No, you're not dreaming. I really did update.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Return of the Pharaoh

Chapter 20: Extracurricular Drama

…Two Weeks Later…

"Class dismissed. Enjoy the rest of your day," Mr. Hoji said as he began erasing the white board.

Without so much of a glance, Desani shot out of her seat and left the room.

Yugi looked nervously at Joey and Tristan, noting Téa's continued absence as well. 'It doesn't seem to be getting any better, does it? Desani won't talk and Téa's nowhere to be found.'

Glancing at Atem's taut face, Yugi sighed. 'It's obvious that he's worried about Desani, but he won't even try talking to her. What are we going to do?'

"It seems we're in a very tight spot," Mana commented as they left the classroom. "Desani's been so tight-lipped that I can't even read on her emotions."

"You can read a person's emotions, Mana?" Joey asked.

Mana shrugged. "It's more like being able to read a magician's magical aura. Of course, seeing as Desani is in a rather befuddled state, I can't read anything at all from her. However, it's still pretty obvious that the form she's in now is more susceptible to increased emotions."

"Yeah, her parents did mention something like that," Tristan replied. In a hushed whisper, he continued, "If only Atem would just man up already and apologize-"

"Watch it, Tristan," Yugi warned. He snuck a glance at the rather silent pharaoh. Yugi's brow furrowed when he realized that Atem was staring out the passing windows, not even bothering to pay attention to the conversation.

"Atem, what's going on with you?" Yugi asked in a rather forceful manner. 'Even if you're mad at Desani, you should at least be worried about her behavior.'

Snapping out of his thoughts, Atem looked over at Yugi. "Forgive me. I'm just worried about her."

Eyes lighting up, Yugi smiled. "That's good. I was starting to wonder if you even-"

"Haven't you noticed that Téa has been missing for some time now?" Atem added.

Yugi looked at him in surprise. "W-what?"

"We haven't seen her ever since we found out Desani's secret. It must have really affected her if she hasn't even been around to talk it out with us," Atem explained as his gaze searched the school's corridor.

'That's who you're worried about?' Yugi could only shake his head. 'It's not like I haven't noticed. I've called her house every day for the past week and she's either out or doesn't want to talk. She's been very busy lately, so it's not like I can just go to her house and see if she's all right.'

Yugi sighed. "Atem, I can understand your concern for Téa, but right now, we don't know what she's been doing because we haven't seen her. However, we have been seeing Desani, so shouldn't we deal with that problem first?"

Yugi and the others waited for a reply, but Atem kept silent. Defeated, Yugi followed Atem out the school's back doors.

"Atem, why are we going out this way? Shouldn't we be heading towards the front?" Mana asked.

Yugi looked at Atem, mentally asking the same question. 'Why are we heading towards the sports fields?' He observed the lush green areas of the soccer and baseball fields as they passed the pool and locker rooms. Students who participated in extracurricular activities were already changed and rushing to meet with their coaches.

"Hello? Atemie?" Mana said with impatience. "Are you going to answer me or what?"

Sighing, Atem came to a halt. Mana's eyes widened in surprise. 'He's not mad, is he?'

All eyes were on Atem's stiff frame. After a long pause, Atem turned his gaze to his friends. "I noticed Desani turned this way, so I was only seeing if we could find out what's going on with her." Without another word, Atem turned and continued his pursuit.

Yugi's eyes widened. 'Does that mean Atem really…?'

"Over there! Near the track! Isn't that Desani?" Yugi heard Joey yell out. Surprised, they scurried over to the asphalt track.

The track stretched out before them and the track team was already in their workout outfits. Normally, they would be doing warm-up drills at the start of practice, but today they all had their eyes pinned on two individuals.

"Oh Kami, is she actually challenging the track captain?!" Tristan exclaimed.

Staring at the pair, Yugi slowly shook his head. "I don't think that's what she's doing…"

Jin Sokura strolled out to the track field, proud to see her teammates setting up the hurdles for practice. 'It seems they're learning. I actually didn't have to yell at them today.'

Jin looked across to the other side of the field where the boys were already doing their warm-up laps. "It seems the boys are ready for this season," she said to nobody in particular.

"Well, why wouldn't we be? We have to protect our Championship title, after all."

A slight blush tinting the tanned cheeks of the raven-haired girl, she turned to smirk at the boys' team captain, Shou Saito. "That's what I like to hear. Domino High is home to the fastest boys in the land."

Grinning, Shou patted Jin on her head. "That's right. And after this season, I expect the same to be said about our girls. You'll make sure of that, won't you?"

Blushing, Jin turned her head away with a scoff. "Baka. I'll expect 110% from my teammates, but we have to earn that title together. It's not just about me."

Shou laughed as he snaked off to the hurdles. "Always a team player, Jin. That's what I love about you."

Her face burned from his words, her heart beating in double time. 'What a weirdo. He's always teasing me.' Her thoughts couldn't stop the smile that slowly lit up her face.

It wasn't until her teammates started yelling that Jin realized the problem.

"Listen here, Ms. Hot Shot. I don't care what you were trying to do, but this area is closed for track practice, so please leave," Jin heard Miya demand.

Puzzled, Jin began walking over to where her teammates were standing. 'Shouldn't they have started warming up by now?'

"Ladies! What's going on here? Get back to your drills!" Jin shouted. "The coaches are going to run us hard if we're not done by the time they come out."

Miyaki, one of the long distance runners, ran over to her. "We're kind of in a pinch right now, Captain. A girl that Miya doesn't like came strolling across the field while we were practicing. We've tried calming her down, but she's too fired up."

Jin nodded and moved through the crowd they had created. "Okay, okay, what's with all the fuss around here?" Finally spotting Miya, she walked up to her. "Hey, Miya what are you-"

"Jin, why haven't you thrown this trespasser off our field yet?" Miya asked. "Everybody at school knows that if you're not on the team, then you can't be on the field at practice time."

Wondering who got Miya all worked up, Jin looked in the direction of the guilty party; she froze.

'Who… is she?'

Wearing only a pink sports bra and black spandex leggings, a girl with fiery red hair and amber-colored eyes stared back at her. Her toned core dazzled in the evening sun. A water bottle hung loosely from her fingers as she glared at Miya. Catching sight of Jin, she gave her the once-over.

"If you're the Captain, then you're exactly who I'm looking for." Bowing, the girl introduced herself. "I am Desani Miller. The coaches said I needed to speak with you in order to join the track team."

The gasps from the crowd were audible after hearing her speak for the first time.

"Is she nuts? She's already missed out on training."

"Our first meet is next week! What does she think she's doing?"

"There's no way Captain is going to let her join."

Desani straightened, brushing off the girls' comments. "Doubt me if you will, but I am more than capable of joining this track team. I may have missed training, but I am not out of shape. Running is a big part of my life and it would be an honor to run for this team."

Jin looked her over, noticing out of the corner of her eye that even the boys were looking on at their spectacle. 'I have to end this before something crazy happens.'

"Your determination and heart is quite impressive, however I don't think it would be best for the team to have a new addition this late into the season. We're busy preparing for next week's event and we can't waste time bringing you up to speed. If running was so important to you, then you should have tried out at the beginning of the school year."

Desani glared her down. "So, you won't even try to gauge me on my skill? I can sprint, run relays and long distance, do hurdles, discus, javelin, shot put, long and high jumps. You name it. I can do them all."

Jin could hear the murmurs rising from the girls again. 'Is she truly that talented?'

"Now, this girl has spunk."

Jin's eyes widened as she felt Shou walk up next to her. "Shou?"

"Don't you see it?" Shou, looking down at her, whispered. "The fire in her eyes?"

"Uh- well, it's obvious that she wants it, but…"

"But what? Let's see what she can do." Glancing over at Desani, Shou grinned. "How about a little race? A 400-meter sprint with the Captain; if you can win, you can join the team."

Jin looked at him, shocked. "What are you doing? Isn't that a little bit unfair?"

Shou shook his head. "Of course not. If she thinks she's as good as she is, then I'm sure she can handle running against the fastest girl on the team," he said, loud enough for Desani to hear him.

"Well then, do you accept, Desani?" Looking back at her with a smirk, he was shocked to see the expression on her face. 'What's with that haughty look?'

"Of course I accept," she replied, raising a finger in the air. "But with one request."

"Hmm?" Shou raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

Jin took in how confident Desani appeared, her shoulders pulled back and her spine completely straight. 'It's as if…'

Her eyes widened. 'No way.'

Crossing her arms over her chest, Desani stared down the two captains. "I would like to race against the fastest boy on the team."

'I can't believe I agreed to this,' Shou thought to himself as his teammates prepared the starting blocks for the run-off. 'Honestly, my big mouth just doesn't know when to quit.'

Shou glanced over at his competitor. Desani had tied her hair up into a high ponytail, brushing her bangs out of the way. Switching from her running shoes to her pink and black track spikes, Desani was already stretching and loosening up for the race.

Shou's eyes softened as he watched her. 'She's like Jin in many ways. All the qualities I like in a girl.' Refocusing his attention on stretching out the muscles in his legs, Shou switched to his inner zone. 'As cute as you are, I am bringing my A-game to this challenge, which means you have no hope of getting on this team.'

Settling into the blocks prepared for him, Desani's words drifted back to him. "I fight for what I want, and what I want is to be on this team. If you think you can stop me, then prove it. Beat me in this showdown and I won't ever step on this track again."

He looked down at Jin and saw the surprise in her eyes. "She really thinks she can beat you, Shou."

Eyeing the woman as defiant as her hair color, Shou smirked. "It wouldn't be any fun if she didn't."

Tensing, Jin stepped in front of him. "All this is going to do is cause a commotion." Balling her fists, she stared at Desani. "The coaches said you had to talk to me in order to join this team, so the only way I'll let you do that is if you beat me in a race."

Jin's teeth clenched as Desani's hands moved to rest on her hips. Cocking her head to the side, Desani looked at her with a pitiful smile. "I would, Captain, but I wouldn't want to embarrass you."

"What?!" The girls exclaimed in shock.

"Who do you think you are talking to her like that? And don't call her captain!" Miya yelled, stepping forward after being silenced by Jin. "This is why I don't like her," she directed towards her captain. "Jin, you haven't seen her around campus, but the girl thinks she owns the place. You can't let her on this team!"

"And why is that?" Desani asked. "Are you that afraid of a little challenge?"

Jin stepped forward, fangs bared. "Why you-"

"Stop," Shou suddenly said, his arm coming up to halt Jin's movement.

Anticipating her objections, Shou looked down at her and shook his head. "The best way to end this is to just give her what she wants. She's already spoken to the coaches, so if they've already made their decision, then we can't change it."

Jin looked up at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

Taking in Desani with a serious expression, he nodded. "It seems the coaches just wants her to show us what she's got. She's already proven herself to them," Shou looked over his shoulder at Jin, "so now she has to prove herself to us."

Her face flashing between understanding and uncertainty, Jin gave in. "Alright. If you want to lose that badly, then you can square off against Shou. If you win, we'll accept you onto the team. If not, please tell the coaches that we do not find you a suitable teammate. Understood?"

Nodding, Desani bowed. "Thank you very much."

Jin shook her head. "Okay, everyone listen up. Before our daily drills, we'll start off with a very special Death Race: Shou Saiko versus Desani Miller. Everyone, begin track preparations for the runners."

Walking past Desani, Jin whispered so that only she could hear, "You don't know what you've just gotten yourself into."

With a smile, she replied, "I don't plan on losing."

Jin shivered as she remembered her words. 'Who is she? I've never met anybody who has been confident enough to think they can beat a powerhouse runner like Shou.'

Biting her bottom lip, Jin observed the two tense at the blocks, waiting for the shot that would have them reacting like coiled springs as they burst out into what could be the best race any of the runners have witnessed.

'If she can actually pull this off, she'll immediately become one of our best track stars. And the girls could actually have a chance at the Championship this year…'

Surprised at her thoughts, Jin furiously shook her head. 'What am I doing? No matter what, I have to root for Shou. He's already a team member, so I can't turn my back on him.'

As the countdown began, Jin clenched her fist over her chest. 'Do your best, Shou.'

The captain barely registered the shot of the starting pistol as her eyes tried to keep up with the two sprinters on the field.

Everyone was silent as they took in the spectacle unfolding before them. Step for step, the duo met each other's strides for the first 300 meters.

Shou was running at an incredible speed, leaving just enough energy for his signature kick at the 300-meter mark. His heart knocking inside his ears, he could still make out the steady strides of the runner next to him.

'Amazing… nobody has ever met me stride-for-stride before. Not even the guys I ran against at the Championship last year.'

Finding his final last 100 meters, Shou kicked it into overdrive. 'She's very impressive, but she won't be able to catch me after this. It's kind of sad. She would have been a great addition to the team.'

His legs long and high, Shou reached his top speed with Desani nowhere in sight. Seeing the finish line, Shou smirked. 'Looks like it's over-'

Red was all his eyes could register before the whistle was blown.

"With an amazing kick at the 350-meter mark, Desani Miller wins in a landslide!" Shou hears as he looks up at the replay board.

There she was. Bronze and scarlet clashed as she passed him right before the finish line. As close as it was, it was undeniable.

Desani had won.

"I can't believe this… Shou lost?"

He could already hear the murmurs of his teammates. Looking down at his black spikes covered in red asphalt, Shou decided to instead focus on recovering his breath.

'I've never ran so hard before in my life. Could it be that she's the first person to ever give me an actual challenge?'

"Now you know the oxygen isn't down there," a voice echoed through his thoughts. Looking up, Shou examined the outstretched hand of his rival and traveled all the way up to the soft smile on her face.

"Always look to the sun." Gasping, Shou flushed red as he hesitantly took her hand and stood.

Taking in her friendly exposition, Shou smiled back, not letting go of her hand.

With a firm handshake, Shou replied, "Congratulations, Desani. Welcome to the team."

Grinning, Desani's eyes shined in excitement. "Thanks so much, Captain."

From the bleachers, all Jin could do was watch.

"Alright! Here's your uniform for the meets. You can wear any type of workout gear to practice. Just make sure you have your parents fill out this consent form and you're good to go. Coach already confirmed your physical results, so you can start practice on Monday."

Desani nodded and accepted the clothing pieces. "Thanks, Captain." Smiling at Shou, she directed her gaze at Jin. "I apologize if I seemed rather rude earlier. I just had to do what I needed to do to get your attention. Please take care of me," Desani added with a short bow.

Mentally sighing, Jin forced a smile. "Understandable. You have to be ruthless if you want to achieve in sports. Enjoy your day off and get ready for hard training next week."

After Desani was out of earshot, Jin let out a dry chuckle. "Why do I have a feeling we all just got played?"

Not hearing a response from Shou, she snuck a peak out of her peripherals. Jin's eyes widened as she realized Shou had watched Desani walk off the field.

Feeling a jab in his side, Shou looked down to a rather disgruntled Jin. "Oh, sorry. What was that?"

Shaking her head, Jin walked off. "Never mind."

Surprised, Shou reached out to grab her elbow. "Hey, don't be like that."

Rolling her eyes, Jin crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the ground. "You don't have to be so fascinated with her."

Brow burrowing in confusion, Shou tenderly tipped her head so that he could look in her eyes. "How could I not be? Aren't you? She's the first person to beat me in a race."

'Always look to the sun.' Desani's words came back to him and he smiled. 'She wasn't haughty or anything. Even though she won, she still treated me like I was her captain.'

Looking down at a mumbling Jin, Shou shook his head. 'You don't realize just how alike you two are. Once upon a time, you said the same thing to me.'

"I'm definitely impressed by her running capabilities, but I'm still upset you ran against her," Jin replied.

"Why?" Shou asked in surprise.

Shou held back a gasp as Jin's hand suddenly reached up and grabbed the front of his t-shirt. Looking into her eyes, he was surprised to see a fire in her eyes, not too different from the one he saw in Desani's eyes earlier. "You idiot! If anyone was going to beat you, it was supposed to be me!"

Behind the inferno, he could see the waterfall. "Oh Jin," he whispered as he pulled her into a hug. "When you're ready to race again, I'll be there at the starting line, waiting for you."

Feeling the warmth of his skin through the fabric, Jin cooled down, allowing only a single tear to escape. 'You're such an idiot.'

As she closed her eyes, Jin realized she didn't know if those words were meant for Shou or for herself.

Stepping off the track, Desani paused when she saw the four pairs of eyes staring at her.

With only silence passing between them, Desani took a deep breath and smiled.

"Hey, everyone. I didn't know you guys were here, but I'm glad you came."

Yugi's eyes widened at how happy she looked. "Wow… it's been a really long time since we last saw that smile."

Eyes softening as she sensed the earnest in his words, she chuckled. Sheepishly, she rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah, I'm sure I've had you all worried about how I've been acting lately. However, I've accomplished something great today, so how about we celebrate together?"

Mana clapped her hands in excitement. "So does that mean you're not mad at us anymore?"

With a guilty look, Desani stared at the ground. "Well, I don't think I've been mad for a while now. It's just something about this form that made me hold a grudge, which I've never done before. I promise that I'll try my best to get a handle on my emotions."

Joey suddenly ran up to her and lifted her up, spinning in enthusiasm. "That's our girl! We've missed ya!" Desani laughed in reply.

Smiling at Desani's and Joey's reunion, Yugi chanced a glance at Atem. He wasn't surprised to find a frown still gracing his lips.

'This time, I won't ask. He'll reveal his problem sooner or later.'

And just as he expected, Atem spoke.

"Desani, don't you think it's a bit unfair of you to join a sport that you clearly have an advantage in?" Atem asked.

Interrupting her conversation with Joey, Desani looked over at Atem with an unreadable expression. "I went to have a physical for the first time in my life and it was confirmed that as of right now, I am as human as anybody else."

Looking down at the silver wrapped around her wrists, she frowned. "Even if I've lost certain qualities of myself, what I haven't lost is my physical fitness. Because I've always been conditioned to run faster and longer than most people, I naturally have the ability I just displayed on the track."

Looking up at Atem, she continued. "If you must know, I actually held myself back so that my teammates wouldn't think I was using performance-enhancing drugs. Plus, Shou was giving his everything while I forced myself down to 50%. I cheated him and I cheated myself, but it's what I had to do to join the team.

"If you honestly have a problem with that, I can't do anything about it. I'm already on the team and there's no going back now."

Atem closed his eyes and shook his head in dismay. "So have you so quickly forgotten what you've been sent to do in the first place?"

"No, I have not," Desani replied. "Unfortunately, in my current state, I'm not of much help. Once I have your full cooperation, then maybe I can start trying to dispel the curse that has been cast on me."

Desani waited for a reply, but he just stared at her. "Fine. Be that way." Ignoring him completely, she turned to Yugi.

"Yugi?" Walking up to him and taking his hand in hers, she looked at him with pleas in her eyes. "Would you and the others like to celebrate with me?"

Blushing from how close she was, Yugi nodded. "Um, I don't think we have anything else planned and it's been forever since you've wanted to hang out with us. What would you like to do?"

The flash in her eyes caught him by surprise. "It's Friday, right? I would just love to check out this new club I've been hearing about lately. You don't mind, do you?"

Yugi's eyes widened. "A club? We're not old enough!"

Tsking and wagging her finger in his face, Desani smirked. "You don't get out much, do you? This is a 16 and over club, which means we can all get in. They'll even take our school ID's as proof of age.

"So how about it?" she asked the others, looking at them with hopeful eyes. "We can head over to my place right now to change."

"I've never been to a club before, so it sounds fun!" Mana immediately responded.

"Yes! I can always count on you," Desani happily exclaimed as she pulled her into a hug.

"If it means hanging out with you, then I'm so in," Tristan added.

"Me too," Joey dittoed.

"Thank you so much," Desani looked back at Yugi and Atem. "It would really mean a lot to me if you two came along."

Crossing his arms across his chest, Atem met her eyes. "If Yugi's willing to go, then you can count me in."

Nervous, Yugi looked back and forth between Atem and Desani. 'Thanks for putting me on the spot, Atem.'

"Desani, if you promise to never distance yourself from us again, then I'll go with you," Yugi finally said.

Pulling him into a hug, Desani smiled. "You have my word, and my word is my bond."

Surprised to hear the same promise Atem once made to him, Yugi hugged her back. "Okay, then. Let's go."

Four hours and several outfit changes later, Yugi found himself awkwardly positioned against the teenage bar on one of the far walls of Ice Cold, the new club in Domino City. He took in the wide dance floor in front of him, surrounded by lush lounge chairs and teenagers from high schools across the city. Several elevators around the room could take people up to the second floor, which housed a second dance floor and the disc jockey. The open ceiling of the first floor allowed clubbers to check out what was happening up on the second floor.

Squirming, he looked down in dismay at his choice of clothing. "Uh, Atem? I think we're a bit underdressed for this place."

"I think it's fine," the moody pharaoh replied, brushing the thought off.

'Only because you didn't grow up in this century,' Yugi begrudgingly thought as he looked down at his familiar ensemble, a pair of black leather pants coupled with a black cut off shirt. Glamorized by a belt chain and a silver watch he borrowed from Desani, Yugi wondered why he settled on such a simple outfit.

He looked back at Atem, who was wearing an almost identical outfit. Instead of a cut off shirt, Atem wore a black evening shirt, leaving three buttons undone to show off a plain gold chain Yugi lent to him.

Not getting any help from him, he searched around for two rowdy teenagers that had been missing for a while.

"Where did Joey and Tristan go?" Yugi asked out loud.

"Those two?" Desani heard as she and Mana walked back over to the bar. "I think they went to go talk to the deejay."

"Atemie!" Mana yelled at her best friend over the music. "Look who we ran into!"

From behind her, Ryou sheepishly peaked out his head. "Hello, everyone."

"Ryou? I'm surprised to find you here," Yugi opined.

Ryou laughed. "Yeah, I'm surprised myself. A friend from school wanted me to come because he didn't want to go alone, but now I can't even find the slippery fellow. Luckily I ran into Desani and Mana, whom both look ravishing tonight, I might add."

Blushing, Mana hid her giggle behind her hand. "Thank you so much. I think you're my first compliment of the night." Her hair straightened into an elegant style that accented her blue-green eyes, Mana's evening ensemble featured a green ruffled shirt and dark grey knee-length pencil skirt. A matching green floral jewelry set finished off her look as she walked in black ballet flats.

"I'm glad to hear that." Taking her hand, Ryou lightly kissed the top of it. "Would you like to have this dance?"

Blushing, Mana smiled. "O-of course." Hesitantly, she looked at Atem.

Observing the exchange, Atem waved her away. Beaming, Mana clasped hands with Ryou as they stepped onto the dance floor.

"She looks great tonight, doesn't she?" Desani asked them.

Yugi nodded. "She really does. She looks so sophisticated."

Desani giggled. "Why thank you! I had fun dressing her up tonight."

"Your outfit is amazing as well," Yugi shyly commented. Desani wore black blue jean shorts with a red gypsy tube tank top, accented with silver designs. Her hair was tied up into high twin tails with silver ribbons and wore twin silver bangles for accessories. Turning around on her two-inch black wedges, Desani looked herself over.

"You think so? To be honest, I wasn't sure what to wear, so I went casual just to be on the safe side." Facing him, Desani smiled. "I'm glad you like it."

Flushing red, Yugi nodded. "Yeah. It looks really nice on you. Don't you think, Atem?"

Hearing his name, Atem examined Desani and her outfit. "Don't you think it's a bit revealing?"

"Atem!"

Yugi looked at Desani, quick to do damage control. "Don't mind him. You're really pretty tonight."

Her eyes focusing on Yugi, Desani softly smiled at him. "Thank you." Averting her gaze to the dance floor, she nervously rubbed her hands together. "Um… would you like to dance with me?"

Taken aback by her sudden request, Yugi froze. 'She's not getting mad at what Atem said? Or is she simply ignoring it?'

Her eyes not meeting his, Yugi quickly scanned her frame. His eyes narrowed in on her set jaw and balled fists. 'No. She's holding back… she's trying to keep her promise.'

"Uh, well," he finally answered, "I- uh, I'm not a really good dancer."

Looking back towards him, Desani smiled at him. "Well then, let me teach you." Grabbing his hand, Desani hauled Yugi out onto the dance floor.

"Desani, w-wait!" Yugi gasped, nervous that he would make a fool out of himself.

Near the center of the dance floor, Desani let go of his hand and faced him. "Don't worry. Dancing is easy once you get used to it."

Listening to the club music, Desani started swaying side to side. "Just pay attention to the rhythm of the music and hit the pronounced beats." Taking his hands into hers, she motioned for him to mirror her movements.

Unsteadily, Yugi moved his feet, following Desani's two-step. "You're doing great," Desani praised. "Just try to relax a little more and get into the music."

Yugi nodded. 'It's not really easy relaxing around someone like you, Desani.'

Realizing he was starting to get more comfortable, Desani let his hands go. Catching his eyes, she began rolling her body.

"Okay, Yugi. Just loosen up a bit more and add in your arms."

"S-sure," Yugi stammered. Watching Desani to try and mimic what she was doing, Yugi's eyes widened in wonder. 'Wow, she's really good. I didn't know she could dance so well.'

Eyes drifting around to the people surrounding them, Yugi imitated the moves of some of the guys that were on the dance floor.

"There you go!" Desani praised. "You're a bona fide dancer now," she grinned.

Blushing, Yugi soaked in her compliment. "Thanks, Desani."

She giggled. "I bet you didn't even notice we caught an audience."

Surprised, Yugi stopped as he filled with embarrassment. "What?" His sudden stop pushed his body back, making him collide with a passing guy.

"Hey, watch it!" The belligerent stranger yelled as he pushed Yugi away from him.

"S-sorry!" Yugi barely got out before he crashed up against Desani. "Oh no! I'm so sorry!" Eyes closed, Yugi didn't realize how tightly he was holding her.

Gently pushing against his chest, Desani cooled down from the sudden movement. 'Had I had my powers, I would have been able to sense this and help Yugi regain his composure.'

"It's fine, Yugi. Don't beat yourself up about it." Realizing he was still too shocked to let go, Desani was relieved when the music changed to a slow song. 'Okay, I can work with this.'

Wrapping her arms around his waist, Desani tentatively placed her head on his chest and rocked softly to the mostly instrumental song.

Finally aware of his senses, Yugi found himself awkwardly holding Desani as she was swaying against him.

"Uh, Desani?"

Hearing the question in his voice, Desani looked up at him. "This is a slow song. You normally dance with a partner for this type of music."

Pulling back, Desani loosened Yugi's grip on her shirt and pulled his arms down around her waist. Running her hands up his arms and over his shoulders, she locked her arms around his neck and looked up at him.

"Now sway with me," she instructed.

His whole face red, Yugi nervously followed her whispered advice. Unable to meet her eyes, Yugi's eyes flitted across the club.

"Yugi," Desani said with a warning, "you're getting stiff again. Relax."

"I-I'm trying," he pushed out of his lips. Looking down, he mistakenly made eye contact. 'Oh wow. Her new eye color is even prettier up close.'

"Yugi?" Desani timidly called out.

Blinking, Yugi looked at her. "Yeah?" The look in her eyes instantly had him worried. "What's wrong?"

"I just… I would like to apologize." Sighing, Desani's brow furrowed with sadness. "When I woke up, and you had me in your arms, I was so glad that despite everything, you were still there for me. But then- I let my rage consume me and I ended up hurting you in the process." Arms tightening, Desani plunged her face into the crook of his neck. "I am truly sorry for what I did. I just want you to know that."

Not knowing what to say, Yugi held her closer. Closing his eyes, he listened for her heartbeat. 'I could never hold that against you. I'm just glad you're here with us, right now.'

With gentle fingers, he lifted her chin until their gazes locked on each other. "I forgive you. However, I'm not the only one you should be apologizing to."

Desani sadly nodded. "I know, but I don't know what to do."

Smiling, Yugi shook his head. "Yes you do. Just do the same thing you did with me."

Biting her lower lip in hesitation, Desani slowly nodded. "Okay."

Separating, the two walked back over to their place near the bar. Seeing Joey and Tristan, they waved and hurried over. "Hey guys, haven't seen you in awhile," Yugi commented.

"Heh, sorry about that," Tristan replied. "We ran up to the DJ booth to get him to play a slow song for Mana and Ryou. We saw them all huddled up on the dance floor not too long ago."

They grinned at each other. "They look cute together, don't they?" Joey asked.

"They really do," Desani agreed. "Mana just went on and on about him after we met up with him earlier."

"Yeah, they're cute," Tristan opined. "However, I'd say the cutest thing we saw today was you teaching Yugi how to dance. Everyone we passed thought you two were a couple."

Cheeks burning, Yugi put his hands up. "Oh, stop with the teasing, you two!"

"We may be teasing, but it's the truth, Yug," Joey replied as he wrapped an arm across his friend's shoulder. "All the guys were jealous of you and all the girls were envious of Desani."

Giggling, Desani playfully pulled on Joey's ear. "Leave the guy alone. You know he gets embarrassed easily."

"Alright, alright," Joey growled in mock pain. "You can let go now, mommy." Tristan and Desani roared with laughter.

Shaking his head at the three, Yugi eyes searched the bar. "Hey, do you guys know where Atem went?"

Shrugging, Joey and Tristan shook their heads. "He wasn't here when we got back," Tristan said.

"Where did he run off to?" Yugi asked out loud. 'It's not like he has other friends here.'

"Calm down, everyone. I'm right here." Turning, four pairs of eyes locked on Atem. "Seeing as I was left alone, I took it upon myself to check this place out."

"Uh… sorry about that," Yugi said, blushing slightly at the memory. "If you'd like, you can dance with Desani."

"No thanks," Atem said. "After all that walking, I just want to sit down for awhile." Asking the bartender for a cup of water, Atem lounged out on one of the seats at the bar.

Feeling a nerve tightening in his membrane, Yugi took a deep breath to calm himself down. He watched with apprehension as Desani trekked over to Atem's seat.

"Atem?" Desani didn't miss the stiffening of his back when he heard him call out her name. Slowly turning around, he stared at her.

"What is it?" Atem asked, irritation biting at his words.

"Would you like to dance with me later?" she slowly asked.

Frowning, Atem looked at her. "Quite frankly, I'd much rather go home."

Her arms pulled nervously behind her back, Desani stifled a sigh. "Isn't tonight supposed to be a celebration? I mean, you haven't even congratulated me for making it onto the track team."

"I won't be congratulating you because I don't agree with it. You already know that," Atem stiffly replied.

Three men nervously watched the showdown between the pharaoh and the sorceress.

Ignoring his spiteful words, Desani tried to reason with him again. "Look, I know we haven't been on the same page lately, but at least I'm trying to put my best foot forward here. It's obvious that you're upset with me about how I've ignored everyone these past two weeks, but that was just my way of dealing with life in this new terrible state." Looking down at her arms, Desani grimaced at the silver burn marks left on her skin after the disks completely melded with her body. "I wasn't mad at you or any of the others. I was just brooding.

"So could you please forgive me?!" Shaken by the cry that left her lips, Desani looked up at Atem, hoping to see a look of surprise, uncertainty, understanding… anything other than the cold gaze he now reserved only for her. What she found instead were a pair of eyes not even focused on her.

"A-Atem," she called out. As if in a daze, Atem started to move past her. "W-wait!" Desani cried out, reaching out for his arm.

Completely blocking her out, he brushed away her hand as he rushed towards the object of his pinpointed gaze. In only seconds, Atem was on the other side of the room. In front of him were a group of young men and women similarly dressed, but one girl stood out from all the rest.

With shorts and a light pink jacket pulled over her leotard, the young woman happily chatted with her peers, nonchalantly pushing her brown hair back behind her left ear.

Rushing after Atem to see what he was doing, three pairs of eyes stopped and stared in surprise, not believing what they were seeing.

Feeling eyes watching her, the young woman turned her head away from her friends to look out onto the dance floor. She froze when her eyes landed on Atem.

Afraid she would get away, Atem stepped forward, his eyes never leaving hers. With a slight bow and an outstretched hand, he spoke.

"May I have this dance, Téa?"

Yugi stared at the brunette's frozen frame. '…Téa?'

From the dance floor, all Desani could do was watch.

A/N: Just so that all of you know, I cried at the end of this chapter.

I am so happy to reintroduce Téa! It's been awhile, hasn't it? And why is Atem being such a jerk? I don't know! Right now, my creative juices are just telling me he has to be! What can you expect from the next chapter? Hint: Progress.

For those of you wondering about the whole track arc in this episode, all I'm going to do is redirect you back to Desani's introduction in the second chapter. The answer awaits you there (if you haven't forgotten). And what do you think about the team captains? I didn't really plan their appearance, but they're interesting characters, ne?

Love,

~AtemsDestinee