Okay, you all were probably not expecting this, but... I actually got a PM on Saturday from someone I won't name as I won't call them out - but you know who you are. They suggested that I do something for the Awaken the Dragons Arc (Season 4) so that it's not forgotten. Now, I shall be very forthcoming about this, this is not my favorite season - my favorite is Battle City. I made a executive decision mid writing Battle City that I dreaded writing it so I didn't. But the magic words of 'One-Shot' were spoken and that sent the gerbils in my brain moving at Mach-9 and, hence, this was born! It encapsulates the most important bits - to me - from Season 4 as well assorted little bits that I would have put in to make it unique.

Yami Bakura: *Lifts a hand to stage whisper* She'd have made Christine and the Pharaoh break up! What a monster!

Well, it'd have been exciting!

Yami Bakura: *Continues the stage whisper* A monster!

*Ignores him* Anyway! I hope you enjoy this! Picture it between Battle City and Past into the Future.

It wasn't often when I decided to take afternoon naps. Still, I was tired that day, so I curled up on the couch with the TV on the quietest it would go without being muted, a blanket, and fell asleep. I wasn't usually a dreamer, so I knew this wasn't normal when the screams started. I was lucid enough to turn my head back and forth, trying to find out what was wrong. I didn't know where I was; town maybe? The people around me were screaming and running, desperate for any shelter. The sudden roar above me made me look up, but my throat wouldn't release a scream.

A winged monster was headed right for me!

My wrist was suddenly seized, pulling me out of the way and down the street. I turned to see Yugi, his Millennium Puzzle swinging wildly as he ran.

"Pay attention!" He snapped. "We have to keep after them!"

Keep after them? Who? What was going on?! I let Yugi continue to pull me along, but my head kept turning. More and more monsters were appearing, shrieking and roaring at the poor bystanders. I wanted to help, but Yugi's grip was deathly tight.

The scene then shifted, and the gang and I were atop a building. I could tell Yami was in control now, as even with his back turned, I could faintly hear his growls over the wind. He was in the middle of dueling with someone, an older man from what I could see. He had a wicked smile on his face, holding a card up like it was the Holy Grail.

"I play the Seal of Orichalcos!" He called, and my blood turned to ice.

Anything but that!

That sickly shade of green that I absolutely despised covered the ground, sealing Yami inside it. The mere sight of the glyphs and other symbols that covered the ground sent my heart rate rising. I raced forward to bash my fist against it, desperate to get Yami out, but the mere touch of the barrier against my skin sent a shock of pain through my senses. The gang pulled me back, so I didn't try again, but we were now forced to watch what was unfolding.

Monster after monster was subjected to that green light's magic, making them even more aggressive and powerful. It was terrible watching as Yami was attacked over and over. The man reminded me again and again of what would happen if Yami lost. It sent my heart racing in panic; I wanted to snap at him to shut up after the third time he mentioned the losing having their soul sucked away. What terrified me the most was when Obelisk was played and that he actually obeyed the crazed man. I didn't know if I was shaking like usual, but I knew I screamed when one of the giant fists came down at Yami.

I shot up off the couch, gasping for air. My eyes flicked about nervously, searching for that hideous green color. Thankfully, the tiny house was primarily blue and softer colors, which settled me for the most part. I then began to worry about Obelisk. How had that man gotten him, if he did at all? I strained my ears for a second, hoping to hear any unusual sounds. My heart lifted at the sound of Yugi and Grandpa below in the shop, talking and laughing with customers. They were still here and not running off after someone. But I was still worried.

I climbed off the couch, haphazardly throwing the blanket, aside and walked towards Yugi's room. I peeked inside, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. The window wasn't shattered like someone had broken in. The bed was pristinely made like Yugi always did when he had the time. My eyes then flicked to the golden box on Yugi's desk where he kept the God Cards safe; it seemed safe enough… But I just wanted to be sure. Since Yugi wasn't inside and I didn't want to meddle with his things too much, I quickly shot inside just to settle my racing heart.

The box opened without any trouble despite its age, and I was greeted with a small stack of cards. Slifer was on top, and my brain was reminded of my ankles and waist wrapped up in his coils. I shook it aside, now wasn't the time to think about that. I picked up the stack, slid the cards apart so I could see them all, and gave a sigh of relief.

They were all here and not in the clutches of some crazy old dude.

"Thank goodness." I breathed.

I let myself breathe and take in the sight of the three God Cards for a few minutes before I felt calm once more. Only a crazy person would scale the house and break in to steal three slips of paper. Plus, no one, not even with a bullshit card like 'The Seal of Orichalcos' could control the three Egyptian God Cards except for Yami, Kaiba, and Marik. Deciding I had spent long enough in Yugi's room without his permission, I quickly put the cards back into their box. I sent them a quick thanks for not blowing me up and walked out the door, closing it behind me.

"What were you doing in my room?" Yugi suddenly asked from down the hall.

He looked suspicious and also a bit nervous. I understood why: he was a teenage boy and had just seen his friend - a girl no less - walk out of the room; I would be nervous at that. I gave him as comforting of a smile as I could.

"Nothing, don't worry."

Yugi's eyebrow lifted into his bangs; he obviously didn't believe me. I kept up my smile and turned off down the hall towards the kitchen; dinner would be soon, and I was getting a bit hungry.

My nervousness didn't go away during dinner, though. I felt pretty antsy, and staying still felt too foreign. Yugi's mother noticed it quickly, but I played it off as worry over an upcoming test, which was partially true. It didn't go away as we cleaned up; it was like every time I blinked, I saw a picture behind them. There were more monsters, a tornado consuming Yugi, a bluish-teal dragon exploding from the storm. Yugi noticed my discomfort, and no matter what I said, he kept up his concerned look.

After dinner and the dishes were put away, the food coma hit me hard. I hadn't even eaten that much - and it was only about nine - so I wondered why I was so tired. I did my best to finish my homework before crashing; I hadn't even put on my pajamas before falling asleep.

I opened my eyes to a different sight. We were somewhere I didn't recognize, but I could vaguely place it as a lobby of some kind. Jounouchi was the one dueling now, and Yami was at my side, clutching onto my hand so tightly it actually hurt. I knew why he was so scared as that sickly green light was surrounding Jounouchi and his opponent.

My heart sank when I recognized the opponent as Mai.

She was wearing practically black clothes, and the green seal was stamped to her forehead. Even her harpy, her favorite monster, had it there, and the feathery woman shrieked and cried loudly like it wanted blood. I could faintly hear her talking about having revenge on Jounouchi for what had happened during Battle City, and I felt my heart break. Mai was our friend; she would never do this! I wanted to call out to her, tell her that something else was wrong, but my mouth wouldn't move. I could only watch as Mai pounded Jounouchi into the ground with her powered-up harpies. Just as Jounouchi managed to get a leg up with some card he'd pulled, a brown dragon that combined with his Time Wizard, the seal exploded, and I woke up with a start.

I was still in my room. I was still wearing my comfortable clothes. I hadn't gone anywhere, except for in my dreams. My door was open, though. Had someone opened it to check on me? The phone ringing then caught my ears, and Grandpa quickly picked it up.

"Hello?" He answered. "Motou residence."

I spent the silence as he listened, catching my breath and listening for his reply. I also looked at the time; it was just after 11 pm, so I'd been asleep for about two hours. "Oh! Hello! I don't believe we've ever met before, but Yugi and Christine speak very highly of you." Huh? Who was on the phone? I got myself to my feet and walked out the door.

When I reached where the landline hung, Grandpa was chortling about something. "Yes, yes. That sounds like Jounouchi, alright. Oh!" Grandpa had just caught me walking into the room. He pulled the receiver away from his mouth so the person on the other end couldn't hear him. "Did I wake you?" I shook my head.

"No, no. I… I think the phone did. Who is it?"

Grandpa thought about it for a moment before smiling.

"Someone I'll think you'll like to hear from."

He handed me the phone and walked off. I sent him a confused eye before nervously putting the phone to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Christine, dear!" Mai's voice was clear on the other end of the line.

Her voice was so different from how she sounded in my nightmare. My heart wasn't sure how to feel; was it happy to hear from her or sad from what it had seen?

"Mai? What…? How…?"

"Oh, you wouldn't believe how long it took to find this number! I went through at least four different 'Motou' families looking for the right one! But! I found it!"

I blinked, staring at the wall. Mai was on the phone…. I hadn't seen her since the end of Battle City; I wanted to be excited that she sought Yugi and me out. I tried to not think about my nightmare, how she looked so angry at Jounouchi and all of us. "Anyway! I'm so glad to hear your voice, dear. I've had just the most dreadful feeling all day." I blinked again. Huh? "I don't know what I'm so worried about, but I'm relieved to hear from you. Are you okay?" I actually felt tears in my eyes. Was I okay… Now that was a question. More images popped up behind my eyes as I blinked and thought. A particularly striking one of a man in a long black trench coat demanding a duel in exchange for something made me even more confused.

"I don't know, Mai."

"Oh? What's wrong? Has Jounouchi been up to his scoundrel ways?"

I managed a laugh; If only it were.

"Well, not as much as usual."

"Well, that's good. If he was, I'd have to come by and kick his butt."

That got another laugh out of me. I knew Mai could decimate him within seconds. "But, besides that, what seems to be wrong?" I spent a few seconds gathering my words before replying.

"I had a bad dream, Mai."

I heard Mai hum then heard fabric adjust. She must have been sitting down on a couch and was adjusting.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

My immediate reaction was to say no. I didn't want to burden her with what I had seen. And yet… I sighed and spoke.

"I don't know where I am, but… You were there, and you dueling Jounouchi."

"Okay… I hope I was kicking his butt, but go on."

I felt tears in my eyes at her playful comment - remembering how she really was kicking him down - but I continued.

"You were saying things like you needed to have revenge against Jounouchi for what happened during Battle City and that you hated us. You looked so angry… I wanted to speak out, but my mouth wouldn't move…."

There was a shuffle behind me when I gave a hiccup from repressed tears. Oh crap… Was Grandpa still around? I tried to muffle the sounds, but Mai still heard me. I quickly gathered myself to finish my brief explanation. "Jounouchi had just pulled ahead, and everything exploded, making me wake up." Mai was silent for a long moment as she gathered what I had told her. I was suddenly worried she was going to be mad when she took a deep breath.

"Oh, dear. It was nothing more than a nightmare; your brain is processing something, and it simply used my face to convey it."

But it had felt so real. I could feel the AC of the building. Her harsh words cut into my ears even through the barrier of the Seal…

"But…"

"No buts, you know I'm right."

I sighed. I knew she was right, but my heart still hurt. "Yes, Jounouchi may piss me off sometimes, but wanting revenge on him? That's ridiculous. He worked so hard to free me from that… terrible place… Why would I be angry at him for it?" I physically shrugged, knowing she couldn't see it. "Dreams are simply your brain processing something, nothing more. Okay?" I knew that wasn't entirely true from Circle teachings, but when Mai said it, I found I could believe her.

"Okay."

Mai hummed in approval; I could faintly see her pleased smile in the back of my head.

"Good. Now! I want you to write down this number so that you know it's me next time I call."

I laughed. How did Mai know exactly what to say to make me feel better?

"Yes, ma'am."

We talked for a few more minutes before Grandpa shuffled me off to bed; I still had school tomorrow, and staying up wouldn't do me any good. After pulling on pajamas, I stared at my bed for a few minutes, nervous about climbing in. Would I have another dream? I didn't want to, but I knew I had to; school was still a thing after all. Taking in a deep, calming breath, I climbed into bed and turned my light off. The moment I closed my eyes, I was lost in another dream.

Once again, I was in a new place. I was wrapped up in sheets, so in a bed? I felt myself being woken, shaken by the shoulder. I stopped myself from being grouchy when I saw Anzu's concerned face.

"Where's Yugi?" She asked.

My body made me look to my right to see an empty bunk, and panic shot through my system. Where was Yugi? The image of the man in the trench coat then appeared, and I knew what had happened: the two had gone off alone without telling anyone. Anzu and I were then gathered by the others, and we ran off into the desert. It wasn't the Egyptian desert, but the dry heat made me feel gross and sweaty.

We eventually came across Yugi… no, wait, it was Yami, crumpled on his knees, fists clenched in the dirt. He was shaking, and everything froze when I saw tears on his face.

"Yug!" Jounouchi gasped. "What happened?!"

Yami tried desperately to speak through his tears, but he couldn't for a few long minutes. Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, his hands lifted to the Puzzle.

"He's gone…." He practically whispered. "I lost him…."

It felt like the ground had been pulled out from under me. Was he saying… Yugi was gone…?

"So someone played the Seal of Orichalcos?"

Yami nodded wordlessly. "Who?! I'll make them pay for hurting my bud!" I saw Yami flinch, head dropping even further into his chest.

"Me… I played it…."

What? "I gave in… I thought it was the only way…." I could only stand and watch as Yami then screamed in agony, throwing his hands to the ground in punishment, screaming that it should have been him. There was a bit of a fight within me then. There was anger, fear, sadness, all fighting for control until the only thing I truly felt was numbness. I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. All my brain focused on was that Yugi was gone and Yami had been the one -.

I shot awake before the thought could finish itself. I was being shaken, and I lifted my head to see Yugi. My lamp had been turned on so I could see his face clearly at whatever time it was.

"Fricken finally!" He huffed. "I have been trying to wake you up for the last five minutes!"

I blinked, staring up at him. He looked frazzled, hair flying out even more than it usually did. His amethyst eyes were lit with worry. "Are you okay? You were screaming…." I blinked at him again. My numbness had extended to my waking self; I didn't know if I even could speak. My silence must have been scaring him as he blinked nervously back. "Christine? Can you hear me?" I didn't answer, only sitting up and wrapping him in a hug. He did flinch, but he didn't pull away.

He was here… He was okay…

Yugi sat there nervously for a second but wrapped me up in return when I began to cry in relief. He was here. He wasn't taken away. "Hey… It's okay… it's okay…." He slid a hand up and down my back, whispering more calming words into my ear. I kept crying, relieved out of my mind that he was okay, that it had all been a dream. "Do you want me to get the Other Me? I think he's…." I shook my head; I had exactly what I wanted at the moment. Yugi didn't argue, tightening his grip on me.

He let me cry for as long as I wanted, not complaining that I crumpled his sleep shirt from my tight grip. When I finally pulled away, Yugi looked even more nervous now. "Do you… want to talk about it?" Did I? Frankly, no, I didn't, but Yugi looked so scared, and I hated seeing it on his face. I was already hiding so much from him… I decided to keep it brief.

"It's this world, I guess, where you play a card in a duel, and the person who loses has their soul taken away." I managed, seeing Yugi nod but not speak. "We're in a place I don't recognize, and Anzu wakes me up and asks where you are. I turn, and all I see is an empty bunk."

My voice was growing higher in pitch; reliving the dream was making me cry again. Yugi wrapped me up again, but the tears kept coming. The words continued to pour out of me until I was blabbering. "There's something in the back of my head about someone challenging you to a duel, and I get so scared. We go looking for you and… and… Yam- the other you is there, crumpled on the ground…." Yugi's hand appeared at my back again.

"Shhh…"

I gave a hiccup but kept talking.

"Jounouchi asks what had happened and… and… He says that you were gone!"

I heaved a sob, my head falling back into Yugi's shoulder. If he weren't holding me in place, I might have been crying like Yami had. Yugi continued to hold me as tightly as he could, rubbing over my shirt and back.

"Calm down; I'm here. What happened then?"

My mouth moved on its own to continue the story.

"Jounouchi figured out what happened and asked who'd played the card… and… and…."

"Let me guess: the other me did?"

I nodded, hiccupping again. I faintly heard a sigh, and I was released. Yugi moved to hold my arms and make me look at him. "Weren't you the one to tell me that he would never do something to hurt me?" I nodded again. "He is very careful and knows when to ask for my opinion on whether or not to do something. I also think he's smart enough to know if a card is too dangerous to use; remember the God Cards?" He got another nod. "We refused to use Slifer at first because we knew how dangerous he was." I hiccupped again, fighting to retort through the lump in my throat.

"But you did play him eventually."

Yugi nodded, a soft smile lifting his face.

"We did, mostly because we knew nothing else in our deck could break Bakura's combo; he was our only chance of winning."

My fingers clenched into my blankets. His words brought to mind what Yami had said. 'I thought it was the only way….' Yugi saw the thoughts going through my head and tilted his head, a silent request to speak my mind.

"What if he thought it was the only way to win that duel?"

Yugi tightened his grip on my arms. It was actually rather pinching now, but it was enough to keep my eyes on him.

"He would have to ask me first, and if he tried, even if I said no, I would take control back. I've done it before, and I would do it again."

Yugi's determined expression made my racing heart settle slightly, knowing he felt like that was relieving in a way. "But you know he would never do that, right?" It took a second, but I nodded. The Yami I knew would never play such a dangerous card, especially if Yugi was put in the crossfire. That brought another smile to Yugi's face. "It was just a bad dream, Christine; maybe you ate something funny today, and your brain isn't liking it." I scrunched up my nose at him.

"Wouldn't my stomach not like it first?"

"Depends!"

I bashed him in the side with a playful hit, hearing him laugh. "Feeling better?" I quickly took stock of myself, wiping away the last few tears. I was feeling a bit sick, but I blamed any sharp movements in my sleep. All in all, I think I was okay.

"I think so. Thank you, Yugi."

He smiled again, finally letting me go and standing back up.

"Well, I'm gonna head back to bed. Think you'll be okay?"

I hoped so, but I put up the biggest smile I could.

"Yeah, I'll be okay. Thanks again, Yugi."

After another smile, Yugi left, leaving me alone again. The moment the door was closed, I sighed. This was the third one today; I hoped it was three strikes, and you're out with these. I looked at the clock; how long had I been asleep this time? It was two in the morning, so another two hours of sleep. I sighed again. This would be a long night if this kept up; I couldn't even use an incense stick as I would oversleep if I lit it now. I took another calming breath before laying back down and turning off my lamp. I quietly prayed to be allowed to sleep peacefully, but sadly, it wasn't meant to be.

When I fell asleep this time, I woke to actually somewhat recognize where I was. We were on a train headed to… somewhere… It was a high-class one, though, with spaces so that groups of passengers were separated by a few inches from each other. Anzu and Yami were seated at the windows while I was next to the spirit in the aisle seat. I was in control enough to look around, not recognizing any of the other passengers. Where was everyone else? Had we separated for some reason? Yami then got to his feet.

"Yugi…" Anzu breathed, and I saw Yami flinch at the name.

I looked up and saw how tired he was; had he slept at all? "We still have a long way to go. Why don't you get some rest?" Yami took a breath before replying.

"I… I just need a moment." Yami replied, sounding just as tired as he looked. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

I wanted to stop him, ask him as sweetly as I could to get some sleep, tell him that Yugi would want him to sleep, but all I could manage was moving to grip his hand. Yami flinched again, but he turned toward me. There was so much sadness in his eyes; I absolutely hated it. Sadly, my mouth wouldn't move to voice what I wanted to. Yami must have understood some of what I wanted to say as he gave me a sweet yet sad smile. "I'll be back, Mereret. Don't worry." I didn't want to worry, and yet… I tried again to speak again, but nothing came out. Yami tried to keep up his smile as he bent down to press a kiss on my forehead. As much as I loved it, I hated seeing the sadness return as he walked down the aisle and away from us. He didn't come back quickly, and soon, I was antsy in my chair. Anzu and I were sending each other glances every few seconds until, after what felt like a lifetime, we decided to get up and follow after him.

The scene then moved, and now, Anzu and I were on the top of the train. The wind whipped through my hair, sending it flying around my face and eyes. Despite that, I could still see what was playing out before me. Yami was deep in a duel with Weevil, the little bug freak looking exactly the same as in Duelist Kingdom, and, even over the wind, I could hear Yami's growls of anger. His last attack had finished the duel in his favor, but he wouldn't stop attacking Weevil. He attacked over and over with his monster, hardly caring for the fact that Weevil was practically unconscious by the third attack.

"Yami!" I managed to scream. "Yami, stop!"

He only kept attacking; it was like he didn't even hear me. It was horrifying… Yami wasn't like this! I didn't want to see him doing this! Tears were streaming down my cheeks, but I couldn't look away. "Yami! Please! Yami, please, stop!"

"Mereret!" My pet name was then called, and I shot awake.

Once again, my lamp was turned on so I could see who had woken me. This time, it was Yami sitting beside me. He was wearing Yugi's pajamas; I could see the wrinkles from where I had gripped him before. Worry was lighting up his red eyes as they flicked across my face. After a few seconds, he helped me sit up and settled beside me.

He made a small show of showing me his hands before taking mine and holding them tightly. They were warm and real, but my heart still thundered on. "Are you okay, Mereret? Was it another nightmare?" I managed a nod before turning to look at the clock. It was 3:30. It had been less than two hours now. "Christine." I turned back toward Yami, watching as he lifted his hand to cradle my cheek. His touch was warm, and I melted immediately. There was a soft sigh of relief, but it faded quickly when my tears came back. His second hand came up as well, wiping them away. "Are you okay?" I immediately shook my head.

"I don't know what's going on."

Yami's face melted into a sad expression, but he continued to wipe my tears away. I gave a hiccup; I wanted to be done with these nightmares! After a few more brushes of his thumbs, he spoke again.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I wildly shook my head again. No. I didn't want to talk about it. I didn't want to relive it. But, most importantly, I didn't want to burden Yami with the horrible actions I watched him commit. He looked sad for a moment; he may have been concerned that I talked to Yugi and not him. As much as I wanted to soothe and tell him, that wasn't the case, but the lump in my throat was back. I compromised by moving my hands to his cheeks. It didn't cheer him up much, but he did melt into my touch. When the lump cleared, I managed to speak.

"Was I screaming again?"

"No. You were far quieter this time, only crying out and begging me to stop doing something. If Yugi and I hadn't…."

He trailed away as he flicked his eyes towards the ground beside my bed. I followed to see a pillow and blanket lying on the ground. Yugi came back? Yami's embarrassed chuckle made me look back at him. "Well… We wouldn't have heard you if we had stayed in his room." The lump came back, but this time, it wasn't from my nightmare.

I was so blessed to have Yugi as a friend and to have Yami in my life.

I pulled Yami's hands away and wrapped him up in a hug. It wasn't much, but it was something to show my appreciation for his and Yugi's selfless deed. It was quickly returned, and I adored the feeling of his hand brushing through my hair. "If you don't want to talk about it, it's fine; I understand." I still didn't want to talk about it, but I did want to assure him and myself of something.

"I know that what I saw could never happen; I know you, Yami."

Yami took a deep breath, and his grip tightened slightly. I guessed what he was thinking about based on him moving his head into my shoulder. "I know you did some pretty dark things when you first came out, but that was understandable; you'd been trapped in darkness for so long. Yami…" I tightened my grip on him. "You are not that person anymore; you are honorable and caring." I pulled myself even closer, pressing my face into his shoulder. "I'm proud of all you've accomplished." Yami hummed, putting his hand back through my hair.

"Thank you."

I smiled at how happy he sounded; it was far better than his angry growls. "What happened to me comforting you?" I shrugged.

"You have, I assure you."

Yami chuckled, nodding his head. We held each other for a long time before I pulled away and wiped away the last of my tears. Yami stayed out, catching my hand as it dropped to my lap and holding it tightly.

"So… what do you want to do? Do you think you can go back to sleep?"

I peeked at the clock, seeing 4 in the morning. We had to get up for school in three hours. If this time I was asleep for less than two hours, what would it be next? In a hesitant test, I closed my eyes and was greeted with a duel between Yami and Yugi and the sight of the Seal stamped to Yugi's forehead. I snapped my eyes opened and was half ready to tape them to my skin to keep them that way. I didn't want to find out what happened next in this story if that was what I would see. I clung to Yami's hand, putting on my best puppy dog look.

"I don't want to go back to sleep."

Yami nodded. "Could… could you stay up with me?" My boyfriend sighed, giving me a look; I recognized it as the one he gave when he was quietly telling me off. I kept up my puppy dog look, hoping he'd say yes. After a few long seconds, he sighed again.

"Okay."

I gave a smile, hugging him again. My boyfriend may have been stern with his dueling opponents, but he was one big teddy bear with me.

I didn't want to stay in my room, so Yami and I left it and made our way to something that would distract me. So we baked… and baked… and baked some more… For at least three hours, we baked everything in the kitchen. If I couldn't control what I dreamed, I would get something I could. Grandpa and Yugi's mom gave us incredulous looks when they got up, but after looking at me and my sleep-deprived face, they understood. Grandpa even called Yugi and me out sick so that we could recuperate from this fiasco.

By mid-afternoon, I was beginning to panic. I was feeling utterly exhausted and felt my brain taking micro-naps every few seconds. Each time I closed my eyes, I saw that sickly green color and an image. First, there was Jounouchi leaning almost lifelessly against an alley wall. Then there was Mai against another wall, looking the same. There were also images of even more monsters surrounding the gang and me. The last time before I slapped myself awake was seeing the sickly light coming towards us.

"Will you quit slapping yourself?!" Yugi huffed, pulling my hands away from my face for the fourth time.

"Sorry." I apologized. "I'm… I don't want to fall asleep…."

Yugi sighed, held up a finger, then walked over to the landline. He made a quick couple of calls with me standing there confused. What was he doing? I understood when I heard Jounouchi's familiar footsteps thundering up the steps.

"Alright!" The blond cheered. "We're here to kick some nightmare butt!"

My heart flip-flopped nervously because of the recent image I'd seen of him today. I couldn't stop the laughter when he did some ridiculous karate moves, dancing around the living room where Yugi and I had migrated. The blond's antics were very welcome during this fiasco. Honda came around the corner next, giving our friend a confused look.

"What the hell are you doing?" Honda asked.

"What does it look like?! Fighting off the nightmares!"

Honda's continued look made me laugh again. My friends were so ridiculous. Anzu came around the corner next, and she gave me a sympathetic look.

"How are you feeling, Christine?" She asked as she set her bag down and sat beside me.

I shrugged. I was in no mood to tell the whole story; I'd leave that for when I was rested and all this behind us.

"Sleep-deprived." I replied. "You know the whole thing: groggy, dizzy… just plain gross."

"I believe it. Is there anything we can do?"

I didn't know, so I shrugged again. Yugi gave her a better answer.

"She doesn't want to fall asleep just yet, so let's keep her up for a bit." Yugi breathed.

"Then we stick her in her room with that incense!" Jounouchi cheered.

I gave him a lifted eyebrow. I was going to do that anyway, but did he have to word it like that? My look did nothing to phase him, so I only rolled my eyes.

For the next few hours, the gang was a welcome distraction. With Jounouchi and Honda's silly arguments, I knew they would keep me awake and my thoughts far from the sickly green light that plagued me. We ate of the multitude of baked goods Yami and I had made and played games. When the boys were playing a game, with Yugi creaming them, of course, I collapsed onto Anzu's lap and felt her fingers begin to brush through my hair. The touch was comforting, and I let myself relax further.

I didn't even feel my eyes shut.

I felt my eyes remain open, and I was returned to the spot of my last micro-nap. I didn't have a chance to react as that sickly green magic came racing towards me. I felt myself get thrown backward, and everything went black. When they opened again, which felt like ages later, everything was so still and quiet. I turned my head to see Kaiba and Mokuba clinging to each other; since when did they get here? I then looked back to where the magic had come from, and everything froze.

Someone stood a few feet in front of us; I had to strain my eyes to see through some dust, but I recognized it quickly as…

"Yugi?" I called, getting to my feet.

He turned around, and his amethyst eyes greeted me. He looked confused, but he smiled. Relief rushed through my veins, and I dashed towards him. "Yugi!" He let me hug him, hardly caring that I may have cracked one of his ribs. Anzu came up swiftly behind me, wrapping him up in a tight hug as well; I laughed at the bright blush covering his cheeks at her hug. Jounouchi ran in as well, throwing Yugi into the air like he was a ball of some kind. It was such a happy scene; I had totally forgotten all of the pain that led up to it.

But then more darkness came in. We were called outside to see a large storm brewing; where the heck were we anyway?

"I don't know about you dweebs…." Kaiba huffed clearly from beside me. "… but I'm going up there."

"Not without me, you won't!" Jounouchi huffed back, racing after the CEO.

Yugi stood beside me, watching the two go off, then looked up at me. I knew exactly what he wanted as he gave me a determined look. My motherly instincts said to keep him tethered there, but I let him go; I had to. He gave me a smile and a nod.

"We'll be back." Yugi promised.

I nodded, and he chased off after Jounouchi and Kaiba.

"Good luck!" I managed to call, to which he turned back and waved.

Everything moved quickly then. It was like someone had hit the fast-forward button on a video, and you started watching something at four times speed. There were shouts, some screams, there were glimpses of monsters that I recognized and some I didn't, but I had no chance to really look at them. Then, there was a hint of panic: Jounouchi and Kaiba had come back, but Yugi was nowhere in sight. I wanted to go after him but was dragged aboard the helicopter we had taken. We were taking off when I blinked and found myself back on the couch with Anzu and the gang.

I hadn't woken with a start like the previous dreams, but my heart was still racing. Anzu kept brushing through my hair, but I felt like I was surrounded. How long had I been asleep?

"She awake?" Honda whispered.

"Looks like it." Jounouchi said in his normal volume voice. "Her eyes are open."

My eyes flicked to him, and the blond flinched back. "Yep! She's awake!" I kept my eyes on him, only looking away when Anzu poked at my cheek.

"You okay?" She asked. "No nightmare?"

I thought about what I had seen. Would that be called a nightmare? It was hard to say since a lot of the scarier bits had been fast-forwarded like someone wanting to skip their least favorite scene in a movie. I decided it wasn't and shook my head.

"Nope." I replied.

I then sent Jounouchi a smile. "Looks like your karate moves did the trick, Jounouchi." That sent the blond on a celebrating spree.

"Aw yeah!" He cheered. "Victory dance!"

Honda was dragged into the celebratory dance, making me laugh at both of them. My attention was pulled away from them when Yugi was the one to poke me.

"You were still twitching a bit." Yugi whispered. "Are you sure it wasn't a nightmare?"

Would it be a nightmare if one of the first things I saw was Yugi being safe? Though by the end, I didn't know where he was, but I had a feeling that he was okay. I sent him a smile.

"Yeah. I think it was trying to become a nightmare, but something stopped it." I replied in the same volume whisper.

Yugi looked confused, but I shrugged. "I'm just as clueless as you are, Yugi." That Yugi accepted, and he nodded.

We spent the next hour enjoying each other's company before Grandpa sent the rest of the gang home and Yugi and me to bed; we had to go to school tomorrow and catch up on what we'd missed. Yami came out for that, helping me light my incense and set it into its glass container. He gave me a concerned look before pressing a quick kiss to my forehead.

"You know where to go if you need anything." He whispered.

I smiled, nodding.

"I know. You'll be the first person I cry on."

Yami chuckled, pressing another kiss to my forehead before pulling away and heading to bed. Smile firmly affixed to my face, I stretched and took a deep breath of the sweet-smelling incense. Sure enough, it started to take effect within a few minutes, so I crawled into bed. As I waited for sleep to overwhelm me, I saw the last bits of the story even with my eyes open.

The helicopter flew around for a while before the pilot, who I immediately recognized as Roland, called out that he'd spotted Yugi. They immediately went in for a landing, and, as soon as we hit the ground, Jounouchi was racing towards Yugi. I would have been right behind him, but I froze when I saw three… knights? They were standing in the brush of the small island just out of everyone's view. They caught my narrowed eyes quickly but didn't react anymore than simply bowing their heads before vanishing. I stood in a defensive position until Jounouchi had Yugi dragged on board; I wasn't taking any chances. The boy was all smiles as the helicopter took off, shooting me a cocky grin as he sat next to me.

"One would think you would have enjoyed spending all that time with the Other Me?" Yugi asked teasingly.

I snorted, the sound actually hitting my ears and echoing in the room.

"But without you? Where's the fun in that?"

Yugi laughed, but I saw the blush light up his face. Sure, having Yami around all the time would be fun, but Yugi was just as important to me. Feeling playful, I ruffled his hair, hearing his huff of annoyance, and I wrapped him up in another hug. I actually felt myself smiling at the sight, letting my eyes close.

Sleep overwhelmed me within seconds, and, finally, it was a dreamless sleep.


The goddess walked formlessly through the Motou home, quietly guiding the second deity where she wanted him to be. Her heart burned with anger at the slight she'd witnessed throughout the last 24 hours, but she kept her head high. She smiled as she saw the Pharaoh's vessel, Yugi, peek around the corner towards Christine's room. He had a concerned look on his face, but he didn't move an inch towards the closed door. She watched as his eyes flicked to something beside him, then as he flipped back around the corner. She quietly blessed him, ensuring he slept well tonight.

With no one able to see her and her fellow deity, they slipped through Christine's door. The girl was fast asleep, and, thankfully, the nightmare had passed; she was freed from whatever was making her see that terrible vision.

"Ummm…" Her fellow deity hummed nervously. "Great goddess… are… are you sure about this?"

Isis peeked down at the deity, seeing the concerned human face on his lion's body. His wings fluttered about nervously, and his snake's tail hissed at everything in sight. "You know how she feels about Ptolemaic things…." Isis sent the god a smile.

"Yes, but that's only with the Ptolemies themselves and the god they created. Are you a Ptolemy or Serapis, Tutu?"

"No…?"

"Then you have nothing to fear. Plus, you are here to protect her; I'm sure that she would thank you if she knew."

The protector god still looked a bit nervous, but he nodded, earning another smile from Isis. "Thank you, Tutu. I am in your debt." He nodded again, turning to curl up on the ground at the queen's feet. Isis smiled once more before moving to Christine's head. She was fast asleep with not a nightmare in sight. Perfect.

She sent one last word of thanks to the protector god before teleporting herself back to her heavenly palace. When she was finally alone, she let her face drop back into a snarl. Whoever had done this would pay. How dare they try to harm the girl she has protected all these years? And who would do it with such a smart-aleck comment? Showing that she got the 'good end of the stick?' Isis gave a loud growl. She'd show them the 'good end of a stick' when she asked her son to spear them through the chest. She quickly took a deep breath; too violent, Isis, too violent. After another few breaths, she peeked back down to see how things were going. She immediately smiled when she saw that Tutu had pounced on something that had attempted to sneak in, instantly destroying it. It seems she'd gone to the right god.

He couldn't protect her forever, but he would protect her tonight. It would be long enough for Isis to ensure this spell couldn't be cast once more. Even though she had been removed from her mind, Isis would protect her queen with whatever she had.

(Tutu was a protective deity worshipped at Kellis during Egypt's later periods - Ptolemaic to Byzantine - also known as He who keeps enemies at a distance. He warded against demons and other spirits of the netherworld.)

I hope you all enjoyed this little interlude! World of Memory continues soon!