A/N: Wow. This is going up before midnight my time. I'm stunned. Now for sleep and work tomorrow. ...yay... Below are a few definitions of words I used in this chapter regarding Shaadi's clothing. I think I got it right, but if anyone knows better, let me know and I'll correct it.

Taqiya - skullcap worn under a guthra

Guthra - men's headscarf

Gallabya - a long tunic without buttons or a proper neck. It comes in colorful and embroidered variations for women and in neutral colors for men.

Chapter summary: In which Marik visits his sister, Shaadi gives a gift, and Ishizu searches.

3: Restless

When he emerged from the Shadows, Marik was pleasantly surprised to find himself in his sister's bedroom. His sister and Shaadi were not so pleasantly surprised. Before Marik had the chance to react, he found himself on the receiving end of one of his big sister's signature right hooks. Ishizu was small in build, but she was nothing but muscle.

The moment her fist connected with Marik's unprotected cheek, his head snapped back and he stumbled back until he fell inelegantly on his butt. Immediately, Ishizu's eyes widened in shock and she dropped to her knees.

"Marik!" she cried. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was you. Are you alright?"

Marik let Ishizu tilt his face to the side so she could check his injured cheek for any damage. He opened his mouth and rolled his jaw, reaching up to rub away the ache. Despite his pain, he laughed.

"Nicely done," he said, grinning. He could feel his lip starting to swell where he'd bitten it but he didn't mind in the least. "Next time, aim for Shaadi."

The Priestess's worry vanished in an instant, replaced by an unimpressed stare. "You're fine," she said, getting to her feet. "How did you get here? You didn't Travel all the way here, did you?" she asked, a flicker of concern sparkling in her eyes.

Pushing himself to his feet, Marik shook his head slowly. "No," he said. "But I did talk to the Pharaoh. Kaiba's sleeping with the Blue Eyes-" He snorted. "Literally," he added under his breath. Clearing his throat, he said louder, "But Yugi and the Pharaoh are awake. The Knight's with them."

"Good," Ishizu said, her shoulders sinking in relief. "Did they know where Ryou and Bakura are?"

"No," Marik said, shaking his head. "They didn't even know they were gone. Yugi, I understand. He's not Dark. But how could the Pharaoh not know? How could he not know two of his Triad were gone?"

"Can you still feel them at all?" Ishizu pressed, tugging her brother into the modest kitchen where the kettle was beginning to whistle.

"No, I can," he said. "If I could, I would have asked for help."

"Hmm." Marik leaned back against the kitchen counter watching his sister grasp the wooden handle of the kettle with a cloth to protect against the heat. "Tea?" she asked.

He sighed and nodded, rubbing his temple. He could feel the beginnings of a headache brewing. Perfect. Yet another thing to add to his growing list of Things Not Going Well Today.

"Did you take my advice?"

Looking up, Marik frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Going down," Ishizu clarified. "Did you try that?"

"I did, yeah," Marik said, crossing his arms. "It didn't work. I could actually feel the Pharaoh move further away from me if I went down."

"Further?" Ishizu set the kettle back on the cooling stove top and handed her brother a cup of steaming hot licorice tea. "What do you mean 'further?' He was in another dimension, wasn't he?"

"About that." Marik took the offered cup and held it up to his nose. He enjoyed the smell of his tea, but he wouldn't touch it until it cooled. He may be a masochist on occasion, under the right circumstances, of course, but he had no desire to scald his taste buds off. "I think that only works for Traveling between realities, not dimensions," he finished.

Ishizu hummed, tossed a few stray strands of ebony hair over her shoulder, and sipped her tea carefully. "And the Pharaoh was in another dimension," she murmured.

Marik nodded. "That's the best thing I could call it," he said with a shrug. "It's still in this reality, just out of reach of this…" he gestured helplessly, "plane of existence, I guess," he finished.

"Interesting." Ishizu took another sip of her tea, flinching minutely.

Marik snorted. "Hot?" he teased.

She took mercy on her brother and decided not to give Marik a matching bruise on his other cheek. "How did you get there?" she asked instead.

"I went up," Marik answered promptly. "I figured if down led to other realities, than up led to other dimensions or planes of existence that are separate but still part of this reality." He shrugged and finally tasted his tea. "It worked."

"What did they say?" she asked, nudging her brother subtly.

"I asked for their help but…"

Ishizu glanced at her brother when he fell silent and wasn't happy to see the weary disappointment clearly visible on his face. "Marik?" she pressed gently.

The Priest roused himself, taking a deep breath and straightening his back. "They looked exhausted, sister," he said, looking at her. "Like how you look after a particularly bad vision."

She dropped her gaze. "I see," she whispered. "They said no, then."

"No, they said yes," Marik corrected gently. "I told them no."

She looked back at her brother in confusion. "I don't understand."

"I told them to get some sleep or I'd sic you on them," Marik said, shooting a sly glance at his big sister. Ishizu met the look with a flat stare which he found humorous. "I said I'd look for my boyfriends while they slept. If I can't find them in twelve hours, then I'd find them again and they'd help."

"That was wise of you," Ishizu said. "Even though I know it wasn't what you wanted," she added, rubbing her brother's back comfortingly. "I'll make some calls to get things moving," she said, pushing way from the counter. "In the meantime, you get some sleep."

Marik's head popped up in surprise. "What?" he gasped. "Sleep? Now?"

"Yes," Ishizu replied. "Now. If you're going to go chasing after those two, then you need to be awake and at full power. Ra knows how they like to cause trouble."

"Biased," Marik muttered.

"I'm the oldest," Ishizu said, flashing her brother a smirk. "I have that right. Now, bed."

She nodded to her bedroom and didn't look away from her brother until he finally obeyed her. Satisfied, she turned and made her way to the bathroom where Shaadi still was. His guthra was gone revealing his short black hair. The long scarf he usually wrapped around his shoulders was folded neatly on top of his gallabya on the top of the medicine drawer.

He sat on the edge of the bathtub feeling adjusting the temperature of the water as it steadily filled the tub. He looked up when Ishizu entered, his odd orange eyes unerringly meeting hers. He said nothing, but scooted over to make room for her should she wish to join him on the ledge. She took the invitation and took the opportunity to rest her forehead against his back.

Shaadi hesitated before turning his attention back to the water. "Are you well?" he asked softly.

She briefly considered nodding, before deciding against it. "I have a headache," she said just loud enough for Shaadi to hear her over the running water.

"You should rest," he said.

Ishizu winced but shook her head, knowing Shaadi would feel it. "I promised to look for Ryou and Bakura. Marik needs them."

"And you need rest," the Advisor said, turning the knob all the way until the water stopped running leaving the bathroom in silence. "You've overused your gifts over the past few days with little rest. If you truly wish to be successful in searching for those errant children-"

"Shaadi," Ishizu chided gently.

"-then you must rest yourself," Shaadi continued seamlessly. "Perhaps a vision will come to you while you sleep, perhaps not. Be that as it may," he said, tilting his head so he could see Ishizu from the corner of his eye, "the fact remains that you must rest. The events of the past few days have drained us all. We are vulnerable like this."

"You're right," the Priestess murmured without sitting up.

Finally, Shaadi shifted, forcing Ishizu to sit up and wait for him to settle. However, instead of settling, Shaadi turned so he faced her. He gently took her hands in his, lifting them to his lips. He pressed a feather-light kiss to them, holding them there and rubbing his thumb over her skin lovingly.

"I missed you," he whispered at last. He did not lift his gaze, but tightened his hold on her hands. "The other reality was enlightening but dull and formless without you."

Ishizu smiled and leaned down to place a kiss on Shaadi's short hair. "I missed you too," she said.

"I…" Shaadi straightened and took a deep breath. "I wish to give you something," he said, a faint flush of color in his dark cheeks.

He released one of Ishizu's hands to lean over and tug something from within the folds of his clothes. It was a plastic bag, commonly found at any store, with something dark colored inside. She could make out what it was, but it clearly meant something to Shaadi.

"I apologize for the lack of proper wrapping," he said, the blush filling his cheeks as he set the bag on the Priestess's lap. "I did not have the time to make it more presentable."

His lips twitched upwards in what Ishizu suspected was a shy smile. It was fleeting and gone almost as quickly as it appeared, but it was precious.

"I'm sure it's fine," she said with a smile, hoping to dissuade Shaadi's obvious discomfort.

She used her free hand to undo the tied handles of the plastic bag. With the tie undone, she tugged the opening wider so she could see the prize. When she did, she pressed her lips together, feeling tears prick her eyes.

"It matches your eyes," Shaadi said. "Mai helped me pick it out."

Ishizu smiled and ran her fingers over the soft, midnight blue silk. The gold threads swirled in simple yet elegant patterns along the edges of the scarf in a pleasing pattern. She lifted the scarf out of the bag and rubbed it against her face, letting her eyes slip shut at the softness.

"Does it please you?" Shaadi asked, his eyes wide with uncertainty. Even with her eyes closed, Ishizu could feel the Advisor's worry. His Shadows practically danced with tension.

Huffing a laugh, Ishizu smiled and tugged her lover close. With her free hand, she draped the scarf over Shaadi's bare shoulders and leaned forward so her head rested against his. "It does," she whispered. "It's beautiful. Thank you, Shaadi."

She could feel it the moment Shaadi relaxed. The tension drained from his muscles and a smile finally stayed on his lips. His Shadows brushed hers tenderly, coiling around her like mist by a riverbank. Her own Shadows moved with Shaadi's like ripples in a pond.

"I'm glad," he said.

She let go of the scarf and brushed her fingers over Shaadi's short hair, resting her hand on the back of his neck and pulling him into a soft kiss. There was no hidden meaning or desire behind the kiss and she didn't linger. She knew how uncomfortable Shaadi often got with these forms of expressing affection.

"Bathe," she said softly. She let her hand slip to Shaadi's bare shoulder, squeezing gently, before standing. She tugged the gifted scarf from her lover's shoulders as she stood. "Marik is using my bed for the night. I'll do a brief sweep with my Shadows for Ryou and Bakura. If I can't find them, I'll try to summon a vision."

"Ishizu," Shaadi said, his eyes narrowing minutely in worry.

"Only for a short while, I promise," she said. "If nothing comes, then I'll sleep."

Shaadi said nothing. He simply nodded and finished undressing before entering the water. Ishizu glanced back at him briefly, smiling fondly. Then she made her way to the chest of drawers in her bedroom where she kept everything she needed for ceremonies and such. Marik was sound asleep on her bed, sprawled on top of the sheets. Although she did her best to be quiet, Ishizu honestly doubted anything she did would wake her brother at the moment.

She clutched the stick of incense, one of her more basic incense burners, a box of matches, and a couple blankets still folded at the foot of her bed. Marik wasn't using them so they were fair game. Moving as silently as she could, Ishizu left her room, sliding the door closed behind her, and walked over to the chaise lounge in the living room.

The windows were thrown open to let the cooler night air flow into the room with the nighttime breeze. She dropped the blankets on the cushion next to her and placed the incense burner on the coffee table in front of her. She carefully placed the incense stick in the burner, struck a match, and lit it. Almost instantly, the scent filled her nose, calming her and easing the tension built up over the past few days.

She pulled her Deck out of its holder and placed it directly to the right of the incense burner, covering it with her hand. Slipping to the rug covered floor, the Priestess knelt and closed her eyes. Her shadows came at her summons, lapping at her mind like the waves of the ocean. She sighed at the sensation, the adoration and worship she felt from her Shadows soothing and encouraging her weary mind. They were hers to command just as she was theirs to adore.

They sensed her desire and flowed out from her, flooding the world around her. They reached as far as they could, feeling, seeking, searching for those who were lost. They found nothing. Frowning, Ishizu pushed herself, asking her Shadows to reach father. They obeyed willingly, wanting to please their Priestess. But again, she felt nothing.

Mildly frustrated, Ishizu stopped moving outward and pulled her Shadows back to her. If she couldn't feel the Scribe or the Thief here, then maybe she should try something else. Marik had said moving upwards in the Shadows took him to other dimensions that were part of this reality but separate. Perhaps she could look there.

Her Shadows swirled around her Shadow form, lifting her up through what felt like layers. She pierced the first layer with ease. It felt like breaking through the surface of the Nile after a pleasant swim. Her Shadows fanned out in this dimension, feeling for the lost ones, but again found nothing.

The Priestess didn't linger. Instead, she rose further, piercing yet another surface into another dimension. Again nothing. In the third dimension, she finally felt Shadows other than her own. The looming darkness like the deepest trenches in the sea wove around the clear, sparkling waters of the Caribbean. The Pharaoh and the King. If they were here, then…

Yes. Her Regent slept nearby. The roiling maelstrom that was her Regent was nowhere near as lively as she would have preferred, but that was just as well. She could feel the Keeper's cool spring bubbling eternally forth close to the maelstrom, feeding it, soothing it. Seto would recover his strength soon. Her Shadows felt the distinct presence covering her Regent and Keeper and smiled. The Priestess knew the Blue Eyes White Dragon sensed her presence, but did not reach out to her. Blue Eyes would protect her charges to the death. Ishizu had nothing to fear so long as Kisara was there.

The Pharaoh's darkness did touch her, however. It tugged her Shadows urgently, latching onto her and holding her in place. The clear waters joined the darker sending her a warning. Her Shadow form frowned at the message. It wasn't words, but was clear nonetheless.

:Leave. All is well here. But leave quickly.:

Ishizu lifted her gaze to the other dimensions, sending a stream of Shadows up through the layers and feeling for any signs of Ryou or Bakura. Nothing. Satisfied, she obeyed her monarch's command and allowed herself to sink back to the physical plane.

Incense filled her nose, cementing her to this dimension. The tired ache in her body was not necessarily welcome, but comforting. She knew if she opened her eyes, she would be safely back in her body on her living room floor in Cairo, Egypt. But she couldn't stay. She promised to search, and search she would. If she couldn't look on this dimension or the others, then perhaps another reality would yield better results.

Taking a deep breath of incense filled air, Ishizu sank back into the Shadows and down into the depths. Eventually, she felt the bottom of this reality. She didn't dare push through, unsure of what would happen if she did. Would she travel to the other reality or would she not? That was something she wasn't willing to test until she had one of the Inner Court present to watch her and prevent her from making a potentially dangerous mistake.

She did, however, allow a single, slender stream of Shadow to funnel through the bottom until it just barely brushed the surface of another reality. She felt the Shadows there, but they were not strong like those of a Courtier. Nor were they as Dark as the Thief or the Scribe's Shadows. She continued to brush her tendril of Shadow across the delicate surfaces of other realities just below the bottom of her own.

Just when she was beginning to feel fatigue gnaw insistently at her mind and body, she felt something Dark. Without breaking through the barrier between realities completely, she could not be sure, but the Dark Shadows she felt were very similar to those belonging to her brother's boyfriends. She logged the relative location of this particular reality in her mind and slowly withdrew.

She took her time settling back into her body. When she finally felt her consciousness fully return, she heaved a deep sigh. While the information she'd managed to retrieve was not perfect, it was something. It gave her and Marik a good place to start looking.

However, if what she felt in that unknown reality were indeed the Shadows of the two missing Dark Triad members, then that raised several important questions. First, where was this reality exactly? Second, why were Ryou and Bakura there? Third, why were they there? And Fourth, how were they there?

As far as Ishizu knew, none of the Dark Triad knew how to travel between realities or dimensions until she explained the process to Marik herself. That aside, Ishizu knew the Thief and Scribe would never hop realities without either informing Marik or dragging him along for the ride. This time, neither had happened which led the Priestess to suspect trouble.

She sighed wearily, pushing herself to her feet, ignoring the ache in her knees from kneeing so long unmoving. Shaadi was already lying on the chaise lounge behind her, but his eyes were open and watching her. Without a word, Ishizu pulled herself up to the cushion and stretched out beside the Advisor, resting her head in the notch between his arm and chest. Shaadi draped the blanket over her to ward away the cold. When she felt his arm wrap around her shoulders, Ishizu finally let herself rest.

Her dreams, however, were anything but restful.