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

Chapter Twenty-Three

Dria

"Lady Dria? Lady Dria? For Ra's sake, wake up!" Someone threw back my covers and tossed me out of bed. I landed on the mud and stone floor with a crash. I whimpered in pain, but chose to try to sleep again, dreading what awaited me when I awoke. I knew the voice calling to me all too well, and what it would likely ask of me next.

*SPLASH*

Extremely cold water suddenly met my previously warm body. I screamed in surprise and leapt up, shaking the water off my head. I heard three deep chuckles echoing off my walls. I finally opened my eyes and glared at the three men in my room: The Pharaoh, the Prince, and Master Shimon, the latter of whom was holding a now empty bowl. All three were laughing at my pain and discomfort; these clothes were terrible when wet and they clung to my body like a leech.

I scowled in annoyance and marched over towards my closet to select dry clothes. Those three men just loved to irritate me whenever I was enjoying my naps. People often wondered why I slept on the roof of the palace or underneath some bushes in the gardens. All fingers should be pointed towards those troublemakers. I returned from the closet with dry clothes and began pinning my hair back.

"Someone had better be dying."

They only laughed at my attempt to be mad at them. All of them knew they could get away with almost any kind of prank against me. I didn't get angry; I just retaliated with a better prank. The Prince smirked at me.

"We regret to inform you that no one is dying."

"Not yet you mean," I mumbled under my breath. I narrowed my gaze at the Prince, who just stood there with his exuberant smile. The Pharaoh smiled widely at our exchange, still pleased by the closeness of our relationship. "We need you to help train each new guard in cooperating with his ka."

I sighed as I finished fixing my hair. Aknadin had found a way to call forth an individual'ska, even when that individual did not possess an Item. So far, the attempts had left me hospitalized multiple times due to the incompetence and hubris the guards possessed. Many of them were unwilling to admit that these creatures were their equals in many ways, and the creatures had not been created specifically for the guards' use. This attitude would cause the monster to turn on the one who had summoned him, and I would have to step in and calm the beast, or else face the destruction of the palace and city. This usually resulted in my body receiving an attack meant for the summoner of the monster. It was like someone attempting to calm Pyrrhus, who would not be satisfied until he himself decided to be content. I had been lucky so far, since no one had ever asked me to reveal my ka. That would create a whirlwind of even more unwanted guests called suitors or assassins snooping around the palace. Only Shimon knew what my ka was.

"I don't mean to be disrespectful, Pharaoh, but I still don't understand why this needs to be done. As long as the guardians can cooperate with their ka, the people can focus more on those opposite the guardians who don't have creatures to fight with."

Pharaoh sighed, "I want each and every person to be able to defend himself or herself if the need ever arises. We aren't going to be around forever to protect them, and I want my people to be able to understand the incredible world we share with these creatures. We should always strive for harmony and peace when it is within our reach."

This was why I adored the Pharaoh so much. Even when he didn't have to, he was constantly considering the well-being of his people and planning for the future, so they would have a comfortable life after he passed on. His son was almost a perfect reflection of him. While the Prince might have been a little wilder and bolder than his subdued father, his heart was in the right place, and he cared deeply for his kingdom and people. The Prince's mother had passed on some time before I arrived at the palace, so I always wondered how he took after her.

I agreed to the Pharaoh's request, somewhat sullenly, and immediately moved to follow him down to the training grounds just outside the palace. Someone, however, had other plans as soon as we left my room. The Prince suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me in the opposite direction.

"Wait! The training grounds are the other way! Ugh, Prince!"

He covered my mouth with his hand as he continued to drag me in a seemingly random direction. After several very long moments, we entered my private garden, and he finally released me. He paced back and forth for a few moments without giving me any explanation.

"Please enlighten me on why you just kidnapped me. I do have a job to do, as I'm sure you're well aware of."

He narrowed his eyes dangerously, a look that would frighten anyone else and force them to comply. After he realized that I wasn't going to back down without reason, he relented and sighed. "Some nomadic tribal leaders are coming today. I have heard many rumors that lead me to believe that they're going to try to harm my father. You must help me protect him, Alexandria."

I nearly swooned on my feet. He knew I couldn't resist him when he spoke with such authority. He used it against me whenever he wanted to get his way. I turned away from him and gazed into my garden. I could see little Kuribohplaying with the Toon Monsters, and sadly smiled when I remembered I was the only one who could completely see them without any aid. I hoped that would change one day and more people could enjoy their company.

The Prince lifted my chin and trapped me in his gaze. Concern began to fill his eyes, but when I lifted and kissed the back of his other hand, it was replaced by his ever-growing love. Our courtship had only recently begun officially. I had been in love with him since that first meeting, likely even before, but I was unsure of his feelings towards me and hesitated to inquire for many years. When he began to court me unofficially at thirteen summers, two summers ago, I was confused and hurt, thinking he was playing some cruel trick because he had discovered my feelings for him. But now, I could see the affection that had been in his eyes all along.

That was how I found myself on top of the columns again. I was going to hide out up here until something bad happened. If nothing happened, I would dash back outside and pretend to have fallen asleep in my garden. If something did, I was right there to stop it if necessary. Either way, it was a win-win situation. I avoided dealing with the arrogant guards and the hospital again for one more day.

Four tribal leaders came in on foot. Gold chains rang out through the hall as they crashed into each other with every step. Four right feet were covered from the ankle to mid-calf in these chains, while eight arms were adorned with various bracelets of precious gems. Four swords hung from their hips, each one made of ivory and decorated with dazzling rubies. Their hair was tied up into many small braids, along with small hats that covered the crowns of their heads.

When they stopped before the Pharaoh, their gaudy foot was forward. Anyone who met with the Pharaoh knew the tradition of the left foot, and here were these leaders who deliberately ignored it. I hissed at this show of disrespect and nearly threw them out then. I saw the same idea forming in the Prince's eyes, but when our eyes met, we both knew it was not time yet. Methodical, disrespectful moves like these were made all throughout the meeting, and the Pharaoh was too kind to show any irritation or anger. Deep nail marks covered the top of the column as I struggled to keep hiding myself in the shadows.

"We thank you sir for this meeting. Now we will mo-"

The man stopped. I looked at the scene in front of me carefully. My eyes widened when I realized what I was missing: one of the strangers had vanished. I saw a flash of light, and leapt towards the Pharaoh, wrapping my arms around him, before my mind fully registered what my eyes had seen. I held back a scream as the dagger that Ra above had caught sight of for a moment slammed into my shoulder, where the Pharaoh's neck previously had been. The visitors scattered immediately, fleeing into the crowd.

Chaos broke out in the throne room. The guards were running everywhere, both escorting the higher class out and questioning the remainder of the audience, searching for the assailants. Many of them surrounded the Pharaoh and the Prince. The Prince stretched out his hand towards me and pulled me into his strong grip. He pulled out the dagger and pressed his own hand against the wound to stifle the blood. The Pharaoh joined his son in attending to my wound, tears dripping from his eyes. No one seemed to pay attention to the singular man who was trying to slip out the entrance to the throne room. I closed my eyes and called for my ka, hoping he would arrive in time.

His great roar echoed in the halls, causing everyone, even the criminal, to freeze. Red smoke trailed into the room and slowly twisted around me. His sharp nails took form and his mouths began to snap in anger. With a short burst of light, my dragon took form, blocking all exits from the throne room. The Prince watched in awe, "Dria, what is this?"

Light flashed through the room as the Pharaoh regained control of the crisis.

I awoke alone. Yugi had scribbled a note to me, saying he was sad to go but he had school. He also requested that I make use of anything I needed in his home. Grandpa was out as well, running errands, but would return soon with more bandages. My leg had finally healed from the warehouse incident after a few uses of my healing magic, but I'd kept the bandages on to ward off any questions. I fell back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.

The carving had been found, and Seto knew almost everything. I smiled as I turned to face the wall. Soon, the Pharaoh would know almost everything too. I didn't really want to move from my spot, so instead I close my eyes and flipped through short visions of the next few days. I couldn't see much, but what I saw both worried and comforted me. Only one thing was certain, and I was going to have fun awaiting it.

I spent the rest of the day working on various sketches. My personal favorite was one of Yami as a cowboy. I giggled to myself as I tried to imagine the once pampered Prince living as a rugged cowboy. The sketch Joey had asked about earlier was a new monster card, but I hadn't finished the frame of the creature yet. Since dragons were my personal favorite, it would likely take on that form soon. There were still so many creatures living in the other world who were not yet part of the game.

Seto called early that afternoon, asking if I would accompany him to lunch. I knew it would have much more serious implications for him, but I just couldn't refuse him. We met at the fountain in the middle of the city and proceeded to walk around town.

"Didn't you have a specific place in mind, Seto?"

He blushed a little, before shaking his head vigorously and returning to his collected demeanor.

"I was planning on you randomly picking a place like you normally do whenever I take you out. Cut me some slack; you're not being consistent."

As we argued, rain started to pour down. Seto insisted that we go inside the next restaurant, but I ignored him and proceeded to dance in the rain. I would pay for this later, but it was too fun for me to care in the moment.

"ACHOO!"

I laughed after my sneeze, rubbing my runny nose with a tissue. Seto was quick to scold me, "You shouldn't have stayed out in the rain for so long, Dria. You've caught a cold."

Seto had soon joined me in the rain and we didn't end up getting any lunch. Instead, we did a couple of dances that we remembered from our childhood days in an empty park. Tango, fox trot, swing, and waltz had always been my favorites, mostly since similar dances had been done with my Pharaoh. After I started sneezing, Seto immediately brought me home and apologized for keeping me for so long. Grandpa had been a little worried, seeing as I didn't leave a note behind. So now, Grandpa got to play nurse and scold me for not using my common sense to stay out of the rain.

"It was worth it. I love dancing in the rain." He huffed in annoyance, just like Seto had.

"Grandpa! I'm home!"

I smiled widely. As soon as his tri-colored hair turned the corner, I jumped off the couch, out of my blanket and into Pharaoh's arms. I felt a little bad about not spending enough time with Yugi, something I planned to rectify soon. But for now, my thoughts came to a screeching halt when his soft lips captured mine. I could have lost myself in that moment forever had it not been for adear friend.

"Do you have to do that now? Dria, get off him."

I pulled away and stared at the culprit, slightly raising my eyebrow at the jealous expression. I smirked as I tightened my grip around his neck and waist. Tea was still struggling with the idea of not being the only girl in the group anymore, but her outbursts had lessened only to moments when I kissed Yugi in front of her.

"Both of you, go sit down. Dria, you're not supposed to be moving around much. Get back under your blankets, young lady."

Pharaoh's expression immediately became concerned. His eyes searched mine for an answer. I smiled lightly and shrugged before releasing him, placing my feet back on the ground. I sneezed two or three times on my short trek back to the blankets.

"What happened?" His gentle voice begged me to tell him. "I danced in the rain today," my answer clearly threw him off guard because he stared at me for a moment before looking to Grandpa for further explanation.

"Now she has a cold and is not allowed to go anywhere tomorrow."

I pouted at Grandpa and tried to persuade him otherwise. He clasped a hand over his eyes and turned away. "Nope! That puppy dog look isn't going to work, Dria. You heard me. It's your own fault you're stuck here."

I whined in protest, before crossing my arms like a petulant child. I always hated being told what to do. I was better at telling people what to do. The queen in me burned towards the one who prevented me from doing as I pleased. I took several breaths to calm down before my silly tantrum got too far out of hand. Yugi had switched with the Pharaoh again to join the conversation.

"But I was hoping you could help me out tomorrow. Are you sure she can't come with me for just a few hours, Grandpa?"

Grandpa's sharp glance obviously answered his question. Out of the corner of my eye, I could almost see the smoke coming out of Tea's ears. I leaned back against the couch and casually said, "Take Tea instead."

Everyone froze at my comment. I shrugged at all their surprised faces. I leaned over to Yugi's ear and whispered, "Tell Yami not to listen for the next few moments. This needs to be a surprise."

He nodded and I could almost hear their link working. He nodded once more when Yami finally agreed.

"You're worried about what's coming, aren't you? That Yami keep mentioning destiny and how little he knows about his past." He nodded quickly in agreement. "It's not my time to help just yet. Right now, it's Tea's turn."

She glared at me, irritated that I set up their "date." Yugi looked towards Tea, who immediately softened her gaze and nodded happily, agreeing to go with him. I rose from the couch and headed up to the stairs. I was about to go into the makeshift room that had been prepared, when Yugi's voice floated up to me, "Go ahead and use my room, Dria. I'll be up later."

I laughed, thinking I could already hear Tea screeching in protest.

Later that night, Yugi and I climbed into bed. He insisted that I stay in his room, claiming that he slept better with me nearby. I smiled lightly at this, thankful that I could ease his stress even a little.

"Tell me more about yourself, Yugi. I want to hear some stories about your life," I began twirling one of his bangs around my finger again as I made my request. He blushed and tried to pass off his life as uninteresting. I waved away his stutters, "I want to get to know you better. If I'm going to continue to hang around you, I want to know what seemingly uninteresting things you consider important and how to ease your worries."

He snapped his eyes up, "What do you mean 'If'? You're not planning on leaving, are you?"

I didn't respond immediately. It might be better for me not to be around. He would probably be able to avoid greater dangers yet to come because if the odds were in my favor, those troubles would relate to me in some way. But, with the problem he was already in now, I couldn't just leave him like this. My silence caused him to panic slightly. His small body crashed into mine, pushing me against the wall on the far side of the bed. His slender arms wrapped around my shoulders and his face was buried into my neck.

"Please, you can't go. I need you as much as Yami does. Everyone is happier now that you're around. You may not notice the difference, but you have changed us all for the better, Dria. Please don't go. Please don't leave me."

I sighed, caving into his pleas instantly. These two would be the death of me, I knew it, and I would happily die for them too. I pulled back from him slightly and nodded at him. His return smile had the power to tame even my great horse Pyrrhus, who'd had the most disagreeable attitude I'd ever known.

The next morning, I watched in amusement as Yugi tried to get ready for Yami's surprise. I was lying on Yami's chest, smiling every time Yugi ran back into his closet for a different outfit. Yami simply signed at his partner's insistence as he played with my hair the same way I played with his and Yugi's. He wasn't pleased with the developments.

"I don't have time for surprises."

I chuckled as Yami tried to find a way out of going. He was just like a little kid screaming 'I don't wanna, I don't wanna!' That image amused me more than it should have, causing me to laugh as I rose to help Yugi decide on his outfit.

"Don't be such a chicken, Yami. It'll be fine."

After much persuasion, Yami agreed to go along with Yugi's plan. The two left me around noon, seeing as I wasn't allowed out of the house on Grandpa's orders. Instead, I spent the day cleaning the game shop. New materials had come in and needed organizing. More and more customers had begun coming in due to Yugi's increasing fame, plus the rumors about our romantic relationship and my current whereabouts.

Father came by for a little while, having returned from Los Angeles once again, mostly just to make sure I was still alive and to ask if I had discovered anything about our missing cards. I had very little to report to him, but I did suggest asking more questions about the Ishtar family. Seto called to torture me with his new tournament plans. He toyed with me for nearly half an hour before I managed to threaten the details out of him. He promised to save one Duel Disk just for me. As expected, I wasn't allowed to actually compete, but I could duel anyone I wanted if I so chose to. Evening came and I was already extremely restless.

"Please can I go out, Grandpa? I need fresh air!"

Grandpa was being unusually strict. I had been inside for almost 24 hours. He sighed, "Fine. Just don't overdo it, Dria. Come back if you feel even the least bit lightheaded."

I squealed in joy, kissing his cheek as I dashed out the door. I was going back to the museum. I wanted to talk with Ishizu again. How had things in the tomb keepers' world changed? What was life like for her? So many questions flooded my mind. I knew she would probably see me coming, so I didn't bother to make myself known as I walked through the museum doors and began wandering the halls. I was sure she would come find me when she could.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, My Lady."

I turned from the painting in front of me. As I expected, she had known I was coming. I kissed both her cheeks in greeting. We spent the next hour just talking about ancient Egypt. She showed me some vision that had puzzled her, and I answered her as best I could, without revealing the secrets I had sworn to keep.

"More visitors have arrived. Could you wait by the carving?"

I nodded and waved my hand, transporting myself to the basement again. I wasn't alone there for very long. Two sets of footsteps came down the stairs. It was Tea and the Pharaoh, still on their 'date'. He smiled widely at me, surprised to see me here, and took a few steps towards me. I raised my hand to stop him. A puzzled look crossed his face, a look that turned to one of shock when I stepped aside to reveal the carving.

"That guy looks just like you! Is this thing for real?"

He knew it was real; I didn't need to say anything to confirm that for him. I wrapped my hand tightly around my Pendent, where all his memories resided. Many times, I had considered throwing it away or destroying it in some way. All it did was cause memories of what I had lost to flash across my eyes. But, when the moment came, I always ended up clutching it tightly to my chest, guarding it more closely than I did my own life.

"I've been expecting you."

Ishizu walked in. She slightly lowered her head towards me, which I did towards her in return.

"It's another Millennium Item," the Pharaoh was intrigued by Ishizu's Necklace. Ishizu then went into the age-old story about Yami. The great king who rescued mankind from the darkness of the Shadow Realm but lost himself in the process.

"The events of the past will occur once again."

The conversation did not last much longer than that. "Farewell, King Yami and Q—Lady Alexandria."

I bowed my head once more. She was kind enough to not reveal my relationship with Yami. When I turned my eyes back to the carving, I couldn't help but place my hand over the image of my Pharaoh. Tears slid down my face once more. I missed this part of him so much, but at the same time, I was incredibly thankful to have had at least a little part of him with me in this present age. I felt myself slide down the wall once more as I tried to hold back the full amount of my emotions.

"Dria!"

Yami was instantly at my side, pulling me into his arms. With my mind fading away to my memories, the past and present seemed to blur together.

"Pharaoh." I pulled his mouth to mine and kissed him tenderly. Though he returned it enthusiastically, I could feel the confusion in his mind at what was happening to me. Tea's polite cough brought me back to the present, refocusing my mind, and I quickly released the Pharaoh.

"Are you alright?"

I stood and grabbed his hand in mine. I smiled, "Let's go home."

As we walked back to the game shop, I couldn't help but ogle the Pharaoh. If only black leather had existed back then. We would have had even more trouble leaving the bedroom if that had been his usual attire. He noticed me staring at him and smirked. I simply shrugged and refocused on the sidewalk in front of me. He raised my hand, kissed the back of it, and rested it on his bicep. I had to resist sighing. Even after 5,000 years, he was still incredibly muscular like he had been practicing with a sword again.

Tea tried to return our attention to the trouble at hand, but I wasn't worried at all. Pharaoh would be able to handle anything, especially because I would be right by his side. I refused to fail him again. Evil laughter suddenly filled the Domino Square. I narrowed my eyes as they darted around the area, trying to find the owner of the laugh. A slight tremor at the base of my spine told me it was the power of the Rod. I had been around Seto, the most proficient owner of that particular Item, enough to remember the feeling. Someone here was being controlled.

"I know you guys missed me!"

I pulled my eyes back around just in time to notice Mai Valentine heading our way. She pulled Tea into a rather awkward hug, questioning her rather nice outfit. When the word "date" came up, Yami immediately placed his hand on my waist and pulled me to his side, making the couple of the group clear.

"I assume you're here for the tournament."

His fingers lightly stroked my hip as he and Mai discussed the upcoming tournament. Thankfully, they knew it wasn't Father and I again, but other than that, the host was unknown. I already knew it was Seto, but it seemed like he wanted that to be secret for a little while longer, so I chose to stay silent. When his name was mentioned, however, Yami started mumbling about Ishizu's predictions. I kissed his cheek to bring his attention back to the current conversation. Mai pointed out many other familiar faces. I gagged at some of them. Why did Seto have to invite those dorks? Yami felt my shudder. In response, he tightened his grip on my waist. Suddenly, the televisions above us flickered on. A very familiar voice flooded the Square.

"Welcome to Battle City."