--Alyssa sat and wondered as the pot simmered full of breakfast. Her parents, once more excited by her presence this morning as well, were in the other room. Four days in a row, they said. Something must big must be going on. She hadn't stayed home like this in the longest time.

She stirred it once, twice, three times. It was almost done. She added one or two more little bits of things into the pot. Her parents laughter in the background. The busy sounds of the street.

What was she going to do? She couldn't just keep putting off days of work. However, she knew she could not think of a song if she went. Surely he would grow tired of hearing the same things day after day…

Stirring the pot again, testing it. Finally finished, she moved it away from the source of heat. They still had some savings, but it wouldn't hold up forever. They could only last on it for a few more days. She finally told herself what she knew would have to happen…something she had told herself all along, but didn't want to face.

She'd have to stop playing for the pharaoh.

Either that, or she would have to figure something else out. They only had a little bit left. He was coming to collect for the house today. Not many people collected like this anymore, but her father had made a promise all those years ago. She had made a promise all those years ago. And they'd kept it. She couldn't let it slip through the cracks now.

She went and told her parents that breakfast was ready. As usual she kept up her happy grin. Chatting about what had gone on the past few days. Yes, she knew that the mat needed replacing. She'd try and make another one later that day perhaps. No, she wasn't worried about anything. Yes, she had to leave later…

The answers came mechanically to her, as she thought on other things inside. She was practiced in this though, and to her family it seemed that all was well and she was only intent on listening to them.

Seven pieces today. They had some for a few more days, but she needed to find something. She'd been slacking. Hadn't been taking as many orders for a while. She needed to hand back the one or two she'd done.

No, she could handle the dishes. Go and rest. Yes, she was fine. Why? No, she wasn't tired. She had to be going soon. She got up and cleaned the dishes. Afterwards, she left. Her bag in her hands she went and bartered with the people. Of course, she got less for her work than she was promised. She was used to this however now. She took a few more orders and promised to have them finished soon.

Walking up the palace steps, she went to her usual spot where she liked to think. You could see the entire city from it. She rested her elbows on the railing of the balcony, the wind scattering the loose tendrils of her hair around her face. She sighed, looking up at the morning sun. "What am I going to do?" She said.

"Help." Hears Yugi and the Pharaoh, as they search through door after door, trying to find the source of the call. "There are thousands of doors here!" Yugi says. "It could take us forever to find them!" "I know." Yami says. Suddenly, a kurriboh pops up in front of them. It squeaks, and starts bouncing up and down. "I…think it wants us to follow it." Yugi says. Immediately, the Kurriboh bounces away, towards one of the doors. "Hey! Wait for us!" Yugi calls out, as he and the pharaoh race after it. Through one door, then another, and yet another. Twisting turning, until finally, the Kurriboh stops.

The pair starts glowing, and there is a bright flash of light. They are in a large room, and the dark magician girl is there. "You have to help us!" she says. "Pharaoh, please!" "We'll do whatever we can." The pharaoh says. "What is wrong?" "The Great beast is preparing to enter into the world. For years it has haunted our world." " Your world?" Yugi questions. "Yes- Earth and duel monsters occupy the same region of space, but in two different dimensions. Parallel universes, if you will." She explains. "but now it is meging between the worlds." She says. "And if it gets out…" she doesn't have to finish the sentence for them to understand.

"What can we do to help?" The pharaoh asks. "You are one of the chosen duelists, to wield the Eye of Tamias." She explains. "Years ago they were great warriors that fought against the Great beast. However, they were frozen in time. "So…how do we get them out?" Yugi asks. "If you can remove the sword that is stuck inside the dragon, then it is yours." She says. They look at the three giant sculptures of ice in the room. "We can at least give it a shot." Yami says to Yugi.

They float over to one of the dragons, each putting a hand on the hilt of a sword. Both pull on it. "Give it all you've got, Yugi!" Te pharaoh says. Both give it an extra hard tug, and the sword slides out, freeing the monster, and causing them to fall backward a little bit. "Now join with each other!" The dark magician girl shouts from somewhere. Yami and Yugi hold out a hand towards the dragon, and just as suddenly as a bright flash of light had brought them here, they left.

Yami sat up from where he was. Yugi had apparently been able to sleep through the ordeal and, though stirring slightly in his sleep, soon fell into rhythmic breathing. Yami knew he would sleep until morning. He, however, could not seem to get his eyes to close and remain that way. After trying unsuccessfully for ten minutes to fall asleep, he decided to walk around the house and try and clear his head.

Down in the kitchen he saw Alyssa sitting at the table, a small pile of books around her. She had out the familiar notepad, and she had a pen in her hand. "She must be taking notes again." He said. It did not slip by his eyes, however, that she had apparently cleaned the room. Nor did the fact that the lamp was on the lowest setting it could go unnoticed.

She yawned and blinked her eyes a few times before setting back down to her books. "Looks like you're staying up late anyway." He said. Again, she looked around. "That's twice now." He thought, catching his breath. She crossed her arms and set her head down. As she closed her eyes, he thought he heard her say something along the lines of "Fifteen minutes won't hurt, right?" She buried her face in her arms and soon he could see her body gently rising and falling with her breathing.

He smiled again. "Perhaps now she'll be more content to come inside." He said. The puzzle glowed around his neck, and the light in the room went off. "Sleep well." He whispered into her ear. She moved her head and her eyelids fluttered, but they did not open. Yami knew that she would sleep the whole night through. He went back upstairs and stretched out on his back on the bed, next to Yugi, still sleeping. He yawned and felt his eyes droop. Within the next few minutes, the pharaoh was asleep.

"Shh!" Yugi whispered to Joey as he entered the Mutou's kitchen. Alyssa was still at the table, her books spread out. Her head was still resting on her arms. "She must be really tired." Yugi says, readjusting the blanket they had thrown around her when discovering her that morning. "Well no wonder! Look at all that writin' she did!" Joey says, picking up a piece of paper.

"It must be horrible not being able to remember who you are." Yugi says, looking at the Pharaoh. "Hey- Yugi- I thought she said she wasn't rich?"

"She did." Yugi says, looking back toward Joey. "She said she was a servant girl." "Then why is she taking notes on Egypt's pharaohs?" Joey questions, flipping through the pages full of writing. It looks like it starts….right here." He says. Yugi looks at the pad as Joey flips through page after page full of writing, catching words and dates, illustrations in the margins.

"I wonder what she was doing then?" Yugi says, taking the pad from Joey. Alyssa begins to stir. Her eyes blink a few times before she opens them, and closes them once more against the morning light seeping into the kitchen. Ass she sits up, the blanket falls to the floor. "What time is it?" She mumbles, rubbing her eyes. "I think nine, nine thirty." Joey says off handedly. "Oh no, breakfast!" She shouts, standing up.

"I'm sorry. I'll clean this mess up first." She says, straightening the piles of open books and scattered papers. "I was just so tired last night. I only wanted to close my eyes for a few minutes. I guess I fell asleep." She says, reaching for a few papers.

"Wait a minute." She says, looking through her stack. I'm missing something. Oh no! My notes!" she says, glancing around. She spots them in Yugi's hand. "There they are.." she says. "I'll put them away with everything else she says, extending a hand for them.
"The first bit of everything is all about peasant life." Yugi says. "But these last few pages are filled with stuff about pharaohs and royalty. Why's that?" yugi asks, curious. "It's nothing." She says, trying to grab them, but Joey pulls them out of Yugi's hand from behind. "Yeah, what's up?" He says. "All these confusing dates." He says. "All these words and other things. Hey! That one looks kinda like you, Yug!" he says, pointing to one of the drawings on the side of the page. "Not bad." He says, turning the paper a bit.

Alyssa takes the pad. "Please. Now what is it you all want for breakfast?" She asks. "You and Tristan seem to have eaten everything from yesterday. How, I have no idea." She says, turning to put her stuff to the side. "No changing the subject!" Joey says, wagging a finger at her. "I know what you're trying to do." "Joey, there is a spot on your tie." She says. "Eh?" he says, looking down. "A spot on my tie? What spot? Wait a second, I'm not even wearing a tie!" he says. Yugi laughs. "Why though?" Yugi persists, in innocent curiosity.

She sighs and hesitates before speaking, glancing around. "Well…if you must know…they were for the Pharaoh. I thought I could make it a surprise." She says. Yami sits up in the chair he was sitting on against the wall, looking at her as she runs a finger down the lines of one of the papers. "Huh? Why's that?" Joey says, pausing from his search for the nonexistent spot on his nonexistent tie. "It's no fun being unable to remember who you are." She says. "I've already gone through all these books. I figured I might as well, since I already knew where everything was anyway." "Did you ever find anything to help you?" Yugi asks. "No." she says, and a small expression of disappointment plays across hr face momentarily. "But you never know. There's a lot of stuff about royalty." She says. "Maybe there is something in here that can help him."

"That's a loooooot of trouble to go to for some guy." Joey says, winking at Yugi. "He's been so nice to me, I don't see why I shouldn't return the favor." She says coolly. "Hey! No worries!" Joey says, holding out his hands in front of him. "I'm just saying-" "I'd prefer if you didn't." She says, exiting the room.

"Brrr!" says Joey after she has left. "Well, that was odd. Wonder what's up with her." Mr. Mutou just smiles and shakes his head, returning to his morning cup of coffee and paper. "Hey, what?" Joey asks. Yugi just chuckles, and looks to see the Pharaoh, his eyes still resting on the door she had exited through.