Yugi nodded. "Yeah, I know." Yugi said. Instinctively his hand went to the spot where the Millennium Puzzle used to hang around his neck. He let his hand drop. "It's thanks to me that he didn't have his soul taken, but....."

"You did what you had to do Yugi and to my surprise, Atem followed through with it. But you probaly unaware what would happen to Pharaoh if he lost that battle in the Valley of Souls. Melissa told me about it" Mahad replied.

Yugi's breath caught in his throat. "What...what would've happened?" He asked hoarsely. He knew about the Orechalcos soldier-beast impaling Atem through the stomach, but not what would've happened if he lost....

"How should I put this? Usually, in that duel, whoever looses, losses their soul but if it was in the Valley of Souls, Pharaoh would've been trapped there for good until Dartz was defeated" Maha explained.

Yugi's blood ran cold. Trapped? Until Dartz was defeated? That would've meant that Timeaus would have had to chose someone else, or Kaiba or Jonouchi would have had to beat Dartz. And if they hadn't..... He cut himself off, not wanting to think of what would have happened if Dartz had won.

"Just be lucky Atem activated Divine Wind and won Yugi. If Atem payed the price, what would you do?" Mahad asked.

"Probably beaten myself up over it, the same as Atem did when he played the Seal." Yugi replied, leaning against the wall.

"And what Atem would've done to you? Blame you for his mistake? For not listening to you in the first place?" Mahad continued, "And how would you react to that?"

Yugi looked to the ground. "I'm...not sure." He said quietly. "We probably would've ended up yelling our heads off at each other while the world ended."

"I see. If you know better, you should've left the stone at the caravan, lessening the chances for Pharaoh using the card. But here is one thing that I still can't get my head around" Mahad said.

Yugi looked up. "What's that?" He asked.

"Why is Atem really stubborn. I mean, In your time, Atem sometimes listen to you when we are in battle. He never used to be that way. Not until the 21st Century" Mahad said.

"That would explain Melhana's stubbornness...." Yugi said.

"Lets just say that you got Atem's fun, kind and generous side, while Melhana's got the other sides" Mahad sighed.

"Comforting." Yugi said. He yawned. Damn...it'd have been nice if I hadn't been woken up...again.......

"I think we better let you go back to bed. Don't forget about your sleeping potion" Aka said.
"Us three will stay here to keep an eye on Kaiba and Ashleigh right Aoi?" Mahad asked.

"Right," Aoi said with a nod.

Yugi smiled wanly. "Thanks, guys." He replied. He strode out of sickbay and back to his quarters, where he downed the last of the potion and went to sleep. Finally.

"Looks like we have a lot more people to protect now" Aka sighed.

"Yep," Aoi said. She picked up the charm. "What's this for? It looks like the Crimson Dragon head mark."

"I have no idea Aoi. But it meant for something" Aka replied.

"But what?" Aoi asked. She held the charm in the palm of her hand and felt that it was warm and that it was glowing slightly. "Why's it glowing?"

"And what made it come here I wonder?" Mahad asked, coming over to have a look.

As she studied the charm in her hand, the Signer mark on Aoi's arm started to glow softly as well, accompanied by a weak heartbeat. One that was far to weak to be her own.

"Yusei," she whispered. "The Signer mark on my arm must still be connected to our Yusei still. Same thing with this charm; it's connected to our Yusei somehow." She touched her hand to the Star's Tauk around her neck in an attempt to see Yusei's future. Nothing. "I still can't see what awaits him with my Tauk. Either it's because he's the one supposed to have this mark, or...."

"Does it measure how powerful or week he is?" Aka asked.

"I don't know," Aoi said. She put the charm down, and the mark stopped reacting. "Apparently it only happens when I'm holding that charm."