Ishizu told Alyssa that Yugi and Seto were reincarnations of the ancient pharaoh and the evil sorcerer who battled to decide the fate of the world. Many people already knew that story, but the untold part involved another powerful figure, a common enemy of both the pharaoh and the sorcerer. His name was Penaiga. Penaiga also wanted to control the world, but he had to defeat the sorcerer before he could face the pharaoh in a duel. He knew that taking away the sorcerer's love, Nefertiri, would break the sorcerer, and then he could defeat the all-powerful sorcerer easily. Thus he kidnapped Nefertiri and banished her to the Shadow Realm, claiming that he would bring Nefertiri back if the sorcerer defeated him in a duel.
Nefertiri was also the pharaoh's beloved sister. The pharaoh offered to temporarily join forces with the sorcerer to defeat Penaiga, but the sorcerer stubbornly refused and was defeated.
Now, Ishizu told Alyssa, the events of five thousand years ago would be repeated.
Since she already knew the identities of the present-day reincarnations of the pharaoh and the sorcerer, Alyssa immediately knew who Nefertiri must be. "I'm going to be part of this?" she asked Ishizu in disbelief. Due to her surprise, she had burst out in English instead of Egyptian, and as she looked around them, many people were staring at her. She blushed profusely.
When the attention was no longer focused on them, Ishizu nodded solemnly. "And you are the one who must save the world," she replied in Egyptian.
"Wait a minute, how did I suddenly become the savior of the world? I thought Yugi was supposed to do that..." She trailed off, confused.
"Well, I suppose that I spoke too hastily. I meant that if you manage to bring the pharaoh and the sorcerer together in this struggle, they will be able to stand together, united in a common struggle. You see, when the pharaoh lost the Priest as an ally, he had to ally himself with another, one known as Malik. And that helped Malik's rise to power, and when he turned on the pharaoh, the pharaoh was hard pressed to subdue him. Priest Seto knew the power of teamwork by then, and helped the pharaoh defeat Malik.
"The events of the past need not all be repeated. If the pharaoh and the priest manage to ally themselves in this battle, perhaps Malik will never rise to power. We can only hope."
Alyssa nodded.
They arrived in Cairo after a long flight. They collected their bags and Ishizu immediately hailed a taxi. "Where to?" the taxi driver asked, glancing in the rearview mirror.
"Dahshur," Ishizu replied without hesitation.
"Eh?" the cab driver asked. "Where's in the name of--?" He turned around in his seat, as if to get a better look at the eccentric passengers who were asking to go to someplace called "Dahshur."
There were two girls sitting in his backseat. One was in full Egyptian dress, looking as if she had just stepped out of a time portal from two or three thousand B.C.E. She wore a necklace with the Sennen eye engraved upon it, a sign of royal favor. But what royalty...?
The other girl definitely served as a contrast to the Egyptian. Instead of wearing ancient Egyptian clothes, she was wearing such contemporary clothing that she could not have appeared more modern if she tried. Blue jeans, a light-yellow T-shirt, and her hair in a ponytail, she was the epitome of commonness, if such a thing is possible. But her dark green eyes would have made her stand out from any crowd, even in a crowd composed entirely of green-eyed people, for her eyes flashed with emotion. If there were a pair of eyes that could kill when their owner was angry, the cab driver was staring right into them.
"I mean, where's that?"
Ishizu simply replied, "Get on the Interstate heading south. I'll direct you."
"Yes ma'am," the driver said, quickly turning around again. With his attention seemingly focused on merging into traffic, Alyssa asked Ishizu, in Egyptian, "What was that look he gave us?"
Ishizu, eyes twinkling with amusement, said, "Your eyes appear to be green today, and you seem disturbed."
"Well, I'm still trying to get over the shock of knowing about this battle. And, it's a little warm for my taste."
Ishizu simply smiled in response. "Of course." This caused Alyssa to roll her eyes and turn to stare out the window.
The cab driver, meanwhile, was becoming more and more confused. What was that language they were speaking? It sounded tantalizingly familiar, similar to his own native language. And yet he couldn't understand it at all. He sighed and gave up, turning his attention back to the road. If he got them in an accident, who knows what those two girls could do to him...
"Take the next left," Ishizu said.
They had been on the road for a little over a half an hour, and the driver was more at ease, concentrating on his job. But then he heard the Egyptian girl say—
"You can drop us off around the corner."
'What?' the driver thought, bewildered. There was nothing out here. They were literally in the middle of nowhere. And then he turned around the bend. He seemed to see a bustling marketplace down the road.
"Is that a mirage?" he thought out loud.
"No," Ishizu responded, barely holding back a chuckle. "For one thing, mirages aren't that detailed, nor do they move; besides, that is the city of Dahshur. Now you know where it is."
The cab driver simply shook his head and stopped the car. "I wouldn't know how to get back here," he said. "Wait a minute, how do I get back to Cairo?" he asked, alarmed.
Ishizu gave the driver some more instructions, and paid the fare, while Alyssa got their bags from the trunk. "Thank you," they called, waving as the cab sped away.
Alyssa giggled. "I think we spooked him." Ishizu simply smiled in return, then put on a stern face and looked around.
Alyssa looked at the older girl's face, and noticed that Ishizu was murmuring to herself. "This way," Ishizu said, breaking out of her reverie.
The two girls were quite a contrast to their surroundings. People stared at them, wondering why in the world two girls would be carrying such large bags in the middle of a open marketplace. Finally they made it to the other end of the marketplace, and kept walking. An elderly lady rushed after them, shouting in Egyptian, "Where are you going? You'll die out there! There's a sandstorm coming; better to come with me and stock up on food."
Ishizu handled the situation, since Alyssa had no idea what to tell the woman. Alyssa herself had no idea where they were going. Ishizu told the woman that there was a car waiting just beyond the next hill. She thanked the woman for her thoughtfulness and asked her not to worry, since they would be safe.
By then they had attracted quite a crowd, and many people were shouting questions now. "How will you make it to the hill?"
"Where are you going to stay?"
"A car will breakdown in a sandstorm! The engine will be clogged with sand!"
Through it all, Ishizu simply kept walking, occasionally turning around and waving while shouting, "Don't worry! We'll be alright!" Alyssa followed her example. The pair soon disappeared into the desert.
"Wow, I didn't expect quite a large welcoming party," Alyssa joked.
"Neither did I. It's probably just because of the coming storm."
"Oh yeah, the storm. Where are we staying?"
"We'll be staying in the underground home where I grew up—"
"—With your brother Marik!"
"Yes, Marik..."
Silence ensued. Soon they reached a large ruin. "Where is the entrance?" Alyssa asked.
Ishizu pointed in the direction of a well. Beyond the well, Alyssa saw nothing abnormal. It was only when Ishizu opened a block of stones in the ground did Alysaa realize that the entrance was right in front of her.
They descended into the darkness, where they would be living in the months to come.
For the next several months, Ishizu would take Alyssa to a hidden cave every day, leading the way through the winding tunnels of their home to another entrance to the world above. There, they would set off and walk for several miles before they came to the hidden cave. It was in this cave that the training commenced.
Alyssa was trained in martial arts. But not only that, she learned to develop her supernatural abilities. She learned medicinal formulas.
Some days Alyssa barely made it back to their underground residence before she collapsed on the floor, asleep from sheer exhaustion. Other days she did not make it back at all, and fell asleep outside the cave.
After one particularly exhausting day, Alyssa slept outside the cave. The next day, she prepared to head back inside, but Ishizu merely shook her head and led Alyssa back to her bed. She rested for a full week, not quite sure why she was being given a respite but glad for the break. She was startled to realize that several months had already passed.
At the end of the week, Ishizu finally told Alyssa what was going on. "The masters believe that you are ready for the tests," she told Alyssa. Alyssa's jaw fell open.
"What? You can't be serious."
"I am. And moreover, if you defeat the master at their own game, you will become the next master."
"That's not going to happen," Alyssa thought.
Morning came, and Ishizu dutifully led Alyssa back to the cave.
"This is it then," Alyssa said.
Ishizu nodded, saying, "Today is the day of your martial arts test."
At the end of the day, which was over in the early afternoon, Alyssa reappeared. Ishizu raised an eyebrow, and Alyssa nodded an affirmation. She had passed.
The next day was her medicinal test. She passed that one also, creating a difficult potion without mishap.
Several other tests of her various abilities took place, and these were completed. Finally, there came the last day when her supernatural abilities would be tested.
"Please make yourself invisible to us," the master said. Alyssa complied. The master tested her ability to maintain that state, and she did so easily. Several other tests of her ability took place, and she completed them with a minimal amount of effort.
Since she was done a little early, the master asked her to meditate to see if she could find another ability using supernatural powers. She closed her eyes, doubting that anything would happen. After some time, she heard collective gasps from the others. Opening her eyes, she looked down, and fell to the ground.
She had been levitating. The masters asked if she could repeat it, but she shook her head, indicating that she did not know how. But she meditated again, and soon found herself floating high above the ground. Soon she could experiment with the ability, and manipulate it to her liking. Basically, she could fly. The masters agreed that she had bested her teacher, and she was appointed the new master.
After another week of rest, she and Ishizu made their way back to Domino City.
A/N: Sorry I haven't updated (not that anyone's reading this anyway). I also apologize for any bad writing/ideas, and reviews would definitely be welcomed! Please R&R!