Hello everyone! I hope you're all staying safe from the virus and washing your hands everyday! Remember, all of us can get through this!

Now, it looks like the others are helping Yami and Bakura adapt to having a living body and we even saw a moment between Atem and his mother before he left the afterlife. Plus, it looks like our two favorite star-haired boys are getting closer in their relationship. Lets continue to cheer them on!

Tristan let out a huge sigh of relief after gulping down some cold water from his cup. He almost forgot that he asked the chef to make his pork ramen extra spicy. Since he still isn't use to the chef's powerful spice flavor, he'll have to be very careful when eating it. Plus, his pork ramen is still tasty and he wasn't gonna stop until his stomach is filled up.

Blowing on his ramen before slurping it, he glanced at his watch to see it was still mid-afternoon. Right now, he's at Ramen Hakata, which is one of his favorite places to eat his favorite ramen dishes whenever he craves it. He and his friends would come here a few times since both he and Joey know the owner well, and were always the first to try his new recipes.

For now, he's the only one here besides a few customers, but is still waiting for one of his friends to show up. Yugi and Yami are busy helping Solomon at the game shop, Joey is on lockdown at Kaiba's mansion to avoid escaping there like yesterday, Ryou is at home helping Bakura learn more about using technology in the modern era, and Tea is supposed to be here soon to meet up with him.

"Hey Tristan. I hope I wasn't late."

He turned his head and gave her a firm nod. "You're right on time. However, it's best that you don't make your ramen extra spicy. I almost burned my tongue from it."

Tea covered her mouth to refrain from giggling as she sat down on the stool next to him. "I'll keep that in mind." She placed her hand up and looked at the chef. "One chicken ramen, please! And make it a little spicy!"

"Coming right up, miss!" the ramen chef Eiji replied and started preparing her dish.

Tristan looked at her in disbelief. "A-Are you sure you can handle the spice?"

"Tristan, I love all types of ramen. Even the spicy ones," Tea gave him a small smirk and winked at him. "I'm tolerant towards spicy food, so I can handle it better than anyone else."

"Lucky…" he grumbled and slurped on his ramen.

"Besides my tolerance towards spicy stuff, is there something wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't see the rest of our group except for the both of us," she gestured to the whole restaurant filled with some customers unfamiliar to them. "You wanted me to meet up with you here at this place, which serves ramen and you know how much I love ramen since its one of my favorite foods to eat."

Wiping his mouth with a napkin, Tristan slightly frowned while giving her a worried look. "I figured this place could cheer you up."

"Cheer me up?" she questioned, and saw her bowl placed in front of her. "What do you mean?"

"You know… after what happened yesterday at the beach…"

Tea raised her eyebrow at his statement, but then realization dawned on her and she sighed. "Tristan, I'm not upset at all. I had a feeling their bond is stronger than anything else."

"Yeah, but I know you were faking your smile and pretending you didn't see it. Its obvious you're heartbroken, and I can understand it."

"Tristan, I appreciate your concern but don't worry about it. My feelings for both Yugi and Yami went away after he departed for the afterlife."

"Except you still harbor a little bit in your heart."

Tea placed her hand on her chest. "At first, I couldn't believe the pharaoh returned from the afterlife to help us save Yugi and the others from Goddess Wadjet. He was able to stay with us, and gain a body thanks to Goddess Hathor. To tell you the truth, old feelings began to surface but it suddenly went away." She gazed at her ramen. "I still remembered my talk with Yugi on how I wasn't ready to be in a relationship, since I wanted to focus on my dreams first in being a professional dancer. I had a feeling Yugi's true soulmate is out there, and I was right. He was able to find his soulmate."

"And that soulmate is Atem," Tristan finished.

Tea nodded while sadly smiling. "I've never seen Yugi so happy before. Even Yami felt really happy whenever he's with Yugi. To be honest, I'm happy for them. I know they're made for each other."

"So you don't mind two of your guy friends are in love with each other?"

"Not at all. As long as they're happy, then I'm happy."

Tristan blinked, gazing at her in awe. "If you ask me, you're the strongest person I've ever met. I had no idea you took it so well."

"After learning about Atem's past life and his relationship with Heba, something was telling me their bond is close just like Yami and Yugi's bond," Tea did a prayer and picked up her chopsticks. "I'll do my best to support them, and make sure they're both happy. After all, friendship can overcome anything."

"But not heartbreak. It can really hurt."

"True, but we just need to take it easy. We'll let time help us heal."

"Too bad time didn't go by faster when I got my first heartbreak."

"You mean with Miho? I'm still surprised she started dating one of the upperclassmen a few months after she first rejected you."

"Please don't remind me, Tea! How could Miho do this to me!? What have I done wrong!?"

Shaking her head at his sob story, she blew on her ramen and quietly slurped it. "After we're done eating here, we'll go to a parfait shop."

"B-Because of the spice?" he sniffed.

"That and to help heal your heart. Since you helped me talk about my feelings, I'll help you with your feelings. The first thing I gotta do is help you move on from Miho and focus on someone else."

Tristan gasped. "Of course! How could I forget about sweet little Serenity!?"

Tea face-palmed. "Its best Joey doesn't know about this. I don't want to drag you to the hospital."

"I can handle Joey! I'm obviously stronger than him!"

"Whatever you say, Tristan. Whatever you say."

Joey looked at the ceiling for a moment, and then sneezed. Offered a tissue from one of the maids, he took it and blew his nose on it. "Thanks."

The maid bowed. "You're welcome, Mr. Wheeler."

Joey shook her head. "Just call me Joey. Mr. Wheeler sounds boring to me."

"As you wish, Mr. Joey."

"Close enough," he threw the used tissue in the trashcan. "So explain to me again why I have to stay in lockdown here?"

The maid held her fist close to her mouth and cleared her throat. "Mr. Kaiba specifically instructed to all of us that you must remain here in this mansion when he's not present. He is concerned for your safety."

"Safety? All I did was go see my friends yesterday and hanged out at the mall, arcade, and beach."

"You left the mansion without informing anyone of your whereabouts."

"I told Mokuba I was going."

"You must inform Mr. Kaiba on where you go whenever you leave the mansion."

"Are you kidding me?!" Joey threw his hands up in disbelief. "I know how to fight! Rich boy shouldn't be that concerned with me!"

"Now that you are staying here in this mansion, its our duty to make sure you are well-fed, protected, and educated to help you prepare for the future."

"Okay, what's your name?"

"My name is Toru, Mr. Joey."

"Listen Toru, I'm not a weak little boy. I'm a big strong man who can win in a fight. I get it that you and everyone else want me safe, but please don't think of me as fragile or delicate. I'm more of an independent type of guy who works for it, and doesn't need anything handed to me on a silver platter."

"Which is why you're one of the few people I can trust."

"Gah!" Joey turned around and stumbled back. "W-Where did you come from!? Are you a ghost!?"

Seto folded his arms over his chest. "Mutt, I'm not dead. I'm very much alive."

"I'm no mutt, money-bags! I'm a Joey!"

"You prefer to be called a baby kangaroo?"

"That's not what I meant! I meant say my real name!"

"As in Joseph?"

"Joey is better!"

"I do like the name puppy better. It suits you well."

"You're insane!"

Toru loudly cleared her throat. "Is there anything you need, Mr. Kaiba?"

Seto shook his head. "Nothing. Go back to your duties, Toru."

Toru folded her hands together and bowed. "Of course, Mr. Kaiba. Farewell, Mr. Joey."

As she spun around and left the living room, Joey continued to glare at Kaiba. "If you think you can keep me inside this place forever, then you're surely mistaken!"

"My security system is one of the best. No one can ever get in nor get out," Seto smirked with a hint of arrogance in his tone. "We also need to lay out some ground rules for you. The first rule is you must always inform me on where you are going before leaving this mansion."

"You do realize I have a phone and you can just call or message me, right!?" Joey showed him his cellphone.

"Video calls would be better so I can see you and your location," Seto raised both fingers. "Second rule is learning how to become a proper Kaiba. I shall help you transform from a mangy mutt into a sophisticated purebred. I need my partner to be by my side as an equal."

Joey looked at him in disbelief. "Its official! I don't know you anymore!"

"Third rule, you cannot bring anyone over without my permission. I don't want anyone to make a mess or break something here. If they do, they pay for it."

"I'm starting to think you never take naps at all!"

"Fourth rule, don't let anyone steal your heart. I'm the only one who can take your heart."

"… Goodnight!" Joey walked away.

Seto placed his hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Where are you going, mutt? It is rude to walk away when someone is speaking to you."

"I'm obviously in a very bad dream, and I gotta go back to sleep and wake up from this horrifying nightmare!" Joey shrugged him off. "Wake me up when you turn back to normal, Kaiba!"

Seto grabbed his arm and pulled him back, causing Joey to stumble back while pressed against Seto's body from behind. "Puppy, I'm not going insane. I am perfectly fine. You just need to listen to my rules and me. If you don't obey, I'll punish you like the bad puppy you are."

Joey snarled and got out of his grip. "Don't even think about it, Kaiba! You're using that as an excuse to do something to me! Well I'm smarter than you!"

"I had no idea you would use your head."

"Don't mock me, you crazy beast!"

"Crazy beast? Really?"

"Then you're a quack!"

"I don't look like a duck."

"Too late! Now you do!" Joey stuck his tongue out.

"You should put that tongue back in before it's used for something," Seto smirked.

Joey quickly covered his mouth. "Don't you dare!"

"Then don't disobey me."

"J-Just go back to working on your laptop! You got a busy company to run!"

Seto folded his arms over his chest. "I finished my work early. The secretary will call me when I'm needed there for emergencies."

"Then go spend time with Mokuba!"

"He went to go pick up your little sister."

"Wait! He is!?" Joey looked at him in disbelief.

"In exchange for you to come out of the closet, I would bring her here," Kaiba walked over to the stairs that go down to the first floor.

Joey followed him from behind. "S-So she's coming here right now?"

"She is. Mokuba is explaining to her everything on your new living arrangements and how you're safe."

"Now something is telling me that you're actually a phony and not the real Seto Kaiba. Its usually his brother Mokuba who does nice things."

"I am the real Seto Kaiba. I'll even take a DNA test to prove it if you still believe I'm a phony."

Joey continued to study him as they walked down the stairs. When they reached the first floor, he almost pouted. "Aw dammit! Tristan and I were hoping you really are a great big phony disguised as Seto Kaiba!"

Kaiba arched his eyebrow. "I was right. Your friend is a hound."

"Hey, wait a minute! I'm the only one who can make fun of Tristan, not you!"

"You need better friends, pup."

"Don't make me punch you!"

"Seto! Joey! We're here!"

Kaiba glanced at the entrance, noticing Mokuba and Joey's younger sister standing inside the mansion. "Its about time. The mutt wouldn't stop barking."

"Hey!" Joey snarled.

Mokuba frowned and put one hand on his hip, using the other to wag his finger. "Big brother, I told you before. No more dog names for Joey. You made a promise, remember?"

Seto grunted, but didn't say anything. He remembered, but he also couldn't believe his little brother is scolding him. It should be the other way around since Seto is the older brother and Mokuba is the younger brother.

As for Joey, he's busy hugging Serenity while sobbing on how much he missed her. Serenity was comforting him, while shedding a few tears and telling him that she also missed him. The Wheeler siblings are reunited once again, and they'll be able to spend more time with each other before the end of Spring Break.

Kaiba cleared his throat to gain their attention. "Wheeler, are you pleased to see your younger sibling again?"

Joey sniffed and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "I-I am. T-Thanks, Kaiba."

Serenity wiped her eyes. "A-Again, thank you for letting me come here and letting my brother stay here."

Mokuba waved it off. "No biggie. As long as our brothers behave with each other, you're always welcome to visit."

Kaiba didn't know whether to frown at Mokuba or be proud of him. For now, he'll pretend he didn't hear it. Checking his watch, he saw it was close to evening time. The servants should be preparing dinnertime soon. He knows the younger Wheeler will stay before the break is over, and then they must all return back to school.

"And don't worry. I checked and Seto Kaiba is definitely not a phony!"

The first thing on his agenda is getting his puppy to stop telling people he is not a phony. Its already tiresome, and they already went through this before. He'll need to help his mutt regain his memory back. He'll do that tonight once everyone is asleep. Can't let Mokuba or their guest know about it.

Lightpulsar Dragon and Darkflare Dragon- the dragon of light and dragon of darkness. Ka spirits who served under Goddess Wadjet.

Malik traced their outline, seeing them in their card form. Ishizu and Odion told him about the battle between them and the serpent goddess. The dragons fought against the Blue Eyes White Dragon & Red Eyes Black Dragon. Their powers clashed, but luckily, his siblings and the others emerged victorious. Now, they must keep these cards safe since Goddess Wadjet entrusted her Ka spirits to them, making sure they do not fall into the wrong hands.

It's a good thing they were kept safe at home and didn't come with them when he, Yugi, and Ryou faced Nehebkau. It would've been a disaster, and a very tough battle. For now, no more danger for them. He preferred living a normal life that doesn't involve any more Egyptian deities, who are either their friend or foe.

Placing the cards back in their case, he massaged his forehead and thought back to his deck. Well, its actually Mariku's deck but they both used it during Battle City. He used his duel disk to summon both Lava Golem and Revival Jam for answers on why they never told him of his ancestor Namu, but they were hesitant to answer.

He pleaded with them for any small clues or hints, but they soon went back into their cards. To him, its almost like they were upset and filled with pain. Were they still sad over Namu's death? Did they have trouble moving on from the past and blamed themselves for not protecting him?

Malik remembered Lava Golem was once a warrior named Jabare, who is one of Goddess Wadjet's followers and Namu's teacher and guardian. He had a feeling Revival Jam was once a human 5,000 years ago, so there's a chance both of his monsters knew more about the life Namu grew up in. At least Namu grew up in a good place surrounded with love from his family. He wasn't doomed to be a Tomb Keeper, though it is possible his biological family were Tomb Keepers and he avoided that fate when the serpent goddess adopted him.

He leaned his head back against the couch cushions and blew a strand of hair away from his forehead. For now, he'll give his duel monsters some space to recover. Once they calm down, they'll probably give him some answers, even if it's not complete.

"Still thinking about your ancestor, hikari?"

Malik let out a huge sigh. "Lava Golem and Revival Jam won't tell me. They're still blaming themselves for what happened to Namu." He placed his arms behind his head. "It's been centuries, but the pain still lingers in their hearts. Not only were they once human, but they were close with Namu and promised to protect him."

Mariku's lips stretched into a thin line, and leaned against the couch cushions. "It is strange they now chose to reminisce those memories after so long."

"Probably because the serpent god and goddess made their appearance that spooked them," Malik replied. "Do you think I should talk to Gravekeeper's Visionary? Nehebkau did say he is the strongest Ka monster hidden deep inside Namu. He must know more about the past."

"I believe our Ka monsters are not ready to talk about it. Even I'm not ready to talk about the past," Mariku said, and folded his arms over his chest. "It is best we wait."

Malik frowned, but slowly nodded. "I guess you're right. Also, there will be no death involved. I still can't forgive Nehebkau for what he did to you and the others."

A small smirk formed on Mariku's lips. "Since when have you become so protective of me, my other half?"

Malik blinked, and his cheeks started to turn bright red. "H-Hey! I'm just concerned for your safety! Don't joke about it!"

Mariku shrugged half-heartedly. "As you wish, hikari."

"Just call me Malik. You don't have to keep on calling me hikari."

"To me, it suits you."

"I'm not exactly hikari material."

"You are the lighter half and I am the darker half."

"Only call me Malik, and I'll call you Mariku."

"What about pretty?"

Malik turned pink, but ignored his statement. "B-Back to the topic at hand, we're both protective of each other. You protected my siblings and me from father, and I protected you from Nehebkau. We think of each other as equals, and don't let anyone mess with us or our family."

Mariku thought about it. "The Millennium Rod brought us together. All of the Millennium items connected us to the past."

"We're not allowed to mess with the Millennium items again. All we can do is research mother's journal and talk to auntie Sadiki about the sons of Wadjet."

"Along with why the serpent goddess chose to keep their strongest Ka hidden from sight. Besides Nehebkau extracting them, others would do anything to get a powerful Ka."

"Did anyone knew of Ra being your strongest Ka spirit?"

Mariku shook his head. "I kept him hidden within me so no one would detect him. I could not risk getting hunted, since I choose to remain hidden within the shadows."

"Still don't get why you chose to be called 'the deadly assassin hidden in the shadows'. How famous were you back then?"

"Famous enough to poison a pharaoh. I was able to achieve that by killing some spoiled king whom everyone hated," Mariku grinned evilly.

"I'm not even gonna ask who," Malik rolled his eyes. "By the way, weren't you outside with Ishizu and Odion?"

"They left to go to the market and have me stay here so you would make sure I won't cause destruction."

"Remember, you cannot murder anyone nor use the Shadow Realm to destroy the world."

"No, but Ra-

"The Winged Dragon of Ra is a protector, not a destroyer. Don't even think about calling him out unless it's an emergency."

Mariku poked him. "You're no fun, hikari."

Malik stared at him. "If it makes you feel any better, we can go on my motorcycle and ride through the desert. We can also go see the Nile River and watch the sunset together."

Mariku arched his eyebrow. "You want us to go there alone?"

"Yup. Just the two of us. We'll let Ishizu and Odion know where we are and come back home before dark."

"So you're not afraid of anything coming out at night? Like snakes or scorpions?"

"I'm pretty sure they'll be more afraid of you than me afraid of them."

"They're not even scared of the bandit king and the pharaoh."

"Probably because they never pay attention to them."

"You're very odd, hikari."

"I should say the same to you. You're no longer bloodthirsty and frightening. You're even calmer than Bakura, and he's terrifying!"

Mariku shrugged. "I'll take that as a compliment. But yes, seeing the Nile would be good." He gazed at the ceiling. "I'll have to see if it's the same region where I kept my treasures."

"Treasures?"

"You'll know in due time."

Hope you all like this chapter! Don't forget to review!