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

Chapter Twenty-Four

Dria

To say I was excited would be a huge understatement. I was ecstatic. The Battle City Tournament was beginning in two days. This tournament would be the biggest one ever organized, bigger even than my tournament. Since it was Seto, I expected no less. We were always competing with one another, no matter what the challenge was.

I practically slept beside the mailbox this past week. Seto had promised to send my Duel Disk to me as soon as it was ready. He wanted to spend a little more time on mine, even though I begged him not to, because he wanted to make it special, which couldn't possibly be a good thing. But I decided to give him free rein because I knew he needed to maintain that little bit of power he had over me. He was still "waiting in the wings," still completely sure that I had no idea what real love felt like and my infatuation with Yugi would burn out in time.

Last night, I almost literally slept beside the mailbox. The mail came at somewhat erratic times so I had to be ready as soon as my new toy came. But, when I woke up the next morning on the couch downstairs and ran outside, there was still nothing. I was getting a little worried when I looked at the calendar. Battle City started tomorrow. Did Seto forget? No, he would never do that to me. Did it get lost? With Seto being the sender, there's no way the mailman lost it. What happened to it?

Finally, the mail came in the early afternoon. There was only one problem: The only mail was a letter addressed to me from Seto. After tearing open the letter and reading its contents, I punched the mailbox in irritation. Of course, instead of simply sending it to me, Seto created a challenge for me. I had to find the Duel Disk. This was revenge for that one prank, I just knew it. This was torture! Instead of the candy being taken from the baby, it was being dangled in front of the poor kid, just out of reach! I sighed as I waited for everyone outside the school building.

"Everything alright, Dria?"

I snapped to attention when I heard Yugi's voice. He smiled sweetly at my surprise arrival. I sighed again, only this time much more dramatically, "Seto is being cruel and unreasonable. He's making me look for my own Duel Disk instead of giving it to me. This is such an injustice to duelists everywhere!"

I whined pathetically, my arms crossed over my chest and my lips turned into a perfect pout. I heard the light chuckles of Yugi and the deeper baritone ones of the Pharaoh. I playfully twisted away from his oncoming hug, acting insulted.

"You're obviously in on this plot too! How could you do this to me?"

Those familiar arms wrapped around my waist, and his soft lips placed a gentle kiss on my neck. I sighed in contentment and my anger quickly dissipated.

"Hey! I have a Duel Disk I need to get and a tournament I need to enter! Quit wasting time. Let's go!"

Joey grabbed my hand and pulled me down the street, completely ignoring Yami's angry mumblings. I walked with Joey and Tristan the rest of the way, with Yugi and Tea following closely behind. Joey was going on about something to pass the time. Seto apparently didn't like him, so that was the only reason he didn't invite him to this tournament, at least according to Joey.

I giggled at Joey's touchy comments. I wasn't about to tell him that he was actually right. I had helped Seto create the invitations, and when I asked about Joey, he just scoffed and changed the subject. I chose not to interfere; it wasn't my tournament, and if I knew Joey well enough, he would find his own way in. It didn't take us too long to find the store.

"I'm just gonna play dumb."

I raised my eyebrow at Joey, wondering if he was being serious or sarcastic. I laughed along with Tristan as he voiced my thought.

"Hey, look! It's you, Dria!"

I lifted my head towards the window. Sure enough, there was a picture of me and my Duel Monsters, supporting Seto's battle city tournament. I slowly cocked my head, slightly confused. I didn't remember posing for that, but Seto had tons of pictures he could have used, and he knew that as long as I didn't look ridiculous, I wouldn't mind.

"It says that there is a special surprise for the winner. I wonder what that could be."

I shrugged innocently, but I was less interested in that surprise. The moment we set foot in that store, I could feel some evil presence watching us, like those moments just before the darkness had overwhelmed my ancient home. I shook my head. Those times had long since passed. I could only hope that I would one day be forgiven for the mistakes I had made. I focused my attention on everyone else, subtly glancing around to make sure that there was no one else here. The scent of oranges confirmed my suspicions. It had to be the power of an Item, most likely the Rod.

Every Item left behind a distinct, but very delicate, smell when either it had been to a location itself or its power had been used in that area for a long period of time, a characteristic of the Items that I had yet to understand. It sounded odd, but if you knew what you were looking, or technically smelling for, it became apparent. My Item, for example, always left behind the smell of spices, like all-spice, when it activated. Luckily, no one had noticed yet. The Rod, while it probably hadn't been here physically, left behind a tangy orange smell to indicate its otherwise hidden presence.

The man behind the counter seemed normal enough. I couldn't really detect the orange smell around him, so maybe he was ordinary. His eyes widened a little when he saw me, but I had stopped wearing any kind of disguise around town and many people were surprised to see me in the flesh. Pharaoh had tried to tell me that it would be safer if I were disguised, but I followed my winning formula: ignore him and do as I please without causing harm to anyone else.

It did mean that fans came up asking for an autograph or picture, though most people just stayed back and took far off, candid photos.

The moment I reached the register, the man reached underneath the counter and pulled out a package. I laughed; it figured that I would find the exact store I needed to find my new toy. It was a bit too convenient, but something told me I would have gotten my Duel Disk no matter which store I went to. Normally, the Duel Disk was blue, red, and white. While mine did have those colors, it also had my name engraved on the side. The letters shimmered under the light of the store, proudly showing off the gold, glitter-like substance inside. I couldn't really tell what Seto had used to make it glitter, but it was beautiful.

Yugi got his Duel Disk without a problem. Seto had arranged this odd way of determining a duelist's rank. I personally thought his arrangement was completely subjective; it was based on who Seto did and didn't like. Technically, people could call it cheating, but without Seto, there would be no tournament, so no one complained. Those who did complain were the ones who didn't get invited, so their disappointment and anger wasn't surprising.

The storekeeper was a little shocked at Joey's enthusiasm and his quick temper when he wasn't registered for the tournament. But what caught my attention were his eyes on the computer screen.

"So, you want to duel."

I narrowed my eyes at the man's quiet comment. The others didn't hear it, but I heard him loud and clear. Having to survive alone in deserts and jungles made one's hearing nearly impeccable. I saw him tap a few buttons on his keyboard.

"My hard drive was malfunctioning. You actually have four stars."

As happy as I was for Joey's sudden change of luck, I was far too suspicious to be thankful for this. Ishizu had warned me that her brother had rebelled against the family and against me. He was planning something. She feared that he might try to come after me to weaken the Pharaoh in some way. I had to smile a little when she told me this. Many people had warned both the Pharaoh and his father of this same trap. I could only hope the same thing didn't happen as did then.

It had only been one summer since the Pharaoh had taken me in, since Shimon had become my guardian, and most importantly, since I had met the Prince. Almost all of Pharaoh's court had come to love and trust me, as if I really were the royal daughter.

Life had been moving so smoothly that it was time for some kind of trouble to corrupt my happiness. The Pharaoh had taken his son and me out into the city, mostly to explore and to get to know the world around us. While I actually put forth effort, all the Prince did was follow me around, watching me carefully.

"Come here, little one. Would you like some sweet treats?"

I narrowed my eyes at the strange man in front of me. He clearly wanted to kidnap me for some reason, considering the fact that he was not offering these so called "sweets" to anyone else who had passed by. Maybe I was being too suspicious.

"Where are you, Sagira? It is time to return home."

I heard the Pharaoh calling for me and began to leave the man's presence. I heard him shift his weight forward, but he suddenly stopped. Tiny yet gentle hands wrapped around my neck, and child-like laughter filled my ears.

"I found you, Urbi!"

I giggled with the Prince. His eyes darted up to the stranger, who had taken a few more steps back, as if he were leaving. The Prince began to slowly lead me back towards the crowd gathering near the well where his father was waiting. Normally he called me that nickname because even though I had told him my real name, he insisted that I must be a princess of some kind since I was, apparently, so pretty. While I disagreed with him, I chose to hold my tongue, no matter how much he loved listening to my voice. I had become his constant playmate because I was not there to, strictly speaking, protect him. I was there to keep him company. As much as he loved Mahad and Mana, I knew he was glad to have a full-time friend. So, I let him call me whatever he wanted.

Yet this time, he was trying to protect me by calling my "royal" heritage to attention to the people around us. The fact that even a blind man knew who he was only re-enforced my own importance to anyone watching.

I saw a pair of calloused hands from the corner of my eyes. Gripping the Prince's hands tightly, I twisted my body away from the man's grip, pushing him over and running out into the streets. I had to at least get the Prince back to his father, no matter what would happen to me. It was far more important for him to reach safety than it was for me. Finding ourselves on the main street, I desperately looked around for the Pharaoh and the guardians who had come into town with us, but there were too many people and my body was too small.

"There you are."

I felt a large hand enclose my elbow with a fierce grip. Before he could pull me towards him, I grabbed the back of the Prince's tunic and threw him into a crowd. He yelled my name as the man pulled me back. I fought against him, using a tiny amount of my magic to stun my attacker, without drawing too much attention to my abilities, to give the Prince more time to find his father and his guardians. The man continued to drag me away from the crowds, his intent to harm or even kill me evident in his eyes.

"Alexandria!"

A fist came flying from up above me. The man released my arm, clutching his nose and spewing blood from his mouth.

"Kafele!" I grabbed my protector's neck and clung to him tightly as he gathered me into his arms.

Kafele had been assigned to guard me whenever I wanted to go into the city. It had taken some time for him to warm up to me, but now we were dear friends. He, along with Shimon and the Pharaoh, knew how I felt about the Prince, and would often tease me about how the Prince treated me differently from everyone else. Kafele would also tell me stories about his homeland, which was destroyed by barbarians who wandered this country with no allegiance to anyone other than themselves. He told me about his wife and children, who were captured and murdered as he watched. When he told me of this, I had thrown my tiny arms around his waist, telling him that while I was upset about his loss, I was also glad that it brought him here because I was blessed to have him as my protector.

He smiled as he pushed my hair back, "For you, little princess, I will live up to my namesake."

"Even if she is not worth it?" The strange man had returned, his nose broken and still dripping blood.

Kafele moved me to his back, from where I just glared at the stranger as he continued to speak, now directing his voice towards the gathered crowd.

"You and I both know that she will cause the destruction of this kingdom! I am merely doing my duty as a citizen of this great nation and destroying the infection! The girl must die!"

He lunged forward, his hands extending towards me. I was thrown from Kafele's back right into the Pharaoh's arms. With a speed and flexibility that was rare in a man of Kafele's size, my protector twisted the arms of the stranger behind his back and prevented him from moving further.

"What is the meaning of this?"

I felt the Prince's little hand tugging on my dress, and so did his father. Pharaoh set me down and moved the two of us behind him. The Prince immediately pulled me to him, hugging me tightly. Even though we were only kids, I felt incredibly safe in his arms. The stranger began to shout from his trapped position.

"Pharaoh, that little demon is nothing more than a trap sent here by your enemies to weaken you! She will destroy us all! Many others have agreed that she placed a spell on you so you will not be able to see her deception. She wi-"

"SILENCE!"

The Prince and I froze at his father's sharp tone. It was not a voice he used often. "Alexandria is my beloved daughter. My court has performed several tests, both with and without her knowledge, to ensure that she will not be a threat."

He turned towards me, his eyes filled with regret. "I will never forgive myself for doubting you, Dria. But it had to be done, and now, I can truly say that she is a gift from Ra. She will help this nation rise to new heights." His elderly arms extended towards me, seeking forgiveness for having me examined without my knowledge.

The Prince released me from his arms, and I ran into the Pharaoh's awaiting ones. I was proud of him, even if he not been entirely transparent with me regarding my position in his court. He didn't allow his love for me prevent him from protecting his kingdom. Egypt was fortunate to have a ruler such as him, as was I for being his adopted daughter. A loud groan stole my attention.

"KAFELE!"

I screamed in horror; the stranger had twisted an arm out of Kafele's grasp, drawn a hidden weapon, and struck my protector. The other guard descended on the stranger, and he was gone from this world in moments. I ripped myself out of Pharaoh's arms and ran to Kafele's side. A dagger stuck deep in his chest, and he was dying quickly. I placed his head on my tiny lap and cried.

He raised his hand to my cheek, "Why do you weep, little princess? This is a great honor for me. Not only do I fulfill my promise to you, but now I can return to my daughters. I will tell them about you, about your fierce, yet gentle nature, about your loving heart." His body gave a violent shudder.

"Farewell, little princess."

I smiled as tears streamed down my cheeks, "Till we meet again, my dear friend."

He smiled one last time before closing his eyes in eternal slumber. I kissed his forehead, my tears falling down his face as I gripped his now lifeless hand to my cheek. I felt a familiar tiny hand on my shoulder, and I threw myself into the owner. He softly stroked my back, letting my tears stain his tunic as I cried for my lost friend.

"Dria? Are you alright?"

Yugi was gently tapping my face. I shook my head a couple of times, my mind returning to the present. We were back at the game shop and the group was gone. I must have dazed off for a long time.

"You were really out of it, so I brought you home." I bit my lip, a little ashamed of my inability to control the Pendant. He shouldn't have had to leave his friends for me.

"Before you even think of blaming yourself, it was getting late anyway. Joey had to run off to stay with his sister at the hospital. Her surgery is tomorrow."

I blushed, feeling a bit better about my daydream's interference. He smiled softly, his eyes crinkling with delight. He released my hand and strode over towards the kitchen. He pulled out two cups and poured us both some cold water. He passed one to me and, with his hand lightly resting on then small of my back, took us both back to the living room. He sat down and flipped on the TV as I laid my head in his lap. I closed my eyes and waited for the short clips of the future that occasionally came to me.

"I said I'll get i-" a familiar voice grunted in pain.

"Ah, the thrill of the hunt."

"No, my Red Eyes Black Dragon!"

I gasped as I sat up. The red lights of Yugi's clock were blinking at me. It was 9:30PM. My vision could happen at any moment, or it could have already happened. I looked around the room I was now in. Yugi must have moved us, thinking I had fallen asleep. I looked next to me to see Yugi with his back turned towards me, his breath slow and even as he slept. If I left now, I could find the place my vision was. I had recognized the area, mostly because we had been there earlier today.

I leapt out of the bed and silently darted through the house. I only managed to reach the game shop before something stopped me. My Pendant frantically vibrated and burned against my skin. When I chose to ignore it, a powerful spell shoved me back towards the house. I huffed in annoyance.

There was only one spell that had ever escaped my control: this unknown one my necklace seemed to possess. I had tried everything I knew to try to remove it. All I knew about it was that whenever I was headed into some dangerous situation, it would occasionally stop me. I had never been able to find a real pattern to these times, so I could never truly predict when the spell would activate. My only theory that had any form of support was it was triggered when I ran off alone and when the situation seemed to be more than I could handle without any assistance. This seemed to be one of those moments. No matter which way I went, back-door or window, the same force kept me inside. I had no choice but to return to bed and just wait. Pharaoh had realized that I was no longer at Yugi's side, so he had taken over and crept downstairs to find me.

"Is everything alright, Dria?" I silently took his hand and lead him back upstairs.

"Please, talk to me Dria. I can't fix it if I don't know what's wrong."

I quietly laughed, "Still as arrogant as ever."

He cocked his head, clearly confused by my words. I pushed him into sitting on the bed, where I placed myself in his lap. I clutched to his neck tightly, praying that my vision had been faulty, as it could be sometimes, and that it wouldn't come to pass. He gently stroked my hair as we sat there, and he eventually started humming. His baritone voice and steady heartbeat lulled me back to sleep.

The phone rang early that morning. I cracked open one eye to watch as Yugi stumbled out of bed and answered. My eyes began falling back down when I heard the words I feared would come.

"What's that? Joey never showed up at the hospital last night?"

I jumped out of the bed and quickly changed clothes, not caring if Yugi was still standing there. He seemed to be thinking the same thing, since he followed my actions. We both hurried out of the house, pausing only for Yugi to call Tea and Tristan. We met up with the other two at the bus station after checking some usual places. As the three of them discussed what had happened, I slipped away and ran in between the nearby warehouses. After sounding out one whistle, one of my creatures came flying from the sky. Without stopping, I leapt onto her back, and she took to the sky.

I gently touched my heels to her quivering flanks, helping her know which direction I needed to go. She followed my request without resistance and soon we were back at the square we had gotten the Duel Disks from, which was on the other side of town from where I'd left the others. As she flew over the empty warehouse, I slid off her back and fell to the roof. I promised myself that I would make her favorite meal the next time I visited. She must have heard because she roared her approval.

I just had to watch as she continued to fly. Her movements were so graceful that it looked like she was part of the sky. She cut through the wind currents perfectly, carrying herself back to her kingdom as she vanished behind the clouds. I shook my head and dashed down the stairs. I didn't have the time to be sentimental. Joey was leaning against the wall of the warehouse, his head buried into his hands. I could faintly see dry tears on his face.

"Joey? Joey, what happened?"

"I lost it. I lost my card. If I can't defend my most treasured card, how on earth can I trust myself with my little sister? I can't face her knowing that I can't protect her."

I quickly approached him and shook his shoulders, pleading with him, "Are you seriously comparing your little sister to a card?" He just stared back at me with confused eyes. I groaned in annoyance.

"Joey, protecting a card and protecting a person are two completely different things! People are worth so much more than a picture on a piece of paper, and I created the game! Your sister needs you now, probably more than ever, and yet here you sit, wallowing in self-pity because you lost a card. It can be won back or replaced. You can't ever replace a loved one. Believe me; I know that better than anyone. You must get to your sister now!"

He quickly rose to his feet, finally comprehending my words. I shoved him out of the alleyway, just as Tristan drove by. He came to a screeching halt and called for Joey. The latter turned around, probably to pull me along, but I hid myself in the shadows. He frantically looked around, and only left at Tristan's insistence. I rested my head against the wall. He would make it in time, thankfully. I felt a tiny tongue licking the side of my face and smiled when I saw one of my tiny monsters there comforting me.

I met up with Yugi and the other two a few hours later back at the game shop, once I had checked the area for any sign of who could have taken Joey's Red Eyes. I detected a faint orange smell, which wasn't surprising, but I was unable to find anything more concrete.

As soon as he saw me in the living room, Pharaoh immediately took over and crushed me into his chest, "You vanished, and I couldn't figure out what had happened. Why must you scare me like that?"

I smiled and kissed his cheek, knowing I couldn't give him a satisfactory answer. Joey called later that night to tell us the news about Serenity. She would be fine, the surgery went well, and she would be able to see in a couple short weeks. We were all relieved that despite the scare this morning, everything worked out well. As Yugi and I climbed into bed, he paused for a moment.

"Something wrong?"

"The tournament starts tomorrow."

I raised my eyebrow. This I was aware of. In fact, Seto had asked that I keep an eye on the duels to make sure people were following his new rules. I accepted his request, figuring it would be a good opportunity to see some great duels. But why was Yugi telling me this?

"What if I mess up? What if my deck isn't good enough? What if I fa-"

I pulled him into me, resting my chin on his shoulder. "There comes a time when you can't prepare anymore. All you can do is believe."

He had to believe in himself. If not, that all too familiar darkness would threaten the world once more.