The snake hissed, smelling the fear of the pharaoh as it launched forward, just mere inches away from Atem's face.

"Ahhhh!"

Atem shielded his face with his arms, waiting to feel the pain of the snake's sharp fangs sinking into his skin.

"You may thank me at any moment now."

Slowly opening his eyes, Atem lowered his arms and looked up, staring at the face of the thief king, who was holding the snake tightly in his grasp by the neck. The snake squirmed, trying to bend his neck and bite the thief, failing miserably.

Atem's eyes widened as he gave the thief a look of pure shock. "You... You have saved me... Why?"

Akefia scoffed, throwing the snake into what was left of the water inside the large bath and dusted his hands. "I did not do it to be kind. I did it to receive a heartfelt reward, a bag of gold and one of your millennium items will do."

Upon hearing his request, Atem growled and crossed his arms over his chest. "As if I would give you such a thing!"

"I saved your life!"

"That still does not mean you can demand such a hefty reward!"

Joey watched the two fight and heaved a sigh in exhaustion, now was not the time to be fighting. Standing straight he walked over and got in between the two Egyptians, placing a hand on their chest and pushing them apart gently.

"Ladies ladies, please! You're both pretty, now can we get to da point? Someone just tried ta kill us with a herd of snakes!"

"Joey is right." Seth began, he had taken his tunic top off and was wringing it out, before looking up at them. "As Joey has explained before, we have a traitor among us. We must first figure out who this traitor is if we plan on retrieving the god keys and capturing this 'Amam' villain." As he spoke, he noticed Joey's eyes glued to him. This made the priest very happy, knowing that his beloved was paying him attention. Atem sighed in exhaustion, running a hand through his tri-colored hair as he leaned back against the wall in thought. This traitor has to be someone who knows the palace, someone who is skilled in sneaking about.

"You know who I think is the suspect?"

Everyone turned their heads, blinking as they watched Juno frown at the ground, arms crossed with a serious look on her face. "I feel as though it is Clefia. She gives me an odd look now and then, she also weirdly stares at Seth."

"It cannot be her, she seems incapable of doing something so devious," Seth spoke, crossing his arms as he threw his wet tunic top to the side, no longer caring for it. "This plan was well thought out, she does not have the brains nor the skills to do something like this."

"Wow Seth, rude much?" Yugi mumbled, causing Hersilia to giggle a little at the comment.

"I suggest," Maahad began, running a hand through his long, wet brown hair as he heaved a heavy sigh. "We get the guards... Er, remaining guards, to check our rooms immediately, we need to be up bright and early tomorrow at first light to plan out what we must do next." The thought of having to return to their bedrooms brought a shiver down all their spins. There was no doubt that someone out there is out for revenge, and will stop at nothing to achieve their goal.

"If we ever find who this evil 'Amam' is." The pharaoh mumbled darkly, as he began to wring his tunic skirt out. "I will make sure he pays for murdering so many innocent people."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The cold air of the desert surrounded the two, as they fought their way against the mild sand storm. Hands clenching onto their belongings, the two figures spotted a cave in the distance, heaving sighs of relief as they ran up to it.

The small steps leading up to the cave made it easier for them to climb, as they lifted their hands to hide their eyes from the harsh sand-filled winds.

"Gods!" The woman growled under her breath, as she entered the cave, her male companion following behind her at a much calmer pace. "Egypt is much more dangerous than I had first assumed!" Placing her belongings down, she huffed and took out a torch. With the help of her companion, she was able to light it, illuminating the room around them as she began to glance around. Standing, she lifted the torch and examined the cave, confused by what it held inside once the room had been lit. There were strange carvings, and ruins of sorts scattered amongst most parts inside. A table rested in the middle, as though it had been placed there for a certain ritual of sorts.

Her male companion sat himself down upon some flat rocks he had found, gazing around the cave with eyes filled to the brim with interest.

"This is amazing!" He gasped, standing as he walked towards a wall, running his fingers along with the old hieroglyphs with a smile plastered upon his face. He cared not for his cloak, which had been dirtied by the sands out in the desert, for he was too busy wondering the cave with a smile. The young woman had finally found some more torches that hung upon the walls, as she lit them all while her companion walked about. Turning to glance at him from over her shoulder, the woman couldn't help but smile softly at her friend, who seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Do not wander off again, the last thing I need is to fight off some strange creature to protect you like last time."

The male chuckled and waved his hand around aimlessly in the air, to show the woman that he understood. The more the room began to light up, the more excited he became. Reaching towards a lit up the torch that hung on the wall, the young male took it and began to walk around. He took in everything he could, from the broken rocks inside the cave to the strange carvings written upon the walls and pillars further in. Feeling as though he was reaching the end, the young male gasped loudly as he found a giant stone slab before him, it was unlike anything he had ever seen.

The young woman had begun to work on a miniature fireplace near the entrance of the cave, she had found some wood and had lit them up. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a small sack containing food and glanced inside. Luckily for her, there was enough to get them through the night, as well as the next few days.

With a smile, she closed the sack and placed it down upon the sandy ground, as she poked the fire with a stick, all in an attempt to move the wood around and distribute it evenly.

"You must see this!" She heard her companion exclaim from deeper within the cave, causing her to quickly turn her head around in surprise. "It is of the utmost importance! You will not believe it!"

Dropping her stick the young woman stood and ran towards her companion, wondering what it was that had captured his attention so profoundly, that he had to cry out for her to see it. Normally he kept quiet and examined things, before coming to find her to show her his discovery, but this time he had stayed in place waiting for her to arrive.

And she knew he only did that because it truly was important, and needed a second opinion before he made any theories about his finds.

Torch in hand she walked closer to him, raising a brow in wonder as he stood before a wall, his slander fingers slowly running down the surprisingly smooth surface as he muttered to himself under his breath.

"What is this?" She asked in amazement, turning to glance at the expression of wonder her companion held.

Letting out a breath, the young male turned to his companion with a bright smile, his eyes sparkling in the dim light as he answered in a low tone.

"Kronos' Gates of Time."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Juno growled under her breath as she snuck around the empty halls of the palace, she knew something just wasn't right with that Clefia girl, and she was going to get to the bottom of it.

"Juno?" Hersilia whispered, glancing around to make sure they were alone. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Hersilia had woken up in the middle of the night and was shocked to find that her best friend was nowhere to be seen, without hesitating she had gotten up out of bed without disturbing Joey and Yugi and headed straight for the doors. It didn't take her long to find the young girl sneaking around the palace, but instead of arguing with her and trying to get her to go back to bed, she went along with her plan.

Turning to face her friend, Juno sent her a smile and gave her a quick nod. "I'm as sure as Joey's hair is as golden as the pharaoh's crown."

without another word, Juno turned and continued walking, her steps were so quiet it was as though she wasn't really there. Hersilia was always amazed by her friend's ability to be so sneaky, then again they've been able to survive as long as they have thanks to that ability of hers. Sometimes she wondered if she would be able to keep up, she wasn't good at anything else, just tagging along.

Juno suddenly halted, sticking her arm out for Hersilia to motion for her to stand still. Doing as she was silently told, Hersilia leaned in and glanced over Juno's shoulder, just in time to spot Clefia.

She was wearing a dark cloak, concealing her face and glancing around. Making sure no one was following her, she turned a sharp corner and quickly made her way down the hall to the hidden exit of the palace. Hersilia knew that the exit was created for the Pharaoh to escape should there be a raid in the palace, and the only reason she knew where it was, was because Juno had stumbled upon it while exploring.

Juno heaved a sign and turned to Hersilia, giving her a knowing look before turning to follow Clefia, giving her a silent signal to follow behind her without a word. It was a shock to see how well Clefia could move from place to place without being detected, she was almost as good as Akefia, yet there was a clumsy feel to the way she moved.

She was nervous, and it caused her sneaking to be sloppy.

As they neared the location of the exit, Hersilia's foot caught in a crack on the palace floor, causing her to trip a little. It had been the soft squeak of shock she had let escape her lips, that caught Clefia's attention. Hearing the sound, Clefia turned sharply, glancing around to try and find the source of the sound. Juno quickly stuck her hand out to protect Hersilia, as she pushed them both to lean against the stone walls, well hidden within the darkness and a pillar.

"I know you've been following me," Clefia spoke, her high pitch tone changing, sounding calm and serious. "Show yourself, it'll make things easier on both of us."

Juno gritted her teeth, she's never been caught sneaking in her life, but she knew that to protect Hersilia, she'd step forward and expose herself. Hersilia knew she'd do this, Juno was the kind of girl that wanted everyone to be safe at the cost of her own life. Suddenly, a thought came to her, and she knew what she could do to protect Juno and keep her out of sight from Clefia. Taking in a deep breath, she gently placed a hand on Juno's arm, letting her know she had an idea and then stepped into the light.

Her crimson eyes meeting Clefia's emerald ones, the two scowling at one another already knowing what was happening.

"Well, this is unexpected." Clefia chuckled, crossing her arms over her chest. "If it isn't the roman child, you did well worming your way to the palace and Joey's heart,"

"I know you're the traitor, Clefia," Hersilia announced, not once taking her eyes off of her. "I know you were the one who set those snakes loose in the palace and the one who placed one in Joey's room to bite him."

"Oh?" Clefia hummed, smirking.

Hersilia clenched her fist, her frown deepening at the amused expression on Clefia's face. "What I want to know, is why you have done what you've done. Why are you after Joey?"

Clefia chuckled before her expression turned dark. "It is high time you stopped questioning me."

Hersilia couldn't help but swallow hard, she was intimidated by this girl, but she couldn't let her see her fear. She needed to stay strong, for everyone else, and Juno.

"Listen, if you allow me to escape, I'll allow you to live," Clefia glared at Hersilia, almost daring her to speak. "If I find you following me, I'll be sure you and everyone you care about is in the ground in seconds. Your friend may have gotten lucky with the snakes, but I doubt they'll be able to survive a much stronger attack." Seeing that Hersilia wouldn't be saying another word, she huffed and turned to make her way out of the halls, glancing around to make sure no one had spotted them, before glancing over her shoulder with a scowl.

"Let us never speak of this again, or your tongue will be used as feed for the hippos."

Hersilia pursed her lips, unable to believe she had doubted her friend for even a second. Juno had been right, there was something wrong with Clefia, if only she had realized it sooner.

Hersilia's eyes glanced to the side, watching a shadow swiftly and quietly following behind Clefia skillfully, with the latter being oblivious to her.

Hersilia sighed and raised her hands to her chest, giving a silent prayer.

'Be careful Juno, Clefia is a very dangerous person...'

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"So then, what happens next?" Yugi asked as he dried his hair off with soft rags given to him by the servants. He and Joey had decided to stay up and think up a plan to figure out what they needed to do next.

They decided to let Juno and Hersilia rest, all the while trying to fully understand their new issue, the motive behind Amam and his plans to kill Seth.

"We just need to find out what dat weird Amam guy wants with Seth," Joey muttered, glaring down at the ground. "Seth doesn't seem like such a bad guy, why would anyone wanna hurt him?"

"Maybe because he's the Kaiba of ancient Egypt?" Yugi asked eyebrow raised as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. He's known Seth for a while now, and although he'll admit the man is different from his counterpart, he's still basically a buildup of what Seto is.

Joey rolled his eyes at his friend, almost expecting him to say something like that. "Yug' he's different, for one thing, he's not as big a dick as Seto is."

Yugi let out a soft chuckle. "So you admit that Seth has a bigger dick than Seto?"

Joey's face flushed a bright red, as he grabbed a wet rag and threw it at his laughing friend. "Shut up dats not what I meant!"

"But, you've seen Seth's dick then?" Yugi asked, dodging the rag effortlessly and trying not to laugh. "Almost makes it sound like you slept with him."

When Joey didn't respond, and only grew redder, Yugi let out a gasp in shock.

"Oh my Gods, you did sleep with Seth!" Yugi exclaimed feeling a tad bit disappointed that his friend hadn't told him immediately about the relationship. They were friends, and Yugi would've told him about his relationship with Yami if the two ever got to that part.

Eventually.

"..." Joey stayed silent, turning his head and coughing into his hand in embarrassment before admitting to it. "I uh, may have also slept wit' Kaiba afterward..."

"..."

"..."

The two sat there in silence, just waiting for a sound to be made. One was embarrassed to have even said anything, the other was in utter shock to have heard anything. Finally, Yugi broke the silence by letting out an exaggerated gasp.

"YOU SLEPT WITH BOTH OF THEM AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?!"

"I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS DAT BIG A DEAL! WE JUST REUNITED WIT' YA AND YA HAD HERSILIA AND JUNO WIT' YA!"

"Still that's something you'd tell your best friend!"

"I couldn't find da right time ta tell ya!"

Yugi sighed and buried his face in his hands. "This is major news Joey, this is so bad, very very bad." Realizing what he said, Yugi snapped his head back up and shook his head. "N-Not the fact that you slept with them, you can do whatever you want with your ass-"

"Yug' just get ta da point-"

"What I meant was, it's bad because you're creating feelings there that shouldn't be there." Yugi's tone turned serious, making sure he kept eye contact with his blond friend. "You're going to be leaving, you're going to break your own heart and Seth and,as much of a sarcastic douche he is, he doesn't deserve it, Joey..."

This realization hit him hard in the gut, he already knew it would be happening but having it said out loud, by your best friend, really made everything hit home. This explained why Yugi refused to try anything with the Pharaoh, it was obvious that if he tried to get close to him feelings would undoubtedly develop. As serious as Yami was when he had no memory of his past, he was still a charming and charismatic leader, with a nack for making jokes.

And Yugi had loved him.

He had held his best friend in his arms as he cried his eyes out, wanting to have Yami back but knowing that he was at peace now.

"I know... But I can't help it Yug'..." Joey began, his eyes glossing over with tears, causing his friend to send him a sympathetic look. "I love Seth, I dunno when it happened, but I do and I know it's gonna hurt like hell leavin' him, so I wanna spend as much time with him as I can..."

Seeing his friend nearly sobbing at the future loss of a man he fell in love with, Yugi stood and made his way over to him. He wanted to be there for his friend like Joey was there for him when he had said his goodbyes to Yami.

"Joey, I-"

Before he could say anything the doors to Joey's bedchamber opened, causing the two of them to snap their heads up to watch as Seto made his way inside, closing the door behind him for more privacy. Without a word and cellphone in hand, he stood before Joey and pressed a button on the cell, before grunting. "Speak."

"Hi, Joey! Hi Yugi! I'm so glad you guys are alright!"

Joey composed himself rather quickly, smiling at the sound of Mokuba's very missed voice. "Hey, kiddo! How are things back there, everyone doing alright?"

Before Mokuba could respond, Yugi snatched the phone, gave it a quick once over, and turned to glare at Seto. "You could communicate with everyone and you didn't tell me?!" He growled, furious that he wasn't told they were able to contact their friends in the future. He could've told his grandpa he was alright and well!

Grunting, Seto snatched the cellphone back and sent Yugi a look. "There was no time, now sit down and listen."

Yugi wanted to argue, but he knew that now was not the time to get angry. Heaving a sigh, he sat down and waited for Seto to continue. Knowing that Yugi would stay quiet, he turned his attention back to his cellphone.

"Mokuba, can you give us more information on these God Keys?"

"Oh, right." On the other end, they heard the tapping of a keyboard, before Mokuba muttered under his breath. "It just says what Akefia told you before, but someone wrote the order of the keys... But the website is corrupted..."

"Corrupted? What do you mean, corrupted?" Seto asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Well, it just tells you the first few, and who they belong to..."

"Who do they belong to, Mokuba?" Yugi asked, prepared to memorize every little detail needed to head back home.

"It just says the first key belongs to Apollo, the second to a man named Jono... Uh, Seto?"

Hearing uncertainty in his brother's tone, Seto grunted to let him know he was there and to continue speaking.

"I can try to hack the website and fix it to relay more info, but the most important thing right now is that you need to find this Jono person."

"Jono or Juno? Because if it's Juno we already have her here, she's a roman friend of ours-"

"No, Jono. He's supposedly the Wiseman to the Pharaoh, from Greece, says here that the Pharaoh placed a lot of trust in him, he was like his archeologist."

The name rang a bell, and it bothered

Seto thought for a moment until his eyes turned sharply to Joey, and an idea popped into his head. It couldn't be, but there was no other explanation, which would mean they needed to find this Jono since he most likely can find the order the keys should go with, and how the ritual is done.

"It also says here that each key is connected to another, according to the order they're placed you can always find which key belongs to which," Mokuba informed, reading off of his screen. "If all else fails, and you can't find the order, just place them according to how they're connected!"

That's when Yugi gasped and turned to his two friends, if Seto could even be called a friend, with wide eyes. "Everyone we meet and bump into is helping us in some way! That could mean that Juno and Hersilia were brought here to help us with their keys!"

"It is possible," Seto mumbled, placing a hand under his chin in thought. "That would mean that the thief, meeting that bastard priest and the others within the palace walls, Celifa and so on, all play a part in this."

They each began to think of everyone they've met that helped them so far, this of course, only included people that they've interacted long enough to know their current situation. After labeling who could be a Keyholder and who was just an acquaintance, they came up with a plan.

Joey was to wear the ring, even when it wasn't glowing, to find out as much information about the keys and its holders as he could. If he concentrated long enough, he'd be able to find the location of where the ritual was to take place. With all the information he finds, he'll jot down it all down for them to review and breakdown afterward.

Agreeing that this was their best shot at returning home, they each made their way to their room ready to sleep and be ready to start.

Seto had tried to make a move to slip into Joey's bed with him but gave up once Joey gave him a look. The very last thing he wanted was to make his pup mad at him and run off into the arms of that bastard priest, so holding his tongue, Seto said his goodnight and left.

Now all that was left was for everything to start going according to plan, the last thing they wanted was for someone to interfere.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The walk was rather long, away from the palace if one had taken the regular route, but Clefia knew a shortcut, one where she wouldn't be spotted so easily and that could take her straight to her destination.

Juno had followed her to the best of her abilities, hiding every time Clefia turned her head to make sure she wasn't being followed and holding her breath once everything stood in silence so she wouldn't be heard. She was glad to find that she had been right about the girl all along, Clefia was nothing but a traitor out to hurt Joey and Yugi, Seth as well but to her, he wasn't as important as the others.

Seto had also grown on her, and she'd be damned if she didn't protect the tall idiot from everyone around him.

Finally reaching their destination, Juno made sure to hide behind the nearest wall where she could hear the conversation taking place, keep an eye on those around her and be able to find a way to make her escape without being seen. She watched as Clefia made her way up a short stone stairway, towards a tall man in a cloak. His back was towards her, as he examined and dusted what appeared to be a box in front of him.

"Welcome back, mistress." The cloaked man spoke, his voice deep and rather raspy, like a deadman speaking for the first time in decades.

Juno's eyes grew as wide as saucers at the sight of Clefia changing from what appeared to be a young, 12-year-old child, to a beautiful 21-year-old woman.

Clefia knew magic, powerful magic that changed her appearance! This was dangerous, if she used it for a plan in the future, it could be their downfall. She should stay on alert around Clefia, especially since she knew she was the most vulnerable. Should Clefia every shift into someone she loved, Juno would be at her mercy.

"How many keys do we hold?" Clefia asked, her cold tone sending a shiver down Juno's spine.

The cloaked man hummed, turning away from the object he had been toying with to face her. That's when Juno noticed a familiar, small sarcophagus shaped box.

"Two, we hold the keys of the healer and the protector, they were hard to come by, but our scavenger has been able to locate them." He explained, letting out a deep sigh. "And how many keys does that priest hold?"

"One, the key of the thief," Clefia responded, narrowing her eyes at the man. "Amam, you must tell the scavenger to hurry, that blond bastard holds the ring of finders, it won't be long before he finds the others."

It took everything within Juno to not jump Clefia and knock her face in, she hated the fact that Joey cared for her deeply, and the woman just didn't care.

Amam grunted in annoyance, making his way down the stone steps with Clefia following close behind.

"We will find the keys long before the boy finds out how to properly use the ring," Amam explained. "We do not need to fear nor worry."

Clefia stopped and stood at the steps, watching the man walk down with a deep scowl on his face.

"They are suspicious, they know there is a traitor among them," Clefia explained. "The girl, Hersilia, knows that I am that traitor."

Amam stopped and turned to glance at her from over his shoulder, his hood lifting just enough for Juno to see the scar that ran down the man's face, similar to Akefia's yet not as sexy.

She will admit, Akefia is rather attractive under all that dumbass and angry jackass that coats his personality.

"Then, we will get rid of her."

Juno gritted her teeth and told herself to calm down, if she let herself be seen, it would only put the others in even more danger than they already were.

"Besides, we already have info on another key," Amam turned and began to make his way towards the entrance, Juno thanking the gods that she decided to hide at the opposite end to not be caught. "We have an idea as to where the key of the beauty might be."

"Where is it?" Clefia asked, following behind the man, her eyes gleaming brightly at the thought of holding the key of the beauty.

"There is a man who lives not too far from here, who holds the key of the beauty. He gave it to his late wife as a gift and held onto it after she passed." He explained.

A chuckle escaped Amam, as he walked away with Clefia following behind. His voice echoing within the walls of the small hideout, almost as though wanting Juno to remember what he had said.

"We are to kill him within a few days, and pry the keys from his cold dead hands."

Juno gritted her teeth, wanting nothing more than to punch the man in the face. Yes, they needed the keys, but to kill a man and take something that was so precious to him? Once all of this was over, she hoped the pharaoh would help her whip the man until he could no longer speak, especially after committing such a horrid act.

She waited a while, listening intensely to make sure no one was around before she decided to make her move. She glanced around, before quickly making her way towards the steps. She hurried and climbed all the way up to the top, hoping no one would appear out of nowhere like they normally did when she tried to steal something. With a deep breath, she reached down and plucked the golden sarcophagus off of the stone table the man had placed it on.

She gave the box a soft shake, hearing something clinking against the walls of the inside, letting her know that there was indeed an item inside.

Letting her curiosity get the better of her, she decided to take a quick peek. Just to make sure that the key truly was inside before she decided to steal it.

With a quick peek, she was surprised to find a soft green key laying perfectly still in the middle as though it hadn't been shaken at all. Juno let out a sigh in awe, the key was beautifully made, looking as though it had been made the day before.

The sound of distant chatting caught her attention, as she slammed the box closed and stood straight. With a quick look around, she held it close to her underarm, making a leap down the stairs and escaping through the entrance she and Clefia had come in.

Hopefully, her crap sense of direction will help her find her way out...

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Hersilia couldn't stop herself from pacing back and forth in front of her chamber doors, Yugi had appeared and had asked where Juno was. If Hersilia hadn't acted quick and told him that Juno was in the bathroom and she was just nervous staying in the chamber on her own.

It had been a blessing from the gods that Yugi had been so tired due to the recent events that as soon as he laid down to rest, he passed out.

"Juno... Please be safe..." She whispered to herself, feeling herself grow worried more and more each day. Heaving a deep sigh, she glanced around and began to tap her foot. She knew it wouldn't be an in and out deal, and she'd be back in a few minutes, but the longer her friend took the more worried she became.

She wanted to tell Yugi, she should've told Yugi.

What if Juno was seriously injured? What would happen if she had been caught, brainwashed, tortured, sold into slavery or worse...

Killed?

That last thought hit her hard, causing her to stop pacing and start running down the halls. She wanted to tell someone, she needed to tell someone. Anyone, anyone that could help, anyone that would listen. But who could she go to that won't lose their minds, delay, or even start getting angry at her and waste time yelling.

Because she knew full well that they would do that, and she didn't want to deal with someone scolding her at the moment.

Atem was sleeping if he awoke he'd be furious and start ordering everyone to wake up and start searching for ways of finding her. Delaying.

Seto would most likely lose his mind, he'd make sure everyone was okay, before getting angry and questioning everyone. Seth would be the same, so they would only take longer.

Joey and Yugi had too much on their plates, they didn't need that sort of stress.

Who could she turn to that would just rush out and save her friend-

Bam!

"Whoa, why are you running this late at night?"

A familiar voice asked, his hand wrapped around her upper arm, holding her up before she could hit the ground. Glancing up, Hersiliar let out a gasp in realization, she had bumped into the one person that would help her find Juno in seconds.

"Akefia!" She screeched, causing the white-haired male to let go of her in shock and take a step back, hands covering his ears in pain.

"Yes, it's me! By the Gods are you still in shock from the snake attack?" He asked through gritted teeth, he could never understand how women could hit that high note without a single thought.

Hugging Akefia, Hersilia began to cry, her tears soaking his cloak and making him rather uncomfortable. Not sure how he should comfort her, not once being good at speaking to women in general, he raised a hand and began to hesitantly pat her head, not sure if he had been doing it right or not. "Uh, what's wrong... Hersilio?" He asked with uncertainty, he wasn't good with names. Not that he didn't like the young girl, they just rarely interacted, what with him only replying to her greetings every now and then when they do cross paths.

"It's Juno," Hersilia sniffled, feeling the way Akefia tensed. "She was suspicious of Clefia so we followed her, but when we were caught I stepped out of hiding to accuse her of being the traitor." Akefia stayed silent and listened. "She actually admitted it and she didn't notice Juno, once she left Juno followed her. The sun will rise soon, and she still hasn't appeared!"

Akefia stayed silent as he lifted a hand to gently pry Hersilia off of him. She sniffled and allowed him to remove her, watching him intensely as he grunted, as though agreeing to help her. His eyes were covered with his bangs, casting a shadow as he thought of a plan to find out where she could have gone, and how he was going to bring her back.

Turning, he ran down the halls to head out of the palace, but not before turning to glance over his shoulder and let Hersilia know he was on it.

"I will bring her back in one piece, do not let anyone know we have gone!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Akefia huffed as he neared what he assumed to be the direction that Juno had gone to, being a thief he was capable of tracking and overall finding out where their hiding places were.

As he neared, his ear perked up, picking up sounds of multiple people cursing one at a time. The ground began to shake, letting him know that not one, nor two, but multiple people were running towards him. Stopping, Akefia prepared himself, reaching into his coat pocket to retrieve his dagger. There is a chance they were coming towards him to attack, he needed to prepare himself, and there was also a chance it was a herd of civilians running away from the danger that could potentially harm them all.

Akefia sighed when he recognized a small girl running towards him, her arms clenching something tightly to her chest. Her eyes were wide, yet filled with determination.

The thief stopped in his tracks and lifted his hand, trying to signal her down. "Oi! Juno!" He called out, waving at her. "Where have you been? Hersilia has been-"

"-uuunn!"

His ears perked up, trying to decipher her words as she screeched. Their distance didn't help his ears, but they had grown sharp enough to pick up some of what she had been screaming at him.

He needed to run...

Because...

They had found her...

'Who had found her?' He thought angrily before they reached his line of sight. The group of angry cloaked men riding horses, waving swords angrily at a huffing Juno. How she was able to run away from them while they rode horses, only the Gods knew. Before Akefia could ask her what she was screaming, she grabbed his arm and began dragging his body with her in the direction of the palace.

After about five minutes of running, the thief ran on his own by her side, turning to her with a confused expression. "What in the god's name have you done?"

"They weren't too pleased with me stealing back what they stole from the palace!" Juno called back, huffing hard and trying to catch her breath. Her lungs felt like they were on fire, she knew if she continued like this, it won't be long before she collapsed.

"What did they steal that was of the utmost importance you just had to take back?" Akefia growled back, taking a quick glance over his shoulder, noticing how the men on their horses were slowing down. Without a word, Juno moved her arms and showed him the small, familiar sarcophagus with the eye of Horus on the side.

One of the Keys.

"YOU PUT YOURSELF IN DANGER, FOR THE KEY?!" Akefia was rather offended, she could have called for help or taken someone stronger and bigger than her to help. She didn't even think to bring him, a master thief, with her. "THAT PHARAOH WOULD HAVE GIVEN YOU COMMAND OF AN ARMY HAD YOU SPOKEN TO HIM!"

"HAD I SPOKEN TO HIM, WE WOULD NOT HAVE THIS KEY WITH US!" She growled at him, teeth bared and at the ready to stop in her tracks and fight him. She was tired, hungry and angry, at the ready to put the box down and brawl, she knew what she did was dangerous and could get her into an insane amount of trouble. But she did it for Yugi, Joey, and Seto, she knew what it was like to want to be home with friends and family, and she wanted them to be happy. They gave her a small family, they had treated her and Hersilia like their own kin, this was the least she could do to repay them.

Akefia wanted to yell, he wanted to throw something and fight and argue, but he knew now was not the time to do that. Pushing down his anger, he reached out and plucked Juno from her running position, and began to carry her the rest of the way to the palace gates.

"YOU ARE A FOOL," he screamed, holding onto her tightly and skillfully avoiding any rocks or debris that could cause him to trip or slow him down. "THE LEAST YOU COULD HAVE DONE, WAS TAKEN ME WITH YOU!"

Hearing Juno's heavy breathing made sigh, he didn't want to make her scream or argue right now, no matter how much he wanted to. Bitting his tongue on anything he might say that would annoy her, he continued running, watching as the palace came to view.

Those horse riders would stop a distance away, no one wanted to take on the Pharaoh's guards, not when he was in a foul mood after the snake incident.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Everyone was both in shock and enraged with what Juno had done, she had thrown herself into the arms of danger and narrowly escaped with her life.

Sure she had the right intention, wanting to help everyone out and finally find the rest of the keys. However, the way she went about it was both wrong and very dangerous. Hersilia herself was not off the hook, however, she had confessed and let everyone know of what had happened and they met up to go meet them both at the front of the palace, therefore she was not entirely to blame.

It was Juno's idea and despite Hersilia's words of caution, she still went and put herself through danger.

"You could have gotten yourself killed!" Seto growled, scolding a tired and angry Juno. She sat on the floor on her knees, glaring at the floor before her. No one else expected Seto, of all people, to be as angry at Juno as he currently was. "Honestly! Yes, you got yourself the key, but what would have happened if you didn't get it? What if you had been caught or kidnapped? What if you had been hurt or sacrificed? WHAT THEN?!"

Yugi, who was as furious as can be finding out that Juno had put herself in this situation where she could have faced Amam herself, couldn't input his own angry words. Seto seemed to be doing fine by himself.

"What the hell do you have to say for yourself?!" Juno frowned deeply, not really knowing what to say but knowing if she didn't respond she'd have to sit there for the rest of the night until the sun rose in the morning. When she mumbled, Seto scowled. "Excuse me? What was that?"

"I said... Mmmmm..." She mumbled once again.

"Louder, I can't understand you when you mumble!" Joey tried to step in, trying to tell Seto to calm down a little but decided against it when Seth pulled him back, shaking his head at him to not interfere. "What do you have to say for yourself? What if you had gotten yourself killed?!"

"I said I'm sorry! That's enough, right?!" She screamed back, lifting her head to glare up at him.

"SORRY IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH, MOKUBA!"

The room went silent, most being confused with whoever this Mokuba was, but Joey and Yugi knew. Catching himself, Seto stiffened, his body tensing at the realization of what he had just said. It wasn't bad, but it was extremely embarrassing for him.

"Who's Moku-"

"Nothing just..." Seto heaved a sigh and lifted his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Just, forget it. It doesn't even matter at this point..." He was so tired of this, so tired of the drama, so tired of the danger, and so tired of growing such affection for strangers that would only hurt him emotionally in the end. He already grew up trying so hard to block away from his emotions, doing what he could to run a company and not let anyone hurt him or his brother. Why was it that he was growing attached to someone who has been dead for over 5,000 years?

"Seto..." Joey whispered, moving away from Seth and placing a comforting hand on Seto's shoulder. As a brother, he knew what the brunet was feeling.

Mokuba had a knack for getting kidnapped and Seto knew how to handle it, Mokuba knew how to handle it and defend himself. However, when Mokuba started hitting his rebellious stage, he'd get his little ass into trouble and always talk back to Seto. Joey and Yugi remembered how stressed the brunet looked when he went to school, constantly having to glance at his cellphone and pray silently that he wouldn't be getting another call from Mokuba's school or someone who had taken him asking him for money.

Stepping in, Yugi spared Seto a sympathetic glance, before scowling at the girl before him.

"You worried all of us, do you know how we all felt after getting nearly bitten to death by those damn snakes?" Yugi asked, not really expecting her to answer. "We're all tired, we all want to sleep, we all want a moment's peace and yes, we're grateful that you went out to get the key, but you still did it alone without any backup, and you could've gotten yourself killed!"

With every word, Juno sunk further and further into herself. Her expression angry, but not at everyone around her, she was angry at herself. All she wanted was to help them, even if it meant her own life. What she didn't want was for them to suffer or grief because of her selfish ways. Akefia watched from a short distance, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He knew something like this would happen, and as much as he wanted to jump in and defend her, he knew he wouldn't be making much of a difference.

If anything the pharaoh would be on his ass as well and he didn't feel like getting yelled at by the short male tonight, after all the shit they just went through.

A hand was placed on Yugi's shoulder, as Atem stepped in. "Maybe we should all take a breather," he began, smiling down at Yugi with a tired expression. "Yes, what she did was wrong. But let's see it from a different perspective, she is tired and she was scared, the situation she was in was horrible, but her heart was in the right place."

Yugi, although reluctant, sighed and nodded. He wanted to stay mad at her, she put herself through so much just for them. And he understood that after everything that's been going on since he's arrived, she just wanted them to go home and be with their families and friends.

"Juno, just..." Yugi began, unable to finish as Atem stepped forward.

Kneeling, the pharaoh placed a hand on the young girl's head, smiling down at her with such kindness, it tugged at Yugi's heart. "Thank you for bringing the key to us Juno, we're all just so glad you are safe and well again."

Juno's eyes teared up, as she glanced up at the pharaoh. She knew he wasn't lying, and that only made her let out a little sob, she hadn't wanted them to feel bad, she just wanted them to be relieved that at least they can all rest easy knowing that they now had 2 of the 12 keys.

Feeling that the air around them was no longer as tense as it was when Juno had first arrived at the palace with the key, Joey turned to Isis, who held the key within her hands and let out a loud whistle. "I gotta say, I am impressed with ya," the others turned to him as he trailed a finger on the box with intrigue. "How'd ya know where ta get it? When I saw it, it was taken and no one knew by who."

"Who does it belong to?" Yugi asked, walking up to his blond friend to take a good look at the familiar-looking box. "Everyone has to hold their key with them to unlock the door so we can leave, right? We can give this key to the owner."

With a hum, Joey opened the box and took out the key. He examined every nook and cranny, noticing this key was different from the one Akefia had around his neck.

The key was a soft green, as green as the herbs and medicines made from plants were, it held a few bumps and bruises but still glowed beautifully in the light. While Akefia's was rough and has seen better days, still holding itself together and easily blendable with its surroundings, this key made whoever was holding it feel warm and healthy.

It was as though he had left the doctor's office with a clean bill of health.

"It says, Key of the Healer, Extender of Life and Health." Joey read, raising a brow in thought. They knew a healer, and Mokuba did say that all of the key owners were connected to one another. With a bright smile, Joey placed the key back into the box and closed it, before looking up at Isis and gently pushing the box towards her chest. "Here ya go Isis, this is your key now."

Isis' eyebrows rose in surprise. "This key is mine? How-"

Before she could finish, Seth stepped forward and sent her a nod of acknowledgment. "You are the healer to the pharaoh and all those who reside in the palace, it is obvious that this key belongs to you."

Atem couldn't help but let out a joyous laugh, true that the day had not been what they had been expecting, but he was pleased, to say the least, that they now had two of the 12 keys, knowledge of who they belonged to and Juno knew who the traitor was. Despite all of the downsides, they've been blessed with upsides and that just made the night a little better.

"I entrust you with the key then, Isis," Atem began, sending her a sincere smile. "Please keep it safe on your person, until a time comes for us to use it."

Understanding, Isis gave him a nod and bowed her head. "Of course my pharaoh," she agreed, lifting her head and smiling at those around her. "I will keep the key safe until the time arrives to use it, it shall not leave my sight."

"How did you get this key, Juno," Seth asked, raising a brow at the young girl, who was still kneeling down in front of him.

Juno hummed and thought back to what she saw, making sure she remembered every little detail. "I saw Amam, his face was covered with a cloak but I saw a scar on his face..." Everyone nodded, taking a mental note to look for a man with a scar that wasn't Akefia.

"I also saw Clefia, but she used some sort of magic to make herself older... And they found the location of the Key of the Beauty..."

"Clefia?" Joey asked, shaking his head. "No, it couldn't be her, she's in the servants quarters sleepin'-"

"It's true! Clefia has threatened me when I confronted her!" Hersilia spoke up, her eyes wide in hope that they'd believe her. "She was the one Juno followed to get back the key, she's the traitor!"

"Who is this, Clefia, and why is her name similar to my own?" Akefia asked, looking rather offended that someone had taken his name and he had no idea who this someone was.

"Clefia is a slave girl that Joey had saved from slave traders, she is his personal assistant but she ran away and only recently returned," Seth explained, not wanting to continue. When that wasn't enough, Akefia turned to Juno and Hersilia, eyebrow raised in silent questioning. Without skipping a beat, Juno answered, not once lifting her head from the ground and still feeling guilty about the trouble she had caused.

"Short tanned girl, freckles, green eyes choppy hair..." Juno stopped to think, before giving herself a soft, malicious chuckle. "Flatter than the palace walls, as curvy as a board piece and as bright as a copper coin piece."

"Juno!" Hersilia and Yugi gasped, appalled. It was rather rude to refer to another girl as such, and as much as Yugi knew Juno had a mouth on her, he never would have thought she would talk like that about another person.

"Wait... I know this woman!" Akefia exclaimed, everyone's attention turning towards him with wide eyes. Never before had Akefia sounded so alarmed at the thought of another person, fearing that Akefia might react negatively, Atem moved in front of Hersilia and Yugi, Seth and Seto moved in front of Joey and Juno, while Maahad, who had stayed silent and observed everyone, stepped in front of Isis.

"Geez, ya make it sound like she's dangerous," Joey muttered, frowning deeply at everyone talking so poorly about Clefia. "She's just a 12-year-old girl-"

"This lady is the biggest wench one can ever have the displeasure of meeting, even us thieves have a code and she breaks all of those codes!" Akefia let out a hiss, his hands balling up into tight fists at the thought of this woman. "Her real name is Achen, she has the power to shift her appearance to look older or younger and trick people..."

Juno had to restrain herself from telling everyone within that room that she had been right, as much as she wanted to let everyone know that she knew this would happen, she thought it best to just keep to herself and let Akefia finish. If there was anyone who knew thieves within Egypt, it would be Akefia.

"She's a fellow thief, the worst kind... Who knows what that horrid gypsy wench will do if she got her hands on those keys!"

A/N: Hello, it has been so long... Too long...