Ashelin sat watched sat on her bed, watching her yami pace up and down the room in her spirit form. "Asheritu?" There was no response. Asheritu was completely absorbed in thought. She tried again, this time slightly louder. "Asheritu."

She stopped pacing. "Huh? What is it?"

"Oh, nothing much." She said offhandedly. "I just thought it'd be fun to go and see Yugi for a while. What do you think?"

"I suppose." She replied, equally as casual, secretly thinking how her little hikari always surprised her by being much more perceptive than she appeared.

Opening the door, Ashelin saw that it was raining and wordlessly turned control over to Asheritu. The rain had always fascinated her, having never seen it in Egypt. So it was that she walked all the way to the game shop with her arms outstretched, embracing the wonderful feeling of water cascading down her face.

By the time she got to the game shop, she was completely soaked. She chuckled to herself as she rang the bell. "I must be a real sight." She muttered.

And indeed she was. The first thing Yugi did when he opened the door was to exclaim, "Asheritu! You're drenched!"

She laughed. "That's what happens when you wander around in the rain." She seized his wrist. "Come out in the rain with me."

Yugi let Yami take over. "Go have some fun." He said, glad that there was something to take Yami out of his thoughts.

They both ran into the rain, laughing like children. Then Yami did something that surprised both of them. Grabbing her hands and spinning her around so that her back was to him and her arms were crossed over her stomach. They stayed like that for quite some time, just standing cheek to cheek.

"This is so familiar to me somehow." Yami said quietly. Asheritu turned around and buried her face in his neck, her tears mixing with the rainwater. "What's wrong?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her shoulders comfortingly.

"I just don't know if I have the strength to face the future, knowing what's coming." She whispered.

"Come and sit down." He said, leading her to a nearby bench. "I know that whatever happens, there'll be a way to get through it."

"Thanks." She said looking up, her face brightening. "You always did know just what to say. Yami, I-"

That sentence stopped right there though, as a car screeched to a sudden halt on the road and a man and a woman clambered out of it. The woman shrieked, "Ashelin!" and ran towards them.

Asheritu released control and retreated to the key. It killed her to do it, but this was a task Ashelin had to complete on her own.

"No. Not them. Don't make me face them alone." Ashelin pleaded, but she got no answer, she was on her own here. At least she was only alone in her mind – Yami was still there. She cringed behind him. "Yami, don't let them take me away." She said desperately. "Whatever happens, don't let them get me."

"Oh my god, Ashelin! We've been so worried!" Her mother went right round Yami and enveloped Ashelin in a crushing embrace.

"Well we've found you now, so it's time for all of us to just go home." Her father grabbed her wrist, pulling her away. "Tomorrow we'll find a nice place for you to stay where you'll be safe. It will only be for a little while." he lied.

Ashelin started to struggle. "Dad, no!" she cried. "You can't do this!"

Yami stepped forward, taking hold of her other wrist. "No. They can't." After seeing Ashelin's desperation to escape, there was no way he could let this happen.

"Who the hell are you?!" her father demanded. "Let go of our daughter!" He pulled hard to try and dislodge Yami, causing Ashelin to cry out in pain.

Finally, she'd had enough. A burst of shadow magic hit both of her parents head on, throwing them away from her. Her whole being glowed with the power she was unleashing. "You will leave this place." She said, her voice tinged with strange echoes. "Get back into your car and leave now, forgetting that you ever saw me here."

In a daze, their eyes blank, her parents John and Maria Lumiere both got up slowly and returned to their car, got into it and drove away. Ashelin watched them go with an unreadable expression on her face – halfway between relief and sadness – tears running new tracks down her face.

"It's stopped raining." She said quietly.

A/N: Thanks to Kyshin, darkforestchick andRobinIV for their reviews - they were very thoughtfull. Keep them coming! Love, peace and chicken grease to all of you!