The clock above Yami Yugi chimed, a sudden awareness of how little time he might actually have.

Malik Ishtar, along with his older sister Isis, sat on the couch across from the pharaoh. Having recently moved to Domino City, much of their apartment was still covered in boxes. Isis seemed a little concerned over the appearance of her new home, but Yami Yugi was too distraught to even notice the clutter.

"A… a disease from the Shadow realm?" Malik stammered, leaning forward.

"Yes."

He slung his head in his hands, the heavy weight of guilt bearing down on him. It was, after all, his dark side that had sent Ryou Bakura's body into the shadow realm in that duel. It was his Winged Dragon of Ra that apparently sealed the boy's fate. He couldn't bear to speak, yet alone look Yami Yugi in the eyes.

"That's terrible." Isis finally spoke. "Is there anything that we can do?"

"That's exactly what I was hoping…" the pharaoh sighed. "I have some of my memories, but not all of them. I know the dangers of sending a physical body to the Shadow realm. But I don't know how to help someone who has been brought back."

Isis exchanged a glance with Malik, who had just looked up.

"We'll do anything we can, pharaoh." He answered. "Anything."

"I know."

He leaned forward again.

"In your years of passing on tomb keeper traditions, do you know of something, anything, that could help Ryou?"

A twinge of desperation was present in his soft voice.

"I… I don't know of anything…" Malik sighed.

"Wait. There is something." Isis interrupted her brother's grief.

"There is?" Yami Yugi gasped with hope.

"Yes." Isis continued. "I do know of one ritual."

The pharaoh leaned forward, holding his breath, lest any sound, no matter how minute, might obscure the coveted information that the tomb keeper was about to share.

"… A tale was passed down since the ancient times, when Priest Set asked the pharaoh for permission to help in a healing ritual. A scribe had fallen victim to an attack by the great thief king and his ka, Diabound. He had quickly succumbed to an unknown illness…" Isis carefully told her story. "Priest Set had made sacrifices to Khons, a god known for his healing powers. The pharaoh was asked to summon the three great gods, so that they might aid in the healing."

Yami Yugi sat in silence. He remembered none of this.

Malik too, watched his sister intently. If there were any way to undo the damage he had unknowingly caused, he would certainly do it.

"Was it…" he stopped. "Was I successful?"

Isis lowered her head.

"Unfortunately, no. The… The scribe died of his afflictions, before the gods could be summoned. The powers of the shadows had killed him far too quickly."

Malik slumped down again.

"Ra… we're already too late…" he cringed.

"Isis, do you know how long the man was ill? Or how long I waited before agreeing to summon the gods?" Yami Yugi began a series of questions, talking quickly.

"Perhaps a day. I'm not sure." She answered as best as she could. "The stories passed down were quite vague. I don't know exactly."

Malik made an audible sigh.

"How long has he been ill?"

Yami Yugi paused.

'Aibou?'

'A couple of weeks ago, Ryou mentioned having the flu.' Yugi answered after a thoughtful pause.

"A couple of weeks, perhaps." He finally answered the Ishtar siblings.

"We must be too late…" Malik sighed again. His grief was palpable.

"I don't care, we have to try." Yami Yugi interrupted. "Isis, do you know exactly what I had to do to summon the great gods? Do you know what will happen when I do?"

She sat forward, sighing despondently.

"I don't know for certain what will happen, pharaoh. The ritual has never actually been completed. Not as far as I know."

"Do you know anything about it? Something that might help me help Ryou?"

"The stories only say that there needs to be six priests there… Three priests who have been chosen by the great gods to serve as their agents. And three to provide energy for the summoning. It was said that the gods would do the rest of their own accord."

Yami Yugi nodded carefully.

'Do you remember how to summon gods?' Yugi finally broke in.

'I'm… not sure.'

'Well, we know how to summon god cards.'

Suddenly, Yami Yugi jumped forward.

"Yes, I do believe that's it." He said aloud, to the confusion of the Ishtar siblings.

"What's it?" Malik asked.

"The holders of the three god cards. If we summon those cards in combination with the ritual Isis is talking about, we should be able to summon the gods!"

Their faces lit up for a moment.

"But I don't have the winged dragon of Ra anymore." Malik suddenly sighed. "I lost it in Battle City."

Yami Yugi reached into his jacket pocket, and pulled out the yellow god card.

"You do now." He smiled, and held the card out to Malik. The tomb keeper blinked with surprise, and then reached out his hand to take the card. "Will you help me?"

"I'll do anything." He nodded, glancing towards Isis.

"So will I."

"Thank you, my friends." Yami Yugi smiled. "Thank you very much…"