Chapter 3: Suspicion

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"He can't be God. You've been rehearsing this scene for over an hour, and he's still screwing up!"

"Thank you, Tristan, I know."

"I mean, I think my acting is a little more worthy than the role of a 'random' slave driver who's only on the stage for ten seconds, and I know it's better than his at any rate."

"Thank you, Tristan, I know."

"So it makes sense to switch our roles, right? It's a win-win situation. You don't have to deal with him as much, and I get the part I rightfully deserve! If I were you, I'd have already recognized my mistake and corrected it!"

Kanta suddenly stopped ignoring the pointy-haired teen and brought her fiery brown eyes up to meet his somewhat dull stare. Her ballpoint pen came to an abrupt halt on the ever-present clipboard as he fidgeted slightly under her scrutinizing glare, fighting off the overwhelming urge to run away screaming. The girl advanced slowly on him with a falsely gentle smile playing across her face; despite her peaceful appearance, the air was charged with sparks of irritation, all of which were building into a high-voltage bolt aimed directly at Tristan.

Inches away from his face, she tilted her head innocently. "Come again?"

He stumbled backwards a few steps and cleared his throat. "I…was just saying…about the, uh, casting?"

"What about the casting, exactly?"

"Uh, that is to say, I think…you're a genius and all the casting is pure gold. We're lucky to have such a talented person as yourself running this show!"

The smile on her face manipulated itself quickly into an amused smirk as Kanta stepped away from the trembling boy. "Thank you, Tristan, I know." Without another word, she turned her back on him, clicked her pen and continued her scribbling, seemingly unaware as he passed out in a dead faint.

.oOo.

Rebecca peered through the bright green vegetation on the banks of the Nile, her wide eyes trained on the basket that carried her brother. It picked up speed slightly with the current, an assortment of fish flitting around it as she quickened her pace to keep up. With a sinking feeling, the young girl caught sight of a dark shadow rising through the waters, sending fish scattering as its head broke the surface, sharp teeth snapping. The basket rose sharply on a wave created by the disturbance, moving jaggedly around obstacles of the animal kingdom before coming into the grips of those of humanity.

Rebecca gasped, drawing back as the basket rose above the river, briefly ensnared in a fisherman's net before toppling back into the Nile. Any relief she felt at the sight of this escape was short-lived, however, as the basket tumbled over the waves and directly between two boats. Oars churned the water around her brother as his reed basket maneuvered around them, narrowly avoiding each one before being pushed out of harm's way by another boat cutting through the river, floating on a swell past fluttering birds into a watery courtyard near the palace.

Creeping toward the courtyard herself, Rebecca pulled at the edge of a silky white curtain with a sharp intake of breath as she realized that the basket was floating toward the queen of Egypt herself. An elegant woman with shining black hair, Ishizu had a dignified manner befitting her status. She held the young prince balanced on her hip as she plucked a lily from the water where she stood, holding it out to her son to play with, oblivious to Rebecca's gaze. With a startled jerk, however, the queen noticed the basket as it softly bumped against her.

Setting her child on the steps leading down to the water, Ishizu curiously pulled the lid from the basket, smiling in surprised delight at the baby that lie cooing within. From her hiding place, Rebecca gave a relieved sigh at the maternal way the queen cuddled the boy. Her voice rose quietly in a song that echoed her mother's tune, a final word to the tiny baby her family could no longer call their own. "Brother, you're safe now, and safe may you stay, for I have a prayer just for you. Grow baby brother, come back some day, come and deliver us too…" With one last glance at the new prince, Rebecca let the curtain slip from her grasp as she turned to go home.

Ishizu already loved this mysterious child as her own, rocking him rhythmically in the same way she rocked little Yami. Looking up from her infant son, she noticed the doubtful expressions on the faces of her two servant girls and swore them to silence with a single look. Yami, unaccustomed to sharing his mother's attention, tugged at the folds of her pure white dress, calling out, "Mommy," in a quietly insistent sort of way. The queen looked down at her firstborn with a smile that was clearly meant as reassurance of her love for the boy as well as the baby. "Come, Yami," she murmured, tapping the infant in her arms on the nose as she spoke, "We will show Pharaoh your new baby brother…Yugi." Servants following silently, the royal mother and sons ascended the stairway to the palace.

.oOo.

"That was great, everyone, take a break! And Kaiba, I'd like to talk to you later about using your holographics to project the scenery for some of this stuff. I thought it would work out well to have a hologram for the young prince, because frankly, we just don't have enough kids for this project and it's only a minor role…"

Yami shook his head quietly, arms crossed and frowning in thought as he peered out from a shadowy corner near the stage. There was something slightly odd about this play that they were participating in. He couldn't quite figure out what it was, but there was a misting of magic over the theater as the participants rehearsed certain scenes. The girl, Kanta, seemed to notice the near trance-like state that her actors entered during these scenes, but did not display any curiosity in regards to why. Perhaps he only imagined her reaction as something peculiar, but whether the girl was aware of it or not, the fact remained that some sort of magic was taking part in their efforts. Something odd, indeed…

"Hey, Pharaoh."

Yami started, snapping out of his ponderings as Marik leaned against the wall next to him, eyes glued to the young woman who sat on the opposite end of the stage, legs dangling over the edge while she wrote on her clipboard. "She's somewhat unstable, don't you think? Did you see what she did to Tristan?"

The spirit of the puzzle felt a flicker of interest at the mention of the previous incident. "I know that Yugi and Joey helped him up after she threatened him to the point of unconsciousness, but I wasn't near enough to take notice of any specific events."

"Pharaoh, does everything have to be worded so properly with you? 'I saw him faint, I saw people help him, I didn't catch the reason.' That would have been more than enough of you talking." Bakura joined the conversation with an exasperated expression, sitting cross-legged on a corner of the stage nearby. "And that girl is definitely insane. Or perhaps mad."

Marik rolled his eyes. "Don't go into the speech about the difference between madness and insanity again, please. We've heard it already." Yami nodded at Marik's words, then questioned, "What did Tristan do to anger her so?"

"He suggested that she made a mistake in the casting process. It would appear that our little dictator is very touchy about her casting." The thief smirked at the thought of the foolish boy passed out like a frightened child due to a few simple words from some girl. Truly, it was somewhat impressive, though he would be more eager to see the trick performed on the pharaoh. Marik shrugged slightly, watching several cast members edging around her in a wide arc so as not to inflict her wrath upon themselves. "Her name suits her well. She has a fighting spirit."

"Kanta?" Yami asked, puzzlement in his eyes. Marik shook his head, pushing himself up from his slouch against the wall and shoving his hands into his pockets. "Mukantagara. It's Egyptian. She had it written on some documents in that clipboard of hers. It means something along the lines of 'born during war.'"

"Egyptian, is it? That's rather interesting…" Yami mused over this bit of information, only dimly aware of Marik trying to talk Bakura out of stealing the all-important clipboard, an act that was sure to bring certain death. The origins of the girl's name were somewhere between incredible coincidence and suspicious circumstance. The ancient would have to be more observant in judging her reactions to the magical interference in their production. She either knew something they didn't, or was just an ordinary child with a wild temper. Time would tell, but until then, he would be more watchful of her.

He remained in this state of deep thought for a lengthy amount of time, coming to only when Kanta herself snapped her fingers in his face. "Hey, Yams, you seen Yugi anywhere? He's got a scene to rehearse."

'Yams?' he wondered vaguely, shaking himself from his lingering thoughts and focusing on reality. "I know that Yugi went with Joey to help Tristan, but I believe that he's on his way back here now. Actually, he should be coming through the door in a matter of—"

"Sorry we took so long. Joey had to stick Tristan's head in the toilet before he'd wake up." Yugi entered the room with an amused smile on his angelic face, followed by a grouchily dripping Tristan and a snickering Joey. Kanta turned from Yami the instant she heard his look-alike's voice, pulling her glasses off as she evaluated their appearances. "Don't you dare sit on the chairs, Sharkhead. If you get that damned toilet water on these seats I will kill you myself and save Moses the trouble. Yugi, I need you for the scene with Miriam, Aaron, and Moses by the well. Get moving, people, let's go!"

Yami watched as his friends scattered at her words, getting back to various line-readings and technical issues. "Not only do I think she's somewhat unstable, Marik," he murmured in answer to the departed boy's question, "But I believe she may truly have escaped from an institution somewhere…and her nicknames are questionable." The pharaoh shook his head in vexation at the girl's general personality as he moved toward Joey and the newly declared "Sharkhead."

Kanta sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. "Okay, Yugi, I've seen you act and you're pretty good, but try to speak up some. Serenity, your audition was great, and I have complete confidence in your ability to play this character. Ryou…just don't follow Bakura's example, I'm begging you." Ryou blushed slightly and muttered something about knowing that already. Replacing her glasses, she signaled for the scene to start, chewing on the end of her pen as they spoke.

"Didn't I tell you, Aaron? Didn't I tell you? I knew he'd return to us when he was ready!" Serenity cried joyfully, as Ryou eyed Yugi as one might eye a venomous snake. "Miriam, do you want us flogged?" he muttered from the corner of his mouth, noticing Kanta's audible sigh of relief that he was taking the play seriously. Serenity apparently took no notice of the question, continuing, "I knew you cared about our freedom."

"Freedom?" Yugi asked her dubiously, raising his eyebrow, "Why would I care about that?" He glanced offstage with a question in his eyes; Kanta waved at him to show that his volume was okay, motioning the scene to continue.

Serenity seemed to falter slightly, pausing before stating quietly, "Well…because…you're our brother."

Yugi arranged his expression into one of disbelief, and with an unsure chuckle in his words, inquired, "What?"

Offstage, Yami watched his partner with a quiet pride in his eyes. He was very talented in playing this part, and seemed to be completely immersed in the roll despite the script in his hands. Serenity and Ryou were quite into their characters, as well; it seemed the shyest of the group shone brightest onstage.

"Oh, my good prince," Ryou was saying nervously to Yugi, "She's exhausted from the day's work…not that it was too much, we quite enjoyed it…but she is confused," with this word he gave Serenity a pointed look, which she matched with a stubborn one, "And knows not to whom she speaks." Serenity pulled away from the pale boy, growing irritated.

"I know to whom I speak, Aaron." She turned to Yugi accusingly. "I know who you are, and you are not a prince of Egypt!"

An unlikely look took possession of little Yugi's face, giving off a sort of righteous fury. "What did you say?" he demanded, seeming for all the world as if he'd like nothing more than to smack her across the face. Joey fidgeted slightly from his position in the audience, trying to convince himself that Yugi would never hurt anyone, especially not his younger sister. Yami placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him, whispering, "They certainly make you believe it despite their limited rehearsals, don't they?" Joey chuckled faintly in agreement, eyes never leaving the scene on the stage.

"Our mother sent you adrift in a basket to save your life!" Serenity cried, struggling against Ryou's hold on her, shouting her heart out into the dusty air.

"Save my life?" demanded Yugi, "From who?"

Serenity responded instantly, practically spitting the words in her anger. "Ask the man that you call father!" Yugi was struck silent, a deadly hatred swirling in his eyes.

"How dare you…"

"Dammit, Bakura!"

The scene shattered around them as everyone turned to stare at Kanta, who was locked in what might have been a life-or-death battle with Bakura over the clipboard. He held tightly to the majority of the glossy wood, leaving Kanta with the sharp-edged metal as her only handhold. Despite the bright crimson blood that streamed from her fingers, the girl was doggedly fighting for the thing as if it were a holy relic while the thief attempted to shake her off. "What is the matter with you! You ruined the scene! They were in the zone, you numbskull! Once I get this thing back I'm going to use it to cut off your—"

"Tomb robber!" Yami's deep, calm voice broke into her threat before she could complete the thought, which was probably for the best considering that Mokuba was standing no more than five feet away. "That worn out, beaten clipboard cannot be of any importance to you. Give it back to the child."

"I'll show you 'child!'" Kanta shouted indignantly, temper flaring, as Bakura smirked and relinquished his hold.

"This is by no means finished, young one," he stated with amusement, stalking off across the room. Kanta's glare followed him for a few moments before she returned her attention to the individuals onstage. With a sigh, she calmed herself and addressed the three.

"You are all awesome at this, and will probably carry the play, to be honest. But we're going to end the scene there for now because, believe it or not, my cold and cruel body bleeds just like anyone else's and I need to hunt down some band-aids. Five minute break!" The company jumped collectively at her shouted order, Yami turning toward Marik with a tired grin.

"Unstable doesn't even begin to cover it…"

.oOo.

Many years had passed since the day Ishizu had found little Yugi cuddled in a basket on the Nile's currents. Yami and his brother were no longer children, but had grown into strong and adventurous young princes. Princes who, in their spare time, enjoyed the occasional chariot race…

"Faster, you beasts, you run like mules!" Yami cried out in a spirited voice, urging his horses onward. His brother's chariot clattered up beside him as he glanced at the hieroglyphic likeness of a warrior painted on a wall beside their path. Yugi, noticing the intrigued look, called out, "Hey, Yami! How'd you like your face carved on a wall?"

"Someday, yes!" came the reply over the sound of pounding hooves on the ground. With a smirk in his voice, Yugi shouted back, "How about now?"

Yami barely had time to register his brother's words before Yugi jerked the reins, slamming into the side of the adjacent chariot and sending it into the wall they had spoken of. As the chariot reared up on one wheel, sparks flickered into the air accompanied by an ominous scraping sound. Yami struggled to get control of the thing, angling his horses to pull him away from the wall. With a start, the prince felt a jolt of the wheel renewing contact with the ground. Angrily, he shot a glare at the second born son of Pharaoh. "You almost killed me!"

"Oh, come on! Where's your sense of fun?" Yugi returned with a carefree tone that suggested he considered his actions an elaborate yet painless jest. Yami felt his irritation fade as it always did when his brother got that look in his eyes. Grinning, he took him up on the unspoken challenge, calling good-naturedly, "Oh, it's fun you want?"

Quite suddenly, Yugi found himself forced to pull back on the reins, slowing the horses to a near stop as his brother cut in front of him, leaping a wall and skidding over the desert sand on the other side. Yami had to fight in order to keep control of the chariot on the unstable surface, sliding to a stop a few moments later. He took a deep breath, scanning the surrounding area for his brother, inquiring, "Yugi?" An answering whoop met his ears as the future pharaoh ducked his head, feeling the breeze created by his brother leaping over him, chariot and all. The race was on again, heading out of the desert outskirts and into the city streets at a breakneck speed. Citizens scattered, abandoning games and diving through doorways in an effort not to be trampled. Yugi was in the lead on the narrow road, executing a sharp turn to the right that his brother was unable to follow. Opting instead to turn at the following street, the two lost sight of each other for a few moments until Yami gained a lead on Yugi, racing along an elevated roadway.

Taking advantage of his position, Yami called downward, "Come on, Yugi, admit it! You've always looked up to me!" before he raced ahead. With a chuckle and a shake of his head, the younger boy shouted a reply to his brother's back: "Yes, but it's not much of a view!" His laughter broke off as something above him splintered and the firstborn dropped from above, landing in front of him.

"Second born, second place!"

"Not for long!"

The siblings raced from the residential area of the city, moving rapidly toward a nearly completed statue of their father, the king of Egypt. Unmoved by the rickety appearance of the wooden ramps surrounding the stone likeness, the royal sons clattered out over them without a thought to the ominous creaks and groans of the platforms. Killing some speed, Yugi made a swift turn to avoid crashing to the ground below, knocking a painter off balance and bestowing his father with a very undignified smiley face on his great stone head. With a horrible cracking sound, the large nose of the Pharaoh fell from his face, tumbling over the wooden walkways, snapping it efficiently to pieces. Yami and Yugi, unable to reach the ground in time, urged their horses into a leap that landed them out of harm's way in the nick of time.

Chuckling weakly, the two came to a stop at the edge of a great sand pile held up by a wall of reeds. The laughter was short lived, however, as wall collapsed into nothingness and sand streamed downward in a waterfall motion.

Far below and somewhere down the street, Marik and Duke led a procession of temple attendants through the city, chanting. A sound of shifting sand caught Marik's ear and he turned, wide-eyed at the sight of what was rushing toward them. Unable to do much else due to shock, he tapped Duke on the shoulder and indicated what he was staring at. With a distinct look of, 'you've got to be kidding me,' on their faces, the priests came to their senses and ran like madmen, pushing past their fellow worshippers in an all-out panic.

Riding the top of the sand wave like professionals, Yami and Yugi shouted excitedly, rocking and tossing their chariots about, unaware of the scattering priests in their wake. As the speed of the sand fizzled out, the brothers found themselves back on solid earth, galloping steadily and swiftly toward their palace home. With an offhanded air, Yami questioned his fellow prince; "You don't think we'll get in trouble for this, do you?"

"No," Yugi replied with laughter in his voice, "Not a chance…"

.oOo.

"Nice work, people, now get the hell out of here! Go home, do stuff, and get your asses to practice on time tomorrow! Dismissed!" Kanta watched as most of her cast stampeded toward the door, either eager to get home or to get away from her. She gave a wry smile, glad at the effort they put in, early as they were into practices. Of course, she wasn't very likely to tell them that…

"Later, Dictator." Bakura tossed a smirk at the bespectacled girl in a menacing manner, obviously still amused by the earlier struggle for her clipboard. Calmly smiling in return, Kanta offered him a rather rude hand gesture before waving cheerfully to Ryou, who grinned apologetically. The thief had a mischievous air about him, as if plotting something illegal or at least immoral.

"You keep an eye on that idiot, Ryou! He's up to something!" she called at their retreating forms, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose tiredly, perfectly aware that Yami still stood behind her. "And what, may I ask, makes you stay after practice has finished, Yams?" she inquired without actually looking at him.

The addressed blinked his intense eyes, bringing them up to look at the girl. "I was thinking."

Kanta raised an eyebrow. "Thinking."

"About the last scene we practiced."

"Yes, like I said, it was very well done. Very much in character. But if you don't mind, I have to get home, and so do you. Yugi is waiting for you, Pharaoh." She nodded to him, moving up the aisle at a quick pace, clipboard in hand and dark eyes darting over the paper. Yami followed her up the walkway with a relatively slower step, wondering if she had called him that because of the part he played or because she knew something. He sighed to himself, making his way to the exit.

'Time will tell…'

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Author note: Thanks for all the reviews, people! Hm...what to say. Well, just to clear some stuff up, there are two types of scene rehearsals going on in this story. The italics form indicates the trancelike state that the actors go into, completely immersed in the characters and plot. Non-italics is just a normal script-reading, with outside elements still in play. Just to make that clear. Anyway, keep reading! Bye!