Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! belongs to Takahashi Kazuki.

True to his words, Duke was able to set Ryou up with a mechanic. After their initial meeting, Ryou moved the Amane to the caravan which was located at the very edge of the lot away from the city; they were greeted heartily by the traveling group. Mariku had seen gypsy caravans before when they passed through Egypt, but he was still startled by the diversity yet general cohesiveness. Each individual seemed to stand out on their own with their unique alien features, but at the same time, it was easy to tell that they all belonged together. The same marking as seen on Duke's face was repeated among the others, probably helping to emphasize that fact.

The mechanic Duke had mentioned—Zander—was unlicensed. The captain was reassured by Duke that Zander knew what he was doing. Although, given their situation, Ryou didn't exactly complain. The two had spent a few minutes haggling before ultimately deciding on a price after Zander did a thorough inspection. Mariku had to admit that Ryou was ballsy, trying to barter a lower price. The mechanic was by no means someone who looked like a push over: he was tall with a bulky physique and had piercings going down the thick tentacle-like appendages on his face, topped with a large gypsy symbol marking his (very ripped) bare chest.

Definitely not someone Mariku would pick his luck with.

Despite appearances, Zander was friendly enough, although a little gruff. At his suggestion, Ryou agreed quarter with them until repairs were finished in a few days, seeing as it would get loud once Zander started working. The caravan was happy to help take care of the sick Setsuna as well.

As soon as negotiations were finished, it was then that they were introduced to the unanimously appointed leader of the caravan, Tyroni. She was a dainty looking woman, wrapped head to toe in finely woven silk, but Mariku could tell just from the look in her eyes that she wasn't a pushover either. Leaders always seemed to hold their own special inner strength.

"I see Duke brought us some new business," Tyroni said, giving all four of them a quick onceover. "Where are you lot from?"

"We're—" Ryou started but was interrupted by none other than Bakura.

"From the Milky Way."

"Ah, we've been there a few times. Quite a long way from home, aren't you?"

"Yes, yes," Bakura said amicably. "You can say we're travelers like yourselves. Decided we'd had enough of the dreary city life and wanted a little taste of freedom." Much to Ryou's ire, the pirate nudged him with his elbow and said in an unsubtle stage whisper, "I think this guy had a little too much freedom—if you know what I'm saying—and got us into a little bit of a mess."

Duke laughed at this. Tyroni tore her gaze away from Bakura's face (at least what little showed from his visor) to give the other gypsy an amused, inquisitive look.

"Touzoku told me all about how smashed Ryou got—it is ridiculous how such a responsible looking guy can get so hammered and basically let the ship crash and burn," Duke informed the gypsy.

Ryou could feel his eye twitching, but he let a pleasant smile cover his irritation. "Yes…pretty ridiculous."

"And to top it off, your friend, Setsuna was it? Gets really sick through all of it. That part isn't nearly as funny," Duke said solemnly yet still with a hint of incredulous amusement, "but things just couldn't get worse for you guys, huh?"

"Ahaha… Yep. Couldn't be worse."

As if sensing Ryou's tipping point, Bakura easily steered the conversation back into a different direction—one that would be least likely for the captain to blow the cover he'd so carefully created.

"I can't thank you enough for your help, Duke. It was a godsend that we met."

"It's no problem at all. You're paying Zander good money and the caravan could always use it."

"I second that," Tyroni added, finally speaking up after taking a moment to carefully analyze the ragtag group. "If you follow me this way, we can set up a tent for you all."

At the gypsy leader's silent command, they all followed her while another group of gypsies graciously offered to carry Setsuna away, allowing Zander space to start repairs once he gathered the necessary parts.

The tent offered to them was cozier than Mariku expected, but it was only a temporary refuge, so he could deal with it. At least it was cool and definitely protected them against the sun's intense rays. The gypsies carefully laid Setsuna on a comfy pile of blankets before dispersing and going back to their own duties.

"Do you always offer this kind of hospitality?" Namu asked. Duke jumped, probably having forgotten Namu's existence since he'd been quiet this entire time.

"Only sometimes," Tyroni said, resting a steady look on Namu's cloaked figure. The zochell tensed at her next words. "You know, I haven't seen your face yet. Could you lower your hood? It's common courtesy to properly introduce yourself to the host."

"…"

Tyroni raised an eyebrow expectantly, and Duke leaned down to catch a glimpse of the zochell's face. However he was thwarted when Namu repositioned himself.

Mariku laughed, hoping to diffuse any tension that started to rise from Namu's uncooperative behavior. "He's really shy around strangers. Don't mind him."

This seemed to appease the gypsy leader, because she offered an understanding smile. "Alright, I'll bite—although not literally. Wouldn't want to scare you off, eh?" She turned to stop at the entrance of the tent. "Keep in mind you are all welcome to mingle around the camp. We always like new company. And I expect to see your face before you leave, Namu," she said playfully and then disappeared beyond the flap, Duke following after with a relaxed wave.

Once they were alone, Ryou rounded on Bakura, careful to keep his voice low enough as to not disturb Setsuna or alert the gypsies of their internal conflict.

"What the hell are you scheming?" the captain fumed, pacing back and forth within the small tent. He clenched his hands as if imagining wringing the pirate's neck. "What did you tell Duke? Why does he think we're chummy? What the hell are you thinking?"

Bakura rolled his eyes, slouching back against some crates that contained blankets and other assorted knickknacks. "Would you relax? You're going to give yourself a hernia." When the half-breed did not stop his glaring, the pirate sighed and pushed off from the crates, taking deliberate steps towards Ryou and forming a calculated expression. "You needed a mechanic, and I got you one. So what if the gypsies think we're all buddies on a cross-planet adventure? They don't need to know you're harboring a criminal and a suave pirate."

"Wanted, you mean," Namu said, speaking up from across the tent. Despite the privacy it provided, the zochell refused to remove his makeshift cloak completely. "I bet there's a pretty price on your head, Touzoku."

"Whatever, at least I'm worth something," Bakura scoffed. His eyes returned to stare levelly at Ryou's. "It'd be in your best interests to play along."

"I'm not letting you drag me into any of your ridiculous ploys. I offered you safe passage from that planet. Now that we're back to society, you can find another ride to leech off of!"

"Pity you didn't specify that when we agreed to the terms. I'll let you know when I decide that my 'safe passage' is finished. And that's completely rude after the help I just got for you."

"By lying?" Ryou hissed.

"So what?" Bakura said, clearly exasperated by Ryou's reaction. "It's not hurting anything or anybody except for your little pride. And you think I'd be stupid enough to let them know I'm Bakura, the greatest space pirate, the Thief King? I'm not risking any chances of them recognizing me. The gypsies may be acting nice now, but they'd turn against anyone if they're offered a pretty penny, and my head is very pretty, thank you very much."

"Give it a rest, Ryou," Mariku sighed, stopping Ryou from getting a chance to retort. "What's done is done. We're already associated with Bakura, and it won't get us back to the Milky Way any faster by stirring up unnecessary drama. We can let the gypsies believe whatever Bakura told them and get out of here as soon as possible."

"The boy-scout learns fast," Bakura applauded, shooting a smug look at Ryou who only huffed.

Mariku shook his head and lied down on another bed of blankets. The sun was still out, but he could only hope that the days would pass by fast if he just slept through them all. He didn't know how much of the bickering he could take, if this is what was going to be his reality for a while.

It was cold here. And damp. Although there were openings within the caves to allow some sunlight to filter through, it still felt as if the chill had sunken right into their bones. The years had merged into one another, so it was hard to tell how long they'd been living here—too long, if Ishizu had to say. But, Father's words were law, and she was in no position to argue. None of them were.

Ever since they were left with no leader and were forced to retreat, there was no room for mistakes. It was of utmost importance that their movements were not detected, although Ishizu had heard worrying rumors from the others that the Federation was increasing their activities. The news did little to appease her already irate father, who grew more distant with each passing day. He wouldn't even allow her to join the council meetings anymore—even if it was lacking in members now.

However, the cold was not why Ishizu lied awake, curled up in a ball on a pile of worn and ragged blankets. She'd been staring unblinkingly at the wall of her dug-out room, trying to process the images that had been flashing before her closed lids. Ishizu was by no means a stranger to dreams; she's been having them ever since they took residence within these caves. The vivid visions that graced her sight every time she tried to sleep were always of the same vein though—memories of the past, of times when her family was nearly complete, before they'd almost lost everything. She'd wake from those feeling a sense of loss. Sometimes, she'd have nightmares. Although those were far and few between, it would send her jolting back to reality, quaking and nauseous.

This dream was unlike any she ever had.

In her dream, she was in a desert with a beautiful oasis in front of her. It was the first time she felt the sun so intensely in a long time. If she didn't know it was a dream, she would've fallen asleep right then and there; lulled by the warmth she missed so much.

She inhaled, taking in the scent of sand and salt, appreciating the dry air. When she turned away from the oasis, Ishizu suddenly found herself inside a tent. Her eyes roamed around the small space until they finally rested on a still form huddled beneath a blanket. Her heart clenched at the sight, and she stood there in a moment of confusion. Why did she feel so nostalgic?

Cautiously, she approached the figure, tiptoeing even though logic said she didn't need to. With a shaking hand, her fingers brushed against the fabric; she could feel the figure beneath it, taking in deep, gentle breaths. Golden locks peeked out in messy disarray. Ishizu felt a stinging sensation in her eyes. As she took a firm grasp, it was like she was pulling away the fabric of reality. Instead of revealing the person she had hoped to see, the entire scenery warped. Like a demented magic show in which she was the magician, she threw away the blanket with a flourish only to find herself transported out into space. It looked like she was in the middle of a battlefield.

Fire rained down on her.

Ishizu felt no pain, but she had to shield her eyes from the brightness. It was then that she heard a voice, echoing with anguish, anger, and pain.

"Mariku!"

When she opened them up again, she had awoken back in her room, alone and empty. Only the pounding of her heart offered any noise. She'd been like that ever since she woke up.

That changed when a familiar head poked inside.

"Rishid," she said simply, not even bothering to move from her position.

"Ishizu, why are you still awake?" At her greeting, Rishid stepped into her room. It had become a nightly ritual for him to check on her ever since he discovered her lying awake one night, crying.

"I had a dream."

"Another nightmare? Do you want me to fetch you some medicine to help you fall back asleep?" he asked, worry evident in his tone.

"No, Father will reprimand me for wasting our supplies and showing such weakness… And… it wasn't a nightmare… at least I don't think it was."

"What do you mean?"

Ishizu sat up so that she could properly face him. "I heard his voice," she said suddenly. Even in the dark, it was easy for her to see Rishid's confusion. "I heard him," she repeated.

Rishid stood there silently, the frown that seemed permanently pasted on his face deepened. Slowly and soothingly, he spoke up. "It's just a dream."

"No, you don't understand," she shook her head vehemently, "When I dream, I can see him sometimes—only partially. But I never hear him even though I know what he's saying."

"It was only a dream, Ishizu," he said more firmly. "I understand you miss him—I do as well—but you need to let it go. We must. Hanging onto the past will only distract us from what we need to do now. Your father will only get angrier if you mention him."

"But it wasn't!" Ishizu insisted, raising her voice in an uncharacteristic show of annoyance. "And don't tell me I'm being irrational—or to just forget!"

Rishid raised his hands, startled by her outburst. "That's not what I'm saying."

Ishizu softened her glare and sighed, looking down at her hands. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell. But don't you dare tell me it was only a dream, because I know it wasn't. It has to be a sign."

"A sign?"

"He's still alive. I know it."

"Ishizu," Rishid said sternly. "I want to believe that just as much as you do, but it's been years. Your father will not allow any more ships to leave so we can search for him. We need as many of the remaining battalion here."

"I know," she said in defeat, "but he's out there somewhere."

"We can't know for sure without proof."

Another spark of anger seemed to ignite within her at those words, because she opened her mouth to reiterate what she'd been trying to get Rishid to understand. However, she paused when she finally noticed a noise that echoed down the tunnels. They both shared a look and wandered out to investigate.

"General Ishtar! We must alert the general!"

The two picked up their pace, entering a side room created specifically to house communicational devices. The one who'd been shouting almost ran into Rishid, but he didn't even offer an apology before he rushed off.

"What's going on?" Rishid asked.

Although he was a commanding presence with his tall and muscular frame, Rishid was ignored. To spare Rishid from having to repeat himself, Ishizu stepped out from behind him, alerting the room's remaining two occupants of her presence.

"Lady Ishizu!" The zochell not busy with the wireless telegraph straightened up and gave her a short, respectful bow. "I didn't see you there."

"What is the meaning of this?"

"We received a signal from your brother. Forgive us—we did not notice until it was too late. It appears as if he is unable to respond to us now."

"A signal from my brother?" she whispered. Emotion welled up into her throat, not allowing anymore words to be said. Instead, she quickly turned to look at Rishid. He too shared the same look of disbelief. Amusement mingled with unbridled joy when he got her silent message. I told you so.

Without skipping a beat, Ishizu hurried over to the telegraph. The zochell currently seated by it politely moved to allow her room to read the screen, although he remained close enough to continue his attempts at establishing communication.

"On Yania. Get me now."

She couldn't help but let a grin cross her face after reading the message that was repeated multiple times. This was definitely sent by her brother—it was sent on a radio frequency that only they knew and used, and he was the only one who was that sloppy with the code. Ishizu could even imagine his petulant tone, always demanding. It was a wonder no one noticed the screen lighting up with his alerts.

"How's this for proof?" she asked, shooting Rishid a triumphant look.

"Fuck rubies and fuck you," Mariku growled, banging the side of the phone booth. "Fuck your overpriced shit too."

The blond woke up bright and early to get to the databank with the hopes of calling his mother and the Academy. However, his optimism was dashed when he discovered exactly how much long distance calls cost. It took all of his willpower to not start a scene.

Huffing, he shoved his hands into his pockets and strode out, not even bothering to put up his hood. If there was one thing he wouldn't complain about, it was the heat. It was the one comfort he had in this foreign place.

Mariku was so distracted that he almost bumped into Namu just as the zochell was attempting to enter the databank.

"Yo, Namu, what are you doing here?"

The zochell started when he realized who it was. His body tensed but then he moved into a relaxed posture. "…I was looking for you," he said, voice not matching with his body language.

"You were?" Mariku asked, voice coming out harsher than he intended. Given his current bad mood though, he didn't give a damn. "Whatever, I'm sick of this useless hub of metal—let's go do something fun."

"Well? What are you waiting for? Let's go!" Mariku called back when he noticed Namu hesitated to move. "You know this place well, right? Lead the fucking way."

Namu's tail flicked out in a subconscious show of annoyance, but the zochell did as he was told anyway. "What crawled up your ass and died? Or are you normally a bundle of joy this time of day?"

"It's nothing."

"Oh, don't give me that! You can't breathe underwater, you can't spit fire, and you don't even have fangs. What makes you think you have the ability to lie to me?"

"Why do you care?" Mariku shot the zochell a bad-tempered glare, cursing the fact that he couldn't even get a good look at Namu's face to gauge whether he was being genuine.

"I don't, actually," Namu said while taking a casual look at their surroundings. They were now in the middle of a marketplace, although they were still early judging by how many stalls were still setting up. "I'm trying to figure out whether I should mutilate your body in a dark alleyway or let your rudeness slide."

Mariku sighed and scratched his head. Alright, he had it coming. "Sorry."

"Your apology means nothing to me until I get an explanation."

He gave a sidelong glance, but once again it was hard to see Namu's expression. An overwhelming feeling of embarrassment suddenly overcame him when he started to form the words. Mariku couldn't believe how childish he'd been. He faltered when he spoke next. "…Forget it. It wasn't important anyway."

"Oh c'mon—now I have to know!"

"Just drop it!"

Namu stopped walking and stood in front of him, hands on hips and an air of superiority. "If you don't tell me why you were being such an ass, then I'll knock you out and dump your body in some obscure part of the city. You'll never find your way back to the ship without my help!"

"You can't knock me out, it's broad daylight and somebody will see," Mariku argued, although a traitorous voice said Namu was capable and willing.

The zochell laughed, a short and barking sound filled with unconcealed mirth. "You think anybody in this city will stop me?" he jerked a thumb at a random passerby—a muscular man decked in a denim vest and donning a strange bandana, "You think he will? Or maybe those old ladies over there?" The aforementioned women looked away, clearly having heard but deciding to mind their own business. "For my first duty as your temporary guide—depending on how you answer—I'll let you know one thing about Yania: it's 'eat-or-be-eaten.' People don't survive in this wasteland just because there's an oasis nearby. They know when to keep out of things."

"So. Are you going to be honest, or am I going to have to use force?" Namu's tail flicked out once more in anticipation.

"You should get that under control," Mariku said, pointing. "Someone's going to notice, sooner or later." His annoyance was only a front for his defeat though. "If it'll get you off my back, I was just upset that I couldn't make a call."

Doing as he was told, Namu visibly wrapped his tail tightly back around himself. At least now that he was used to it, it didn't look as awkward. "A call? To who?"

"My mother."

The sudden burst of raucous laughter caught Mariku by surprise—actually, no. He expected that reaction from the start. However, that didn't stop him from reacting defensively.

"W-what's so funny!?"

The zochell continued to laugh but tried to respond through his gasps. "All that effort…Just to find out you're a momma's boy!" Namu seemed to forget Mariku's warning, because he started to beat his tail down on the ground. Clearly the zochell was beyond amused.

"Alright, alright! Are you done now?" Mariku exclaimed, feeling his face burn (and it wasn't from the sun).

"Give me a minute," the zochell snickered. "Okay… I think I'm good."

"I don't know how that was so funny to you. Didn't you ever try and keep contact with your own mother?" Mariku couldn't help but ask bitterly.

"Hm? I don't have a mother—wait no, that's not true. Everybody has a mother. I just never knew her." Namu didn't look visibly hurt, in fact, his tone sounded careless. "I guess I wouldn't understand, but it's funny seeing you get worked up because you couldn't even call her."

"O-oh." What the hell do you say to that? Mariku felt as if he had crossed into uncomfortable territory, but his discomfort mainly came from Namu's lack of reaction.

"Anyway! Now that that's done and over with, didn't you say you wanted to do something fun? If you're still in a bad mood, we can go back to the caravan, and I'll get out of your hair," Namu suggested. Judging by the zochell's tilt of the head and from the tone of his voice, there was an obvious answer he wanted, although Mariku wasn't sure which.

Well, Namu did say he was looking for him. Mariku never got the reason, but maybe he wanted to hang out? "No, it's fine. Lead the way, Mr. Fun-time."

"Uh." This time it was Namu's turn to falter. He was tense but let his shoulders slump in defeat. "I don't exactly know what's 'fun' to do around here. I never had the time to enjoy the scenery."

Mariku frowned and tried to wrack his brain for something they could do. He didn't feel like going back to the caravan and dealing with the gypsies. They were nice and all, but Bakura was right; they were persistent in trying to sell him things. A few of them tried to peddle 'exotic drinks' off on him when he was leaving.

He couldn't think of anything at the top of his head, but the city reminded him of his home back in Egypt. Finally, an idea dawned on him.

"You might not believe it, but I'm pretty adept at 'survival-of-the-fittest.' I grew up in a city like this, you know."

"You're right, I don't believe it," Namu smirked. "A human like you—a momma's boy—looks like they had a cozy upbringing."

"Hmph," Mariku played along. Truthfully, the activity he was about to suggest wasn't exactly within the law, and he hadn't done it since his younger, teenage roughhousing years, but he had some frustrations and time to kill. Technically he was still in reckless teenager despite being considered an official adult. "Sit back and watch, then."

Slipping his hands into his pockets, Mariku moved forward, remaining as inconspicuous as he could. He leaned against a nearby wall of a building that's seen better days. Namu, curiosity piqued, took position at a stall where he could watch while remaining out of the way. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Mariku casually draped his hood over his head and started walking after spotting an easy target. Better to start with someone who wouldn't be a challenge—he was rusty after all.

The chosen target was a small creature, about half his height. If Mariku was any other person, he could say that the creature could be considered cute, what with its tiny fangs and spikes that poked out from its round body. He would've felt guilty, even, but the beauty of pick-pocketing was that it didn't matter who your victim was—as long as you got something worthwhile.

Triumphantly, Mariku stood before Namu, twirling a pretty pendant he'd seen the alien tuck into its shirt.

"Survival of the fittest? You just stole from a baby," Namu snorted, traces of laughter returning.

"We need to set the bar low if we want to make this interesting," Mariku said, "It'll be a game. Each conquest has to be better than the last."

"I never took you to be a petty thief, but I suppose this could be worthwhile. Are there any rules?"

"Only one: don't get caught."

Mariku was in the lead. Their game turned out to be more engaging than either of them expected, and they found themselves tangled up in their own competitiveness for hours. Despite Mariku's rather unimpressive show the first time, Namu soon learned that the human had as many tricks up his sleeve as the wily pirate himself. The zochell never would've thought that a Federation dog would have the gall to break as many laws as Mariku just did. He was particularly impressed when Mariku rose up to Namu's challenge and managed to pilfer various trinkets right from under the noses of several stall owners and replace the money in their pouches with dirt. (The sudden decrease in noteworthy individuals during a period in the afternoon led the two to expand their game to shops and merchant stalls.)

They'd relocated many times in order to avoid drawing attention to their game. It wouldn't do to have people realize they were missing things and start suspecting the two rather shady-looking travelers. However, in doing so, they were running out of high stakes challenges. Namu sure as hell wasn't going to let their game end anytime soon—at least not with Mariku winning.

The blond really did surprise him with his unscrupulous talent. It didn't make Namu proud to admit this, but the zochell even had to resort to using his tail during several occasions—if only so that he wouldn't fall behind. Luckily, no one seemed to have noticed—at least he hoped. He really was being careless for the sake of his own pride.

"How the hell does an Academy student get so good at this? Learn it in boot camp?" Namu asked as they huddled behind some bins in an alley. The overhanging fabrics on clotheslines created shade and helped to conceal them from a disgruntled flock of avian aliens.

"Nope, you can't learn the things I know from an institution," Mariku said smugly. The human knew very well that he was in the lead, and he loved it. Namu was going to have to knock him back a few pegs.

"Hmph. You're going to tell me where you learned your tricks sometime—preferably after I beat you!"

"Bring it," Mariku grinned, tossing aside a few of their more useless acquisitions. They had gotten a lot, and it was starting to be a hindrance. "Alright, how about we step it up with something bigger?"

"Go on," Namu urged. If he succeeded with Mariku's challenge, then it would bring him back into the lead unless Mariku accomplished his next dare. Namu would make sure it'd be even more difficult than the previous ones. He was ready to bring their game to an end—with Namu as the victor of course.

"How about…" Mariku deliberated, scanning the crowd, "That guy." It was a muscular man decked in clothes that Namu found equally as strange as Ryou and Mariku's hoodies. The chosen target seemed to be taking a smoke break while casually holding a conversation with a bespectacled brunet. Strange… Namu could've sworn he'd seen that man before… Actually… Now that he thought about it, Namu realized that he'd seen that man each time they relocated. He couldn't believe he didn't pay more attention to that detail. Perhaps it was because the man was always wearing a different bandana and he was soon lost in a sea of faces?

"What else?" Namu pressed.

"He has a pretty sweet ride," Mariku commented, admiring a hover-bike parked right next to the man. "Go get it. And to raise the stakes even higher, you've got to do it within… ten minutes?"

"It's going to be hard taking it without him noticing." The man didn't look like he was about to move away anytime soon, or even have the bike out of his sight.

"Wanna forfeit?"

"No way! Just give me a second…" The hover-bike was indeed very nice—it looked new too. Namu had always wanted one when he was a child; now seemed like as good a time as ever to fulfill a childhood wish. But how was he going to do that? They were in a plaza of some sorts that was filled with even more stalls, makeshift tents and some cafes. Even though the crowd was dense since many were passing through to get to the lots, it still didn't provide adequate cover for him to sneak off with a bike—how was he supposed to remain inconspicuous with it anyway? The man would surely notice, no matter how sneaky Namu could be.

"If you can get that bike, you'll win the game," Mariku said suddenly.

"You must have little faith in me if you're willing to place all your bets on this." Namu remarked, eyes not straying from his target.

"No, but if you do get it, we'd both be winners. I've always wanted to ride a hover-bike."

They both sat in silence while Namu tried to think of a plan.

"You want my help?" Mariku asked cheekily when it became apparent that Namu was still at a loss.

"I don't need your help!" was the zochell's indignant reply.

"Alright," Mariku shrugged. "But just remember, if he spots you, you lose. And time's ticking."

"I know the rules at this point," Namu said testily. The zochell heaved a disgruntled sigh before he decided to make his move. He still didn't have a plan, but he might as well wing it. Mariku remained where he was, the alleyway giving him a clear vantage point. The blond gave him a thumbs up and smirked, waiting for an entertaining show to start.

Cautiously, Namu strolled towards a stall next to where his target was resting. He could try striking up a conversation and find a way to distract the man, but Namu didn't want to risk drawing attention to himself. Instead, he stood at a stall, fingering a bottle of ambrosia while trying to listen to their conversation. It was hard to hear them over the overall din, but he managed to catch snippets.

"…the gypsies seem excited… Tyroni actually went to… Zander's is busy…"

"…she's not going to let us… no problem… just listen to me and we can double our profits…"

"…you don't have to worry about that… when are we… are you even sure though…"

None of it made much sense to Namu, but it didn't have to; he was just waiting for a cue. Namu crept closer, so that he was almost touching the back of the bike—the stall owner was starting to get annoyed. The man tossed aside his cigarette and finally seemed to be leaving his position. His companion was the first to enter the small building, and he followed behind. Namu watched as the flap covering the entranceway shifted closed and waited just in case they came back out. Internally, he let out a cry of delight.

Taking advantage of their absence, Namu rushed to the bike's side, probing around its mechanisms to see if he could find a way to get it to turn on without sounding an alarm. He didn't bother to check if the people around him noticed his sudden activity, because he knew they wouldn't care if a stranger was hijacked. The zochell did, however, take a quick glance back to look at Mariku. The blond was obvious disappointed by how things turned out, judging by his slight pout. Namu had to agree that this endeavor was becoming way simpler than he thought it would be—he didn't even have to resort to knocking the man out. What an easy victory!

Click.

Using his basic knowledge of machine wirings, Namu got the hover-bike to turn on once he disabled the alarm.

Unfortunately, Namu was too busy gloating over an easy steal to notice the flap flutter and heavy boots crunch against the dry earth. He realized too late his mistake when someone yanked the back of his cloak. The zochell was whirled around, hood falling with the movement. His lavender eyes widened in surprise before narrowing at his target's smirking face.

Out of reflex, Namu's tail lashed out, hitting the man's arm and successfully freeing himself. In a split second decision, the zochell hopped onto the bike, hoping to make a quick getaway. Even if he lost the game, at least he got a nice consolatory prize.

But something was wrong.

The bike was humming, but it refused to lift off from the ground. Well, shit! Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the brunet edge towards him with obvious intent. Abandoning the bike, Namu lashed out again with his tail to knock the skinny figure back. He crashed against the side of the building with an 'oof!' and remained motionless on the ground, stunned. When Namu turned his attention back to the more threatening of the two, he tensed, preparing to block a punch.

However, there was no need since Mariku finally made his presence known. With a grunt, Mariku ducked under the man's arm and rammed into his stomach, causing the bulkier figure to stumble away from them.

Namu didn't have to check twice to know that Mariku was right at his heels, speeding away from the scene of the almost-crime.

"And then I got picked up by Tyroni and the caravan. I figured, 'hey, I have nowhere else to go, might as well follow a bunch of gypsies!'" Duke concluded, taking a swig of water (or maybe it was wine? But it still seemed awfully early to start drinking, in Ryou's opinion).

Ryou had woken up later than usual and discovered that both Mariku and Namu were gone—probably exploring the city together. Bakura had made himself scarce, but Ryou knew he was still hanging around the caravan. He had no doubt that the pirate was trying to find whatever expensive belongings he could pilfer. It was to be expected that pirates had no manners, even towards the people hosting them.

The captain had no desire to leave the caravan though, and so he spent a majority of the morning inside his tent with Setsuna, talking to Duke. The gypsy had taken a liking to Ryou, and despite his rather eccentric appearance, proved to be a sensible fellow with a very laidback attitude. Duke had also gotten brownie points for offering to help care for Setsuna, whose fever was thankfully going away even though he hadn't regained consciousness yet.

To pass the time, Duke decided to tell Ryou the story of how he joined up with the gypsies a couple years ago. Surprisingly, Duke came from the Milky Way and used to live on a planet that was very close to Hatune and had several companies that made frequent visits to Domino City. In fact, his father owned the Black Crown, a budding trading business that got cut short after an unfortunate case of bad stocks and gambling. Ryou actually remembered seeing the story in the news and hearing Yugi mention how his grandfather had cut ties with the company before it went bankrupt. It was a wonder that they didn't meet back then, despite living so near each other.

After his father's company was wiped out, Duke was placed in a precarious position of being homeless or being sent to the Federation army to keep off the streets. It was only through chance that Duke met the gypsy caravan that was passing through.

"It's all in the past though, I suppose," Duke went on to say, leaning back on his arms to look at the tent's ceiling, lost in thought. "I think I'll go back to the Milky Way someday—maybe try and start up a business like my father. I don't plan on following in his footsteps exactly though."

"Sounds good," Ryou said. A muffled groan then caught his attention.

"Ugh… Ryou?"

"Setsuna! You're finally awake!" The captain hastily pushed the pluophilo back down as he tried to get up. "You shouldn't move just yet."

"Where…where am I?"

"In a gypsy camp," Duke informed, "I'm Duke by the way."

"Gypsies?" Setsuna still seemed out of it, but then he shot forward again, and Ryou struggled to get him to lie down. "Vera! Jak! Ryou—Where's… Where's—"

Ryou quickly shushed him, glancing discreetly at Duke. "Don't make me repeat myself, Setsuna! You shouldn't move around so much; especially now that your fever's finally going away." He leaned down, pulled the blanket back over Setsuna, and pretended to fluff his pillow. "Don't talk about what happened; I'll explain everything later," he whispered.

When he moved away, he was met with a confused stare, but Setsuna remained quiet.

"Is he alright?" Duke asked now that Setsuna calmed.

"Yeah, probably just had a bad dream, right?"

"…Yeah," Setsuna said, brows still furrowed in a questioning look.

Ryou cleared his throat uncomfortably and made eye contact with Duke, who, thankfully, didn't press any further about Setsuna's outburst. "Will you show me where I can get food for Setsuna?"

"No problem," Duke responded, getting onto his feet, "We can get some more medicine too."

Before Ryou left the tent completely, he turned back to give Setsuna a stern look. "We'll be right back. Don't move."

"Yes, mother," the pluophilo sighed, closing his eyes.

They made their way to a larger tent with a rectangular cargo ship connected to it. As Duke was helping Ryou pile a plate of food, he heard a commotion outside. They paused and shared a look. It sounded as if someone was cursing in an exotic language—angrily.

"That sounds like Tyroni," Duke said, peeking outside the tent like the other gypsies. Ryou squeezed through the entrance so he could get a better view.

Across the encampment, he could see Tyroni's figure, glittering from the various pieces of metal adorning an even more extravagant looking cloak. He had to shade his eyes from the sharp glare as she shook a fist, causing the bangles on her wrist to reflect light in all directions. A short distance away from her, a tiny figure—almost the same size as Yugi—scuttled away, cowed. The little alien reminded Ryou of the dried heads he learned about in school that tribes on Earth used to collect in the past. Tyroni stopped yelling and stood with her hands on her hips, not bothering to tell the gypsies that had eventually gathered around her to stop throwing rocks. She merely watched as the alien covered his head, fleeing back to another figure that made an early retreat to the edge of the camp.

"What was that about?" Ryou asked, hesitantly waving back at Tyroni who noticed them when she turned around. Gradually, everybody dispersed and went back to their previous activities.

"Dunno," Duke shrugged, "But I've seen those two before. They're some bounty hunter's cronies. It's common knowledge that gypsies pick up stragglers, so they harass us a lot."

"Hoping to find somebody with a bounty on their head?"

"Exactly. Tyroni gets sick of it," Duke chortled, "Besides, if she finds out somebody's a wanted criminal, there's no way she'd let an outsider take the money—it's hard enough travelling from place to place sometimes, you know?"

"Ah—yes," Ryou said, feeling a flutter of nervousness at those words.

The dreadful feeling didn't disappear when they returned to the tent. Once inside, Ryou was met with a delightful surprise.

"What are you doing here?"

"Keeping my good friend company," was the pirate's response."Isn't that right?"

"…Right," Setsuna murmured, eyes downcast. Ryou had to will away the spark of anger. Without a doubt, Bakura must've told him everything. He probably didn't even bother to let Setsuna know gently! Callous bastard!

"Is that food?" Bakura asked eagerly.

"It's not for you," Ryou shot back, pushing past the pirate so that he could sit next to Setsuna.

"Well, I think I'm going to see what happened earlier," Duke said. "I'll be back later." He was gone with a wave.

"You're hanging around that gypsy too much," Bakura noted.

"Who I hang out with is none of your concern."

" That's what you think, but it does concern me." Bakura sniffed. "I take it you saw what their leader did—I could practically hear her all the way over here. With that lovely display, it should be obvious that you should keep your distance."

"Tyroni was only keeping the hooligans from harassing the caravan," Ryou defended, "and Duke is nice."

"For now," Bakura said in a mocking, sing-song. "He's still a gypsy, and he needs money. I bet he could start up a business and then some just from collecting the bounty on my head."

"You were eavesdropping?!" Ryou shouldn't have been surprised.

"It's the easiest way to get information."

"Whatever! It's still rude!" Ryou huffed. Setsuna remained quiet, choosing to eat his food instead of getting involved with any conversation that included Bakura and an irate captain. "And it sounds like a you problem."

"Perhaps," the pirate shrugged, "but don't assume you'd get away scot-free. We're friends remember? Tyroni has taken an interest in Namu too. I'm sure you don't want your little buddy to get sent to the slammer with the likes of me."

"You're right, he doesn't deserve that," Ryou said sardonically.

"No, he deserves worse."

Ryou did a double take at that unexpected response from Setsuna. The pluophilo didn't look at him and was staring at his bowl. "He's a zochell isn't he? Bakura filled me in."

Ah. So that was it. Bakura was predictably trying to taint his crewman. Who knows the extent of Bakura's badmouthing? It wouldn't work though, that much Ryou was sure. Once Setsuna was properly introduced to Namu and saw that the zochell wasn't nearly as terrifying or sadistic as the others, the pluophilo will definitely be more receptive towards him. Namu did protect him.

"Don't be ridiculous, Setsuna. Namu's friendly," albeit a little too friendly sometimes, "When you meet him, I'm sure you'll both get along."

"But… he was with them," Setsuna said, finally looking up at him. "They killed Vera and Jak. Are you just going to let that slide?"

"Namu didn't kill them—he wasn't even with them when we met. It was only because of circumstances that he used to work with them. Besides, the war was a long time ago. Even if he was connected to it, you can't hold that against him forever, after all this time has passed." That was Ryou's reasoning anyway. Humans have done terrible things such as causing wars and mass genocides as well, and his only way to cope with the weight of it all was to just let it go—or at least not hold on too tight. People couldn't be held accountable for the past if they want to move on, after all. It wouldn't be fair to punish those who had no control over it either.

"If you say so, Ryou," Setsuna conceded, "but you should still keep your guard up."

"Feh! Your captain is as naïve as they come," Bakura said, tilting his head so he could look at Ryou disdainfully. "Anyway, my business is done here. Where the hell is the boy-scout?"

"Probably with Namu," Ryou said, although he'd rather not talk to Bakura more than he had to. He didn't expect the pirate to leave until he got whatever he wanted to know though.

"Tch. Of all the people in the universe, I end up with a bunch of ignorant fools."

Without a second glance, Bakura slipped out of the tent. However, he left them with a few parting words. "Don't get so comfortable, or else."

"His cryptic remarks are starting to get old," Ryou muttered before he handed Setsuna a bottle of medicine.

"I don't think we should ignore it though. What if he has a point?"

"You believe his nonsense?"

"There must be some grain of truth in all of it," Setsuna reasoned, "Someone like Bakura doesn't slip pass the Federation's fingers time and time again or survive this long as a pirate based on luck."

"I hope you're not suggesting that we listen to that criminal."

"I'm not saying we should trust Bakura completely, but I feel like it's the better option. We hardly know anything about Namu. What if he's been lying to you this whole time? Bakura seems convinced that he is."

"What were you two talking about before I got here?" Ryou demanded. Perhaps his friend had been corrupted. It was the only explanation as to why Setsuna was suddenly willing to stand behind Bakura, despite all the trouble he's caused. "What lies has he been feeding you?"

"He was only getting me back up to speed," the pluophilo was quick to explain, hoping to placate his captain. "Don't get so angry. It isn't like you to act irrationally."

"Oh I'm being irrational?!"

Setsuna sighed and rested his head on the pillow, covering his eyes with his arms. "Never mind. I feel tired—I'm going to get some more sleep, if you don't mind."

Ryou nodded, and then realized the pluophilo couldn't see him. "Yeah, sure. I'll check on you later."

Once he stepped outside, Ryou let out a sigh of his own.

A/N: (WARNING: EXTREMELY LONG RAMBLING; SKIP DOWN FOR LITTLE NOTES ON THE STORY SO FAR)

I'm slowly, but surely losing the ability to keep chapters at a consistent length. Sorry this chapter isn't very interesting, I'm mostly trying to set some things up. It's kind of frustrating, really. I'd much rather write the more interesting/exciting parts of the story, but those are still further down the story-line, boohoo. I can't remember if I mentioned this (and I'm too lazy to go check), but I'm thinking of splitting the story into 3 parts. The idea excites me but at the same time, I have NO idea if I'll ever manage to finish it... I guess it could be a nice side project to work on when I want to do something other than school work/drawing.

I'm still struggling with the pacing. On one hand, I want their interactions to be natural (or as natural as I can make it since I'm not the best writer there is), so I'm trying to build it up their relationships. But on the other hand, it might make the story too slow/long :S I don't want to rush things, but at the same time...UGHHHHH

(BOOP BOOP: SPOILERS MAYBE? CURRENT STORY NOTES/DISCUSSIONS & RANDOM INFO IF ANYONE'S INTERESTED)

-We're still at the beginning-ish and I feel super guilty for taking so long to get the story going :I

-If ya'll haven't noticed, Ryou is SUPER biased towards Bakura. It's kind of funny that he'd rather trust a complete stranger/alien whose race tried to take over galaxies instead of giving Bakura the benefit of the doubt after the semi-good intentions he's displayed towards them. But honestly, his grudge is going to hold him back and cloud his judgement. (It's probably really obvious why he hates Bakura's guts/what he represents, since I've been dropping not too subtle hints-at least I think I have?)

-I wasn't originally going to make Mariku such a whipped character concerning his mother, but I figured, why not? He's got to have something that kept him centered and prevented him from turning out as a gang banger. You've all gotten snippets of how his childhood was and can pretty much piece things together, I think. There are some things I regret about with his character, but I'm hoping I can make him more interesting once some more backstory is revealed and he gets more character development.

-Namu is making a lot of effort to keep Ryou and Mariku's favor-mostly for protection and to make it harder for Bakura to get people to turn on him. Although, he really didn't intend to spend the day with Mariku.

-I think it's safe to say that ya'll know Namu ain't Namu (I mean-c'mon), but he's been genuine at some points. I just hope I did well portraying/hinting the parts where he tries too hard/slips up.

-Duke probably won't be a major character in this part, but if all goes according to plan, he'll play a greater role in the second part much like Yugi & co. (if I actually manage to get there). Or maybe it'll be Seto since I don't plan on having him appear 'on screen' in this one.

-Bakura has kept his helmet on the entire time they've been on Yania much like how Namu is keen on wearing the bedsheet everywhere.

-Bakura didn't ditch Ryou & co. when they landed because he wants to keep tabs on Namu. Even if everyone dismisses him, Bakura knows what's up. He also made the risky decision to deal with the gypsies because he was actually trying to get brownie points with Ryou. Obviously it didn't work. However, he did get some brownie points with Setsuna, what with helping him fight off his attackers and then saving his life.

-Setsuna wasn't exactly truthful with Ryou.

-An aeroge's spit isn't able to naturally defend against a zochell's poison, but Bakura is a special case for a reason

-I imagine the spacesuits that regular people wear look like plugsuits in NGE. They're meant to be inexpensive and worn underneath clothes, and there's a distinct difference to the heavy duty kind that professionals/astronauts would wear. Bakura's suit is a special kind where it's not as bulky as the 'real' stuff, but it's 10x more durable/advanced than the ones Mariku and Ryou wear.

-I like the idea of Ishizu having prophetic dreams/visions sometimes (ok rarely, but still. When something significant happens, it sort of triggers I guess?).

-The Millenium Items won't be significant, but who knows how things will turn out. No magic mumbojumbo though.

-Originally I thought I could include a bit of romance, but then I realized I haven't got the slightest clue about those matters sooooooo... yeah xD I will say that I could try to drop hints, but there's no explicit romantic pairings-just friendship. Can you guys tell which pairings I ship though? hahaha

-Sometimes I think I'm being sneaky by dropping hints/foreshadowing, but then I doubt myself because it might not be obvious to anyone else-or then it's too obvious and the surprise is kinda ruined? I have no idea, but yeah that's a thing I like to do if nobody's noticed

-When I write chapters, I imagine them like episodes which is probably contributing to my bad pacing :S

-LOL Mariku ain't getting to school

(There's probably some stuff I wanted to mention that I forgot, but I think this is enough spam. Sorry!)

Anyway, thank you for putting up with the text dump (no hard feelings if you decided to ignore it though). Updates will be extremely slow now that school work is piling up, so the uber long A/N was just a way to compensate for the lack of new chapters until the summer. I'm probably going to delete the above section once new chapters start coming out.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! As always, reviews/critiques are appreciated.