Author's Note: I don't own anything but the plot, some ideas, and my OCs.

Author's Note2: There is some cursing in this chapter, sorry if you don't like it. If you guys really don't like it, I'll post a censored version of this chapter. No biggie.

About the Contest: Don't worry, it won't be over for a while! Actually, the entries so far sorta support how I'm already planning the plot to go. As the real-life version of Andro has said: "Ether all of NJ's asylums have crappy security, or there is something seriously wrong with the water."

"English": translated Egyptian

Chapter 18- Drifting

Time?

Location?

"Ryou? Bakura? Shit! Andro! Andro! I need your help!"

"Oh fuck, Ryou! Bakura! Wake up! Snap out of it! Oh gods…"

Ryou could hear their voices. Heck, they were louder then they should have been. Yet, as he opened his eyes, he could see they were nowhere near him. In fact, HE wasn't even sure where 'near' was.

When Ryou had first realized that the voice in his head didn't mean he was insane, back when Bakura was still on the hunt for the Millennium Puzzle, he had spent long periods of time in a place he had dubbed his 'Soul Room'. It was a place where all of Ryou's thoughts, dreams, and wishes had been given life and made 'real', though still containing completely surreal qualities, though on a much grander scale.

It was Egypt, yet completely unlike any of the photos you often saw in history textbooks or travel guides. This was a lush paradise, bordered on one side by the Nile. The only features that betrayed this beautiful place as Egypt were the pyramids in the distance. They were atop a hill looking down on Giza, or the city that had been there before Giza was formed, on the boundary of the Sahara. Behind them was an expanse of sun-baked sand and stone

"Yadonushi?"

Ryou turned to find Bakura, looking solid, taking in his surroundings. Ryou turned back to the scenery.

"Where are we? Egypt."

The thief nodded, a distant look in his eyes.

"Back in your time?"

This time he shook his head and turned back to Ryou, his eyes vacant.

"Even in my time Egypt wasn't this lush this… alive."

"Then where are we?"

"HERE! SHE WENT THIS WAY!"

The displaced two turned towards the voice, a ways off in the desert, only to see a squadron of chariots race past, wheels sending up sprays of sand. The lead chariot was driven by a tall man with a domed, ornamental helmet, dressed in flowing white robes and Egyptian-styled skirts. Beside him.

"It's Tait!"

"How the-"

But it was. Though the previously-graying hair was now a healthy black and the skin was now softer, there was no doubt who this man was. He two was dressed in robes, somewhat thicker then those of the young man next to him, but the cobra-staff he had worn at Ryou's first meeting with him was tied to his back and the Mazes of Re were missing from his neck. There was something strange about him though, his face lacked the softness that it had held back in the modern times.

"She may be deep into the desert by now, Trok. We should turn back to rest and prepare for next time."

The young man shook his head, a determined look on his face. The hair that stuck out from beneath the helmet was a deep, bright crimson, lighter around his face.

"I shall go after her alone if I must! She must not escape to aid the rebels!"

"She is too powerful, Pharaoh! You will turn this squadron around!"

"Never! We must-"

With a few more hoof-falls and they were too far away to hear.

"Who were they after, 'Kura?"

"I do not know."

From a stand of rocks beside them came a rustling as sand was displaced and a human form rose from hiding. The girl, dressed in worn, ripped robes and skirts with intricate tattoos inked into her forearms, stared after the chariots and, when they were out of site, ducked back behind the rocks. As Ryou and Bakura watched she pulled a tarnished piece of bronze from a pocket in her robes.

"G'reh, G'reh. I've lost them. I'm alone now."

It was apparent that she couldn't see ether of the boys standing not 3 meters away, so they moved closer.

"Are you sure they are gone? Ishtar the Mede may sense the spell you are using! If you are caught all is lost!"

The girl looked back towards where the chariots had headed.

"They are still heading into the Sahara, pretending to be Nefer and the Warlock."

There was muffled yelling coming from the disk, which abruptly got loader.

"THAT SLIMY SPAWN OF THE BOWELS OF SET! TO IMPERSONATE THE INCARNATE OF HERU IS PUNISHABLE BY DEATH AT THE HANDS OF THE-"

"Pharaoh, yes, we know. We ALSO know you are supposed to be DEAD so if you suddenly come back from the tomb and kill Trok, his followers will be on us like jackals to a fresh grave!"

"YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD AND NOW LOOK WHAT YOU'RE DOING!"

"It's fine, Nefer. I'm supposed to be a Netre incarnate and Netre may be reborn a thousand times."

"AS AM I!"

"Not the same. Pharaohs greater then you have died in the prime of life. You're barely out of your youth! Hardly a Netre if I ever did see one."

"…very well Thief, we shall wait."

The voice changed back to the original speaker.

"May Heru give you wings, Sekhmet-hekau."

"As to you, G'reh."

Ryou's face paled. This girl was Nessert? Well, she HAD been alive once, but still!

"Yadonushi, this young woman is Nessert!"

"I know, 'Kura."

Ryou had never been into a Memory World, Bakura's presence having excluded him from entering the world in Yugi and Atem's soul. Yet somehow he knew that this, too was also a memory of an event from deep in the past. And he decided that, being that he was trapped here, he would make the best of it and see what would happen. Who knows? Maybe it'll help them get back home.

Netre: Egyptian noun for God or Goddess.