At last the action kicks off...sort of! And hey, look at that, this time it only took a month!

I know this is starting to get redundant but THANK YOU for reading. It always overwhelms me when I see reviews, alerts, and favorites. I really do appreciate that, and I hope that you continue to enjoy the story. I'll try my hardest to respond to reviews in a timely fashion, but if I can't know that I appreciate them all the same :)

...Also, I will be severely disappointed if no one spots a season 0 callback.

Content warning: implied verbal harassment to female characters from Keith.

It was already hard enough to read the enchanted map without the wind blowing as fiercely as it was, but it was doubly hard to read the map while on the back of a dragon and while holding onto an enchanted burlap sack. Yugi had told him that it was bewitched to hold anything and everything inside without having to change size, which would come in handy when it came to transporting the banished guards. The only drawback was that it was a sack, not a satchel.

Alister had to constantly check his grip on the dragon's scales in addition to making sure that the map and the bag did not blow away—he was not entirely confident that Kaiba would rescue him if he accidentally slipped off.

The sun had not yet risen, though the first rays of sunlight were starting to pierce the night sky as they traveled; already there was a rosy glow from the east, the edge of the sun just barely visible from the mountains around them.

Alister noted with relief that the pale blue triangle on the parchment was now moving ever closer to the glowing red dot on the map; Yugi had told him that the triangle represented Kisara, while the red dot symbolized their destination. If he never flew on a dragon again, it would be all too soon.

The thought was quashed when he remembered that there was still a return journey ahead of him.

He tapped Kaiba's shoulder, waiting until the other man partially turned his head before calling over the roar of the wind. "We're almost there!"

Kaiba grunted, patting the side of Kisara's neck to signal her. "I've known that for almost an hour. Kisara can smell their campfires," he said bluntly, the dragon turning neatly as she started to angle downward. "We're on top of them."

Kisara's descent was gentle, the dragon nearing the edge of a grove of trees. Alister caught sight of tents and campfires, clothes hanging to dry on lines strung between the trees, and of neatly stacked weapons. Though it had seemed to be a sleepy atmosphere from above, there was now a flurry of movement and low, alarmed voices that greeted them as Kisara landed. A disgusted noise rose from her throat as she lowered her body to allow the humans off her back.

"I agree, Kisara. They're far too noisy," Kaiba said as his feet touched the earth. "Go."

Alister did not realize Kaiba had been talking to him until the other man shot him a pointed look and he rolled his eyes. "I'm not a people person and I don't take orders."

"Lies. If I was a brute over six feet tall with blond hair, or if I had an annoying and barely-believable obnoxious accent—"

"Let me amend my previous comment: I don't take orders from you."

"You knew you'd have to convince a large group to return back to Hermos. Why would you even volunteer to go if you knew you had to interact with people?"

"I have my own agenda, you know."

"And you think I haven't wasted my precious time on an errand I didn't want to go on?"

Kisara growled then, bringing them to attention as one man cautiously stepped forward out of the trees. He was around Raphael's age, with brown hair held back in a braid. He was holding a spear and clearly debating on whether he should throw the weapon in his hand at the enormous beast looming over him. Kaiba's eyes narrowed, one hand shifting to his sword.

Alister repressed a groan and moved forward, shooting Kaiba a pointed look as he moved. "Easy, Volxis," he called, holding his hands up. "Consider these guys friends for now."

There was a pause and then the man lowered the spear. "Alister?" he asked, sounding both incredulous and skeptical. "What—I thought—what are you doing here?"

By now several others had emerged from the camp, each carrying a weapon in their hands. Kaiba's eyes moved between each man that stepped into the open, his gaze threatening harm if any tried to attack Kisara; in the same manner, Kisara was clearly waiting for any signal to defend her master.

Alister looked around at them all. "Look, it's a long story and I've got only minutes to tell it. I'll explain it as we go, but if you could listen as you pack that would really help. We've got a wedding to go and crash, and we don't have much time to do it."

A gentle shake of his shoulder was what first woke him. "Jou?"

He turned, rolling over on his side and pulling the blanket over his head. "Five more min's, Ma, 'n' then I'll feed the cow," he muttered under his breath.

"But Jou, I'm not…um…Jou, we're here."

It took only a few seconds to process the statement before Jou's eyes snapped open and he jack-knifed into a sitting position. The motion drove his head into someone else's. He yelped out a curse, clutching his now throbbing forehead; when he opened his watering eyes, it was to see Yugi was in a similar position across from him.

"Sorry, Yugi," he apologized. "I just—we're here?" he asked, leaning out the back of the wagon. He caught a glimpse of familiar light-gray stone walls on the hill that towered above him, and he nearly fell from the wagon to take in the view. How long had it been since he had seen this place as a human?

"We got here about ten minutes ago," Yugi said, and as Jou turned he noted the bright red mark in the middle of the shorter man's forehead. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah. At least, there's no threat of me passing out at random," he added, rubbing his still throbbing head. "How about you, little man?"

Yugi arched an eyebrow, his lips thinning the slightest bit as he scowled. "Perhaps we can leave my height out of that question," he remarked, though a small smile now played on his lips. "I'm okay, aside from now having a headache."

"Sorry," Jou said, slightly guilty.

"It's fine, really. I can understand your enthusiasm," Yugi replied warmly. "If I was in your shoes, I'd be just as excited to see home again."

Jou grinned at the wizard as he leaned out the back of the wagon again, though the smile faded slightly as he gazed up at the castle. As he leaned out again, however, he realized he'd moved too far forward and with a startled yelp he toppled out of the wagon to hit the ground face first.

"The prince o' 'ermos, ladies 'n' gents. Always the picture of dignity."

As Jou currently had a mouthful of dirt and grass in his mouth, he instead contented himself with shooting a rude gesture at Valon before he sat up. The Aurosian was leaning against a nearby tree and did not look the least bit bothered by Jou's actions, instead grinning widely at the other young man.

"'n' 'ello t' you too," said Valon cheerfully, his gaze moving to where Yugi was clambering out of the wagon. "Téa says tha' the city's only 'bout twenty minutes away, 'n' since the forest is still pretty lush 'n' thick we've got some cover."

"Good. That'll give us the chance to finalize our preparations," said Yugi as he bent down beside Jou. He helped the other man to his feet and handed him a small cloth to wipe his face off on. "Are the others awake?"

"Yup, 'n' I got sent to get you blokes, so we better hurry up b'fore Bakura gets antsy," said Valon. "C'mon."

Yugi and Jou exchanged glances before following the Aurosian. As they passed through the rest of the caravan, Jou noticed that there were many people pulling out costumes, instruments, and even erecting impromptu stages and half-formed tents. Noticing where the taller man was looking, Yugi turned to watch as well. "Téa's troupe always inspects the equipment and the costumes for any sign of damage. Given that this is their first time performing in a castle, they're being a little more meticulous than usual."

"This is their first time in a castle?" Jou repeated, surprised.

"Most of the time her troupe performs at festivals or in town squares."

Jou frowned at that. It was a shame that their first performance in a place of royalty would most likely not be acknowledged…he would have to rectify that, once he was back on the throne. He looked up to the sky, trying to find the sun to gauge the time. "Do you think the wedding's happened yet?"

Valon shrugged. "Prob'ly not. I used t' live near a church 'n' the bells would be tollin' every time someone died or got married. 'm not hearin' any bells, so that's gotta be a good thing."

"It is," announced Téa cheerfully, her head poking itself around the corner of a nearby scaffolding. "One of my friends just got back from the town. The wedding's taking place at the castle, midday. It's still early in the morning. We've got just enough time to get things squared away. The others are in the last wagon in the back, by the way."

She gestured to a wagon that was partially hidden behind a birch tree, and after thanking Téa the three of them continued. Jou climbed into the wagon, allowed his eyes to adjust to the difference in light before moving any further; on the left were Marik and his siblings, with Ryou in the back of the wagon. Jou took a seat near Ryou, allowing Yugi and Valon to climb in behind him, and Téa followed shortly afterwards.

"So what do we have goin' on?" asked Jou. "Now that everyone's here, we can figure things out, right?"

"Yes," said Ryou. "One of the biggest problems we have is recognition. Aside from myself, Marik, Jou, and Valon are the most recognizable of our group. Rishid's been seen by Ishtar before, but it won't take as much to disguise his appearance as it will us—which is why I've brewed this potion for the rest of us."

As he spoke, he pulled out three small vials that contained a pale blue liquid, passing them out to the people he had named; he held onto the one he had prepared for himself. Jou eyed the vial suspiciously before looking to Ryou.

"This won't make me grow another head, will it?" he asked doubtfully.

Ryou's eyebrows arched before he pulled the stopper out of his vial and downed the contents in a gulp. Almost instantly Ryou's white hair darkened to a pale brown, his fair skin tanning as his eyes turned a deep cobalt blue.

"Wow, Ryou!" said Téa, her eyes lighting up. "I can't even tell it's you!"

Ryou smiled. "That's the point. Magic is detectable by wards, but potions are harder because they alter a physical body without using a copious amount of magic. Still, to be safe I diluted the dose so it won't last as long. Marik, Jou, your turn."

The two young men eyed each other warily. At length, Jou held his vial up and announced, "Cheers," before he swallowed the potion. Immediately he felt his scalp start to gently tingle, his eyes burning only for a second before the sensations vanished as quickly as they had come. He looked up to gauge a reaction, his eyes first going to Yugi. "So…how do I look?"

Yugi rummaged in his cloak for a small mirror and held it up. "Not bad. I can still tell it's you, but I had to squint for a few seconds," he said as Jou took it, already studying his reflection.

His previously blond hair had turned a russet brown, while his complexion now matched Ishizu's. His eyes had turned a strange shade of hazel, not quite blue and not quite gold. It was slightly disorienting to look at, but he could still see himself in the reflection. "This isn't permanent, is it?" he asked, looking around anxiously.

"No," Marik responded, grimacing as he caught sight of himself in the mirror. The shade of his hair was now a golden blond, while his eyes were a dark shade of indigo; his skin had remained just about the same shade, perhaps darker if one looked closely.

Ryou nodded, holding his hand out to take the now empty vials from Jou and Marik. "It'll only last two hours at most. Add a few extra touches here and there, and no one will be able to tell it's us. Valon and Rishid are simple enough to disguise without a potion, and Ishizu can pretend to be Sivya."

Téa frowned. "But what about Yugi?" she asked, looking to the shorter wizard worriedly. "Ryou, don't you have a potion for him?"

Yugi shook his head sadly. "I was born with magic, Téa. No amount of potion can hide that—the moment I come within range of the wards I'll set them off," he explained. "Thankfully the most these wards do is set off an alarm instead of the nastier ones, like where you end up having your blood boiled—"

"But we're not leaving you behind, Yug," Jou said sharply. "Not a chance of that happenin'!"

Yugi smiled reassuringly at them both. "I'll be tagging along, but I'll be sneaking in another way," he said, turning to Ryou. "I'm pretty sure Bakura stole what I'll be using some time ago, though, so…Ryou?"

The white-haired man smiled as he pulled out a medium sized pouch from inside his cloak. On the pouch's front was a familiar design sewn with red thread into the soft leather—a magic-jamming circle.

"Sorry," he said apologetically. "By the time I realized he had stolen it I was all the way in Haurand. You'll be pleased to note it still works."

Valon started in surprised recognition at the bag, snapping his fingers as he almost fumbled over his words. "I know what tha' is!" he said at last, pointing at the bag excitedly. "Elya worked on that a couple years ago, righ' before she 'n' Raph got hitched!"

"I commissioned Elya to make this, yes," Yugi agreed amicably. "Elya's the only person I know who can sew straight, precise stitches in any design. Given the need for accuracy when it comes to magic circles, I figured having her help would be best."

"Besides, she doesn't practice magic and was born without that gift, so there wasn't any transference of magical energy into the thread she used. That's why Bakura stole it," Ryou added dryly.

"But what is it?" asked Marik with a frown, leaning over to get a look at it. "What's its purpose? Bakura's never shown me."

You never asked, Bakura replied bluntly, signaling that he was awake.

Yugi smiled before he reached over for one of Marik's daggers. "May I?" he asked.

The Enterran shrugged, handing over the knife. "Be my guest," he replied, though he was watching the wizard intently.

Yugi took the too-long dagger and held it up next to the bag, showing that the knife was distinctly larger than the bag, and then casually dropped the knife into the bag. Instead of sticking out, however, the weapon disappeared inside the little pouch completely.

"There's an expansion spell I cast on the interior of the pouch, and it can hold anything of almost any size. I gave a similar bag to Alister to help transport Jou's men back to Hermos without overwhelming Kisara," Yugi explained cheerfully when he noticed the startled looks being given. "That spell was cast prior to having the circle sewn to the outside of the bag.

"When the circle was sewn on that expansion spell was made a target of the circle, so the magic inside fuels the circle outside. Because of that, the circle is active. This pouch can get any magic item through wards because the circle literally jams the magic around it."

Jou leaned forward. "That's brilliant," he breathed. "And it works?"

"Yep! Grandpa and I tested it out on all kinds of wards of varying strength, and any magic item placed inside the pouch made it through without being detected," Yugi said. "I'll be hiding in here when we go to Hermos, and I'll also have the Ring and Puzzle with me. Ishizu, I'm terribly sorry to ask, but the Tauk will have to go in here as well."

One of Ishizu's delicate hands rose to her neck, her fingers brushing against the golden necklace in a slightly defensive manner. "I understand," she said quietly. "But I will only give it when we move from here. As I am still its guardian, I would like it returned."

"Of course," Yugi reassured her. "I'll make certain nothing happens to it."

"Well, tha's good 'n' all, but what 'appens once we get into the castle?" Valon pointed out, sounding impatient.

The boy's thinking for once. It's all fine and dandy that you're disguising yourselves, but that's only step one of many that we have yet to take. What's been discussed so far also fails to address what happens once inside, let alone how we're going to take on Jean Claude and his men unarmed.

"Bakura's got a point. You can bet that all the weapons not in use are locked up in the armory, wherever that may be in the castle, and we can't exactly waltz around until we find it," said Marik flatly.

"We could hide some weapons in with the props," Téa said helpfully. "As long as they're well dispersed in the props, no one will check to see if they're real or not."

"But what of the unarmed men inside the guardhouse? We can hide our own weapons, but without weapons for the others they will be of little help to us in a battle," Rishid said then, glancing to where his quarterstaff was still in reach. "That also does nothing to free them."

"There are tunnels that run under the castle," Jou said immediately. "You can't get into them from outside the walls anymore, but you can access them from the stables and get into any point anywhere inside the castle. Among other places you can get into the armory, as well as the dungeons and the guardhouse."

"And no one else knows of these secret passages?" asked Ryou with some surprise. "I find that hard to believe, especially with the older castle guards."

"The secrecy behind the tunnels was in case someone on the inside of the castle betrayed the royal family," said Jou with a shake of his head. "Aside from my sister, Tristan, and myself, no one else knows about them—not even Jethro, and he's been there longer than any of the other guards."

Marik winced at the mention of the underground passageways but waved off the concern. "I'll be fine," he said, though he turned to Rishid and added in a mutter, "the tunnels always have to be underground, don't they?"

Jou grinned as a small smile lit Rishid's features, but as he turned to Yugi he sobered. "Can the other men get out of that guardhouse if they go underground? I know you said that stepping outside the door means you get incinerated on the spot, but can they go under the door?"

Yugi frowned at that. "I think it should be safe," he said at last. "Ishtar may not know about the tunnels, so he may not have entrenched his spell to encompass them. Besides, it's hard to cast spells underground and that particular curse is usually used on the exterior of a building."

Jou relaxed. "Great! So we should be good now, right?"

"Yes, I think that should do it for now," said Yugi. "We can use the tunnels to get anywhere in the castle, so that solves the problem of trying to get into the throne room without being caught. We should get going."

"Marik, Jou, come with me," said Ryou as he rose to his feet. "We still have to add the finishing touches on your disguises."

Both named men exchanged glances. "Like what?"

Ryou suddenly looked away, trying to hide a smile. "Um…well…you'll see soon enough," he said mysteriously. He looked around him and added, "Everyone else should go. Valon, Rishid, hang around this wagon—we've got to disguise you as well."

Valon rose to his feet, already hopping out of the wagon adroitly. "I'll be back in a bit," he said. "Call me when it's my turn, 'kay?"

Valon had no sooner stepped out of the wagon and into the sunshine when the sound of an eagle's cry pierced the air. Valon started in surprise as he looked up, and after searching the sky for a few quick seconds he saw the eagle flying down to him. It landed gracefully on a tree branch above him, giving a cry of welcome as it regarded him with warm golden eyes. Around the eagle's neck was a small leather strap with a familiar crest etched into the leather.

Valon felt the grin already stretching across his features at the familiar sight. "Eatos!" he greeted happily, holding an arm out to allow the eagle to perch. The large talons dug into the leather vambrace on his arm as Eatos landed, but Valon easily accommodated the bird as he carefully leaned against the tree behind him. "You're a sight f'r sore eyes."

Téa stared in awe at the sight of Eatos. "She's huge," she said, careful not to make eye contact with Eatos when the eagle looked at her. Over the years Téa had caught glimpses of the large eagle, but never had she been this close.

"Yup," Valon said happily, stroking the soft feathers on her head. The eagle leaned into the touch, clearly missing the attention. "Real smart, too. It's been a while, 'asn' it?"

He noticed the almost hopeful way the eagle was looking about the clearing. It took him a few moments to properly comprehend what she was doing, but when he realized why she was casting her gaze about his expression softened. "Sorry, Eatos," he said heavily, stroking a spot behind her eye with a finger. "I might be 'ere, but Raph's not."

Eatos studied him for a moment before she took to the sky once again, disappearing over the tops of the trees within seconds. Valon watched her go, his shoulders slumping for the briefest of moments before he straightened. "So, Ryou, you done yet?" he called gruffly.

"Um…yes, for now," Ryou replied, leaning out. "Valon, Rishid, you two come over. Jou and Marik, you know what you have to do."

Jou and Marik came out of the wagon then, both looking as if they were contemplating murder. They each carried a bundle of cloth in their arms, disappearing into the bushes nearby. Valon and Rishid watched them go, both baffled, but Ryou called them once again and they came over.

"Wha's got them mad?" asked Valon.

Ryou sighed. "You'll see in a moment. I only ask you don't laugh when they finish changing. Now, let's get you squared away."

It took fifteen minutes to properly disguise Rishid and Valon. Because Ryou looked so uncannily like the Thief King, he had gotten especially adept at forming disguises. When the caravan was ready to leave and Valon and Rishid finally emerged from the wagon, it took a good deal of studying to recognize them.

Valon's hair had been pulled back into a ponytail that was high on his head, a pair of what Ryou referred to as "goggles" resting over Valon's bangs. His leather vambraces had been hidden by long, blue arm warmers, while his clothes were brightly colored; the top was a pale crème, paired with a long, light tan vest that halted at Valon's knees, and it was paired with long blue sultan pants, a cyan-colored sash lined with silver coins at his waist. Valon was now barefoot, with a single gold hoop earring in his left earlobe (a fake one that clipped on, Ryou had told him).

Rishid was perhaps most noticeably different, in that his scars were no longer visible. Ryou had found a long black wig in the props, and after securing it to a pauper's cap he had fixed it so that a good portion of the hair completely obscured the left half of Rishid's face; given that Ishtar could still try to possess Marik at any moment Ryou had felt that hiding the scars with makeup would not be in their best interest. He had also ensured that it blended seamlessly with Rishid's ponytail. Beyond that, Rishid's wardrobe only changed in that Ryou had him exchange his dark purple shirt with a white one—and given that no one could see the scars, everyone had trouble recognizing Rishid.

Once Ryou had finished with them he had disappeared into the bushes to help Marik and Jou, and after ten more minutes he emerged. They were also completely unrecognizable, he assured them before he disappeared into the wagon to start on his own disguise. But so far no one had seen them—neither one had left the cover of the bushes.

"You're wasting time. Everyone is ready to go and we're waiting on you guys. Come on out," said Téa exasperatedly.

"Never."

Téa placed her hands on her hips, scowling. "I don't see what the problem is, especially since you two won't step out and show us."

Marik's voice carried a rasp of warning in it. "And that's how it's going to stay. I am not leaving this bush."

The brown-haired girl scowled, rolled up her sleeves, and disappeared into the bushes. Two voices simultaneously yelped in pain as Téa dragged them into the open by their ears. She had not properly looked at them, but as she released them and turned to scold them the words died in her throat.

Valon took one look at Marik and Jou before he promptly hunched over, fighting back the laughter. Marik was especially adept at throwing knives and Rishid was right there next to him, and that was what stopped him from laughing outright. At this point he was positive he was going to break a rib or two if he did not let it out—it felt like his ribs were creaking with effort.

Rishid looked surprised at the sight of his brother, while Yugi tried not to smile. Ishizu looked as if she was struggling mightily to retain her dignity, but in the end she was the first one who spoke.

"I always wondered what my sister would look like, should I ever chance to have one," she commented, keeping her face remarkably straight.

That was all it took for Valon to hit the ground, roll over, and die. His roaring laughter rang through the clearing, drawing the attention of those around him, and while several shot them confused glances no one joined in on the laughter.

Marik was clothed in a high-collared, deep purple dress, half of his hair pulled up. His golden jewelry had been replaced with pearls, some even strung through his hair in a strange sort of circlet; the barest hint of color had been applied to his cheeks and lips. Ryou had not messed with the kohl around Marik's eyes, most likely because Marik would not have allowed it.

Jou, meanwhile, had been placed in a pale lavender dress that just barely passed his knees, a thin edge of lace ruffling at the hem; a pair of soft deerskin boots had been given to hide his legs. A pale cape had been added to cover Jou's shoulders, and his hair had been styled into wavy curls. Blue makeup had been put onto Jou's eyes, while a deep red had been applied to his lips and cheeks. Compared to Marik, he looked a tad more comfortable in the clothes he was wearing, but not by much.

"I mean, it isn't the worst thing I've worn," Jou said, eyeing the dress. "The lace is a bit much, but I can work it."

At the looks he was being given, Jou raised an eyebrow. "Please remember I have a little sister who did in fact like to play dress up and she had absolutely no one else to do it with."

Ryou stepped out of the wagon. He also was in a dress, though it was a modest crème colored one with a teal collared shirt visible beneath it. His hair had been pulled back by an aquamarine cloth, and a pale pink lip color was the only makeup he had applied. "It's because they'll be looking for men who are not supposed to be there. Women practically slip under the radar," he replied, looking almost perfectly at ease in his attire. "You'd be surprised at how often I managed to fool the so-called smartest men in the world by donning a dress."

If you're done playing dress up, could we please go? Bakura asked irritably. We've wasted enough time as it is.

Téa nodded, already moving towards a horse. "I'll go ahead of you and announce we're on the way. It'll save you the trouble of having to deal with the guards if they know we're coming."

Yugi started. "But—!"

"No 'buts', Yugi. I'll be fine. I'll just claim we're a little lost and that we're coming, then I'll come right back," she assured him as she mounted. Before he could stop her, she took off at a canter out of the clearing.

Jou noticed Yugi's look that followed Téa's departure, laying a hand gently on Yugi's shoulder. "She's scary strong, Yug," he said. "She could give Mai a run for her money in terms of toughness. Téa will be okay—that's a promise."

Yugi offered him a wan smile, turning to look at him. "Thanks for that, Jou."

Jou's grin grew wider. He slapped Yugi on the back. "Téa won't prove me wrong. If she does, I'll have you turn me into a dragon again—only it'll be some little baby dragon thing that can't do much," he declared.

This time the magic caster's smile was genuine. "Or I'll turn you into some fluffy flying hammer," he replied with a mischievous light in his eyes.

Or I could set him on fire, Yami added helpfully, startling them both.

"No setting people on fire, Yami, you remember what happened last time," Yugi said flatly. Noticing Jou's suddenly pale expression, he added, "Don't worry, I won't let Yami burn you alive or anything like that. Now, I think we'd better finish getting ready. Time's slipping away."

As Yugi strode away, Jou almost swore he heard Yami mutter sullenly, but it's fun, even if the smell is atrocious.

That was the moment Jou decided not to cross the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle—ever.

Téa returned to them when the caravan was ten minutes away from the castle. She looked rather disgusted, as if she had stepped in something unpleasant, but her expression brightened when she saw the others.

"They've got two guards at the gate and they're checking wagons. They're not being too thorough about it, though," she said, pulling back on the reins of her mount. "So far, I've only seen nobility showing up at the wedding, and that's weird because certainly someone should have realized what is going on by now. Jou, are there nobles who don't know you?"

Jou nodded unhappily. "Yeah. Look, they knew my dad, but I was always in the background at the events. My dad wasn't keen on letting everyone see me…really, the only time I was allowed to even be in royal attire was when we were on diplomatic visits outside of Hermos. I would not be surprised if there are nobles who don't even know my dad had a son."

Noticing the still disgusted look on the other woman's face, however, Jou's eyes narrowed. "Okay, what happened?"

"That guard—Keith?—is awful," she declared, her voice almost trembling with anger. "He's stone drunk already. It's not even midday! I managed to stave him off, but it was still humiliating and…I'll be honest, I almost punched him. He said so many awful, nasty things."

There was something almost predatory that entered Yugi's gaze, and the air around him became thick with tension. For a moment his eyes flashed red. "Oh."

Perhaps this Keith is one that we can set ablaze. Yami sounded hopeful at the prospect.

"Yugi, Yami, don't," said Ryou sharply. "We're too close to the castle for you to start using magic. In fact, now's the time to disappear in the bag," he added.

Yugi deflated and he glanced at the Puzzle. He pulled out the small pouch and opened it, holding an open hand to Ryou and Ishizu. "I'll hold the items," he said.

Ryou calmly lifted the Ring off his head, ignoring the annoyed growl from the item as he handed it to Yugi. Ishizu, however, was much more reluctant; her hands lifted slowly and undid the clasp at the back of her neck, but Yugi did not rush her and at last she gently placed the Tauk in Yugi's palm.

"You will give that back to Sister," Marik said, voicing what all three of the Enterrans present were thinking.

Yugi nodded. "Without a doubt," he replied, carefully tucking the item into a buttoned pocket in his cloak. He then took the bag out and turned to move in the wagon before he paused and looked over at Jou. "One more thing. Yami has a gift for you," he said.

As he spoke, he pulled out an obsidian pendant. Jou held his hand out to take it; when he looked down he caught sight of a familiar black-scaled dragon curled into a circle, its head facing forward as its tiny ruby eyes glinted in the sunlight. "Er, thanks, but…what is it?"

That is something you will have to discover. The obsidian disguises what is hiding inside the pendant. When the time comes, take it off and throw it against a hard surface to break it—you will know when. It will be a hard-to-miss sign.

Jou nodded, looping the pendant around his wrist as a bracelet; he had no doubts that wearing it as a necklace would only draw attention.

Yugi then stuck his hand in the pouch, and Jou jumped as the magic caster vanished completely from view. "How did he—?"

"The pouch is certainly effective," Ryou commented, closing it with a pull of the drawstrings. "I'll hang onto it for now. We won't be able to open it until the right time comes. It won't take much effort for Yugi to dismantle the wards, but we need an element of surprise."

The next ten minutes passed in silence, each moment bringing them ever closer to the road. Soon the trees vanished to be replaced by a dirt path, then by a paved stone road that widened as they cleared the forest entirely. Jou sucked in a sharp breath when the castle's shadow loomed over them; ahead, the drawbridge had been lowered and he could see carriages and nobles milling about in the courtyard.

"Here we go," he said softly, his hands clenching tightly at his sides.

"Miho, look! That must be the dancing troupe that darling girl told us about!" Mai cried, her eyes lighting up as she peered out the window. The young woman had just emerged from the bath and was clothed in a simple white slip, her hair still drying; Miho had been in the process of rubbing the mass of curly blonde hair down with a blanket when Mai had half-risen from her seat.

Miho blinked and looked over Mai's shoulder, seeing the caravan approach the front gate. She could see a man speaking with the guards stationed there, gesturing widely to the wagons behind him; colorful banners adorned the sides of the wagons, while several members of the troupe lingered on the ground. Keith almost lazily waved them in, leaning back against the wall as they passed him; Miho did not need to be down there to know that the man was most likely leering at the women in the group.

Mai let out a dreamy sigh as she stared down at the troupe. "Such gorgeous dresses, aren't they?" she asked, sounding almost envious. "I'd rather wear that short lavender one that one girl has. See her? She's got that wavy brown hair and—hello, look at that!"

Keith had been talking to a black-haired woman in one of the wagons, but now he took a step forward to block the path of a young girl in a dark purple dress. Effectively, he was preventing her from passing; his weapon was not drawn, but he was towering over her with his hands in his pockets and practically leering at her. Miho recognized the behavior, and indeed the girl—her skin tanned and with golden blonde hair partially pulled up—held an expression on her face that bordered on disgust.

It had not been Keith's actions that had caught Mai's attention, however. It had been the actions of the Enterran man nearby, who had seen the commotion and without breaking stride had swept his staff at the back of Keith's knees with a blow hard enough to knock him off his feet. Another girl—the same one Mai had noted earlier—then practically stomped on his stomach as she passed, most likely knocking the air out of his lungs.

Miho tried hard not to look too gleeful when she witnessed the event. Keith was an awful drunkard, and when he was not sampling ale he was harassing the young women in the castle. It was nice to see someone finally put the man in his place. Serves him right, she thought with a hidden smile. Aloud, however, she said, "Miho hopes they won't get in trouble."

"I don't think so, honey," Mai said, watching as another guard hurried toward them. "It looks like an accident to me."

Miho nodded slowly. It had looked as if it had happened by accident…indeed, the Enterran man was hauling Keith back to his feet and looking as if he was apologizing before following the others. Still, however, it had been rewarding to see Keith finally get knocked down a peg or two.

"Miho, we need to get back to getting ready. The wedding's in just an hour," Mai said, hopping to her feet as she moved her way to the dress slung over the back of the chair. "I'll have plenty of time to watch the troupe."

The small amount of joy that had blossomed in her chest at the sight of Keith's misadventure vanished. "Of course, Princess," she said, her shoulders slumping briefly as she turned. She pasted another smile in place as she faced Mai. "Miho is here to help."

"Rishid, that was dangerous. I'm not complaining about what you did, because that was art in motion and he deserved it, but what if the other guard had detained you?" Marik said in a low voice. He was alongside his older brother, though he kept his gaze straight ahead.

"What that man said to you and Sister was vulgar. I could not allow that to pass," Rishid replied evenly, though he looked not even remotely sorry for what he'd done. "I do admit that perhaps I should have been more discrete in my actions."

"Don't feel bad, Rishid. If anyone deserved that and worse, it was him," Jou added, coming alongside them. Valon was right behind him, grinning at the still wheezing Keith behind them. "I almost tackled him when he whistled at me."

"That was one of the gits who attacked me in the forest. 'm not that forgivin', but if I'd done somethin' 'e'd have recognized me," said Valon. "People don' forget my punches tha' easily."

"Yeah…wish I'd done more to him, though," Jou muttered, his face darkening.

"It's probably for the best that you didn't," Ryou said, flanking Rishid's left side. He kept his smile on his face as he spoke. "Jou, where's the entrance to the passages?"

Jou instantly sobered, almost halting in the courtyard as the wagons moved around him. "The closest one is in the stables," he whispered, suddenly aware that another man was coming toward them from the castle. He was wearing gold-plated armor beneath a deep red cape; he did not have on a helmet to hide the receding dark brown hair on his head. Behind him, Jou felt Valon stiffen and noticed the Aurosian ducking his head.

"I am Gurimo, captain of the guard," said the other man haughtily. "You must be the dancing troupe Prince Jean Claude is expecting. His Highness welcomes you and regrets that he cannot immediately greet you."

"Have no worry over it, friend," said the head of the caravan, dipping his head in respect. "Where may we leave our wagons? We need a large space to set up our stages."

"You may take your animals to the stables. We have room for them there. The wagons may be set up there, in front of that little shack," said Gurimo, gesturing to the guardhouse nearby. "I would recommend you make haste in your preparations—the wedding will start in less than an hour."

"Thank you, Captain Gurimo," said the other man, and he snapped the reins to lead the troupe towards the guardhouse.

"Now is your chance," said Ishizu softly as her wagon passed them. "Take this opportunity to enter into the passages. Rishid, Marik, look after each other."

"We'll be fine, Sister," Marik said, giving her a reassuring smile. Jou frowned when he noted that the smile did not reach into his eyes, but he did not comment.

As the last of the wagons pulled along sideways near the stables, the small group used the cover of the wagons to hurry into the stables, slipping inside the cool, dim building. The scent of hay and horses rose around them in a cresting wave, but Jou ignored it as he led them into the back. At the last stall he pushed open the door, motioning for them to follow him; they noticed that Jou's brown hair now held bleeding golden blond streaks. The potion was wearing off.

The moment they were safely inside the stall Jou instantly turned and pulled a bundle of clothing out from the inside of his dress. "You'll forgive me if I'm not so keen on saving my kingdom and Mai while looking like this," he said, reaching for a spare cloth to wipe the makeup off his face. "Mind if I take a minute to change?"

"Not at all, because I'm going to as well," said Marik, glancing at his brother. "Can you stand watch?"

"Of course," said Rishid quietly, already slipping back outside.

"I'll go with ya," said Valon, following him out. "Jus' in case somethin' goes wrong."

It only took five minutes for Jou to shed the dress and to redress himself; he'd chosen a green tunic with brown pants, and he tucked them easily into the dark brown boots he'd snuck in with him. Marik and Ryou were even faster, already used to shedding disguises, and by the time Jou turned it was to see the other two men completely back to normal. The potion had worn off, completely dispelling their disguises.

"Okay, Rishid, Valon, come on back in," called Jou softly, and when the other two men came back in it was to find them in different attire as well—Rishid had removed the wig, while Valon was in a completely new wardrobe. He must have kept his old clothes on underneath the disguise, Jou thought. Wish I could have done that.

"So where's the entrance?" asked Marik.

In reply, Jou bent down to a long panel of the stall and pushed it in with a hard shove. There was a click as the door swung open, revealing a narrow, winding staircase that disappeared underground. "Right here. Watch your heads, it gets really narrow really quick."

"Joy," said Valon sardonically. "I jus' love small dark places."

"Welcome to the club. I grew up in one," Marik retorted as he watched Jou slip inside. He grimaced before following Jou; Ryou and Valon moved after him, and the four young men waited until Rishid entered and had closed the door behind him before looking to Jou. It was impossibly dark and cramped.

"Well this sucks," said Valon, sounding thoroughly unhappy. "I can' see a thing. Jou, where do we go?"

There was no immediate answer.

"Jou? Jou, c'mon," Valon said, his voice hitching. "I wasn' kiddin' about not likin' small dark places!"

Marik reached forward until he found a tense shoulder, laying a reassuring hand on it. He remembered that the Aurosian had expressed an intense dislike of confined spaces, as he had once ended up in a dingy jail cell that was as small and dark as they came; the dislike often bordered on crippling fear. "Relax," he said, his eyes already adjusting to the darkness. "I can see and it's not so bad."

He noticed an iron handrailing bolted to the wall and took hold of it, gently taking one of Valon's wrists to guide his hand to the railing. "Chances are that Jou went ahead of us to find a torch or something."

"How'd you guess?" said a familiar voice as a warm flicker of firelight reached them. Jou was holding a wooden stick dipped in pitch, a fire already crackling at the top. "Sorry about that, but I had to make sure there wasn't anyone waiting for us. Let's go."

"There must be something we can do to stop this!" Corda burst out angrily, pacing in the common area of the guardhouse. He was clearly agitated, but though the rest of his comrades shared his sentiment he was the only one in motion. "We can't let this happen!"

"And I would love to hear what plan you have, boy. Remember, we go through a door or window, and we die instantly," said Adias flatly, though his own eyes were dark with frustrated fury. "We can do nothing."

The twenty or so men still loyal to the true prince had watched the preparations for the upcoming festivities from inside the guardhouse for the past few days, unable to do anything to stop what was happening around them. Even sticking a finger outside the window meant turning into a smoldering pile of ash.

"I'm afraid that Adias is right, lad," said Jethro sadly. "We can do nothing about our situation. The wedding is going to happen whether we want it to or not."

"But the captain wouldn't let this—!"

"For all we know he's dead, just like Alister," said Faust gloomily. "Who's to say what he would and would not do?"

A heavy silence fell, Corda continuing to pace in large, agitated circles around the room. No one had seen Raphael leave the castle and they knew that whatever had happened had not been of Raphael's own volition; the man's sword was still hanging in its scabbard by his bedside, and that was something that Raphael always carried with him. For him to leave it behind…well, there was only one reason for that.

The tension broke when the sounds of scratching came from underneath a chest in the corner of the room, followed by a hard thump and a muffled but loud curse. The men who were seated half-rose from their seats, while Jethro pushed Corda behind him defensively.

"What was that?" asked the younger man, eyeing the spot with curiosity and alarm.

Jethro reached for a fire poker before looking to Faust and Adias, tipping his head to the chest. The two men nodded before silently crossing the room, lifting the oak chest carefully. As Jethro approached, he caught snatches of voices beneath the stone floor, though they were muffled.

"…should teach you…look where you're going," he heard one voice say.

Jethro studied the stone at his feet, noticing a small gap in the mortar wide enough for a hand to grip it. He motioned for Adias and the man slipped his hand into the opening. Jethro counted down from five before signaling Adias, and as the man pulled the stone away with surprising ease Jethro raised the poker to strike—

"Jethro don't, it's me!"

The blow halted in mid-swing as the familiar voice came from below him. He felt the color drain from his face as the poker fell from his hands, clattering to the floor. "What in the name of…how is it…?"

"See, I told you before that I have my own secrets. You wondered why I was never tardy to any training sessions?"

While Jethro stared in stunned disbelief, Jou took the chance to leave the tunnel, hopping from the ground and onto his feet. He grinned at them with a familiar, if not tired, smile. "Hi, guys," he said, offering a small wave. "Jumpin' Jou here."

For one moment there was silence, and then the men pressed in on him from all sides, hands reaching to clap his shoulder or try to embrace him as a thousand questions came all at once: where have you been, how did you get here, have they seen you, are the others all right, we didn't betray you and that's why we're here, we're so glad you're all right and other such things. They noticed four others hoist themselves to the floor as well and the group made room for them.

Jou finally held a hand up to silence them, his grin almost stretching from ear to ear. "It's nice to see you as well," he said, though his eyes held a sad light. "I'm only sorry that this happened and that it took me so long to come home."

"Don't fret over it, lad," said Jethro warmly. "We knew that your quest was noble in purpose, and that if you lived you would do everything in your power to return. Jean Claude was the one who—"

One of the Enterrans—the younger one—cleared his throat to interrupt. "We've told him that a million times, but he doesn't seem to listen unless you beat him over the head," he said wryly.

Jou shot him a scowl but sobered, looking at them. "I'm only stopping here to let you know I'm alive, and to let you know that we've got a plan in motion," he said, looking around them. "We've still got one more place to go before we get you out of here, but I need all of you to stay put. If someone comes to check on you, they've got to see you here. We'll be back before the wedding starts, promise."

"Are you going to the dungeon?" asked Corda. "There are people down there. Mostly they're servants, but there are a few guards here and there…and…"

He trailed off, but Adias spoke for him. His gaze found Valon, and his next statement was directed at the Aurosian. "Raphael vanished a few days ago. We are not certain if he is dead or not. If he is alive, he's bound to be in the dungeon. Aside from the interior of the castle, a cell is the only other place he could possibly be."

Valon started, his mouth settling into a grim line. "We'll find 'im," he said, eyes flashing.

Jou grinned at them before he turned. "Okay…we're off," he said with a smile and a wave. "With any luck we won't get spotted."

The group dropped back into the passage and Jethro moved the panel back over the passageway. Corda watched them leave with wide eyes before he shot a startled but happy smile to Jethro. "Do you think they'll be caught."

"Never mind that. Corda, lad, you're bursting with energy. See if we have any chainmail or any weapons hiding around here," ordered Jethro sharply. "We have our own wedding preparations to make."

"I'll be here waiting," said Ryou the moment the panel above them had been restored. "If something goes wrong, one of us needs to be stand watch down here to warn the others."

"Makes sense," said Jou with a small smile. "We'll be back. Let Jethro know you're down here so that he knows to signal you."

Valon looked thoroughly unhappy as Jou picked up the torch once again (he'd left it in a grating on the wall), but as he turned to go Ryou snagged his arm and said, "Hold out your hands."

When the baffled Aurosian complied Ryou pushed three medium sized flasks at him. "These are for Raphael. The green one is to stop the draught, the yellow one is the strongest concentration of healing potion I can brew, the red one is to replenish any blood loss. Raphael must take these potions in the order I just gave, otherwise he will die."

Valon nodded, his discomfort about his surroundings vanishing in a moment as he pocketed the vials. Already he had begun reciting the order in his mind, both as a distraction from the tunnel and to make certain he had it right: one green, two yellow, three red. Green, yellow, red, green, yellow…

"Okay, if we're done here…Jou, care to lead the way?" asked Marik then, sounding slightly impatient.

Jou turned, and in the torchlight his grin looked eerily similar to the one he had sported as a dragon. "Certainly," he said, and then he set off into the darkness.