Author's Note: Wrote this chapter on my road trip. Believe it or not, one can get a little bored in the backseat of a station wagon… So, ta-da, here it is. Told you it wouldn't take too long! :)

Enjoy!

Chapter 18

"Lady Yugi, wait!"

Yugi didn't stop. She didn't even make the slightest hesitation to Seto's calls. Her vision-void, lavender eyes just stared blankly ahead, her expression fierce, as she marched down the palace hallway.

Seto had never seen Yugi so resolute. It was like that carefree girl had been possessed by some kind of stolid war strategist. And it seemed nothing could stop her, let alone Seto's protests that she wait for him to talk some sense into her before going to the Pharaoh.

The priest sprinted up to Yugi's side and asked fervently, "What do you mean 'Yami wins'?"

"I mean just that," Yugi clarified, her voice not making the smallest waver, "Yami has called checkmate on all of us. Our only chance to survive is if one person sacrifices themselves. And I volunteer."

Mana, who had just caught up to the pair, objected with, "Lady Yugi, you can't go with your brother! Who knows what'll happen to you?"

"I know," Yugi replied simply. She cleared her throat and elaborated, "Yami wants me in his grasp but safe. That's his great flaw. That's why I'm an untouchable captive. If I sacrifice myself, the kingdom will be secure, Atem and the Pharaoh will go on to rule Egypt, and everyone will be happy."

"You won't be happy," Seto argued.

Yugi didn't even flinch. "I don't care. Everyone else's wellbeing is more superior than my own."

"Lady Yugi, I think you're underestimating our strengths."

Seto's statement made Yugi's pace slow down a bit. She asked, "What strengths?"

"We have the Millennium Items, we have a vast army, we have-

"Control."

That's what Yami said the prize was… Seto recalled as soon as the word passed through his lips.

Yugi seemed to read Seto's mind, because she inquired in an innocent-like tone, "Yami emphasized that word, didn't he, Priest Seto? That the prize was control?"

"Yes," Seto admitted quietly. He swallowed before questioning, "What was he talking about? What is he trying to gain control of?"

"Nothing."

Seto blinked. "Nothing, you say?"

"Yes." Yugi explained, "Yami made the prize vague on purpose. He knows a lot about you, Priest Seto, and he plans to use that knowledge to his advantage."

"What are you talking about?"

"Yami recognizes that you're a strategist. You like to analyze things, find out every possibility to every situation. Being as that's who you are, Yami picked a perplexing prize in hopes that you would over think this and distract yourself from your initial goal."

"So… It was just a distraction?" Mana intercepted before Seto, her expression lost.

"Exactly."

Seto thought about this for a moment. Finally, he pieced together aloud, "It's… it's just a game! This entire situation is just a game to him, isn't it?"

"I'm afraid so." Yugi sighed.

"How did you figure this out so quickly, Lady Yugi?" Mana implored.

Yugi almost smiled. "I'm his sister, Mana. Yami isn't the only Motou who is gifted in games, of the mind or otherwise."

Both Mana and Seto were still completely puzzled by this point. Seto asked first:

"If you knew it's a game, why are you surrendering?"

"Because it's a dangerous game. And Yami never loses one of his games. He'll always win, even if it means he has to cheat. In the context of things, surrendering now will just save us further time and pain," Yugi conveyed.

Suddenly, Yugi's hand was captured by another, and she was brought a complete stop, her one-woman militia halted in its tracks.

"Lady Yugi," Seto began, "You're not thinking clearly. I can't allow you to give into Yami; he can't win. Not this time."

Yugi retrieved her hand from Seto and hissed angrily, "You don't dictate my decisions for me! I do!"

"You'll never make another decision without your brother's consent if you surrender." It was harsh, but Seto's words were necessary.

This assertion was powerful. Seto and Mana watched Yugi's expression slowly change as these words sunk in and she started to understand.

"You're… you're right. I'm… I'm backed into a corner… I have no options…" Yugi leaned against one of the palace walls and slid down until she was sitting on the floor, her head lying back against the stone. "… I'm trapped."

Seto followed Yugi's action and took a seat next to her against the wall. He assured her, "You're not trapped. If there's one thing I've learned from my struggle of starting out as Yami's partner in crime and steadily climbing up to my position as High Priest, it is that there's always a way to advance. Whether it's a small window on the ceiling of an empty tomb or just a sliver of a crack in a completely dark room, there is always a way to escape."

"Yes!" Mana suddenly cut in perkily, talking a million miles an hour, "Like this one time when I got locked in the kitchen pantry, and it was all dark and scary! But then I called for help, and Prince Atem found me! See?"

Seto facepalmed.

Yugi's face suddenly lit up. She cried, "No, Mana, you're absolutely right!"

"I am?" Mana blinked rapidly before confirming, "I mean, of course I am!"

"Yes." Yugi rose from the floor, now determined. From what, Seto couldn't understand. The girl declared, "We need to call for help, get reinforcements."

"Like whom?" Seto questioned, his sapphire eyes transmitting more confusion than could be justified by just that one question.

Yugi let a smile slip as she announced, "I'm calling a meeting, a very important meeting of very important people."

-transition-

"Yugi, you what?"

"I want to call a meeting!" Yugi repeated happily.

Atem looked at the floor intently. Was that even possible? Calling a meeting of all the Item Bearers? Of all the high-ranked people in Egypt? Of practically everyone?

Atem hadn't noticed Yugi's ecstatic mood slowly disappear until she asked:

"Do you not like my idea?"

Atem's head jerked back up, and he assured frantically, "No, no, it's a great idea! I just don't know if it's actually possible…"

"What do you mean?" Yugi queried, her eyes shining fearfully.

Atem took Yugi's hands and set them in his own, questioning, "Do you know how much work that would be? Do you know how much time that'll take? We could be waiting months for people to arrive, not to mention organizing them all."

"I still don't understand…" Yugi said softly, her unseeing gaze lying on where her small, pale hands were complemented by Atem's strong, tan ones.

Atem sighed and stared up at the ceiling, debating with himself on how to explain this to Yugi. Yugi was silent as he mulled over if it was even probable that this could even maybe happen. After a few minutes, Atem couldn't see why it couldn't and lost the argument with himself.

"All right," Atem agreed quietly, "I can't promise anything except my best."

"That's all I ask," Yugi promised, closing the space between them and gently kissing Atem. Atem's thoughts were pushed aside as all he could think about was the beautiful being named Yugi who loved him as much as he loved her. He just hoped his best was enough so that he could keep her all to himself and have the Yami problem taken care of…

-transition-

"I think it's an excellent idea."

Atem was stunned. "You… what?"

Akunumkanon reiterated, "I said I think Lady Yugi's idea to have a meeting is a wonderful idea."

Atem was still astonished. "You… do?" His face reddened as he admitted, "I thought you would turn it down…"

"Why would I do that?" the Pharaoh asked, genuinely surprised that his son would think that.

"It sounds like a lot of work…" Atem decided was the honest answer.

The Pharaoh chuckled. "Being Pharaoh is a lot of work. You just have to be selective when it comes to doing what tasks are more superior to others."

"And… Yugi's problem is priority?"

"Of course." Akunumkanon raised an eyebrow and asked, "Do you think it is not?"

"Of course not!" Atem immediately denied, eyes wide, "I'd never! I love Yugi!"

"Then, what is it?" the Pharaoh interrogated.

Atem swallowed and confessed, "I just thought it wouldn't be considered a priority to you."

His father gave a significant smile and enlightened, "Atem, you're not the only one who has fallen for Yugi."

"Pardon?" Atem looked indisputably lost. It was quite humorous, actually, at least to the Pharaoh.

Akunumkanon illuminated, "Atem, everyone at the palace is taken with Yugi. Everyone wants to help her. If I announced at this very moment that I wanted to form an army for Yugi, the entire palace would fight for a place in the front lines."

Atem was awestruck. And it was entirely too readable on his face. Was that really true? Had he actually been oblivious to all that? Perhaps he was the blind one, not Yugi…

"In any case, I'll call the meeting without delay. Yami informed me earlier today that he wishes to speed things up."

Atem was shaken from his daze. "What- what does he mean by that?"

"I'm not sure, which is why this meeting must take place immediately," the Pharaoh stressed.

Atem nodded in agreement.

Author's Note: Hey, look, no cliffhanger… That's a first!

This chapter is short because I have BIG plans for the next. I'm so excited! :D

You know the drill. Please review and yada, yada, yada… (You can tell I'm in such a great mood, huh? *sarcasm*)