Hi everyone! Sorry for this being so late... Again... That blizzard completely covered my house, and after digging out my three cars I was so exhausted I couldn't edit this before posting it. :D So, a shout out to my sister's fic in here for those of you who read it! Otherwise enjoy, and thank you for reading and reviewing!

Chapter Nine:

Yami let out a relieved sigh as he dropped his things on the floor upon entering his room. He wasn't certain if he could keep his eyes open for another minute. During dinner he had barely managed to stay awake, nearly falling asleep in the dessert much to Mana's apparent delight. Afterwards, he had begged a need for sleep and headed back for his room. Instead of the usual guard, he now had three. Apparently one wasn't enough to keep him safe…

Shutting the door behind him, he moved around the room, putting his things away with a methodical tiredness. He was just turning away from the closet when he realized the door was open. Fighting back the images of horror movies where such occurrences usually led to the person's death, he slowly moved towards it. Peering out, he saw all three guards were present and after assuring them that everything was fine, he carefully closed the door. Making sure it latched, he began to turn around when something caught his eye.

Perhaps it was a measure of how tired he was, but Yami jumped before letting out a sigh of relief as he saw the black cat sitting there. He hadn't thought pets were allowed in the facility, but they must have had some animals in one of the many labs Daniel had skimmed over during his tour.

"Well… I don't suppose you're going to suddenly jump up and eat me." Yami commented, relief making him talk to the feline, a smile crossing his face. Turning towards the door, he continued, "We'll get you back to where you belong…"

"I would appreciate it if you would not inform the guards of my presence." A voice spoke behind him. Slowly turning, Yami's crimson eyes met calm lavender ones.

Inwardly, Yami was on the verge of panic. Although Jack had never specifically told him, never allowing Yami to so much as go to the bathroom without a guard had hinted to Yami that Jack didn't trust their new allies. Also when he was wandering around the base, Yami had noticed that there were always people nearby. At first, he had assumed that they were also interested in food from the cafeteria or were doing research, but eventually he had decided they were there to keep a relatively unobtrusive eye on him. Now that one of the Goa'uld was in his room...

Outward expression showing no sign of his inner turmoil, Yami inclined his head. "Mahad. I didn't see you come in… What can I do for you?"

Mahad blinked, almost looking startled. "I… Nothing. I merely wanted a chance to get to know you, seeing as how we have not had much of an opportunity to spend time talking. I know that Seto can be unapproachable, however I am interested in finding out more about you…"

Yami blinked as Mahad trailed off, a startling fact coming to him; Mahad was nervous. The way the Goa'uld's eyes kept darting off to various corners and his babbling were obvious tells.

"You wanted to get to know more about me?" he asked, wanting to hear it once more before believing.

Mahad nodded. "Yes. I feel bad that we pulled you away from your life, and I figured the least I could do is get to know you more."

Yami smiled slightly. "My life's not very interesting. I live with Solomon Mouto and his grandson, Yugi. They adopted me when I was only five. Grandpa is an archeologist, and on one of his trips to Egypt he found me in an orphanage. I'm afraid that I remember very little of my childhood… Most of what I know about Egypt I learned later."

Mahad nodded listening intently. Yami hesitated, before continuing. "Nothing really exciting began to happen until after I completed the Millennium Puzzle. I was already fairly good at Duel Monsters, but as I never competed in tournaments it was more of a hobby. One day, Maximillian Pegasus… invited me to a tournament known as Duelist Kingdom. After I beat the inventor, Pegasus himself, I gained the title King of Games. Since then, I've been going to many different tournaments. That's how I ended up in America, and ultimately here, I suppose."

Mahad slowly nodded. "Are you good at games, then?" he asked, his expression one of curiosity.

"I suppose so. I haven't lost a game yet, but I've only played Duel Monsters competitively, so I don't know how I would compare to experts in other games."

Silence reigned between the two for a while, Mahad apparently taking in what Yami had told him, and Yami trying to make sense of Mahad's behavior. Although he hadn't been sure what to think of the Goa'uld other than what he had been told, Yami found himself warming up to the man. Yami finally spoke, his own curiosity rearing its head.

"Why don't you tell me more about yourself, Mahad? I only know what I've heard about Goa'uld in general from Jack and the others." Yami leaned back against the wall, making himself comfortable. Mahad glanced up at him, startled.

"You want to know more about me?" he asked, looking confused.

"Of course; why wouldn't I? Besides. I've told you about myself, so it's only fair that you reciprocate." Yami smiled, trying to make Mahad a little more at ease.

Mahad's eyes flickered towards the door now more than an arm's reach away from Yami before he began to speak, relaxing. "What would you like to know about me?" he asked.

"Whatever you want me to know. Anything that can tell me about who you are and what your life has been like." Yami suggested.

"Ah… Well, I was born in Khemet around the year 3000BC by your calendar. You call it Egypt now, I suppose. My father died when I was very young, and my mother spent most of her time trying to take care of me. When I was five, my magic began to show itself and I was taken to the palace to be trained by the magicians there. I was not much older than that when I met Prince for the first time. His father, the Pharaoh, was busy doing tasks for Lord Ra and didn't have much time remaining to spend with his son. I spent most of my childhood and young adulthood with him. I was his friend until he died."

Yami sensed Mahad's mood shift and tried to hastily change the subject. "You mentioned you were called to the palace because you had magic. What do you mean by that?"

Mahad glanced up, pulled from his memories. "I meant my Heka."

Frowning, Yami shrugged helplessly. "So… you mean sleight of hand tricks?"

Almost looking affronted, Mahad shook his head emphatically. "No! I mean Heka… It's a magic that draws on power within the wielder, although you have to be born with it. Here, I can show you."

Mahad began to chant something under his breath, motioning to the floor between himself and Yami. Yami's eyes widened as a small spotted cat appeared, sitting up and staring at him before vanishing again.

"That's what Heka is, or at least the means in which mine manifests itself. Mana and I are masters of illusions, while other mages in our time focused on portals and other such spells."

Yami laughed, delightedly meeting Mahad's eyes. "It's amazing. I can't believe that magic actually exists! I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by much of anything after all I've been through, but… is that how you got in here? You were the cat? But that wasn't an illusion, was it?"

Mahad looked slightly nonplussed, before he returned Yami's smile with a genuine one of his own. "Yes, it was an illusion, however a far more powerful one. In a sense, I actually become a cat or whatever animal I choose to as the illusion is very strong. Of course, it's rare to find a magician who has such power. Mana could do it too, if she would pay more attention to her studies."

That caught Yami off guard. "Mana can do this too?" he asked, startled. "She seems so…"

"Childish?" Mahad offered. "Mana sometimes acts how she did back in Khemet. During the… events before our departure she was forced to grow up very quickly. As she hasn't actually physically aged much since then, she sometimes tends to regress."

Yami frowned. "She doesn't act upset, though... I think it suits her…" Hesitating, he finally spoke again. "I'm very sorry, Mahad, but could we talk more later? I am exhausted, and as interesting as learning about your past is, if I stay awake much longer I'll fall asleep standing. Do you want me to let you out? I'm sure if I tell the guards that I let you in to visit me…"

Mahad shook his head. "No, I don't want to bother you. I can get out without them noticing. That was you won't be in any trouble for allowing me into your room without informing anyone."

Nodding his acceptance, Yami began to make his way toward the bed. "Well, goodnight Mahad."

The Goa'uld hesitated at the door. "Goodnight… Yami." With that, he was gone so quickly that Yami wasn't sure if the entire visit hadn't been concocted by his sleep deprived brain.