Duelist's Point
Chapter 38: Reunion

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Malik was silent for the entire trip back to Duelist's Point. Although Isis tried to engage him in conversation, he didn't seem to even hear her. Discouraged, she settled for telling Rishid about what had transpired thus far. Otogi also listened closely to her story, stopping her a few times to ask a question about Yuugi and the others.

When Malik's Stealth Bird flew into the sky above Duelist's Point, Otogi exclaimed, "What's that?", pointing at a red blurb in the sky a little ways away.

Isis followed his finger to the mysterious blob and gasped – "That's Osiris!"

"Osiris?" Rishid repeated. "What is Osiris doing here?"

"The Pharaoh must have summoned it!"

"Hey, Yuugi!" Otogi shouted, waving madly from the shoulder of Stealth Bird as they flew closer and closer to the great curling tendrils that made up Osiris's body. "Yuugi!"

On Osiris, Yami asked his friends, "Did you hear something?"

Anzu and Honda looked around quizzically, but it was Mazaki who spotted Stealth Bird. She pointed at it, saying, "Somebody is waving at us frantically. What is that about?"

"That's Otogi!" Honda exclaimed, waving back obnoxiously. "Oi! Otogi! Hey!"

Anzu winced as his arm just barely missed hitting her head. "What is Otogi doing here? And is that… Malik and Isis-san? And Rishid-san?"

"Let's land, Osiris," Yami said to his monster before yelling, "Hey! Let's land, Bakura!" Yards away, Bakura swerved around on Diabound and followed him down to the ground. Stealth Bird followed in suit, Malik seemingly revived with the appearance of their comrades. They dismounted and dismissed their monsters, gathering between the trees.

"Malik! Isis! How did your mission go?" Yami asked.

"We attained the Millennium Spellbook," Isis said, sending her brother a sidelong look, "but we were attacked and –"

"They took Shadow away!" Malik growled.

"Malik's dark personality was captured," Isis explained, putting a hand on Malik's shoulder. Yami eyed Malik, who looked extremely upset, and wondered just what Mariku meant to him. He had his doubts about the boy's alliances, but he had done what he had promised and attained the book that could be the key to defeating Pegasus.

"We'll get him back," Yami promised, looking Malik in the eye. Malik bowed his head.

"Thank you, Yuugi."

"Isis-san, why do you have such an old book with you?" Anzu spoke up, peering at the yellow pages.

"This is a copy of the Millennium Spellbook," Isis explained. "We believe that Pegasus has access to one of these, and that is how he has been manipulating magic. The Pharaoh suggested that perhaps if we study it, we shall be able to overpower Pegasus. Such dark magic can be destructive, but we must do everything we can do save the world, as Ialu entrusted in us. We don't know what he wants, but we can't let him get it, if it involves such destructive methods."

"He's trying to bring someone back from the dead," Bakura interrupted. Everyone turned to him instantly.

"How do you know?" Yami asked, laying a hand on his arm. Bakura glanced at it before he began speaking.

"I broke into his office. He had notes on some necromantic ritual. He has also been in contact with some power in his dreams – he calls it 'the Voice'."

"It must be his wife!" Anzu exclaimed. "Remember, that's why he held Duelist Kingdom last time. He must be trying to revive her again…"

Mazaki shuddered, her eyes dark. "Necromancy is filthy magic."

"Something tells me that Pegasus isn't only involved in reviving his wife. It must be bigger than that for us to have been called on to protect the world," proposed Isis.

Ryou shivered. "I don't like this."

"Me neither, but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do," Honda said encouragingly. To Isis, he asked, "So what do we have to do?"

"We're going to learn some of the most advanced magic in the world," she said gravely.

For the first time since their arrival on the island, Mokuba heard voices that didn't belong to the people that he was with.

"Do you hear that, guys?" he queried of his companions, who were munching on granola bars again. Lei and Jounouchi looked at him strangely.

"Hear what?" Jounouchi asked around a full mouth.

"Ugh, Jounouchi, that's disgusting," Lei scolded.

"Voices," Mokuba said. "I hear voices nearby. Don't you?"

Silent for thirty seconds, they strained their ears to listen for some sound.

"Hey, he's right!" Jounouchi exclaimed. "We should go check it out. It might be one of our friends."

"Hold on, Jounouchi," Lei said doubtfully. "What if it's a trap?"

"We'll never know until we see! C'mon, let's go," he urged, already on his feet.

"Geez… Slow down," Mokuba grumbled, but he got to his feet as well. Sighing, Lei stood up as well, and they followed Jounouchi towards the voices. While Jounouchi bounded towards the voices with eagerness, Lei and Mokuba treaded slowly and warily.

"Honda!" Jounouchi whooped with joy, tackling his friend.

"Oof!" Honda grunted as he was squeezed to death by the blond. Then, he realized who he was hugging. "Jounouchi!" he cried happily.

"Jounouchi!" several other voices echoed, gathering around him.

"Where have you been?"

"Where's Shizuka?"

"What happened to Kaiba?"

"One at a time, one at a time," he laughed, heart feeling a hundred times lighter now that he was reunited with his friends. "I've been chasing down Shizuka, who was kidnapped by Pegasus's Winged Knights. We rescued her and Renn, but then Pegasus took control over their minds, and they took them away again. Kaiba… I don't know what happened to Kaiba," he said sadly. "We battled Shadowcat, and he summoned a monster and knocked me out. When I woke up, they were both gone."

"Nii-sama…" Mokuba said worriedly. Everyone turned, not having realized that he and Lei had been standing there.

"Mokuba-kun," Anzu said, "Lei-san."

Isis eyed them from where she was sitting on the ground. "Come now, Regalia wielders. Time is short. It's time to learn some magic."

Malik turned to Jounouchi. "Did you say mind control?" he said quietly.

"Yes," Jounouchi said gravely. "It reminded me of…"

Malik was silent, guilty expression clouding his features. "Do you think it could be… the Millennium Rod?"

"No, it can't be; Yuugi has it," Jounouchi said confidently. But Yuugi didn't look so sure. He opened his backpack and rifled through it, but the Rod and the Tauk were gone.

"No," he croaked, turning to Jounouchi and Malik, his eyes filled with dread. "They're gone."