I have so much planned for this it's not even funny. I do hope you're all enjoying their adventures so far! Do tell though, whose time in the desert is the most interesting to follow at the moment? In the meantime though, enjoy!

Chapter Four: Never A Good Sign.

He never realized sharing a coat could be so annoying when it was hot. If the sun wasn't bad enough, Kaiba pondered, it was the body heat radiated from his self-proclaimed companion. Damn her. "Could you scoot over? You're burning up."

"I'm sorry." Téa scooted closer to spite him. "Is that better? You must be freezing being such a twig and all."

"You're an evil, evil creature. I'd think you'd be burning up with all that body fat. But then again, I'm sure you're used to the scorching temperatures." He tried to yank the coat out of her grip and leave her at full mercy of the sun. He failed miserably and pouted when she yanked back just as hard and kept her head covered. "And a stubborn fool to boot."

She elbowed him in the gut. "Oh shut up. You act like you're the only one suffering here."

"I am." He shoved her back and smirked when she fell flat. Satisfied she now had sand in her skirt he pulled the coat over his head where it belonged. His pride told him to ignore the dampness of the jacket from their sweat. "I have to deal with the heat and an annoyance."

Téa was back on her feet and shoving back hard enough to put his ass in the sand. "At least I'm not an arrogant prick."

"At least I'm not such a bitch!" As the last words left his mouth he realized she had snatched his coat right out of his hands and had sprinted ahead a few feet. "No, never mind, that might be insulting to the dogs."

"At least I don't turn into putty at the eyes of a little monster of a sibling." She smiled and did a cute spin with his coat.

"At least I can pull my own weight and not just cheer from the sidelines." He jumped up to his feet and caught up with her easily. Grabbing her arm he forced her to let him under the coat again. It was too hot for all this, really.

Little did he know Téa was thinking along the same lines. Which in this case, is why she allowed him to walk next to her under the coat. "At least I know how to share."

"At least I don't," Kaiba stopped walking and Téa stumbled a little at the abrupt stop. "Are we really arguing like three year olds?"

"It seems we are."

"Stupid sun."

"Damn straight."

"I feel kinda funny, Yami." Joey's shoulders were hunched beneath his coat as he paused. "You think it really is this heat?"

"It could be, Joey." Yami paused and brushed his bangs out of his face before he continued. "We really do need to find some water soon, or we won't make it another day."

"That might cut our whole wilderness survival trip short." Joey forced out a laugh. "Wouldn't it? That would be pathetic."

Yami sighed. It was a little unfair to not be affected by the heat, but yet to have to watch your friend suffer. "Don't worry. A little sun won't be the end of us."

"Yeah," Joey straightened his shoulders and let out a yawn. "Makes you drowsy, though."

"I'd avoid sleeping just yet, Joey." Yami sighed and patted his friend on the back. "We've still got a way to go."

"Where are we going anyway?"

"I'm not sure, really." Yami couldn't explain it, but there was this force pushing him in one direction. "But instinct can't be wrong."

"I trust you, buddy." He blinked the sweat out of his eyes. "I just hope instinct gets us there sooner."

Yami watched Joey for a moment. "Maybe a break would be good."

Joey refused to disagree with that as Yami pulled him towards the little shade a rock formation had provided. He barely registered falling asleep on his friend's shoulder the moment he hit the ground.

"I guess you were tired." Yami prayed that was all it was, because he had no idea how to handle things if Joey really wasn't okay. "Sleep for now and I'll try and remember what my body keeps telling me."

Joey merely shifted in his sleep and started mumbling something about making Kaiba wear a dog suit. Yami smiled at the thought and closed his own eyes to drift into dreams.

About an hour or two passed like this before Yami woke with a start. He couldn't tell if it was because of his dream or Joey kicking him unconsciously. Probably the kicking as he looked at his friend who had fallen over on his side. Joey was twitching. Whatever it was it made Yami's head hurt, as well as his side. It might have just been his dream, but he kept thinking about a fort and chasing the Dark Magician around a pool. What was weirder was the appearance of Kaiba wearing an awful hat and claiming his fort was better. While it was clearly a dream, he couldn't help but think he'd been to that pool for real before. Or that he'd seen the rock he was leaning on before. Then he remembered.

"Joey!" Yami shook his shoulder. "Wake up!"

"Huh?" Joey mumbled blearily as he looked up at Yami's grinning face. It was sort of scary when he thought about it. Yami looked like he had just found out some big secret, or that he had just pulled the best prank ever. It took that moment of staring in blissful consideration to remember that it spooked him and cause him to jump back. "Ack! What is it?"

"I remembered! Let's go!" Grabbing Joey's hand, Yami didn't give him the time to protest and dragged him off to who-knows-where.

Joey struggled to hold the coat on his head and tried to remind himself he trusted Yami while the other half of his brain told him the sun finally caught up to the dead Egyptian.

"Who would have thought we'd be lucky enough to come upon a whole city!" Tristan was practically skipping down the streets of the forgotten ruins.

"Shame it's void of all life and falling apart." Yugi kicked the side of a building and watched the clay walls crumble and crack. "We're not going to find any food or water here."

"Stop being a stick in the mud, Yugi!" Tristan turned to face him and patted a wall gently. "At least now we got shade and a place to rest."

"That won't do us any good if we can't get some help!" Yugi shouted. "We need water!"

Tristan took a step back. "Jeesh, you don't have to get so angry."

Yugi frowned. His patience was shot and he was thirsty, cranky and wanted his Yami gosh darn it! Yugi stopped at that thought and realized he really must be dehydrated if his brain processes had dwindled down to that line. "Let's look for a well."

"Okay." Tristan hummed as he browsed the streets. This really must have been a nice little city in its time. "I wonder why this hasn't turned into a tourist attraction yet."

"It's probably still being studied as a dig if someone's found it." Yugi looked about hoping that it was a dig. A dig meant archaeologists, which mean food, water and possibly a ride out of this blasted place. "Assuming someone's found it."

"Way to be a pessimist, Yugi." Tristan scowled. "There's no way someone hasn't found a place this big yet! Why don't you just say that there is no chance of getting out of this desert while you're at it!"

Yugi would have retorted back about the huge size of the desert and the power of sand to hide and reveal lost treasures but he was too distracted by the circular stack of stones in front of him. "A well!"

"Yeah!" Tristan sprinted over to the well and let his coat fall off behind him. "Hey, it's still got the bucket and string and everything!"

"Well," Yugi picked up Tristan's jacket and threw it back at him. "Don't just stand there, see if there's any water left!"

It was a few silent moments while they watched the bucket go down the long shaft. When it felt like it hit bottom they both pulled and were joyous when the realized it had gotten heavier. A few good tugs and they were staring at the most beautiful sight they had ever seen in their lives. Yugi wanted to cry, again.

"That was the most refreshing thing in existence." Tristan sighed as the remaining droplets of water dribbled down his chin.

Yugi snatched the bucket to finish off the rest and turned to lean on the well as he did it. The bucket was all he could see as he tipped it up to swallow. "Indeed, that was worth all the walking."

A dagger impaled the earth at the bottom of Yugi's feet. From the side of his bucket Yugi could see Tristan's now white-as-snow face. Brilliant, just brilliant. Yugi lowered the bucket slowly to reveal about twenty natives in sarongs and gold jewelry. All of them were armed with spears, daggers and clubs, and scowling.

"Put the bucket down, Yugi." Tristan barely managed to keep the sentence straight.

"Right." Carefully setting the bucket down, Yugi straightened his back and put his hands out in front of him. "We're just passing through. No trouble here."

They started shouting at them in what Yugi assumed was either Arabic or Egyptian, but that didn't matter because he didn't understand it either way. They pulled out rope and started to close in on the two students.

"I blame your hair." Tristan stated calmly while backing up to the well. "It's strange, unnatural and it provoked them into thinking we're demons."

"Excuse me!"

Tristan didn't know who hit him first. That Egyptian or Yugi.

Ryou smiled as he took a sip of water. "This is nice."

Bakura smirked as he used a cup to dish out some water for himself. "I told you I had everything covered down here."

"Yeah, but how was I supposed to know you had access to an underground source of water."

"You think I lived down here without it?" Bakura scoffed. "Water's heavy. No way I could store it or get it down that tunnel without dropping it."

"I think it was just dumb luck." Ryou smiled to show teeth. "Like how you found this place."

"Oh hush." Bakura stood proud. "It just means the god of thieves is looking out for his humble servant."

"Well, I hope he looks out for us enough for you to get us out of her and into a town." Ryou punched his border in the shoulder. "I don't plan on staying here forever, you know."

"Yeah, yeah." Bakura rubbed his shoulder in faux pain. "There's a city about ten miles north of here."

"So, we should stock up on water and go." Ryou wondered if it would be worth it to carry a few trinkets with him as well.

"Assuming there are still people living there." Bakura didn't like the way Ryou was eyeing his treasures. They were his damn it and he wasn't sharing! "These are 3000 year old memories, remember?"

"Was there water near by?"

"Yes."

"A lot?"

"Yeah, a river or something."

"Then there are still people."

"I hate you sometimes."

"Then move out."

"Curse you, Landlord! Curse you!"

Ryou rolled his eyes. Sometimes he missed the homicidal side of his leech.

Loyal Employee Number 3 was having a hard time believing she was sitting on a plane heading towards a desert because a certain black haired kid couldn't be without his brother for a few days. She gave her pity to Loyal Employees Number 2 and 4 who were currently flying the plane. That Mokuba boy was ruthless. Ah well, she snuggled back into her seat, it wasn't completely her problem.

"Why aren't we there yet!" Mokuba whined. "This is supposed to be Kaiba Corp's fastest jet and we know that my brother was in Egypt!"

"With all due respect, sir," Number 2 began. "Egypt is a very long way away from Japan."

"I don't care! Make it go faster!"

"We're going as fast as we can, sir!" Number 4 put in his opinion. "Besides, even if we get there we don't have anything to track."

"We'll search that whole desert if we have to!" Mokuba smacked Number 4 on the back of the head. "The faster we get there, the faster we find him and the faster we go home!"

It was going to be a long flight. Number 3 took a swig from a flask of whisky in her suit jacket pocket. It wasn't like she was flying. Number 2 and Number 4 glared at her from the pilot's seats. She smirked. Her job didn't require her to be sober; it was good to be the secretary. She smiled as the alcohol buzz blocked out Mokuba's constant droning.

Somewhere in the Shadow Realm bets were being placed.

"Ten says Téa kills him." Dark Magician Girl shouted slamming her money on the table.

"Not if he does it first!" Lord of D. matched her bet.

"Not a chance!" Magician of Faith added to the Magician Girl's pot. "My girl will kick his ass!"

"Twenty that Pharaoh and his sidekick get out of the desert on their own without any help." Dark Magician smirked and put his own money down. There was no way his Pharaoh would fail a wilderness survival mission!

"I'll put ten on that!" Flame Swordsman added to the growing pile. He high-fived the Dark Magician.

"Twenty says they both snap before they even have a chance to get out." Celtic Guardian shoved his own pieces into the pot. He smirked when Jinzo added to the pot.

Kuriboh merely mewed and threw about thirty on the table. He then sat contently in the Dark Magician Girl's lap and purred.

"What did he just bet on?" Magician of Faith inquired after staring at the ball of fluff jumping up and down excitedly in her friend's lap.

"He bet that Yugi would strangle Tristan before this whole thing is done with." Dark Magician answered thoughtfully.

"No bet." Celtic Guardian laughed. "He's already half-way there as it is!"