A/N: First, I want to thank everybody that reviewed my stories and gave me support. ^.^ You guys inspired me to continue the story. And second, as you all have known, Ayu Ohseki posted a review for me last week and I also posted my response online. But later, we talked over AIM and it turned out that there was just a bit of misunderstanding…though we both still have our own opinions. We've decided just to put this whole thing behind us, but I am especially exteremly grateful to the people who e-mailed and reviewed me on how much they liked the story. I probably wouldn't have been as confident in this story anymore if it weren't for you guys. THANK YOU SO MUCH!! Now, back to the story…

"But why would you want to be pharaoh?"

"Because I want to rule the world. Beside, I'm suppose to be the pharaoh. It is my destiny."

"Why were you suppose to be pharaoh?"

"Because I was suppose to be."

"Why do you have to duel Yami to get the Millennium Puzzle?"

"Because that's what they said in the ancient scriptures."

"Why would they say that?"

"I don't know!" Marik finally snapped. He sat up and stood up. Daphne stepped back.

"I just wanted to know." She said defensively. "All of a sudden I'm back five millennias and you won't even tell me why."

"Some questions aren't meant to be answered." He answered coldly before leaving the room, slamming the door behind him.

Daphne flopped back on her bed and curled up with a heavy volume. Perhaps this would give her some answers. But she hadn't read more than two pages when the door opened and closed. Daphne hopped off her bed. Marik's back, she knew it. But she skidded to a stop when she saw Rashid's manly, broad, silent form. He was Marik's adopted brother, nine years to his senior, but he acts more like one of Marik's workers to Daphne's sympathetic heart.

"Hey, Rashid," she greeted as he set a tray on her table. Rashid graciously nodded a greeting, though his eyes were cold. He had dedicated his life to serving Marik and was always suspicious. There was no one he trusted. He uncovered the lids from the dishes and set them out.

"I can do that," she offered, but he ignored her. Maybe he knows something that Marik wouldn't tell me, she thought as she took a sip of her morning tea.

"Rashid," she began hesitantly. "Why does Marik want to be pharaoh?"

Silence.

"Isn't there some other way to do it besides battling Yami? I'm sure if they sit and talk it out, they'll figure out something."

Still more silence.

"Do you think that possibly, Marik is jealous of Yami?"

Crash!

Rashid let the lid drop as he turned to face her, his eyes narrowed with fury. He took a step toward the princess, then another, and another. Daphne backed until she couldn't take another step back. She truly didn't know what would have happened if the sound of clearing throats wasn't heard at that moment.

Marik stood at the door. He nodded at Rashid. "You can go now." Then he turned to Daphne. "You want answers?" He asked in an annoyed tone. Daphne nodded mutely. "Do you still read ancient hieroglyphics?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"Fine." To Daphne horror, Marik dropped his robe on the ground and walked over to a low massaging table. He lay down on the cool white marble and stretched his lean muscular body. When Daphne didn't make a move to get near him, he looked up and said with irritation.

"Well, go ahead, take a look. I'm not going to seduce you in this broad morning daylight."

Daphne blushed as Marik struck a nerve. He watched her, half amused, half annoyed as she scuffled over.

At first, it was uncomfortable for both Marik and Daphne. Marik kept looking back to meet Daphne's eyes, who was staring at his back and biting her lips. But just when Marik seemed to have dozed off and Daphne settled down to read the ancient scripture, who else but the well known Priest Seto waltzed into her chamber uninvited.

"Princess," he nodded a greeting, a smile almost playing on his lips.

"Priest Seto," she nodded back curtly before turning back to her readings.

"Amusing yourself early this morning?" He inquired, his deep eyes twinkling.

"Quite."

"Still remembering hieroglyphics from the few lesson I've taught you?"

"Yes."

"Tell me, my princess, how am I suppose to get more than one word out of you at a time?"

Daphne sighed and looked him, her dark soft eyes sad, "You betrayed us, Priest Seto. Me and Yami both. I never understood that. You were always one of my hero. Before that, you used to be so kind, so considerate, so wise…" Her voice trailed off as her eyes strayed back to the sleeping Marik.

Seto sighed also and slumped down in an unoccupied chair. "I never wanted to betray you, Delphinium, but I feel that it was my destiny."

"I miss my Seto, the Seto I used to love." Was her quiet answer. The priest sitting down looked crushed.

"But—"

"The Seto that cared nor for position or wealth. The Seto who would give his life for a friend. The Seto that was our friend."

Seto was silent as Daphne looked up once again, a thin film of tears covering her eyes. "Where are you, Seto? What happened our old Seto?"

"Still here," was an audible mumble.

"It's not just me alone, you know." Daphne insisted gently. Her voice was soft but her statement was clear, "Yami loved you as a friend. He was very fond of you. He held both of your friendships very high. He had always valued you as his most trustworthy, loyal, and wise priest. He used to tell me all the time that it is you and I who made his life purposeful."

"He was a pharaoh." Seto's answer was forceful.

"Does that one fact make you his enemy?" Before he could reply, she went on. "But, you're right, Yami's first love have always been Egypt."

"Doesn't that bother you, knowing that Yami doesn't love you the most?"

"No," she smiled. "I know Daddy. He has enough love for everyone that's special to him. There is no limit to his love. I have faith in him. I know he loves mend you."

Seto's soulful eyes drank in the sight of the beautiful young woman in front of him. How she had grown, he mused. Strengthened in thought as well as grown physically. This wasn't the little girl who used to climb his precious scroll cases and always had a wild mane of tangled raven black hair. But finally he gave a sharp laugh,

"I wish I had faith in the pharaoh like you have." His lips were curved into a bitter smirk. "But you are wrong about one thing."

"What?"

"Yami's first love hadn't always been Egypt."

"Then what was his first love?"

"You." Daphne was startled and Seto continued to explain.

"From the moment you entered his life, you became his first and only love. He had not loved anything nor anyone as much since."

"But—"

"You're his life, Delphinium, you're almost his very soul."

"I might be, but that doesn't mean you're off his list!" Seto looked up, surprised, as Daphne jumped up and said almost fiercely. "Yami isn't like that!"

Seto shrugged nonchalantly as he changed the subject and nodded over at Marik. "So what made you put up with him? Worst temper I've ever seen." Daphne smiled gently and looked back down at Marik.

"I believe in him. I believe he has good in him." She didn't see Marik's lips curl up to a tiny smirk.

"What?" Seto looked shocked. Marik's lips fell back to a scowl fast.

"Don't you believe it?" Daphne looked back a Marik to make sure he was asleep. "Don't you believe no matter how hard they try to hide it or forget it, there is always a part in their heart that's not evil, but instead, filled with pain and the desire of understanding and love?"

Seto didn't answer and Daphne thought he hadn't heard her question when she heard his hoarse whisper, "Yes." But he turned away dejectedly. "But why should you believe me? I betrayed you and the pharaoh before, and now you're here in ancient Egypt because of me. You have no reason to believe me."

"But I do believe you." A delicate hand was place on top of his own. He looked up to see Daphne in front of him. "I do believe you." She repeated.

Before they could say anything else, a shout echoed through the palace.

"Intruders in the palace! Intruders! Report to Master Marik immediately!"

"I've got to wake Marik up," Daphne hurriedly turned away and was about to wake Marik, only to find him on his feet, fully clothed.

"Sweet little conversation," he remarked dryly. "I couldn't help but listen. Too bad it's cut off abruptly like that, it was just getting good." He turned half to Seto and remarked coldly, "I half expected you to declare your undying love for the princess on the spot at certain points."

"Marik—" Seto started. But Marik swirled upon him and snapped,

"Master! Not unlike the others, you will address me as Master or Lord Marik! Now, let's proceed with our usual plan, shall we? Everyone knows very well that absolutely no intruders would be found here. Finally, the pharaoh has made his presence, but soon, destiny shall prevail and I shall be the pharaoh!"

"Yami?!" Daphne jumped up. It had been so long since their separation that the sound of her father's name sent a shiver off her back. it had seemed impossible that he was finally here. "Yami's here?" She whispered. Then, as if something had snapped in her, she began to run across the room toward the door, all the while the sight of Yami was in her head.

"And where do you think you're going?" A voice inquired as Daphne all of a sudden noticed that she wasn't on the ground. In fact, she seemed to be running in midair. She managed to twist around in the air and faced Marik. He was holding his Millennium Rod and she knew enough to know that it was controlling her.

"I also heard your little belief, princess." Marik's voice was now cold, deadly…to the point of being dangerous. "But some people are not meant to be believed in. Some people have no good in them. The good they had had all dried up at a young age and the tears they have shed had not been forgotten but created a scar. You shouldn't have believed in me."

"What are you doing?" Daphne gasped. Marik ignored her question as he walked out of the room, taking her in midair with him. When he didn't answer, she turned to Priest Seto. "Seto?"

But he wouldn't meet her eyes, and when he did, what he said made her heart stop.

"I'm sorry, Delphinium."

Bakura took a deep breath of the fresh, familiar air of Egypt. He gave a crooked smile as he remembered the adventures he's had in this ancient age. Yami, beside him, looked more peaceful and serene than he had been even before Daphne was taken away. However, only complaints came from Kaiba's direction.

"So this is ancient Egypt?" He complained. "Too much dust, how can you keep your hair clean Yami? Or the sand out of your eyes? And this sun…Bakura, just how do you accomplish in not getting tanned?"

But both yamis ignored him and was already trudging through the dust to the palace, leaving Kaiba to struggled across the land.

"Wait up, Yami, you royal pain!" He finally forced out between his gritted teeth. Bakura scowled as he turned around.

"If you get any slower, you might as well as stay behind!" He snapped. Now that he was back in ancient Egypt, memories of his past returned to him and some of the bitterness that had faded returned.

"Shhh…" The King of games shushed them. "We're going to have to enter the back way of the palace. We don't know what Marik has in store for us."

They tiptoed through the back of the palace. Marik had not posted many guards around the palace, confident that his Millennium Rod would insure him on their coming. But still, they were cautious.

"Look," Yami all of a sudden stopped. Kaiba and Bakura halted in the tracks and looked back at Yami impatiently.

"If I may remind you, almighty pharaoh," Kaiba said sarcastically. "This isn't a personal tour of your palace. We're tight on the time here."

"Bakura," Yami ignored Kaiba as he dropped his voice. "Here. Here's where I first found Daphnia."

Bakura was silent as his cool brown eyes took in the surrounding. The whispering of the reeds and cattails, the gentle rushing of the water, the golden sun, and the sand itself that was the heart of Egypt.

"I kept my promise, Melia," Bakura said under his breath. "And I'll going to continue keeping it for as long as I live." Turning around, he ordered, "Let's go."

There were no more interruptions as they silently proceeded into the palace and were moving in slowly and steady when they heard a holler behind them.

"There they are!" A guard bellowed. "They were the intruders that I saw! After them!"

Because of the familiar scene of being back in his own palace, Yami drew himself up and glared, opening his mouth to snap an order at the people he had forgotten that weren't his own guards. But Bakura beat him to it as he yanked the pharaoh from his inferior position and broke into a run. Curses could be heard as the footsteps behind them followed.

"Darn it, now what do we do?" Bakura panted as he shouted the question over to Kaiba.

"Do I look like a stupid manual book to you? I don't even know what's happening and I'm being chased!" Kaiba shot back, his long legs doing his advantage. "If you should ask anybody, ask the pharaoh, he should know!"

"The royal court!" Yami gasped as he continued running, looking behind him at the guards. "It's straight ahead, around the corner."

The three fled into the royal courtroom and rounded the corner. The floor was slick and slippery as they turned the corner. Kaiba looked up and saw a figure right in front of what apparently seemed like the royal court's heavy double doors. He tried to skid to a stop as he caught in the corner of the eye Yami and Bakura trying to do the same thing. But it was no use as Kaiba's legs slipped out from under his and he went flying into the figure.

"Ouch…" He groaned as he brought a hand up to rub his head. But his hand froze, as did his eyes and every part of him when his gaze traveled to the figure that he had crashed into.

"Ow…" The figure also complained as he untangled himself from Kaiba.

The blood drained from Kaiba face as he found himself staring at an exact carbon copy of himself.

The other him also froze as he finally noticed the person who had crashed into him.

The two pairs of icy midnight blue eyes stared into one another. They were so similar, yet could never be more different. Kaiba was of modern technology while this person was of dark ancient power. He couldn't help but noticing that the blood had also drained from the other Kaiba's face.

Their trance came to an end as Kaiba felt himself being jerked up to his feet and through the Egyptian hieroglyphics covered door.

"That was…me." He said dully as they shut the door. Then the river of questions exploded. "How could that be me?! What the heck is going on? Where in the world are we? And why in God's name is I dressed like that? I mean, that can't be me…I'm right here and—"

"Isn't that Priest Seto?" Bakura interrupted, sounding obviously disgusted. "Gee, he's been after me for years. Who would have known that we'd meet under these circumstances?"

"Seto…" Yami's eyes had a troubled and dazed look.

"I see you have finally decided to grace us with your presence, pharaoh." A cold voice sneered behind them. Yami didn't have to turn around to find out who that voice belonged to.

"Marik." The pharaoh that turned around wasn't the pharaoh that they had remembered. This pharaoh's eyes were filled with hatred for his adversary and a steel, cold, hard look possessed his eyes. "Where is Daphnia?" His voice was low. "What have you done?"

"The princess is fine for now. Originally she was the bait to lure you here, but now that you're finally here, perhaps we can find some other use for her." Marik's smirk was one of wickedness and conquest. He gave his fingers a snap and four of his mind slaves came into the room, carrying a heavy piece of stone tablet. Laying on it was a struggling Daphne, in the same position she found herself in on the first day.

When Bakura saw her wrists locked beside her and the strip of metal that locked her waist in place, he let out a roar of fury and leaped forward. Luckily in time, Kaiba yanked him back and whispered sharply,

"Be careful! Don't make any unnecessary movements."

"Don't try to stop me, mortal. I'm going to kill him." Bakura hissed through gritted teeth. "No matter what the outcome is, Marik…is…going…to…die!"

Marik's four servants sat the tablet down right beside Marik, who possessed the throne and power that had once belong to Yami. He gave a smug smirk and said in almost a singsong voice, "Look who's here, princess."

Yami was so enraged at the sight of his precious daughter being controlled by this beast of a human being that he was trembling with rage as he spoke evenly, his eyes never leaving his adversary. "Your quarrel is with me, Marik, let her go."

"I will, pharaoh, as soon as we play a simple little game."

"You brought us all the way back five thousands years just to play a game?" Kaiba blurted out, incredulously. "Now I know you're crazy."

"Quiet!"

They heard the door behind them being open as Priest Seto walked in authoritatively. They saw his blue eyes dart another suspicious and curious look at Kaiba as he walked and stood next to Marik.

"Seto." Yami's face betrayed nothing. No emotions at all.

"My pharaoh." Seto lightly nodded. "I welcome you back to the palace." None of them missed the tiny quiver that came along the voice.

"Now, Marik," Yami turned back to the Ishtar heir. "What is this game we're going to play?" Marik smiled.

"That's easy, pharaoh. We're going to play the game you know as the Shadow Game. And you can be sure that the stakes are high."