*Juuban 2:07am*
"Usagi, I'm here. We're finally reunited at last... after all of these years... I missed you..."
Usagi quickly woke up with a shocked face and wide eyes.
"Th-That voice... it came back... why won't it go away...," she thought as she grasped on her pink bunny bedsheets tightly, "... it's already the third time I heard it after I've gotten that invitation to Duelist Kingdom. Why... why won't it go away...!?"
Usagi looked out the window from bed and noticed it was still night. The star shined quite beautifully through the dark sky, competing against the brilliant light of the moon. She heard the door open from the left side of her room and found Ikuko Tsukino, her mother, peaking through.
"Usagi, my dear, what's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Usagi shook her head and gave her a small smile.
"Nothing to worry about mother. I just felt a bit troubled... that's all."
Ikuko turned the lamp on and sat on the bottom edge of the bed, gently grabbing on Usagi's cold hand resting on the bedsheet.
"My little bunny, I know that tomorrow will be a big day for you," she comforted, looking at Usagi with tired eyes due to the lack of sleep she had, "but it will be a day that will change you forever. You're going to move to Domino City and live with your father's best friend, Sugoroku, join into Domino High School and finally make friends, and most importantly, compete in Duelist Kingdom."
"Yes mother but I don't feel like I'm ready to leave you yet," Usagi stuttered with light tears rolling down on her cheeks, "I can't do this. Not after... Dad's... death."
Her mother got closer and caressed her cheek with her warm hand.
"Usagi... how many times have we went over this? Your father's death happened many years ago but you still keep thinking about it," Ikuko noted. "I know it's hard to move on with life when your loved one is no longer by your side and believe me, I really do miss him as well. But please know this, my bunny. I don't want you to stay here and be kept away from seeing the beautiful world out there. You must leave for your own good—!" *Loud coughing*
Ikuko began bursting loud coughing from her mouth, alerting Usagi about her medication that she hasn't taken yet.
"Mother! Are you okay?," Usagi asked, placing her hands on both of her mother's shoulders. "Want me to get your medication?"
Ikuko shook her head.
"No, no... don't worry about me, Usagi. I'll make sure to take my pills before I sleep, okay? But listen. I want you to do as I say and not complain. Please... that'll be something that will put a smile on my face after eight years of being a single mother..."
Usagi looked down on her bunny bedsheets in despair. She had so many doubts about this adventure she was heading to without her mother being with her.
"I... I can't! I can't leave you here! I don't know what might happen to you if I'm not here to take care of—!"
Ikuko placed both her hands on Usagi's thin shoulders and gave her a serious glare. Usagi knew that her mother didn't want to hear anymore nonsense coming from her mouth so she quiet down.
"I'll repeat myself once more for you to understand. I want you to do as I say and not complain. That also means to not have any doubts in yourself or on this adventure you're about to start. If you think you're not ready, then toughened yourself up and face those challenges with no fear! Do I make myself clear?"
Usagi wiped away her tears from her face and nodded.
"O-Okay, mother. If it makes you feel happy, then I'll do it! I don't want to be isolated anymore so I will finally meet new people to help me out in this journey. I won't longer be the shy and scared little girl I used to be!," she declared.
The mother smiled brightly and gave a big hug to her shy daughter. She was so glad that she her fear of the world was vanishing as they spoke.
"Thank you, my dear. This means so much to not only to me, but your father as well," Ikuko whispered to Usagi's ear with her chin resting on her shoulder. "If he was here, his smile would be showing his gratitude for having such a kind and beautiful daughter. I'm sure you'll soon find someone as caring and handsome as your father to love you."
Usagi blushed to her mother's comment.
"M-Mother! Please... I'm willing to go on the journey but why do you need mention that...?"
"C'mon my dear! You can't possibly think you're going to be a better person without a special someone? I'm sure when you find him, he'll bow down to you as a knight in shining armor and pledge his loyalty to you to show his eternal love for you, the beautiful princess."
"B-But—!"
Before Usagi got a chance to say something else, Ikuko kissed her cheek and got up from her bed.
"Remember, that special someone you meet will change your life forever. He'll protect you at all costs and never forget a moment he spent with you. He'll help go through the toughest situations and never, never, leave your side," she informed as she headed towards the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me, someone needs to get their beauty sleep."
With that, she had shutted the door with Usagi having a slightly confused expression on her face.
"A... special someone? Hm... I don't know if they would want someone like me...," she thought sadly, "I'm way too shy and I don't speak to much people except my parents. I wouldn't blame them if they find me as a complete wierdo. I might be the master female duelist but even with that reputation, I'm just a loner."
Usagi fixed her bedsheets and began lowering her back to the bed until she heard a strange voice. The voice didn't sound anything like the one she heard in her mind. This voice sounded much duller and serious. Usagi quickly stood up straight again, trembling with fear.
"Princess... you shouldn't fear of what awaits for you out there," said the mysterious voice.
Usagi got startled to see a tall man just across the room, wearing a white long-sleeved robe made of linen and a thin white blanket wrapped around his head like if he just took a shower. There was golden key hanging on the man's neck which Usagi quickly recognize as one of the Millennium Items she had been studying about for a long time. What really creeped Usagi out was that the mysterious man in the room had his deep blue eyes staring at her like a criminal or worse; a serial killer.
"Who... who a-are you...?," Usagi asked in a nervous voice, covering up her face with the bedsheets, "Wh-What d-do you want?"
The man didn't reply. He surprisingly lowered himself down and bowed to her.
"Forgive me, princess, for approaching to you in such an unmannerly way. I have no intention of harming or threatening you in any way. I would think of myself as a horrible beast if I were to harm you."
"P-Princess? I don't know what you mean...! You must be mistaken! I'm no princess! Just a normal teenage girl!"
"I'm sorry but I must disagree. I know you're the same princess from millennials ago. I can sense it... the same light... that saved Ancient Egypt..."
"Saved...? Ancient... Egypt...?"
"Yes. I know how much you don't want to believe me but you truly are the princess from the past that saved our people. Along with our loyal and well-respected pharaoh. Him and you both saved us from the darkness overpowering Egypt. You two fought bravely during the deadly war and gave your lives away for the sake of your people in such a heroic way."
"Me...? No... that can't be true! I don't want to hear this! Leave me alone—!"
"Just listen to me, princess. I promise that I won't hurt you at all. I can hear the screams of fright coming from your soft voice... please... just listen to this message."
Usagi suddenly stopped trembling for a brief moment. She knew if he actually came to hurt her, he would've done it by now. To her surprise, when she slowly lowered the bedsheet that was covering her face, Usagi thought the mysterious man would already be besides her on the bed but instead, she found him on the same place with his eyes closed. She took deep breath and let go of the bedsheet.
"I-I'm terribly sorry...! It was so rude of me for shouting at you!," Usagi scampered apologetically. "I... will listen to what you have to say to me."
The man opened his deep blue eyes and gave a small smile at her.
"There's no need to apologise, my princess. I know how you felt so I can't blame you for being so frightened. But after seeing your true nature, I can point out that you still have that kind and shy soul of yours resting within you, even after all of these years. You might even be too kind for your own good."
"Oh, well, I act respectfully towards my family and kind to someone who taught me to play a card game. I can't thank him enough,"she said. "Besides that, what else do want to tell me about this "message"?"
His smile then faded as he was about to explain the rest of his message to Usagi.
"Princess... I seemed to have already told you a bit of your past but I can see in your eyes that it is still too confusing to comprehend. But you'll understand once you meet him."
"Yeah, you're right. All of this still seems so complicated to acknowledge since it just happened so suddenly," Usagi noted. "But please tell me... what do mean by, "but you'll understand once you meet him"? Who exactly is "him?"
"The pharaoh himself. You two were reincarnated here to the present to stop the evil that once caused destruction in the past. History is about to repeat itself once more and only you and the great pharaoh can put an end to the malicious power lurking in this world."
"The pharaoh... I see. But... when will I meet him?"
"The time when you two will know each other shall be very soon. I have nothing else to share with so my time here has come to an end."
The mysterious man began vanishing but Usagi still had many questions for him.
"Wait! I never got a chance know your name—!"
"Oh, my apologies. The name's Shadi... and... about this conversation... you probably won't remember at all once the sun's out."
"What? Then how—?"
"Once you see my face again, you'll remember. And so will the pharaoh... till we meet again... princess."
Shadi had disappeared without a trace and left Usagi with a confused face. She didn't know what just happened but she knew it would go away at morning. Somehow, Usagi wanted to learn more about her past that Shadi just informed her about.
"Wh-What was all that about...? Me? A princess? I wish he could've told more about the past and this pharaoh that'll meet up with me soon. I wonder what kind of person he is... maybe... he could be my—no, I doubt he'll be interested in me. But... I would really love to meet the pharaoh... and be friends with him."
*Domino City 2:12am*
At the other side of town, in Domino City, somebody seemed to have the same problem of hearing strange voices in their heard. In a game shop called, "Kame Games," there was the teenage boy who defeated the Duel Monsters Champion, Seto Kaiba. His name is Yugi Muto. Along side with him was the spirit of the Millenium Puzzle, the other Yugi, as what he was called by his friends. No one knew if the spirit actually had name other than the "Other Yugi." Right now, Yugi was in a deep slumber, getting enough rest for the big tournament tomorrow while the spirit was wide awake, experiencing wierd visions of a teenage girl with long golden hair.
"My love...it's been ages ever since we've seen each other again. I missed you with all of my heart..."
The spirit shook his head to get the voice out of his mind. It kept speaking about missing him and how much she wishes to see his face.
"Urgh... that voice... it's desperate to see me somehow. Just what does she desire from me?"
Yugi slightly brought his back up from bed to see what was up with his partner again.
"What is it this time, other me? You've been like this for an entire week after receiving that invitation to Duelist Kingdom. Is there something you aren't telling me?," he asked, rubbing his tired eyes.
"I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, partner, but there seems to be vague visions going through my mind every night. Also, there's a voice that keeps telling me how much it misses me."
Yugi blinked twice in confusion. This was definitely something very odd to happen at a time like this.
"Visions and a voice? That's... strange. Do... do you think they must mean something?"
The spirit shrugged.
"I'm not sure, Yugi, but I still can't get why it's happening out of nowhere. I know we've already been through strange and dangerous situations a while back but something as unusual as this surely has to be happening for a reason."
"Yeah, but could that reason be?"
"I don't know, Yugi. For all I can say it's definitely something out of the ordinary."
Yugi nodded and began tucking himself in bed with his blue bedsheets. He rested his head on the pillow began closing his eyes.
"We can talk about this tomorrow, other me. So please get some rest and try to focus on what our goal is on the tournament."
"Yes, I will. Goodnight."
Yugi fell asleep while the spirit still couldn't get his mind off of the visions and the voice. What message were they trying to deliver to him?
"That girl... what does she want from me? Could she... be a wandering spirit like me? Just... who exactly is she...?"
"One won't always be enough to answer riddles. Sometimes it requires knowledge of what it says..."