"And if we head down these stairs, we'll come across the Ancient Egypt Exhibit!" the lady tour guide says enthusiastically, motioning for the group of students to head down the dimly lit stairwell.
"Single file everyone! And please, refrain from touching anything!" their teacher chimes in.
"This field trip is a total snooze fest," Weevil grumbles as he follows his fellow classmates down the stairs. He grunts when he accidentally bumps into Rex who whips around with an annoyed expression.
"Watch where ya going, would ya?!" Rex snaps.
"Well walk a little faster!" Wex shoots back.
"Shh!" Their teacher shoots over a warning gaze for their behavior, causing the two friends to gulp and bury their heads as they continue down the stairs.
This field trip has been highly anticipated along with another one coming up for Kaiba Corp. But so far, Weevil and Rex haven't been impressed. In fact, Weevil would have much rather preferred to be able to skip out on this field trip due to the incident that happened in the gym a few days ago. Unfortunately for him, the principal gave him a pass. He looks over his shoulder, seeing Yufi and Cairo walking a few students behind him, turning up his nose.
"Are you still upset?" Cairo says in a low enough tone that only her cousin can hear.
"What do you think?" she whispers back harshly.
Though this hasn't been the very first time they've argued, it has never been this major. While Cairo is ready to move forward, it looks like Yufi is wanting to drag it out a little longer.
"You got me in trouble."
"I tried to end the conversation before we went inside grandpa's shop, but you escalated it," Cairo points out.
"Oh, so it's always my fault, right?" Yufi glares at her, raising her voice slightly, earning a warning look from their teacher. But that doesn't stop Yufi from whispering one last thing. "Just…leave me alone."
Cairo bows her head slightly, feeling hurt by her cousin's words. The two of them grew up together and practically see each other as siblings. And even though arguing from time to time comes with the territory, this just seems a bit much. Nevertheless, Cairo decides she will respect Yufi's request. "As you wish."
Reaching the Egyptian exhibit, they are surrounded by all sorts of artifacts, ranging from sarcophaguses, jewelry, furniture and other royal treasures that once belonged to pharaohs of the long distant past. One sarcophagus in particular has a dog shaped head and is encased in a glass box. It is partially opened, revealing part of a mummy that is wrapped up, except for one hallow eye socket that is still visible.
Yufi takes one glimpse of it and shutters, her skin immediately going pale. "Why can't they ever leave these sorts of things buried?" She hurries past it while another part of the exhibit captures Cairo's attention.
In an additional glass case, there is a blue pyramid with the Eye of Wdjat, alongside a stone tablet that displays the pyramid with a depiction of three monsters. "Strange…this pyramid almost resembles dad's Millennium Puzzle," she remarks to herself.
After hearing the word 'pyramid,' Weevil's ears perk up and soon, Cairo finds herself surrounded by both him and Rex, who huddle closely by her to get a better look of the artifact on display. Weevil looks on with fascination while Rex looks a bit confused. Glancing down at the hieroglyphics, Weevil sucks in his teeth with frustration.
"Just how is anyone supposed to understand what this is?"
"Pyramid of Light," Cairo says to their surprise.
"You can read that chicken scratch?" Rex asks.
"I can. However, you've failed to see there is also a plaque written in english right there," she motions to the black and white plaque on the wall next to the display and the two boys blush with embarrassment.
Edging toward the exhibit containing the blue pyramid, Weevil thinks about all the possibilities of having something like that. With it being similar to Atem's puzzle, there's definitely a chance that it could hold similar powers, right? "Never mind her father's pyramid," he mumbles to Rex. "Check this thing out."
"It sure does look interesting," Rex whispers back.
"If I had that then—"
"I'm standing right here," Cairo says with a blank stare, causing a startled Rex and Weevil to jump. "Neither of us know what this thing is truly capable of. Not to mention there would be serious consequences if you were to try and steal it."
"W-What are you talking about?" Weevil stutters, waving his hands in front of him.
Rex looks at him questionably. "You weren't really thinking about stealing it, were you?"
"Me? Steal? Who do you think I am?"
But his comeback isn't too convincing, even for his best friend. "I hate to admit it, but Cairo has a point. If you're caught stealing this thing, you could get into a lot of trouble. You seriously need to drop your obsession with pyramids."
"I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand!"
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
Cairo holds her head and sighs. The bickering that is beginning to escalate between Rex and Weevil is starting to give her a headache. If only Yufi were around to hear what Weevil just said. Sadly, it doesn't seem like she's heard one bit, standing at the opposite side looking at another, less scary part, of the exhibit.
Her amethyst eyes scroll back to the glass case containing the Pyramid of Light. But this time, her focus is on the stone tablet that is laying next to it. Observing the monsters, she wonders what significance they play and who they are. One appears to be a dragon with wings, followed by another dragon and a bulky looking monster.
She comes across more hieroglyphics that causes her to become even more puzzled. "The eye that sees what's yet to come, its vision shall be fulfilled, unless blinded by events predetermined, thus light and shadows both be killed…?" she reads off before raising an eyebrow. "I don't understand…"
Just as more questions arise in her mind, the room suddenly goes pitch black.
It is silent and there are surprisingly no screams or whimpers from the lights shutting off. A bright red light emits from the display containing the Pyramid of Light, revealing that everyone is frozen in place. A mummified hand reaches out of the sarcophagus, sitting up. Its hallow eyes go to the ancient artifact, causing it to magically float until it is hanging around its neck. Then it eyes a woman wearing a uniform, outstretching its hand toward her and seemingly sucking out her life force.
"This soul is far too weak to replenish me back to my full form," it says in a deep and grainy tone. Looking out toward the rest of the kids and adults who are frozen in time, he senses a unique energy coming from the girl with purple eyes and long black hair.
"What's this?" it says, stepping out of the sarcophagus and dragging its feet until it is standing right in front of her. "I'm sensing a powerful presence from this child."
Reaching out its hand toward her, it prepares to extract her energy until her eyes move to its surprise. Jumping back to allow some room between them, Cairo observes the area and gasps lightly, realizing no one else can move. "What's happening?" she asks herself.
"You…" the mummy says, beginning to edge up toward her. "What are you?"
"Stay back," Cairo demands sternly. She isn't sure how this is all occurring and what has triggered this mummy to come to life, but it can't be good.
"You're in no position to be giving orders, little girl," it snarls, lunging at her, grabbing her by the neck and lifting her up into the air. An unfazed Cairo looks down at him, studying her opponent closely. Though it has her in its grasp, its hold is shaky and weak. Staring into the empty holes where its eyes should be, her own eyes begin to glow purple to the mummy's surprise.
Without moving a muscle, she causes a huge, magical force to push the mummy back and it crashes through the display glass. The hand that was holding onto her neck is still attached to her and she rips it off her before tossing it to the side.
"A sorcerer!" it yells, cowering back. Sensing the power within her, it knows that it won't be able to go against her in its current state. It is much too weak. For now, it will have to find some way to escape.
"I did not mean to disfigure it," Cairo says to herself, looking toward the decapitated hand on the ground before dropping her head with dread. "I hope mom and dad won't have to pay for any damages I've done. It's technically apart of the exhibit and we're not supposed to touch anything."
"How dare you reduce me to some sort of spectacle?!" the mummy snaps, annoyed by the girl's words. If it had actual eyeballs, they would be twitching with agitation right now. But since it is running low on time and energy, the mummy snaps its fingers, causing another red blinding light to fill the room once more.
Once everything goes back to normal, the sounds of the museum alarm immediately ring out and the female worker collapses to the floor. Cairo watches as the room goes into complete chaos with security guards running up to the empty case that once contained the Pyramid of Light and the empty sarcophagus as well. Others tend to the collapsed woman on the ground while some students begin to whimper with fear and confusion.
"Hey, what's gotten into you?" Rex asks Cairo who stands frozen in place and her eyes appearing blank.
"Who cares about her! What happened to that pyramid?!" Weevil exclaims frantically, looking high and low as Yufi, who overhears his mention of the pyramid, stares at him with an eyebrow raised.
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Atem sits with one leg crossed over the other and his arm resting on the armrest of a spare chair near a fitting room. The right side of his face lays in his palm and both of his eyes are closed as he waits for Mana to come out. He purposely keeps his mind racing and his ears open to his surroundings in order to not drift off to sleep.
In preparation for many of Kaiba's events, he is requiring everyone to wear a shade of blue to celebrate Kaiba Corp.'s anniversary. What used to be a company that focused on military weapons, has turned into a multimillion gaming company that is known all over the world after Kaiba took over his step father's company and made it successful.
"Seto's obsession with blue is unhealthy," he hears her grumble, followed by an unsure hum that causes him to open one eye. He sure hopes they won't be in this shop for too much longer. They've already been to three others that either didn't have the color blue or nothing in her size or her taste.
She comes out wearing a sleeveless blue dress that has shiny beading that adorns the chest area while the bottom is a silk, pleated skirt that reaches two inches above her knees. The gap in the back trails down until it reaches her hips, leaving much of her back exposed.
"Well…at least it matches your suit," Mana shrugs. With Atem owning a lot of navy blue, having an outfit picked out for this event was a breeze. "I look like a high schooler that's on her way to prom. Maybe I should sit this one out."
"Or maybe you're overthinking it," he says, opening both eyes now. "You look just fine."
Although not fully convinced, she is over shopping just as much as he is. Letting out a sigh, she turns to walk back into the fitting room. "Prom dress it is!" she exclaims raising a fist to which Atem shakes her head, rolling his eyes with a smile.
They later find themselves outside, walking down a semi-busy sidewalk. Atem digs his hands into his pockets while Mana wraps an arm around his while using her free hand to scroll through her phone. She frowns, letting out a small groan when she comes across a thread of texts between her and Téa.
"What's wrong?" Atem asks, glancing over at her.
"Téa's been acting really distant lately and I can't pinpoint why," Mana answers.
"Nothing at all comes to mind?"
Mana shakes her head. "Unless she's told you anything."
"Not that I can recall."
"I hope she's okay," Mana says with concern, continuing to look at the thread. The last message is from Mana, asking Téa if she would like to hang out with her, Kisara and Mai. The only thing that shows is that Téa did in fact read the text, but for whatever reason, chose not to respond.
"You'll see her at the event," Atem says. "And then you can ask her what's—" He stops abruptly, his eyes briefly going wide before closing shut. Feeling restrained all of a sudden, Mana blinks, turning her head to see why he stopped just now. Clenching part of his face, he turns away, causing Mana to grow more concerned as she attempts to see what's wrong.
Images of a dark desert immediately makes his anxiety levels go up. The wind blows more fiercely around him and he squints his eyes, seeing a tall, dark silhouette with something that resembles a blue pyramid hanging around its neck.
'It's that pyramid again…' he thinks to himself. 'Grandpa said…it is the Pyramid of Light…But…what could these visions mean…? And who is that standing there?' he questions, staring at the dark figure standing at a distance.
In the present, Mana reaches her hand out to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Atem, what's—"
He whips his head around, the eye of Wdjat glowing on his forehead and a strong energy emits from him, forcing Mana back. She manages to stand her ground as her shoes slide on the pavement, shielding her face. The hard contact that her back makes with a nearby brick wall immediately brings Atem back to reality and he gasps, realizing what has just happened.
"Oh no…"
"Well that was interesting," Mana grunts, rubbing her back while Atem runs up to her, wrapping an arm around her waist and helping her stand up straight.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"
"Interesting indeed," another male voice comes from nearby. "If it isn't the King of Games and Magician Girl."
Atem and Mana both look in the direction of the voice, seeing a tall man wearing a red suit, a matching top hat and a striped green and black mask over his eyes. His purple ponytail is slightly exposed and he stands with his hands behind his back, appearing perfectly poised as usual.
"Arcana," Atem says, surprised to see him. "What are you doing here?" The two of them had previously dueled against each other in the past and Arcana also happens to be a friend of Mana's as the two have sparred and helped each other hone their skills on multiple occasions in both the past and present.
"I think the question is, have you been holding out on me in the magic, department? You never told me he was capable of such things, Mana," he says, his eyes on her now.
"It's a bit complicated," Mana replies, rubbing the back of her head.
"Let me guess. It's due to the golden pendant around his neck," Arcana points out.
Atem's eyes widen and he looks down to see the puzzle around his neck. Mana looks down as well and cocks her head to the side. "That wasn't there before," she says.
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised," Atem sighs.
"I was able to piece together that you were able to summon the legendary gods with that artifact, but nothing further," Arcana continues, having seen Atem use the puzzle in the past. "Though it seems like you don't have a full grasp on it."
"Sure he does!" Mana says, coming to Atem's defense, knowing how private her husband can be on issues he's dealing with. "Besides, I've been putting him through training."
"You have?" Arcana and Atem ask simultaneously and Mana side eyes Atem for not realizing what she's trying to do here.
"Of course!" she fibs.
Arcana lets out a half suppressed laugh. "Well if you ever need help with keeping your abilities under control, you're more than welcome to come to the tent," he offers, referring to his large tent that sits within the city. Not only is he a real magician, but he also has a very popular show that people all over the world attend.
Mana pouts, cutting her eyes at her magician comrade. "No thank you. He has me!"
"No offense my dear friend, but you are still unable to teach your daughter how to fly. However, I was able to teach my child at the mere age of one."
"So you put your kid through strict training," Mana shrugs. "That's not my style. Besides, while my daughter cannot fly, she is capable of much more."
"Will you be in attendance for Kaiba's event?" Atem asks, wanting to change the subject.
"Depending on how long my fans stay around for autographs, I just might be," he says, turning away. "And on that note, I have another show coming up. I bid thee farewell."
"Ta-ta…" Mana rolls here eyes as he walks away.
"You didn't have to do that," Atem says and she looks over at him.
"Do what?"
"Lie," he replies bluntly and she grins nervously.
"A white lie," she corrects him.
"A lie nonetheless."
"Would you have rather me tell him the truth?"
Atem doesn't answer.
Mana crosses her arms. "I hate to say it, but I think you're getting worse," Mana says to which Atem side eyes her. She grins nervously. "I mean, since we're telling the truth and all."
"I have it under control."
"Atem, if this continues, I fear that you might be in a situation where you're unable to…'turn it off' if you know what I mean."
He stays silent once more. He knows she is right. She is absolutely right. But what is he supposed to do? Sure, he could have her help him like everyone has been suggesting, but would it actually do him any good?
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On a dark city street, a man stumbles over a few trash cans, managing to hold himself up by holding onto a brick building. He uses his free hand to push the orange hair out of his face and his breathing is labored after managing to run away from the cops that were in pursuit of him after he tried to rob a convenience store.
The humiliating defeat by a certain blonde haired woman has still got him in a daze, even a whole day later. Not to mention the amount of running and hiding he's been doing all day.
At one point, he was the master of robberies, being able to take home tons of money with ease. To think that he has stooped this low and not being able to rob a small store greatly disgusts him. Leaning against a wall, he takes out a cigarette and puts it to his lips, digging in his pocket for a lighter. When he can't locate it, he growls with frustration, kicking a nearby trash can.
A small glimmer catches his eye and he looks down to see a strange item that appears to be literally staring at him. Walking up to it, he crouches down and observes it, turning it around a few times until he looks directly into it's golden eye.
"You can have all the money you desire…"
"What the—?" the man says, startled by the voice coming out of it. "Is this thing talking to me?"
"But first you must do something for me."
He looks around, wondering if he is going crazy. "Look at me talking to a weird object. I must really be losing my mind."
A blinding red light surrounds him and he lets out a scream that echoes throughout the whole city.
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Rubbing her eyes, Mana walks into the kitchen late at night, heading straight for the pantry to grab a box of cereal. She hardly opens her eyes, going through her house completely by memory. Surprisingly the pantry door is already open and she pauses, finally taking a moment to clear her vision by blinking repeatedly. Initially she doesn't see anything. But when she hears a grunt, she looks down to see none other than Cairo trying to reach for the same box of cereal she is going for.
"Guess you couldn't sleep either," Mana assumes as they both sit side by side on tall stools at the kitchen counter eating cereal.
"I had a…interesting day," Cairo replies. She has been going back and forth on whether or not to tell her parents what actually happened today during her field trip. A walking mummy definitely seems like something of great importance and something her parents should know about.
"You and me both," Mana replies, thinking back to her day with Atem and his random outburst from the puzzle. She looks over to her daughter whose eyes are low and appearing deep in thought. Her gaze is reminiscent of her father when he is deeply bothered by something, causing her to grow concerned. But just like Atem, Cairo likes to try and deal with things on her own.
"I heard you and Yufi got into it."
Cairo nods her head silently.
"How does that make you feel?"
"Misunderstood."
Mana frowns. "Cairo…"
"It's just that…her group of friends don't have the best intentions."
"Do you know that for sure?"
"I do."
Mana breathes out a sigh. "Sometimes…you just gotta let a person see for themselves who people truly are…as hard as that can be."
"Yeah…" Cairo agrees reluctantly. "I guess you're right."
"Yufi is smart. She'll come around eventually." Sensing that something else may be wrong, Mana continues, seeing that her daughter is in the mood to open up. "Did anything else happen recently?"
"Is it possible for ancient artifacts to be able to steal souls?"
Mana's heart drops at that question. Is she referring to her father? After all, he's the only one they know with an ancient artifact that is capable of doing such a thing. "Where is this coming from?"
"Just wondering," Cairo says, dipping her spoon into her bowl of cereal and taking a huge bite.
Mana grunts, looking at her daughter suspiciously. "Something tells me there's a lot more to it than that."
"I feel like I've been on this side quest that no one knows anything about and now the final boss is trying to make it's grand appearance!" Cairo blurts out, startling Mana a bit. Either her daughter has been playing too many video games or there is something truly to be concerned about. "But how was I supposed to know by not telling you or dad that Weevil Jr. was trying to steal dad's puzzle that it would progress to this?"
Mana blinks with confusion as more questions more appear in her head. "Huh…?"
"And now there's a mummy on the loose doing who knows what because—"
"Wait, wait, wait," Mana says, trying to process what her daughter is saying. "What's going on?"
"At our field trip at the museum, we were at this Ancient Egyptian exhibit and there was this thing called the Pyramid of Light," Cairo explains.
"Pyramid of Light?" Mana repeats, tilting her head.
"It kinda resembled dad's puzzle. And there was this strange thing that caused the mummy in the sarcophagus to come alive."
Mana's eyes widen. "Whoa…"
"No one was able to see it but me. But I was able to fight it off, although it left this woman in a coma. When I was able to somewhat process what had happened, the mummy and the pyramid were gone."
Mana leans back in her seat. "That's so weird…You'd think something like that would have been reported on the news. And this Pyramid of Light thing…"
"Should we tell dad?"
"He definitely should know but…he's got enough on his plate already," she replies. "For now, I'm going to be on alert for any other strange occurrences. Hopefully it won't be anything major, but with our history of dealing with weird things…" She breathes a long heavy sigh.
She doesn't remember ever hearing of something called the Pyramid of Light, but with a name like that, there may be a cause for alarm.
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AN: And that ends another chapter! With Kaiba's event coming up, things are bound to get hectic. Stay tuned and leave a review of your predictions!
Also, thanks for all of the love I've been getting lately! I'm glad you all enjoy my stories and actually like my OC's lol.