A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews, everyone. I'm glad to see that a lot of people were happy that I introduced Shizuka into the story – she's one of those YGO characters that you never get to see much of. Now, I know I knocked everyone for a loop when Anzu got kidnapped, and you guys seemed to be thinking that she was going to need Yami to step in and save her again... Not so much. In the YGO fandom, it's damned hard to be original, but I'm hoping this chapter might just take us there after all. I've been dying to post this all week. Enjoy!

Important Note: On Monday, I start work full-time. I know, this announcement thrills none of us, believe me. I'm going to do my absolute best to make sure I don't fall behind on updates, but consider this your second (and final) warning.

The night air was cold, colder than he had anticipated, with a wind that seemed to cut straight through the heavy sweater he was wearing. Yuugi suppressed a shiver and edged closer to Ryou for warmth. His friend's free arm absently came up around his shoulder, tucking Yuugi more securely around Ryou's side. Ryou, at least, was dressed in a heavy coat borrowed from Jou that was a few sizes too large, meaning that he wasn't nearly as chilled as Yuugi or Malik, who had also curled up against him. Across from the three hikaris, Mariku sat back with a pout, obviously wishing that his hikari would have chosen to snuggle up beside him instead of in between Ryou and Jou. Malik just ignored him, waiting, as the rest of them were, for Bakura and Yami to return. Beside Mariku, Seto's eyes moved slowly over the shadows, searching for any possible signs of danger.

It reminded Yuugi of one of the first times he'd seen Yami, Bakura, Mariku, and Seto at night, when he'd been wandering through the park and he'd come across them, and Bakura had tackled him and nearly given him a concussion when he'd tried to run away. He smiled a little to himself, wondering if he would have kept on running if he'd known then what he knew now. The six of them were waiting at the entrance to the marina, which had technically closed to the public a few hours ago. All of the lights were off, and there didn't seem to be anyone around. But that hadn't stopped Bakura and Yami, both of whom appeared to possess an alarming amount of skill when it came to climbing fences that were designed to keep people out. Bakura in particular had scaled the fence like he was born for it. Then again, considering his previous life, maybe he had been.

"Will they come back soon?" Ryou asked suddenly, breaking the silence that had fallen over them. He was nervous being there out in the open without Bakura, though he'd never admit it. His skin was still speckled with the bruises of Samira's last visit, and although Bakura had sent her to the Shadow Realm, he remained on edge.

"It won't be much longer," Mariku replied, sounding unusually kind in his answer. His head snapped around, searching the shadows to the left of them, scanning the scenery for the slightest hint of danger. There was a knife in his right hand, and he continually drew the blade along his left thumb to test the sharpness. He had yet to draw blood, but it was obvious that he was eager to. "Relax."

Easier said than done for all of them. Even Jou appeared to be nervous, though he was clearly trying to pretend that he was completely at ease with the situation. But the truth was, none of them had the best grasp on magic, and they would be vulnerable if something happened. Especially Yuugi, who still wasn't feeling quite up to speed. That time, he couldn't stop the shiver that crept over his skin. It had sounded like a fun adventure when he'd been lying in bed with Yami, safe and warm in the protection of the Kaiba mansion. Now? Not so much.

Something creaked. Mariku was on his feet in an instant. Seto was slower to rise, his blue eyes focused on the gate. In spite of their fast responses, neither of them seemed overly concerned, and it was clear why a moment later when Yami pushed the door open and ambled through like breaking and entering was something he did every day. "An easy entrance awaits."

"How did you do that?" Yuugi asked, glancing past him into the marina. It was still dark, but somehow, it no longer appeared to be as threatening. "Where's Bakura?"

"Making sure that no one else is inside. We knocked out the couple of security guards, and I was able to turn the alarm system off," Yami explained, wrapping an arm around his hikari's waist and pulling him to his feet. "The place is otherwise deserted. We shouldn't have any trouble."

"Not of the normal kind at least, you mean," Seto said wryly, leading the group into the marina. Yami and Bakura had purposely left the lights off to avoid drawing extra attention to their presence. Although he wasn't a yami, he didn't mind the dark, and felt more at home in it than Jou did. He found the correct path that would lead down to the docks with no problems. His quiet voice carried back to Yami as he stepped onto the concrete. "Have you felt anything?"

"Nothing recent," Yami reassured him. He walked a half-step behind Ryou, who was following right behind Seto and Jou. Malik and Mariku were bringing up the rear. The seven of them fell into a heavy silence after that as they made their way down the path and onto the wooden docks that would take them out to where the ships were tied. Even though the note hadn't specified exactly where they were supposed to go, Seto could sense that they were headed in the right direction. The subtle hint of a spell had been woven through the air, pulling them down towards the ocean.

Bakura met them about two minutes before they would've reached the end of the dock, appearing silently out of the shadows like he was a part of them. Yuugi and Jou both jumped at his sudden appearance, but Ryou just looked relieved and moved quickly to his partner's side. Ignoring him, Bakura glanced at Yami and tilted his head down. Knowing that it meant that Bakura hadn't encountered anything unusual, Yami gestured for them to keep moving. The only sound that broke the silence was the soft lapping of the waves against the dock as they waited for the sun to finish going down. Yami checked his watch and then nodded, catching Seto's eye meaningfully. With a brief nod, the brunette tensed, ready for a battle.

Just as the last rays of the sun stretched across the horizon, there was a muffled thump from one of the boats above them, and then a slender, solitary figure appeared, making its way off of one of the larger boats. He or she hit the ground and turned in their direction. All of them tensed, but no one moved, though Seto was ready to cast a spell at the slightest sign of a threat. As the figure drew closer, it was eventually revealed to be a girl... a very familiar girl. Yami's jaw dropped in amazement as Mazaki Anzu calmly walked up the dock and stopped about five feet away from them. She was wearing a long, sleeveless white dress that flowed dramatically around her ankles, paired with flat gold sandals. A simple necklace made of woven gold had been fixed around her throat, and a white lotus flower had been tucked behind her right ear. A smile graced her lips as she tucked her hands behind her back and bowed.

"Hello, Yami-san," she greeted politely.

"A-Anzu-san?" he stammered, for once in his life completely and utterly shocked. His first thought was that her mind had been taken over, but her crystal blue eyes looked surprisingly lucid, and she possessed an unnatural grace that a possessed person wouldn't be able to achieve. "What...?"

"We've been waiting for you," she said without bothering to answer the question, looking the small group over as she straightened. Her eyes lingered on Yuugi and Yami, causing Yuugi to press closer to his partner. Anzu was somewhat different than he remembered. There was a colder, more confident glitter in her normally warm eyes. "Please, follow me, and all of your questions will be answered."

Anzu didn't wait for them to agree or disagree. She pivoted on her heel and started walking back in the direction that she had come from with the air of someone who really didn't care whether she was being listened to or not. Yami's jaw tightened and he frowned, his body tense. It was clear that he didn't like the thought of just following her into a possible trap, but he wanted to know what was going on. Seeing that his yami was torn, Yuugi made the choice for him. He took a few steps forward, his eyes on the tall, slender form dancing down the docks ahead of them. He knew that they could trust Anzu; she might have changed a lot, but she was still his friend, and she cared a lot about Yami. Yuugi truly believe that there was nothing she would do to put Yami in danger.

Within a handful of steps, Yami and the others caught up to him. All of them remained on alert as Anzu led them nearly to the end of the dock and then halted, gazing towards a massive white boat. Dark, curvy lettering on the side proclaimed the name to be "Cynthia". She glanced at them pointedly and then walked up the gangplank without the slightest bit of hesitation. Seto and Bakura went up first, then Jou, Yami, Yuugi, Ryou, Malik, and finally Mariku at the last. The boat appeared to be deserted at first, but then Anzu raised her hands and clapped them together sharply, looking a little like an Egyptian Queen who was ordering her peasants around. Lights flashed on and brought all of the deck into full view.

There was a man kneeling on the deck, his hands tied tightly behind his back and his ankles bound together. He had dirty blond hair that was mostly covered by a bandanna that looked like the flag of the United States. Sunglasses covered his eyes, but at their approach, he lifted his head and looked in their direction, revealing the broken nose and badly swelling cheek. His clothing was mussed and had a few spots of blood on it. When he spotted them, he growled and showed his teeth. "Little fuckers! I oughta tie you bastards up and shove y'all overboard!" he yelled, thrashing frantically in his bonds. "How dare ya do this to Bandit Keith!"

"Shut up, Keith," Anzu said flatly, giving him a disinterested look. "Or we might have to put you overboard."

Bandit Keith glared at her, but he seemed to realize that her threat was not an idle one, and instead he went back to sulking and fighting with the ropes that had tied his hands at the small of his back. Anzu rolled her eyes and, shaking her head, motioned for the eight of them to follow her inside and down below the deck. Yuugi looked around with awe as they walked, wondering who owned the boat. Not only was it enormous, the large room that they had just entered appeared to have gold-plated walls and a solid marble floor. Silently, Anzu stopped and pointed to the couches, indicating that they were to have a seat.

"What's going on, Anzu-chan?" Surprisingly, it was Yuugi who asked the question. In retrospect, it was probably a good thing that he did, because Yami appeared to be too stunned, and Bakura and Mariku probably would've gotten a little more hands-on. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm bait," Anzu replied. There was a bitter smile playing about her lips. "Please sit down, Yuugi-kun. I assure you, everything will be explained in the next few minutes."

Just as she finished speaking, the door on the opposite side of the room opened. Yuugi didn't recognize either of the people who walked in, but Yami did. The older boy tensed and hissed, "Shadi," under his breath at the same time that Mariku sat up straight, looking surprised.

"Aniki!" he exclaimed, looking at the taller of the two men.

"Good evening, Mariku. I hope you're keeping yourself out of trouble," said the man. He was tall, with the same caramel-colored skin as Mariku, and mostly bald, with only a low ponytail of dark hair at the nape of his neck. His eyes were a piercing shade of dark gray that seemed to see everything at once. "Although considering that you're here, I doubt that's true."

"Wait... Did you write that letter?" Mariku said, looking shocked.

"No. Bandit Keith wrote that letter," his brother answered patiently. "Sit down, little brother. As Mazaki said, everything is going to be explained to you."

Mariku frowned but did as his brother had said. He pulled Malik down into his lap. The hikari struggled for only a moment before giving in. Bakura and Ryou sat down next to them on the couch, while Seto and Jou occupied a chair. Yuugi sat down on a chair, glad for the chance to rest, and Yami stood just beside him, his narrowed crimson eyes never leaving the other man who had stepped into the room. Shadi, for his part, had his strange, flat blue eyes fixed on the reincarnated Pharaoh, but every once in a while, his empty gaze would move over to the hikari Yuugi fought the urge to shiver; he didn't like the way he felt when Shadi looked at him.

"Now, what's going on?" Jou said the instant everyone was settled. "Let's hear it, Rishid, and don't leave anything out."

"I already told you that Bandit Keith wrote the letter hoping to lure you out here under the orders of Pegasus. It was his intent to capture all of you and take you to his master," Rishid said, folding his arms. "We had to move quickly once we realized that you were going to accept the challenge. Shadi and I procured the help of Mazaki to lure Bandit Keith into a trap of our own. She acted as bait, and, believing that you had arrived, he fell for it and made his move too early. He's never been the most brilliant of Pegasus's henchmen." A small smirk played around his lips. "Then it was just a matter of waiting for you to arrive. We knew that you would. Why did you think that you didn't run into anyone other than a security guard or two? This is a marina with expensive boats and valuable things, after all."

Bakura's lips pressed together and he scowled, not liking the subtle implication that it hadn't been his skills that had enabled them to get into the marina with such ease. "If you're so damned sure of yourselves, why didn't you just come to the mansion and tell us this in the first place instead of making it into such a big production?"

"You were being watched," Rishid answered, raising an eyebrow. He didn't seem to be too disturbed by the cold tone of Bakura's voice. Then again, with Mariku for a younger brother, he was probably all too used to it. "Pegasus has people watching the mansion at all times. Most of you are also being followed. Even though we have ways of getting onto the grounds without being seen, it would have tipped Keith off if you hadn't left at the pre-arranged time. We needed to catch him so that we could gather information about Pegasus." He dropped his hands to his sides. "In a way, the note was true. You will receive information about your enemy. Just not the information that Bandit Keith had intended for you to get."

"I can believe all that, but Anzu-san, what are you doing here?" Yami said, looking across the room at the taller girl. She was standing in the corner with her arms folded, watching the scene in silence. "You look far too calm to have been brought into this against your will, and I can tell that you're not being controlled. How do you know Shadi and Rishid?"

Anzu exchanged a look with Rishid and then sighed. "Technically, I really am here because that asshole over there kidnapped me," she said, pointing to Shadi. "Apparently he's never heard of stopping to talk to someone for five minutes."

"I was told to collect you. I did as I was asked," Shadi said calmly.

"You used that fucking Key on me!" Anzu retorted, her blue eyes flashing wildly in the dim light. She pointed at him threateningly. "I swear by Ra, Shadi, come near with that damn thing again and I'm going to push you off of the ship. After I put rocks in your turban and tie to your head!"

"Enough!" Rishid broke in, now rubbing his head like he had a bad headache. "Mazaki, I apologize for Shadi's rough treatment. When I asked him to get in touch with you and request your help in catching Keith, I never expected that he wouldn't stop to explain that he was another one of our associates. Though in retrospect, that was foolish on my part. Please continue so that we may get this over before dawn breaks?"

She pouted a little but did as he requested. "Anyway, I've never told anyone this, but Yami-san, I've been helping to watch over you for a long time. Rishid-san and Isis-san approached me a few years back and asked if I would help keep you safe. It's my job to make sure that Pegasus or any Duel Monsters that he might send don't get too close to you... and now, I suppose, to your hikari."

Yami's mouth fell open and for several moments, he didn't say anything, too shocked to respond. Yuugi glanced at him and then looked at Anzu warily. "What do you mean, it's your job?"

Sighing again, Anzu sat down on the closest chair and looked at Yuugi earnestly. "My family has always been close friends with the Tennos, but I didn't know Yami-san that well until they moved to the area a few years ago. We were never friends, but I guess you could say that I'm closer to him than anyone else outside of those three." She jerked her head towards Bakura, Mariku, and Seto. "A couple of years ago, I was approached by Isis-san not long after she spoke to Yami-san about the Millennium Items for the first time. She told me that she could sense the presence of an old Egyptian soul within me, and that, due to some visions she had received through the Millennium Tauk, she believed I had been one of the Pharaoh's court back in Ancient Egypt. As it turns out, only people who have that kind of soul can use any form of shadow magic. She said it was my duty to help protect the Pharaoh and his light." Anzu shrugged helplessly. "I couldn't say no to her, not if it meant helping Yami-san."

"Wait, so you've been hanging around driving the Pharaoh crazy all this time because Isis asked you to?" Bakura asked, smirking. It wasn't hard to tell what he was thinking. Isis must have had a death wish.

"Well, no." Anzu blushed a little and ducked her head. "I... I really do have a crush on you, Yami-san. I was supposed to stay close to you so that if Pegasus tried to attack you, I would be able to help. I thought that an easy way to do that would be if I was your girlfriend. I knew that you would someday have a hikari, but I didn't think..." She trailed off, looking uncomfortable, and refused to meet their eyes.

"I can't believe this," Yami said finally, staring at her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"We asked her not to," said Rishid before Anzu could answer. "It was imperative that all of you be unaware of the people who were guarding you so that you didn't act differently and end up drawing suspicion to them. They were undercover guards, meant to draw Pegasus out into the open by making him think that you were easy targets."

"Wait." That was Seto. He held a hand up and narrowed his icy blue eyes. "What did you mean, people?"

Rishid gazed back at him steadily. "You heard what I said. All of you had to be guarded, not just the Pharaoh, though Mazaki was assigned specifically to him. Every holder of the Millennium Items, both yami and hikari, needed to be kept out of Pegasus's grasp, and Isis thought it would be a good idea to protect you and your lover while we were at it so that you couldn't be used against the Pharaoh." He glanced at Yami. "Fortunately, reincarnated souls have a way of finding their way back to him."

"So just who is on this list?" Jou asked warily.

Anzu winced slightly and shifted, looking a little nervous. "Well... To name off a few people in general... Mutou Sugoroku. Kawai Shizuka. Kaiba Mokuba. Rebecca Hawkins. Bakura Amane. Otogi Ryuuji. Hiroto Honda. Mai Kujaku. Malik, you had Isis with you, and Mariku, you had Rishid-san."

Yuugi stiffened at the sound of his grandfather's name, but before he could say anything, Ryou choked and his head shot up. He hadn't even heard the last three names or noticed the way that Bakura had stiffened beside him. "What? But my sister is dead."

Something in Anzu's blue eyes softened slightly. "Your sister loved you more than anything in the world, Ryou-san. She'll do anything to protect you. She never left you."

"You brought my sister into this?" Unable to keep silent any longer, Jou shot to his feet before Ryou could ask any more questions. Only Seto's hand gripping his wrist prevented the blond from flying across the room at either Shadi or Rishid. "How dare you! Shizuka's not some... some pawn that you can play with. You had no right to bring her into this!"

"Kawai Shizuka has the soul of an Ancient Egyptian existing within her," Shadi said flatly, his voice allowing for no arguments. "In the court of the Pharaoh, she was an apprentice to the Healer. She swore eternal servitude to the Pharaoh, as did we all. That is not something that can be erased. Her soul was awoken for your benefit and protection, Jounouchi Katsuya. Just like Kaiba Mokuba was awakened for the protection of Kaiba Seto."

"Is that why Pegasus kidnapped them?" Seto asked sharply. Yami shot a worried glance at his cousin. His reaction was too calm, and it would only be a matter of time before Seto exploded.

"No. It is as you thought. Pegasus was trying to use them to get to you. He truly believed that you were in possession of a Millennium Item," Rishid explained. "He had no idea of their status as guards. Kawai Shizuka and Kaiba Mokuba are both still young, so their power is not yet at full strength. That's why they were unable to escape from Pegasus without your help. But rest assured, had their souls not been awakened, they would have suffered a great deal more." His lip curled as an expression of distaste flashed across his face. "Pegasus and in particular the company he keeps are vile men who have enjoyed taking advantage of young children in the past."

The implication of that caused the blood to drain from Jou's face, and he swayed where he stood. Seto quickly guided his younger lover into a seated position beside him before the blond fell before he turned back to Rishid. "And just when did you plan to inform us of this?" he demanded, deeply annoyed that he hadn't sensed the power in those people before. Nearly every person that Anzu had named was someone he was around on a daily basis.

"When it was necessary," said Shadi. He suddenly found himself the recipient of numerous glares, but even that didn't seem to faze him in the slightest.

Bakura suddenly stood up and, without saying a word, spun on his heel and stormed out of the room. Ryou stared after him, hesitated briefly, and then went after him. Mariku was frowning at his brother, his eyes narrowed slightly in thought. Rishid glanced at him, but made no move to say or do anything. Malik was wholly unsurprised by the whole situation; he'd had a little time to get used to what Isis had done when she got into contact with the yamis in the first place, and quite frankly, he was rapidly reaching the point where nothing his sister was involved with when it came to their protection could shock him now. Yami just kept staring at Anzu, and Yuugi couldn't help sneaking small glances between his yami and the girl who had yet to look at either of them.

"I need some air," Jou muttered, jumping up suddenly. He fled the room without another word, the slight green tinge around his lips enough to make sure no one tried to stop him. Seto paused long enough to give Rishid and Shadi the kind of look that usually had men shaking in their seats before following after his pup.

"Why?" Mariku asked, breaking the silence once the two were gone. His brow furrowed. "I don't understand, Aniki. Why have you been hiding so many things from us? What's going on? What do you know about Pegasus?"

Rishid sighed. "There are things that even we don't know, Mariku. I'm just trying to protect you in the only way I know how. Isis contacted me about three years ago. She had been having frequent visions due to the Millennium Tauk, and she was growing concerned about what kind of plans Pegasus might have for the Millennium Items. I knew that he'd been watching you, and I wanted to make sure that you had sufficient protection put into place. I know you can take care of yourself, but I am still your brother."

"But why Shizuka-chan and Mokuba-kun?" Mariku demanded. "Why them? Of all the people... And Mai, too. Aniki, you know how Bakura feels about her."

"We've been over this," Rishid said patiently. "You all required protection, and although the Pharaoh does attract those who are reborn from old souls, there are only so many to choose from that are acceptably close to your group. Kawai-san, Kaiba-san, and Kujaku-san are among those that number the list, just like Mazaki."

At the mention of Anzu's name, Yami seemed to jolt out of whatever stupor he'd fallen into. Abruptly, his crimson eyes dark and furious, he spun and walked out of the room without looking back, slamming the door behind him. Anzu jerked, instinctively starting to her feet like she would have liked to have gone after him, and then stopped, biting her lip so hard that blood welled up around her teeth. She twisted and looked at Yuugi with pleading written all over her face. The younger boy sighed and reluctantly got up, knowing that it was in his best interests to go after his yami anyway. He wasn't sure how many more secrets and revelations he could take in one night.

Most of the ship was still dark, and for a moment, he had no idea where Yami had gone. It was growing even colder, and he shivered, wrapping his arms around his body loosely as he set out, heading for the upper deck. A faint feeling teased at the back of his mind, and, recognizing it as part of their bond, he followed it willingly to the opposite side of the boat from where they had come on deck. Yami was leaning against the railing, staring out towards the ocean. Yuugi walked over to him and followed his gaze, wondering what he was looking at. As far as the naked eye could see, there was just water in all directions.

"I don't really like the ocean," Yami said suddenly, starting his companion. In spite of his words, he didn't look away, keeping his gaze out to sea. "Every time I'm here, I keep remembering the desert. Even if that wasn't really my life, a part of me keeps thinking that so much water is unnatural." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, messing up the red-tipped curls. "I hate that. When something from my old life interferes with this one."

"Do you hate me, too, then?" Yuugi asked. Like Yami, he kept staring out at the ocean, but it was more because he was afraid of what Yami's answer would be than because of true interest. "Because technically, what binds us together is from Ancient Egypt... so..."

"I don't hate you, Yuugi," came the quiet reply. "I could never hate you. Never worry about that. You mean too much to me for that to ever be a concern."

Yuugi flushed, the pink color slowly filling his cheeks, and stepped closer to the railing. There was no denying that Yami's words had made his heart turn in a circle, but... "Yami, I..."

"I told you once that I didn't remember my past life," Yami went on like he hadn't spoken. "It's the truth. I'm not like Bakura. The Tomb Robber wasn't completely prepared to do the ceremony. He wasn't willing to give up on his memories and past life like I was, though his life in this time would be far easier if he had. I just get flashes, images sometimes, of what was. It's been worse since you solved the Puzzle and I was exposed to that magic." Finally, he turned away, his crimson gaze resting on Yuugi. It was impossible not to squirm under the intensity of that stare. "But I don't regret meeting you, Little One. You bring something to my life that I didn't even know I was missing. I'm glad that you're here with me."

"I'm glad I'm here, too," Yuugi whispered hesitantly, curling his fingers into the edge of his shirt and looking down. It was the truth, but... Old fears made it hard for him to accept whatever Yami might have been offering. A lot of people that he'd depended on in the past had either left him or died. He had been called cursed by those who were frightened of him. What if Yami left him? Or suffered the same fate? He didn't think he could bear being alone after knowing what it was like to be whole.

"Did you mean it?"

"What?" He looked up and blinked, startled to find Yami so close.

A hand reached out and touched his cheek, brushing gently against his skin. "When you said... in the soul room... you said you wanted to stay with me. Did you mean it?"

Violet eyes closed. He trembled, wanting so badly to lean into that touch. "I... I'm afraid." The words slipped out without his permission, and he blushed even darker, embarrassed by the sincerity behind them. When he would have turned away, Yami's grip tightened, preventing him from doing so.

"We'll be afraid together," the older boy said softly, leaning close enough to press their foreheads together.

The kiss was not entirely unexpected. Yuugi shivered as Yami pressed their mouths together, lips brushing gently, tentatively at first, before coming together more firmly. It was his first kiss and it went beyond everything he could have ever even tried to imagine. He kept his eyes shut, hardly daring to breathe as Yami drew back, and found himself looking into captivating crimson eyes when he found the strength to open them. His hand shook slightly as he lifted it to Yami's cheek, amazed at the feeling of the tanned skin beneath his pale fingers. The look in Yami's eyes was almost desperate, entirely wanting, and he could feel his whole body responding to it. Softly, he spoke, and the reincarnated Pharaoh breathed out and clutched his hikari to him.

"Yes, Yami. I want to stay with you."

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