CHAPTER 17

FALL AND RISE

Morning broke all too soon in Domino, the city unaware of the events that had transpired overnight. There was a dreary, gray atmosphere around it; the sun was nowhere in sight, and the forecast predicted a light drizzle all day.

At the game shop, however, the feeling was about to become very different. Solomon Muuto gawked in surprise at the sudden menagerie that appeared at his door with his grandson. "Yugi! Ah, it's good to see you home safe," he welcomed Yugi before glancing at all of the others. "...Goodness, there are more of you now then when you set out, aren't there?"

"Excuse me," Rad grunted, pushing his way through the throng. An unconscious Tea lay in his arms, still clad in Scorpion's voluptuous uniform.

Solomon couldn't believe his aged eyes. "Tea!" he asked. "What-"

"We'll explain later, Grandpa," Yugi said. "Rad, where are you taking her?"

Rad looked around. "We'll put her in your room," he said.

"What!" Tristan asked. "Shouldn't we take her to her own apartment?"

Rad shook his head solemnly. "Madrak is still out there," he said. "If we separate, his forces will pick us off piece by piece. We should all remain in the same place."

"Well, yeah, but..." Joey started, motioning to her clothes. "She can't just stay here wearing those! It ain't right!"

Rad glanced backwards. "Serenity, please go to Tea's apartment and get some fresh clothes," he said. "Perhaps some sleepwear as well."

Serenity shyly nodded and ran off down the street. "Wait, didn't you just say we should all stick together...?" Tristan asked. After a moment's hesitation, he took off after her.

"Yugi, what's going on!" Solomon asked, glancing at Tea again. "Why is she..."

"I'll explain later," Yugi replied. "Right now we should let Tea rest."

Rad carried Tea up to Yugi's room, placed her in his bed and pulled up his covers. She groaned, stirred then grew silent again.

Yugi gave Rad a concerned look. "Will she be OK?" he asked.

"She's not hurt, physically," Rad replied. "However, the trauma of Scorpion's possessing her will stick a while... When she gets over that, she'll be fine."

Yugi sighed with relief and looked at his downed friend. "Good..." he said. "I didn't want to hurt her..."

Rad glanced down at Yugi. "That was quite a display you gave," he remarked. "I've never seen anyone combine Light and Dark weapons like that."

Yugi blinked, recalling the incident. He wasn't quite sure how he had gotten both his Dark Staff and Tea's Faith Rod to combine their powers, but now that Rad brought it up, he started to wonder. "Yeah... That was strange..." he acknowledged. "Plus, remember that shield that came up the first time I fought Scorpion..."

Rad glanced at his Millennium Cube. "This doesn't give the cards new powers..." he said. "Those skills must have come from elsewhere..."

Yugi looked at him. "Elsewhere?" he asked. "Where else could they have come from?"

Rad paused, then shook his head. "...Never mind," he said. "Just be wary. This is far from over."

He turned and started to leave. "I have to locate Madrak's hideout. You should stay here," he said.

Yugi hesitated. "Why?" he asked.

"When Tea wakes up, you're the one best suited to take care of her," Rad replied, then left. "That, I promise you."

Yugi watched him go, then glanced back at Tea again. How shaken up was she from Scorpion, he wondered? How long would she be like this?

---

With a loud yell, Yami slammed his fists into the stone wall of Madrak's chambers, cracking several bricks. "DAMN IT!" he swore loudly. "DAMN IT ALL!"

Madrak rose from his meditation and slowly turned to the enraged Pharaoh. "...Scorpion has failed, I assume," he stated simply.

"She is gone..." Yami snarled. "Yugi has taken my Queen... AGAIN!"

Law leaned against the wall, his arms folded as usual. Both Dark Rival and Sting were now strapped to his back. "Yep," he added. "Of course, it wasn't just the kid; the chick she was possessin' really stuck it to her."

"I see..." Madrak replied. "That is most unfortunate. However, we must not lose sight of the goal."

Yami gave Madrak a deadly look. "Goal!" he asked.

"Remember?" Madrak asked. "You said that you would help me destroy Yugi. Or have you forgotten...?"

Yami growled and spat on the ground. "Rescuing my Queen comes first!" he retorted. "I will go to Yugi and take her back!"

Madrak remained calm. "We must begin preparations for their arrival," he said. "Soon they will learn our location, and then..."

"Silence!" Yami shrieked. "No one commands the Pharaoh!"

"Dude, chill out," Law grumbled. "We're all pals here, right?"

"Prepare if you want," Yami harrumphed as he drew his sword, "but I shall take this battle to them... and I will win!" He practically kicked the door off of its hinges and stormed out.

Law gave a low whistle. "Whew!" he said. "Spikey's got a temper!"

"It's just as well..." Madrak said, turning back to the altar. "Whether he kills Yugi or not, he won't survive me."

Law shrugged nonchalantly. Madrak's cold, vengeful personality was imposing, but he was getting impatient; he had to get back to Ivalice so he could take on Ramza Beoulve again, and he didn't seem to be anywhere closer to getting there by following orders like a good little drone. Perhaps he should start his plan to steal the Millennium Items and drain their powers ahead of schedule, he contemplated.

As he pondered his treachery, he became aware that someone was very faintly calling his name. He looked up with a start. He knew the voice, but couldn't place it... It wasn't Dark Rival, who only he could hear; he knew exactly what her voice sounded like. He looked over at Madrak, but the large man was deep in meditation. "...You say somethin', Madrak?" he asked.

Madrak shot him a dark glare. "I did not," he replied.

Law hesitated and looked around nervously. "Err... I'm gonna take a walk..." he muttered, turning and leaving the room. He found a decent spot in the tunnel-like corridor and leaned against it, still wondering where the voice had come from... or even if there had been one.

"What was that...?" he asked himself. "Maybe I'm goin' crazy... Well, crazier."

"You're not, honey," the voice said again.

Law looked around and drew Dark Rival. "Who's there!" he asked. "Show yourself, ya dirty..."

"Quit the lip," the voice cooed sweetly. "I'm right on your back."

Law hesitated, then put his hand on Sting. His heart leaped at the touch; he could feel a powerful energy throbbing through it. Instantly he knew who it was.

"...Scorp?" he asked.

"Yes," Scorpion replied. "Remember what I told you? When I leave a body, I'm kept safe in here."

Law pulled Sting off of his back and stared at it. "So, what, can you move? Can you see me?"

"I can hear and speak," Scorpion replied. "Aside from that, though..."

He let a sigh escape his lungs. "What was that?" she asked, almost tauntingly. "Were you worried?"

He frowned and looked away. "No," he harrumphed. "You just scared the shit out of me."

The blade gave a low chuckle. "Of course. I'm SO sorry..." she said. "Now, let's not stall. We've got work to do."

Law raised an eyebrow. "Work?" he asked. "What kind of work?"

"Thanks to that damn exorcism, I can't possess that girl's body again," she said. "However... there is still hope. When I first became a Dark Holy Swordsman, my master taught me an incantation in case I ever ended up without a body... and with a willing, ahem, partner."

"Oh?" Law snorted. "What would that be?"

"You'll see," she replied. "Now, let's start gathering the ingredients. I MUST be whole again so Atemu can love me, as he should have in the first place!"

Law chuckled. Even after being expelled from Tea's body, Scorpion's hunger for Yami hadn't dwindled... but Law knew who Yami really wanted. Boy, was she in for a disappointment. "Heh... You sure he's gonna want you?" he jeered.

"Of course he will!" she snapped.

"'Zat so?" he replied with a mocking sneer. "Then why'd he just run off to go and grab the babe you were in?"

There was a long silence. "Ah, the naive fool..." she finally said. "He thinks if he can get her back, I'll be saved. How sweet..."

Law rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Keep tellin' yourself that," he muttered. "Now, next item of business: what makes you think I'm gonna help you?"

Scorpion sounded insulted. "We're Dark Holy Swordsman!" she snapped. "We have to help each other out! It's in the code!"

"Code?" Law snapped. "I don't follow no code, chicky! I work alone!"

"Yes... A lotta good that did you," she retorted. "Aren't you supposed to be in Ivalice?"

Law ground his teeth; she did have an irksome point. He was just about to tell her off when he thought of just how shattered she would be when she realized the ugly truth about her "wonderful Pharaoh;" it would be worth bringing her back just to see the look on her face.

"...OK, then," he said, his voice feigning defeat. "I'll help you out. Where's your grocery list?"

---

"Ah, here we go," Serenity said as she pulled open Tea's closet. She rummaged around inside of it for some decent clothing, humming cheerfully to herself while Tristan waited at the door. "We'll find something nice so she can get out of those wicked clothes."

Tristan shifted his weight uncomfortably and glanced at her. The nightmare that Marshank had attacked him with still plagued his mind, especially when Serenity was around. He had had crushes on girls before, but something about Serenity was different; when he was with her, he wanted to protect her with every fiber of his being, so that no harm would ever come to her.

Still, the aspiration seemed ill-designed. Serenity barely noticed him like he wished she would, and he did have competition: the dice-dealing Duke Devlon. He frowned as Devlon's name ran through his head, recalling the sleazy ways he had tried to get Serenity's attention. Duke and Tristan were decent teammates, but each saw fire when Serenity was involved. Tristan always got angry when he remembered the first time that they had confronted each other about it on Kaiba's private blimp.

(Flashback)

Frigid winds blew over the deck of the aircraft as Duke and Tristan stepped out onto it. Duke turned to Tristan, still as cool as ever. "What's up, Tristan?" he asked. "You brought me up here... What's on yer mind?"

Tristan frowned. "Duke, I want you to keep your hands off of Serenity," he said.

Duke raised en eyebrow. "Eh? How come?" he asked, his voice striking an irked chord.

"She just got her vision back, and she almost just lost Joey..." Tristan explained calmly. "She's very vulnerable. The last thing she needs is someone trying to..."

Duke cut him off with a laugh. "Heh! 'Someone?' You mean me, don't ya?" he asked. "Boy, you're a real boy scout, ain't ya..." he snickered, turning his back to him, "but you're awful at maskin' what you're after."

Tristan's rhetoric ended abruptly; he just stood there with a frown on his face, not knowing what to say next.

"I suppose I could turn down the old Duke Devlon charm," Duke said, still smiling cruelly, "but who am I to stop the ladies if they know what they want?"

Tristan's teeth ground. How dare he speak of Serenity like one of the drooling, fanatical girls that hung around his game shop! She was so much more than that, but all Duke could see was a prospective piece of meat. "Duke..." he started.

Duke's smile turned to a frown. "Ladies want men who DO stuff," he said bitingly. "I get by on my own, but you're always on the sidelines rooting for someone else. 'Go, Yugi! Go, Joey!' You're just a big, hairy cheerleader, chump. Even Tea does more than you!"

Once again, Tristan was stunned. He tried to find something to counter what Duke had spat at him, but he couldn't; he just stared down at the ground with a flabbergasted look.

"Women like men of action," Duke finished with a wicked smile, "and face it, my friend... You are NO man of action."

That was the last straw. Tristan felt himself boil over with rage; his knuckles clenched and tingled, and his jaw locked. "...Take that back," he hissed quietly.

Duke raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "What was that?" he asked. "Can't hear you, cheerleader."

"I SAID TAKE IT BACK!" Tristan roared. Without warning he lunged at Duke and swung his fist.

(End Flashback)

As hard as he had smacked Duke around on the blimp that night, the gambler's insult stuck.

Just as he was chewing over the verbal bruise, Serenity gave a chirp of success. "OK, I've got some stuff!" she reported. "Let's get back to Yugi's and see how she's doing."

Tristan snapped out of his meditation and looked at her. "...Right," he replied as he moved away from the door. "Let's go."

They left Tea's apartment and headed down the street, each carrying some of the clothes. Serenity walked along, still humming her whimsical melody. Tristan was lost in thought, stiill contemplating the feelings he had and the insults that Duke had flung at him that night. Despite all of his big talk and actions, Duke was right; he was little more than a cheerleader for his friends. How could a simple cheerleader protect the one he cared about?

His thinking was cut short when he heard Serenity give a soft sigh. He stopped and found her staring at the pavement. "...What's wrong?" he asked.

Serenity shook her head. "It's... Well..." she started. "It's kind of..."

Tristan frowned. "Go on," he replied. "You can tell me."

Serenity sighed again and glanced at the sky. "My brother always has so much responsibility being dropped on him... Card dueling, saving the world... me..." She paused for a moment. "Sometimes I wish I could help him share the burden."

Tristan raised an eyebrow. Burden? Usually Serenity seemed so cheerful and peppy, as if she didn't mind any of the disasters going on around them; that feature was what Tristan liked about her the most.

Without waiting for a response, she went on. "He's always running off with Yugi and you guys to stop some bad person from hurting the world... I want to help him, but he never lets me come along..."

"Well..." Tristan managed. "He's... He's looking out for you, Serenity, like a good brother should."

"I know..." Serenity sighed, "but I want to support him, like a good sister should..." She paused and looked at him. "You understand, right?"

Tristan sighed. He understood how much the Wheeler siblings cared about each other; one would move mountains to help the other... Still, he also cared for Serenity, and didn't want to risk her getting hurt. All through their adventures, he had never let anyone lay a finger on her, just as Joey had. If he agreed with her, Joey could get angry... but if he agreed with Joey, Serenity might be upset, and then he'd never get a chance to sort out his feelings. What could he say? "Well, um..." was all he could come up with.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew through the street. "Brrr!" Serenity noted, hugging the garments for warmth. "I thought it was summer!"

Instinctively, Tristan whipped off his trenchcoat and draped it over her shoulders. Surprised by the gesture, Serenity's cheeks turned pink. "Um... Thanks," she managed.

Tristan nodded and looked around warily. She was right; it was summer. What was an arctic wind doing blowing through the street? He had hung around Yugi long enough to know a bad omen when he felt one, and grew nervous.

"...We'd better get back to Yugi's. Now," he said, giving her a gentle push.

"What do you think it was?" Serenity asked.

Tristan shook his head. "...I don't know," he replied, "but I agree with Rad. This is far from over..."

As they walked down the now chilly street, they were completely oblivious to the spikey-haired man in dark armor who watched them from the rooftops.

---

Tea's eyes slowly opened and adjusted to the light. She glanced one way, and then the other, deciphering where exactly she was. A wall was on her right, and a familiar-looking wooden desk obscured her left. A woolen blanket over her body made her begin to sweat. The scent of paper and plastic hung lightly in the air. She knew where she was now: Yugi's room.

She groaned softly and raised an arm, rubbing at her eyes. Suddenly, she realized something. She had rubbed at her eyes; she was controlling her own motions again. Scorpion was gone.

"I..." she managed to say. Hearing her own words coming from her mouth made her heart leap. "I'm... free!" she gasped. "She's gone!..."

Suddenly, the door swung open. Tea's head darted in its direction and saw a spikey, red and black hairdo headed her way. Instantly her fears came swarming back; Yami was back! He was there to take her again!

"Ah, you're up!" a familiar voice said. "Are you-"

With a scream, Tea tore off her sheets and landed a powerful kick right in her assailant's face. He doubled over and crashed to the floor with a grunt. "Stay away!" she yelled, backing against the wall and panting wildly. "Stay..."

The spikey-haired figure on the ground groaned and looked up at her, his gentle, purple eyes locking with hers. Instantly Tea felt sick to her stomach.

"Oogh..." Yugi groaned, rubbing at his face. "Well, you have your strength back... That's a good sign..."

Her eyes wavered. "Oh... I'm so sorry!..." she gasped. "I thought..."

Seemingly knowing what she was going to say, Yugi got up and brushed himself off. "Yeah, I guess I should have come in a little more slowly," he said.

Tea sat back down on the bed and stared at the floor. "I'm just... I guess I'm still on edge..." she tried to explain.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Yugi replied. "Who wouldn't be?"

There was an awkward pause. "So..." Yugi ventured. "How are you feeling?"

Tea sighed. "Awful," she replied bluntly. "I feel sick all over..."

"Really?" Yugi asked, getting up. "I'll go get some medicine."

She shook her head. "No... It's not that kind of sick," she said. "I... was used..."

Yugi paused, then nodded slowly, deciding not to interrupt her from pouring out her feelings.

"It's a terrible thing, not being able to control your own body..." Tea went on, her voice starting to crack. "I went places I didn't want to go... I said things I didn't want to say... I... killed people... Oh, God..." She put her face in her hands.

"Hey, hey," Yugi protested, nudging her shoulder with his hand. "You didn't do any of that... Scorpion did."

Tea shook her head again beneath her hands. "It was my body!... I should have stopped her, but I didn't!..." she sobbed. "I didn't stop her..."

Yugi nodded quietly, understanding exactly what she was saying. When possessing him, Yami had forced his hand many times. Sometimes Yugi could stop him, sometimes he couldn't. "Well... I know you tried, Tea," he finally said. "That's what matters."

"No!" Tea snapped, getting off the bed and standing before him, her entire body trembling. "It doesn't! I didn't do anything! I didn't stop her from killing all those people... and I didn't stop her from giving herself to Yami..."

Yugi gave her a sad look. "But he didn't..." he said. "If he had, you wouldn't be here..."

"They were interrupted," she retorted. "I didn't do anything!... and worst of all... I hurt you."

Yugi looked away for a moment. That part was true enough; she HAD hurt him... a lot, both physically and mentally. Which aspect did she mean?

His contemplation was broken by a saddened sigh from Tea. "I've been so horrible... to everyone, and most of all to you... Oh..." she moaned. "I'm a monster..."

Yugi glanced up at her. She was shaking even harder now, clear tears spilling down her cheeks. "Tea..." he started.

"It's true!" she wailed. "I didn't stop her! I'm no better than she is!"

Yugi frowned, his frustration beginning to surface. He hated to hear his friends berate themselves. When Joey had broken free from being possessed by Marik at Domino Pier, he had lashed into himself about being too weak to resist, and was only stopped when Mai slapped him silly. This scene seemed upettingly similar. Unwilling to listen to much more, he hopped off of the bed and glared at her. "HEY!" he snapped angrily.

She looked down at him and saw his eyes blazing with anger. That sight alone shocked her into silence; Yugi had NEVER looked so mad before, and she never imagined that she was the person who would make him so.

"Y... Yugi?" she whimpered.

"Read my lips, Tea!" Yugi huffed. "You had NOTHING to do with what Scorpion did! It's not that you didn't stop her... It's that you COULDN'T stop her; she was too strong! I don't think any of us could have done any better. Yes, she did awful things in your body... and yes, she slaughtered all of those people with it, but none of that was your fault! OK! Just stop saying that right now!"

Tea sniffled a bit. "But..." she murmured. "...I'm her descendant..."

Yugi shook his head. "I know you, Tea," he went on. "You wouldn't do any of that... I know you fought your best to stop her; that's what's important. You may be related, but you aren't her!"

Tea still shook, apparently unconvinced. "Did you WANT to kill those people?" Yugi asked.

"No..." Tea said softly.

"Did you WANT to work with Madrak?" Yugi pressed.

"No!..." Tea replied, a bit louder than before.

Yugi paused, then glanced at the ground. "Did you... Did you want Yami...?" he asked.

"No! No! NO!" Tea howled suddenly, grabbing at the golden uniform that she still wore. "I didn't want to do ANY of it! SHE MADE ME DO IT!" With one mighty yank and a shriek, she ripped the garment from her body. Yugi's eyes immediately widened and his cheeks went strawberry red. Obviously, Scorpion didn't believe in underwear.

"Then..." he said, trying to focus on the problem. "...Then you're not Scorpion."

Tea was crying loudly again. "No... I'm not her!..." she wailed. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Yugi!" She grabbed him and squeezed him tightly, her sobs shaking both their bodies.

Yugi bit his lip. Her soft, well-endowed flesh rubbed against his chest, and her feminine scent filled his nostrils. This was what he had dreamed about for so long; his childhood friend catching him in a tight embrace, and in the raw, to boot; his male chemistry responded in its natural way.

Despite all of this, Yugi fought to control himself. Tea was in a miserable state; she probably wasn't even aware of his masculinity when she tore her clothes off before him. He shouldn't act on his urges, he thought. She trusted him so much as to be in such a compromising position... To do anything less-than-saintly would shatter her.

He gently raised his hands and put them on her back, patting her reassuredly. "It's OK... It's OK..." he said quietly.

"I'm sorry..." she repeated. "...For everything..."

They sat there for about five minutes, neither one loosening his or her grip. Finally, Yugi sighed and pulled away. "I think you're still tired," he said, trying not to stare at what was before him. "You should get some more rest."

Tea slowly nodded and lay back down in the bed, letting Yugi pull his blankets over her form. "Yeah..." he said. "You just take it easy for a while longer... Serenity and Tristan should be here with some fresh clothes soon."

"Thank you..." Tea said.

"OK..." Yugi said, opening the door. "I'm going to go check with Rad, and-"

"Wait, Yugi..." Tea whimpered, holding her arm out and looking saddened. "Stay... Please?... I'm scared..."

Yugi regarded her for a moment. Once again, temptation had reared its ugly head. He thought Rad could use a hand, but here she was, pleading for him to stay. He stood and thought hard. She was a woman, and she was his secret crush, yes... but most importanly, she was his friend.

He slowly closed the door again and walked over. "All right," he said, kicking his shoes off and lying down above the covers next to her. "...But only until you fall asleep."

Tea gave a quiet murmur of thanks and closed her eyes. Within a few moments, she was sound asleep.

Yugi noticed, and remembered what he had promised, but decided to stay there anyway. "...Rad can take care of things himself for a while..." he muttered, putting his hands behind his head and staring at the ceiling.

---

Red mist filled the dark prison corridors, giving them an even more foreboding aura than they already had. Ishizu, curious of it, came to her cell entrance to see what was going on. Instantly her eyes widened in horror; a large vat of red goo sat in the center of the room, bubbling and frothing furiously. The air was thick with the stench of blood and melted flesh. Law stood at one end of the vat, stirring the concoction with Sting.

"What filth!" Marik, who had also come to his entrance, remarked with audacity. "Do you mean to poison us!"

"Law... What is this!" Ishizu asked.

Law chuckled wryly, noticing the Egyptian starlet. "Heh heh... Just making a friend, Ishizu," he said with a grin. "What? Jealous?"

Ishizu looked away. "Hardly," she grumbled.

Law gave another laugh, then lifted Sting from the glop. "Right, right..." he said. "Well, we're almost finished here... What's left for us to throw in, Scorp?"

"The final thing is a powerful curse," Scorpion said from her place inside the weapon. "We must find a dark wizard and have him curse the mixture. That will increase the body's powers tenfold."

"A dark wizard, eh?" Law asked, scratching his chin. "Now, where might we find one of those...?"

"Law," a low voice said behind the Dark Holy Swordsman. He turned to see Madrak towering over him.

"Hey, Maddy!" Law said. "Whaddup?"

"You were attempting to build Scorpion a new body..." he said, glancing at the vat. "Why?"

Law kept frowning at him; he didn't want to let his plans slip, especially to the person he was going to backstab. "Uh... Well, you know, 'cuz what with all your Knights gone, an' the spikey kid on his way... We're gonna need all the help we can get!" he lied.

Madrak studied him for a moment, then looked at the vat. "You'll be needing a curse, then..." he reasoned.

His lie undetected, Law nodded. "Yeah. You have one?" he asked.

"It is a powerful Egyptian incantation," Madrak said, "but with its magic coursing through her, she will never be defeated again."

"Sounds like my kind of spell," Scorpion whispered in Law's ear. "Do it!"

"Well, let 'er rip, Maddy," Law said, motioning to the vat.

Madrak gave him a vile glare. Law swallowed hard. "...Please?" he added.

Madrak thrust his hands out and lowered his eyes. His dark voice chanted in an ominous, haunting dead tongue as his palms flashed black. From their cells, Ishizu and Marik exchanged worried glances; they knew what those words meant.

Madrak's voice rose and fell, until finally be boomed out the final word of the curse. "Now... Give it Sting," he ordered.

Law chucked the weapon into the mixture. There was a stunned silence for a moment, and then the vat began to shake. A beam of red light shot from its mouth up to the ceiling, forming a pillar of energy. Law looked at it, then at Madrak.

"It has begun," Madrak said, turning and walking away.

"It has...?" Law asked. "Whaddya mean? Maddy! Hey!"

Law's attention was caught by an almost demonic belch that the vat made. He whirled around and his eyes widened. The goo inside quivered and surged, almost as if it were alive. It oozed upwards into the stream of light, and then left the vat entirely, floating in mid-air. As the spectators watched, the goo stretched and swelled, beginning to take shape. The force of the spell made the vat waver, then crush itself flat, leaving only Sting in its center.

Five strands emerged from the goo. Two thrust downward, two thrust outward and one went upwards. The bottom ones throbbed for a moment, then slimmed down into thin, athletic-looking legs. The ones going to the sides shrank and became smooth, well-built arms. The one going up branched out to become a flapping mass of short hair and a beautiful face. The area above the legs shrank, while the area below the head expanded and split in to two smooth mounds.

Law watched the last of the slime solidify and become firm. Suddenly, the eyes opened and looked down on him, a seductive smile gracing the lips. He blinked in awe for a moment, then his mouth curled into a wicked grin. "Heh heh... Awesome," was all he said.

---

"We're back!" Serenity announced as Tristan and she entered the game shop with the bundle of Tea's clothes. "We've got the..."

Her voice trailed off as she stared at what was before her. The whole of the checkout counter was hidden by a giant map of the world. Eleven large pins with red heads were stuck into different locations. Rad sat in a chair nearby, smoking and studying an encyclopedia and glancing up at the map every so often. Joey sat nearby with another encyclopedia, a set of sophisticated glasses perched on his face. Yugi's grandfather was cleaning the rest of the shop, trying to deal with the inconveniences.

Tristan hesitated, then stepped forward. "Uh, Rad? Joey?" he asked. "What're you guys doing?"

"Rad's researchin'," Joey said. "He thinks where the Millennia Knights popped up is important."

"Yes," Rad replied, motioning to the board. "Domino, Manaus, Vesuvius, Las Vegas, the Great Barrier Reef, Duelist Kingdom, London, Notre Dame, Casablanca, Istanbul and New York... I'm sure there's a reason the Knights went there."

"What, spreading terror and doom wasn't enough?" Tristan muttered.

"Perhaps there's a pattern," Rad went on. "If we learn the pattern, maybe we can locate Madrak's headquarters..."

"It's a pretty weird pattern, though," Joey admitted, glancing at the map; Rad had drawn lines between all of the dots, but it hasn't helped. "Looks like a paper clip when you stretch it all out..."

"Yeah..." Serenity agreed, then looked at Joey again. "Big brother, since when do you wear glasses?"

"Oh, these?" Joey asked, taking the glasses off and chuckling. "I don't. They just make me look smart."

"There's nothing in this world that could do that," Rad muttered without looking up. Joey fumed.

"Err, right," Tristan said. "Well, uh, we're gonna go take these clothes up. See you guys later."

Tristan and Serenity disappeared up the stairs. Rad muttered crossly and flipped the page of his book. Joey glanced at his encylopedia, then lowered it. "Hey Rad, I'm gonna get a snack," he said. "You want somethin'?"

"No thank you," Rad replied without looking up.

"Right, then," Joey said, getting up and walking for the kitchen door. He banged face-first into the adjacent wall.

Rad sighed. "Take them off," he said.

Grumbling to himself, Joey removed the glasses and disappeared into the kitchen.

---

"I hope she likes these," Serenity said, sifting through the clothing she had brought. "I just grabbed whatever I'm used to seeing her in."

Tristan nodded as he put his hand on the door and pushed. "Well... I think after wearing that rotten getup that Scorpion had, she'd want to have anything else on," he agreed. "I'm sure-"

A small gasp from Serenity cut him off. He glanced at her and saw that her eyes were wide with surprise and a bit of mortification. "What?" he asked.

She simply pointed into the room. He turned and his jaw dropped; Yugi slept above the covers, Tea's bare arm draped affectionately across his chest. A small smile graced her lips as she murmured softly in her slumber.

There was an awkward silence as the two friends hovered in the doorway, gawking at the sight. "Um... Tristan?..." Serenity whispered, growing very red.

"...Just put 'em in the corner," Tristan replied as quietly as he could. Serenity tossed the garments into the room's corner and they backed slowly out of the chamber. Tristan quickly shut the door behind them and heaved a sigh.

"Goodness..." Serenity remarked as they slowly began walking away, motioning towards the downstairs area. "Should we...?"

Tristan thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No," he said. "We don't know everything... No point in jumping to conclusions."

Serenity hesitated, then nodded in agreement. "You're a good friend, Tristan," she said suddenly, then walked ahead of him.

Tristan watched her go, then glanced back at the closed door, smiling. "...You are too, Yugi," he mumbled.

---

"Ugh... Still nothing..." Rad grumbled as he crossly snapped an encyclopedia shut and tossed it onto the floor. "There is absolutely nothing connecting the locations..."

Joey, now without the glasses, looked closely at the map with the lines connecting the dots where the Millennia Knights had appeared. Something about it looked familiar to him... as if he could almost tell what they were looking for. "I wonder..." he muttered, scratching his chin.

"There're no significant magical properties about those places, either..." Rad muttered, slamming another book shut. "Where could Madrak be hiding?..."

His concentration was shattered when someone cleared his throat. He turned around to see Kaiba standing in the doorway, a small device in his hand. Mai stood behind him, clutching a paper bag.

Rad raised an eyebrow. "Where have you been?" he asked Mai.

"Shopping," Mai replied, pulling a pack of donuts from the sack. "I thought everyone could use a bite."

"...What are you doing?" Kaiba asked Rad, the scowl never leaving his face.

"I'm trying to figure out where Madrak is," Rad grumbled. "With all of his Knights gone, we shall have no more clues."

Kaiba snorted. "Hmmph. Magic and nonsense... You're both idiots."

Rad lifted his gaze. "I wouldn't say that if you want to rescue your brother," he threatened.

Surprisingly, Kaiba stifled a chuckle. "I don't need you for that," he retorted. "I can find him on my own."

Joey's eyes widened as he looked at the map; something inside him had clicked. "Woah! Rad!" he cried out, grabbing a pen.

Rad ignored him, his irritated gaze not leaving Kaiba. "Oh?" he asked. "With what? You have no maps or clues to go on, either."

With a few flicks of his pen, Joey turned back to Rad. "Hey, Rad!" he called.

Kaiba gave a cruel sneer. "What rock are you living under? This is the age of technology."

Rad's eyes narrowed. "All the technology in this world couldn't find this madman," he growled.

"Rad! RAD!" Joey cried.

Kaiba held up the device. "Oh?" he asked. "What about this? It's a GPS I programmed specifically to track Mokuba." He started pushing the buttons with smug satisfaction.

"RAD!" Joey yelled again.

"What IS it!" Rad snapped, finally turning to the blonde.

"I figured it out!" Joey exclaimed, pointing to the map. "Look! See what all of the points do!"

Rad looked up at what Joey had done. With every set of three points, Joey had drawn a line to connect them into triangles. Now a row of them dotted the map. He scratched his chin, then his eyes widened, too. "Triangles... They're much like pyramids, aren't they!" he asked.

"Right!" Joey proclaimed. "An' pyramids that look exactly like triangles are only in Egypt!"

Rad looked at the map, then at Joey again. He repeated the motion several times, as if he couldn't believe that Joey had solved what had been boggling him from the beginning of the adventure. "...Yes," he finally agreed, trying to contain his surprise. "Those look remarkably like Egyptian pyramids... but does it prove anything?"

He was answered with a triumphant laugh from Kaiba. "Look, you tech-handicapped simpleton! The GPS found him!"

Without a word, Rad snatched the GPS from Kaiba's hands and stared at the screen. A small, blinking light hovered over the mouth of the Nile River in the northeastern part of Egypt.

He jammed the GPS back into Kaiba's hands and nodded. A great fire welled up in his chest as he envisioned the oncoming battle. "Well... Now we know," he said cooly. "We'd better round everyone up."

He turned and started for Yugi's room. "Hey, c'mon!" Joey huffed. "I figure out where the baddies're at, and I don't get any props?"

"Hmmph," Kaiba harrumphed. "Why should he thank you? All you did was connect the dots."

Joey snarled, but then noticed that Rad was looking at him. "Yes, he did," he said. "He connected the dots."

Joey started to get mad, but then realized that, in some zany way, Rad was complimenting him. "Uh... You're welcome?" he ventured.

Rad nodded, then turned to go upstairs.

"Well, nice work, Joseph," Mai chuckled. "He finally has an ounce of respect for you."

Joey giggled in a stupid way, scratching the back of his head.

She rolled her eyes. "Guess I spoke too soon," she muttered.

---

His wild eyes scanning the cityscape, the accursed Pharaoh Yami bounded across the dense buildings with increasing speed. His fingers clenched his Millennium Sword so hard, it looked as if the blade could be absorbed into his flesh at any moment. His eyes moved left to right, up to down. He had to find her.

Suddenly, his chest swelled; he had felt a familiar presence. He did a perfect ninety-degree turn and leaped across one more roof. He looked down and grinned; across the street was the shop owned by Yugi's grandfather.

Only one shop window on the second floor opened onto the street. He knelt and put a hand over his eyes to get a better glimpse inside, his dark Millennium powers allowing him to see everything in perfect detail. "Yes... I can feel you..." he panted. "Where are you, my Queen..."

His gaze penetrated the entire house. He saw the stupid teenagers looking at a map, the dark-clothed one pointing and talking. What fools they were; they thought they could challenge the pharaoh? He would show them all when the time was right.

His eye moved to the upper floor and his chest swelled; her presence was even closer, then. He looked through the hall and zoomed in on Yugi's closed door. She was behind it; he could feel it.

The moment he peered into the room, his wicked grin inverted completely, and he gave an involuntary gasp. There lay his Queen, nude beneath the covers, her arms wrapped around his weaker half... and she was SMILING!

His hands clenched, his retinas throbbed and his lips curled into a furious snarl. Without further hesitation, he turned his face upwards and let out an almost animalistic roar thick with hatred and betrayal. His hand grew so tight around his sword, the bones became visible. He turned his raging face back towards the offense and screeched the name of the one responsible.

"YUGIIIIII!"

His scream shot through the entire city, shattering windows and blowing fire hydrants. He raised his sword and leaped from the building towards the store. He would leave it a smoldering heap.

---

"Woah!" Joey gulped as the devastating sound from outside rocked the building to its foundations. "What's that!"

Mai turned and glanced out the window, then her eyes widened. "Oh, shit..." was all she could say.

Rad ran down the stairs, his eyes wide and alert and his Needle Nails already attached to his hand. "Everybody outside. NOW," he commanded.

Joey, Mai, Tristan, Kaiba, Serenity, Yugi's grandfather and Rad all dashed into the street to confront the fuming Pharaoh. He stood on the concrete, his entire body shimmering with a dark-purple energy that made his features almost demonic. His eyes twitched and veins bulged all across his face. His mouth was wrenched into a bone-crushing snarl, his teeth almost looking like fangs. The arm in which he clutched his sword was shaking furiously.

Kaiba, of course, was not intimidated. "Well, look who's come to play," he grumbled, shoving his hand into his arm cannon.

"I WILL retrieve my Queen!" Yami hissed, pointing his sword at them. "Move, or be reduced to ashes!"

Joey, Mai and Tristan drew their weapons. Serenity and Solomon didn't have any, but stood their ground nonetheless. "Oh, no!" Joey warned. "You ain't gettin' anywhere near Tea, pal!"

Yami regarded Joey for a moment, then gave a long, defiant laugh. "Insolent whelps!" he insulted. "You actually believe that you can oppose ME!"

Joey hesitated. "...I think I missed the joke," he said.

"You ARE the jokes! Every one of you! For as long as I have known, you have all been laughable!" Yami laughed, pointing at him. "You, a weakling who cannot do anything by himself, thinks he can stand up to the greatest Pharaoh Egypt ever had!"

"Now you're gettin' personal," Joey growled. "I can take care of myself just fine!"

"Please," Yami taunted. "I practically had to toilet-train you."

Joey fumed. "Don't listen to him, Joey!" Serenity huffed.

"Serenity! Get back!" Tristan shouted, waving his gun. He then turned to Yami. "Hey, leave the insults at home. You're outnumbered!"

Yami turned to him and laughed again. "And you... You're always throwing your life away for people who couldn't care less! What an imbecile you are..." he said. "You think that throwing yourself against an invincible opponent impresses people? All it does is kill you, boy!"

Tristan clenched his jaw. Mai stepped forward and cracked her whip. "Less talkin', more fightin', spikey!" she warned.

Yami laughed yet again. "You are just the opposite!" he said. "You act tough to make them believe you are strong, but you are just a scared little girl... and a slutty-looking one, at that!"

Mai bit her lip. Kaiba raised his cannon. "I've been waiting a long time for this," he growled.

Yami shot him a wicked grin. "As have I, High Priest," he said. "You are the biggest joke of all! You refuse help because you think that makes you strong... It makes you weak!"

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "I'll show you WEAK!" he yelled, firing his cannon.

In an instant, Yami had swung his sword. The holy white blast flew backwards and crashed into a nearby building. Kaiba lowered his weapon, stunned.

With a laugh, Yami raised his sword. "DARK LAZARUS SWARM!" he commanded. Before anyone could react, a giant wave of black liquid appeared behind him and crashed over them, forcing them to the ground and washing away their energy.

"Aghhh!" Joey howled as he writhed around, the magic tearing at his insides. Tristan, Kaiba, Rad and Mai gave similar responses.

Yami gave a wicked laugh. "Do you understand now, jesters?" he asked, taking a few steps forward. "Not one of you has the strength to hold a candle to me!"

"Joey! Mai! Tristan!" Serenity cried. "You have to get up!"

"Please!" Solomon shouted. "You must protect Tea! And Yugi! And my shop!"

Rad was the first to get up. He shook off the remaining dark water and glared at Yami. "What a fool you are, Pharaoh," he said. "You think you're strong, but you're just a tool... a pawn... nothing."

Yami's eyes throbbed again. "SILENCE!" he roared. "I shall DESTROY you all!"

Rad turned to the others, who were just beginning to pick themselves up. "Not ONE of us has the strength to defeat him..." he said, clenching his claw, "but perhaps ALL of us can do it."

Joey looked up at Rad, who now wore a determined smile. It was such a brave smile that Joey couldn't help but smile back. "Yeah!" he agreed, getting to his feet and brandishing his Flame Sword. "Let's stick it to 'im!"

"Right..." Mai said, regaining her stance and clutching her Rose Whip. "We'll show you exactly what 'jesters' can do!"

"Nobody calls ME weak and lives," Kaiba snarled, readying his Blue Eyes White Cannon for another shot.

"I don't protect people to impress them," Tristan explained, loading his Machine Gun. "I do it because it's the right thing!"

Yami looked at each of the people bearing weapons and frowned. "So... this is how it shall be?" he asked.

"You tell us, 'Pharaoh,'" Rad replied.

Yami chuckled lightly, then his face went completely demonic. His eyes were wild with hatred and flecks of foam spouted from his mouth. "YOU SHALL ALL PERISH!" he roared, charging with his chuckled lightly, then his face went completely demonic. His eyes were wild with hatred and flecks of foam spouted from his mouth. "YOU SHALL ALL PERISH!" he roared, charging with his sword held high.

Joey met him with his Flame Sword raised, and the steely clash shot through the air. Joey's teeth ground as he shoved hard against his blade, not willing to let Yami gain another millimeter. Yami shoved and shoved again, his fury matched only by his skill. As raging as he was, he was still in complete control; that made him the worst type of opponent.

Tristan clicked his Machine Gun and aimed, but didn't fire. "What are you waiting for!" Serenity cried.

He hesitated, his finger massaging the trigger. Both Yami and Joey were in his crosshairs; with how much his arms were trembling, he could hit either one. "I don't want to hit Joey!" he explained. "Just need a better shot..."

Sweat poured down Joey's face as the Millennium Sword forced his fiery blade closer and closer to his throat. Finally, with a gasp, he tilted the sword away from him and fell to the ground. Yami chuckled and raised his blade to kill. "NOW!" Tristan shouted, letting loose a stream of bullets on the Pharaoh.

Yami turned around, held up his sword and it whirled around as fast as a helicopter blade, knocking each and every bullet astray. He then lunged at the gunner with his blade still spinning. Tristan was so stunned, he couldn't even move. Yami sped at him, the sword whirling even faster then before, until it was almost in his face. Suddenly, the blade stopped. Yami lifted his leg and gave Tristan a hard kick in the stomach, sending him crashing down the road's pavement.

"TRISTAN!" Serenity cried out.

With a groan, Tristan tried to force himself up. He hurt all over; his limbs were coated with scrapes and cuts, and his lip was bleeding. "Ugh..." was all he could groan.

"Without the Faith Rod, we can't heal ourselves," Rad warned. "Be on your guard!"

"Sound advice," Yami chuckled. "Why don't you just run away?"

Mai cracked her whip on the ground in response, her eyes burning with retribution. "Nobody calls ME scared!" she snarled, pulling back the handle and letting fly. Her thorny rope coiled around his arm and she pulled as hard as she could, trying to make him drop his sword.

Yami shook his head with a wicked grin. "Very well... I shall call you STUPID!" He yanked his arm forward as hard as he could, and Mai went skyward. With a cry, she crashed down on top of Tristan and lost her grip on her whip.

"Hmmph," Kaiba growled, charging his cannon. "You can't do that to a gun, can you?"

Yami turned to him and he fired. The white blast shot into the Pharaoh's sword and sent it clattering across the ground. He shot a taunting glare. "Heh... That was funny," he commented.

Yami grinned back and thrust out his hand towards the sword. It wavered, then flew back into his hand, to Kaiba's wild-eyed surprise. "Wh-What!" he gasped.

"Yes..." Yami laughed as he raised the weapon. "That WAS funny!" In an instant, Kaiba's cannon was across the street and he himself was on the ground, grasping at his hand and hissing in agony.

Yami raised his sword and laughed again. "Again you oppose me... again you die," he sneered. The blade went down with lightning speed...

CLANG! Another peal of metal on metal filled the air. Yami looked in fury and saw that Rad's Needle Nails had collided with his sword. "Try me," the dark youth said.

Yami broke the stalemate and jumped away. "I still do not know who you are..." he growled, readying himself. "...Nor do I care!"

"You should," Rad returned, straightening his claws for a pierce. "Madrak is using you as a shield... as you used him."

"I do not know what you are speaking of," Yami said. "I only wish to have my Queen and regain the world that I once ruled!"

Rad shook his head. "We can't have that, I'm afraid," he said. "Face it, Atemu... Your time's up."

"NEVER!" Yami screeched, swinging at Rad with full force. Rad caught the sword with his claw and punched Yami squarely in the face. The Pharaoh staggered backwards, furious. "You DARE strike me!" he roared. "Now there will be NO mercy! DARK LAZARUS SWARM!"

Once again, the black wave tore across the street, sending everyone sprawling across the ground. Even Serenity and Solomon were hit this time, the waves pinning them against the shop's wall. "Aoooouch!" Solomon grunted as he impacted.

"Oh... I don't feel well..." Serenity groaned.

Rad struggled to get back on his feet and glared at Yami. The Pharaoh simply laughed. It was a deep, rotten, wicked laugh... the wickedest laugh that had ever existed.

---

"Ummm..." Yugi groaned as he stirred and sat up. Instantly he felt embarrassed; he hadn't meant to fall asleep, but he had. A pleasant scent wafted into his nose and a warm breeze blew on his cheek, bringing with it a relaxing, purr-like breath. Maybe that was what had lulled him to sleep.

He turned towards it and went red; Tea was right up against him, with only his bedsheets separating him from her. Her warm, tender arm now lay in his lap. "Agh!" he gulped, quickly sliding off of the bed.

The motion woke Tea up. She moaned, then sat up and felt a breeze. Looking down at her state, she gave an eep and grabbed the bedsheets. "Y-Yugi!" she asked. "What-"

"Tea?" he asked. "Are you feeling better?"

Tea hesitated, then sighed. "...A little, I guess... What did..."

Yugi shook his head. "Nothing," he replied. "We just... fell asleep."

"Oh..." Tea said, reddening a bit. "Well... um... Good..."

"Can you stand?" Yugi asked. "Maybe we can go downstairs and get some tea."

"Yeah..." Tea replied, sliding out of his bed and walking towards the pile of clothes in the corner. "That sounds good..."

Blushing, he turned away. He hoped that some rest would help Tea recover, but so far she seemed about the same as before. He hoped that she wouldn't misinterpret what had happened on his bed... but it didn't look good. He had fought back his instincts and his temptation... but he doubted that she remembered it.

Suddenly, a wicked laugh broke him from his worries. He noticed Tea stiffen as the laugh reverberated. "What the!" he asked, running to the window and looking down.

What he saw made his eyes widen in horror. Almost all of his friends were lying on the ground, looking beaten and bloodied. Only Rad was up, and he was barely blocking the sword of an upsettingly-familiar presence.

"Yami's here!" he gasped. "Tea, hide up here while-"

He turned around. Tea was gone, as was her Faith Rod, which had been resting on his bedside table. He looked around frantically, then heard the door open downstairs. "Oh, NO..." he gasped, grabbing his Dark Staff and running after her.

---

"Give it up, fools!" Yami said, pointing his sword at the hobbling Rad. "Your friends are down! I have not even broken a sweat! You are doomed!"

Rad growled crossly, then cast his gaze up at the second floor. "As long as I can still fight..." he said, raising his claw, "there will be no doom."

Joey, Mai, Tristan, Kaiba, Serenity and Solomon all groaned and forced themselves to look up. Rad looked at each of them and nodded. "As long as there are those of us who wish to do what's right..." he continued, "the world will never end. You won't win, Pharaoh."

Froth appeared on the edges of Yami's mouth again. "SILENCE!" he yelled, raising his blade. "YOUR world ends right now!"

Suddenly, the game shop door opened. "Yami!" a soft voice called.

Everyone instantly looked. Trembling in the open door was Tea. She was wearing very little; just underwear and a very long, turquoise shirt. Her eyes were tired, and she loosely clutched the Faith Rod in her hand.

"...Tea?' Joey asked.

Yami lowered his sword and smiled. "My Queen!" he declared in a very different voice. "You have returned to me!"

"Yami..." Tea groaned, taking slow, agonized steps towards him.

"Tea, what're you doing!" Mai yelled.

"You see, heathen!" Yami said to Rad without taking his eyes off of her. "She wants to be with ME. Her choice of garments proves it!"

"Tea, don't!" Serenity cried. "He's bad!"

"Snap out of it!" Tristan hollared.

Rad said nothing. He just watched her, awaiting what she would do.

She was right in front of Yami, so close that one could feel the other's breath. "Come," Yami said, extending his hand. "We shall leave this place and return home... and resume our love."

Tea stood there quietly, staring into his hungry eyes. Suddenly, with a shriek she raised her Faith Rod and smashed him cleanly across the skull. Totally in shock, he reeled backwards. Satisfied, she went at him again, beating on him with ferocity that nobody had ever imagined was in her.

After about twelve blows, she ran out of energy. She heaved and gasped, and fell to her knees on the concrete. Yami stood there, his eyes wavering, totally in shock. "...Tea...?" he managed.

"Tea!" Yugi cried as he ran out of the shop and to her side. "What are you doing!"

As soon as Yugi appeared, Yami snapped from his shock. His angry face grew red with hatred and his eyes grew even wilder. "YOU!" he screamed. "You've turned her against me!"

Yugi turned and looked at Yami sadly. "No, Yami..." he said with a shake of his head, "I haven't done anything to her..."

As he spoke those words, Tea put her arms around his neck and clutched him tightly. The sight of it made Yami screech in pure, unrefined hate. "DIE!" he screamed, flying at Yugi and swinging his blade crazily.

Suddenly, Yami felt several sharp things tear across his back. Rad, his claw coated with the fabric that made his cape, leaped in front of him. "NOW!" he shouted in a clear voice.

Instantly Joey's Flame Sword slashed into his shoulder. Bullets from Tristan's gun planted themselves in his back. Mai's Rose Whip wrapped around his legs and brought him down, and a blast from Kaiba's cannon sent him tumbling across the road.

Almost out of energy, the once-proud Pharaoh staggered to one knee. A shadow floated over his face, and he looked up. He was met by a face full of sharp, stingy bristles, and he grunted and tumbled over again.

"...And THAT'S for wrecking my shop!" Solomon Muuto declared, clutching his broom tightly.

"Nice one, Gramps!" Joey laughed. "Everyone hates those!"

"Agh..." Yami groaned as he rolled over onto his stomach and looked up at his nine opponents. Each of them stood looking at him, their weapons at the ready and a defiant look in their eyes. Suddenly, Yami remembered fear.

"Yami..." Yugi started.

Yami's mouth curled into another snarl, and with a roar, he vanished. All was once again quiet in Domino City.

Joey paused, then lowered his sword. "Whew..." he panted. "That was intense!"

"He got away..." Mai sighed, "but at least we're all OK."

"Nice work, everybody!" Tristan laughed. "We showed him!"

Yugi glanced at Tea, who still had her arms around him. "Tea?" he asked. "Do you need to rest some more?"

"Yugi..." she said quietly. "You're going to find Madrak's place, aren't you..."

Yugi nodded. "Yeah," he said softly. "That's the plan."

"Then..." Tea said, breaking the embrace and standing up, "take me with you."

She looked at him and he smiled widely; her beautiful blue eyes had regained the sparkle that he so dearly loved, and a warm smile now graced her lips. "I'm still scared..." she said, tears starting to well up in her eyes, "but I want to go. I want to see this through... and..."

Yugi put his hand on her shoulder and she clutched it tightly. "Say no more," he said. "Of course we'll go together! I told you a long time ago, Tea... We're sticking together, and it's gonna stay that way!"

Yugi's friends all watched at the sight with warm, happy faces; even Rad cracked a grin.

Kaiba broke the mushy moment quite well. "Well, now. Shall we find Madrak's place?" he asked.

Yugi shook himself out of the moment. "Right! Of course!" he chuckled, blushing a bit. "Rad, did you figure out where it was?"

"Yes," Rad replied. "We must leave for Egypt as soon as possible."

Tea looked around at her friends. "You all look pretty banged up," she said, holding up the Faith Rod. "Let me heal you first."

Joey grinned widely. "Yeah, you do that... and then get yourself some pants!" he laughed.

Tea glanced down and blushed beet red. "Agh!..." she gasped, clapping her hands over the spot. "N-nobody look!" She turned and ran into the shop.

"Right," Tristan said. "Let's all go back in."

Yugi and Rad watched the rest of the friends pile back into the game shop. "You did well today," Rad said after they were alone.

Yugi looked at him, confused. "Well?" he asked. "I didn't do anything."

"Tea seems quite different from when we first rescued her," Rad said. "Whatever you did... was something."

Yugi blushed a bit. "Well... I'm just glad she's OK now," he said.

Rad nodded. "Let's go inside and rest," he said. "We'll set out for Madrak's in the morning."

"Yeah," Yugi agreed. "I hope we can save Yami and the others somehow... I hope he isn't too hurt from today..."

---

With an angry snarl, Yami entered the stone chamber and threw his sword on the floor. He was heaving and panting from his wounds, and his face was streaked with tears.

Law was leaning against a wall and glanced at him. "Well, well, well..." he said. "Look who's back."

Yami gave him a vile look. "I have no time for you," was all he said.

"Oh? That's a shame, spikey," Law chuckled. "We've got a little surprise for ya, after all..."

He snapped his fingers and a familiar figure stepped out of the darkness. She wore a glittering, golden, loose, bikini-like armor and clutched a familiar zanbantou. Some key parts of her were different, however; her chest seemed larger than before.

"Hey, baby!" Scorpion cooed, leaning seductively on Sting. "Your Queen's back!"

Yami's eyes narrowed. With a grunt, he started walking past them.

"So, how about we go into your quarters and get this party started?" Scorpion asked, putting her hand on his shoulder. "I know a fun game we can play called-"

Much to both Law's and her surprise, Yami slapped her hand away. "You are not worth my time," he hissed. "Leave me be."

Scorpion blinked. "Huh?" she asked. "Is this a game, Atemu? What way is that to talk to your Queen?"

Yami gave her an ice-cold glare. "You are not my Queen," he said stonily. "You are a harlot." With that, he turned and stomped into the darkness.

Scorpion just stood there for a moment, the words echoing in her brain. Her outstretched arm trembled ever so slightly.

Law gave a raspy chuckle. "Whoo! De-NIED!" he jeered. "What was that you were sayin' 'bout him wantin' you?"

Scorpion didn't reply. She just peered after her scorner into the darkness.