Ying-Yang: *sulking in the corner because Alex went out with his friends instead of taking her out for Valentines* Why're you singing?

WSJ: ^_^ Because I've gotten rid of 1/6 of my problems! At least temporarily... *sweatdrops* Elyssa's being muse-sat by ShadowWolf-sama. But on the other hand, I've gained another muse. The strangest one yet. *groans* Mort, the Talking Flamethrower. Currently he and Greg, Brood's TFT, are somewhere. Dunno where. *sweatdrops again*

Fiore: *wanders in with a bouquet of roses in one hand* {Anyone seen Elyssa? I need to give her her Valentine's present.}

WSJ: Check over at SW's. She should be there.

Fiore: *nods to her as he leaves* {Thank you itsuji.}

WSJ: ^_^ You're welcome! *sighs* Fiore is by far the least troublesome of my muses... Speaking of which... *sweatdrops*

(Cut to a scene of a bar somewhere, where Alex, Bakura, Ishtar, and Zutsokaki are playing poker.)

Bakura: Hm... I'll see your Crunch Bar, and I'll raise you by two Almond Joy.

Ishtar: *whistles* Too hot for my pocket! I'm out!

Alex: *sighs* Me too.

All of a sudden Harmony, along with Brood's two chibis, Fuu Fuu Choco Taco and Fuu Fuu Vanilla Taco, run through with all the sweets they'd won from their previous games against the guys. Unfortunately for WSJ and Brood, the three are on an immence sugar-high.

Zutsokaki: *crosses his eyes in consternation* I knew it was a bad idea playing poker for candy...

(Cut back to WSJ's realm, where said authoress is twitching randomly)

Ying-Yang: *sweatdrops* Er... On to the fic! WSJ doesn't own YGO, and Amoura, Lisa, and Yunet (as well as Zutsokaki & the two Taco-chibis) are Brood's. Itsuji does, however, own Hiro, Gwen, and Takeo.

WSJ: Ah, one last note. I recently wrote a side-story to this fic, featuring Amoura, Gwen, Mai, and Tea singing kareoke at Duke Devlin. ^^ It's called Get Over Yourself! If you're a fan of SHeDAISY, or just plain don't like Duke, I suggest you take a look.

Ack! Important Notice!!!!! I just realized that I totally screwed up on the timeline. I keep saying it's been three years since VotH, but that should only be two! I'm sorry!!!!! *bows multiple times* I was trying to figure out how old Mokuba and Serenity would be in relation to their brothers, and I realized that the 'three-years-after-VotH' timeline contradicts with the series. So here it is:

Series (Duelist Kingdom/Battle City)
VotH -- 1 year after the end of Battle City
ASN -- 1 month after the end of VotH; 1 year, 1 month after Battle City
SoS -- 2 months after ASN; 3 months after VotH; 1 year, 3 months after Battle City
YoTU -- 1 year, 9 months after SoS; 2 years after VotH; 3 years after Battle City

Again, sorry for the mix-ups. I now have this huge, complicated chart thing up over my computer that shows me everyone's reletive ages, so I shouldn't have any more screw-ups. Thanks for your patience with me!

()()()()()

The Yamis of Tokyo U

Chapter 4 -- Dinner for Two... Or More

Ryou was brought out of his musings sometime around four-thirty or five o'clock PM by a quiet knock on the door. Quickly he undid the lock, and then called out "It's open!" The door swung open and the quieter of Tea's two roommates stepped inside hesitantly. What was her name? Just about all Ryou could remember about her was that she was French. She glanced around the small sitting room of the dorm, then moved to peek into the even smaller kitchen.

"I'm in here," Ryou called helpfully.

She jumped a little, then regained her composure and came into the bedroom, a large canvas bad swinging from one shoulder. "Bonjour. Are you feeling better Monsier R'ou?"

Ryou grinned at the way she said his name, and senced her smiling back. Her aura was a pretty sea green color, like Bakura had described her hair to be. It glowed too, the way that only the most pure of the pure-hearted did. Serenity Wheeler's aura shone like that. So did Yugi's, and Mokuba Kaiba's.

"Much," he replied, scooting over slightly so she could take a seat on the edge of the bed. "Forgive me, but I don't remember your name."

He senced her smiling again. "It iz Amoura. I 'ave brought a visitor, if you do not mind 'er."

She was reaching into the bag, but Ryou grinned, already knowing what was inside. A small kitten tumbled out of Amoura's hands and onto the bed, blinking in surprise.

Ryou laughed and stroked the kitten, causing her to purr. "She reminds me a little of my cat at home, Socrates. Describe her for me."

Amoura looked at him in surprise. "You cannot zee 'er for youzelf?" Then she 'eep'ed and covered her mouth in embarrassment. She hadn't ment it to come out like that!

To her surprise Ryou laughed and nodded, causing his long white hair to bounce slightly. Amoura saw Yunet getting ready to pounce, and quickly grabbed her before she could. "Hai Amoura-chan, I've been blind for all of two years." She started to make appropriete sympathetic noices, and he shook his head, holding up his hand for her to shush. "I'm used to it, and, in fact, I rather prefer looking at the world through my heart, and not my eyes. It gives me a chance to appreciate real inner beauty."

Amoura was caught breathless for a moment, but quickly recovered. "Oh!" was all she could say for a moment, and then, "Vell, Yunet iz a zilver tabby kitten, about six monthz old. She can be very wild at timez, and likez to play vith long 'air. Zo you might vant to vatch your own."

"Hm... Yunet... Egyptian, isn't it?" Ryou asked.

Amoura nodded, obviously delighted that he'd noticed. "Oui, it iz. I 'ave alvays been interested in zee ancient Egyptians."

Ryou had to chuckle at the irony, and wondered for a very breif moment if Amoura was connected in any way to the Millennium Items. He then discarded that crazy notion. "It seems then, that we have something in common." He leaned over to the bedside table and pulled the Ring out of the drawer in front, handing it to the French girl for examination.

Once again Amoura's breath caught in her throat. "Oh my goodnezz, R'ou, thiz lookz ancient!"

"It is. My father is an archiologist, and he dates it from somewhere around 3000 BC. That'd be over five-thousand years ago."

"During zee reign of zee unknown Pharoah..." Amoura breathed, obviously delighted. "Did you know zhat there iz evidenze zhat zee people back then might 'ave played Duel Monzterz?"

Ryou had to fight hard to keep his chuckling under his breath. "Er, yes, I've heard something to that degree. Do you duel Amoura?"

"Oui, I do."

"I used to, before I lost my sight. Hey, maybe we should set up a college tournement or something. Out of all my friends, I can only think of two right off who don't duel, and even then they still know how." Ryou said, thinking of Tea and Tristan.

"Zat vould be great!" Amoura said. "I 'ave not dueled since I got 'ere."

Ryou smiled and started to say something more when he felt a tug on the back of his head, followed by a sharp jerk. He hissed slightly and reached around to where Yunet was clinging to his hair about midway up his back. "You were right about her being feisty."

"Oh R'ou, I am zo zorry! I should 'ave kept a better 'old on 'er!"

"Nonsence," Ryou said, setting the kitten on top of his head instead of having her hang onto his hair in the back. "I told you I liked cats."

The outer door opened, and Ryou's face brightened further when he recognised the aura. "Konnichiwa Bakura! Classes over?"

"For today, yes," Bakura said, walking into the bedroom. "Hiro's going somewhere for dinner, so it's just you and me." he caught sight of Amoura and Yunet and grinned. "Or maybe not. What have you been up to hikari?"

"Nothing," Ryou said truthfully, shining innocence from every pore, causing Bakura to laugh as he plopped down onto his own bed.

Amoura, however, was puzzled. "R'ou, 'ow did you know who it vas zat came in?"

Ryou paniked, realizing what he'd let slip. He started a halting reply, when Bakura stopped him. "Well, you know how it is sometimes with brothers. We can just tell." Ryou nodded hesitantly, ashamed at having to lie.

"Ah, I zee. Vell, then," Amoura stood, preparing to leave. "I zhall go. I 'ope you feel vell enough to come to clazzes tomorrow R'ou."

Ryou smiled at her and pulled Yunet off his head, disentangling her paws from his hair. "Thank you for coming to visit me. You didn't have to."

"I know," Amoura said, smiling as she took Yunet from him, tucking the kitten back into her bag. "But I vanted to. You are my friend R'ou. And you too, B'kura."

Bakura started, for a moment thinking that she had called him Bekhura, his Egyptian name. But then he realised it was just her accent playing tricks on his ears, and he smiled. "I'm glad. Hope to see you again soon Amoura."

"Oui," she said before closing the door behind her. "Me too."

The instant that the door latch clicked shut, Bakura and Ryou were at each other's throats. "There was no need to lie to her!" Ryou said. "Why couldn't we just tell her about my powers?"

"Because of that other telepath." Bakura countered. "We don't know who he is or what his intentions are or where his loyalties lie! He could be just waiting to betray you into the Shadow Realm."

"Or he could just be a perfectly ordinary person with slightly more telepathic power then most!" Ryou shot back. "Why do you always connect everything back to the Shadow Realm?"

"I have to be causious!" Bakura all but shouted in his aibou's face. "One of us does! I nearly lost you twice before, and I won't let it happen again!"

"Nearly? Nearly?! Bakura, I did lose you to the Shadow Realm! If anyone has a reason to be worried for the other, then it's me! I can protect myself Bakura, physically and mentally. But you're not an immortal yami anymore! You can die! You did once before!"

By now the argument had escalated into a shouting match, Ryou kneeling on his bed and Bakura standing over him. Both their faces were red in anger, making the scar on Bakura's cheek stand out all the more. Ryou knew that his comment about Bakura's mortality had struck the other harshly, but he couldn't back down now.

Bakura felt like he'd been slapped. Did Ryou have to remind him?! He thought about it all the time anyway, rued the day when he would sicken and grow old, while Pharoah Yami, still as young and immortal as ever, sat back and laughed in his face. In a way, his mortality was all Ryou's falt anyway. He was the one stupid enough to get pulled into the Shadow Realm, forcing Bakura to go after him.

Something was wrong, Ryou could feel it. The air was thick and syrupy, and his thoughts were sluggish and blurred. He'd felt this once before, but where...

Suddenly he gasped, and his eyes widened, but Bakura, locked thoughroughly in the chains of his anger, took no notice. Ryou remembered now where he'd felt like this before. It had been two years earlier, on Halloween, when Briar-Rose had taken control of him and used him to beat Bakura within an inch of his life.

He and Bakura were being influenced to fight with each other.

But why? And who? Briar-Rose, the only one he'd known to use that power (besides, of course, Malik), was dead. He'd killed her himself, much as he regretted it now.

"Bakura, Bakura!" he pleaded, shaking the last bits of the spell of himself. "I didn't mean what I said! Listen to me Bakura, you're being controlled! Please calm down and listen to me!"

Slowly, and with Ryou's coaxing, Bakura managed to pull out of the mind-control spell and sat down with a bump, rubbing his head. "Aarg... What happened? Or rather, who happened?"

Ryou shook his head. "That's the problem, Bakura.

"I don't know."

Now that their voices were lowered, Ishtar and Yami, who had been drawn by the shouts and stood outside with their ears to the door, couldn't hear anything.

"Wow," Yami said, "I've never heard Ryou and Bakura fight like that before."

"Neither have I," Ishtar agreed, frowning. "It isn't like them."

"Shouting's stopped." the ex-pharoah noted. "Do you think they're all right?"

"Probably." Ishtar said, stepping back from the door and stretching his arms over his head. "Knowing those two. C'mon, let's go back to your room. Yugi and Joey aren't around, and Rex is playing techno rock in mine." The yamis shivered, still unaccustomed to the loud rock-n-roll of the modern world.

Once they were settled, Yami on his bed and Ishtar on Joey's, Yami broached the subject he'd been meaning to bring up. "Any plans for tonight? I'm... Rather bored... No homework from the first day of classes, Yugi's out on a date with Tea, and Joey's Ra-knows-where."

"Malik's checking out some girl with Tristan." Ishtar said, rolling his eyes. "Although Thoth only knows why he would. Tristan has the worst taste I've seen in everything from clothing to hairstyles. But yes, I do have some plans for later tonight. Would you like to help?"

Yami hesitated, thinking of the more idiotic "plans" Ishtar had come up with in the past. Hot-wiring that Shadow Realm spell to get Ryou and Bakura out for one; turning back time to bring Bakura back to life for another. But both times Ishtar had proven true, no matter how stupid he'd seemed in the beginning.

And besides, Yami was really bored.

"All right," the ex-pharoah said finally. "What are you up to?"

An impish grin appeared on Ishtar's face, and Yami began to regret his decision to go along with him. "Two words, my dear, dear friend," Ishtar said, his grin now somewhere in league with the Cheshire Cat's. Yami's apprehention grew, especially at Ishtar's next words.

"Panty raid."

Meanwhile, at a rather large kareoke bar just off-campus, two possible targets of such a raid were having dinner. Tea and Yugi, on their way to Tea's car, had met up with Hiro and Gwen, who were also headed to dinner at the same kareoke bar, Bunnie's. They'd laughed at the coincidence, and then decided to double-date.

The four were now sitting at a round table up near the stage, sipping wine and trying to badger each other into going on-stage to sing. The bar wasn't overly crowded, but several people had already been up on stage, including Bunnie herself.

Tea and Gwen were both in sundresses, in honor of the hot, late-Augest weather. Gwen's was white, and her hair was pulled back into a long braid. Tea was wearing a light green one, with sandels to match.

Yugi was in tan cargo pants and a white button-up shirt, his hair spiked up even more then normal due to the humidity. Hiro's hair was spiking as well, although rather more wildly. He was dressed in black jeans and a red and gold t-shirt.

"C'mon Tea!" Yugi prodded her. "I want to hear you sing Fancy!"

Gwen raised an eyebrow at him. "That would be Reba McIntire, right? That strikes me as more of a song I would sing... Are you a fan of American country music?"

"Well, yeah, a little." Yugi admitted. "It's better then the Arabian stuff Yami listens to."

"Hm..." Gwen mused, flipping through the song-book, before selecting a song and handing it over to Yugi. "In that case, sing this to Tea."

Yugi read the lyrics, and blinked. "Well... I couldn't! I can't sing!"

"Sure you can." Gwen said, slapping Yugi on the back and almost causing him to fall out of his chair. "Everyone can sing. It's all a matter of whether or not you can sing well."

"Gee, thanks." Yugi muttered, "I feel so much better..."

"What song is it, Yugi?" Tea asked curiously, leaning over for a better view.

"Ah ha, nothing Tea." Gwen said, pulling her back. "No fair peeking at the lyrics before he sings. Go on Yugi."

Mumbling something about pushy women, Yugi started to get up, only to have Hiro, who'd been silent until now, get up with him. "I'll sing right after you Yugi, so don't feel to bad."

"Oooh," Gwen said. "What're you going to sing?"

He winked at her. "That's my little secret, Gwen dear."

The American bristled, half-rising out of her seat. "Gwen dear? Now you listen here-" But Hiro and Yugi were already halfway backstage, and Hiro turned back to her with laughter in his eyes before blowing a kiss and disappearing behind the curtain. Gwen sat back down in a huff and crossed her arms over her chest. "Men!"

She turned to find Tea laughing at her, and frowned. "What? Have I got wine on my lip or something?"

Tea shook her head no, still giggling. "Are you sure you and Hiro never met before yesterday?"

"No," Gwen said, her anger boiling away in favor of curiosity. "Why do you ask?"

"Because this morning he asks you to dinner, and now you're fighting like an old married couple."

Gwen frowned harder at her pen-pal turned roommate. "Baka. Hiro did not ask me to dinner. He mentioned that he wanted to check out a kareoke joint he'd seen driving in, and I invited myself along, since I've never been to an honest-to-goodness kareoke bar before."

"Sorry Gwen, I was just teasing. It's just that you remind me of Joey and Mai before they started fighting so much. I mean, they were always fighting, but before it was just in play, I think."

"I get the feeling that they've been at it for a long time. I didn't get to talk with either of them for very long last night, but it seems like they'd be a perfect couple if they'd just let themselves. What's up with them, anyway?"

"Well..." Tea paused, trying to figure out what to tell her. "About two years ago, Joey's little sister got in some major trouble."

"I remember you writing me about that." Gwen said, nodding. "Serenity, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. Anyway, she ended up getting kidnapped, and Joey went after her with Ryou and Bakura. Long story short, Tristan and Isis and I all got called to help out and such, and Malik, Ishtar, Yugi, and Yami had been involved since the very beginning, but we sorta forgot about Mai until it was all over." she paused to take a sip of her wine. "That's what made Mai so mad in the very beginning. She thinks of Serenity as sort of a little sister, and was really mad that we didn't call her too."

"It seems to me though," Gwen pointed out, "That she'd blame all of you for not calling her. Especially if Joey was out running around trying to save Serenity, and it would have been more convienient for, say, you to call her. Why just Joey?"

Tea shrugged helplessly. "We've never figured that out. She confided in me a few months afterward that she was scared for Joey. What if he'd have gotten hurt? I told her that I felt the same about Yugi whenever he was in danger, but I never fought with him because of it. After that she clammed up to me." Tea sighed. "Then, last spring, just after our graduation and the end of Mai's sophmore year (she's two years older then the rest of us, and Isis is three), she disappeared until the middle of July."

Gwen looked startled. "Whoa. Where'd she go?"

"We don't know," Tea said, shaking her head again. "She hasn't told anyone, and we've all agreed not to bring it up or talk about it unless she does. But... She changed a lot in those eight weeks she was gone."

"Really? What was she like before?"

"Well," Tea rooted around in her purse and pulled out her wallet, displaying a group photo that'd been taken last year. "There she is, between Ryou and Isis."

"Wow," Gwen exclaimed, taking the picture so she could examine it better. "That's Mai? Geez, her hair's so long! And it isn't streaked."

"She didn't have her tattoo then either." Tea added.

"Mm." Gwen handed the picture back to her and she tucked it away as the lights began to dim. Both women looked to the stage expectantly as Yugi came out for his performance.

"There’s that star, the one they said we’d never reach.
"And just close your eyes,
"There’s the missing moon, there’s the Milky Way.
"Heaven’s straight ahead, we’ll be there today..."

The lyrics were in English, but Tea caught most of what Yugi was singing. She hadn't known he knew English... Her mind drifted as he continued his song, and a slight blush drifted across her cheeks whenever he looked her way and smiled. 'He's such a romantic...' she sighed to herself. 'I wish I could finally make a choice between him and Yami...'

"...There’s that home, the one they said we’d never share.
"And just close your eyes,
"There’s a picket fence, there’s our mailbox,
"Puppy on the porch and roses up the walk.
"Shiny new minivan, kids in every seat,
"Someday we’ll look back and say it wasn’t just a dream."

Tea cast her eyes to the ground, knowing what he was trying to say to her. That he was getting tired of waiting for her to make her choice, dispite the fact that Gwen had picked the song. She fought back sudden tears, knotting her hands into the skirt of her sundress. 'It's not fair!' she thought. 'How'm I supposed to chose between them?! I can't!'

"Some say we’ll never get it off the ground.
"Some say we’ll never make it out of town.
"That someday we’ll end up a world apart.
"And some say we’re a couple of crazy kids.
"And some say that’s exactly what they did.
"And I say you got to go with your heart,
"And baby, look where we are..."

'Yes,' Tea thought bitterly. 'Look where we are. At a three-way impass. Or would that be a love triangle? Stupid midgets! Stupid pharoahs that steal my heart away!'

Gwen cocked her head as she watched her friend, and the emotions playing over Tea's face. It was obvious she was in love, but something was wrong. Gwen'd have to ask her about it later, because Yugi's song was ending, and Hiro's was about to start. Gwen couldn't help blushing at the thought, and wondering which song he'd chosen.

Hiro grinned at Yugi as the shorter man walked by, a smile which Yugi returned forcibly. "Good luck."

"You did great."

"I wish Tea would think as much."

And then Hiro was on stage, and another English song was coming over the speakers as he looked tot he audience and found Gwen's eyes. His lips turned up in a half-smirk, half-smile as he began to sing, nearly laughing at the look of astonishment on her face.

"Don't think that you got me girl!
"Don't think you can tame me and change me.
"Don't think that it's all because of you,
"Just because I don't run around,
"Just because we're forever together,
"Don't you think of a four-letter word to use!"

In her seat Gwen was almost seething. That idiot! Why would he think she'd ever fall for him anyway?

'Because he's nice, sweet, kind, a gentlemen,' a voice in her head told her. 'Because sometimes it doesn't matter whether you like the person or not before you fall in love.'

'Will you shut up?!' Gwen told it sternly.

"Believe me baby,
"I'm not in love.
"No, not at all."

Tea smiled a little as Yugi came back to his seat. "I-I try Yugi."

"I know you do." Yugi replied. "I'll try to be patient with you." He put his hand over hers, and she looked up shyly into his eyes.

"Arigato."

Both caught sight of Gwen, who was alternately blushing and clanching her teeth in frustration and anger. "Hm..." Yugi noted softly. "We may have some more match-maker work to do..."

"I slip but no, I'm not in love.
"What if I just can't sleep at night?
"I see your face in the starry sky.
"The way you feel it makes it right.
"I'm not in love..."

"I'm not in love!" Malik nearly shouted in Tristan's face. But instead, he managed to hold his temper and said instead, "Remind me again why we're crouching outside the window to a girls' dormotory at 10 PM."

"Because you wouldn't believe how truly beautiful my sweet, fair Ribbon-chan is." Tristan said, his feet barely touching the ground. Several times during the evening of following Miho around, Malik could have sworn he'd seen fakey-looking, red plastic hearts dancing around Tristan's head.

"This is so humiliating..." the Egyptian muttered. "I hope no one sees us..." He breifly considered using the Rod to make Tristan go back to his dorm, and then discarded it, not knowing whether that new telepath Ishtar had told him about would be able to sence it or not. He then thought about just leaving, but then decided he'd better stay and supervise Tristan, just in case he got the notion to try and sneak into her room or something.

"Ah, she comes!" Tristan murmered, leaning closer to the window as the dorm's door opened, admitting Miho and two of her goth friends. Malik just sighed and slumped against the wall miserably, thinking that Tristan was beginning to remind him a little too much of Tatewaki Kuno.

A slight russling in the bushes near him caught Malik's attention, though Tristan appeared not to notice. The russling came again, closer, and a familiar voice hissed, "Psst! Ishtar!"

Malik blinked in surprise as he peeked over the bushes to find Yami crouched behind them. "No, just me. What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same," Yami pointed out. "At the moment I'm trying to get your idiot other out of here before he gets caught!"

"Where is he?" Malik asked, a sence of dread beginning to creep over him.

Yami pointed upward. "Somewhere on the second floor." From behind Malik there was a small yelp, followed by a thump. He turned around to see Ishtar, a bulging laundry sack over one shoulder, stepping gingerly off of Tristan.

Malik groaned and turned back to Yami. "He's here. He just landed on Tristan's head." The blond suddenly had an idea, and grinned evilly as he turned to speak with his yami. "As soon as the lights go out in this room," he pointed to Miho's. "Raid it! Because of her, this night has been hell." he said darkly, glaring at the lavendar-haired girl, who had no idea what was going on outside her window.

~*~

"So we're agreed?"

"Much as I hate it, the only way to stop 'em from meddlin' is to act like a couple."

"Right. But you'd better not get too close dog breath, or I'll have your head!"

"You just worry about yourself, Lady Harpie."

"Grrrrrrr..."

~*~

//Mokuba, do we really have to do this?//

Fifteen-year-old Mokuba Kaiba, the most sought-after sophmore of Domino High, sighed as his 'inner voice' piped up. /Yes Seto, we do. I know I'm going to probably go to the dance, whether I go with someone or not, so I may as well be on the commitee and make it as enjoyable as possible./

//Hmph.// Seto Kaiba muttered, half to himself and half to his brother. //I should be at Tokyo U with the others...//

Mokuba sighed and continued to trot down the street toward Domino High for the homecoming dance planning meeting. The various servents had offered to drive him, but he'd declined. It was a nice night, and he needed the excersize.

For the past several years, since Seto's soul had been transferred to Mokuba's body, the brothers Kaiba had gotten along better then they ever had. But still, as could be expected, they had their squables. Seto did have a false-form he could go into if he wanted to get away from Mokuba for a bit (which was hardly ever), but he couldn't stay in it nearly as long as the yamis could theirs. Usually an hour or so was the max time.

Seto was, for the most part, content. He was glad he wasn't still stuck in the Shadow Realm with only Pegasus for company, and was very glad he wasn't dead. His main complaint was that he had to, in a literal sence, take high school over, instead of going to college with everyone else.

//So who else is on this committee?// he asked.

Mokuba shrugged mentally as he pushed open the door to Domino High's auditorium. /Dunno. Guess we'll find out./

Seto was looking through his brother's eyes, taking in the familiar cheap mock-leather seats and wide stage, and the group of high-schoolers, junior highers, and a few teachers and parents sitting in the front several rows. One in particular caught his eye, a head of strait black hair that was all too familiar. //Oh please Mokuba! Don't say that's-//

At that moment, the fourteen-year-old freshmen turned in her seat, and she scowled when she saw Mokuba. She stuck her tongue out at him, then crossed her eyes and turned back to the front of the room with an impertinant toss of her hair.

//-Lisa O'Kelly...// Seto finished uselessly.

Lisa O'Kelly, a native of Dublin, Ireland who had moved to Japan with her family during her third grade year, was the Kaiba brother's main annoyance. She'd had a big fixation with Seto, before he'd "died". Although she was six years Seto's junior, she'd had the hugest crush on him ever since she'd moved to town. She'd sobbed her heart out and refused to eat for three days when she heard of his death.

She did not get along well with Mokuba. However, she insisted on being his 'friend' because he was her 'Kebby-kun's' little brother. Seto grimaced mentally at the pet name Lisa had given him. She'd been horribly clingy, even when he was a junior and she just a fifth-grader.

Mokuba chuckled slightly at his big brother's discomfort. /Don't worry, I don't plan on butting heads with her over anything./

//Yeah,// Seto said drolly. //But that's always how it ends up.//

Mokuba shook his head as he took a seat between two of his friends, Serenity Wheeler, who was a junior, and Rebecca Hawkins, who was a freshmen, like Lisa.

"What?" Serenity asked, raising an eyebrow at his amused expression.

Mokuba glanced at Rebecca, to make sure she was engrossed in another conversation, which she was, and then he leaned in closer to Serenity. "Seto's being a pain again."

//Hey!//

Almost as if she'd heard his exclamation, Serenity laughed. "Over what?"

"What else? Lisa."

"Ah," Serenity pretended to smack her forehead. "I should have known."

The door to the auditorium opened again, to admit the last few stragglers. One of them was the new ancient history teacher that the students had been talking and gossiping about all week. His hair was thick and black, pulled back into a pony-tail at the back of his neck. His skin was dark, and he was dressed in slacks and a blue button-down shirt, which is why Serenity and the Kaibas almost didn't recognize him. All three got it at the same time, blinking in amazement and confusion, especially when the caught sight of the Ankh hanging around his neck. And, of course, there was no mistaking those eyes.

"Shaadi?"

()()()()()

WSJ: *cackling evilly* MWAHA! So arrive Lisa, Rebecca, and Shaadi! *laughs heartlessly* *coughs* Sorry. I, for one, cannot imagine Shaadi in the clothes I just described. Even trying makes me start giggling! Blah!

Anyway, this is the longest chapter yet, and I hope you liked it! I hope to get the next one out within two weeks, but I can't promise anything with play practice.

Chapter 5: Now that Ryou's feeling better, he, Yugi, and Malik agree to meet for breakfast at a small coffee shop that Mai and Isis say is fabulous. While there, they find a rather familiar face, and deside to play a very dirty trick. Miho, along with various other girls, find their garments missing and storm the guys dorm. Fortunately, Ishtar is out when they search his room. Unfortunately, Rex isn't. Shaadi comes to call, and Serenity and the Kaibas come along, then deside to stay the weekend at Tokyo U.

God bless minna-san!