New chapter day! We're getting closer to the end! Gah! It's so exciting!

And ShadowTier, you do raise an interesting point. I guess I find it a lot scarier to see the aftermath rather than seeing it happening right then; I might be concerned that it'll be a little anti-climactic when I write it out. The best way I can visualize it would be a combination of Emily Blunt's character's transformation into the Frozen Queen from that one Huntsman movie and a panicking Elsa from the first Frozen movie; that's the best I got.

*I don't own Yugioh! I only own Christine, my OC, and her crazy kids! If you recognize anything, I don't own that either.*

For the next three days, I learned why Yami was constantly getting up early, and I hated it. With Shimon at the helm, I was thrust from meeting to meeting with barely a moment to myself. But when I did find myself alone, I didn't want to be, so I threw myself back into my work. With help, we moved food and supplies to the areas of the town that needed help after Bakura's attack. From what I heard, people were grateful, which made me glad. It would take some time, but these beginning bits would help in the long run.

At night, I didn't want to be alone in that large room. After spending over an hour with sleep barely in sight that first night, I got up and walked to my kid's alcove. They had convened on the ground in the middle of the room and looked up at me when I entered. I didn't even need to ask, and they brought out more blankets for me; Sati even wrapped Yami's cape around me. She looked sad when, even after she pulled a bit over my head, she could still see me but didn't voice any disappointment. I wrapped her up in a tight embrace and finally felt sleep drape over me. There was a bit of excitement that next morning since I wasn't in my room, but Lady Isis simply led the collection of worried priests to one of the small offices near the throne room that I'd commandeered.

Keeping to that routine, I barely had any time to think about Yami. It was both a blessing and a curse. The busier I was, the less I could think and worry about whether or not he was okay. Sadly, the more active I was, the more I wanted him to show up and pester me. I wanted him to show up; I wanted him to tease me for keeping my nose in a scroll for hours on end. I was lonely without him. Thankfully, many of the priests kept me company. My former mistress was, of course, a godsend when it came to getting me to eat, and reminding me that I was human and needed time to rest. I even found Seto's enthusiasm helpful as he huffed and puffed that Yami would be found; it gave me hope that my Pharaoh wasn't lost forever. Master Aknadin, when he'd recovered from his attack, was quiet when he came to the small office. There was a new glint in his eyes that I didn't like but said nothing about; he'd just gone through a harrowing experience, and I wasn't going to make him relive it.

On the third day, late into the afternoon, I was seated on the throne after a long day of meetings. A translucent Slifer had coiled himself in my lap like usual, his tail wrapped around my knee to ensure that people below knew he was there. The god had made himself quite comfortable during the three days I sat on the throne. He only lifted his head when someone made a snap of why I was seated on the throne. When a priest, mostly Kalim or Seto, snapped back, he would stay there, letting out a low growl. He would only return to a resting position when I pet over his head with a finger. Thankfully, no one had commented about me today, so Slifer had made himself comfortable leaning against my arm. Seto's barking made me look up from the coiling god.

"Haven't you found the Pharaoh yet?!" The Priest barked at one of the Medjay, who had gotten down onto his knee before the priest.

"Lord Seto," The Medjay tried to soothe, his head lowered. "the search party has not come back yet…!"

"That's enough! Find him, even if you have to drain the Nile to do it!"

"Yes, sir!"

The Medjay dashed out of the throne room, and the moment he was gone, I heard a low chuckle. I peeked down, seeing Slifer adjusting his head so that it lay in the crook of my arm.

'Quite the difference from Kaiba, eh?' Slifer teased.

The god was a smartass. I poked the god on the translucent nose with my other hand.

"Shush you." I whispered back.

There was another chuckle, but he kept quiet. The throne room was silent for only a moment before Kalim took a deep breath.

"Could it be…" Kalim began hesitantly. "that the Pharaoh has fallen to Bakura…?"

My heart twinged at the question. I didn't want it to be true. Slifer coiled around my hand, the pressure enough to settle my racing heart.

"Shada is still out with the searchers." Shimon breathed then. "We are grateful the Great Royal Wife has quickly retrieved order in the palace and the city outside, but… If not only the Millennium Ring, but other Millennium Items have fallen into Bakura's hands…."

The vizier turned his head to all the priests. "Of all the priests sworn to protect the Pharaoh… only four are left in the palace." And I had called Bakura a silly little thief that first day. Who could have foreseen a single thief being able to topple a powerful Pharaoh? Out of the corner of my eye then, I saw Aknadin peek over at me, his only real eye filled with that strange light again. What was he doing looking over here at me? Or could it have been the throne he was looking at? The priest had been acting strange since he recovered… What had happened that night with Bakura? Knowing where I was looking, Slifer lifted his head, turning towards the priest, and gave a short hiss. Why did he do that? I returned my finger to the god's head. Still, it took a second for the hissing to stop, and he didn't return to his relaxed position until Aknadin looked away as Seto barked once more.

"The Pharaoh must be alive!" Seto barked. "And his dream to protect his country is still strong! We must not lose faith that the Pharaoh will return!"

As enthusiastic as he was, many of the grim faces remained on the priests and soldiers faces. I applauded him for the effort.

'Seto has enough confidence for the entire court.' Slifer murmured.

"Well, someone has to." I replied.

There was a hum of reply before my eyes were drawn to Lady Isis; she'd made a noise so I couldn't help but look. Her face had scrunched up like she was in pain. Shimon, who was the closest, spoke up, bringing the rest of the court's eyes to her.

"What do you see, Isis?" The vizier asked.

Lady Isis was only silent for a moment before opening her eyes. She looked exhausted. For as much as she told me to go to bed, I don't think she practiced what she preached.

"I see a ripple in dark waters…." My former mistress breathed. "I see the reflection of the shadows… If only one, it will soon fade… but… if two… three ripples overlap, they will become a great swell that will drown us in tragedy."

That was ominous. In a new nervous tick that started in the past day or so, I began to pet over the god's translucent head. If he hated it, he didn't say anything.

"Is that the future of our land?"

"Yes… That prediction has already begun."

The vizier gave a soft sigh, his head lowering to the stone ground.

"The divine order of Ma'at, upheld by the seven Millennium Items, has already begun to unravel…." Aknadin jumped in. "and all by the hand of one thief…."

I sent a huff of air out my nose, continuing to pet over Slifer's head. A part of me suddenly wished that we could have done something that first night! If he hadn't gotten away, none of this would have happened! Slifer coiled tightly around my hand and knee; his head stopped the fluttering of ice that started to appear. I took it as a wordless reminder that there was nothing that could have been done. Lady Isis then gasped.

"I… I know what will prevent the tragedy!"

I straightened up. Something could be done? "We need a vessel. A vessel to hold that swell…." Silence greeted the words. A vessel? What exactly was that supposed to mean? Unsure and exhausted from my long day, I returned to my spot on the throne.

For the rest of the day, I continued to have meeting after meeting. Finally, when I was exhausted after a long conversation with the men working to repair the palace, I snuck away and returned to my room. Slifer kept to my shoulders before vanishing once I reached the royal wing and the guards that protected it. Like we had agreed that morning, my kids were waiting outside the door. I hadn't wanted to be alone, and the priests were bugging me about being in my room as was appropriate, so my kids and I made a quick deal: we'd spend each night in either the alcove or my room. None of them argued, so we've kept it up. The guards looked a little bemused, but they didn't say anything when I smiled at them.

My bed was easily large enough for all of them to pile onto. It felt like one giant slumber party, except I was the mom; that only made it a tad weird. Sati must have had a long day as, the moment she put her head down, she was out cold.

"And you say I'm bad." Khemu teased in a whisper.

The others giggled wildly. Khemu only needed twenty seconds to fall asleep; Sati may have just broken that record. I smiled, pulling the little girl's blanket further under her chin, seeing her cuddle into it.

"So, how was your day?" I asked, keeping my voice low to avoid waking Sati.

"Long." Kiya huffed.

"Boring." Mery added. "The most exciting thing that happened was Sati playing with a piece of rock and nearly hitting Priest Seto with it when she had it fly across the room."

I quickly smothered a laugh. I would have paid money to see that. "Sati apologized, of course, and he even apologized for scaring her that first day." My laughter faded and I smiled. That was rather kind of Seto.

"We missed you hanging out with us." Khemu admitted then.

I smiled again, ruffling my boy's hair. He gave a laugh, quickly smothering it when Sati fidgeted in her sleep. He only breathed once Sati had relaxed again.

"Lady Nefertari?" Hepzefa called then, making me look at him. "Have… have we heard anything from Master Shada? Have they found him?"

Hepzefa asked this every day, and it broke my heart to always have to say no. My expression must have been answer enough. "I see."

"But they won't stop looking for him." I jumped in, leaning over to put a finger at his chin and make him look at me.

There were tears in his eyes, but he fought to keep them at bay. "If there was a way, Priest Seto would have the Medjay drain the Nile to find him; he's already ordered them to do it." Sadly, Hepzefa didn't laugh; he only nodded, but the tears remained. I quickly wrapped him up in a hug, if only to show that he wasn't the only one worried. The conversation seemed to die there, but Kiya, seeming to read that the moment was for opening up, spoke up then.

"I'm worried about Master Aknadin." Kiya breathed. "He's been acting strange ever since his attack."

"Yeah!" Mery agreed. "We mentioned his majesty when we were in the library this morning, and he practically jumped out of his skin!"

I sighed, so they'd noticed as well. More things to worry about. What do I tell them in the meantime? I didn't know much more than them. Hepzefa removed himself from my hug, wiped his eyes then replied.

"He may have that strange thing that the Medjay told us about once." Hepzefa replied. "Remember, Khemu? The one where your head gets all foggy?"

"Yeah!" Khemu jumped in. "Those guys all went through something scary before it started! Maybe it's the same thing!"

Were they talking about PTSD? I had to admit it, but the idea had some merit, especially since Aknadin had just gone through a terrifying experience at the hands of Bakura.

All conversation stopped when a blast of light shot through the window. All of my children gasped and threw themselves to the sheets. The bouncing woke Sati, and she gasped in surprise.

"What is it?" Sati mumbled. "What's going on?"

No one replied to her so I could see she started to get scared. Not wanting that, I brushed a hand through her hair before getting up and walking to the window. My eyes widened at what I saw. At the edge of the palace complex, right near one of the side entrances, was a giant pillar of light. There was a glimmer of familiarity, but I couldn't quite place it. It faded after a few moments, leaving nothing in its wake. What the heck was that? I gave a hum of annoyance when Slifer didn't come out to explain it to me.

"What was it?" Hepzefa asked.

"I don't know." I admitted. "Wait here."

I walked to the door and poked my head out. There were two guards there, but, based on their relaxed positions, they hadn't seen what was going on. "Guard!" The closest one jumped to attention. "That pillar of light just now, do you know where it came from?"

"I don't." The guard replied, quickly gathering his bearings. "I shall investigate."

"Thank you, and please ensure that no one was harmed."

"Of course."

I pulled back into my room and walked back to the bed. All of my kids were wide awake and looking frightened. Trying to soothe them, I smiled.

"The guard will go investigate. It was far away, so I think we're safe."

None of them argued, so they laid back down. I climbed into bed after them, rubbing a hand over Kiya's back to help soothe her since Merti couldn't come into my room. Then, when they had all fallen asleep, I turned back towards the window, my eyes narrowed. I suddenly had a feeling that someone was trying to hide something from me. I sighed; I'll look into it in the morning.

Morning came a lot faster than I liked it, but I did get up. My kids remained fast asleep, so I crept quietly around the room to get ready. It had become muscle memory putting all of my jewelry on so I was able to do it even while half-asleep. I was putting my kohl on when Khemu sat up and stretched. "Good morning, Khemu."

"Good morning." Khemu greeted, his voice scratchy from sleep. "Am I the first one up?"

"Yep."

Khemu gave a groan and flopped back down to the bed, making me smother my laughter. I agree; it's far too early for any real thinking. I quickly finished applying my makeup then got to my feet. Khemu was still awake, and he sat up once I put my stool back at my vanity. He and I stared at each other for a long moment before I came to a decision. I didn't want to leave them alone today. Screw it, let's go for it. "Help me get everyone up; you all are coming with me today." Khemu's face lit up in a bright smile, and he quickly shook Hepzefa awake.

We quickly got ready, and my kids followed me through the palace. Many of them had never been to the throne room before, so they were whispering excitedly. Sati clung to my hand, sending me nervous looks as we got closer. "Everything will be okay, Sati." She seemed to believe me, but her grip remained tight. When the guards tried to stop me, saying the throne room was no place for children, Mery gave a squeak of fright. Eyes turned to her, and I smiled when I saw what spooked her. Wrapped around Mery's shoulders was the translucent Slifer; his double-mouthed head had slid underneath her chin and tilted in a taunting manner. Quite the message. The others stared wide-eyed at the god while Mery was frozen stiff, hands clenched in her dress. Finally, after another second of taunting, he floated over to me. He circled his way up my arm to settle at my shoulders like usual. The guards had no qualms with me taking them in now.

The only one in the throne room was Lady Isis; her hands were once again at the Millennium Necklace. Was she still looking at the terrible prophecy from yesterday? Or perhaps she was looking through the eyes of Spiria as the spirit looked for Yami. Our footsteps made her open her eyes. She still looked utterly exhausted even as she smiled.

"Good morning, your highness." She greeted. "Good morning, you all."

"Good morning, Lady Isis." Kiya greeted.

Being this close, I could see the bags forming under her eyes. Yep, she'd hadn't slept yet.

"Have you slept at all?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Lady Isis sent me a smile, but I kept at her. "I will order you to go to bed if you don't do it yourself."

"I will soon; I promise."

"Have you seen anything?" Hepzefa suddenly asked, jumping forward to take Lady Isis' eyes.

"Not yet. But it is a new day."

Hepzefa still looked upset, but he nodded. I quickly took his shoulder then.

"Come along." I called. "Let's quickly eat before Shimon gets here, and I have to be professional."

My kids and Lady Isis giggled at my annoyed words, but I was obeyed. We quickly slid into a parlor where we could eat in peace. Slifer stayed on my shoulders, chuckling softly when one of my kids peeked over at him. When the god looked back, they snapped their heads back to their food. I fought to not laugh each time.

'Makes one think I'm a monster.' Slifer playfully breathed in my ear.

I suddenly wanted to a smartass back to the god. Hardly caring what his reaction was, I let myself reply.

"Well, you did possess Mery."

Mery flinched at that, her eyes snapping towards the translucent serpent on my shoulders. Her eyes were as wide as the plates we were using. Slifer gave another chuckle.

'How cruel, but true.'

I rolled my eyes, flicking a date into my mouth. He was so dramatic. I was eating another date when I felt the god shift on my shoulders. His head was just out of sight, so I couldn't see what he was doing. Without warning, the god slid down my arm, across the table, and right up to Sati. She hadn't been paying attention as she was playing with the earthen-made plates and seeing how she could fiddle with them using her gift. Hepzefa and Khemu opened and closed their mouths like fishes out of water; it was like they weren't sure if they should warn the little girl about what was headed her way. She looked up right as he hit the edge of the table.

They stared at each other for what felt like a lifetime. No one dared to make a sound; I saw Mery bite her lip in what was either embarrassment or nerves. Finally, after a long, tense moment, Sati moved. She slowly moved a hand to the table, and, like it was made of putty, she pulled a section up into a small pillar. Knowing it was for him, Slifer circled it like a snake moving along a tree branch, moving until he was at the top and right at eye level with her. The table was silent, watching and waiting for what Sati was going to do. After another long minute, Sati finally opened her mouth.

"Were you the one Mery was talking to?" Sati asked.

I saw Slifer nod. Sati stared at him for a second longer before turning to look at Mery. "You were picking on me when you said he couldn't see me when he totally could." I burst into laughter when Mery gave an embarrassed laugh.

"Sorry." Mery breathed. "I didn't want to ruin his majesty's gift."

Sati gave a huff, leading to more laughter from me. She'd have figured it out eventually, but at least she was taking it well. After another annoyed huff, Sati looked back to Slifer. There wasn't any time for a renewed conversation as Lady Isis dashed into the room.

"Iliana!" She gasped.

I flinched when she said my birth name but did turn around. My former mistress was gasping for air, her eyes wide at my face. There were whispers for half a second which quickly stopped when I got to my feet.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I found him!"

Everything froze. What? "I found the Pharaoh! He's alive! Hurt but alive!" I immediately began to cry from relief. Yami was okay! "I need your help." She didn't even need to ask as I nodded. "Hepzefa. Khemu. Will you two get the captain of the Medjay?" My boys immediately nodded and raced out of the room. "Girls, please fetch Shimon and Kalim for me."

"What about Lord Seto and Master Aknadin?" Kiya asked.

"The medjay will fetch them. Please get Shimon and Kalim."

They didn't argue and raced out together. My former mistress looked at me once we were alone. "Spiria has eyes on him, but I want to be sure he makes it to Shada." I nodded again.

"Where is he?" I managed to ask through my tears.

Since I couldn't leave the palace, I sent Joan to assist Spiria. Like last time, I was able to see through her eyes and direct her towards Spiria, who was floating above a large cavern outside the city. Since I wasn't used to controlling my Ka for so long, I sat back down in my chair in case my legs gave out. While Joan flew over the desert, I felt Slifer slither back up my arm and coil himself around my shoulders. He didn't tease me for my reaction, only being a quiet comfort. When Joan reached the cave, more tears streamed down my cheeks when I saw Yami leaning against the mouth of it. He was covered in cuts and bruises, but he smiled when he saw Joan.

"Hi, Mereret." Yami greeted. "Fancy seeing you here."

I wanted to whack him for that. How dare he sound so carefree after all the heartache he caused me! Joan's expression must have shifted as he gave a short laugh. "Sorry. I did something stupid. I'm sorry for scaring you, Mereret." Another tear streaked down my cheek. Damn it. I love him…

I had Joan patch up as many wounds as she could; I couldn't heal the damage to his Ba, but his body was more important to me rather than his ability to fight. Even when he was patched up, I had my Ka help him keep his balance and walk with him down the cliff to where Shada would most likely appear. "Is the palace safe?" I tried to reply, but Joan's mouth wouldn't use my words; I compromised with a nod. "That's good. And the kids?" I nodded again, hearing a sigh of relief. "They must have been worried sick; will you tell them that I'm sorry?" I nodded once more; he didn't even need to ask.

He and Joan walked for a few more feet in silence. Yami then took a deep breath before speaking again. "I'm sorry, but I can't go back to the palace yet. I need to get the Pendant back." I happily let Joan give him a dirty look. "I can't let something my father entrusted to me be in Bakura's hands." Yami turned his head to Joan, but I knew he was looking at me. "Please, Mereret." I wanted to tell him no, tell him to come straight back to the palace like I was his mother. But… I wasn't his mother… I was his wife, but I couldn't control him. I could give my opinion, but it was still his choice. And no matter how much I hated it, he had made his choice. I hated it, but I nodded. "Thank you."

"Great Pharaoh!" Shada's voice then appeared at the bottom of the path.

The priest and his men were dusty, but they looked well. Spiria was floating overhead, being the eyes and ears of Lady Isis. Shada recognized Joan as he gave a bow of his head. "Great Wife. The palace is secure?" I had Joan nod. "I am relieved to hear that." He then turned his attention to Yami, helping him up onto his horse. I was pulled away from Joan's eyes as Lady Isis took my arm.

"To the throne room." My former mistress breathed.

I understood, quickly standing and moving into the throne room. Since I was acting Pharaoh, I sat on the throne, ensuring that I saw everyone that entered the large room. Slifer migrated once more to my lap, coiling in my hands. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my kids quietly celebrating Yami's return with bright smiles. They kept quiet, though, watching from a distance. Seto was the last priest to enter the throne room, but it was just before Shimon began to speak.

"Isis' spirit Spiria has sighted the Pharaoh in a canyon on the edge of the city!" Shimon called to the guards and priests. "It seems he's hurt, but he's alive!"

"Shada is with him." Isis breathed, her eyes closed as she looked once more through Spiria's eys. "It's… it's possible that Bakura has stolen the Pharaoh's Millennium Item."

"He does have it." I jumped in, making everyone look at me. "The Pharaoh told me himself that Bakura took it."

Many people gave growls of anger, but they didn't snap. I looked back through Joan's eyes, seeing Yami's determined expression. Shada was telling him something but Lady Isis speaking once more drowned him out.

"Shada has also followed Bakura and discovered the thief's lair."

"Where is it?" Shimon asked breathlessly.

"The village of Kul Elna."

I immediately saw Aknadin flinch. It was the same name that Bakura had said the first time he appeared. What had happened at that place? I couldn't open my mouth to ask if he was okay as more people were talking. I faintly heard Shada arguing with Yami about going back to the palace to regroup and heal, but, typical Yami, he refused; he had to take the fight to Bakura and retrieve the Millennium Items. With Yami not convinced, Shada looked to Spiria and began to speak to her. Lady Isis relayed the information to those who couldn't hear them. "Send the priests to Kul Elna at once. We will fight with him there." There was an immediate flurry of movement as guards dashed about to make preparations. Then, before I could even think about having Joan move anywhere, Yami turned towards her.

"Mereret?" He called. "Keep everyone there safe. Can I trust you to do that?"

I had Joan nod immediately. If something happened here, I would do all in my power to keep everyone safe. Yami gave me a smile, nodding in return. "I will come back." As much as I loved to hear the words, my brain knew something else was going to happen. It was just a terrible feeling in my stomach, I tried to rationalize, but it wouldn't go away. He didn't say anything more as he kicked his horse to begin his journey to Kul Elna. Joan returned to me, and I gave a sigh of relief as the tension faded from my back.

"Great Wife." Shimon then called up to me, making me look up. "Will… will you be all right if I went with the rest of the priests?"

He wanted to go as well? My brain reminded me that he had wielded an item as well; he could be indispensable at Yami's side. The vizier remained quiet, waiting for my response. Would I be okay if he left? I thought about it for a moment before nodding.

"I will be fine, Shimon." I replied. "The Pharaoh needs you more than me. I will keep the palace and city safe."

Shimon gave a thankful bow before dashing off with the guards and other priests. Seto, the last to arrive, was the last to leave. I watched him leave for a moment, my thoughts on his actions of the time I had been here. He wasn't Kaiba; he could be trusted with keeping Yami safe. "Seto!" The priest turned to face me. "Take Shetan." Seto's eyes widened. "I want to be sure that one priest makes it there as quickly as possible. If anyone, I'd rather it be you." The priest gave a grateful bow, thanking me for the quiet praise of his strength and loyalty, then turned on his heel to leave the throne room. I watched him leave for a second before looking at my kids. "Kiya? Do you mind going to smooth it over with Shetan?"

"He's not going to like it." Kiya breathed. "But I'll try."

I sent her a smile, watching as she dashed off after the priest towards the stables. I blinked, and Mana was there now. Her hands were clenched on her staff, and her eyes filled with determination. She didn't need to ask what she wanted; I could feel how much more control she'd gotten even from up here. Wordlessly, I waved my hand, sending her off. The apprentice gave a bright smile, a bow, then dashed off. The moment she was gone, a new thought appeared in my head.

I wonder where the gang was. I knew they were invisible to all other eyes, but… Were they okay? Had Bakura's attack harmed them? I hoped not.

I then wondered how close they were to finding Yami's real name.

Yugi had been wandering this tavern for the last 10 minutes and was beginning to lose hope. He knew that taverns and bars were the best places to gather information in role-playing games, but he quickly found a problem.

How was he supposed to gather information if he couldn't talk to anyone?

He paced the length of the tavern, his eyes, and ears primed for any word that left someone's mouth. It'd been slow going, but Yugi had to do something. He couldn't just stand around and hope something would just land in his lap.

"Thank goodness those supplies came from the palace yesterday." A woman behind the bar breathed when he passed it for the third time. "Bayek and I will have enough to feed the children for the week. After that, the crops should have repaired themselves."

Yugi turned his head towards the woman, seeing her stand next to another woman pulling food out of a large earthen oven.

"Gods bless the Great Royal Wife." The second woman replied once she pulled the dish free. "I don't know how they get anything done around there without her."

Yugi smiled. It was good that Christine was there and keeping things in order until things settled down. It made him wonder what had happened.

For him and his friends, everything began to fade to black during Jounouchi's duel with Bakura. He had no memory of what transpired between then and now; it had apparently been over four days! When he came to, he immediately saw the large ice spears that covered the palace walls. They pierced through trees, and were strong enough to smash statues. The destruction made the group worried that something had happened to Christine. It quickly made sense when he heard that his other self had gone missing. He fought through the next wave of panic and walked further into the tavern. There had to be something he could use to find his other self's name.

"Hey, did you hear?" One patron near him suddenly whispered conspiratorially. "You know those soldiers?"

"Hic!" The second man at the table hiccupped loudly. "The ones who came to scold drunks?"

The man then began to laugh. "Those idiots! It'd take 100 soldiers to match my wife! Bwa ha ha ha ha!" Yugi's eyebrow raised at the comment. He then shook his head; he didn't need to listen to this.

"Idiot! They say they found the Pharaoh!"

Yugi froze before he even took a step. What did he say?! Was his other self actually safe?! "He's not lost anymore! The rumors say he's at the Village of Thieves!"

"Huh! Hic!"

Yugi felt his heart race in his chest. The Village of Thieves? Why was his other self headed to a place like that?! He kept circling the bar, hoping someone else would mention those rumors but found nothing. His heart a touch heavier, Yugi left the tavern to rejoin his friends.

"Anything?" Honda asked.

"Supplies have apparently been arriving from the palace." Yugi replied. "Apparently, Christine is at the head of it."

"That doesn't surprise me." Anzu replied. "She is the queen, so she'd want to help the people here. Plus, it's Christine; she'd do that anyway."

Yugi didn't argue with that.

"Anything else?" Jounouchi asked.

"There's a rumor that the other me is headed to the Village of Thieves." Yugi replied.

"Village of Thieves?!"

"That's what the guy called it. I don't know if it's true, though."

Anzu then gasped, bringing all eyes to her.

"A bunch of guys on horseback just dashed by!" She gasped. "I saw the Kaiba look alike with them!"

Yugi caught on with her train of thought, his face lifting into a smile.

"They're going to help him!"

"Now that I think about it…." Honda then breathed. "He was riding the same black horse that Christine and the other Yugi were."

"He's probably her's!" Anzu chirped.

Yugi's heart lifted even further. His other self had been found, and help was getting to him. Now, he had to get back to his real mission, finding the name.

The priests had been gone for over two hours by the time I found myself practically jumping on the balls of my feet. My heart raced with worry; even though Seto had Shetan, would they make it on time? Would their boat across the river be waylaid by the currents? Would the gods truly be that cruel to me? I had to shake off the thoughts each time; I would have faith.

Since Shimon was gone, I had to move people about myself. No one bothered me as Slifer kept to my shoulders, growling at those who annoyed him. My kids kept to my side for most of the day, keeping themselves entertained by watching and asking questions of those around us. After the last meeting, I sat down in a guarded parlor and took a deep breath, feeling Slifer fade away from my shoulders.

"Finally." I sighed. "A moment to breathe."

A cup then appeared next to me, and I smiled at the holder. "Thank you, Sati." The little girl smiled at the thanks, popping over to let me hug her. When she pulled away, I drank my drink before sighing again. I didn't envy Yami in the slightest; how did he do this when he was here without exploding?

"How soon do you think they'll be back?" Khemu asked.

"It depends. They have to get over the river, and that takes a little time."

Both boys sighed. I tried to send them a comforting smile. "I'm sure it won't take too long. Let's have a bit of faith." The boys nodded, but they still looked upset. I cast a look at Mery and Kiya, seeing them giggle. The next sound I heard wasn't a laugh; it was a gasp. My eyes immediately locked on Sati's face. The little girl looked petrified for some reason. "Sati? Are you okay?" Sati didn't get the chance to reply as the ground began to shake wildly. I jumped to my feet, gripping the table where the scrolls were bouncing and rolling off to the ground. What on earth was going on?! I only pulled away once to grab Sati just as a part of the ceiling caved in.

What was going on?!

Tee hee...

Yami Bakura: Why are you laughing?

Because I know for a fact that people are going to hate the next chapter

Yami Bakura: And that's a good thing?

No... but it'll be fun to see. Tee hee