Why are you here?

Millie frowned. What kind of question is that?

Speaking to Yami wasn't the same for Millie as it was for Yugi. When Yugi spoke to him, he was speaking to a spirit sealed within the Millennium Puzzle. Millie, of course, was speaking to a spirit within herself. When Yami wasn't speaking to Yugi directly, Millie heard him, as she had told Yugi, like a voice inside her head.

I need to understand things properly, Yami said. Why did you suddenly change?

Millie scowled. Stop asking me that! It's getting really frustrating - pout pout. I already told everyone that it's because I wanted to.

There was a pause. Do you know about my past?

Millie blinked, her step suddenly faltering. This was what she had been afraid of.

You mean the past as in up until now in general or as in...Egypt? she asked, playing for time.

Egypt, he replied simply.

She bit her lip. When you were Pharaoh?

Yes.

Five thousand years ago?

That's right.

Before you lost your memory?

Millie was met with a mental sigh. Yes.

"I..." Millie whispered.

She was rescued by four sets of eyes suddenly turning to meet her upon making the sound. Millie let out an excited whoop. "Ice cream!" she announced happily, recognising the smell of food coming from the food court up ahead. Laughing, she tried to run ahead, practically dragging the unfortunate Yugi along with her.

He must have seen the uncertainty clouding over her features. Even though she knew he couldn't have heard her exchange with the Pharaoh – he was only able to hear Yami's thoughts through the Puzzle, and when Yami was talking to her directly, such a connection between Yugi and Yami didn't occur – there was no mistaking the quizzical emotion behind Yugi's purple eyes when he glanced at her. He suspected something had just occurred.

Millie had to watch everyone else very carefully before she quite got the hang of eating from a cone. A cone which she had ordered with three scoops.

It didn't take her long to devour this new delicacy of 'ice cream'. She was already bouncing off the shopping centre walls and demanding nachos before anyone had even finished half a scoop. To keep her quiet, Yugi permitted her to buy herself a second serve while everyone else finished. This one was gone in the same amount of time. It was as though Millie's stomach was a bottomless pit.

Seated a few chairs away from the conversing Téa, Tristan and Joey while the hyperactive girl buzzed around their table, Yugi bit his lip. "Pharaoh?"

A second later, Yami appeared before him, his face overshadowed by a hidden emotion. Seeing this, Millie instantly bolted to the chair opposite Yugi and rested her hand on his as though doing so would somehow...strengthen the connection.

Yugi did his best to ignore her wide, almost unblinking eyes that drilled into him and instead focused his attention on his other self.

"Whatever the case is with the Millennium Puzzle, Yugi, we still have the issue my memories," Yami said absentmindedly.

Yugi nodded, pulling out the three Egyptian God Cards. The Pharaoh was right; they were still no closer to the answer as they had been last night.

Or were they? He cast Millie a questioning glance. She still hadn't told them anything about the Pharaoh's history, and he, Yugi, was still just as convinced that she knew something.

Millie's face reddened, staring at the table. "Yeah, we do."

Yugi and Yami exchanged a glance but didn't say anything for a moment.

"Millie..." Yugi hesitated. "If you can tell us...anything at all, it would be...really helpful," he began.

A curtain of soft golden hair fell down to conceal Millie's face for a heartbeat. Then, she simply sat up straight and brushed it away. "There is nothing I can tell you, Yugi." She hesitated. "I swear..." Her fingers brushed the three god cards in Yugi's hands. "In the name of the gods." She sighed. "I want to help you – I really do. I just can't. I don't have anything left to say."

Yugi was surprised when a single, glistening tear trickled down her face.

"The truth is...I do have something to say – I have a lot to say!" She bit her lip. "Just...not yet. That's what I mean; I can't tell you, which is true. I'll tell it to you later on. Both of you. But I can't at the moment. It has to sort of...happen."

She didn't wait for an answer and instead sprang to her feet. "So what are we waiting for? Nachos! We should have gotten it before – then we could have had the two dishes together! That would have been awesome! Maybe we should just get some more ice cream!"

"What was that about?" Yugi asked, a frown crossing his face, as Millie started ushering their three companions out of their seats, receiving several disapproving glances.

Yami sighed. "We don't know any more than we did before; she knows something and won't tell us."

"We know she will eventually," Yugi pointed out.

"Let's just hope that 'eventually' comes soon enough," Yami agreed.

The day was a long one, even with the company of friends.

After the arduous task of finding enough clothes and other essentials to keep Millie satisfied – which included enough mock gold jewellery to fill a bathtub – and saying a reluctant farewell to his friends, Yugi finally managed to stumble in through the front door of the Game Shop, his arms laden with the part of the haul that Millie herself wasn't carrying. She followed him in a few seconds later, carrying even more than Yugi.

"It looks as though Grandpa isn't home," Yugi said, frowning at the 'Closed' sign on the door and the empty shop. "That's weird; I wonder where he is."

"He probably went out somewhere," Millie said helpfully, pushing past Yugi and bolting up the stairs. She dumped the shopping bags on the floor of Yugi's room and turned to see him following her in.

"Now what?"

He checked the time – it was nearly five o'clock. "I guess I'll try and call Grandpa to find out where he is. Then I'll have a shower," he added, his face reddening.

"Okay." Millie hesitated. For the first time since meeting her, Yugi could have sworn that she was at a loss for words.

Biting his lip, Yugi gestured over his shoulder. "The, ah, phone's in the living room. Think you'll be okay on your own in here?"

Millie giggled. "You can trust me not to trash your room."

Nodding but not completely satisfied, Yugi left her alone.

For a moment, Millie just stood there, staring at the ceiling blankly, pondering.

Then, hesitantly, she made her way over to Yugi's desk, already knowing what she was looking for.

She peered over her shoulder as though she expected him to burst back in any second. I shouldn't do this...I really shouldn't do this. He trusts me.

Gingerly, she pulled the bag from under the desk and unzipped it.

There was no Egyptian – as least, none that Millie knew – who wasn't obsessed with gold, and when the glimmering shapes of the other Millennium Items caught her eyes, there was nothing the girl could do except stand there, transfixed.

Yugi had four of the seven Millennium Items, including Millie herself. Despite this, Millie hadn't seen much of the Necklace, Rod and Ring at all since he had received them at the end of the Battle City tournament. Hardly daring to breathe, she removed the Necklace and Rod from the bag and gently carried them to the centre of the room. She set them on the floor in front of her, sitting cross legged.

"It's been a while," she said softly.

No reply came.

Millie bit her lip. She knew that they could hear her – they simply weren't prepared to change, as she had done. She didn't blame them; it wasn't necessary for the simple act of talking.

Shebi...Nomti...Millie rested a hand on each item, her mind reaching out for some kind of answer.

Nafré...came the soft reply, the voice laden with millennia of age. Millie's heart started pounding – an unusual sensation – at the recognition of one of her old names; the name she had been called by all but one of the other Items. A name she hadn't heard since before she was sealed away, five thousand years beforehand.

"I'm here," she whispered.

Go, Nafré...The voice was distinguishably that of the Millennium Necklace. Run.

He is here. This next came from the Rod.

Millie blinked. "I know he is."

Then run, Puzzle. You of all of us know to be afraid of him.

"I'm not afraid of anybody," she said simply, setting her jaw. "He can't hurt me anymore."

"I would think twice before speaking such bold words, Sheriti."

Millie's heart clenched, turning to stone right there in her chest.

Sheriti. Little maiden. There was only one person who had ever called her that.

"It's you," she breathed, taking an eternity to finally turn around.

She wanted to laugh at herself. She had known he was there – too afraid to touch him, she had simply left him in the bag. She should have dealt with him – somehow – when she had the chance.

He was stepping out of the now empty bag. Millie's blood turned to ice as she saw, for the first time in five millennia, those malicious blood red eyes. That night black hair, streaked with gold. That sun tanned skin. That utterly perfect physique.

Involuntarily, Millie backed away.

"Traitor," she hissed.

"I've missed you too, little Sheriti," the Millennium Ring laughed, taking a step towards her. Her heart rate skyrocketing, Millie practically tripped over her feet in her rush to distance herself from him whilst keeping him in sight. She already knew that she was backing herself into a corner.

"Get away from me," Millie said, her voice rising in pitch. There was nowhere to run.

He laughed again, relishing her fear. "Why should I? We haven't spoken in such a long time, Sheriti. Or should I call you Haréré? Anhurit?" A sneer crossed his face. "I was certainly never one to call you Nafré –'goodness'." He chuckled. "The others didn't know you at all." Roughly, he kicked the Millennium Necklace and Rod, still laying on the floor, out of his path. Millie flinched.

"Touch them again and I'll hurt you," she snarled. He had arrived in front of her now, towering above her tiny figure. Her breathing slow and shallow, Millie tried to back away. The wall behind her didn't move; it was solid and unforgiving.

The Millennium Ring smiled in mock confusion. "Why so cold?"

Millie lashed out at his broad, bare chest in a desperate attempt to push him away. She wasn't nearly strong enough. Still laughing wickedly, he caught both hands. "You're still a feisty little one, aren't you? This is the Millennium Puzzle I remember."

"Let me go now, Ring. Or I swear by the gods, you'll wish you had," she spat.

He ignored this, his enormous hands wrapping around her tiny back. Suddenly, Millie found herself pressed against him, his scent overwhelming every other sense.

"L- let me go," she whispered, her voice faltering. "P- please."

One of his fingers found her chin, pushing her head up so that she couldn't look away. "And why would I do that?"

"You lied to all of us," Millie said, her voice trembling along with the rest of her body. "You betrayed Mahad. And the Pharaoh himself!"

He simply rolled his eyes. "And you did not, Sheriti? Were you not the one who wanted to go with me? To be with your precious Bakura?"

His words hit her like a physical blow. "L- leave him out of this!"

"How so? I would have thought he was too important." He lowered his face to be level with hers. "I did what I did for you – so that the three of us could be together forever. If you hadn't betrayed me..."

"I would never follow you!" Millie hissed. "I wanted to help him – you wanted to hurt him. And you did – you've been poisoning his mind for five thousand years!"

"Have I?" he asked, his expression one of amusement. "Or maybe you just refuse to accept that he was evil. You know what they say in this era; love is blind."

"It would have to be if I ever saw anything in you!" she spat, trying to struggle free of his grasp. It was futile; her tiny petite human form was useless and weak. Against him, she was utterly powerless.

"Ah, Sheriti. You're so funny." He leaned closer to her.

"Let me go!" she pleaded, abandoning dignity. "Please, let me go."

"Or what?" He chuckled. "You needn't worry; your Bakura is in the Shadow Realm now, so I'll have to go and find his host soon enough. I'll be leaving you soon, my pretty."

Millie didn't answer.

"Of course, soon is not the same as now, is it, Sheriti?" he asked, pressing his lips against hers.

Millie had seen it coming, but there was still nothing she could do to stop him; she was completely swept away in the flow.

One of his hands pressed her to the wall, imprisoning her between two unmovable barriers. The other cupped her cheek with rough gentility.

Even if she had been able to, Millie was in too much a state of shock to move. There was no thought, no rationality. Only the Millennium Ring.

Millie didn't respond at first, not even to push him away. She held her ground, trying to keep her cool. Then, quite against her will, she found herself closing her eyes and kissing him back. The Millennium Puzzle was gone; whoever had taken her place certainly wasn't thinking at all.

And then, as soon as it had begun, it was over.

The second their lips parted, the old Millennium Puzzle was back, and no amount of strength could protect the Millennium Ring from the adrenalin behind the punch that Millie unleashed upon his face.

He staggered away from her, his hand reaching up to feel the side of his face where Millie's fist had collided with him. For the first time Millie actually noticed that he was completely naked. And then, unexpectedly, he burst out laughing. "Welcome back, Sheriti; I was beginning to think that pathetic little struggle from before was the best you had."

Millie's black and red eyes were ablaze with fury. "Stay...the hell...away from me," she panted.

For a fraction of a second, his eyes narrowed into this slits. Still standing against the wall, Millie didn't move.

Then he simply sniggered. "As you wish, Puzzle. But I think I should warn you that I'll be back."

"I think I should warn you that I'll be waiting."

There was a flurry of movement as the Ring bent to pick up the Necklace and Rod. Her mind instantly hurtling into a panic, Millie made a grab for them. "No!"

He swatted her away as though she were a housefly. Millie stumbled to the floor, letting out a gasp of pain.

"Not to worry, my love; I did say I'd be back."

She realised what he was going to do a second before he opened the window and sprang nimbly onto the sill. She watched in horror as the three Millennium Items disappeared from view.

Everything was running in slow motion. Her breath catching, Millie made a dash for the window, leaning out, searching for some sign, for anything.

"No..." Her lip trembled. "No, no, no!" she wailed.

It wasn't too late. She launched herself out the window after him, sliding down the side of the roof, using the drainpipe as a fireman's pole and landing with a gentle thud on the pavement outside the game shop.

There was no way to see which way they had gone, but that didn't stop her; she started running in a random direction, hoping and praying that somehow, she would find them again.

But there was nothing; no sign of them anywhere. Nothing to show for the presence only seconds ago of two age old friends and the man with whom the Millennium Puzzle had once been in love.

All nicknames used in this chapter are (according to the website I got them from D:) 'Authentic Ancient Egyptian names'. Sheriti: Little girl or maiden, Nafre: Goodness, Shebi: Necklace (Lol), Nomti: Strength (I couldn't find a name that meant 'Rod' DX) and the other two aren't actually that important.

I hope this chapter was okay :'D Please R&R :3 I LOVE YOU SO MUCH~!

~IA