It's been such a long time! Sorry ^^;. After my exams were over, I spent the weekend over at a friend's house, and had so much homework that I simply didn't have time for writing. But this week I'm on a vacation so I've had time ^^. I never actually noticed how much I've missed writing during this short 'hiatus' time.

You know what? I'VE BEEN WRITING THIS STORY FOR OVER A YEAR NOW! I can't believe it! I missed the anniversary like it was nothing! It was before even the LAST update! God…wow, it seems like such a long time. So much has happened. I got my first beta-reader, enrolled high school…wow. We actually talked about this with my best friend over the phone, me saying how I finished this seventeenth chapter, and she was all like: "Holy crap, you're that far already? It makes me remember how back in Junior High you to said 'I just finished chapter five!'. You've come so far after that…" and it's true! And I've evolved so much as a writer during this time! Looking back at the first chapter, I always think: "What the hell was I thinking, posting this in this state?". No wonder my readers increase so little…they must run away for their lives at seeing the horrible writing I did back then ^^;. I'll really need to edit the first chapters someday…

Chelsea: Mega-blush! Wow! That's one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me about this story! I feel so honoured now! So welcome, my newest fan! And I'm sorry I kept you waiting for this chapter for so long!

yugiyamifangirl: Of COURSE he wasn't! Yami is gay! And I would never do that to my Puzzleshipping dreams and loyal fans! Enjoy the new chappie! And sorry for the long wait!

Nyago: So he is! XD. Indeed. Little jealousy is healthy, as long as it doesn't go overboard. I'd be flattered to know someone liked me enough to be afraid to lose me ^^. This one includes some jealous!Yuugi too :D.

Hehe. For some reason, I liked it, although it was Peachshipping. I guess Anzu was just so funny…but I'm glad you liked the chapter regardless of your opinions on the original episode!

YEAH HE IS! XD.

TMX Archives: Yeup, yeup ^^. And we can't have Atemu hogging all the screen time, now can we? Besides, I know I have some fans who were just waiting for Seto to appear again. And it was in the original plot too ^^;. Wow…that's an interesting idea.

Yeah…when I saw that 'Seto-drops-the-key-for-Jou' scene, I was so surprised that I cracked up laughing! The guy is sooo in love XD. Hehe ^^;. Whoops…Seto WILL have Death-T, 'cuz it's a very important part of the plot. Jou will be angry for a while, but he'll forgive Seto, and there will be a major improvement in their relationship…and Seto won't be dead, just fall in coma! He'll come back eventually…but not during this story. If I write those sequels, THEN we'll see.

Yeah…I mean, at first I found all the gaming really boring, but it has grown on me. I actually enjoy watching them now. Duel Monsters is a very fine game, I wish I could play it with someone. I have a Starter Deck, but no playmate. But I'm not sure how I should do them…I mean, I don't want the games to hog ALL the time, and I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to write them well. I probably should take the manga versions of them…they sometimes make more sense and don't always last as long. But Duelist Kingdom is going to be hard, because EVERYONE cheats! How am I supposed to deal with and explain that?!

Yeup, he did. But there are already two new episodes out there, and I was so happy!

SilverDragon-Purity: Well, I did follow the original plot line rather well, except for the hypnotism thing and that it was originally Yuugi, not Yami, who was chased by those girls. And he got the card from Anzu. I understand it can be a bit lame, but c'mon, this is Yu-Gi-Oh! for crying out loud. In it all kinds of dangerous things are done for cards or games. So you can't really blame me for it, can you? I'm just following the plot…or are you just mad at those sisters? So am I! Let's blow 'em together! But I'm glad there were at least some things you liked about it! And I did pretty well in all of my exams, thanks!

Hime no Ichigo: Me too! Thise chapter also has some of that, although not as much ^^. I'm guessing they put them in to move the plot and show more of the relationship between Yuugi and Anzu…I mean, in season zero, the love triangle between the two of them and Yami is even more obvious, you know?

Isn't it? Isn't' it?!

It was meant to be ^^. I know, but…I guess he was just going to take a look and throw it away if it had been something bad ^^.

SRRH: Thanks!

dragonlady222: I'm glad about that ^^. But I'd never do that! I'm way too much of a Puzzleshipper for it!

yugixyamiyaoilover: Thanks! And I always try and make things work out for the best.

x Machi-Chan x: It really does! Plus, you're special because you leave such long comments! I usually remember the longer commenteers better. You're all special to me, but those who comment with a lot length are the extra-special ones ^^.

Yay indeed! Angst is my strong point in writing, I'd say ^^. And I jus' love fluff SOO much too! Hehe, I'll try! This chapter has some of that too, but in a milder way ^^. Hehe, actually it wasn't ^^;. I found it kind of boring actually. But it was a bit too important to pass up either, so…actually, I haven't seen all of them either, 'cuz I've read them as a manga…though I think some of the things that happen in those episodes are slightly different than they were in that…we'll have to see once I'll get there. But I'm glad it makes you like them ^^. I hope I explain everything clearly enough ;D.

Already given! Hehe -^^-.

Indeed he is. But that fan portrays him slightly different than I do. My Heba is a lot colder. But I guess that's because her Heba hasn't really been through all the things mine has. Really, I'm surprised how LITTLE scars he has XD.

Indeed. I actually have read from some fics that's writers are more experienced in the Ancient Egypt department, that Ancient Egyptians actually couldn't clearly spell 'Yuugi'. I know some stuff too, as I've read a lot on the subject, but still not as much as that ^^;. I guess he makes more sense than Yuugi really, for ancient Egypt.

Anyway, enjoy the new chapter!

Atemu Yugi Lover34: Err…I'm not really sure whether I should feel flattered that it seemed so real to you, or insulted because you thought I'd make them break up ^^;…anyway, sorry for the long wait! I hope you'll enjoy the chapter either case!

TsukiDragon: Hehe ^^;. For some reason I always feel a little insulted when people portray Heba and Atemu as sex addicts, even if everyone should have the right to portray them the way they want to…but my Heba and Atemu really aren't like that. Heba is a bit afraid of sex, actually, due to the things done to him in his past…even if it with Atemu it's not just sex, it's MAKING LOVE. But he and Atemu have always enjoyed doing the more simple things together, and save lovemaking for special occasions. They enjoy cuddling more than anything, for example, and when he is in Atemu's arms, Heba actually feels safer than anywhere else in the world.

Anyway, enjoy the update! And I find the mental image of Atemu in a bunny suit awfully disturbing…^^;.

The Danvers Girls: Hiya, gal!

It's okay! Wow…I never would've guessed something like that would be the reason for your absence! I hope you're feeling better now! And if you're not, I hope you will be soon!

Thank you! Blushes. It's just always so nice to hear people talk about how awesome I am ^^;. Heheh. I don't really know yet…I do have plans for the other seasons as well, but we'll have to see if I'll write them…I'm not entirely sure exactly when I'll be finished with this one, and Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters is a really long series. I'd really love to write the sequels, but I'm really afraid that I'll end up not finishing them and then I'd let all you my loyal fans down! It'd be horrible! I'm always so busy with my school as well and in just two years there are going to be my school leaving exams too…so for now I'm not promising anything. Plus, I have a lot of other writing projects waiting for me when I'm done with this and I really want to take at least a short hiatus after this one before I start with them…

But thank you!

In Finland we always take off our shoes when we enter houses, but in school we wear our shoes because the floors are so dirty, and during the winters, wet as well (from all the snow from the shoes that has melted on the floor). We took them off in elementary school though, but back then we couldn't exactly hang out in the halls during the recesses either like we can in High School…^^;. And you can ramble all you want! I ramble all the time too in my reviews! And I like reading about what my readers want to tell me! That's why it was so much fun talking to you over the MSN, even if I was all blushing and shy ^^;.

Hehe, thanks! It was a great excuse to add in some torture and the good ol' clichés ^^.

OF COURSE I DO! I mean, what kind of self-respecting Yu-Gi-Oh! fan doesn't? Although, I'm ashamed to admit it took me a long time to actually WATCH the series. I usually don't like parodies, and I was afraid they'd make fun of my favourite show so much that I'd become depressed or something, or that there would be horrible voices in it…but when I eventually did, I was so pleasantly surprised my eyes were as big as saucers! ^^. I became a fan overnight, and have been ever since. It was the best laugh I'd had in a long time, and they still often are! They give a small blink of sunshine in this routine, boring life of mine. I wonder where he gets the ideas from as well. I can't do humour to save my life…unless it's that strange personal humour I do without even trying, when my stupid stunts or sayings make my friends laugh ^^;. The same for you, although it's already March ^^;.

Thanks! I was really worried I wasn't portraying them clearly enough! I mean of course I always know what the characters are supposed to be feeling, but it's a whole different thing altogether to make my readers see it too, you know? As for the emotions of this chapter? Indeed. Trust is such an important manner in this story…it really could be considered one of its themes ^^;.

Enjoy the new chapter! And let's talk over the MSN again sometime!

Special thanks to LeShea for beta-reading and for helping me with the ideas of this chapter!

During a very dark, cloudy, rainy and all in all stormy summer night, a huge plane from Europe landed on the wet, slippery airport ground. Its wheels made a creaking noise as the landing gears skidded along the run way.

Inside the airport building were many hunter-like reporters, photographers and even TV cameras; just waiting for their prey that had arrived with the plane.

Many people exited the plane and filtered into the airport, wondering what the all fuss was about as they passed the group of reporters. It wasn't until all of them had gone that the media people got to see the one they wanted to. Cameras flashed like there was no tomorrow as a tall and slightly tanned woman stepped out from the tunnel.

"Aileen-san, welcome to Japan!" a chubby and short man with short brown hair, and dressed in blue suit with a green tie, greeted her to the mike he was holding. Behind him, the cameraman filmed eagerly, pointing his TV camera right at the woman.

Another camera flashed. The foreign woman merely stood confidently with her arms crossed over her chest, and let everyone ask their questions and take their pictures.

"Aileen-san, why are you visiting our country?" Asked an orange-haired woman in a yellow suit with pants, holding a red notebook in her hands, ready to take notes.

Another camera flash.

"Is it for promotion? Or is it private?" a woman with short and curly reddish light brown hair wearing a light green dress, and had a microphone in her hand, pointing it towards the foreigner inquired.

The superstar called Aileen merely ignored her and everyone else. She took her white bag into her hand and somehow managed to slip away from the reporters with graceful speed.

"Ah, Aileen-san!" Gasped a male reported. And, of course, when the journalists noticed that their celebrity had slipped away from them and was heading towards the airport door, they all rushed after her.

"Please tell us your reason for cancelling your work in Paris to come to Japan!" The same male reporter continued demanding.

Aileen stopped at that question right when she was about to step outside from the airport door. More cameras flashed, taking pictures of even her back. Aileen smirked to herself as she chuckled under her breath.

It was only now that you could get a better view of her. She was indeed a very beautiful woman. She was thin, but not unhealthily so, and she was curvy and with very long and slender legs. She held her posture confidently and clearly wasn't shy to show off her gorgeous body. She wore a short magnate-coloured shirt in which the neckline went down on her left shoulder and had long sleeves. Her skirt was also quite short, and in a light violet colour. Among it, she had a scarf in a shade lighter violet colour wrapped around her waist. Around her neck was a green collar-necklace; among with some spaced out pearl necklaces of the same colour, and on top of her head a loose yellow hat. Her lips were full and painted deep red with shining lipstick. Her long and dark hair was pulled in many thick braids in an interesting fashion. The braids were tied at their end with three orange-coloured pearls as well. Aileen's footwear was a pair of elegant dark purple, high-heeled slippery sandals, and both her toe- and fingernails were painted bright blue. She also had a few piercing in her both ears, had some colourful bracelets around her wrists, and was at the moment wearing dark sunglasses, so no one was able to see her eyes that hid behind them.

Aileen stepped out from the airport door, gazing around herself in a manner that told she was looking for something. She didn't have to look for long, as she heard a car's honk sound from nearby. She turned to look, and saw a rather nice-looking red sports car slowly driving towards her. It stopped when the driver's seat was just in front of her. In it, sat a rather good-looking young man with an almost platinum blonde longish hair framing his face rather neatly, and dark, stunning chocolate brown eyes. He was wearing a greyish light brown suit with a black shirt underneath. He turned to look up at Aileen, and smirked.

"Get in." He said.

Aileen gave him no reply but simply smirked back at him.

"Aileen-san! Aileen-san!" The reporters chanted as they, too, rushed out to the street from inside the airport, but it was already too late. Aileen was already seated safely in the sports car next to the young man driving it, and they were starting to drive away.

Just then, the male chubby TV reporter realised something. "Wasn't that the soccer player Hirada?"

"Eh?!" Gasped the woman in the yellow suit. "That international player?!"

In the meantime, Aileen and the soccer player Hirada were quickly driving away from the airport and the blood-thirsty journalists.

"Let's go eat." Hirada spoke up, rather confidently and calmly.

"There's somewhere I want to go. Just take me there." Aileen replied to that, as she lit the cigarette currently in her mouth with her golden lighter.

Hirada's eyes hardened just slightly. "You called me just to be your chauffeur?"

Aileen blew out some smoke, almost like she was huffing, as she took the cigarette

in-between her fingers, holding it there elegantly. "You think you're a playboy?" Hirada turned his eyes sideways on her, but still kept note of the road. "Sorry, but I've come to play a game with someone."

The soccer player snorted softly. "Then play with me; I'll be your opponent. I'm good at games."

Aileen 'hmm'ed, seductively. "You're good? I didn't know." She didn't sound all that convinced.

"From balls to chess, I can play anything. What do you say you and I go to my place?"

A while later, the two of them had reached the right place. They were at the moment sitting in the red armchairs around a coffee table, on which was standing what looked like a wooden orange box.

"That's it?" Hirada asked, meaning the box, and sounding rather disbelieving.

"It's called Raijinhai. It's similar to shogi." Aileen explained.

"Tell me the rules. If I win, you're going on a date with me tonight."

"Alright. But if I win, you'll lose something important to you." And with that, Aileen took off her sunglasses, as if to prepare for the game. Her eyes were dark grey, and matched her hair colour perfectly. She also had very long eyelashes. A confident but small smirk came upon her lips.

Chapter seventeen: Close duel! A model's invitation

The following morning was nothing like the night before. The sun was shining brightly with a promise that this would be another hot day again, and the birds were singing.

Inside one of Kaiba Mansion's many rooms, a tall brunette youth with blue eyes sat behind his desk in a chair placed at the back of the room. In the room in front of him were three couches covered in black leather, and behind him was a wall that was almost completely covered in windows. The bright morning sun coming inside from them was the only light in the room.

"You're late." Seto spoke up.

Aileen walked a bit closer to him, stopping right in front of his desk. "I played a short game with a boring opponent." She shifted her weight on one foot. "He was no fun. You promised to introduce me an opponent, Seto. I even came to Japan for this. What a side trip." Now Aileen walked over to one of the couches and sat down on the seat closest to Kaiba, crossing her legs and closing her eyes calmly. "So, who's the opponent this time?"

Seto turned on the television on the wall opposite to him with the remote control. The chubby male reporter from yesterday could be seen in the screen. "Soccer player Hirada had to be hospitalised! The doctors say his condition does not look good!"

The screen picture changed to show Hirada lying on a stretcher with a few paramedics lifting him into an ambulance. He really looked awful. His right eye was black, and his left leg was twisted, broken, and bleeding. "It's no use! I'm finished!" He yelled in desperation.

The female reported in the yellow suit from earlier stepped in front of the camera now. "Supermodel Aileen Rao-san…" she began.

Right that moment, Aileen turned to look away from the television, looking dulled. "You actually care about this?"

"No. What I actually wanted to show you is this video." Seto replied, taking the remote in his hand once more, and pressing one of its buttons.

The picture in the TV changed, showing Yami sitting in a place that looked like a hamburger restaurant, and he had one of those in his hand. His lips moved but his voice could not be heard. He continued speaking, then smiled and laughed, looking all in all very relaxed and happy.

"Who's he?" Aileen asked, sounding bored.

"Your opponent this time."

"Seto!" Aileen softly gasped out, standing up. "You didn't forget why I am one of your Four Game Masters, did you? It's because you introduce me to smart or famous men as game opponents." She laughed slightly, pointing her hand towards the television screen. "Crushing this child won't be fun at all." She crossed her arms.

"He's no ordinary kid." Kaiba said to that, glancing over at the woman. That got her attention, at least a bit. "Look more carefully."

The clip in the television changed, into the one from some time ago, when Atemu had fought against Count Sheldon. He was just now standing up, having fallen from his seat and transformed. He turned around in the screen, crimson eyes on dangerous fire.

"What?" Aileen gasped, her eyes widening. "He looks different. Taller…"

"He's Amun. Amun Yami." Atemu smirked in the screen. "When he plays games, he becomes strong."

"Oh? This seems pretty good." Aileen smirked.

"Two of the Four Game Masters have already lost to him."

Aileen turned to look at her boss. "And you?"

"A draw."

"At Duel Monsters?"

Seto looked away, a bit uneasy, which told more than words ever could have.

Aileen stared at Atemu's face in the TV. "I'm getting excited. So he's the real thing?" She mused. But then she turned around again to look at Seto, her expression slightly confused. "But I must wonder…where did you dig up a kid like him from? And you seem to be more eager to defeat him than anyone else I've seen. Why so suddenly? What's so special about him, other than his skills?"

Seto briefly closed his eyes, before reaching over to the edge of his desk and taking the photo standing there into his hand. He began handing it to Aileen, who took it.

"My, what a cute kid." She smirk-smiled a little, putting one hand on her cheek as she looked down at Jou's smiling face in the photo. "Who is this?"

"Katsuya. Amun keeps us apart. Until I defeat him…we can't be together."

"So you've finally found the lovely blonde you've dreamed and told so much about?

I never would've guessed he was real." She smiled. She turned to look at the television screen again. "Nice. This makes me want to crush that Amun guy even more."

Kaiba stood. "Then go! Those are your orders."

-

That same day, which indeed had turned out to be a very hot and sunny one, Yami and Yuugi were hanging around at the Kame Game Shop. Yami was working again today, at the moment unpacking some new games that had come today, and putting them up to the shelves. He stood on top of a ladder to reach the top while chit-chatting with Yuugi.

Once in a while they would laugh at something one of them had said, or just simply smile. Sometimes, it was these moments that they appreciated the most, when they could just be together and talk about nothing and everything at the same time. These were the little quiet moments that told that despite them being a couple, they were still just as comfortable around each other as they had been before they had begun dating. They decided they had the advantage; if dating someone meant seeing how long you could love someone they'd been doing that for years.

Just then the door of the shop opened rather abruptly, and a brunette, tall girl with shoulder-length hair and azure blue eyes stepped, or more like ran, inside, yelling with an excited smile on her face: "Look, look, look! I finally got it!"

"Anzu!" Yami exclaimed. She came in so surprisingly that it had caught Yami off guard, and he had almost lost his balance on the ladder. Thankfully he managed to grab one of the upper steps of it, before he fell. He sighed in relief, trying to still his racing heart.

At the sight of her friend's discomfort, Anzu seemed to calm down a little. "You okay?" She asked.

Today, Anzu was wearing a long-sleeved magenta shirt (how she wasn't sweating all the fluids from her body with that, Yami would never know), light blue shorts with dark red braces that she had on her shoulders, and with pockets at their front. She also had very long yellow socks and pink sneakers.

"Y-yeah." Yami murmured, slowly landing down from the ladder.

"What has got you so excited this hot morning, Anzu?" Yuugi asked softly. "I swear I thank the gods for the air conditioning every single day…"

Anzu smiled brightly, and giggled in a soft, excited way. Yami and Yuugi gulped slightly, wondering if they should be worried. Anzu only ever giggled like that when she had got something she had wanted really badly. And, well, the last time she had giggled like that had been at the last year's anime convention, where she had managed to purchase some pornographic doujinshi of the shows she liked.

…Yami still couldn't think about all those images in that book without blushing.

Anzu took out a video in a turquoise covers and with a tanned and attractive woman on it, wearing a leotard and doing some aerobic exercises with some light bundles. Excitedly, she waved it in front of her face. "I finally managed to get it! Aileen Rao's super exercise!"

With hearing that, Yami actually perked up, an excited smile spreading on his face as well. "Wow! That's so cool Anzu!"

But Yuugi titled his head in confusion. "Who's Aileen Rao?"

The other two turned to look at him with shock and disbelief written all over their faces.

"What are you asking?!" Anzu yelled, starting to jump around from one feet to another. "She's a nineteen-year-old exciting supermodel! Aileen Rao!"

"Hmm…" Yuugi mused softly in wonderment.

"'Hmm'? That's all?!" Yami exclaimed too, but more carefully than Anzu, not wanting to scare his little love. Then he sighed. "Then again, you don't really follow the celebrity world, do you? Anyway, apparently Aileen-san has come over to Japan. It seems she has somehow managed to escape the media, as the whole thing is pretty hushed up."

"Even Yami knows about this! So how come you don't?!" Anzu exclaimed, bending her back down a bit to look more closely at Yuugi's face. But then, she turned to look at Yami. "How do you know, anyway? You don't really follow the celebrity world either…"

Yami smiled in a bit embarrassed manner, soft red coming on his cheeks. "To be honest, I really admire Aileen-san. I may not like women, but I do find her really cool. I mean, she's really gorgeous, confident and all. And she works really hard in her jobs; she's not just someone who got rich because most of the people like her despite the fact she's not even very talented. And I've heard she's great at games, too! Especially strategy games, the type I like the best!"

"Wow! I never knew that!" Anzu exclaimed. But then, her expression changed into a calmer one, as she smiled softly. "It's surprising to find out you have an idol, Yami. You don't seem the type to openly admit that you admire someone…"

Yami chuckled. "Heh, I might be confident, but it's not like I don't know that there are people who are better than me in some things. We're still young, after all. There's still much for us to learn. It's natural to look up to people who are better than you in the things you like doing."

'You look up in her in everything that you are and that I'm not…' Yuugi thought to himself, rather sadly. He wondered if he'd ever get rid of this feeling that he just wasn't good enough for Yami. Yami had told him he loved him, right? Didn't that mean he loved Yuugi the way he was? And didn't Yami always tell him the qualities he loved about Yuugi the most were the ones he himself lacked? Yuugi briefly shook his head. He was thinking too much. So, out loud he said: "She really is that famous?"

Anzu's expression turned into a dreamy one. "Aileen was originally a dancer." She sighed, tenderly holding her video against her cheek for a moment. Then, she started spinning in circles with excitement, and her arms spread out. "She's also appeared in Broadway musicals! She's my idol!"

"You don't say…" Yuugi mused, a small trace of sarcasm in his voice.

Anzu stopped spinning around, but still had that excited look on her face. She held the video up in her hands. "This video shows Aileen's dancing and how she gets her proportions done." She began spinning again, this time with even more speed. "I'm going to do a lot of exercise!"

Just then, the store's door opened once more. Anzu quickly stopped spinning.

"Welcome." Yami greeted, quickly taking his position as a responsible worker. He, Yuugi and Anzu all took a glance towards the door to take a look at the possible customer.

She was tall, slightly tanned and very attractive-looking woman, dressed very fashionably. Curvy and with very long and slender legs. Her long and dark hair was pulled in many thick braids in an interesting fashion, and her eyes were covered by a pair of sunglasses.

"It's a foreigner, Yami." Yuugi leaned over to whisper to his boyfriend. If not the tanned skin, then at least the height gave that away. No one was that tall in Japan.

"Don't worry. I'll handle it if she doesn't speak Japanese." Yami whispered back.

Yami was fluent in three languages: Japanese, English and Arabic. Having been born to a family with parents of two different nationalities, his mother and father had made sure he learnt both of their first languages. With English…well, it had actually been Yami's first language, as his parents had still sometimes had some troubles with each other's languages' words (especially Haruka had still been struggling a bit with her Arabic). They had taught him English first, so they would both be able to communicate with him and understand him fully at home, as they both knew English fluently. Arabic and Japanese had come afterwards, side by side. Yami also knew a little bit of French, as his mother had taught him some of that. But before he had had a chance to become better at it, his mother had died, and Yami had simply been too young back then to study it otherwise. And later it had just seemed pointless to take it up again.

"She has such great proportions…" Anzu whispered now to herself with admiration, observing the customer who was now approaching the three of them.

The foreign woman stopped right in front of her, and noticed the video Anzu was holding against her chest. She held out her left hand that was filled with rings in front of the smaller girl, taking out a marker pen.

"Let me see." She said in a soft voice, smiling a little. And before Anzu could react, the tall foreign woman had snitched the video from her hands.

"H-hey! What are you doing?" Anzu asked nervously, almost afraid this woman was trying to steal the video she had wanted to see for so long. But the woman only seemed to be writing something on the video cover with her marker, not making the slightest attempts in stealing it. And indeed, when the woman was finished writing, she handed it back to Anzu, who accepted it with a soft "Eh?" The other woman meanwhile turned to look elsewhere.

Then, Anzu looked at her video. On it was now written with blue and very personalised Latin letters: "Aileen Rao".

"A signed version should make it even better." The foreign woman smiled at the brunette girl over her shoulder.

Anzu stared at her. Then she looked at her video. Then she looked at the woman again, as she tried to put the pieces together in her mind. Was she dreaming, or…? Could this person really be…?

As if she had known what Anzu was thinking about, the foreign woman took off her sunglasses to reveal her dark eyes, and turned around again with a soft chuckle. Anzu and Yami both stared with wide eyes. Anzu even began backing away from her in shock, pointing her index finger at her.

"What's wrong, Anzu?" Yuugi asked, as the girl had backed away right into him. After all, he hadn't heard about Aileen Rao until today, so he wouldn't recognise her.

"Ah, Ai-, Ai-, A-" Anzu tried to make out, but was simply too shocked to finish the name.

Yami stared too, dumbfounded. But then Aileen came up to him, noticing the forest green working apron he was wearing.

"Are you a worker in this shop?" Aileen asked from him.

"A-ah! Yes!" Yami managed to make out, reminding himself that he was still on duty, and had to act like a professional. Aileen had to be served, because she was a customer. Not to mention a famous customer who was his idol, and…oh gods, she was really here! Yami felt his heart start beating a bit faster in excitement, and fought to keep his cool.

"If you have any rare games, I'd like to see them." Aileen spoke to him again, doing everything according to the plan.

"W-what kind of games do you like?" Yami managed to stammer out, mentally congratulating himself for not stuttering more than once.

Aileen put a finger on her chin in a thoughtful manner. "I don't like the ones that rely on luck. The ones where you read and trick each other are good."

Yami crossed his arms, feeling calmer now that his idol was talking to him about business. He briefly went through the latest games of the shop and some of the older ones inside his mind to know what to recommend her. But realising that was going to take some time, he said: "This is a bit of a difficult order…"

Aileen smiled at him. "What kind of games do you like? Which ones are you good at?"

"A-ah! Me?!" Yami exclaimed out loud with a surprised blush, making Yuugi wonder why he was so nervous. Just who was this woman? He felt his jealousy raise its ugly head, even though he knew it was just silly. Yami had already proven he didn't have eyes for women. Anzu was still too shocked to say anything. "I-I like all kinds of games I guess…but t-to be honest I-I like strategy games the best, so…I…" now Yami mentally smacked himself for speaking so fast and stuttering so much. But Aileen just smiled at him again.

Just that moment, Anzu finally managed to get over her shock and exclaimed out loud: "Aileen Rao!" while pointing at the foreign tall celebrity again. A little taken aback by her burst, Aileen backed away a few steps. But Anzu walked with her. "Why are you in a place like this?!"

"Thanks Anzu…" Yuugi murmured under his breath, feeling slightly insulted, although he knew Anzu didn't mean it that way. And really, what was a world famous supermodel doing in a little shop like this?

Anzu stared up at Aileen, completely starry-eyed, and drinking in as much of that pretty face as she could. Her idol was right here! In front of her!

"Umm…I…umm…" she murmured, causing Aileen to smile up again. Anzu clung into the woman's arm with a bright beam. She could touch her idol! This was heaven! "I am your fan, Aileen-san!"

Aileen laughed a little, gently pushing Anzu a bit further from her so she could place her hands on the smaller girl's shoulders. "Right, right." She looked at Yami. "Is she your girlfriend?"

Despite the fact that it was his idol asking, Yami couldn't help but laugh at that statement. "Heh, no. Just a childhood friend." Aileen smirked a little. She then took out a piece of paper and handed it over to Anzu.

"This is where I'm staying." She said. Anzu made a small excited noise, gawking at the address. Aileen smiled again. "If you're my fan, show me around."

Anzu beamed up at her. "Yes! I definitely accept!"

Aileen gazed over at Yami. "And you too."

"Eh?! Me too?!" Yami exclaimed out loud, blush on his face and making Yuugi once more feel a bit sad. Why the hell was he so damn excited? Not to mention nervous….

"Yes. Find an interesting game and bring it with you, please."

Yami nodded abruptly a few times. "O-okay!"

"I'm counting on you, okay?" Aileen spoke as she began leaving with a small wave. She stepped outside the game store door, smiled once more and gave them all a bigger wave, before closing the door. The moment she was gone, Anzu and Yami squealed in delight.

"Wow! She's really something else!" Yami sighed.

Yuugi glared at him briefly. 'I know it's just his idol, but…maybe…' Out loud he said: "Would you mind if I came with the two of you? I can help you carry those games, Yami."

"Why not? I'm sure she won't mind. And I will probably need an extra pair of hands." Yami smiled at him.

"But why? I mean, you're not Aileen-san's fan…" Anzu asked.

"Heh, just for a little something." Yuugi replied, smiling awkwardly. 'If I meet her again, maybe I can figure out what is it that makes her so awesome. We're almost the exact opposites. So maybe if I'm more like Aileen-san Yami might like me more? In order to do that, I'll have to hang out with Aileen to try and copy her. Just wait, Yami! I'll show you that I can be cool too!'

-

The following day, Yuugi and Anzu reached the building that's address had been written on the note Aileen had given Anzu. It turned out to be a really high, big and expensive-looking apartment building with large windows and many balconies.

"Wow…!" Anzu gasped at the sight of it. "Supermodels are so different. They lead such a classy life…" Today Anzu had put on some of her fancier clothes. She was wearing a light violet short dress with short puffy sleeves and a very much darker violet short vest with white lashes surrounding its sides and decorated with a big red fake rose on the left side of her chest. In her arms she was carrying a bouquet of red real roses.

"You can say that again…" Yuugi besides her quietly agreed. In his hands he carried some orange paper bags, two in each hand. In each of them there was one game that Yami and Yuugi's grandpa had picked, following Aileen's orders. Now he guessed he could see why people would want to be like Aileen. With this kind of luxury…

The two of them quickly went up to the floor that had been marked into the note, with the elevator in the building. They reached the right apartment door, and Anzu rang the doorbell.

In a moment, Aileen opened the door. Today she was wearing the traditional Indian women's Sari which slightly resembled the togas from Ancient Greece. She had on a light green Sari, and underneath it a normal wine red, long dress. Around her left lower arm she had many colourful bracelets, and she had round, big golden earrings today, among with a larger golden bracelet around her upper arm. She also had a necklace that was hidden from the view by her bosom. On her feet she had some brown sandals.

The model smiled softly at her guests. "Welcome." She looked around for a moment, as if searching for something behind them. "Didn't your cute boyfriend come after all?" She asked from Anzu.

"Yami is coming later with more games. He and my Jii-chan went to check the storage room for more of them." Yuugi answered for his female friend.

"Ah, I see. We'll wait for him then." Aileen replied to that, turning around to lead the two of them into her apartment.

When they reached the living room, Anzu gasped. "Wow….wow! What a lovely room!"

The room was pretty spaced out, with only a few pieces of furniture here and there. There was a very prominent statue of the Hindu god Shiva on one of the tables.

"An acquaintance I know in Japan arranged it for me." Aileen explained.

"Aileen-san, you're half Canadian and half Indian, right?" Anzu asked.

"Yes. My tastes are similar to my father's. That's why this room is like this."

"Umm…where should I put these?" Yuugi put in, lifting up the bags in his hands.

"Oh!" Aileen gasped. "Please just leave them on that table over there." She pointed towards the right table with her hand. Yuugi began walking towards that direction.

"Umm…please take these flowers." Anzu said, handing the bouquet she'd brought over to Aileen.

"Oh, thank you." Aileen replied softly, and took them, pressing them gently against her cheek.

-

A while later, Anzu and Aileen were sitting on the large couch surrounding the coffee table Aileen had pointed towards at earlier, while Yuugi unpacked the games.

"My Jii-chan suggested this one." Yuugi told them as he took another game from its paper bag. "However, putting the board together will take some time."

"Can you please put it together so I can see?" Aileen questioned.

"Yes. Just wait a moment." Yuugi replied, setting the game on the table and opening it.

"Looks like we'll have a while." Aileen spoke up, and stood from her seat, looking at Anzu. "Let's go to the next room." She looked over at a large window that was on the opposite wall, behind a dining table for two. It showed a view of the next room that had bright green walls. "It's my dance room."

"Okay!" Anzu replied enthusiastically.

Aileen led Anzu to the room, and they began stretches before they would begin the real dance.

"Stretch out good so your muscles will flex easier." Aileen advised as she and Anzu stretched on the floor. Then, she smiled. "Besides, this way your boyfriend will have some time to come over. He might even make it to see you dance."

"Ah…Aileen-san, about that…" Anzu began. Aileen looked up. "Yami really isn't my boyfriend. We're just good childhood friends. I'll admit that I had a crush on him back in elementary school, but those feelings have vanished a long time ago already. The one who Yami really loves is Yuugi, and they are dating."

'So, that little boy is his lover?' Aileen mused to herself. 'Well, in that case good thing she brought him too. Now I'll have a double advantage; with his friend and lover in my control.'

But out loud she found herself saying: "Don't you have a boyfriend, Anzu? Pardon me saying this, but I find you very attractive. You'd think boys would go crazy for you."

Anzu stopped stretching, and slowly brought her legs against her chest, beginning to hug her knees. She leaned her chin against them. "Maybe, but…" she paused. "It's so hard to trust men anymore, at least in that manner."

"A broken heart, I assume?"

Anzu nodded softly. "He was my first boyfriend, back in Junior High…we dated for a year, and I loved him so very much, although I hadn't yet had the courage to tell him that…" she gulped down so she wouldn't break down and cry right there. It still hurt to think about that. "That day was our one-year anniversary, and I had decided it was the best time to tell him how I felt. But then, when I finally found him, I saw him kissing another girl…a friend of mine." She chuckled miserably. "I was so naive…apparently they had been dating each other behind my back for quite some time. Kenji had actually only used me to get closer to her…although I had always thought I was the only one for him…and that he was the only one for me…"

Aileen stared at the smaller girl with wide eyes.

Anzu quickly wiped the corners of her eyes with her fingers, and then smiled. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you with my sad story." She chuckled.

Aileen slowly rose from the floor, and walked over to her fan, placing a comforting hand on top of her head. "No, I understand. I had a similar experience in the past, too, so I can understand why you feel like you can't trust men." She looked up, straight in front of herself. "I try and keep all the men within distance. I use them for my purposes when I need them by keeping them hanging onto the dream of getting a date with me. But in the end, they never get that." Anzu blinked. Aileen looked at her again. "But a young and innocent girl like you shouldn't give up on love. If you can't trust men, have you thought about dating other women?"

Anzu blushed. "I have to say I haven't thought about it that much. I mean, I am bisexual, but…I guess I just haven't met the One, you know?"

Aileen smiled. "Indeed." She said, before straightening her back. "Well, I think that's enough of stretching. Why don't you try a few dance steps with me? Come stand here next to the mirror."

"Okay!" Anzu replied happily, quickly rising from the floor herself and walking to the mirror wall in the room.

"Take a hold of the barre with your hand, now, the left arm extends in front of your body at the level of your eye. Focus beyond your fingers. Counterbalance and extend your leg à la quatrième derrière."

Anzu did what was told, standing on the toes of her right foot. "Like this?"

"Yes." Aileen responded, and bent down so that her face was just in front of Anzu's ear. 'Forgive me.' She thought to herself, closing her eyes briefly, before whispering with an intense voice: "Hold that pose, okay?"

With that, it felt as if something had clicked in Anzu's brain. It was as if she didn't know anything anymore. She just stood there with a blank look in her eyes, staring ahead of herself.

With that, Aileen stepped out of her dance room. She saw Yuugi, who had built up a rather big three-dimensional castle that served as one of the games' playing board on the coffee table.

"Ah, I'm done now." The small boy said to her as she stepped into the living room.

"Very good." Aileen smiled at him. She closed the dance room's door behind herself, and locked it. Then she looked at Yuugi. "You're not my fan, are you? Is there a reason why you wanted to come here today?" she asked gently.

Yuugi blushed, and began shyly twitting his thumbs. "I, well, umm…"

"Yes?"

"Well, that is…Yami likes you, so…I guess I…"

"You wanted to make him like you better by seeing what he liked about me, huh?"

Yuugi slowly nodded. "You don't mind?"

Aileen smiled. "Not at all. That is very sweet of you. In fact, while your friend practises some dance moves, why don't I show you a little Buddhist meditation? They help you find a peace of mind, and know yourself better."

"Thanks, I'd like that!"

Aileen smiled again. "Go sit next to the wall over there." She pointed to her left. Yuugi walked towards that direction, and sat down on the floor, leaning his back against the wall. "Let's begin with the lotus position. In it, you must place your feet on the opposite thighs. Keep your back straight." Yuugi struggled with getting into the right position, but Aileen patiently helped and advised him until he was truly in the right position. "Good, good. Sorta overlap your fingers and get it so your thumbs are just barely touching – good that's it – now look at the ground and focus…focus on a word…any word…"

Then, she bent down next to his ear, and whispered to it in a similar tone of voice than with Anzu a while earlier: "Hold that pose." With that something began clicking in Yuugi's brain, just like it had in Anzu's, but he tried to fight it, and not listen.

'He's a strong kid.' Aileen mused to herself. "Hold that pose." She repeated, and this time Yuugi did as told. His eyes got that same, blank and lifeless look as Anzu's in the next room.

Aileen stood back straight up. 'Now all I have to do is wait for that boy to come.'

-

'Arrgh, I'm so late! Looking for these rare games with Jii-chan took longer than I thought!' Yami thought as he checked his wristwatch in Aileen's apartment building's elevator.

Just then, the elevator reached the right floor and Yami stepped out of it. He was quite surprised to find Aileen's apartment's door wide open. 'A little careless if you ask me.' He mused to himself, stepping inside, closing the door behind himself and shedding his shoes. He saw Anzu and Yuugi's shoes there too.

"Yuugi? Anzu? Aileen-san?" Yami called, walking from the entrance hall to the living room. He saw Yuugi doing a yoga pose next to a wall, and Aileen standing next to him. He glanced around the room, and saw through a window that behind it in the next room, Anzu was doing an arabesque position next to a dance mirror.

"Aileen-san?" He questioned the standing woman, noticing how serious the look on her face was.

"They are such honest and good kids." Aileen spoke, and Yami blinked at the harsh tone in her voice. "They are so honest that they both took my suggestions almost immediately, although the boy did try to resist at least a little." She looked over at Anzu through the window between the rooms. "The two of them can't move anymore. Not even if they get tired." Now she looked straight at Yami. "All they can do is hold those poses."

"W-what?!" Yami gasped out, dropping the paper bags with the games he'd brought on the floor. He walked over to the window between the rooms, and began banging it with his fists. "Anzu! Anzu!"

"It's no use. The wall is soundproof and that's a magic mirror. She can't hear our voices and she can't see anything."

Yami's eyes narrowed in slight panic, and he rushed over to Yuugi. He took his shoulders into his hands and began shaking his body. "Yuugi! Aibou, please answer me!"

"He can't hear you. He and that girl are both trapped within their own minds. They can't even think, so they can't react to anything you say, no matter how much you beg."

Yami slowly turned around to look at her with hardened, disbelieving eyes. "But…why?"

Aileen merely smirked down at him. "If you want to save the two of them, you have to beat me in a game."

"Don't tell me…"

"Yes, that's right." Aileen responded. "I am one of Kaiba's Four Game Masters." Yami gasped. "I challenge you to a game! And it's Raijinhai!"

"Raijinhai?"

Aileen walked over to a closet in the room, and took out a square wooden and orange box with some light green markings painted on its top. She placed it on the table with the two seats around it, crossing her arms afterwards.

"It's a game passed down in the Rao family. It's a bit like shogi. Its rules are very simple, so you'll learn them quickly. However, in this game, the loser loses something important. In your case, it would be those kids."

"No…!"

"If you want to save them, you'll have to beat me."

Yami stared at Anzu's blank face desperately throughout the window. Then at Yuugi's. He felt his heart get filled with pain, fear and anger as he thought he might never see their eyes normal again…

"Now…let's begin." Aileen said.

With that, the Millennium Puzzle around Yami's neck began gloving golden. His height grew and his eyes turned from dark violet to burning crimson.

"You want to play a game with me so badly that you'll take Yuugi and Anzu as hostages?" Atemu spoke with his deep voice filled with rage, glaring at the tall woman fiercely.

Aileen huffed with a smirk. "So you finally show your true self."

Atemu ignored her. "What will you lose if you're the loser?"

"I've never lost before so I don't know."

"If I win, you will set Yuugi and Anzu free."

Aileen sat down on one of the chairs around the table. "Of course. Now, let me explain the rules." Atemu sat down as well on the other chair across the table from Aileen.

"There are ten pieces. Two soldiers." Aileen set a wooden piece shaped to look like a small standing man with turban on his head on the Raijinhai box, which apparently served as the game's board.

"Two cavalry." Now she set down a wooden and small man riding a horse and holding a pike in his hand, and who also had a turban on his head.

"Two elephants." A wooden elephant wearing some Indian-stylised mats over its head and back.

"The General." A man holding a sword, and in long robes and loose pants.

"King." A man in even longer robes that had more layers, holding a sceptre that was painted gold. His turban was decorated with a feather pointing upwards.

"Queen." A slightly chubby woman in feminine long robes, her head covered with a hood, which had some jewellery around her neck and head, and holding a fan painted bright green. "There is only one of each of these pieces. And…" She set one more piece on the board, that looked like a muscular man standing on one foot, with his right hand pointing downwards and the left upwards, in which he was holding a red piece of lightning. His hair was spiky and stuck upwards. His robes were shorter than the other pieces' and didn't have sleeves. "Raijin Indra."

"The soldier is the weakest and the king is the strongest. Pick a piece, and I'll demonstrate." Atemu took an elephant piece, and placed it on the field. "We'll each pick a piece and duel them." Aileen took her general, and put it on the field in front of Atemu's elephant. "The general is stronger than the elephant, so the elephant loses." She took Atemu's elephant into her fingers, took it away from the field, and placed it on the table. Then she took her general into her fingers, and put it back among her other pieces. "The general won, so he can return to his camp. If you win, you can send the same piece out as often as you want."

"And in draw?" Atemu questioned.

"Both die in battle. There are two exceptions." Aileen replied. She moved her queen forward on the field. "The queen can only beat the king." Then she took her Indra piece, and moved it forward right next to the queen piece. "Indra is invincible. He can beat anything, but he can only be used once. He doesn't return to the camp."

"How is the match decided?" Atemu asked further.

"There are several variations, but let us go with the easiest one. The first to lose the king loses."

"King? This?" Atemu mused to himself, holding up his king piece in his hand.

"Also, this game board as a little device." She pulled a mechanism switch on her side of the board, which pulled a wooden wall in between the two opponents and their sides of the playing board so they couldn't see each other anymore. "This gate is set up so you can set your figure without your opponent seeing." Aileen set her queen on the field, and pulled the switch another time. "When I press the side button again, it opens up to show our pieces to each other." She smirked. "I'll wait for a while so you can come up with a strategy plan. After all, it is your first time playing this."

Atemu glanced over at Yuugi and then through the window at Anzu. 'I can't allow them to get too tired. I don't know Aileen's tactics either, so I'll have to start playing anyway in order to come up with a way to strike back at her.' He looked straight at his opponent. "Let's begin. It's game time."

Aileen pulled the switch, and the walls came in between the field so Atemu couldn't see her or the pieces she would pick.

"Then pick a piece and place it beside the gate." The supermodel spoke from the other side.

A small pause. "Okay." Atemu responded and began considering his choices.

'There was no expression of any kind on his face. I compliment you for that, but…' Aileen mused to herself as she set her elephant piece on the board. Out loud she said: "Let me guess which piece you picked before I open the gates. Your piece is cavalry."

Atemu's eyes widened just slightly. "Open." Aileen set down the gates. The piece she had set her elephant against was indeed cavalry. She smirked. "The cavalry loses to elephant." Atemu stared in awe as Aileen removed his piece from the Raijinhai board and set it on the table. "The winner elephant returns to camp." Aileen pulled her piece back to the edge of the board, before pulling the switch and making the gates go up again. "Can I guess what you are thinking?" she inquired. "You're thinking I'm cheating somehow."

Although Atemu's eyes were still slightly wide, he didn't let his expression change. "The next match."

Aileen smirked. They both put pieces on the field, and she pulled the switch. Her king vs. his general.

"The king?!" Atemu gasped quietly.

"You're thinking that again." Aileen said, taking Atemu's general off the board. "This is my room and I set up this Raijinhai game. But I am going to win without any tricks." Atemu stared again with wide eyes, but still didn't blink as Aileen set up the gates. "Perhaps I know everything you're thinking." She said as she put her next piece on the field.

"Of course that can't be true." Atemu responded to that, setting his own piece ready for battle.

"Oh, wait." Aileen spoke, taking her queen off the board and replacing it with the king. "I think I'll go with this instead."

"Open!" Atemu requested. The gates opened. His cavalry vs. her king.

"The cavalry loses."

"The king again?" Atemu stated quietly.

"Your army now has no more cavalries. And no general either." Aileen said back at him, taking her king back to her camp.

'Is she reading me?' Atemu wondered to himself, as he considered his next move. 'Am I giving off hints of what I'm choosing? If so, from now on I mustn't let anything show.' He set a soldier on the field.

"Open!" Aileen stated. The gates opened. She, too, had a soldier. "Oh. Two soldiers simultaneously striking each other down? So you finally get a kill."

"Next!" Atemu declared.

Her cavalry vs. his queen.

"Poor queen, taken off the battlefield." Aileen said, taking Atemu's queen off the board. "Now my king is pretty safe."

'I'm just one step away from losing.' Atemu thought to himself, slowly starting to panic. 'No, calm down.' He told himself. He looked at his remaining pieces. He had two elephants, the king and the Indra. 'To avoid losing, I have to hold out through simultaneous deaths. She has her queen and Indra. Why am I having such a hard time?'

'Keep fretting, boy.' Aileen mused herself, too. 'I'll give you a chance to show how strong you are.'

They both set pieces on the board.

"Open!" Stated Atemu. King vs. king. "Double death."

"For the first one, let's just call it a draw."

"What?"

"But since you won't lose anything you won't retrieve anything either."

Atemu glanced over at frozen Yuugi and Anzu again. 'Yuugi! Anzu!'

"The current rules will probably lead to a draw, no matter what we do." Aileen interrupted his thoughts. "Let's use the formal rule."

"Alright, as long as we come into a conclusion."

"In a situation where the both sides lose, we take all of our pieces back and in the end, the one with more pieces left wins. But Indra and the queen aren't added to those numbers."

"Fine."

"And remember…" Her eyes flashed. "Should you lose; the two of them will stay like that, here, forever. They will probably die in a few days due the lack of fluids and nourishment."

Atemu gasped. 'She really would allow them die?! How can she do such horrible things?!'

"Depending on how this game proceeds, you might lose the two of them." Aileen smirked. "How does it feel, to be the one to decide between their lives and deaths?"

"Stop this! They have nothing to do with the matters of the past Kaiba and I have with each other."

"Maybe, but in ancient Raijinhai life and death were at stake. We'll follow that tradition as well." Aileen smirked some more, and her voice turned into a sickeningly sweet tone, as if she was enjoying this situation. "Now, let's begin."

'I will have to play. Just stay calm.' Atemu told himself again, and put a piece on the board, as did the supermodel against him.

"Open!" Aileen declared as she opened the gates. Her king vs. his general.

'King?!' Atemu thought in awe.

"Bye bye, general." Aileen spoke sweetly as she removed Atemu's piece from the board. "Curse your incompetent commander."

'How can she put it out with such confidence?' Atemu wondered. 'Because I can't put it out? No…It's not that I can't put out a piece that can defeat the king. The problem is, how can she make those decisions?'

'His aura has changed.' Aileen noticed, observing Atemu with intense eyes. 'But if it hadn't this wouldn't be interesting.' She smirked.

Atemu took a glance at Yuugi. 'Yuugi…I promise that I'll definitely save you and Anzu. Even if it costs my very soul!' He then turned to look away, closing his eyes. It hurt to see the littler boy like that, looking so…soulless.

"Can't bear to see your little lover in that state?" Aileen asked. Atemu's eyes snapped open. "That's not good. You'll have to see properly."

Atemu looked straight at her. 'Why is she showing me Yuugi and Anzu while they are in this state? Why did she take them as hostages? If she truly is one of Kaiba's Four Game Masters, then I would've surely faced her at any time. What's the purpose in putting the two of them in danger, other than bringing me out in the place of my Partner?'

Aileen stared back at him, not allowing even a blink of an eye. 'Fret! It allows me to see what piece you will choose!'

'Why?!' Atemu kept asking himself. 'Why?! Damn it! Why?!' He blinked in realisation. 'It can't be that…is this your trick?' He closed his eyes with a soft grin.

"What is it?" Aileen questioned.

"If I'm an ineffective commander, then I have no way of winning. Better to leave it to luck." With that, he took one of his pieces into his fist, while his eyes were still closed, and held it there. "This will do."

"That's a bluff." Aileen said to that. "You lost your general, so you are at disadvantage. Raijinhai isn't so easy that you can win that way."

Atemu opened his eyes. In them was burning a determined fire. "I let luck choose the piece for me."

Although she didn't show it, Aileen was slightly shocked by the new look on his face. 'I can't read anything from his expression.'

"Now, hurry up and pick yours." Atemu interrupted her thoughts, still holding his own piece tight in his fist.

"Alright." She set her piece on the board.

"Before opening, let me guess. You picked the elephant."

Well, now Aileen's expression faltered. Her eyes widened. "What?!"

Atemu stared at her, intense fire still in his eyes. "I can see your trick."

"Guess word? Or are you cheating?"

Atemu ignored her. "I remembered." He explained. "You said you like games where you read and trick each other, not ones relaying on luck."

Aileen blinked a few times. "So what?"

"Raijinhai is a game based on probability and tactics as well as reading your opponent's thinking." Atemu demonstrated calmly.

"Very good." Aileen complimented him. "You've already understood the basic notion of Raijinhai."

"There lies the problem." Atemu continued. "If you limit your opponent's thinking, it becomes easier to read them. You limited my thoughts by putting Yuugi and Anzu in danger. And you also must know about my gaming ability from Kaiba."

"So?"

"It's my first game, but there is a way to keep me from figuring the basic tactics of Raijinhai. However, it requires prudent tactics. Taking those two as hostages was the only way."

Aileen merely glared at him, before pulling the switch. "Open!" And just like Atemu had guessed, the piece she had picked had been elephant. His was cavalry. "See! I still win."

"Look yourself. You sent out the elephant just like I said."

Aileen abruptly stood up. "You just got a lucky guess!"

Atemu ignored her again. "To counter my randomly picked piece, you have no way to decide whether to pick the king, the queen, or Indra. There is a one in nine chance that I'll pick the king. And so, since I no longer have the general, you sent the elephant. It's the best choice based on the probability and tactics."

'He read that far into my thinking?!' Aileen thought in awe, although she didn't let her shock show in the expression on her face.

"Am I wrong?" Atemu asked softly.

"Think what you want, but you still ended up losing another piece. It's another step to the losing, and therefore another step for your companions to stay like that forever. You can't afford to lose any more pieces for sad experiments like that!"

Atemu didn't seem too worried. "I have chosen a strategy for beating you. I can read your mind now."

'That can't be.' Aileen mused as she stared over at Atemu with intense and shocked eyes.'No one can understand my mind.'

The game continued. They both picked another pieces while the gates were in-between them.

"Open!" Declared Atemu. It was his soldier vs. her Indra.

"I win!" the supermodel stated.

"And with it you've lost your trump card, the Indra, to the weakest opponent, the soldier."

'He read my move?!' Aileen wondered in amazement, but still didn't let it show.'My move?! It can't be!'

"I'm not cheating nor are there any tricks." Atemu spoke up, sensing what she was thinking. "I also don't have some kind of supernatural power for reading minds. I'm just reading the probabilities and strategies. All you can do is decide, which is based on your opponent's words. That is your tactic."

Aileen just blinked. "But you don't have an established tactic for yourself. And Raijinhai has 2000 years of tactics behind it."

Atemu didn't reply. Aileen pulled the gates back up, and they picked pieces once more.

"Open." Atemu stated calmly. His king vs. her elephant.

Aileen stood up in shock. "The king at this point?!"

Atemu removed her elephant piece form the board. "The origins of games come from Ancient Egypt. Just like me."

Aileen stared down at him. 'This person is different…he is different from all my other opponents!'

Another set of pieces were picked.

"Open!" Atemu declared for the final time. As the gates opened, Aileen blinked and then gasped in shock. Her king vs. his queen.

She had lost.

Atemu's Millennium Puzzle gloved golden around his neck. "I have 3000 years of Egyptian knowledge." Atemu stated calmly, before taking his pendant into one hand. "Right here."

As the gloving stopped, Aileen stood from her seat and walked over to the green long curtains on the opposing wall. She opened them slightly with her hand, allowing the sunlight come inside. Grimly, she stared out of the window that had been behind the curtains. "I…lose, don't I?"

Atemu stood up from his seat as well. "There's one mystery left." He spoke. "Raijinhai may have a long history, but it doesn't give you the power to manipulate people. Did you use hypnotism on Yuugi and Anzu?"

"I just use words to get into the crevices of people's hearts. Confused by those words, when they lose the game they lose something important." Aileen responded with a sorrowful tone of voice. "They lose to the weakness in their own heart."

"So even though you lost the game, you didn't really lose anything. So it was just a good strategy." Atemu's tone wasn't accusing or bitter though. Just calm.

"No…" Aileen answered quietly, after a small pause. "I did lose something." She began walking away from the window, and towards her dance room's door, slowly.

"Lost? What?" Atemu questioned quietly.

Aileen didn't reply him to that, but said: "I also have a mystery." She looked at him over her shoulder. "When you closed your eyes to pick a piece. Was that really random?"

"That was the only way." Atemu answered. "It was so that I could read your strategy." He smiled softly at her. "I've fought many strong opponents before, but you were especially strong, Aileen."

Aileen smiled sadly back at him as she calmly closed her eyes. "Thank you." Then, she unlocked the dance room's door. "I'll release the girl. You deal with the boy. Just kiss him, and he'll be brought out of his trance. Don't worry." She hurriedly said as she noticed the look on his face. "I will release her for sure. I'll accept my loss with pride."

Atemu slowly nodded, and walked over to frozen Yuugi, as Aileen went inside the dance room. Atemu pulled his arms around Yuugi, and came closer to him. 'I'll leave the rest to you, Partner.' And with that, Yami was back in control.

'Huh? What hap-?'Yami thought, before noticing in what position he and Yuugi were. He blushed a little, but then smiled. 'Alright. I understand, the other me.' And with that, he pressed his lips on Yuugi's softly. After a moment, he felt the smaller boy respond, and pull his own arms around Yami's ribs. Yami smiled in relief against Yuugi's lips.

After a moment, they both pulled back.

"Yami? When did you get here?" Yuugi asked softly, his arms still loosely around his boyfriend.

"Never mind that." Yami replied, leaning in to embrace Yuugi tight. "I'm just glad you're alright."

Yuugi laughed. "Yami! You don't have to worry that something is going to happen to me every time you leave me alone for half an hour!" But he hugged his beloved one back either way.

Just then, Aileen and Anzu came back too. Anzu seemed fine, and she smiled at the sight of her friends hugging. And, despite herself, Aileen smiled as well.

-

That night, Aileen went to deliver the news to her boss.

"Complete loss?" Kaiba asked in his darkish office, that's only light at the moment was the moonlight that came from the windows. "Furthermore at your speciality, Raijinhai."

"He was strong." Aileen replied simply.

"You are no longer worthy of being a part of my Four Game Masters." Seto stated coldly.

Aileen didn't react that strongly. She had anticipated that. She merely reached to open the lock of the necklace she was wearing, and when she had, she handed it over to her now ex-boss. The pendant had been a gift to her from Seto when she had first joined his Four Game Masters.

"Seto." Aileen then began with serious look in her eyes. "He is stronger than you!"

The brunette's eyes narrowed, and he looked elsewhere. "Get lost!"

Aileen began leaving, and the sound of her soft steps echoed quietly in the room.

'Damn you Amun!' Kaiba cursed inside his mind, biting his teeth together in anger. 'Don't think it ends here!'

A few days later, Aileen left Japan to return to Paris, and Yami, Yuugi and Anzu were at the airport to see her off.

"Aileen-san! I will surely grow up to become like you! I'll work hard!" Anzu yelled up to Aileen's plane on the airport's roof, waving her both hands.

"Good bye!" Yuugi yelled, waving too.

In her plane seat, Aileen looked out of the window to the country she was departing with, with tender and soft eyes. 'Yami, I want to play another game with you. The next time we meet, it'll be the game of love.'

-

Preview:

Yuugi: I decide and try become friends with our quiet classmate Imori-kun, and he shows me a legendary game passed down in Ancient China!

Yami: Be careful Aibou! It is a forbidden game that has the power to destroy the world!

Yuugi: Furthermore, the loser even has their souls stolen! Ack! Imori-kun, what are you doing with my body?!

Yami: Shoot! I knew he was trouble!

Both: Next time, Don't touch the forbidden game!

Yami: Aibou…I'll definitely save you!

And I'm blaming Machi-Chan for that Anzu-bought-doujinshi-thingy. Her influence about Anzu being a shonen-ai fangirl has been getting to me…

Sorry, Anzu, that you haven't had much screen time lately. I still love you, so don't worry!

I made Yami act a little like I suspect I would act if I met up with one of my idols. If I met Kazuki Takahashi, I'm sure I'd act about exactly like him ^^;. I actually once saw a dream about meeting him, but I'm always more confident in my dreams than I am in reality, so I wasn't at all nervous about meeting him. He drew me a picture in that dream ^^.