Chapter 6: Preparations

"Alright, so any representatives whose classes have yet to get their activities for the festival finalized, please hang around," the council rep told them at the end of their meeting. "Everyone else can go. Don't forget to hand out these forms to your classmates tomorrow, and remember that in-class preparations for the festival will start Wednesday."

Atem and Ana immediately started gathering their things, ready to go home for the day. It had been a long Monday, and a fairly dull meeting, so both were eager to leave.

"Mm," Ana groaned, letting out a yawn, "I may be ready for a nap."

Atem grinned. "What, the meeting wasn't riveting enough for you?"

Ana laughed. "Oh, the most enthralling meeting ever," she responded lightly, "I just haven't been getting enough sleep lately, I suppose."

"Is something the matter?" he asked with concern.

She shook her head. "Just some strange dreams, that's all."

He frowned. "They aren't because of what happened Saturday, I hope?"

Ana opened her mouth to respond, when they were suddenly interrupted by a figure popping in between them. "Hi, Atem," she said in a soft voice.

Atem blinked. "Um, hello, Mizuki."

"You remembered my name," Mizuki beamed. "Sorry to interrupt you two, it's just that I realized – Ana, you left so suddenly Friday that I didn't get a chance to properly introduce myself to you."

"Oh, uh…" Ana faltered, not really sure what to make of this girl.

"I'm Mizuki Konmei, and I just wanted to let you know – if you have any questions or trouble with this school, I'd be happy to help," the other girl smiled. "I remember being a new student here myself, not too long ago."

"Oh, well, thank you," she replied hesitantly. Something was not sitting right with her. This girl, with her petit, doll-like face, seemed nice enough, Ana supposed, but for some reason she couldn't get a good read on her. And there was something unnerving about the girl's dark, direct gaze.

Mizuki's smile grew wider and she nodded to Ana before turning back to Atem. "So, Atem, you said you studied archaeology and law in Egypt right? I was wondering, would you want to come to the Domino Museum with me today? I heard their historical exhibits are impressive."

Ana was amused to see Atem's slightly panicked expression. "Um, that's, uh, very kind of you to offer, Mizuki, but I, uh," his gaze flicked toward Ana, "actually had plans with Ana today."

"You do?" Mizuki's face fell in disappointment.

He does? Ana looked at the boy skeptically, but only received a pleading violet gaze in reply. Mizuki turned back to look at her questioningly herself.

"Uh, yes," she finally said, "Atem is going to…help me run some errands today." It was the best she could come up with.

"Oh, that's nice of you," the dark-eyed girl said, resignedly. "I guess I'll see you both tomorrow?"

"Sure," Ana responded, "See you tomorrow, Mizuki."

They managed to leave the classroom inconspicuously after that. "You know, I'm not sure if I'm a fan of being used to get out of dates," Ana joked as they made their way down the stairs. "You're going to put me at odds with other girls at the school."

Atem sighed, "I apologize. I just didn't know what else to say."

"You could have said 'yes'," Ana teased, although for some reason her stomach twinged when she proposed it, and her head started to itch again.

"Er…"

Ana ignored the odd feelings and laughed at his discomfort. "You're not very good with new people, are you?"

"What makes you say that?" he asked, brow cocked.

"Well, apart from what just happened, Sarra told me how strange you acted when you first met her, all silent and spaced out," Ana ticked her fingers, "And then there was the time when we first met, in class." She grinned at him, "For a while there I was worried you didn't like me."

"I liked you just fine when we met," he insisted.

"You didn't say one word to me until lunch."

Atem grimaced. "Alright, maybe I'm not so good with first impressions. This life is still pretty new to me."

"Still adjusting from being back from Egypt?" Ana suggested, though once again, she was struck with that feeling that she was missing something.

"Erm, yes, that." They had reached the lockers by the entrance, and they split temporarily to retrieve their outdoor shoes.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow?" Ana said as they stood by the exits.

Atem smiled and shook his head. "I'll walk you home," he told her.

She blinked in surprise. "That really isn't necessary."

"I'd like to," he said, grinning, "Besides, what if Mizuki happens to see us?"

"I don't want to make you go out of your way," she tried to insist one more time.

"It's not that far out of my way, and I didn't get the opportunity to on Friday. Unless you don't want my company." He pushed the door open and held it for her. "Come, don't worry about it. This is just how I was raised."

She couldn't help but smile as she walked through. "Sounds like you grew up in a pretty old-fashioned household."

He chuckled as he fell into step at her side. "You could say that."

"So, did you get the opportunity to talk to that professor about the diadem?" Ana asked as they made their way down the streets.

Atem shook his head. "No. Yugi found his number but when we called, only Rebecca was there."

"I remember Joey and Tristan mentioning her last night," she realized, "Who's Rebecca?"

"His granddaughter," he explained, "and a friend of ours."

"Oh, I see…She has a crush on Yugi, doesn't she?" Ana surmised.

Atem laughed in confirmation. It indeed had been a bit difficult to get off the phone last night. They had barely been able to say hello before she had almost squealed their ears off, asking Yugi what he was up to, if he missed her, when he was next coming to visit…

Then she had insisted they switch to video call, and she was so excited that it took her a full five minutes before she had noticed Atem.

"…Wait what? Am I seeing double? Why are there two Yugi's?" the petit blonde girl exclaimed on the video screen.

"Oh, right. Uh, Rebecca, I'd like you to meet the Pharaoh," Yugi introduced, "His name is Atem."

"He's the spirit from the Millennium Puzzle?"

"Yep," Yugi chirped, "Although he's not a spirit anymore. It's a long story, but he's got his own body now."

"For now," Atem intoned. "Hello, Rebecca. It's nice to see you again."

The girl gave him a hesitant smile. He understood things were still a little awkward between them ever since he had made one of the worst mistakes of his life, leading to Yugi's soul being sealed away by the Orichalcos. "Hi, Pharoah. I mean, uh, Atem. Congratulations on finding out your name."

He gave her a genuine smile in return. "Thank you."

"So, what can I do for you boys?" she said, thankfully willing to get back to the reason they had called in the first place.

"Well, Rebecca," Yugi explained, "we were hoping to talk to Professor Hawkins. Some strange things have been happening here and we were wondering if your grandfather could provide us with some answers."

"Sorry, darling," Rebecca said with sincere regret, "but grandpa isn't here right now. He's been away since Friday, for a research trip. He was really excited – something about some new discovery. But I'm not sure when he'll be back."

"I see," Atem couldn't help but let out with disappointment.

"Hey wait," Yugi furrowed his brow, "My grandpa's been gone since Friday, too. He wouldn't tell us why but he was also really excited."

Rebecca frowned. "Urgh, I hope they aren't going on some adventurous excavation again. I told him after what happened last time he needed to take it easy."

"Yeah, me too," Yugi sighed.

"Well, if they're together, wherever they are doesn't get reception. I haven't been able to contact grandpa since he left, but he warned me that might happen," Rebecca went on to say.

Atem and Yugi looked at each other, at a loss. Were they just going to have to wait until the two archaeologists returned from their trip?

"Yugi, if you don't mind telling me, what did you want to ask my grandpa about?"

"Well, like I said, some strange things have been happening here, and some ancient symbols and artifacts are involved. We were hoping Professor Hawkins might know something about them," Yugi told her.

"Why don't you send me the images, and I can show them to grandpa when he contacts me. He promised to check in at least once a week," the young genius suggested.

"Okay, Rebecca, thanks! That would be really helpful," he responded.

Atem nodded in agreement. "Thank you, Rebecca. We'll send them over later tonight."

"You're welcome, you two. I'm happy to help. Anything for my darling! Speaking of, so Yugi, talk to me! What's been going on, when are you coming to visit again? How…"

Atem chuckled and left the room, leaving Yugi alone to field the exuberant girl's questions by himself.

"We sent Rebecca pictures of the tattoo symbol, the diadem, and your Light of the Goddess card," Atem told Ana, "She promised to show them to the professor as soon as she could."

"That's good," Ana responded, "Hopefully we'll get some answers soon. This is all still so crazy to me, but I think now I just want to know what the heck is going on."

Atem laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We'll figure it out. Professor Hawkins will contact Rebecca soon, and remember Ishizu promised to send over the tablets. We'll find our answers, I promise." He smiled confidently.

She smiled back, before her expression took on a teasing quality. "You sure you don't want to visit the museum with Mizuki instead?"

He grimaced and dropped his hand. "Quite sure, thank you."

"It's not too late, you know. I'm certain she'd happily say yes if you changed your mind," she continued to tease.

"What's this?" Atem suddenly said, eager to change the subject. They were passing through an area of the city filled with various restaurants and café's, one of which was having a grand opening, it appeared. "This is new," he observed, stopping in front of the colorful window display.

"Oh, it's a froyo place," Ana remarked. "I guess this is becoming popular in Japan too."

"A…what?" Atem repeated, bewildered.

She grinned. "Frozen yogurt. It's all the rage in America right now – it's like ice cream, but somewhat healthier. And it comes in a lot of interesting flavors."

"Hmm," the former spirit hummed.

"Do you want to try it?" she asked, but opened the door without waiting for an answer, "Come on."

He obediently followed her, and took in the happy, pastel colors of the shop. Ana led him to where a table held stacks of paper bowls, and passed one to him. She also grabbed a few mini-cups, about the size of his thumb.

"So these are all the available flavors," she told him, pointing to a wall lined with ice cream churners. "You serve yourself, and you pay based on the weight of your cup. You can also get toppings," she gestured to a counter full of various fruits, sprinkles, and other crumbles.

Intrigued, he watched as Ana approached one of the dispensers and pulled the lever while holding one of the miniature cups underneath. A dollop of the frozen treat dropped into the sample cup, and she handed it to him. "Try it," she urged.

He tasted it hesitantly. He was still somewhat getting used to experiencing tastes himself, and the flavor palette of this modern era was quite expanded compared to the foods he was used to in his Ancient Egyptian memories. "It's good," he commented with surprise.

Ana smiled. "Right? Here," she handed him the rest of the sample cups she had taken, "Go and try some more. Don't go crazy, though, or they'll get annoyed at us."

He amused himself with trying some of the odder sounding flavors, but eventually settled on a couple more traditional ones. Although he decided to forego toppings, Ana practically piled them on. "You might as well get a separate cup," he teased, causing her to stick out her tongue at him. He smiled at the rather adorable gesture.

They decided to stop at a park bench to eat their treats. The sun was still bright, but the temperature was starting to cool in the early evening, making the light breeze refreshing against their skin. They ate their frozen yogurts in silence for a moment, watching various people pass by, before Ana finally spoke.

"You know, I've been spending a lot of time with you guys over the last week, but I still feel like I don't know much about you." Gray eyes flicked over to him curiously.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, it's just…you still feel kind of mysterious to me, I guess," Ana gave him a small smile, "Usually I'm pretty good at reading people, but you're always surprising me."

"I'm not sure if I should apologize or not," he said jokingly.

She laughed in response. "Tell me a story, then," she requested, "just about you."

"A story?"

"Like…something from your time in Egypt. Unless you were so into your studies that you didn't have time for anything else," she said the last part somewhat in jest.

He chuckled. "No, that wasn't the case at all. In fact, there was a time when I actively avoided them."

"Prince? Prince, where are you? Oh, for Ra's sake, not again," the tutor sighed when the lump under the covers on the bed turned out to be a few pillows. He stalked towards the royal chamber's exit. "Guards! You let His Highness sneak out again! Find him! And alert the Pharaoh!"

"Yes, sir!"

The doors slammed shut behind him, and eventually the voices faded down the hall as well. The wanted young prince popped out from his hiding spot in one of the large vases and sighed in relief. He crept to the doors and quietly cracked them open. Peeking out, he caught sight of the guards just as they turned the corner and disappeared completely from view. Smiling, he emerged fully from the doorway and turned to run in the opposite direction.

"Going somewhere, Your Highness?"

Freezing, Atem looked over his shoulder guiltily. "Mahad…"

"You know you should be at your lessons," the older boy said, arms crossed.

"But Mahad –"

"You're eight harvests old now, Prince, old enough to take your studies seriously," the current senior apprentice shook his head, deflecting any excuse the prince might have given him.

"I do take them seriously," Atem tried to insist, "It's just, they are too serious, and Tutor is so dull."

Mahad sighed in exasperation, but his expression turned thoughtful as he gazed at the prince's pleading eyes. "Alright, why don't we go outside, then, Your Highness? Just for today."

Atem's eyes brightened. "Really?"

Mahad nodded, a small smile growing on his face. "Follow me."

The city outside the palace was bustling with life and activity. The market was full of merchants and traders, looking to make profitable transactions. Others were clearly shopping for supplies, seeking the best bargains. There were plenty of children about as well, weaving in and out of the legs of the taller adults, laughing without a care in the world.

Atem took all this in eagerly. He didn't often get to leave the confines of the palace, and even then, only with a full armed escort, and usually his father. Everyone would stop what they were doing and line the streets, eager to catch a glimpse of their pharaoh and his heir. This time, it was just him and Mahad, and with a wrap covering his distinctive hair, no one gave them a second glance.

He ran to various stands, fascinated by the wide variety of goods offered. Some of the merchants would note his interest, and tell him fantastical stories of where the items came from, no doubt trying to incite a sale. At one of the food stands, a kind, older woman had been taken by his wide, enthralled eyes, and gave him a sweet cake of dates and honey. His adventures all happened, though, under the watchful eye of his apprentice magician escort.

At one point, Atem noticed that a crowd had gathered around a fountain, one of the terminals of Egypt's substantial irrigation system providing drinking water to the city's inhabitants. He approached curiously, and used his small size to weave his way to the front of the crowd. To his delight, a performance was taking place in front of him, but it was no dancing troupe. A group of normal civilians, it looked like, had started playing music together, while some of the women and children danced and sang. They sung to the gods Osiris and Hapi, praying for good harvest, and for the Nile to bless them with its riches once more. Atem realized this must be for the upcoming annual flood – the inundation.

"Does this happen often?" Atem quietly asked Mahad, who had joined him in the crowd.

Mahad nodded. "More frequently as the flood approaches, of course, but also often without even any true purpose. Music and dance provides a pleasant break from the work day."

Atem continued to watch, a happy smile growing on his face. He had of course seen many of the grander festivals held in the gods' honor, but for some reason, he liked this more. It felt more intimate, and free. The joy and laughter was infectious, and soon Atem was clapping along with everyone else.

When the song ended, everyone cheered in celebration. "Praise to the gods! Praise to Ra! Praise to Osiris!"

To Atem's surprise, soon the chants changed focus. "Praise to our Pharaoh, our God on Earth, protector of our peace! And praise to his heir, our prince! Glory to the future of Egypt!"

Mahad gazed at his charge carefully while the cheering eventually died down and people slowly started dispersing. The prince's eyes were hooded by his head covering, and for a long moment he didn't move. Finally, young violet orbs looked up to him once more, and a smile bloomed on the future Pharaoh's face.

"Mahad, I'm ready to go back to my lessons now."

"That was when I fell in love with Egypt's culture, and its people," Atem said, after finishing his slightly edited version of that memory. Their frozen treats were long gone, but they were still seated on the bench, enjoying the weather and the scenery.

"So that's why you wanted to go back and study there?"

Atem nodded (he had framed the story as an educational trip his grandfather had taken him on when he was younger).

Ana smiled. "That was a nice story, thank you for telling me." She leaned back against the bench, gazing upward at the clear blue sky. Atem watched as the breeze playfully lifted her dark hair around her face. He fought the sudden urge to play with the long strands. "It's funny, I've been all over the world, but I don't think I've ever felt a connection like that to any of the places I've lived in. Well, maybe except…"

"Except?" he prompted.

She turned her gaze back at him, her grey eyes shy. "Would it be weird if I said here? I've mentioned before that for a long time, it used to be just me and Sarra. We never really made close friends anywhere before. But here, with you, and Joey and Yugi and everyone else…I'm already starting to feel like I belong."

He covered one of her hands resting on the bench with his, and smiled sincerely. "It isn't strange at all."

Her answering smile was brilliant, and she nodded gratefully. They held each other's gaze for a long moment, both lost in the sincerity and depth in the other's eyes, before the connection was finally broken by a passing bird call.

Feeling a little embarrassed, Atem withdrew his hand and stood up, brushing himself off. He grabbed both of their empty cups and tossed them into a nearby trash can. Turning back to Ana, he extended a hand to her. "I believe I promised to walk you home."

She smiled again, and took it.

"With this, we'll always be connected." Strong arms wrapped around her waist again, and she sank back into the comforting solid form behind her. She turned to look over her shoulder at Atem, who was smiling warmly at her. She reached out to touch his cheek, but once more, his image shattered before she could. She cried out in grief and fell to her knees.

The ground underneath her opened to swallow her whole, but instead of dropping into the Shadows, she fell through what felt like reality itself.

When she landed, she was in a large entranceway built of sand stone. Giant statues of what looked like ancient Egyptian figures guarded the heavy doors, and the walls themselves were carved with more hieroglyphs. She stood just inside, arms crossed and foot tapping.

The palace doors finally opened, revealing a young boy with distinctive hair, escorted by a taller teen.

"And where exactly have you two been?" she scolded, hands moving to her hips.

The young prince looked at her sheepishly. "Sorry, Ana. I just needed a reprieve from my lessons."

She glared at him. "Without telling anyone? And you, Mahad! I cannot believe you encouraged this!" She pointed an accusatory finger at the magician-in-training, who flinched.

"I did not, I mean, I – " he stammered.

Atem quickly grabbed Ana's outstretched hand, squeezing it conciliatorily. "Ana, I apologize for worrying you," he said, his violet eyes turning wide and earnest. She sighed, feeling her ire already beginning to melt. She hated that look. He smiled as soon as he saw that he was breaking her. "And next time, I promise we'll take you with us!"

In the corner of her eye, she saw Mahad slap a hand over his eyes. Assuaged, she finally returned her friend's smile. "Alright. Well, then, tell me everything! What did you see?"

"It was amazing, Ana! There was a small dance for the upcoming inundation, and…"

Ana shot up from her bed. She immediately slumped over, cradling her throbbing head in her hands. Blindly, she stretched one hand out, searching for the glass of water she had kept on her nightstand, only to knock it over, sending it crashing onto the floor.

The sound of breaking glass called Sarra into her room. "Ana? Are you alright?" her sister asked worriedly, rushing over to the bed.

"I'm fine, Sarra," she panted, "But could you bring me some water and that aspirin you bought for me this weekend?"

"Of course." Sarra immediately ran out to get the requested items, while Ana continued to massage her temples, willing the pain to subside.

It wasn't long before Sarra returned and handed Ana the medicine and the glass. "Another headache?" she asked with concern, "Is everything alright? You don't usually get headaches. In fact, I think you've gotten more in the past few days than you have in five years."

Ana tossed down the pills and drank greedily from the water. She closed her eyes, taking a moment to focus on calming her body. In addition to her throbbing temples, she felt as if a strange energy was thrumming beneath her skin, making her heart pound and her lungs work to get enough oxygen. As she forced her breathing to slow, the strange feeling slowly dissipated, until all that was left was some lingering pain in her head.

She felt a hand touch her forehead, causing her to open her eyes to find her sister hovering over her, face filled with worry. "You don't have a fever…" Sarra mused.

Ana gently pushed her hand away. "I'm fine, Sarra. Really. I just had a weird dream, that's all."

"A dream?" Sarra quirked a brow skeptically. "I've never heard of anyone having such a physical reaction to a dream before. What exactly did you dream about?"

Ana frowned. This time… "I don't remember," she confessed truthfully.

"So, what exactly are we supposed to be looking for?" Joey asked as they strolled through the shopping center, hands casually tucked behind his head.

Ana checked the list in her hand. "We were put in charge of materials for costumes, so anything that can make us look Ancient Egyptian-y?"

"Great, alright…so what exactly are we looking for again?"

Ana shrugged.

"I'm sure we'll figure something out, somehow," Yugi said from her other side. The three of them had been tasked with buying some supplies for their class's festival activity, while the rest of their classmates started working on signs and other props.

"Well, the way I see it, if we're lookin' for costumes, why don't we go to a costume store?" the blonde proposed.

"We don't have the budget to just buy pre-made costumes for everyone, Joey," Ana told him.

"But it might be a good idea to start there for inspiration," Yugi mused. "Let's give it a shot."

With that, the trio began to make their way to the closest costume store. Since it was the middle of the day, the streets were fairly empty and quiet, with only a few people here and there milling in and out of shops.

"So, Joey, were you able to talk to your mom about Serenity coming to visit the school for the festival?" Yugi asked his friend.

"Yeah! In fact…Mom said she might visit too," he replied, a little hesitantly.

"That's great, Joey!" Yugi said happily, "I'm glad you and your Mom seem to be developing a relationship again."

"You have a sister, Joey? And your parents are divorced?" Ana surmised.

"Yeah, Serenity lives with my mom, and I live with dad," Joey told her.

"Even though they don't live together, though, Joey is a very devoted big brother," Yugi boasted, "He competed in the Duelist Kingdom tournament just so that he could pay for the surgery that saved Serenity's vision."

"Wow," Ana smiled, "Sounds like she's lucky to have you."

"Heheh…" he rubbed his nose embarrassedly.

"I have to admit I'm a little envious," she remarked, linking her hands together behind her back as they continued down the streets, "Of both of you, really."

"Envious?" Joey said in surprise.

"But you have Sarra," Yugi pointed out.

"And I love her. I wouldn't trade her for anyone or anything," Ana clarified, "But, you know, sometimes, I've wondered what it would be like to have a big brother."

Joey and Yugi traded uncomprehending glances, which Ana did not fail to notice. She smiled wryly. "What I mean is…well, I see how protective Atem is of you, Yugi," she nodded toward the shorter boy, "and proud. I know you two are technically twins, but you have to admit he acts like an older brother a lot."

"There's some definite truth to that, especially the 'older' part," Joey chuckled, causing Yugi to elbow him gently in the arm.

"And you, Joey, well, I always thought you'd make a great older brother, and turns out I was right," she grinned. "I just think it would be nice, you know, to have someone who takes it upon himself to protect you, keep you safe. Although, knowing me," she laughed sheepishly, "I'd probably just get annoyed at him for being overprotective."

Joey was looking at her like he didn't really know what to say, but luckily he was saved from responding with their arrival at the store.

"Let's take a look, shall we?" Ana said, pushing the door open.

The shop was, as expected, filled with racks upon racks of costumes, ranging from more traditional Halloween-esque costumes to outfits probably more geared toward cosplay. The room itself was dimly lit through some sort of colored filter, giving the whole store a mysterious aura. There was a chime as the door swung open, alerting the store workers to their presence.

"May I help you?" one came up to them to ask.

Ana felt a little bad about getting assistance when they weren't here to buy anything, but she knew it would take forever for them to search through all the costumes themselves. "Uh, we were looking for some Ancient Egyptian costumes," she told the female worker, who was dressed up herself as some anime character.

The employee smiled. "Alright, follow me," she said pleasantly.

The high school students obediently followed her further into the store. She showed them a section of the rack that boasted several different types of tunics and flashy accessories. "Here we are. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Uh, no, but thank you so much," Ana told her. The store worker smiled cheerfully and let them be.

"So…now what," Joey intoned.

"I guess we figure out what we need to replicate them?" Yugi said, pulling out one of the costumes. "Although, I don't know… do these seem a little flashy to you, Joey?" The bright robe was completely studded with fake jewels.

"Yeah I guess," Joey responded, scratching his head, "Most of the townspeople were shirtless though, although the Pha—" Yugi suddenly leapt at this friend to cover his mouth with a hand, taking Ana aback.

"Joey," Yugi hissed, quickly releasing him.

"Oh, oops." Both boys looked nervously over at Ana.

"Uh, are you two okay?" she asked them perplexedly.

"Y-yeah! I mean, that is, uh," Yugi stammered for a second before composing himself, "from what Atem's told me from his studies, all of this is pretty flashy for Egyptian costumes."

Ana looked at both of them suspiciously for a moment, before shrugging and letting it go. "I agree. Most clothes back then would have been undyed, and only the wealthy would have been able to afford this many jewels and gold."

"Maybe we can just buy a lot of plain-colored fabric and sew them into costumes," Yugi mused. "But what about accessories? We should have some. Gold was the most common, but we definitely don't have the budget for that."

Ana tapped her chin thoughtfully. "We could probably get some cheap plastic accessories and cover them in gold spray paint."

"Sounds like a plan to me. What are we still doing in this popsicle stand then?" Joey deadpanned. "Let's go, my eyes hurt from all them weird lights."

They turned to make their way out of the store, when suddenly a figured jumped out from behind one of the racks, making all three of them jump.

"Customers, could I help you with something?" it was another store employee. At least, Ana assumed it was an employee. This person's costume, though, was simply a long, dark, hooded cloak, with a dark broach clasping it together. Ana could barely see his face under the hood, especially in this lighting.

"Uh, sorry," she said hesitantly, "I think we're looking for something else. Thank you for your help, though."

"Are you looking for fabrics or materials? We sell those, as well," the man said, his voice soft.

"Really?" Ana responded with interest.

"Yes, in another room, in the back," he told them.

Ana looked questioningly over her shoulder at her companions, who shrugged in response. "It could save us a trip," Yugi pointed out.

"Alright, then," Ana agreed, turning back to the man, "Lead the way."

He led them to the back of the store, where a door stood in the corner. The employee opened it for them and entered. It was pitch black on the other side, though, and Ana, Yugi, and Joey all stopped just before the door.

"Uh…is it just me, or does this seem really creepy?" Joey said, wrapping his arms around himself.

"Well…" Yugi responded hesitantly, evidently also feeling like something was off.

Ana shook her head. "Come on guys, it's just a store." With that she resolutely stepped through into the other room. As soon as she passed through the doorway, however, a chill crawled over her skin and the quality of air changed. "Mister?" she called, "Do you think we can turn on the lights?"

The only response she got, though, was the door slamming shut behind her, sending her into complete darkness. She whipped around in surprise, and immediately tried the door handle to no avail – it was locked.

"…Well, crap."

"Ana!" Yugi and Joey immediately cried out when the door slammed shut before they could walk through with her.

"What the hell is going on?" Joey shouted, grabbing the door knob and twisting futilely. His shouting caught the attention of the store workers, who came rushing over.

"Sir, that's an employee's only room! You can't go in there!" one of them exclaimed.

"Employee's only, my ass!" he retorted, "One of your creep-o coworkers just locked our friend in there!"

"That's not possible," the employee frowned, "Everyone on shift today is right here."

Yugi's eyes widened, a sense of dread flooding through him. "Could it have been a customer?" he posed to the female worker.

She shook her head. "You all are the only ones who've entered the shop in a while," she said, making the bad feeling in Yugi's stomach grow worse.

"Never mind who it was," Joey interjected, still trying to get the door knob to turn, "Someone give me the key! We gotta get Ana out of there!"

One of the employees came up, pulling a key ring from her pocket. However, when she tried to insert the key into the lock, it inexplicably snapped.

"That isn't good," the blonde grunted. "Well, if we can't unlock it…" He backed up, dropped his shoulder, and charged at the door, clearly trying to break it down. However, when he made contact, he bounced uselessly off, with only a bruise to show for his efforts. "Dammit!" he cursed, backing up to try again.

Yugi turned back to the store workers. "Is there another way into that room?" he demanded.

The girls were starting to look nervous, clearly not understanding what was going on. "There's an entrance from the back alley, but we hardly ever use it – I don't know where the key is…"

"Well, let's find it!"

Ana continued to try to open the door for another minute, before eventually giving up. "Alright, Ana, stay calm," she muttered to herself, before sighing. "Why exactly did following a creepy guy into a creepy room seem like a good idea again?" Not one of her finer moments.

Speaking of that creepy guy… "Hey, whoever you are!" she shouted into the blackness, "I know you're in here, let me out!" Predictably, there was no response.

"What do you want from me?" she tried again, turning her head this way and that, trying to find the stranger. Her eyes were slowly adjusting to the darkness, and she started being able to make out outlines of the furniture in the room. It looked like a break room, definitely not another retail area, but something was blacking out the windows. She felt along the wall for a light switch. Finding it, she flicked it on, but the room remained in darkness.

Suddenly, an eerie laugh echoed around her, causing her to immediately whip around and drop into a defensive stance. "Show yourself, bastard!" she growled.

The quality of the darkness around her changed, and a new, dreadful feeling washed over her. The faint silhouettes of the room disappeared as what seemed like a dark storm surrounded her. "Not this again," she groaned. The Shadows.

A figure abruptly materialized in front of her, making her take a step back. Oddly, even though there was still no light, she could see the man perfectly. It wasn't the same person, she realized, as the one that had lured her in here. This man was taller, with broader shoulders. Narrow eyes were set into a dark-skinned face, and wild dark hair framed high cheek bones and a prominent nose. An odd tattoo wrapped around one of his eyes, and his lips were turned up in a menacing smirk. He wore his own set of strange, dark robes, and around his neck was some sort of black jewel. All of this formed a sinister picture, but what really made Ana's skin crawl was the wild, almost mad look in his striking jade eyes.

"Please forgive my…deceitful tactics, Lady Ana," he drawled, making the hair on her arms stand on end, "but I had to come see for myself."

"What are you, some kind of pervert? And how the hell do you know my name?" she snapped, taking another step back and keeping her hands raised defensively in front of her.

"My name is Khai," he said in way of reply.

"Why would I care what your name is?" she scowled. "Let me out of here before I kick your ass."

He ignored her. "We have been waiting a long time for that card to appear, but who would have thought that when it did, it would be in your hands," he mused, his voice still sinisterly soft.

That card? Does he mean the Light of the Goddess? Ana thought to herself, the wheels in her head turning. He must be a part of the group, whatever it is, that's after it.

"I'm not handing it over to you," she spat at him, defensively putting a hand over the card pouch she had taken to wearing after the last attempted theft.

"Eventually, you will," he promised, "but luckily for you, that's not why I'm here."

"Then why are you here?" she demanded.

"I told you," Khai reminded her, "I wanted to see you for myself. Verify who you are." He reached out and stroked a finger along her jaw, causing her to shiver in disgust. She slapped his hand away.

"Stay the hell away from me, you creep," she growled, sinking lower into her stance, like a snake coiling itself, ready to strike.

He started to chuckle, when something appeared to grab his attention behind him. "It looks like our time has unfortunately been cut short. It was lovely to meet you, Lady Ana," he gave her a mocking bow, "I'm certain we'll see each other again, sooner than you might think. I would keep a close eye on those around you, if I were you. Do you really know who to trust?"

With that, he vanished, and the Shadows around her dissipated, revealing the shop's break room once more, now completely lit by an overhead light.

She dropped her hands, heart still pumping with adrenaline, as a door on the other side of the room burst open. Yugi and Joey ran in, expressions filled with worry. "Ana! Are you alright?" Yugi asked.

"Where is he? Where's the creepy bastard? I'll kick his ass," Joey growled, turning round and round, fists held up threateningly.

"He's gone, Joey," Ana shook her head, resting a hand on his shoulder to stop his frantic searching.

"How?" Yugi asked, "You guys were trapped in here."

"Same way that guy who dropped the diadem disappeared, I would guess," she responded, frowning.

"So it was them," the King of Games breathed, his brow furrowing, "What did they want?"

"Do you really know who to trust?"

"…I don't know."

A/N: Whew, okay. Writing this chapter was like pulling teeth, I tell you. But I hope you still enjoyed it.

I think it's a good time to make the disclaimer now that I am no way an expert on Egyptian culture, ancient or otherwise. Part of what made this chapter so difficult to write was me trying to google a bunch of things. So if you are someone who's more well-versed in Egyptian culture, and see a glaring error in my story, please let me know. I mean, not to say the manga/anime is that accurate in the first place, but I'm doing my best here.

Speaking of, so I've been reading the actual manga for the first time! I've been enjoying it. I might be trying to incorporate things that were in the manga, but not the anime, in this story, just warning you.

Again, hope you liked the chapter! Please leave a review with your thoughts, they feed my muse!