Joey, not being able to resist the dare, hopped onto the camel, and kicked it with the bag of his legs. The camel leaped and snorted, rushing off at a fast pace, for a camel. Joey slid and fell off from the sudden rush, landing on his side.
Yami walked beside Joey's body, shaking his head. "You're hopeless." He said, extending a hand to help Joey up.
Tahirah sighed, following Yami. "On second thought, maybe you should stick to walking," she stated, grinning lightly.
He stood up, glared at the camel, and hurried after Yami. "Well, that didn't work out. "He said as he rubbed his side. "If we're in the past, then isn't there a Yami back here too? "He said as he tried to gather his wits. HIGH
An old man, much the same age as Solomon walked up to the trio, laughing, then placed a hand on Yami's shoulder saying "Your friend... he's funny... but an idiot!" in Egyptian then walked off in hysterics.
Tahirah watched the old man, and then covered her mouth, starting to snicker uncontrollably. "Even the locals think you're a nutcase, Joey!" "Well this could turn out...interesting," Tahirah commented. 'Or deadly, depending on how this Pharaoh acts' she added to herself.
Yami looked down at his puzzle as he thought about Joey's comment he had made earlier. "You know... I'm really starting to get worried about Yuugi; he hasn't said anything to me since we've been here." He said aloud'
Joey looked at the old man, his face in a blank stare. "What was that all about?" he said as he rubbed his head. "Well, we better get to that pyramid.
Tahirah looked at Yami "...Well you could always try talking to him," she suggested, blinking slowly.
"Oh yea..." Yami said. "Boy, do I feel dumb." YUUUUUGI where are you?
Yami frowned at the silence for a response. "Well that's weird... no response."
Tahirah studied the unfinished pyramid, surrounded by workers and guards. "...Uh yeah...how're we supposed to get close to it?"
Joey trudged through the sand, utterly tired. "Must...walk..." he muttered in a trance. Nightfall had already arrived, and Joey felt like tumbling over in a heap in the sand. "Are we there yet..?" he said as he lifted his gaze.
Yami walked up to one of the guards. "Uhm. Hi." He said, raising a hand as a greeting. The guard looked at him curiously. "Didn't I just see you three?" The guard asked, eyeing Joey and his clothing.
"I really doubt it..."Tahirah commented to the guard, absently fiddling with her linen dress.
Joey looked side to side in confusion. "Did we? "He said clueless.
"Mind if we look around?" Yami asked the guard, slightly curious as to why he'd ask if he's seen the three before, but not asking anymore.
Joey looked across the vast sand to the unfinished pyramid. "So.. What'd he mean by seeing us before?" he asked curiously as they had reached far enough away from the guards hearing distance. He then spotted a giant donut. He ran forward, to walk straight through it. He looked back. " Huh? "
Tahirah watched Joey, then glanced at Yami "Idiocy aside, he has a good point...how /could/ he have just seen us?" She blinked a little bit.
"A mirage, darn." he pouted, as he returned to the two. Instead he just saw Yami. " Jounichi! " Yami yelled. "Jou- what's- who? " Joey returned as he scratched his head. Yami started to speak in Egyptian, when Joey noticed a much darker tan on him. "That's not Yami!" Joey gasped.
Yami looked back at the guard, clueless as well. "The only answer I could come up with is that he had a brief moment of a mirage... much like Joey. Either that or the guys just really crazy..."
Tahirah glanced around "...Speaking of the utterly insane...where'd Joey go?" The blonde boy had pretty much 'poof'ed.
"He ran after the donut..." Yami said, making his way around the half-done pyramid. He spotted Joey... along with... himself. Yami gave the other him a startled look before turning back to Joey. "UH... Joey? Who's this?"
Tahirah followed, looking at the one with Joey, then Yami, and then doing a fast double-take. "What on-!" Jeez, two of them were bad enough; at least they were in the same body...but now three!
Pharaoh Atemu looked at the look-a-like awkwardly. "Who the hell are you? Is this some kind of joke? And who the hell is Joey?" He snorted.
"Who's he?" Joey replied in confusion. "I think, he's you. "He said as he looked from one to the other. " With a tan. " he added.
Tahirah frowned, and then pointed at Pharaoh "You. Your name's Atemu, ain't it?" she asked, trying to sort this out.
Pharaoh Atemu looked at Joey. "What on earth are you talking about, Jonouchi?" Then he turned to Terrah. "Tahirah! I could've sworn the two of you were back at the palace... but what are you doing with that guy!"
"Huh!" Tahirah took a small, stunned step back, raising her hands in confusion. "Back up here! How do you know my name? ...And what do you mean, why are we with him? We're..." She trailed off, glancing at Yami with a 'help' sort of expression.
Atemu looked at Terrah oddly. "Tahirah... What in Ra's name are you talking about? And what are you doing with that... poor excuse of an imposter?" Atemu pointed a finger at Yami.
"Imposter! I'm not imposing anyone of the matter... " Yami protested.
Tahirah slowly starting putting things together, but she really was struggling for words. "Yami, cool off," she advised in a low tone. Ticking off Pharoah, baaaad stuff.
" Dat's Joey ta you!" he said as he pointed to himself. " This is our buddy Yami! " he exclaimed, but then stopped in his trail. " We're um...foreign exchange students! " he said weakly, and tried to keep up with his lie. " And Yami, by some freak of nature, just looks like you!" he laughed nervously.
The pharaoh looked at the trio quizzically. "What are you talking about Jonouchi?"
Tahirah sighed "Joey, hush, you're making yourself sound stupid and confusing him as it is,"she muttered to the blonde beside her. 'How am I not doing the same? I don't even know what's going on!' she thought to herself.
Joey then realized that they didn't have exchange students in Egypt. " It's kind of complicated." he said, as if it would explain it all for him. "But just trust us on this one. " he said as he assured himself that Atemu wasn't going to get out his weapons.
"Why should I cool off! He's calling me an imposter when I'm clearly not imposing him!" Yami retorted to Terrah, a little too loudly.
Tahirah, frankly, gripped Yami by the shoulders and looked him right in the eyes "If you want to /live/ long, you'll put up with it!" she hissed.
"I've already been dead for 5000 years!" Yami protested.
"ENOUGH. All of you." Pharaoh Atemu commanded. "I'd like to know what the hell is going on. Especially with you two, Tahirah and Jonouchi.. and as for YOU, imposter, I'm debating whether I should send someone to kill you now... or later."
"I'm not going down without Yami. " Joey said and crossed his arms, as if this would change his opinion. "Couldn't we just, talk this over with soup?" he said earnestly, even though Terrah was glaring at him.
Tahirah sighed, figuring that she was the only one of the trio with a cool enough head to get them out of this alive. She looked at Atemu "Ah...we'd rather you let him alone." she commented in reference to Yami. "As for what's going on..." Ah...how to put this one.
Atemu waved his hand dismissively. "Very well, I suppose we can go back to the palace and discuss this in a more suitable environment." He clapped his hands as a random groom came by, leading a tall, white stallion. "I assume you two rode your horses here as well?" Atemu asked, aiming the question toward Terrah and Joey.
Oh dear... "Ah...we did not," she answered as best she could. 'What'm I supposed to say? We ran outta gas?' she wondered to herself.
"Uhh, yeah, that camel didn't like me. "He said as he rubbed the back of his head. "I didn't know they had horses in Egypt." he said as he peered at the horse.
Tahirah blinked "Shut /up, Joey!" she snapped through clenched teeth, keeping her voice low so the Pharaoh would not hear.
"You WALKED all the way here? Since when do the two of you walked... unless this imposter convinced the two of you to walk." Atemu snorted, mounting his horse and taking the reins into one hand.
"Enough with the imposter stuff! We don't have horses, baka!" Yami retorted.
Atemu smiled at the remark. "Keep digging yourself in a deeper hole, imposter." He said simply.
Atemu laughed at Joey's remark. "That's just like you Jonouchi... always the jokester. Well, I'll meet you guys back at the palace." Atemu clucked to his horse, sending it to a full gallop.
"What a self-centered son of a... monkey." Yami snorted.
Tahirah sighed "Maybe I'm wrong, Yami, but would you quit arguing with yourself?" she inquired, looking to him.
Joey looked at Tahirah's - GRR!- face and instantly shut up. " Yah. Horse. Good. " he said as he straightened himself.
"With myself? But Yuugi isn't talking to me right now..." Yami started, obliviously.
Tahirah groaned "I meant /him!" She pointed at where the Pharaoh had galloped off.
"HIM! He's not me, though! He kept calling me an imposter, and he's completely egotistic and self-centered! I only met him for about 10 minutes but already I can assume these things about him! There is absolutely no way that he is me." Yami argued.
Tahirah twitched, keeping her temper cool. "Okay, Yami, think about this! You're a 5000 year old Pharaoh, this tomb is for /you, no offense, it's unfinished, and that Pharaoh was clearly studying progress. And. He. Looks. Just. Like. YOU!"
" Well, Miss. Grouchy, let's make sure to be absolutely perfect next time we meet him. " Joey retorted. " So..we just walk back? AGAIN!" he said as he looked around for a magical pumpkin carriage to save his little tired footsies.