Joy: Okay, I know. More delays. Sorry about that. I think that next time I am going to do two chapters at once. I have an announcement at the end of the chapter, but first, responses and then the chapter itself.

Dark Angel: Sorry about missing that part.

Jaded Katrina: Sorry about not sending the bio. I'll send it really soon. In all the confusion of the last week, I haven't been able to do much.

DMoS13: Hey, yeah. I remember that now. It is similar. Cool observation.

pinkdreamer122: Thanks. And I'll get back to you about C2.

Silver Moon Phoenix: Thanks I've been experimenting with POV a lot lately. And I'm glad he's gone, too.

Midnights: Cool. Japanese is a wonderful language. Good luck with the class.

Fallen Mercy: Thanks.

Baby Gatomon: I didn't get to look at the chapter, but I will really soon.

Now, on to the chapter!

Aftermath

Seto caught Joy as she fell to the ground. While he was taking care of her, Ryou went to check on Sakura and Moon Shadow. The darks, satisfied that all was well, and being extremely exhausted themselves, had retired to their soul rooms for the night.

Moon Shadow had recovered a ibt and was checking on Sakura when Ryou came over. He knelt next to Sakura, and noticed that her hair was different. It had silver streaks amongst black ones. Her hair had originally been brown with some blonde highlights. He mentioned it to Moon Shadow, but she said it would be all right. It was from the change she had made and that it would not affect her physically or mentally. "Are you two okay otherwise?" he asked.

"We are all right. She is simply resting and will most likely do so for quite some time. The others?"

"Joy's unconscious, but she'll be okay. The darks are in their soul rooms for some sleep. Everyone's just a bit tired. That was some spell."

"I'm going to go get Merina and the others," Yugi offered. Ryou nodded and Yugi headed off for the basement. Seto told them he would take Joy to her room. Ryou did the same for Sakura, carrying her up the stairs to her room.

Meanwhile, Yugi was telling Merina and the others about Vargon's defeat. "All right!" Merina cheered, jumping up and down in happiness.

Yugi laughed. "Come on. Let's go back upstairs and see how the others are doing." They assembled at last in the first floor hallway. Ishizu and Marik retrieve their Items.

"We must return to Egypt tomorrow," Ishizu explained.

"All right. Can you take Shadi's Item and the Scales back to him? And thank him for all his help for us. He was a big help, and so were the both of you," Yugi asked. Ishizu nodded, took the Key and Scales from him, and she and Marik said goodbye. "Okay. I suggest we all go get a good night's sleep. I don't know about you, but I feel I could sleep for a thousand years!" Yugi smiled.

"Agreed," Moon Shadow said with a smile.

…A few moments later…

Yugi was crawling into the guest room Seto had provided and was just getting comfortable when Yami contacted him.

Everything okay, Yugi?

Yeah… Yugi thought back sleepily. He yawned.

Very well. Sleep well, aibou.

Night, Yami. Within seconds, Yugi was fast asleep.

The rest of the night and most of the next day was spent sleeping by most of the group. Around late afternoon, Ryou finally woke up and decided to find something to eat. He made his way to the kitchen to find Merina and Mokuba making sandwiches and lemonade.

"Hey, Ryou! How are you? I was beginning to wonder if Mokuba and me were going to have to eat alone," Merina greeted him.

"It was quite a night. But, hey, those are my favorite sandwiches."

"Good. Let's eat." They sat down with Mokuba to eat. They ate in silence until Merina broke it. "I should tell Sakura these are your favorite. I hear the way to a man's heart is through his stomach." Ryou blushed, at a loss for words. "Don't worry, Ryou. But I am curious how you feel about her."

"Well…I have never been really good in relationships. And it's not just Bakura who fouls things up. Usually it's me. But…I suppose that if I get to know her more as a friend first, then I can decide what to do from there. I don't want to rush into a relationship, and I think that she feels the same way." Merina nodded in understanding.

Then she turned to Mokuba. "You know, Mokuba, Joy has the biggest crush on your brother," she said with a smile.

Mokuba sighed. "I know. It's kind of frustrating that they haven't told each other how they feel yet," Mokuba said with a slight pout on his features. "Joy's totally great and I know Seto's always thinking about her."

"Don't worry, Mokuba. They'll come around," Ryou assured him.

"But summer is almost over. Joy will go back home and neither of them will know how they feel about each other!"

"We just have to have faith," Merina added.

"There you guys are." They looked up to see Yugi and Seto in the doorway.

"Hey, you two. Come join us," Merina said. Yugi took a seat, but Seto stayed standing.

"Did you thank Lopez for the meal, Mokuba?" he asked. Mokuba nodded. "Good. I have to get some stuff from Kaiba Corp. I won't be long." He turned to go. "Watch Joy." That said, he left without another word.

After the meal, Yugi, Mokuba, and Ryou went off to watch TV. Merina headed up to Joy's room, carefully opening the door. Still sound asleep, she observed. She went and took a seat by Joy's bedside, taking her hand. She noticed that there was a streak of white in her normally totally black hair. She reached up with her free hand to touch it. It was really a part of her hair.

"She will probably have that white streak forever." Merina looked up as Katilli walked over to them. "Sorcerer said that every spell and enchantment leaves something of itself behind when it leaves a person. That white hair is the remnant of the spell. Like a mark that it really happened."

Merina nodded, and then turned back to Joy. Get better soon, my friend.

Seto walked into Kaiba Corp., much to the surprise of his secretary. "I thought you were already here, sir."

"What would make you think that?" Seto said, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, some girl was here when I got here this morning and she said you were waiting for her in your office."

Seto's eyes narrowed. "I made no such appointment." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, completely frustrated by the incompetence of his secretary in this situation. Why did she not check to see if he was in the office before letting her go up?

He went up to his office, checking to make sure his staff was around his wrist in the form of a watch before entering the room. He didn't want to take any chances.

The chair was turned to face the window behind the desk. "It's about time you showed up, Kaiba. I was beginning to think you were one to keep a lady waiting."

Seto snarled a bit. "You are far from a lady. What the hell are you doing in my office, Smith."

Jesse Smith turned the chair to face Seto. "I'm glad you remember me, Kaiba. As for why I'm here, I'm not staying long. Just wanted you to know you haven't seen the last of me." She stood and walked over to him. "I'll have my revenge someday. Till then, enjoy your semi-happy life while you can." She turned and started to leave.

"Hey." She looked back. "You come at me with everything you have and it still won't be enough."

"We'll see." With that, she left.

A few moments later, Seto left Kaiba Corp. and headed home. When he got there, he found the others watching a movie in the TV room. He tells them about the conversation with Jesse in his office. They decided she was the lesser of the two evils and not to worry about her for now. "Is Joy still out?" he asked.

"Yep. Sakura asleep, too," Ryou answered. Seto nodded and headed upstairs.

The next few days were very quiet. The group spent their days relazing or dueling for fun. Everyone except Seto, who they could rarely get out of Joy's room. On the fourth afternoon since the battle, Sakura had recovered enough to be out of bed and moving around. She spent some time talking with Ryou and hanging out.

Three more days past. Everyone took turns sitting with Joy. They were beginningto wonder if she would wake soon, and what it would be like when she did. Had the spell and receiving all that power affected her negatively? Merina expressed her concern of that notion to Sorcerer at one point while she and Seto were in the room together.

"Do not worry. I am sure that the power itself is gone, and that she has simply put herself into a recuperative slumber until she has recovered her strength. I do not feel it will have lasting affects.

Yugi came into the room at that point. Merina smiled in greeting. "How was your fun day out? What movie did you see?"

"I saw this great movie about this superhero who dresses up and…" He paused when he saw Joy move slightly. All eyes in the room focused on her as she stirred again.

Joy: Okay, that is not the most action-packed chapter, but oh, well. There's a party in the next chapter!! Yeah! So the next chapter is called: "Party Time!"

Announcement time: I will be making a sequel, but I don't know if I am going to post it here on I want to expand on a lot of things in the next story, mostly Joy and Seto's relationship. I might have to up the rating and I don't trust to keep my story on the site if I do put a lemon in it.

But I have a solution I am working on. I am building a site that will house my stories, and will post it there. I will make a toned down version for in case that plan falls through. So I guess either way, the story may end up here. I'll give you all a sneak preview on the last chapter of TE.

Gotta go for now. Remember to review and I'll see you next time!