It's about time I posted a new chapter. But I've been… busy. Truly busy. Ah well. I've also had Writer's Block, which is never fun. I was trying to think of a decent way to end this chapter… and I think I found it! Hoozah.

Anyways, thank you to those who reviewed! Izzy the Crazy Pharaoh and YamiSeto's Grl… my Myspace homies. Iheart you guys. Chaos-Paladin… remind me to hug you when I next go to the game shop. XD Carlia, thanks so much for the review! And Anya-sama, thanks so much for letting me use your characters. You roxxor my soxxorz.

So, here's chapter 3 of Princess of Shadows. Enjoy!

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Chapter 3- Meetings and Misfortunes

Yami awoke the next morning to pounding at both his head and his door. "Yami! Yami, wake up!"

The still sleeping pharaoh barely managed to drag himself to the door. "What, Yugi?" he snapped at his lighter half, who grimaced and muttered something under his breath. "What?"

"I said," Yugi replied almost sullenly, "that there's someone at the door for you. You don't want to keep your most avid supporter waiting, do you?" The small boy smirked behind his hands, something he very rarely did.

Yami wiped his eyes and yawned. "Who…?"

Yugi's smirk widened into a grin, and he started to laugh. "Ishizu."

"Wha- Oh. Right. Ryou. Plane." Yami mumbled.

"Yeah, sure, something along those lines. Anyways, she's at the door, and she brought Malik with her. And…well, I can't tell if it's him or not, but there's someone else too. In short… you need to get dressed, Dad."

This time it was Yami's turn to grin. Since he had found out that his light, Yugi, was in fact his son brought to him from Egypt, Yami had been ecstatic. Add in to it the fact that he'd also found his wife, Ruia… Well, Yami had plenty to smile about these days, even if Yugi couldn't very well call his adopted siblings 'Mom' and 'Dad' in public.

Yami quickly got dressed and headed downstairs. He paused to say hello to Yugi's grandfather, and hurried to the front door. Fortunately or not, he'd barely stepped foot outside when a blond whirlwind knocked him to the ground. "Yami!"

Said pharaoh smiled. "Oof… good to see you too, Malik." The grinning Egyptian stood up and helped Yami to his feet as well. "Hello, Ishizu."

Ishizu smiled and curtsied. "Hello, my pharaoh. I hope fate finds you well?"

"It does, as I'm sure Ryou probably mentioned." Yami walked over to the woman and gave her a quick hug. "Where's Odion?"

"Oh, he's at the house unpacking. He said he would see you sometime this week." Ishizu responded cheerfully. She looked much happier than the last time Yami had seen her, but this time her brother wasn't possessed by a homicidal maniac. Although speaking of which…

"And… where's…" Yami began softly.

"Who…? Oh, of course." Ishizu turned to look over her shoulder. It was only then that Yami noticed the figure leaning against the wall, cloaked in shadow, head down. "Ri?" The figure lifted its head slightly. "Say hello."

"Not gonna work, 'Shizu." Malik replied instead. "You know he won't say anything." Malik walked over to the figure and said, "You know you don't have to say anything, 'Ri. Just… acknowledge him, okay?" The figure sighed, the first sound it had made the entire time. Slowly, very slowly, it lifted its head.

Eerie, almost glowing amethyst eyes met Yami's own. Gone, however, were the psychosis, bloodlust, and mania, replaced now by an echoing emptiness. Yami Malik looked depressed at the least, and was probably, as far as Yami could tell, bordering on despondent. He held none of the violent rage of his former self, and beneath all of the blankness in his eyes, was just a faint flash of… pain? Sorrow? Regret? Yami wasn't sure, but wasn't sure that he was willing to find out, either.

"Um… Yami Malik…" Yami began, but was startled when the Egyptian's eyes lit up with outrage. Yami Malik shook his head violently and held up a finger.

Apparently Yami looked as confused as he felt, because Malik tapped him on the shoulder and muttered, "Mariku. That's his name. Or at least, that's what he said it was. Actually, that was the ONLY thing he said. Hasn't said a word since." Malik shrugged. "Don't know why, of course. But Mariku is the only thing he'll respond to. Yami Malik seems to offend him."

Yami still was puzzled, but he decided to give Malik's advice a try. "Er… Mariku?"

The Egyptian looked up again, no more insult in his eyes, only that look of silent suffering. Mariku nodded slowly, turned around, and walked back to the Ishtar's car.

"What…" Yami started, but Malik just shook his head sadly in response.

"We don't know, Yami." Malik replied, running his fingers through his sandy blond hair. "He hasn't spoken in months, literally. But I'm not going to be the one to try and force him. Well, 'Shizu, don't we still have to go back to the house? I'm supposed to meet Duke in, like, half an hour and I've still got to change."

Ishizu sighed, but smiled at her younger brother all the same. "Yes, yes, for your little da-"

"It's not a date!" Malik yelled furiously. "I've told you, there's nothing official yet, we just…" Malik trailed off, grinned apologetically at Yami and his sister, and joined Mariku in the car.

Yami and Ishizu exchanged a glance. "He's…?" he asked carefully.

Ishizu looked cross. "Yes, he is."

'Damn,' Yami thought sullenly, 'now I have to pay Joey.' "Oh…well, it's not that big a deal, right?"

"It wouldn't be, if he wasn't so, well, flamboyant about it." Ishizu sighed again, and shook her head. "Anyway, we do have to go. Goodbye, my Pharaoh, and we'll see each other soon." The dark haired woman bowed.

Yami returned it, and smiled. "It's Yami to you, Ishizu. You know that." Ishizu smiled again, and left.

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"Serenity, calm down! Serenity… It'll be alright. It will, I promise. But you have to calm down, okay?" Joey murmured into the phone. "Please, calm down."

"But Joey," his younger sister wept on the other end, "what am I going to do?"

Joey had been woken from his catnap by his sister's incomprehensible sobbing on his answering machine. He had quickly grabbed the phone before Serenity had hung up, and she had, after many attempts to get her to talk normally, finally made some sense- Their mother had run off. Joey, naturally, had tried to convince Serenity to come live with him, but she would not agree.

"Serenity…" Joey began softly. "Serenity, come on. You'll love it here. You really will. You have somewhere to go, you know that."

"But why?" Serenity howled. "Why would she do this? How… how could… she…?" Serenity dissolved into tears again.

Joey was on the verge of tears himself. He hated hearing Serenity like this, especially after he tried so hard to protect the girl. "Listen, Serenity… just hold on, alright? Just a couple of hours."

Serenity sniffled. "What… what are you talking about, Joey?"

The older boy sighed. "I'll call you when I find out what time the train gets in, okay? I'm not abandoning you now."

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Raya Walker-Moto had faced many dilemmas in her life, but this was by far the toughest yet. Should she put down her book and get off the couch, to answer a phone call that was almost certain to be a telemarketer? No, Raya thought, and turned the page.

"Yugi! Yami! Raya! C'mon, somebody answer the freaking phone!" Raya was off the couch and had the phone in her hand before the book hit the floor.

"Joey? Is that you? What's wrong? And why does it sound like there's a train in the background?" Raya demanded, leaning up against the back of an armchair.

"I'm at the train station. I've gotta go see Serenity, and I need you to tell the people at school that I'll be out for a couple days, okay?"

Raya glanced at the clock. It was almost 10 o'clock. "You are aware of the time, yes?"

"Yeah. Look, Raya, I gotta go, my train's here. Just do that for me, please? Thanks!" The line went dead.

Raya stared blankly at the phone before dropping it back on to its base and settling herself in to armchair. "What in the hell…?" she mused aloud. "Damn… I hope Serenity's all right."

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Ishizu was home alone. Her brother was still out on his date, Mariku was out riding his motorcycle somewhere, and Odion had gone out for a walk. She didn't mind being alone though. She actually liked the peace and quiet.

The Egyptian women was just examining one of her glass vases when a voice behind her said lowly, "Hello, Isis."

The vase dropped. Ishizu ignored the glass shards and her now bleeding feet, and turned to face the intruder. "You…"

A candle blazed out of nowhere and lit the invader's face. "Come now, Isis, we mustn't be rude." The woman, for that's who it was, smirked slightly and swept the hood from her face, causing the flame light hit the two gleaming silver daggers by her sides.

Ishizu gasped and hit her knees. "I… I mean… you… no…" Ishizu looked up at the face behind her. "Aredia?"

"Well, that's Princess Aredia, but yes, indeed it is." Aredia's smirk grew. "And here I thought you had died."

"I… did…" Ishizu mumbled. For she had, three thousand years before. And Aredia had been there. "How… are you here…? You…"

"I came back!" the princess snapped, eyes blazing. "And since you missed that little bit of our story, I'll tell you why." Aredia bent down and picked up a fragment of glass. "I've come…" She ran the shard ever so lightly down Ishizu's cheek, barely drawing blood, "…to kill…" The glass was at Ishizu's throat, leaving a faint red trail behind, "…my brother."

Ishizu froze, the makeshift blade still against her neck. Her brother? But that was… "Why?"

Aredia held the glass a little closer. "Why?" she repeated. "Why? One reason, Isis, and one reason only." She leaned in close to Ishizu's ear, and whispered, "Revenge." She let the shard fall.

Ishizu breathed and looked up again. Aredia was standing, looking behind Ishizu, staring at the Egyptian artifacts on the wall. The princess shook her head and pulled her cloak back up. "And don't bother telling him, my dear, or it will be that much the worse for you…" Aredia swept out of the room, leaving Ishizu on the floor, engulfed by memories she'd would have given anything to forget.

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Yeah… that's the end of Chapter 3. Hope everyone enjoyed, and, as always, read and review!