had to fight down his returning blush.  Good gods, he could feel it spreading down his neck.  This was so embarrassing.Yugi use the heightened speed of his other half to find his phone quicker in the mess that was the inside of his bag.  As the chorus played a second time Yugi fished his phone out of the bag.  With deft ease the Hikari swiped his thumb across the screen and opened the text message from Marik.Peach lips tipped down as Yugi read the text.  It would seem Marik wouldn’t be able to make it after all.  Amethyst orbs flickered up to view the crimson eyed vampire through his fringe.  This wasn’t good, there went Yugi’s excuse to escape the vampire even Yami was worried about.   Now, what to do?“Is everything okay?”  Atem asked having noted Yugi’s knuckles go white around the phone.Yugi swallowed.  “Yes.  My friend isn’t able to make it to our study session though.”The red eyed vampire hummed in reply.  Atem crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side as he thought. He’d finally found his prey.  Unlike most human’s however his little game wasn’t taken in by his natural charisma.  No.  His little game had been tensing like an asp that had been woken unexpectedly since Atem had made himself known to his human.  It was obvious his game didn’t like vampires.  No, that wasn’t right.  His little one hated vampires.  However, his little game was forced to live surrounded by vampires.  It was obvious to Atem that his game had learned how to deal.The question now was how to get his little game to view Atem as a…friend.  Yes, that would work. It wasn’t what Atem really wanted from his little game.  Oh, no.  He wanted his little one sprawled out across his silk sheets.  Pale skin gleaming in the fire light as Atem devoured his little game whole.  Atem wanted to taste his game’s blood just as much as he wanted to taste his game’s body.Crimson eyes darkened as Atem thought about how pretty his little game would be covered in blood.  And in a sudden flood memories of another pale skinned being invaded Atem’s mind.
Cries and moans of pleasure flooded his ears as his mate begged for more.  To drink and be drunk from.  To be filled.

Blood covered skin shown red in the moonlight as Atem worshiped the battered body of his mate.  It had been the third battle his other had lead in a week.  The rebels where gaining ground at a faster pace than either of them had thought possible.  It was only today that massagers had arrived at the palace with news that the rebels had found a way to counteract their shadow magic.

His other had returned from the battle field drenched in blood.  The news unsurprising and a haunted look on his face.  It was a look Atem had never seen on his other before and it marred his mate’s beauty.  Atem’s mate was to be stoic, harsh, raging.  Never haunted, hollow.

Atem had followed his mate into their chambers and it was there his pale vampire finally broke down.  The rebels where using horrid magic, an abomination, with only their goals within their thoughts.  Atem’s mate wanted the images out of his mind, he wanted to be able to focus on what was important for their people.

Atem was only too willing to offer his pale vampire the comfort and escape he needed.

“A-atem,” his pale vampire moaned as he licked a trail up his pale neck.

“Atem.” His mate said again.

No that wasn’t right, the tone was off.
“Atem?”Chatoyant eyes blinked as Atem refocused on the here and now.  That was undoubtedly strange, he hadn’t had a flash back in a good two hundred years.  To think his little game would bring his lost mate back to the forefront of his mind.  Or Atem thought lightly, perhaps it was the spirit he could sense in the area.Atem couldn’t pinpoint the spirits exact location, and it was only because Atem was intimately familiar with the puzzle’s magic that he could sense the spirit at all.  The spirit was steeped in the puzzles power.  Almost like a floating tendril of string on the breeze.“Hmm?”  Atem intoned questioningly.Crimson met amethyst and Atem couldn’t help but notice just how different his little game actually was from his pale vampire. Where his pale vampire nearly matched Atem in height his little game was at least half a head shorter.   Smooth ivory skin replaced the scar-worn olive Atem had once enjoyed running his hands over at night.  Instead of uncontrollable tri-toned curls his little game’s hair was just wavy enough to make his blond bangs skim along pale cheek bones.  Amethyst eyes where hooded, while maroon had been narrow.Well his pale vampire had been slim he had still had the body of a seasoned warrior.  What with hills and valleys of muscle shifting over his frame.  His human on the other hand was all lean muscle and thin bodied.  The muscle Yugi had seemed to be glued to the skeletal structure.  As if the little game had spent many years with very little to eat.Atem’s pale vampire had never been starved.Slowly Atem’s lips turned down as the differences kept piling up.  His little game resembled his lost mate at first glance, but if one took the time to actually look they would be able to see the two were quite different.  The hunt had been initiated because his little game resembled his mate. So why wasn’t it dissipating now that Atem knew his game looked different?  Could it be the millennium puzzles pull?  Was it the fact that Atem hadn’t hunted in over five thousand years?  Or possibly the fact that his little game was just as delicious looking now that he saw the differences as he had been when Atem had thought he was looking at the mirror image of his pale vampire?Whatever the reason was, Atem was still stuck in the hunts thrall and he would have to see it through to the end.“Is there something wrong, Atem?”  Yugi’s voice drifted to the Royal.Shaking his head lightly too get the now circling thoughts out of his head Atem answered the question.   “No.  No, I was merely lost in thought.  As I said, this city reminds me of my old home.  I was wondering if the people of this city where as well educated as mine had been.”“Well educated?”  One of Yugi’s eyebrows tried to creep upward.“Yes,” Atem embellished his lie.  The best lies where after all the truth with some parts missing.  “Most of my people where taught in schools from a young age.  The rich had private tutors and the poor often times made study groups.  Apprenticeships where expected.  As was the belief that the eldest would follow in their father’s footsteps.”Yugi couldn’t help but ask.  “Apprenticeships?”Atem nodded and gestured to the bench Yugi was sitting on.  “May I?”Quickly Yugi moved his bag.  Atem plopped down on the bench a respectable distance.  Just short of being inappropriate of a first meeting really.  Yami once again settled along the back of the bench, his incorporeal arms crossed as he made sure to stay between Atem and Yugi.“As I said.  It is expected that the eldest child follows in their father’s footsteps.  Normally such events would be planned out around the fifth year of life when the child would start their schooling.  In the olden days schooling lasted for four to five years and then an apprenticeship was started in the field of the father.  It was uncommon for the apprentice to be placed under the tutelage of the father, however, there were some instances where there was no other option.”“Such as with rulers,” Yami murmured out loud to Yugi.  “Their children were taught by tutors, but the Heir was taught how to rule by the Pharaoh.”Atem twitched subtly.  He was sure he just heard his mate chime in to the conversation.  It wasn’t possible though.  His mate was in the Valley of Reeds with the Gods.  Maybe he was still reeling from the flashback?  Yes, that must be it.“But then everyone didn’t get a well-rounded education.”  Yugi stated.One of Atem’s eyebrows rose.  “What do you mean?”“You said that the children only had four or five years of schooling before they became apprentices. So they were taught the basics from the ages of five to ten.  Who learns everything they need to know about the world, religion, culture–” Yugi made a circular motion with his arms in an effort to encompass everything he was trying to say. “–in five years?”Atem leaned back against the bench.  “I never said that their education ended then did I?”“Well, no–”“That was what an apprenticeship was for,” Atem cut Yugi off.  “The master was to teach the apprentice all he knew.  About the work the apprentice would be doing, the cultures they would interact with or where a part of, even the reasons why religion was the way it was.”  Atem pinned his little game down with a stare.  “Isn’t college like an apprenticeship?  You are learning what you must know to gain employment in the field you are expecting to enter.  All college students could be seen as the apprentices, well the professors are the masters.”Yugi blinked.  He hadn’t thought of it like that.“You’ll be going into?”  Atem left the question open.Yugi blinked again.  “Politics, helping the people mostly. So you could say social services.  I’ll possibly continue dueling on the side.”“So after college you will most likely try to find someone who has experience in politics and start out by working for them.”  Atem stated.  “Work your way up from there.  Make connections, head different projects, and if you’re lucky become a member of the Diet, or Cabinet.”“That’s if I can make it through my classes,” Yugi muttered.“Hmmm?  What was that?”  Atem leaned closer to his little game.They both knew he had heard Yugi.Yugi cleared his throat as Yami growled at the vampire in warning.  “I said that is if I can make it through my classes.”Atem’s other eyebrow rose and he turned to look at Yugi.  “You’re having trouble with your classes?”Maroon eyes narrowed to slits at the tone.  Yami really wanted to kick this bastard’s ass.  He knew Yugi was the heir, yet he showed none of the proper decorum expected of those who knew just who Yugi was.  Shadows slowly flickered to life under the bench.  Yugi was enjoying the conversation and the vampire–Atem, Yami mentally sneered–had been toeing the line so far.  So Yugi would be objectionable to Yami teaching Atem a lesson the only way he could as a spirit.With shadow magic.No.  Yami would have to wait until the right moment presented itself.   Huffing Yami relaxed, sometimes he really hated being nothing more than a spirit.“No, well, yes.  It’s only the one class though.  AV-HIP.”  Yugi fiddled with the straps on his bag.  "I'm having trouble with the feeder laws and how they correlate with the Treaty of 1780.  I was told that I would have to take the class over again if I didn’t pass the next exam.”“So it’s just the feeder laws?  They are quite simple, well, the Decalogue is.  So I assume it is the human laws you are having trouble with?”  Atem internally smirked.  He could not have asked for a better situation that gave him time to interact with his little one.  After all, he had made the treaty.Yugi nodded his head.Sepia hands smacked together as Atem smiled wickedly.  “Well then.  It’s a good thing I happen to be an expert on said laws.”Amethyst eyes widened.  “Wha–no.  You don’t have to!  I don’t want to impose on your time!”  Yugi yelped.“Nonsense,” Atem waved Yugi off.  “You would hardly be imposing.  If anything, think of it as a way for me to practice my upcoming speech.  I’m supposed to talk to the tenth-grade class at Tsuruhime Academy.”“You’re talking to the tenth-grade class about the feeder laws?”  Yugi’s brow crinkled at the very idea.“What?  You think just because I dress like this I don’t know how to behave around children?”  Atem gave Yugi a look.Heat flooded Yugi’s cheeks for what he was sure had to be the hundredth time since he met Atem.  The vampire just kept pushing all the right buttons and left Yugi floundering in the flooding emotions that swept through him.  He hadn’t meant to insult the vampire…it was just that Yugi couldn’t get the image of Atem barking orders from the middle of a blood filled room out of his head.Chatoyant eyes softened as Atem took in the fidgeting hands and flushed form of his little one.  Perhaps he was laying it on a little thick, after all, he wasn’t really wearing anything to show his status.  Ether of them.“The Decalogue is broken down into three aspects.”  Atem’s smooth baritone swept through the empty street.Hooded eyes blinked in surprise.  Questioningly Yugi turned his amethyst orbs on Atem.“The Mortal, The Blood, and The Guardian.”  Yugi recited softly.Golden bangs bounced as Atem dipped his head in agreement.  “The Mortal refers to the feeder themselves.  It is the set of regulations that both the vampire and feeder must follow in order to keep not only themselves safe but the rest of the community they live in.“The Blood aspect is the guidelines for how often a vampire can feed, how many claimed feeders a vampire can have, who can or cannot become a feeder, and if a mated pair can have the same feeder or not.  Those are only the highlights, though.“Finally the Guardian section is for the vampire only.  Claimed Feeders where for much of history considered the property of their vampire.  The Guardian section happens to be the rules put in place by Pharaoh to protect said feeder.  From the vampire that had claimed them, as well as any other vampire.  This section more specifically tells how a vampire must react to specific situations in regards to their feeder.  Such as if the vampire and feeder are in a war torn area….”  So began Yugi’s lesson on the Decalogue.  Hours swept by as Atem spoke on the finer points of the treaty, how the Decalogue had been changed over the eons and with it the views on Feeders in the vampire community.Throughout the day Yugi began to smile.  Until he was smiling brightly and nodding along.  Atem’s explanations actually made sense!  No wonder the vampires hadn’t seen a reason to change their doctrine on Feeders in so long.  The best part was that Atem didn’t just explain it from a vampire’s perspective though.  He explained it as a human would see it, and how the human laws interacted with the vampire doctrine.Even Yami was impressed if the look he was giving Atem was any indication.I still don’t like him. Yami told Yugi quickly through the link, having heard that last thought.  However, using him as a means to learn is acceptable.Yugi had to stop himself from rolling his eyes at his other.  There was the Pharaoh he knew and loved.   Always thinking of how he can use everything to his advantage.How does he know all this though?  Yugi couldn’t help but ask through the link.  I mean, he knows so much.  He said he is in town on business.  Just what is it he does?  Amethyst eyes once again ran crossed Atem’s body.  The leather didn’t correlate with any profession Yugi could think of that such knowledge would be needed.Yami shrugged and leaned closer to the Hikari.  I do not know.As the sun began to set Atem finally stopped talking and gauged his little games reaction.  His little one seemed to be immersed in the conversation, but hadn’t yet dropped his guard.  Atem didn’t know why, but for some reason that bothered him.  He quite literally had the world at his fingers.  Women and men threw themselves at him in the hope that he would take them to bed.  Yet, his little game had more self-control than a lioness on the prowl.It seemed this hunt would take a little longer then Atem thought.

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Verklempt
(adj.) completely overcome with emotion
Clicking could be heard down the polished hallway as a dapper aid swiftly walked toward the office of the rising powerhouse.  Maids and servants bowed their heads as she breezed by.  As they should, she thought to herself with a smirk.  After all, she was the best of them, the best experiment their master had created.  No one else could claim that title.  No one else.But them.The smirk on vermillion lips melted at the thought.  She had been the first breakthrough.  Yet, it was always them that would be the most cherished.  Even though they had escaped.  Even though they had been nothing.  They were the one’s her master had been searching for tirelessly.  They were the ones who would always come first.Oh, how she hated them.  Hated what they represented.  The very fact that she was not perfect.  That she was not whole.  Unlike them.Slanted blue eyes flashed red at the thought.But it didn’t matter now.  No.  It didn’t matter.  Her wayward siblings had finally been found.  It was an occasion to be cherished.  The fact that all her master’s–all of her–tireless searching had finally paid off.Stepping through the gilded outer doorway of her master’s office the aid breathed in deeply.  She would beat her siblings bloody and drag them back bound and gauged if she had to.  They were the key to all her masters’ plans.  Not even their unwillingness to listen to their lord and masters orders would stop what was in store for them, and more importantly the world.After all, there where ways to deal with unwilling slaves.Golden plated doors stood before the aid.  She stopped infront of them to straighten her suit and blank all emotion from her face.  It would not do for the man behind these doors to think she was degenerating.  Pain flashed through her skull for a moment and double vision distorted the swirling designs on the door before her.She did not flinch.  She did not wince.  Nothing about her form showed the agony she had been in moments before.With gritted teeth the aid lifted a hand to knock.  She would give no reason to the man behind these doors that she was degenerating.  Not when there was a chance that they could save her life before she ended theirs.The man inside the office called for her to enter seconds before her discoloring knuckles could touch the doors golden surface.“Enter.”Breathing deeply the aid opened the door and entered the richly decorated room.  Large windows engulfed the room in predawn light as shadows congealed in corners and under furniture.  A large desk sat in the center of the room.  The leather throne like chair behind it held the aid’s master.“What news do you have for me?”  The man asked.The aid bowed lowly.  “They have been found, master.”“Truthfully.”  Her master demanded.“Yes,” the aid stepped forward and placed a folder on the desk.The master swiftly opened the folder spilling photos over the desk.  All the pictures where of three teenagers with other non-important persons sprinkled throughout.  Her master shifted through the photos until he came upon one that proved the three teenagers in question where his.A tan finger traced the intricate design of the brand on the back of the smallest teen.  Even after nine years the brand was still visible.  As it should be.  It had been made with the master’s blood, only the masters death would dissolve proof that the teens belonged to him.Green eyes looked up from the photo to stare at the woman standing before their desk.  She had been his first success and his most loyal servant.  A leer came and went across the master’s face in seconds.  She had done everything she could for him, been everything he had needed her to be.  And once again she had proved why she was the best.“You have done well,” the master said, “where did you find them?”“Domino, master.”He hummed.  Domino…he should have known.  The vampires of Domino had been a wrinkle in his plans for years.  He could get no information as to what was really happening in Domino.  Glancing once again at the photos the master finally understood why.Fledglings are always to be protected.  The master thought to himself.“It’s time to retrieve you’re wayward siblings.  I expect them here before the blood moon.”  The master stated as the aid slowly backed out of the room.“Of course, master.”“Oh, and Anzu,” the aid – Anzu – stopped at the door, “I want them alive.”Anzu clenched the doorknob.  “As you wish, master.” The warm glow of lamps danced with dust particles as the Pharaoh walked through the mansions massive library.  It had taken him hours, but the Pharaoh had finally escaped his court’s pestering.  Isis wasn’t letting him out of the mansion without an escort for the next few day.  Not after he had disappeared for two nights.With a sigh the Pharaoh flopped down on a velvet chaise.  The chaise was in a hidden reading nook.  It wouldn’t hide the Pharaoh from his court, but it would give him the privacy he sought at the moment.  He had finally found his little game. Had talked to him.  Or the Pharaoh should say.  Atem had talked to him.  To Yugi.Yugi.A bitter chuckle left the Pharaoh’s lips. He was still in shock that Atem hadn’t done anything to the human.  Or should he say his human?  Yugi was his. Atem had decided that the moment he had noted that differences between their dead mate and the human.  The Pharaoh after reviewing their memories agreed.  Yugi was his, was theirs.  The Pharaoh and Atem’s. Hmmm, how would Yugi deal with a vampire with a broken psyche that claimed him as its own?Sliding down the chaise until he was horizontal the Pharaoh placed one of his sepia arms over his eyes.  He couldn’t deal with this.  He didn’t know how to deal with this.  This, these feelings that where bubbling up in his chest. Hunts didn’t happen with the Pharaoh, he didn’t hunt.  Yet.  Yet, he had fallen into a hunt.  Initiated it all because a human looked like his lost mate at first glance. Ra!  How could this have happened! A growl escaped the Pharaoh as he flopped onto his side.  The worst part was that the hunt was still existent.  It should have ended when he realized the differences between Yugi and his pale vampire.And yet…the Pharaoh was feeling things he had never hoped to feel again.  For a human no less.  This wasn’t a normal hunt.  This hunt wasn’t about feeding from a human that fit his requirements, for finding a feeder.Chatoyant eyed squeezed shut tightly as the feelings swirling inside of him became painful.This hunt was for a mate.  A new love to spend the rest of eternity with.  What would his court say when they found out?  What would his people say?!  Yugi wasn’t even a vampire!
Mmh, mmh, mmh!
The Pharaoh’s cellphone vibrating derailed his thoughts.  Only the court had that number.  Only the court and…Akefia!  The Pharaoh rolled into in seated position and fished the phone out of his back pocket.  Checking the caller I.D. it was confirmed Akefia was calling.“Yes?”  The Pharaoh asked.“Atem,” Akefia’s breathless voice crackled through the speaker.The Pharaoh sat up straighter, something wasn’t right.  “What is it?  What happened?”“Nothing yet.”  Akefia breathed out.  “Something is going on.  Something important and I’m going to find out.  I’ll be doing some research, so don’t panic if you can’t get in contact with me.”The phone creaked at the pressure the Pharaoh was putting on it.  “DO you need some assistance?”A barking laugh came through the speaker.  “Oh, no.”  Akefia gaffed.  “I head you’re under house arrest, Atem.  Stay in the mansion.  Act as you would normally.  We don’t want those involved with whatever is happening to suspect anything.”“And the Pharaoh going missing would be a sign that something is up.”  The Pharaoh finished with a sigh.  “Very well, be safe Akefia.  I except to hear back from you Thursday.”“Using the human’s weeks now?  Never mind, I will talk to you then.  May the night guide you.” With the ancient blessing spoken Akefia quickly hung up, leaving the Pharaoh once again alone with his thoughts.  Huffing the Pharaoh once again laid down on the chaise.  He didn’t have anywhere to be for five hours.  That should be more than enough time for the Pharaoh to figure out what in the name of Ra the gods where punishing him for.

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Boketto:
the act of gazing vacantly into the distance without thinking.
Red pooled across the warehouse floor.  Slowly expanding from a sea into rivers and streams.  Settled in the center of the sea where two people.  One covered in cuts of various sizes, all made to cause pain but not death.  The other was covered in rivets of blood.  It stained their cloths brown red as it dried.The first figure took in a shuddering gasp.  Trying with all their might to cling to life.  But it was not to be.  With emotionless eyes the second figure stepped out of the bloody sea and over to a nearby table.There was everything imaginable on the table.  A literal treasure trove of torture devices.  Knives in every shape and size littered the table, well shattered glass, nails, hammers, and a corkscrew laid innocently among the bringers of death.“You can’t escape,” the second figure stated in a bored tone as he ran his hand over a set of scalpels.A laugh tried to make its way out of the first figure, but half way through blood bubbled up and the figure started choking.  Coughs echoed throughout the warehouse as the first figure started drowning in their own blood.Gold glinted as the second figure finally stepped away from the table of torture devices.  Settled on a chair not far from the table was an unmistakable artifact of the ancient world.  Long and slender, with two wing like protrusions on the end and a golden eye emblazoned on the top, the Millennium Rod glittered in the poorly lit warehouse.Silent steps brought the second figure to the Rod.  Blood covered fingers stretched out and slowly – lovingly even – the blood covered man grasped one of the most powerful magical items in the world.  Twisting the man sat down on the chair, Millennium Rod settled across his lap as he looked upon the first figure with distain.  His lip curled.“You may have her,” the man said to a seemingly empty warehouse.But it wasn’t empty.  Shadows detached themselves from the walls and drifted towards the choking figure.  Dark purple cloaks whisked across the floor as the members of the Rare Hunters finally topped their vigil.  As one they attacked.One of the purple cloaked figures stayed behind.  He stepped up to the bearer of the Millennium Rod and bowed.  “What shall be done with the body?”“Burn it.”The cloaked figure bowed his head. “Yes, sir.”The bearer of the Millennium Rod blinked once, twice, and emotion bloomed once again in Lavender eyes.  Worry swirled through the lavender orbs as they took in the scene before them.  The blood.  The hybrid that had been stalking him.  The Rare Hunters that would do anything to make sure their leader was safe.  Sighing Marik slipped his hand into the pocket of the jacket he had discarded near the beginning of the interrogation.  The situation wasn’t good.  It wasn’t good at all.  Worst yet was the fact that he had been forced to call Ryou earlier that day and tell him he and Yugi would have to teach the first years without him.Marik didn’t know how long he would be able to keep this from Yugi and Ryou.  Their safety was his priority.  If that meant keeping them in the dark, he would do it.Finally Marik dialed the number he knew would set things into motion.  “Seto.  We have a situation.” Paper rustled as the Pharaoh looked through another request for militarization of the vampire community.  The royal council had been pushing the past seventy-five years for all vampires to be forced into military service for two hundred years before being discharged.  The council had been against such actions or attempts since the year 32 A.D. when the laws put in place during the Millennium War had finally been disbanded.However, two world wars in less than twenty years had spooked the council in ways not even the Pharaoh understood. With a sigh the Pharaoh leaned back in his seat.  He didn’t want to even look at the proposal considering there were so many other papers that where more important.  Chatoyant eyes glanced over the mountains of paper that seemed to grow bigger every time he looked at them.   Most of them where proposals, others requests, and a few of them where reports.  None of them really held his interest though.None except a file called “The Hikari Experiment” and the file Mahada had placed on his desk not even an hour before.  Within it contained all the information his court had been able to gain on one Seto Kaiba.His fingers itched to take hold of his cousin’s file.  The Pharaoh wanted to know what had caused his cousin to grow up just as rigidly as Seth had millennia ago. Huffing the Pharaoh turned once again to the proposal.  He had another one hundred forty eight pages to go before he could throw the damn thing in the fireplace.  It wouldn’t do any good if he had to argue with the council about why he refused the proposal and not have logical answers.  The Pharaoh had learned over the eons that reading everything was one of the most important things he could do to keep the blood thirsty bastards that made up the council from winning one over him.Just as his eyes settled on the first line the Pharaoh heard chucklesRed eyes flicked upward.  Extending his hearing the Pharaoh sought out the sound.  It hadn’t been a member of his court.  None of them sounded like that.  No…it had sounded like his dead mate.Chuckles sounded again before.
Don’t laugh!  It was horrible Yami!  Their fledglings how do they not know this?
That was Yugi’s voice.Calm Aibou, a voice the Pharaoh hadn’t heard in eons stated.  They are fledglings yes, but you must remember that most of them where born after Japan became anti-vampire.  Besides–the amusement was back–their reaction was hilarious.It was not hilarious!  It was horrible!  Yugi cried.The Pharaoh was frozen in his seat.  Yugi and his mate weren’t in the mansion.  There was no way he should be hearing them.  Especially not in his head.  Unless…no, the Pharaoh discarded the thought.  He’s mate was dead.  Yet, as the conversation continued in the Pharaoh’s mind he could not deign that the second voice was that of his mate.If you find it so amusing Yami, the Pharaoh sucked in a gasp at the name as Yugi growled, then you can be in control of the body next time we have to discuss vampire puberty.The other voice–his dead mate, Yami–answered.  Only if Bakura is in control of Ryou’s.The conversation drifted away from the Pharaoh.  Slowly becoming white noise in the back of his mind until the Pharaoh was once again alone in his head.  He didn’t seem to notice though.  No.  His mind kept revolving around the portion of the conversation that had rudely jutted into his head.  About hearing his mate’s voice for the first time in roughly five thousand years.
If you find it so amusing Yami, then you can be in control of the body next time we have to discuss vampire puberty…Only if Bakura is in control of Ryou’s…
Blinking the Pharaoh glanced down at the proposal before pushing it away.  It suddenly wasn’t important.  Instead the Pharaoh stood.  He would scorer the mansion’s library for anything he could find on mating bonds.  Anything that might explain what he had just heard.The Pharaoh had seen his mate’s dead body.  He had been there when the body had been mummified and entombed.  However, there was no doubt in the Pharaoh’s mind that it had been his mate Yugi was talking to.Yami…A ghost of a smile curled around the Pharaoh’s lips.  Perhaps there was a reason why he was still in the hunts thrall.  Perhaps Yugi was the gods way of answering the Pharaoh’s prayers and bringing him back to his mate.

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Alate (adj.) having wings; lifted up in flight
 Tsuruhime Ohori University was something of a wonder to the Pharaoh.  He had heard many interesting things about the Universities creation and continued growth.  Some of which the Pharaoh knew to be false.  Other things however shed some truth.It was true that Tsuruhime Ohori University was founded as Sureiyāyunaiteddo College, in 1844. Eight years later moving to Domino and assuming its current name. As stated in its Articles of Association, the College undertook its work “grateful to the Gods for the inestimable blessings resulting from the prevalence of civil and human liberty and intelligent piety in the land, and believing that the diffusion of sound learning is essential to the perpetuity of these blessings.”Though established by vampire slayers, Tsuruhime Ohori has been officially pro-vampire since its inception. It was the first Japanese college to prohibit in its charter any discrimination based on race, religion, species or sex. It was also the second college in the nation to grant four-year liberal arts degrees to women.Professor and slayer Takara Nakamura, who would serve Tsuruhime Ohori University for half a century, raised money to construct the new campus in the early 1850s by riding 2,000 miles on horseback through vampire territory. It was largely through Nakamura’s efforts that Tsuruhime Ohori would survive while over 75 percent of colleges founded before the opening of Japan to the West would not.A higher percentage of Tsuruhime Ohori students enlisted during the following wars between China and Russia than from any other college. Of the more than 400 who fought, four won medals of Honor, three became generals, and many more served as regimental commanders. Sixty gave their lives.Tsuruhime Ohori’s modern rise to prominence occurred in the mid-1950s. On the pretext that some of its students were receiving federal loans, the Departments of Health, Education, and Welfare attempted to interfere with the University’s internal affairs, including a demand that Tsuruhime Ohori begin counting its students by species. Tsuruhime Ohori’s trustees responded with two toughly worded resolutions: One, the University would continue its policy of non-discrimination. Two, “with the help of the Gods,” it would “resist, by all legal means, any encroachments on its independence.”Following almost a decade of litigation, the Japanese Supreme Court decided against Tsuruhime Ohori in 1971. By this time, the University had announced that rather than complying with unconstitutional federal regulation, it would instruct its students that they could no longer bring federal taxpayer money to Tsuruhime Ohori. Instead, the University replaced that aid with private contributions.And finally it is true that Tsuruhime Ohori continues to carry out its original mission, both in the classroom and nationwide, through its many outreach programs, including its monthly speech digest, Kage. A prayer written in Khemetian Hieroglyphics and Japanese was placed inside the 1856 cornerstone of Central Hall reflects its continuing commitment: “May earth be better and heaven be richer because of the life and labor of Tsuruhime Ohori University.”It was false however, that Tsuruhime Ohori University was outside the federal government’s reach.  Over the years the Japanese government had slowly infiltrated Tsuruhime Ohori with spies and double agents.  The slayer community fought at every turn to purge the school of those who favored or worked for the government.  Yet, there was only so much they could do without the Diet appearing and making demands. A constant battle waged in the shadows it was.  Something of a poorly warped mirror of how the education system had once been in the ancient past.  Only instead of Vampires being the species whose rights where fought over it had been the humans. Peace and equality of the species had always been one of the main priorities for the King or Queen of the Vampire Species.   Some rulers spent their whole lives working toward this goal.  Others scoffed at the idea and threw the world into turmoil that would not be recovered from for centuries.Even during the Millennium War all those centuries ago the Pharaoh strove to protect the peace between the two species.  If a city was to be evacuated then both the vampires and the humans would be evacuated.  If there was a famine or disease that made it so that taxes could not be paid.  The Pharaoh would offer aid instead of causing the situation to worsen.However.  If it was found that the persons–be it vampire or human–the Pharaoh was helping worked for the enemy.   There was nothing that could save them from his wrath.As the eons passed the Pharaoh had watched humanity grow and become many empires.  He had decided after the Millennium War that an invisible guiding hand was the best way to insure the events that transpired in the past did not repeat themselves.  So against the royal council’s wishes he had recognized the borders put in place by tribes of humans.  From these borders bloomed city states, countries, and empires.  Some of which were ruled by only humans, others by a mix of vampires and humans, and others yet by vampires.  The last mentioned usually happened when the vampire had been turned against their will.  Instead of banishing the vampire the humans recognized them as one of their own.The Pharaoh did everything in his power to insure the peaceful recognition of countries and or territories that where not controlled by vampires.  On many an occasion he had even acted as mediator between two groups.  He had always found a solution the two parties could agree on, at least for a decade. Which was why Japan’s stance on vampires angered the Pharaoh so. It had been he who had seen a small nearly extinct tribe of vampires and humans near the end of the Millennium War without a land to call their own.  The Pharaoh found a land away from the war zone for the tribe.  A tribe that bloomed into the Jomon-Yayoi culture on the islands the Pharaoh had relocated them to.  It had been he who had sent humans and vampires to the east after the Millennium war to insure that the Jomon-Yayoi would have allies and trading partners.  It had been he who had recognized Japan’s right to isolation in 1598, shushing the outrage within the vampire community.Japan and its people owed the Pharaoh everything.  If he hadn’t cared about a tribe of beings that could not fight Japan would not exist.  The only thing he had asked was that they treat both species with respect.  Instead the Japanese Government was actively trying to destroy every vampire within its borders.It was only fear of what the Pharaoh would do to Japan if the order to kill all vampires within its borders where to be given that stopped such a massacre.Red eyes closed in a languid blink as the Pharaoh banished those thoughts.  He had been admiring the architecture of Tsuruhime Ohori University as he waited for Seto to make his appearance.Stone and wood mixed in a fashion that was rarely well done.  Old traditional styled buildings with covered open air walkways stood next to modern structures.  Every building marked a different century of Japanese architectural style.The universities mash up of building styles should have been an eye-sore.  Yet, with the landscaping artfully redone to accent the unifying features of the different buildings it was tasteful.Cherry trees and fiery maples lined the patch worked stone walkways.  Spindly lampposts dotted the campus with warm light, and curving benches of wood and stone sat hidden away in the most unlikely of places.There was no apple tree to be seen.  It caused the Pharaoh’s lips to quirk upwards.  The slayer community was keeping their word it seemed.  Tsuruhime Ohori University was a school for both vampires and humans.Apple tree’s where poisonous to vampires.  Well, apples where poisonous.  The wood was the preferred stake making wood of the slayer community.   Blooming apple trees also worked as a deterrent to vampires as well.  The flowers containing pollen that in large enough douses could kill a vampire.  Yet, more often than not there was not enough trees to cause such an event.  Perfume industries had made quite a bit of money when they had figured out how to make perfume and cologne with apple pollen.Humming the Pharaoh finally allowed himself to follow the faint scent he was beginning to recognize as belonging to one Yugi Moto.  It was petrichor, the scent of the earth after the rain.  Warm and rich and fresh.  With just the slightest hint of something metallic, coppery almost.   Whatever it was it drew the Pharaoh onward through the campus.Dressed similar to his last meeting with Seto the Pharaoh didn’t seem out of place at all on the universities grounds.  Vampires brushed hair from their necks as they passed the Pharaoh.  A greeting to another of their kind as much as a sign of respect.The Pharaoh nodded his head in return too focused on tracing his games trail.  It had merged with two others.  One he had scented all those nights ago in Empire of the Night. The cold snap of winter in the Himalayas–when all senses are muted–while faint traces of mint wove along the edges.   The other reminded the Pharaoh of home.  Dry like the desert sands mixed with the unique blend of herbs only the oldest families of Khemet still used.He didn’t know who this third scent belonged to.  However, the Pharaoh knew they had killed recently.  They were hiding it well, but the metallic tang that only blood gave lingered at the edges of their scent. Most vampires wouldn’t have even noticed, which is what the Pharaoh assumed the person had been going for.A sigh left the Pharaoh’s lips when he caught Mahada’s form out of the corner of his eye.  Isis had been true on her promise to have the Pharaoh watched at all times when he left the mansion.  She wasn’t going to allow him to escape her sight again.  Not when the necklace was acting up.Not that the Pharaoh was going to allow Isis’s paranoia to control him.  Wickedness oozed off of the Pharaoh as he smirked.  Eyes still looking forward the Pharaoh probed the shadows for a distraction.  Finding none that would distract Mahada for long the Pharaoh decided to make one of his own.A couple was seated to his right well their dogs played among the trees.  Subtly flicking his wrist in the dogs’ direction a shadow was sent out.  The humans couldn’t see the Ka that appeared in spirit form before the dogs, but the dogs certainly could.The canines’ ears perked up and they stared at the large eyed fuzz ball floating in the air before them.  Large purple eyes glanced in the Pharaoh’s direction questioningly.  The Pharaoh’s eyes softened as the Ka turned back to the dogs.  He would never say it but this particular Ka was one of his most treasured.  Whimsical and childlike but strong enough to stop any enemy the Pharaoh had ever faced. The dogs lunged.  Kouribo cutely cooed at the dogs as he quickly floated away from their snapping jaws, leading the unlistening canines straight toward Mahada.  The couple stood up from their bench to call the dogs back. Yelling and screaming like a couple of banshees the humans started to chase their pets.As soon as Kouribo got to Mahada he attached himself to the magician’s head. Mahada couldn’t see Kouribo, but he could see the dogs running towards him.  The Pharaoh didn’t see the events that followed. No.  He was already shifting into his second form.  Within seconds the tall dark skinned vampire that was the Pharaoh was replaced by a small richly colored butterfly.  Black encircled the orange painted wings of the butterfly well teardrops of white laced the forewings.Flapping said wings the Pharaoh quickly escaped the diabolical he had created.  Now, to find his future mate. Drifting along the air currents the Pharaoh concentrated.  It was harder to track in this form, but it hadn’t been created for tracking.  Instead the Pharaoh focused on the thread of power that connected him to the Millennium Puzzle.  If Yugi was wearing it the Pharaoh would find him. Luckily for the Pharaoh it seemed that Yugi hadn’t gone far.Inside one of the lecture halls filled with humans the Pharaoh found not only his little one but the Bakura-look-alike and the person belonging to the third scent.  They were settled on a platform in the center of the room.  The lights had dimmed shortly before the Pharaoh had flown through the partially open doorway leaving the three of them within the only pool of light.The Pharaoh could feel the class settle down as he fluttered in the stale air.  Something about this didn’t feel right.  Why where there no vampires in this class?Yugi stepped forward, seriousness oozing off of his face.  Dressed in a black shirt and pants with his jewelry as the only brush of color the Pharaoh could tell he meant business.  The two others on stage with him–Ryou, the Pharaoh finally remembered being the white haired humans name–where dressed similarly.“Thank you all for coming,” Yugi intoned.  “If you don’t know who I am, my name is Moto Yugi.  Behind me are Bakura Ryou and Ishtar Marik.  We have been asked by the President of the School to relieve your instructor for the day and lecture in his place.”The class shifted and muttering between students dotted the hall before a young man finally called out.  “Why should we listen to you?  You’re not a member of the Slayer community.  You’re not a Slayer. You have no idea what we are going to face out in the field!”Calls of agreement came from around the room.  The atmosphere intensified and the Pharaoh found himself wondering just what it was he had flown into.  He would need to land soon.  The Pharaoh hadn’t been in his second form in many a year and it was taking its toll.  Either he landed soon of his own accord and rested, or he would be forced to change back into his vampiric form. In this room, it would be safer as a butterfly.Now.  Where to land?In the end the choice was taken from him.  The Millennium Puzzle tugged on the thread of power linking it to the Pharaoh.  Like a moth drawn to a flame the Pharaoh fluttered closer to Yugi before finally landing on the top of the puzzle.Amethyst eyes glanced down at the butterfly before returning to the students.  For some reason the Pharaoh knew Yugi knew what he was.Yugi still hadn’t answered the young man.  The students were starting to get restless and just when the Pharaoh thought chaos would take over Yugi spoke again.“You’re right.  I’m not a part of the Slayer community.  I’m not a slayer.  None of us are.”  He motioned to Ryou and Marik. “But we know what you will be facing on the field.  Our families where murdered by vampires.  We have each fought vampires, be they rouges or not.  More than any of you will ever be forced to face on your own.  And we were alone.  Three teenagers without a slayer in sight against hundreds of vampires.”Yugi stepped forward.  Amethyst eyes blazing as they pinned the young man who had dared question the Hikari’s authority.“You want to know why the President–one of the most respected Slayers in the world, mind you–asked us to give this lecture?  It’s because we survived.  We had to learn everything about vampires just to survive, well you and everyone else in this room got to live nice cushiony lives without a care in the world. “A vampire is showing signs of turning into a rouge?  That’s okay, the Slayers have been notified and will deal with the threat.  Family has been forcibly turned into a feeder?  It will be taken care of.  After all there are laws put in place for that.”Silence engulfed the room, but Yugi wasn’t finished.“You live in a society that condemns anyone who is a vampire or is related to one.  You have never had to fend for yourself without an authority figure who could take out a vampire within minutes from you.  You never had to fear that you would be caught and dragged back into the hell that you had escaped from just because you where an orphan in a land that didn’t care what vampires did to humans.  You never had to because people like me exist.“Ryou, Marik and I.  We grew up just like the original Slayers.  The ones who built the I.S.O.  We were forced to adapt and grow stronger in hostile territory or die.  So tell me.  Why is it that a spoiled brat like you thinks you know better than one of the most respected Slayers in the world?”Silence.  Absolute silence.Lazily the Pharaoh flapped his wings, digesting the information Yugi had unknowingly given him. Obviously Yugi had not grown up in Japan.  Neither had Ryou or Marik for that matter.  Yet, that didn’t explain why Yugi hated vampires so much.  No.  That had yet to be divulged. The mystery that was one Yugi Moto had thickened. It made the Pharaoh want to find out more.After he got out of the class full of baby slayers alive that is.One black eyebrow was raised at the students.  “No answer?  Then I assume you’d be fine if we continue the lesson?”There was still no answer.“Very well then.”             Ryou stepped forward.  Hands clasped behind his back and eyes cold he assessed the students.  A scoff slipped out before he could stifle it.  In perfect Khemetian the blond murmured.  “Are we really going to teach them?  They won’t last a day out in the field.”The dark skinned member of the trio–Marik?–answered.  “We have no choice.  We were requested specifically for this.  Besides, we may hate vampires, but I know we hate most of the slayer community as well.  So what if the next generation doesn’t survive?”A dark look was shot from brown eyes at the Khemetian.  “I hate it when you speak the truth.”Wickedness was craved into every inch of Marik’s answering grin.  The dark skinned male clapped his hands together drawing the attention of every person in the room.  “Alright children,” Marik crowed in a sickly cheerful tone.  “We’re talking about Vampire Abilities today!  Anyone willing to share a full list of abilities?”The students didn’t get a chance to answer before he was talking again.  “No one?  Oh, well.  Yugi darling, would you be willing to enlighten us all?” Amethyst eyes rolled at Marik’s act, but Yugi still answered.  “Considering that is what we are supposed to be talking about today?  Yes, I will tell you.”“Well get on with it darling,” Marik cooed.Wavy bangs shifted as Yugi sighed.  Gently the young man ran a hand over the engraved Eye of Horus on the Puzzle.  Thoughts seemed to swirl through Yugi’s head.  He really didn’t know how to go about giving this lecture.  Vampire abilities where kept secret for a reason.  Sure the I.S.O. knew most of the vampire races abilities…yet there where some that the vampire race kept close to their chest.A flutter of wings brought Yugi back from his thoughts.  Amethyst orbs landed on the African Monarch looking butterfly.  He knew it was a vampire, a pureblood to be specific.  Only Purebloods had a second form.  Butterflies, so strange, considering most of humanity believed vampires could change into bats.Yugi idly brushed a finger down the butterfly’s body as he decided what he would tell the students.  They didn’t need to know all the vampire races secrets.  After all.  Marik had been right.  So what if the next generation of slayers died early deaths?  There would always be more willing to take their place.“Vampires are just like all of you. They need to eat, breathe, and sleep.  Also just like all of you vampires are good at different things.  One could be a natural at music, another at learning languages.  What I’m trying to say is that just because all vampires have the same basic set of abilities does not mean that they have the same level of control over each ability.”Ryou understood where Yugi was going with this and cut in.  “Take Yugi, Marik and I.  We each were trained by the same person, however we specialize in different things.  The things we are best at.  You is a stagiest.  Marik is an extractor of information, and I?  Well,” Ryou smirked.  “I’m an assassin.”“Vampires work in much the same way.”  Marik continued.  “They have courts and each member of the court has a specific area of expertise.  This works the same for their abilities as well.”“All vampires have heightened hearing, sight, speed, and smell.  Every vampire has healing saliva.  They also have empathic abilities.  Vampires do not need your permission to enter your house.  That is a superstition.  They can go wherever the hell they want.”  Yugi took control of the conversation again.  “All vampires have compulsion, otherwise known as allure, too.  This is the basic list of abilities all vampires have.” “However, just like you and me every vampire is not a copy of one another.  Each has their own strengths and weaknesses.”  Ryou flipped his hair over his shoulder.  “One might be able to turn a whole room of humans into a sobbing mess well another might only be able to affect one human or no human at all….”The shadows poked at the Pharaoh’s consciousness.  Seto had just appeared on the universities grounds.  If he wanted to meet with his cousin he would need to leave now.  Yet, the Pharaoh really wanted to know just what the Hikari where going to state throughout the rest of the lecture.The shadows prodded the vampire monarch more forcefully.  They were just as anxious to get Seth back as the Pharaoh was.  No way in the Du’at where they going to allow the Pharaoh to sit here listening to a bunch of humans when Seth was nearby.  The Pharaoh would move on his own accord or the shadows would make him move.Alright, the Pharaoh thought at the shadows.  I’m going.  I’m going.  Calm down.Taking flight the Pharaoh lazily flapped around the Hikari before flying out of the room.  Down the hall and one classroom over the Pharaoh changed back into his vampiric form.  Quietly the Pharaoh smoothed out his coat and started walking out of the building.  Seto was waiting for him at the library in a private room.   The building was just across the green and the Pharaoh knew he would make it there with time to spare.Stone and arching windows were the first thing the Pharaoh thought of when looking at the library.  It held all the makings of a wonder of the world, if it had been three times larger and a few thousand years older.  The soft glow coming through the cloudy sky illuminated the cedar shelved rows of books.  Two grand staircases brought a seeker of knowledge to the second level, and tables and chairs doted the library like islands on an open sea.Smokiness coiled around the Pharaoh as he entered the library.  Glancing in the direction of the scent the Pharaoh looked on amusingly as Mahada glared at him.  “Enjoy you’re jaunt, Mahada?”Purple eyes narrowed dangerously at the tone.  “You are so lucky you are royalty.”“I know,” the Pharaoh smiled lightly.  “Let’s keep this between the two of us, yes?  You owe me for that time you got drunk and slept with one of Isis’s apprentices.”Dark hair swirled as Mahada shook his head and followed the Pharaoh through the library.  “Did you enjoy you’re freedom?”  The Magician asked having already forgiven his king. The Pharaoh hadn’t acted so childlike in eons.  It reminded the magician of when they had been fledglings.  The Pharaoh used to get into all kinds of trouble and was never where he was supposed to be.  It was only after his father’s death and the weight of rulership had descended that the Pharaoh had become strict.Well, Mahada thought glancing at his king.  More like the Pharaoh had traded childish games for more dangerous political versions.  The Pharaoh had still disappeared every once in a while, had still done whatever it was he had wanted to do.  However, everything had been weighted with its risk factor.Mahada had to wonder if it was this Yugi Moto that had brought such a change to his King.  He wondered even more if such a change was a good thing or not.Before the magician could ponder on the situation further the two purebloods had entered the private meeting room. It was sparse with a long table and a multitude of chairs.  A flat screen television was hidden away behind paneling while books and maps lined the rest of the room.  Two slim windows would have let light in had it not been so overcast.   Instead Seto had turned the lights on giving the room a cheery glow.Seto wasn’t alone in the room.  A dishwater blond vampire laid before the windows.  To the world he seemed to be asleep.  Atem knew his cousin wouldn’t have a vampire that slept on the job with him.  So the vampire was simply playing dead.“I see you decided to come,” Seto said forgoing a greeting.The Pharaoh didn’t let that bug him.  Instead he dipped his head in his cousin’s direction and sat down.  “As if I would refuse a chance to speak with you once again.  This is after all why I am in Japan.”“Is it?  You’ve been stirring up a lot of trouble being here in the city.  I would assume that was your reason.  After all getting back at a country you helped create in the first place seems far more your style.”The Pharaoh blinked in fringed boredom.  “You know about the creation of Japan?”“My bodyguard’s mother is one of the oldest vampire’s in Japan.  She was just a fledgling when you moved her people here after the war, but she remembers.”  Seto explained motioning to the vampire settled before the windows.The aforementioned bodyguard lazily raised a hand in greeting.  The Pharaoh raised an eyebrow.  Either the bodyguard hadn’t been raised correctly, or just didn’t give a damn.“Wha’s up?”  The bodyguard asked.Didn’t give a damn it was.“You where the one that set a group of fledglings on my court?”  The Pharaoh asked lightly.The bodyguard sat up.  “So what if I was?”Chatoyant eyes boor into hazel.  There was no fear in the bodyguard’s eyes.  Nothing about the vampire’s posture read that the fledgling felt threatened.  There was only a lazy air of disinterest that the Pharaoh knew was an act.  This vampire.  This fledgling was alert and entirely focused on the two other vampires in the room.There was a connection between the fledgling and Seth.  A strong connection.  The Pharaoh cocked his head to the side.  Very interesting.“I should punish you for that,” the Pharaoh stated darkly.The bodyguard tensed.Good.  The fledgling wasn’t acting anymore.“You endangered not only my court, but the fledglings you set upon my court, and everyone in the area.  Had my court not reacted the way they had at least a hundred people would be dead.  All those lives would be your burden to bare.”  Anger bleed into the Pharaoh’s eyes.  He opened his mouth to continue when Seto cut him off.“Joey was doing his job,” Seto stated coldly.  “Had you’re court not been stalking my fledglings he would not have had to resort to such actions.”The Pharaoh turned his attention onto his cousin.  “You claim them as yours?”“I do.”“Then we have a problem.”  The Pharaoh hissed.  “I told you I would take back what is mine if need be.  You have something of mine, cousin.”“Nishant does not remember you.  The mating bond was broken when his spirit left his body.  He does not belong to you anymore, Atem.  He is not yours!  Nor is the puzzle.  It shattered and was pieced back together by a ten year old fledgling.  It belongs to him now.”  Seto got out through gritted teeth.Mahada and Joey shared a look.  The two of them quickly moved to the side of the room.  It was the safer option considering the two persons arguing.“I’m Joey Wheeler,” the hazel eyed vampire offered Mahada his hand.  “Sorry about the fledglings.”Mahada shook Joey’s hand firmly.  “Mahada, magician and priest of the Pharaoh.  I forgive you.  Just don’t do it again.”Joey nodded.  “I make no promises, but I will try not to.  It’s my job to protect them after all.”“I understand,” Mahada said before the two of them turned their attention back to the arguing pair.Seto stood before the windows.  Rain had begun to fall during the short time the four of them had been in the room.  It darkened the sky and cast Seto in darkness.  The Pharaoh stood on the other side of the long table.  Lamp light made his dark skin glow in warm hues at the same time as it turned his eyes into hellfire.They were at an impasse.  The next few minutes would decide the fate of this trip, and possibly the Vampire Race’s relationship with Japan.  Only one of them needed to bend.“Then why am I hearing his conversations with Yugi?”  The Pharaoh asked darkly.Seto stiffened.  “What?”“Why am I hearing Nishant’s conversations with Yugi?”  The Pharaoh asked again.  “If the mating bond is broken and he is no longer my mate why do I hear his and Yugi’s mental conversations?”  Red eyes sharpened.  “For that matter, how can Yugi and Nishant have mental conversations?  Yugi is human.”“Yugi isn’t…”  Blue eyes blinked rapidly as thoughts swirled through Seto’s head.This was bad.  Very bad.  How was he going to spin this?“My little game is you’re key.”  The Pharaoh placed his hands on the table and leaned in.  “He has the shadows.  I wouldn’t be surprised if his little friends have them as well.  This Ryou Bakura and Marik Ishtar.  They are the key to your vampire technology.  That’s why you care so much for them.”  Red eyes stared unblinking into Seto’s.  “Fledglings are always to be protected, and only pureblood vampires can have access to the shadows.  They may be humans, but they have shadows.  They classify as vampires as well.“To make matters worse they grew up outside of Japan.  Most likely with the spirits of my mate and Bakura as their only companions.  Their only teachers and protectors.  The three of them grew up as pureblood fledglings with two of the world’s most powerful and feared purebloods as their guardians.“And that is before we add in the Millennium Items.” The Pharaoh finally paused.  Seto stood frozen on the other side of the table.  He was statuesque as he stared furiously at the Pharaoh. The King of the Vampire Race stood up straight.  “You have done a very good job of keeping them hidden.  I must commend you on that, cousin.  But this ends.  Now.  Yugi Moto is the heir.  He should and will be in Khemet with me where I can keep him safe and make sure he has the proper education he needs by the end of the year.”“Ryou and Marik won’t allow it,” Seto cut in, voice like ice.  “They are his consanguinity, his kith.  Where he goes they go, and the same is opposite.  They will not leave each other.  Nor will I allow it.  You had your chance to collect the Hikari when they were being hunted through Khemet.”Blue eyes narrowed as Seto curled his lip.  “I found them and gave them a safe place to recuperate.  It was I who integrated them back into society and have kept them safe all these years.  You are not even supposed to know about the Hikari until after we have complete control of Japan!”Joey cut in alarmed.  “Uh…Seto!”“Shut up mutt, the adults are talking.”Hazel eyes flashed red.  Joey leaned back against the wall with a huff.  This wasn’t going well.Black eyebrows arched as the Pharaoh ran the information Seto had just given him through his head again.  Keen silted eyes focused on Seto’s stoic face.  The Pharaoh sat down gracefully as he continued to study his cousin’s reincarnation.“That is why Yugi is going into politics.”  The Pharaoh murmured.  “So he can have a power base that will make the world leaders think twice about daring to go against him simply because he is the heir.  Because he is a vampire.  The wielder of the Millennium Puzzle.”  The Pharaoh blinked as a thought occurred to him.  “If I hadn’t seen him that night in the club and unwittingly initiated a hunt I would have considered him a threat to my rule and to my people.  I would have killed him...That’s why you refused my offer.  You remember the war and your instincts are alive.  You truly see them as your fledglings.  Having me be a backer of your technology would allow me access to your files.  I would have found them and done what I believed was right for my people.”“You would have killed them.”  Mahada’s voice floated softly through the air.Everyone turned to the purple eyed vampire.Mahada was unperturbed by the three figures staring at him.  He had been to many negotiations with his king.  Many had been bloody.  Others had been peaceful.  Most had been full of yelling and threats.  This was the most interesting negotiation he had been to in a long time.   Other countries and political figures didn’t like to spend time in the same room with the Pharaoh for long periods.  They got what they wanted, or what they could get, and where gone.It was moments like these that reminded Mahada why he had sworn his loyalty to Atem all those eons ago.“Your first priority Per-a’a is to protect your people.  Yugi and his…siblings are a threat.  They are humans who have gained shadows, access to vampire technology, and hold three of the millennium items.”   Mahada had to force himself to not bite on his lip.  He didn’t know how his next statement would be taken.  It was possible he would have to contend with an angry Pharaoh.  “It would be in your best interest to remove the threat.  If they are really the key to our technology and are being hunted because of it…ending the threat is the best option.”Silence.  Absolute silence.Mahada felt Seth’s icy glare burn into his skin.  However, he only had eyes for his king.  The Pharaoh sat unmoving in the light.  Eyes like hellfire stared unseeingly as if listening in on a conversation only he could hear.  A frown was set upon his lips and black eyebrows where crinkled in thought.“No.”The other three inhabitants in the room barely heard him.“What was that?”  Joey asked.“I said no.”  The Pharaoh turned his bright eyes on the Mahada.  “Yugi Moto and his kith will not be killed.  I will not allow it.”Purple eyes widened.  “But Per-a’a–”“I said no, Mahada!”The magician froze at the tone.“My hunt involving Yugi isn’t a hunt for sustenance.  It is a hunt for a mate.”  The Pharaoh ignored the fledgling that started chocking at the admission.  “I could not kill Yugi even if I tried.  More so, I would most likely kill anyone who tried to kill him because of the hunt.  He is my prey.  What is more, you have not answered my question.”Seto stood up straighter as the Pharaoh pinned him with his gaze.“Why can I hear Nishant and Yugi’s mental conversations if the mating bond is broken?”Seto had to stop himself from looking away from the demanding eyes.  “I don’t know.”The Pharaoh nodded his head and folded his hands on the table.  “Then this is what will happen.  I will prove that the mating bond is still active.  When I do you will not stop me from taking the–what did you call them? Oh yes, Hikari–with me back to Khemet.  However, should I not be able to prove the mating bond is still there I and my court will leave Japan and allow events to unfold without interference.”Seto ground his teeth together as he once again remembered why being on the other side of the table was so hard when dealing with the Pharaoh.  This bargain was the best he was going to get. The Pharaoh had enough power to simply take the Hikari through force.  The law was with him, the Hikari would be considered vampires by the United Nations.  To argue would be disastrous.Blue eyes glanced at the rooms other two inhabitants.  Joey’s face told Seto everything he needed to know.  The fledgling really wasn’t happy with this.  He didn’t agree, but knew it was pointless to argue. Mahada on the other hand…Mahada was hiding his feelings well.  However, the Pharaoh was right Seto remembered the war.  Seto remembered how to read the magician.  And the magician was not happy.  Not happy at all.“I will even put a time limit on my side of the agreement.”  Chatoyant eyes stared Seto down.  “I will give myself until the blood moon.  That is the date at which I am scheduled to leave.  If I do not prove the mating bond still exists by then I will leave.”“That is an unwinnable bargain.”  Seto warned.A slow smirk spread across the Pharaoh’s lips.  “You are right cousin.  A seemingly unwinnable game.  But you have forgotten.  I never lose.” It was raining outside by the time the Hikari left behind a room full of terrified baby slayers.  Trudging ever toward the wet Yugi sighed.  They hadn’t told the class anything of importance.  Yet, they had still managed to scare the students.Warmth brushed Yugi’s right side as Marik leaned into him.  “You alright Prince?”“I’m fine,” Yugi sighed again.  He ran a hand through his hair and shook it.  “No.  I’m not fine.  How do they expect to become slayers if they get terrified at one lecture?”Ryou leaned in from the left.  His white hair tickling Yugi’s nose as he shook his head.  “It’s like Marik said.  So what if the next generation of slayers dies early?  There will always be more to take their place.”“I know but…”The three of them stepped outside.  A low overhanging above the door kept them from getting drenched.  Yet it did nothing about the creeping darkness.  Rain poured down from the heavens enveloping everything in a misty transcendent world of shadow.  Streetlights peeked through the growing swirl of wet like iridescent pearls glowing from the deepest pits of the dark. Shadows could brush aside the warmth and safety offered there under the lights just as quickly as the monsters that lurked within the hearts of men bloomed.   The Hikari knew this just like they knew how to breathe.  It was instinctual.That was why Yugi was having such a hard time with just leaving.“We’re creating monsters.”  He muttered out into the night.A clay colored hand threaded fingers through Yugi’s.  Gently Marik tugged Yugi to face him.  Lavender eyes held nothing but understanding and love as Marik dropped to his knees.“No, my Prince.”  Marik quietly said in his mother tongue.  “We are not creating monsters.  The monsters where already there, buried within their hearts.  We are saving those who will heed our warning.”Yugi didn’t react as Ryou wrapped him in a hug from behind.  The Millennium ring pressing into his back as Marik continued.  “Those who continue this path do so knowing that they cannot win.  They continue because of the hate and fear boiling in their blood.  Nothing can stop that.  Their monsters have already consumed them.  They hate vampires, they might not now, but they will.  As they see the lives taken and see what they must do.  Their hearts will harden, until there is nothing left but hate.”Marik leaned into Yugi’s hold as the bearer of the puzzle cupped his cheek.  “We can only save those who are not already lost to the darkness.  We are Hikari.  We light the path, but some are too lost in darkness to see it.”They stayed like that for a time.  Rain pouring in rhythms only known to nature.  The Hikari took solace in each other.  Painful memories passing through them as if they were one being. Sooty lashes fluttered open as amethyst eyes peered out into the night.  Yugi looked down at Marik.  His secret keeper, his informant, his best friend.  This man would do anything to protect his family.  Even kill.  Yugi knew Marik was keeping information from him.  Something was happening and Marik as doing everything in his power to keep him in the dark.Quietly Yugi glanced at Ryou out of the corner of his eye.   The white haired male was resting his head on Yugi’s shoulder.  Pale lids hid chocolate brown eyes from the inheritor of shadows, but Yugi knew Ryou was awake and alert.  Ryou was the light to Marik’s dark.  Yugi’s general, assassin, best friend.  Ryou killed through kindness, and if he couldn’t then the shadows would do.The two of them where the balance Yugi didn’t know how to live without.  To lose one would be to fall into darkness.  To lose both would be to live in hell.  He didn’t know what he would do without the two of them.A tender expression softened Yugi’s sharp amethyst eyes as he thought about everything they had been through together.  He pulled Marik closer and grabbed hold of Ryou.  Breathing in their scents Yugi grounded himself to the here and now.“Thank you,” he whispered. Ryou shifted first constricting around Yugi before letting go.  “There is nothing to thank us for.  We know you would do the same for us.”“Besides,” Marik slowly stood up.  “Our scent is all over you now.  No one should be stupid enough to attempt anything on your way home.   You sure you don’t want to spend the night with us?”  Blond eyebrows bounced as Marik grinned.  “We could lock the Puzzle and Ring away in the chest and have a wicked time.”Snorting in a very not royal way Yugi felt a grin tug at his lips.  “No.  I’m fine, go home and rest.  We have work to do.”“Oh, yes!  Places to be, things to steal, people to kill.”  Marik sing-songed already by Ryou’s side.  “Do be good darling.  We don’t want to have to start a war without you!”Without another word the two blonds vanished into the downpour leaving Yugi alone.  As alone as a young man with a puzzle bound spirit could be.Yugi could feel his other half coiled contently within the farthest reaches of his mind.  No doubt Yami was happy with the way things had gone during the class.  Not even the pesky pureblood-butterfly could dampen the spirits mood.  He had gotten to see the faces of every apprentice slayer on campus. What was more, it was raining.  Even without his memories the droplets of water falling like tears filled the spirit with wonder.I see you are having a good time.  The warmth in Yugi’s voice echoed through their combined minds.Yami didn’t waste energy on materializing.  A marvelous time, Aibou.  However it will be even better when you are spread out beneath me in our bed.Heat rose to Yugi’s cheeks.  For once the young man was thankful for the shadows draping across his form.  Yami.You are mine, Yugi Moto.  Do not doubt for a second that I will take care of you.  Yami’s voice purred through Yugi’s mind. White teeth flashed in the low light and Yugi froze.Something was out there.  Something watching him.“I didn’t expect to see you out here.”  A toothsome voice crooned from down the steps.Yugi whirled, the cold bite of metal already leaving his fingers before he registered who it was behind him.  The shade moved like the wind slipping away from the deadly flash of needles.  No two seconds passed before the shade was behind Yugi.Clawed hands like fire grabbed hold of Yugi.  Suddenly the young man found himself conformed to the chest of the man behind him rendering Yugi motionless.  Death sweet breath brushed against Yugi’s ear as the figure sighed lightly.“Did you have to do that, little game?”Marron and amethyst swirled through Yugi’s eyes as spirit and human went on full alert.  Brow crinkled in confusion Yugi tried to struggle out of the hold.  He knew that voice…it reminded him of cold night air in the desert.  Sharp with a bite you wouldn’t expect from someplace so hot.  Cat like eyes flashed through Yugi’s mind and a face appeared from the darkness.“Atem?”  Yugi stopped struggling, curiosity getting the better of him.  He knew Yami would take control if anything life threatening happened.Hot fingers unfurled lightly and glided down Yugi’s pale arms.  “I hadn’t expected our second meeting starting with you throwing…pens at me.  You seriously threw pens at me?”Yugi heard the incredulousness in Atem’s voice.  Slowly Yugi chanced turning to face the vampire.  No restriction from the hands still positioned on his body allowed Yugi to come eye to eye with Atem.  Well, eye to chin.Cherry red eyes peered at Yugi from a face the human was still having trouble believing was real.  Atem’s chocolate lipped mouth curved upward as Yugi unconsciously relaxed into the vampire’s hold.   Leaning into the warmth that no vampire should emit Yugi had to stop himself from closing his eyes.“I grabbed the first thing I could reach.  You’re just lucky I left my knives at home.”“Oh, you have knives?”  Atem questioned lightly.“Mmhhh.”  Yugi intoned finally giving in and closing his eyes as one of Atem’s hands brushed down his back.Slowly Atem caged Yugi within his arms.  The human was nearly dead weight as he leaned fully on the dark skinned vampire.  Warm breath ruffled Yugi’s tri-colored locks as Atem breathed in.“You will have to show them to me some time.”  Atem purred hand running lower.  “Perhaps I can give you a demonstration on some very interesting uses for them.”“Mmmm.” Yugi was drifting away from the land of the living.  The sweet, siren like voice of the vampire guiding him toward oblivion.  Quietly Yugi wondered where Yami was.  He should be drifting away with Yugi.  Where was….Yugi’s form tensed in Atem’s hold.The vampire didn’t have time to react before he was thrown into the side of the school.  Cracks spread through the stone structure like a spider had gone a little too crazy with its web.  Groaning Atem pushed himself up.Burses where already appearing over his skin like ink blots.  No bones had been broken but they still creaked like the timbers of a ship put under too much strain.  Wincing at the contraction of his back muscles Atem looked at Yugi.Or what should have been Yugi.Anger plowed into Atem nearly sending him back to the wall in support.  Torrents of emotions that where not his own flashed through the Pharaoh as his eyes connected with those just as equally red.“You have gone too far,” the not-Yugi snarled softly.Shadows rose up from the darkness to pool across the ground.  Moving in ripple out from the not-Yugi’s form.Atem allowed himself the weakness of using the wall as support.   He needed to control the sudden ringing in his ears and the heart eating rage that whirled through him like a dust devil.  The mating bond was going crazy.  Much like a giga counter would at a nuclear blast zone.Swallowing Atem focused on the not-Yugi again.  “How may I ask did I go too far?”“Yugi is my mate.”  The not-Yugi ominously stated.Understanding filled the Pharaoh’s eyes.  “Ahh, the connection between you is quite strong if you can possess you’re mate from long distances.  Your name is?”The not-Yugi sneered and Atem didn’t think he would get an answer. The sudden rush of shadows had the Pharaoh tensing.  He couldn’t handle a shadow game at the moment.  Not with the mating bond between Nishant and he going haywire.  It was taking all of Atem’s strength just to stay upright.Bitter cold flooded the Atem’s body as the cavernous shadows inched closer.  The rough brush of stone pressing into his back had the Pharaoh rethinking Isis’s demands.  Just when the Pharaoh was about to be over run the shadows stopped.A vicious snarl had Atem focus on the not-Yugi.The boy’s hands where clenched winter white by his sides.  Standing rigid in darkness the Pharaoh didn’t think anything could move the boy.  Glowing blood red eyes burned into Atem.“Why can’t I kill you?”  The not-Yugi asked.Confusing colored Atem’s returning question.  “What?”The not-Yugi snarled again.  In a flash the shadows swelled up and devoured the boy, leaving Atem alone outside the university building.The emotions and ringing where gone.  Atem should have felt upset.  However, his mates question had a tiny spark of smugness fill his chest.Why can’t I kill you?“Perhaps, Nishant.”  The Pharaoh mused to the night.  “It is because our bond won’t let you.  Mates can’t kill each other after all.  It goes against Ma’at.”With a sigh the Pharaoh copied his mate and allowed the shadows to bring him home.  As home a borrowed mansion could be.  Stepping out of the shadows into a candle lit hallway the Pharaoh sighed.  Isis was going to have a field day when she saw just how battered his body was after one interaction with his mate.He didn’t even want to think about how she was going to react to his bargain with Seth.  Stopping outside of the dining room doors the Pharaoh clearly heard Mahada detailing the meeting’s events to his fellow court members.The Pharaoh forced himself to stand tall even though he felt like demons where taking turns poking him in the back.  It was time to face the music.  For once the Pharaoh felt like he might finally cure Isis of her need to mother him….a snort left the Pharaoh as he silently entered the room.Yeah.  Right.

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Hellacious (adj.) extremely brutal, violent, and severe; remarkably difficult
There was nothing but darkness.  An all-consuming darkness that not even a vampire could see through.  The floor felt like small glass shards that where pushed farther and farther into his bleeding feet with every step he took. He didn’t know where he was.  Where the other two had gone.  Where they even in the same place?  Had the evil men taken them someplace else?  The evil men had stated they had one week left.  One week until death.Was this the afterlife?Cold wind came from the left, smelling like rot and decay.  It took him everything not to throw up.  Though he doubted he could throw up.  The evil men hadn’t fed him in days…had it been day?“I can smell you.”  A gargling voice spoke form the darkness.He froze.The wind came again, warmer this time.  Only it wasn’t wind.  It was death.  The breath of the end.He could hear death now.  Stalking across the blood covered floor.  His small body started shaking in fear.  This was how he would die.  If he wasn’t dead already. Had he really angered the gods that much?Slowly he turned toward death feeling the floor slicken with his blood.  Only to meet glowing red orbs.A scream ripped its way out of his mouth as death lunged–“No!”  The shadows tore through the richly decorated room looking for that which had dared threaten their master.Widened red eyes took in the sun dappled room.  The burnt orange walls almost seemed to be on fire as the sun played across the golden framed paintings and mirrors.  Nothing was out of place.The vampire panted.  His heart was threatening to beat out of his chest as terror refused to leave him.  It was just a dream.  He was one of the most powerful vampires in the world.  It was just a dream…then why did it feel so real?Cinnamon colored blankets where thrown away from the vampire.  Moving to get out of bed cold mahogany floors had the vampire tensing in remembered pain.  Suddenly the vampire wished he hadn’t demanded the plush grey carpets be removed from the room.  Knock. Knock. Knock.Red eyes turned in the direction of the door.  “Yes?”The door opened revealing the worried form of the vampire’s healer.   Blue-grey eyes surveyed the room noting the inky coils of shadow that refused to be banished by the sunlight.  Slowly the healer swept across the room making sure to step over the pesky shadows that begged for attention.“I heard you scream, my lord.”  The healer stated sitting down next the vampire on the bed.The vampire ran a hand through his tangled hair.  “It was just a dream, a memory I had forgotten.”“A traumatic memory.”  The healer noted.Red eyes turned to the healer questioningly.  “Traumatic?”In answer the healer gently grabbed the vampire’s arm.  She noted the vampire flinch at her cold grasp and shuffled the information away for later review.  The healer raised the vampire’s hand in front of his face.“Yes, traumatic.”The vampire’s eyes widened even more at the sight if his hand.  Uncontrollable tremors raced along the limb.“If you don’t mind me asking.  Was the memory of your time in the underground?”  The healer questioned.The vampire shook his head slowly, eyes still on his hand.  “No.”Grey-blue eyes narrowed at the tone.  “Per-a’a?”“It wasn’t of the underground.”  The Pharaoh stated turning to look at Isis.  “I don’t think it was my memory at all.”Isis watched her Pharaoh questioningly.  “Then who’s was it?”“Yugi’s.”  The Pharaoh closed his eyes.  “It was Yugi’s.”

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Internecine (a
dj.) Characterized by slaughter; deadly.
Flashing lights and the sound of cars crashing could be heard throughout the apartment complex.  It vibrated the walls and everyone within five hundred feet knew the terrors of southern Domino had returned to their northern hideout.  More than one inhabitant was willing to call the cops, only for the maniacal cackling to still their hands.  It was safer for everyone if the buildings inhabitants simply ignored the going-ons of apartment 134.As Ryou stormed up to the seventh landing it took most of his will power not to turn around and storm back down them.  He was expected and Marik would begin to wonder if he didn’t show.  Yet, the nerve of that…that…vampire!Oh, how it made his blood boil.To think he would…agh!Ryou didn’t bother fishing out his keys as he stalked closer to his apartment.  The wards he and Marik had set up would recognize his presence.  They better have, if Marik had tampered with the wards again….The cold iron reinforced door of apartment 134 slammed into the wall with a resounding crack before Ryou threw it closed.  Silence premediated the air blanketing the once noisy apartment building in tension.Marik and Yugi watched Ryou pace into the kitchen from over the back of the couch. Behind them the TV showed a skull and crossbones, but they didn’t pay any attention to that as the slamming of cupboard doors made them wince.Joey sat up from his sprawling position on a futon as he heard the gas ignite on the stove.  He sent the two Hikari on the couch a questioning look.  However, the two of them had no answer.  Their game controllers lay forgotten as Ryou walked back out of the kitchen and sat down at the dining table.  Three pairs of eyes glanced at each other before returning to the fuming form of their white haired friend.  A throat cleared.  “Everything alright, Ryou?”  Joey asked from his position before the couch.Minutes went by, but then Ryou finally sighed and slumped in his chair.  “No.”That didn’t explain anything.  Joey sent a look at the Hikari again.  He’d tried to get an answer out of the Briton.  Now it was the Hikari’s turn.Yugi made a face at the vampire before focusing on his angered friend again.  Yugi was just about to open his mouth when he paused.  Amethyst eyes really looked at Ryou.Ryou was dressed in a white button up that had seen better days.  His frockcoat had speckles of blood along the cuffs, and his black pants where soaked from the knee down in what looked like bleach.  Ryou’s normally perfectly combed hair had obviously had his hands through it over and over again.  His shoulders were drooped, but the tight hold Ryou had on his wrist told Yugi he was frustrated.To put it simply, Ryou was a mess.“If you don’t want to talk about it you don’t have to.”  Yugi softly intoned.Sighing again Ryou ran his hands through his white locks for what must have been the thousandth time.  “It’s just…I finally get why Bakura wants to kill off most of the vampire race.”That was not the answer Yugi expected.Marik shifted to rest his arms on the back of the couch.  “You do know it’s the purebloods he wants dead, right?”“Of course.”  Ryou leaned back in the seat.  “And I know the perfect Pureblood to start with.”“Isn’t Bakura a pureblood?” Joey cut in.“Of course I am.”A yelp escaped Joey as he whirled around.  There standing behind him was a withering mass of shadows.  Slowly the shadows took solid form, limbs where hone from the ink-like curls of darkness, and color bleed into sun-dusted skin and white-white hair.  The shadows finished creating a body for the spirit as the room dropped in temperature until everyone’s breath could be seen.“You need to stop doing that man!”  Joey snapped at the shadow spirit.Bakura stretched out his arms and inspected them.  Wisps of shadows followed the movement before folding into the frock he was wearing.  A smirk slipped onto the spirit’s face as he watched amethyst eyes followed the movement.“The Pharaoh still refusing to teach you how to merge with the shadows and create a temporary body form them?”  Bakura asked Yugi in amusement.Yugi huffed, crossing his arms the prince looked away from the spirit.  “He says I have to be at least fifty years old before he’ll even think about teaching me.”The smirk grew into a full grown grin at the answer.“As amusing as it is to watch the different ways you and Yami teach your mates, I would like to know why Ryou is planning a genocide.  When I know damn well that is my department.”  Marik’s voice shattered Bakura’s rising amusement and reminded him of the situation at hand.He went to open his mouth when the shrill cry of the teakettle went off in the kitchen.Ryou forced himself out of his seat and into the kitchen, leaving Joey, Marik and Yugi to stare questioningly at Bakura.A white eyebrow rose even as brown eyes narrowed into slits.  Bakura hated to be in this position.  It harked back to the time he had spent working in the palace all those millennia ago.  Back when the priests didn’t trust him and he didn’t trust them.  The blood-sucking leeches.  Even Yami had distrusted the priests.Bakura shrugged.  How the hell was he supposed to know what had happened to Ryou when the brat had left the ring at home?  It wasn’t like he was omniscient.“Don’t look at me like that.”  Was what he growled out.  “Ryou will tell you if he wants to.”“And I don’t want to.”  Ryou said for the door way.Steam curled upward from the large red mug he was holding.  The relaxing scent of chamomile tea hit the room’s occupants.  Joey wrinkled his nose at the smell, he had never been able to get used to the scent.  It was too clean and sedative.  It really was too bad that he worked for the reincarnation of a Khemetian high priest.  Chamomile has been used by the Khemetians for centuries and it was Seto’s go to tea in the evenings.The white haired Hikari sighed.  “However, talking about it will probably stop me from planning the bastard’s murder.”He moved to the dining table again.  Taking a sip of his tea Ryou allowed himself to relax.  He had to relax.  He didn’t kill people just because they were idiots.  That was Marik’s job.“The pureblood from Layal Earabia and I ran into each other again.”Yugi blinked questioningly.  “What pureblood?  I thought Hadi was a hajin?”“He is,” Ryou muttered.  “But he is only the de-facto leader.  He doesn’t actually own Layal Earabia.”“Then who…oh!”“So the pureblood that owns Layal has a thing for you?”  Marik questioned already bored with the conversation. “What’s the problem then?  Seduce him, use him, and throw him to the curb.” Amethyst eyes glared at the Khemetian and Yugi hissed out.  “He’s not you, Marik.  Just because you’re heartless doesn’t mean Ryou is.”“I am not the living embodiment of darkness, nor has my heart fallen into darkness.  I also don’t hunt for hearts.”  Marik sniffed daintily.One of Yugi’s eyebrows twitched.  “Did you really have to reference a video game?”“The situation called for it.” “Enough.”The two Hikari froze at the order.  Both turned to look at the spirit recognizing the disapproving tilt of his lips and the reprimand settled within brown eyes.“I believe Ryou was going to explain what happened before he was so rudely interrupted.”  Bakura shifted his glace to the only vampire in the room in warning before focusing on his mate.Ryou sighed and leaned back in his seat.  “It all started after my required lab let out.  I had a good hour before my next class and… The sun was coyly peering out from behind grey clouds as Ryou exited the medical building on campus.  Brown eyes narrowed into slits as the light assaulted the Hikari.  He raised a hand, shielding his eyes. It was only ten in the morning, but the sunlight acted like it was noon.  Silently Ryou cursed to himself as he walked down the building’s steps and into the throng of students.  He had an hour and a half before his next class on Vampire Biology.  Just enough time to stop smelling like formaldehyde and get something to eat.Grimly Ryou debated if he wanted to dare the underground so soon after the events of last week.  His favorite Taiyaki shop was at least a 45 minute walk without going through the underground, and oh, how Ryou loved his Taiyaki.It was a little known fact that Ryou had a large sweet tooth.Screw it, Ryou thought with a nod.  I’m taking the underground.  No way am I going to sit through a class on Vampire Biology without my Taiyaki.Ryou turned right sharply and cut across the street into an old book shop.  The smell of mildew and dust caused Ryou’s nose to twitch as he walked farther into the store.  Stepping up to a door that was hidden behind a tapestry Ryou nodded to the little boy sitting on a stool not three feet away.  The little boy had bright green eyes and curly black hair.  A pointy smile crossed the boy’s face as he nodded in return. As Ryou passed through the tapestry and the door behind it no one noticed the little boy pocket 2000 yen.The Hikari was plunged into darkness immediately.  It was so dark that had he been a normal human Ryou wouldn’t have been able to even see his own hands if they had been right before his face.  However, Ryou was mates with a vampire and could use his other’s senses as if they were his own.Brown eyes flicked around the narrow tunnel even as Ryou’s ears stained to hear if anyone was close by.  After ten minutes standing in place Ryou deemed himself alone and started down the tunnel. The tunnels and rooms that made up the underground had been carved during the Millennium War all throughout the world. It was said that there where even tunnels under the oceans and seas that connected every continent with each other.  Ryou didn’t believe it, however, there was always a niggling in the back of his mind when he found a new tunnel.The tunnels had been a way for the Vampire’s to evacuate civilians out of the active war zones without running into enemy hostiles.  After the war however, they had become the home of those who wished to profit from the less lawful of practices.  Ryou had never been told why the Pharaoh had allowed such a thing to persist.  But there were rumors…Ryou shook his head as he passed through a crossroads and turned left.  He didn’t need to think about those rumors.  It was treasonous talk.  Even if Ryou wasn’t a vampire.The tunnel Ryou was in was slowly getting wider.  It changed from hard packed earth to smooth stone flooring and brick walls.  Lights danced along the walls farther up the tunnel and as Ryou walked closer he could make out worn stairs leading upwards. This exit would leave Ryou standing across the street from his favorite Taiyaki shop.  However, Ryou rarely used this tunnel for one particular reason.Ascending the stairs Ryou grabbed hold of his daggers.  Just as he exited the tunnel Ryou dropped to his knees and rolled.  Blindly Ryou jabbed with his dagger at the perceived threat, getting a shriek of pain for his efforts.Back on his feet Ryou turned toward the exit to get a good look at the bastard that had just tried to behead him. The human was in his fifties, round like a balloon that had been filled to bursting, and holding a butchering knife.  His white apron was stained red from the carcass he was in the middle of chopping up, and Ryou could make out the scent of blood from where he had stabbed the butcher in the leg.“What did I tell you ungrateful heathens about coming through my shop uninvited!?”  The butcher bellowed, waving his knife at Ryou.Arms crossed Ryou raised an eyebrow at the butcher.  “The only reason you’re not dead right now is because my mate has claimed you as off limits.  This entrance to the underground has been here for millennia, and it’s been used for millennia.  You can’t change that.”“Like hell I can’t!”  The butcher snarled.  “Now get out of my shop!”Huffing Ryou turned around and walked out of the butcher shop onto the street.  This side of town was deserted at this time.  It wouldn’t get busy until noon at the earliest.  Which meant that Ryou would be the only customer at the Taiyaki shop.Humming in pleasure Ryou walked across the street and walked through the shops door.  As the bell rang Ryou expected a greeting. None came.Perplexed Ryou looked around the shop.  The sign on the door said the shop was open.  There was Taiyaki wrapped in rice paper waiting to be sold, and batter in cups ready to be poured.  But no shop keepers.“Hello?”  Ryou called out.Movement from the back of the shop drew Ryou’s attention.  He smiled and was about to greet the shop keepers, but the words got logged in his throat.   It wasn’t the shop keeper.  No, it was the pureblood vampire he had met at Layal.Ryou swallowed the lump that had appeared in his throat at the vampire’s presence.  For some strange reason the vampire reminded him of Bakura.  They both had the same lethal walk and aura about them.  Two hunters that preyed upon those who preyed upon others.“Well, now.”  The vampire purred.  “I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon.”Ryou tensed.The vampire rolled his Tyrian purple eyes at Ryou and walked toward the stove.  Flipping the Taiyaki mold open the vampire poured batter into the mold and placed sweet red bean paste in the center before closing it.  Flipping the mold the vampire turned to Ryou.“Sit down,” the vampire ordered. “Old man Kiyoura told me that you were likely to come in.  His only customer before noon.  I’m merely surprised to see a human in vampire territory.”Slowly Ryou took a seat at the bar.  “This isn’t vampire territory.”The vampire gave Ryou a look before making Taiyaki with chocolate, peanut butter, and Nutella fillings.“Fine,” Ryou conceded.  “This is vampire territory.  But the only reason it is considered that is because the Japanese government is starting to inforce the law which creates area’s in all their cities where only vampires can live.”“I take it you don’t agree,” the vampire said.Ryou snorted.  “No.  This is stupidity at best.  And all for what?  A grudge against the Pharaoh?  The Japanese weren’t going to win the war to begin with.”The vampire plated up three Taiyaki.  One was filled with sweet bean paste, the second with dark chocolate, and the third with Nutella.  Drizzling them in honey and powdered sugar the vampire placed the Taiyaki on a plate before Ryou before reaching under the bar counter.  A mug of steaming tea was set next to the plate.Daintily Ryou sniffed the air picking up not only the scent of jasmine tea, but the vampire’s scent as well.  Dry desert winds filled with sand, sweat, and the relaxing scent of horses.Ryou didn’t even realize he was relaxing until it he’d bitten into the sweet bean Taiyaki.  Humming at the taste, Ryou quickly devoured the two other Taiyaki on his plate.  He watched the vampire intently as he made the next batch the vampire couldn’t help but chuckle.“The name’s Akefia,” the vampire said placing more Taiyaki on Ryou’s plate.  “And I happen to agree with you one hundred percent.”Why did that name sound so familiar?  Ryou thought as he ate another Taiyaki.  This one was peanut butter flavored.  Ryou’s nose wrinkled at the taste.  He didn’t like peanut butter.“How do you like working with Ahriman?”Ryou was pulled out of his thoughts.  Brown eyes blinked at Akefia in confusion.  “I-I love it.  She’s such a good horse and she’s wicked smart.  It reminds me of when I was younger and my friends and I where stuck in the Sahara and came upon the remains of a Bedouin camp.  The horses where just about dead with thirst…everyone and everything had already been reclaimed by the desert.” “Taking care of Ahriman reminds you of death?”  Akefia asked in disbelief.“No,” Ryou shook his head, “it reminds me of helping those horses and traveling across the desert on horseback.  There is nothing greater than that.”Akefia nodded his head before glancing at the clock.  “If you want to get to your next class on time you need to leave now.”  He said before turning back to the stove.Ryou pulled out his phone and cursed.  It was eleven ten.  He’d have to run through the underground to make it to class on time.  Quickly Ryou placed the money he owned on the table.  The last Taiyaki was stuffed partially in his mouth as Ryou ran across the street with vampiric speed and breezed past the butcher.As far as the butcher was concerned his door had blown open by a freak wind.Racing down the tunnels Ryou had to remind himself to breath.  He hadn’t used his other half’s speed in months and Ryou was starting to realize that was a bad thing.  If he wanted to keep in perfect form then he needed to use all of his powers every day.  Mentally Ryou decided that he would force Marik and Yugi to start up their old training regimen again.  No reason for the three of them to be out of shape.Ryou was just about to cross into the tunnel that would let him out across the street from campus when he was collided with.  The Taiyaki that had been shoved partially in his mouth flew across the crossroads and hit a dirt wall before falling to the floor.With a groan Ryou looked at just what – or rather, who – had run into him.Before Ryou was a very, very thin vampire.  The vampire was unhealthily pale with splotches of skin a different pigment than the rest of her body.  Blisters spread out across her skin and black veins visibly pulsed along her arms and neck.  Her eyes where pure red but for thin slits where the pupil should be.  The vampire’s lips and nose had begun to deteriorate and all of her teeth had sharpened to thin needles.  When she bared her fangs at Ryou he could make out the receding line of her gums and lips.Ryou froze.This was not good.The vampire before him was Malkavain.  She had fallen into Ekitaibaionodaikikin – the blood famine.  As far as the slayers where concerned she was a rouge that needed to be put down.At the moment she was stuck in the tunnels of the underground, her photosensitivity off the charts.  But when night fell there would be a massacre in Domino’s streets.  Shivering slightly Ryou forced himself to slowly stand.  There was a chance he could out run her.  However, Ryou didn’t want the Malkavain anywhere near his unprotected back.  And he couldn’t let her run free, there would be too much blood lost, and Ryou knew the vampire would be in pain for every life lost.That was the thing most humans didn’t know.  Malkavain’s where conscious of everything that happened well they were in Ekitaibaionodaikikin.  They simply had no control over their own bodies.  It was their base instincts that ruled instead.Ryou only had one option left.  One he knew he’d regret later, but at the moment it was the only way.  “I’m sorry.”He kicked her into the wall, throwing his daggers to pin her in place.  They wouldn’t hold her for long.  Just long enough for Ryou to work a bit of magic.  Slamming to his knees Ryou started writing hieroglyphics in the dirt.  Slowly he began muttering under his breath as the spell came to life.Magic flowed through his veins and Ryou could feel his blood heat up.  This was a vampire ward made specifically to seal vampires into a ten by five area.  Humans shouldn’t have been able to use it, but Ryou never said he was a normal human. Swallowing thickly Ryou finished the spell and sat back.  The female had finally pulled free from his daggers and was trying to tear down the ward.  Concentrating Ryou called the shadows to retrieve his daggers.The vampire couldn’t get out, but humans could get in, and that was what Ryou had been counting on.“I’m going to get you some blood.”  Ryou told the vampire, once again swallowing thickly.  “Don’t eat anyone who crosses your path.”She snarled at him.Ryou turned back the way he had come and prayed the butcher hadn’t thrown out the blood from today’s stock. In the end Ryou lugged thirty gallons of blood from the butchers back to the Malkavain.  She’d drank without a care, splattering blood across her clothing and the floor.  There was quite a bit of blood on Ryou’s coat and pants as well and Ryou knew that others would be investigating the area soon, but he didn’t care.The Malkavain was sated for now, and Ryou could already see her slowly returning to a proper vampire.  It would take time, and a few more gallons of blood.  However, soon an upstanding member of society would once again be among them.Sighing Ryou turned back to the butcher one last time.  He needed to feed himself.  The spell from earlier had taken a lot out of him, and Ryou was starting to get hungry.  Hmmm, just the thought of bloody steak made Ryou salivate.Opening the tunnel entrance to the butchers, Ryou was greeted to the sight of Akefia.  Ryou blinked, his brown eyes shifting from Akefia’s face to his neck.“You stink of blood,” Akefia said.Ryou hummed, slowly walking toward the vampire.“I ran into a Malkavain and sealed her in place.  She’s returning to how she was before the fall.  I fed her about thirty gallons of blood.”Akefia tilted his head.  “How’d you seal her in place?”Ryou was right in front of Akefia now.  Hazy Brown eyes stared up into purple before focusing again on the vampire’s neck.“I used the Malkav Seal.”Akefia swore, finally recognizing Ryou’s current actions.  That seal was only to be used as a last resort because of how much it took from the vampire that created it.  He grabbed Ryou’s shoulders.“How much blood have you had today?”  Akefia questioned.Ryou hummed.  “None…it hasn’t even been three month since my last feeding…”A dove-grey eyebrow rose.  “How long do you go between feedings?”“Six months…if we’re sick we have to feed, or if we’re wounded…but normally its six months…”Akefia shoved the information that there were more people like Ryou out there away for the moment.  He needed to get blood into Ryou immediately.  Hold still firmly on Ryou’s shoulders Akefia pulled Ryou out of the Butchers shop and down the street.  It was around three in the afternoon now.  Akefia didn’t know how long Ryou had been giving blood to the Malkavain but he was going to find out.Loudly Akefia cursed again. He wasn’t even the lord of the underground here.  Sure he was the Thief King and thusly ruled all often underground, but he hadn’t met with the area leader.  As far as the citizens of Domino’s Underground Akefia was nothing more than a new cat trying to win power for himself.He’d have to get his contacts working on this then.Quickly Akefia pulled Ryou into a shop less than a block from the Butchers.  To a first glance there was nothing impressive about the shop.  It was filled with refrigerators and seats used at blood donation centers.  However, if one looked harder they would realize that every refrigerator in the shop was full of blood.Whistling sharply Akefia pushed Ryou into a seat.A woman with blond hair and silted purple eyes rushed to Akefia’s side.“He’s gone into the Warmth.  I get me O negative, now.”  Akefia ordered already tearing Ryou’s jacket off.The woman paled, but turned and sprinted back the way she had come.The Warmth was a state vampires went into when they had been using what the humans would call blood magic.  The so called blood magic took the energy for the spell directly from the blood of the vampire – taking all the nutrients from the blood and slowly eating away at the vampire’s blood cells.  The process forced the vampire’s blood to heat up, and if the vampire didn’t feed then their blood would continue to be eaten away, heating further until the vampire’s blood boiled within their veins.Akefia pulled back a sleeve of Ryou’s shirt past the elbow.  Eyeing the veins on the young man’s arms Akefia nodded.  He’d have to transfuse the first pint of blood directly into Ryou’s bloodstream.  The second pint he’d force Ryou to drink.The woman was back a tray with three blood bags and a blood transfusion kit in her hands.  Quickly she dropped the tray onto a nearby table and rushed to the front of the shop.  The woman flipped the sign from OPEN to CLOSED.Silently Akefia strapped Ryou down.  He didn’t know how strong Ryou was, and Akefia didn’t want to take any chances.  At the moment Ryou was delirious, but once he got some fresh blood in him Akefia suspected the brat would be fighting him at every turn.Akefia picked up the needle and started the transfusion.  There was a tense few minutes before Ryou started to visibly cool down.  It wasn’t enough though.  Akefia was going to make sure Ryou had at least the three pints of blood in him before he let the young man out of his sight.If he let the young man out of his sight.Setting the second bag of blood to drip through the transfusion line Akefia carefully pried Ryou’s mouth open to reveal four needle like fangs.  As Akefia grabbed the final blood bag he pondered over just what Ryou was.  There had never been a hybrid before.  Vampire and Human DNA didn’t mix.  However, for whatever reason Ryou not only had shadows, but vampire speed, sight, and hearing.  Let along fangs.Could it be a hybrid finally developed?  Akefia questioned pouring some of the blood into Ryou’s mouth.  Or could it be that Ryou is a reincarnation?  Events such as this sometimes happen with reincarnations…Akefia didn’t have long to ponder for Ryou was finally coherent.  Swallowing the blood in his mouth Ryou bit down on the blood bag and refused to open his mouth.  Unimpressed, Akefia allowed Ryou to take in the situation before speaking to him.“You are an idiot.  You knew that you’d need to feed after that seal, but you didn’t.  Do you know how lucky you are I recognized the signs?”Ryou glared at him, but refused to open his mouth.  Luckily, Ryou knew better then to try thrashing.Akefia glared back.  “I’m not letting you up until you finish three pints of blood.  So you can open your mouth and drink the damn blood, or I can hook up another blood bag to the transfusion line.”Brown eyes turned to study the transfusion line, taking note of the straps holding him down.  Ryou gave Akefia an unimpressed look.“I’m not the one who was an idiot.”  Akefia said.Ryou huffed and reluctantly opened his mouth.Akefia extracted the punctured blood bag and held it up.  At least a third of it was gone.  However, the four holes near the top were going to make the situation more difficult.“I’m not an invalid,” Ryou snarled.  “I know my limits.”“Really?”  Akefia asked pouring the ruined blood bag into a cup.Ryou growled.  “I’m in my third year of med school.  I’m going to be a vampire-human physician in two years.  That’s if I don’t decided on a particular field of study afterwards.”“You’re eighteen.”  Akefia deadpanned.Reluctantly Ryou drank from the cup Akefia put to his lips.  “I tested out of my premed classes and started med school my junior year of high school.”“Any particular reason you did that?”Ryou looked like he wasn’t going to answer.  Yet, he sighed and looked toward the ceiling.  “Someone in our court has to know healing…and I happen to be the best at it.  I was inducted into the House of Healing when I was eleven.”Purple eyes sharpened at the name.  “You’re an acolyte?”Grimacing Ryou took another drink.  “Heir, actually.”  Ryou refused to drink any more until he had a question of his own answered.  “Why’d you help me?”Akefia smirked.  “I find you interesting, and the more I learn about you the more interesting you get.”With a groan Ryou leaned back in his seat.  Time seemed to pass quickly after that.  Too soon it seemed Ryou was healthy enough to be let back out into the world.  The woman manning the shop had tried to get the blood out of Ryou’s pants.  In the end however, she only ended up ruining them.Ryou had just passed the front door when Akefia pulled him back inside.  A gasp escaped Ryou as Akefia gave him a searing kiss.“Payment for saving your life.”The vampire vanished into the crowds, leaving Ryou to stew the entre way home. Across the city the Pharaoh and his court where in the middle of an emergency meeting.  They were discussing the laws that Japan had on the books but where just starting to implement.  It seemed other countries where following Japans lead.  What did they have to fear, when the Pharaoh himself won’t stop them?Settled at the head of the table the Pharaoh stewed.  Just in the last three days alone ten different countries had passed laws that prohibited where and when vampires could own houses or businesses.  Three different countries where calling for a full scale wipe of vampire protections, and two had outright declared vampire hunting season open. Rubbing his forehead the Pharaoh tried to understand how this had happened.  There had to be somebody pulling the strings.  Otherwise none of the fifteen countries would have had the gall to pull these stunts.  Each county had been on good working relations with Khemet and the Vampire Race.  Now though…Now everything was shot to hell, and the Pharaoh didn’t just have to worry about the vampire race as a whole.  He needed to worry about Yugi and his kith wellbeing as well.Sighing the Pharaoh let down the barrier he’d placed between the spasming mating bond and the rest of his mind.  Yugi and Nishant Yami’s emotions bubbled through the Pharaoh, soothing him with their contentment and amusement.   The Pharaoh couldn’t wait until he had the two within his grasp.  He just had to wait until the blood moon, then he could take the Hikari as they were called with him back the Khemet.The Pharaoh knew the Hikari wouldn’t be pleased.  The Pharaoh wouldn’t if they were in his shoes.  However, the Pharaoh wasn’t willing to risk his chance at happiness again.Yami was sending soothing emotions along the mating bond to Yugi, unknowing that they were affecting the Pharaoh as well.  With another sigh the Pharaoh turned back to the conversation going on around him.He needed to find who was pulling the strings, and how long this puppet master had been making his web.  If he didn’t another war like the one five thousand years ago seemed to be on the horizon.

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It was dark out. The summer moon, so full at the blood eclipse, was now nothing more than a dark disk in the sky. Wind twisted through the sand dunes trying to eat away at the scrub that acted as a barrier between savanna and death. It worked, for now.Settled high up in one of the Senegal he looked back the way he and his family had come. The sand dunes where something he knew intimately. He’d grown up in the ever shifting sands along the Nile, playing in the oasis’s that begged to never be forgotten, and hunting for a god bird to call his own.Trees where something he knew as well, the temple gardens and palaces where covered in the shade delivering plants, but they were not as dear to him as the sands where.This was the first trip he’d embarked on since his father’s death. Nothing more than a child and yet the throne had been delivered to him as an act of the gods. It was something, even now, that he had trouble understanding. Why had their divine father chosen now to claim the only parental figure he had?There was no answer to this question. A question he had asked too many times to count over the past ten years. Gods, it had been so long already. A decade without his father, a decade on the throne without even his cousin as a guide.“You must rest, Per–a’a.” A voice he knew very well said from a couple feet below.Red eyes looked down spotting the purple haired vampire perched on a branch. Mahada, high priest of Menhit , and one of his dearest friends happened to have a great distaste for heights. It was the reason he’d picked this tree to climb, what with it being sixty five feet tall. He’d hoped to have some time to think without everyone worrying about him.Looked like that hope was not to be.A sigh escaped him, and he resumed his vigil. “I’ve slept enough, Mahada. The only reason we’ve set up camp is that mortals are traveling with us.”“You act like they are holding us back.” Mahada pointed out disapprovingly. “They happen to be feeders, our feeders. We would never have been able to travel as far as we have without them.”“Your feeders.” He bit out. “Mine was poisoned in the Indus Valley by a vampire that thought having me drink poisoned blood was a wise assassination technique. And that was two seasons ago, Mahada. I’d promised to keep her safe. I could have taken anyone as my feeder, but I’d chosen her. The daughter of a lowly farmer, and look what happened.”Purple eyes looked up at him with concern. “Is that what this brooding session is about? Merynefer’s death?”Nothing was said for a long while, the he sighed.“No. Father’s death day is coming once again, and it reminds me of the mistakes I have made. All the people who I have lost because I could not become what everyone needed me to be.”A scowl took over Mahada’s face. He climbed higher up the tree until he was standing next to his king. Gently he took one of his king’s bejeweled hands and kissed it.“That is all a lie made up by your own mind. You made mistakes, Atem. All new leaders do, but you need to realize that you did better than anyone thought you would. You where twelve when you took the throne to the Vampire Kingdom. Twelve. Most kings take the thrown when they are around five hundred years old. And you’ve done so much good for the world in the short amount of time you’ve been king. Imagine what you will do in the coming years!”Mahada squeezed his king’s hand. “You will not be taken seriously because you are still a fledgling and will be for another four hundred and sixty years, but that just means that they will underestimate you. An advantage you have already used to gain the upper hand against political adversaries.“What I’m trying to say is that you are strong, you are smart, you are quick witted and manipulative. You can use anything to your advantage. Anything. So learn from you’re mistakes and you will be the greatest king the world has seen.”He felt warmth spread through him at Mahada’s words. A chill that had been curling around his ribcage since Merynefer’s death was slowly falling away. Her death was on his hands, but Mahada was right. He learned from his mistakes, and the future was as bright as Ra’s light upon the sands.“Thank you.” He said quietly.The wind shifted, blowing sand to swirl around them until nothing else could be seen. It didn’t startle him, not as the world fell away and amethyst eyes opened to the real world.Yugi blinked up at the ceiling of his bedroom. Well, that had been interesting. He’d never dreamed someone’s memories before, and it had to of been a memory. Dreams didn’t have the same feel as what he’d just experienced…The memory played through Yugi’s mind once again. This time analyzing the situation. One word stuck out among everything else.Atem.As in the vampire that he’d met in front of Hura Reference Library. The vampire that had nearly succeeded in seducing him outside one of the lecture halls. The vampire that Yami hated and yet wanted to see again at the same time. The vampire Yugi wanted to see again, if only to understand his classes.Atem.The Pharaoh of Shadows. The King of the Vampire Race. The most powerful Shadow Wielder on the planet.Yugi didn’t know what to think anymore. He liked Atem. Really, really liked him. But…Atem was everything the Hikari had been hiding from. If he knew that the Hikari existed–it would be bad. No, that wasn’t the right word. It would be catastrophic.So what was he going to do? It wasn’t like he could sneak around Domino with the Pharaoh of Shadows seeking him out at every turn.He sighed through his nose. This was ridiculous. Yugi knew what he needed to do first. He needed to talk to Yami. After that, well, Marik and Ryou needed to be told…and Seto.Yugi groaned. “Seto is going to kill me.”Fog engulfed the bluffs in a veil. A semi-transparent shroud painted golden by the sun. It reminded Ryou of England, the sheer cliffs and ever changing weather that on occasion gave unique perspectives to those who truly looked.He’d taken Ahriman out past the ranch’s border before sunrise. A quiet ride to a place he’d discovered on accident.High up in the mountains a small shrine stood unattended. It overlooked a sudden drop off into the sea below. Bluffs stood tall against the battering winds and waves, refuge for the hawks that called these mountains home.On mornings like this one – when there was so much going on in his life it made him want to scream – Ryou would visit Layal well before dawn and take one of the horses out for a ride to the shrine.It was peaceful up here in the mountains with no phone service, no technology that could disrupt the natural beauty of the land. The shrine and the mountains surrounding it had become a sanctuary for Ryou. A quiet place he could come to to relax, to think, to be with nature.He always brought gifts for the shrine spirits. The one’s forgotten by everyone else. It made Ryou feel like he was doing something important, and it emboldened him. He was doing what thousands before him had done. Honoring the spirits of the past, the very earth and sky and sea.Ahriman knew the way up the mountain by now. Every treacherous pass and rocky outcropping. It was her resillance that made her even more precious to Ryou. She was the only horse that would willingly leave the stables before dawn to climb high into the mountains.Ryou had a feeling Hadi knew where he and Ahriman went when her stall was empty before dawn, and he was grateful the vampire had never forbid him from taking Ahriman so far from the ranch.We should get going, little thief. Bakura murmured into his thoughts. We’ve been out here for a couple hours and I know Ahriman is going to get hungry soon.Brown eyes looked away from the fog laden bluffs.Do we have to? Ryou asked, brown eyes searching the area for the shadow form Bakura was utilizing.Leaves crunched from behind Ryou. A subtle way for Bakura to let him know that the spirit was approaching. Arms – cool to the touch, but a solid mass all the same – wrapped around Ryou. Bakura’s darker fingers grazed down Ryou’s arms and interlinked with his own pale fingers.Ryou was pulled backward into Bakura’s embrace. “You were always one to enjoy the solitude of nature.” The vampire rested his chin on Ryou’s head. “Why is it that you can find peace in the silence when our species’ have long feared it?”“I thought humans feared it, the silence, the nothingness of the void.” Ryou returned to staring out over the bluffs.He could feel the vibrations of Bakura’s amusement through his back. The simple feeling brought satisfaction to Ryou. There were only so many days a year when Bakura could manipulate the shadows and create a body from them. Bakura had done his best to always take a physical form on those days, to give his mate the comfort physical touch gave.Hopefully Ryou wouldn’t have to wait for those few days the rest of his–“Darkness and shadows have always been feared.” Bakura quietly said. “Humans cannot see in darkness and that is why they fear it. Vampires on the other hand…we can see that which should not be seen. The shadows are a gift, and a curse. They are a reminder that everything returns to the void. Returns to the shadow of nothingness.”“Umbra Nihili.” Ryou murmured.It was something his mother used to say. All human life stands under the shadow of nothingness, the umbra nihili. But,” she said smoothing the quilt around Ryou’s small form, “Love is the sister of the soul. In and through the warmth and creativity of love, the soul shelters us from the bleakness of that nothingness. We have to go deeper into that emptiness; then we will find beneath nothingness the flame of love waiting to warm us. I hope one day you will find a love that guides you and together you will defeat the Umbra Nihili once and for all.” She smiled, an emotion Ryou didn’t quite understand darkening his mother’s eyes. “Goodnight, my light.”Ryou leaned farther back into Bakura’s embrace. “There is something waiting for us all in the nothingness. A truth that changes everything. The void came first, but the void is the womb, the love from which everything can grow.”Bakura hummed but said nothing. Instead he watched the landscape before him, allowing everything to seep into his being and quieting his mind. His mate was closer to the truth then he knew.However…it was not Bakura’s place to speak of such things. Only Yami could explain and the Pharaoh couldn’t as he was now. There was so much Yami meant to the world. History showed him as a monster that wished to devour the world and Bakura hated the fact that he knew differently. It would be so much damn easier if he didn’t remember what Yami had been like all those years they had worked together. All the years they had played a game of death and manipulation that confused even the King of Vampires.There was a reason Yami had survived as long as he had when even gods had wanted his death…the void was a womb indeed.White hair tickled Bakura as he used his ‘nose’ to breath in Ryou’s scent. “We can stay a while longer. There is nowhere we need to be.”Returning to Layal was always tougher then Ryou expected. There was a part of him that longed for the freedom on anonymity. To be able to go were ever he wished without anyone knowing who he was. His little escapades to the shrine helped, but in an abstract way.It didn’t matter now though. Ryou needed to focus on Ahriman – cooling her down, cleaning her off, making sure she was feed – and then see why Yugi had sent him seven texts saying they needed to talk. That in itself was worrying. But Marik and Seto hadn’t tried to get in contact with him, so it wasn’t that important.Ryou was just entering the ‘hidden’ cleaning area when he scented a vampire. Normally that wouldn’t be a problem. Layal was run by vampires after all. However, this particular vampire made Ryou want to run and stay at the same time.For the moment Ryou ignored the vampire, choosing to focus all his attention on Ahriman. With practiced ease Ryou slowly worked through his routine. The movements where relaxing – a moving meditation that revitalize Ryou – and before he knew it Ahriman was clean and brushed.She nickered, nose prodding Ryou in impatience. The Hikari could do nothing but laugh quietly to himself. He shook his head before grabbing her snout.“Okay. Okay. Let’s get you some food shall we?”Ahriman looked at Ryou unimpressed. Well, as unimpressed a horse could look. Yet, she allowed Ryou to lead her back to her stall. It was near the back exit of the barn with a window.Ryou let go of her long enough to open the door and walk inside. He looked back at the black Arabian, an eyebrow cocked in question. Well, are you coming in or not? Ahriman snorted and shook her head. Her ears shifted, hearing something Ryou couldn’t before entering her stall.“Good girl.” Ryou moved around his horse, a hand along her side so that she knew where he was, and exited the stall. He closed the door. With a smile Ryou headed toward the feedroom. If he was lucky there would be some apples.Well, there were apples. There was also the vampire Ryou had been trying to ignore. Ryou froze in the doorway, eyes drawn to Akefia. The vampire sifted through stacks of feed, muttering to himself the entire time. Ryou could only ketch a few of the word, but wasn’t impressed by what he was hearing.“Can I help you?” Ryou asked, silently mourning the peacefulness of his morning.Akefia jerked back.Brown eyes widened. A warning shrieked from the Hikari’s lips but it was too late. Akefia fell into a stack of feed causing a domino effect to take place. The vampire was swamped within seconds as piles of apples, carrots, alfalfa, and hay tumbled into a giant mass.Don’t just stand there! Bakura’s voice shouted through the mind link. Help him! Even if he’s a bloody pureblood that could very well have killed him!Bakura’s words snapped Ryou back into the real world. Quickly Ryou went to work. He pulled bags of feed from the pile and placed them along the walls. Ryou didn’t care about the mess he was making. He had a debt to this vampire and it would be repaid when he saved the damn purebloods life.And Ryou had a sneaking suspicion that Hadi knew this was going to happen. None of the farm hands had come running, which they should have done. After all, they were vampires with the heightened hearing all vampires have! Why wouldn’t they investigate?Ryou growled digging deeper into the pile. He could hear Akefia breathing–wheezing really–so he was getting close. Just a little more, Ryou thought as he threw a bag of apples against the far wall. Just a little–Carmel skin was revealed with the next bag toss. Ryou latched onto the hand and stood. He was knee deep in feed bags and the rest of the pile threatened to collapse on top of them both at any moment.Ryou grimaced. “Ra, please let this work.” Brown eyes closed as Ryou focused on his connection to the shadows. Slowly he felt cold creeping around him until he was engulfed. The entire time Ryou refused to let go of Akefia’s hand and when the cold feel away the Hikari opened a single eye.His living room greeted him. Opening in the other eye Ryou looked down at his hands. Low and behold it had worked. Akefia had traveled with him through the shadows.Ryou let out a sigh of relief. He wasn’t as good as Yugi when it came to traveling through the shadows. As it was, only Yugi was allowed to take passengers with him during shadow travel, unless it was an emergency.Brown eyes studied the unconscious pureblood before him. This definitely counts as an emergency. Ryou could feel that Bakura was quietly pleased with his actions…and the fact that he hadn’t left half of Akefia at Layal.Bakura’s next words however made Ryou paused. What exactly are you going to do with the unconscious pureblood, little thief?Ryou released the hand and stepped away. He needed to raid the medical supplies he had and figure out where to put the vampire. It wouldn’t do for Marik to walk in to Akefia lying on the living room floor. With one last glance at Akefia Ryou darted down the hallway, praying he would still be there when he got back.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Red eyes glared out at the sun.  The garden outside the office windows glittered with dew like one of the Pharaoh’s treasure vaults.  A stunning display of beauty that turned the Vampire King’s stomach at the moment.The Pharaoh would have preferred rain and the gloom that came with it.  What with the way the last two days had gone.  One fourth of the vampiric population of Venezuela was dead or missing, and over two billion dollars’ worth of family relics and historic artifacts had been seized by government agencies in three different countries.It was a nightmare.  And the Pharaoh had no idea where to start looking for the culprit that had caused this sudden onslaught of Anti-Vampire sentiment.To make matters worse the Pharaoh knew everything would have been easier to handle if his head general would answer the damn phone!  They needed to show a united front to the rest of the world.  That couldn’t be done if Akefia was missing in action.Snarling silently the Pharaoh returned his focus to the reports before him.  Had he been in Khemet Akefia’s disappearance wouldn’t have been an issue.  After all, Akefia was only one of a number of generals that served the Pharaoh.  Stuck in Japan as he was however, Akefia was the only who could physically access the Pharaoh, and the Pharaoh didn’t trust his enemies to not have spies watching Khemet’s every move.Red eyes narrowed as the Pharaoh had a staring match with the report on top of the rather large pile.  He needed Akefia by his side for this.  The other pureblood was the only one alive that could help the Pharaoh sort out the mess that was his head.A traitorous thought threaded its way through the Pharaoh’s head, reminding him that there were others here in Domino that could help him just as well as Akefia. More so even, seeing as the actions being taken by the humans threatened his dear cousin’s plans. Even now, the Pharaoh knew Seto would do anything for his fledglings.Possibly even let the Pharaoh return him to the vampire he was meant to be…The Pharaoh dismissed that thought. He clicked his tongue and shifted his gaze to the papers before him. He would request a meeting with his cousin’s reincarnation if Akefia did not appear in a day’s time. Until then he would hope for the best.Much like his cousin, Seto too glared out at the views from his office window. He had just gotten the reports about his holdings in the currently anti-vampire countries.More than half of his staff was missing. Presumably dead, Seto thought with a grimace. Three of his buildings had been burned to the ground. He’d already dispatched his lawyer’s on the unsuspecting culprits. Yes, he did give a damn that the vampire’s under his command had their homes and workplace destroyed! They were the best in their fields. Seto would be a fool to lose their knowledge and skill simply because of their species.  Yet, most unsettling of all, someone had managed to hack their way through his security and made off with the access codes to his most secret of projects. A project that had just completed all its test. In three days’ time the project would come to fruition.Seto just had to keep the spies out for three more days. Then, once the project had been finished Seto could dismantle his work. Keep the information out of the hands that pawed at it. Hand’s, Seto had a feeling, were behind the rise in anti-vampire demonstrations.If the project worked as everything showed it would. Then, then Seto knew his family would come out unscathed. There would be blood, and death, and hardship all around. However, there would be power no political party the world over could hope to eclipse.Humans wanted to start up the Millennium War again. Let them have it, Seto thought coldly. In three days’ time Domino and her mixed group of citizens would be ready to survive and thrive in the chaos.With the Hikari’s help Seto would take Japan by storm. Make it a safe haven for those who wanted a reprieve from the fighting.All it would take was three days.Three days.Seto sighed. He had spies to weed from the ranks. Countries to strip of their vampiric citizens. Lesser mortals to grind under his heel for daring to harm what was his.For now thought, Seto needed to call Yugi and Ryou. They needed to be informed about the projects test results.“Three days,” Seto said to the city scape before them.Then everything would change.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Consciousness came slowly. As if Akefia had been cocooned in the frilly blankets of his favorite 18th century Parisian whore house and a warm sweet breeze lulled his senses into compliancy.  His lips quirked up at the memory. There he had tasted some of the best poisoned blood in his long existence.Too bad he’d had to destroy the place on the pharaoh’s orders. Couldn’t have vampires going in to have a good time only to end up dead, after all. Even if it meant sending a general to spy on the place. The apple pollen incense had nearly been Akefia’s undoing.The slight smile quickly faded at the thought. He tensed at the realization. He shouldn’t be this senseless. Something had happened. What though?Akefia threw his mind back, trying to remember what he had been doing before the darkness took him.He’d been at Layal. Someone had done an absolutely horrid job of inventory.  The feed had been intermixed with buttercups and bracken ferns. Whomever was behind it attempting to poison Akefia’s horses and shut down the ranch.Akefia remembered sorting through the bags of feed. The scent of buttercups and ferns well hidden. Too well for Hadi or the other farm hands to scent the poison for what it was. Then a voice behind him, and darkness.The frown grew. He’d been so invested in scenting out what had been poisoned and what had been not he’d completely missed the scent of the new arrival. That still didn’t explain why Akefia felt like he was floating.He huffed, and breathed in deeply.  The cold snap of winter and mint invaded his nose. Wait a moment, he knew that scent.  It belonged to–Akefia opened his eyes to a ceiling that was not his own.  He frowned at the popcorn ceiling, taking in the faint spider webs and dust that clung to the pebbled surface. Clinically, grey-purple eyes moved from the ceiling to take in the rest of the room.He appeared to be in a bedroom. Another breath and Akefia realized he was surrounded by Ryou’s scent. He was in Ryou’s bedroom.Akefia sat up. His eyes swept across the room intently now.Directly across from the bed a low slab of wood with geometric metal spindles made a bench. Atop the bench sat a pile of clothing, and a tote of medical supplies. On the wall a large square painting of swirling greys on white with gold accents sat proudly.The painting, abstract as it was, set the tone for the rest of the room. Light grey furniture and shelves against white walls. A darker mix of grey and gold accent pieces were scattered throughout to room. Black and white photos of scenery on shelves and a desk Akefia was just now noticing.The monotone color palette worked. It managed to bring the photos and little knickknacks that Ryou had obviously gotten from all over the world together into a cohesive unit.  One photo in particular caught Akefia’s eye.Gingerly, Akefia got out of the wondrously soft bed.  A groan left him as aches he hadn’t been aware of bloomed across his body. Shit, that had been a lot of bags that had fallen on top of him.With a stretch of his arms Akefia padded silently over to the shelf containing the photo in question.  A second look showed there to be a collection of them.  All showing the same people. Even if age and scenery changed.Ryou, the boy that looked like Atem’s lost mate, and Isis’s little brother stood together.Akefia frowned, blinked, and looked again. Yup, that was Isis’s little brother standing next to Ryou and the pharaoh’s mate. Reincarnation seemed to be a heavy theme the god’s were currently interested in.  It was little wonder with Malik’s reincarnation running around that it had taken so long for Akefia to hear about Ryou’s existence.Not that it mattered now. It was only a matter of time before Ryou and Bakura were Akefia’s.It wasn’t the Hikari that had gotten Akefia’s attention however. No, it was the three other individuals in this collection of photos that gave Akefia pause.  Two of them looked like older siblings to Ryou and the pharaoh’s mate. What had Ryou called him – Yugi? Yes, that had to be right, Yugi.The older males held themselves regally in every photo. Hidden strength belied their lithe forms. Akefia could pick up the fondness and protectiveness for the four others in the photos through the shadowed look of these men’s eyes.Who were they?  Family would make things more difficult for Atem and Akefia. Yet, that is all Akefia could think of them to be.As for the girl. She looked nothing like the others in the photos. Dark eyed and dark haired with pale skin. She grinned up at the camera with the Hikari from a nest of blankets and pillows.One of Ryou’s cousins? A niece? It would make sense if the man that looked so much like Ryou was in fact an older sibling.“It’s rude to go looking through private memories without permission.”Akefia didn’t startle at the smooth drawl. He’d scented the human before the door had even opened. That being said, he still looked over his shoulder at the one who’d spoken. It was Isis’s little brother.Akefia turned fully to face the young man.“Last I checked, when one wakes up in another’s bed that gives them blanket permission to snoop.” Akefia said teasingly.He and Malik had been good friends once. He hoped that he could wake those feelings up within the young man before him. No need to anger someone so close to his future mate after all. It could make things…difficult.Isis’s little brother scoffed. He narrowed his eyes at Akefia as if reading his thoughts. A clay colored finger pointed menacingly toward the pureblood.“I told Ryou that he should bed you, then drop you to the curb. Don’t think waking up in his bed is anything important. Last I heard you’re the reason Ryou thought genocide was a good idea.” Malik’s reincarnation said tersely.Akefia took in those words with a blink. A smirk crossed his face.“I annoyed him that much, did I?” Akefia asked.Marik scowled. “Don’t think anything of it. Now get out. As much as I like Ryou in my bed there’s a reason we have separate rooms.”This time Akefia had to stifle a mixture of amusement and possessiveness.  He’d annoyed Bakura enough to want to genocide the vampire race during their courtship. It didn’t surprise Akefia that he’d get the same reaction from Ryou. Especially when everything seemed to point toward Ryou being raised by Bakura.That being said. Akefia did not condone the implications Malik’s reincarnation was insinuating.  Ryou was his. This child could keep his filthy little fingers to himself.Akefia went to say as much when Marik pulled a golden scepter out of the shadows. Akefia stilled at the sight. The Millennium Rod had been lost since the war 5000 years ago. Each of the seven items chose their wielder, but each wielder had to have shadow magic.  That meant–Malik’s reincarnation grinned, showing off all four of his fangs.He wasn’t a vampire. Couldn’t be. A hybrid like Ryou, then. Just wonderful. How many more hybrids where there?Akefia really needed his informants to do their Ra-damned jobs.“I’m only going to say this one more time. Ryou is not yours, and you are going to leave. Now.”Marik pointed the scepter at Akefia as he continued. “I don’t care that you can sense Bakura in the Millennium Ring. He and Ryou are my kith, and we are all memebers of the Heir’s court. Unless you want to start a blood feud you won’t be able to win you are going to back down.”Someone had found and completed the Millennium Puzzle?Thoughts stormed through Akefia’s head at the knowledge. There was only one person Ryou and Malik’s reincarnation spent a large amount of time with. That left only one option. Yugi was like Ryou and Malik’s reincarnation here.Of fucking course.Akefia needed to inform the pharaoh about this.  The three missing Millennium Items had been found. They were in the hands of fledglings. Hybrid fledglings.It took all of the control Akefia had learned over the millennium not to break down in hysterical laughter.The gods and their games.To give the pharaoh and Akefia what they wanted most. Only to keep them from truly being able to claim that which they sought. To possibly have them destroy what they asked for.Akefia left Ryou’s apartment under Marik’s supervision. It was only as he stepped foot onto the street below that Akefia finally allowed himself to laugh.Akefia had no idea how the fractured psyche of his best friend would handle this. The pharaoh would not be happy with this knowledge. Atem would be furious.  There would be blood spilt. Akefia just didn’t know whose.