Shadi materialized slowly at the docks and narrowed his eyes as he looked at the scene before him. Mokuba flailed in the harsh water helplessly, screaming for Seto or Marik or someone to come to his aid. Shadi was about to do exactly that when Seto came running from around a corner and looked down over the pier. "Mokuba!" the blue-eyed boy yelled, leaning down and grabbing for him. "Take my hand!"
Shakily the younger boy snatched his brother's wrists and held on tight as he was pulled up onto the docks. He lay gasping for breath on the pier and then grinned up at Seto. "Thanks, big brother," he said finally.
Seto smiled and took his trenchcoat off for Mokuba to wrap himself up in. "Now, what happened to you?" the young man asked seriously.
"Someone picked me up and . . . and they threw me overboard!" Mokuba replied, wringing his hair out.
Seto narrowed his eyes. "They did what?!"
Quickly Mokuba explained everything that had happened to him while Seto listened grimly.
"The guy's gone now," Mokuba realized, looking around. "And he must've taken those weird crates with him!"
"Could you see what was in them?" Seto asked.
Mokuba paused. "Well . . ." He scratched his head. "They . . . they actually looked like . . . like coffins."
Seto raised an eyebrow. "Crates that looked that coffins?" he said, trying to understand.
"Uh huh. I know it sounds crazy, but . . ."
Seto sighed. "After everything we've seen, what's one more crazy thing?" he said resignedly.
Shadi, unseen by either of them, melted into the shadows once more. Perhaps the child is not exaggerating in what he says, the Egyptian man said to himself. He hadn't seen the crates himself, but he trusted Mokuba's word in the matter.
"Meow?"
Blinking, Shadi looked down to see Oreo sitting on the dock and staring up at him with bright yellow eyes.
"What are you doing here?" Shadi asked calmly, certain that the cat could understand him. After all, he knew something about her that no one else did.
"Meow," Oreo replied simply, swishing her tail around. She rubbed up against his legs blissfully, letting out a loud purr.
"Shadi?"
He turned, seeing Alyson looking up at him once more. She looked so happy to see him again so soon. She also looked as though she had something on her mind.
"What is it, young one?" Shadi said kindly.
Alyson paused for a good while. "Shadi . . . are you . . ." The little girl twisted the Ankh in her hands, longing to run into his arms and be held close. But . . . would she simply go through him? she wondered. Was he . . . was he a spirit? She had wanted to ask him earlier, but she hadn't been able to bring herself to do so.
"Am I dead?" Shadi smiled softly. "No."
Brightening, Alyson ran forward and hugged him tightly, a gesture which her friend returned. "I thought you were dead," she sobbed. "I thought . . . I thought that terrible man killed you!"
Shadi shook his head. "I survived and I was healed, but I cannot explain it all to you at this point, little one."
Alyson looked up at him. "That's okay," she said happily, just so immensely glad that he was alright.
Shadi gazed at Alyson for a while, his blue eyes filled with many emotions. At long last he released her from his grasp and turned to leave. "Stay on your guard, Alyson," he said quietly. "I will be in touch." He nodded to someone behind the little girl and then disappeared again.
Alyson turned around to see Tristan there, looking white as a sheet. "Was . . . was that . . . ?!" he gasped.
"Yep!" Alyson chirped joyously. "He's okay!"
Tristan stared. "But . . . but that's impossible!" he cried.
Alyson giggled. "No it's not, 'cause he was here!"
Oreo yawned nonchalantly and stood on her hind legs, peering into a crate.
"What do you see, kitty?" Alyson asked.
Oreo gave a loud meow and dove in, returning soon with a fish.
"Oh man! All that cat can think about is food!" Tristan remarked, throwing his hands up in the air. "I was hoping she'd found a clue!"
"Meow," Oreo said reprovingly, dropping the fish at his feet. To Tristan's and Alyson's shock, a diamond rolled out of its mouth.
"What the heck is that?!" Joey exclaimed, suddenly appearing out of nowhere.
"A diamond," Tristan replied, bending down to pick it up.
"Eh?" Joey blinked.
"That fish must've had some serious heartburn," Tristan remarked.
"Is this what the cat brought us out here for?!" Joey cried. "A fish with a diamond?!"
Oreo meowed again as if to say, "No!!"
"Maybe she led us here because of Shadi," Tristan suggested seriously.
"Holy cow, Tristan, have you gone nuts?!" Joey burst out.
Tristan shook his head firmly. "Joey, he's come back from the dead!" he said. "I saw him!"
Alyson watched them nonchalantly, scooping Oreo up into her arms. "He was here," she smiled, stroking the soft fur between the cat's eyes.
Shadi, observing from behind a corner, slowly pulled out the Millennium Scales. I cannot have them revealing my whereabouts at this time, he said to himself. It would be extremely dangerous for their welfare to do so. He closed his eyes in concentration, quietly and purposefully uttering, "Erase their memories of what they have seen tonight!"
The Scales glowed brightly and Joey and Tristan suddenly blinked in surprise and confusion.
"Man, what just happened?!" Joey exclaimed.
"I don't know," Tristan said, staring at their surroundings. "What are we even doing here in the first place?!"
Alyson giggled at them and glanced over to where Shadi had concealed himself. He gave her a slight smile before vanishing into the shadows.
Joey turned to glare at Oreo. "What kinda wild goose chase have you been leadin' us on?!" he cried.
Oreo yawned lazily.
****
Yami Bakura ran down the dock, his hair flying out as he cursed his luck. "Blasted cat!" he yelled aloud.
Abruptly he stopped, staring ahead at something strange.
"Yami?"
The thief whirled around to face Bakura, who stared at him in confusion.
"Yami, what do you see?!" the boy asked.
Yami Bakura grunted. "Nothing, you dolt," he replied.
"Yami, I know it was something," Bakura said firmly. "You looked so startled!"
"I saw nothing," Yami Bakura retorted again, not about to tell Bakura of the disturbing sight he had just witnessed. There's no point in upsetting the poor fool, he said to himself.
****
"Kaiba!"
Seto looked up to see Yugi and his Yami coming toward him and Mokuba.
"Kaiba, what happened?!" Yugi exclaimed.
Seto snarled. "Someone threw Mokuba into the water," he replied. "And they're gonna regret it."
Mokuba, still wrapped in Seto's trenchcoat, shivered violently as his older brother stood up with him. "We . . . we've gotta try to find those crates!" he cried.
"What crates?" Yami Yugi wanted to know.
Quickly Mokuba explained about them again as they all walked back up the pier. "I know I saw them!" he insisted. "Hey, there's one over there!!"
All of them turned to look in the direction Mokuba was pointing. Indeed, there was a crate propped up against the wall of a building.
Yugi gasped as he saw it. "It . . . it looks like a coffin!" he burst out as they ran over.
"Yes," Yami Yugi said slowly. "And perhaps the resemblance is more than simply looks."
Seto saw what the Pharaoh was referring to first and tried to shift Mokuba so he wouldn't see.
"Oh!!!" Yugi screamed.
"What is it, Seto?!" Mokuba demanded. "I wanna see!"
Yugi looked up at his Yami, shaking uncontrollably as he tried to ban the image from his mind of the limp, bloodied hand hanging out of the crate.
"This is very grave," Yami Yugi said grimly.
****
In the meantime, the Ishtars were having an unpleasant encounter.
"Hey, pretty lady," a wicked voice called.
Ishizu slowly turned to face a sneering, rugged bully. "Yes?" she said calmly.
"I can't see you from that angle. Come closer," the man grinned.
Ishizu narrowed her eyes. "I don't think so," she replied.
"I said, come closer!" the man growled, lunging at her.
Instantly Marik and Rishid appeared on other side of their sister. "You will not lay even one of your filthy fingers on her," Marik hissed.
Their adversary straightened up, looking amused. "Traveling with bodyguards, are you?" he said to Ishizu.
"They are my brothers," Ishizu retorted.
"Well, now, isn't that just too sweet!" The man grabbed for Marik, who dodged and delivered a harsh kick to his middle section.
Marik stepped back, allowing him to double over in pain. "You will never do anything to Ishizu as long as we are here," he hissed.
"Oh yeah?" The man abruptly lashed out, punching Marik harshly in the nose.
"Marik!!" Ishizu cried, running to her younger brother as he suddenly crumpled to the ground and sat down hard in a daze.
Rishid moved forward now, wrenching their assailant's arm around. "Leave this place," he growled. "Leave and cease to prey on the women who come here."
"And what if I don't?" the villain shot back.
"Then you will suffer my wrath," Rishid responded. "I will not allow you to harm those I love."
Ishizu put her arm around Marik tenderly, watching as Rishid proceeded to fight with the other man.
"Rishid, look out!!" Marik cried, his eyes widening as the scruffy character pulled out a ninja weapon and prepared to wield it at Rishid.
The Egyptian man grabbed the weapon just in time and held it tightly. "It will not be that easy to vanquish me," he warned.
"Oh yeah?" the villain grinned. "Take this!!" He moved with lightning fast speed, intending to strike Rishid with a dagger he held in his hand.
Undaunted, Rishid grabbed the man's wrist and squeezed painfully, forcing him to let go of the dagger.
"Hey! Let go of me!" he screamed, kicking Rishid on the shin.
Rishid only tightened his grip. "I've had enough of your shenanigans," he said sternly, delivering a knock-out punch.
Marik smirked.
"What is this?" Ishizu exclaimed suddenly, bending down to pick something up that had apparently dropped from the man's pocket.
"Good heavens," Marik muttered, peering over her shoulder.
It was a picture of the Ishtars with Yugi and all the others at the airport. A large red "X" stretched across the length of the picture and "DIE!!!" was printed angrily at the bottom!
Shakily the younger boy snatched his brother's wrists and held on tight as he was pulled up onto the docks. He lay gasping for breath on the pier and then grinned up at Seto. "Thanks, big brother," he said finally.
Seto smiled and took his trenchcoat off for Mokuba to wrap himself up in. "Now, what happened to you?" the young man asked seriously.
"Someone picked me up and . . . and they threw me overboard!" Mokuba replied, wringing his hair out.
Seto narrowed his eyes. "They did what?!"
Quickly Mokuba explained everything that had happened to him while Seto listened grimly.
"The guy's gone now," Mokuba realized, looking around. "And he must've taken those weird crates with him!"
"Could you see what was in them?" Seto asked.
Mokuba paused. "Well . . ." He scratched his head. "They . . . they actually looked like . . . like coffins."
Seto raised an eyebrow. "Crates that looked that coffins?" he said, trying to understand.
"Uh huh. I know it sounds crazy, but . . ."
Seto sighed. "After everything we've seen, what's one more crazy thing?" he said resignedly.
Shadi, unseen by either of them, melted into the shadows once more. Perhaps the child is not exaggerating in what he says, the Egyptian man said to himself. He hadn't seen the crates himself, but he trusted Mokuba's word in the matter.
"Meow?"
Blinking, Shadi looked down to see Oreo sitting on the dock and staring up at him with bright yellow eyes.
"What are you doing here?" Shadi asked calmly, certain that the cat could understand him. After all, he knew something about her that no one else did.
"Meow," Oreo replied simply, swishing her tail around. She rubbed up against his legs blissfully, letting out a loud purr.
"Shadi?"
He turned, seeing Alyson looking up at him once more. She looked so happy to see him again so soon. She also looked as though she had something on her mind.
"What is it, young one?" Shadi said kindly.
Alyson paused for a good while. "Shadi . . . are you . . ." The little girl twisted the Ankh in her hands, longing to run into his arms and be held close. But . . . would she simply go through him? she wondered. Was he . . . was he a spirit? She had wanted to ask him earlier, but she hadn't been able to bring herself to do so.
"Am I dead?" Shadi smiled softly. "No."
Brightening, Alyson ran forward and hugged him tightly, a gesture which her friend returned. "I thought you were dead," she sobbed. "I thought . . . I thought that terrible man killed you!"
Shadi shook his head. "I survived and I was healed, but I cannot explain it all to you at this point, little one."
Alyson looked up at him. "That's okay," she said happily, just so immensely glad that he was alright.
Shadi gazed at Alyson for a while, his blue eyes filled with many emotions. At long last he released her from his grasp and turned to leave. "Stay on your guard, Alyson," he said quietly. "I will be in touch." He nodded to someone behind the little girl and then disappeared again.
Alyson turned around to see Tristan there, looking white as a sheet. "Was . . . was that . . . ?!" he gasped.
"Yep!" Alyson chirped joyously. "He's okay!"
Tristan stared. "But . . . but that's impossible!" he cried.
Alyson giggled. "No it's not, 'cause he was here!"
Oreo yawned nonchalantly and stood on her hind legs, peering into a crate.
"What do you see, kitty?" Alyson asked.
Oreo gave a loud meow and dove in, returning soon with a fish.
"Oh man! All that cat can think about is food!" Tristan remarked, throwing his hands up in the air. "I was hoping she'd found a clue!"
"Meow," Oreo said reprovingly, dropping the fish at his feet. To Tristan's and Alyson's shock, a diamond rolled out of its mouth.
"What the heck is that?!" Joey exclaimed, suddenly appearing out of nowhere.
"A diamond," Tristan replied, bending down to pick it up.
"Eh?" Joey blinked.
"That fish must've had some serious heartburn," Tristan remarked.
"Is this what the cat brought us out here for?!" Joey cried. "A fish with a diamond?!"
Oreo meowed again as if to say, "No!!"
"Maybe she led us here because of Shadi," Tristan suggested seriously.
"Holy cow, Tristan, have you gone nuts?!" Joey burst out.
Tristan shook his head firmly. "Joey, he's come back from the dead!" he said. "I saw him!"
Alyson watched them nonchalantly, scooping Oreo up into her arms. "He was here," she smiled, stroking the soft fur between the cat's eyes.
Shadi, observing from behind a corner, slowly pulled out the Millennium Scales. I cannot have them revealing my whereabouts at this time, he said to himself. It would be extremely dangerous for their welfare to do so. He closed his eyes in concentration, quietly and purposefully uttering, "Erase their memories of what they have seen tonight!"
The Scales glowed brightly and Joey and Tristan suddenly blinked in surprise and confusion.
"Man, what just happened?!" Joey exclaimed.
"I don't know," Tristan said, staring at their surroundings. "What are we even doing here in the first place?!"
Alyson giggled at them and glanced over to where Shadi had concealed himself. He gave her a slight smile before vanishing into the shadows.
Joey turned to glare at Oreo. "What kinda wild goose chase have you been leadin' us on?!" he cried.
Oreo yawned lazily.
****
Yami Bakura ran down the dock, his hair flying out as he cursed his luck. "Blasted cat!" he yelled aloud.
Abruptly he stopped, staring ahead at something strange.
"Yami?"
The thief whirled around to face Bakura, who stared at him in confusion.
"Yami, what do you see?!" the boy asked.
Yami Bakura grunted. "Nothing, you dolt," he replied.
"Yami, I know it was something," Bakura said firmly. "You looked so startled!"
"I saw nothing," Yami Bakura retorted again, not about to tell Bakura of the disturbing sight he had just witnessed. There's no point in upsetting the poor fool, he said to himself.
****
"Kaiba!"
Seto looked up to see Yugi and his Yami coming toward him and Mokuba.
"Kaiba, what happened?!" Yugi exclaimed.
Seto snarled. "Someone threw Mokuba into the water," he replied. "And they're gonna regret it."
Mokuba, still wrapped in Seto's trenchcoat, shivered violently as his older brother stood up with him. "We . . . we've gotta try to find those crates!" he cried.
"What crates?" Yami Yugi wanted to know.
Quickly Mokuba explained about them again as they all walked back up the pier. "I know I saw them!" he insisted. "Hey, there's one over there!!"
All of them turned to look in the direction Mokuba was pointing. Indeed, there was a crate propped up against the wall of a building.
Yugi gasped as he saw it. "It . . . it looks like a coffin!" he burst out as they ran over.
"Yes," Yami Yugi said slowly. "And perhaps the resemblance is more than simply looks."
Seto saw what the Pharaoh was referring to first and tried to shift Mokuba so he wouldn't see.
"Oh!!!" Yugi screamed.
"What is it, Seto?!" Mokuba demanded. "I wanna see!"
Yugi looked up at his Yami, shaking uncontrollably as he tried to ban the image from his mind of the limp, bloodied hand hanging out of the crate.
"This is very grave," Yami Yugi said grimly.
****
In the meantime, the Ishtars were having an unpleasant encounter.
"Hey, pretty lady," a wicked voice called.
Ishizu slowly turned to face a sneering, rugged bully. "Yes?" she said calmly.
"I can't see you from that angle. Come closer," the man grinned.
Ishizu narrowed her eyes. "I don't think so," she replied.
"I said, come closer!" the man growled, lunging at her.
Instantly Marik and Rishid appeared on other side of their sister. "You will not lay even one of your filthy fingers on her," Marik hissed.
Their adversary straightened up, looking amused. "Traveling with bodyguards, are you?" he said to Ishizu.
"They are my brothers," Ishizu retorted.
"Well, now, isn't that just too sweet!" The man grabbed for Marik, who dodged and delivered a harsh kick to his middle section.
Marik stepped back, allowing him to double over in pain. "You will never do anything to Ishizu as long as we are here," he hissed.
"Oh yeah?" The man abruptly lashed out, punching Marik harshly in the nose.
"Marik!!" Ishizu cried, running to her younger brother as he suddenly crumpled to the ground and sat down hard in a daze.
Rishid moved forward now, wrenching their assailant's arm around. "Leave this place," he growled. "Leave and cease to prey on the women who come here."
"And what if I don't?" the villain shot back.
"Then you will suffer my wrath," Rishid responded. "I will not allow you to harm those I love."
Ishizu put her arm around Marik tenderly, watching as Rishid proceeded to fight with the other man.
"Rishid, look out!!" Marik cried, his eyes widening as the scruffy character pulled out a ninja weapon and prepared to wield it at Rishid.
The Egyptian man grabbed the weapon just in time and held it tightly. "It will not be that easy to vanquish me," he warned.
"Oh yeah?" the villain grinned. "Take this!!" He moved with lightning fast speed, intending to strike Rishid with a dagger he held in his hand.
Undaunted, Rishid grabbed the man's wrist and squeezed painfully, forcing him to let go of the dagger.
"Hey! Let go of me!" he screamed, kicking Rishid on the shin.
Rishid only tightened his grip. "I've had enough of your shenanigans," he said sternly, delivering a knock-out punch.
Marik smirked.
"What is this?" Ishizu exclaimed suddenly, bending down to pick something up that had apparently dropped from the man's pocket.
"Good heavens," Marik muttered, peering over her shoulder.
It was a picture of the Ishtars with Yugi and all the others at the airport. A large red "X" stretched across the length of the picture and "DIE!!!" was printed angrily at the bottom!