Hi everyone! I'm so sorry for the long wait, but this semester had been really busy for me so I had to wait until Summer break came for me to start updating! I'm glad everyone is liking this story so please keep on reading it! As you can tell, the danger is now over and everyone is back home. Since they still have their Spring Break, Yugi and the others will help Yami and Bakura accustom to the modern world in Domino City, while Mariku is adjusting to living in Cairo by Malik and his siblings.

Also, please check out the poll I made on my site and vote for the new story idea I came up with!

The cold, creamy taste of her strawberry ice cream is a great comfort treat for Tea. Sweets would sometimes help clear her head, but not all the time. She still stuck to her healthy diet in order to stay in shape while dancing, but she can still enjoy sweets in moderation so her body can stay healthy and happy.

Right now, she is sitting down at her usual table where she and her friends would usually hang out at besides Burger World: Devlin's cafe in the mall. Since Duke and his father managed the place, she and the whole gang would come here almost everyday right after school to hang out or try the new menu options. She's the only one here, but the others did inform her by text they'd be here soon to meet her.

Duke is busy serving the customers while his father is entertaining the guests. Since it's the weekend, they have 3 days until they return back to school. She had no idea things would get crazy again, but it's just like their previous adventures since it involved Ancient Egypt and a powerful Egyptian goddess. Now that the pharaoh, thief king, and Malik's darker half have their own bodies while residing in the modern world, they must learn how to adapt being alive. It won't be too hard helping Yami, but Bakura would be a different story. Hopefully, he's being a good sport for Ryou and not causing trouble at his apartment.

Taking another lick of her ice cream, she spotted someone approaching her table and smiled. "You're a little early, Tristan. Were you able to get enough sleep?"

Tristan nodded as he sat down next to her. "I did. Blankey woke me up early and wouldn't let me go back to sleep until I finished giving her a walk. After I did that, I couldn't go back to sleep so I got ready and came here." He stretched his arms upwards, sighing in relief. "I'm glad I didn't get any nightmares from what happened back in Egypt."

"Me too," Tea said. "I never thought we would face another Egyptian deity, and Goddess Wadjet appeared to save us." She took another lick of her cone. "Though Nehebkau's true form is scary."

"Scarier than seeing Wadjet's true snake form," Tristan gulped.

"Don't forget that I was there witnessing the whole thing," Duke piped up and placed a drink in front of Tristan. "I'm still surprised that the pharaoh and the other two former villains came back from the dead."

"Hopefully, we won't get in trouble for disturbing the dead," Tea replied. "I know we endured through dangerous and tough situations to help the pharaoh get his memories back and help his soul go back to its eternal slumber." She glanced at the clear blue sky. "The one thing we can do is show Yami what its like to be a regular teenager in the modern world instead of a king in ancient Egypt."

Duke nodded in agreement. "You're right about the pharaoh becoming a normal teen here. Besides dueling, he'll adjust well since he shared a body with Yugi."

"Plus, we can show him a bunch of great places like the arcade, restaurants, mall, and others!" Tristan listed from his fingers.

"He'll need to try my food here first. Devlin's café serves the best," Duke grinned and spun the tray with his index finger like a basketball.

"Sorry we're late!" a familiar voice called out to them.

Tea looked over and waved. "You're right on time, Ryou!"

Ryou jogged over, with a familiar figure lagging behind him. "I apologize if you waited that long. Bakura is still itching for a duel against Yami."

"I thought that was Kaiba's thing?" Tristan asked.

"Like I said before, the CEO has gone bonkers," Duke snickered, and left to serve the other customers.

Ryou chuckled, and sat down at his seat while Bakura gave everyone his usual glare and plopped down on a chair next to Ryou. Ryou looked around. "Are the others still on their way?"

"I texted Joey a while back. He's gonna be a little late trying to escape from a certain someone who I still believe is a phony," Tristan answered.

"I'm pretty sure it's the real Seto Kaiba and not a fake one. Mokuba already confirmed it for us," Tea said. "I called Yugi and he said he'll be here soon with Yami. They had to finish explaining everything on what happened during our trip to Mr. Muto."

"Hopefully, no more having to deal with evil spirits or venomous snakes. I can't stand snakes. No offense, Yami Bakura," Tristan replied.

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Just admit that you're scared of them. Snakes are powerful creatures and are not afraid to strike at their prey."

Ryou sighs. "Try not to scare him, Bakura. Not everyone can handle snakes like you can."

"You have forgotten that you were not afraid of the serpent goddess and Nagini."

"My ancestor is comfortable with them, so his soul helped me not feel afraid."

Bakura shrugged. "Whatever you say."

Soon, Joey arrived and greeted everyone with Yugi and Yami following behind him. Bakura gave a quick glare at Yami, who glared back but they didn't say anything. They gave each other a slight nod as Yami sat down next to Yugi while Joey plopped down at his seat next to Tristan.

"Why did it look like you were trying to escape from somebody, Joey?" Tristan questioned. "Was it the phony impersonating Kaiba?"

Joey groaned. "I wish he was the phony Seto Kaiba, but he isn't a phony. He's actually the real Seto Kaiba."

"The same one who likes to get on our nerves?"

"The same one."

Tea shook her at their antics. "Moving on, is everyone nervous to go back to school?"

"Quick question," Yugi raised his hand up. "Did I miss anything when I wasn't there? I hope there wasn't any homework I missed or quiz."

"Don't worry, Yugi. There wasn't any," Ryou reassured him. "However, we were picked together as partners to write a script for English class. Whichever group has the best script will be used for the school's theater group to direct a play over it."

"That sounds fun," Yugi said. "When is it due?"

"We'll start once school opens and we turn it in next Friday."

"Okay, got it."

"If you ask me, this was a short break," Joey placed his arms behind his head. "It was exciting when Yami came back from the dead and we all saved Yugi, Ryou, and Malik. Though it did got terrifying when we encountered an Egyptian goddess and a giant two-headed snake." Joey trembled in fear. "From now on, I never want to see a snake ever again!"

"Amen to that, Joey," Tristan responded.

"Again, its common for people to be afraid of snakes," Tea sighs, and then looks at Yami. "So Yami, how does it feel for you and Bakura to have your own living bodies back?"

Yami looked at his hand. "To be honest, its still a bit odd. My mind still comprehends that I have a heartbeat and no longer a spirit. I am able to breathe, feel, and do things a normal person can do. I'm able to eat food, feel pain, and use all 5 of my senses to understand what's around me." He then placed his hand on his heart. "It'll take time for me to adjust in the land of the living, but I know I can do this. I have Yugi, grandpa, and all of you here to help me."

She smiled at him. "We're your friends, Yami. We always got your back."

"Trust me, you will love being alive than being a ghost," Joey gave him a thumbs up while grinning.

Bakura scoffed and folded his arms over his chest. "Pharaoh, you shared a body with your other half a lot. You already know what its like to have a living body."

"That's because I think of Yugi as my precious partner and not as a vessel, Bakura," Yami replied.

Bakura waved him off. "I already get it. Landlord and I agreed to get along as long as I don't get myself killed or arrested."

"And you will keep that promise," Ryou frowned. "So do not get yourself in trouble."

Bakura grunted, but slowly nodded. He then realized something and turned his head to look at Yami. "Pharaoh, are you aware that our lighter halves wielded the strongest Ka spirits within them?"

His statement caused Yami to raise his eyebrow. "You mean the Ka monsters who helped us defeat Nehebkau?"

"That is correct. Did their presence felt familiar to you before?"

Ryou looked at his darker half with a confused expression. "Bakura, what are you and Yami talking about?"

Yugi also looked confused. "Yami, have you met Gandora before in the past?"

Tristan looked at them, and then at the others. "Is anyone else confused as I am?"

"I believe it's related to Yugi and Ryou's ancestors," Tea guessed. "But there was no mention of Gandora or the other two monsters existing 5,000 years ago."

"The creepy snake god somehow knew them," Joey added.

Yugi got his deck out from his deck holder, and placed them on the table. Scattering them, he picked up a card revealing his monster 'Gandora: The Dragon of Destruction'. "I understand Silent Magician and Silent Swordsman, but now Gandora also knew Heba? It feels like they're hiding too many secrets related to what happened in the past."

"We'll need to ask our duel monsters if they knew anything else about the past we are missing," Yami said.

Bakura scowled. "They better! If they're hiding something else, then it better not be serious!" He glanced at his deck holder. "Its bad enough we battled against the cobra goddess, but then we faced off against the two-headed snake god Nehebkau! Not only that, yadonushi here has another Ka spirit who isn't even part of his deck!"

"I'll pretend that wasn't an insult," Ryou commented.

Joey scratched the back of his head. "If it relates to what you two are talking about, Kaiba asked my Red Eyes and his Blue Eyes if our past selves met each other before. Surprisingly, they did."

Tristan gaped at him. "S-Seriously!? Is that even possible!?"

"Are you sure, Joey?" Tea looked at him in disbelief.

Joey nodded. "I wish I was lying, but I'm not. My ancestor Jono knew Priest Seth a long time ago. That's how our dragons were familiar with each other."

"Jono?" Yugi said, and then gasped. "I-I remembered Viola telling me about Heba meeting Jono along with Teana and Tehuti, who are also the past versions of Tea and Tristan."

"Wait! What!?" Tristan exclaimed in disbelief. "Since when did I have an Egyptian ancestor!?"

"I-It can't be possible! None of our roots came from Egypt!" Tea looked at Yugi in astonishment. "A-And who's Viola?"

"The purple snake who knew Heba," Yami told her. "She was able to speak to us and told us the whole story on what happened to Heba and his brothers."

"She and the other snakes were also the ones who altered our memories," Bakura snarled.

Tea saw they weren't lying, and quickly finished her ice cream before it could melt. After everything that happened, she knew this situation couldn't be ignored. There are still too many questions left unanswered, and the only ones who could answer them are either Goddess Wadjet or her sons. She thought everything was over and they could go back to their normal lives, but had a feeling it's only the beginning.

Cleaning her hands with a napkin, she glanced at everyone. "I'm guessing you got all your memories back, and remembered Heba and his brothers?"

Yami nodded, his lips stretched into a thin line. "We did. This time, we won't let anyone else steal them away from us."

"And if they dare target our Hikaris', they're done for," Bakura snarled, placing his arm around Ryou protectively.

Ryou could feel his cheeks heating up, but then heard giggling and squealing. Turning his head, he saw some girls hiding behind a pillar and waving at him. "Hi Ryou!"

He sighed, and turned his head back. "I was certain almost everyone at school had gone for vacation."

"Except for your fan girls. They're everywhere wherever you go," Joey snickered.

Tea face-palmed at Joey's statement, but did noticed Bakura glaring at those fan girls and keeping Ryou close to him. His action surprised her, but chose not to say it. It looks like he and Ryou established a friendship with one another. Since Ryou's a good influence on Bakura, this could get the former spirit of the Ring to tone down his evilness and learn that being good isn't a bad thing.

"Since we're all here, we should all spend the weekend hanging out before school opens," Yugi said, and glanced at Yami. "Is there any place you wish to visit, other me?"

Yami gazed at the sky, letting his mind ponder. Now that he has his own body, he'll be able to do things while alive and not dead. He could duel or look at some new cards, but he'll save those trips for another time. Right now, it's a place he wants to visit with his friends, and it must be something everyone can enjoy.

He glanced over at his partner. "I do not know, Yugi. Do you know of a good place to visit? There are so many, and I really don't know where I want to go to."

Yugi grabbed his chin in a thinking pose for a minute, and then snapped his fingers. "I think I know a good place we can go to."

"Big Wed?" Tristan looked at the entrance. "Why here?"

"This place has a lot of cool games we can play on, and this place can help us forget about our stress and learn to have fun," Yugi answered.

"I remembered this place have really good nachos," Joey said.

"I also remembered how I had to face off against Johnny Steps," Tea reminisced. "Hopefully, today would be a good day."

"I'm sure it will be, Tea," Ryou reassured her.

Bakura scoffed. "Besides coming here, I still want to have a duel with the pharaoh."

"Soon, Bakura. Right now, we should forget about our troubles and learn to have fun," Yami told him. "Though I do not know why you recommend this place, aibou. I thought we would go to the park."

"Well, I figured that we could have fun at the arcade first and then go take a walk near the beach," Yugi placed his hands behind his back. "The ocean is a lot prettier during the sunset."

"You do have a point," Yami smiled at him. "Shall we go inside now and play?"

"Lets go play some games!" Joey pumped his fist up, and raced inside with Tristan catching up to him.

Ryou chuckled at their antics, Tea shook her head at them being childish, Bakura ignored them and tried to focus on something else, and Yugi and Yami followed behind them while laughing at how funny their friends are. As they all went inside, they each went to a specific machine they could play on. Yugi and Ryou showed their darker halves how to use the controllers, and made sure they explained to them the rules so they wouldn't go all out while challenging each other.

Tea had been busy playing DDR with an opponent, while Joey and Tristan are at a machine that involves racecars. As everyone is busy playing the games they like, they had no idea time had already passed until they checked the clock. Pretty soon, evening time rolled around so they called it a day and left the arcade. After that, they arrived at the beach and took a stroll near the ocean.

Joey and Tristan had their shoes and socks off with their pant sleeves rolled up and splashed at each other in the water, while Tea chose to soak her feet in the water while away from their splash fight. Ryou chose to sit at the dock to gaze at the ocean, while Bakura stood near him with his hands in his coat pocket. As for Yami and Yugi, they both sat down at some huge rocks so they can gaze at the sunset while also seeing their friends having fun.

Yami had never felt this excited before. He was able to do things as a normal young boy here in the modern world, and did not have to act like a pharaoh in ancient Egypt. The thought of his home brought a sad smile to his face. He can no longer return home or see his family again. He made the choice to leave his kingdom, and be revived back so he could rescue his aibou and reunite with him.

Hopefully, everyone would understand why he had to leave. He knows that his cousin Seth will take over the throne for him as the new pharaoh, and bring peace to the kingdom. His dear friends Mahado and Mana will be okay.

His mother and father…

Yami isn't sure how they would feel about his departure, but he knows they had read the letter and would need time to understand on why he must leave them. He was lucky to meet his mother when he departed for the afterlife, and she reminded him so much of Yugi. They both shared the same amethyst-colored eyes, same smile, same kindness, and same heart. They even shared the same desire to love and protect him no matter what.

He remembered that she died from an illness when he was very small, and could barely remember what she looked like. Thankfully, he never forgot her voice, warmth, and scent. His heart feels at ease whenever he's near her, and its easy for him to tell her of his problems. He is still close with his father, but couldn't bring himself to tell him of his true feelings.

"You really miss them, do you?"

Yami looked at Yugi, and then at his lap with a sad frown. "I do, and I hope they would understand why I had to leave."

Yugi placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Yami, I know they will. Your parents love and trust you. I know they want you to be happy."

"I wish I could be happy, but it's hard though," he clutched on the fabric of his pants. "I left the palace without saying goodbye to them… except for my mother…"

"Your mother?" Yugi tilted his head. "Did she saw you leave?"

Yami nodded, and turned to look at him. "She did, and she supported my decision."

Atem went through the contents of his bag again: a water skin, map, weapons, food, and things needed for the journey. Food and water isn't necessary since he's technically a spirit in the afterlife, but its best to remain cautious of one's safety. He checked and made sure the scroll is left on the bed so one of his faithful priests or friends would see it, and read it before alarming the palace of his departure.

Putting on his satchel bag along with his white cloak that covers him from head to toe, he checked and made sure he got everything, including his Millennium Puzzle, and went over to the balcony. The temperatures are cool, and the only light emitting from the night is the full moon and twinkling stars. Gazing at the moon for a moment, his eyes scanned the area below him.

Since the guards are positioned at their stations to keep watch of any intruder, he'll have to be extremely careful. Security had increased ever since Akefia somehow managed to sneak inside the palace. For the royal family's protection, every guard is stationed at their post to prevent something like this from happening again. Because of that, he has guards outside his door guarding him so they'll know who will come in or come out.

Checking the ground, he spotted the rope hidden in the corner and picked it up. Once Akefia creates a distraction, the guards will be busy figuring out what it is and he'll be able to climb down the balcony without being detected and meet the bandit king at their hidden location spot. Since its very dark outside, he'll need to rely on the moon's light to help him view his surroundings.

"Leaving so soon?"

He gasped and spun around to find a tall woman wearing royal Egyptian clothing standing in front of the entrance of his room. Her long black hair is braided into tresses with hair accessories and wore the standard golden Egyptian bands on her arms, forearms, and ankles. She wasn't wearing her golden royal headdress, but her purple eyes gazed into his eyes.

"M-Mother…" he stuttered. "I-I was just-"

She placed her hand up to silence him. "Its all right. I understand, Atem." She gave him a sad smile. "I know you are unhappy."

He shook her head. "Its nothing like that, mother. I'm not running away or anything."

"I already know, Atem. You are leaving this kingdom forever."

"I-I'm not leaving you or anyone! I swear to you I'm not!"

"Atem, there's no need to lie to me. A mother knows her child better than anyone else."

"Mother…"

She walked over to him and placed her hands on his shoulders. "You miss him, correct? The boy you told me so much about from your adventures?"

He nodded. "Akefia told me there's a chance he could be in danger. I can't just ignore it. Yugi is very precious to me."

"Say no more, my child," she cupped his cheek with the palm of her hand. "Your heart is longing for him. Your true home is with him." She gazed at the Millennium Puzzle hanging around his neck. "You were only a toddler when I passed away. I missed so many years of you growing up. Now, you are no longer a child but a man. Whatever your heart desires, I will support you."

He looked at her sad eyes. "Mother, please don't shed any tears for me. I will never forget you, father, or anyone here. All of you are my family, and you will always be in my heart." He stepped forward and hugged her, feeling tears forming in the corner of his eyes. "I'll always love you all no matter what happens. My memories of you will never fade away."

She hugged him back, holding him gently while stroking his hair as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I love you too, my sweet Atem. I will support your decision and love you for all eternity." She planted a small kiss on his forehead. "May the great Egyptian Gods protect you from danger."

"Before I departed, she gave me something to remember her by so I will never forget who I am and where I came from," he finished his story, and gazed at the sunset. "After that, I had been revived back to come here and rescue you from Goddess Wadjet."

Silence lingered in the air, but it didn't last long. Yami turned his head and his eyes widened to see tears streaming down Yugi's cheeks, causing him to have a concerned expression. "Yugi, what's wrong? Did my story upset you?"

Yugi shook his head no and sniffed, wiping his tears away with the back of his hand. "T-The story didn't upset me, Yami. I-I was upset that you had to say goodbye to your own mother. Y-You never got the chance to spend more time with her because of the situation I was in."

"Yugi, I told you before it wasn't your fault at all-

"I-I know, but it still felt like it is. Your mom died from an illness when you were small, and you barely remembered what she looked like. You were able to see your mom again in the afterlife and be with her, but then you had to leave your home because of everything that happened."

"Aibou, my mother understood what I was feeling and supported my decisions, and I made sure to never forget her or my family. Its true the palace is my home, but my real home is right here with you."

"B-But your friends and family-

"Yugi, please listen to me," Yami placed his hands on his shoulders. "Its true that I do miss them, and I could never stop thinking about them. However, my heart is telling me to reunite with you and I chose to follow my heart." He placed his hand on Yugi's chest. "My home is right here within your heart. Your warmth, kindness, and love are the reasons I am alive. Its true that I can never go back to the afterlife again, but I know my loved ones will understand why I chose to leave. I know they will be fine without me."

"Yami…."

He gave his partner a gentle smile. "Yugi, I made sure to spend every time with my parents. I have been able to learn more about them, so please do not cry. I will never forget their appearance, voice, and warmth. My memories of them will never fade away."

Wiping away his tears, Yugi saw how serious his answer is and smiled in relief. "I'm glad though. I know your parents are good people."

"They are. In fact, I wanted to introduce you to them someday."

"Y-You sure?"

Yami nodded. "Of course I do. I told them all about my adventures with you and our friends. My mother really wanted to meet you: the one who solved the puzzle and freed me from my prison. The boy who showed me kindness and courage."

Yugi could feel his cheeks heating up. "M-Maybe someday, I'll be able to meet them."

"We will once we're ready to go into the afterlife the natural way."

"Sounds a little scary."

"It is, but we can get through this together."

"You're right," Yugi scooted over and hugged him. He felt arms hugging him back as he buried his face onto his chest. "I'm really happy that you're here with me. I'm gonna make sure you have the best time of your life here in Domino."

"I already have the best time of my life here," Yami tightened his grip on him. "You're here with me, akhu."

"Really, kkwy?"

"Really," Yami kissed his forehead. "Ana bahebak, aibou."

Yugi blushed, and covered his face on his chest. "W-Watashi mo anata o aishitemasu, mou hitori no boku."

They continued to embrace each other, as the sun started to set to give them a peaceful atmosphere. It felt like they were the only ones at the beach, almost forgetting that their friends are also there and possibly witnessing their confession to one another.

"Oye pharaoh! I still want to have a duel with you!"

"Don't ruin the moment, tomb-robber!"

"Then hurry it up already!"

Akhu = light in Egyptian

Kkwy = darkness in Egyptian

Ana bahebak = I love you in Egyptian

Watashi mo anata o aishitemasu = I love you too in Japanese

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