Chapter 1: The King of Games
The sun began to set over the super-metropolis of Domino city and delivered a beautiful orange horizon. However, as a result, many of the city's alleys became stripped of light and ominous.
A young boy and girl stood in one alley, each with a duel disk on their arm.
The girl smiled confidently as she had Armored Lizard on her field. (Atk 1500: Def 1200).
"I know I can still win this. I summon Petit Dragon in attack mode!" The boy proclaimed while bringing forth the small yellow beast.
(Atk 600: Def 700)
"Then I'll set one reverse card. Turn end."
The girl shook her head while looking back at him.
"You're still using Petit dragon? Come on Chikao."
Despite this, the boy gave a warm smile towards his monster.
"He doesn't look like much, but he'll bring me victory. "
"More like your reverse card will, you should have put him in defense mode, then I might have bought it." The girl set down a magic card, and within moments, her opponent saw mystical space typhoon destroy his reverse card.
Chikao now began to sweat as he saw his opponent begin her battle phase.
"Armored Lizard attack!" The larger beast lunged forward and destroyed Petit dragon, finishing off Chikao's life points.
"I win again!" The girl exclaimed while Chikao sighed. He took out Petit dragon and stared at it for a few moments, his smile slowly returning.
"Seriously, Chikao, if you want to be a serious duelist, you need to give up that card. He's way too weak and doesn't even have an effect."
"You're wrong, Eri. He's my favorite card."
Eri crossed her arms with a concerned look.
"Why is that?"
"He reminds me of myself, I guess, small, scrawny, but puts up a fight regardless."
Eri chuckled.
"True, I suppose."
Chikao continued to gaze at his monster card with a devoted look.
"Sometimes I feel like Petit dragon is around me when I duel. Watching over me."
Eri now shook her head before they heard ominous footsteps.
"Looks like some flies wandered into our web." A rough voice pierced the air and nearly made both children jump.
The footsteps grew louder as three figures appeared around them, two scrappy looking young men and a woman wearing intentionally torn-up clothes, covered in tattoos, and marked by piercings. All three also had duel-disks on their arms.
"You're right, but I wonder if they're even a worthy meal?" The woman with a blue mohawk said as she stared them down.
"Uhh, excuse us, we were just leaving!" Eri grabbed Chikao by the arm and tried to run, only to be cut off by the pudgy young man.
"It doesn't work like that, brats. You come into our turf, and you pay a toll. 23000 yen for both of you." The final thug with a Vorse Raider tatoo across his face said.
"23000 yen! We don't have that kind of money!" Chikao shouted. The woman motioned her hand at the children before her companions nodded.
Eri and Chikao held each other while trembling, but their assailants showed little compassion. The thugs threw them down and almost violently took whatever money and valuables they could find.
"Look through their decks too." The woman said.
"Tch, what's the point. This kid's deck is crap." The tattooed thug sneered as he tossed away Chikao's cards until finding Petit Dragon.
"Hey, let him go!" The boy shouted in a passionate rage as he got up.
"Chikao stop!" Eri cried with terror in her eyes.
All three thugs smirked at Chikao.
"You were right, kid. This card is just like you. Weak and helpless." The thug ripped Petit dragon in half and dropped the pieces into a puddle.
"No!" In a furious rage, Chikao tried to attack the thug only to have the wind knocked out of him by the man's fist.
"Chikao!" Erin raced to her friend's side as he hunched over in pain, tears flowing from his eyes.
"Hmp, looks like they couldn't pay the toll. Time to do the same thing to them." The woman said as she stepped forward with the others.
Eri closed her eyes and covered Chikao, but instead of painful blows, she instead heard more footsteps and a strange growling noise.
All three assailants looked down the alley as another figure approached.
"It takes three thugs to overwhelm children?" How cowardly."
"Who the hell do you think you are!?" The woman shouted, unable to see who he was in the darkness.
Chikao and Eri weren't sure what to think as the shadowy figure came closer.
"I'm not here to cause trouble. In fact, I'll offer up a powerful card to pay their toll."
The woman chuckled.
"Alright, let's see it then."
The new figure took out a monster card and revealed it as none other than a Petit Dragon.
"Petit Dragon?" Chikao said with his eyes widening. Eri and Chikao both felt something strange about the card, almost as if there was someone or something else in the alley with them emanating from the Petit dragon.
"I see we have a smart-ass!" The woman snarled. The man smiled confidently but not arrogantly.
"Every monster has strength of some kind. Let me show you."
Chikao and Eri almost yelped when they saw a specter like Petit Dragon emerge from the card.
"What the hell? Did he turn on his duel disk?"
"He's not wearing one, you idiot!"
"Then how's he doing that?"
The Petitt dragon didn't look like a hologram, but almost like a spirit, with a tangible presence too it. The small dragon's innocent expression turned fierce before he let out a shriek that shook all three vagrants as they covered their ears.
When the lead woman opened her eyes, she saw the dragon spirit flying right at them, then through their bodies.
"Ahhh!" She cried out after having felt something.
"This is freaky! What's happening!?" The pudgy thug yelped as he saw Petit dragon coming back.
"Run for it!" All three ran towards the figure, who didn't appear unusually large or intimidating. If anything, he looked relatively small.
"Return their money, please." He said, blocking their way.
"Big mistake!" The woman and her companions threw up their fists. However, with three swift blows, the thugs fell over in terrible pain.
Chikao and Eri still quivered in fear as the man approached them. He stood no taller than five-feet with less than a hundred pounds of body-eight. However, all of that weight was defined muscle under a black sleeveless shirt and jeans.
Most unique about the man was his hair, multiple layers including long blond crooked, pointy locks for his fringe; the rest features a set of five large spikes and two smaller spikes colored black with a magenta sheen along the edges.
"I believe this is yours." he said, handing the children their money and possessions back.
"Thanks." Eri said, still a bit frightened.
Chikao, however, was more interested in the Petit dragon spirit that flew around him like a puppy.
"Petit dragon! You're real!"
"Piii!" The dragon smiled while floating just in front of Chikao before returning to his card.
"I'm sorry about your Petit Dragon. But this one needs a home too."
Chikao almost trembled as he took the card and saw Petit Dragon's spirit fly around him again.
As the setting sun brought momentary light to the alley, Eri and Chikao finally realized who their protector was.
"You, you're!" Eri began trembling again, but not in fear.
The man knelt down and put his hands on their shoulders.
"Never lose the bond with your cards."
After making sure both children got out of the alley, Yugi stared at the horizon for a few moments. As the setting sun reached twilight, the young-man almost thought he saw another figure staring back, one who looked almost exactly like him.
"...Atem." He took a deep breath, Yugi climbed onto a motorcycle and drove through the bustling streets, his head covered by a helmet, preventing anyone he passed from recognizing him.
That evening, he sat at a desk inside a reasonably sized apartment, overlooking much of Domino city. The sprawling capital of Japan had grown more than any city in the last decade, with the crowned jewel being Kaiba Corp's illustrious tower that extended well above any other building.
Yugi glanced at several pictures sitting on his desk. Each one being him with his closest friends, Joey, Tea, and Tristan. However, they weren't alone. Some of the pictures showed another figure with his friends, one who looked like Yugi did now. Each of these pictures showed Yugi with the golden Millenium Puzzle around his neck, until a certain point.
As the pictures went on, Yugi could no longer tell the difference between himself and the other figure.
He gazed at one final picture inside an ancient tomb, of him and the figure together.
"Darling! I'm home!" Yugi almost jumped as he felt a pair of arms wrap around him, followed by a warm kiss against his cheek. Yugi looked back at a young woman roughly his size, though perhaps four years younger. She had fair skin, long blonde hair, and silvery-blue eyes covered by glasses. Unlike Yugi, she wasn't Japanese, but caucasian.
Yugi's smile returned upon seeing her.
"How'd the match go today?"
"Exceptionally well." She said in a confident tone while standing up tall.
"The only downside was you weren't there, darling."
"I'm sorry, Rebecca, Duke, and I had a busy day, and there was some other business."
Rebecca smiled before hugging Yugi again.
"It's alright, I know you're behind on your passion project, and you've seen plenty of my matches." Rebecca looked at the picture of Yugi with Leon at Kaibaland U.S.A.
"Darling, do you ever miss dueling? You're still the duel King, you know." A hint of sorrow filled Rebecca's voice, but Yugi remained firm.
"Sometimes. Dueling made me who I am, but I feel there's more I can do with my life. Your passion for dueling has exceeded mine, and that's a good thing."
Rebecca smirked slightly.
"You didn't have to put your deck on display. I never got the chance to duel you again proper."
Yugi turned back to Rebecca and kissed her cheek, making her blush uncontrollably.
"I could ask for it back if you'd like."
Rebecca clasped her hands together with an almost goofy smile.
"Maybe."
After taking a long breath, she looked at the computer with Yugi and saw a digital game map with Duel Monster pieces on it.
"How did it go with Duke today?"
"Reasonably well, we've managed to attract another sponsor, but most aren't impressed with Duke's hologram technology. Not when Kaiba keeps upgrading duel monsters." Yugi sighed while placing his hands behind his head.
"Maybe it was a fool's errand trying to create a new game with Duel Monsters out there."
"Don't say that, darling!" Rebecca took Yugi by the shoulders and gave him a determined look.
"After everything you've accomplished, don't give up on something like this?"
Yugi smiled while glancing back at the program.
"Perhaps you're right..."
Rebecca could feel the conflict in her boyfriend and put her hand on his shoulder again.
"Darling, are you ok?"
Yugi sighed.
"There's another reason I gave up dueling, and I think you know it."
Rebecca slowly nodded.
"Atem."
Yugi's face hardened.
"It just doesn't feel the same without him. That duel we had in the tomb, it was my last duel. For so long, I depended on Atem for strength, but down there. He showed me how strong I'd become. I'd gotten what I needed from duel monsters."
"Atem was nice, but I always preferred you." Rebecca said, hugging Yugi again. Yugi slowly began to smile.
"I'm glad he's finally at peace with those from his life. Priest Seto, Mahad, Mana."
Yugi looked back at the pictures of him and his friends with a sincere expression before returning to his program.
"You're right, though. I shouldn't forget why I want to make this game."
The next day Yugi and Rebecca were with Duke in the back of his shop while looking over a projected RPG style map of ancient Egypt.
Yugi, Duke, and Rebecca stood together on one end as they each controlled a projected Duel Monster. Duke was utilizing Strike Ninja, Rebecca, Guardian Angel Joan, and Yugi Blast Luster Soldier Envoy of the Beginning.
"Alright, spawning NPCs, now!" Duke shouted as he activated a squad of various monsters.
"Let's go!" Yugi roared full of enthusiasm as their monsters battled together against the monsters, working in synch like members of an RPG party. At one point, Duke activated the magic card, Beckon to The Dark from his inventory and destroyed a Giant Orc Monster that threatened his ninja.
The battle was fierce but decisive as their party emerged victoriously. Holographic images of loot appeared, not just money, but various magic and trap cards as well.
"This is fun!" Rebecca almost shouted with an excited look.
Duke similarly nodded while looking at two of his employees who recorded their session.
"As you can see, Duel Quest is thrilling for all those who play and brings friends together." Duke sounded quite sure of himself like any good businessman.
Yugi, however, seemed much happier with the last bit. He stared at their party with great hope and passion.
"And cut. We'll upload this session with the others." Duke's cameramen said.
"Good, have Haruka start editing them." Devil added.
"I can't believe you two don't have more sponsors. This game is amazing! Rebecca had stars in her eyes while looking at their party.
Duke sighed while staring at their holograms.
"Maybe, but getting Dungeon Dice Monster's off the ground with Duel Monsters as a competitor was hard enough, and that was before the game all but monopolized the market. Kaiba Corp's holograms and systems can't be matched. I suppose that's Seto for you." Duke said pessimistically.
Yugi put his hand on Duke's shoulder with a reassuring smile.
"I have faith in the game. It will bring friends together, just like duel monsters."
Duke started to smile again and nodded. He'd known Yugi for many years, and despite their getting off on the wrong foot, they'd become close friends, and Devil knew his value on friendship.
Yugi wasn't interested in making a fortune with this game. He merely wanted to bring people together.
"You're right. We have more sponsors coming in today. Let's do our best and show them what Duel Quest is really worth!"
Rebecca savored, seeing Yugi so optimistic. He'd certainly become far more confident and stronger from when she first met him. In many ways, he was just like Atem, or rather he'd learned Atem's strength for himself.
In truth, Rebecca found herself quite happy with how her life had turned out. She had made a good career out of professional dueling, made so many great friends, and ended up with her precious darling Yugi. In truth, the only real disappointment Rebecca had was never being able to duel him again. But she was ok that Yugi was content with giving up dueling. In some ways, the knowledge that he'd always be Duel King made Rebecca more excited.
"Duke! We have a visitor!" One of his employees almost sprinted inside, a mixture of excitement and anxiety.
"Who is it, Itachi?" Duke asked before he and the others got their answer.
Another young-man wearing an expensive suit came in and smiled warmly at those inside.
"I see Duel Quest is further along than I thought."
"You're welcome to join in, Tristan."
Yugi reached his longtime friend first and hugged him for a moment. As Yugi did so, Rebecca noticed Tristan holding onto his briefcase with serious dedication.
"You're looking well, how's Miho?" Yugi asked.
Tristan smiled with a slightly bashful look.
"Magnificent as always. She's my blessing from heaven."
Duke and Rebecca sweatdropped while glancing at each other.
"Three years at law school, and he still acts like a sappy teenager." Duke muttered quietly.
"Some personality traits remain even through other changes." Rebecca said while smiling towards Yugi.
"Duke, Rebecca. I understand your careers are going well."
Duke nodded.
"I opened another shop in Italy, so far, so good."
"I've won my last eight duels. I'm now in the top five pro-league duelists." Rebecca proudly announced.
"Is working for Seto as mind-numbing as you imagined?" Duke asked with a sly grin.
Tristan stiffened a bit while adjusting his tie.
"I'm a lawyer for the Kaiba Corporation, it's not like I'm Seto's personal assistant."
"You didn't answer my question."
Tristan remained silent before walking over to take a closer look at Duel Quest.
"You've made a lot of progress, it looks amazing."
"Thank you. We've devoted a lot of time and passion into it." Yugi said as he came up behind Tristan.
"Now, all we need is a few more sponsors." Duke almost groaned.
"I thought you had some already?" Tristan asked.
"A few, but not enough to get Duel Quest on track for wide release yet."
"It won't be easy with your boss cornering the market of duel holograms and Duel Monsters in general." Duke sighed.
"It's funny you say that." Tristan said with an intriguing smile.
Tristan sat Yugi and the others down in one of Duke's conference rooms where a large video screen rested before them.
"Seto, has a business proposal for us?" Duke asked, still slightly confused.
"He certainly does. Seto, you're on!"
The screen showed a vivid image of Seto behind a fine wooden desk in his classic white suit.
He and Yugi exchanged fierce but respectful looks. It had been some time since Yugi last saw Seto, and while his rival/friend looked as determined as ever, he also seemed to be at peace.
"Yugi."
"Seto."
Rebecca and the others anxiously awaited what might await in the conversation ahead.
"How strange it is, the two greatest duelists in the world, and both of us retired from the game."
Rebecca narrowed her eyes while tightening her first. While she was disappointed in not being able to duel Yugi, missing out on a chance to get back at Seto for ripping up her grandfather's Blue-Eyes White Dragon still lingered in her mind.
Yugi, however, merely smiled back.
"We're both moved onto other things. In your case, dominating the dueling world in other ways. I understand your Duel Academia graduates are spreading into the pro league."
Kaiba's trademark confident expression came front and center.
"Indeed. I'm quite proud of my investment there. I understand you've been trying to rival me in that regard. However, for once, it seems I've remained on top."
Duke and Rebecca now shared their frustration towards Seto, but Yugi stayed spirited.
"I can't deny that."
Seto put his hands together while leaning forward slightly.
"Triston has laid out your RPG game to me in great detail. I won't deny it's quite interesting. Still, it lacks Kaiba Corp technology and notoriety."
"We're aware." Duke finally said in a slightly frustrated tone.
"Perhaps if Kaiba Corp backed Duel Quest, it would be more successful."
Yugi, Devil, and Rebecca were all caught off guard by Seto's offer. Tristan, however, only nodded.
"Kaiba Corp is willing to sponsor Duel Quests in a joint venture. I have the contract written up right here." Tristan took out the documents and handed both Yugi and Duke a copy. Rebecca once again noticed how tightly Tristan held onto his briefcase. At first, she thought the contract would be inside, but instead, Tristan took the papers out from his jacket.
Devil still looked rather skeptical. He trusted Tristan well enough but knew Seto was a ruthless businessman. Kaiba Corp had seized the gaming market in Japan and almost everywhere else on Earth. While Seto might respect Yugi, Duke didn't think he'd be past trying to seize the game from them without Tristan knowing. However, Yugi didn't share Duke's concern about Seto and allowed Devil to read the contract alone.
Duke was no stranger to business contracts and diligently read the finer details. To his astonishment, the deal Seto offered was surprisingly generous. Kaiba Corp would provide the necessary technology and distribution, while they would still retain ownership. Duke glanced back at Seto and Tristan with a mixture of suspicion and intrigue.
As Duke got further into the contract, his eyes widened before turning to Yugi.
"Yugi, there's a condition to this agreement. It involves you specifically."
The way Duke spoke alongside Tristan's slightly nervous expression and Seto's growing smile made Yug cautious. Rebecca put her hand on Yugi's when she saw his somewhat wary expression.
"Yugi, you said I've moved on from dueling, and I have. When Mokuba and I were orphans, we dreamed of opening up amusement parks around the world to make people happy. When I opened Kaibaland almost ten years ago, Mokuba was happier than I'd ever seen him, and it brought a sense of peace to me as well."
Yugi's expression softened as he heard the sincerity in Seto's voice. For years he'd known Seto as someone obsessed with being the best and winning. Seeing him move on to what his true passion made Yugi happy. However, the condition of the contract still made him slightly anxious.
"Since then, we've opened half-a-dozen Kaibalands around the world. However, I have a much grander vision." The screen began to show a Polynesian island paradise. Rebecca and Duke's eyes sparkled as they saw its glorious beauty from the white beaches, palm trees, and shallow lagoons.
"This is Alto Mare. Until recently a hidden gem now owned by Kaiba Corporation." The screen then showed a Kaibaland bigger than any they'd ever seen. Yugi and Rebecca had been to the Kaibaland back in the U.S once or twice since the Grand Prix, but from the designs shown before them, this park looked more like a kingdom.
"Kaibaland Kingdom will be the largest and most glorious creation Kaiba Corp has ever mustered. Mokuba and I's dream will reach its magnum opus."
Rebecca and Duke sweatdropped. Both of them knew that Kaibalands had quickly become the most visited amusement parks worldwide and had to bring in a fortune for Seto, but the Kaibaland Kingdom seemed almost like a vanity project. Of course, even if the park didn't make any money, by now, Seto was the richest man on Earth, if anyone could afford such a project, it was him.
Yugi, however, didn't see it as such. In his eyes, Seto was living out his dream, nothing more.
"I opened my first Kaibaland with the KC Grand Prix it brought in tourists from around the world. Since then, Duel Monsters has all but conquered the world."
Yugi sat up straighter as he finally put the pieces together. Seto's smile held excitement, but also a subtle bitterness. Even so, he worked hard to hide it.
"As you can probably guess, to celebrate the opening of Kaibaland Kingdom, I'm hosting another Grand Prix with sixteen world-renowned duelists, all vying for the chance to face the Duel King."
Tristan set the briefcase down in front of Yugi and opened it very carefully. Rebecca and Duke almost rembled while looking at what was inside. Yugi, however, went still. Resting before him was a dueling deck. Reaching forward, Yugi drew the first card and took a deep breath.
"Dark Magician, my Dark Magician." The ultimate wizard in terms of attack and defense. His trademark violet-armor robes and Dark Magic circle filled Yugi with a sense of burning passion and fond memories. Yet it soured after a moment after remembering that this particular card wasn't just his favorite.
Yugi picked up the rest of the cards and sighed.
"My deck. I donated it to be displayed around the world."
Kaiba smiled wider.
"Who do you think was moving it around. Here's the deal, Yugi. You come out of retirement for one final duel to defend your title as Duel King against the winner of the second Grand Prix, and I'll support your game."
Rebecca almost trembled again as she practically threw herself forward towards Kaiba. Her sudden movement made Tristan jump backward, though Seto didn't flinch.
"If anyone gets to duel Darling, it's me!" She proclaimed.
"Hmp, you're invited to the tournament, of course, Rebecca. Your position in the pro league and U.S champion has earned you a spot just like last time. If you can win against the other fifteen contestants, you could possibly dethrone your Darling."
"Did Kaiba just say the word Darling?" Duke said, sweat dropping.
Rebecca fantasized about becoming Duel Queen with Yugi placing a crown on her head. The young woman's face blushed while steam blew from her ears. She nearly fell over before Yugi quickly caught her.
"Rebecca!" He shouted, his girlfriend nearly collapsing from her fantasy.
"Please, darling, take the deal." She muttered. Duke took a deep breath and nodded.
"To be perfectly honest, Yugi, we couldn't ask for a better deal than this. One duel to get our game up and running is worth it if you ask me. Still, it's your choice."
Yugi stared at his deck with a hard gaze. It wasn't easy giving up the deck that had seen him through so much, the deck he'd made with Atem. Still, keeping it was just another reminder that Atem was gone. Tristan's expression softened, as he soon realized this.
"Yugi, I'm sorry I-"
"I'll do it." Yugi had no hesitation as he took the deck and placed it in a holder on his belt.
"Yes! That's my darling!" Rebecca blushed again before springing up and hugging him.
Seto nodded.
"Excellent. Your flight leaves tonight."
Tristan reached back into his jacket and handed them three tickets.
"Miho, and I will see you on the plane."
Duke rose up with renewed optimism.
"This is it, Yugi. We're going to make Duel Quest happen!"
Yugi didn't seem too excited, nor did he seem anxious. He looked to be deep in thought.
"Let's go, Darling, we need to pack!"
Seto ended the call and switched to another.
"Mokuba, it's done."
"Alright! I knew you'd do it, big bro! Don't worry. I'm prepared to reclaim the title of Duel King for Kaiba Corp!"
Seto took a deep breath and tried to look happy for his younger brother.
"I know you will. We're heading out tonight, see you tomorrow." Seto ended the call and closed his eyes before reaching into his desk. The former Dueling Champion unlocked a hidden safe in the desk and took out his old deck, staring hard at the three blue eyes, white dragons inside.
However, after a minute, he shook his head and set the cards down.
"I'm past this." He assured himself. Seto was soon reassured after feeling a pair of warm arms wrap around him and a warm body with them. A woman his age with pale skin, white waist-length hair with tones of baby blue and bright blue eyes.
"I'm proud of you, Seto." She spoke in a soft and almost angelic voice, though with a hidden power behind it. Seto began to smile again before sitting back in a more relaxed pose.
"There's more to life than Dueling. You showed me that, Kisara."
The young-woman blushed a little before she kissed Seto's cheek.
"We better get going then."
Seto nodded before they left his office arm and arm.
The young Pharoah Atem sat alone inside one of the palace's chambers, save two guards who stood watch at the doorway. Resting around Atem's neck was the golden Millenium Pendant, not yet shattered into pieces.
Atem gave a tired sigh as he read a series of scribed words on papyrus and writing on fresh papyrus.
"Geeze, Atem, how long have you been at this? You're going to send yourself to an early grave." A spirited voice broke the Pharaoh's concentration. He looked over to see a young-woman roughly his age with the same tanned skin-tone as Atem, blueish eyes, and long brown hair strut around in multiple directions.
"I thought it was a little too quiet. You froze the guards again." Atem sounded almost tired as he looked back at his soldiers who stood like statues.
"They wouldn't let me in to see you, and I was getting worried."
"They were just doing their duty, Mana."
Mana blushed a little and shrugged with her eyes closed.
"My magic is getting stronger. Master Mahad will be proud."
Atem smiled slightly.
"Perhaps we should call Mahad in and show him." Mana's excitement shattered as she almost turned pale in terror.
"No! The last time I froze someone without his permission, he made me stay up all night practicing!" Mana began to tremble before taking out her want and aiming it at the guards. She muttered a few words, but nothing happened.
"Ahhh! Master is going to kill me!" Mana frantically held her head while Atem chuckled. The Pharoah closed his eyes while moving a hand over his pendant. A flash of white light from the Millenium item lit up both guards and freed them.
"Gaaah! What just happened!?" One shouted as he regained the ability to move.
"You can both get some rest. I'll be fine." The guards respectfully bowed before departing, leaving an exhausted Mana.
"I almost entered the afterlife." Mana nearly collapsed only to be caught by Atem.
"Please don't tell Maha."
"It's our secret." Mana sighed in relief and sat beside Atem as he returned to his work.
"Atem, you've been looking over documents for hours. You should take a break."
"I don't have a choice, Mana. I'm Pharoah now, and there are many responsibilities I must attend to."
"Like what?"
"Well, first, I have to renew our peace agreements with the Hittites and try to hash out a better trade deal with the Kush."
Mana gave Atem a less than engaged look.
"That sounds boring."
Atem shook his head.
"These are essential tasks for running a Kingdom, Mana. It's my responsibility now. I must carry on for my father."
Mana's expression softened when she saw and felt the dedication in his expression and voice. She gave him a bit of warmth with her smile and hugged Atem.
"You will, Egypt is in safe hands under Pharoah Atem!"
The young Pharoah looked at the pyramid-shaped Millenium item that once belonged to his father. Its immense power now his responsibility, Egypt and her people with it.
Mana gave a slightly mischievous smile while moving her head back slightly.
"You know, I'll bet all this work has made your skills rusty."
Atem narrowed his eyes while looking back at Mana as she stood up with a cocky smile.
"I guess you have to work had on that peace agreement. We'd be in trouble if you had to lead us to war.
"You can't goad me into it, Mana."
"What if an assassin came without warning!" Mana lunged at Atem and tried to grapple him to the ground, very unsuccessfully. The small, but muscular young-man easily took control and pinned Mana onto the cushioned seats.
"Hmp, you were saying." Atem said, smiling. Mana, however, caught him off-guard once again by leaning her head forward and kissing Atem. Both their faces turning red as Mana kept their lips together.
Yugi's eyes opened, and he almost jerked forward. Panting heavily, Yugi found himself inside a private jet flying over the Pacific Ocean as the sun set around them. Rebecca was still fast asleep with her head resting on Yugi's shoulder.
Yugi held his head for a moment and tried to calm himself. Atem always remained on his mind, but this was the first time he'd ever dreamed about him. Or was it a dream? It felt more like a memory, but how could he see Atem's memories without the puzzle, and why did he see Atem and Mana?
Moving carefully as not to wake Rebecca, Yugi took his deck out again and stared at the Dark Magician Girl.
"Are you trying to tell me something, Mana?"
Author's note
Greetings, it's been a while since I wrote anything Yugioh related, and I intend to finish this one
Yes, Yugi is with Rebecca, I was never a huge fan of Tea/Anzu,
Just like the anime Grand Prix, Yugi will duel as champion, but who will win the honor of facing him?
So until next time,
Please review, comment, suggest or ask(VIA PM)