I'm now on summer break! I'm done with my classes, but I'm still busy with my job and other stuff! However, I'll make sure to update more on this story because I want to finish this before the summer ends!
Were you all touched last chapter of Yugi, Ryou, and Malik reuniting with Yami, Bakura, and Mariku? I know I did! Now, this chapter will talk about the diary left by Safiya Ishtar. Hope you all can handle it!
The song starts to play:
The Millennium Puzzle appears in the center with the other Millennium items surrounding it in a circle. Then, they landed in their respective spots on the Millennium stone, which begins to glow.
Your move!
(Yugi sees something coming towards him in shock while he's frozen in place)
Your move!
(Ryou tries to defend himself with one arm as he sees something coming towards him)
Your move!
(Malik turns his head and was surprised to see something coming towards him)
Your move!
(Yugi, Ryou, and Malik are on the ground unconscious while next to each other, and lying on a huge circle with writings and pictures written on the ground)
Your move!
(Atem is on his throne with his usual stare as his crown twinkles from the light. Then, it changes to Yami, who's aura is glowing yellow with the 3 Egyptian god monsters appearing with him. The scenes blink to Bakura standing in the shadows and turning around to look at something, and to Mariku also turning around, but in the opposite direction to also look at something)
Yu-Gi-Oh!
(Yami is floating in the darkness and he brought his hands out to let a light that's shaped like the puzzle land onto both of his hands. As the music starts to play more, scenes of many Duel Monsters are appearing, showing off their roars and poses as they are fighting or defending. Even the Egyptian god monsters appeared at the end of it)
Your move!
(A woman who's face is covered in the shadows stands from her throne while spreading her arms out. The scene goes over to Yugi, Ryou, and Malik opening their eyes while standing near each other, but with different clothing on, and their eyes were a darker color than usual. The next scene shows 3 apparitions floating above them from behind and they resemble the 3 boys)
Yu-Gi-Oh!
(Yugi, Ryou, and Malik are falling into the darkness and their yamis' reached out to them to try to grab them, but were unable to. There were also 3 apparitions floating above them from behind that resembled the yamis', who did the same thing the yamis' were doing)
It's time to du-du-du-du-dududududududuel!
(Two figures that resemble Yami and Yugi are floating in the dark abyss, but in their glowing spirit form, and they were slowly leaning in towards each other as the light brightens a lot from the background to block their faces on what they were doing)
(As the music kicks up, Joey makes a pose with his duel disk and then his face appears with a stern expression on his face. Tristan does a pose with his duel disk and his face also appeared with a stern expression on it. Tea makes a pose with her duel disk and her face appeared that looked stern. Kaiba had his hand up while holding his card to summon his monster and a stern expression also appeared on his face)
(The next scene shows the yamis' holding Yugi, Ryou, and Malik bridal style as they appear unconscious in their arms, and looking at the blackened sky with their faces angered. Joey, Tristan, Tea, Kaiba, Ishizu, and Odion are in the background with them, and also looking at the sky with angered and frightful expressions on their faces while looking at the woman, who was floating in the sky and grinning evilly at them)
(The next scene shows Yami, Bakura, and Mariku holding their Millennium items in their hands as it started to glow, and they were looking at the sky as light was shot upwards towards it from their items. The final scene shows Yami drawing out his card and holding it up in the air in his usual pose as the Egyptian god monsters appeared with him)
Yu-Gi-Oh! (-Oh! -Oh! -Oh!)
(The Balance of Light & Darkness)
"WHAT!?"
"Lower your voice, Ishtar. Your screech is making my ears bleed," Seto frowned at him.
"Tell me you're all joking!"
Ishizu placed her hand on Malik's shoulder. "Its the truth, Malik. The person who kidnapped you, Ryou, and Yugi is the cobra queen Goddess Wadjet."
"But that's not possible! Why would she even come to Earth!?"
"For her sons," Odion answered. "The cobra queen had 3 sons who resembled you, Yugi, and Ryou."
"Goddess Wadjet was able to conceive!?"
"We're not really sure," Yami said. "It isn't possible for an immortal goddess to conceive, but we don't know where her sons actually came from."
Yugi, who is sitting next to Yami, spoke up. "You guys mentioned that Eboni Ode is actually Goddess Wadjet, right?"
"That's right, Yuge," Joey replied.
"Did she ever mention about someone named Heba?"
"Or Riyu?" Ryou nearly hesitated.
Ishizu's eyes widened in disbelief. "Where did you hear those names?"
"At school, I took Ryou to the nurse's office due to exhaustion and stress from lack of sleep," Yugi started to explain, while Bakura frowned to hear his landlord being tired. "As I got there and helped him get on the bed, I searched for some aspirin for him when she suddenly came in the nurse's office and asked if he was alright."
"The reason she came is because she wanted to ask us some questions. Her first question was if we were both descended from Egypt," Ryou continued, massaging his head. "She then asked if we have any friends or loved ones who were from Egypt. Then she asked if the names Heba and Riyu mean anything to us. I don't know why, but it felt like we've heard those names somewhere before."
Silence filled the room. The only sound emitting is a clock loudly ticking on the wall. Yugi, Ryou, and Malik noticed their friends looking nervous and afraid. Even Seto and the Yamis were hiding their worry by acting stoic. Is there something no one is telling them?
Yugi looked at Yami, who closed his eyes and had his head tilted down. He placed his hand over Yami's, causing Yami to open his eyes and glance over at Yugi in surprise. "Yami, I wish to know the whole truth. Please don't keep any secrets from me. I need to know why Goddess Wadjet thought me, Ryou, and Malik are her sons. Do you know the reason why?"
Yami frowned and shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't have the answer, aibou. She claimed to have known Bakura, Mariku, and me from 5,000 years ago, but we have no recollection of it at all. I believe our memories were altered."
"Altered? Did she stole your memories?"
"Its either her or her snakes," Bakura scowled. "However, we couldn't get an answer because they already left to be judged in the afterlife."
"What do you mean?" Ryou asked.
"You'll know the full story later, yadonushi. For now, stay away from snakes."
"I believe our answers would be explained from a journal written by the late Mrs. Ishtar, correct?" Mariku smirked with his arms folded, glancing over at Ishizu. "We need to see the ancient scroll. You mentioned it showed the cobra queen along with her sons and their Ka spirits, right?"
Ishizu nodded. "Correct. Its right here."
Bringing the journal out from her handbag, she unfolded the tan cloth protecting the book and placed it on the table. Everyone looked over to see that the journal has brown leather on it with a frame outlining the cover with hieroglyphics on it written in gold. On the center of the cover is the Eye of Horus drawn in a shiny golden color.
They noticed a black string tied around the book to keep it closed. Ishizu untied the string and opened the book, revealing a folded piece of paper resting in a hinge. She picked up the paper, unfolding it as eyes were staring in wonder on what it contained.
Then, she placed the unfolded paper back on the table, revealing it to be an ancient papyrus with drawings on it. Yugi, Ryou, and Malik let out huge gasps as the drawings showed 3 boys who resembled them, but in ancient Egyptian clothing. Their doppelgangers had their arms spread out while looking at the sky, with the Ka spirits of Silent Magician, Change of Heart, and Lava Golem hovering above their respective masters.
A drawing of Goddess Wadjet is shown above them, her hands clasped together in a prayer with 7 different colored diamond-shaped gems surrounding her. Ancient hieroglyphics were engraved in the background, along with snakes pictured in each corner gazing at the cobra queen.
Seto's eyes narrowed as he glared at the papyrus. "You never mentioned before on Muto having an Egyptian ancestor along with Bakura and Ishtar. Why didn't you mention about this earlier?"
Ishizu's lips stretched into a thin line. "I never had the chance due to the disappearance of my brother and his friends. I truly wasn't sure if what I saw could be true or not. But now, I'm convinced what Goddess Wadjet told us is true. She did have children 5,000 years ago, and they have a connection with her and her snakes."
Yugi, Ryou, and Malik could feel so many emotions running through them: disbelief, confusion, fear, astonishment, and realization. It couldn't be possible for them to be related to Goddess Wadjet. They aren't affiliated with any cult or know of any snakes at all.
Yugi and Ryou couldn't have any ancestors from ancient Egypt except for Malik. They were both born from different countries: Yugi born in Japan and Ryou born in England. They don't have any relatives who have Egyptian blood in them. But why does the papyrus have a picture of them from a long time ago?
"Its not possible…"
Yami turned his head to look at Bakura. "This papyrus is real, Bakura. Yugi, Ryou, and Malik have ancestors who are the children of Goddess Wadjet. The evidence is right here."
"Then how come we have no memories of them!?" Bakura roared in anger, causing a few to jump. "What did the cobra bitch and her minions do to our memories?! Why would they steal them from us!?"
"Wadjet mentioned that we watched her sons die," Mariku frowned. "She must've retaliated by stealing our memories to avenge their deaths. The more we try to remember, the more painful it becomes."
"That still gave her no right to mess with our heads! She'll pay for messing with my mind and with my landlord!"
"Bakura, enough!" Yami shot him a stern look. "The Gods and Goddesses will judge her and decide her fate. We cannot intervene unless she breaks the rules by coming back to the land of living."
"Don't tell me what to do, pharaoh!"
"I'm only warning you!"
"ENOUGH!"
Ishizu glared at them both. "We are not here to fight. We are here to figure out who Goddess Wadjet really is, and how she became a mother to Heba, Riyu and Namu. Pharaoh and thief king, please simmer down and just listen."
They both growled at each other, but turned their heads away with a loud humph. Yugi and Ryou sighed while patting their backs. It looks like their darker halves need time to adjust with people, especially with their former enemies. Hopefully, they'll all be neutral with each other once the time passes by.
Ishizu picked up the journal and flipped through the pages. Skimming through the words, she stopped at a particular page. "Everyone, listen to this."
June 12, 1995
Grandmother and auntie brought me over to the temple of Nebesheh, formerly known as Imet. They told me that it is my duty to know the true story of Goddess Wadjet. It turns out they were both her followers, and her legacy must continue forever.
I asked them what they meant of the cobra queen's true story. It turns out Goddess Wadjet did not conceive those 3 boys, but adopted them. Their true origins were unknown, but she loved them, as they were her own children. However, only her, her followers, and her snakes knew about their existence. People from the outside world do not know of them, and they never will. If word got around of the cobra queen having children, bandits and hunters would've desecrated her temple and kingdom.
Or worse, target her children and use them against her.
Even when I get married, my spouse can never know about this. All I can do is pass the knowledge over to my children, but I must be careful. I need to make sure they would keep their promises and will never reveal our family secrets to anyone.
I know I shouldn't write this down in my journal, but I will make sure no one will ever discover it before I die. If it does get discovered, I hope it'll be one of my family members who is a follower to Wadjet, or to one of my children, who wish to follow in my footsteps.
Ishizu flipped through more pages. "I read all of it on my way here from Egypt, but I'm afraid my mother did not write down any information about Heba, Riyu, and Namu. In her journal, she only mentioned about Goddess Wadjet raising her children so she could become an actual mother." She stopped at the final page, revealing a drawing of an ancient temple. "To get our answers, we must go to the temple of Nebesheh and the city of Buto."
Mariku quirked his eyebrow. "Buto? Why there?"
"The villagers there worship Wadjet and once held a festival to honor her. There is a temple near the city where it holds her oracle. They must have information about her along with anyone who is her follower," Ishizu answered. "I need to contact my mother's clan and ask them for our help. They must have the information we strongly desire in order to solve this mystery."
"Our flight is scheduled to leave in one week, Ishizu," Odion replied. "We have enough time to prepare everything before we depart."
"Good. However, we'll need to find a way to bring Mariku back with us to Egypt."
"Don't worry! Seto and I took care of that!" Mokuba piped up and brought out 3 large yellow envelopes from behind his back. "All the documents for Yami, Bakura, and Mariku are set!"
Seto crossed his arms over his chest while his face remained stoic. "In exchange, I still get to duel the pharaoh and the two psychos will not cause any destruction or mayhem while alive. Do not blow it."
Ishizu took the envelope with Mariku's name on it and looked at Kaiba. "Thank you. We are in your debt for helping us, Seto."
"Just make sure we get this over with. I do not want to go through any more Egyptian hocus-pocus or anything related to magic. And I don't want to see the cobra queen coming back here. I have a company to run."
She smiled and nodded while opening the envelope. Yami and Bakura opened theirs to reveal some documents along with a passport to show evidence they are citizens of Domino City. Yugi and Ryou looked through the papers and found a couple with pictures of their darker halves on them, along with a new identity. Yugi looked at some information on Yami.
Name: Yami Atem Sennen
Age: 18
Occupation: Intern at Kaiba Corporation
Residency: Kame Game Shop
Ryou picked up a document, scanning over Bakura's information.
Name: Bakura Akefia Touzoku
Age: 18
Occupation: Interrogator at Kaiba Corporation
Residency: Domino City Apartment Complex
Yugi glanced over at Kaiba. "Yami is an intern at your company?"
Kaiba nodded. "He'll be helping me test out which cards are the best used in any deck. Having him duel me gives us a win-win situation."
"Does he even get paid though?" Tristan asked.
"The same amount of salary my workers get paid in."
"How much though?"
"I believe it is none of your business, you hound."
"Hey! I thought those dog jokes were only for Joey!"
"Don't encourage him, Tristan!" Joey angrily shook his fist at him.
"I get paid to torture people?" Bakura grinned evilly. "That I don't mind at all."
"You can't kill them, you crazy thief. I need to make sure you get all the information out of any spy infiltrating my company without causing death," Seto frowned at him. "Be grateful I'm giving you this opportunity."
"Plus, you and darker Malik are the only people we know of who can easily mess with someone's head," Mokuba gulped.
"Kid's got a point," Mariku devilishly smirked.
Malik rolled his eyes. "Other me, please control your psychotic side. I don't want to be responsible for any murder you might commit."
"I can't promise you on that, Shujinkaku-sama."
"I prefer being called Malik."
"As you wish."
Seto got up while his arms are still crossed. "These documents are evidence that they're legal citizens here in this country. Do not lose them."
Yugi and the others gave him a firm nod as they neatly placed the papers back inside the envelopes. Sealing them shut, Ishizu got up from her seat. "I believe it is time we depart." She looked over at Yugi and Ryou. "Yugi, your grandfather is still at the game shop waiting for you. And Ryou, your father is waiting for you to call him."
"Gah! How could I have forgotten about grandpa?! He must be stressing over what happened to me!" Yugi gasped in horror as he shot up from his seat.
"My father actually called me!?" Ryou quickly got up from his seat. "I hope he didn't think I got hurt or anything!"
Yami stood up and placed his hand on Yugi's shoulder. "Calm down, Yugi. I already informed him this morning that you will be home soon. He's glad you're safe and unharmed."
"D-Did you tell him the whole story about what happened to me?"
Yami nodded. "He wanted to know everything, and I couldn't leave out any details. However, we mustn't tell him about Heba, Riyu, and Namu. We still have no information about them."
"And we're gonna keep it like that," Bakura frowned. "No one else must know about this except for us. I'm not facing the wrath of another deity." He turned his head to look at Ryou. "Yadonushi, your old man can never know about your disappearance or about the cobra queen. Its better he remains sane than insane."
Ryou opened his mouth to protest, but then closed it after thinking it through. Bakura was right. His father must never know about it since he has his hands full with discovering new artifacts and other items in ancient tombs. Plus, would he even believe his own son if he told him about the spirit of the Ring being real along with Goddess Wadjet appearing to him in person? It all sounded crazy, but a part of him does hope his father would believe him and actually start listening to his own son.
"Now that there is no more danger, our limo driver will drop you guys home." Mokuba snapped his fingers. Soon, a man wearing a chauffeur outfit appeared and bowed down. "James, please take our guests back to their respective houses."
"Yes sir!"
"Everyone except for Joey Wheeler. He'll be staying here."
"Wait! What?!" Joey exclaimed in shock. "You can't be serious!"
"You heard what Mokuba said. You'll be staying with us from now on."
"You're obviously not the real money-bags! You're a phony! A great big phony!"
"I second that, Joey!" Tristan replied. "I don't think it is Seto Kaiba at all!"
As they both continued to argue with Seto and Mokuba, a sudden thought crossed Yugi's head as he looked down at himself and then at the others. "There's one thing I don't understand."
"What is it, aibou?" Yami asked.
"We were possessed and wearing different outfits, right?"
"That's right."
"Then why would Goddess Wadjet have us wear these outfits? And what did she do to our old clothes?"
"Other me, is there something on my face?"
"Not at all, aibou. Why do you ask?"
"You've been staring at me for about 5 minutes."
"Forgive me, Yugi. I'm just surprised Kaiba didn't let you and the others change before we left."
"Me too. This outfit isn't really my style. I think it will look better on you than on me."
"Aibou, don't say that. The colors suit you well. It even makes you look stronger and fierce."
"This outfit looks like I'm trying to steal Mai's style. Plus, this top is short and I'm not comfortable showing my stomach."
Yami stared at Yugi from head to toe, noticing the tank-top looking a little tight and outlining Yugi's frame. The leather shorts didn't look tight, but the long black socks reaching over his knees hugged his thin legs, and the leather high-heeled boots matched well with the outfit.
Overall, Yugi looked amazing. Scratch that. He looked mysterious and sexy in those darker colored clothes. Yugi should wear those types of clothes more often.
Yami could feel his cheeks heating up, but his eyes nearly widened and quickly looked away. Why would he ever say those thoughts in his head? Yugi is his partner, his precious friend. What kind of friend would ever think of indecent thoughts of his own partner? Yami respects his aibou and would never make him feel uncomfortable.
The bond he shares with Yugi is precious to him, and he would make sure it'd never break. Yugi solved the puzzle, helped free him from the darkness, offered him his hand in friendship, taught him what it means to be kind, and helped him find his memories along with his true name. He is the only person Yami has a strong and close connection with.
Half of his heart is happy to reunite with Yugi, but the other half nearly clenched in pain. Yami doesn't know why, but it felt like something else is missing. There is something he needed to remember, but it could never appear in his mind. Is he still missing parts of his memories? Did something happen back in his era to make Wadjet and her snakes alter them?
Yami's eyes lingered at the snake necklace hanging around Yugi's neck. His puzzle sensed a strange power coming from it, and it felt familiar. Since the necklace came from Goddess Wadjet, she must've created it and blessed it with her powers. But what can that necklace do?
"Yami, we're here."
He shook out of his thoughts and noticed the limo had stopped. He could see the game shop from the window, and he heard the driver getting out. It did took a while to get here since they had to drop everyone off at their houses, leaving Yami and Yugi as the last people to get back home. Hopefully, the tomb-robber and tomb-keeper will be on their best behavior and not cause any more trouble to the city, or to their lighter halves. It's still strange though for Seto to make Joey stay at his mansion with him. Did Yami miss anything while he was gone?
Seeing the limo driver opening their door, Yugi stepped out of the limo with Yami following behind him. Yugi thanked the limo driver, who is known as James, for the ride.
James smiled and bowed down. "You're welcome. I wish you both a good day."
He went back inside the car and drove off. Luckily, no one was outside yet and he did not want anyone to look at his aibou, who is wearing a dark and alluring outfit. Hold on, what did he just say and think about!? Now Yami is certain Bakura and Mariku did something to his head. They'll definitely pay for it!
Shaking his head to get rid of those thoughts, he quickly went inside the game shop with Yugi. The bell hanging above the door chimed, revealing their presence. Everything here looked the same: the walls, the games, dueling packs, and the atmosphere. The place even had a comforting aura surrounding the area, giving off a feeling that you're home.
A small frown formed on Yami's face as he remembered the palace, including his family and friends. He did left a letter before his escape, hoping they would understand his decision. He is happy to have all his memories back of his past life, but it still felt like something was missing in his life. Something he can never let go of.
His eyes gazed over at Yugi, who was looking around at the game shop. He could feel his heart thumping in his chest as he continued to stare at his aibou.
Yes, Yugi is not only his partner, but also his most cherished friend in all eternity. A kind-hearted soul who sees the good in people no matter what tough situation they're in. It's thanks to Yugi that Yami was able to understand the meaning of kindness and friendship. Yugi released him from the puzzle and helped him regain his lost memories. His aibou is truly caring and precious, like a rare jewel.
"Grandpa!" Yugi cried out with his hands cupped around his mouth. "Are you here?!"
Yami looked around. "I know he's here. He would never leave the game shop until we both came back here safe and alive."
"Now I hope he didn't get a heart attack or anything," Yugi bit his lip in anguish. "He must've been really worried."
Yami's eyes softened and placed his hand on his shoulder, as a way to comfort him. "I promised him that I would bring you back here safe and sound. I made sure to keep that promise. I know he's worried, but he wouldn't stress himself too much that can affect his health."
Before Yugi could open his mouth, their ears picked up on some noise coming from another room. Looking at each other and then at the entrance, they quickly followed the sound where they ended up in the living room.
"Grandpa!"
Solomon gasped and turned around. "Yugi?"
Yugi ran over to him and hugged him. "Grandpa! I'm back! Yami rescued me! I didn't get hurt or anything!"
Solomon hugged him back as tears leaked in the corner of his eyes. "Oh Yugi! I'm so happy that you came back! I was so worried that I would never see you again! I'm truly thankful that the pharaoh and your friends have rescued you from danger!"
"I am, too! I promise you that I'll be more careful next time!"
"Good! However, I'm afraid we'll have to discuss more another time. Right now, our guest wanted to speak with us."
"Guest?" Yugi parted from the hug. "Who's our guest?"
Solomon gulped and gestured with his head on the person behind him. Yugi looked over his shoulder and froze, his amethyst colored eyes staring at red eyes twinkling from the light. He could see the purple scales shining when it moves, and a forked tongue popped out from its mouth.
Yami could feel many emotions running through him: confusion, anger, fear, and disbelief. It couldn't be possible. He saw her leaving for the afterlife to face judgment with Wadjet and the other snakes. She should be there instead of here.
Not only that, how was she able to sneak inside the game shop? What did she come here for? His eyes narrowed as he glanced over at Solomon, and then back to her. If she tried to hurt Solomon, she'll face a deadly shadow game. Even if she's resting on the table in an up-right position, there's a chance she might strike.
"Why are you here, Viola?"