.:.The Pharaoh stands on the balcony of Alyssa's room, a staircase connected to it leading down into the palace courtyard. He glanced around, looking for her in the wide area. Finally he spotted her sitting on a bench surrounding one of the fountains. She had something in her hands and was evidently concentrating on it. He made his way to her as she was still oblivious to his presence. It wasn't until he was standing right next to her that she noticed he was there.

"My Lord." She said, bowing her head. "I'm sorry, I did not see you coming." "May I?" he said, gesturing to the seat beside her. "But of course." She said, working on what was in her hands. He spied it; it was a little wooden carving. It was tiny though, fitting within her hand. "What is that you have?" he asked her, interested.

"A thank you gift." She says, turning it over. Shocked he realized it was a small carving of himself, his cape blowing behind him, an arm on his waist and the other hanging down. He could see that it was finely detailed, it had the puzzle around his neck and even the little markings carved into it that were embossed in the bands of gold around his arms.

"It isn't finished." He said, referring to it's face. Other than the nose and mouth it was devoid of markings. She sighed. "I know. I was hoping to have it finished but ran into problems. Perhaps you can have someone else finish it for you." She tells him. "Problems? What problems? He asks her. It looks wonderful to me; just you haven't put in my eyes."

"That's because I don't know what they look like, my Pharaoh." She tells him, passing it into his palms. He turns it over marveling at the detail. She laughed. "You should have seen how they looked at me when I asked if they had a carver's knife and a small block of spare wood that no one was using. But they ended up finding some, so I started on this." She says.

The Pharaoh handed the small statue back to her. "I want you to finish it." He says. "But, my Lord," she began. "You are allowed to look at my eyes." He said. "In fact, I'd rather wish you would." She hesitates. "Then I'll have it finished for you, my, Lord." She says.

"I was talking with your mother last night." He told her. "She told me." She says. "I must thank you for being so kind to her. You've done so much for us and I've barely anything to give to you." She says, playing with the small carving in her hands. "You've given me more than you think." He thinks to himself, brushing back her hair so that he could see her face. She sighed and I seemed that she wanted his hand to linger there, but he figured he was just imagining things and withdrew his hand.

Alyssa sighed inwardly. She was hopeless, she told herself as she sketched the eyes into the three dimensional portrait f the Pharaoh. She carved in the eyes, she'd been looking as he'd been looking away. She longed to stare into his eyes, his beautiful eyes, and become lost in them. But she figured she was imagining things, and averted her eyes back to the small statue in her hands.

"Hey, Pharaoh!" Yami heard from above and looked up to see a band of his friends. "Well, it appears tat I have some business I need to attend to." He says to her. "Then I shall see you later." She says. "You needn't worry about tonight. I Want you to rest." He says. "Until later." He tells her. "Until later," she repeats and hands him the wooden statue. "I thought you were going to finish it?" he asked her. "I did." Se said, and he turned it over in his hands.

She had; he hadn't noticed that she'd been looking. Mirrored back at him he saw his own eyes, their determination, worries, wishes and longings. "You bring dead things to life." He murmurs as he sees himself in the statue. "Pleasure in the work puts perfection in the product, my Lord." She reminds him. "I believe your friends are beginning to become slightly impatient. I hope to see you later, my King."

.:. The group was quiet as they sat in a booth on the train. On one side rested Joey and Tristan, the other Tea, Alyssa and Yami had squished in. Eventually Joey and Tristan began playing some kind of game the others had never heard of.

Tea glanced over at the Pharaoh, who was looking out the window. "He hasn't said a word all day." She thought. "So, have you ever been to Florida before?" she asked him. Her effort was in vain though, and he remained silent. "I can't wait to get there." She tried again. "I just love the beach, don't you?" Again, silence. "Hmm…" she thought to herself. "Achoo!" she said, fake sneezing. The Pharaoh merely sat there. "Jerk." She thought to herself.

The Pharaoh sighed and scooted out of the booth, walking towards the small area where they had entered onto the train. He closed the door behind him and slumped up against the wall before sliding down.

"Poor Pharaoh." Tea says. "He feels so horrible." "Perhaps I might be able to talk to him." Alyssa sys, getting up from the booth herself and walking towards the door. Knocking lightly, she opens the door a crack. "Pharaoh, may I come in?" she asks softly. He merely sighs and she enters, taking care to close the door behind her. She sits next to him against the wall.

"How are you feeling?" she asks awkwardly, not knowing what to say now that she was there. "How do you think?" he returns, sharply. "I'm sorry, my Lord." She says, saddened and hurt at his tone. She stood to leave. "Perhaps later." She told herself, opening the door.

"No…Alyssa. Stay, please." The Pharaoh said to her, sighing. "I shouldn't be so terse with you. It's not your fault. Please, sit." He tells her. "Yes, my Lord." She says, taking care to sit indian-style and slightly away from him this time, showing her acknowledgment of his authority.

The Pharaoh noticed and inwardly kicked himself again. Every time she seemed ready to open up with him he did something to close her away again. At this rate she'd never relax when he was around. He sighed again as she remained quiet, waiting for him to start whatever conversation they might have. He looked over at her and could see the shutters going up in her eyes, walling herself in so that she wouldn't irritate him further.

"Angry. Hurt. Frustrated." He said. "Disappointed, in myself that I could let something like this happen." He continued. "Everyone makes mistakes." She offered. "But something like this?" the Pharaoh says. "Yugi…I promised him I wouldn't play that card. I promised him. And then I let him down. I broke that promise to my closest friend, my partner."

"It wasn't you, Pharaoh." She said to him, scooting over a little, careful. "I'm sure that the Seal was already casting its influence over you. You played the card with good intentions. You didn't want to steal his soul, just release Timeaus. Unfortunately a few things happened along the way."

"Heh." The Pharaoh said. "A few things ended up being a big thing." He said. "You'll get him back." She says, quietly. "I know you will." "Like you knew something bad was going to happen?" he asks her, acknowledging the occurrence. "Please, Pharaoh, I wasn't thinking straight." She said, and he could see the hurt in her eyes. "It was just my imagination most likely, after seeing what had happened before. Forgive me for my outburst, I beg of you."

"But you were right." The Pharaoh says. "Mere coincidence." She tells him, looking away as he tries to meet her eyes. He notices her glancing at her arm. "Come here." He says, noticing a scratch.

Warily she gets up and sits next to him as she did before. The Pharaoh takes her arm and pushes up the short sleeve of her red jacket. Along her arm he can see scratches, some larger than others. They continue down to her exposed leg, a small gash near her knee. "Did I do that?" he whispers. "No, you didn't." she tells him, pulling her arm away. "Just the results of a few daily occurrences." She lies, not wanting to tell him the truth.

"I'm sorry." He says, frozen. "I didn't realize what I was doing. You tried to stop me, tried to help me, and I threw you down." "You weren't yourself, my King." She says, moving away. "It's not your fault."

"But it is." He said. "I apologize." "There's no need." She states. "There are quite a few needs" he says, taking hold of her arm once more and effectively stopping her from shifting away. "Just forget it," she tells him, stopping her futile attempt to put some distance between the two of them.

The Pharaoh sighs. "Alyssa" he asks her after a moment. "There's a question I've been wanting to ask you for a while." He begins. "You may ask me anything you wish, my Pharaoh." She says to him. "Of the few people I know that are from the past, you are the only one that holds your own body. Why?" he asks her. "I'm afraid I don't understand." She tells him confused. "I share this body with Yugi. Someone else I know shares a body with someone else. Why do you have your own, and do not share with another?"

"Oh." She says. "That." "Yes, that." The Pharaoh says. "To be honest, I really don't know why. I'm still not too sure about how I even got here." She says. "The memories of my returning to the world…they are foggy, and unclear."

"What is there that you remember?" The Pharaoh asked, interested. "I'm not sure." She starts. "I remember…everything was dark, for so long. And I couldn't seem to move. Well, I could, but I was trapped somewhere. I don't know how." She says. The Pharaoh thinks of how it was for him being in the millennium puzzle. "It was similar for me." He tells her. "But continue."

"Then all of a sudden I was floating. I wasn't sure where, or when, or why. But I was. There were so many lights below me, so many people. I was in awe and I was afraid. I didn't know what was going on. Something was pulling me towards one of the buildings though, a tall white one. I remember I had never seen anything like these buildings before. Everything looked so different."

"I went through the walls and was floating above this body. It was hurt, badly. I could hear people shouting things to another and loud noises all around me. I couldn't understand what they were saying though, it was in some strange tongue I'd never heard of before. Something happened and the actions of the people below became more frantic, and I saw someone else float out, just like me."

"Then there was another voice, a strong but gentle one. Would you laugh if I said it reminds me of your own? But it told me 'Go', and I didn't want to. I was afraid; I didn't know what would happen if I did. That's not my body, I told the voice. That's not my body. That's not my body."

"Go, it told me again, and I felt some warm wave, as if a warm summer breeze was gently pushing me into the frame. I resisted at first, but gave in. I saw someone smile at me and then wave off. And then everything was dark again, and I was alone."

"I woke up after what seemed forever. I couldn't believe it, everything around me was so different. A nurse came screaming into the room and gave me a big hug. Apparently I'd been sleeping for months. She told me that I had been in an accident, that the damage had been so bad they couldn't even identify who I was. I heard her, herad that what she was speaking wasn't my native language, but for some reason I understood it. Egyptian…I couldn't recall a word of it, but I knew that wasn't what I was using now. I said I was Alyssa, and asked her where I was. She told me the name of the building, which ended up being the name of a hospital. I was stunned, and told her I had to be going home. She said not to worry, that I could go home as soon as we knew where home was"

"I was explaining it in terms of the river, as I had always done. She looked at me confused. 'Where do you think you are?' she asked me. 'In Egypt, of course.' I told her. She laughed and shook her head. 'No, you're in Japan.' She said, and opened up hospital curtains. Again I saw the lights and people, and I gasped. I had no idea what was going on. Japan? What was Japan? And what do you mean this year is two thousand something? It's only the second season. What? What do you mean no, our years have numbers? I was so confused. They began teaching me, from what they called Kindergarten books. I learned quickly, they said, but they were curious why I could remember nothing. They told me I had amnesia, but that amnesia isn't supposed to hurt learned behaviors and such things."

She laughed. "I remember, they used to let me walk around. I went to the nurses station once and they were showing me how to make popcorn. I didn't even know how to use a microwave then. I was looking around for where the fire was. They laughed and pointed me at the microwave, putting in the package for me. I watched as it spun around in circles and jumped backwards. They laughed then, telling me later that I claimed the machine was trying to 'eat me.' It finally finished and I could smell the food. Being hungry, I asked them how to get it. They told me to just push the button. I did, and not realizing that the door would open then it shot out and caught me in my nose." At this the Pharaoh also chuckled. "Not easy being thrown into a new world, eh?" he asked. "No, not at all." She said with a smile.

"I eventually started picking things up on life in this time. I found out what the form of money was, found out I didn't have it, and found out that everyone wanted it. I only knew my first name, and all identifying marks had been wiped out in the accident that brought the original owner of this body to that hospital. They couldn't give me a last name, and wouldn't issue me a birth certificate, which apparently you need to apply for jobs. That's another reason why I could never get one." Se said. "Why didn't you go to the courts?" the Pharaoh asked her. "They could give you one if you needed it." "I tried. It never went through. I don't know why. I just seem to have bad luck with that kind of thing." She says.

"Very interesting." The Pharaoh told her. She laughed. "I'm sure. Was it so easy for you then, my Pharaoh?" "Well, I joined with Yugi. I was able to glean things from his mind, so yes, I'd say it was easy. He knew what was going on, so I did too." The Pharaoh sighed again, remembering his friend's position. "We'll get him back, my Lord." She repeated again, giving the Pharaoh's hand a reassuring squeeze.

His heart swelled inside from the small gesture and he held onto her hand, just sitting there. For a minute they sat like that and afterwards stood, reentering to join with their group. They were walking back when the Pharaoh noticed something.

"Wasn't this train full of people when we got on?" he asked. "Yes, why?" Tea says. "Oh!" she cries, noticing the now empty train. "You don't think we missed our stop, do ya?" Joey asks. "No, it's nowhere near long enough." Tea says. "Let's go and check on the conductor." Tristan says, and they begin making there way to the front of the train. They make it through the first few cars without any problems, but the train jolts hard.

The Pharaoh steps across the way, waiting for his friends on the other side. "The pin!" Joey shouts, and they all look down. During the bump it had somehow become dislodged, and the two parts of the train were steadily growing farther apart.

"Jump!" Yami shouts to Tea, as she does. He reaches an arm out to catch her and keep her from falling backwards. Looking across the gap between trains is very wide. "We'll never make it!" Joey shouts across the way. "Move!" Alyssa shouts, a feeling of desperation holding on to her, as she repeats her earlier feat and tries to jump the distance. The Pharaoh extends his arm and pulls her in, but it causes all three of them to fall down backwards.

"Joey! Tristan!" he Pharaoh shouts as he sees their car slow to a stop behind them, their own car still moving as it is connected to the engine still.
"What do we do now?" Tea asks as they try the next door, only to find it locked. Now needing to stop the train so that their friends might have some chance of catching up to them, they rush to the back of the train. "We'll have to go over." The Pharaoh says, taking hold of the rungs. "You stay here. It's too dangerous." "What are you, nuts?" they say at the same time. "You're not going up there alone, Pharaoh." Tea says. "All for one and one for all." Alyssa quotes, the motto of the Three Musketeers. The Pharaoh smiles. "Very well then." He says. "Tea, you go first."

Tea climbs up the ladder to the top, the Pharaoh spotting her should she fall. Alyssa goes next after much argument and the Pharaoh fallows last. At the top they are greeted with the face that had watched the duel between the Pharaoh and Raphael. "Hello, Yugi." Weevil says. "Or should I say, Pharaoh?"

"Weevil Underwood." The Pharaoh says. "I haven't the time to deal with you right now. Get out of my way." He says. "Not so fast, Pharaoh." Weevil taunts him, pushing up his glasses. "First we are going to have a little duel."

.:.Evening fell in Egypt and the Pharaoh was in his room with his buddies, sitting on a chair. His friends were sprawled out around him, some on the bed, some on other chairs and assorted furniture around the room. His advisor stood next to him, as he always did.

In his hands the Pharaoh fingered the wooden carving that he'd received earlier that morning. He looked at the effort put into it, as he traced the markings on the bands the figure wore. He was so intent he did not hear his consultant call his name. "Atemu…Atemu…PHARAOH!" Siamun yells. "Hmm? What? Oh…" the Pharaoh says, jolting upright. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention." He says sheepishly. "What is it you were saying?" Siamun sighs. "I was saying we ought to have that one room fixed. You could use it to…PHARAOH!" he shouts, noticing that the youth is slipping away into his own world again. "Hmm? YES! Yes, I'll have it fixed." He says. Returning his gaze to the figure he just stares at it. Siamun sighs. "Just go." He tells the Pharaoh. "What?" Yami says, looking up at him quickly. "Oh, come on now. You've been looking at that thing all day. Just go and check on her already, will you?" His advisor laughs as he sees the Pharaoh pondering this. "This can wait a little longer. Go and have some fun." He encourages him.

"Yami's got a chick!" one of his pals says as he gets up to leave. He picks up one of the nearby pillows and tosses it at him, hitting his friend in the head as he laughs. "Oh hush." He tells him, and exits.

He walks to her room and is informed by her mother that she has gone out to the courtyard again. So, he steps onto her balcony, looking for her. This time she is at the edge of one of the gardens, near another fountain, and is playing with a stray cat. She has her flute in hand and begins dancing around the cat as it follows her, a bright tune. She comes to the end and kneels down, the cat rubbing against her legs. She pets it and laughs as it bats at a butterfly trying to catch it and hops off.

The Pharaoh comes up from behind her without her noticing and claps his hands. She gasps and turns. "My Lord," she begins, kneeling in front of him again, but he stops her half way down." "I really wish you wouldn't do that." He chides her again. "I apologize then. I shall have to work on it." She tells him. He sighs and takes hold of her flute. "I did not know you could play this as well." he says. "You never asked." She tells him, blowing a few notes on it. "I've played since I was little."

"Well, at least I know what to do with this one" he says. "You know how to play, my Lord?" she asks him. "Would you care to try on mine?" she says, offering it to him. "I don't have to swivel anything and put my hands in certain places, do I?" he jokes recalling his attempt with her shell. "No, it is a normal flute, my Lord, like any other." She tells him. He plays a few bars on the instrument and stops. "Well done, my King." She says, offering him a small round of applause. "That wasn't bad." "I haven't played the flute in a long time," the Pharaoh said. "I myself am happy."

"And I am happy that you are happy." She says, taking her flute back. "You are fond of saying that." He tells her. "It's only the truth." She says.

She sits and plays a few light bars on her flute before placing it in her lap as the Pharaoh sits next to her. "I've been meaning to ask you this for a while." He asks her. "You may ask me anything you wish, my King." She says. "How come you didn't ask for help?" he says softly. Though he already knew the answer, he wanted to hear it from her. "I did not want to trouble you, my Lord." She says, and looks away. "Is that the truth?" he asks her gently. She sighs and hesitates.

"Life does not give out honey to everyone, my Lord, or else we would not know how fine the honey is." She explains. He did not know if she was aware that the pleasant fragrance of sweet honey seemed to emanate from her skin or if it was merely a coincidence. She certainly didn't look like she knew. "I…I have not always had the best of times." She explains. "In the past when I have needed aid, even when it was promised to me, it was never there. I guess I was worried that I'd once more ask and be disappointed." She says, rolling her flute in her hands. "You needn't worry about that here." The Pharaoh says. "Such thoughts are silly."

"If you knew a few other things, such thoughts would not be as silly as they seem." She tells him, looking away. He pulled her into a hug and rested his chin on top of her head for a moment. "You'll never need to worry about that here." He says again. "Thank you." She whispers, and for a bit they sit there. She pulls away, however, and the Pharaoh releases her, inwardly sighing again. "I'm sorry, my Lord." She says, red again and he could hear her voice shaking. "I didn't mean to pass my burdens onto you."

"But I want to take them" he admitted to himself. "I want to take them, and kiss them all away." She looked awkward, like she didn't know what she should do. "It's getting late." He said, fumbling for the right thing to say. "Yes, it is. Perhaps I should be getting to bed." She says, looking at the stars. "And I should be getting back to my own." He says.

"Then I wish you goodnight," she says, beginning to bow, but stopping herself remembering his earlier words. "I hear you still have trouble finding your way." He teases her. "Shall I show you back?" "Oh no, I'm fine really." She tells him. "I still become confused, you are right, but I hung a flower off my balcony steps. All I need to do is find the flower and I know which stairs are mine."

He laughs as he spies the solitary flower dangling from a rope on one of the stairs. "I guess that's true. But if someone were to remove that?" "Then I would be utterly lost." She admits, nodding her head as she watches the flower blow in the breeze. The Pharaoh eyes the flower and the rope snaps.

"Oh!" she says. "Well, at least I know where it was, so I'm alright." She reassures herself. "But if I were to spin you around three times fast?" he questions. "Well then I believe I'd have to accept your invitation." She laughs. "Why, do you plan on doing so?" "Maybe" he says, happy that she has lightened a bit. "Or you could just agree to walk with me now." He says, extending a hand for her own.

She hesitates again, seeing it outstretched. "Oh go on." Her mind tells her as she reaches out and accepts. They begin walking and the Pharaoh points out a few ways that she might be able to guide herself. She rests her head on his shoulder momentarily, and wishes that she could let it lay there for always. Her hand felt so small in his, and so much like it belonged.

They reached the entrance to her suite and he released her hand. "Here you are." He said, looking down at her. "Thank you," she says, and turns towards the door. "Will I be coming to your room to play for you tomorrow?" she asks him. "Yes. And I'll thank you for reminding me of something else. I'm having a small dinner with a few friends. I was hoping that you would play for us then." He asks her.

"I will always be glad to play for you." She says. "Then it is the night after tomorrow." He informs her. "Have you a specific song you would like me to play?" she asks him and he thinks a moment. "The first one." He says. "The one I heard you playing that night outside. It has always been my favorite."

"Then I shall make sure I practice it to perfection." She tells him. "Goodnight, my Pharaoh. I'll see you tomorrow." "Goodnight." He says as she enters, and thinks to himself "You already have."

He returns to his own room and finds himself tackled by his wave of friends. Laughing he pushes them off as they bombard him with questions, some of which the Pharaoh himself isn't sure of the answers.