With her slippers kicked off and laying on the ground, Cairo stands at a shallow end of the river. The water hits right up to her calf muscles and she is bent over with both of her hands submerged, trying to catch fish that swim by. She holds in her breath when she sees one swimming near her feet. Moving cautiously, she times herself before moving swiftly to catch it. With her hands clasped together, she stands up straight, only to be met with disappointment when she realizes she didn't catch the fish. Droplets of water fall from her hands and she pouts.

Mana chuckles, pointing her wand at the water and making that same fish levitate in the air to the little girl's fascination.

"So Bakura is the evil force you battled all those years ago," Yugi says, sitting next to the pharaoh.

"That's right," the pharaoh replies, turning his head to him. "And now he has the puzzle…an item passed down to me by my father."

Yugi gasps lightly. "Your father? Does that mean you have all of your memories back?"

The pharaoh shakes his head. "Only a small piece…a fragment of my childhood…when I was prince…when my father protected me. He was a powerful leader who created the Millennium Items in order to restore peace. But I'm afraid the seven objects have a dark side as well."

"Oh…so I guess that's the reason Bakura wants to get a hold of them, right pharaoh?" Tristan comes to the realization.

"Correct. And I have to do everything in my power to stop him just like I did in the past." He narrows his eyes, growling inwardly at the mere thought of Bakura. He has caused so much hurt and destruction and he has to be stopped once and for all.

"Well we're all here to help you," Yugi says.

"Hey, did you ever learn what your name is?" Téa asks, knowing that is something he lost along with his memories as well. On the stone tablet back at the museum, there is a cartouche etched on it that once had his name, but it is scratched out. Before coming to the Millennium World, Téa gifted him a cartouche that she found from a gift shop in hopes that his name will one day appear. But so far, he still doesn't know what his name is.

He pulls out the necklace containing the cartouche, showing it to her. "See for yourself."

"So it's still blank, huh?"

"No one here calls me by my real name. They refer to me as king or pharaoh or—."

"Dad!" Cairo exclaims to him and he looks up, seeing her run up carrying a navy blue fabric. "Look what I found!" She holds it up as if holding up a prize and she grins.

"You found my cape!" the pharaoh replies with surprise and a somewhat amused look on his face. "Excellent work!" She giggles, handing it over to him and she runs back out to sea. After wringing it out as dry as he can, he pharaoh slips it on, adjusting it as necessary.

Joey watches as Cairo continues to play in the water under Mana's watchful eye. "You have a whole family, man. Does it surprise you?"

"To be honest, if it weren't for Cairo showing up in the present world, I might have been."

"I still can't get over the fact at how different she is here," Tristan says.

"Well think about it you guys," Téa says. "This is all occurring before she spent centuries in the Shadow Realm."

Yami can feel his heart sink into his stomach. He doesn't know when the terrible incident occurs, but he knows he will eventually have to face the innocent, sweet and loving child that is currently splashing about without a care in the world.

"It's just not fair," Yugi says all of a sudden, taking the pharaoh off guard. "I wish there was a way we could stop it from happening."

"So do I," the pharaoh agrees. "One thing the 'shadow' Cairo failed to mention was when the incident would actually occur. Unfortunately, it's going to happen and when it does…" He breathes out a heavy sigh, knowing what he'll have to do when the darkness takes control.

"But when it does happen, can't you still prevent her from going to the shadows?" Tristan asks. "Maybe there would be some way to snap her out of it before she causes any real damage."

"Unfortunately I don't think that's possible," the pharaoh responds with his eyes low.

"What do you mean?"

"When we saw 'shadow' Cairo for the last time, she made it seem like there was no other way," Joey explains, remembering their last encounter in the Shadow Realm. "The pharaoh is going to have to defeat her once and for all."

Téa's eyes widen. "Are you serious? So the pharaoh really does have to face off against Cairo?!" The pharaoh exchanges a warning glance at Téa after her raising her voice causes Mana and Cairo to look their way for a brief moment. Téa quickly covers her mouth and apologizes. "So I take it you're not gonna tell Mana."

He sighs. "I just don't know…"

Tristan frowns. "That's tough."

The sounds of horses galloping fills the air, and initially they are put on alert, thinking it could be more of Bakura's henchmen coming to attack once again. But cheers and sounds of rejoicing are soon accommodating those galloping noises and they see none other than Shada leading a group of guards in their direction.

"Pharaoh!" Shada cries out with relief and the pharaoh goes up to meet them, while Yugi and the others stand in the background, knowing they cannot be seen. "My king, I am so glad you are alright."

"Yes. I'm sorry to have alarmed everyone," the pharaoh replies as Mana joins his side. She partially hides behind the pharaoh, knowing she should have informed the palace of their location.

"My queen, you were aware of the pharaoh's whereabouts this whole time?"

Mana chuckles nervously. "Maybe?"

Shada shakes his head, deciding not to press the issue any further. "More importantly, we found Bakura's hiding spot."

"Excellent," the pharaoh replies.

"We have traced his trail to a deserted village. It was once known as Kul Elna."

Hopping on a spare horse, he helps Mana up as well while Cairo sits behind Shada. "Alright then. To Kul Elna!" the pharaoh orders, readying his horse.

"Hold it right there," Joey says as he and the others walk up to him. "We're coming too."

"It's much to dangerous for you to join me. Bakura has challenged me to a Shadow Game with the ultimate stakes," the pharaoh replies before giving them a reassuring smile. "You should all return to your world. And let me deal with mine." And with that, he and the others ride off.

"Pharaoh, wait!" Yugi calls after him to no avail.

"I'm telling you. He needs all the help he can get," Joey says, watching the group go off.

"From us?" Tristan asks, turning to him. "Joey, we can't even pick up an apple in this world. So how can we help?"

"I don't know, but I'm not quitting that easily."

"Joey's right," Yugi agrees. "The pharaoh would never give up on us, right?"

"No way," Téa answers.

"And we're not gonna give up on him either," Joey says.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

"So Bakura is in the village of Kul Elna?" Shimon asks Isis who opens her eyes after seeing a vision from her Millennium Necklace.

"Yes," she replies. "The pharaoh and Shada are on their way now."

"Then we must join them and protect our king!"

"Right," Karim agrees, standing beside Aknadin in front of a group of soldiers who yell 'yes sir' to Shimon's order.

But Aknadin has the exact opposite reaction, feeling a great sense of dread as he stares into space with his eyes wide. "Oh no…not Kul Elna…" He never thought he would have to step foot in that area again. No one knows what truly happened there, only rumors that villagers suddenly vanished. Only he knows the truth.

Riding into the village, the pharaoh and the others are surrounded by destroyed buildings on each side of them. It is a ghost town and there are no signs of life anywhere.

"What is this place?" one of the soldiers ask.

"I am told this village was once populated with criminals and deviants," Shada says. "And one day they just disappeared." As he finishes that statement, he gasps, feeling the presence of angry spirits floating around them. Cairo cringes, huddling closer behind Shada. She doesn't know if her mind is playing tricks on her, but it almost sounds like there are multiple people loudly whispering things. Some voices sound far away, while others practically shout in her ear..

"I heard this town is inhabited by ghosts," another soldier says.

Walking further into the village, Mana looks around nervously as sweat appears on her forehead. "I have an idea," she chuckles anxiously. "Let's leave a note for Bakura and ask him if he wouldn't mind meeting us somewhere that isn't haunted. Anyone with me?" After getting no response, she groans. "I guess I'll take that as a no."

The laughs and chatter from the surrounding spirits start to become louder the deeper they go in. A soldier on his horse is suddenly thrown off when something grabs the horse's leg. He lands on the ground and cringes, seeing skeletal hands reaching up to grab him. Soon, more skeletons appear, wielding swords and surrounding the pharaoh and his soldiers on all sides.

"Not good!" Mana exclaims.

With ghostly spirits swarming around him, Bakura sits in a dark room on top of a stone platform that once held each Millennium Item within them. A dark aura appears around him and he grins, sensing the presence of the pharaoh close by.

"Alright my friends, the time has come. It appears his royal majesty has arrived," he says, lifting his eyes. "Welcome to my humble abode pharaoh…where I have the home field advantage."

"Hold your ground!" Shada says to soldiers as they engage in a battle. He blocks one of the skeleton's attacks, picking up a wooden staff that he found and he shoves the skeleton away. "We must protect our king!"

Mana shuts her eyes, starting to feel overwhelmed. She has never dealt with this sort of enemy before and if there's anything she's actually afraid of, it's spirits and haunted skeletons. She opens her eyes, looking over to Cairo who still sits upon Shada's horse, watching worriedly as the high priest and the soldiers square off against the skeletons.

Taking a deep breath, Mana hops off the horse to the pharaoh's surprise, whacking one of the skeletons with her wand. She told herself that she would never be one of those queens that sat around helplessly. She would fight by the pharaoh's side and protect him as he does the same for her.

"I've got it from here. Go!" Mana says, looking up at the pharaoh with a confident smirk.

"Mana, are you sure?" he asks and she nods.

"Two-Headed Jackal Warrior!" Shada summons with his diadhank, causing his two headed monster that wields a sharp weapon and shield to appear. With its agility and strength, it is able to attack multiple skeletons at once and with ease. Standing back to back with Mana, he looks toward the pharaoh. "We'll fight. You find Bakura. Good luck!"

"Right," the pharaoh replies with a nod. "And the same to you."

After pinpointing Bakura's location to a lower sanctuary, he cautiously walks down the stairs, using the nearby wall for balance. The path ahead of him is only dimly lit, with sunlight shining through scattered holes in the ceiling. Sensing the dark presence ahead, he stops and Bakura finally reveals himself from the shadows.

"I must say I'm impressed pharaoh," Bakura says with a chuckle. "Your father never had the courage to come here…which makes him a wiser man than you."

"Let's end this."

"Not so fast. There's something I want you to see first," Bakura says, stepping to the side to reveal a certain tablet.

The pharaoh gasps with realization. "Is that the legendary stone tablet?"

"The one and only. And as you can see, each of the seven items fit neatly inside," Bakura replies, looking at the empty slots. "Oh, and did I forget to mention that it is guarded by the very spirits who were imprisoned in order to create it? Your father destroyed their village and captured their souls in an attempt to gain the power to dominate mankind. How do I know, you ask? Because I'm the only villager who escaped…the soul survivor if you will."

"My father created the Millennium items to bring peace and prosperity to Egypt, understand?" the pharaoh shoots back defensively.

"I understand that's what you've been told by your so-called guardians. But they lied…" He grins as the spirits start to swarm around the pharaoh. "Soon your spirit shall join theirs…trapped for all eternity!"

The pharaoh drops down to one knee, feeling his life force being sucked out of him. He grabs onto his chest, cringing as he tries to fight through the pain.

"And without your Millennium puzzle, you're powerless," Bakura continues. "Finally…after years of hiding in the darkest shadows, the town of Kul Elna strikes back! It's almost poetic!" He begins to laugh, watching the pharaoh struggle against the attacking spirits. But a purple aura soon surrounds the pharaoh the wipes the grin off of his face.

In a burst of light, the Dark Magician appears, though as Bakura looks more closely, his eyes widen with horror when he sees Mahad dressed in magician's clothing. "You!" Bakura yells.

"When you threaten the pharaoh, you threaten me!" Mahad says, holding on to his green staff.

"Mahad!" the pharaoh says with surprise and he slowly gets up to his feet.

"Oh I see…getting destroyed once wasn't enough! So you've decide to come back for round two!" Bakura exclaims angrily.

Mahad looks at the pharaoh from over his shoulder. "I'm here to save my king!"

"You don't have to put yourself in harm's way again!" the pharaoh replies with concern.

Mahad turns his sights back on Bakura. "I made a vow to always protect you, pharaoh. That promise will hold true no matter how powerful our foe may be."

"Mahad…tell me…" the pharaoh begins, thinking back to Bakura's words about his father. "Did my father truly destroy a village in order to forge the Millennium Items?"

"Excuse me!" Bakura intervenes. "But I can answer that! Seeing as I was there when it all happened! Believe me…it was an evening I will never forget! I watched in horror as your father's henchmen harnessed the spirits of my fellow villagers in order to further his selfish needs!"

"How could he…my own father?" the pharaoh says in disbelief.

"What Bakura has failed to mention is that every citizen in his village was evil," Mahad points out.

"But how do you know that?"

"I could always sense the darkness within my Millennium Ring. So I began to research the spell used to create it. I then reported my findings to your father," Mahad explains. "And he was as surprised as I was when he learned what had occurred at Kul Elna.

Flashback

"Oh no. How can these items bring peace when they're plagued by evil?" Aknamkanon sits on his throne, placing a hand up to his head while Mahad stands before him after relaying his findings.

"It's not your fault sir. You didn't know!" Mahad says.

"Mahad…I am the King of Egypt. Every task carried out by my guards is my responsibility. And now I must pay…by confessing my crimes to the Egyptian gods."

End Flashback

"He was innocent!" the pharaoh realizes, clenching his fists.

"Your father took the blame so that you could continue his legacy by finally bringing peace to the land of Egypt," Mahad explains further.

"You're right…"

"Are you two finished yet?" Bakura cuts in, growing increasingly agitated.

"My father was a worthy king! And I owe it to him to take you down and restore this land to the prosperity it once knew!"

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Mana smirks after managing to summon a monster of her own known as the Dark Magician Girl. She has trained long and hard for this moment to occur and she watches as her monster defeats their enemies with ease. She knows if Mahad were still around, he would be extremely proud.

Shada looks down at her and nods approvingly. "Nicely done," he compliments.

"Thanks!" she exclaims before her expression turns serious. She looks in the direction where the pharaoh went and Shada follows her gaze.

"Go to him," he says to her surprise and she turns her head back to him.

"What? But what about—?"

"The soldiers and I can handle things from here."

"Yeah, we got it!" Cairo chimes in, hopping down from Shada's horse, causing Mana and Shada to both side eye her briefly.

"You stay out of trouble and do whatever Shada says," Mana tells her, causing the child to fold her arms and pout.

"Once we have everything secured, we will join you two shortly," Shada continues. "Now go. He needs you."

"Right! Be safe!" She darts off, going as fast as her legs will carry her to the pharaoh's location, hoping that he is alright. They're a team. And she refuses to allow him to face off against such a powerful foe as Bakura, alone.

"Just hang on. I'm coming."

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Slowly finishing this story! Sometimes I wonder if people are still reading it lol. But then I get random favorites and follows for this story so I guess you're still enjoying it! Leave a review if you'd like!