I hope everyone figured out who the mysterious character is. Only one person got it right, and it'll be revealed in this chapter. The story is coming to an end soon. We will see what's gonna happen here and if they will be able to fix the pocket-watch. For now, just keep reading!
The boys stared at the tall, muscular figure in awe, wondering how powerful he could be. Since they cannot figure out who he is due to the mask covering his face, then its obvious this person is very important to the pharaoh and the Egyptian deities. They could feel the power radiating from him, causing their knees to tremble.
Atem gave the figure a respective bow. "It has been a while, Hasan. How are you doing, my friend?"
"I am well, my king. I thank you for asking."
Atem smiled at his answer, and then looked at Yugi. "This is Hasan. He is the messenger of all Egyptian Pharaohs. Not only is he the oracle for Horus, but also my kingdom's protector."
"That's amazing," Yugi looked at Hasan in awe and then bowed. "I-Its an honor to meet you, sir!"
"A huge honor!" Malik also bowed with the others. "I-I had no idea we would meet an ancient oracle like yourself!"
Hasan gave them a firm nod. "It is an honor to meet the pharaoh's guests." He then saw the items they were holding. "You have brought offerings for Horus, I presume?"
"W-We have, sir. M-May we offer them to his shrine?" Yugi asked.
"You may," Hasan replied.
Thanking him, Yugi and the others went over to the shrine and placed the offerings in front of it and did a silent prayer to the sky God. As they did that, Hasan looked over at the pharaoh. "My king, you wish to speak to Horus?"
Atem nodded. "You are correct. We must ask him if we can speak directly to Heh through Hu & Sia. This is very important, and we would like to know if you will let us."
"I will, but your guests must present their item that they have brought to be fixed by Heh, correct?"
"They will do that," Atem gestured to Yugi and his friends to present them the pocket-watch.
Both Yugi and Ryou fished both halves of the pocket-watch out of their pockets and held them in front of Hasan. He studied them, lightly tracing the pocket-watch with his fingertips. After what felt like an eternity for the boys, Hasan picked up both halves of the watch and held them in his hands as he started to mutter.
Atem, Akefia, Heru, and Seth pulled their lovers away from Hasan as his muttering became louder, transforming into loud chanting. The room began to glow, causing the hieroglyphics to shine brightly. As Hasan's chanting started echoing in the room, his mask glowed brightly while closing his eyes. When he opened them, his eyes glowed white.
"Who dare had awaken me from my eternal slumber?" a voice came out of Hasan's mouth, indicating it wasn't his own but someone else's.
Atem quickly kneeled down with his head bowed down, and the others followed his example. "Great and powerful Horus; the protector of our land. Forgive us for awakening you, but this was urgent."
Seth continued. "We travelled to your temple in order to speak with your fellow gods Hu & Sia. We must speak to them immediately."
"Hu & Sia? My fellow deities? Why must you need to speak with them?"
"Our companions wish to speak with Heh, the god of infinity," Akefia answered.
"They are from a different time era, and must request an audience with him. Would you be willing to let us talk to him?" Heru asked.
Hasan looked at Yugi and his friends. "My fellow children, please stand up and look at me."
They did what he said as he studied them, and found only truth from them and no lie. "What proof do you wield to verify your claims?"
Malik gulped and pointed to both halves of the pocket-watch held in his hands. "Your majesty, the two halves you wield in your hands are the proof."
"These items? What exactly are they?"
"W-When you put them together, it's called a pocket-watch. That item has the ability to travel through time and space," Joey answered.
Ryou nodded. "He is correct. Both halves have been separated, and are unable to take us back to our era. We need God Heh's help to fix the watch."
"We beg of you. Please let us speak to Heh. We have a reason to believe he can help us fix it and return back home," Yugi pleaded.
Hasan continued to stare at both halves of the pocket-watch, as the others stared at him in anticipation. As they waited, an aura appeared around Hasan, reflecting a solid turquoise color outlining his figure. Then, his glowing white eyes also became a turquoise color as he started to chant loudly. "Hu! Sia! Bring me Heh!"
They heard foreign voices coming out of his mouth, but couldn't understand due to how fast he is speaking. Then, the voices stopped and a deeper voice came out of his mouth. "Who had called for the great God of infinity!?" He scanned his surroundings and saw the boys, but studied Yugi, Ryou, Malik, and Joey. "You 4 are not from this time. How did you get here?"
Yugi gulped. "T-The pocket-watch brought us here, Lord Heh. W-We came here to ask for your help in repairing the watch so we can return back home."
"In my hand?" he looked at his hands and saw both halves. After he finished inspecting them, his hands began to glow, causing both halves of the watch to rise up in the air while glowing. Then, they both slowly moved together and started repairing itself until it became brand new. "It has been repaired."
"T-Thank you for repairing the watch, my lord!" Malik bowed.
"Y-Yes! Thank you!" Ryou also bowed.
"Now we know who to ask for help in fixing time-travelling pocket watches," Joey replied.
Suddenly, Hasan let out a huge gasp and clutched his head. His body shook rapidly, almost like something is shaking him. They could hear Heh taking deep, heavy breaths as sweat started to trickle down his body. His aura's color started to change from turquoise to gray, making the atmosphere tense and eerie in the temple.
"W-What is happening to him?" Yugi questioned with worry.
"I do not know. I've never seen anything like this," Atem replied with hesitation.
Then, Hasan stopped shaking and pointed at Yugi and the others. "You 4 must return back to your era immediately!"
Seth's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you saying they must return back to their time right now!?"
"They must! Use this watch to return back to your era at once!"
"But why!? Shouldn't they be allowed to stay longer?!" Akefia argued.
"If they don't return back home, their lives will be put in danger!"
"What do you mean be put in danger!? Is someone targeting them!?" Heru seethed at the thought of someone harming his Malik.
"God of infinity, please tell us why they must return back home!" Atem demanded.
"Time is of the essence! They cannot stay any longer or they will cease to exist!" he muttered some foreign words, causing the pocket-watch to glow brightly. "Bring them back to their respective era at once!"
As the pocket-watch glowed, Yugi looked down and saw himself slowly fading away. He noticed the same is happening to Ryou, Malik, and Joey. He felt Atem hugging him tightly, and something hitting his shoulder, causing him to look up and gaze at Atem's tear-stricken face.
"Yugi, you can't leave now! We were supposed to return back to the palace and marry!" Atem tightened his hold as his shoulders shook. "You can't be sent back to your era yet! I haven't even given you a ring! Please don't go!"
"You can't leave me, Ryou! I won't let you!" Akefia ignored the tears streaming down his cheeks as he held Ryou in his arms. "Its not your time to leave!"
"My Malik, I'm not losing you! You can't leave until I marry you!" Heru choked back a sob while hugging Malik tightly onto his chest. "I can't live without you!"
"Joey, Mokuba and I need you! I want to marry you and be with you forever! We don't want to be alone again!" Seth sobbed while hugging Joey tightly.
Yugi, Ryou, Malik, and Joey could feel tears escaping their eyes as they hugged back their lovers and sobbed. They didn't want to leave yet either, but have no other choice since Heh activated the pocket-watch. Once it's activated, it'll send the boys back to their era. They won't know if they'll be able to come back or not.
"Atem, I don't want to leave you either! I do want to marry you and grow old with you! This shouldn't end like this!"
"I wish I have more time to be with you, Akefia, but it's too late! I'll never get the chance to marry you now that the watch is sending me back home!"
"Heru, I can't live without you either! I really want to be with you and become your spouse! This isn't fair at all!"
"Seth, I really don't want to be separated from you and Mokuba at all! He was supposed to be the best man at our wedding, but now its never gonna happen because I'm being sent back home! I really hate that no one is giving us a choice to stay longer!"
They could feel themselves starting to fade away, as the pocket-watch glowed brighter and engulf the entire room with light. Yugi, Ryou, Malik, and Joey gazed at their lovers and kissed them, deepening the kiss as they parted and whispered their final words to their lovers before they disappeared.
"I love you, my pharaoh."
"I love you, my bandit king."
"I love you, my assassin."
"I love you, my priest."
As they faded away, so did the pocket-watch and the room went back to normal. All that's left is Hasan's unconscious form sprawled on the ground, and 4 heartbroken men roaring loudly at the sky while sobbing from losing their beloved lovers.
"Whaddaya mean you can't fix it!?" Joey shouted in anger.
Pegasus sighed. "Its like we said, Joey-boy. The pocket-watch suddenly malfunctioned and is unable to use its powers again. I'm afraid it can no longer be repaired."
"But we have the modern technology here to fix anything! Your is also very advanced!" Malik pointed out. "Your scientists should be able to fix the watch!"
"Its not that simple, Malik-boy. We used advanced technology to create the watch, and it took a very long time to complete it. Even if we make another one, it will take a couple of years to replicate it."
"So there is no other way to return back to 3,000 B. C.?" Ryou questioned.
"I apologize, gentlemen. I'm afraid none of you can no longer time-travel. You are stuck in your era for good."
Yugi fell to his knees, feeling his shoulders shake as he comprehended what Pegasus told him. After they woke up in his room, they were returned back on the day of his birthday and his grandfather did not know they disappeared. He assumed they were still in Yugi's bedroom doing their homework. Realizing everything that happened wasn't a dream, they quickly left the game shop and headed over to Pegasus's mansion.
Thanks to his title as 'King of Games', they were given full permission to see Pegasus and told him everything on what happened. They even showed him the pocket-watch, which was broken and couldn't work. His scientists tried to repair it, but it was too late. The damage is severe, and the watch can never be fixed. If the watch can't be fixed, they can no longer return back to Ancient Egypt.
Meaning, he'll no longer see Atem or the others back in the kingdom of Khemet.
Tears started streaming down his cheeks as he let out a huge cry, causing his friends to hug him and also cry in despair. Cecelia tried her best to comfort them, while Pegasus gave them some privacy while looking at them with pity and regret. Yugi and his friends are unable to keep their promise to Atem and their lovers. They won't be able to see them again, marry them, or stay with them forever.
Time has separated them from being together. It prevented them from ever seeing their lovers again. The only way to see them is if they meet their reincarnations, or meet them in the afterlife where they can find them. They continued to cry while hugging each other, feeling their own hearts clenching in pain as their sobs echoed in the mansion.
9 months later
The scent of cherry blossoms wafted through the air as Malik and his friends walked down the sidewalk. They finally did it. They each graduated from high school and are now adults who are ready to face the real world. Right now, they are planning on celebrating their accomplishment by going to a restaurant tonight. Luckily, the restaurant they picked serves both vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods so Malik would be able to eat something well.
Right now, it's just him, Ryou, Yugi, and Joey. Tea had to go home and get her stuff ready since she'll be leaving for New York in a couple of days, Tristan had to go pick up something for his older sister, Duke had to cover a shift at his job, Miho went to a shopping center to pick a pretty dress for the celebration, and Hanasaki left for the bookstore to get some books related to the university he picked in America.
He blew a strand of his hair away from his eyes. It's been 9 months ever since their adventure in Ancient Egypt, and it can never leave their heads. It hit them hard when they learned they couldn't go back and see their lovers again because of the pocket-watch malfunctioning. They were so depressed that Pegasus let them stayed at his mansion so they can recover.
It only lasted about a couple of weeks, but they decided to go back home and thanked Pegasus and Cecilia for letting them stay there to help them recover from their heartbreak. Unfortunately, the pain still lingered in their hearts, but they hid it from their friends and families so they wouldn't find out. None of them would understand what they're feeling, but he remembered Ishizu and Odion were suspicious of his change in behavior. Luckily, they chose not to say anything and figured he would tell them when he's ready.
Right now, he and the others are heading to the Domino City Museum. There was a new discovery for the Ancient Egypt exhibit, and his siblings wanted them to come see it immediately. It relates to the nameless pharaoh, which Malik had a pretty good idea its Atem. He informed his friends about it, and Yugi immediately agreed to it since his heart still lingers for his pharaoh. Ryou and Joey also agreed, hoping it will tell them about Akefia or Seth.
Whatever it is, it'll tell them what happened after they left. They'll have to see it for themselves. As they arrived and went inside through the doors, he spotted Ishizu and Odion standing in front of them. "Sister! Brother! We're here!"
Ishizu smiled. "Welcome back, brother. Everyone, we give you our congratulations for graduating from your school. You are almost done completing your education."
"Indeed. You are almost ready to face the real world," Odion added.
Joey sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "I'm just glad we survived high school. Right now, I wanna kick back and relax until we focus on our dreams."
"I know all of you will do well," Ishizu replied. "Now then, please follow us so we'll show you the new arrival for our exhibit."
She and Odion lead them down the corridor, passing by the many exhibits until they reached the Ancient Egypt exhibit. Memories of how they came here the last time, in which they slept over at the museum caused them to encounter King Ramses and rescue Yugi's grandfather, is still etched in their minds. This time, they're here for a visit and not to stay that long. They arrived at a huge tablet hung on the walls, causing their eyes to widen as they saw 4 figures carved on the tablet along with familiar duel monsters and hieroglyphics.
Ishizu cleared her throat and started explaining. "A week ago, some archaeologists found this tablet at the Valley of the Kings. It was held in a secret chamber not far from the king's burial chambers. We have a reason to believe this could be what happened to the nameless pharaoh and his people." She pointed to a picture of a massive creature with devil wings on its back, sharp teeth, horns, the body of a man, and a snake-like creature attached to the front of its abdomen. "This monster, a being called Zorc, appeared out of nowhere and caused havoc to the land. It has dark powers that unleashed monsters to attack anything: people, animals, land, and everything that is in Zorc's path."
"When Zorc attacked a kingdom, the nameless pharaoh called upon his most trusted monster known as 'Dark Magician', and fought against Zorc. His fellow companions appeared to help, and also unleashed their trusted monsters to aid in stopping Zorc," Odion continued. "It was a long and fierce battle, but I'm afraid a tragedy had happened."
"Just when they thought they defeated Zorc, he unleashed a powerful attack that can eliminate everything. The duel monsters couldn't stop the attack, and the nameless pharaoh had no choice but to call upon the Egyptian God monsters. As they appeared and fought against Zorc, the nameless pharaoh and his companions used all of their Ba and Ka to help the Egyptian Gods defeat Zorc," Ishizu's expression turned sad. "But alas, it cost them their lives. They perished from the battle, leaving only their clothes and jewelry to indicate their existence."
"After the nameless pharaoh had died, his half-cousin took over the throne at a young age. As the new pharaoh had gotten older, he then got married and had a family for the next heir to take over the throne. We do not know the name of the new pharaoh, but was told he became the new owner of the legendary 'White Dragon' his brother once wielded," Odion finished.
The boys still couldn't believe it, as they stared at the carved tablet hanging on the wall. They recognized the 4 figures as Atem, Akefia, Heru, and Seth. It looked like they were in a battle against the creature known as Zorc, while wielding their monsters in which a couple are familiar to Yugi and Malik: Dark Magician and the Winged Dragon of Ra. But not only that, they died fighting against Zorc, causing Mokuba to take over as the new king of Khemet.
"Time is of the essence! They cannot stay any longer or they will cease to exist!"
Their eyes widened and they looked at each other, remembering what Heh had said to them. Did he know they would be in danger if they stayed in 3,000 B.C. any longer? Is that why he forced them to return back to the future? To avoid getting attacked by Zorc?
"Boys? Is everything all right?" Ishizu asked with a concerned look. "Did the story upset you?"
Malik snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head. "W-We're fine, sister. J-Just surprised that something like this actually happened 3,000 years ago. But most of all, we had no idea duel monsters had existed back then."
Ishizu nodded. "They have, brother. They were called Ka, or known as spirit monsters of ancient Egypt. Spirits that reflect the nature of the person that they come from, and fueled by the energy of their soul known as Ba. It depends on which Ka is good and which Ka is bad."
"And one of them has the Winged Dragon of Ra, the individual who wields it?" Malik pointed at the tablet.
Odion looked at it. "We believe he could be an assassin due to his outfit. Though we have no idea what his name is. The archaeologists could not find the names of the nameless pharaoh or of his companions."
"The nameless pharaoh wielded the Dark Magician. I had no idea," Yugi said.
There was one thing the boys were wondering in their heads: why didn't Atem and the others tell them they could summon duel spirits, and why keep it a secret from them? How come they did not notice anything strange when they went to Khemet? Did they miss anything important besides learning about their names, Ka, and occupation?
If all of you were shocked by this chapter and got teary-eyed, I apologize because the story will come to an end next chapter. But don't worry! The next chapter will show a happy ending for our favorite boys! Now don't forget to review and comment!