"Hey! It's just us!" Tristan called out happily. Stepping aside to let Joey in carrying bags of groceries he kicked the door closed and followed him through.

"That was fast! Are you sure you got everything?" Tea called from the other room.

"Yes mum." Tristan called back in his most annoying, child like voice he could.

Navigating Bakura's apartment became second nature to them very quickly and in no time at all did they make themselves at home. Which also meant buying food and stocking the kitchen while Bakura worked and they "helped".

Joey began unloading the backs, sitting himself before the fridge when Tea came to join them.

"Did you get the herbal spiced tea?" She asked as she began rummaging through one of the bags on the counter.

"Yes."

"Did you get sugar?"

"Yes."

"Did you get -"

"Tea we got everything." Tristan snapped as he snatched the bag from her.

"Okay I'm just asking, cause Bakura's been working really hard and could do with a break soon." She sighed.

"Has he made any progress?" Joey asked curiously.

"Not since last night. None of the pieces seem to want to fit properly."

"They have to fit. Yugi solved it before, like at least twice before…" Tristan said as he fished out the tea and sugar Tea had been looking for.

"Yeah but Yugi … I think he was meant to solve the puzzle. I've been helping him and unless we're missing some pieces none of them seem to click." Tea said.

"There's gotta be a way." Joey reiterated and left the room, leaving the milk with Tea before doing so.

Tristan kept unloading the bags, sorting them out into piles of where they should go when he caught Tea opening the tea box, however her eyes were cast down. She wasn't just focusing on the box… her brows were furrowed ever so slightly, her cheeks a soft pink. She looked thinner, paler… tired. It wasn't usual for him to notice how tired she looked but he was certain something was wrong.

"Hey Tea." He said.

"Mm?" She didn't look up to him but the corners of her lips twitched upon her success of finally getting the box open.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier."

She glanced at him, her eyes wide in confusion but she shook it off and searched for a mug. "It's okay. We're all tired and working hard."

"Yeah."

They fell silent again but Tristan felt there was more to it than fatigue. He sighed, putting down the box of strawberry pocky Joey insisted on buying and came to stand beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder and her hands working the tea bag.

"We'll get him back. We'll find him. That jewel went through with them and it came back… we just have to open the portal up again and then fish him out. I'm sure he's safe… he's the toughest guy we know."

"I know you're right… I just … if we can't find him. If we open the portal and it goes somewhere else… it's just he was gone so quickly. I miss his smile, his voice … I miss him."

"We all do. Thats why we're not going to stop until we find him and make sure he's home safe and sound. Where he belongs."

She looked up at him, eyes wide with hope, searching through his to find the strength he portrayed to her. He felt hot under gaze, felt his cheeks tingling … he'd never felt so strung up under her scrutiny before but as she smiled he felt better. Tea was the strongest woman he had ever known, it wasn't right for her to be so down so this suited him much better.

"Thank you Tristan. You're right. No matter how long it takes we won't abandon him." She said strongly. Her shoulders squared, her back straightened and she set to making the tea with a new resolve burning in her actions.

"Joey be careful with that!" They heard Bakura shout followed by several loud clinking noises and a cheer.

"HAHA WHO DA MAN!" They heard Joey shout victoriously.

They left together, abandoning what they were doing to spy Joey holding an incomplete puzzle to the roof like a flag, one hand balled on his fist and his chin creepily high, while Bakura sat with his face in his hand, shoulders down and elbows on knees.

"What are you doing?" Tristan asked.

"Iiiiiiii just connected the next piece. We're one step closer to completin' this thing!" Joey proclaimed proudly.

Bakura stood and snatched the puzzle from him, giving him a stern, tired and yet warning look.

"You could have broken it!" Was all he said as he sat back down with it to examine it. "And get off my table if you're going to wear shoes!"

Tea and Tristan sighed together, shared a giggle and returned to the kitchen.

Yugi strolled lazily along a wall around the Palace, gazing out to the vast expanse of the desert and lush grass growing around the Nile. He loved the view, found it breath taking. He was used to seeing Egypt but seeing it young, renewed was unlike anything he'd ever seen. It calmed him a lot while Atem was busy. Amusingly he thought this would become his new past time whenever Atem was busy and he found himself alone. Strolling the walls was remarkably calming and gave him pause to reflect.

Atem spent the afternoon with him until he was certain he was okay enough without him and even then Yugi almost needed to push him to get back to work. That was an hour ago and now the sun was setting. Lights of the city were being lit, the hustle and bustle was dying down. Guards patrolled, birds settled. Cats scurried after rodents and all was as it should be.

Atem had told him he wouldn't be long tonight. That tonight's meetings were simply updates on what they had discussed earlier. One of those topics included a day of remembrance for those lost at Yemshir, which would be a day for the Pharaoh to walk through his city and talk to his people. Yugi had been excited until he was told that for his safety Yugi would be required to stay within the Palace. He wasn't a fan of that, raising the point that Atem would be just a high a target for an attack as he would be. But there was little to be done about it. Atem promised him another day in the city but a grand event such as this would be too dangerous. Not even Yugis best arguments about surviving near death encounters without his help aided him in this argument.

Still he sighed and agreed and told his Pharaoh he'd behave … I'm fact that was more or less the last note he left him on short of pushing him to work.

He stopped by an area of wall where he watched children playing in the street. Their older siblings were telling them to come inside but we're being ignored. After chasing one another around for a time the children were eventually caught and carried in, laughing hysterically out of pure joy for having made their siblings chase them.

Lazily he thought about what Atem would do if he disobeyed him, if he snuck out and made him chase him around the city. He chuckled at the possibility… knowing full well it would likely not end with such laughter.

"Yugi?" Mana asked gently behind him.

"Mana! I'm sorry I didn't see you there." He said happily, forcing the smile.

She giggled and skipped to join him.

"Why aren't you with Pharaoh?" She asked.

"He's in a meeting. Or he's supposed to be. What are you up to?"

"Bored. Looking for something to do. It sucks when he's busy. I get so bored sometimes."

"Don't you have spells or classes or someone to hang with when he's busy?"

"Yeah but everyone else had duties too. Mine are all done so sometimes it gets difficult to fill the time. But now I'm with you!" She ended with a happy note. "But… You seem like you have a lot on your mind. Are you okay?"

"I'm great!" He lied.

She didn't buy it. Giving him an incredulous look which didn't suit her.

"Come on, you can tell me. I promise not to tell Pharaoh."

"What makes you think I don't want him to know?" He asked cheekily.

"Well … if you did… then you probably would have already told him and thus wouldn't be so sad now." She said matter of factly. He blinked, surprised at how accurate she was. Truth is he did know what was bothering him… but the fact is he had put the topic to bed so he wouldn't worry. He sighed, deciding it was silly to feel so down about it … but despite that he couldn't find the energy to just perk up.

"There's going to be day of remembrance for those lost recently but I've been told I'm not to leave the Palace. Pharaoh assures me it's for my safety but I just don't see why it's any safer for him to leave the Palace and spend the day in the city than it is for me. I know I'm being silly about it it's just… I want to go see his city, I want to see where he lives, meet his people, see how they live, be among them. Where I come from learning about how people live is my job, it's my passion aside from gaming."

He sighed again, leaning heavily on his arms. "I know there'll be more chances it's just … what if there isn't?"

"What makes you think there won't be?" She asked him.

"We spoke to Isis earlier."

She gasped and he looked to her, expecting something but she gestured for him to continue, apologising with her hands.

"...and while there's nothing concrete we had a moment. It's probably nothing but it's just got me thinking a lot about the time I have left. I want to stay here for as long as I can but … ultimately I have to take responsibility of Thomas, send him back home if I can, stop him from terrorising this place… with how my adventures usually go it'll get worse before it gets better. I might not be able to stay here forever… In order to ensure he isn't a threat to your people or mine I may need to leave with him… and getting here was a happy accident. I just… I want to make the most of what time I know I do have here. You know?"

"I do. I hope you can stay for as long as you like to and I know Pharaoh will do all he can to grant your wishes … but I do understand that your time may not be unlimited. Thats why I rush around so much. I like do everything I can and take as many opportunities as I can handle … often it gets me into trouble but if I slowed down to think about it, like certain other wizards here, then the opportunity might pass by."

"I assume you're talking about Mahaad again?" Yugi giggled and so did she.

"Yes. But Yugi I understand where you're coming from and I'd like to help if I can."

"Well unless you can convince the Pharaoh and his guardians that I'll be safe on the streets for a few hours …"

"Hmm… I might not be able to convince them that you'll be safe but… someone else maybe."

"Someone else?"

***2 days later***

"You've got full reign of where you go today, the entire Palace is open to you. I've already arranged with the guards to allow you anywhere you like and to aid you if you need it. I won't be gone all day but you should be able to find something to entertain yourself while I am gone." Atem told him. He sounded more like a mother than a Pharaoh, much to Yugi's amusement.

"I'll be fine. I'll have Mana with me." Yugi told him, giving him an earnest smile.

"Where is she?" Atem asked impatiently, looking around for his cheeky sorceress. She wasn't around to see Atem and his guardians off but Yugi knew she would be late.

"We shouldn't stall my Pharaoh. You've a busy schedule." Mahaad whispered to him.

"Right. Yugi -"

"Go. I'll be fine. I expect stories and some kind of souvenir so pay attention to everything!" Yugi told him firmly, earning him a relieved, heart warming smile.

"Thank you for being okay with this." He said kindly before he nodded to his guardians to leave.

He climbed aboard his chariot being carried by two horses. Mahaad and Shimon rode with him inside while Set commanded his guards to follow and create a circle around them. Without further delay they set off passed the massive city gates and for a while Yugi watched them until the gates closed. Thats when he moved.

He briskly walked back up the absurd amount of stairs and took the first right into a secluded garden. Under hedges and beautiful ferns he stopped to smell the flowers, the brush his fingers against the bark and to sit upon the bench. He sat there for a long while, enjoying the breeze, the smell of the flora and the heat of the sun until a servant girl approached him with a vase of water.

He'd have been fooled by her appearance: she was certainly dressed for the part wearing a plain linen dress with a single gold cord, sweet supple sandals and a protective white hood. Had she not been wearing golden arm and shin bands he'd have said she looked too much like a commoner to be a serving girl of the Palace but her disguise wouldn't be worn for long.

"You ready?" She asked quietly.

He nodded and stood, pretending she had just asked him somewhere. If someone were watching then he had just been summoned to see someone.

She led him out of the garden and down an ornate path, stopping to stand out of the way of passing servants… real passing servants. She took one of the hidden doors they used once the coast was clear and inside they climbed into a small cupboard. Here is where she took the hood off.

"Okay, so far so good. Now put these on." She said, shoving some plain wool clothing into his hands and turning around.

"You're not leaving?" Yugi asked her, blushing slightly.

"I won't peak… besides it'd be weird if someone saw me standing outside. Just change. Quickly." Mana ordered him.

"What about my clothes?"

"Put them in this sack when you're done. The jewellery too but leave on the ankle and arm cuffs." She said.

He did as he was told, switching the skirt and shirt for the ones she had gotten for him and removing all other pieces of jewellery such as the chest piece and gold belt, the upper arm bands. Now dressed into considerably more common attire, complete with short skirt… he asked her what she thought.

She smiled, tugged on the bottom of the skirt just a little which he promptly slapped her hand away. She giggled to herself and tied the sack of his Palace gear.

"Perfect. Now stand there. You can walk around the Palace wearing whatever you like, but there's only one person in the entire city with your complexion so…"

"She waved her wand in an S before him before tapping it on his head. White sparkles showered him but nothing seemed to change. He looked himself over and then glanced to her, expecting some kind of explanation.

She giggled and touched his skin, rubbing her fingers over his arm to reveal a copper, tanned smudge.

"You're going to need to rub your whole body for this to work. It will come off in water, so don't get wet. But once we're sure you're completely covered then I can put some makeup on you and walk you out."

"Umm… where I'm from this is … morally not okay." Yugi said nervously.

"It's fine here. Look you want to fit in right? Speaking of… people might mistake you for the Pharaohs' cousin with that hair too." She said, pondering as he rubbed his hands down his arms.

Once he was certain every inch that could be seen was now a healthy Egyptian copper and she was satisfied too, even getting to do under his clothing just in case, she sat him down and expertly drew on eyeliner with traditional kohl. He felt so giddy to be using Egyptian products, having noted that even Atem would apply it in the mornings as well. It accentuated his eyes perfectly, making his lashes longer and his features more prominent and beautiful. It was common among Egyptians for all to worry about vanity, including the men and women of any class. The gods valued beauty after all and so it was custom to wear it. Yugi himself had never worn it but when in Rome.

When she was done with him she pulled out some form of oil and ran it through his hair. She left out the blonde bangs framing his face but pulled the rest back into a low ponytail. This was something he didn't like too much but once she added the hooded cloak to cover most of his head he didn't mind.

"Okay, you look like you belong in the city. Now, you and I are going to deliver your clothes somewhere safe then we can leave."

"Okay." He said excitedly.

They delivered his clothes to her chambers, hiding them under her bed and then briskly left.

His name was Heba. He was Mana's friend from the city and today she was accompanying him on this day of remembrance. He had family in Yemshir and today needs a friend to keep him company. He doesn't like to show his face because of a nasty scar he is self conscious of and is very shy.

That was his cover, the personality Mana had given him.

They left easily through the stable entry, slipping through unnoticed and unobstructed. Once they were passed the Palace walls Yugi felt his heart racing. If Atem found out he had snuck out of the Palace in broad day light with Mana he would be furious … but Atem would not return to the city until mid afternoon which meant they had 5 hours at minimum before he returned. They planned for 4 hours… giving them plenty of time to get back, change and make themselves known before Atem would return. He wouldn't know a thing. He hated lying to him, but he honestly wanted to do this.

"So Heba… where do you want to go first?" Mana asked.

"I want to see the market." Yugi … Heba said with a smile.