A/N: . Midterms suck big time…. Oh well. Guess what! This is an update! Hmm…if any of you guys have been watching Yugioh…all I have to say is poor Ryou. I don't think he's going to be coming back you guys…. That's so messed up. He was such a cute and sad character. I hope that I'm wrong and that Ryou's all right. I already know Bakura's fine…but what about Ryou…U_U

Sakuya: She's been like this since the episode replayed Saturday…

Ryou: I'm fine Crystalia. See. I'm right here.

Crystalia: Where oh where has my Ryou gone?

Ryou: . er…ok…

Sakuya: Anyway. You guys have waited long enough for a new chapter and I'm not going to let my hikari keep you from it. So on to the fic…Seto you do the disclaimer.

Seto: If you dare to sue Crystalia I'll unleash the wrath of my almighty Blue Eyes White Dragon upon you and crush your very soul!!!

Everyone: O.o

Crystalia: Dude…you really need to relax. . you know those dragons aren't real right?

Seto: ::gasps:: . Shut your filthy mouth!!

Everyone: ~.~'

Chapter 20

Valley of Snow

"Why are we here." Jou complained yawning. "It's two in the morning. I need my beauty sleep you know."

"If we waited for you to catch up on your beauty sleep the world would be destroyed ten times over." Anzu muttered before yawning also. "You know that we have to figure out that riddle Ryou said. Yami said it was a clue to the location of the next item."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. But why do we have to do this now. Can't it wait until morning."

Jou complained.

"I don't see why you're even here mutt. This is way beyond your understanding…" Seto snapped while typing away at his keyboard. It had only been an hour since they had all heard Ryou'' chilling revelation about the next Millennium Item and the boy still hadn't awoken. Leaving it up to Kaiba, Anzu, and a sleepy Jou to help find out where the next item was.

"You must travel to the city with death beneath your feet where the tower meets the bone, for that is where the Millennium Anhk lies surrounded by death and secrets. Go there and fight the Serpent for the lives of those which surround you." Kaiba muttered as he continued to type away. "I don't see how that could tell us anything."

"Don't tell me this hunk of junk can't figure out a little riddle." Jou said, leaning on one of the large towers which made up Kaiba's computer.

"Shut your mouth idiot. You wouldn't even know half of what this computer can do. This isn't your run of the mill computer like those pieces of crap they sell in stores. Debby is one of a kind built by me." Kaiba said proudly. "She's the fastest computer there is."

"You named the computer Debby?" Jou laughed.

"Watch it mutt!" Kaiba snapped.

"Hey! I have a name you know!" Jou countered.

"Well I would have called you mongrel but I was afraid you wouldn't understand such a big word…" Kaiba said shrugging.

"I'm going to kill you!" Jou shouted only to be grabbed by Anzu.

"Come on we have to work together. Yugi and Yami are counting on us." She said, sighing.

"I don't have to do anything. If you ask me this entire thing is pointless…if it weren't for the fact that I was getting a Blue Eyes out of this I would have kicked you all out long ago." Kaiba said coldly.

"You don't mean that…" Anzu said quietly, looking a bit hurt.

Kaiba didn't answer. Instead he huffed before turning back to his computer. "Debby. Run a search on all locations connected with the term the city with death beneath your feet where the tower meets the bone." He said leaning back.

The screen flashed with words and numbers for a moment before a robotic female voice replied. "Thirteen matches found."

"Hmm…that's not much….ok print out those locations." He said, turning. "That's very odd…"

"What?" Jou and Anzu asked at the same time.

"It's only thirteen….that's low for a search that's as vague as ours was…" he muttered picking up the list from the printer. He only read it for a moment before a look of utter confusion crossed his face. "This makes even less sense."

"Are we going to have to guess what you're talking about?" Jou snapped.

Kaiba sighed, tossing the paper at him. "Look for yourself." He said.

Jou looked over the list. "It says all the locations are in France…but last time I checked the French didn't have dead people below their feet. Maybe your computer is wrong."

Kaiba looked like he was trying to decide whether to attack Jou for speaking ill of his computer or agreeing with him.

"Wait…I get it. It makes perfect sense." Anzu said, grabbing the paper. "Yeah."

Kaiba and Jou stared at her in utter confusion. "What could you possibly have understood from that?" Jou asked.

"It's simple if you know your French history. The catacombs." Anzu said simply, smiling.

Kaiba's eyes widened. "Of coarse."

"Of coarse what? Someone care to fill me in here?" Jou asked annoyed.

"Not now mutt- er…Jou." Kaiba said, typing away. "Debby I want you to give me a print out of a map of France and run a search on the underground tunnels that run under it." Kaiba said. After a moment pictures of lines and what looked like a subway map, appeared on the screen. "Good. Give me a print out of that too." He said, getting a bit excited.

"Ok are you going to explain now?" Jou asked impatiently.

"Long ago in France there were a series of tunnels which ran under the entire country for various reasons. When the plague hit France they dumped the bodies of those who died from the decease in the tunnels and sealed most of them off. Now look at this." Anzu said, holding up the sheet that had lines and odd letters. "These are all the known tunnels that have been explored. Now if you overlap this with a map of present day France you see that right under the Eiffel Tower is-"

"A chamber. An undocumented chamber." Kaiba said, frowning slightly. "This map is illegal. Nobody's ever gone that far into the catacombs and lived to tell what they saw."

"That's creepy!" Jou shouted. "You mean to tell me that the Millennium Item we need is somewhere under France with a bunch of dead people!"

"I'm sorry it's not in a field of flowers. I'll see about what I can do about the location of the next item." Kaiba spat.

"Come on you two. We should let the others know that we found out the location of the Item." Anzu said.

"Not tonight." Kaiba said, rubbing his forehead. "We can tell them in the morning. I'll arrange my jet to be ready to take us there tomorrow."

"You have a jet…" Jou muttered. "To bad you don't have a nice personality."

"Yeah…" Kaiba said, yawning and heading for the door. "And it's too bad I don't have a muzzle so to shut your trap with."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ryou looked around in confusion. He was standing in the center of a grove of trees and snow was falling steadily while cold air nipped at him through his pajamas. Even though he was ankle deep in snow he wasn't cold. As a matter of fact he didn't feel anything.

"Where am I?" Ryou questioned, taking a few steps forward. The place seemed familiar but he couldn't figure out why. He tried to reach Bakura through their link but he felt nothing. It was like Bakura was gone completely. Ryou shivered fear creeping over him. "Why can't I sense Bakura?"

"Because I can only talk to you Ryou." Came a soft, melodic voice.

Turning Ryou was shocked to see a tall, slender woman with snow-white hair and gentle gray eyes standing behind him.

"Mo-mother?" Ryou asked, unsure if this woman could possibly be the same woman who had given him birth. The same woman who had died for him.

"My darling Ryou." She said, wrapping her arms around him. "There is so much pain around you. I have failed you."

"No you haven't mother. I-" Ryou began but his mother silenced him as tears fell from her eyes.

"I know what secrets you carry in your heart Ryou. You can not hide your pain from me." She said.

Ryou's eyes widened in shock but he said nothing. Instead he hugged his mother close. She smelled of fresh lavender. 'I know this is all just a dream…but…' Ryou said to himself unable to put into words how grateful he was to be able to hug his mother again.

"There is a way that you and I would never have to be apart again. I would be able to protect you." His mother said, reading his thoughts.

"How?" Ryou asked eagerly.

"When I died my soul never left your side. I have been with you since the day I died two years ago my son. I know that your friends have learned of the location of a powerful item and that you also poses an item of great power." She said reaching for Ryou's neck. Almost at once the Millennium Ring appeared, glowing faintly. "If you combine the power of the Ring and the Millennium Puzzle with the Anhk I will never have to leave you again."

Ryou took a step back. "What? I can't give you the Anhk or the Puzzle. We need those items so to help Yugi and Yami. Why couldn't you have asked for something else?"

Ryou's mother turned away. "I am sorry. I shouldn't have asked something so great from you. Can you forgive me for wanting to be with you again? It pains me to watch you suffer." She said softly.

Ryou felt a tug of guilt. How could he deny his mother a second chance at life? What right did he have to be so selfish? "I will try mother. When all three items are together I will do whatever you ask me to." He said, not looking into her eyes.

Ryou's mother turned back to him smiling. "Thank you my son. All you have to do is gather the items and help me to perform a simple spell. Then you and I will be able to be together forever."

Ryou could feel tears coming to his eyes. He gently wrapped his arms around his mother as if she were a fragile doll. "I'll do anything you ask of me mother. Anything." He said, his eyes slightly glazed over.

"I know you will my son." Ryou's mother said, returning the embrace. Looking down at him she smiled darkly. "I know."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next morning Ryou awoke with no memory of the encounter with his mother.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N I didn't want to end it there but hey we need somewhere to start chapter 21 at, right? Plus I want to go play my new DDR game…system…thingy (one of the coolest games if you like to dance) Anyway just to let you know this fic is a little over one year old! Happy Belated Birthday fic!!! In celebration I will be updating again tomorrow. As in November 23, 2003!!! YA!!! Next chapter is very dark and is mostly about Ryou. Sort of a tribute, you know?

Ryou: ~.~ but I'm right here! Can't you see me?

Sakuya: ~.~ my hikari has gone blind….

Bakura: Oh let her rant…at least she's updating…

Yugi: ~.^ just as long as she's not hurting me I don't care.

Yami: I agree

Jou: Hey! Could someone pass the chips? I'm starving over here!

Crystalia: O.o this isn't a party guys….you all need to go home right now…the chapter's done.

Malik: NONE SHALL LEAVE UNTIL I GET MY REVENGE ON THE PHARAOH OF WHOM I WAS FORCED TO DEDICATE MY LIFE TO. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN PHARAOH!

Everyone: ~,~' not this again….

Crystalia: what's the point of being pharaoh now? It's 2003…I mean honestly…you could have picked a better career to obsess over.

Yami, Bakura, & Malik: @.@

Crystalia: . never mind…anyway see you all later! Ato de until next time!