This takes place in the middle of episode 203.

This story is an experiment. I don't have plans to continue it beyond next chapter. It's just to introduce a concept I wanted to try years ago, back when my interest in Yu-Gi-Oh was still kicking. Now I'm just doing this on a whim. Enjoy.

Chapter 1: Prince

He was the Pharaoh of Egypt. The man(?) whom used to live as a spirit inside the Millennium Puzzle, as a partner to Yugi Motto, was now apparently re-living his previous life as the ruler of Egypt.

"When I presented the God Cards to the stone tablet, I expected to receive the memories of my past life as Pharaoh. Not being put in my previous life but with no memories at all. It's like the Gods tossed me into a game without even explaining the rules." Yami or the Pharaoh as everyone called him allowed a bit of frustration into his thoughts. Because his situation, while not as confusing as it was at the beginning, was indeed mildly frustrating.

As it turned out, he entered this world of the past as the newly crowned Pharaoh. Just little more than an hour later, he was almost assassinated. He witnessed the assailant being exorcized by his Court – whom many were lookalikes of people he knew from the future –, the Guardians of the other six Millennium Items. Together they expelled the shadowy demon that possessed the man and forced him to commit the would-be murder, and sealed the creature in a stone tablet.

But the main event of the evening came a bit later when Bakura made himself known and attacked with his Diabound monster to try and take all Millennium Items (shocker). Fortunately, he was pushed back after the Pharaoh summoned Obelisk the Tormentor to battle Diabound.

"Bakura…he spoke like he knew me. Because he does. Like me, he has travelled back to the past to live his former life. If this is some sort of game, the Shadow Game as he says, then he is my opponent. That much is obvious."

"Your Highness." Shimon, the lookalike of Yugi's grandpa, brought the Pharaoh out of his thoughts.

Currently, he was sitting on his throne – the idea of him having a throne still sounded surreal – with Mahad, keeper of the Millennium Ring and a powerful magician, kneeling before him. Apparently, Mahad was an old friend of his as was the young girl that was his apprentice, Mana. Pharaoh had no memory of the two and yet he couldn't but feel a tenuous kinship with both.

"Pharaoh, my sorcerers are fortifying the defenses of the previous Pharaoh's tomb as we speak. Bakura, nor any other evil doer will desecrate his resting place, ever again."

"Excellent." Pharaoh nodded. When Bakura showed up, he brought along the sarcophagus of the previous king, Pharaoh Aknamkanon…and his father. Truly, the idea of him having a father also sounded surreal. He was another person he had no recollection and no real ties to. Yet seeing how Bakura prided himself with violating this man's final resting place had made Pharaoh's blood boil with anger. Again it was like with Mahad and Mana; while his mind felt no attachments, his heart apparently did.

"Let us hope so, Mahad." Voiced another Guardian and lookalike, Priest Seto. "You are responsible for security and yet that criminal Bakura was able to penetrate this palace. Keep up making these mistakes and you may no longer be a part of this Court."

"That's enough, Seto." Shimon admonished the younger Guardian.

"Seto…" Pharaoh thought to himself. "while you lack the condescending, cold attitude of the Seto Kaiba I know, you can be as rigid as him." It was not necessarily a bad thing, though.

Mahad spoke not at all bothered by that jab. "Priest Seto is right. I intend to make up for my mistake. Based on Isis' predictions," he briefly turned to the Ishizu lookalike who held the Millennium necklace. "I am planning to mount a trap for Bakura. I shall face him on my own and defeat his monster Diabound. Once that creature is sealed away, Bakura will lose."

Pharaoh paused "Are you certain you can defeat him, Mahad?"

"I have no doubt."

"Then go. And may the Gods be with you, my friend." Pharaoh allowed himself a ghost of a smile. Memories or not, he knew without a doubt now that Mahad was indeed a friend.

Pharaoh, Mana and Shimon observed from the balcony as Mahad led a team of sorcerers out of the city and into the desert. Mana was desperate to accompany his master and would have joined him, hadn't Shimon held her back.

Pharaoh paid very little heed to them. His gaze never left the man he knew so little about, but would nonetheless trust with his own life.

"I have the grimmest feeling I will never see him again as he is now." So engrossed he was that he never noticed an aide whispering something to Shimon, making the old man promptly to gasp in delight. That did drew the Pharaoh's attention.

"Oh, finally something happens that warms my heart in this time of foreboding. Prince Aton is here!" the old man, whom had been so grim before, now seemed to irradiate joy like the sun.

"Prince Aton?" Pharaoh asked.

"Aton! I haven't seen him in like forever!" Mana apparently shared some of Shimon's excitement. "Well, not since Mahad and I visited the pyramids in Saccara as part of my training. He was there making some work on them. Spoke for hours all excited about it, but I kinda tuned him out just a little. You've seen one pyramid, you've seen them all. But he really loves his work…" Mana would have continued to monologue about the Prince hadn't Shimon practically dragged the Pharaoh away.

"We must hurry to receive the Prince, my Pharaoh. Apparently, he travelled back to the capital city once he heard of the horrid crime Bakura committed against you and your father." Shimon's excitement died a little, but quickly recovered. "Well, a good thing is that these horrible events have brought Prince Aton back home."

"Hey, wait for me." Mana ran behind them. "Aton is my friend. I wanna see him, too."

"Mana, he is Prince Aton, to you!" Shimon scolded.

"Sorry, but he said I don't have to call him 'prince'. Says he doesn't care for formalities when his friends are involved." The Magician shrugged.

"Well, be that as it may, he is still a Prince and you will address him as such." Shimon turned back to the Pharaoh. "Prince Aton has been studying in Saccara for over a year now, your Highness. He hasn't taken a moment to rest in his journey back. It was his wish to get here as soon as possible. We must receive him well and with open arms."

"Yes, of course." Pharaoh nodded. It wouldn't do to receive a dignitary badly. And from what Shimon and Mana said, this Prince was an amicable person.

Pharaoh was again sitting on his throne. This time none of the Guardians was present, barring Shimon. Two rows of guards were arranged in line, making straight corridor from the entrance to the throne. This Prince had to be someone important.

"Tell me, Shimon." Pharaoh whispered to his side. "Who is this Prince?"

The old man looked at the Pharaoh, confused. "Who is Prince Aton? Your Majesty, that…"

"Presenting, the honorable Prince Aton!" announced a guard loudly.

A young man walked between the rows of guards. The Pharaoh's breath was caught in his throne. The Prince looked the Pharaoh in the eye.

"Hello, brother. Or should I now call you 'Pharaoh'?"

"Yugi!"

That's right! Yugi gets his own ancient Egyptian lookalike. The name 'Aton' is the name of the sun disk, a solar deity in Egyptian Mythology. 'Aton' is a variation of 'Aten' which itself is very similar to 'Atem', the Pharaoh's real name. So I chose to make Yugi's counterpart named 'Aton'.

For the record, this is gonna be strictly a BROTHERLY relationship between Atem/Yami and Aton/Yugi. NO YAOI, whatsoever. I don't write that stuff. There's way more than enough of it around.