DISCLAIMER: no, I do not own the TV anime Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters, but I do own the characters not found on the show and the plot.

Yugi: Yippee! I finally am mentioned again! Or at least I should be… *glares at author*

Aesil: Yep, this is all us *puts her head on Yugi's shoulder*

Yugi: *blushes* …

Author: well, not all you, I mean I have to shift focus a little…

Yugi and Aesil: *glares*

Author: of course you will dominate…

Aesil: this is the life…

Yami: Ah, Yugi? If you and Aesil are, ahem, together then does that mean… *looks at Isis*

Isis: *looks at Yami*

Yami: *gulps*

Isis: eep…

Seto: *has arm around Serenity* awe, I'm not that bad, am I?

Serenity: *Shudders* nah, I guess I can live… *glares at author*

Author: *beaming* well, now that everyone's happy *flinches at hostile looks* we can get back to the story… and Yugi and Aesil!

Chapter Seven: Clouded Reunion

^^^^^^^^^ The Desert of Mordia ^^^^^^^^^^

"Hey, Yugi?"

"Yeah Aesil?"

"Where, exactly, are we going?"

"No where. You stopped walking and I did too. But I think we should head for the forest." Yugi pointed at a line of lush green trees in the direction they were headed. "Yeah, and where are we exactly…?"

"You mean Isis never told you? We're in Mordia. This is the Desert, where you were is the Palace of Marble, and those." Aesil pointed at a rim of black, "are the mountains of Mordia."

"Oh." While Yugi stared at the mountains on the horizon, something strange was happening to Aesil. She felt a pricking alone her spine, as though someone was behind her. She turned around and gasped, then spoke to Yugi's mind.

'Yugi?' she asked.

'Yeah?' he replied without turning around.

'I told you where we are and all, but now I have a question for you.'

'What?' he replied, figuring a course in his head.

'Ah, who the hell is that?'

'What…?' Yugi asked, turning around quickly just in time to see someone leap at him and hold him down. "Help! Aesil, get away! He screamed, but then the man forced a syringe into his arm. Gasping, Yugi sank to his knees, then with his face in the dust, unconscious.

"Yugi!" Aesil cried, as the man grabbed at her hand. He was dressed in tattered red ragged clothes and he had a patch over one eye. She gave him a quick jab with her left in his gut, so he dropped on one knee, gasping to regain lost breath. Then she heard a whirring sound like the spinning of helicopter blades. She spun around to see a red and gray helicopter with several armed men, hovering behind her.

"Shit!" she screamed, spitting on the ground as three men leapt from the air and dove at her. She sent the first, wearing a tattered gray uniform, to the ground, near Patch-Eye, unconscious, she was proud to say, and grabbed a small dagger from his hand. This was a throwing dagger, but she had forgotten how to use it.

"Hai!" One of the men called as he leapt in front of her, in fighting stance. He had a pistol and huge buck teeth. Luckily for her, the gun Buck-Tooth had was holstered. She defended against his first attack and countered it, but while she fought him she forgot about the other, a tall, burly man with a red scar across his cheek. When Scar-Face pounded a syringe into her back, she let down her guard. Buck-Tooth punched her in the jaw so hard she felt the bones in his fingers crack. He winced in pain, but she could taste blood in her mouth. The desert spun before her and she collapsed into darkness.

^^^^^^^^^^^ The Mountains Of Mordia ^^^^^^^^^^

"Aesil, Aesil, Aesil, are you alright? Answer me, Aesil!" Yugi said to her. They were in some sort of a cell, but where he didn't know.

"Oh…" She murmured in a whispery, weak voice.

"Aesil, are you alright?"

"What the hell do you think?" she replied. Whatever was in the syringe had made her irritable.

"Oh, sorry Aesil." Yugi replied, and he got up to move.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Yugi." They were silent for a moment as Aesil became herself again, free from the effects of the drug. "Wait a minute… Yugi, you're a spell caster like Isis and Yami, so why didn't you just go?"

"Cause you were out cold, and I couldn't get you out with me." He answered.

"Oh."

"Is that bad?"

"No, I should have know you would rather put yourself on the block then leave a friend, no matter what. Thanks, Yugi. I'm sorry I sounded so mad."

"Well… uh…" Yugi blushed bright red. Aesil grinned at him. "So," Yugi asked, changing the subject, "Can I still get us out?"

"No, not anymore. They would have barred them now."

"Oh."

"Well, now they might not know about you, so it's good you waited until we knew more."

"Speaking of which…"

"I don't know exactly where we are, but we're somewhere of great power."

"What?"

"You still haven't mastered your own power, as your Yami has mastered his and Isis hers. Close your eyes and spread your hands out, like this." Aesil demonstrated for him, and Yugi copied her movements. "There, this is how Isis taught me to search for natural powers when I started." Yugi's doing everything right. I should ask him a question.' "So, Yugi, where do you think we are?"

"You know?"

"Yep! Now what do you think?"

"Oh, I get it!" Yugi said. He spread his fingers out and collected powers. "Yeah, this place must be like… a mountain."

"Wow, good Yugi! It took me forever to get that one!"

"Oh, thanks very much!"

"We must be in the mountains of Mordia."

"Well, Aesil, who lives in these mountains?"

"I don't know." Aesil shrugged. "All Isis ever told me was there were some people who were dark, Dark Souls, she called them, that wanted Yami, and there were people here in Mordia, natives mainly, who would do anything to root her out or kill her."

"Oh. Wait… they wouldn't hurt you would they?"

"Maybe." She sighed and shrugged. "But if I'm in danger for being hikari to a sorceress, though no one knows about me, you are in danger too! We look like our aibous, so we might be mistaken… but we have few powers at all. Why would they want us?"

"Something tells me," Yugi thought aloud "That this is something deeper then all that."

Suddenly the door at the end of the hall opened and a guard came in with some food and water and another followed carrying what looked like a bundle of dirty, bloody rags. The cell door opened and they carelessly tossed the food in and threw the bundle. It hit the ground with a dull thud and what sounded like a human groan. The guards left without a word.

"Oh… where… am…. I…?" a voice came from inside the bundle.

"Who are you?" Aesil asked, as she walked over.

"Mo-mok-mokub-mokuba k-ka-kaib-kaiba." The bundle said, slowly and almost painfully.

"Mokuba Kaiba?"

"Yes." The bundle responded. "How did… how did you… how did you know?"

"I am Aesil, Isis's… ah… friend. Your brother may have mentioned her…?"

"Yes… once… while… he… was… asleep…" Aesil turned the bundle over with motherly care and was amazed at what she saw.

"MOKUBA!" Aesil cried when she saw the little boy's face. The bump on his head had grown several sizes and the area around it was clearly discolored and purple. His skin was ghastly white and his clothes covered with dried blood and mud. Oh, Mokuba." She whispered, then she added to Yugi, "Isis was afraid someone would use Mokuba to get at us." She said, her gaze falling to the little boy in front of her. "but who could ever hurt such an innocent little boy?"

"…Water…" Mokuba gasped. Yugi grabbed a goatskin pitcher from the ground near a loaf of bread and, when he saw there was no cup, he cupped his hands and poured some in, over a rag of Mokuba's clothes so none would be wasted. Mokuba drank the water eagerly, and it revived him enough to sit up and speak a little clearer.

"Now Mokuba," Aesil asked him in a serious tone. "How did you come to be here?"

Mokuba told her about the thug in his room and about Pegasus while Aesil cleaned his gash and treated the bump on his head. Yugi knew right away who it was by description, but Aesil had never heard of him, which lead to a recounting of what happened in the Duelist Kingdom, and then he told about the cave he had been in.

"The cave of souls!" Aesil breathed. "I thought in only existed in the Old Times. What you smelled was volcanic acid. This is, or was anyway, volcanic area."

"Not anymore, right?" Yugi asked. Somehow the idea of being blown to the heavens on a flume of molten ash didn't appeal to him.

"No, it died along time ago."

"Good." Mokuba added.

"How long were you there?" Aesil asked.

"A few days. Where is Seto?"

"With Isis, or at least he was when we left."

"Oh…"

"He's okay, Mokuba. He's got a big head. He'll figure something out." Aesil assured him.

"Yeah, his head's big, but not bigger then his wallet or his ego." Yugi muttered.

'Whatever Yugi.'

'Awe, you heard me.'

'Ah… yeah!'

'Damn it.'

'Yugi…'

'Hey, you've said worse!'

'Oh. Good point.'

"So… are you going to eat that bread?" Mokuba asked. "Cause I'm starving…"

"Help yourself Mokuba." Aesil answered. "We'll be over there." She pointed at a secluded corner. "I need to talk to Yugi alone."

"Oh…"

"Mokuba…"

"Sorry." He replied sheepishly, though with his mouth full. Aesil pulled Yugi to the corner.

"We need to talk. This is important."

"What?"

"Your friends are on their way from your world to save you; Triston and Serenity."

"What? But they…"

"What you didn't know was Joey got through. We hadn't counted on that. Now he is in danger, and now not only the future of Mordia and yourselves are in peril."

"What?"

"Don't you see? When Joey broke through he weakened the shield. When Serenity and Triston come it will be weaker still. When we are all together, our power makes this place as it was."

"What?"

"Mordia is the equal of Ancient Egypt."

"So?"

"What happens here directly effects what happens on Earth." Aesil said, sternly. "if something isn't done, everything will be in jeopardy."

"What…"

"I need to teach you about the Powers. Yami and Isis will help me to help you."

"And the point…"

"Haven't you been listening to a word I said? If we don't stop these Mordians, they will go to Earth."

"So?"

"They will conquer it and destroy it. Then they will leave us there if they don't kill us."

"Oh…"

"So in the least, if we don't succeed, don't count on ever seeing your home again."

"And, if the home of the Items is ruined like this…" Yugi added, mouth dry with fear.

"Yep. You better pray like hell for that Yami of yours. He wouldn't be around long enough to say good-bye."

To Be Continued…

Yugi: YEAH! All us, Aesil!

Mokuba: and me!

Yugi: oh yeah, and you.

Seto: Thanks for saving him, Aesil. He means the world to me.

Aesil: oh? And what about Serenity?

Seto: oh, I like my peace and quiet like any other guy…

Serenity: DIE YOU CARELESS RICH BASTARD!!!

Joey: hey, sis, remember you failed Martial Arts.

Serenity: oh yeah. Aesil…

Aesil: Anything for a pal *grinds Seto into dust*

Everyone: YEAH!

Mokuba: YEAH!

Yugi: you're happy he's gone?

Mokuba: yeah, he was so mean to me!

Yugi: oookkkkaaaayyy…

Author: thanks to anyone who read this and (will) review it ahead of time. I know, the updates are flying in, many thanks to Christmas vacation! Yippee!!!

And, once again, suggestions are valued no matter how mean they may seem, they would be welcome! So please, please!