I hope the last chapter brought some closure on how Tea is accepting Yugi and Yami being in a relationship together. To me, I see Tea as a supporting friend who cares for her friends and follows her dreams. I understand if everyone has different views on who their favorite characters are, and that's okay. All of us either like or dislike characters in YuGiOh, so its best to keep our opinions to ourselves.

So anyways, Tristan and Tea talked it over and now she has to be the one cheering Tristan up since he remembered his past crush Miho rejecting him. Joey saw that Seto can be nice when he wants to be, but now has to be careful and stop calling Kaiba a phony. As for Malik and Mariku, they'll be going to the Nile River and possibly find something related to Mariku's past. Hope you all like it!

He could feel the power of Ra hitting against his skin, but he was use to it. While growing up as an assassin 5,000 years ago, the harsh elements did not affect him. His teacher made sure he knew everything he needed to know in order to become a deadly assassin. Thanks to his teacher, he rose to the top and became the strongest assassin to ever live. But now, he had retired and has a living body to breathe in, one that does not involve a vessel.

Mariku sniffed, remembering the rich and exotic scent of the river. He remembered how clear and blue the water was when he and his crew marked the river as their territory. It was a good place to make a base near the caves where he and other assassins can hide or meet with each other.

However, their location is a secret and they take turns watching and inform them of any possible intruder near their territory. When brought to him, Mariku decides on whether or not they can leave the Nile in one piece. It usually depends on what their occupation is and if they interest him. Though if they were people sent to kill him, he and his minions make sure they never leave the river alive.

He vividly remembered his first meeting with Namu and his snake Aurelia. His appearance surprised him, since he remembered that he didn't have a twin or relative related to him. Namu's ability to understand and connect with snakes stunned him, and he almost thought Namu was a snake charmer. However, that idea left his mind when he learned of his relation to the serpent goddess Wadjet.

His lips stretched into a thin line as the memory of his hawk Ahmed appeared in his head. Not only his partner in crime, but he made sure to watch everything and inform his master of anything out of the ordinary. Ahmed made sure Namu and Aurelia wouldn't escape since they were their prisoners, though it amused him how they both tried to avoid him and his minions.

Gazing at the clear blue sky, he closed his eyes and remembered a familiar tune that soothed him. Namu's whistling reminded him of an old song, calming his mind to help him clear his head of all the bad things he did in his past life as an assassin. Mariku is still alarmed that he actually had a past life, and he isn't just a darker personality to Malik. Mariku was actually a person, and his soul somehow got trapped in the Millennium Rod.

Taking a deep breath and releasing it through his nose, he opened his eyes and glanced at Malik, who was busy gazing at the Nile River. Mariku already knew that Malik and Namu are both different, even if they shared the same spirit, characteristics, and personality. Their upbringing is actually different, along with the environment they grew up in. Namu was a snake prince, while Malik is heir of the Tomb-Keepers. Namu can talk to snakes, but Malik is afraid of them. Namu had a happy childhood, but Malik did not.

Even Malik knew that Mariku is no longer the same Heru from the past. He's also no longer dangerous and bloodthirsty, but a lot calmer and aloof. Mariku doesn't know how to feel being human, due to becoming everyone's worst enemy during Battle City, and doesn't interact with anyone. He can talk to Malik, and sometimes Ishizu or Odion when they're not frightened of him. As for the pharaoh and bandit king, he can relate to them since they're both the darker halves of their Hikaris.

Feeling the gentle breeze blowing his bangs, his eyes lingered on a particular spot down at the banks of the river. Even after so long, the area still hadn't changed. If its still there, then what he kept must still be hidden in his secret compartment. Only himself and Ahmed knew where they keep their precious treasure hidden from view.

"Does this place feel familiar to you?" Malik asked.

Mariku pondered for a moment, and nodded his head. "It still hasn't changed at all. The river, however, has gotten wider. I've never seen this much water before."

"As the years go by, things change," Malik said. "I hope it's bringing you the good memories and not the bad ones."

Mariku shrugged. "I choose only to remember the important parts of my memories. The rest feels like a dream."

Malik looked at him, but remained silent. He didn't want to bring up about his past; because then he'll remember Namu's death and the rage he felt when he killed Namu's murderer. Malik wanted his other half to be calm and happy, not deranged and malicious. He's able to have a decent conversation with his darker half, and Mariku does not mind it at all.

Glancing back at the river, Malik looked at his watch. Twilight will appear soon, and they must head back home before the sky darkens. When he lifted his head to inform Mariku, his eyes widened at seeing an empty spot where his darker half once was. Searching around the area, he noticed a moving figure moving on land near the river.

"Mariku! What are you doing down there!?" Malik shouted, spotting him feeling the walls for something. He didn't get an answer and shouted again. "Hello! What are you up to!?"

Frowning at getting no response, Malik observed what his counterpart is doing. To him, he was touching the walls, almost like he's trying to find a hidden switch or something. It didn't look like Mariku is listening to his surroundings, but only focusing the walls. Then, his hand pressed on something, causing a small rumble to be heard from the wall.

Taking a step back, Mariku watched as the walls parted to reveal a hidden passageway. Noticing some light that lit up the dark passageway, he stepped inside and vanished into the darkness. Malik quickly looked around to find a way to get down to the bank. Finding nothing, he carefully climbed down the slope of the cliff and landed on the bank with his own two feet.

He quickly ran over to the passageway, and went inside while keeping an eye out on his surroundings. A sense of nostalgia washed over him, as he continued to jog down the dark path. It felt like he had been here forever. Could this be the place where Namu and Aurelia stumbled upon and met Heru and his minions?

Shaking his head at the thought, he refocused on what he came in here for. "Remember, Malik. You gotta be careful in here. The first thing you need to do is find Mariku and figure out how he knew there's a hidden passageway here."

Fortunately, he didn't have to run that long. His jog came to a halt as his eyes widened in astonishment and awe. He was in some sort of throne room, but in a huge cave. There was a huge banner hung on the wall behind the throne chair, showing a symbol of the sun with the ankh symbol in the middle of the circle. The throne was carved like a chair fit for royalty, with statues on either side to show how powerful the ruler is.

Torches were hung on the walls, lighting up the entire place with its flames as Malik saw some hieroglyphics engraved on the walls. He can decipher their meaning, indicating their worship towards Ra, but also with pictures and stories of the assassins who lived here, their identity, and how they became assassins. Even the pillars had hieroglyphics engraved on them.

As his eyes scanned the entire throne room, he spotted Mariku crouching and digging something from the corner of the room. He went over there and placed his hands on his hips. "Okay, what are you digging for? And what exactly is going on here?"

Mariku continued to dig, ignoring his question. Malik frowned and opened his mouth again, but closed it when he spotted something in the hole Mariku dug in. Hearing him let out a huge breath of relief, Mariku picked up a wooden box and opened it, revealing two golden rings. Malik could tell they were ancient, and spotted some words engraved on them.

Malik glanced at Mariku and nearly gasped, seeing a lone tear run down his cheek. "M-Mariku? A-Are you okay?"

Noticing the tear, he wiped it away and nodded. "I'm alright. I'm actually happy I found it, and no one discovered it." He closed the lid and held it close to him. "Those rings are important to me. I'm relieved the secret base is still here."

Malik quirked his eyebrow. "You mean this place is where you and the other assassins lived in?" He emphasized the throne room. "Is this why you claimed part of the Nile River as your territory?"

Mariku chuckled, and stood up from his spot while holding the wooden box. "We keep our most valuable treasure hidden here. Only the most trustworthy assassins are allowed as long as we don't steal from another. It depends on which items can be sold at a higher price. We do our research before we take it, and make sure there are no witnesses." He grinned devilishly. "Its usually treasure we obtain from our clients, or those we take from our dead targets. It depends on how valuable it is."

"I'm starting to think you miss being an assassin."

"You are half correct. I do miss it, but now I am no longer an assassin here in this era."

"That's right. Right now, you are a modern Egyptian young man who is learning to be good and not cause any more destruction and evil."

"You wound me, hikari."

"Was that sarcasm?"

"Could be."

Malik shook his head. "It doesn't matter. What I want to know is how you remembered where this place is, and why are those rings important to you?"

Mariku looked at the throne, and sadly frowned. "This is the base me and my minions created whenever we discuss our missions. It did not matter if you're a man or a woman, as long as you got the job done. Any assassin is welcome here as long as they follow the assassin's rules: obey Ra, don't get caught when completing a mission, and do not betray us. If anyone breaks them, they are eliminated."

Malik gulped after seeing his eyes turn deadly. "W-What about the rings? Why are they important to you?"

Mariku looked down at the box, and opened the lid to gaze at the rings again. "They were a gift from Namu and Aurelia. Goddess Wadjet blessed both rings, and I could not let anyone take them from me. I decided to hide them here where no one can find them." His finger traced a ring with symbols on it. "They were the most valuable treasure I have ever gotten. Not only did the serpent goddess blessed them, but Namu gave them to me as a token of our bond. He thought of me as a good person, and knew I would be perfect for these rings."

"He believed in you a lot, huh?"

"He did. I don't know why since I was the one who kept him prisoner, but he grew to trust me. He became part of our family, even if he isn't an assassin."

Malik bit his lip, and folded his arms. "Do you still miss Namu?"

"My memories of him will never fade away."

"Is there any way I can help you see him again?"

Mariku turned his head to look at him. "Hikari, I accepted his death and departure into the afterlife. He had been reincarnated within you, and I know you're not Namu. You are Malik Ishtar, heir of the Tomb-Keepers."

"I know, but you're still sad over what happened to him. I understand that your bond with him is special."

"Which I'm happy for. And now, I too want to have a strong bond with you, Malik."

"H-Huh!?" Malik's cheeks began to heat up. "Y-You mean a bond stronger than friendship?"

Mariku smirked. "Correct. We were able to create a strong bond after the encounter with Nehebkau. I believe we should continue to let it grow so it can never break."

Malik could his entire face burning up. If what he's hearing is true, then Mariku wanted to be more than friends with him. Besides being best friends, he wants the both of them to become a couple. Has his own yami changed so much after being revived back? Is he serious on wanting to be very close with Malik? If so, is he really over Namu's death and now focused on the present?

Getting rid of the blush on his cheeks, Malik huffed at him. "Before we can continue this conversation, I believe we should leave this place already and go home. Ishizu and Odion are waiting for us."

Mariku grinned evilly. "Indeed. It is best not to keep them waiting. Let me lead the way, hikari." He walked past him, grabbing his hand and dragging him out of the throne room. "But first, stay close to me. There isn't much light on the path."

Malik could feel himself blushing again. He has no clue if his yami is actually sane or insane. But not only that, he has a reason to believe Mariku really did want to reestablish a bond with him to make up for past sins that he committed in Battle City. He doesn't feel any dark energy coming from him, so its safe to assume he is no longer psychotic and bloodthirsty.

Though the one thing confusing him is why he chose to hold Malik's hand while leading them out of the passageway. Is Mariku flirting with him? Or is this all a weird dream and he will wake up soon? Whatever it is, Malik is confused and has no idea if he should watch out and make sure Mariku isn't planning anything evil involving the world or him.

"Bakura, are you sure you'll be okay by yourself?"

"I can handle it. All I'm gonna do is nap, eat meat, and figure out which monsters are the best to defeat the pharaoh in a duel."

"Will you promise not to cause destruction here? I don't want us to get in trouble from any neighbors or the landlord."

Bakura waved him off. "You worry too much. I won't annihilate anyone if that's what you're saying. I'll scare them off with Diabound and Dark Necrofear."

"Please don't give anyone a heart attack," Ryou sighed, and finished putting on his shoes. "Well, I better get to school now. When it's over, I'll come back here and make us something to eat. Have fun with your nap."

"Don't let your soul get stolen, yadonushi," Bakura smirked evilly. "And stay away from evil spirits."

Ryou waved at him. "I'll do my best."

As he left the room and locked the door, Ryou straightened himself up and left the apartment. Now that Spring Break is over, school has resumed and all the students must focus on finishing the semester. Luckily, graduation is 2 months away. Once he's done with high school, he can take college classes here or back at England. He'll have to figure it out soon and make some changes now that Bakura has been revived back from the dead.

Speaking of Bakura, Ryou is surprised to see him changing little by little. Even though he doesn't like to talk to the others that much, he's surprisingly neutral with Yami and prefers staying close to Ryou. The last few nights were also astonishing when Ryou wakes up to Bakura in his bed. He had a feeling Bakura isn't comfortable yet to sleep on his own since he's been trapped in the Ring for 5,000 years, surrounded by darkness and emptiness.

Either way, he didn't mind and Bakura would use an excuse like "The room is too cold" or "I heard you whimpering in your sleep". Ryou found it adorable since Bakura reminds him of a tough rabbit. He may look strong on the outside, but he can be a little soft on the inside. As long as Bakura is trying, Ryou will support him. Plus, it felt nice to have someone in his apartment other than himself since it does get lonely for him.

He noticed a pink petal fluttering past him, and he looked over to see some cherry blossom trees blooming from the sunlight. A small breeze blew against the trees, causing the petals to flutter in the wind. The weather felt nice, and everything feels peaceful. A perfect day to get to school by walking or riding a bike.

Hopefully, Bakura will appreciate nature's beauty. If not, then he'll figure out which things he like besides meat, knives, stealing, and annoying Yami. Even the duel he and the pharaoh had was a little intense, but it didn't felt dangerous. Ryou is glad that Bakura made it a regular game and not a shadow game. It would've been a disaster if it did became a shadow game and someone gets hurt.

Approaching the school gate, he looked at the school's clock and noticed he arrived early. Other students were still coming in, and it looked like everyone is happy to see their friends again. He could hear a few talking about what they did on their Spring Break and where they went. Since everyone else had a good Spring Break, Ryou would guess his Spring Break turned out well since he was able to spend time with his friends and see his dad again.

"Good morning, Ryou!"

Ryou looked over and suddenly found himself swarmed by his female classmates. He recognized them being in the same third year as him, along with other female students who are either first years or second years. Like his friends would say, it's the accent that made the girls like him.

"Did you have a good break, Ryou?"

"I saw a boy at the mall who looked like you. Is he your brother?"

"I had no idea your brother would be really handsome!"

"Does he also have an accent like yours?"

"What's his name?"

"Does he go to school here?"

Ryou placed his hands up. "E-Easy, ladies. One at a time, please."

The brown haired ponytail girl was the first one to speak. "How was your Spring Break, Ryou? Did you go or do anywhere fun?"

"M-My break was lovely. Thank you for asking," Ryou replied. Besides getting kidnapped, meeting the spirit of the Millennium Ring again, and facing off against Nehebkau, his Spring Break is definitely crazy.

One of the twin girls who is a brunette with pigtails bumped next to the girl. "My sister and I saw a boy who nearly looked like you at the mall. Is he your brother or relative?"

He shook his head no. "He's actually a friend who moved here from England. He and I aren't related."

"Really? Does he have an accent like yours?"

"Is he coming to our school?"

"What is he like?"

"He reminds me so much of a bad boy due to his leather jacket."

"Do you know if he's seeing someone?"

Ryou could feel himself sweating as the girls continued to press for answers. Luckily, he didn't have to answer as his eyes spotted his friends coming in from the gate, causing him to call out to them. "Ah, Yugi! Tea!"

Yugi heard his call and waved at him. "Hey over here!"

Excusing himself from his fan club, he jogged over to his friends and gave them a relieved smile. "Thank goodness you arrived on time. They were asking me too many questions."

Tea giggled. "Seems to me your admirers are still pining for you, except they have no idea you're already interested in someone else."

"I beg your pardon?"

She waved him off. "Its nothing. Right now, I'm actually glad we came back to school. It's a good breather to help us forget about what happened over Spring Break."

"Agreed," Yugi said. "But what I do like about is that Yami came back and is able to be with us again. He can finally live as a normal teen instead of a pharaoh."

"The same goes for Bakura. I'll make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble. The same goes for Mariku. I know Malik is keeping an eye out on him," Ryou replied.

Tea nodded, and then turned around when she heard someone calling out to them. "Looks like Tristan has made it, but I don't see Joey yet."

Tristan arrived, heavily panting while resting his hands on his knees. "Y-You guys won't believe what I just saw!"

"What are you talking about? What did you see?" Tea asked.

Before he could answer, they saw a limo pull up at the entrance of the school. Recognizing it as Kaiba's limousine, they saw the driver James came out of the driver's side and went to the back where his passenger is. As he opened the door, Seto Kaiba stepped out of the vehicle while dragging a familiar blonde with him who is struggling to get out of his grip.

"Damn it, Kaiba! I said I can take my bike or walk to school!"

"The limo is faster, mutt. We mustn't be late to school."

"We're 10 minutes early!"

"Plenty of time to go inside and get to our classroom on time."

"Well people are staring since they saw me come out of the limo with you!"

"Good. They must know you belong to me."

"Now hold on just a minute! You haven't even asked me out yet!"

"I did. Last night, I told you to be my lover and you agreed to it."

"Only because you wouldn't stop squeezing me!"

"I needed your warmth so I wouldn't get sick."

"You're already hot!"

"Thank you. You're also adorable."

"Gah! Never mind!"

Tristan pointed his finger at them in disbelief. "This is what I wanted to tell you! Seto and Joey are coming to school together in a limo!"

Yugi sweat-dropped at Tristan's reply, while Ryou slightly chuckled and Tea face-palmed. He did hear a few students whispering to each other at seeing Seto Kaiba arriving with Joey Wheeler. What's even more surprising is that they were having a decent conversation, and there was no argument to indicate any dislike for each other. It looked like they were comfortable with each other and they could see Joey's cheeks turning pink.

"So the reason Kaiba is eating up here with us is because you have to make sure he's eating properly?" Tristan questioned, with a surprised expression.

Joey nodded and chewed on his noodle dog. "Yup! Mokuba asked me to keep an eye out on Seto and make sure he's not skipping out on his meals. Since he tried to be sneaky before, I dragged him up here so I can make sure he ate all his food and won't pass out from hunger."

Seto rolled his eyes. "I appreciate your concern, but I already ate. There's no need to worry that much, mutt."

"Kaiba, I will shove my noodle dog in your mouth if you don't finish your bento. You only made a dent, and you're still too thin!" Joey gestured to his bento, and then to his frame. "How can you be thin and tall at the same time if you're stuck on your diet!?"

"I do not diet. I follow the instructions my nutritionist provides for me and exercise daily in order to stay in shape."

"I still think you're on a diet."

"I do not believe in diets."

"Then eat your food or say goodbye to your briefcase!"

Seto frowned at his threat, but chose to comply and eat his food, causing Joey to grin in triumph while the others are surprised that Kaiba listened to Joey. Its surprising they're both getting along well, like they're old friends. Usually Kaiba is a loner, but now he's slowly starting to warm up to the group. Whatever Joey did, its helping Seto be a little friendly towards them.

"So Yugi, you mentioned before that Yami is now helping you and Mr. Muto at the game shop?" Tea asked.

Yugi nodded his head. "That's right. Grandpa and I showed Yami what he could do, and he's getting the hang of it. The game shop became very busy when the customers recognized Yami as the King of Games, so business has been booming."

Tristan snorted. "Let me guess, his uniform is just like grandpa's?"

"Actually, he only wears an apron over his clothes along with a nametag to indicate he works there."

"On second thought, never mind."

Ryou chuckled. "At least you and Mr. Solomon have an extra hand at the game shop."

"What about you, Ryou? Is Bakura on his best behavior for you?" Tea questioned.

"Surprisingly, he is. Whenever I make his favorite meat, he sometimes compliment on how tasty it is. I even showed him the modern technology like our TV and he's been hooked on shows that involve gore or anything related to ancient Egypt." Ryou placed his finger on his chin. "I do remember he has a soft spot for snakes, since Diabound is his strongest Ka and he got along well with Nagini."

"Now I'm starting to think your Bakura is a phony. There's no way he would say something nice about anyone or their cooking," Joey pointed out. "And lets never talk about snakes while we're eating. They still freak me out."

"What Joey said. You never know if Bakura is planning something evil. And yeah, snakes are creepy," Tristan added.

Yugi shook his head at their antics while smiling, but then remembered something and looked at Ryou. "Did you ever got the chance to talk to Change of Heart or Green Phantom King?"

"You mean my duel monsters?" Ryou pondered for a minute, and then nodded. "I did, but they wouldn't tell me about Riyu or his past. They still blame themselves for what happened to him. I was able to get Skull Knight and tried asking him, but he wasn't ready to say anything."

"I see…" Yugi sighed. "Silent Magician and Silent Swordsman were hesitant on telling me about Heba, so I didn't force them to tell me. I thought about asking Gandora, but I then sensed his pain and decided not to. They're still mourning over his death."

The atmosphere became tense, and the others felt a little uncomfortable. Then, Tea's eyes' lit up and she looked at them. "Maybe the museum might have some answers! I remembered they found something for the Egyptian exhibit related to Goddess Wadjet!"

"Related to Goddess Wadjet?" Yugi looked at Ryou, and then at Tea. "What did they find?"

"They won't say. Only visitors who come for the new discovery will know what it is," Tea recalled. "They'll show it tomorrow at the Domino City Museum. We can go there after school is over. Maybe we can find some answers there."

Yugi thought about it. If what Tea said is true, then it's a good lead on what they can know about Goddess Wadjet and her sons. Maybe its something she created to symbolize the love she has for Heba and his brothers, or something else related to her title as a mother goddess. Whatever it is, this could help them solve the mystery of Heba and his brothers.

"Okay. We'll all go to the museum tomorrow after school."

Are you guys surprised at this cliffhanger? They're curious on the past lives of Heba, Riyu, and Namu. You'll have to wait and see if they get their answers on the next chapter! Please review and comment!