Being trapped inside a virtual program for the rest of your life was a very daunting aspect. Perhaps it would have been for a normal person, anyway. Kaiba Noa had been trapped in the untouchable realm for so long that he often just felt like junk data. Wasn't that what Seto had called him at some point? His life dragged on endlessly without point. Only when he really focused did he have the fortitude to manifest an actual body rather than scrambled data. Nothing mattered anymore, so he couldn't find point enough to do that often.

He could only be satisfied with the fact that he'd saved Mokuba- and Seto, too, and all their friends. He'd stood up to his father, embraced him, and then everything had gone to hell. Proverbially, of course; some days he really did feel like he was in hell, though. Having no time meter or existence to prove or live out or feel…

On one of the darkest days he could ever remember existing, Noa felt a tug. At first it was light, as if a child was pulling at clothing he wasn't currently wearing. Then it got worse, much, much worse. The tug became a pull and then it felt like someone was trying to ripright out of his spot. It was painful and torturous and the more he resisted the more he lost his grip. He didn't know what was going on or why but his fight-or-flight sense simply told him to resist. He had to resist and not give in.

It became too much. He lost his footing, if one could call it that, and with it went his sense of resolve. Why should he care where he was being tugged along to? Maybe he'd end up in a much better place. Maybe he'd end up in someone's computer trashcan only to be deleted. At least then he could rest.

Where he found himself was not nearly as dark or as cold as he thought death should feel. The strong rays of a sun, an actual glowing sun hit his back and soaked completely through that white school uniform he'd worn for more than half his entire life. It became unbearable and his eyes had no time to adjust. He was blinded and started wandering, arm in front of his eyes and one hand outstretched to try and feel. All he caught on the tips of his fingers was a warm rolling breeze. There was nothing. Nothing for as far as he walked, and he trekked on for a good ten minutes before stopping.

Once he finally got the courage to lower his arm and allow his eyes to adjust, life seemed just as cruel. Before he'd been in the bleak and chilling expanse of the virtual world. Now he seemed stranded in a desert. He couldn't decide which option he liked better.

Quickly though he realized he wasn't going to last long, and only for that reason did he like this one a little more. Before he had no way to die, now he felt death creeping along his back in those warm droves of the sun rather quickly. His mouth went dry and his vision fuzzed. He reached out again, as if waiting for someone to take his hand and pull him to safety. Slowly the boy fell to his knees but he wasn't sure that he wanted to lie face down on the blazing desert sand just yet. He waited.

In the end his patience was rewarded with a black blob traveling very fast towards him. The blur split from one to two- something much taller and much lighter in color coming towards him. It was all he could hold out for, though, as his consciousness finally fizzled out for the first time in a very long time.

He was almost grateful for it.

"This is not the time for that!"

The Priest had quickly grown tired of that lowly magician in training's antics. Mana had been buzzing around his head all day, breaking things and pulling things in and out of existence "accidentally". The man had work to do, and for the life of him he could locate neither her keeper nor the Pharaoh. It did not bode well- especially not for him.

Those words were the last he uttered before she tried something she called a very special spell. When it was over and the smoke cleared it appeared nothing had happened. That was until the skies darkened and Seto had lifted his gaze to the sky. A small white dot dropped out of the sky and landed somewhere in the heart of the desert. A cold blue glare had been set on the girl then.

"When I return from cleaning up your mess you will not be here. Is that understood?" She squeaked rather than answered, which suited him just fine since her voice had long ago started grating on his nerves.

It was then that Priest Seto had mounted up his fastest horse and began a wild run into the desert. It wasn't too hard to locate what Mana had summoned, but the sight of the poor child dying of heat in the desert startled him. How the young magician had managed to do such a thing, and the fact that the boy would have died had he not rushed out there, was enough to set his anger to boiling. Now wasn't the time for it, though.

When he approached close enough the child, who seemed to be clinging to his last moments of waking, simply gave up. He fell face first into the sands.

The Priest went to one knee, fingers brushing those odd colored strands back from the boy's flushed face. After he ascertained that the young one had not yet died, he quickly scooped him up into his arms and settled onto his horse once more. It was another hard run for the horse back to the palace but he couldn't risk staying out there long after the boy had given way to unconsciousness. Once the palace was in view he simply jumped from his horse, yelling for one of the stable servants to take it and water it quickly.

It was only a few long flights up the palace stairs (nothing too hard for his long legs) before he reached chambers that were supposed to be called his own. It was rare that he was ever in them for sleeping but they suited him fine just now. A few more orders for the palace servants to bring water and cloth and he had undressed the boy and began to cool his body off. Only when the Priest was satisfied that his skin wasn't glowing red any longer did he try and sit him up to make him drink.

It was then that Noa stirred.

He realized quickly that water was being offered to him and he couldn't quite remember a time he'd ever been so thirsty. His hands reached out to take the bowl that had been carefully raised to his lips and he greedily drank every last drop.

The Priest sat back on the bed, arms folding slowly. "Careful or you will choke." He warned as he watched the other.

That voice.

That voice struck such a chord of mismatched emotions in him that Noa had to look up. When he saw such a strange version of the Seto he knew sitting only a few feet away from him he scooted back as far as he could get.

He was… scared. After all that had transpired, if Seto had found a way to get to him it must have meant that the other was there to throttle him. Had he been in Seto's position he might have thought of doing the same thing. He had thought many times that Seto was going to find him in the virtual world and delete his data. Sometimes he welcomed it, other times it made him terrified.

The Priest's eyes narrowed in question as the other scrunched so far away from him. "I'm not going to hurt you." He said, a little flatly. It would be ridiculous just to make such a hard journey both to and from the desert only to off the child he'd come to save.

A statement like that was strange for Seto. It was then that he allowed himself to calm, if only slightly, so that he could zero in on those very big differences. The man that was sitting in front of him was dressed very strangely. His skin was also dark; Seto was pale, the mark of someone who barely left their computer, as a CEO should. Then he had to remember that he'd woken up in a desert of all things.

…and then Noa realized just how confused he was.

"What's going on?" He demanded despite his disposition.

Now the Priest smirked. "You have ended up in our desert for reasons I don't understand yet." That the child was doing well enough to start demanding things boded well for his condition. The man could at least pride himself in doing well enough to save a life so easily.

"Desert?" Obviously. That's where he'd woken up and passed out. A cold breeze hit him and his eyes lowered. The bowl was then tossed at the odd mirror version of Seto (who caught it rather quickly) and his hands went for any and all covers around him and pulled them to him. "And why am I naked?" He shrieked.

The smirk grew wider before the Priest tilted his head back and laughed harshly. "This is the strangest form of thanks I've ever received before."

"Thanks?" Noa yelled again.

"Who do you think it was that saved you from the hot death of the desert's embrace?" He said coolly, neither laughing nor smirking any longer. He'd gone serious all in the span of one second.

The boy looked away, frustrated and still slightly panicked- still very confused. "I … I don't care." Despite all he'd gone through it seemed he couldn't truly lose that bratty nature of his. Not in such a feeling of a new setting. Maybe he could… restart…

"You'd do best to care, child. If you give me trouble I'll give you to the palace servants to raise." Seto certainly didn't need a child to look after. He had too much to do as it was. The Pharaoh wouldn't be able to take him (despite the Priest thinking if he was given the option, Atem most certainly would).

The tall brunet stood. "I will have them bring you some new clothing and some more water. You must stay out of the sun for a little while longer." He commanded. "Rest." Another.

Noa growled. "Who do you think you are just ordering me around like this?"

Priest Seto smirked, finding this as opportune a time as any for introduction. "Priest Seto. The man you are currently indebted to. Don't forget such an important thing." His tone was haughty and oh-so proud.

Noa was stricken, eyes widening. This man, whoever he was- Priest Seto- …Seto. So much like the Seto he knew. And yet, the terms they had started on weren't the worst. Was he really meant to live this way? In such a terrible, hot and dry place as a desert somewhere in the middle of nowhere, with a Seto look-alike looking after him?

Caring for him, even.

In the face of everything, as the Priest turned to walk away, Noa smiled.

He was being cared for. By the same person who thought only cared for those truly and deeply worthy of his time. He didn't have much of a choice right now but to be stuck here, but truthfully... Noa was the happiest he could remember being in a very long time.