Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, any aspects/story lines from it, or any of its characters, including Ishizu, Isis, Odion or Marik.

They were all staring at me and already they have made assumptions about me, the new girl. The 20-something year old who's now a senior in their high school. Well, they don't know what it's been like. I put my life on hold, everything, after the most important people in my life were snatched away from me.

They don't know anything. And how can they, when they are so young, so full of inexperience? They have never had to experience every older sister's (and brother's) worst nightmare. They don't know what it's like to have to watch helplessly on the sidelines, not being able to go to your younger brother's side and save him. Having to watch him slip away, having to fight against him, having to lose him . . .

There's a few, the ones who are wise beyond their years, the mature ones, the ones who have suffered already before they reached the teen years. I feel their pain, their oppression; I see their attempts to hide it; I see the healing process going on in some of them.

But the others, the ones who whisper behind my back, laugh at others' pain, the ones who have to be popular; so concerned with fitting in. Well, I've learned to not care. I'm just grateful to be able to resume my education, to return to a stable, normal life. With the two most important and beloved people in my life: my two brothers, Odion and Marik.

We are the Ishtars. And nobody will ever mess with me or my family again. No one will ever harm my little brothers (I say little, though they are both only a few years younger than I am). Without our parents, I'm like the mother; Odion, my lovely adoptive brother, takes the father-figure role for Marik, my biological brother, who is still the baby in the family. Marik knows that I think of him this way and he always gets annoyed. It's rather sweet and adorable.

I love my brothers, the only family I have left, and the only family I have ever known.

It is a blessing that we are able to live a peaceful life together, after all we have been through. And everyday I thank God for allowing us to be reunited and for keeping us safe, now that the danger is gone. The danger that was a lingering curse, from the times of Ancient Egypt. From the time of our ancestors, one in particular. I have been told that I am a reincarnation of her. My cousin, Isis. She was one of the guardians of the Pharaoh and she too possessed the Millennium Necklace. She had the same gift as me, but she was far more talented than I will ever be. She was connected with her Millennium Item, and it to her. I believe that is why it stopped working for me; I believe it was a message from Isis. She lent me her power so I could help save the world, help save Marik and Odion, so that we could get to where we are today. Then, when I had done all I could, she ceased the flow of our shared power, but in return, she had helped give me back my reasons for living. My two reasons that I didn't give up after what happened in Egypt when I was still a child; that I stayed strong; that I made it through each day; through every moment of piercing, unbearable agony. And the two reasons that I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life now.

My cousin, my ancestor, my source of strength: I will never be able to thank you properly.

Thank you, Isis.

Thank you, my Guardian Angel.

A/N: This was just something that came to me yesterday. Hope it turned out alright. I know it's really short, but I just wanted to share it. I hope you liked it.

Thanks for reading! If you liked it, please review! I love getting reviews, they seriously make my day :) Anonymous reviews are allowed as well.

Thanks everyone! ~Melody