"I don't know…she didn't say to practice another scene while she was gone…just the one we already did."

Yugi glanced doubtfully at the clipboard, scratching at the back of his head in thought. He wasn't exactly thrilled with the prospect of leadership to begin with; going against Kanta's original plans seemed like a pointless sort of risk. However…the cast members were getting antsy without the authoritative director in their presence. And working on a scene always had a particularly calming effect…

"Not always, partner. Only the scenes in sequence."

The boy turned his gaze away from the sharply scrawled instructions in his hands to rest upon Yami, who had somehow come to occupy the seat on his right without his noticing. They watched each other for a few moments, turning the statement over in their minds, finding truth in the words. "I guess you're right…I hadn't noticed it before. Still, I don't know if we should—"

"Hey, Yugi-poo! Hate to interrupt, but Kaiba's killing Joey!" Rebecca, all smiles and sparkling eyes, gifted the blushing boy with a hug before dashing off to witness the action. It was the final straw. Yugi sighed in defeat, raising his voice to a half-hearted shout. "Everyone! We're going to do the next scene! Yami, Marik, Duke, Anzu, Ishizu, and Kaiba! Stage, please!" He paused, then finished, "And please let go of Joey's face!"

---

"I'm done for. Father will kill me." Yami's eyes held the distinctly panicked look of a cornered animal, his voice the despair of a man awaiting execution. Sandaled feet planted firmly in the stone of the stairway; the only things ensuring his continued motion were the hands of his younger brother as they pushed at his back. "Don't worry," Yugi assured him, waving the hands of a servant away from his unusual locks, "Nobody will even notice us coming in." With a swift shove, both emerged from behind a curtain, only to be greeted by the enthused cheers of hundreds of banquet guests. Yami growled, a low sound deep in his throat. "Nobody will even notice…"

Yugi chuckled nervously, inching slightly away from his brother, only to be saved by their mother as she wrapped them in an embrace. "Ah, the young princes," she declared, her voice changing from light and regal to a whispered hiss in a single instant. "Yami, you have just been named prince regent! You are now responsible for the overseeing of the temples." The firstborn's face broke into an unbridled smile at Ishizu's words, pure excitement in his features. His mother's voice became musical once more, amused as she gave him a light push in the pharaoh's direction. " I suggest you get over there and thank your father…" As Yami hurried off toward Kaiba, Ishizu directed a casual comment to her other son, smiling. "Apparently, Yugi, someone thought he…'just needed the opportunity.'"

Yugi grinned at his mother, moving toward the place where his father and brother stood together in conversation. He adopted the louder, more commanding tone of voice to be used in addressing his family for the crowds to hear. "My lord Pharaoh! I propose that the high priests offer tribute to their new regent!" Though his words echoed faintly from the splendid walls of the hall, the priests themselves took no notice until Seto nodded slightly and consented, "An excellent idea. Marik! Duke!" The addressed duo glanced at each other, somewhat irritated at being pulled away from their food. They whispered for a moment, improvising.

"The Midian girl."

"That's a good idea."

"Go get her." Duke slipped into the shadows as Marik took center stage, dazzling the crowd with smoke and magic tricks. "We present for your delectation and delight an exotic apparition stolen from faraway lands…" He had captive the attention of all in the room; each eye now rested on the great concealment he had conjured. A moment later, standing before them was a girl, her wrists bound together as Duke held her captive. "We offer your majesty this delicate desert flower…" Marik trailed off, smirking slightly as the princes looked her over.

"Let us inspect this 'desert flower.'" Yami moved forward, lightly turning her face toward himself, only to be rewarded with the snapping of her jaws near the flesh of his hand. He jumped backwards a bit, amending her description as he did so. "More like a desert cobra!"

Yugi laughed, slightly mocking, "Not much of a snake charmer, are you?"

The elder prince had absolutely no desire to charm this fiery girl, be she flower or snake. To his brother's comment, he simply replied, "That's why I…give her to you!"

"Oh, that's generous, but—"

"I won't be given to anyone," the girl spat venomously, interrupting, "Especially an arrogant, pampered palace brat!" Yugi stood shocked, not entirely certain of what to say. He hadn't had much experience by way of women. Yami, seeing his chance to repay a bit of what he put up with every day of his life, decided to goad his brother on a little. "Are you gonna let her talk to you like that?" The younger shook himself, using an imposing voice rather than the teasing one his brother employed. "You will show the proper respect for a prince of Egypt."

"But I am showing you all the respect you deserve," she threw back angrily, eyes darting restlessly around the room, "None!" The girl yanked the rope from Duke's hands, thrashing it through the air like a whip as the guards reacted and moved toward her. Yugi motioned them to stay back, leaping on the rope like a cat and holding tight, the girl straining against his hold with her entire body. "Untie this rope, I demand you set me free!"

"Be still," Yugi instructed, somewhat annoyed, yet intrigued at the same time.

"Let go!" she insisted, emphasizing each word spitefully. The prince let his eyes wander to a point behind her, where a small and decorative pool rested. A tiny, amused smile came upon his face as he gave in, nearly chuckling. "As you wish…"

With a sudden jerk, she tumbled, a shriek and a splash in her wake. The crowd erupted with laughter, including Yugi's own. He glanced at the people, catching sight of his mother's disappointed expression, a look that brought on a surge of guilt. He shouldn't have done that to Anzu…

Wait. Anzu? He didn't know that girl's name; she was merely a slave from some desert tribe. What was he giving her a name for?

'No, no, that isn't right.' A voice argued within him, quietly insistent in its meaning. 'I do know her. Her name is Anzu. She's my friend. I am no prince of Egypt; I am Yugi. I go to school with that girl. Don't I?'

It was becoming confused, muddled. He couldn't work out the muddied memories of two lives, separate but real, each in their own way. 'Anzu? No, a slave girl. No, that isn't right. Anzu. I know her. My friend. Anzu. Isn't she?'

"You there!" Yami shouted to the servant who helped the slave girl from the pool, breaking through the boy's conflicting thoughts, still laughing, "Have her dried off and sent to Prince Yugi's chambers!" He threw an arm around his brother and addressed Seto, sounding both joyful and regal at once. "If it pleases you, father, my first act as regent is to appoint Yugi as royal chief architect!" He slid a ring from one of his fingers, placing it upon the second-born's hand in a token of his words. Yugi forgot his guilt and confusion, looking at the ring with a surge of love for his older brother, caught up in the applause and the joyfulness of the occasion. And yet, the voice at the back of his mind was still nagging at him, insisting.

Anzu.

---

"Cut!"

The voice sliced sharply into everyone's consciousness, a sound that struck fear into the hearts of all. The scene, though it had already ended, now came screeching to an abrupt halt as the owner of the voice strode down the aisle, eyes blazing and ready for battle. "Dammit all, cut! End scene! Cut, cut, cut!" she cried unnecessarily, for everyone was frozen in fear as if a giant pause button had been pressed. "Yugi! My office, now! Now, damn everything, now! Move it!" Her sneakers pounded against the smooth floorboards of the stage as she strode up to the boy and grasped his arm with an iron grip. Fingernails like claws burrowed into his skin, causing him to wince involuntarily as Kanta dragged him off the stage. They moved at a rapid pace, up the aisles and out the door of the auditorium area. Yugi's last glance back at the stage revealed five or six people struggling to restrain Yami as he fought to follow the two. Then the doors swung shut, and he found himself alone with a madwoman.

---

"Pharaoh, calm yourself, she can't do anything to him! He'll be fine!" Ishizu shouted above the commotion, extending a hand towards her brother and helping him from the floor. Marik swiped a hand across his bloodied nose, having been bashed by an unexpected elbow while fighting to restrain Yami. Rather than joining the struggle once more, he surveyed the scene before him. Kaiba, Joey, Mai, and Tristan each had hold of the harassed-looking pharaoh while the remainder of the cast formed a loose circle around them in case he were to break free. Anzu was attempting to talk him down from the hysterics he had fallen prey to; Ryou was trying to stop Bakura from laughing hysterically at the entire scenario. Marik shook his head almost imperceptibly and sighed, himself wondering if Yugi would make it out of the office in one piece.

---

"Sit."

Yugi sat.

"Don't talk."

Yugi didn't talk.

"Just listen."

Yugi listened.

"Now," began Kanta in a cold voice, "There was a reason I only told you to practice one scene. Not being here, I left you far more susceptible to breaking through your other consciousness. Which you did. Which was not something I wanted to happen. Now, I take some fault. I was gone longer than expected. And yet… We can't let you break through."

The spiky-haired boy blinked his large lavender eyes. "Um…break through?"

She locked her own eyes with his; dark and currently rather cruel, they held him captive, paralyzed in his chair. "Your individual consciousness broke through your character's perception. You should not yet recognize Anzu for who she is. It is not until you arrive in Midian that you get to know the girl."

The boy finally freed himself from her gaze, fixing his eyes to the random clutter of her desk. "Of course I know Anzu," he murmured, "I'm not Moses. I'm Yugi."

"And therein lies the problem," she snapped, bringing a hand down upon the desk with a crash, "When you are able to differentiate between yourself and your character while immersed in said character, my purpose is compromised. My mere presence here is compromised. I won't allow everything to be compromised, Yugi. I won't."

"I…I don't understand what you mean…"

"Yugi, don't pull that. Surely you realize… Then again, it is rather soon. Perhaps you haven't yet figured it out. Perhaps…" She was no longer talking to him, but rather, to herself. For several long minutes, Kanta merely stood behind her desk, facing him, lost in thought. She could make him forget, but he held potential. And otherwise, she liked him. Something about his innocent nature struck her as pleasant. But still, he could not interfere with the purpose. He could not become an obstacle rather than an ally. She had perhaps brought him into this too soon. There was one reasonable option…yes, there was…

"Yugi."

"Yes?"

"Hold out your left arm. Yes, like that. And I'd like to apologize in advance for this…" She grasped his wrist and tried not to watch as he writhed in pain. She really was fond of him, after all.

---

"No, Yugi!" Yami cried out, renewing and redoubling his efforts to break free. His hikari was hurting, that much was clear, and he could not simply stand there and allow it to happen. Whatever that girl was doing, it could not continue. He had to do something, and he had to do something quickly, because whatever was happening to Yugi was draining his energy, as well. Though it had all come on so swiftly, he wasn't sure he would be able to get there in time. He wasn't sure he could even keep his eyes open…

---

"Ooookay. People, your attention for a moment, please?"

Several dozen heads snapped upward in a collective motion from varied locations throughout the room. It had been over an hour since Kanta and Yugi had disappeared into the office, and now here they were, standing in the doorway as if nothing had happened. She smacked the boy lightly on the back of the head; he took this as leave to go and wandered off towards Yami (who had returned to consciousness a mere five minutes ago) while she remained where she stood. "Yes, well…due to unusual circumstances of sorts, practice is over for the day. Sooo…go home. Or you don't have to go home, you could go somewhere else. Mall…movies…a bar…well, I don't know if you're old enough, but some of you, I imagine…but I'm getting off the subject. Wherever you go, you can't stay here. Out with ye." She shook her head, brown hair swinging slightly. "More practice tomorrow."

"But we don't have practice tomorrow," Mokuba interjected, almost whining.

"Then…more practice whenever it's scheduled," she said distractedly, waving them toward the doors. Bakura looked disappointed.

"The dictator's lost her spirit. No threats, no glares, no warnings not to burn down the city…"

"Bakura, for the love of god, I'll threaten your life tomorrow!"

"We don't have practice tomorrow."

"Get the hell out of my theater!"

-tbc-

---

Author note: Well…there it is. Chapter five. I know I left a few loose ends in here, but they'll all be explained at some eventual point. The next chapter is the one where I finally figured out where the plot was going. (I post these on a delayed basis…right now I'm actually working on chapter eight.) Sooo…that's about it. Read and review, please!