Thank you for these characters and their stories, Kazuki Takahashi. Requiescat in pace.

Chapter Twenty-One

Dria

Something big, and likely quite dangerous, was fast approaching. I had received an alert that two of my secret cards had been stolen from their resting place, a location only a select number of people even knew existed. That could only mean one thing: Trouble

"Dria?" Pharaoh tapped my shoulder. I shook my head a little and turned towards him.

"We're leaving for the game. Are you coming?" I smiled in response.

"No, I have something I need to do today. I'll see you later."

He cocked his head but accepted my story anyway. He leaned down and kissed my lips, before surrendering control to Yugi, who promptly ran out the door. Tea just stared at me for a few moments before hurrying after the small boy.

Now alone, I held my head in my hands. What on earth was I doing? Looking back on the past few days, or weeks actually, I had been nothing but a nuisance to Yugi, Pharaoh, and Grandpa. They would, of course, deny this, but it was true. I had come back, unannounced, and decide not to go home one night. Yugi was kind enough to let me stay with them. One night turned into multiple nights, and all I had been doing was releasing my previously restrained lust on the Pharaoh. My mind recalled the moment this had been brought to my attention, and I couldn't blame the party in question for being angry with me.

"What do you think you're doing?" Tea's claw-like nails dug into my shoulders.

"What are you talking about?"

"Leave Yugi alone. He doesn't like you all over him and kissing him. He doesn't even know you. What you're doing to him isn't right. He's just too nice to say otherwise."

She was completely wrong. Pharaoh did enjoy all the attention I was giving him, and even Yugi had given his approval of our relationship, but I was going about it the wrong way. When I managed to gather up enough courage, I spoke to Seto about my fears.

"You're seriously listening to that girl? She wouldn't know if a tornado struck town, just as long as she could toy with her precious Yugi. She hasn't admitted her own feelings yet, so she's lashing out because something changed before she was prepared."

"Seto, be nice please. But honestly, do you think I'm coming on too strong? Even you might have recoiled if I had acted this way when we first met." He sighed and sat down in the nearest chair. When he didn't respond, I stepped closer.

"I don't know what to do. I know it's unfair of me to come to you, but you're the only person I could think of to talk with about this." I rubbed at my eyes, pushing back the looming tears. He smiled softly and extended his arms. I climbed into his lap, breathing in his expensive cologne.

"You are an expressive person, Dria, and you are always honest and open with what you feel. That's nothing to be ashamed of. If Yugi can't handle it, then he doesn't deserve you."

I leaned back on the couch. While I agreed with Seto's logic, I still knew that I shouldn't be shoving all my affection and lust onto him like this. He had bigger problems that he would need to worry about, and I shouldn't be adding to his list. Then again, it wasn't my fault he was incredibly attractive with that smile of his, and the way his eyes invited me to come closer like a moth to a flame.

I shook my head. Focus, Dria, focus.

Yugi and the Pharaoh needed to be prepared for the events that were likely to occur. With two of my three most precious and powerful cards missing, there was no telling how much trouble was coming. My Pendant started to burn against my skin. I touched my finger to it, confused as to why it was burning again. The only time it did that was when something was wrong with the Puzzle; Yugi and the Pharaoh were in danger. I quickly rose from my seat on the couch and headed for the door.

"Dria? Could you help me for a moment?"

Grandpa called from the back room. I paused at the door. Ah, why couldn't Yugi get into trouble when I was around? As much as it worried me to not go to him immediately, I did need to somehow pay off my debt to him and Grandpa. I turned my back to the door and responded, "Of course, Grandpa."

That moment turned into thirty minutes. My Pendant burned hotter against my throat with every second that passed to the point that it was painful for me to endure. I had to pull it off my throat to give my skin a rest it hurt so severely. It felt like leaving your hand on an iron as it was heating up and not removing it when the iron became hot. I rubbed the spot my pendant sat, slightly amazed there was no mark of any kind there.

"Thank you, Dria. Sorry if I've held you up."

I smiled sweetly, "Anytime Grandpa. I need to go pick up something for Father. Is it alright if I come back? I'll cook dinner."

He waved his hand, "You know there's no reason to ask. Yugi and I love having you here."

I smiled and dashed out the door. As I ran through the city, the temperature of my Pendant oscillated as I got closer or farther from its target. I suddenly came upon an old, run down warehouse. Shouting could be heard from inside. It almost sounded like a duel was happening. Irritatingly enough, the doors had been locked. So, I made my way up the pile of debris outside and crept inside one of the open windows. The first thing I saw was the dueling platform. On one side was Bandit Keith. What on earth was he doing here, and why was he wearing that dark cloak? I'd have to figure that out later. His opponent was a much bigger surprise. I quickly made my way down the nearby stairs and shouted, "Yugi!"

Yugi was up on the platform, and the Millennium Puzzle was dangling on a chain beneath him. I nearly cried in anger. What had possessed that boy into hooking that thing onto such a thick chain? I growled as the conversation returned to my mind. Yami was going to pay for this; he'd insisted on something more durable than conventional rope to hold the Item to ensure it would remain on Yugi's neck. Putting the Puzzle on a chain, however, was just asking for someone to try to steal it.

You belong to me now. So, pick up those cards and win me that Puzzle, like a good mind slave.

I froze as I heard another voice, finally beginning to understand how this had happened. This was the power of the Rod, a power that hadn't been unearthed in centuries. Last time I had checked, the Rod and the Necklace were under the protection of the Ishtar family. In fact, I had been the one to request their help in guarding those Items and his tomb from any intruders.

"Before I lose complete control, I've got to destroy it. If I can't have this Puzzle, no one can!"

I sprinted as fast as I could up to the platform to stop Keith from breaking apart the Puzzle. But, I wasn't quick enough. He shattered the Puzzle against the side of the duelists' platform, returning it to the mess I had put it into so many years ago.

My heart lurched in my chest and it felt like a knife had cut through me. Pharaoh's soul couldn't exist without the Puzzle's completed form! I would lose him all over again if it wasn't put back together. My rage took over, turning my eyes a deadly red. I slammed into Keith's side, sending him flying off the dueling arena. I slowly walked over to the side to finish my job, when a hand stopped me. Had it been anyone else, they would have been next on my list.

"Dria, please don't hurt him. It's not his fault."

I turned to the small boy behind me. As soon as my eyes met his, he gasped in shock. I quickly turned my head back around, ashamed of my own power, for I knew what he had seen in my eyes. Another voice soon joined us in the warehouse.

"Tea told me what happened," Ryou had joined us.

I couldn't bear to have Yugi see me like this, so I allowed Ryou to help him gather the pieces of the Puzzle while I stood off to the side. Something didn't feel right though. I turned slightly so Ryou was in my view. My eyes widened and my rage rose again.

It was that evil thief Bakura, not Yugi's gentle friend.

I snapped my eyes shut and forced myself to calm down. It wouldn't do me any good to hurt Yugi's friend's captor, even if he did have malicious plans for my loved ones. My time would come. I just hoped it would come sooner rather than later. So instead, I watched in silence as Bakura added part of his soul to the Puzzle. I smirked at his decision. He would be in for a big surprise if he opened the wrong door.

"I'll be right behind you Bakura, as soon as I unhook my chain."

I finally felt the power within me subside, just like a sleeping monster would after a fulfilling meal, and joined Yugi.

"Are you alright, Dria?"

I frowned at him. "I will be when we get out of here." He nodded and turned back to the Puzzle. I was thankful that he didn't ask any questions about what he had seen.

"Stop! Where are you? Show yourself!"

Keith was losing his mind swinging a broken pipe around, trying to scare away the voice in his head. He swung at the empty air mercilessly until he hit the main power controls. I groaned in exasperation. His hit set off the electricity, causing the wires to snap in half, which in turn hit some rather inconveniently placed gas cans. Explosions fired off, setting the whole building on fire. Smoke filled the building at once. Yugi and I were trapped.

As I looked around for an exit, Yugi pulled on his chain. He groaned in frustration, "It's no use. The chain is just too strong."

The fire was growing at an incredibly fast pace. I looked towards Yugi. I wasn't going to leave the Pharaoh, but Yugi could still escape. Once he was safe, maybe I could use some of my magic to cut the chain and escape myself.

"Go."

"What? No! I'm not leaving you or the spirit of the Puzzle here!"

We stared each other down. I gave in first; he wasn't going to let this one go, and I didn't have the patience to argue with him. He began to pull the pieces back out of his pocket and put them back together. I stood as close to him as I could, somewhat shielding his tiny body from the growing flames. I choked a little on my laughter as he gave himself a pep talk, trying to finish the Puzzle faster.

A loud moaning sound echoed off the wood as part of the metal framing came down. I pushed Yugi against the side, wrapping my arms around him to protect his body with mine, as the metal support crashed down next to us. Some stray metal fragments broke off and flew towards us. I raised my arm in defense of both our faces. They impaled themselves in my skin, but I didn't have time to worry about that.

"Yugi! Dria! Let's go!" Joey and Tristan had found a way inside to rescue us.

"I can't leave yet! I have to finish putting together the Millennium Puzzle! Dria, go with them."

I shook my head as I loosened my grasp on him slightly. I could feel the metal fragments burning into my arm, but this was nothing compared to the pain I would feel if I lost him and the Pharaoh. As Joey and Tristian made their way towards us, Yugi finished the Puzzle and immediately collapsed from the heat. I cradled his body in my arms and waited for the other two. If they could take him, I could get the Puzzle and follow them. I felt my body start to sway a little from the smoke and heat. I shook my head hard. In my past life, I was born, raised, and died in Egypt. This heat wasn't anything compared to some of the summers I experienced. I couldn't afford to be weak now.

"I can't leave without my Puzzle." Even in heat exhaustion, Yugi had a one-track mind. I pushed Tristian towards the duelists' platform.

"You grab Yugi's deck. Joey, you get his Puzzle down. I'll watch him."

They both nodded and quickly set off to their jobs. Joey pulled on the chain as hard as he could, but the carabiner had been welded shut. I heard the sirens coming closer as the fire continued to grow. Tristan had returned from the dueling platform with Yugi's deck intact and he stood beside me as we waited for Joey.

"Why'd he hook it to such a thick chain?"

More burned wood began to fall all around us. I shoved Tristian out of the way of one as it came crashing down. It hit the back of my leg and my lungs involuntarily let out a howl of agony. Being burned was painful, no matter what century or condition my body was in. I threw my head to the side, causing the piece on me and the others coming down to be thrown against the wall.

"Dria!"

"Get the Puzzle!"

They were frightened at the force of my command but followed through. I nearly shouted in irritation as they began to whack at the hook with the poles Joey had picked up.

"Put it through the hole and pull, you morons!"

If we were going to make it out, we couldn't waste time with stupid, barbaric tactics. Joey immediately obeyed. As they pulled, I waved my hand back, pulling the hook out the rest of the way to make up for their lack of strength. Tristian picked up Yugi, who clenched the Puzzle tightly in his hands, as I climbed on Joey's back. The two of them ran us out as the firemen started to spray water on the fire.

"Yugi!"

Pulling him away from Tristan, I cradled him against my shoulder as the paramedics came running towards us. Yugi and I were taken to the hospital, where we were separated into two different rooms. Luckily, Yugi just had some scrapes, but he had succumbed to a heat stroke, so the doctors kept him on an IV. I, on the other hand, had much more damage from the fire.

"We managed to successfully remove all the metal fragments from your forearm with little to no damage whatsoever. You will have some tiny scars on that arm, but with the medicine we've prescribed, there is a possibility of the scars healing. Your leg, on the other hand, will take time to heal from the burns. We recommend you stay here to avoid an infection." I scoffed quietly at the doctor's proposal but thanked them for the bandages and politely declined the offer. I then left in search of Yugi's room.

"But Miss Pegasus! We must keep a close watch if you want your leg to heal properly and avoid developing a possibly fatal infection."

I asked the nurse for the room in question and continued to ignore the various doctors as they followed me down the hallway.

"Please ma'am, this is for your own good!"

The door to Yugi's room swung open and I froze at the doctors' comment. My own good? How in Ra's name would they know what was best for me? They might have been talented doctors, but they had no ability to bend me to their will. I turned on them and glared. They took a few steps back, appropriately fearing my anger.

"Thank you again for fixing my arm and for bandaging my leg, but I will not be staying here and that's final. Give the room and attention to someone who really needs it. There are people here who are in dire need of it, and I am simply wasting the time you should be spending on them." The doctors grumbled, whining about the 'idiotic princess.'

As they left, I mumbled, "You're lucky I'm still considering a donation to this hospital for how quickly you tended to Yugi. Maybe it'll come with a few conditions for your boss." The other four laughed at my comment as I shrugged. I could handle my own injuries; I'd been taking care of myself since the day I learned healing magic. While it couldn't heal an injury like this instantly, it would cause bigger problems for me to remain here for any extended period of time.

"The Puzzle is safe and sound," Yugi was appreciative of the support and help his friends had given him. Joey laughed in response, "More importantly, so are you and Dria."

I smiled, "How could we ever thank you?"

Joey and Tristian then proceeded to argue who was more heroic. I smiled as they tried to take credit for my orders and ideas, happy to let them have their moment of fame. After I promised to share my hospital pudding, I asked for a few moments with Yugi alone.

"What's up?"

Thankfully, I could now see the Pharaoh floating beside him once again. They looked at each other worriedly, forgetting that I could see both of them. I took a deep breath before I began to speak.

"I just wanted to apologize for the way I've been acting. It's not fair that I've been shoving my affection onto you and Yami, when you don't fully know why. There are things you have to know before you can really understand why the three of us met. I know I should have told you this before and I should have restrained myself from showing so much emotion, but I co—" A slender finger silenced me.

The Pharaoh was in command again, and he smiled before speaking, "You're right. There are things that Yugi and I must discover before our bond can really be understood. You are very kind to admit to your worries, but you don't need to."

I wiped a stray tear from my eye as I rose, "Perhaps it would be better if we weren't in close contact until you understood everything. Then I wouldn't be such a hindrance to you."

I turned to leave, my heart beginning to tear in two. A strong hand stopped me, and a soft voice pleaded, "I need you with me, Dria. Something just isn't right when we're apart. I can't explain it, but it feels like we're supposed to be together."

I smiled weakly. "I know. Maybe that's why I should leave. I've made you feel like you can't succeed without me."

He quickly pulled me back to him and into his lap. Caught off guard, I ended up straddling his waist. "No, that's why you should stay. I will figure out why I feel this strongly for you. I must know. There is a blank hole in my mind. All I know is that my origins lie in Ancient Egypt and now I live in this Puzzle, but beyond that, I have no memory. You are precious to me and I must know why. For now," he sweetly kissed my lips, "this will have to do."

He then smiled proudly at my dazed expression. Again, it wasn't my fault! He was incredibly distracting! Ignoring his look, I smiled and took his face into my hands, stroking his cheeks gently. I loved this man dearly. I had loved him all his life and even when his spirit no longer walked among us. He would figure it out, and then he could decide for himself whether or not he still wanted me. For now, I agreed with him. I kissed his lips again; this would have to do.

"Ah! Dria! I don't think he's supposed to be doing that in a hospital!"