Welcome to Quarantine y'all. I hope all of you are safe and you're washing your hands! I wish you all nothing but health and safety on you and your loved ones during this trying time.

I'm hoping this shelter in place order will force me to update all of my fics but I still have online classes and depression so I'm trying my best!

Now, let's read some fanfic!

Read and enjoy!

She held onto him tightly, afraid to let go; afraid that if she did, the memory of him would slip away into darkness once more. She cried into his shoulder and he did too; he'd finally found his childhood friend. He could finally forgive himself- she wasn't dead and buried under the desert sand; she was alive, here in his arms.

After a few minutes, their sobs had subsided, and she pulled away to get a better look at his face. He had lost the roundness of youth, his jaw line more defined. His eyes were sharper as they searched her face as well. She smiled, reaching up with gentle hands and wiped at his tears with the pads of her thumbs. She softly traced the scar, "You didn't have this before…" she trailed off, not meaning to say the words aloud.

He shut his eyes and took her wrist gently, pulling it from his face again, "No, I didn't." his voice was soft, but she could hear a familiar edge; he didn't want to talk about it. She left it alone, she was too happy to have him back to ruin it by bringing up bad memories. But a knock on the door made the two of them freeze, all warmth from their reunion gone. The door opened to reveal the other blond from the night before. His eyes and hair pulled at her already fresh memory and she tried to remember.

Bakura growled, "What do you want, Marik?"

The name shot through her like a bolt of lightning. She tried the name on her tongue, "Marik…" A boy with a smiling face and ash-blonde hair floated in her vision and like before, the veil over her memory lifted and she was crying again.

"Marik!" Ripping herself from Bakura's grip, Myra ran towards the man at the door, who had no time to prepare before the princess pounced on him, knocking him to the ground. She giggled in triumph from her perch on his chest, much like she had when they were young.

Marik looked from her to Bakura comically, his violet eyes wide, "Is it..?" He could barely form the sentence. Bakura smiled and nodded much to his friends' delight.

The larger man squealed like a child and embraced the princess, and she did the same, "Ra, I thought we'd lost you forever!" He whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close with a gentle squeeze.

Myra squeezed back, sighing in relief. A weight had been lifted from her chest; a weight she'd never realized was there but was always heavy on her heart.

She finally felt like she belonged.

OoOoO

Atem paced back and forth on the balcony, watching as the sun broke over the horizon, awakening the city beneath. His chest burned with worry for his sisters' safety and rage that she hadn't been located yet. He stopped in front of the railing and rested his palms against the still cool stone, forcing himself to take a few deep breaths. This proved difficult, especially when the familiar sound of footsteps behind him greeted his ears.

"My King." Seto said as he knelt, though Atem made no move to turn, he knew.

"Nothing." Came the growl, and Seto fought back a flinch, "You've returned to me with nothing." It was a low growl, not a shout, like Seto had thought it would be. Still he kept his eyes to the stone floor in front of him, and answered, "No, my king. My men were unable to find the location of Princess Myra."

Atem's grip on the railing tightened, until he knuckles were pale. How was this possible? Where could she have gone? His mind wandered to the day before after she had run off into the city, they'd found her outside of the city walls on the Northern side…

"Seto," The voice of the Pharaoh was sharp as he turned to face the high priest, "Have your men look North, I have an idea."

OoOoO

Once Myra had caught her breath, she got a good look at her boys; well men now, she thought. Not much had changed, but enough had. They looked older, their bodies taller, shoulders broader, faces no longer round with boyish youth. Her boys had grown up to be handsome indeed.

She sighed and returned to her seat on the bed, "Well now what?" She asked, that familiar weight beginning to resettle on her shoulders, the feeling of uncertainty. Marik and Bakura shared a look; they hadn't exactly planned on kidnapping her in the first place, let alone plan on what to do next.

At their looks, Myra laughed a little, "Well, my brot-" she stopped and took a breath, correcting herself, "Atem isn't going to let this go, he's probably already sending out men to search for me." She said, looking down at the edges of her dress, sorrow coloring her green eyes.

Bakura reached for her hand and she looked up to meet his gaze. It was fiery and protective, "I-We just got you back Myra, not going to lose you again!" He said firmly.

Marik spoke up, crossing his arms, "If there are already rumors around the city and he was the one who found you, why couldn't you just disappear? Write him a letter or something?" He tried to sound hopeful but the doubt bled through in the end.

Myra shook her head, "With the coronation and the transfer of power from the council to Atem as Pharaoh, the palace needs to appear strong, not to mention," She laughed bitterly, "I'm due to marry a prince from Rome in two days to secure a stronger trade route and military alliance." She spat and the hand on hers tightened,

"He was going to trade you away in a treaty?" Myra's head snapped up to see Bakura's lavender eyes darken in anger. She place her free hand on his cheek and squeezed his hand in her hers, "That's why I ran away yesterday. I wasn't going to let myself be traded for peace, Princess duties be damned." She laughed again, mirth returning to her eyes, "If I hadn't run into to you, I would've been half-way to the next city by now."

Marik cleared his throat, a grin on his lips, "The point is, you're safe now and we won't let that happen." Bakura blinked and gently removed himself from Myra's hold, "He's right, not giving you up without a fight." He said, standing and walking to the door, "I'll have Neko bring you something to change into. Come Marik, we have some planning to do."

OoOoO

Once Myra was changed into something not torn and dirty, Neko led her down another hallway. The female thief was less cold than she was the night before but interactions were still stiff with her, Myra found. They turned another corner and Myra held in another groan as she realized she lost track of where they were in the castle-turned-hideout.

Unfortunately, though some memories of the boys had returned, as cloudy as those were, any other memories were still lost to the shadows of her mind. Though she wished she knew her way around the hideout without needing an escort, she used to live here for Ra's sake.

They stopped at an ordinary looking door and Neko knocked a series of short raps before it opened. Marik appeared in the doorway and grinned when he saw them, "Ah, if it isn't the love of my life and my childhood friend!" He beamed before doubling over as Neko punched him in the stomach. Myra stifled a laugh and tried to look past him for Bakura as the Neko continued to lay into Marik about her nickname.

Bakura was facing the doorway, hunched over a grand table with papers and maps covering it. His eyes were calculating as he looked over the maps, his teeth worrying his bottom lip and his eyebrows knit together. He didn't seem to notice the commotion at the door and Myra made to push past Marik but he grabbed her arm, "Hey why don't I show you around, maybe get some food in you!" He smiled and gently pushed her back out of the room. Myra shrugged and allowed Marik to guide her down the hall, worry gnawing at her stomach as Neko entered the room and closed the door behind her.

OoOoO

The morning was still cool as Marik showed her around the village, or what was left of it. He showed her where the old marketplace used to be, where the well they got their water was, and even where he and Bakura had lived when they were children, in the dilapidated huts crumbling at the edge of the village.

He watched her wonder around what was left of their home in her soft white dress, her auburn hair shining brightly in the sun. She looked like a ghost against the blackened and crumbling rubble that was his childhood home.

Myra walked solemnly through the debris, "This is so far from the palace, I can't believe you visited me every day." She traced the scorched walls, still carved with good luck charms and good omens.

Marik shrugged and rubbed at his neck, "It wasn't that far really, with the tunnels it was a lot faster." He chuckled, "And we would do anything to get out of doing our chores."

The house was small, its walls crumbling but holding strong, providing shade from the harsh mid-morning sun. An overturned table sat in the corner, its chairs in pieces next to it. A stone fireplace stood next to it, looking unharmed among the scorched stone walls, a pot still sitting in its hearth, though the crack in its side told her it would never be used again.

Myra gently lifted some curtain scraps from the debris next to the window, revealing some broken glass bottles with strange markings on its label. Her brows furrowed as she inspected the containers. They were strangely shaped, almost orb like in shape, their tops shattered at the neck but some blue liquid remained in one of them.

Strange, she thought, picking up one of the bottles, why is there still liquid left? The village burned down years ago.

She tilted the bottle watching the blue liquid slosh back and forth against the glass. The label with strange markings seemed to glitter in the slivers of sunshine that filtered through shade of the building. She felt a warmth bloom in her chest and her necklace began to glow,

"What did you find, Myra?" Marik's voice sounded muffled to her as the glow of the liquid glowed brighter in her hand, small bubbles appearing at the bottom of the glass.

She stared at it, her vision going black at the edges, tunneling towards the bottle in her hand. She saw glimpses of images, from meals among family to a bubbling pot of the same blue colored liquid, "Things I almost remember…" She mumbled, humming along to an invisible melody. Her hands grew warmer as the heat in her chest flowed down her arms.

She saw a massive fire, could feel the heat of the flames and hear the screams of the people as they tried to escape, barely audible over the roar of the fire. She saw families attempt to hide their children in cellars underneath their homes but men in black cloaks burst through the door and-

Suddenly, two rough hands pulled her back sharply, making her drop the bottle. The image disappeared as the bottle fell to the ground and shattered on a rock.

Marik shook her, "Myra, hey!" her eyes focused on his and she inhaled sharply, regaining breath she hadn't realized she lost. Her mind was racing, trying to process what she had seen and why, when a sharp stabbing pain started in her head.

She gasped and her knees buckled as Marik gently guided her down to the dirt floor, "What happened?" He asked softly, brushing hair from her face.

She panted, desperate for breath, and pointed blindly in the direction of the bottles, "I don't know…it made me…see things." She said in between breaths, clutching at her head. Marik didn't say anything but kept eye contact with her until she caught her breath. Then, making sure she could stand, he walked her back to the hideout, questions racing through his mind.

Myra's mind was reeling and her hands were still burning. Her vision was blurry and the sun was too bright to keep her eyes open, making her headache worse. She could hear Marik's breathing and feel his grip on her waist and wrist to steady her as they walked.

Bakura was still in the war room with Neko, pouring over plans of the pharaoh's palace when he heard Marik's voice calling for him in a panic. He looked towards the hall annoyed until he remembered that Myra had gone with him to see the village. He shot up and ran down the hall towards the shouts.

When he arrived, he found the two in the Princess' old room, Myra lying on the bed looking tired but not injured. Marik knelt next to her, wringing out a wet rag into a bowl of water. Bakura frowned from the doorway, "I leave you alone for an hour…What happened, Marik?" he asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Marik gave him an odd look and motioned to the hall with his chin as he placed the wet cloth on Myra's forehead. Bakura rolled his eyes but stepped out into the hall, Marik closing the door behind them. He looked nervous as he met Bakura's eye,

"I showed her around, just like you told me to. Showed her the kitchen and the water well, and then she wanted to see the rest of the village." He said, and Bakura raised a brow with a scoff,

"You can't expect me to believe that she's tired and weak from that! I chased that girl halfway to the Pharaoh's city in the afternoon heat yesterday! And she stabbed me!" He hissed, gesturing to his bandaged torso.

Marik sighed, "I showed her around our old houses, and she found some left over essence in the rubble of the shop…" That caught Bakura's attention and he felt anger bubble in his chest.

"That's impossible, the shop was destroyed years ago, there shouldn't be any essence left!" He stammered, his mind racing. He tried to step back into the room to check on Myra, but Marik grabbed his arm, holding it tight.

"That's not all, I think she saw something." He said quietly and Bakura ripped his arm out of his grip, "That's what I was afraid of." He said stepping into the room and hurrying to Myra's side.

Up close, he saw how sickly she looked. Her chest was heaving and her skin flushed, covered in a thin layer of sweat. Her breathing was labored and her eyes were fluttering open and shut as she tried to look up at him. He also noticed that her necklace had a dull glow around it.

He knelt next to her, "Hey, Kitten." He crooned softly, brushing his hand against her cheek. It was burning hot to the touch, but she leaned into it with a soft moan.

Her eyes opened blearily, bloodshot and watery, "'Kura," she murmured, an almost drunken smile on her lips. His heart skipped a beat. It had been so long since he'd heard the nickname; not since they were much, much younger, long before the fire.

She nuzzled into his palm, reveling in the coolness of his skin, "Missed you, 'Kura." He smiled back, brushing her hair back from her sweaty forehead and tucking it behind her ear, "I missed you too, Kitten. I heard you had a bit of an adventure today." He said, his tone soft, like he was talking to a child.

Myra crinkled her nose with a lazy grin, "I got to see where you grew up, you never told me your family ran a magic shop."

Bakura's blood ran cold, "What makes you think it was a magic shop, Kitten?" He asked, hesitantly and she gave him a look, "My best friend is training to be a magician, I know magic liquid when I…when I see it." She said, her voice trailing off, before her eyes fluttered shut.

The thief sat back on his heels, watching the girl as she fell asleep, her skin still burning to the touch.

Marik cleared his throat from the door, catching his attention. He signed and stepped into the hall, nodding to Neko to speak,

"Teka's team returned from patrol, they saw the Pharaoh's men sniffing around the ruins." Neko reported, and Bakura pinch the bridge of his nose. He really didn't need this right now.

He rattled off some orders, something about keeping everyone close to base but still keeping guard from the palace turrets. Neko nodded before hurrying away to deliver the orders and Bakura headed back into the room.

She hadn't moved, but he didn't feel right leaving her, so he sent Marik to retrieve a very special book as his mind plotted to kidnap a very special person.

OoOoO

The next day, a disgruntled Marik frowned from his spot by the temple wall; he couldn't believe he was back here again. Doing Bakura's fetching was growing dull but he couldn't forget the reason he was here.

Stalk the temple, grab the magician, bring him back, heal Myra, get the Ring.

It was a simple checklist, he thought as he readjusted himself, setting in for a long wait. The sun began to set and his eyes were glued to the temple entrance for the wizard to leave.

Eventually, a figure carrying a pile of manuscripts exited the building and Marik grinned.

OoOoO

Mana sat in Master Mahad's study copying spells and enchantments out of one of his big spell books. She frowned as her hand began to cramp around the quill and she set it down to rub at her wrist.

Mahad cleared his throat from across the room where he floated in a meditative state. Mana glared at him but picked up her quill and began again, cursing herself for earning this insane punishment. Then her glare on the page softened as she remembered why she did what she did; it gave the princess freedom, if only for a few hours.

The pit in her stomach grew when she thought about her friend, kidnapped by bandits. She'd been missing for almost two days and she didn't like the lack of progress in her rescue. The Pharaoh had been oddly silent and focused since the Myra had disappeared. If there was one thing Mana knew about her childhood friend, it was that he was most dangerous when he was quiet. Ra only knew what he'd do to the men who kidnapped his sister and Isis help them.

She remembered the thieves who'd broken into the palace and desecrated the late Pharaoh's tomb. They looked ruthless and cruel and Mana shivered at the thought of what horrors her friend was going suffering through.

Mahad descended from his meditation and called for her to gather scrolls to take back to her chambers to study. With a groan, Mana complied, trying to keep her mind off of the princess' fate.

She only hoped that the Pharaoh's men could find her before it was too late.

OoOoO

Myra twirled around in her white, silvery gown, giggling as the fabric caught the candlelight making it sparkle. She watched the other patrons dance around the ballroom floor from her place by the thrones. Her father gently nudged her down the steps, encouraging her to go dance among the people. His salt and pepper hair looked more salt than pepper now and his vibrant green eyes looked duller but still fiery.

She descended down the steps and fell into the crowd dancing to the music and feeling the rhythm in her body, giggling with other girls in dresses as she moved among the crowd.

Every once in a while, she saw a figure out of the corner of her eye, but when she would turn around or break through the wall of people dancing, it would be gone. Her curiosity burned in her stomach as she waited for it to appear in her vision once more.

A man in a dark tunic grabbed her hands and pulled her to the center on the floor, twirling the two of them around. His dark hair was shaggy and fell into his green eyes as they sparkled in the firelight. His mischievous green eyes tugged at a memory, but the thought seemed to float away as the shadow in the corner of her eye appeared again. She whipped around, her auburn locks flying behind her as she did.

His white hair was the first thing she saw when she whirled around. He wore a similar dark tunic to the man with the green eyes she was dancing with before, but this one was trimmed with red. Bakura looked at her with a small grin, mirth dancing in his eyes. She stopped, curtsying as he bowed before taking her hands and pulling her into him. And they began to dance.

His lavender eyes were dark even in the candlelight, almost turning mahogany in the shadows of the dance floor as they twirled around it. She was the most beautiful girl at the ball; she knew just by the way he stared down at her, affection and adoration written in his gaze.

Bakura's tanned hand came up and traced the side of her face, leaning in closer. Her eyes fluttered shut; he was going to kiss her. But a pull in her stomach made her eyes open and she flinched away in disgust and horror.

A dark being with crimson eyes and horns stood where Bakura was a moment ago. Its' arms, with its' dark, almost purplish skin, were still wrapped around her waist, holding fast, not allowing her to escape. She watched, her stomach twisting, as its' white hair slowly darkened to a sickening black and his gaze fixed on her shaking form.

Myra's heart raced and her skin prickled with sweat as she watched this transformation, frozen like a statue. Then, all at once, her survival skills kicked in and she started pushing at its' body and scratching at its' arms to free herself. The creature watched her struggle, unmoving, save for the deep, rumbling sound emanating from its' chest.

It was laughing at her.

A fire began to burn in her stomach, eating away at the fear, giving her the energy to push the creature away; though she suspected that it released her.

Heat burned its' way in the center of her chest and down her limbs, enveloping her in a comforting embrace. She looked down and saw vapor rising from her arms in thin tendrils as embers began to lift from her skin; the heat grew warmer.

She looked up at the creature who was looking back at her with its burning red gaze, "Myrina…come with me…" It said, its voice cracking and gravely, sending shivers down her spine as it held out a blackened claw to her. She was almost frightened.

A strange confidence overtook her, and she lifted her chin at the creature, taking a step back, "Never." She spat, green eyes glaring. The creature grinned and chuckled darkly, "I can make your dreams come true, Myrina. Come with me…"

The heat in her belly grew warmer and fire flared from her pores, "Never." She repeated, her hair catching the flames as her anger grew.

"I can get him back for you…" It held out its blackened claw once more.

Its words made her breath catch in her throat, but she didn't let it phase her as she continued to step backwards. The creature chuckled darkly once again and began to circle her, "That's what you want, isn't it?" it taunted, grazing her bare arms with its claws, ignoring the flames that covered her skin.

She swallowed, keeping her eye on the creature as it circled her, "You'd give him up?" she asked carefully, backing away from its touch.

The creature didn't answer her, it simply stopped in behind her and rested its clawed hands heavily on her shoulders as the empty space in front of her grew bright and Myra had to cover her eyes.

"Myra?" the voice made her look up.

He was in shadow, the light behind him was so bright that she couldn't make out his face. But she knew it was him.

Tears pricked at her eyes and the flames began to smolder. She reached out to the shadowed figure. But just as her fingers brushed his, the creature ripped her away. She screamed as its claws bit into her skin and the shadow disappeared.

"Come with me, Myrina…"

Myra shot up in a cold sweat, fighting to catch her breath. Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. She was shaking and her eyes were searching the shadows to try and get her bearings. She looked down at the worn blanket and clung to it as she calmed her breathing, grounding herself; she was in her room in the village, she was safe.

Once she was certain that she was no longer in the ballroom and the creature was no where to be found, she eagerly threw back the blanket and jumped out of bed. Her legs were shaky and her steps were unsure but after grabbing onto the wall for support, Myra got her bearings and made her way out of the room and into the hall.

The stone floor was cold beneath her bare feet and she shivered. As she made her way down the hall, she noticed the tapestry, that had once been torn and burned, was now in one piece. She stopped and examined it; it hadn't looked like it was sewn back together at all. She wondered if she had just imagined it was damaged.

"Princess, there you are! I was just about to wake you!" A familiar voice called from behind her. Myra turned to see Mana bustling towards her, holding a bundle of clothing in her arms. She furrowed her brow as she struggled to remember; was Mana in the village with her? "What are you talking about Mana?"

Mana huffed, blowing bangs out of her face, her grin faltering slightly, "How long were you asleep, Myra?" She recovered, laughing, "It's your wedding day! Get back in your room, we have lots of preparation to get to!"

Myra's stomach dropped as she was hurried away back to her room, Mana prattling on about hairstyles and dresses. Myra didn't hear any of it as she sat heavily in front of the vanity, her mind reeling.

What was happening?

What's happening here? What's gonna happen?

I hope you all enjoyed it and lemme know what you guys think!

Stay healthy and stay safe! Practice social distancing and wash them hands and frequently used surfaces!

Until Next Time Lovelies,

~Shikamaru'sLove