Author Note: CAMP NANO STARTS TOMORROW

Camp NaNo starts tomorrow. Unlike it's big brother, November's National Novel Writing Month, I can chose how many words to aim for by the end of the month. For this July I've chosen to aim for 25,000 words and I plan on writing the Ennead series fic, 'Light Amongst Shadows.'

The cover for this fic is to the right. I'm actually rather pleased with it since I had to make it in Microsoft Paint as my PC is packed away while I move around.

I plan on updating the blog every night at 11:50pm GMT, posting what I have written during the day, even if it's only a few words.

The story is set post-Battle City (Battle of the Gods) but pre-R (Revenge for the Fallen) so it's quite late into the series. And it's going to be something that hasn't happened in any of my series before so it should be interesting. I'm taking a few liberties, introducing some new bad guys and a couple of concepts I've been playing with in my mind for a while now. It's also going to be the first time you guys get to see the Thief King bar the little spoiler that I posted earlier this month.

Also it being post-Battle City means that where appropriate, there will be spoilers for the MAJOR pairing of the Ennead series. I'm pretty sure by now you guys know what it's going to be, after all it's pretty much writing itself and it won't be a major factor in the story as it won't be important after too long, but it's there. Have fun spotting it.

Not Very Clever Bad Guys

“So…”

Yugi frowned as he heard Joey’s footsteps stop and turned to look at his best friend. “Joey?”

“Is it polyjuice or a disguise charm?” Joey asked, considering him carefully.

“Wha… what do you…?” Yugi stammered.

“I know you’re not under mind control,” Joey continued, projecting a false sense of calm, while under the surface his emotions were boiling, it had been hard enough for him to follow this fraud this long, “So it has to be one of the above, because I know Yugi’s evil twin, and you’re not him.”

“I never said I…” Yugi stepped backwards, “Joey, please, we have to find the others…”

“Come off it, I know you’re not really concerned about the others.” Joey growled, stance turning threatening, “I only followed you to make sure you weren’t the real Yugi.”

“What are you talking about?” Yugi asked, nervously backing away from Joey, “Of course I’m the real Yugi.”

“Please.” Joey’s scowl froze Yugi in place, “Yugi would never get the names of his friends wrong, or mix up the names of the Duel Monsters in his deck, so I ask again, polyjuice or a disguise charm?”

‘Yugi’ smirked. If Joey had had any doubts left, they were washed away by the foreignness of the look, “Polyjuice.”

“Thought so.” Joey snorted, “Where’s the real Yuge?”

“Oh don’t worry, he’s fine… for now at least. As long as he keeps following you around, he’ll be kept safe.” ‘Yugi’ replied, nonchalantly, “Well, obviously he’s not following you, but you understand what I’m getting at.”

Joey growled, causing ‘Yugi’ to smirk.

“And your plan is?” Joey questioned, his anger obvious.

“Why would I tell you?” ‘Yugi’ laughed in disbelief.

“Because that’s what bad guys do typically?” Joey snorted back, only restraining himself from going and pounding the information out of the bad guy because he was wearing Yugi’s face, which had probably been part of the plan.

“Well I’m not your typical bad guy.”

“No, you’re someone stupid enough to impersonate my best friend.” Joey growled, taking a step forward and scaring ‘Yugi’ into taking a step back, “It’s bad enough that you thought you could fool me with a fake Yugi, but if you tried it with Yami there’s going to be hell to pay.”

The Fake Yugi blanched slightly and looked down the right corridor, confidence fading for a few seconds.

Joey smirked slightly, “Yami’s going to wipe the floor with whoever you’ve sent to trick him, and then he’ll hunt down everyone that helped him. I’m looking forward to joining up with him and helping.”

“You’re not going anywhere.” ‘Yugi’ activated his Duel Disk, shuffled his deck and put it in the deck slot.

“Fine, I’ll kick your ass then find my friends.” Joey did the same. This was too weird. He knew the person he was facing wasn’t Yugi, but whoever it was, was a very good actor… he’d have to watch that didn’t put him off if he wanted to win this Duel.

“Ok then Joey,” ‘Yugi’ said, a little slowly and a little sadly, the villain throwing himself back into the role in order to throw him off, “It’s time to Duel.”

Clanverse: Rocks Fall...

Platform Nine and Three Quarters had become a war zone, as Aurors and parents fought against Voldemort and his Death Eaters as they attempted to attack the Hogwarts Express, which had been dropping all of the children off home for the Summer.

On the side of the Aurors were those teachers who had travelled with the train and those few who weren’t really children, but adults who had charms that allowed them to fit in more easily among their year mates, and most of their family members.

“Robyn, take her and go.” Mana, the Dark Magician Girl, called, pushing her seven month old daughter into the arms of Robyn Golden, as the sounds of the fighting reached them, the blonde’s head turning towards the noises.

“You don’t have to go out there.” Robyn frowned. Mana was already gone, leaving Robyn holding the baby and joining the battle.

Robyn hesitated for only a moment, before side-along Apparating, with Nakia, Mana’s daughter, away from the fighting.

Outside the battle wasn’t going well, the Death Eaters hadn’t expected any heavy resistance, but the people defending the students hadn’t expected an attack in the first place, giving Voldemort and the Death Eaters the advantage.

It wasn’t helped by the fact that several of the Slytherins had turned on their classmates and there were other students who were under the imperius.

The situation had turned impossible very quickly and the Domino Clan, who had attempted to sent their younger members through the gate, to safety, only to have the route out blocked, were backed into a corner.

They’d already lost Ombre, who had been killed when she had taken out Lucius Malfoy, and Ron had managed to grab Ginny and Rebecca and get them out to safety, but hadn’t been able to get back in to help.

Harry was locked in battle with Voldemort himself, as Yugi and Yami attempted to get through the Death Eaters to the battle going on beyond, testing his light against Voldemort’s shadows, just as he had in the graveyard.

But it was burning out, and for all the magic that Yugi was sending him down the link, his light boosting Harry’s, Harry wasn’t sure how much longer they could hold out.

They were losing ground in this battle…

“Avada Kedavra!”

“No!”

Harry made the mistake of allowing himself to be distracted by Yugi’s cry, watching with horror as Yami fell, just as Kari had. `Yami!`

There was no answer and Harry saw Yugi snarl and start to cast spells again… Harry turned back to the battle, but the distraction had been long enough.

Voldemort had been waiting for him to turn back and was already waiting.

“Avada Kedavra!”

“Expelli…”

Harry was too slow, and was hit by Voldemort’s unforgivable curse before he could finish his incantation.

Yugi staggered as the link was cut, fatally turning away from his battle for the moment, to look disbelieving, that it took one of the Death Eaters to cast the killing curse, striking Yugi in the back…

Mana saw Yugi fall and darted forward, snatching up the Millennium Puzzle, and looking at Hermione who had frozen when all three had been killed in such quick succession.

“GO!” Hermione shrieked at her. “Take it and go!”

Mana hesitated only a moment, escaping as she was nearly attacked by a pair of Death Eaters…

Hermione, Kari… I’m sorry.

Clanverse: Just at the end of Philosopher's Stone, while Harry and Yugi are still in the hospital wing

Yami hated Voldemort.

He hated him for what he’d done to Harry’s parents; he hated him for trying to arrange for his friends’ deaths and most of all he hated him for what he had done to Yugi.

Yugi had only woken up once or twice since Voldemort had tried to possess him, and every time he had, while his body had been fine, the constant pain that infected his soul, bled over from Yugi to Yami so much that only Joey was daring to snap at him at the moment, evolved into agony.

Yami took as much of that pain onto himself as he could, but even it was never enough, Yugi would inevitably last only an hour, two at max before passing out again.

He hated that he’d been unable to help in that battle, hated that he hadn’t been able to protect his hikari…

He hated a lot of things right now, and all he could do was sit there and allow Yugi’s wounded soul to siphon off his energy in order to restore itself, be it sitting in the Infirmary, sitting in the Common Dorm or sitting by the lake, letting the draw on his energy lull him to sleep.

Joey knew, of course, but then Joey was the only one who really knew what to look for. He’d seen soul rending wounds before, when Yami and Yugi had taken that blast from Ra for him, when the shadows had been ripping Yugi apart piece by piece while Yami was helpless to watch…

Joey knew what to look for, knew what sort of pain they were in…

Yami had a feeling that, if Joey had the ability, he’d take some of Yugi’s pain onto himself to ease their burden.

But he didn’t.

So all he could so was offer his support, just by being there and being Joey.

And weirdly that’s all Yugi and Yami needed right now. They had each other mind to mind, but the pain made them weak, made them helpless, a simple physical attack right now would finish them…

They needed Joey and Joey knew it. So he didn’t complain when Yami asked him to stick close, didn’t say a word each time Yugi awoke and the first thing out of his throat was a pained whimper, didn’t question when it had been necessary for the pair of them to sneak down to the hospital wing at some ridiculous time of the morning because Yami couldn’t sense Yugi and feared…

In some ways this was worse then the game against Marik, Joey understood. At least when they’d defeated the enemy then, the Shadows had restored Yugi’s soul to the way it had been before the game.

Joey was beginning to understand the way the Wizarding world worked.

And fair had never been a part of it.

He knew how much Yugi and Yami were relying on him right now, could see how much pain they were in constantly, and he missed the others, missed having Tristan at his back, missed having Tea’s friendship speeches thrown at him, having that extra support pillar…

It wasn’t that the others weren’t trying to be supportive, but they just couldn’t understand. Other then Kari and Ombre, who were more used to these things, they thought that a wound of the soul was as simple to heal as a wound of the body, after all it was just another kind of body, but Joey knew better.

Yugi had once explained a Soul Room as the personification of everything a person is, the way they thought or felt, the very essence of a soul, and what happened in a Soul Room stayed happened.

And Voldemort had gotten into Yugi’s in his attempt to possess the hikari and turn him on his friends.

Was there some spell Voldemort had left behind? Some hex he’d cast that was doing this?

The words, “what happened in a Soul Room, stayed happened” haunted Joey.

Yami had sworn Yugi would get better, would in fact, be up and about by the end of term, but there was that lingering fear that there was something wrong Yami couldn’t fix, some cause to all this pain that the Pharaoh would be unable to handle.

Joey had heard of people going insane because of pain and he didn’t want Yugi to become one of them.

Gods…

Joey kicked the bed to the left of him, the crash startling Yami who had been lost in his own little world… or maybe that was a little world he shared with Yugi… into looking at him with a mixture of concern, irritation and bemusement. “Joey?” He asked, tone reflecting all three.

“Frustration.” Joey explained, cringing as he realised he’d woken Harry up.

“Hey.” Harry murmured, sitting up and feeling around for his glasses.

“Sorry Harry.” Joey muttered as he found them and put them on as he sat up.

“I’m ok.” Harry waved it off, gesturing to his pile of sweets. “You want some?” Yami hesitated, as hungry as he was, but Joey took the invite in his stride and dove in, making Harry chuckle. “I don’t mind, honest.” Harry told the Pharaoh, “Sugar gives you more energy, energy will help Yugi recover, right?”

“Sugar does give energy,” Yami acknowledged, “But it will burn out quickly.”

“Still better then none at all.”

Yami had to concede he had a point and swiped a couple of boxes of iced mice off the table.

Harry started to eat a chocolate frog, waiting for someone to say anything, but they didn’t. Joey was busy with his Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans and Yami had barely touched his iced mice, and was just watching his hikari, strain visible where a moment ago there had been none.

Harry realised he was being allowed to see something rather rare, Yami with his guard down, allowing the weariness, the fear and the pain to show to the outside world, trusting Joey and Harry that implicitly that he’d allow them to see this side of himself…

“Yami…” Harry spoke up, frightened to break that trust but needing to know, when Yugi groaned and Yami’s hand tightened on the chair arm to the point his knuckles were going white, “How much… are you alright?”

The look the Pharaoh gave him was startled for a second, then Yami schooled it back into a reassuring look, “I’m ok.”

“But you’re in pain.”

Harry felt Joey’s gaze examining him, saw Yami’s gaze harden for a moment and wondered what he’d said wrong. Then Yami sighed and Joey relaxed slightly, the Pharaoh turning back to his hikari, concern in his eyes, if not his face, and said, “The pain’s not mine.”

“Yugi…” Harry’s gaze turned swiftly to his friend, who had put his soul on the line to stop Voldemort using his body as a vessel in order to destroy Yugi’s friends. “But you told Dumbledore…”

“He will be fine, but wounds like the ones Yugi suffered aren’t easy to recover from. There’s nothing more Madam Pomfrey can do for him.” Yami explained, “When he fought Voldemort in his Soul Room…” Yami shook his head, “It will take longer then we have left of the term for Yugi to recover fully, but he’ll be up and about by the Leaving Feast and should, hopefully be fully healed by the end of the Summer.”

Harry nodded his understanding, concerned as he was about what this was doing to them. Then the thought hit him, Yugi had willingly taken this damage and left himself weakened for as long as it would take to recover in order to protect him and all his other friends…

“I think the ‘why?’ question is finally appearing in Harry’s head.” Joey chuckled, not a particularly mirth filled chuckle, but one of understanding. “Took you long enough.”

“Be nice, you knew Yugi for six months before you questioned why he did what he did.” Yami scolded Joey who looked properly contrite.

“I’ve wondered why before now.” Harry shook his head, “But it’s never really hit me before now, just how much he’s willing to sacrifice for us.”

The Pharaoh’s eyes darkened and Joey gave a knowing nod. “I had a similar moment when he jumped between this thug, Ushio, and us, Tristan and I, that is, Ushio was like three times Yuge’s size and he still stood up for us. Ended up bloody and bruised for it too.”

Yami’s mind wandered back to that day and how Ushio had been the first person he’d played against in ‘self-defence’.

“What about you, Yami?” Joey brought him back to the present, “When was your moment of ‘I shouldn’t under estimate what this kid is willing to do to protect those he considers friends’?”

“I’ve had several.” Yami admitted, amused that this was a subject Yugi had never broached with him, respecting Yami’s right to private thoughts and feelings, just as he respected Yugi’s. “Starting with Death-T, I think.”

Joey growled something about killing Kaiba, but Harry didn’t think Joey would go through with it. He did however wonder what Death-T was but didn’t want to ask in case he interrupted the Pharaoh who looked like he was going to continue, “Playing Bakura, in Monster World, that was another one.”

“Heh, then we fell straight into his card game trap a few weeks later…” Joey sounded self deprecating.

“You were noble during that duel, you shouldn’t belittle yourself.”

“Very funny.” Joey deadpanned, “I was six inches tall, wearing a dress…”

“You’re quoting yourself.” Yami sounded amused.

“Let me guess, the next one was Pegasus?” Joey waved it off.

“Panik, actually. Challenging Panik was his idea, I was just happy to provide the firepower. Player killing scumbag.” The last three words were muttered.

“Then Pegasus?”

Yami hesitated.

“Not the Paradox brothers?!” Joey protested, “We both kicked ass that duel.”

“I was thinking Kaiba.” Yami admitted slowly.

Joey’s eyes widened and he said little for a moment, fully aware that Yugi and Yami didn’t bring up that duel very often for a reason.

“Then Pegasus, for about twelve different reasons, including the fact he stood up to Pegasus over what he did to Kaiba, was the one who came up with the mind shuffle strategy, pushed himself to destruction point to give us a fighting chance…” Yami shuddered; Joey did too, the memory hitting them at the same moment, of that echo of pain that had nearly claimed Yugi forever. “I still don’t know how you saved him, but thank you.”

“Wasn’t just me, pal, and I’d do it again if I had to.”

“I know. Still…”

“You’re welcome.” Joey nodded sagely.

“I think by that point, I thought Yugi couldn’t surprise me anymore.” Yami’s laugh was a little bitter and Harry watched, amazed, as Yami and Joey talked, seeming to forget he was here, or knowing he was here and allowing him a view into how they really felt about things. “I mean he’d already almost destroyed his soul to save his grandfather and the Kaiba brothers, who he barely knew, what else could he give up?”

Joey cringed, “Please tell me you didn’t think that.”

“I was a Pharaoh. Pharaohs aren’t subject to Murphy’s Law they have people to deal with that for them.” Yami snorted, “How was I supposed to know it would end in insane magicians, crazy mimes, brainwashed friends,” Joey cringed at that one, the Death Duel managed to work it’s way into his nightmares far too often, “Bodysnatching idiots, psychotic patricides, dark wizards and Ra only knows what else we’ve faced since then.”

Harry decided he had only heard a quarter, if that, of the stories they had to tell.

Yugi moaned and opened his eyes.

Harry saw it instantly, the way Joey was suddenly on full alert as Yami’s attention was completely focused on Yugi. The way Yami tried to hide what he was going through from his hikari, even as he knew that Yugi would know that it had hit the point that Yami was suffering with it too. The way Yugi seemed to know what to say to calm Yami down, to settle Joey’s nerves, to reassure Harry. The slight fear in Yugi’s eyes after almost three days of waking up intermittently to this pain that he might not recover and would be unable to help Yami…

“Right, that’s enough.” Madam Pomfrey bustled down the rows of bed, shooing Yami and Joey away.

“But I’ve only just woken up!” Yugi protested. Harry was stunned at how little pain was reveal in his tone, considering the way Yami had gone white when Yugi had awoken.

“A little at a time Mr Muto, if you want to go to this Leaving Feast.” The Mediwitch scolded.

Harry chuckled as Yugi and Yami got almost identical obstinate looks, different only by eye colour, but were unable to persuade Madam Pomfrey to change her mind, and she ushered Yami and Joey out the door before doing a whole bunch of tests.

Once she was satisfied and had disappeared into her office, muttering something about not thinking they were ready, but Albus insisted and what Albus insisted Albus got… Yugi led back, not asleep but having trouble staying alert when his mind threw a head fit every time he tried to think too hard.

“Yugi?” Harry asked, causing the hikari to look at him. Physically Yugi looked fine, but it was the pain brightened amethyst eyes, and the pale colour of Yugi’s skin that convinced him otherwise, “Thanks for saving us.”

“I didn’t do anything.” Yugi shook his head, “Yami saved me.”

“You’re the one who gave Yami enough time to wake up, get into your mind, find you, since you’d left your soul room by that point and defeat Voldemort.” Harry pointed out.

Yugi hurt too much to argue with him.

“Can’t you ask Madam Pomfrey for something for the pain?”

“I’ve had worse. When I fought Pegasus I couldn’t even get my thoughts straight, yet alone completely coherent. I think it went something along the lines of ‘card goes here’ and even that was a stretch.”

His problems thinking were over exaggerated but that fact the pain had been worse wasn’t. Though it wouldn’t be for many years that Harry would know this fact, having not gone through a Shadow Game and therefore unable to appreciate the torture of going through a match in the Shadow Realm without protection.

“Harry…”

“Yeah Yuge?” Harry asked, testing the nickname Joey used for Yugi and being rewarded by seeing Yugi’s face light up briefly.

“Thanks for coming down to get us.”

Harry nodded, “You’re my friends, I wasn’t going to let something happen to you.”

Yugi paused to consider this, and then chuckled.

“What?” Harry protested.

“Too much alike.” Yugi laughed, “Be careful, the Puzzle might pick you for its next owner.”

“Doubt it.” Harry was scornful not because he didn’t believe the Puzzle would pick another owner if Yugi was defeated or killed, but because he really didn’t believe the Puzzle would pick someone like him.

“I didn’t think I was worthy either for a long time.” Yugi admitted.

“You’re gunna get better, then you’re going to trounce Yami and take back your title.” Harry said, reading between the lines.

“I’ve decided.” Yugi said, chuckling slightly at the thought that had hit him, “All villains have to fill out ‘intention to attack’ forms in triplicate.”

“You have ‘intention to attack’ forms? Where do you get them? I want some.” Harry laughed. “And what’s on them?”

“I had Kari print some up.” Yugi joked, “With things like, name, date of birth, gender, powers, magical items, date of planned assault, location of planned attack, you know, the normal.”

Harry couldn’t help the laughter that escaped. “How is any of that normal?” He managed to gasp, when he paused to catch his breath.

“Normal for us.” Yugi pointed out.

Harry just snorted his amusement. “How much does she charge per form?” He asked, making Yugi grin.

“Fifty Yen a copy.” Yugi played along, sitting up, “You get a 20% discount if you order more then a hundred.”

“Fifty Yen?” Harry asked, “Any idea how many sickles that is?”

“I don’t even think it translates to one.” Yugi replied, trying to remember the conversion rate at Gringotts.

“I might ask her to print a few copies for me too, then.” Harry nodded.

Then the two dissolved into laughter again.

This was much better then yesterday, when Yugi had been drifting in and out of consciousness the entire time and unable to hold a conversation.

“I bet Kaiba could do with a few too.” Yugi added, setting Harry off again which unfortunately attracted the wrath of a certain Mediwitch who told them they were supposed to be resting and she’d make sure they were if they didn’t keep the noise down.

Yugi looked kind of disappointed, but settled down, falling asleep again before long, leaving Harry to tuck into a book that Kari had let him borrow about elves. He wasn’t sure he really liked it, but it beat counting the rafters for the thirty second time and he wasn’t going to complain.

Clanverse: Attack At Shop Version 2.0 (back when I invisioned Yugi being at the shop for the attack)

Yugi let out a strangled cry as the bone breaker hex hit his right leg and both his tibia and fibular broke, causing him to go crashing to the floor, his face white as a sheet, pained whimpers escaping his throat.

Voldemort seized him by the collar and attempted to force his way into Yugi’s mind, painfully triggering almost every trap Atem had laid. The traps forced Voldemort out, but Yugi didn’t get a chance to try anything before Bellatrix pointed her wand at him.

“Crucio!”

Yugi screamed.

The pain was like nothing he’d ever felt before. Even the torture of being ripped apart piece by painful piece during the Game with Marik was nothing like the sheer agony that ripped through him now. Every nerve felt like it was on fire and dark claws ripped through his mind and soul, attempting to rip him apart from the inside out.

He writhed on the floor, unable to think past the pain and praying movement would lessen the agony somehow...

Then it stopped as quickly as it had struck, leaving Yugi a shuddering mess on the floor.

“Now.” Voldemort spoke, his tone speaking of his enjoyment of the situation, “Where are the Pharaoh and Potter hiding?”

“Ne...never...” Yugi panted, trying to catch his breath, his voice strained, his body shaking from the remnants of the pain, “I’d rather die... than tell you.”

Voldemort seized him by the collar, pulling him up, and Yugi screwed his eyes shut and turned his head away, having suffered through Voldemort’s attempts to rip through the barriers Yami had installed in his mind once already and not wanting to go through it again.

“Look at me.” Voldemort hissed, “Look at me Mutou...”

“N...No...” Yugi hit the floor, hard, the shock causing his eyes to open just in time to see Bellatrix raise her wand again.

“Crucio.”

Yugi screamed again and again as the pain coursed through him, unable to hold it in as the agony went on and on and on...

And stopped suddenly.

The sounds of fighting erupted in his ears as the ringing from his own screams died down.

“Yugi!”

Yugi’s eyes shot open at the Pharaoh’s call, but before he could respond Voldemort had caught his eyes and tried to push his way into Yugi’s mind.

What was left of Yugi’s mental defences activated against the Dark Lord, temporarily preventing him from entering Yugi’s Soul Room and giving the heir enough time to use the only tactic his barely conscious mind could come up with to prevent Voldemort finding out any more of the Clan’s secrets.

Yugi’s body lost consciousness as the heir retreated to his Soul Room and barricaded the door with every defence he could muster.

Shaman King Mix? Part 2

“But I thought Shamans were people who interacted with the world of spirits.” Solomon froze at the door to his Grandson’s hospital room, “So why did he call me one?”

Shaman. Now that was a title he hadn’t heard in years. He supposed it was one that, in a way, it was one that applied to him, since he could, in fact see and interact with ghosts, a fact he had discovered when he’d been rescued by the spirit of a King who had looked rather like Yugi.

“Well, you do have Yami.” Tea’s voice replied, “I suppose that might be why…”

Solomon had researched what it could mean, discovered what it meant and had kept it to himself, having never wanted the responsibility that had come with it and he hadn’t been sorry when the same gift had failed to show up in his daughter.

But it appeared it had, as Solomon had feared when Yugi had started talking to himself and his grandfather had seen the spirits that haunted Yugi and his friends, skipped a generation and was fully awake in his Grandson.

Finding out now was a nightmare. With the Shaman King Tournament coming up, Shaman from around the world would be heading to the Japan and even if Yugi wasn’t involved as a combatant, his guardian ghost, this ‘Yami’, was apparently powerful enough to attract attention.

He had no idea how to train his Grandson to defend himself. He would just have to hope that no one else came after Yugi for his spirit.

“Maybe.” Yugi sighed, “I think that’s the first time anyone’s come after me with a sword though.” And on that note Solomon pushed open the door and the conversation stopped. “Hey Grandpa.” Yugi smiled nervously from his hospital bed, well aware that Yami had darted into the Puzzle the instant the door handle had turned.

“I’m relieved you’re alright.” Solomon said, shutting the door behind him. “But from what I heard, it sounds like I have some explaining to do. You should bring your guardian ghost out so we can talk.”

“I…I don’t know what you mean.” Yugi stammered as Tea gave Solomon a startled look.

“Don’t lie to me, Yugi.” Solomon scolded his grandson, “I overheard the tail end of your conversation, I know that the person who attacked you called you a Shaman. Now, bring out your guardian ghost.”

Yugi looked nervous but he nodded and his eyes went blank for a moment or two, then the ghost who lived within the Millennium Puzzle appeared and bowed to Solomon.

“Grandpa, this is Yami.” Yugi said nervously, “He’s been my protector since I completed the Millennium Puzzle.”

Yami bowed to Solomon. The old gamer hid a smile at the spirit’s posture. The ghost, who looked incredibly like his Grandson, was nervous, not that anyone but a gamer of the highest calibre, or someone who could read micro expressions, would be able to tell. The spirit turned to Yugi and the pair of them, Shaman and guardian ghost, looked at each other for a moment or two, then Yugi looked at his Grandfather.  

“Yami says…”

“Let him speak for himself, Yugi.” Solomon held up a hand to silence his Grandson, earning himself a startled look from both lookalikes.

“It is an honour to meet you.” Yami said, unsure whether his voice would be heard by the master gamer.

“The same, though I believe I have met you before.” Solomon’s reply made Yugi jump, Yami look confused and Tea to give him a startled look. “In fact I believe I’m the one who led you to Yugi.”

“You… led Yami to me?” Yugi looked confused. “I mean, I know you gave me the Puzzle, but I thought Yami was dormant before I completed it…” Yugi paused and gave his Grandfather a strange look. “How can you even see or hear him?”

“This isn’t my first run in with spirits, Yugi.” Solomon told him, “The man who attacked you was a Shaman, just as I am.”

“You, Grandpa?” Yugi looked shocked.

“That’s not quite true.” Solomon considered, “I have the abilities but none of the training. I didn’t find out until my early forties that I had them, probably brought on by one too many near death experiences, and nowadays I’m too old to teach any new tricks.” He sighed, “It would be better to say that I have the potential.” He looked at Yugi, “You however, appear to have mastered integration without any training at all.”

“What is integration?” Yami asked. “Our attacker mentioned it, but we don’t know what it is.”

“Integration… it’s the joining of a Shaman and a ghost within the Shaman’s body. Like when you take control of Yugi’s body.” Solomon explained. He paused and considered the spirit carefully, “You’re Egyptian. Yami is a Japanese word, so what is your real name?”

“Yami.” Tea spoke up, confused by the turn of events, but, since this wasn’t the weirdest thing that had happened to them, she wasn’t too worried. She just wished she could see Yami and hear him as Yugi’s grandfather could, “His name, at least nowadays, is Yami.”

“Nowadays?”

“Yami doesn’t remember anything of his previous life.” Yugi gave his dark a small, slightly sad smile, “Everything before I completed the Puzzle is a complete blur. It’s part of the reason he’s still here, I think.”

“No name, no afterlife.” Solomon nodded, understanding. “So you have no memories of your tomb? Or of your time on the throne?”

Yami shook his head. “No. I don’t. I wish I did but…”

“It must be something to do with the Puzzle’s completion then.” Solomon thought carefully, “Because I once met you in your tomb, before I took the Puzzle box.”

“You did?” Yami looked astonished, “I… I have no memory of that.”

“I did. In fact that was the first time you saved my life.” Solomon nodded, “You helped me after I’d been shot by one of my guides and asked me to look after your Puzzle, which I did until some monster,” And he gave his Grandson a look that caused Yugi to smile slightly, “Found it and tried to put it together, then I passed it on to him.”

“And I’m glad you did.” Yami received a grin from his hikari that he returned in the form of a small smile, “Life with Yugi is rarely boring.”

“It’s only going to get more dangerous from here on in.” Solomon warned. “With the Shaman King Tournament coming up, more Shamans are going to come looking for powerful spirits and you were, according to legends, one of the most powerful Pharaohs of Egypt.”

“Then just being around will put Yugi in…” Yami turned to his hikari, whose hands went protectively to the Puzzle.

“No, Yami. I won’t shatter the Puzzle. I won’t lose you to protect myself.” Yugi’s determination was something that made his Grandfather proud, even as it frustrated the Pharaoh who wanted nothing more than the safety of his partner even above the return of his memories, and amused Tea.

“If you’re serious about keeping Yami, then you’re going to need training.” Solomon told the determined sixteen year old who hadn’t long come out of hospital after being trapped in that fire, “As you are, you couldn’t hope to defeat a Shaman who has trained for the tournament.”

“As to that…” Yugi started, then bit his lower lip and shut up.

“What?” Solomon demanded.

“I think Yugi’s referring to the Shadow Games.” Tea said carefully. “They kind of give him and Yami an edge over anyone bigger and stronger than them.”

“Shadow Games?” Solomon asked, staring at his Grandson, “You’ve…” Well that explained why, for the last two years, ghosts had been avoiding their house. The Shadows were dangerous, especially to unprotected souls, and he didn’t doubt that most ghosts wouldn’t want to risk it.

“It’s a… talent of mine.” Yami smirked slightly, “I don’t play them very often, but when I do it’s always for a good reason.”

“It was how we got away from the Shaman that attacked us today.” Yugi added in Yami’s defence, “He’d have had my head otherwise.”

It would have worried Solomon that Yugi spoke so calmly of someone trying to kill him, if it hadn’t been for the way that Yugi’s hands had balled into fists and the slight shudder that had coursed through his Grandson when he’d spoken of the attack, all subconscious of course, Yugi was trying not to show he was afraid in front of Tea and his Grandfather.

“Not all Shaman will agree to play your games, Yami.” Solomon warned, “You won’t be able to rely on that forever.”

Silence fell for a few moments, then Yugi spoke up. “If I want to protect Yami. I need to be stronger.” Tea and Solomon almost missed Yugi’s quiet murmur, “I’m not strong enough to protect us from Marik, and I’m not strong enough to protect us from this new threat either.”

“Who is Marik?” Solomon asked, concerned by Yugi’s shift in mood and the scowl that blossomed on Yami’s face when Yugi mentioned the name ‘Marik’.

“The fire? In the warehouse? The one that I nearly…” Yugi took a deep breath. “His name is Marik. He’s another Millennium Item wielder, like me but without the guardian.” He gave Yami a small smile, but the Pharaoh didn’t return it, remembering far too easily how ineffective he’d been in that fight, “He holds the Millennium Rod. It lets him control people’s minds. His possessed slave caused the fire that nearly…” Yugi shuddered and Yami’s hand went on his shoulder.

‘I’m sorry, Yugi. I’ve brought so much trouble down on you.’

The hikari leant into the touch and let out a small, sad sigh. “It’s not your fault. You don’t seek those who want us dead. They seek us.”

“If I’d known how much trouble the Puzzle would cause, I would never have given it to you.” Solomon admitted, “But it’s yours now, and as long as you,” He looked at Yami, who stared back, “Promise to guard him until his death, I will not take it away.”

“I would never abandon Yugi.” Yami promised.

“Good.” Solomon nodded, “Now, this training you want?” He turned back to his Grandson, who looked up at him, “I might know someone who might be able to help. At least with your Shaman training.”

“You do? But I thought you didn’t have any training.”

“I don’t. And I don’t know if the contact number I have for her is still valid.” Solomon warned, “And even if it is, she might not have anyone available to send, not with the Shaman tournament coming up.”

“What is the Shaman tournament?” Tea asked, “You’ve mentioned it before.”

“And the Shaman that attacked said that was why he wanted Yami.” Yugi chipped in.

“I’m not sure of the exact details.” Solomon answered, “But every five hundred years a tournament is held to find the most powerful Shaman, the Shaman King. The winner of the tournament supposedly gains the ‘Great Spirit’ as his guardian ghost, and with it the power to do whatever they want.”

“Whatever they...” The implications weren’t lost on Yugi and Tea, the latter of whom had had enough of power crazed lunatics chasing her friend around. “But isn’t that dangerous?” Tea asked.

“Incredibly. The difference between victory and defeat is often a Shaman’s life, but the tournament has to be held, for every five hundred years a pair of comets pass the Earth, heralding the coming of a great catastrophe. It’s the duty of the Shaman King to stop it from happening and guide the world into a new age.”

“No.” Tea caught the look on Yugi’s face and glowered at her friend, “Even if you had the training, which you don’t, you have enough on your plate with all the Millennium Item wielders who keep coming after you, without inviting a whole new load of trouble.”

“Tea’s right, Yugi.” Solomon nodded, “Even with training you couldn’t hope to beat some of the Shaman entering the tournament. Not when they’ve trained their entire lives for this and you’ll have a month at best before it kicks off properly. You probably won’t even get tested for entry.”

“Tested?” Yugi asked curiously.

Solomon let out a heavy sigh, “I don’t know the full details, but my friend might. I’ll give her a call. But Yugi,” He gave his Grandson a sharp look, “Promise me you won’t go looking for other Shaman to fight.”

“I never go looking for fights.” Yugi protested, “They always start it.”

“Make sure it stays that way.” His grandfather replied, “Now if you’ll excuse me I have a phone call to make.”

With that Yugi’s grandpa left the room, leaving a rather confused pair of teens and a confounded spirit to work out what the hell had just happened.