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

Chapter Forty-Five

Yugi

Short legs made it very difficult to keep up with taller individuals. Thankfully, after running for who knows how long, Joey finally slowed down and let the rest of us catch our breath. I looked over at Dria, who was absentmindedly rubbing her temple as if something was bothering her head. The Pharaoh, of course, beat me to the question. She smiled over at the both of us.

Thank you for your concern, both of you. It's just a little headache. It should go away in a little bit. I think Joey's risky moves are finally affecting my nerves.

Neither of us was very satisfied with her answer because every now and then, I would catch her wincing and the rubbing would start again, each time longer and more intensive than the last. It didn't take long for the time between these moments to shrink.

"The good news is that each of us defeated one member of the Freaky Five."

"The bad news is we don't know where they're gonna strike next."

"Or who for that matter."

As Dria spoke, Joey stopped walking and suddenly turned into her. Grabbing her by the shoulders, he pulled her nearly level with his eyes. I could feel the Pharaoh bristling at Joey's seemingly rough handling of Dria, but he was just worried about Serenity. He'd never intentionally hurt Dria, not that he probably could anyway.

"Use your magic thingy and take us to my sister now, Dria."

Her eyes widened at his request. I hadn't considered that before. If she could transport us to the others, then maybe we could prevent the remaining members of the Big Five from dueling them. It would hardly be fair since Serenity, Tristan, and even Duke were just beginners. Tea, however, had managed on her own. Maybe the other three could if they worked together.

"Joey, I can't."

His grip tightened on her shoulders as worry and anger rolled off him in droves, "What do you mean you can't? You just claimed on the blimp that you were a master magician. Sending a person somewhere shouldn't be hard for you. So why won't you help me?"

She shook her head, wincing slightly at his words, "It's not that I don't want to. Believe me, I would have done it already if I could. But I told you before, magic is a living sensation, present in all living things. I can't use it here because there is no magic to use; this place isn't alive, technically. There's nothing for me to use. Even I'm running blind in this place. I'm sorry, Joey."

She hung her head sadly as she finished explaining her predicament. Joey quickly released her and began to run down the tunnel we once more, not even looking back to see if we were following him. Tea took off after him, calling back that I should hurry as well and begging Joey to slow down.

"You should go ahead Yugi. Your friends are waiting for you." Dria dejectedly sank down to the floor of the cave, burying her head into her hands, frustration evident throughout her body.

"I won't go without you, Dria."

I dropped to my knees beside her, gently touching her shoulder. I didn't understand why my friends would just take off without us, but I couldn't really blame Joey. His sister, the most important person in the world to him, was probably in great danger. But, I couldn't follow until Dria came too. She was that person for me and, more importantly, the Pharaoh. I knew he would never forgive himself if we allowed anything to happen to her.

"Yugi, I'm completely useless here. I can't do what I'm best at because there's no magic, which means I can't help anyone. I've never been without it, so I don't know what to do and I'm having these terrible headaches that I can't soothe because I'm going through withdrawals or something. That's not even including the fact that the Big Five don't intend to duel me, so I'm not in the same kind of danger you are. All I am is dead weight to you. Go and make sure the rest of your friends are safe."

I frowned deeply at her statements. Headaches and a sudden deficiency in magic? I glanced over at Yami, both of us wondering the same thing: why hadn't she said something sooner? Didn't she trust us, now that we knew she was a magician? On the other hand, did that even matter now? She had called them 'your friends,' not 'our friends.' She still felt separated from the rest of the group, after all this time. She was suffering more than she let on, and that bothered me.

"You're not useless, Dria. In fact, you're incredibly far from useless. The Pharaoh and I would be worried sick about you if you didn't come with us, and not because you can't use magic. You're our dear friend and we care about you, the Pharaoh especially."

When she didn't respond to me, I turned to the only person she might listen to and asked him to switch with me.

Yugi, I don't think it's a good idea. I'm unsure of where I stand with her at this moment. I could make it worse, something I can't and won't do. I can't cause her more pain than I already have, and I don't want to lose her once again.

I had to resist rolling my eyes at his concerns, Just hold her or something. Anything to remind her that we're with her and we're not leaving. Something that will make her realize she isn't useless. It'll mean a lot more coming from you than it would me. She's still crazy about you, even though she's being stubborn about it. I can tell.

He sighed reluctantly, almost too concerned that he would make it worse somehow. Before he could react, I shoved him out of the Puzzle and traded places with him. He blinked a couple times before mentally shouting every curse word he knew at me, in a surprising number of languages, before turning towards his sulking girlfriend.

I had to smile a little at how awkward, but nevertheless sweet, he was towards Dria. Gently touching the side of her face, he coaxed her out from behind her hands and stared lovingly into her eyes. She gave him a tiny smile in return, one that vanished as quickly as it had arisen, and lowered her head once more. In a motion so swift even I barely saw it, he enveloped her in his arms and pulled her head to his chest. She sat frozen for a few moments before the tension in her body faded and she sank into him. He stroked her long hair and spoke some words to her, a couple of which did not sound like English, though he didn't seem to acknowledge the change.

"I don't know what I would do if I lost you, Imi-ib. You amaze us all with your strength and wits. Please don't think you're useless, dear Kadesh."

She seemed surprised by his apparent change in language. Quickly pulling back, she gazed into his eyes, as if seeing him for the first time in years. They silently stared at each other for a few moments. Then, Dria finally broke into a truly happy smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He smiled back, wiping away the few tears that had escaped her eyes.

I smirked a little as the Pharaoh and I switched again, I told you so. Now if only you had sealed it with a kiss.

He narrowed his eyes at me, but the slight blush on his cheeks spoke a different story. He retreated into the Puzzle as Dria rose and stood beside me. She kissed my forehead, thanking the both of us, before taking off down the tunnel, dragging me along behind her.

"Dria! Wait! Short legs, remember?"

Joey

Where were you, Serenity? I had to get to her before it was too late. She'd never dueled before! I couldn't let something happen to her because those corporate sleezeballs wanted to escape this world. It was their own fault they were here in the first place, and they should leave my sister out of it. Why wouldn't this tunnel end? When I got my hands on that little brat Noah, I'd wring his scrawny neck for putting my sister in danger and for making this tunnel too long.

The longer I ran, though, the guiltier I felt for the way I had treated Dria. It wasn't her fault we were trapped here, and while it seemed oddly convenient that she couldn't use magic here, her explanation made sense, even to someone who hadn't even known magic still existed until recently. It hadn't been fair of me to put that burden on her shoulders. I would have to sincerely apologize to her, after Serenity was safe.

"No!"

A high-pitched scream sent a chill down my spine. Without a doubt, it was Serenity. She was in trouble. I had to get to her now.

"We're gonna find her, Joey."

"Serenity!"

I took off down the tunnel again, still not looking back to see if my friends were following me. While they were important to me, Serenity was my little sister. They understood how central she was to me and had yet to question where I was going. I wouldn't stop running until I found her. Finally, after what seemed like hours, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. That had to be it. Two metal doors opened into some kind of warehouse, and we were on the upper floor. Quickly scanning the bottom arena, my heart jumped when I finally saw her.

"Serenity! Up here!"

Tears filled her eyes when she realized it was me calling to her. Duke was with her, but there was an awkward space between them, like someone was missing, and a huge white robot stood on the other side of an opening in the floor. What kind of crazy duel had this pyscho pulled my little sister into?

"Hey, where's Tristan?"

"Tristan is gone. He lost."

That meant Tristan was gonna be stuck here while some yahoo paraded around the real world in his body. There had to be a way that we could get him back and rescue his body.

"You should see if you can enter the duel, Joey."

The tin can refused to let me enter, so all I could do was cheer on Serenity and Duke from the rafters. We Wheelers never gave up, so there was no way my sister would lose this duel. It didn't matter that she had never dueled before. She was smarter than I ever was, and I knew she could figure out how to play and how to win before it was too late.

"Saint Joan needs another power boost."

I looked over to the other side of the floor and saw Dria leaning against the railing with her chin on the metal. Guilt raced through me again when I remembered how rudely I had treated her not too long ago. Although she didn't look at me directly, I could see a deep sadness and pain in her eyes. I almost said something then, but she suddenly lifted her head and smiled. Yugi glanced over at her before looking back to the duel. They had noticed something, and hopefully Dria's smile meant it was a good something.

"I think I know how you can do this, but you're going to need Tristan's help!"

Tristan had left one final card on the field. Now all Duke had to do was activate the card. It had to work. Tristan might not duel much, but surely, he left behind something that would save Duke and my sister from Perfect Machine King.

"He left us Rare Metal Soul!"

Tristan had really come through this time. His card raised Saint Joan's attack points by 1,000, bringing it to a total of 4,200, just enough to match Perfect Machine King's attack points. Since they were even, and that Big Five member lost his Deck Master, Duke and Serenity won automatically.

"You fools. I may be going offline, but I won Tristan's body. He's my ticket out."

I hurried down to Serenity after the duel was over. She threw her arms around me, trying to hold back her tears.

"They have his body, and it's my fault."

"It's ok, sis."

His mind had to be here somewhere. The only question was where.

Dria

I was so thankful when Duke and Serenity managed to defeat the walking tin can, the man who had forgotten what it was like to be human. I sighed in relief, resting my forehead against the cool railing I had been leaning against. While it didn't manage to stop the headache, it lessened the pain enough that I could refocus my energy on the task at hand: escaping from this virtual world. Four out of the Big Five had been defeated, and while I couldn't be entirely sure, my gut told me the final member would go after Seto. They all bore such a terrible grudge against him that it shocked me they hadn't gone after him first.

Perhaps Noah had commanded them to stay away from Seto, wanting to "preserve" him for a duel against the culprit himself. Noah did believe himself to be the rightful owner of Kaiba Corp, so it wouldn't be that surprising.

Lifting my head to rest my chin on the railing again, I wondered where Seto and Mokuba had been all this time. While I was very grateful and thankful to have found Yugi and the others, I also deeply cared for the Kaiba brothers. We needed to find them soon, before Noah got to them.

"Come on, Dria! We gotta go find Tristan and get his body back!"

Joey's voice recaptured my attention and I instantly shifted my eyes to the group below me. All but one smiled widely at me as Joey motioned for me to join them on the warehouse floor. Perhaps that meant Joey was no longer upset with me. I nodded, smiling back, and climbed the railing, preparing to jump down to the smaller structure beneath me to reach the main floor. Suddenly, pain flooded my chest, causing my heart to stutter and my muscles to spasm. The pounding in my head escalated as my vision began to swim. I felt myself falling forward, probably about to crash on the floor below, and I heard the other girls screaming at the boys to catch me. Then, all went black.

"I accept your challenge. Alexandria is the Crowned Princess of Egypt, and as the daughter of Pharaoh, she will remain as such to one day become Queen of Egypt, but more importantly,"

The Prince turned his gaze to me, piercing me with the intensity of the emotions swirling in his eyes. While normally I would have wished to defend myself, taking up the barbarian's challenge on my own, I couldn't refuse the desire burning in his eyes, the desire to defend our love and future together.

"She will become my Royal Wife and I her Royal Husband."

The Nubian King smiled widely at the Prince's declaration, far too excited for my comfort. Prince Imhotep shifted uncomfortably, unsure of the situation in which his father had just placed him. My Prince had already made a name for himself as a powerful and clever warrior, having mastered the sword as well as hand to hand, should a fight make it that far. He was a soldier's Prince, always wanting to treat his small sector of the army as if they were his blood brothers. All the men loved him for it and were always eager to prove themselves to their future Pharaoh.

The Prince had yet, however, to best me in a magical competition, a shortcoming I boasted over him. He had not challenged me in quite some time, mostly because he was overwhelmed with his new and increasing royal duties, but I had no doubt that he would quickly overtake and surpass me in magic. If only he would believe me when I praised his abilities.

Aknadin led both Princes to the field just outside the palace walls. Soldiers, both of noble and humble origins, practiced a variety of attack styles here: swordplay, wrestling, archery, as well as organized formations and marches. The Guardians of the Court often practiced summoning shadow creatures and enduring shadow matches. The fighter's ring was a simple wooden circle, held together by thin straps and reinforced by magic to ensure its stability.

Shaded by a large canopy, the Pharaoh, King Izem, and I sat beside the arena. Beside me stood Seto and Mahad, both at the request of the Prince and by personal desire. They, as well as I, feared the Nubians would attempt to either kidnap or kill me during this fight. It was no secret that I held power in the Pharaoh's court, as both the betrothed of the Crowned Prince and the head mage. Perhaps it was too much power for one individual besides the King, and a woman no less. My fear for the Prince's safety, however, conquered their desire that I remain within the palace walls. They knew they couldn't conjure enough defenses to keep me inside anyway. Instead, here I was, about to watch two princes duel for my hand, as if my life needed to be more exciting.

The two youths tapped the tips of their swords before swiftly stepping back, settling into their stances. Now, the dance would begin. Colors suddenly flashed before my eyes. Purple clashed against yellow, and sparks seemed to fly from every strike and parry as iron sharpened iron. Each time the swords struck one another, I felt some muscle in my body flinch, sometimes harshly enough that the Pharaoh eventually took my hand in his and Seto placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Calm yourself, my dear daughter. My son desires you above all others. Join that with his intense hatred of defeat in any competition, and you have no reason to fear."

The wise old man who had taken me as his daughter all those years ago always knew how to soothe my concerns. It was true. His son despised losing even the smallest of games or challenges, and he never knew when it was time to quit. For him, such a time did not exist. I suppose the first half of his statement was also true, though I struggled to hide my blush and contain my joy. Raising his hand to my lips, I placed a gentle kiss on the back before holding it tightly.

"It is hardly fair that I must fight off my father in addition to this barbarian prince to keep my Kadesh safe."

I quickly turned by gaze to see the Prince smirking at the exchange between his father and me. His father chuckled happily as he stroked my hair. I slowly rose from my seat and stepped forward to wrap my arms around the Prince's neck. He dropped his sword to grab my waist, holding me tight against his sweaty form, briefly lifting me off the sand. At the moment, I could hardly complain about the sweat because both youths had removed their shirts for the duel, so one could say I should have been enjoying the view rather than fretting over the safety of the two young men. Only now did I allow myself to "enjoy the view." The Prince lifted one hand from my back to stroke my hair, just like his father had done.

Releasing his neck from my grasp, a quick glance over his body sent a wave of relief through mine. Aside from minor scrapes and bruises, he was unharmed. I wasn't allowed to heal him during his competition, so I settled for gently kissing the marks on his shoulders and cheek. We shared another smile as he waited for a servant to bring him a cup of purified water before returning to the field.

Suddenly, I saw a flash of metal from behind the Prince. Quickly summoning my staff, I pushed the Prince to the side towards his father, catching the edge of the sword against my weapon. Thankfully, my staff, despite its old age, was still strong enough to hold its own against the sharp metal. Pushing forward with a burst of strength, I threw the attacker back across the ring and held my staff before me. I had to resist gasping in surprise because while I had expected an attack, I hadn't expected the attacker. The blank eyes of Prince Imhotep stared back at me, void of any emotion or recognition.

Perhaps Izem had taken things too far, desiring to kill the Crowned Prince of Egypt in addition to perhaps killing me. No doubt he would have tried to sway it in his favor, claiming his son merely went too far in a duel for a woman, thus leaving Egypt without heirs entirely. However, I couldn't prove that it was his plan or that it was Izem at all. Plenty within Pharaoh's own court still hated me and could have endangered the Prince's life, knowing that I wouldn't hesitate to take the attack in his place.

Quickly throwing my free hand forward, I gently but forcefully caused Imhotep to drop his sword. He merely stared at his empty hand, as if confused of its purpose altogether. Satisfied that I had done all that was necessary, my staff vanished and I turned my back to the ring. I caught the Prince's gaze, only to see utter horror fill his eyes as he ran towards me, stretching out his hand. I didn't even have the time to see what had him so terrified before I was falling forward into his arms.

Something warm flowed down my back and I heard people shouting and running. The Pharaoh was desperately trying to calm the crowds and make a path for his son. Multiple hands pressed cloth against my back and voices begged me to stay awake. A terrible roar echoed across the sands and lightning struck nearby, causing an even greater panic. Someone lifted me from the ground and pressed me against their chest as they carried me from the scene. A baritone voice kept speaking to me, pleading with me to keep my eyes open and to respond to him. All I could think about was how these situations kept happening to me. It was as if ill fortune herself loved me as her own child, always wanting the worst to happen to me. As my world went dark, however, I realized that it didn't matter. I had protected my Prince, the man I deeply loved, and our dear father. For them, I would undergo and endure more than my fair share of trials

When I awoke, I found myself unable to move. I also realized that I didn't want to move. Something warm lay beneath me, and a gentle beat sounded below my ear. Slowly opening my eyes, I finally gathered that I was in the Prince's bedroom, on his bed with the man himself sleeping beneath me. One arm cushioned my head while the other was outstretched beside him, and he had yet to exchange his kilt for a tunic. My face burned when I comprehended that I had been sleeping on his bare chest and quite enjoying it as well.

What made matters worse was when I finally took in my own appearance. Bandages were wrapped around my torso, beginning just below my neck and ending above my hips, where my own kilt began. I felt my flush grow warmer at the image of myself, barely clad, sleeping on the Crowned Prince of Egypt, who was also hardly clothed. However, I couldn't bring myself to move my eyes away from him. Not only was he toned and tanned, there was also such peace on his face as he slept. I smiled a little as I felt myself relax, perhaps feeling the same peace that now filled his dreams. Closing my eyes, it was a joy to imagine that our mornings would always be like this after we were wed.

"Are you awake, Dria? I could feel you squirming like a young child."

Quickly looking back into his eyes, I saw the Prince looking down at me in amusement. I hastily pulled the blankets over my head to hide my embarrassment, only to have them effortlessly tossed aside. The Prince touched my cheek, gazing into my eyes. Gently pulling my head towards his, he captured my lips in a swift kiss before laying me back onto his chest, enclosing me within his strong embrace. I closed my eyes again, hearing his heart beat beneath my ear, easily lulling me back to sleep.