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

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Dria

Yugi and I walked around Domino, trying to find Marik's next slave. So far, we hadn't found anything that could lead us to this person. Even I couldn't find him because that tangy orange scent was now everywhere, making it very difficult to distinguish between an ally, a foe, and an innocent bystander.

As we walked across one of the bridges, I looked out into the open sea. As much as I loved the ocean of water, I found myself wishing for the ocean of sand. Egypt had always been more of a home to me than anywhere else in the world. But, before that daydream could get very far, I noticed a ship in the distance. I couldn't see what kind it was, but a very bad feeling settled in the pit of my stomach at the sight of it. Thankfully, I suppose, Yugi and the Pharaoh couldn't see the ship, so they passed my nerves off as anxiety because they felt the same way. We walked down off the bridge and followed the stairs all the way down to the little river flowing in between town and the sea.

"If you really had all this power inside you, don't you think we would know?"

I smiled a little. He did have power deep inside him, and my necklace could bring it out. But I didn't know what kind of spell he had placed on the necklace, so I couldn't just grant it to him myself. Only he would be able to activate it when the time was right.

"But what happened?"

The Pharaoh shrugged, seeming almost unbothered by the mystery of it all. I stood beside the boys, simply gazing out onto the river. Yugi had presented a good point. The Ishtars had guarded the tomb for 5 millennia, yet one tomb keeper chose now of all times to rebel? It made sense in some way. I mean, he would need the Pharaoh himself to be a part of this world in order to win the Puzzle. But, if he knew the ancient scriptures so well, why had he left me alone? I had been kidnapped, technically, by Arcana, but Marik had been on this quest for some time now. I turned back to the boys, who were talking about destiny again.

"No matter what, I'm going to help you save the world. You may have done it alone 5,000 years ago, but now you've got me."

I turned my head, closing my eyes in shame. I had been there and could have been more helpful, but the darkness had wanted me. He had sacrificed himself, protecting his kingdom and me, wiping away everything he'd ever known to increase the power of the seal as much as possible.

"Plus, if we let Marik win, Dria won't tell us anything else about magicians or her role in all this."

I playfully narrowed my eyes at the two of them, "That shouldn't even be on your mind at the moment. There are far more important matters at hand."

I moved closer to Yugi, placing my hands on his shoulders. I could feel doubt beginning to creep onto his face, taking my teasing seriously. I kissed his forehead and smiled gently. The Pharaoh placed his chin on my shoulder, winking at Yugi.

"You have the heart of a Pharaoh."

That certainly boosted his spirits. I was about to say something else, when my necklace quivered at my throat. Something dark was coming. Pharaoh agreed with me, and unconsciously, moved in front of me. I smiled a little at this movement and decided not to remind him that no one else could see him now. A dark laugh echoed through the area.

"Yugi!"

A very strange man jumped off the bridge and slid down the wall. This man was bald, with multiple piercings on his face and ears. His clothes were very loose and he had a black lock around his neck. What frightened me the most, however, were his eyes. There was no life in them, only black pupils.

"Soon you and the entire world will be calling me Pharaoh!"

I covered my mouth with my hand, trying to hold in my laughter. Marik, or Strings as he was called, glared at me before he recognized me. He then bowed, half serious half mocking.

"My Lady, you are looking as gorgeous as ever. My offer still stands. Join the winning side," he said with an outstretched hand.

My smile widened as I took hold of the Pharaoh's arm. "Thanks, but I'm already on the winning side." He scowled and pulled out his Duel Disk. I felt the bicep muscle beneath my hands tense, "Leave her out of this Marik. This fight is between you and me. She has nothing to do with it."

Strings laughed like a maniac. Marik knew something else, something more than just my relationship with the Pharaoh. "Ah but she has everything to do with it. Without her, there is no game. Am I right, Lady Dria?"

I shrugged and crossed my arms over my chest, "If that's the way you want to see it. There would be a game with or without me, in my opinion."

The puppet sighed in longing, "I cannot wait until you are mine."

The Pharaoh growled angrily, gently pushing me behind him. I huffed a little at his actions, but he ignored me. I stood up on my toes and kissed the side of his neck, wishing him luck. I walked over to the wall nearby and waved my hand over part of it. The bricks slowly moved out, making a chair for me. The Pharaoh chuckled at my movements, questions about magic still bubbling in his eyes. As soon as I was out of the way, the two let their mouths loose.

"You call yourself a Pharaoh? You don't even know how to use your power. Destiny has chosen me to take the power and destroy you!"

"That ancient power isn't yours to take. Make your move."

I made myself comfortable in my makeshift chair and thought about what had happened and what hadn't happened. I had told Yugi and the Pharaoh about my magical abilities, and so far, it hadn't affected the relationships between the boys and me. In fact, they seemed intrigued by it, not frightened. I smiled as I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. The Prince's father had reacted nearly the same way all those years ago.

It had been two summers since I had come to the Pharaoh's palace. Shimon teased me relentlessly about how the Prince had tried to sneak away from his lessons to come find me, yet his plans had been thwarted nearly every time.

"Fantastic job, Alexandria."

I huffed in annoyance as Shimon overlooked my copies of some older scrolls. The language had not been difficult to pick up. Atlantean had been much harder. Since I had mastered reading and writing so quickly, Shimon had requested that I rewrite some of the older scrolls onto new papyrus as 'practice' for my new skills. The scrolls would only last a couple of decades. I would be back here sometime in the future once they degraded again.

"May I be excused now?"

I wanted to go run around outside. I could not believe that he wanted to keep a 5-year-old child inside on such a pretty day. It was madness. I was not truly so young, but I enjoyed the sun as much as the next man or woman. Shimon nodded, still focusing on my handiwork. I leapt down from the large chair and headed out to the garden. I quickly found and claimed an empty bench, ready for a nice nap in the sun. I hadn't been there very long when I heard tiny footsteps running into the garden. A body dove into the plants next to me and crawled underneath them until it was hidden below the bench. I didn't bother to look, knowing full well whose body it had been.

"I beg your pardon, Lady Alexandria, but have you seen the Prince?"

I slowly opened one eye and stared at the servant. The poor man was trembling in fear at having to speak directly to me. Many people had become unsettled with me because I was so obviously different, though they remained respectful. My bright green eyes especially frightened people off because green was a color of life and death in this kingdom.

I sent him a small smile, shaking my head, "I fear I haven't. I may have heard him run towards the kitchen though. I wish you luck."

I closed my eye again and turned my face back into the sun. I heard him chuckle a little, "You're not as frightening as they say."

I waited until his footsteps stopped echoing in the garden. As soon as it was silent, I moved onto my stomach and looked underneath the bench. There, hidden amongst the leaves and dirt, was the young Prince. We stared at each other for a few moments before he slowly crawled towards me. He laid down on the ground beneath me, staring up at me, hands behind his head. Thankfully, my tiny body could fit on the bench, so I laid my head on the edge and continued to return his gaze. After a few more moments of silence, he smiled gently. Oh, dear Ra, that sweet smile. I giggled at his gorgeous face, blushing wildly. He laughed in return and sat up.

"How did you know I was here?" I rolled my eyes.

"You're not exactly silent. Your feet made quite a lot of noise when you ran in here."

He playfully narrowed his eyes and stuck out his tongue. I smiled at his antics. His eyes returned to normal when I smiled at him and he cocked his head, a small frown forming on his face. I froze; he wanted to leave now. Recently, no one ever stayed around me for more than a few moments. Only the Pharaoh wanted to be around me, and he was usually so busy that he couldn't be. But, instead of leaving, he stood up and moved closer to me. I sat up and remained in my spot. His small, warm hand touched my cheek and began to trace over my face. My face immediately turned red and I turned away from him. He gently pulled my face back towards him.

"Prince?"

A sudden scream echoed in the garden. The Prince turned, placing himself in front of me. A tall, masked man ran into the garden, blood streaking down his arms and legs. He desperately looked around for something until his eyes landed on us. He smiled malevolently as he pulled out a small dagger. The Prince pulled me directly behind him, his arms creating shields on either side of me. The man glanced behind him because the Pharaoh and many soldiers had appeared to stop him. The Pharaoh's eyes widened at the scene before him, and a pleading look crossed his face. He knew no one would make it in time should the man aim for his son. The man smirked and threw the dagger towards us at a blinding speed.

I wrapped one arm around the Prince's waist, switching places with him, and threw my other hand in front of the dagger. The dagger froze in mid-air. Everyone in the garden gasped. I released the Prince and walked towards the immobile weapon. I touched the tip of the dagger, flipping its direction back towards the attacker. The Pharaoh and his soldiers gasped in surprise and fear. The man began running towards the wall on his left to find an escape. My eyes, and the dagger, followed his movements, waiting for the opportune moment.

As soon as his shoulder was at the perfect height, I threw my hand towards him. The dagger flew towards his shoulder nearly faster than was visible to mortal eye. I waited until I heard the dull thud of the knife slamming into the wall before lowering my hand and relaxing my stance. Luckily for him, my aim was off by a few inches, meaning that I only pierced through the upper part of his cloak, leaving his skin unmarred. He was so terrified that he didn't move.

The man was quickly arrested and thrown into the dungeons. All the servants immediately flocked to the Prince, making sure there was no mark on his tan skin. I slid back into the shadows of the columns, trying to stay out of the way. I was disgusted with myself. I had allowed my affections for the Prince reveal the magical abilities I possessed. At the same time, I couldn't bring myself to regret my actions; the Prince had been in danger, and now he was safe. Now, I would probably be thrown in prison or thrown out for hiding the fact that I could do magic. My fears were confirmed when a rough hand grabbed the front of my tunic and hoisted me into the air.

"I knew it! This girl is a threat! We must eliminate her now!"

"Release her at once!" The Pharaoh's powerful voice echoed through the garden. His gaze was not one of fear, but rather amazement as he smiled at me in gratitude.

I shook my head, pulling myself away from that memory. It didn't have a happy ending and I couldn't afford to be melancholy now. The Pharaoh and Yugi needed my support. Thankfully, my necklace hadn't caused me to miss much, if any, of the duel.

"It takes more than strength to win a duel."

It was Gazelle versus Humanoid Slime. In a head on fight, Gazelle would win blindfolded with his hands tied behind his back. But, Marik did have his facedown card. Normally, I would suspect a trap card, but with Marik, my bet would be on a magic card of some kind.

"Behold my new weapon, Humanoid Worm Drake!"

A light bulb went off in my head. Fusion monsters couldn't attack the same turn they were summoned, but if Marik wanted an early lead, he would have probably put down Quick Attack to ensure his lead.

"Reveal the Quick Attack magic card!"

If the Pharaoh didn't play a reliable trap card, then Gazelle wouldn't stand a chance. He must have done something to prepare for a situation like this. It was difficult to not worry about the Pharaoh in this day and age because of his amnesia. From what I had seen in recent weeks, I shouldn't have been very concerned. The Pharaoh might not have his memories, but he still had a brilliant mind. He would have been a fabulous military leader had he been born into a different family.

"Activate De-Fusion!"

I breathed a sigh of relief. My thoughts had been correct. Though he might not have understood the deeper and darker parts of the events going on around him, the Pharaoh could still work his way through what he did understand. He understood that if he lost the duel, he would lose the Puzzle, Yugi, and me forever.

"You'll never win my Millennium Puzzle if you continue dueling like that."

"You shall witness my true skills in due time."

I could feel myself dosing off at Marik's short speech, "It would be nice if this duel was more interesting, Marik." I lazily put my hands behind my head. He continued with his 'I'll eventually start dueling' speech.

"Prepare to experience Revival Jam!"

I sat forward once again at the mention of that name. Revival Jam was an extremely tricky monster. Unfortunately, it looked like neither the Pharaoh nor Yugi had ever encountered this monster before. I smiled wickedly at the turn of events. Perhaps this duel would become more exciting.

Marik should have been a very talented duelist. Not only did he understand some of the ancient monsters' capabilities, but if the Ishtars still admired me like their ancestors had, he would know how to make a duel interesting. If I'd heard him correctly, he claimed that this puppet would have an Egyptian God card in his deck. Seto had Obelisk, and there was no way the Winged Dragon would be given up to someone else's deck. Strings had to have Slifer in his deck.

"Very impressive, Pharaoh. Too bad you can't stop me."

Pharaoh soon summoned Buster Blader. It would have been a good idea, had it not been against Revival Jam. He made a good attempt, but he was quickly stopped by the plasma monster. The Pharaoh needed to find another way to drain Marik of his Life Points.

"There's Slime Token number one."

Pharaoh had the perfect idea: destroy the Slime Tokens. Marik, unfortunately, also knew it was a perfect idea, so he prepared with Jam Defender, the continuous trap card. Marik was doing very well, and I had to give him credit for his skills, but I was concerned for the Pharaoh. I couldn't lose him now.

"Nightmare Steel Cage!"

I quickly stood up and rejoined the Pharaoh before the trap took effect. He looked at me in confusion. I just shook my head and stood behind him, my arms wrapped around his waist. I wouldn't let him be in danger alone because I couldn't let him get seriously hurt. He smiled softly before returning to his poker face.

"Your misguided faith is completely pathetic when compared to the overwhelming power of my God card."

The Pharaoh grunted angrily. I hummed quietly behind him, trying to calm him down. He seemed to understand what I was doing because he let out a slow breath. "It'll be fine, Pharaoh." He placed one hand over my arms in response.

"History may be on your side Pharaoh, but destiny is on mine."

I couldn't restrain my laughter as it fell out of my lips. Marik must have been that grade A nutcase Joey was searching for. Though I had locked away nearly all of my prophetic power, I still knew that there was no way Marik would prevail. Would he get pretty far with this plan? He very likely would. Would his desires actually come true? Fate wouldn't fall in his favor. The two boys ignored me and continued the duel. I knew Pharaoh desperately wished to be able to remember his heritage, but it wasn't time yet. Slifer would come, and the Pharaoh would have to dig his way out of this hole. I moved to release him, but his hand clasped over mine.

"Please stay."

I smiled, leaning my head against his back. His heartbeat maintained its familiar pattern. The rhythmic beat was the same one I had fallen asleep to all those years ago. The sky suddenly darkened, lightning flashing across the area.

"I sacrifice Jam Breeder and my three Jam Tokens in order to summon the beast of your ultimate destruction! A creature whose power is absolutely limitless!"

I gripped the Pharaoh tighter, moving my hands up to his chest. Lightning crashed beside us, nearly striking the two of us. Buster Blader moved slightly closer to me, ready to defend if he needed to. I heard the familiar roar of my red dragon as he descended from the sky. It had been so long since I had last seen him, and our last meeting hadn't ended well. I couldn't help but worry about this reunion. The Pharaoh stayed in front of me, even after Slifer roared angrily. I clung tighter to the Pharaoh, hoping Slifer hadn't noticed me.

"You're staring into the face of defeat, Pharaoh."

Pharaoh vowed to find the dragon's weakness, a task not many would even dare to take on after seeing the red monster. As Strings explained Slifer's special ability, the dragon moved his head around the Pharaoh's figure. I froze as recognition flashed through his dark eyes; he had noticed me.

"No one has ever defeated an Egyptian God card."

I tried to not scoff at that statement. I had done it plenty of times, as had others in the past. The gods were extremely powerful, that much was true. But even they had their limits. I could almost hear the thoughts running through Yugi's mind as his eyes darted between Slifer, Buster Blader, and his deck.

"Your reign is over, Yami. Hand over that Puzzle."

The Pharaoh remained defiant. Marik tried to worm thoughts of defeat into the Pharoah's head, but thankfully his naturally confident and bold nature prevented these thoughts from affecting him. As Marik's turn began, the cage began to evaporate.

"Dria, leave now. This could get dangerous."

I kept my grip on the Pharaoh's shirt tight, discreetly kissing the back of his neck. "You'll never be in real danger while I'm around. I'm going nowhere."

Slifer's power increased when Marik drew another card. I saw a familiar yellow light coming from Slifer, one that normally was used in my defense. Buster Blader stood before me proudly, ready to take the hit even though it meant destruction.

"You've activated my LightForce Sword. Slay his dragon!"

Though it was a good idea, Pharaoh had unfortunately not taken Revival Jam into account. Marik played another magic card, digging himself into an even deeper hole. Hopefully, the Pharaoh would notice this hole before it was too late. I took a chance and peeked over Pharaoh's shoulder. My eyes narrowed when I saw my dragon partially curled around the maniac. That was low, even if I deserved it. I released the Pharaoh and moved to his side. As much as I would have loved to stay behind him, it was starting to hurt my pride, particularly since my own dragon was being used against me. How could I call myself the ex-Queen of Egypt if all I did was hide behind my hus- boyfriend?

Slifer froze when he caught sight of me beside his opponent. I lowered my head slightly towards him in respect before staring at him. Slifer growled loudly before streaking towards me at an impossible speed. He tackled me, throwing both of us back. I screamed in surprise, before squealing loudly as he wrapped my body in his large tail and his sloppy tongues lapped at my face. I had missed him dearly too.

"Dria?"

The Pharaoh took a step closer, a completely confused look on his face. Strings' face didn't look surprised or confused. Marik seemed to know that it was a better idea to remain silent. Slifer growled again before trapping me in his long coils. I didn't even bother to struggle because he was far stronger than I was. He had barely approved of the Pharaoh thousands of years ago, and something told me Slifer didn't approve of him now.

Stupid, overprotective brother.

Slifer flew back to his side of the duel with me still trapped in his tail. The Pharaoh tried to help me, but he was only succeeding in making Slifer angry. I waved my hand, "Don't worry. He won't hurt me. You have to focus on this duel."

He returned his gaze to Marik, though I did see him flick his gaze back to me a few times to make sure I was still there. I just sat in my brother's hold, completely annoyed. Slifer was normally ridiculous, but this was just insanity. Obelisk and Ra were at least a little more mature when it came to my mortal relationships. They didn't take me captive every time. I placed my right elbow on his scaly back, resting my head in that hand and stroking the scales with the other. I wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

I watched as Buster Blader went down, many of Yugi's Life Points along with him. The Pharaoh stared at his deck before drawing. I silently sent up a prayer for him, in hopes it would help. Unfortunately, all the Pharaoh did was activate Slifer's second mouth. He managed to play Magical Hats to give himself more time to find Slifer's weakness. Marik found himself in a trench when he played Infinite Cards. He had managed to walk right into Magic Cylinder and Spellbinding Circle, but Revival Jam was as annoying as ever. The Pharaoh was losing hope quickly. He fell to his knees, a defeated look growing on his face. He clenched his eyes shut in anger, trying to scrape together an idea. I opened my mouth to say something, but someone else spoke up first.

"Since when do you bow to your rivals?"

I snapped my gaze over towards Seto, who was standing on the upper sidewalk. He and Mokuba must have taken a helicopter once his system detected Slifer. And, for once, Seto was encouraging someone in his own way. It was almost sweet. Mokuba suddenly noticed me and alerted his brother. Seto's eyes widened at my predicament. "Dria?"

I lazily waved, "Good to see you, Seto."

Slifer growled when Seto shifted his weight towards me. "Don't bother. I'm fine."

Seto chuckled a little as he shook his head, "Only you would be held captive by a hologram."

I rolled my eyes, somewhat amused by the truth of his statement. I would be the one imprisoned by a giant red dragon which has the capability of destroying my boyfriend and possibly the world. I was his keeper at one point and technically still was. It was sort of an occupational hazard. Seto continued to somewhat encourage Yugi. I wasn't sure exactly what the encouragement was, but whatever he said worked better than anything I could have said. Marik continued to use Slifer's incredible power against the Pharaoh, trying to tear his confidence apart again.

When Strings drew his eleventh card, something in Slifer changed. His grip on me increased as his power did, his once soft scales becoming rigid and sharp. An old proverb rang through my mind: absolute power corrupts absolutely; even the gods could lose their senses when their power became too strong. He seemed to have forgotten that he was holding me captive as his grip continued to increase unconsciously, reveling in his ever-growing strength. His scaly skin began to dig through my shirt and into my stomach. I bit my lip to keep myself from crying out in pain. I couldn't afford to become a distraction. The Pharaoh was defenseless and in need of a plan.

I pushed back against Slifer's scales, but they wouldn't budge. I felt a few tears escape my eyes, the pain in my stomach growing more difficult to ignore. The Pharaoh's eyes widened when he saw my predicament and realized what he needed to do.

"Hold on Dria! I will make Slifer destroy itself."

Finally, he'd figured it out. I knew this duel was in Yugi's hands when he started riling up Marik's temper again. The Pharaoh placed his hand on his duel disk for the last time. He paused for a moment and looked up at me. I stopped squirming for a few moments and stared back. I smiled gently and nodded, silently encouraging him. He nodded back and drew his last card. He had drawn the perfect card, beginning his strategy. It started with reviving Buster Blader in attack mode. Marik decided this would be a good time to treat the Pharaoh like a 5-year-old, since it was probably the last chance he would get. Buster Blader stayed strong after Slifer opened his second mouth. Pharaoh looked at me, raising his head up higher. I winked at him, proud that he was still standing.

"Prepare to surrender your Puzzle."

The Pharaoh had to execute this right. If he didn't, the duel would go to Marik, and my reason for living would be gone. There would be no purpose for me anymore if he lost. I held my breath as I waited anxiously. As Revival Jam reformed itself, the Pharaoh played the final card.

"The magic card Brain Control. Now I'll control your monster."

"Sorry Yami. All magic cards are completely ineffective against Egyptian God monsters."

"Who told you I was after your dragon?"

I sighed in relief. Revival Jam reformed on Yami's side. He had already won, and Marik hadn't even realized it yet. But, when Slifer's second mouth opened, Marik finally saw the hole he had put himself into. He was trapped in a never-ending cycle, at least until his deck ran out. When he ran out of cards, Pharaoh declared, "You automatically lose this duel. It's over."

Slifer moaned as he began to vanish. He slowly fell to the ground and began to disappear. I fell to the ground with him, but his body, now back to normal, softened the fall. He whined multiple times when he realized we were being separated again, but he quickly fell silent when his eyes caught sight of blood across my stomach. I didn't even get to give him a proper goodbye as he fled from my sight in shame.

"Dria!"

The Pharaoh, Seto, and Mokuba all came to my side. I hissed in pain as the three of them fluttered around uselessly, trying to help me. I rolled onto my back, and, with my head in Seto's lap, tried to relax my body.

"Mokuba, please go grab the dragon and locator card from Strings' deck."

He quickly left and went to do as I requested. I took a deep breath before placing my hand over my stomach. My hand glowed slightly as my magic began to heal the wounds. The Pharaoh lightly placed his hand over mine in hopes that he could be of some assistance. Seto gently stroked my cheek, helping me stay calm and relaxed. The wound healed quickly. I soon sat up and completed the same process for the marks on my back. Seto raised his eyebrow at me when I stood up, now unharmed. I sheepishly rubbed the back of my head, embarrassed by the fact I'd been caught. His gaze didn't leave me until I nodded, agreeing to explain when he had the time and the attention span.

As soon as he knew I was safe, Seto immediately challenged Yugi to another duel, wanting to claim Slifer for himself. Marik, unfortunately, had other plans. He promised that he was arriving in Battle City at this very moment, and he continued to re-enforce the power of the Rod.

"So tell me, Pharaoh, which of your friends would make the best mind slave?"

Next to his partner, the Pharaoh was incredibly protective of his friends, so he immediately hastened back into the city. I kissed the two Kaibas on the cheek before sprinting after him. I had to protect our friends as well. Together, we headed back into the city, searching every dark alley and open park for the group. As we ran, I saw a motorcyclist driving in the opposite direction. When I crossed the path he had taken, I froze. It was that sharp orange scent. I turned back, looking for the motorcyclist before following Yugi. The motorcyclist would be simple to find later. The Pharaoh's safety was more important at the moment. I couldn't let him scour the city all alone. I quickly followed him down an alleyway.

"Going somewhere?"

I stopped beside him and raised an eyebrow at the two Rare Hunters before us. One was short, round, and bald while the other was tall, lanky, and, well not bald. They smiled maliciously at the Pharaoh, casting aside his threats like they were sweet nothings. "I'm afraid the only way to get by us is to defeat us, both of us."

I waited for the pair to decide who was going to duel first, and waited, and waited. One kept insisting that the other go first, only to have the second insisted the first go. I started tapping my foot as my irritation rose. Finally, it got to be too much.

"This is ridiculous!" I stepped forward, my Duel Disk magically appearing on my arm, "I'll duel and crush both of you myself!"

The two immediately stopped bickering and stared at me.

"Is that her?"

"Her Majesty Alexandria?"

I glared murderously at the pair. Marik would pay for returning the title I had long since given up. The two stepped back a little, fearing my glare. I felt my eyes tingling as my anger changed my eye color, "Call me that again."

They both gulped and stayed quiet. I heard familiar laughter coming from behind us. Seto had caught up and could already tell I was angry. An idea struck me as my anger fell to a normal level again.

"Now it's two on two. Yugi and Seto verses whoever you are."

I waved my hand, my Duel Disk vanishing, towards them, too annoyed to really care who they were. The pair agreed instantly, claiming that they would win both Egyptian God cards. Seto nodded in agreement, but Yugi was reluctant. He looked towards me, "What about you?"

I walked back to him and grabbed his hands, "I'll keep going. I'll find our friends and keep them safe." I maintained my gaze on his burning eyes as he tried to decide, "Trust me."

He opened his mouth to say something more, probably to disagree with me. Instead of arguing with him, I captured his lips in a kiss. I heard Seto scoff on my right, but I ignored him. Before either of us got too caught up, I released him. "You don't have time to disagree with me. This is the best plan for now."

I grabbed both their hands, placing short kisses on their both knuckles, "Be safe, and for heaven's sake, work together please!"

They looked at each other, and quickly turned their heads away. I smiled because I knew they'd be alright. I erased my smile when I turned back to the annoying duo. I walked towards them, only stopping when they closed the gap between them.

"Move."

They had the audacity to remain still, though their eyes showed the intense fear they held toward me. I growled in frustration before whistling loudly. A loud roar was heard, and a white being streaked across the sky above. I smirked at the duo, "I'd duck if I were you."

Another roar was heard as she came through the alley. Using the short man as a vault, I leapt off his shoulders and onto her back, sailing over their heads and out of their grasp. I jumped off her back once we were back in the heart of city, sprinting after the orange scent through side streets. I soon noticed that the orange scent wasn't alone. As I continued toward the harbor, the exotic scent of coconuts mingled more distinctly with the orange scent. I followed this scent down the dark alley and came upon quite an interesting scene. Bakura and a nameless figure were arguing over the Millennium Items and their future owners.

"My name is Marik. You can have my Millennium Rod, but you have to do something for me."

I took a step closer so that I would be able to hear better, but all I managed to do was bang into the gutter on the side of the building. The two immediately turned and saw me. Marik smirked, "Well, well, if it isn't the Lady herself?"