Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh or its characters; Kazuki Takahashi does. They just need some more adventures.

Somewhere in America, 4 years after the Memory Arc. Serenity is now 18, the majorYugi gang is 20 and 21, and Mai is 28. The gang has gone its own way with college and careers but still have a tight friendship circle. Yugioh GX, Yugioh R and Yugioh 5D have not happened.

Mai awoke with a start. She had the blankets twisted around her legs and she struggled to get free of them to sit up. She was cold and clammy as she managed to climb out of bed quickly looking around to make sure it was the nightmare and had not turned into reality. Her alarm clock said 3:00 am. She raked her fingers through her hair pulling it away from her face as she staggered to the bathroom.

Mai turned on the light and headed for the sink and the mirror above it. Her reflection looked back at her, pale with dark circles under her violet eyes which looked haunted. Yanking the shower curtain aside, she started the water to a warm steamy blend and removed her nightgown to climb into the shower.

The water pelting down on her felt so good as it warmed her cold skin up. She used the lavender scented shampoo and then reached for the same scent in shower gel. "Now if this just works as advertised" thought Mai, "Aromatherapy to relax and help you sleep. The dreams are getting worse again and I thought this was all over. I am not dreaming about my time with Dartz but why now am I dreaming about being trapped in the glass pyramid with the sand pouring down as I watch the others play in the ocean. His voice just keeps repeating "My dear, you are stuck here with me forever" I thought this was all behind me. Why now? What triggered them again? I have not seen any of them since I left after waking up in Valon's apartment. Oh sure I watched them in secret a few times, but I have not made contact with them. I'm just not yet ready to face up to them.

I did encounter Seto Kaiba here in America when I entered a tournament with Vivian Wong but Vivian snapped him up before we exchanged more than a formal greeting so I did not get to ask him about the others. Whether or not he would have given me any info or not as the last time I saw him I was a knight on the game board in Dartz's duel against the Pharaoh and Kaiba. Seto Kaiba was trying to take me out first so I don't know what he might have told me. I wouldn't think that triggered this dream actually nightmare I have been having the last 2 weeks."

Mai turned off the water and climbed out onto the bath mat.

After toweling off with the warm towel provided by the hotel and pulling a clean nightgown over her head, she was ready to head for the kitchenette.

"Hot tea is next and then back to sleep or try to sleep" Mai thought as she headed to the little kitchenette in her hotel room.

After putting the water on to heat in the little coffee maker, she sat down at the small table and picked up pen and paper.

"Now to make a list of what I see in the dream" as Mai started writing. After looking at the list and seeing many of the items were related to Egypt and duel monsters, Mai heard the voice she kept hearing in the dream. "My dear it is only a matter of time" whispered Marik in her head.

"Egypt, it all seems related to Egypt. Yugi had Egyptian connections. Is there anything around here that would help me learn more besides traveling to Egypt? What or who can help me explain the dreams, even though no one will believe about the Shadow Realm."

Just then the coffee maker finished and Mai poured the hot water on the tea bag in the teacup. She added some sugar and went back to the table. There was a glossy folder labeled attractions.

She picked it up and opened it. Restaurants, tourist traps, fast food, night clubs, museums and more. Picking up the section on museums, she saw that the Vandemeer Historical Museum was featuring a traveling exhibit on Egypt and would still be open for the next several days. The specialty was the life and times of the people of Egypt in the days of the Pharaohs.

"Tomorrow that is where I'll go. Maybe someone there can help me." Mai finished her tea and noted the time the museum would open. After rinsing her cup out and disposing of the tea bag, Mai set her alarm. Fluffing up the pillows and straightening the blankets, Mai felt calmer now that she had a course of action to follow. Crawling into the bed she felt capable of having a few hours of sleep before the alarm went off.