"That's when I began to pray: Lord, show me how to say no to this. I don't know how to say no to this. But my God, she looks so helpless, and her body's saying, 'hell, yes.' Nooo, show me how to say no to this. I don't know how to say no to this. In my mind, I'm tryin' to go. (Go! Go! Go!) Then her mouth is on mine, and I don't say... No! No! Say no to this! No! No! Say no to this!"

~Hamilton, "Say No To This," written by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Seto leaned his forearms against the ship's railing as he closed his eyes tiredly. The whole day had been exhausting. Ryou and himself had also received invitations to Duelist Kingdom, and had decided to accompany Yugi to Duelist Kingdom. After all, there was too much at stake not to go. Mokuba hadn't been fully enthusiastic with his decision, but he believed that his brother would cope well and forgive him when he came home. He'd put up a surprising amount of resistance that morning, but by the time Seto took his brother to the Bakuras' house, he'd been much more compliant.

"Do you have to leave, Seto?" Mokuba asked for perhaps the fifth time that day.

"Yes, Mokuba. I can't pass up this kind of opportunity," Seto answered patiently. For one thing, there was the recognition of earning his title by fighting his way through a tournament. For another thing, there was the prize money. Three million dollars. If he could win that, then he would be able to move out with Mokuba as soon as he got back and found a decent apartment. He'd already been looking for one, of course, but he hadn't made any decisions just yet.

"But I'll miss you," Mokuba pouted, crossing his arms as he sat down on their bed. Seto sighed and turned back to his brother.

"I'll only be gone for a few days," Seto assured with a smile. He and Mokuba had never really been away from each other before, so he understood if he was a bit anxious. "I'll call you every night, okay?"

Mokuba sighed, unconvinced that phone calls were a real substitute for his brother.

"And it's not like you'll be alone. Marik and Amane will be there with you."

"But that'll be weird!" Mokuba exclaimed, flopping down onto the mattress dramatically. "They have a hard enough time talking to each other"—which made sense, given that she spoke primarily through sign language and Marik was still getting comfortable with Japanese—"and I'll have to keep translating for them."

"Hey now," Seto chided gently, kneeling down by his brother. "I want you to be nice to him. He's been away from his family for a very long time, and he doesn't know when he'll get to see them again. He's got a big brother too, you know."

"He does?"

"Yes, he does. And if Marik can wait this long without seeing his brother, then you can wait less than a week for me to return." He kissed his brother's forehead and smiled at him. "And, I have a present to give you before I go."

"You do?" Mokuba perked up at that, his eyes shining with excitement.

"Yep." Seto stood and went to his dresser, taking something out of the top drawer before handing it to Mokuba. It was a locket shaped like a Duel Monsters card, and Mokuba accepted it eagerly. As he pushed the button to open it, Seto pulled a second locket from the drawer and opened it as well.

"Where did you find this?" Mokuba gasped as he gently touched the image inside the locket. Seto held his own open locket next to Mokuba's.

"It was in one of mom's sketches. I did some more digging around after I found that drawing she did of you and finally found it. I don't know how this picture got in there, maybe from when our cousin was helped look after us."

Mokuba smiled as he looked down at the image of his big brother as a little kid, looking like the happiest person in the world. And there was Mokuba himself, looking equally cheerful inside Seto's locket. They were two halves of the same photo. There were probably no copies, which meant that he had to be extremely careful not to lose this one.

"I had both halves of the picture laminated to make them a bit more durable," Seto explained. "This way, we'll always be with each other, even when we're apart." He kissed his brother's cheek and tousled his dark hair. Mokuba threw his arms around his brother's neck, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you, Seto. I love it." Still in his older brother's embrace, Mokuba closed the locket and hung it around his neck, Seto doing the same with his own. A few moment's later, Mokuba's eyes widened with epiphany.

"You found Mom's sketchbook and didn't tell me?" Mokuba exclaimed as he pulled back in shocked indignance.

"I was saving it for a Christmas present," Seto replied, grinning sheepishly. "But, circumstances being what they are, I thought I'd give it to you early." He stood up again and carefully extracted the sketchbook from the same drawer and handed it to his brother. "Be careful with it, alright?"

"I will be, I promise." Mokuba hugged the old sketchbook to his chest. Seto felt a pang in his own chest as he remembered that he wasn't the only one who missed their mother.

Seto had expected it to be just him, Ryou, and Yugi going to Duelist Kingdom. Then Joey had showed up at the marina and tried—unsuccessfully—to sneak on board. Joey may be an expert at other kinds of sneaking—like sneaking home late after curfew or sneaky into the girls' locker-room at school—but when it came to boats, he was somewhat clueless.

As the security agents tried to escort him away, Joey had started to make a scene, and Seto took pity on him. He knew that Joey wanted to come to Duelist Kingdom so that he could fulfill his promise to Yugi that he'd do everything he could to save his grandfather. Seto and Yugi were perhaps the only two people who truly understood just how much Mr. Moto meant to Joey. Yugi's grandfather had become the best father figure in Joey's life. He was the only one Joey felt comfortable talking to about his fights with his parents and their dysfunctional relationship with their only son. He'd been a strong influence that encouraged Joey to continue cleaning up his act, even when it was hard, even when he was tempted to slip back into some of his old bad habits.

Joey owed a lot to him, and Seto was well aware of that fact, which was why he'd stepped forward and stopped the guards from removing Joey from the premises by giving Joey one of his two star-chips. Joey had expressed much gratitude as he joined Seto, Yugi, and Ryou in the line to board the cruise-ship.

After they were on board and the ship had sailed, Marik and Anzu emerged from hiding and found their friends. While everyone else seemed happy to have the extra support of their friends, it made Seto uneasy. With Marik here, that was one less person to keep an eye on Mokuba and look out for him.

You're paranoid, Seto, Seth tried to assure him. Miya will look after him.

Please don't call Ryou's mother by her first name. It just feels weird to me.

That was when Seto, feeling pensive and wanting fresh air, had gone up onto the deck. He'd been hoping to enjoy some solitude when he was joined by a rather captivating character.

"Hi there, stranger." Seto looked to the side as the newcomer leaned back against the railing, resting against her arms so that she could face him. Seto took her in with a single glance: tight white bustier to flatter her ample chest, high ponytail of blond curls, dueling deck in a garter strapped to her thigh, short purple skirt, white knee-high boots, bright violet eyes, full red lips, exuding an aura of mature confidence. She was no teenager, easily old enough to be in college. He could imagine someone like Joey or Duke drooling all over her, but Seto, who had no interest in getting close to anyone in any way, was immune to her seductive charms.

"Hi."

"This is usually the time that I'd hit the bar, but there doesn't seem to be one on this ship. It's a pity." She gave him an equally appraising look before holding out her hand. "My name's Mai Kujaku. You can call me Mai. How about you?"

He shook her hand and answered, "Seto."

"Well, Seto, what's your story?" she asked, too curious, too cheerful for Seto's taste. "What brought you to Duelist Kingdom?"

"I'll tell you if you tell me," he replied quickly, wary of sharing any part of himself with a stranger.

"I'm a professional duelist. I started with nothing and worked for everything I have now. This is how I make a living. Your turn."

"I'm at the bottom, and I'm working my way up," he answered, mimicking the vague style of her answer. "I'm practically raising my little brother on my own. I need that prize money."

"That's so sweet," she observed, tilting her head as she swing her perfect, shiny ponytail from side to side for a few moments. "You're still in high school, right?"

"Well, no, but I graduated early, so I'm at that age."

"Ah, I see. You seem more mature than most guys your age." She subtly edged closer to him as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, and while others might not have noticed, Seto did. Her eyes looked different now, her eyelids a tad lower, the new angle making her eyelashes look longer.

"So I've been told," he answered neutrally, starting to feel a bit nervous.

What's the problem? She obviously likes you.

That IS the problem, Seth. I can't like her.

Why not?

I told you when Duke—Oh, nevermind, you don't listen.

I DO listen, Seto, I just think that you're—

"I don't suppose you came here alone, did you?"

How very subtle.

"I didn't come alone, but I don't have a girlfriend, if that's what you're asking," he replied bluntly, his cheeks starting to feel hot the closer she got to him.

"Or boyfriend?" she asked, just to be sure.

"Nope, don't have one of those either." Her perfume was starting to tickle his nose.

"Then would you like to accompany me back to my room?" she murmured, lifting a playful eyebrow at him. "We could… duel."

The thinly veiled offer of sex made Seto want to roll his eyes, and he was about to when she leaned forward and kissed him. He was frozen in shock, his lips burning from the contact, then for a moment, a single moment, he let himself kiss her back, even though it hurt him to do so. It would be rude not to, right? Or maybe, just maybe, his old instincts of suppressing every urge to refuse brazen overtures were still intact. That thought scared him.

He put his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away, taking a step back himself as he tried to find the words to reject her kindly. Mai just thought that he was nervous about sleeping with someone he'd just met. She opened her mouth to speak when Joey swooped in and saved them both.

"Hey Seto! How's it going?" He swung a friendly arm around Seto's shoulders, loosely hanging on him as Seto quickly snatched his hands from Mai's shoulders. "Who's your friend here?"

"Mai Kujaku," she said warmly, introducing herself as she held out a hand. "And I'll crush you when we get to the island." The thrill of competition gleamed in her eyes.

"Well, we'll see about that," Joey retorted as he shook her hand, enjoying the challenge. "Sorry to steal my buddy away from ya, but I've gotta ask him about a card for my strategy, so, you understand why we can't stay. We'll see ya around, though!" He started to make off with Seto, but Mai stopped him with a burst of laughter.

"What's your name, silly?" she asked, her eyes twinkling.

"Oh, uh, Joey Wheeler. And don't you forget it!" And with that, the blond and the brunette escaped the vicinity of the magnetically attractive woman named Mai. Joey dragged Seto to the bow of the ship before he released him.

"What card did you have a question about, Joey?" Seto asked as he regained his breath. Why had Joey been in such a rush?

"Huh? Oh, yeah, that was a lie." He grinned sheepishly. "I thought you seemed kind of… uncomfortable with her. She was very… forward, don't you think?" In truth, he'd been watching the encounter between them, and when he'd seen the way Mai had kissed Seto, he was afraid for Seto, afraid that he might find it to be too much to what he'd experienced in his former profession as an "escort" and be depressed by it. That was a major contribution to why he'd interrupted at all.

Seto let out a sigh of relief and leaned back against the wall, sliding down to sit on the floor.

"God bless you, Joey Wheeler." The words were enthusiastic and filled with gratitude, and Joey smiled, glad that he'd been right in his assessment of the situation. He went over and sat next to Seto, the two of them staring out over the water together as the ship moved swiftly towards its destination.

"Are you… okay?" Joey asked hesitantly. Being the only one of his peers who knew the truth of what his life had been like for the past year meant that he was the only one who could ask that question and even hope to receive an honest, complete answer.

"No." Seto didn't know why, maybe because Joey had managed to keep his secret a secret for as long as he had, but he decided to trust him with something equally personal and private.

"What's wrong?" Joey immediately became tense and worried, afraid of an immediate physical threat as opposed to the psychological one he was actually facing.

"I really wish she hadn't kissed me," Seto whispered, as if he was too afraid of someone overhearing for him to speak up, even with the sound of the water canceling out all white noise and filling their ears with a dull steady roar. "I didn't want her to, but at first I couldn't… I couldn't stop her. It's like I've gotten so used to just putting up with anything that's done to me, I don't know how to refuse anymore." He wrapped his arms around himself as if for protection. "It scares me."

Joey gazed at Seto with sad eyes, both shocked and appreciative that Seto was taking this leap of faith with him. "But you did push her away, eventually. Your survival instincts are still in there, deep down. I trust that you'll be able to exercise them when it counts. I don't know what that feels like, and I can't say with certainty how or when that feeling will go away, if ever. But I do know that you're smart and you're strong, and you'll be able to protect yourself when it matters most, because you'll always have someone to fight for besides yourself." He'd learned quickly that Seto appreciated brutal honesty much more than optimistic flattery.

"Thank you," Seto replied with a sigh, still looking troubled, but feeling a bit better from Joey's words. They glanced at each other then, and Joey could understand why Mai had kissed Seto: he was beautiful in the moonlight, his eyes like stars. Joey licked his lips, looking as if there was more that he wanted to say, but before Seto could ask him what was on his mind, he seemed to brush that thought away and replace it with a cheerful smile.

"Have you called Mokuba to say goodnight, yet?"

"No, not yet."

"How about you do that now before joining us downstairs to sleep. I'm sure it'll make you feel better."

Seto smiled back as Joey stood. "Thanks. You're right. I'll see you downstairs, then."

They waved a farewell to each other as Joey left to give Seto some privacy for his phone call.

Seth awoke in the middle of the night, when most everyone else was asleep, including Seto. Why was he awake? He looked around, but there was nothing that would have disturbed his sleep. He didn't feel tired, but wide awake. He sat up slowly, and found that he felt stiff and cramped from the defensive position Seto had chosen to sleep in. He stood and stretched, careful not to disturb those around him as he made his way out of the room. It made him feel claustrophobic. He was used to the open spaces of the desert, the broad black night sky glittering with more stars than you could count. The street lights in Domino made it hard to see any stars at all. Maybe he'd have more luck out here on the ocean. He made it to the deck, and he took a moment to savor the cool brisk breeze, the salty sea air. He was a little disappointed by the sky, but it was still better than nothing. Compared to what you could see in the desert, though, it did seem like nothing. The phrase light pollution floated into Seth's consciousness from Seto's sleeping mind. He lay down on the deck, staring up at the stars for quite a while. He was pleased to recognize the constellations, even though they weren't in the right places. Then again, he remembered from conversations he'd overheard that Japan was very far from Egypt.

A fresh pang of homesickness hit him then for the first time since reuniting with this part of his soul. He hadn't had the time to be homesick until now. Before, he was preoccupied with concerns about Seto, about Mokuba, about Ryou's struggle with the Spirit of the Ring, about Seto's alcoholic father, about Yugi's grandfather, about the evil in Noah Kaiba's soul, about his amnesic cousin's spirit. Right now, though he was at peace. There wasn't anything they could do about any of those concerns, at least, not while they were on the boat to Duelist Kingdom. With his mind clear, no impending crisis or disaster for him to prepare for, he was actually able to relax and enjoy these moments, and to enjoy being young again, for that matter.

Every other time he'd taken over Seto's body, it had been for a very specific reason: to protect Seto from imminent danger. The danger took various forms—Death-T, Noah Kaiba, debilitating injuries, Gozaburo Kaiba—but the reason itself was always the same. So why was he awake now and not Seto? He may have been a priest and sorcerer, but there were still mysteries he had yet to unravel. He did know that Seto deserved to continue to sleep, though, and that his body deserved it too.

He stood up at last, somewhat regretfully, and began to make his way back to the room where his friends were sleeping. He must have made a mistake, though, for he soon found himself helplessly lost inside the ship's body. He didn't recognize this hallway. Had he taken a wrong turn, or a wrong set of stairs? Was this the wrong floor? Then suddenly, she was there. Seth turned a corner and almost bumped into her, the woman Seto had found to be alluring, but whom he'd rejected.

"I apologize. I should have been more careful," he said quickly, speaking in a sincere, friendly manner.

"Thank you," Mai replied, pleasantly surprised by his manners. "Few people know how to treat a lady properly these days." She took him in with a swift glance, still pleased with what she saw. "Would you mind walking me to my room?" she asked innocently, fluttering her eyelashes a bit. "The empty halls on this ship are a bit creepy at night, and they've made me all jumpy."

Seth felt heat rise in his cheeks as he answered, "Of course." She slipped her hand into his elbow as he escorted her back to her room. "What were you doing up and about this late?"

"I could ask you the same thing!" she teased, leading them towards her room as they walked. "I got up to see if I could find any food anywhere on this ship. I did bring food with me for the island, of course, but if I could avoid using my rations if at all possible, I would prefer it that way."

"Did you find any?"

"Nothing!" She sighed melodramatically. "You'd think someone as rich as Pegasus could afford to feed the people he invited to his island, but no! That's rich people for you." She rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"I know what you mean," he replied without thinking, but when she looked at him with a question in her amethyst eyes, he added, "I work for KaibaCorp, and Noah Kaiba acts the same way."

"They're all the same," she agreed. "The millionaires and billionaires, anyways." She brought them to a halt as they reached her door. "Thank you for walking with me," she purred, looking up at him warmly, her eyes bright. Something stirred inside Seth, and he realized that he was now in danger of making a terrible mistake. How had he been so foolish as to expose himself to such a strong temptation? She stepped up close to him, and he started praying to the gods, to Osiris, Horus, Anubis…

Ra, show me how to say no to this.

"You know, we didn't get to finish talking earlier," she murmured, her voice taking on a new quality. He blushed as he prayed to Hathor, Bastet, Sekhmet…

I don't know how to say no to this.

"Since we were interrupted, how about we continue now?" Even though she was so brazenly sexual, she still had a vulnerable, almost innocent look in her eyes. Her body, though, was not the body of some skittish girl. It was mature, it was begging to be touched…

Holy Ra, how do I say no...

Seth was imagining himself going, leaving her behind. He just had to move his foot, and that first step would get him going. If he could just move… But three thousand years of aching solitude crashed upon him with a crushing weight as she pressed her lips against his. And suddenly, he didn't know how to move, how to push her away, or how to say no.

Author Notes: Ooooooooooooh snap!O_O

Well, the Hamilton reference isn't quite so subtle this time around. ;) It seemed perfectly fitting for this scene, though, and I wanted you all to see that. Besides, the song is catchy, and it's kinda fun to read that last section with it playing in your head.

Please review, because more reviews = more chapters!Curious question for you to answer: Should Seth find a way to say no to Mai, or not? Your feedback may be taken into account in the writing of the next chapter, so make a difference and review!