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

Chapter Forty-One

Pharaoh

The image below me vanished before I could stop it, yet it remained burned into my vision. Was it possible? Had Dria been my wife, my Queen?

"It's me, Tea! Open up!"

Yugi quickly retreated from my side to answer his friend's call, but I couldn't bring myself to move with him. Was that what she had been hiding from me? She and I had been married? Now more than ever, I wished I could recall some solid memory from my past to help me. These questions of mine had to be answered.

"I was just in Bakura's room and he's missing!"

If it were true, why would she hide that from me? Did she fear I would be disgusted by it or did it mean that she had moved on from me and no longer wished to remember it? My heart swelled at the thought of being married to her, of having such a beautiful and strong woman by my side. How could I ever be repelled by that thought? My feelings for her were so strong, far more serious than an adolescent crush.

"Dria is missing too! Her door was open and her room was empty!"

Tea finally managed to catch my attention. Missing? Surely, that fool Bakura wouldn't have had the nerve to kidnap her like that; Marik had already done that once and failed, so he wouldn't try again, right?

I sighed as Yugi took me along the halls of the blimp. Dria was always flying off, doing whatever she pleased, without any consideration for me. I chuckled at myself a little as I thought this. I shouldn't have let it bother me because it seemed like normal behavior for her for better or for worse.

After searching many different places, Yugi and Tea finally headed towards the dueling platform. It was the only place left that made sense, but that meant there was a duel going on, most likely a shadow duel. I hoped that Dria hadn't gotten herself into a duel with that madman. I had no doubt in her abilities, but I feared for her safety regardless. She had been to and returned from the Shadow Realm before, but something told me Marik wouldn't let her escape so easily.

The elevator doors opened and we were greeted by a thick, dark cloud encircled the arena. My theory had been correct: it was a Shadow Game. I quickly traded places with my young partner and headed into the shadows. If Marik, or Bakura, dared to harm her, I would make him regret it.

Dria

As the dark Shadow Game ran on, it was becoming harder and harder to see the stupid thief. The good Marik was trying his best to help, but since his evil counterpart had changed many of the cards in his deck, Marik could only watch as his last lifeline began to fade away. Especially after they had managed to summon a Winged Dragon with no attack points, my heart hurt a little for the two struggling duelists, but my previous anger towards the both of them prevented me from feeling true pity for them.

"I'll turn this around with just one card," I couldn't stop myself from smirking a little.

Did I hear fear and anxiety in that thief's voice? That was a sound I hadn't heard in a long time. It was almost more refreshing than the first time I had heard it millennia ago.

"I can send it to the graveyard to summon something stronger!"

Not even five minutes, and he had already given up on the most powerful of the three Egyptian gods. While he probably couldn't have done much with the Winged Dragon, it would have been better to find a way to keep it out of the evil Marik's hands. Instead, he had practically given it right back to him.

"If you want to win, don't be so reckless with our life points!"

"What do you mean by our life points, you parasite?"

"If you want the secret to the Pharaoh's power, you'll listen to me!"

"But you haven't helped me at all, Marik!"

I sighed as the lovely couple continued to argue. The evil Marik looked at me and smiled wickedly, which I suppose was his attempt at charming me. I glared at him and showed my obvious hatred for him by sticking out my tongue. The other two had not stopped arguing yet, but it was time to move on. I yelled at both, "Ladies! Ladies! You're both beautiful! Now could you continue this duel?"

For once, I was almost thankful that the evil Marik agreed with me. However, he had already planned far more than simply continuing the duel. He was ready to end it. I pulled my legs up beside me, leaning again on the arm of my shadowy chair. Marik must have been aware of the Winged Dragon's special powers, right? Clearly one Marik knew of them. The other would have known as well if he had paid attention.

I heard the sound of the elevator out beyond the shadows, which could only mean someone had finally realized that Bakura was not in his room. My heart stuttered at the thought of it being the Pharaoh, but there was no guarantee of that.

"Once I resurrect the Winged Dragon of Ra, you'll be engulfed in complete darkness."

My eyes flashed back to the duel, only to be slightly blinded by the light that surrounded the rather ostentatious dragon. Part of me wished that the good Marik's attempt at relaxing his evil friend would work, but the other part felt pure joy that the little thief was about to lose.

"Prepare to witness Instant Attack!"

Marik began to merge his body with that of Ra's. I hissed a little at the thought of that evil maniac merging with the actually very sweet, though sometimes bird brained, dragon. But, it couldn't be helped at this moment. Ra's attack strength increased as Marik's life points became Ra's attack points. He was actually very smart to remember to leave behind one point for himself. Forgetting that little detail would have provided me with a highly amusing end, but I would have to take whatever they gave me.

The two boys stood no chance against the might of the Dragon. As their life points hit zero, the good Marik vanished along with the rest of Bakura's body. But, he would be back, that much I knew. He would be back before I was ready for him to return. Part of him was going home to plan his next step, while the other part still wandered within the Puzzle. I hoped both met something unfortunate along the way.

Marik took the Millennium Ring that Bakura was forced to leave behind. While I wished I could just snatch it out of his hand, it was still tainted with that evil spirit, meaning I wouldn't be able to touch it. Not that I wanted to, knowing he was still there. The nutcase turned towards me, but thankfully, he was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Marik!"

It was the Pharaoh. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. It was him I had heard coming up the elevator.

"It won't be long before you join him in the Shadow Realm, leaving your little Lady over there to me!"

The Pharaoh quickly turned towards me as the evil Marik slithered away, taking the darkness with him. He seemed very angry with me, but also a mixture of relief and confusion clouded his eyes.

"What are you doing here?"

I took a small step back as he aggressively stepped forward.

"Keeping an eye on those two. I wasn't about to let them run wild, especially when they have such dangerous plans just waiting to be used against you."

I continued to back up as he walked towards me. I hadn't seen him this upset in a long time. Unfortunately, I soon ran out of room as my back hit the side of the elevator at the end of the platform. He placed his hands beside my head, leaning over me and effectively trapping me against the wall.

"But it's not like you to seem so comfortable in the shadows, to seem like you're enjoying it."

I shook my head, "I wasn't necessarily enjoying it, but it does affect me more than most people sometimes. It can bring out my darker nature if I'm around it too much like I have been recently, with all the shadow duels. I'm normally very good at ignoring its influence, but I really was just watching them. I was afraid they were going to team up and do something horrible to you or one of our friends, so I wasn't paying much attention to the shadows."

He sighed and closed his eyes. I knew I could be a handful most of the time. I was just so used to going off on my own and not having anyone to answer to, not having anyone who cared enough to come looking for me, at least not until I met the Pharaoh so long ago, and then more recently when I met Pegasus and Seto and finally Yugi plus his friends.

"Please don't do such dangerous things. I always think the worst when I discover you missing, especially with Marik's evil side running freely."

His head dropped into the crook of my neck, but he did not release me from his makeshift prison. Before I could even think of how to respond, he tightened his grasp one more time before he picked up his head again and captured me with his gaze. His purple orbs were burning with such intensity that I couldn't look away even if I wanted to.

"I have something I must ask you. I want a straight answer, Alexandria, not an answer that is a half-truth."

I froze when he spoke my full name. This was serious; would it be possible or, more importantly, proper, to answer whatever he was about to ask?

"What were you to me when I was King?"

Trying to keep my nerves under control, I shakily smiled at him, "I told you, Pharaoh, I was your Viz-"

"Yes, you've said you were my Vizier. But, you were more, weren't you?"

My breath caught in my throat. I knew he'd suspected that I was more, but who or what solidified those suspicions? Did he already know and he just wanted me to confirm it? Had Marik said something and I hadn't been quick enough or clever enough to understand his meaning? Or was it possible? Had he remembered something? Had his Puzzle showed him something and caused a memory to spark?

I couldn't bring myself to make my lips form words. I didn't want to answer his question because I didn't know what would happen when I did. Would I be welcome to remain among the group and aid him on his quest? Would it change the way he looked at me now? Oh Ra, I couldn't bear that. Although I could somehow make myself live without the possibility of him ever loving me again, I couldn't if he looked at me with disgust in his eyes. It would be enough if he would still allow me to be his friend.

He gently grabbed both of my shoulders, imploring me to answer him. I felt tears forming in my eyes as I gathered the courage to tell him what I had not told a soul since the day he vanished from this world. Before I was truly ready, however, my necklace decided to speak for me. A bright light emitted from the Pendant, blinding the both of us. I grabbed his arms tightly as the necklace took us through yet another memory. My only question was, which one would it reveal?

Blue lotus flowers, decorated with ivy, draped over the corners of every home in the city. In this period of history, the most beautiful flower in the land was used to represent a time of celebration. This time, it was for the most exciting moment the kingdom had experienced in many years.

The Prince was finally getting married.

Even the poorest of the townspeople dusted off their tunics and cloaks that were lined with thin gold threads and bright colors, clothing that would only be worn for the finest occasions. Young boys and girls carried bouquets of blue lotus and white daisies down through the streets towards the palace. The elderly hastened with renewed strength towards the palace, hoping to see the ceremony with their own eyes.

Normally, a wedding would not be so celebrated or complex. Royal weddings typically required more plans, particularly since this bride could not simply move into her husband's home. The palace was home to both. So, a different ceremony was used for these royals. The Prince would stand before the High Priest and place a ring on his Princess' finger, along with a small crown from the Pharaoh, marking her as a Royal Wife. A great party would follow, one to which all the kingdom and neighboring kingdoms were invited.

This was the scene that greeted us when we opened our eyes. This was the first time I watched a memory from the outside instead of seeing it through my own eyes again. The Pharaoh stood next to me, gripping my hand tightly as he gazed around. Part of me wanted to pull him forward so he could get the answers he wanted, but the other side wanted me to prevent him from taking even a step towards the excitement.

I gently pulled him forward towards the palace, ignoring any questions he tried to ask. I feared that if I stopped or even turned my head to answer his questions, I would lose my nerve and would not take him to the ceremony. I had hidden at least this part of the truth from him long enough.

Slipping around the crowds, I took him through the back entrance of the palace. Clearly, no one could see us since no one had noticed his extraordinary hair, so I pulled him past the guards and into the garden with no trouble. I saw my flowers, the white lotus with blue spots, growing alongside many other plants. As much as I wanted to stop and check on them, I had to keep moving.

The ceremony was about to start.

We followed the crowd of servants towards the large courtyard in the middle of the palace. It was here that the Prince would be wed so that the marriage would be seen by both the gods and as many people as possible. I pulled the Pharaoh towards the front of the crowd so he could see the bride.

The Prince stood near the fountain in the middle of the courtyard. Behind him stood his father and his father's Royal Court. The crowd began to cheer as the bride came out of the palace and began walking towards the fountain. Her head was covered with a white veil, lined with gold and purple threads. Her dress was the same, with silver jewelry sparkling on her wrists and arms. Beside me, the Pharaoh leaned forward to catch a glimpse of her face.

The Prince walked towards her, meeting her halfway. A giant smile covered his face as he lifted her hand to kiss the back. He then lifted the veil away from his bride's face as the priests came forward with his crown and hers as well. She kept her head low as the small crown was placed on her head, declaring her the Princess, and future Queen, of Egypt. At last, she lifted her head, the sun striking her bare face.

I reopened my eyes once again, back on the blimp. The Pharaoh opened his not long after me, quickly taking a step back as he did. I felt a sting in my heart. I should have stopped that memory from happening. I had overwhelmed him with information, and he no longer trusted me because I had kept so many secrets.

Pharaoh

It was true. What I had seen in the maze of the Puzzle had been real. Dria had been my wife. How could I have forgotten that? Not remembering anything about my life was bad enough, but forgetting that I had been married? So many more questions arose from her single answer. How long were we married, did we rule Egypt justly, did she even want to marry me? Did she love me or had it been arranged? She looked happy in that memory, and I certainly did as well. I still couldn't believe I had just seen myself in Egypt.

I took a step back as I opened my eyes, trying to control the sudden rush of emotion that had surfaced after seeing that scene. Dria had been so much more important to me than a simple advisor.

However, 5,000 years had passed since that day. Was it possible that she still loved me and that she had waited for me to return?

I saw a look of pain cross her face and wondered why she suddenly looked so sad. I stepped forward again, smiling gently as I touched her cheek, "What's wrong?"

She turned her eyes away from me, gazing down at the floor instead, "I don't want you to feel like you have to look at me differently now. Don't force yourself to feel any love or affection towards me. I don't want to add to the burdens you already carry. I just didn't want to hide the truth from you any longer. If I'm nothing more than your friend, that's enough."

I saw a small tear escape from her eye as she spoke those words. I felt my own smile drop as well. Perhaps she no longer felt anything towards me. I had been gone too long and she had moved on. Other men had entered her life, many of whom I didn't even know, both living and dead. To make things worse, I didn't even remember anything about us, her, or even myself. What reason did she have to be loyal to me if I didn't have one memory of her within my own head? Plus, we weren't technically married anymore. She had nothing that would prevent her from loving another.

I reached out towards her again, intending to pull her into my arms once more. Perhaps she would feel the unforced, natural affection I felt for her, but my arms hit nothing but air.

"I think it's best we head to bed. You have another long day of dueling tomorrow. I don't want to distract you."

She was using her magic to fade away from me and leave me behind. Three times, I tried to grab her, but only managed to capture air.

"Dria! Wait, please!"

She was gone, back to her room where I couldn't reach her. Yugi appeared next to me, placing his ghostly hand on my shoulder before trading places with me. I felt my mood worsening as he carried us back down the blimp and into the assigned room.

Yugi barely slept. He kept trying to enter my side of our mind, but I was in no mood to talk. My heart was hurting as I replayed that last moment over and over. I tried to encourage him to sleep, but he said that between Bakura's disappearance and Dria's explanation, too much had happened for him to sleep.

He believed that Dria thought I didn't feel real love towards her because she had been so helpful to us, and perhaps she thought that I only felt gratitude towards her, that the feelings I had shown to her were only superficial since she had shown so much affection towards me. I considered that he could have been right. Perhaps she had vanished because she thought I would be repelled by the fact we had once been husband and wife. Or that I would treat her differently because of what she had shown me, that I would go out of my way to do something for her because I perhaps felt responsible for her. None of that could be further from the truth. I would prove her wrong. I would prove to her my feelings. No matter what the odds were against me, I would win her back.

Suddenly, the whole blimp shook, almost as if we were in an earthquake. Something else was about to go wrong.