Alright! I'm super psyched for this chapter. Things start to heat up here, and Lucy is slowly but surely getting answers, and so are you guys! This is also. Very. Looong... so, I'm pretty tired. I'll still try to update as soon as I can! I really love writing this.

Lucy's POV

After Bakura left, I sprawled out on my bed, lost in thought. Why did I even bring up that dream? I must have sounded so stupid… It's a good thing I didn't mention I've had dreams like that before. I would've sounded mental. This was the first time I had ever seen a face, though. A face to the man in my dreams…but WHY did I have to tell Bakura about it?! I wonder why he was so interested. Could my dreams have actually happened? If Bakura's story is true – if he is a 5,000 year old spirit inhabiting the Millennium Ring, and my feelings for him are so familiar – could I have once known him in a past life? There is too much phenomenon making it known to me; I don't know what to believe anymore.

"Lucy?" my mom asked while knocking on my door.

"Yeah, mama?"

She opened it and came inside. My mom was truly beautiful. Every story I've ever read of a historical beauty – Helen of Troy, Cleopatra – none hold a candle to her. Her skin is radiant; her eyes are a light blue shade, like ice. Her hair is almost as graceful as her movements… More people think she's my sister than my mother, yet she's 30 years older than me. It amazes me. "Before you go to bed, sweetie, I forgot to tell you that there's a letter for you. I don't know who it's from. There's no return address," she held out a white envelope with my name on it in black scribble handwriting.

I smiled and took the letter from her, "Thanks, mom."

"No problem, Hun," she winked at me and left the room, closing the door behind her.

I eyed the envelope for a good minute, wondering who it could be from. Should I open it now? ...Why not?

I opened the letter carefully, so as not to tear anything of importance. In the same black scribble handwriting, the note said,

Lucy,

Meet me when Bakura leaves. You remember that chat we had when I said we would have soon? The time is now. I will be just down the street from your house until ten o'clock. Remember our deal.

I don't need a name anywhere to know that this message is from Marik.

**Flashback**

"I have a museum to go to," Bakura said, turning on his heel and quickly walking in the opposite direction.

"Bakura!" Marik called out, pleading for him to listen, "Wait! There are other things you must know!" Bakura was out of ear-shot. He could not have hear that.

Marik sighed deeply. It was that same kind of sigh one gives when they know that nothing more can be done about a situation, "You may come out now, my dear."

Is he talking to me? My anxiety began to ignite.

"Lucy, I know you're there…"

I stepped out from behind the building. He must have heard me…does that mean Bakura saw me too? I looked at my rescuer. Marik Ishtar: tall, tan, and toned, the three t-words that makes any man an instant hottie, but that's not what I'm interested in. "It's nice to finally meet you, Marik."

"You as well, Lucy," he replied, "I would chat with you longer, but I believe you and Bakura have a rendezvous, and, knowing him, if you're later than he already is, he is bound to get suspicious." I nodded my head in agreement. "May I offer you a ride?" he asked, mounting his motorcycle and offering me his helmet.

He knew I wouldn't say no. I took the helmet, thanked him. "Hold on tight," he said, and off we went.

When we got to the museum, I got off and quickly handed Marik his helmet and headed for the entrance. "Lucy," Marik called, stopping me, "We will be having one of those chats sometime soon. I will send word for you. And I want to offer you a deal."

I raised my eyebrow, "What kind of deal?"

He smirked, "In exchange for the ride, I'd like you to call me Namu instead of Marik. Also, you must go along with my story when you see me in the Battle City finals, which you will be accompanying me to."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on!" I said, completely perplexed and amazed, "Just for one ride, you want me to lie?"

"No," he replied, losing his boyish charm and his smirk, changing his persona to one who solely means business and nothing else, "I'm also willing to offer you answers."

"Answers?"

"I know you wish to learn why you and Bakura feel so connected. I know everything, including your past."

"You're bluffing." I said, not willing to believe him.

"I am the tomb-keeper of the Nameless Pharaoh," he said, "The same pharaoh residing in Yugi Muto's Millennium Puzzle. I know of the great battle between him and Bakura. Even if the Pharaoh doesn't remember, I know Bakura does. It's written in stone," he said, finding his smirk once again, "Fight me, if you wish, but I know you crave the truth…"

Arrogant little bastard, isn't he? I thought about it for a second, "Alright, Marik, it's a deal," and with that, we parted ways.

**End**

I knew my mom would never let me go meet someone who is no more than a stranger to me – even if he is also my savior. She wouldn't let me go outside this late in the city for anyone, really, not even her. I have no other choice but to sneak out.

The weather was changing quickly, the winds of the city only added to the chilled air of this autumn's night. I grabbed a light coat and started to sneak out.

My mother was watching TV, right next to the only door leading to the outside world, leading to Marik. Looking at the glow of the clock in the kitchen, I saw the numbers 9:50 illuminated. I have to be quick.

I snuck back upstairs and, looking out my window, I could see the moon and the stars shining bright. Was this what Bakura was looking at? I was mesmerized by the beauty of the night, I don't blame him…this is so beautiful…

Suddenly there was a flash of light that shined through the window. Bakura? I thought it had been him. Looking again, without a chimerical mind, I could see it was nothing more than a car driving by. My heart sank like a stone thrown into a river.

I checked the clock again. 9:54, I have to go now!

I have no other choice but to go out my window. I have to be quiet. I jumped out, landing on my feet and continuing in a summersault to break my fall, so I wouldn't completely kill my feet when I landed. I'd perfected this technique over the years when I've snuck out other times; sometimes I did it just because I could, sometimes when I wanted to sneak out by myself, and other times when I wanted to sneak out with a knife…

I walked quickly to the end of the street. The winds were acting up. I shivered, pulling my jacket closer to my body. I should have gotten a better coat…!

I reached the end of the street to find no one was there. I looked around for any sign that Marik was or had been there – a purple cape, a flash of sandy-blonde hair, a golden rod, footprints, anything, but I saw nothing.

"Lucy?" a voice called out from behind me.

I turned around, "Marik," relieved he was still here, "Hi, I'm sorry. My mom gave me the note about 15 minutes ago. I had to sneak out."

He was dressed in black, covering himself from head to toe in it, actually. He looked really good, wearing black jeans and a black, heavier coat on top. Coming from Egypt, he probably wasn't used to the cold. "It's fine. I was probably going to wait a while longer for you anyway. My name is Namu, by the way."

"My apologies…" I have to inquire about that deal, "Namu, what exactly must I do for our lovely little deal?"

"I need you as leverage," he said simply.

"What do you mean?"

"I need Bakura in this tournament. He and I have a deal of our own, which I fear he may stray from, so I need you on my side to keep him on the right path."

"Are you asking me to choose sides between you and Bakura? I hardly know you!"

"But I know you. And I know you care for Bakura," the winds began to sting all the more, feasting at the newly expanded heat in my cheeks, "and I know he cares for you in a way he has yet to realize. You accompanying me at the Battle City finals will not only help me, but help to encourage him when he duels, and will help both of you to get to know your past together."

I looked into his lavender eyes and thought about what he said. Bakura is my friend, and I would like to support him, "But does Bakura want me to do all of this? If he doesn't want me there, then your plan is a bust. He would just ignore me."

"He wants you there, I could not be more certain," a smirk growing on his face again. He must know something that he's not telling me.

"Alright. I'll do it… But what about your end of the bargain, Namu?" I asked, placing emphasis on his faux name.

He looked at me intensely; his eyes could be piercing. "I'm sorry," he said, with enough sincerity in his voice that it hurt me to hear.

"Sorry? For wh—?"

A blow to my head was the last thing I felt, and his Millennium Rod was the last thing I saw. After that, there was nothing more than darkness.

I feel awake, but I can't see where I am…

A blast of heat caused my eyes to open. The blaring sun was above me, desert sands below me. Everywhere I looked, there was nothing but hot, dry sand. I felt the individual grains on my back and the sun on my chest.

I sat up slowly. "Where am I?" Somehow I knew nobody was around to hear me. I looked down to see that my shirt was missing, "And where the hell is my shirt?!" I panicked. I wrapped my arms around my chest, frantically searching for anything I could use to cover up. Nothing…well hopefully this can't get worse.

I got up and wandered, looking for some kind of shelter or civilization. After for what felt like hours, I came across an oasis. Huh, well I'm not going complain…unless it's a mirage.

Thankfully it wasn't. Upon entering it, I found myself completely at ease with the surroundings. The trees were such a pure, dark green and stretched to the skies. Everything was so different here than the desert sands a few mere steps away. The shade the trees provided brought me to a new world of comfort and made me feel safe. Let me see if I can make a top out of something here…

I began to wander around the oasis, examining anything that I could bend into some form of a cover-up, but there was nothing. The leaves on the trees were either too high up or not bendable enough to suit my needs. What am I even doing here in the middle of…somewhere? Where could I even be? And where could Marik have gone?

Then I remembered our last moments together, "Did that bastard just knock me out and dump me in the middle of nowhere?!" I yelled.

Suddenly I heard a noise coming from above. I thought it was just an animal or some bird, but when I looked up, I saw a man sprawled on a few branches of a tree. He's wearing a red robe, that's all I can see, and it appeared to be…open…!

I let out a scream, the man jolted awake. He tried to get his balance back, but failed…and fell.

He groaned as he hit the ground. Thankfully, he was wearing purple shorts underneath his robe, exposing his well-toned torso. Looking at him made me flush. Oh my gosh…!

He slowly started to stand up, his head stayed down, his eyes on the ground. He had white hair, which looked a lot like Bakura's, only it was a little shorter, but just as fluffy. He began to speak in a raspy voice, "What the hell," he turned his head up to look at me, "do you think you're—?" He stopped talking and eyes grew wide.

Why'd he stop talking? I was more curious than scared. It was then I noticed his eyes began to drift down…

My shirt's still missing! Shit! I screamed, clutched my chest, and ran like hell!

"Wait a second!" the man called, but I didn't listen. I kept running.

He has the same face as the man in my dreams. What's a man like him doing out in the middle of nowhere? Why does he look like Bakura? Why does he sound like Bakura? He has a scar under his right eye…where did that come from? Is he really? …no….Bakura?

Then it hit me. I stopped running out of shock, and found myself falling to the ground, weak with exhaustion.

"I'm in ancient Egypt…"

I heard something, maybe an alarm. I turned over in my bed, Wait, my bed? My eyes fluttered open, I'm in my room? But how? My head started to hurt, like it's on fire. Is this from the dream? Did something happen last night?

My door began to creek open. My head turned immediately to that direction, bracing myself for something else unexpected. Mom stood at the entrance. "Oh, Lucy, you're awake."

"What happened?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked, tilting her head slightly to the right in confusion.

"Where's Mari—uh, I mean Namu? Where's Bakura? No wait, I don't know if that was Bakura I saw… Am I in my room?" I looked down, "I'm wearing a shirt!"

Although I was really excited, mom seemed to be dumbfounded, "What…? Are you okay? Did you hit your head, Luce? Or was this all in a weird dream?"

I thought about that. Was it all just a dream? Did I really see Marik last night? And if I did, how the heck did I get back in my room?

"Lucy?"

"Oh, I'm fine…you're right, it was probably a dream…"

"I'll be downstairs. I just came to tell you I'm making breakfast.

"Okay. That's fine. I'll see you in a bit."

She left, closing the door behind her. Was that all a dream? It seemed really…real…

I moaned in frustration, and fell back on my pillows and heard a crunch. "What the…?" I slid my hand under my pillow, and pulled out a piece of paper. In the same handwriting as the note I read last night, it said:

Lucy –

Sorry about how things ended last night, but I thought it would be best. I did my best to bring you back safely without disturbing your mother. What you saw last night, technically, yes, was dream, but that doesn't mean it was not once real. I will explain more soon enough.

As for the other part of our deal, the Battle City finals start today. If you don't mind meeting me at the same place we met last night at noon, then I can take care of you from there. Pack clothes and anything else you need. We will probably be gone for the whole vacation. Meanwhile, I have some business with Bakura. Take care, my dear.

-Namu

P.S. Don't try to run away from our deal, because I will find you, and I will show no mercy. My Millennium Rod has more power than the meager amount you witnessed last night.

I set the letter down on the bed. The clock says it's only 9:30. I looked back at the letter, and asked myself (of all things), "Vacation? What vacation?"

After I showered and dressed, I went downstairs for breakfast.

"Hey mom, do you if I have a vacation soon?"

"Didn't you know? You have about a full month off of school."

"Well, isn't that convenient?" I muttered to myself. "I was invited to accompany my friends to the Battle City finals. Would it be okay if I went?"

She looked stunned, "How long will you be gone?"

"Probably most of the vacation, if not, all of it…"

"…Well…if you want to…Mr. Kaiba will be there, of course. It is his tournament. I'll ask him to keep an eye on you."

"Your boss? Mom, I'll be fine. Yugi and Téa and my other friends will be there."

"What about Bakura?"

"Yeah, he'll be there too," At least that's what Marik led me to believe.

She smiled, "Alright. Go pack. Stay safe, Lucy. I'll be calling to check up on you!"

I ran to give her a hug, "Thanks mom. And they're only card games!" I ran upstairs, prepared to pack almost everything I own, "How bad could it be?"

Worse than you can imagine, my dear! :D She'll find out eventually. Better keep an eye on Marik... *wink wink*

Oh, and I'm sorry about the lack of Bakura. I promise next chapter, he'll be ALL over that! Marik needed to get his way into the story, and he'll be staying here for a while longer. He's got his own evil scheme brewing.

Comment, favorite, share it, anything and everything would be very much appreciated! Thank you so much for reading!