The Pharaoh opened his eyes, as the warm buttery glow of the afterlife filled his vision. The ground was cold and stony, and despite the pure light, the air was undeniably thick and smokey. The Pharaoh looked up to see an angel standing in front of him. She faced opposite of the Pharaoh, and the blinding light that focused around her, shrouded her features. All the Pharaoh could see was her white sheath, and golden hair.

"What's happening?" The Pharaoh asked the figure.

"The gods will see to it, that my defeat is not in vain!" The Angel answered, "for my Pharaoh will avenge me!" The Pharaoh knew that voice. He looked beyond the angel to see the parasite looming in the background. This was not the afterlife; this was Amon's castle, and the angel who stood before him, was Hera protecting him, and the light that surrounded him, was Hera's power.

"Hera!" The Pharaoh cried out, "What are you doing?" Her words kept running through his head, 'My defeat is not in vain, the Pharaoh will avenge me!' He didn't know what that meant.

"Please Hera," The Pharaoh pleaded, standing up, "You don't have to do this, I'm here now, we can defeat the parasite together!" Hera smiled at the sound of the Pharaoh's voice. A tear glinted in her eye as she thought that might be the last time she heard it.

'I'm sorry, my Pharaoh,' Hera thought to herself, 'Even if we could defeat the Parasite together, I would not have enough power to seal the dark spirit away. This way, at least there is a chance to banish the darkness.' A tear rolled down Hera's cheek as her smile faded into a determined gaze.

"By the glory of the gods, and the light vested in me, I command the shadows of your heart, to return from the darkness from whence they came!" Hera declared. The light exploded, and directed itself at the parasite.

"No!" The Pharaoh cried out, praying with the gods that it wasn't too late, and that this wasn't really Hera's end. The light burst forth, directing itself at the Parasite, as it burned away the darkness that enveloped the creature. The beast cried out in anguish, as Hera's attack forged on. As her attack subsided, the ethereal glow that had enveloped the battlefield began to fade, leaving only remnants of smoke from the earlier attack.

There was a moment of stillness as the Pharaoh took the whole scene in; The parasite withered and writhing in the corner of the battlefield, and the all powerful Hera standing tall and strong before it. The Pharaoh watched Hera intently. He could see her posture crippling, and her breath labored as her chest heaved. He could see her fingers shaking as she lowered her arms, her empyreal glow fade, as the last of her light was absorbed by the parasite. In one fluid motion, Hera's hand went to her chest, her knees buckled under her, and Hera fell face down to the cold stony ground; defeated. The Pharaoh snapped out of his trance, and without thinking rushed to the side of his Queen. He held her in his arms, and gazed down at her resting face. Her forehead was bruised from hitting the floor, and her cheeks, nose and chin were smudged with soot and dirt from the intense battle. The Pharaoh felt tears pricking his eyes. For the first time since knowing Hera, through the dirt and bruises, he could see how beautiful she was. The soft delicate contours of her cheeks and nose, creating the illusion of an eternally youthful face. The arch of her brows, and curvature of her eyes that gave Hera her constant wistful and all-knowing expression. Her wide soft lips, that even in death hinted a smile. The Pharaoh could see why any man would have chosen this woman to be his Queen. The dirt on her cheek smudged more as a tear fell on her face, from The Pharaoh's eye.

"Hera," The Pharaoh whispered hoarsely, "Please wake up, Hera." He was pleading with her to open her eyes. Hera couldn't leave him like this. Not when he had just started understanding his past. Not when he had just met her and his son. Not when there was so much more to know.

"Please Hera," The Pharaoh continued to plead, "Answer me." In a swift act, graced from the gods, Hera's eyes twitched, and opened. The Pharaoh felt a sense of relief rush through him, knowing Hera was still alive; however, that relief was quickly replaced with dread as her expression remained blank and unresponsive. Hera's eyes were cold, and void of any emotion, as she looked through The Pharaoh.

"You must finish him, My King," Hera told him. At first, The Pharaoh didn't understand, but directed his attention to the corner of the battlefield, where he saw the Parasite stirring as it regained its power. He quickly turned back to Hera, desperate for answers.

"I must help you first," The Pharaoh answered, as he went to move Hera.

"No," Hera commanded. The Pharaoh froze, intimidated by the fierceness of her tone.

"5,000 years ago, you had to choose between the fate of the world and your family," Hera told him, "you must now make that same decision again."

"I chose the fate of the world last time, and look what happened to you!" The Pharaoh cried, flustered. Hera said nothing, and offered him her blank, all-knowing stare. Both she and the Pharaoh knew what had to be done.

"Even if I did choose the fate of the world, how am I supposed to seal the Parasite? I no longer remember any of the magic I knew as Pharaoh," The Pharaoh refuted. Hera opened her mouth to answer, when a pain split through her body, as the last of her energy was ripped from her. Her breathing became fast paced and labored, as she clutched at her throat trying to breathe.

"Hera? Hera!" The Pharaoh called after her, shaking her, trying to keep her there just a little bit longer. "Please Hera, don't go! I need your help!" The Pharaoh pleaded, "I need you!" Hera's green eyes were wild with fear and pain as she stared into the Pharaoh. Her hands clutched the collar of his jacket, as she held herself close to him.

"The fowl of a thousand eyes knows all!" Hera cried out in her last struggled breath, before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her body fell limp in The Pharaoh's arms. The Pharaoh looked down at her, tears rolling down his cheeks, as his fingers curled and clutched around her arms. His sadness was soon replaced with an anger and determination.

"I promise," He told the deaf Hera, "Your death will not be in vain, I will do whatever I can to avenge you. And I will start with making the decision I should have made all those years ago." With those words, he stood up, Hera still clutched in his arms, and began sprinting across the battlefield. Amon was slowly but surely regaining his strength, as he began to stand and wobble in his corner. The Pharaoh knew they had to seal him before he became too strong. He brought Hera to the columns that separated the Egyptian artifacts from the open hall and leaned her against a column. He crouched down beside her and reached into her dress pocket and pulled out the Blank Space magic card they had planned to seal the parasite in. He tucked that away into his own pocket with an exasperated sigh, the uncertainty of what was about to happen weighing down on him. He turned his attention to Hera. He cupped her cheek with his hand, and took one last look at her face before going into battle.

"Be careful," he murmured to Hera and to himself. He stood up and turned to face the Parasite. He walked forward to the center of the battlefield. He was unsure of what he was doing; however, he had faith in his victory.

"Looks like it's just you and me, Amon!" The Pharaoh cried out. Before Amon could answer The Pharaoh's declaration for battle, a familiar voice cut in.

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" a voice called out. The Pharaoh turned to see Joey, Tristan and Tea all standing behind him, and all holding an ancient artifact.

"What are you all doing here? Don't you see how dangerous this is? I thought I told you to go where it's safe!" The Pharaoh scolded them lightly, though he was relieved to have his friends by his side once again, backing him up.

"And leave all the action for you? I don't think so!" Joey answered, smiling confidently.

"Besides, we come bearing gifts!" Tristan added light heartedly, presenting the armful of artifacts to the Pharaoh. The Pharaoh was proud of his friends, using the battle as a distraction to complete the mission; however, if they didn't know how to use the artifacts to seal the parasite, the mission was a lost cause. Tea saw the concern that was furrowed on the Pharaoh's brow.

"We can do this Pharaoh," Tea encouraged him, "Hera wouldn't have sacrificed herself like that unless she knew we would be able to seal the Parasite. There has to be a way!" The Pharaoh's concern subsided slightly, as Tea's words comforted him.

"You're right Tea," He told her, "I'm sure if we believe in ourselves and in each other, the answer will come to us." Suddenly a battle cry could be heard overhead. Hera's dragons circled above the group of friends, before landing gracefully before the group, guarding them.

"White flame dragon, Ra's apprentice!" The Pharaoh greeted them, glad to see they were still in play. The Pharaoh turned back to the parasite. With his friends, the dragons, and the artifacts he knew they stood a fighting chance at defeating The Parasite.

"Show me your artifacts," The Pharaoh instructed his friends, "Hera mentioned something about a foul of a thousand eyes." Tea showed him the statue of a pig she had found.

"I read somewhere that in Ancient Egypt, pigs were associated with death and foul play! Maybe this is what Hera meant!" Tea suggested.

"What about this?" Tristan offered an urn with the head of a cat, "it smells pretty foul." The Pharaoh looked down at the artifacts.

"But what about the thousand eyes?" The Pharaoh asked, certain these were not the artifacts Hera needed.

"What about this?" Joey offered his artifact. It was a petrified wood box, and on the lid was the carving of a Peacock.

"Of course! Hera meant fowl as in bird!" The Pharaoh exclaimed. He grabbed the box from Joey and began reading the inscription along the side.

"This box shall be the familiar,

And the subject shall be bare,

face down it lays, closed the lid stays,

When you recite this prayer."

"What does that mean?" Tristan asked. The Pharaoh pulled out the blank space magic card.

"It means that this box is going to pull the soul of the parasite out of Amon and trap it in this card," The Pharaoh explained. "All we need to do, is put the card in the box face down, close the lid and then recite the prayer."

"You make it sound so easy," Joey said his voice dripping with sarcasm, "in case you didn't notice the worm is almost done hibernating!" The Pharaoh turned to look at the worm, his eyes narrowing in aggravation as he saw that it was finally recovering and preparing for an attack.

"Dragons!" The Pharaoh called forth the beasts Hera had left behind, "attack the parasite! Weaken it so we can seal it!" He commanded. The Beasts kneeled before their new master, before turning to fulfill their duties. The Pharaoh watched as the beasts began concentrating attacks on the parasite to weaken it, and saw how they were both weakened from the previous battle. Suddenly The Pharaoh's millennium puzzle started glowing.

'I think the puzzle wants you to harness its powers to help the dragons,' Yugi remarked. The Pharaoh nodded. He closed his eyes and concentrated his own powers. The puzzle continued to grow brighter until it became a golden orb of light.

"Millennium puzzle, I call upon you to grant strength to my dragons. Unleash your power, and aid my dragons, I command you in the name of the Pharaoh!" The Pharaoh called out. The golden orb shot out in a ray of light, splitting into two and dividing among the dragons. Soon the dragons were glowing the same golden glow as the puzzle and their attacks became more focused. It wasn't long before the parasite was weakened.

The Pharaoh saw that the parasite was nearly destroyed and knew it was time. He placed The Blank Space magic card face down in the Peacock box, and shut the lid. He held the box up over his head, towards the parasite, his fingers clutched tightly around the lid holding it shut. His friends locked their arms with his, offering their own spiritual strength, and he could even feel Yugi's spirit helping hold down the lid of the box. The Pharaoh recited the prayer carved on the bottom of the box;

"Spirit of evil, Creature of darkness,

Summoned with ill intent,

In the name of egypt, In the name of Ra,

I command your descent.

Back to the shadows from whence you came,

For you are no longer welcome here,

Back to the place of which you were born,

I command you, disappear!"

The Pharaoh chanted the prayer. As he did so, the box began to glow an unearthly purple. The purple glow enthralled the parasite, and began tearing away at the darkness embedded in Amon. The box shook and rattled in the Pharaoh's clutch, but the Pharaoh held the lid shut tight. His Millennium puzzle was aglow with the purple light as his power was concentrated into the box. Soon the parasite was nothing more than a swirl of darkness clutched within the purple glow. The eyes of the tail of the peacock sparked gold and emanated fine golden threads of light, that netted the darkness and the purple, and dragged them through the air and towards the box. The same golden light enveloped the friends as the box drew from their spiritual strength. The parasite howled in protest, clawing and withering away at the net, trying to escape. It was no use. The creature was dragged through the keyhole in the box. After the entirety of the mass disappeared within the box, the box was suddenly still in the Pharaoh's hand.

The Pharaoh opened his eyes, and the friends unlatched themselves. The pharaoh lowered the box and cautiously lifted the lid, fearful that the creature may still be lurking inside. Instead saw a duel monsters card titled, Shadow Worm. His friends all crowded around him, to see what had happened.

"So… was that worm just a rogue duel monster?" Tea asked not understanding the situation. Before The Pharaoh could input his thoughts they heard a groan from the corner where the parasite had been. The friends all turned and looked fearfully, afraid that the Worm had managed to escape. Instead on the floor they saw a very old man, hunched over in pain. Before anyone could think, Joey rushed forward in a fit of rage, his eyes like daggers and his fists looking to strike. He picked up the old man by the collar and shook him.

"Alright Amon, I'm not playing. Our friend is dead, our world is falling apart and all fingers are pointing to the leader of the Creepy Cult, so you best start talking before my fist starts punching," Joey demanded threateningly. The older man didn't seem to be understanding anything. He had a dazed expression on his face. He looked at Joey and furrowed his brow.

"Who are you?" The Older man asked, "and who's Amon? I am Professor Darzi. I'm a retired archaeologist." Joey was also confused and he set the Old Man down.

"Don't you remember anything?" Joey asked, "You were the leader of an evil coven and infected by some Shadow Worm." Joey attempted to clarify. The Older man shook his head, and fell back onto the floor, obviously weak.

"I'm sorry son," the old man apologized. "The last thing I remember was waking up in a hospital after being saved from an eternity of darkness by...by…" The old man was struggling to remember. It was then that The Pharaoh piped in.

"Hera?" The Pharaoh asked him. The Old Man's eyes widened in recognition.

"Yes!" He exclaimed, "Hera, the ambassador to the Shadow Realm. Hera, the embodiment of Light. Hera the Queen," he stopped and looked at the Pharaoh.

"The Queen of Egypt," The Pharaoh finished for him, "My Queen." The Old Man's eyes widened again.

"You… you know? But, the Ishtars gave very strict instruction-"

"Hera didn't tell me anything. Bastet was the one who told me of my Queen and of My son. Bastet was the one who unleashed a horrible darkness on the world, and Hera lead us to you, believing you had all the answers." The Pharaoh cut him off.

"Hera's here?" The Old Man gasped, "Where is she?" The Pharaoh felt a pain in his heart, remembering Hera's condition.

"She's Dead," The Pharaoh told him. "She sacrificed herself to save me, from you." Professor Darzi gave him a confused look, and then an exasperated sigh.

"You come to me, seeking answers as to why the world is shrouded in darkness; however there is much more that Hera has yet to tell you and that must be explained, before you can begin your quest. Bring me to Hera," Darzi commanded the friends, he then turned to the other side of the room.

"Servants!" He called out. At least a dozen men appeared from the confines of the adjacent room and onto the battlefield, "prepare a feast for our guests immediately! Set the main dining hall, and put out all the food we have for our noble travelers!" He turned to the Dragons that were still in play on the field, "And fetch someone to tend to the dragons until Hera can be bothered to return them to their shrine. Set a place for them to lay and rest!" He then turned back to the group of friends.

"All shall be revealed," He told them. The Pharaoh nodded.

"Very well, Darzi. We shall give you the benefit of the doubt," He told the professor before he turned to the far wall, and lead the party to Hera.