Welcome back! I hope everyone's been staying safe and sane. I know I've been teetering on the brink of insanity, but that's really nothing new. I'm actually getting this chapter out sooner than I thought and I have the next chapter almost ready to go, so bonus!

Enjoy!


"Just jump down the endless pit, why don't you," Bakura grouched as he picked himself off the floor, "No need to tell anybody else what you're planning."

"It was better than just hanging there for eternity," Yugi shot back, unrepentant of his actions, "The Puzzle clearly wasn't going to let us out of that room, so I took a calculated risk."

"No offense, but I'm gonna need to see your math for that 'cause I think you made an error somewhere," Malik groaned.

"I'm the reincarnation of the Pharaoh," Yugi explained, "I figured the Puzzle wouldn't risk actually trapping or hurting me permanently."

"You mean to tell me that we've been carefully avoiding all of these traps for nothing?!" Seto demanded, "We were safe this whole time because we're with Yugi?"

The Mages looked to Yugi expectantly who shrugged. Honestly, even he knew his logic was flimsy. Being the reincarnation of the Pharaoh certainly hadn't saved him in the past. The Shadows did not discriminate, Court member or not. There had to be a better reason as to why what he did worked, but he couldn't think of it. Ishizu seemed to be thinking along the same line.

"I don't think it's that," she said thoughtfully, "How many rooms did we actually explore before that one?"

"Hardly any," Malik answered quickly, "Most of them were booby trapped."

"Exactly. We avoid all the traps, not bothering to even look past them and making very little progress along the way. What if the Puzzle was just telling us to take risks? I'm sure the Shadows want Yami to succeed as much as we do, so surely the Puzzle would help us out in some manner."

"You have a point," Seto quickly followed her logic, "The traps will probably kill us if we get caught in them, but if we can spring them then we should be able to enter the room after."

Bakura smacked his forehead on his hand. "Of course, how could I have been so stupid?"

Yugi opened his mouth to answer but was quickly jumped on by Ryou who ignored the glares of his fellow hikari and listened as Bakura continued his thought.

"In the tombs, the rooms with the greatest treasures are guarded more ferociously," the thief explained, "It stands to reason that the rooms with traps hold something of value, likely clues about Yami. I'm sure a majority of them are decoys, like the one we just fell through, but eventually we'll find what we're looking for."

"Of course!" Ishizu exclaimed, "It makes so much sense! How did we not realize it before?!"

"We were too busy trying not to die before we could help Yami," Seto answered the rhetorical question.

"So we have a plan then," Yugi pushed Ryou away, "We spring the traps and explore the rooms. The more dangerous the trap, the more likely we are to find what we're looking for."

"Which door should we try next?"


The first night after the week of celebrations ended, Yami walked through the now quiet palace, reflecting on all the changes that had happened during the year he was gone. He was sure that neither Mahaddo nor his father would approve of his unaccompanied late night stroll, but he would deal with them later.

One of the biggest changes was the new Bearer of the Millennium Key: Shada. Shada had actually been on the front lines fighting the war against Syria and was in the first group he had rotated out for rest.

When the group returned to the palace, apparently Shimon had felt he lost his connection with the Key. It still worked for him, the same way that the Necklace or the Eye would work for Yami, but the Key had chosen a new Bearer. When Shimon saw Shada, the Key responded to his presence, and so was made the new Key Bearer. Shimon, Yami was happy to learn, stayed as a mentor for Shada and also as a senior advisor to the Pharaoh.

"*****!" an energetic voice called from behind him.

Yami didn't know whether to grin or groan. There was only one person in the palace who managed to give the buzzing noise he heard that level of emotion. He didn't get a chance to respond, however. Just as he was turning to greet his nighttime visitor, they crashed into him at full speed and latched onto his arm.

"I've barely seen you since you got back!" Mana complained, ignoring Yami trying to regain his balance, "It was so boring while you were gone!"

"Glad to know I'd be missed," Yami replied dryly, a smile pulling at his lips as he rested his forearms on a nearby window ledge, "Just to be clear, you weren't worried I would die, the Syrians would invade, kill everyone, and take over Egypt? You were just concerned with how bored you were?"

Mana stuck her tongue out at him childishly and copied his posture. "We're friends, of course I was worried about you," she assured.

Yami smiled at her to let her know he was teasing. "I know. What are you doing up at this hour?"

"Well," Mana shifted, "Over the last year I would get up around now and go pray to the gods to keep you and the others safe. I guess I just got used to waking up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep. What about you? Why are you up?"

"It's been the first night in a year that it's actually been quiet enough for me to hear my own thoughts without having to worry about safety or public image," Yami answered honestly, "Don't tell Mahaddo that I'm wandering around without a guard. I'll never hear the end of it."

Mana giggled, "So long as you agree not to tell Mahaddo that I've been practicing some higher level spells without his supervision."

"Deal." Yami turned his attention to the sky, his focus being drawn back to the upside-down pyramid. He hadn't seen it during his time at the Syrian border and he was surprised at how much he missed the sight, however bizarre it was.

"What are you looking at?" Mana asked, trying to follow his gaze, but seeing nothing but stars.

"You'd think I was insane if I told you," Yami answered ruefully.

"Try me," Mana challenged.

And in that moment, Yami found himself wanting to tell Mana about the thing only he could see. He knew, though he didn't know how, that Mana wouldn't judge him for it.

"Alright," Yami straightened up a bit and pointed to where the tip of the pyramid poked out, "I see an upside down pyramid in the sky. I've seen it for some time now and no one else seems to be able to see it. I mentioned it once to my father and… well, that night didn't end well."

Mana looked back to where he was pointing, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Well, if it's only something you can see, maybe it has something to do with you. Not your sanity or anything," she quickly amended, "but maybe it's a signal or a message or something from the gods!"

He had to hand it to Mana; she wasn't fazed in the slightest at his confession and had a ready explanation on hand. Yami smiled at his friend's enthusiasm as she continued to spew thoughts about why this phenomenon was happening. Clearly he made the right decision in trusting Mana with this. There was no judgment whatsoever.

"Maybe Mahaddo will know something!" she said brightly.

"Actually," Yami cut her off, "I'd prefer to keep this just between us. Like I said, the last time I mentioned this to anyone, it was my father and it didn't end well for me. As much as I trust Mahaddo, I know he'll go straight to my father out of concern. I'd like to avoid a repeat of that experience."

"So a secret just between us?" Mana's eyes shined brightly at the prospect.

"Yeah," Yami agreed with a smile, "A secret just between us."


"You seem well rested this morning," Aknamkanon smiled at Yami during breakfast the next morning. "I'm glad you were able to get some sleep. I know first hand how hard it is readjusting to the palace after returning from war."

"I'll admit I had some trouble falling asleep," Yami replied, returning the smile, "But I managed."

"Good. I thought today would be a good day for you to start picking out your future bride."


Deep within the Millennium Puzzle, Yugi shuddered violently.

"Everything alright?" Ishizu asked, eyeing their path worriedly.

Yugi took a moment to try to identify the feeling that just passed through him. "Yeah," he nodded, feeling normal again, "It was weird though. I felt this sudden wave of foreboding, but it felt like it came from Yami…"

"Well if you can feel Yami, we must be going the right way," Seto said firmly.

"It's not a constant presence," Yugi corrected, "I've felt shadows of echoes throughout this whole place, but that one was particularly stronger. He must have gotten some news he really didn't like."

"Still our best bet," Malik took the lead, "Let's keep going."


Back in Ancient Egypt, Yami had to stop himself from spitting out the food that was in his mouth and as a result nearly choked on breakfast at the words. Mahaddo pounded his back to make sure that didn't actually happen.

"My what?" he rasped out, reaching for his drink.

"Your future bride," his father replied calmly, "You must know that you are expected to take a wife and produce an heir to the throne. I'm not saying you need to find one today, but you should start considering who you want that to be."

Honestly, having children of his own hadn't ever been on Yami's radar. Protecting the world from evil time and time again, going into reclusion for eternity while he sought out his memories, and then winding up here really didn't leave time to even consider a family. Ever.

He was fairly confident that the first time around, he hadn't had any offspring either. According to Malik and Ishizu, one of the priests had taken over as Pharaoh after Yami locked away himself and the darkness that threatened the safety of Egypt.

"I'm only fourteen!" Yami protested. Maybe he was too acclimated to the modern world, but that was far too young in Yami's eyes to even remotely consider marriage.

"And an adult and heir to the throne," Aknamkanon countered, "Again, you don't need to make a decision today, but you should at least start considering it."

Yami looked helplessly towards Mahaddo who looked like he was holding back an amused smirk. He was going to pay for that one of these days, Yami decided.

"I trust I don't need to explain why a wife is necessary in producing an heir?" Aknamkanon teased, causing Yami to drop his head on the table in embarrassment.

"No," Yami groaned, "I am fully aware of how it works." Even if for some reason he hadn't known before he got here, the men in the army were not shy about talking about their exploits. They were almost as bad as Bakura.

"Good," Aknamkanon said, satisfied, "I will find some eligible women and have them brought to the palace tomorrow evening, you can meet with them then."

Yami raised his head and frowned. He knew that marriages worked a lot differently in this time, but surely he would have more freedom than picking from a set of women chosen by his father. At least he wasn't being forced into anything and he had never been more glad to not have sisters or any other close female relative. Historically, incest ran wild through the lineage of pharaohs and Yami refused to contribute to that.

"Fine," Yami agreed begrudgingly, "But I make no promises!"

Aknamkanon smiled victoriously, clearly thinking he had won. Yami continued his breakfast, ignoring his father's satisfaction and Mahaddo's suppressed laughter. He would play by his father's rules for now, he might even find someone who would sit by his side as queen one day, but like hell would he be getting married before he was out of his teens!


"HAHAHAHAHA!"

"Shut up…"

"No way! HAhahaha!"

"Mana…."

"You can't deny this is hilarious," Mana pointed an accusatory finger at Mahaddo, "I'll bet you were laughing when the Pharaoh told *****."

"He was," Yami sulked as best he could while trying to maintain his dignity, "Not out loud, but he definitely was."

Mahaddo stiffened indignantly. "At least I wasn't rolling around on the floor," he emphasized pointedly to Mana who was doing exactly that. "Honestly, do you have no respect for your prince?"

Mana calmed down and sat up, though the smile did not leave her face. "Aw, ***** knows I'm on his side," she winked, "Our little Prince ***** is growing up."

Mahaddo rolled his eyes and went to the door to relay a message to one of the guards; like a request the lunch be brought here. As soon as Mahaddo's back was turned, Yami shot Mana a rude gesture to which she responded by pulling a face.

"Be that as it may," Mahaddo turned his attention back to the room. Both Mana and Yami quickly straightened up, but Yami could tell they didn't fool Mahaddo even though he continued as if he hadn't noticed anything, "It's not appropriate."

"And who's going to tell?" Mana challenged, "You? Me? *****?"

"Maybe instead of sitting there bickering and making fun of me," Yami crossed his arms, "You guys could help me find a way out of this!"

"Oh yes, poor Prince *****," Mana teased, "Having his pick of any girl in the entire kingdom."

"That's not the problem," Yami glared, "The problem is that my father expects me to be getting married and producing an heir before my next birthday!"

"You're heir to the throne. Those are your duties," Mahaddo chided.

"And you're the son of one of my father's Inner Court and on track to be the Court Magician," Yami countered scathingly, "You carry almost as much influence as me. Where was the pressure for you to get married right after you turned fourteen?"

Mahaddo flushed and looked away. It had been mentioned once by his father, but then never brought up again.

"Alright, alright," he surrendered, "I get it. But what can we actually do?"

"Back me up when I refuse to pick a wife tomorrow...or any day in the next few years."

"Done!" Mana agreed instantly, with Mahaddo eventually nodding in agreement.

Yami breathed a sigh of relief. At least he had somebody on his side now.


The next day was spent getting ready for that evening, completely against Yami's will. His father insisted, though, that he be fully presentable; even more so than a formal appearance in Court. By the time he had to leave to meet his father, he felt utterly ridiculous about the amount of time the servants spent getting him ready. Yes, the clothes he wore were a bit finer than usual and he was wearing more jewelry than he would on any given occasion, but it still didn't warrant a full day's work. Maybe it was just a ploy to make sure that Yami didn't run away before it was time to meet with the girls.

With the knowledge that at least he had two friends on his side, Yami allowed Mahaddo to place the diadem on his head and escort him down to where the Pharaoh had gathered what he deemed 'eligible bachelorettes'. He wasn't surprised to see his father waiting for him, a wide grin across his face.

"Are you ready to select your bride?" Aknamkanon asked.

"No," Yami crossed his arms defiantly, "Like I said yesterday, I will meet with these girls, but I make no promises that I will pick one."

Aknamkanon just smiled infuriatingly, making Yami scowl more, and nodded for the guards to open the doors. Yami sighed and then held his head high. No matter how much he objected to this, he did have an obligation as the prince to uphold a certain image. He wouldn't dishonor his father by acting like a spoiled child.

As the doors closed behind him, Yami took a look around at the people in the room, all who immediately bowed when he entered so he couldn't actually see anyone's face. Mentally, he cursed Ishizu and Malik for not including this in all the years of training they put him through. He also cursed his father for putting him in this situation, but he'd been doing that since yesterday morning.

"Rise," Yami commanded. He was immediately met with dozens of hopeful faces. The girls had certainly been dressed to impress, he couldn't deny that.

Good lord, he was expected to talk to and be friendly with all these girls, but at the same time reject all of them. He repressed a sigh; let the mingling begin.

Yami moved around the room, politely ignoring whoever he could and making small talk with those he could not. Unfortunately, he was currently in a situation where he could not just ignore the girl trying to flirt with him. Rather, make that girls. He was surrounded by a group of no less than six, all anxious to make a lasting impression.

He couldn't judge them too heavily for their actions. They were all vying for the position of future queen which would benefit not only them, but their families and future families for generations to come.

"My father served as a general under you in the war," one girl was saying, standing as close as she possibly dared, "He said you were a genius when it came to the battlefield. You must share some of your stories!"

"There was blood shed, lives lost, and every moment we spent waiting for an attack that may or may not come," Yami replied, "There were plenty of tales of heroics during last week's celebrations. You must have heard plenty."

"From other soldiers," another girl replied, "But not from you."

"My father said you bravely fought on the front lines while the commander of the Syrians stayed safely in the back," another one spoke up.

"Yes," Yami replied evenly, "How could I ask my people to do something that I myself was not willing to do?"

"But it was so dangerous!" the girls fawned, "What if something had happened to you?"

Yami shrugged. The war might have been the most dangerous thing to his own personal health that he'd ever faced, but when compared to carrying the fate of the world on his shoulders... he knew which one he'd rather face again.

"At least I knew I was facing my death everyday," Yami shrugged, "It's much better than an assassin."

"But what assassin could possibly get close to you?"

Yami stared, bewildered at the question. Had it not been made known that the exact reason Egypt went to war was because there was an assassin in the palace walls?

"Not even the palace walls with all of our guards could stop a dedicated assassin," Yami answered, "That's what started the war in the first place."

The conversation continued until Yami found an excuse to resume "socializing", keeping a keen eye on the people around him to ensure he didn't become trapped again. As he wandered the room, he spotted a familiar figure dart impishly behind a pillar.

As nonchalantly as he could, he made his way to the same pillar and couldn't help but stare at who was there.

"Mana?" he whispered, surprised to see her all dressed up and...here. "What on earth are you doing?"

"Providing you with a way out," Mana hissed back, "Mahaddo and I came up with the idea after we left yesterday. If you choose me, we can buy you time. Obviously we won't actually get married or anything crazy, but it should get your father off your back for a few years."

It seemed like a perfect solution. He and Mana were good friends already and quite honestly, was probably more qualified to be a queen than anyone else here considering her upbringing in the palace. There was a small problem though.

"Aren't you in training to take up after Mahaddo? Do you really think you'll be allowed to do that if we go along with this harebrained scheme of yours?"

Mana looked at him curiously, as if he had just said something strange. "Your mother was a skilled magician and queen, why would the Pharaoh have any problem with me?"

Yami froze.

His mother. He hadn't given any thought to her since...well, he'd never given her any thought.

"Don't tell me you forgot?" Mana read his face incredulously, "I know she dies when you were born, but I would have thought that the stories the Pharaoh used to tell you when you were younger would have stuck around. They certainly stuck with me."

Well at least he had a reasonable excuse for this one. "It's hardly my fault that I've had to focus my attention to more immediate things for a while now."

"Frankly, I'm a little offended that the Pharaoh didn't ask me to be a part of this," Mana pouted, "So think of it as killing two birds with one stone. You get him off your back about the whole marriage thing and you get back at him by picking someone he didn't think of."

Mana's plan was sounding better and better by the second. Especially with the noise of the gathering constantly reminding him what he was trying to avoid.

"So what do we need to do?"

Mana's face lit up mischievously as she grabbed his arm and started dragging back out into the open. "Just follow my lead."


Yami and Mana will not be a couple, promise. I'm sure some of you would appreciate it, but Yami will sit on the throne as single as he was in anime/manga. We'll be doing a few time jumps in the upcoming chapters to keep this from dragging on for forever. I would estimate Yugi and co. will be joining Yami in two to three.

Stay safe y'all! Please review :)