Zariah and Mokuba instantly arrived back in the castle in the same room he and Maura had started from. Zariah glared at Dartz but seeing he was in talks with the boy's brothers, she found it amusing that they had a shield to protect themselves from him. She couldn't totally blame any of them. Dartz was talking and from the boy's memories his being here started this mess, but ultimately he wasn't responsible or at least he wasn't the one taking responsibility for the children, the same with Mokuba's brothers. Besides last time she was here neither one had the ability to do this type of spell much less know about it. Then she turned and sent a death glare at Krystyn who didn't seem to give a damn if the children ever got back! She was just sitting in a chair watching her grandfather.

'How the hell long did she honestly think these children would take to put a few rocks around this castle? She should have either kept track and monitored them, gone with them, which she might not have been able to do or at the very least gave a brief explanation on how to get back!'

She sighed as she looked around to find the children and was shocked when she noted that the girl though her spirit body gave out her real body was still standing. 'This girl really is resilient. Most people when their spirit bodies give out so do their real bodies but not hers. Well then I guess that means it's safe enough to give her a tiny amount of power; just enough to wake her and allow her to go back to her body willingly instead of my trying to force it like I thought I'd have to.'

She concentrated and Mokuba smiled brightly when Maura came too and started rubbing her eyes. "What's going on? What's happening?"

Zariah set her down and turned her towards her body making sure to keep her from falling, as Zariah had only given her enough power to be mildly aware of things. Zariah bent down and said in a low whisper by her ear, "Never mind, it's time to go back into your body. Go to it, hug it and think of yourself back in your body."

Maura was too out of it to notice that she didn't recognize the voice. She just did as she was told. Everyone's attention was brought to the children when Maura began to glow and she passed out.

"Maura!" Yami immediately got up and ran over to her as did Krystyn.

"I am so sorry I-I totally forgot! I shouldn't have left them out so long." Krystyn said, upset with herself for forgetting.

'Your damn right you shouldn't have.' Zariah thought. As she saw Yami pick Maura up and carry her back to the couch.

Mokuba looked up and asked, "W-will M-Maura b-be okay?"

Zariah smiled, and said, "Yes, little one of course she will. A little rest and she'll be fine!"

"What about Mokuba?" Seto asked.

'Oh right, oh course. How could I forget?' Zariah said to herself. She smiled down at him and said, "Now I want you to do the same thing I told Maura. Go and hug yourself and concentrate on being back in your body."

Krystyn had just walked over to Mokuba and was about to touch him when he too started to glow and then he passed out; it spooked her a little as she couldn't understand how they had gotten back on their own. She picked him up but as she turned she met the unwelcoming face of Seto.

"I'll take him." Seto said in a low threatening voice.

Fearing he was really mad and might hurt her, she didn't argue and gladly handed the boy over.

Yami looked over at Dartz and asked, "Will they really be okay?"

Dartz glanced at both and said, "Yes, they should be fine in a few hours."

"Good, now get out! All you came here for was Yami's power. You have what you wanted, there's no reason to stay."

"Fine by me! Let's go Krystyn."

Krystyn sighed and followed without question.

Zariah was happy to see them go. But then remembered Seto's words on his stealing Yami's power and since Krystyn had a soundproof barrier around her, Mokuba didn't hear her conversation with Seto. But since Mokuba had been looking at them and Zariah had over the years learned to do a little lip reading, she wasn't perfect but she could do it a little, when need be. What little she could catch was something about her giving their necklaces a real protection spell to prevent her grandfather from trying this again.

"That little weakling actually thought she had the power to form a protection barrier to keep her grandfather out? Little runt must be delusional. Sure it worked with the millennium rods but only because he was still absorbing his new power and he didn't try. Her spell with the combined strength of heart of Mokuba's brother was the real reason it kept him out. Before he absorbed the new power he could have easily dispelled her piss ant shield with a wave of his hand had he wanted. Hell if he had been serious even while still fully absorbing the new power he could have taken her puny little shield down with his pinky finger. Any form of protection spell she could have put up he'd have only had to glance at it and say be gone and that'd be the end of any protection spell. I suppose that only leaves me. Sure that Yugi guy does a decent job but knowing these twits they won't think to ask till something else happens and then it could be too late!"

So with a swish of her hand and a little chanting she strengthened the protection spell on all the necklaces that, well she wasn't positive it could keep Dartz out permanently, she was positive it'd take him time to get it undone. Unlike his granddaughter Zariah had been born and raised around powerful magician warriors who were not shy about teaching her what they knew.

Then Zariah remembered something interesting from Mokuba's memories. "I am happy though. I mean I never imagined that little Noah would appreciate my present so much. Although I wouldn't have thought the ring alone would have allowed him to see the boy. But I guess I underestimated his desire, I mean he has no magic in him so that's the only explanation I have for it. Which reminds me…" She turned and found she was alone in the room. "Damn, they've already put the boy to bed. Oh well I guess I'll have to go to him. I need to add a bit to his protection spell. I mean Noah just seemed to love having his arms go through the boy. I think I'll add that as a permanent feature of his necklace. And to make sure Noah doesn't get any bright ideas of realizing the necklace is the reason he can't touch the boy, have a little shock therapy if he or anyone the boy doesn't know or trust tries to remove it.

She was about to turn and go find Mokuba's room when she happened to glance out the window. She frowned confused, "That's strange, the shield should be up already." It was then she noticed that the magic rocks weren't doing their job. "Oh great, more amateur hour! They should have used the spell that would have had the shield go up as each rock was laid. But no, we wanted the hard way! Of course they had to choose the one spell where you have to do a finishing spell. Mokuba's memories told me that his brother and that Yugi guy, not only have they been given scrolls to study but a big magic book as well. So what they only skimmed the beginners section? This just proves how little that Dartz guy really did in his so-called training."

Shaking her head of these thoughts she concentrated on finishing the shield. She felt resistance with some and as she probed further she had to smile. "Well, well that new sister of Mokuba's is a smart one as well. She realized that Mokuba had the power and she didn't. She had Mokuba to magically teleport rocks to areas they couldn't cover personally. Then she tried to absorb the impact of it to keep him from getting hurt, although that is what ultimately did her in. It also explains why Mokuba was in such good shape when I found him."

She then turned her attention back to the shield, "Good thing I'm going to be doing this and not that amateur brother of Mokuba's or his little friend." Zariah said to herself and with a wave of her hands finished making sure the shield was up everywhere there were magic rocks.

"There all finished. There's no doubt in my mind that that brother of Mokuba's and his little friend would have botched the job and they couldn't or wouldn't know how to probe to find the reason why they felt resistant to their shield. Besides as far as those twits know the children just sat around twiddling their thumbs after putting the rocks around the castle, they have no idea what those children really did and probably wouldn't even have a clue till after they did the complete spell. Then wonder why it took that extra power when to them it was just around the castle. Then wonder over the resistance they felt and if skipping over the problem areas was going to hurt the shield. Then tomorrow when the children tell them all they did, they'd be shocked and then stupidly believe it was too late to go back and go over those troubled areas and cast the spell on them. Amateurs shouldn't play around with stuff this big. They should have had that watcher guy do it. At least I know he would be more capable. Don't get me started on that Krystyn girl."

Just then a portal opened and Krystyn entered and frowned, spotting Zariah as she hadn't been there before. "What about me? Who are you?"

Zariah was surprised she could see her. But as she looked down she noticed her medallion had almost completely faded. "Ah, so my medallion was weakened with all the magic I was using. It's not a wonder. Being such a low ranking amateur if my medallion had still been at even half strength you'd have never seen me!"

"Amateur! How dare you! Do you know who I am?"

"Yes, unfortunately I do. You are Krystyn Akunadin, granddaughter of the famous magician Dartz Akunadin. An old codger behind his time, although with the new power he has gotten he might very well be on top again. It's a shame really."

"What is and who are you?"

"My name is Zariah Amunet and my problem with you is your amateurish skills. As to my problem with you, well anyone who's anyone in the know of high class magic has heard the story of your family. Although I'll bet not the same as your precious grandfather has told you. Why did you come back here anyway?"

"What do you mean everyone knows about my family and you didn't answer my question? Who are you?"

"I did answer, I told you my name but you didn't answer mine."

"That's NOT what I meant and you know it! Now tell me who you are and what you know of my family!"

Just then she felt a presence behind her she turned and spotted her grandfather. "Grandfather, this woman…"

"Yes, I know. To answer your question Krystyn worried about whether they got the shield up."

"No worries there, I took care of it." Zariah said.

"Perhaps you would like to continue our talk? You're welcome to come with us to our place? After all, there's no need to alert these people to our problems."

Zariah turned her head, folded her arms and closed her eyes and said, "Hmh, like I'd enjoy burning alive?" Opening her eyes she looked at him and said, "No thanks."

"You believe I would harm or kill you?"

"No you have nothing to fear from me, so no, I don't believe you'd risk my family learning of my death by your hands. We both know you know who I am and although you don't truly fear my family you also wouldn't want to incur their wrath and get into a long drawn out battle. No, I was referring to the fact that you and I both know few people can safely live or stay at your place for more than a couple of hours, without suffering from the effects of the volcano you live in."

Dartz sighed, "Yes, this is true."

"Grandfather, you know who she is? And what did she mean no one but us can live there? I mean I always believed that too until Yami came to live with us."

"Yes, my child, I do know who she is. As for Yami, do you remember the ring I gave him when he chose to live with us and I told him to wear it at all times."

"Yes, I thought it was strange but…"

"It was to keep his core temperature at an acceptable level. This way while he lived in the volcano he would never feel the scorching heat from it." Then he turned to Zariah and said, "Perhaps we could continue this discussion at your lake house then?"

Zariah simply raised an eyebrow, "Very well. If that's what you want."

X-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-x-x

Mahaado found Dylan in his room. "I need you to get this stupid ring off!" They had tried several times just after Diana had told him about it.

"I shall try harder to get it off this time, sire. I went home and got a spell from your spell caster. He is currently researching your ring and will come whether this works or not to tell you about it."

Mahaado tried to locate Zariah and learn more. But the spell on the ring activated. Normally Mahaado would snap at Dylan for being long winded but he was in too much pain to care. "I see it, you still think I'm lying."

"No sire, I believe you. But I cannot see it. It must mean Lady Diana made the spell so where only you and possibly she can see the results. Our spell caster Tiyou said that this was possible."

Several failed attempts later.

"Send for Tiyou. Have him find a way to get this ring off."

Dylan bowed, "Yes sir."