Well surprise, the new chapter is actually out in a somewhat timely fashion (two months is better than, like, eight). Kohaku has gotten better at posting, given her busy schedule.

Thank you so much for all the reviews and concrit you've been giving—seriously, it's overwhelming at times. Reviews make everything worthwhile and I hope I continue to garner your praise.

Content warning (all surrounding the Ishtars): mentions of canonical abuse at the hands of one Ishtar Patriarch (manga verse), canonical character death, and also? Ishtar is Not Being Nice to the townsfolk of Hermos.

A light drizzle had started just an hour ago, casting a fine gray mist on the castle grounds, It was not likely the weather would last long in the storm's wake; chances were that by that afternoon the sun would be out, and the wet ground would start to dry.

It would be perfect timing, Jean Claude thought. Everything would be dry just in time for the wedding.

The weather was hardly appropriate for shopping in the markets, so he'd arranged to have a few merchants travel to the castle. They'd convened in the throne room, and this in turn allowed Mai a distraction; she had wanted to shop some more depending on the weather, and Jean Claude was taking this distraction to further iron out upcoming wedding arrangements.

The general wedding decoration plans were in motion, but he also wanted the defenses of the castle discussed. Hermos had powerful, ancient enchantments in place to keep out enemies, but those had been altered to allow Jean Claude and his men in. What he was concerned with was any last minute attempts to derail the wedding.

He needed to know that the castle could not be breached, and the one person he needed to assure him had suddenly vanished in the night.

Jean Claude whirled on the servant girl that had been assigned to Mai. "Where the devil is he?" he asked with a low snarl. He couldn't raise his voice the way he wanted to—Mai was not that far away from him.

The girl wrung her hands and ducked her head. "I-I don't know," she stammered, paling under Jean Claude's furious expression. "No one's found him yet."

"What good are you if you can't even perform your duties, Miho? I asked you to keep an eye on him," he snapped impatiently.

Jean Claude growled under his breath and dismissed the frightened girl, who looked more than happy to be finished discussing Ishtar; she returned to Mai's side quickly, without a backwards glance. The servants were terrified of Ishtar to begin with, and they didn't always put the most effort into finding him. He's probably sulking somewhere, just because I didn't let him have his way, Jean Claude thought sourly.

"Aren't all these gowns exquisite?"

Jean Claude's attention was drawn to Mai. She was holding a purple-hued dress with white and black trim. "You really must tell me how you befriended such amazing merchants!" she cooed, hugging the dress to her.

Jean Claude beamed at her, his annoyance at Ishtar forgotten. He would track down the Enterran later—right now, there was a certain princess that needed his attention.

"Oh, let me tell you that story," he said, coming over to her. "But first, I should look through these wares. Best to take advantage of the merchants while they're here."

Bakura frowned. He'd been watching the path Marik had taken for some time, taking a seat in the shadow of an oak tree. It was clear he'd known what the Enterran was doing, but he was not answering any questions about what Marik was doing. Deciding that Bakura would tell them in his own time, Téa had started passing out bowls of stew to the rest of those in the clearing; she'd made sure Alister had the first one, as there was no missing how exhausted he was.

He rose to his feet, catching Téa's attention. He ignored her curious gaze, bending down to the grass and holding a hand to the bushes. Something black and scaly slithered up his outstretched fingers and curled around his wrist; it remained visible for only seconds before it sank into his skin. There was no remaining mark afterward, leaving Bakura's wrist unblemished.

"Seems like he found them," he murmured. "Good."

Téa had heard him. "Found who?"

"You'll be seeing them soon enough," he retorted, stalking over to the fire. As he passed, the warm flames flickered; it was as if a cold wind had blown on them. Alister gave an involuntary shiver at the blast of cool air, and Valon promptly tossed a second blanket over his older friend.

Bakura's gaze went to a still soaked Ryou and his eyes narrowed. "Why haven't you changed into some dry clothing yet? Illness is not allowed."

"That's not up to you, Bakura. In any event, I've no dry clothing left," Ryou replied patiently. "Kaiba's dragons have seen to that. If Yugi were around, I'd ask him to cast a drying spell or even to conjure clothing."

Téa brightened. "But Yugi's getting stronger. He might be back in control soon," she said. "Yami cast a fairy light without realizing he'd done it."

A pleased rumble rose from Jou at the news. Alister's eyes shifted to Yami. "How long do you think he'll take in fully returning?"

Yami shrugged. "His presence is much more prominent than it was in weeks past, yet he's not replied to me when I've called," he said simply. "When and how Yugi returns is up to him."

Alister sighed, then burrowed into the blankets. Raphael's shirt was too large and allowed too much cold air against him; it had been a blessing to wear when his arms were broken, but the need for it had passed. "I wish I had spare clothes to change into," he muttered. "I'd like something that fits better."

"Why are you wearin' one o' Raph's shirts anyways?"

Alister's flinch was barely noticeable as he held up his arms. It took Valon a moment, but then he remembered and mumbled a low, "oh."

"My arms were useless. We needed a way to keep my arms out of harm's way," Alister said quietly. "We put a hole in the cuff of each of the sleeves and then used rope to create slings for my arms."

Valon's features clouded with anger at the mention of Alister's wounds. Téa frowned. "What do you mean? What happened to your arms?" she asked.

"Nothing I'd care to repeat while we have people eating," Alister said flatly. "Maybe later."

"Hold on!" Valon said, suddenly snapping his fingers. He set the now empty bowl of stew down, then hopped to his feet. The motion dislodged the blanket around his shoulders, and as it pooled around his feet it was enough to trip him.

"I know you've never had the best of luck with fire, but please don't fall in," Alister remarked dryly.

"Aw, you do care."

"Hardly. You're wet enough right now to put out the fire. I'm still trying to warm up."

"Nice to see your priorities are all sorted out," came the good-natured retort. Valon disappeared for several moments, rummaging through what they assumed was his bag. When he returned, it was while carrying a bundle of clothing in his arms. He dropped them unceremoniously into Alister's lap. "'ere ya go."

Alister sorted through the messy bundle, starting as he recognized them. "These are mine," he said with visible surprise. He looked over at Valon with distinct suspicion. "All right, you little gremlin. Why do you have my clothes?"

Valon shot him a small grin. "Kaiba's dragon was blastin' dangerously close to your 'ouse. I figured I'd save some of your things while I was in that neck of the woods. I even 'ave your spare bow," he added, holding up the wooden bow and the fur-lined quiver. "I lost mine a couple months back. I was by the river when it 'appened, but I couldn' tell you how I lost it. One minute I 'ad it, next second it was gone."

Alister's face briefly darkened, and Valon shot him a confused frown. "Wha's that look for?"

"I'll tell you later," was all Alister said.

The Aurosian gave him a small salute before bouncing off and starting a quiet conversation with Téa, presumably trying to get more food from her. He knew Alister enough to know what the response met—Alister wasn't going to tell him until he wanted to.

Alister eyed the weapon he had been handed and propped the quiver on the log nearest him. He rose to his feet and studied the arrows. In one smooth motion, he rose to his feet and lifted an arrow. Within seconds he nocked the arrow, and before he let it fly he gave a loud, piercing whistle.

While very few people had registered what Alister was doing, Valon had been trudging back to the fireside. At the sound of the whistle he immediately halted, caught comically in mid motion. Téa and Ryou both let out startled cries when the arrow flew in Bakura's direction, but at the last second the thief lazily sidestepped it and watched dispassionately as the arrow lodged itself in a tree beside him.

"What was that for?" cried Téa with some indignation. "You could have warned us you were in a mood to shoot at us!"

When Alister ignored her and instead frowned at the bow, Valon snapped his fingers to catch her attention. "What do you think tha' whistle was for, love? Tha's all the warnin' you get—trust me, I know. You hear that whistle, you stop where you are."

"Even if the arrow is coming at you?"

"Especially if it's coming at you," said Valon seriously. "Alister doesn' miss—ever."

Ryou was looking at the lodged arrow in the tree, half-rising from his seat. "What was Alister aiming at?"

Bakura grunted, pulling the arrow from the tree. He showed them the orange butterfly that the arrow had gone through. "I'd wager this was his target. Next time, aim at something that's not in my direction—I don't play nice with those who shoot arrows at me," he said coldly.

"I don't play nice with those who endanger my friends."

"He joined on his own. The little twit wouldn't leave."

"You didn't exactly try to make him go away, now did you?"

"Ryou wouldn't let me kill him."

"I suppose I should thank Ryou for that," Alister said flatly. He bent down and caught the bundle of clothing Valon had given him earlier. "I'm getting out of these clothes," he announced as he started climbing, disappearing into the tree house above them. "Give me a couple minutes."

It was when Alister reached the platform above them when Téa realized that Yami had been remarkably quiet for the past few minutes. A quick glance in his direction told her why: Yami had opened Mai's letter and was silently reading it. Jou had spotted this as well and was leaning over, trying to read what was on the parchment. A low and frustrated whine rose out of the dragon.

"Patience, Jou," he said mildly, not looking up from the letter. "When Marik returns, you will hear the contents of this message and—ah."

Ryou and Valon both looked up at the sound of Yami's triumphant voice and they exchanged puzzled looks. Bakura raised an eyebrow and asked, "I take it that she said something that's caught your interest?"

Yami nodded. "She was smart enough not to rely on word of mouth alone," he said simply. "She wrote something that will greatly help us later."

Valon groaned. "More cryptic answers. C'mon, Yami, it's gettin' old. Can' you at least give us a hint? Wha's goin' on?"

"Not until Marik gets back," was the patient reply.

Valon frowned, looking around the clearing. "Shouldn' he be back? Where is Marik, anyways?"

"You're cold."

Marik looked up at Rishid, his eyes meeting concerned golden ones. The three of them were still sitting in the forest clearing on a fallen tree, though they were no longer embracing. Marik was sandwiched between his siblings; each of his hands held one that belonged to his brother and sister. "It's nothing," he insisted. "Just a few misadventures in the river."

Rishid released Marik's hand and shrugged out of his travel cloak. Before Marik could protest, the older man wrapped it firmly around Marik's shoulders. "You will get sick if you do nothing to warm yourself," he chided.

Marik tried not to laugh as he burrowed into the warm cloth. Rishid was older and certainly tougher looking, but he had had not changed in the amount of time that he had been gone. He was still the gentle-natured, kind man that had primarily raised Marik.

"Bakura didn't exactly let me stay by the fire to warm up," Marik said then. "Now that I know why he sent me off, though, I can't say I'm mad at him anymore."

"We've already encountered him this morning," said Rishid, and there was no disguising the dislike in his voice. Marik again had to repress a grin—Rishid had not trusted Bakura when they'd parted ways. It was evident he still did not.

Marik's eyes went to Sivya, who also seemed displeased by Bakura's mention. "And I take it Bakura didn't exactly warm your heart either?" he asked wryly.

"I try to avoid disliking anyone, but I still find that I can't make myself enjoy that man's company," she said. Though she seemed uncomfortable to admit it, there was no mistaking the finality of her tone. "He almost made Ryou faint earlier."

Marik frowned. It was not the first time he had seen Bakura lash out at Ryou, but it didn't mean he fully approved of it; there were moments that Ryou's gentle nature had reminded him of Rishid's, and he had never liked seeing such people hurt. "Bakura doesn't like it when people sneak behind his back," he said at last.

"But it was an important reason that he snuck away!" Sivya insisted. "If he hadn't, then he would have never gone to Hermos and we wouldn't have bumped into him!"

Marik sat up straighter. "Hermos?" he repeated. "What was Ryou doing there? That's a major city, and the Thief King is well known there. It's dangerous for him there!"

"Ryou did not disclose why he was in the city," said Ishizu quietly. "He was not the one who found us, however—a young woman guided us to him."

"Young woman?"

"Yes. I believe she was a Thystian princess."

Marik froze. "Mai helped you?" he asked, his voice full of disbelief. Even after all that happened, even after all that he'd said and done…Mai had kept her promise. She'd helped him in the end, just as she said she would.

I owe her an apology when I see her next.

His eyes drifted to his siblings once again. His eyes stung with sudden tears, and he lifted a hand to wipe them away.

Ishizu noticed and leaned forward, a hand resting on his cheek. "Marik?"

"I wasn't sure I was ever going to find you," he admitted in a whisper. "I can hardly believe that you're here, and that you've managed to stay with Rishid."

Ishizu's eyes softened, as did Rishid's. "Marik…"

"I looked everywhere for you," he said softly, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat, but there was still a wobbly edge to his voice. "I chased all the leads, checked every caravan and every market we came across. But I couldn't find you."

"We were taken deep into the mountains of Metheren," said Ishizu quietly. "A scholar and his granddaughter who were studying ancient cultures encountered our caravan by chance. They bought our freedom when they learned of our predicament. Rishid and I have been in the north until recent months. Bakura has only started traveling that far in the past year. You wouldn't have known where to look."

"But it's my fault it happened!" he burst out. "If I'd just stayed underground, if I hadn't tried to defy the laws of our forefathers you wouldn't have—!"

"It would have come to pass, regardless of when or how it happened."

Marik jerked violently, staring at his sister with wide eyes. "What?"

"The tragedy of our clan. Marik, if it had not happened at that moment then it would have happened later, no matter which path you took," she said firmly. "The Tauk has shown me all the outcomes. The one that has happened already is the optimal of the paths we took. Compared to what I have seen, I would rather keep our past the way it is.

"Marik, what happened was not entirely your fault. Yes, you decided to break our clan's rules, but Rishid and I did nothing to prevent your actions. We too bear blame for the tragedy of the Ishtar clan."

She hesitated, then straightened up. "No matter the outcome, however, one thing has remained constant in the visions shown to me by the Tauk. It pertains to you, little one."

Marik scowled. "I'm not so little anymore, sister," he muttered. The corner of Ishizu's mouth quirked upward in a small smile, but it did not remain long. Marik knew what it meant. "What did you see, Ishizu?"

Rishid and Ishizu exchanged subtle glances, and then his sister was turning to Sivya. "Forgive me, Sivya, but this is a matter we must discuss with Marik in private," she said gently.

She nodded in understanding. "Marik, I don't know where to go to join the others. I've never been to this part of the forest."

Marik came to her side, leading her to the base of the small hill. "Climb up, then turn left at the small oak sapling at the top. From there you'll see a small path. Take it and go straight the entire way," he explained, pointing over her shoulder at the tree at the top.

Sivya shot him a worried expression and Marik gave her an encouraging smile. "Go, Sivya," he said. "I'll be all right. I'm with my family again, and it's thanks to you in part that I have them back."

Sivya smiled in return, and Marik barely had time to realize what was happening before she had given him an impulsive hug. "I'm glad I could help you reunite with your beloved family," she said softly.

Marik awkwardly returned the hug, very much aware of his sibling's eyes on his back. He pulled out of the hug and gently redirected her back to the hill, and he waited until she had gotten out of sight before turning to his siblings. Noticing his sister's amused gaze, he turned pink.

"What's that look for?" he asked.

"Sivya spoke much of you on our journey," the woman said simply. Rishid also seemed to be hiding a smile when Marik turned to him, and then he realized the reason behind their smiles. He promptly scowled.

"Stop thinking that, you two. I'm a thief on the run from the law, she's a shepherdess, it wouldn't work," he said flatly.

Ishizu gave him a knowing smile. "If you say so."

Marik's scowl faded as he gazed at his siblings. "You both seem to like her, but you don't trust her enough to remain during a conversation between us," he said then. "What's so important that she can't remain for it?"

Ishizu's smile vanished immediately. The composed and serene look on her face flickered and he caught the tell-tale sign of doubt and hesitation. "Marik," she began slowly, "this conversation will not be an easy one."

Marik dipped his head to acknowledge the comment, waiting for his sister to continue.

"How much do you remember of Father's death?"

The memories slammed hard and fast, and Marik flinched. His hands twitched, skin crawling at the memory of blood soaking his hands. "I remember enough."

"…Do you remember actually killing Father?"

Marik's eyes slitted. "No," he answered, starting to bristle as his fists clenched. "No, I don't. To be honest, I don't want to. Despite all he did, the man was my father."

"Forgive us for our insensitivity, Master Marik, but we need to know. What do you remember?" This time it was Rishid who asked. Although his voice was gentle, there was a haunted edge to his own eyes—it was not just Marik or his father that had suffered in the catacombs that day.

Marik flinched under his brother's even gaze. "I've told you before not to call me 'master'," he said sullenly.

He remained silent for a few minutes as he looked at the ground, forcing back the waves of horror and guilt that rose within him. "H-How much do you want me to remember?" he asked at last, looking at his siblings with reluctance.

Ishizu's eyes flickered, but her composed expression remained. "You do not have to tell us of the events leading up to Father's death, little brother," she said gently. "We all know what happened before then."

The memories rose in his thoughts, unbidden and sharp in their presence: the smell of blood and burnt skin, the sound of Rishid's ragged sobs and screams that echoed, his father's eyes that glinted colder than the steel of the sword in his hand as he advanced on Marik and Ishizu—

—Warped laughter in his thoughts, a hand that was his and yet wasn't his that grasped a golden rod, the touch burning like flame as a hidden blade was unsheathed—

"Why are you asking me to remember the moment Father died?" Marik asked, an edge to his voice. "Ishizu, I don't remember how his blood got on me. I don't remember stabbing him—I don't even remember what weapon I used on him! Notice a pattern? I don't remember!"

"Marik—"

"I don't remember!"

But it was not Marik's voice that spoke then. There was a darker lilt, a warble that warped his voice as he snarled at them. It was the voice that had laughed in his mind that morning—it was his voice, and yet it wasn't.

Marik stiffened in horror, his eyes rounding in a suddenly pale face as one of his hands lifted to his neck; his fingers rested lightly on the golden choker that shielded his neck, but he could still feel a frightened pulse beneath his fingertips.

He turned an alarmed, searching gaze on his family. Did they notice it? Had they heard that sound come out of Marik's throat, as he had? Their faces, grim but resigned, gave him the answer.

Worse—they knew what it was.

"What happened to me?" he asked his siblings, voice shaking. "You're asking questions that I can't answer, and there's a gap in my memory. I always thought it was trauma that claimed that memory, and maybe it is, but…but you two know something. Don't lie," he added, noticing the hesitance in his sibling's expressions.

"…It is difficult to explain, Marik," began Ishizu at last. "Even with all the traveling we've done, and with the time we've had to examine what happened, we only have guesses and theories."

"I don't care!" Marik said sharply. "I don't care if you don't understand your own answers. What is going on? I've got voices laughing in my head, Ishizu, you can't just—"

"Master Marik." It was Rishid's calm voice that caused Marik's angry words to halt. "That day in the catacombs marked the death of Fa—of Master Ishtar," he said. "It also marked the creation of a monster."

A small hand that gripped the oddly heavy Rod. White hot pain that coursed through his hand and up to his skull at the touch of the cool gold. His knees hitting the sand, his hands clutching at his head. An altogether new pain, deep within his body, that made him feel as if he'd been ripped in half.

You want vengeance and suffering on those who've harmed you. I will grant it. It's what you have made me for.

Laughter. Cold, warped, cruel laughter all around him.

The world flared into a far too deep shade of red before the darkness took him.

Marik's breath was a sharp inhalation as the missing memories flooded his thoughts. He was left trembling, eyes wide in shock. He knew then what had happened to his father—he knew how the man had died. "This monster…I summoned it from the Shadows with the Rod, didn't I?" he asked heavily.

A large hand rested on his shoulder, the touch gentle and bracing. Marik automatically lifted his own hand and gripped Rishid's hand, seeking some sort of comfort from this new knowledge. There was still the mystery of the Rod's disappearance, but perhaps that was a question his siblings did not know the answer to.

"Marik…you are only partially correct."

Ishizu's morose voice caused Marik to violently start and his head shot up sharply. His sister's eyes, though pitying, held a tired resolve.

"How am I only partially correct?" he asked, his voice rough and shaking.

Ishizu looked over both of her brother's heads, as if seeking solace from the forest around them. Marik recognized the gesture and the expression. It was one she would adopt when their father snapped and snarled at her or Rishid. His sister—his steadfast, always composed sister—was afraid to give her answer. That alone spoke volumes.

At last, her gaze went back to Marik and he could see her steeling herself for the answer she was about to give. "The entity from the Shadows was not something you summoned—it was something that you created. Marik, it is you."

Marik felt the air leave him, the sound of the forest around him blanketed in abrupt silence as his horror, his fear, and his disbelief rose within him. "What?"

Ishtar tilted his head curiously, listening to something only he could hear. He straightened up abruptly and turned around. "Ah, so he knows," he said pleasantly. "I was wondering when he'd remember. It's been so long, Little Marik. I was growing tired of waiting."

He cast a bored gaze over the interior of the simple hut he was in, his eyes settling on the hapless villager he'd bound and silenced with Shadow; he'd been drunk before, but now he was stone cold sober. The man's eyes were wide in his pale face and through the Shadows came the frightened pulse of the man's heart. Ishtar could feel it, of course—he was the Shadow, after all.

Jean Claude had no idea where he was. That suited him—he was growing tired of Jean Claude's "master plan". All the wild cards had been removed from the game, and they were forced into a stalemate. It seemed like the game would end on a rather boring note. No one could speak out at the castle. The thief and magic caster would not come willingly to Hermos.

He would have to find a way to remedy this situation—there was no sport in a stalemate.

He returned his attention to his prey. "Such fear you have. Do you think me to be a devil?" he asked. "If you could speak, you would call upon your deity to save you, wouldn't you? Ah. That will not spare you, I'm afraid."

The man's eyes widened even further as Ishtar advanced slowly on him, a muffled cry leaving him as the Shadows tightened around him. Even now his prey's eyes went to the door, as if hoping someone was going to walk in at any moment.

"Most likely, you're asking why. 'Why me? What have I done? Who do I have to thank for my suffering?' We all ask those questions at least once in our lives," he said. "I was created by such questions."

Shadows flared out from beneath Ishtar's feet, creeping along the walls of the hut and swallowing everything in a blanket of darkness. His captive shrank away as best as he could manage, his heart beating even faster.

"It isn't personal. I'm bored and I need to let off some steam. I find myself completely at a loss as to what to do for my spare time. Terrorizing the populace keeps me mildly entertained," he explained casually. "I don't even know your name, nor do I care to learn it."

His grin broadened and he lifted the dagger over his head, earning a piteous and muffled wail from his victim. "But perhaps, you can offer me some entertainment to alleviate my boredom."

Sivya had arrived at the thief's lair long before Marik and his siblings did. However, it was quite some time before the rest of the Enterrans arrived. When Marik and his siblings finally came into view, there was a subdued and heavy aura that hung over them.

That wasn't to say their spirits were completely dampened. Whatever it was that had been discussed among them, it was clear Marik was still overjoyed to have his family back. As he introduced his family to them, the shadows in his eyes were briefly pushed back; he hardly left their sides, afraid to even let them out of his sight.

Bakura and Yami noticed the shift in Marik's behavior straight away. Their eyes followed after Marik whenever he moved, one expression calculating and the other unreadable. The younger Enterran was all too aware of the twin gazes being directed at him, however, and took to using Rishid as a screen to shield him from view.

As Marik, his siblings, and Sivya were all still thoroughly drenched and were coming close to collapsing in exhaustion, they were directed to the fireside to warm up; Tea procured even more blankets and made certain that each of the four was thoroughly covered by a blanket. After having a bowl of steaming broth placed in their hands—all lacking meat, in recognition of Enterran beliefs— Téa finally sat herself down next to Yami.

Téa's reason for sitting next to Yami was not simply because she knew him best. Aside from Marik's behavior, Yami himself was drawing concern—something was happening.

Although fair to begin with, his skin was growing ever paler. Shadows were blossoming beneath his eyes, and there was an edge of exhaustion surrounding him that had not been there before. He had not risen when Marik had come into the camp, choosing instead to rest; once his initial curiosity about Marik had been satisfied, he'd leaned against the nearest tree and had closed his eyes. If not for the subtle tilt of his head in the direction of voices, they'd be inclined to say he was asleep.

Only minutes after they had gathered around the fire, Bakura's eyes locked onto Yami. "All right, everyone's here," he announced shortly. "Yami, I find that my patience is growing thin. Read the letter you've been hiding."

Yami did not open his eyes. "I believe you have made it clear Princess Mai's affairs are not your business. Why are you so interested in her letter?"

"I want to see what Ryou risked his life for," snapped the thief angrily. "It better have very important information inside it, Yami."

Yami's eyelids lifted at that, his red eyes flecked with purple; there was no hiding the bone-deep weariness that now cloaked his body. "You seem to be rather insistent to bully an answer out of me, Bakura, but I answer on my own time."

Yami's tired gaze sharpened as his eyes landed on Ishizu was wearing and he straightened up. "I did not introduce myself. I apologize for that. Welcome at last, daughter of the Ishtar clan. You may call me Yami," he said, dipping his head in her direction.

Marik stiffened and leaned forward in his seat to put himself between the woman and Yami, his eyes narrowing. She gently rested a hand on his shoulder and some of the tension eased, but there was no disguising his distrust. Rishid noticed Marik's behavior, gained a frown of his own.

"Be at peace, both of you," said Yami calmly, the traces of a command in his voice. "I bear your sister no ill will."

Ishizu murmured something soothing in Enterran and both of her brothers leaned back, but all three siblings were watching Yami intently.

"I assume that Princess Mai has had a hand in your reunion?" Yami questioned, though it seemed he already knew the answer to his own question.

Jou's head shot up at Mai's mention and a startled whine left his throat. Rishid, Sivya and even Ishizu started violently at the motion, not yet used to the dragon's presence; Jou lowered his head and managed to look sheepish when he saw the reaction he'd caused.

Ishizu turned her gaze to Jou after she had recovered. "So you're the reason behind the Shadow game she was playing," she mused, and Jou stiffened at her words. "The last I left her, she was confused but unharmed. As far as I can see now, she is still alive."

"Shadow game?" Ryou sat up in alarm, as did Valon. "Mai was playing a Shadow game?"

Bakura snorted as he twirled a dagger in his hand. "I'm surprised you didn't notice, Ryou. Even Yugi could see it," he commented.

"Yugi's always been gifted with magic, of course he'd see it first," said Ryou. "Why didn't he say anything about it?"

"If he had, it would have triggered the Penalty game. She would have been lost," Yami said quietly. "Believe me when I tell you that he wanted to help her. If it had been an option, we would have."

Ishizu's eyes next went to Yami, meeting his red-eyed gaze before her attention focused on the Puzzle. "You know my name and you wear the Millennium Puzzle," she said, a question hanging in the air between them.

"There are no others who can bear the Tauk," said Yami. "As for your name, Marik spoke of you often over the years. I understand there are questions that must be asked and answers that must be given, but you have come at a time where there is much going on. For now, my attention must regretfully remain to the task at hand."

"Your 'task' pertains to Princess Mai," she said evenly, her fingertips brushing against the Tauk. "I find it troubling. Before last night I could see her future, but now…it is as if her fate is being blocked from the sight of the Tauk."

"I suspect we have a common enemy, though I do not know his identity," Yami replied. "He attacked my vessel weeks ago and took control of the dragon—all marks of a Shadow wielder holding the Rod. The same one who is blocking the sight of the Tauk is the same who threatens us."

"Not to interrupt the riddle contest going on over there, but I don't have time to waste, Yami," said Alister flatly, looking as if he was going to rise to his feet. "I've got other places to be."

"I told you to at least wait for Mai's letter to be read," Yami said, and the first note of impatience colored his tone. "I understand your concern for those at the castle, but you must place it aside for now."

Yami turned to Ishizu and then said, "Forgive me, but time is short. Alister has a point—we will have to catch up another time."

"If you wish it," she replied simply.

Yami reached into his cloak and then lifted out the parchment Ryou had given him. With one wave of his hand the paper flew to the center of the clearing. It was hovering in the air on its own, much to everyone's surprise, and the edges began glowing with a faint, purple light.

"It would be best if we heard this in Mai's own voice," he said absently, though the effort of using magic was costing him valuable energy. "I find I do not have the energy to read it on my own."

"I thought you could only use Shadow magic, Yami," said Marik with some surprise. "You're using a spell that doesn't require Shadow magic to cast."

Yami shot him a small smile that seemed to say I know something you don't.

No one had time to ask Yami for an explanation, for a familiar voice started reverberating through the clearing. Though Mai was clearly not present, Jou's head shot up so quickly that his neck popped with the sound of a falling tree and the dragon whined in startled pain.

"Hey guys. Long time no see. Well, I suppose I can't see you right now, can I? Great, now I'm rambling. Guess that game rattled me a lot more than I thought it did.

"I don't have time to tell you all what happened. There's a lot of ground I have to cover in a short amount of time and I can only give brief explanations, so my handwriting is completely horrible. Sorry in advance to whoever's reading this.

"Marik, let me give you good news first. I found your siblings. They should be on their way to you, and with any luck they get there about the same time my letter does. I told you I'm not such a bad person—no, you don't owe me anything, either, so banish that thought.

"I know you hate royalty, Marik, and I know you don't want to be anywhere near Hermos or its castle. But I don't have any other choice. There's a major problem here, and he calls himself Ishtar. He not only claims that he was created by you, he's saying he is you. I don't know what it means, but he's using a Shadow Item. Maybe your siblings might know about him, but he needs to be dealt with."

All eyes were drawn to Marik, shock mingling with confusion; aside from his older siblings, the only ones who did not seem troubled by the news were Yami, Bakura, and Alister. Marik, on the other hand, looked as if he wanted to sink into the ground. Rishid placed a comforting hand on his younger brother's shoulder before giving everyone a pointed look, at which their gazes moved elsewhere. Now they understood why Marik had seemed so troubled when he had returned.

Alister was one of the only ones who were still looking at the younger Enterran. His lips were pressed in a thin line. "Did you know he existed?" he asked, something cold in his voice.

Marik shook his head, golden earrings clinking against his face. "No. I didn't until Rishid and Ishizu told me this morning," he said quietly. His eyes lifted to meet Alister's. "That's what you meant when you said that I wouldn't like the answer, isn't it?"

Alister's eyes shifted to where Valon was standing before looking back to Marik. "He looked into your memories," he continued. "He attacked Valon at one point to get at us, and he's also got Elya locked up somewhere in the castle. Those are things about us that he couldn't have known about unless he was here."

Marik gave a helpless shrug. "It's possible he did. I can't tell you much about him because I didn't know about him, but if he's got a similar connection to me that Bakura and Yami have with Yugi and Ryou…well, I can't say what he's capable of."

"And this Marik look-alike would explain how Kaiba came to believe I attacked his dragon," said Bakura flatly, his eyes narrowing. "It would not take much to conjure a doppelganger of myself using Shadow, and Kaiba's dragons are too stupid to understand the difference. They smell Shadow magic on me when I come close, they scented Shadow magic the night of the attack. They wouldn't understand that it was someone else orchestrating the attack on the kit."

Valon had paled at Alister's words, finally finding his words as Bakura finished. "What are you on about me bein' attacked?" he snapped indignantly. "I'd think I'd remember some loony tha' looks like Marik targetin' me with a Shadow item!"

"You told me earlier that you had no idea of how you lost your bow," Alister said, an edge to his words. "You don't remember how that happened because Ishtar took control of you with the Millennium Rod. He—"

Alister abruptly broke off, looking away as a pained grimace crossed his features. He shook his head when Valon glared at him. "You're better off not knowing."

"And that night at the Turtle Shop, Jou attacked Mai because Ishtar made him," said Téa in realization, looking up at the dragon with an encouraging smile. "See, Jou? It wasn't your fault after all!"

"Ishtar's also the reason I killed my father," Marik said grimly, causing Téa's smile to falter. His lavender eyes went back to the parchment, which had fallen silent in the amount of time that they had been talking. "Yami, you can resume. We can talk about this later."

Yami's face remained impassive, but there was an unidentified note in his words when he spoke. "I am sorry, Marik."

"Yeah, sure," Marik said brusquely, though his shoulders slumped. Sivya hesitated and then came alongside Marik, taking one of his hands and giving it a reassuring squeeze. Yami waved his hand again at the parchment and the letter glowed once again.

"Bakura," said Mai's voice, and everyone's attention returned to the paper in the clearing. "I understand now why you took me when you did. You could see the Shadow magic, couldn't you? Would have been nice to know why, but I get why you didn't. You already know this, but I confirmed it. You weren't responsible for what happened to Kaiba's baby dragon. Ishtar framed you for that—Jean Claude's got a sword fashioned from White Dragon scales. Remind Kaiba of that and point him in Jean Claude's direction when you get the chance.

" I'm still not sure whether to count you as an ally or not, to be perfectly honest, but I did promise you maps of Enterra. I'm including my seal in this letter. Take it to my home in Thystia and those maps will be given to you—though now that I think about it, you'd better have someone else get them for you. Also, don't yell at Ryou for leaving."

"Too late," muttered Bakura irritably, scowling at a suddenly too innocent-looking Ryou.

"Valon…I'm sorry. I couldn't keep your friends safe and alive after all, and it's a lousy way to repay you for helping me as much as you did. I could stop them from being executed, but I couldn't stop them from being punished. Alister was unstrung and killed, but Jean Claude claims it was Bakura's fault—don't believe him.

"As for Raphael…I don't know where he is now, but Jean Claude said he was sent back to the forest. There's a good chance that's a lie, and if so…Valon, I'm so sorry, hon, but I think he's gone now too."

Alister and Valon simultaneously paled, eyes widening in fear. The Aurosian abruptly shot to his feet and started forward. He was stopped only by Ryou catching his arm at the last second. There was a low murmur that they couldn't fully hear, but they all heard Valon's sharp retort of "'m goin'. I'm goin' up there right now, don' you tell me t' stay put—"

"Valon, if he's dead he will be avenged. He would not want you endangering yourself idly," said Yami, and despite his sudden exhaustion they could still hear the silent command. "We will be going there within the next few days, but you must remain here until then."

"Tha' bloody git's gone and killed Raph, I am not stayin' 'ere any longer!" Valon burst out angrily, blue eyes lit with fire. His accent had noticeably thickened. "First Alister nearly dies, now it's Raph. I won' stay 'ere anymore, I won'—!"

"She only said that she thinks he was slain," Yami said sharply. "If he is alive, we must proceed with caution. He cannot have us act foolishly—his life depends on us remaining where we are until we have a plan."

Valon glowered silently, but he stepped back after pulling himself free from Ryou and sat next to Alister. The mutinous expression on the two young men's faces did not disappear, however, and Alister's hands were clenched tightly around his bow.

Yami waited to see if there would be any further outburst before he waved his hand at the letter, which once more began to glow.

"Speaking of apologies…Jou, I owe you the biggest one of all. I finally remembered."

Jou whined, halfway rising at the miserable note punctuating Mai's words.

"You were trying to tell me from day one that something wasn't right. You kept trying to get me to remember and you kept me safe while I was out here in the forest. You asked me to trust you, to help you, you even reached out to me when you saw me in the castle that night, and…and I let you down.

"Jou, I can't even articulate how sorry I am. I knew something wasn't right about you attacking me, but I let my fear cloud my judgment. I told Ryou to tell you to see me next new moon, but now I'm afraid I'm pulling back that offer. If my plan doesn't work out—and there's a huge possibility that it won't, considering that I'm still thinking it through—I won't remember you when you come up here. I don't want to hurt you any further, so please stay back. I'll do what I can for Serena to keep her from any further harm. You have my word.

"That brings me to the final person I need to talk to. Yami, you did what you could to help and you have my thanks, but you've also asked plenty from me and others. Now it is my turn to demand something of you.

"Yugi is a magic caster. I don't know how healthy he is now, but he can cast spells. You told me once that you needed Jou's full name to break the spell. At the moment, I've got all my memories back. I would rather say it in person than rely on a letter, as there's a risk that this letter will be intercepted and you may not even get it at all, but I'm a trying sort of person. Here's to hoping.

"His name is Prince Jousef. J-O-U-S-E-F. I know, weird spelling. Jou hates it, but that's his real name. Use that to break the spell on him. I don't know what Ishtar is going to do now because I beat the Shadow game, but he might take it out on Jou and I don't want that to happen. You owe me that much, Yami.

"After I send this letter, Vivian will leave Hermos to ride for my cousin's castle. She'll tell him what's going on and with any luck Duke acts on what she says. I don't want a lot of attention going to Hermos. While everyone seems to have either forgotten Jou or they don't know Jean Claude's a fake, I know enemies of his kingdom would leap at the chance to strike while Jou's away. Help will come to Hermos in the next few days, barring any unforeseen circumstance.

"I'll see you around, with or without memories."

The paper stopped glowing and fluttered gently in the wind, already falling toward the still-wet grass. Jou let out a soft, miserable sound and his massive head bent down, carefully catching the parchment in his teeth and lifting it back into the air; he deposited the parchment on one of his massive palms and gazed down at it with a forlorn expression.

"Prince Jousef…prince?" asked Valon, some of the anger fading from his face to be replaced with disbelief. He jerked a thumb up at the dragon. "Tha' bloke's royalty?"

"He is," said Alister grimly. "Jou's the real prince of Hermos—Jean Claude is just some phony, cowardly ex-lord with a superiority complex."

"How could this have happened?" asked Sivya, a worried frown marring her features. "Surely someone would have noticed a false prince by now! How could a prince be cursed and a fake one take his place?"

Alister shrugged. "I don't know why no one else has commented on it. I'd say it was a result of memory spells, but Jean Claude is no magic caster. He doesn't have the resources to enchant an entire kingdom to forget, to say nothing of those outside the kingdom who know Jou's identity."

"He has resources if Dartz is working with him, and there are strong indications that he is. There is no spell on the citizens of Hermos, however—Yugi would have sensed such immense power gathered in one place. The citizenry genuinely do not know who their true prince is," said Yami, turning his back on them and leaning heavily against a tree.

Almost everyone shot the shorter man varying looks of surprised disbelief. Rishid was the first to speak, looking particularly troubled. "How can a kingdom be unaware of their ruler's identity?"

Yami did not turn as he replied, but they all heard the note in his voice. Yami's confident assurance was mingling with a bone-deep exhaustion. "That will be explained at the proper time, and only with permission from the one that question pertains to."

Ryou frowned, sitting up as a thought occurred to him. The blanket around his shoulders fell around his feet. "Wait a moment. Yami, you said that someone had to speak Jou's full name in his presence to break the spell. We've said the name 'Jousef' several times already, and yet nothing's happening. Jou's still a dragon."

"Oh, that would be far too easy," said Bakura drily, catching everyone off guard. "Yes, we have his true name, but just simply speaking it…considering how complex the spell is to begin with, you can understand it would not have such a simple way to break it. Clever that she spelled the name out."

"How so?"

"There are plenty of young men in the region named 'Joseph', but only one that has such a unique spelling to his name. Spelling the name would allow a wizard to guarantee the counter spell would affect only the dragon. Using the name must be spoken in conjunction with the spell," finished Bakura, leaning against the tree.

Yami was keeping his back to him, and when he spoke that strange note was stronger in his voice. "Curiosity compels me to ask, thief. When did you come to know so much of magic?"

"Ryou hangs around the little magic caster. I read Ryou's memories all the time. Hard to miss certain details pertaining to magic, considering that little fact," came the wry explanation.

"Well wha's the problem, then? Cast the spell, Yami, so we can get Jou back t' normal and then we can go to the castle!" said Valon impatiently, but both Bakura and Ryou started shaking their heads.

"We've said it often enough, Valon. Yami can only use Shadow magic. What Yugi can do is currently beyond Yami," said Ryou tiredly. "He can't break the spell on Jou, not without using Shadow magic—and given how many curses are woven into the one spell keeping Jou as a dragon, you can bet that using the power of the Millennium Puzzle would only hurt Jou."

A long and morose silence fell then, marred only by the sound of chirping birds from above them. The rain had stopped falling and rays of sunlight were starting to pierce through the clouds above them; the light caught the raindrops that were still clinging to the ground, lighting the droplets in a myriad of color.

"…Well, that's true."

Téa stiffened and her head lifted sharply, turning to face Yami and halfway rising out of her seat at the tired, familiar voice that spoke. Gathering at the base of Yami's feet were roughly a dozen glowing orbs of light, the almost translucent butterfly wings clearly visible within them; as they watched the balls of light began moving around the clearing, catching the sunlight dappling through the trees and creating a beautiful kaleidoscope of light in the clearing.

"Yami can't use spells that aren't infused with Shadow magic. I can."

By now everyone was staring at Yami, who had somehow seemed to shrink while their focus had been on the floating lights. Téa's mouth had half-opened and her eyes were wide and hopeful as Yami turned to face them—

But it wasn't Yami, not really. The red eyes had returned to their original violet hue and seemed larger, more innocent than Yami's slanted eyes. The face was younger, rounder even as it was gaunt.

Those who understood what had just happened carried expressions that ranged from delighted to stunned disbelief; those who had only just recently joined the group still gained the impression that some long-lost friend had just returned. A single glance at the shorter wizard was more than enough evidence that someone new was present—someone who had been absent for almost six weeks.

Yugi offered a tired wave to the stunned looking group. He was clearly still recovering, as evidenced by his still frail features and far too pale complexion, but he was still standing before them. "Hi, everyone," he announced with an exhaustion filled smile. "It's been a while since I've been in my own body. If I fall over or trip over air, feel free to poke fun at me," he added with a gentle laugh.

The oddly menacing aura rising from the Millennium Puzzle served as Yami's silent warning to do just the opposite.

As Yugi's eyes moved around the clearing at the large group his smile gained an apologetic air. "I'm sorry that I worried you all, but I'm here now and I'm planning on staying."