The whole plain was silent, save for the soft snores of some of the passengers and the clicking of keys from laptops. He flexed his hand, staring blankly at the seat in front of him. What felt like a heavy smog sat at the back of his mind. When a hand clasped his shoulder he jump, startled.

"Settle down, will you?" Joey asked from where he was standing next to Ryou. The pale haired boy smiled weakly and pressed against his seat, allowing his friend to take his seat beside the window.

"I'm still a little shaken, that's all." Ryou finally muttered, remembering the events of the museum. He had been fully aware of what Bakura had planned to do when he smashed the case that contained the daggers, and now he regretted not trying to stop him. What was worse, he felt he wouldn't have been able to stop him even if he had tried.

"Earth to Ryou." The words broke through his thoughts. Instantly he became aware of Joey's hand waving before his eyes.

"Hmm, what was that?" Ryou asked, a bit embarrassed that he had zoned out.

"I was asking if you were sure that you were alright." Joey explained, opening a package of peanuts as he did. "You've been pretty quiet since you and Sundari came back from the museum. And I mean more quiet than usual."

"I'm alright." The boy lied. He glanced across the aisle to where Sundari was curled up beneath a blanket, fast asleep. She hadn't spoken since the museum and Ryou was worried about her. He hoped it was just shock.

Bakura hadn't spoken since, either. As soon as they had left the alley the spirit had given Ryou control of his body once more and had disappeared into the back of Ryou's mind. Nonetheless, Ryou could feel Bakura's regret. But he didn't regret killing the guard, he regretted making Sundari upset.

Joey turned from where he was looking out the window and saw the deep creases of worry on Ryou's face. "I hope we get to Greece soon." Joey muttered in hopes of driving the boy beside him into a conversation. "I hate flying." Ryou nodded, only half aware of what Joey had said.

"I hope we get there soon, too."

Silently and carefully she crept down the stairs, praying the light creaking of the floorboards wouldn't awaken anyone. Once on the main floor she made her way through the dinning room and towards the double swinging doors that opened to the kitchen.

She pushed on the door and entered the room. For a split second she thought she saw two boys with spiky hair, but within a blink she saw it was only one.

"What are you doing up Yugi?" Bree asked as she made her way over to the cupboard. The boy sat in his pajamas on a stool at the island in the center of the kitchen, a bowl of dried cereal before him.

"I could ask you the same thing." Yugi told her with a smile.

"Just need a snack." The girl told him as she opened the cupboard and pulled out a bowl. "You know what's freaky?"

"What?" Yugi asked, turning on his seat to see her. She was putting cookies from a cow cookie jar into her bowl.

"When I first came in here I could've sworn there was two of you sitting at the island." At this she chuckled, the uneasy expression on Yugi's face unnoticed.

"That is, um, freaky…" He uttered. More so on our behalf He added to the spirit within his mind.

"Don't you need milk for that?" Bree asked, bringing Yugi back to earth.

"For what?" A questioning expression appeared on his face.

"Your cereal?" She pointed to the bowl before him. Yugi glanced down and realized he had forgotten to put milk in it. The color in his cheeks rose.

"I guess I do." He said, giving an awkward laugh afterwards.

"I'll pour you some when I get me a glass." Bree told him as she opened the fridge. "You know, this whole house is creepy." She stated with her head in the fridge. "Chayton was ranting about a ghost being here. A ghost, can you believe that?"

"No, I can't say I do…" Yugi lied.

There is something odd about this place. Yami told his counterpart. He appeared in Yugi's mind's eye leaning against the wall next to the fridge. Have you been able to sense it? Yugi nodded to the spirit.

"Sense what?" Bree questioned, still from within the fridge.

Yugi's eyes grew wide as Yami glanced over at Bree. She-she just heard you! He stammered.

"Of course I can hear you." Bree muttered, finally appearing from the fridge with the milk in her hand. "Stop talking like I'm not here." She closed the fridge door and saw Yami standing where he was. She cried out and dropped the milk. She looked down to the milk jug, then to where Yami was, only now nothing was there.

"Bree, what's wrong?" Yugi asked, trying to keep calm.

She closed her jaw that had dropped and looked at Yugi, then back to the empty space, and back to Yugi. "I-I could've sworn you were standing right there." She said, her voice a bit higher than usual. "But, it wasn't exactly you. You know?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Yugi lied. Bree blinked, then picked up the milk and poured herself a glass of it.

"I need some sleep." Bree uttered as she left the jug on the island and picked up her glass and bowl. "I'm loosing my mind." She started towards the door, then cast a wary glance at the place Yami had been.

"Well, good night Bree." Yugi said, encouraging her to go to sleep.

"Yeah, night Yugi." She mumbled, then left the room. She quickly made her way through the dining room and up the first set of stairs.

Things just keep getting weirder and weirder. She thought as she reach the top of the steps and headed down the hall to the next flight of stairs.

At the top of the stairs that led to the third floor was a window. As Bree ascended this flight she realized the window was open. Curious, she poked her head out and saw that through this window someone could climb onto the roof. Gulping down her milk and placing her glass on the floor beside the window she stepped onto the tiling, her now free hand holding onto the panels of the open window.

She slowly pulled herself up onto the bit of roof above the window, grateful that it was steep. From there she crawled over to the other side of the roof that looked over the ocean. Sitting carefully on the peek of the house with her cookies in her lap she stared at the night sky.

A rustle from below made her move her gaze to where the roof went flat. Kaiba sat on the flat part, leaning on the sloping part of the roof. His hands were behind his head and for once he looked content.

Bree smiled a bit, then returned her gaze to the stars. It didn't matter if she spoke or not, he knew she was there. They just sat in silence, enjoying the scene before them.

Don't you think it's a little strange that she saw you? Yugi asked his spirit companion a few minutes after Bree had left the kitchen. Yami was once again leaning against the wall of the fridge, only now Yugi wondered if he was only in his mind or if he really was standing there.

I can't say it is. Yami admitted.

But why?

Yami sighed. He looked towards the kitchen door, then slowly moved his gaze around the kitchen. It's this house. He finally answered. And maybe from being so close to the Shadow Gem for so long. The Shadow Magic from the Gem and the house itself are making me stronger, I can feel it. Perhaps it's giving me enough strength to leave your mind and appear as a spirit in the real world.

It does seem like a rational explanation. Yugi admitted as he chewed on his cereal.

It's the only rational explanation. Yami corrected him. But it goes to prove these Gems are nothing to tamper with. It appears they feed Shadow Magic unintentionally.

Yugi gulped down the last of his cereal. Sounds like they can be a risk.

If in the wrong hands. Yami assured him.

Well, I think I'm ready for bed now. Yugi announced as he hoped from his stool. He dumped his bowl and spoon in the sink and headed for the door. Once there he stopped and turned back to Yami. You coming?

I think I'll stay for a moment more. Yami told him. If I can indeed leave your mind, I should be able to stay here for a while and not be drawn after you.

Oh, ok. Yugi said, then pushed at the door and was gone.

Yami waited awhile, only feeling a faint pull on his body to go after the boy. The farther Yugi was from him, the stronger the pull became. If he was going to do what he wanted, he'd have to hurry.

"I know you're here." He said to the room. "But I want to know why. How about you come out and tell me what is keeping you in this house."

He waited a moment or two, but nothing answered. Finally, he allowed the growing pull on him to drag him back to Yugi. As his form went through the solid floors and walls, a soft voice whispered in his ear.

"You will know in time."

Everything was quiet as he slowly walked down the hall. From the open windows moonlight danced in, the stars twinkling beyond.

He pushed on the door at the end of the hall, looking into the room. The only light was a black candle flickering on a nightstand beside the canopy bed. The black curtains of the bed were pulled closed. He lightly closed the door behind him and walked over to the dark curtains, pushing one aside to sit within the enclosure.

Medea sat at the head of the bed, her back against the elegant headboard. She stared at the picture in her hand, one finger lightly going over the holes in the glass. Her neck was bare, the necklace and brooch somewhere else.

"You didn't come to supper." Marik noted after a moment of silence. "In fact, you've been up here since-"

"Since her appearance." Medea finished for him. She slowly raised her eyes to look at him. "He wasn't telling the truth." She whispered.

"Who?"

"Sanders. He wasn't telling the truth about how Nina died."

"Did he say that?"

Medea looked down at the photo. "No. But I can tell. He's keeping something from me."

Marik sighed. "Maybe you should ask."

"I did." Medea said, a bit coldly. "Or, at least I was going to." Her voice became softer. "Right after Nina disappeared. I went to Sanders because I knew there was something more to Nina's fate, why else would she warn us? But, he stopped me before I could ask and said he need me for something."

"And that was?"

"To open some book with the Turquoise." She said this with disgust. "Then he took off to try and translate what the book meant."

Marik's eyes went to her neck at the mention of the Shadow Gem only to see it gone. "Did you ask the Gem to tell you?"

"Yes."

Medea's eyes slowly moved to a spot beside Marik. He followed her gaze and saw the red ribbon and Turquoise sitting behind him as if thrown there in a fit of rage. Hesitantly he picked it up and looked back to Medea. Her face was grim.

"It wouldn't answer me." She said plainly.

Marik fought back a small smile. He rolled the brooch over in his hand, gazing at it. It somehow amazed him how something so small could hold so much power.

"Marik?"

He returned his gaze to Medea. She was looking intently on the Shadow Gem. "What is it?"

For a moment it looked like she was going to say something important, then thought better of it. Instead she just put out her hand. Marik placed the Gem in her grasp and her fingers enclosed around it.

"Don't you ever feel in danger around it?" Marik asked before he could stop himself. To his surprise Medea didn't laugh, or even smiled to spite him. Slowly she nodded.

"A few times." She told him. "Mostly when it's telling me thing."

They sat in silence for a few moments, the only sound was the ticking of the old clock on the wall.

"But-"

Marik looked at her. The girl was holding the Gem in her hand as if she wasn't sure if she should return it to her throat or not.

"But it's not the Gem that frightens me." She continued. "It's the connection the Gem has to the Chaos. And I can feel the Chaos. That is what frightens me."

Marik nodded slowly, understanding the fear of feeling what you cannot see.

"Why did you ask?"

"Hmm?" Marik glanced at her.

"Why did you ask?" Medea repeated. He looked down at his hands, averting her gaze. "Is it because there is something in your past that seemed otherworldly and it was a horrible thing?" The expression on his face seemed to be enough for her. "I'm right, aren't I?"

He didn't answer. He couldn't. But in the back of his mind the memories of Battle City played, along with other horrible things from before then.

Medea gazed at him questioningly. "Do you care to share?" When he didn't answer she brought her fist closed around the Gem to her lips, her eyes closed. She whispered a few things to it, and a deep green glow came from the Turquoise.

Marik was lost in his memories, Medea's actions lost to him. It wasn't until two arms wrapped around his shoulders did he return to reality.

"You poor thing." The girl whispered to him, her chin on his shoulder. "What a horrible thing to go through."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

Medea turned him to face her, cupping his cheek in one of her pale hands. There was sympathy in her eyes. "To have a legacy placed on your shoulders at such a young age. No wonder you went mad."

His eyes widened. "What?"

"I know what happened." She whispered, her free hand going to the Turquoise. "All I had to do was ask and it showed me."

He pushed her hand away. "You asked it about my past?"

Medea nodded. "Well yes, I-"

"You have no right to do that." Marik told her. He stood ubruptly. "My past is mine, no one else's."

"I only wanted to know-"

"Know what?" Marik asked dangerously. "Know what kind of horrible person I was?"

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Marik." She retorted.

"Easy for you to say." He snapped, then turned and stormed from the room.

Medea sat, stunned. Slowly she returned her composure and tied the ribbon around her next once more. She sighed a bit, then picked up the picture from where it lay on her pillow.

"We all have our demons, Marik." She uttered, running a hand over the cracked glass.

Some more than others

She flipped through the book, it's yellow pages crackling in her fingers. She rubbed her eyes, wishing to sleep. But she couldn't not until she saw one thing that she understood in the alien writing.

Finally, when she was done flipping through it she closed the book and tossed it onto the table before her.

"Well?" Sanders asked hopefully.

Ishizu sighed. "I have no idea what it means. It's like a mixture of all the languages in the world! Only a word or two I can understand."

Sanders let out the breath he had been holding. "I guess we'll never know where it is then…"

"Where what is?"

"The last Shadow Gem." Sanders told her. "According to legend, the Last Shadow Gem, the Lapis Lazuli of the Egyptians, was never passed on. Instead it was hidden somewhere. I was hoping the book would say where, then we can get it before this kidnapper, but I guess we can't."

"Don't loose hope." Ishizu told him, patting his knee. "We both know many languages, we could try to figure it out."

Sanders smiled at her, taking her hands in his own. "You're always so optimistic, you know that?"

"I try." She muttered, a blush spreading on her cheeks. His smile widened. His gaze caught her own and held it. The look he gave her made her heart quicken a bit.

"I'm happy you came back." He told her, then leaned towards her.

Just above a door slammed closed, making both of them jump apart. Ishizu's blush deepened. She stood and grabbed the book.

"I should go, it's late." She told him, heading to the door. Before he could object she had opened it and disappeared into the dark hallway.

He sat against the rough wall of his enclosure, staring at his hands. All around him was dark and by the faint sound of crickets he could only guess it was night.

All day he had been pondering whether or not Chiquita was really his friend, or if she was just using him. It was a battle between the part of him that said "She's too nice to be using you" and the part that argued "Of course, that's her plan!"

Takoda was no help. Whenever he glanced at her she gave him a look that said "You know I'm right.".

I just want to go home…The thought resounded in his mind. He was getting homesick, and just wished to wake up at any moment and find out this was all a bad dream. But he knew that would never happen.

His eyes moved to the key sitting on the table. Mokuba's eyes narrowed. Why did I ever have to buy you? Why me? As far as he was concerned, the Obsidian was at fault for all of his problems. It was the reason he was hungry, it was the reason he was cold, it was the reason he was scared, it was the reason he was alone.

As he sat mentally cursing the Gem, the electric lights turned on, blinding him like they had the first time. Footsteps sounded and from the stairs appeared both Antonio and Chiquita. A large coil of rope was on Antonio's shoulder and Chiquita was holding a box full of who-knows-what.

A grin spread on Antonio's lips and Chiquita gave Mokuba an apologetic look.

Antonio declared something in Spanish that Mokuba didn't understand, and tossed the large coil on the ground. He then pulled out a knife and began cutting the rope into smaller pieces.

Chiquita bought her box over to Mokuba's cell and unlocked to door, closing it behind her.

"What's going on?" Mokuba asked in a low voice. Chiquita pulled two long strips of fabric from the box.

"Open your mouth." She told him. He did so and she gagged him. "Antonio says it's moving day." Chiquita explained as she got another strip of fabric. "Essie has decided it's time to take everyone to the Holding Ground. I'm not sure where that is, but I know it's not here in Mexico." She tied the second strip around his eyes. "We are going to be taking a boat that Antonio has rented. It may take awhile by boat, Antonio says, but he's safer than taking you all on a plain."

Mokuba then heard Chiquita whisper for him not to be afraid, then she left his cell. He waited awhile before Antonio pulled him from his cell and tied his hands with the rope. He could hear the shuffling as more people from other cells were brought over.

Then, one by one, they were taking up the stairs and out into the cool morning. Finally, they were all placed in a truck and driven off.

Mokuba was a bit comforted by the feel of other people around him, even if he couldn't see their faces. He could hear a small girl crying softly, and what Mokuba thought to be her father or brother trying to hush her.

After awhile in the back of the truck, the vehicle stopped and they were all pulled out. Mokuba could hear the ocean and taste it. The sun was higher now.

The group was moved along a rocky beach and across a dock. Then up a set of stairs and onto a boat. Rough hands grabbed Mokuba and hauled him across the boat to someplace unseen. All the way he could hear Spanish voices. He wondered if these people were also working for Essie.

Finally there was the sound of hinges squeaking and Mokuba was pushed into a room where the ropes around his hands were cut and his gag taken off. A strange sound reach his ears as he was pushed onto the floor and cold metal wrapped around his wrist. Lastly, his blind fold was taken off, the light hurting his eyes. He closed them, listening to the door close behind whoever brought him in here.

"So I'm stuck with you." A familiar voice said darkly.

Mokuba forced his eyes open. The first thing he noticed was he was in a room. The second was he was handcuffed to the end of a bed. The third was that Takoda was handcuffed to the other end of the bed.

The boy stood, rubbing his eyes as he did. "You say it like it's a bad thing."

"I never said it was a good thing, either." She said, her tone dull. She got up from where she sat on the floor and moved onto the bed, leaning against the wall.

Mokuba sighed and sat down at the end of the bed. It was softer than his cot back in the cavern, that was a plus.

Chiquita said the ride may take awhile. He remembered. He glanced back at Takoda who had her legs pulled to her chest and her head resting on them. Mokuba knew she was fighting back tears. I suppose I'll have to make the best of this…