Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds: The Judgement of the World

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

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Swinging open in a controlled manner, the cement path up to Kaiba mansion was as white as the dragons that Kaiba adored so much. Malik ignored the driver and made his way to the front door where, that too, swung open with the same respectful controlled manner. A maid stood there, already in a respectful bow the second Malik entered the room.

Beyond he could see the familiar entryway, the mixtures of blues and whites that marked Kaiba's home. There were stairs that would lead them up to the second floor, pressed against the wall, despite how rich Gozoboro may have been. There were limits to what the developers were willing to do against the laws of Feng Shui.

Kaiba would be in his office, Yugi would undoubtedly step out of his room to greet them when a mop of white hair obscured his vision as Bakura took point.

"A thief in a rich mans' house. Lock the cutlery."

"Father?"

With that the memory evaporated, it wasn't a maid to his right it was the butler. The colors of the mansion hadn't changed, but the furniture was moved in various places. The fancy table that Kaiba kept against the bottom wall below the stairs now sported a vase carved in the shape of Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, with roses displayed out its back. Splashes of signs that it wasn't 'just' Mokuba in the mansion. While Bakura disappeared, a ghost from the past...

Zalinka nudged the vision of Bakura back into the past, so he disappeared as Malik was startled into blinking. She clasped his shoulder and smiled up at him in quiet support even as she gently pushed him to keep moving. They didn't pack heavy, but the driver 'did' have their luggage to bring in. While her father just gave this apologetic smile as he moved forward. But she knew the 'look', that lonely expression, she saw it when her father spoke of the past. Of his friends and his days here in Japan, and how so many began with 'So Bakura and I'.

"I'm ok..." He answered his beard barely split from the weak smile he gave. Every year the smile got weaker.

'Maybe he's just feeling more comfortable in showing that it bothers him...' she thought as she started leading her father to their usual accommodations. After all this was to pay respects to Uncle Jounouchi. Saving Pandora's life was one of those first stories that her father would talk about when it came to someone 'other' than Uncle Bakura. The trip to California, the twins and the curse the demon enacted on them. 'His first slice of pizza!' she thought with a slight smile. 'Father always sounds so excited when he talks about new places...'

Aunt Masa was stepping out of a room, or rather rocketed out, her eyes wide as she scanned the area. Locking onto the pair before she launched herself towards them. A figure in slacks and t-shirt with bits of flung clay staining the fabric "Malik, Zalinka! Welcome! I'm so sorry, forgive me! I was in the middle of a project and lost track of time!"

The pair of Ishtars smiled and greeted Mokuba's wife with their own greetings, as the bubbly woman began gushing about a new technique she had learned recently.

"How was your trip? I wanted to come to the airport, but Mokuba has been stewing over work related stuff. He won't talk to me, as ever, but I felt it was more important that I be here for him in case he opens up. Or I need to stop him from doing something I would do..."

"Its always good to know that Ryu is there when you need a steady head!" Zalinka teased as Masa burst out laughing.

"Definitely its hard to believe such a responsible young boy is 'my' son!" She laughed before getting down to business.

Gossip. She wanted to gossip with Zalinka, and Malik was not escaping this...

Send help.

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"Mokuba its been a minute or three," Malik announced as the CEO walked into the dinning room...

For his part, Mokuba looked tired as he walked over to the woeful dinning table. It was long affair with multiple spots that no one had sat in for so long it had gathered literal dust. Mokuba hadn't allowed those seats to be touched, they just remained there at the head of the table. Six chairs that no one had occupied in a long time. There was less dust on two more chairs, dust that had started to collect after the body count of Zero Reverse.

'And now there's going to be another chair collecting dust,' Malik thought to himself as he looked at what would probably be considered 'Jounouchi's chair'. Zalinka was was sitting ridge at his side as she always had. There was this almost timeless pain to those chairs and part of the table itself. No one was allowed to touch the area, Mokuba wouldn't even sit in the chair he used to sit at as a kid.

Now that Zalinka had manifested a Ka, Malik was left pondering if his daughters' eerie discontentment in the room was a side effect of it. Nakia had no such issue when they came as a family any time prior. 'But there's no one for me to talk to about the Ka beasts,' Malik acknowledged even as he studied Mokuba.

Long had the light gone out of the kids' eye.

So much so that Fugata and the other servants begged for help as they began to retire out of service.

"As I have finally been forced to retire from my position due to my age..." Fugata was a weary version of the man that Malik recalled. Having continued to work for Mokuba after Kaiba had left, he was just a tired old man now. Long years of loyal service, yet Mokuba had held on to his staff for as long as he could. How could he not? When they were all he had left? "Master Kaiba has received a notice of those lost to the Zero Reverse." He didn't have to go further into explaining.

Malik understood, from the wording. Mai and Valon were gone, having been running Yugi's Turtle Game Shop for Yugi. Two more friends lost and would never live to see Yugi and the others' return. IF they ever returned. Maybe they couldn't and it was just something they would have to live with.

"I see..." Malik closed his eyes for a brief prayer to Yugi for Mai and Valon and the countless others who were killed. He had seen the news, felt the Reverse even back home, had the Tablets remained in place many would have been destroyed, others lost. For Zero Reverse had brought the underground to an end in the most literal of senses.

Black to azure blue and black once more.

When Zero Reverse hit, the lands shuddered, the winds screamed, and the oceans crashed and retreated from the land. Malik had been in bed when it hit, unprepared for the quake that sent him and his wife tumbling out of bed in alarm. Zalika had woke up to it screaming in panic, understandably so. Her cries were as sharp as when she screamed for food, but the panic that even she, as a baby, understood.

Nakia ran to grab Zalinka, Malik hot on her heels as they rushed their way through the house. The power was completely out, once Zalinka was safe in her mothers' arms, Malik took the lead. Guiding Nakia through a sudden void. The few lights that were kept lit to guide them were out, the background running noise of the fridge was gone. He guided the pair, working off pure memory of their homes' layout. Even then his ears strained for sound, just the whimpering Zalinka made as Nakia tried to calm her down.

While outside, blissful noise could be heard, in the form of panic as people finally got out side. Cries of confusion filled the night as Malik finally got to the front door and unlocked it. The house wasn't rocking or felt unsteady. But until he knew what was going on, having his family inside didn't feel safe.

The streets were filled with the confused and frightened, street lights were out, houses just black holes in the night. The sky above was a sea of stars he hadn't seen in a long while as all the luminous noise was gone.

"Malik? What happened?" Nakia huddled against him as Zalinkas' cries were finally calming into just disgruntled whimpering. Malik wrapped his arms around the pair, letting his wife soak in his body heat in the evening chill.

"I don't know, but stay here, I'll get the coats..." He instructed before he quickly moved his way to the house. The ground wasn't shaking, and before any potential new surprises happened he went to the near by closet. By feel he grabbed his and Nakia's coat and one of the robes for Zalinka to be wrapped in. In what felt like hours until he managed to get the coats and was making his way back out to his wife and child.

And still no power...

"Is something wrong with the Momentum? I never heard that 'this' was supposed to happen if it went down," Nakia asked as Malik took Zalinka so Nakia could wrap herself in her coat. She left the front open and tucked Zalinka against her chest as she took their daughter back.

"I'll admit Mokuba and I didn't deep dive this kind of technology, but I would say 'no'." Malik answered as the flickering of candles could be seen, as sparse and distant as the stars above...

The next day the damage was more apparent as the sands of Egypt sank into the largest of indentations. It was monumental for Malik to see the underground where he and his tribe had spent their lives and the lives of countless ancestors now just... Revealed in this eerie horizon long labyrinth that spread through out through the desert to the distant horizon.

"I'm the last of the old servants, I wanted to be able to still be employed when Master Kaiba returned... To see the young master smile once more..." Fugata shook his head mournfully. "But my sight is going, I can't pilot and though the Young Master is more than gracious. Providing me with a severance that will ensure a comfortable life... I... 'we' would be grateful if you continued to look after the Young Master. We realize you will visit... but his grief is still fresh even after all these years. He hides it in trying to emulate his exalted brother.. But he was never the Master, and forcing himself to walk his brothers' path has hurt the young man."

Malik nodded. He had been prepared to lose Rashid and Isis, but he had faith back then that they would return soon. Mokuba had been devastated, so much so that the others had stayed at the mansion for a year just to keep Mokuba company. Malik had to return to the Tombkeepers tribes...

"I know. I can't help sometimes but think that we let Mokuba down. That we could have done something to get them to come back..." Malik shook his head. "Maybe that's why Kaiba Corp is haunted now... Maybe they're just angry that we can't figure out how to get them home."

"You can't bring the dead back, young man..." Fugata pointed out with a tired smile.

"But Kaiba could."

"Yes, but such power is not meant for mortals. Perhaps that is why they can't come back. God should not walk among man, unless his heart is broken." Fugata suggested and the wisdom of that was not lost on Malik.

"Maybe, but Yugi wanted to be with us," he argued weakly before shaking his head quietly. "I can't just move here, but I'll keep in touch. You're right that Mokuba can't be alone, that he's still hurting just..." The kid grew up, ran a company, had a girlfriend and still grieved for his family. 'But we all do...'

And here he was again, in the dining room with Zalinka now a teenager and the winds of change drifting through the world. Even if Malik didn't know for sure, it was just... something here. Like Yugi was trying to talk to them again.

"How was work?" Zalinka asked as she waved at Mokuba. Her expression was subdued, as she gave Mokuba a once over. He was quiet, his suit neat and his stride on rails as he moved. She knew Uncle Jounouchi, but only distantly. Living in Egypt meant she didn't often get to see her 'Japanese family'. Save Aunt Anzu and that was through FaceTime... Now Uncle Jounouchi was gone...

"Work is work, how has life in Egypt been?" Mokuba answered as he walked to his seat as the maids readied the meals. Plates were laden with food while Ryu looked between all the adults.

"Oh its been good, school is school, dad's decided to flirt with mom in my room. I heard there might be a chance I can get a look at the new Turbo Duel King while here." She replied as a bowl of rice was placed before her.

"Ah yes... the figurines..." Mokuba replied and leveled a flat look at Malik. "Care to explain yourself Malik?"

The blond shrugged, unperturbed by the young man's tone of voice, and disheartened by the disinterested expression. "I received instructions to purchase that young woman's photo's, with each purchase the amount I spent was replenished in my bank account by..." Malik shrugged. "You might have a better time finding out who, cuz I don't know. As for who gave this instruction..."

Mokuba frowned at the lazy shrug he got from the older man. "I won't have someone pretending to be Yugi. I want a copy of your bank statements, I want to find who has been doing that."

"Why can't it be Lord Yugi?" Zalinka asked, "He's God, just think of the slaughters that happen in KaibaCorp. That might not be him, but that isn't something that happened before he came back to power. So something is up."

"Young lady please refrain from speaking on matters you know nothing about..." Mokuba began his voice tight.

"Father..." Ryu began before turning his gaze to Zalinka. "Yeah, a pair of twins close to the New King got autographs from Uncle Yugi. At least, that's the names that showed up in their autograph books. I can show you the recording later," he offered.

"He's not coming back..." Mokuba began again his voice tight.

Malik frowned and gestured to the kids with a small flick of his fingers to silence them.

"Mokuba, how's everyone? I know they came to visit when Jounouchi was found..." Malik redirected the conversation.

"Yes, had to push his luck trying to reach big brother..." Mokuba scoffed with such bitterness that the words fell on the table. At least that's how it felt when everyone's gazes dropped to the polished wooded table top and skittered across the surface like dice.

From there it was Mokuba followed by Ryu, recounting their conversation with a young woman named 'Izayoi' and a pair of twins who were able to summon Red Eyes Black Dragon. 'So people are being born with that ability. Perhaps this young woman can help with identifying Zalinka's Ka Beast... If she can... Since Zalinka is still alive and the spirit is not separated from her.'

"So these people can summon Ka?" Zalinka asked, curiosity tickling her to prod into it. "So people 'are' still being born with the ability to manifest their Ka?"

"Like the girl sitting next to me..." Malik retorted casually only to get jabbed in the side by said girl.

"I can't summon anything and you know that." Zalinka retorted before pausing. "That wasn't me dad! Get it together!"

"Your mother and I vote 'yes you did' against your 'no you did not. We win now be quiet," Malik retorted and got this imperious glare from his daughter. 'I'm leaving the tribe with this girl. I wish I could haunt them just to see what she'll come up with...' he thought with his carefully concealed fatherly pride.

"What does her Ka look like Uncle Malik?" Ryu asked as he saw the subtle easing of his fathers' shoulders. Now that the focus was off the man he was starting to relax a bit and eat. 'I wish father didn't give up...' he thought with regret as he turned his focus more firmly on the Ishtars.