For those of you who read Gate, I told you we were trying to update this! Thank you to all of the readers who are still following (I did promise we never give up on a story). That being said, this chapter is a little shorter than normal. We have more written, however the natural chapter break happened here. We can't guarantee when we will update again, just know that we will! Thank you all very much for your patience, and without further ado, here you go!

"Wow. So this is what people do for fun nowadays?" Mana asked, peering up at the rollercoaster.

Yami shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Yugi and his friends seem to enjoy it." He fidgeted. "What did you- we do in Egypt for fun?"

"Oh, we lassoed crocodiles." Mana flapped a hand.

Yami blinked. He had to have misheard that. "What?"

Mana burst out laughing, doubling over. "Your face!"

"No one was lassoing any crocodiles," Mahad sputtered. He looked alarmed by the very idea. "We had board games of our own of course, like Senet. There was also dueling, horseback riding, trips to the market. Normal, everyday activities."

Games. That was something that Yami could understand. It… hurt in a way that the only way he felt he could really connect with the two spirits was through games. He wanted to know them better. He knew he should know them better. Instead, there was just this awkward silence hanging between them. Mana laughed and chattered away but it didn't make things right.

Was he what they expected? What if they were expecting who he had been before? Yami caught Mahad's gaze. The other watched him quietly as Mana continued some story involving a game of hide n' seek and a pot. The Pharaoh swallowed and looked away. He didn't want pity. He wanted answers. He wanted…

'Friends. That's the word you're looking for,' Yugi supplied around a yawn.

'I thought you were taking a nap.'

'I was but you were thinking too much. You're supposed to be enjoying yourself, not brooding.'

'I was not brooding.'

Yugi's snort echoed through the mind link and Mahad's head jerked towards Yami before he turned back to his student.

Turning his attention back to Mana's story, Yami quickly interjected after she'd finished. "Why don't we get in line?"

Mana beamed up at him. "Sure, Prince!"

"Perhaps I should wait for you here," Mahad said, examining the roller coaster with an uneasy expression. It was strange- Yami had rarely ever seen his Dark Magician look uncertain. On the field the Dark Magician was confident, almost cocky even. Maybe he just reflected Yami's personality when dueling though.

"You scared?" Mana teased.

"No." Mahad folded his arms.

"You are!" Mana looked positively gleeful. She grabbed Yami's arm, sticking out her tongue at her master. "Come on, Prince. Let's go. Master Mahad can be a wet blanket and stay here." She proceeded to tug Yami towards the line, ignoring Mahad's sputtering.

Barely a minute later, Mahad joined them in line, rather red in the face.

"Yugi tells me these rides are very safe," Yami said. "I think Kaiba would see it as a personal affront if they weren't."

"Of course." Mahad might have been reassured or perhaps he was just hiding his nerves better.

Mahad wasn't the only one having second thoughts once they actually got on the coaster. Mana was clinging to Yami's arm in a death grip. He hoped Yugi's nerves wouldn't be permanently damaged. "We didn't have machines with minds of their own in Khemet. We just had horses. And they didn't want to kill you." She paused. "Generally. Seto's was pretty vicious."

"These machines don't have minds of their own- they don't want to kill anyone," Yami assured her, trying to subtly wiggle his fingers.

"Mana! Release the Pharaoh." Mahad peered around Yami to scowl at his student. "You can't simply hang off of him. It's-"

"Improper. Yeah, yeah. I know." Mana let go of Yami's arm. He shifted in his seat.

"I don't mind. I'm not a Pharaoh here after all."

Mahad looked horrified. "Of course you are a Pharaoh, my king."

"Can I not be?"

Both Mahad and Mana stared at him. Yami fidgeted some more.

"Um, that is…" He coughed and wished the ride would start up already. "At least for today. I'd like to get to know you as friends. Not servants."

Mana latched back onto his arm with a giggle. "Silly. We're always going to be your friends, Prince."

"I did not mean to give you the wrong impression, my king. Serving you does not inhibit us from being friends with you," Mahad added.

"Thank you," Yami said, feeling something tight in his chest ease. The ride started up with a jolt and all three were instantly distracted. Yami was once again focused on praying his arm wasn't going to fall off while Mana squeezed it and Mahad was looking faintly green as he clutched the side of the cart.

"I'm hungry."

"Mana, you don't need to eat. Besides, how can you be hungry after that?"

Yami felt bad for Mahad but it was really kind of funny that a magician who could fly got motion sick. Mahad defended himself by saying that when he was flying he was in control of his movements but that hadn't kept Mana from laughing at him. At least Yami had hidden his chuckles better. Mana on the other hand had fallen in love with the roller coasters and dragged Yami around to at least half of them while Mahad kept his feet firmly planted on the ground. He had been convinced to join them for the teacup ride and looked the worse for it, though.

"Yugi has some money left over for food," Yami interjected before the two could start arguing. He didn't mind listening to them; it was clear to him that they were close and that was why they interacted as they did. It was rather like Joey and Tristan. Furthermore, he felt that they did it to help put him more at ease. Neither was particularly subtle in their glances towards him as they bantered. He pulled the yen out of his pocket and counted out some. "Here," he told Mana as he handed her the money. "This should be enough for a couple hot dogs. There's a stand that way. I'll stay here with Mahad."

"Hot dogs," Mana repeated slowly and with intense concentration. She nodded firmly. "Got it! I'll be right back." With that, she promptly darted off into the crowd.

"Sorry," Yami told Mahad, carefully sitting down beside the still slightly green mage. "I should have warned you about that ride."

"I enjoyed it," Mahad said. Yami snorted. "Well, not the ride itself. But it is nice to spend some time with you and Mana."

Yami smiled. It was an almost shy expression that made his Pharaoh look so much younger. Too young really for the kind of life he'd led and had before him. Mahad sighed, glancing out over the crowd. His Pharaoh really should have been one of the many other teens littering the park. Careless and free to enjoy himself without the burdens of a world upon his shoulders.

Chocolate eyes narrowed as a grin slowly began to split an angelic face. Mahad stared in horror, unable to breathe as his gaze met Bakura's.

"Mahad?"

Instinctively he turned towards his king, who was watching him with concern written across his face.

"Is everything alright?"

Mahad glanced back but there was no sign of Bakura. "Y-yes, my Pharaoh." He could see the Pharaoh wasn't buying his excuse so he rather weakly tacked on "I thought I saw something was all." The Pharaoh frowned but Mana's arrival prevented him from further questioning.

"Sorry it took so long. I was headed back but I saw this game and it had this giant bear thing. Like huge! Bigger than the palace. Okay, not that big but it was big!" The Pharaoh's mouth quirked in a faint smile as he listened to the girl prattle on with excited gestures.

Mahad glanced back over his shoulder. Bakura was still not in sight and Mahad could almost have convinced himself that the thief had been a figment of his imagination. Almost but for the faint clink of metal in his head, the familiar dark rush of energy inhabiting the Millennium Ring. Bakura had been there; he possibly still was, lurking out of sight, and he wanted to make sure Mahad knew. The mage swallowed and focused back on his Pharaoh.

"We could go play the game," the Pharaoh suggested, looking animated by the very idea. "I'm certain I could win it."

"Of course you can," Mana said. "Hey, these games are probably rigged like the market games, right? Let's go watch the owners sweat while you beat them all!" She grabbed Yami's arm and darted off through the crowd, food all but forgotten for the time being. Mahad hoped she wouldn't drop it; that would be a senseless waste.

He glanced around once more before following after the two. It would be best to keep them close at hand. Bakura's presence wasn't a good sign. He'd learned his lesson last time though. So long as Bakura didn't pose an immediate threat to his king, he wouldn't seek out the other. Now that the Pharaoh was partially supporting Mahad's presence in this world, fighting a losing battle would have even greater consequences then simply Mahad's return to the shadow realm. He stretched out his magically senses, determined to at least monitor the situation closely. Let the Pharaoh enjoy himself for the time being.

Thanks for reading! Things will pick up again next chapter! Please review! We really love it!