Secret Admirer
Riddle Two: What in the World Isn't Chemistry
.nachzes black-rider

Dedication: To Willowwind Adurois, who has been my best friend for six years. May you continue to bless my life with your presence for six years to come, and more.

Téa frowned at the square of cardstock she had found taped to a bar of Old Time soap. "'Congratulations on making it this far. Show this card to the cashier for your reward, and, if you wish to continue, your next clue'…" she murmured. Looking up, she glanced over at the cashier, then back at the card. Suddenly, the wind chimes over the door began to sound, heralding the arrival of Yugi, Joey, and Tristan. "Hey guys, over here!" Téa called, waving, and the three boys started over to her, their eyes widening at the card she held.

"What does it say?" Joey asked eagerly; Téa handed him the square wordlessly, and he raised an eyebrow after reading it, grinning. "Looks like this really is a treasure hunt," he said. "You even get a reward." He seized Téa's wrist and pulled her towards the cashier's counter, slapping the card down on the surface and stepping back behind Téa, grinning.

The cashier leaned forward, picking up the card and reading it. Then, eyes flicking up to look at Téa, he reached behind the counter and produced an envelope, which he handed to the brunette.

"Thank you," Téa said, accepting the envelope and smiling at the cashier.

"Well c'mon, Téa, let's see what's inside!" Joey exclaimed, Yugi and Tristan nodding in agreement.

"Alright," Téa acceded, sliding one finger under the envelope's flap and tearing it open, pulling out yet another piece of cardstock, and a—"Oh, my Gosh!" Téa gasped for the second time that afternoon, the empty envelope fluttering to the floor as her grip on it went lax.

"What is it?" Yugi asked hurriedly, concerned. "Téa, is something wrong?"

Téa shook her head wordlessly, and with shaking fingers handed the two pieces of paper she had pulled out from the envelope before dropping it.

"'Nature's chemistry made me / From the remains of the past / Pure ash, pure carbon, pure bone / Pink, blue, or white, I may be / What am I?' Téa, I don't get it; it's just another riddle. Why are you—"

"No," Téa said, recovering slightly. "Not the riddle. The other one."

Yugi looked at her curiously, and turned the other paper over. "'Téa Gardener," he read, "'you have been given the gift of a free day at one of Spa World's spa centres in Domino. …Signed, your Secret Admirer'." He petered to a halt, and looked up at Téa again, seeing her stunned face. "What?"

"A day at the spa..." Téa swallowed, and continued. "An entire day—that's mani, pedi, facial, body wrap, massage, hair colours and styling, and lunch. Do you know how much that would cost!"

Three heads shook back and forth: "No".

"Up to two thousand dollars," Téa told them.

Three jaws dropped.

"WHAT!" Joey, Yugi and Tristan all shouted simultaneously.

"Two thousand?" Joey yelped.

Téa nodded.

Yugi shook his head as it trying to clear it, and Tristan muttered something along the lines of "Holy crap"; Joey looked rather like he was going to faint, or possibly explode. Finally, he released a great breath of air he'd been holding, and said, "So what does this riddle mean?"

"This time it's definitely a diamond," Yugi replied, appearing extremely grateful for Joey's interruption on whatever the spiky-haired teen had been thinking about. "We'll have to look somewhere less obvious than a diamond store, though, since we've checked all the ones in Domino…." He paused, frowning. "But where else would you find diamonds?"

"Not diamonds, as in more than one," Téa said excitedly, her eye landing on the headline of the Domino Tribune in the rack beside the till. "A diamond. Singular." She snatched the paper up and spread it out on the counter. "In fact…" she said, pursuing the article in question, "this diamond," she declared, stabbing her finger at one line in particular. "The famous Almas Diamond—the Domino Museum received it as a gift from an Egyptian benefactor just yesterday." She grinned and folded the paper up again. "I'll bet you almost anything that that's the diamond the riddle is talking about.

"Awesome, Téa," Joey said. "Now, let's go meet our old pal the Egyptian exhibit, shall we?" Yugi and Tristan grinned, and exchanged glances with Téa, who beamed back.

"All right!" the four cried, high-fiving each other. "We've got a museum to crash!"

to be continued...