The Two Dragons of Destruction

by Daisythebird

Before the last trip to Egypt, something abruptly teleports Yugi to the duel monster world. There he confronts a new threat against the entire monster dimension. The Pharaoh is left behind, alone in the body, right as Yugi's distant father comes home. How will each face a situation where they feel their other half would have been stronger?

44. Epilogue

"Hello?" Téa fumbled with the store phone when it began ringing.

"Greetings, Téa." Ishizu's voice was comparatively much calmer. "So we've been studying prophecies since our last call, and I think we-"

"Oh right! You were doing that for us." Téa tried not to sound embarrassed for honestly forgetting about the Ishtars. "I'm sure what you found is amazing, and thank you for doing all that work, but we have a situation on our hands!"

Téa looked outside the shop to the still floating rift. It had been an hour since the Mutos were thrown into the portal. Pegasus told the two that hundreds of spirits were zooming by thanks to the portal sucking them up, but Téa and Joey didn't notice anything. What they did see was how the rift shuddered, the pressure on the area around it growing with every shake. One of the Knights would appear every once in a while, but they could barely talk to the three as they frantically worked at keeping the portal open. Then they would disappear just as quickly as they came.

"Let me in dere!" Joey yelled as he had to be held back by Pegasus.

"Joseph, think! Another human might destroy the rift."

Seeing the usually happy-go-lucky Pegasus honestly panic and physically restrain Joey was enough to make Téa just as anxious.

"But my buddy's in dere!" Joey continued to fight. "It's been too long. I have to help!"

The rift once again shook, and the pressure put on the group was heavy enough to make them fall to their knees. Téa forced herself to raise her head and saw the portal start to expand, then violently contract. It then rocketed up.

The three humans could only watch in horror as the rift became a new sun in the sky. Brighter than even the moon or city lights. Then, in an anticlimactic pop, it was gone.

The three felt the weight on them disappear. They all slowly got to their feet. Then Téa heard Ishizu's confused hellos on the hanging phone.

"Uh, sorry about that," Téa said as she hesitantly brought the phone to her ear. "I-I can't even explain what just-"

In a flash of Atlantean magic, a group of humans appeared where the rift once was. Téa dropped the phone once again as she stared with bug eyes. There was Yugi, not the Pharaoh. He looked a little worse for wear, but he still smiled as he waved at his friends.

"Hi everyone. Sorry to scare you!"

Joey got control of his limbs before Téa could. He ran and tackled Yugi in a massive hug. "Yuge!"

Yugi weakly tried to fight off Joey's love. He then gave up entirely when Téa joined in the embrace.

"Hey, guys. We missed you so much." Yugi said as he hugged back.

"How many more times are you going to be taken from me!" Téa cried as she melted into her friend. She then realized someone was missing. "Where's Yami?"

Yugi tapped the metal puzzle around his neck. He smiled, but Téa didn't miss how it seemed slightly forced. Both she and Joey nodded but didn't know quite what to say.

"Where were you all? And who are all these new friends?" Pegasus asked as he gestured to creatures Téa couldn't see.

Téa had been so focused on Yugi she hadn't noticed the rest of the family behind him. Everyone was accounted for, Mr. and Mrs. Muto, Grandpa, even the three Knights.

"Are you guys ok?" Téa asked.

"More importantly, Yuge, is dat chin stubble?!" Joey yelped as he pointed at the offending magenta hairs.

"Oh, that?" Yugi laughed as he felt his face. "I really haven't had a chance to shave much these last few weeks." His eyes then widened. "Don't worry, it was just me that was gone for a while. My family has only missed about a day."

"Days? Weeks?!" Both Téa and Joey exclaimed.

"Don't worry, kids." Mrs. Muto said. "It will all get revealed. But first, I want to sit down and eat something other than leaves."

The Mutos then led them, including the bemused Pegasus, into the house. But as the group passed the wall phone, they all heard Ishizu's desperate calls.

"Oh right," Téa said as she picked up the phone. "You'll have to explain it to the Ishtars too."

…

It was a long story, but after all the explaining that had to be done the last few days, Yami supposed it was nothing new. What was new to Yami was his inability to comment unless Yugi switched out with him. There had been a few times during the run-down that Yami had wanted to speak, just a joke or snide remark. Nothing worth replacing Yugi for. But then he remembered no one but Yugi, and the duel spirits could hear him. And there were many duel spirits now.

Yugi's spirit partners (along with Dark Magician and Marshmallon) wanted to see him home. They were all exploring the Muto's shop. Hakairyuu and Silent Magician had never been to the human world before, so Marshmallon and Dark Magician Girl were excitedly giving a tour. Hakairyuu was most fascinated by the fridge and was exploring it intimately.

Yami hadn't wanted to join the duel spirits, but he also couldn't really be involved with the discussion. And so Yami sat back on the couch and crossed his arms. He had to remind himself this wasn't new. Everything was back to normal. This had been what he was fighting for.

He should be happy.

Yami was brought out of his totally not brooding state by his friends wanting to talk to him directly. Yami was more than excited to switch in. But after the switch took place, he worried Yugi would feel left out. He didn't have to fret, though, as Yugi's spirit immediately began hanging out with the duel monsters that had followed them home. Hakairyuu was excited to ask him questions, like how the kitchen sink's faucet sprayed water without magic.

It felt good to Yami to finally be home, with everyone he cared for by his side. He couldn't stop the silly grins that came to his usually regal face. After some truly fattening take-out was ordered, the smiles and laughs continued through the night. Yami really didn't want it to end. But it was a call on Téa's phone that interrupted the fun.

"I don't know this number. But it keeps calling." Téa said as she looked at her flip phone's top screen.

The Knights had been working in the yard most of the night, doing something magic-related. They would come in every once and a while for a break. Hermos had been in at that moment and just so happened to glance at Téa's phone.

"Adinight! He is going to kill us for waiting so long to contact him." Hermos groaned.

"We are making sure the dotrel is stable. Something like this has not been made in over a thousand years. He can wait a bit longer." Timaeus grumbled as he gestured for Critias to return from the work he was doing. The three talked briefly in Atlantean, and it seemed like Timaeus was overruled. So the green knight went back to working as Hermos, and Critias asked to borrow Téa's phone one last time.

"WHAT IN SLIFER'S NAME HAPPENED?! WHY IS THERE A CRITTING DOTREL IN THE SKY?!" The voice over the phone screeched. It was so loud Yami thought Hermos had accidentally hit the speakerphone. But the way the two knights gained embarrassed smiles and took the call outside let Yami know it was just the caller's volume.

The Mutos were eavesdroppers. They all knew it, and after nearly dying multiple times, they found themselves unashamedly leaning out the glass door to hear what was going on. Sadly for the snooping Mutos, the call continued in Atlantean, be it be, at about the same volume.

Timaeus's imposing shadow fell over the Mutos. He seemed less than impressed by the family trying to listen in. Dad and Mom quickly fell back, Grandpa being forcefully dragged away from the gossip by the two. But as Yami was about to leave, Timaeus asked him to stay, even calling Yugi over. Timaeus then kneeled to be eye-level with the group.

"We will be healing the border in the coming weeks, so we cannot aid you on your next adventure," Timaeus explained. "But I'll speak for my family and the spirit world when I say once again, thank you. We truly are grateful for everything you and yours have done."

"It's fine, Timaeus. I am simply glad we are safe." Yami said, Yugi nodding along.

Timaeus glanced over to his uncles, who were still trying to explain themselves to the caller. Timaeus then looked at all the duel spirits around. "You two continue to be the catalyst for many great changes in the world. This is no less significant. There is now a full dotrel in Domino city."

"Do-treel?" Yugi asked. Yami was about to convey that question to Timaeus, but the knight had already nodded.

"It translates to… a permanent portal directly to a parallel dimension."

"Like the spirit portals in Egypt and Atlantis?" Yami asked.

Timaeus leaned back slightly. "I am surprised you two know about those, but yes. This will be one of only four in the human world, the other being in South America. And it's because of the dotrel I can give you two, a gift."

Timaeus then reached forward and used his finger to draw symbols in front of the Millenium Puzzle. The symbols glowed green before disappearing as the next one was written. Once he was done, the Knight placed his palm in front of the carved eye, and Yami felt as if the puzzle accepted the Atlantean magic.

"That felt… odd," Yami commented as he held the puzzle to his and Yugi's eyes.

"Apologies," Timaeus said. "It is nothing to fret over. It is a simple summoning spell, much like you did with the three cards you collected to summon us from banishment. If one of you goes into your soul rooms, you should find Atlantean glyphs. If we can come, it will summon one of us Knights. From there, we can take one human physically to the duel spirit world."

Yugi seemed to nearly explode with excitement as the duel spirits around cheered.

"Now you will see all the improvements we Gandora are going to inflict!" Hakairyuu roared as she pulled Yugi's spirit to her. Silent Magician seemed a little less excited when she heard Hakairyuu's wording.

"In addition, if only one of you two wishes to visit the spirits, you may leave the physical body in your brother's care. You can then travel with a returning monster to their world. The dotrel here will make it so you two do not have to split the Millennium Puzzle amongst you. As long as the visitor is fine existing as a spirit being in that world, you can be separate as long as you want."

"Really?!" Yugi practically flew into Timaeus's face. The Knight kept his tired smile, but Yami could tell his hand flinched towards his sword briefly. He clearly wasn't accustomed to someone being that close to him.

"Yes, but for that method to work, you must be near a dotrel such as Domino city's," Timaeus said as he leaned away. "But you can activate the seal I gave you at any location and time you so desire."

As Yugi and his spirit friends cheered and went floating off to tell the monsters still in the house, Yami bowed to Timaeus.

"Thank you for everything," Yami said.

Timaeus stood and bowed back, an unfamiliar gesture where he cupped his hands to form a small circle and held it in front of his chest as he bent forward. Then Yami realized he did slightly recognize the bow. Dartz had done something similar when he sarcastically bowed to the Pharaoh and Seto before their duel.

"This is a show of gratitude to not only you but your family. They have dealt with much and yet have remained strong and understanding." Timaeus then looked to his own family, his hardened expression softening for an instant. "We promise we are more competent than these last few days would suggest. We simply… I believe the modern term is 'we haven't been on our A-game.'"

It was about then Hermos's and Critias's call ended. They both laughed as they returned to the group. They then handed the phone back to Téa.

"Will that guy call me again?" Téa asked.

"No, no." Hermos smiled as he shook his head. "We had to promise to go phone shopping along with a myriad of other punishments. So your number will be secure."

"You in trouble?" Joey asked, clearly confused by these mystic knights talking about such casual things.

"Not truly. Only the amount of woes involved with going home to someone that worries for you."

Yami noticed Timaeus's expression grew colder as he returned to the Knights. "Goodbye, everyone. May we meet again." Timaeus said as everyone waved goodbye to the trio. Then they were gone.

The Knights exiting was the unintentional signal for everyone else to go home. Yami didn't want them to leave, but he understood when Téa and Joey said their respective parents would be angry if they stayed longer. Pegasus followed them out the door; he was still buzzing about all the duel spirits suddenly in the city.

And soon, the brothers found themselves in Yugi's room. Yugi had dressed in his pajamas as Yami looked out into the city night, his arms on the window sill.

"It's so weird to be back, isn't it?" Yugi asked as he put the Millenium Puzzle on his nightstand.

"Yes. It always feels surreal after everything."

"But we're home again! And I can finally sleep in my own bed!" Yugi cheered as he leaped into his blankets with a bounce.

Yami chuckled and returned to looking out the window.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" Yugi asked.

"You forget as a spirit I don't sleep." Yami sighed as he rested his chin on his arms.

"Oh... right," Yugi said as he tapped one of the corners on the Millenium Puzzle. "Well, I hope you can get some rest. It's weird to think we are still going to Egypt in about a week. So we have to enjoy the time we have left."

Yami hummed an affirmative, and the two fell quiet. But as the night slinked along, Yami could feel Yugi's inner turmoil. He didn't even need to hear Yugi constantly tossing in his blankets. Eventually, Yugi sat up.

"Yami?"

"Yes?"

"...Back on the mountain, with the puzzle… but it's not just about that… In our time apart, I've realized… I just…." Yugi then sighed. "Nevermind, it's something for the morning."

"Are you sure?" Yami asked, knowing full well that if Yugi pushed it to morning, it was never going to come out.

"Yeah… Goodnight!" Yugi threw the covers over him and clutched them close.

Yami frowned but said nothing more. While Yugi often complained about Yami cutting himself off, Yugi tended to do it just as much, be it in more subtle ways. This was one of them.

Yami found himself alone in the night, again. Grandpa was already snoring, and the fact he was usually such a light sleeper let Yami know he needed it. Yui and Junior were absolutely "do not disturb" at that time. Not even the duel spirits stuck around, something about saving their energy (though a few promised to return as soon as they had the strength). Yami should have been used to this. This was how every night had gone the last few years. So Yami did the only thing he really could do, he went into his soul room.

Yami found himself in the painfully familiar twisting passages. A part of himself was relieved when he saw the solid, unflinching stone. But he couldn't quite put his finger on why. The Pharaoh thought of exploring the unending rooms or simply resting where he was, but he found he didn't have the stomach for either. So instead, he went towards the one permanent door in this labyrinthian place.

He was elated when he saw the door to the dull hallway that separated his room from Yugi's. It was the same as ever, with no seeable damage from being torn away. Yami opened his heavy door to see Yugi's light green door across the way. It was closed at the moment because Yugi was dreaming.

"He truly did need his sleep," Yami said to himself with a smile. Then something new caught Yami's attention.

The hallway on either side of the brothers' soul rooms led to nowhere. (Well, one side did. The other path led to an empty prison. But that was a story for another time.) This hallway's walls were usually bare, but now there was something etched into it.

A series of symbols carved in green glowing lines was on the wall, all going in a circular pattern. Yami at first thought it might have been the Seal of Orichalcos, but then he saw the vast differences between the two. The most prominent being the three overlapping stars in the center of this glyph instead of a hexagram. As Yami reached out to feel it, the Atlantean symbols began to glow brighter. Yami realized this was the gift Timaeus had given them and pulled away.

"I did say activate the seal at any time, and three am is a time."

Yami jumped and turned to see Timaeus behind him. The Knight wasn't in his imposing armor and instead was wearing much more casual clothing. What drew most of Yami's attention was the knight wasn't wearing his helmet, letting his spiky hair free. It was the same tri-colored pattern that the male Mutos had, but his black hair ended in a sky blue color, and his bangs were silver. He looked… much more human.

Timaeus noticed where Yami was staring and started brushing his hair out with his fingers. "Were you questioning if I really was your ancestor?"

"Uh, no…" Yami then remembered he just undoubtedly bothered the Knight's rest and immediately backpedaled. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to summon you. I accidentally touched the rune and I had no intentions of going to the duel world."

Timaeus nodded and then took on a thoughtful expression. "We are in similar positions then. For I also do not wish to return to the duel world nor my… home." He then looked around the empty hall, ending his gaze on Yugi's door.

"You don't sleep at night, do you?" Timaeus asked.

"No, ghosts don't sleep."

Timaeus gave him an understanding smile. "Neither do half-ghosts. It is a hard thing to get used to, I know."

Yami didn't know how to answer that, so he merely crossed his arms, looking away from the knight. Then the prospect of being alone for the night weighed on him. He could take it most evenings, but not this one.

"Can… Can you stay awhile? I would really like to learn how my genealogy connects to Atlantis."

Timaeus gave the first, genuine smile Yami had seen from the Knight since meeting him on the beach so long ago.

"I would love to."

…

"So Timaeus talked with you all night? And you didn't wake me? Now I've missed out on all this cool history." Yugi groaned as he walked through the summer streets of Domino City.

"It wasn't anything earth-shattering." Yami chuckled. "In fact, I'm pretty sure Timaeus didn't tell me everything. I think even he's still working it out. But it was nice nonetheless."

Yugi smiled. "That's great. I admit I'm always worried you will be bored at night."

"It's nothing new to me. One night of sleeping didn't ruin me forever." Yami then gave a quick smile when Yugi pouted. "Timaeus certainly can't visit me every night, but you are right. It was a nice break."

It looked like Yugi wanted to say something, but then the two came to a dead-end. They realized they had been walking without paying attention to where they were going.

"Whoops." Yugi laughed as he fumbled with the directions Mom had printed out for them. They would have had Grandpa direct them since he was a map wizard, but they hadn't wanted to tell him they were going to a rival shop. (Even if they only ever bought cards from other stores. "Got to keep the game economy going," as Yugi had believed.)

"The store should be right… here." Yugi said. Sure enough, when the two backtracked and took a different turn, they found themselves in front of a small card shop.

"Hey, isn't this the store where we bought the packet that started everything?" Yugi asked.

"I-I hadn't realized this was the place Tetsu was talking about. He only said it was a small place that held his dueling club."

Yami quickly checked over himself and Yugi to make sure they were the picture of the King of Games (even though he knew no one would see him personally). Yugi smiled and held up Tetsu's flashlight. Both nodded and went inside.

The colorful foil packets of Duel Monster cards still lined the counter. Yami smiled at the painted visages of Silent Magician. While her design was different, it was still interesting to see this world's interpretation of her. The store even had a large cardboard standee of her in her LV 8 form alongside the counter. Yami turned to see Yugi's reaction but was surprised when his brother purposefully avoided the standee and cards.

"What's wrong, Yugi?"

"Uh, nothing." Yugi tried to laugh away the redness in his cheeks. "It's just that they drew Silent Magician with a much more... form-fitting dress." He then said in a whispered squeak of a voice. "And gave her thigh windows."

Yami held back a chuckle as he, too, noticed the freedoms the artists took. Compared to other female duel monster cards, this design was relatively tame. And yet, Yugi kept squirming.

A mischievous grin grew on the Pharaoh's face. "Oh, Yugi, you don't like your spirit partner's new look? I think it's a great likeness."

"It's not that! It's just… It'd be like if there were pictures of Téa in a tight dress posted all over."

"Dearest brother, a reminder that I have seen some of your dreams. May I bring to mind the one with Téa in a Dark Magician Girl outfit-"

"Stop that! " Yugi frantically slapped the air Yami floated in as the spirit laughed maliciously. "You're pure evil, you know that, right?"

"Who's pure evil?"

Both Mutos turned to see Tetsu Trudge come from around the corner.

"Nothing!" Yugi immediately answered. Then he paused. Yami had previously told him how Tetsu had changed and how the two had apologized to each other. But a part of Yugi still stiffened as Tetsu towered over him. However, Yugi soon collected himself and decided to test the waters.

"It's nothing, Tetsu. Just the Pharaoh being weird!" Yugi snapped at Yami. He very purposefully gestured to the floating spirit, knowing Tetsu would only see air.

As expected, Tetsu was at first weirded out, but then he shook it off better than most.

"So, you really are Yugi? I'm glad I get to meet you again." Tetsu then tried to wave to Yami's general area. "And the spirit is here too?"

"Yes, we brought your flashlight," Yugi said as he held up the item.

Tetsu took it back with a smile. "I still can't believe you came all the way here just to drop this off," Tetsu then glanced around the corner of the shop. "I know you probably have places to be, but… My dueling club would really like to meet you. I made sure not to tell them you were coming so they didn't invite all their friends. Oh, and Ryuichi won't be here if you're wondering about him. He's got a shift at the gas station today."

"The Pharaoh already told me about the club. I'm happy to meet your friends." Yugi smiled as he confidently walked around the corner to see where the shop set up their gaming tables.

There were only a few members there, but they were absolutely ecstatic to see the King of Games. What could have been awkward was quickly made comfortable with Yugi's easy-going nature and genuine love for games. Yami had always been secretly jealous of his brother's talent in that regard. The Pharaoh could command any room he walked into, but Yugi could make anyone feel respected and at ease. Still, Yugi did have one shortcoming, he was an introvert through and through. After all the introductions, when the club asked to duel, Yami could tell Yugi was too mentally drained for it to be fun for him. Especially since he had only about a day of rest before coming here.

Yami was about to suggest they leave when Yugi got up.

"I'd love to. Let me just check my deck," Yugi said as he walked around one of the shelving units. When the two were hidden from view, Yami was forced into the body.

"Hey! Warn me before we switch, remember?" Yami then pulled out the casual deck they took with them on the streets. "We don't have to stay, you know?"

"I know, but you need some socializing," Yugi said as he floated to a lying position. He then dramatically yawned.

"Socializing? I'm not some pet." Yami rolled his eyes.

"No, but you are a bored ghost. Besides," Yugi gestured to the table where the club was setting up their mats. "I think Tetsu would love to meet you again."

"What? No. He's terrified of me. I'm just going to make him feel uncomfortable."

"Are you sure?" Yugi then nodded as Tetsu came around the corner.

"Are you ok, Yugi? We heard- Oh, is that the Pharaoh in the body now?" Tetsu asked.

Yami blinked in surprise. "Most people don't notice a difference."

"I think most people wouldn't be looking for a difference." Tetsu laughed as he rubbed his head. "When you're ready to duel, come around. I'll do my best to help cover for any discrepancies the others might notice if you're nervous about that."

Yami watched him go and then quickly checked through the rest of his deck. He then almost ran to the dueling table. It had been a while since he had an honest duel, and he was more than excited to jump back into it.

Once the two left the shop hours later, as the undefeated victor, Yugi could practically feel Yami's leftover adrenaline that came with a good game day.

"You should have gotten Tetsu's contact information," Yugi said as he floated along with Yami.

"Why? While you hid it well, I could tell this wasn't as fun for you."

"True, but you and Tetsu seemed to hit it off somewhat. Having another dueling buddy like him could be good for you."

"Did you like Tetsu that much?"

"Ah, no. Not as much as you. Not that there's anything wrong with Tetsu nowadays."

"Why would I need another dueling buddy then? I already have our best friends."

Yugi stopped floating and leaned back to think. "It would take an extraordinary person to become as good as friends with us as Joey, Téa, Tristan, Duke, or Bakura. But most people have a few friend groups. I thought you'd like to branch out more."

Yami thought about this for a few moments, even looking back at the shop. But then he shook his head. "It wouldn't be fair since we're going to Egypt soon."

"Oh, well, yeah…."

The two continued on a little further in silence. Then Yami said, "That was a nice thought, Yugi. And I'm thankful you've always cared about making sure I had some semblance of a social life. Surprise dates with Téa included."

Yugi nodded. "Yeah. Hearing you talk about hanging out with Timaeus reminded me how isolated you must feel sometimes. Add on, I now have a completely separate group of companions in my duel spirit partners… I just realized all your friends came because they were originally my buddies."

"That's not true. I've become friends with each of them in my own way." Yami said with some indignation in his words.

"Sorry, that came out wrong. What I mean is…." Yugi kept opening his mouth, but no words came out. "Nevermind. I shouldn't speak for you like that."

Yami kept giving Yugi glances, silently asking for him to explain. But Yugi honestly was unable. And Yami couldn't hear Yugi's inner thoughts. The two had never been more independent than they had been the last few days. And while Yami enjoyed the feeling of truly being the only one in his head, moments like this reminded him why that mental sharing was easier.

Easier, but maybe not better.

The two ended up discussing other things, anything to not make them think of Egypt or ghostly relations. They kept chatting all the way back to Grandpa's shop.

"Hello, boys," Mom called from behind the cash register. "Did it go well?"

"Yes, I had a lot of- we had a lot of fun." Yami corrected.

…

"You should go back to the spirit world. Don't you have family there?"

"The Gandora will be fine without me for a bit. It's my turn to sleep in the yard. Move it or lose it, Grandma."

"The nerve! Only the Mutos can call me by that title-"

And Hakairyuu and Grandma Blue-Eyes continued on. Yami watched them from the window of his room as Yugi worked at re-balancing his private deck under the lamplight. It had been a day or two since they visited Tetsu. In that time, they hung out with their friends, traveled multiple times to the spirit world, packed for Egypt, and generally relaxed.

"They really are going to argue every night." Yami sighed.

"That's the problem with having such a small backyard. Only enough room for one dragon to sleep in comfortably." Yugi said.

"And neither want to sleep in the house even though they go straight through the walls? Or on the street out front?"

"Apparently, they still feel the things they lay on. It's just not comfortable to sleep through walls or on the pavement."

Yami chuckled. "Great, will Grandpa have to get a new store just so we have room for two sleeping dragons?"

"Knock-knock," Dad said as he slightly opened Yugi's bedroom door.

"Hey, Dad. Something up?" Yugi asked.

Dad didn't meet Yugi's eyes as his gaze fell on the Millenium puzzle by the nightstand. He then slipped into the room.

"Hey, champ? Can I talk to you, alone?" He then fidgeted in place. "Is it possible for Yami to go to the duel world or go into the puzzle? Just for a bit, of course."

Yami left the window and floated over. "I would be willing to go, but…."

"But why?" Yugi finished his sentence.

Dad closed the door behind him and leaned on it, taking a deep breath before he spoke. "I owe you some answers before I go back to Fort Farkle at the end of the week. About… Who I used to be, and about the Gandora name."

Yami could feel Yugi's apprehension. He was about to reach for him, to tell him he didn't have to go. But Yugi shook his head. His expression was unreadable.

"You go ahead, Yami. I've wanted to know this stuff for a long time…."

Yugi trailing off only made Dad slump more against the door. Yami felt the tension but knew this wasn't his place. He went to the window and waved at the monsters.

"Hey! Anyone willing to take me to the other dimension?" Yami called.

"I can." Grandma Blue-Eyes immediately answered.

"Yes! That means I get the yard!" Hakairyuu cheered. She then saw Yami's grim face and checked her enthusiasm.

Grandma Blue-Eyes flew up to the window. "I needed to visit Red-Eyes anyway. You want to come to the Crags?"

Yami agreed and was about to be teleported when they felt a breeze blow past. The two turned to see Dark Magician appear by his card on the desk.

"We're about to go to the spirit world, and Yugi needs some space. You want to come?" Yami asked.

Dark Magician nodded, and Grandma Blue-Eyes happily teleported all three. When Yami opened his eyes, he found himself in a volcanic land with deep black rocks and a smog-filled sky. His body didn't change. He was still a floating spirit. Having traveled to the duel monster world a few times now, he was used to it. Dark Magician, though, stared at him for a few moments and then waved his hand through Yami's form.

"I still feel your hand, Dark Magician."

Dark Magician instantly pulled back, his expression unchanging. He then gave an apologetic bow.

"Welcome to the Crags." Grandma Blue-Eyes said. "We are looking for this domain's temporary capital, where Red-Eyes is working. He is helping the Knights and Silents finally make peace here."

Yami and Dark Magician both climbed onto Blue-Eyes's back. (Even if Yami was a spirit, he wasn't the fastest flyer and could hold on to the dragon just enough to travel with her.) They then flew through the wave-like rock formations, made eons ago by shifting lava. Some stone crests were only small washes, while others looked like it would crash over the dragon if not solidified in place. And even through the thick cloud cover, Yami could still see the three suns shining through.

"I've meant to ask this. Why three suns? And how has this world's temperature not changed?"

"After all that damage to the border, we should be grateful there are not more drastic changes," Grandma Blue-Eyes explained. "The extra heavenly bodies don't affect anything. In this dimension, they are a simple magical overlay. Nothing is heated by them, and the domains that still have night, darken all the same."

Dark Magician then pointed forward. Over the next crest of lava rock was a massive congregation of tents and stone towers. One half of the camp was colored in blue and purples, all the structures being human-sized. The other half was in greens and blacks. This half, even at a distance, looked like it was made for much bigger beasts.

Once Grandma Blue-Eyes landed in front of this camp, they were met by a very muscular monster in blue and white armor.

"Greetings Silent Shield Bearer. Is Red-Eyes Black Dragon here?" Grandma Blue-Eyes asked.

Silent Shield Bearer nodded and pointed the group deeper into the camp. There they found Red-Eyes talking to another dragon. The two were in deep discussion, but the other dragon bowed and left when Grandma Blue-Eyes rounded the corner.

"Hey, Blue-Eyes and… wow, the Pharaoh and Dark Magician too! What a treat." Red-Eyes said.

"Hello, Red-Eyes! We were following Grandma Blue-Eyes on her errand." Yami explained with Dark Magician nodding.

"Yes, I've come to tell you that Stronghold the Moving Fortress is the new hire." Grandma Blue-Eyes said.

Red-Eyes immediately lost his excitement as his wings drooped. "That fast, huh? And it's a trap monster, figures,"

"What's going on?" Yami asked.

Red-Eyes began with a sigh. "The Domain of the Beasts has since had a few resets. The wishing well has not reappeared, but a desperate monster might try to bring it back with a trap resurrection spell. So that peak still needs to be guarded. I wanted to know who would be replacing me as that area's protector. Not that I'm hurt or anything. It's just… you know… curiosity."

"But what happened with the wishing well was not your fault," Yami said.

"Eh, that's debatable. But what isn't debatable is that I was too lax with the job. So it was a three-way agreement between the Knights, the domain leaders, and I that I find other uses for my power as the last Red-Eyes Black Dragon."

Red-Eyes then gestured around at the smoky camp. "So, I'm helping the peace talks between the warrior and dragon races here. It's been an uphill battle so far. Just too many centuries of hate to unpack. But if I can help stop something like the enslavement of the Gandora from happening again, it will be more than worth it."

"That's amazing, Red-Eyes," Yami said as Dark Magician lifted his scepter as his sign of agreement.

"Yes, it's very admirable," Blue-Eyes added. "Which is why I've been more than happy to help him keep up to date with everything."

"Aw, thanks, guys." Red-Eyes covered half his face with his wing as he smiled. He then nervously glanced at Yami. "Hey, if you think what I'm doing is all that great, do you mind… oh, I don't know… conveying your impression of me to Hakairyuu?" He asked, his voice getting higher with every word.

"Pardon?"

"It's nothing! I just haven't seen her in a while and- Wait! She's still single, right? She didn't get back with that big brute. Right?!" Red-Eyes practically exploded from his wing cover.

"Ah, no…?" Yami stuttered.

"From what I've heard from Yugi, she's very much done with Giga. But they are amicable since they lead the Gandora and the Domain of the Beasts's reconstruction project." Grandma Blue-Eyes explained, an amused smile on her face.

"Thank the Stars," Red-Eyes said under his breath. He then spoke to the group. "Anyway! I have to run, so thanks for coming. You are free to stick around if you want. There's not a lot here, but this is the biggest bit of civilization in this domain." Before Red-Eyes left, he faced the Pharaoh again. "And if you see my spirit partner, Joey. Tell him I'll still be at his side the moment he activates my card. Even with this new job."

The groups waved to each other and went their separate ways.

"So, should we head back?" Yami asked.

"We can, but we will have only been gone for a few minutes in human time," Grandma Blue-Eyes replied.

"Oh." Yami looked on at the tent village. "Then we should explore for a while."

And so the group awkwardly toured the encampment. Well, Yami felt awkward. Grandma Blue-Eyes couldn't be ashamed if she tried. She talked with dragons and warriors alike, ensuring each knew her opinion if she thought something was off. Along with her quest to end race hostilities then and there, she was quite excited at the sizable marketplace. Yami had enough practiced confidence to at least act unaffected. He could generally take the over-respect the other monsters gave to him and, by proxy, Grandma Blue-Eyes's unwarranted suggestions. But even Yami had to step away when a group of goblins tried to put a very cursed-looking crown on his head. And so he and Dark Magician slipped away as Grandma Blue-Eyes continued jewelry shopping.

The two followed the crowd and found a place to sit. It was next to what looked like a mess hall with the wonderful smells wafting from the pots. Warriors and dragons alike were coming for a bowl (or barrel). Yami would have tried some if he could have eaten in his spirit form. Dark Magician took a bowl as the two slunk into a small, shadowy corner to hide in.

As the two sat, Yami found himself really studying Dark Magician. For nearly all of his second life, he had trusted the mage, unquestioningly. And while that wasn't about to change, now he had the magician alone. The Muto's trip up the mountain had left Yami with many questions.

"Dark Magician, are you a half-spirit?"

Dark Magician didn't look too surprised; in fact, he didn't change his blank appearance at all. He only nodded.

"And not the kind of half-spirit the Legendary Knights are. You are the one Zara is."

Another nod.

"Did you and Zara know each other? You know, before you became a half-spirit?"

A pause, then Dark Magician shrugged. He then tilted his flattened hand side to side.

"Kind of?" Yami guessed as he leaned back and looked up at the smoky sky. "Have you been a half-spirit for a while? From the sounds of it, Zara has been around since ancient Egypt."

He nodded.

"...Did you know me?"

Dark Magician looked down at the steaming soup bowl. He rolled it in his cupped hands as he thought. He then stared at the horizon and, almost sadly, nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Yami asked, doing his best to keep his voice level. "I've been searching for answers for so long, and you knew?"

Dark Magician put down his bowl and faced Yami. He frowned as he shook his head. The spellcaster opened his mouth, and no sound came out. He then exaggerated the gesture by spreading out his fingers to show he couldn't speak.

"You seem able to communicate with Grandma Blue-Eyes. We could have even learned sign language if you had hinted to me that you knew something."

Dark Magician's face turned more desperate as his gestures became wilder. He seemed to honestly be trying to tell him something, but nothing was conveyed. It was a non-answer Yami was expecting, but it still made him slump his shoulders as he sighed.

"You cannot tell me, can you?" Yami didn't need to see Dark Magician's head dip to know.

Yami began rubbing his face as he remembered Yugi and Grandma Blue-Eyes's words regarding half-spirits. It was a torturous life of neither being human nor a duel monster. What would be more torturous than not being able to communicate?

"I'm guessing Zara can't explain either. Is there any way I can help?"

The following game of charades was far from fun, but Yami got Dark Magician's general meaning. For answers, he needed to bring the Millenium Items and the Egyptian God cards to Egypt.

"Which is the same as getting my memories." Yami tried not to sound disappointed. But when Dark Magician's usually controlled expression fell into a wince, Yami felt worse. "I know this isn't your fault. In fact, getting my memories was the plan from the beginning. I have to follow how my destiny is designed."

Dark Magician fell back into his blank appearance, both not talking for minutes. Yami looked at the nearby arena. There was currently a duel between two dragons going on. Seeing the power in their blasts reminded Yami of another odd thing.

"Is… Junior a half-spirit too?" Yami asked.

Dark Magician gave the most honestly confused expression he could as he held his arms to the side in defeat.

"But he had ATK, and then he lost it…. He also called those Gandora to us. Then he couldn't do it again." Yami said as he rested his chin on his hand. "The rocky Millenium Puzzle seemed to respond to him…. We've all tried to talk to him about it the last few days, but he just gets quiet and then frustrated. We've learned it's better to not bring it up at all at this point."

Dark Magician didn't look like he could answer even if he wanted to. Yami leaned back and closed his eyes. He decided to give it up for the night...day? Whatever time it was. He had been faced with this kind of unknown for years now. Why should this be any different?

Grandma Blue-Eyes found them later. She said an hour would have passed in the human world and that it was time to go back.

Yami blinked and found himself in the dark backyard. Yugi was nearby, still in his pajamas. Hakairyuu was cuddling him the best she could in her spirit form. Yugi wasn't crying, but he was absolutely drained as he stared at the starless sky.

"Yugi?" Yami tentatively asked as he slipped between Hakairyuu's legs to sit with him.

Yugi didn't turn to him and kept staring up. "Well… I got the answers I had always asked about my dad's career."

Yami couldn't hide his grimace. "That must have been a lot to take in."

Yugi pulled his legs tighter to his chest. "I'm glad to finally know all the details. I made sure Dad told me everything. It's nothing I wasn't expecting. I'm not naive." The harshness his voice took on was so unlike Yugi.

Yami considered backing away to give him space but instead slide closer. "Are you angry with him?"

"No! I-I mean…. No, I'm not angry with anyone. It's just, how am I supposed to react to finding out my father was… that?" Yugi then rubbed his eyes as he returned his gaze to the earth. "I-I just need time to think."

Yami waited for Hakairyuu or Grandma Blue-Eyes to have some words of wisdom. But the two could only look on as they did their best to wrap around Yugi. Even Dark Magician sat on the other side of Yugi. Yami realized that this was what he needed. Not words, just love as Yugi worked through his emotions. And Yami happily gave it. They sat out in the backyard for a long time, Yugi occasionally sniffling as the summer crickets slowly quieted.

...

"My family goes on one vacation, and I come back to this." Tristan groaned.

Tristan, Téa, Joey, and the Muto brothers found themselves in the game shop, being lectured by Mom. The adults kept their word about having a long chat about safety after everything settled down. And now even Tristan was pulled into the talk, just as he got home.

"Bakura's so lucky he got to skip dis. What an excuse, volunteerin' at a church. I didn't even think he was religious." Joey moaned.

"...Now we won't be telling your parents about anything you have been doing." Mom continued on with her grand address.

"Not that they would believe us," Dad added.

"But we want you all to have a safe contact point if something like this happens again. Which it shouldn't! I still hate that we can't get any more tickets to Cairo. Why did there have to be a solar eclipse the same time Yami's memory door opened?"

"Yeah, we were lucky to buy our tickets so far in advance," Téa said.

"Have I mentioned how much I hate you kids going off on this adventure alone? But, since we have to work with this, let's make a plan. Now in the past, you children have thrown yourselves into the stupidest..."

Just when Yugi and Yami finally thought they were out of the lecture part, Mom fell right back into nagging them. Dad and Grandpa had promised this would only be about planning for future magical and/or sci-fi troubles. But Mom took over the meeting and began railing against the four about how dangerous everything they did was. Dad and Grandpa were not brave enough to stop her.

Yugi and Yami knew Mom wasn't specifically mad at them. She was clearly horrified over everything but had to push it down until they were out of danger. Well, they were out of danger. And now she was determined to get every motherly worry out, even if that meant the kids' eyes glazed over about the fifth time they apologized for saving the world.

Yami was in control of the body at the moment. Yugi found he hadn't wanted to be in the driver's seat since last night. His talk with Dad had taken too much out of him. He also didn't feel ready to face him yet. Yugi was self-aware enough to know he'd move past this, faster than even most others. The long list of villains turned friends was proof enough of that. He just needed….

It was almost funny. For the first time in Yugi's life, he wanted time away from his father.

As Yugi floated around the room, he was surprised as a fluffy orb hopped through a solid wall.

"Hello, Kuriboh!" Yugi grinned as he hugged the spirit.

Kuriboh excitedly jumped into Yugi's arms and snuggled into his chest. This display made both Yami and Dad smile, but their attention was quickly retaken by Mom. Yugi then let go of Kuriboh in surprise. Had his Dad seen him, even in this form? Then Yugi remembered he probably only saw Kuriboh's spirit.

Kuriboh handled Yugi's accidental drop gracefully. They then took Yugi's hand as they tried to hop away.

"Where are you taking me, buddy?"

Kuriboh wildly squeaked as they kept pulling Yugi along. Soon Yugi realized they wanted to go to the spirit world.

"I can't, I have to…." Yugi paused. Did he really want to stay for more of this? He then looked to Yami.

Yami still hadn't moved from his seat on the couch. But when Mom turned to begin coughing again, he glanced at Yugi. He smiled and then flicked open the deck holder on his belt. He nodded and then returned to Mom's speech.

Yugi got the gist and thanked Yami as he floated over. He then grabbed the deck. This had been a trick the two learned as they experimented the last few days. Since Pegasus infused duel cards with magic, they had a spirit of their own, just as Grandpa had always preached. Yugi pulled out a perfect copy of their deck, be it in spirit form. It would disappear when Yugi traveled back to the human dimension. But, it allowed Yugi a great deal of power in the spirit world. And... he also wanted to show off his deck to his duel monster friends.

Yugi gave a spectral goodbye nudge to Yami and then followed Kuriboh outside. In a happy kurri, the world changed around Yugi until he found himself under the perfect light of the three suns. Yugi looked down to see he was still floating. Being a spirit here was still something he had to get used to, but at least it wasn't as restrictive as being a ghost in the human dimension.

"Is that the Pharaoh?" Called Marshmallon as they helped a Gandora in destroying-, removing the perfection of the nearby river bed.

"Hey, Marshmallon. Hi, Mayhem!" Yugi waved. "You guys have done so much work since I was last here."

And it was true, Yugi was able to look out and see miles of destroyed turf. And while some may have found it terrifying, Yugi found it freeing. Yugi could also see more Gandora working with other monsters. Each was in harmony with the other.

"Well, while it's only been a few days for you, it's been more like a few weeks for us. Dimensional time difference is fun to wrap your head around, isn't it?" Marshmallon said.

"Well, you're doing great!" Yugi said as Kuriboh began to lead him away. "If you can, Marshmallon. Catch up with me later. I have something to show you!"

Kuriboh was determined to take Yugi somewhere, and Yugi was more than willing to follow. They pulled Yugi across the river and through the sky-scraper pines until they came upon a humanoid village.

"Hey, this is the little village you could see from the castle," Yugi said. Kuriboh then led him into it.

The village's streets were packed with humanoid monsters rushing to get their chores done. Anywhere Yugi went the creatures would stop and stare. Yugi waved where he could, but Kuriboh tugged him away every time. Then Kuriboh brought Yugi to an area with markedly fewer monsters. It was a courtyard in the shadow of a bell tower.

"Now with the Earthbound Immortals rising once again, the Signers-"

Yugi recognized Dark Magician Girl's voice. He and Kuriboh found the domain leader reading from a storybook to a group of tiny monsters. Yugi couldn't help but smile at what he guessed were children being told a Duel Monster legend. She seemed to have these kids enraptured as they practically crowded her bench as she read.

"Yugi." The flickering blue words floated to the side of Yugi's face. He turned to see Silent Magician watching the group. She was in her mid-level form, just barely taller than himself.

"Hey, Silent! How have things been going?" Yugi greeted and gave her a quick (phantom) hug before sitting down with her and Kuriboh.

"Just splendidly. Everything seems to be at peace again. I'm working closely with the Legendary Knights and the other Silents to help maintain the border. The Gandora are just as destructive as they claim, meaning our domain is finally flawed. Even us regulars to the domain are noticing a difference. It really is much better after a reset. Just as you said."

"I'm glad! From the news on my side, Yami and I finally got all your cards!" Yugi flipped through his deck to show all the levels of Silent Magician (even if he had to ignore the artistic liberties the card designers took.)

"Wow, I'm actually a card." Silent Magician looked on in wonder at her printed likeness.

"I have all our friends now. And thanks to Pegasus, they are connected to the right spirits." Yugi said as he pulled out a new Marshmallon card, Kuriboh's and Dark Magician Girl's worn cards, and the ultra-rare Gandora that started this whole thing.

"We have free teleporters to you now." Silent Magician grinned.

"Yep! So you guys don't even need to take the portal to visit us. And not only that, I've been thinking of ways to rebalance my personal deck! Soon, we'll get to fight together in-" Yugi was taken by surprise as a small figure darted past him and hid behind Silent Magician's knee. Yugi looked down, right into the gold eyes of Silent Swordsman. "-duels…."

The tiny Silent Swordsman flinched back from Yugi's gaze and used Silent Magician's dress to hide his face. "Magician, who's that?" he said.

Silent Magician began fidgeting with her dress as she wrote, "Swordsman, this is Kuriboh and the Pharaoh's host. Be respectful now. Remember, they have saved this world multiple times." Her smile was mild, even motherly, but Yugi could see how her eyes were worriedly flicking from Silent Swordsman to Yugi and Kuriboh.

Silent Magician then wrote in front of the dumbstruck duo. "I was hoping to give him more time before he met you all, but here we are. So yes, Yugi, Kuriboh, this is Silent Swordsman. He's still shy, but he's been nothing but a good child."

Yugi was still processing the whole thing and Kuriboh wasn't any more personable as they fluffed out like a scared cat.

Silent Magician lost her smile as she gently pulled Silent Swordsman from under her legs."What are you doing back here anyway, dear one? Wouldn't you rather be up there with the other kids?"

Silent Swordsman shook his head. His now blue hair covering half his face. "They keep staring at me weird."

"They don't mean anything by it. They just haven't seen an LV 0 Silent before. Once they get to know you, they'll liven right up."

Silent Swordsman didn't read her words as he scrambled to get under the bench. Silent Magician soundlessly sighed as Yugi watched on.

Yugi had known that Silent Magician was helping raise the next Silent Swordsman, even taking the lead parental role. Yet, seeing the reincarnation in person still made him hesitate. But he refused to blame pretty much the son for the father's sins. So Yugi collected himself and breathed out a long sigh. He couldn't help but think back to his dad and his own confused feelings about him. But he didn't linger on them long. Instead, he focused on the scared boy below him.

Yugi did understand one thing about this Silent Swordsman, and that was what it was like to be the outsider. So without a thought to the old Silent Swordsman in mind, Yugi leaned down to look below the bench.

"Hello there. Do you like Dark Magician Girl's stories?"

Silent Swordsman, at first pulled away from Yugi. But he looked towards Silent Magician and then nodded.

"I think duel monster stories are just the coolest. Humans have very different fairy tales."

"There's only one fairy in this story, and she's not the tail." Silent Swordsman muttered.

Yugi couldn't quite make out what Silent Swordsman meant, but he continued on. "Really? Do you have a favorite story then?"

Silent Swordsman still refused to look at Yugi. "Are you going to make me go back to the group…" He glanced to Silent Magician again. "...Pharaoh?"

Yugi was usually OK with monsters calling him Pharaoh. It was a sign of respect. But here, the child was trembling, the word turning into one of fear. Yugi didn't know how much this Silent Swordsman was told about his past life. Silent Magician and the Silent Acolytes agreed to not say a thing to the boy. Still, Yugi wouldn't put it past some vindictive monsters to try something. But he was not about to be someone to fear.

"You don't have to call me Pharaoh if you don't want. Yugi's fine."

Silent Swordsman seemed to perk up a little. "Yu-gee?"

"That's right. And, no. I'm not going to make you go anywhere. I remember what it felt like to be the new kid. And I understand if today's just not the day. But, if you want, you can come and sit on this bench with Silent Magician and me. It would be more comfortable than lying on the street."

Silent Swordsman thought about it for a few moments. He at first scuttled farther into the shadows below the bench, but then Kuriboh crawled next to him. The puffball squeaked a series of encouragements, Silent Swordsman nodding to each of them. Kuriboh then held out their hand. Silent Swordsman looked back at Yugi and then took it.

"I'm glad you're joining us, Swordsman." Silent Magician smiled as she levitated Silent Swordsman to the space in between Yugi and herself. He was at first stiff, but then Kuriboh jumped into his lap and snuggled in. No one could resist Kuriboh's charms, not even Silent Swordsman.

The three listened to what Yugi pieced together was a story about South American warriors. Dark Magician Girl would occasionally glimpse Yugi from the top of her book, and it was always with a smile, especially when Silent Swordsman sat next to him.

"And the fifth Signer will also be known as a Duel Spirit Hero. Her partner will be Ancient Fairy Dragon, who represents the front claw…." Dark Magician Girl continued.

"See?" Silent Swordsman pointed, nearly falling off the bench in his excitement. "She's not the tail."

"Right. My mistake." Yugi chuckled. However, at the "Duel Spirit Hero" title, his interest was piqued. He was about to listen closer when thunderous stomps shook the streets.

"WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME HE WAS VISITING?!"

Yugi knew Hakairyuu's voice well and accepted his fate unflinchingly. He stayed sitting on the bench as everyone scattered to make way for the great Gandora tromping down the street. Yugi was then scooped up into one of her powerful hugs.

"Good to see you too, Hakairyuu," Yugi said.

"You have to tell me when you come to the duel world! I-"

"Let him go!"

Both Yugi and Hakairyuu looked down to see Silent Swordsman slapping the dragon's foot with a wooden sword. The attacks didn't give her orbs any light whatsoever.

"What are you doing?" Hakairyuu asked. Yugi noticed that her pitch grew higher than usual when she looked down. She then took on an exaggerated frown. Yugi felt the rumble in her chest as she kneeled. "Aww! Baby!"

While Yugi recognized Hakairyuu's excitement, Silent Swordsman and the monsters around certainly did not.

"You-you're scaring everyone! That's not nice!" Silent Swordsman yelled as he held his sword clumsily, shaking ever so slightly as he stared up at the towering dragon. "P-put him down!"

"Aren't you brave, little one?" Hakairyuu cooed. "You must be very strong to stand your ground like this."

Silent Swordsman seemed to puff up in a bit of pride, but he hid it as well as a child could. He was determined to protect the others from this obviously savage dragon.

"No one's in any danger, Swordsman." Silent Magician wrote as she came back to the group after making sure all the others were fine.

"Speak for yourself. I'm being crushed to death here." Yugi joked.

Silent Magician rolled her eyes and used her scepter to lower Silent Swordsman's weapon. "Aunt Hakairyuu here hasn't quite learned the rules regarding humanoid villages yet."

"Aunt?" Hakairyuu gasped as she accidentally dropped Yugi. However, she quickly caught him. They both gave the Silents awkward smiles after a bit of fumbling.

Silent Magician pretended she didn't see anything. "One rule being that large monsters can only use the streets at certain points in the day. So they don't squish anyone."

"But… Yugi." Hakairyuu held out Yugi like he alone could atone for any sins.

"It's ok, everybody." Dark Magician Girl announced to the crowd. "But I think story time has to be over for now. Parents, get your children while I talk to the Pharaoh and his spirit partners."

The small crowd dispersed as Hakairyuu put Yugi down. Once Yugi was on his feet, he kneeled to face Silent Swordsman.

"Thank you for trying to save me. Not many would step up if they saw something wrong, especially against such a big bully. Never lose that, ok?" Yugi said. At the same time, Kuriboh jumped into his arms. They seemed to squeak their own praises for Silent Swordsman.

Silent Swordsman did a little happy dance. "Magician, I saved someone!"

As Silent Swordsman excitedly pulled on Silent Magician's dress, Dark Magician Girl came over after making sure everyone left.

"What are you doing here, Yugi? Is something wrong in the human world?"

"Nothing like that. Kuriboh was saving me from a lecture. I also came to show you guys the deck I've been building."

That got everyone's attention as they swarmed Yugi to see his cards.

"I can't believe that's me. The card makers are very flattering with the eight-pack of abs they gave me," Hakairyuu said as she squinted at the tiny piece of paper. "And this was the card the wishing well used to bring you to the spirit world?"

"Yes, but now it's just another way I can be connected to you guys," Yugi said.

"With these cards, you know what we need to do?" Dark Magician Girl said. "We need to have a duel!"

"Dark Magician Girl is absolutely right!" Hakairyuu shouted. "We must test the new deck with a good fight! I'll get some other Gandora and construction workers to be our opponents. Meet me outside the village. Because I'm pretty sure if I come back in, Silent Swordsman is going to run me out."

Silent Swordsman stood as tall as he could with his hands on his hips. "I'll be ready for you, uh..." another unsure glance at Silent Magician. "Aunt Hakairyuu?"

Hakairyuu then made a sound Yugi didn't think was possible from a dragon as she raced away. It seemed something between a roar and a... squee?

"I'm an aunt! I haven't been an aunt in years!" Hakairyuu twirled as she ran.

Soon after, Yugi and the band of Dark Magician Girl, Kuriboh, Silent Magician, and Silent Swordsman traveled out of the village. Along the way, they explained to Yugi how he could use his cards just like in the human world to summon monsters and activate spells and traps. He didn't need a duel disk, just his spirit partners to supply the necessary magic to duel in a way he understood. And duel they did.

Even though spirits knew how mighty the Pharaoh's host was, they were still duel monsters. It was in their nature to fight the strongest, even in this domain made for peace. Yugi found himself faced against a veritable army of low-leveled creatures and Gandora. Marshmallon even caught up and joined Yugi's side. Yugi couldn't be more excited.

As Yugi dueled with his partners, Silent Swordsman stayed along the sidelines. He was soon accompanied by other monsters watching in awe as Yugi wiped the floor with all these monsters, everyone having an absolute blast in the process. Yugi almost forgot how fun dueling was when it wasn't for the fate of the world.

Soon the duel was over, and Yugi came out the winner. As everyone else healed up, Silent Magician went to Silent Swordsman. He jumped into her arms as he hugged her.

"That was awesome!" Silent Swordsman cheered.

"I told you your guardian was the strongest. And did you believe me?" Silent Magician wrote with a smile as she rocked him in her arms.

"Don't go believing everything she says, little one. It's your aunt that is the true ace of the deck." Hakairyuu said as she flexed her muscles.

"Don't listen to that big ol' lizard." Silent Magician wrote in small letters with a grin. "The only time she'll ever be useful is if she was at the bottom of Yugi's deck."

"Hey, now. I needed every one of you to win this." Yugi chuckled.

Yugi then noticed as Silent Swordsman whispered something in Silent Magician's ear. She listened and then wrote. "We have to wait for you to lose your voice before something like that."

Yugi knew those words weren't for him, but when Silent Swordsman looked so disappointed, he couldn't help but ask why.

Silent Magician was a little hesitant as she answered. "Swordsman was asking… if he could be a part of your deck. When he's older, of course."

Hakairyuu had to hold back a surprised snort as Kuriboh repeatedly jumped into Yugi's side, each clearly excited at the proposition. Yugi studied the little monster hiding his face against Silent Magician's neck. Yugi then looked around at the rag-tag group of dear monster friends he had collected. He nodded to himself and walked up to the little Silent in her arms.

"On my world, I'm something called the King of Games. That means a lot of duels and a lot of work. You feel up to it?"

Silent Swordsman immediately faced Yugi with a stubborn smile. "I want to fight with you against more bullies!"

Yugi couldn't help but smile as he looked over the tiny warrior. One quote from the old Silent Swordsman came to Yugi's memory. "I will never take orders from you in this or any other lifetime!"

"Well, Silent Swordsman. You'll always have a place in my deck."

…

Grandma Blue-Eyes heard him come down the steps. Her head popped up so she could watch him through the store windows. It was nearly midnight, and yet she wasn't surprised. Leaving in the dead of night was something the younger Solomon had done many times before. She had simply hoped he had grown out of it.

Junior slinked down the steps in casual clothes. Grandma Blue-Eyes almost expected him to have suitcases too, but no. He seemed to have nothing on him as he went to the front door and turned the knob.

"Where are you going?" Grandma Blue-Eyes asked as she shoved her head through the doorway.

Junior yelped and fell backward. Then a light came on in the gaming area of the shop. There Solomon Sr. sat in his sleepwear, looking over various bills and a travel brochure to Cairo. All with a calculator and coffee in hand.

The older Solomon didn't look surprised, just tired. "You're up late."

"So are you." Junior groaned as he got back to his feet.

"Couldn't sleep."

"Neither could I."

Solomon Sr. took a sip of his coffee. He seemed to almost glare past Junior at the door. Junior followed his line of sight and met the dragon.

"Don't worry about that whole display just now. I was surprised by Grandma Blue-Eyes, that's all. She decided now was a good time to jump through the wall."

"You were the one skulking around." Grandma Blue-Eyes grumbled.

"It wasn't another hallucination. I'm fine." Junior spoke as if he hadn't heard her. He then began leaving again. "See you soon."

Solomon Sr. groaned as he massaged his face. "When can we expect you back?" There was profound exhaustion in his voice. He seemed to be preparing himself for the worse.

Junior paused with one foot out of the store. He then took a step back and closed the door (right in Blue-Eyes's face, she might add. Not that it affected her).

"I'll be back before morning. The others won't even know I'm gone."

Solomon Sr. raised an eyebrow. "We haven't scared you off again?"

"No. This is just business." Junior sadly chuckled.

"At eleven forty-five?"

Junior shrugged. "It's the time Seto Kaiba wanted to meet." Grandma Blue-Eyes perked up as Junior pulled out Zara's duel monsters card. "I did promise to return this to him. And he said it had to be this time. I guess as a teenage billionaire, he's used to everyone working around his schedule."

Solomon Sr. didn't seem thrilled. "And you told none of us this because?"

"You know how defensive Yui can get about these things, especially when KaibaCorp is involved. And Yugi and I haven't spoken since…. Look, this wasn't some big secret. I just didn't want to bother everyone with what's going to be nothing more than a drop-off."

Solomon Sr. got up from his chair, and Grandma Blue-Eyes noticed as Junior tensed. The older man went behind the store counter and pulled out a card. He then came around and handed it to his son. It was the personalized Blue-Eyes White Dragon card Pegasus had made.

"Grandma Blue-Eyes, do you mind going with him?" Solomon Sr. spoke to the empty store.

"I will be happy to accompany you," Grandma Blue-Eyes replied as she nudged Junior's side.

Junior couldn't feel her touch, but he waved her away all the same. "I don't need company."

"It's not just for this." Solomon Sr. said as he went back behind the store counter. "It's something I've been thinking about ever since the Pharaoh brought it up. You need a seeing-eye spirit."

Grandma Blue-Eyes tilted her head, but the younger Solomon seemed to understand.

"I'm fine. Dad. And I won't take this card from you. It's the fixed version of your treasured card."

Grandpa shook his head as he then lifted out the taped Blue-Eyes card. Just looking at it made Grandma Blue-Eyes feel a painful tingle along her scar. She shifted uncomfortably but hoped the others wouldn't notice her moment of weakness.

"This is my treasured card. I don't mean any offense to Grandma Blue-Eyes, but I don't hold this card dear because it had a spirit in it. I love it because I got it from a dear friend. That card there doesn't hold the same weight for me. But it does hold a spirit that, I'm sure, would enjoy being around someone that could actually see her."

Junior studied the card, flipping it back and forth. He then turned to Grandma Blue-Eyes. "I guess I wouldn't mind monster back-up, at least for tonight. If you're ok with that?"

Grandma Blue-Eyes spread her wings. "I would love to follow you into whatever duel you find yourself in."

"There's going to be no duels tonight, not that I could actually use your card. But I appreciate that all the same." Junior said as he put the card in his wallet.

"By the way, what did the older Solomon mean by 'seeing-eye spirit?'"

Junior waved goodbye to his father and closed the door. "Let's not worry about that for now. What will be more detrimental to my health is if I make Kaiba wait."

The two traveled in silence, Grandma Blue-Eyes flying over his car. They weren't going to KaibaCorp's main office building. Junior kept his personal promise to never go back to that or any other headquarters of Gozaburo's. But he made no such promise for a place such as Kaibaland.

The amusement park was closed for the day. Its massive mascot statues were nothing more than looming silhouettes in the dark. Junior parked and was let in a side entrance by security guards.

"This is sure a lot of work for a drop-off," Grandma Blue-Eyes said as the two followed the guards deeper into the park.

Junior gave her a slight nod. Then he abruptly stopped as his eyes jumped to the nearby rides.

"Something wrong, sir?" a guard asked.

Grandma Blue-Eyes saw duel spirits playing on the inactive rides. She chuckled at their hatchling-like joy at just being near a human attraction, even if it wasn't working. She then noticed Junior's frigid glare at the distant figures.

"They are simply spirit tourists. They won't even notice us in their excitement." Grandma Blue-Eyes said.

Junior didn't respond to her, but he did relax. "Sorry to hold us up. The park unnerved me a bit."

The guards laughed and agreed that the park could be creepy at night. Primarily since Kaiba had suddenly implemented more animatronics. They then continued to chat as Junior silently followed.

The group then turned a corner and saw Seto sitting in one of the restaurant's outdoor seating areas. Beside him were three Blue-Eyes White Dragons. Even after thousands of years, Grandma Blue-Eyes never liked the two males that smugly beckoned her over. They knew they were the last of her species and always seemed to treat her like she was already their mate, even though she despised them. Then when Kaiba stole her, they acted like it was her fault for being ripped. She didn't know how Zara stood them. Speaking of Zara, she too was by Seto. She was quietly snoozing, wrapped around his table.

Before Junior went to sit, he sent a thought to Grandma Blue-Eyes. 'Are there two extra Blue-Eyes beside him?'

"Yes. All three spend as much time as a duel monster can in the human world. Most spirit partners wish to do this. It is why Hakairyuu and I are always fighting for yard space." Blue-Eyes added that last comment to try and lighten Junior's mood. She didn't know if it worked as he nodded and sat down.

"Hello, Kaiba. Quite the meeting place."

"Says the man that couldn't simply come to my office," Seto grumbled.

"Also said by the man that wouldn't take this over mail or send a proxy," Junior answered as he pulled out Zara's card and flicked it over to Kaiba. He caught it between his fingers. He then closely studied the card, checking it and rechecking it for flaws.

"We done?" Junior asked as he crossed his arms and leaned back.

Kaiba went from studying the card to scrutinizing Junior. His accompanying scowl was mirrored by the surrounding dragons. Grandma Blue-Eyes's nostrils flared as she snapped at the two males, something the two eagerly echoed. But their staring contest quickly ended when all three saw something at the edge of their vision.

"There is something in the trees. It's not human, and it's not duel spirit." She said.

Junior glanced at the trees and then back to Kaiba, his position nor face changing. "Something is watching us," Junior said in a calm voice. He then subtly pointed out the spy.

Seto seemed not to believe him at first, but a small figure could be seen balancing on the branches when the trees shifted. Seto didn't call his guards. He instead slowly reached for his deck. Then, with a quick wrist flick, he shot a card at the intruder.

"Hey!" A child's voice yelled as the figure lost its balance and fell. Grandma Blue-Eyes stood protectively in front of Junior as what looked like a robot monkey got to its feet.

"That wasn't very nice, little bro!" The robot chirped.

Grandma Blue-Eyes was stunned by how uncontrolled Kaiba's expression became as he embarrassedly glared at the robot.

"Do not call me that." Seto snapped as he sent his guards off to go get something.

"Why? I am older. By a month I'll give you, but the title still fits."

Grandma Blue-Eyes looked to Junior to see if he could understand this situation any better. He, too, was blindsided by their uninvited guest. His entire business visage fell as he stared slack-jawed. He couldn't seem to figure out if he was horrified or amazed.

"How did you even get out of the house?" Seto groaned. "I thought Mokuba was watching you."

"He was. But he fell asleep, and no lock is good enough against these new fingers." The monkey wiggled its mechanical appendages as it laughed. "Besides, we were both worried about you, sneaking off to some secret meeting. And who should you be meeting but, Dragon!"

The monkey then climbed up the table's legs and sat in-between the two. Junior still seemed unable to move as he stared at the animatronic.

"Come on, Dragon. I know I've changed a bunch since you last saw me. Actually having a body being a big one. But you haven't exactly stayed a spring chicken either. You're sooooo old now!"

Junior finally blinked himself back to reality. He then sent a desperate thought to Grandma Blue-Eyes.

'Is what I'm seeing real?'

"Yep."

Junior swallowed hard and bent down to look at the robot. "N-Noah?"

"Correct! Give the general a cookie, Set-OH! Put me down!" Noah howled as Kaiba grabbed the robot and held him under his arm.

"Quiet you. Keep talking, and I'll disable your voice."

"You've threatened things like that all this week, yet, you've never done it once."

"That's because Mokuba was there to save you. Now, nothing is stopping me from shutting you off and using you for spare code." Seto said through gritted teeth as he grappled with the surprisingly slippery robot.

Junior raised a shaking finger to point at the newcomer. "Tha-that's Noah. He really was in that key thing from my storage?"

The two paused in their fight, seemingly remembering that Junior was even there.

"You are to tell no one about this," Seto ordered.

"Yeah, little brother here wants to show me off to the world when I have a better body than just this theme park mascot," Noah added. "Who knew this monkey was KaibaCorp's most advanced animatronic? While it still has its limitations, it's leagues better than being in a virtual world."

"Shut it, you!" Seto snapped as a guard came back with a cat kennel in his hands. He ripped Noah from himself and tossed him into the cage. He then turned back to Junior, smoothing his jacket to save face.

"Do not tell anyone, especially Yugi."

Junior gave a bewildered salute. "Yessir. I don't think I could explain this even if I wanted to."

Seto tried to remain indomitable looking, but a great sigh seemed to take his strength. "I suppose I'll just have to trust you on that. But if I hear anything, our truce is off!"

"Aw, don't listen to him," Noah shouted as he was being taken away. "Your nephew is just grumpy that he had to allocate funds from his space elevator to build me a better body."

"Nephew?" Junior squeaked.

Seto's eyes widened, and he wheeled around and yelled. "Where did you even-?!"

"I've read your search history. Even the parts you've deleted. Genealogy is such a strange thing to look up at two in the morning, isn't it?" Noah sang.

Seto snapped back to Junior with a glare. "Don't listen to him. He says the stupidest things to stop me from sending him to bed."

Junior only nodded, a slight twitch in his eye.

Seto groaned as he rubbed his forehead. "Just, forget any of this happened. You don't exist in KaibaCorp's eyes, and you can pretend your past never happened. That's what you wanted, right? We're done."

"...Sure…." Junior gawked as he watched the men in black take Noah away.

Seto grumbled and started walking. Then he turned around and seemed like he wanted to demand something of Junior. He then growled to himself and strode away, picking up the card he threw as he went. His spirit partners followed. The males didn't glance back at Grandma Blue-Eyes, but Zara did. She made sure to rub heads with her before she strode after the retreating group.

It was just a quiet park after that. The summer wind made the trees rattle as the crickets started up their symphony again. The two could perfectly hear it as they sat, completely stunned. The peace was only broken by Junior as he raised his hands and screamed.

"#$ % it! I don't care anymore! My son has an ancient pharaoh attached to him? Fine. Magic's real, and there are multiple dimensions? Great. People can be put in computers and then given robot bodies? Fantastic. I'm actually a reborn Gandora? Fan-#$ !%^&-tabulous. But being related to Gozaburo Kaiba in any way is where I draw the line!" He swore as he stood up. "I am getting a drink! "

He charged out of the park. Grandma Blue-Eyes could barely follow his thoughts, but she could catch up to him.

"But you promised your father you'd be back before morning. And I won't have you driving afterward with the attitude you are going into the bar with."

"I know! I just- I just-" Junior garbled as he tried to make sense of everything. Eventually, he leaned against a wall and stared blankly forward. "Just… just… give me a few moments."

Grandma Blue-Eyes quietly settled next to him, leaning on the wall so he could feel safely surrounded even if she couldn't actually touch him. And they stayed like that for a long time.

Finally, Junior spoke in a whisper. "Thanks for helping me tell what's real back there."

"Anytime." Grandma Blue-Eyes said as she nuzzled the top of Junior's head.

"I might have to take you up on that offer as I go back to work."

"Is that what your father meant by seeing-eye spirit? Me picking out what is duel monster and what is not?"

Junior nodded. "I understand if you'd prefer to be around Yugi or my dad. But if I could somehow call you-"

"I will happily live by your side as you travel for work. I have dreamed of being by my spirit partners for years. Now that I have a card again, I am more than happy to follow whoever holds it."

Junior grinned as he pushed off the wall. "Thank you. I'll check with the others to make sure they are ok with me taking this, but I doubt any of them will fight it. I'm sure Yugi's Gandora will be happy to have the yard all to herself." He then started walking back to his car.

"Speaking of Gandora… Just because you had ATK in the spirit world doesn't mean you are actually a Gandora."

"Really now?" Junior said. Grandma Blue-Eyes took offense to what she thought was sarcasm in his voice.

"Of course not! You are not some kind of half-duel spirit! I can't explain all the odd things that happened on our journey, but I know one thing for sure. We are spirit partners. A connection that can only be forged by a complete human and a spirit."

Junior stopped just outside the theme park gates. "That… That makes sense. I am a human… completely and utterly."

"Correct." Grandma Blue-Eyes said as the two continued on. "Where did you even get an idea like that?"

Junior stood in front of his car but did not unlock it. He instead looked at himself in the side mirror. "Was it a dream then? I can barely remember any of it as it is."

"What?" Grandma Blue-Eyes asked. She looked intently into the mirror to see if it could somehow help her understand his words.

Junior raised a hand and traced one of the scars around his eye. He then shuddered. "No, it was real." He then unlocked the car and got inside.

"What are you talking about?" Grandma Blue-Eyes demanded.

"Nothing... Nothing that I can explain. Trust me, I've tried." Junior said as he drove home. "But every time I've opened my mouth to talk about… well, nothing comes out! It's like the words are being blocked from me even thinking about them."

"Well, whatever is affecting you, you are not a Gandora. You are Solomon Junior and my spirit partner."

"I… I like that title."

The two quietly drove (and flew) until Grandma Blue-Eyes chuckled slightly.

"Heh, you know your inability to talk sounds like a specific curse that only those that have seen the afterlife get. Those that go cannot speak of their experiences. I suppose the hex does that so what comes after is a surprise for everyone. This curse is why incomplete half-spirits can't speak to the living at all. The only reason I can understand Zara is because we were so close in life, and the ripping of my card left a bit of me between dimensions. Even then, she can only tell me about things happening at that very moment. If she tried to talk about something else, it would be indecipherable." Grandma Blue-Eyes chatted. "Do you have an out-of-body experience to share?"

Junior's car screeched to a stop. Grandma Blue-Eyes worriedly turned around to see him staring wide-eyed off into the distance.

"I was kidding! Did you actually?!"

" #$% all of this!"

…

In two days, it would all be over. There was no Dartz to stop them this time, no tournament, and no crazy wishing well. They would finally have all the pieces to get Yami's memories back. Then… the Muto brothers didn't know what would happen next. They each had a good idea, but neither tried to linger on that thought for too long. Besides, that was still two days away. They had other things to worry about before that fateful trip to Egypt. Such as enjoying the celebratory barbeque before Junior flew back to work.

"So you're going to be gone for how long again?" Yami asked as he helped Junior move food items. They dropped them on a wooden table next to a public grill at the park. There Yui was already firing up the coals.

"Three months this time. It might seem long to you, but it's actually very short for… my usual. I'll be able to come back for a three-day weekend." Dad explained. "And it's just the beginning. It will take time, but I'm starting to really check my options regarding my schedule. Perhaps I can even pull enough strings to finally stop moving in a few years."

Yami smiled. Yugi would like that.

Yugi was currently in the spirit world, as he had often been the last week. Yami knew it was because Yugi needed time to think. And not just about his father. Yami was sure Yugi was preparing himself for Egypt. Just as Yami was with the Muto family.

"Here's de rest from de car," Joey said as he, Téa, Tristan, and Grandpa brought the rest of the barbeque essentials.

"Thank you all so much for helping," Yui said.

"It's all good, Mrs. Muto." Téa smiled. "We want to thank you for inviting all of us."

"The more, the merrier, I say!" Mom said as she tapped her metal tongs together. "It's a shame Bakura is sick again. We would have loved his company."

Yami did his best to not look too worried. Bakura had been calling in sick more and more lately. While this sickness helped save him from the last couple of life-threatening adventures, Yami couldn't help but feel bad. He was reasonably sure Bakura didn't get the flu three times in a row. But Yami also knew he could do little to help. In fact, he'd probably make it worse, thanks to the spirit of the ring. They just had to trust Bakura when he said he was fine.

"Food will be ready in an hour," Mom announced.

"While we wait, we have a few activities," Grandpa said as he unfurled a bag of sports equipment, lawn games, and…

"Water guns!" Tristan cheered. "And you filled them before we got here?"

"Why yes, I also have a few buckets of water by the tree over there-" Grandpa began to explain, right as an evil smile came to both Tristan and Joey. Before Grandpa could finish his statement, the boys grabbed two guns and began spraying Téa and Yami.

"Unfair! This means war!" Téa shrieked.

While Téa chose to dive for cover, Yami brute-forced his way through the spray to grab a gun. Once Joey and Tristan saw that the Pharaoh was armed, they split up, spraying each other and Yami as they ran. Yami then hid behind a nearby tree. He waited for Joey's or Tristan's tell-tale giggles and jumped around the trunk. Only to get sprayed from three separate directions as Téa joined the fray.

"You need help there?" Yugi appeared right next to Yami.

"Perhaps," Yami said as he lifted his dripping bangs from his eyes.

Yugi looked around the corner. "Hostiles at one, two, and eleven o'clock."

Yami leaned around the trunk and fired, Yugi's intel ringing true. They heard as their friends laughed and squealed. Soon return fire drenched Yami, and he had to pull back.

"You want a turn?" Yami laughed.

"And get to feel the soaked clothes and heavy hair? Absolutely! Get out of that body!" Yugi cheered.

Yami continued to chuckle and was prepared to become a spirit when Yugi paused. He looked over the water buckets beside them.

"These must be the buckets Grandpa talked about," Yami stated.

"You know, we have a tactical advantage we aren't exploiting," Yugi said with a smile much too wicked for his kind face.

The three other combatants continued to spray each other. The adults smiled at the teens' antics as they ducked and rolled around the park. But soon enough, they all faced the same issue.

"Drats, out of water!" Joey cursed.

"Haha! Got you!" Tristan held his gun to the back of Joey's head. Joey raised his hands in surrender, but when Tristan pulled the trigger, nothing came out.

"I call a truce!" Téa yelled as she held her water gun out to the side. "We need to reload, and our only source is…."

They all looked in fear at the tree Yami had ducked behind. Yami and Yugi were sure the three couldn't see them, or they'd be much more scared.

"I still have some water left. If you two cover me, we can grab the bucket." Téa said. The boys nodded and held their water guns up like they were still filled. They then crept to the tree.

"Where did they go?" Tristan asked after the three darted around the trunk to find nothing but a water bucket there.

"Up here!" Yugi giggled. The Pharaoh was right beside him with the same wild grin.

The three looked up to see Yugi in the tree with one of the smaller buckets. Yugi enjoyed their look of shock and terror as he dumped the water.

"Hey! That has to be a war crime!" Tristan shouted.

"Take dis!" Joey yelled as he hefted the bigger bucket and splashed Yugi.

"No! I've been hit!" Yugi dramatically called as he slumped against the trunk.

"I think this has to be it, guys." Téa laughed as she started ringing out her clothes. "While this has been amazing, I rather not spend the rest of the barbeque in wet clothes."

"Yeah, it may not have been my best decision to start off with the water gun. But it was just too tempting." Tristan chuckled.

"Good thing I learned from Yugi's birthday barbeque. Brin' extra clothes." Joey said as he started walking towards the public bathrooms. He was soon followed by the other two.

"Smart idea, guys," Yugi said. He then realized a problem in his originally flawless plan as he looked down through the branches.

"Do you need me to switch in?" Yami asked when he noticed Yugi cling closer to the tree.

"No, no. I can do this." Yugi said as he bent down and tried to find a foothold. "I've done nothing but climb mountains this last adventure. I can take a small tree."

"You ok there, champ?" Dad asked from below "I heard something about war crimes and just had to come over."

"It's fine, Dad. I got up here after all." Yugi said as his eyes kept glancing at his distant friends, his face growing red.

The slow process Yugi took down the tree was then expedited by a slick branch Joey had so kindly soaked for them. Yugi yelped as his foot slid out from under him. Thankfully Dad was there to catch him.

"Oof, yep, still just as heavy." Dad groaned as he put Yugi back on his feet.

Yugi's ears were still red as he mumbled a thank you. He looked back across the park to see his friends were nowhere in sight. He then grabbed his dad and held him in a tight hug.

"Something wrong?"

"No," Yugi said as he held a little tighter. "I'm just thankful that you're my Dad." Dad's eyes widened as the two separated. Yugi then continued. "I know I've been quiet most of this week. I've thought it over and… after everything…. I've realized I love you, and I find I really don't care about your past. You are my Dad and, as far as I've seen, are nothing but a good person. And… I want to see you more often."

Yami leaned in. "Tell him I'm thankful for him too."

"Yami says he's thankful you're his dad too."

A genuine and deep smile spread across Dad's face as he pulled Yugi into another hug. "I'm so happy to hear that. It means… so much to me. I'm overjoyed to be your dad too, Yugi." he then looked up and seemed to search for something. "And for Yami too. I know we have only known each other for a few days. Still, I'm starting to understand what Yui was talking about regarding feeling like you've been in this family for years. Thank you. I'm happy to be your father too."

Dad ruffled Yugi's hair, and he happily leaned into it.

"Look, champs. I know you got something big coming in Egypt. I wish I could help more, but it wouldn't be good for any of us if I went AWOL. So know, you'll always have a home here."

"A home." Yami unconsciously whispered.

"Egypt," Yugi murmured.

Dad took a step back as Joey slapped a hand on Yugi's shoulder. "You're still soakin' wet, Yuge. Do you not have a change of clothes?"

Yugi shook his head to bring himself back to reality. He was then back to laughing with his friends. The rest of the barbeque followed the same pattern of fun. The four friends enjoyed their time to the fullest in the setting sun. They played games, talked about the future, and ate, a lot.

"I'll be back soon! I just want a moment with the Pharaoh." Yugi called to his family hours later. He then found a nice bench to eat his ice cream and watch the sky's oranges change to purples.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Yami asked as he too sat on the bench.

Yugi dug through his ice cream for a few moments before nodding. "I just want to talk about what's ahead."

Though both kept their easy smiles, they each felt the other's stress. The unsaid tension that pressed on each this whole week.

"What happened on the mountain? With the puzzle?" Yugi eventually asked. "And don't try to hide it to save my feelings."

"It's not that I'm hiding things from you… I just…. It felt like something I couldn't describe to you." Yami sighed. "Not because you wouldn't understand but because I couldn't understand it myself."

Yami slumped, even in spirit form. "The adventure in the spirit world. I felt like the popped cork on something I didn't even know was building in the back of my brain."

"You too?"

"Yes!" Yami exclaimed. "Being separated from you and being with your family…. It made me face things I had been pushing away these last few years. I've realized I had so many different feelings wrapped up with being 'the Nameless Pharaoh' and a spirit. I really did feel like I wasn't my own person most of our time together. But recently, I am. I… really am not Yugi Muto." He then glanced at Yugi. "That sounded odd. Of course, we know I'm not you, but…."

"It's something we can't look past anymore. We are separate souls forced into the same body."

"Yes, and we can't continue to live like this." Yami looked horrified at himself for saying that. Yugi smiled, though.

"I've come to realize something similar. And I know what you mean. Thanks to all we've been through, it feels like saying that is an insult to the other. Like we are saying, the other isn't good enough for us. But we're not. We simply have been finding our own independents."

Yami quietly nodded as he stared back at the sunset. "Yes…"

"I never want you gone from my heart, though," Yugi said.

"No, never."

"So, what if when you get your memories back and… That's it?" Yugi knew it had to be said. It's something that they had been both feeling. The undeniable sense that this would be their last adventure.

"I… I… I don't know." Yami sighed. "We can't continue to live like this. But I don't know if I am ready for… that."

"I don't know either. And that scares me." Yugi shifted uncomfortably on the bench. "I don't know where my feelings of maturity end and my feelings of dependence start."

"We're very tightly intertwined, partner," Yami said. "It's only recently we've begun to pick it apart. And I don't know if we'll ever have enough time to figure it out. Especially with a deadline such as a door to my memories."

The two watched the sun dip ever deeper. The sky was a blanket of violets and magentas.

"Despite all this, I still care for you, deeply," Yami said.

"I too." Yugi then looked back to his family. "We all do. No matter what happens, we'll always have our friends, family, and the duel spirits."

"I don't know if that fact is going to make this coming adventure easier or harder." The Pharaoh tried to laugh as he, too, looked back at the group.

"Hey, Yugi!" Hakairyuu suddenly appeared behind the group. "Sorry, I'm late for your celebration. Time differences and all that."

Hakairyuu was soon followed by the other duel spirits, Silent Magician, Kuriboh, Grandma Blue-Eyes, Marshmallon, Dark Magician, and Dark Magician Girl. They all happily joined the party, Dad making sure to greet each spirit. He then waved over the Yugis.

"Get over here, boys! You promised to help me put a deck together, remember?" Dad called.

The brothers rejoined the party and did their best to enjoy every moment of it. Whether they were destined to part, or if they found a way to be separate but remain by each other's side. They knew they had a family to fall back on. And so the Muto brothers got up and happily rejoined their two dragons of destruction.

…

"Hi, Mom. Yes, I'm ok. The ceremony was… well…. Before you ask more questions, I have one for you. How soon can we prepare for more Mutos in the house? Because we're exhausted and would really like to come home."