This chapter is going to be quite dark. It's time to reveal the reason why Aurora has Haphephobia, as it was revealed in Chapter 11 "Targeting the Female Students; The Prophet's Fang", and what happened to her three years prior.
The chapter is inspired by Chapter 1, 2 and 3 of the manga "W Juliet" volume 12.
Disclaimer: I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh characters! I only own my OCs!
Chapter 20: Big Revelation! The Dark Secret!
The September days became chilly, but it was extra chilly in the early mornings. Right now, Aurora and Joakim were awake and jogged around the street for their warm-up before practicing karate in the dojo. But this time, they weren't alone.
Yugi was jogging with the twins, but he was already out of breath. He had begun his training a week ago and he was NOT prepared for the extreme work. He knew it was going to be tough, but the karate sessions were even worse than the judo classes he used to participate during P.E. at school.
"C'mon, buddy! Just around the corner and we're done with the warm-up", Joakim encouraged the short boy as he jogged next to him. Aurora had jogged ahead to get to the dojo and do stretches before practicing.
Yugi was panting deeply and collapsed on his stomach when the boys reached the gate to the Ueda Pax family house. "C-C-Can't…br-breath…"
Joakim knelt down next to the fallen boy and rubbed his back to help him lighten up the pressure. "You did great, Yugi. Your stamina has increased a bit since you began working out."
Yugi breathed in and out deeply before he could breathe normally and got up on his feet. "Y-Yeah… I remember that… B-But it's a good sign, r-right…?"
"Absolutely", Joakim nodded. "Now, it's time for the stretches before putting your arms and legs to work."
Yugi laughed sheepishly as Joakim opened the gate and allowed his friend to walk in first. When the male twin was about to follow, he suddenly felt like someone was watching him. He looked over his shoulder, but saw nothing. He narrowed his eyes and studied the street, but only saw a few cars. He shrugged and stepped into the family property and shut the gate behind him.
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The twins and Yugi were walking together to school after the morning session they had together with Yamato and Karin. Yugi felt so sore in his body, but it was a good feeling. He had never worked out so much before.
"Is this how you work out?" Yugi asked the twins.
"Yeah, we need to keep our shape since sis and I are returning singers in the music world", Joakim replied. "We can work out in the studio, but we'll only go there to practice on the choreography."
"Being singers must be hard", Yugi commented.
"It is", Aurora admitted before smiling. "But we enjoy it, right, Kim?"
"Heck yeah!" Joakim winked before the twins fist-bumped.
The trio reached an intersection and waited for the light to turn green for them. Even when there were no cars nearby, they were respectful and waited for their turn. The light turned green and they walked on the crossroad. The boys walked first as Aurora was a bit behind them because she was looking for a tissue to blow her nose. She found a tissue, but it slipped out of her hand and landed on the concrete. Aurora knelt down quickly to pick up the tissue when the trio heard screeching tires. Joakim and Yugi turned around and saw how Aurora was in the middle of the road and a black van was driving over the speed limit toward her!
"Aurora-chan!" Yugi cried hysterically.
Aurora straightened herself when she saw the van from the corner of her eye. She barely had time to realize what was going on, until she was pushed aside by Joakim who came to her rescue. He threw himself at his twin sister and pushed them both out of the road before the van could hit them. The van didn't slow down and kept driving away from the crossroad, not even stopping to see if the twins were okay.
Yugi ran over to the twins worriedly. "Are you okay, guys?"
Joakim panted lightly, mostly by the quick rush of impulse. "Yeah, I'm fine." He got up from Aurora who was in a slight shock by the close incident. "Sis? You okay?"
Aurora looked a bit lost, but she blinked her eyes before placing a hand over her fast-beating heart. "Y-Yes… T-That was too close."
Joakim glared at the road. "That driver was reckless, driving over the speed limit. If I saw the number plate, I'd report him to the police straight away!"
Aurora got up on her feet with the help from her twin brother, but she couldn't help but feel that van had been aiming at her on purpose. She also had a feeling this wasn't the last time she would see that van.
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"What?! You almost got hit, Aura?!" Joey exclaimed in shock.
The twins and Yugi had just told their friends about the incident during the lunch break and they were certainly shocked and scared to hear about it.
"Yes, and I can't help but feel it was intentionally", Aurora replied.
"But who would want to hurt you, Aurora-chan?" Ryo asked.
"Well, in the world of actors, singers and models, there are many rivals who want to terminate the obstacles that stand in their way", Joakim explained. "There've been fatal cases while Aura and I were active in Canada."
"That's unacceptable!" Tristan exclaimed. "As the member of the beautification club I can't overlook such actions!"
"Miho is so scared!" Miho whimpered.
"Anyway, the good thing is none of you got hurt", Anzu said. "But if it was intentionally we have to keep our eyes open for a black van, so we can report it to the police."
"But there're so many black vans. We won't be able to find the right one", Yugi pointed out.
Aurora and Joakim looked at each other with concerned expressions. "Let's just hope this was a freak accident and it won't happen again", Joakim shrugged.
"Yeah…", Aurora nodded, although she was still worried about this.
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The group decided to go home to the twins to watch them and Yugi practice karate. Ryo had never seen a real dojo before, so he was a bit excited.
"I always had poor health since I was little. Maybe, just maybe, if I work out a bit it might increase my stamina", the white-haired boy said as the teenagers changed their shoes by the shoe lockers.
"You can work out in many different ways. You don't have to do karate if you don't want to, Ryo", Joakim retorted. "Just jog a bit in your own pace every day and it should make miracles."
"It's true", Anzu nodded. "I practice dancing every day and it's helped me a lot."
"Miho too with cheerleading!" Miho giggled.
"Meh! Kicks and punches are the best way to break a sweat", Joey grinned.
"I get lots of work out while I clean up the trash in the parks", Tristan added.
"I was always scared to get sore muscles, but now it feels good in a weird way", Yugi confessed.
"It's a good sign", Aurora chimed in as the group was walking out of the school building. "Besides, knowing self-defense is always good, 'cause you never know when you need to fight for your life."
"Heh, then you've got an expert here!" Joey grinned as he pointed at himself with a thumb. "I've been fightin' for most of my life!"
"But not anymore…in a way", Tristan mumbled to himself, since everyone minus Ryo knew about Joey's alcoholic father.
The group walked out of the open gate of Domino High when they heard screeching tires coming from nearby. Other students stopped walking and looked around to see what was going on.
"You guys hear that?" Anzu asked.
"Loud and clear… Too clear", Joey replied.
"It sounds like the noise is coming closer", Ryo pointed out.
Before they knew it, a black van drove out from a corner and headed to the gate. As soon as the black van braked in front of the group, two masked men with guns jumped out from the vehicle, aiming their weapons at the children. A third masked man sat by the driver's seat, ready to leave the scene when necessary.
"Don't move if your life's dear!" one of the masked men yelled.
Every student of Domino High raised their hands as a sign of defeat and mercy, including Yugi's group. Aurora and Joakim could sense lots of negative emotions coming from those three men as the two with the guns walked closer to them.
"You two!" the second masked man pointed at Aurora and Joakim. "You're comin' with us!"
The first man grabbed Aurora's arm and pulled her toward the van as she slightly struggled against the hold. She couldn't afford to escalate things by resisting. Her friends and brother were right there and she didn't want to put them in danger.
"Get your hands of my sister!" Joakim yelled as he knocked down the second man when he tried to grab him.
"Ow! You bastard!" the second gun man growled as he aimed his gun at the male twin.
"Forget 'bout him! The boss only wants the girl!" the other gunman yelled from the backseat where he restrained Aurora to the seat.
Joakim's eyes widened in shock and fear when he heard those words. "No…"
The second gunman growled and walked backwards to the van while aiming the gun at the kids. "Try to find us and the girl's a goner!"
The gunman threw himself into the van and shut the door before the vehicle drove away, leaving Yugi's group and other students stunned by what had just happened in front of them.
"AURORA!" Joakim yelled with all his might in despair.
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Yugi, Joakim and the rest of the gang had been told to return to their classroom and wait for the police to arrive for interrogation and gather testimonies. No one dared to speak a word after what they had just witnessed. Even Miho was silent as she held back tears. She had never seen a kidnapping before and now it had happened in front of her and one of her friends was the victim.
Everyone looked up when they heard the slide door open and their homeroom stepped in. "The police are here", the teacher announced. "They're currently talking to other witnesses, so wait for them."
"Okay", Yugi and Anzu replied before the teacher left the classroom.
"I can't believe this just happened…", Joey muttered, having a lost look in his eyes.
Joakim had held back lots of frustration, but now he snapped. "FUCK!" He kicked a desk so violently it got knocked down to the floor, catching the others of guard. "FUCK IT ALL!"
Miho flinched in fear by the sudden action and shielded herself from the scene in front of her, covering her ears to not hear the cursing words. Tristan walked quickly to her and pulled her into a warm and comfort hug. Miho leant her head against his chest and sobbed a bit, staining the boy's jacket.
"Hey, calm down, Joakim", Tristan spoke with a neutral voice to hide his own frustration. "Kicking desks and curse won't make things better."
"Don't fucking tell me what I already know, Tristan!" Joakim snarled as he held back his tears before punching the wall.
"Joakim…", Anzu mumbled worriedly.
"I… I failed her…", Joakim grunted as he allowed his tears to run down his cheeks. "I failed to protect her, even though I promised that no one will ever lay a finger on her again!"
Yugi's eyes widened slightly. "Joakim, could it be…Aurora-chan got kidnapped before?"
The others gasped when they heard that. "Is it true, Joakim?!" Joey exclaimed in shock.
Joakim rubbed his eyes and cheeks clean from his tears before turning to his friends with a broken look. "Yes…"
The others gasped even louder than last time. "No way!" Anzu gasped.
"Did it happen…back in Canada?" Ryo asked with a low voice.
Joakim sighed deeply before he walked back to the group and collapsed on a chair. "It's a long…and horrifying story, but you must hear me out." He glanced at Miho who peeked out of Tristan's arms. "Especially you, Miho. You have to understand the world can also be a very cruel place."
Miho blinked confusedly before she and the others gathered around Joakim on chairs to hear him out.
"It all happened one year after our debut in Canada. We were just thirteen years old then", Joakim began while intertwining his hands. "We were already very popular, meaning we had lots of fans and rivals. Not just through the music, but also through Duel Monsters. However, this is related to our music career. We were guarded by security as we were escorted off the stage and to our waiting mini-van when several men appeared out of nowhere with guns and kidnapped us. Not even the security guards could stop then. Back then, sis and I knew some martial arts, but not as good as now. I was able to get out of the escaping van, but Aura was still trapped inside." He took a short break to gather his thoughts. "What's coming next is going to be…explicit."
The others held their breath, but they had a horrible feeling where this was going to.
"The police and I were able to find the kidnappers' hideout a couple of hours later, but…the damage was already done…", Joakim continued as he reached for his Millennium Earring and caressed it. "The kidnappers were arrested for kidnapping at first, but when I found Aurora in a separate room… The charges were increased with rape and sexual assault."
"No…", Yugi's eyes became glassy when he heard the last sentence.
The others were scared to hear Aurora got raped and apparently brutally.
"When I tried to help Aurora, she became hysterical and flinched away from my touch. She cried and said she didn't want anyone to touch her, even though I was there. Her body was dirty by body fluids and she had bleeding wounds and bruises everywhere, and even bleeding from the va-"
"Stop!" Miho cried out as she covered her ears and looked away. "Miho doesn't want to hear that!"
"Nosaka Miho! Grow up, dammit!" Joakim yelled at the scared girl. "This is real life! Not a fairy-tale as you think the world is around you! Or did you forget how close you were to be abducted by that Capumon maniac?!"
"No, I didn't forget!" Miho shrieked as Tristan brought her into his arms again. "Warashibe-kun was crazy!"
"Then imagine how many crazy people there are in the world, lurking in the shadows", Joakim said now with a slight calm voice. "I don't know why you're acting as you do, Miho, but either you've got serious problems or you're acting like this on purpose."
"Miho acts and talks in whatever way Miho chooses!" Miho retorted.
"Guys, guys, stop it!" Anzu interfered. "This isn't about Miho right now!"
Joakim sighed before nodding. "Yeah. Sorry I snapped on you, Miho, but your ignorance really made me irritated this time."
"Miho's sorry too", the bluette nodded as she remained in Tristan's arms. "Miho is aware of the danger out there. Miho just wants to…ignore them and live a fairy-tale life."
"Back to Aurora, even at the hospital the nurses and doctors had to strap her down to take care of her", Joakim continued. "Our parents and I were later told Aurora had developed Haphephobia."
"Hapa-what?" Joey asked.
"A fear for being touched and touching people", Yugi explained. "Aurora-chan told me that before."
"I've heard about it before too", Ryo mentioned. "I think I knew another classmate who had Haphephobia back in London."
"Aura's Haphephobia used to be extreme", Joakim continued. "None of us could touch her without her getting afraid. She opened up shortly for Mom, but it took months before Dad and I could approach her. We did hear from Mom of what Aurora went through when the kidnappers raped her. They used many sex toys and blindfolded her the whole time."
"Oh, my God…!" Anzu gasped. "That's why Aurora almost got hysterical when Miho blindfolded her with her towel just for fun around the time when Kokurano-kun was active with his fake prophecies."
"And almost froze when that criminal Jirou the Yellow Spider took her hostage", Joey added, reminiscing the Burger World incident.
"But why would a Japanese gang kidnap her?" Tristan wondered.
Joakim's eyes narrowed a bit. "When one of those kidnappers spoke, his voice sounded extremely familiar. I think he and the others are the same kidnappers from the past."
"No way!" Joey exclaimed as he stood up from his chair. "Don't tell me they might try raping her again?!"
"No…!" Yugi gasped. "We've gotta save her!"
"But how? The kidnappers could be anywhere in Domino City, unless they've left the city", Anzu added.
Joakim opened his school bag and pulled out his cell phone and began pushing buttons. "Aura and I have the same PHS. I can find her if I use the search service."
"Really?!" Miho exclaimed.
Joakim nodded before he got a small grin. "Yes! Her cell phone is still on! They're traveling toward the outskirt of Domino!"
"Well, what're we waitin' for? Let's go!" Joey was ready to run out of the classroom when Anzu grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back.
"Idiot, we can't chase them! We don't have a car to follow them and we have to speak to the police!" the brunette told the blonde boy.
"You have a car now", a voice spoke up.
The teenagers looked up and saw the twins' cousin standing by the door with keys in his hand. "Yamato!" Joakim exclaimed in surprise.
"The school called home and told me and Grandma what happened, so I came straight here to get you, Joakim", Yamato explained as he brushed his black bangs aside. "We're going to bring Aurora back." He held his own cell phone that had the same system as the twins' cell phones, showing a map with a moving spot.
"Then let's go!" Joakim nodded as he rushed over to the black-haired man.
"Wait! I'm goin' too!" Joey pulled himself out of Anzu's grip and joined the cousins.
"Me too!" Yugi insisted. "I may be small, but I want to help!"
The spirits of Yami and Mako appeared and smiled proudly at the short boy, sensing he was getting more confident.
"Then I'll go too!" Tristan nodded. "Ryo and the girls should stay here!"
"Wait! Those guys have guns! You can't fight them! Leave this to the police!" Anzu told the boys.
"And let my sister get traumatized again?! Never!" Joakim snarled.
"Stop stalling and go!" Joey pushed himself past Yamato.
The boys nodded and followed the blonde boy to the school yard where Yamato's car was parked. Anzu, Miho and Ryo looked at each other with concerned expressions, but at the same time prayed their friends would return safely.
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Aurora groaned as she finally woke up after she had been drugged by chloroform. It took some time for her to get a clear head and take in her environment. The room she was in was dark and the ceiling and walls were made of wooden boards. The air smelled old and moldy, like the place had been abandoned for many years.
"A-Amaura…", the girl mumbled weakly.
The spirit of Amaura appeared next to the groggy twin. "I'm here, Aurora."
"W-Where are we…?"
"In an abandoned hut outskirts of Domino City. The kidnappers drugged you shortly after you were pulled into their van."
Aurora soon realized she was lying on a bed, but when she tried to move she found her wrists were tied to the bed post. "What…?"
"They tied you after they brought you to this room. They haven't touched you yet."
The mortal girl sighed in relief. "Thank Ra…"
"While you were unconscious, I snuck around to get more information of the kidnappers. Apparently, their boss mentioned he couldn't wait to 'play' with you again. I think they're the same kidnappers you and Joakim mentioned before."
Aurora's eyes widened in shock and fear. "B-But… What are they doing here in Japan? They're supposed to be in prison in Canada…"
"They must have had their bails paid by sources outside of prison. Anyway, we need to get out of here."
"But how…? I can't move…"
Amaura closed her eyes before opening them to reveal a serious look. "You have to let me take over your body. I might be able to use my powers to get rid of the rope around your wrists."
"Do whatever you can… I refuse to get raped again and be used for ransom", Aurora nodded with a glare in her eyes. "Those men might think I'm still as weak as before, but I'm not."
Amaura gave her host a proud smile. "You're a strong woman, Aurora. Now… Let's do it."
Aurora nodded before she closed her eyes as Amaura returned to the Millennium Earring. Said Millennium Item shone as the two girls' souls switched place. The ancient spirit activated her shadow powers to cut the rope off her wrists. She sat up and rubbed the sore wrists, sighing lightly in relief.
"Can you check if my cell phone is still in the pocket of my blazer?" Aurora asked.
Amaura checked each pocket of the pink blazer, but couldn't find the device. "It's gone. The kidnappers must have taken it while you were unconscious."
Aurora growled, "If they found the cell phone and turned it off, then Joakim won't be able to track us down."
Amaura checked the breast pocket and found something interesting. "But they didn't take your Duel Monsters cards."
"Really?"
"I think I might use my powers to summon them and help us out a bit."
"Do whatever you can, Amaura. I believe in you."
Amaura smiled lightly. "And I believe in you and Mako. I'm sure he might be able to sense my presence."
The ancient spirit walked toward a door and felt it was unlocked, so she slowly and quietly opened it and stepped out of the room. She heard voices coming from ground floor, so she ducked down and crawled over to the stairs.
"Hey, boss. When we're gonna take a turn with the gal?" one of the minions asked.
"Well, it's funnier to play with her when she's conscious, so we should check on her and see if she's up for a game", the boss with dirty blonde hair and extra tanned skin replied as he drank some beer.
"I'm already up and awake for a game, alkhatifin alhumqaa", Amaura spoke up.
The men who were drinking beer spit it out in surprise when they heard the female voice. They looked up and saw Amaura standing at the bottom of the stairs wide awake and with burning eyes.
"You! How'd you get free?!" the second minion exclaimed as he reached for a gun.
"Drop it!" the boss called before something could happen. "We don't need our guns to take down our little whore."
Amaura snorted loudly. "You're such a disgrace. Is this how your mothers raised you? Were they also whores?"
"How comes our mothers into the picture?" the third minion questioned.
"She's just trying to distract us! Don't listen to her!" the boss growled.
"Then let us listen to the birds instead", Amaura suggested calmly before she held up a Duel Monster card as the Millennium Earring shone.
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Not so far from the hut in the middle of the forest, Joakim, Yamato and the boys had reached a clearing with several police cars and officers to try finding the kidnappers. Except they had a problem now.
"I can't see the signal from Aura's cell phone anymore", Joakim told the group.
"They must have found it and turned it off", Tristan said.
"But we must be close! The signal did lead us to this forest", Joey pointed out.
Yamato was talking to the officers while a search crew with dogs went ahead to scout the area. Yugi was a bit scared by the dark forest and the whole situation, but he refused to back down. Not now when he and his friends were so close to rescue Aurora. He did however flinch when there were sudden cries for a swarm of crows.
Even Joey jumped by the sudden noise. "Yikes! What the heck, man?!"
"Crows and birds are supposed to retire for the evening, so that's odd", Tristan pointed out.
Joakim looked up at the sky and saw a black cloud that was moving in an unusual pattern. He narrowed his eyes and then saw that cloud was actually a cluster of crows. They seemed to try telling him something.
Mako's spirit appeared next to the male twin. "They're Swarm of Crows, that Duel Monster card Aurora has."
Joakim quickly put two and two together. "Guys, follow me! I know where Aura is!"
"Wait, how do you know that?" Yugi called.
"It must be the twin bond", Joey retorted sarcastically.
Joakim ran ahead, but his cousin, friends and police were behind him as he ran through the forest. The cries of the crows got stronger until he reached a hut that looked ready to crumble down in any minute. He could hear cries of distress and help, but he didn't hear his sister's cries.
The crows landed on the roof of the hut and on the trees around the hut as they watched how the police surrounded the hut with their weapons drawn.
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It was chaos inside the hut. For the kidnappers.
The men were flying around in the hut by the Duel Monster Wind Effigy that Amaura had summoned out to buy some time for Joakim and the police to find the hut. Wind Effigy was showing no mercy as almost everything flew around in the room, except Amaura.
"What the fuck is this, boss?!" one of the minions cried.
"Some voodoo-magic, that's what this is!" the boss replied. "Hey, Pax! Put us down now, or we won't show any mercy to you!"
Amaura just remained silent with a satisfied expression on her face.
"I'm gonna puke!" the second minion warned before he covered his mouth with his hands.
Amaura sensed Mako and Yami's spirits nearby while she heard Swarm of Crows' cries that help had come. "Wind Effigy, that's enough."
The tornado Duel Monster suddenly stopped its doing with the violent wings, so the kidnappers crashed down on the hard and rotten wooden floor. Two of the minions hit their heads so hard they lost consciousness. The third minion couldn't hold himself back and threw up on the floor. The boss also got knocked out just when the police swarmed the hut with drawn weapons. Amaura had just called back Wind Effigy before they could spot the Duel Monster.
"The police! Don't move!" one of the officers called.
Another officer ran quickly over to Amaura and escorted her out while the other officers arrested the kidnappers and handcuffed them. Amaura swiftly switched back her soul to the Millennium Earring so Aurora could take back her body.
"Aurora!" Yugi, Joey and Tristan cried out in relief.
Joakim and Yamato were both relieved to see the female twin was safe and came out clean and calm this time.
Aurora was first escorted to a police vehicle to attend her injuries such as her bruised wrists before taking her testimony. The kidnappers were led out under strict eyes. The minions had their heads down, but the boss was awake and struggling against the handcuffs.
He spotted Aurora by a police vehicle and growled deeply. "Fuck you, bitch! I'll hunt you down again and I'll take more than just money and your body, whore!"
"Keep moving!" one of the police officers pushed the boss. "You have the rights to remain silent! Anything you say will used against you, and what you just said will be added on the court!"
The boss growled and still struggled to the police van before he was thrown in with his minions.
Aurora got her wrists wrapped in gauze before she was led to her family and friends. Joakim and Yamato immediately hugged her tightly.
"Thank Ra you're okay!" Joakim exclaimed before shedding a few tears.
"We're so happy nothing happened to you, Aura", Yamato added before he planted a kiss on the top of the female twin's head.
Aurora smiled as she hugged back her twin and cousin. "Thank you, you two."
Once they let go of each other, Yugi, Joey and Tristan ran over to her, but they didn't hug her yet, despite that Yugi actually wanted to.
"Are you okay, Aurora?" Joey asked.
The girl nodded, "Yes, I am. Thank you for coming to rescue me with my family."
"Umm…", Yugi began. "C-Can I hug you?"
Aurora blinked confusedly before smiling. "Of course you can."
"B-But they didn't do anything to you?" Tristan asked.
Aurora raised an eyebrow before she realized where the question came from. "Joakim told you about my past, didn't he?"
"Yes", Joey nodded. "We're sorry we didn't realize you had that fear of being touched."
"It's okay now. Because I trust you and the others", Aurora smiled.
Now without hesitating, Yugi leapt forward and hugged Aurora around her waist. The girl smiled before she patted Yugi's back. She then held out her right arm to Joey and Tristan, indicating that they could hug her too if they wanted. Joey and Tristan looked at each other and then on Joakim who was standing behind Aurora. The male twin gave them a nod before the duo stepped forward and joined the group hug.
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The twins got to stay at home from school for the court with the kidnappers. They kidnappers were charged with kidnapping and added to the event, they were pleaded guilty and deported back to Canada.
Yugi and his friends weren't able to contact the twins and their family during the time they were absent, so they were relieved and happy to see Aurora and Joakim come back to school ten days later.
"Good morning!" Aurora and Joakim greeted when they entered the classroom.
"Aurora! Joakim!" Yugi's group exclaimed before they ran over to the twins.
"Is everything okay now?" Anzu asked.
"We read the newspaper the kidnappers were deported to Canada", Ryo added.
"Yeah, they're gone and out of Japan", Joakim replied. "They've also received restriction orders not to make contact with us. If they break the rules, they'll get real punishment."
"Were you scared, Aurora?" Miho asked concernedly.
"A bit, but I'm a lot tougher now than before, Miho", Aurora replied.
"I have an idea!" Joey spoke up. "How 'bout we celebrate this victory after school? That everything's now safe with you guys."
Aurora nodded, "That sounds great, Joey."
"Then it's deci-", Joey began, only to grow quiet when he realized something. "Hey… You just used my nickname, Aura!"
Aurora nodded, "I trust you all enough to call you by your first names. I hope it's okay, Joey, Tristan, Ryo, Yugi."
"Of course that's okay, Aura", Tristan smiled.
"Then is it okay if I just call you Aurora without –chan?" Yugi asked.
"Yes, it's okay", Aurora smiled.
"How about we all drop the honorifics?" Joakim suggested. "Now that we're great friends."
"I don't mind that", Ryo said. "It's easier to talk to each other without the honorifics."
"Miho-chan don't want to", Miho pouted.
"You're an exception, Miho", Joakim added quickly.
"Let's do a group high-five to declare our friendship!" Joey suggested.
Everyone in the group nodded before making a group high-five in the same height as Yugi could stretch his arm.
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PHS is the short name for "Personal Handyphone System", like the "Find the iPhone" app.
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Google translation
alkhatifin alhumqaa = idiotic kidnappers