Author's Extremely Apologetic Note: I am going to make this short. I ended up deleting all the files for the original S.S. (Serenity's Storm) which is why when I was going to rewrite it, I had to start from scratch. Because I was able to recover those files, I am able to rewrite it using the original chapters. I promise this is the last and final rewrite and it will be even better than the original. I've altered a few things and I hope you, my wonderful readers, are not confused by the plot. Once again, I am so sorry. As always, please enjoy reading and review if you like it. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world to me. :)
Prologue:
Deep in the sands of Egypt, a man named Maximillion Pegasus was working as head of a new archaeological dig. Little did he know that this dig would reveal to him a secret that would once again threaten to change the world.
And so, in the heat of the afternoon, against the words of his fellow men, Pegasus descended the stone stairwell which had lay hidden in the Valley of the Kings until just a month ago. He had with him a flashlight and a bottle of water, and two brave men to help him should he need it.
He gawked at his new discovery as he excavated further into the newly uncovered tomb. There was something special about this one. The tomb looked older than most tombs he'd seen and the hieroglyphs on the wall were different. Pegasus couldn't make out most of the words but he noticed that the symbol for dragons kept appearing in the art lining the walls.
"Sir, be careful." One of the men said as Pegasus almost triggered a trap. He looked at the man and thanked him before continuing.
The deeper they descended into the tomb, the greater the strange feeling got. The air was heavy with a damp stench and the visibility got worse, even with their flashlights. Darkness seemed to reach out to them from within the nooks and crannies until finally, Pegasus saw the entrance to what looked like a burial chamber.
"This is it men!" Pegasus said excitedly, ignoring the nervous looks of his men. He'd promised them triple the pay, why were they scared now?
Pegasus urged his men to help him push open the burial chamber door, and with much effort, the large stock block gave way just enough to allow the three men inside. Of course it was pitch black inside but with the help of his flashlight, Pegasus could see. He eagerly swung it left and right, hoping to see ancient treasures and the prized sarcophagus of a mummy. It struck him odd when the entire room was empty save a tiny gold box in the middle of the room.
"Hold this men. Let me see what that is." Pegasus cautiously walked over to the box. He noticed that the closer he got to it, the restlessness in him grew. He felt sick to his stomach from the odd feeling but with all of his might, he pushed the fear aside and leaned down towards the box.
Beware the demon that lies within.
Pegasus immediately retracted his hand as a gust of wind billowed through the room, carrying whispers with it to his ears.
"Did you hear that?!" Pegasus exclaimed.
"Hear what, sir?" One of the men said.
"That voice!" Pegasus shone his flashlight into every corner of the chamber. The room was sealed perfectly, there was no reason a sudden gust of wind would blow through the room.
"Sir…maybe we should go and come back later with more men…it's weird but I feel like we're being watched." The other man said as he looked at Pegasus. Pegasus knew it was odd and that they were all scared but really, the only thing other than them in room was the box.
"Alright, we shall take this box and leave for now. We can come back tomorrow with the others and better lighting to properly excavate the tomb. There's something special about this one…" Pegasus trailed off as he looked down at the box. It was small and golden, covered in ancient symbols that closely resembled hieroglyphs. What intrigued him though was the carving of a beautiful dragon.
"This dragon looks an awful lot like a duel monster…." Pegasus knelt down again, extending his hand towards the box. The closer he got to the box, the louder the whispers around him got. He gathered the courage, however, and blocked the growing voices out and grabbed the box. The surface was burning, unexpectedly, but that wasn't what surprised Pegasus the most. The voices stopped immediately as soon as he touched it.
"You, do you have a towel or something?" He ordered one of the men who looked about ready to bail.
"Yes sir, here." The man threw the rag at Pegasus and once again, he went in for the box. This time, the voices didn't sound though and surprisingly, the box itself was cool. He eyed the box curiously for a second, wondering if he had imagined the voices and the burning. Shrugging, he wrapped it carefully and held it in his hands as he took one last look at the weirdly art filled walls and walked out of the tomb.
The eerie feeling started to lift as the men made their way out back into the sunlit world outside.
"See men, that wasn't so bad. You were scared for nothing." Pegasus spoke too soon. As soon as the first ray of sunlight hit him, the box in his hands started to burn again and even the rag couldn't do anything to stop the heat from searing his hands. Pegasus screamed and dropped the box. The lid fell open and a blinding light, rivaling that of the sun, exploded from within. The light seemed to engulf the men, burning their skin and blinding them. Pegasus dropped on the spot, passing out.
When he came to, he saw the sun readying to dip into the red Egyptian horizon. He recalled the experience, the excruciating pain and the blinding light. He was sure he was dead, but then why did he feel the summer heat or sweat? Why was he still breathing and why did his throat feel parched?
"What…" Pegasus looked over to his right and found one of his men's scorched bodies lying there. He didn't even have the strength to scream or cry as he backed away, too scared to look at anything else.
"That….that could've been me!" Pegasus realized as he remembered. The body of his other man lay in a similar position a few feet away. "Why am I unharmed?" He looked at his hands and feet and felt his long, silver hair. No burns. Nothing.
"I-I don't understand." A glint caught his eye and he looked over to see the fallen golden box, its lid on its side. "Th-this! This is responsible!" Pegasus stared at the item in the rapidly dissolving light. His head began to hurt and within moments, he felt like it would explode. He wondered if he'd gone insane or if he would die, alone out here without anyone else to help him. However, somewhere deep in his heart, he knew this was not over. The evil had just begun.
Pegasus clutched at his head and began to scream.
The screams faded into the dessert's night and carried for miles and miles. Somewhere not too far away, a certain boy roamed through the desert sands, not quite understanding what he was doing their in the first place.
"Pharaoh, is that you?" Atem's eyes grew wide at the sound of his enemy's voice and so he turned to see. Indeed, it was the white haired Bakura, standing there, just mere feet from him and grinning like an idiot.
"Bakura! What is going on?" Atem wasn't sure what Bakura was doing there but he had a feeling Bakura was responsible.
"I don't know pharaoh, but could you help me? I seem to be in quite the bind." Atem heard a rattling sound and looked down to see Bakura's hands and feet in shackles. He rose his brow at him.
"Why would I help you? All you've ever done is try to kill me." Atem said.
"I understand you have conflicted feelings about me, but please, I am extremely uncomfortable." Atem sighed at Bakura and looked to see if he could help. Once the shackles were off, he watched as Bakura stretched his limbs. "Now then, what the hell are we doing in the middle of nowhere?!"
"You don't know?" Atem exclaimed.
"Of course not! I was happy in the Shadow Realm! This feels like the mortal world…but how?" Bakura looked at Atem as Atem looked at the dark sky.
"Indeed, how…?"
A FEW DAYS LATER
Atem and Bakura somehow managed to escape the deadly desert and make their way to Cairo. There they met a bewildered Ishizu and with her help and promise of secrecy, Atem and Bakura made their way to Japan.
The past few days had been hectic in the company of Bakura but Atem came to realize that Bakura was no longer evil, just incredibly insane. All day long he stuck to him like superglue, saying pharaoh over and over again. When Atem got tired, he would shut the door in Bakura's face. He didn't understand why Bakura had insisted to come to Japan with him but he guessed there wasn't any harm. After all, the Millenium items were gone and so was Zorc.
Atem had been nervous to see Yugi though. What would he say to him and his other friends? What would he say to Tea? The thought of it made his head hurt and his heart beat quicken.
"Are you nervous, pharaoh?" Bakura said as they caught a cab. Atem watched as the familiar city of Domino passed by outside his window. Had it really been six months?
"Of course I am. I'm going to see my best friend after six months. And he thinks I'm dead. I won't blame him for believing he's gone insane!"
"Like me, pharaoh?" Atem finally looked over at Bakura.
"No, not like you at all. You're crazy insane. And nothing more." Bakura grinned at that and turned to look out his side of the window.
"I don't know how it happened, pharaoh, but I know one thing. I'm glad to be alive again."
Minutes later, Bakura and Atem stood in front of Grandpa's game shop.
"Should I knock…it's still so early." Their flight had landed at three in the morning and it was barely five yet.
"Just do it! It's cold out here!" Bakura frowned at the goosebumps on his skin and looked at the pharaoh.
Atem stood silently as he gazed up at the top floor of the gaming shop. "Yugi's really up there. After all this time, I'll see my best friend again." A nostalgic feeling came over him as he continued to gaze, unaware that Bakura had gotten bored and was now continuously ringing the bell.
"Bakura! What the hell?! Stop that! You'll make Grandpa angry!" Atem scolded.
"As if I care what the old man thinks. I'm freezing my butt out here all because you can't seem to overcome your feelings." Bakura sneered.
"Bakura-" Just then the door swung open.
"Who is it!" An angry Yugi's voice called out. Everything went still as Yugi took in Atem's figure illuminated by nearby streetlights.
"Atem…is that really you?" Yugi asked, unsure. Surely this was a dream. But he felt so cold. And the pain in his chest, the tears that threatened to spill…they all felt so real.
"Yes, yes, very nice to see you too Yugi, now move!" Bakura pushed past Yugi into the warmth of his house. Yugi stared at Atem in awe. This wasn't a dream. Atem really was there!
"Long time no see, Yugi!" Atem managed to squeak out. Yugi said nothing as he ran to his best friend and pulled him into a hug. The tears the teen boys were trying to hold back now flowed freely.
"You're really back…" Yugi said, finally pulling away and looking at the pharaoh. He didn't know how but this was a miracle and he couldn't thank the gods up in heaven enough.
"Let's go inside and talk, Bakura's right. It is cold!" Atem smiled at Yugi, trying to lighten the mood. Yugi could care less about the cold. He had his best friend back.
Chapter 1: The Hateful Encounter
Serenity woke up to Joey's insistent banging on her door the next morning. News of the pharaoh's and Bakura's arrival spread through their group like wildfire. By eight in the morning, everyone was seated in Yugi's small living room, staring at the two. Only two people were left to arrive.
"Does Tea know?" Tristan asked, munching on a banana.
"I called her but I didn't tell her anything. She should be here soon." Yugi looked at his friends with a nervous look on his face. Atem sat opposite his friends looking a bit overwhelmed. The questions and tears had been nonstop. What was he supposed to say to the others when he himself didn't have any answers.
Serenity sat there looking at Atem. Curiosity filled everyone's mind but the ancient spirits offered no explanation as they had none. She thought about Tea. They had gone through quite a shock when they walked through the front door to find Atem casually sitting in the living room. Joey and Tristan had almost crushed the guy. But what would Tea do? What would Atem say to her?
"Atem, what are you going to say to Tea?" Atem's face grew red as he considered what Serenity said. Tea and Atem's crush on each other was no secret from the others.
"Yeah pharaoh, she was crushed when you left." Joey said, also stuffing his face like Tristan. A guilty look overshadowed Atem's face.
"Oh Atem, don't worry... There was nothing you could do." Yugi said trying to comfort his friend.
"Yes pharaoh, you couldn't help it if your ancient spirit had to move on to the afterlife." Bakura said as he sipped his tea. Atem looked down at his feet but nodded.
Just then the doorbell rang and he looked up and then at the others. "I'll get it."
"Hey guys, what's the-" The white haired boy's mouth hung open as he took in the scene in Yugi's living room.
"Ryu! Finally! Now I can go home!" Bakura got up and started gathering what little he had, completely unaware of the reactions around him.
"What on earth is going on? What is he doing here?" Ryu rose an accusing finger at Bakura who stopped packing and looked over his shoulder.
"Me? Oh that's a funny story you see. The pharaoh," he said motioning at Atem,"and I, we just kind of woke up and well, found ourselves alive and now we are here." Serenity couldn't believe how casually he said it.
"Yugi..." Ryu looked at a loss for words. What was he supposed to say. The evil spirit that had once lived in his millennium ring and possessed him now stood in the flesh in front of him.
"I know it's a lot to take in, but really, he's not evil anymore. Just insane." Atem said looking over at a disgruntled Ryu.
"Atem, how are you guys even here?!" Atem took a deep breath and slowly started explaining their situation to Ryu. Once he finished, Ryu took a seat and looked at Bakura gravely.
"I know it's a lot to ask, but can you take care of Bakura? At least until he finds a job and gets settled down. I'm already burdening Yugi, I don't want to further distress him." Atem looked at Ryu hopefully. He knew it would be hard for the identical boys to get along. Bakura had put Ryu through so much .
"It's going to be so much fun, just like old times Ryu. You and me, conquering the world!" Ryu rose a brow at him and Bakura frowned. "Fine! We'll start small. How about Domino City then?" All anyone could do was shake their heads.
"It will be nothing like before. Hear me, Bakura. I will not let you threaten anyone. I'm only agreeing because the pharaoh asked me to." Bakura gazed at Ryu for a long moment, a weird look in his eyes, his lips plastered in a horrifying smile.
"Alright." The menacing gaze was gone and a moment of silence ensued before anyone spoke.
"This should be fun. You guys look exactly alike. You can tell people he's your long lost twin." Joey joked and Serenity frowned at him, this really was no time to joke.
"Hell no!" Ryu refused to acknowledge Bakura as anything other than a nuisance.
"He's right!" Bakura said and turned towards Ryu, gripping his shoulders and shaking him. "You can call me great, great, great, great, great grandpa. I am your ancestor after all!" Everyone burst out laughing at Ryu's horrified look. They hadn't even heard the bell ring much less see Grandpa Moto walk out to open the door.
"You guys seem to be in a good mood! What's up? Why call-" Tea's voice stopped dead as her eyes met Atem's.
Everyone could see the various emotions that flitted through their minds as Tea questioned her sanity and then him with her eyes.
"Atem." The tears sprung to her eyes and she didn't care if there were others there. Atem barely stood before Tea crashed into him, crushing him into a hug.
The others around them smiled. Tea clung to Atem, still trying to make sure he was real. Atem ran his hand over her head trying to sooth her and when she finally calmed down, he pushed her back and looked down at her.
"How...?" She asked, brushing a stray tear away.
Once again, Atem took a deep breath and explained.
"That's so...weird." Tea said as she finally took a seat and Serenity poured her a cup of tea. It made Serenity happy to see the warm smile spread across Tea's face. When their eyes met, Tea beamed at her, unable to contain her happiness. She didn't care how or why but Atem was back. That's all that mattered. As for Bakura, she wasn't so sure.
They all laughed and joked well into the morning and Serenity sat back silently, enjoying the happiness and peace. School was out for summer break but it wouldn't be long until it opened again. She would finally be a sophomore.
Tea sat next to her talking about Atem joining school with them and how things would be better than before when for the hundredth time that morning, Serenity's phone vibrated. She scowled visibly and rolled her eyes knowing full well who it was. She opened it and looked at the text.
"Serenity, you're phone's been vibrating since I've arrived...maybe you should text that person back." Tea said.
"No, it's nothing that requires my attention."
"Is it Alexander again?" She asked concerned. Serenity nodded. "What the hell? Why is he calling you? I thought you told him to back off!" Tea exclaimed and Serenity almost clamped her mouth shut.
"Ssshh! You're too loud! Remember, nobody here knows about him!" Tea gave Serenity an apologetic look before getting up and motioning for Serenity to follow her.
Once they were safely out of the others earshot, she continued.
"Serenity, didn't you tell Alexander why you're breaking up with him?"
"You mean explain to him he's a controlling and arrogant asshole disguised as Prince Charming? Yeah, of course I did." Serenity felt bad saying it. They may have dated for four months, but he'd been her first boyfriend and she'd really started to like him.
"Then how come he's still texting you?" Tea looked like an overprotective mother, hand on hip, looking down at her junior.
"I don't know. I told you, he's possessive. I guess he doesn't get what a breakup is." Serenity didn't meet Tea's gaze. As much as she loved Tea, it was hard having this conversation with her.
"Serenity, I'm sorry if you think I'm prying. We just all care for you so much. But promise me, if he continues bothering you, you'll tell me okay?"
"Of course Tea, thanks." Serenity smiled warmly at her friend. She knew that Tea meant well, it's just that she was still heartbroken. She hadn't really wanted to breakup but she didn't want to continue crying.
"Let's go. The others are going to wonder where we disappeared to." Serenity followed Tea out to see the others goofing about as usual.
"Hey, I'm going to go out for a bit. I have some errands to run. Joey I'll see you back home, okay? And Atem, it was so nice to see you." Serenity said, needing to get out of there.
"Okay Serenity, you have your keys?" Joey asked and Serenity pulled them out of her pocket and jingled them. Joey laughed. "Good."
"Take care Serenity, it was nice to see you too." Atem said as Tea took a seat next to him.
"And what about me? Wasn't it nice to see me?" Bakura pouted.
Serenity looked over at him. "Umm yes... Nice to see you too Bakura." She gave him an uneasy smile. His smile may have been childish but his eyes, they were so... odd.
"Serenity, let me come with you." Tristan said jumping up.
"No. It's okay. I have some quick chores to get done then I'll head home. You stay here and have fun with the others." Serenity quickly put a stop to him. She couldn't have anyone coming with her.
"But-"
"Bye guys, take care!" Serenity was out before Tristan could complain. She could hear the teasing laughter as Tristan got shot down but she didn't have time for that.
Serenity made her way towards Domino High. She flipped out her phone and looked at the text message she'd received earlier.
"Meet me at the goose pond in the park behind Domino High at 1." She stared at the message for a second. She didn't have to go. She could just turn back and go back to Yugi's house and tell the others she'd changed her mind.
But she didn't go back.
"I'll be there in twenty minutes." Serenity frowned at herself before continuing to walk in the afternoon heat towards the park.
As usual, she was there first. Alexander's blonde head was nowhere to be found. She sat under a cherry blossom tree that overlooked the large pond as geese swam lazily in the summer heat.
At 1:25, Alexander finally arrived.
"Sorry, I had to drop my mom to work." He sat down next to her and tried to hug her but Serenity thwarted his arm away and glared at him.
"Oh come on baby, you're still mad?!" He exclaimed. As much as she wanted him to hug her, she really was still mad.
"You're not my boyfriend anymore. Why did you call me here anyway?"
"Well if I'm not your boyfriend anymore, why'd you come?" He said, smiling arrogantly. There it was. That smile that infuriated her.
"Are you serious? You call me out here and then play word games?" She stood up and glared down at him. He simply reached his arm out and pulled her back down.
"You're quick to anger. I called you out because I wanted to see you. I haven't seen you in almost two weeks!" Alexander seemed oblivious to her annoyed look as he looked out at the calm water.
"That's because I broke up with you. Stop texting me and calling me out. I don't want to see you!" She turned her back towards him and crossed her arms, looking at the trunk of the tree shading them.
"That's not true. If you didn't want to see me, you wouldn't have come. Admit it, you still like me!"
"I'm leaving." Serenity had had enough of his nonsense. This time when she stood up, so did Alexander and when he tried to pull her close, she shoved him. He lost his footing and a large splash echoed through as Alexander found himself swimming with the geese he'd just been admiring.
He sputtered and started cursing at her just as Serenity was about to apologize and help him up.
"Stupid bitch! Look what you did! Help me up!" He reached his hand towards her but Serenity just rose a brow at him, her eye twitching in anger before she abruptly turned and walked away. Her anger turned into tears as she continued to stalk away.
"Stupid Alexander!" Why did he have to be like that? So rude and obnoxious!
She found herself in another corner of the park and sat on a bench as she cried her eyes out. When she finally stopped, she took out a crumpled old napkin from her pocket and blew into it as hard as she could.
She heard muffled laughter and immediately looked over to see someone seated several benches away from her. When their eyes met, her eyes widened as she realized who it was.
"Are you done?" The laughter stopped as Seto Kaiba's cool eyes gazed over at her.
"I... How long have you been there?!" Anger and embarrassment fueled her again as she demanded an answer from the CEO of the biggest gaming corporation in the world.
"The entire time. You barged into my space, took a seat on that bench, and wailed like a pathetic little girl while mumbling obscenities about a boy." Kaiba's cool eyes remained trained on her as he tried to place the girl. He'd seen her somewhere...but where?
Serenity looked at him wide eyed. Not only had he seen her crying her eyes out, but he'd just insulted her too. Were all men such big jerks?
"Shut up. You don't know anything." She looked away from him as more tears threatened to fall.
"You're right. I don't. And I don't care enough to know. Now if you'll please, get lost. I have work to do." Kaiba looked back down at his laptop, trying to enjoy the peace and quiet he was enjoying before this stupid girl interrupted him.
"You don't own this park, Kaiba." Serenity said as she watched Kaiba work. What was he doing here in the middle of the day anyways? Didn't he have a company to run or something? Or insult some unfortunate duelist?
"Actually, that bench you're sitting on was donated by Kaiba corp." Kaiba didn't know why he was indulging her. He just wanted to be left alone. Leave already, I have work to do!
Serenity looked from him to the bench and then back. She wanted to say more but suddenly, she was very tired. Without another word, Serenity got up to leave.
"You know who I am don't you?" Kaiba said without looking up.
"I'm pretty sure that shouldn't surprise you. You're the second best duelist out there. Anyone who lives in Domino knows who you are." Kaiba cringed at being called second best but he let it slide.
"But you know me personally. Others who just know who I am usually refer to me as Mr. Kaiba, but you just called me Kaiba. Why?" He knew he'd seen her somewhere but he just couldn't remember. Why was it so important though...
"Of course I know you personally, my brother hates your guts." Serenity's usual gentle tone was now irate. A perfectly peaceful morning had turned into a disastrous afternoon. First it was Alexander and now Kaiba.
"You're brother?" Kaiba finally looked up from his work to see Serenity looking out over the water.
"Joey Wheeler, he's my brother." Kaiba's eyes widened.
"You're the mutt's sister?" No wonder she'd seemed so familiar. The last time he'd seen her was at his Battle City Tournament, that time she'd asked him to land the blimp for Ryu.
"Shut up! Don't call my brother that!" She fully understood why Joey hated Kaiba, she was beginning to share those feelings, albeit a little.
Kaiba smirked and then started to laugh. He set his laptop aside and stood up to look at Serenity.
"No wonder. I should have realized. You're just as pathetic as your brother."
"What's that supposed to mean?" She glared at him. The afternoon light filtered through the sheltering trees and everything around them was silent in the afternoon heat.
"Are you deaf? You heard me." Kaiba had had enough entertainment for the day. It was getting late, he needed to head back to the office. He picked up his laptop, closed it and put it inside his briefcase as Serenity silently watched, still seething. Kaiba started to walk away but stopped for a second and called over his shoulder.
"Tell that third rate duelist brother of yours he still owes me for that jacket he ruined before school closed." He didn't wait to hear a reply.
Serenity stood there, trying to calm herself down. Half an hour passed before she finally moved. Her cellphone vibrated with a message.
"I'm home, where are you?!" Joey.
"I'll be there in a bit." Serenity sighed as she put her phone away.
Tired from the worthless day, Serenity walked home alone.