Part 4: Five-Flavor Popsicle

Jounouchi stopped when he saw her. The girl who had disappeared not long before he was six years old and shortly after his sister had been taken from him. The reason for his attitude, the one who he measured all women, even Kujaku Mai, against.

She was tall, almost as tall as he, with chestnut-colored hair and emerald eyes. Her uniform was still one from her old school, and he was sure it was because they hadn't found one to fit her size yet. The rumors had been spreading about a girl with as much of a reputation as Jounouchi and Honda for fighting, and that she had been expelled from her old school for such things. She was a year or two above him, but that didn't stop him from quickly yelling a name he hadn't in years. "Mako!"

The girl turned and he instantly knew it was her. Her eyes squinted then widened in recognition. "Jou!"

The two embraced, not at all caring who saw and who said anything. Mako gave him her warm smile as she quickly started up the conversation, asking how he had been as Anzu, Honda and Yugi came up, Kaiba somewhere nearby with a dark-haired girl who seemed to recognize the other girl but said nothing.

Jounouchi remembered his manners and moved the girl over to meet his friends. "You remember Honda," he said, remembering the little boy who had followed them around and Mako nodded, smiling at Honda, "Pleased to see you again."

"This is Mazaki Anzu," the two girls exchanged bows, "and Mutou Yugi."

Mako bowed as well, finally saying, "Kino Makoto, but please call me Mako. Any friend of Jounouchi's is a friend of mine."

Yugi smiled up at her and she messed up his hair quickly. "Short, aren't you?"

"Hey!"

"Mako, that's my joke…"

"Gomen, Jou. Can I borrow it?"

"Ie."

Mako shrugged. "I'll come up with a new one, then." She turned and her eyes connected to the dark-haired girl near Kaiba. For a moment, the two looked at each other, then the bell rang, signaling the start of school.

Kaiba waited for Rei after their first day back, seeing her come out quickly and asking quickly, "So she was one of the other Senshi?"

Rei nodded. "Hai. It's odd, though. Mercury was found first, then I and then Mako…no, wait, Mina was first, then Mercury and then Mako…something like that."

Kaiba looked over to where Mako was speaking to the mutt and laughing. "Old friends, then?"

"I didn't think she would run into someone who didn't remind her of her 'sempai'," Rei said with a smile. "Maybe he's her sempai."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "That mutt?"

Rei gave him a small slap on the arm. "Be nice, Seto-kun. He's Yugi's friend." She became serious a moment later as they walked back and her two ravens, Phobos and Deimos, appeared to circle them. She had seen them on the walk to school and called them, revealing that they had been her ravens from the Shinto temple, as well as her protectors, much like Luna and Artemis, though they didn't speak.

"Did you find anything?"

"Rumors and legends, but there might be some truth in it," Kaiba said, "Shadii found some information about those who kept the Pharaoh's Memory. According to him, they're named Ishtar. So far they only have the Millennium Rod and the Millennium Necklace. The only problem is the Millennium Rod is said to be almost as powerful as the Puzzle, and that…evil priest…once owned it."

Rei frowned. "It makes sense, but not a lot. Anything on the Silver Millennium?"

"It existed around the time of Egypt, of that we're sure. There was a legend about 'people of the Silver Moon' coming to warn the Pharaoh shortly before the creation of the Millennium Items. Don't know why."

There was a pause as Rei thought it over. "If we know the history of the Millennium Items, that might shed some light. My memories of my past life are vague, just like the memories of what happened up to my memory loss. Whatever it was, though, they found it important enough to warn them. Anything about the ginzuishou?"

"Only some of that information from a few years back in Tokyo, when that guy, Tuxedo Kamen, was looking for it and that odd 'specialist' appeared."

Rei shook her head. "No good." At Kaiba's look she smiled and said, "Tuxedo Kamen thought that the ginzuishou would help him remember it--Kami-sama, how could I be so dense!"

"What?"

Rei quickly explained that the incident had lead up to the finding of the Moon Princess. "Tuxedo Kamen did remember, at least, but for a while a piece of the ginzuishou was supposed to be in him."

"Considering that Yugi hasn't run into this girl or died recently, that's a far fetch."

Rei nodded, thinking. "I wish we knew more, or could at least look and see what type of energy it was. All I felt was something akin to her energy and to the energy of the ginzuishou."

Kaiba pondered this. Yugi had not, as far as he could tell, shown any sort of supernatural power up until he finished the Millennium Puzzle and began to give out punishments to those who had done something worthy of angering him, the Kaiba brothers included.

Truth be told, Kaiba shouldn't have stolen that card, or angered Yugi after the Death-T match, but…well…

He couldn't say much about it in his defense either. He hadn't come out completely changed but the change had been there, he knew, and he could tell by the way his brother had acted towards him.

But if Yugi's power came from the spirit of the Puzzle, then where did this other power come from and how was it connected to the mysterious ginzuishou they kept hearing about?

"Shizuka's coming here?" Mako smiled even more as she heard the news, "That's wonderful, Jou! When? I haven't seen her in ages."

"Me neither," Jou admitted, "Okaa-san moved her pretty far away."

Mako put her arm around Jounouchi's shoulders. "Well, let's go! I have a five-flavored Popsicle to give her."

Jounouchi perked up. "She'll love it, I know she will. Did you get me one?"

"Jou…still wanting to eat everything in sight, I see."

"It's not my fault you cook so well," he protested slightly, "'Sides, everyone agrees."

Mako gave him a smile and the two walked into the hospital, going to see Kawaii Shizuka. They were lucky enough to not run into Jounouchi and Shizuka's mother, allowing them full access to the younger girl. Shizuka had light brown hair and calm eyes, allowing her to look content despite her predicament.

"Mako-san! Onii-san!"

"It's just Mako, Shizuka-chan," Mako told her, pulling out of the small cooler she had brought a few treats and the much-loved five-flavored Popsicles. When they had first met, it had been Mako who got them each a Popsicle and thus started their friendship. At least once Mako had helped them out, giving them an alibi when Jounouchi had taken Shizuka for a day on the beach and later on comforting Jounouchi when the divorce had separated the two siblings. Unluckily, a short time later her parents had moved her to Tokyo, where the promise of a better job awaited. Only recently had Jounouchi found out that Mako's parents had not survived long after arriving in Tokyo: one of the planes they had been in had crashed, and left Mako alone in the world.

Shizuka had found this out through Jounouchi and neither brought it up, instead enjoying the Popsicles and everyone finding out what had been going on in the other's lives, including about Jounouchi placing second in Duelist Kingdom and winning the money. Mako said she had met some nice friends while at Crossroads in Tokyo, but now she wasn't sure what had happened to them.

"Everyone avoids me because they seem to think that I'll start a fight."

Jounouchi nearly choked. "Sounds like the reasons some of the people avoided me during part of this year. Yugi changed that."
"The little star-head?"

"Hey!"

"What? He's so kawaii, as it is. Is Anzu his girlfriend?"

Shizuka asked about the new person and Mako explained who Yugi was, as far as she knew, and also described him.

"He sounds sweet," Shizuka said, "and kawaii."

"When the surgery's done, you can see him for yourself," Jounouchi promised, "I know he's dying to meet you." Jounouchi left out the fact that he had two sides to himself, but that wasn't something a lot of people knew about anyway.

"That would be great, Onii-chan."

As they walked back, over the radio came on a song he had heard a year ago, and Mako had smiled at him as she twirled and they stopped only long enough to dance to it slightly, getting looks but both not caring, Mako singing slightly to the song.

"You're love, it's better then ice cream. Better then anything else that I've ever tried…"

From across the street, Yugi watched, Luna on his shoulder and smiling. Yugi looked at her. "She's another one?"

"Hai…demo…"

"What?"

"If they can be happy, I would rather that. I'd rather they all be happy…"

Yugi looked over at the smile that was on Jounouchi's face and nodded. "I'd like that too, Luna."

Yugi was thinking on what he saw and on his own conflicted feelings. For a very long time, he had liked Anzu, but those had soon dwindled to friendship. Despite what was said at Duelist Kingdom, he knew that she liked his other side better. And despite her assurance that 'Yugi was Yugi', that didn't change a lot of facts. Still, she was there for him and he loved her for that, just not as much as--.

He stopped that train of thought right there, as he often did. There was no way, and as it was, Yugi felt that he didn't deserve that person. There was no way he could ever truly match up to him, and thus he stopped the train and instead walked home with Luna, considering Jounouchi and Mako and their smiles as they danced and sang.

"Here's something," Shadii said, holding up a rather old manuscript he was able to get. "It seems odd."

"What?" Kaiba asked.

"According to this account, the ginzuishou, or something akin to it, is known as a 'gathering of many-colored gems'."

"The nijizuishou?" Artemis asked, and upon Mokuba's look of confusion Artemis explained, "The nijizuishou are crystals that were supposed to make up the ginzuishou. By the time of Queen Selenity, though, they had all been found."

"There is more," Shadii said, pointing to a part, "according to this, the nijizuishou were seven, but another crystal was lost. Without it, the ginzuishou is only partly complete."

"Another crystal?" Rei said, looking at it. "Does it say which one, or anything about it?"

"No. Simply that when the seven nijizuishou and the last crystal are joined, they will create the true ginzuishou as well as the Soldier of Light, the one who can defeat any darkness."

Artemis blinked and Mokuba seemed impressed. Rei blinked and shook her head. "Wait. But…Sailor Moon is that person. She's defeated…she defeated Chaos itself! How can there be someone stronger then her?"

Kaiba looked at her and said, "Well, I'm the best duelist in the world, but (as much as I hate to admit it) Yugi's stronger when it comes to fighting those with Millennium Items like Pegasus."

Rei seemed to think then said, "There was something…at one point, but it's hard to remember. It was in the Cauldron, though, that much I remember. I don't know if it was supposed to be for the strongest Senshi or not, though."

Shadii looked at the papers scattered about and his eyes fell onto the newspaper from that day. He blinked, then moved to read an article. "Our problems are growing, I fear."

The group looked at him as he showed them an article saying a new Egyptian exhibit was to be opened in Domino Museum. "That exhibit is owned by Isis Ishtar. She and her brother were supposed to be Tomb Keepers, those who protected the tomb of the Pharaoh and also had the Pharaoh's Memory inscribed on their backs when they came of age."

"Sounds fun," Kaiba said dryly, then seemed to gain the full truth. "They would have Millennium Items, wouldn't they?"

"Isis holds the Millennium Torque, which allows her to see into the future of all those who are not currently holding a Millennium Item. She is also able to see into the past slightly. As to her brother…I am unsure of what his purpose is anymore in this series of events."

The phone rang and everyone seemed to jump, at least everyone but Kaiba, he calmly picked it up. "Moshi moshi."

"Kaiba-san, what Shadii says is the truth. However, if you wish to know the full truth, meet me at Domino Museum tonight at eight. Bring Rei as well. I fear she may be needed in case of trouble."

"Nani--who are--" before he could finish, the other line went dead and he looked over at Shadii. "That must have been Isis. She invited Rei and I to the Domino Museum tonight at eight."

"Why me?" Rei asked.

"She said 'in case of trouble.' This is getting annoying."

"No one asks for this sort of trouble, Seto-kun, it just happens. I'll go with you. Hopefully, nothing bad will happen, or if it does, you'll be able to call forth Blue Eyes should my ofuda not be enough."

That was the problem, though. Kaiba was worried for Rei's safety and wasn't about to let her get hurt. He swore the same thing for Mokuba but his feelings for Rei were greatly different. He…

Kaiba stopped his train of thought at that point. It was obvious that Rei had feelings for him as well, but at the same time he wasn't about to let himself tell her for the simple reason that if he did and someone found out, they could use that against either of them, as with her power drained and only the ofuda as well as a few memories available, he wasn't going to put her in danger.

Part 5: Sixth Sense

Mako turned briefly as she felt something while heading to the hospital. It was one of the last visits with Shizuka before the doctor came to start the surgery that would save her eyesight. Jounouchi would be waiting for her.

"A storm's coming."

Rei stepped out with Kaiba, closing the door behind her to the limo as Kaiba instructed the driver to wait for them. He carried his case of Duel Monster cards, mainly in case of a challenge but also for leverage should things get physical: the case had been used on Pegasus' island to threaten someone's life as well as against the guards who had double-crossed him and any in his way.

Rei had to admit that with her ofudas she could, in the very least, hold back most evils or at least turn some of the attacks against them, but would've felt more comfortable in the knowledge that she would be able to transform into Sailor Mars. The odd energy from Yugi had healed most of her lost memories, and from that time on she would begin to remember something if it came up or if she saw it. She knew Mako was Sailor Jupiter. She knew that Mina something was another Senshi, but not Mercury. Those two she had no clue of who they really were, only that they weren't the same person. She had memories of being friends, of so many other things. But currently none of that was reality: the reality was Kaiba and Yugi, the Millennium Items, and the need to find the Moon Princess again.

Usagi…we will find you again.

They walked into the room and was met with a woman who was clearly Egyptian, with dark skin and hair, the Millennium Torque around her neck and a white dress with obvious Egyptian objects attached, making her seem official but also connected to her homeland.

"Good evening," she told the two in flawless Japanese, "Watashi wa Ishtar Isis."

The two bowed politely, Kaiba never taking his eyes off the woman while Rei felt with her sixth sense, feeling no problems inside of the museum. Something was odd, though, an energy that wanted to be released but couldn't for whatever reason.

Two men came up behind them, saying all exits had been secured and Rei didn't feel any panic rise. Something that was there didn't allow it: this girl, while holding a Millennium Item, wasn't a threat as Shadii had been before the evil was destroyed.

"Please, come with me," she told them. The three walked back to the Egyptian exhibit and then past that, to a closed part of the museum. A light turned on to one slab, and Kaiba blinked before exclaiming, "Can this be? Those are Duel Monsters!"

The air in the hospital was nearly electric, and as Mako and Jou got ready to leave the room it turned and Mako quickly moved to stand before Jou and his sister, her glare fixed on the door of the room.

"What's wrong?" Shizuka asked, the world turning darker but she could tell something was up.

"Don't know," Jou said, "but whatever it is, I'm not letting it get you."

Both took a defensive stance as the door rattled and something out of a horror movie seemed to lurk on the other side, trying hard to get in. Mako felt like she had done this before…

The mannequins held the evil false-bride's previous victims, their energy slowly being sapped. They had played her again, and suddenly, like lightning, something cracked and she rose up, lifting the false-bride above her head before something seemed to set fire to her forehead and travel, like electricity, down her body--

…but that was a strange memory-dream she didn't allow herself to be blinded with at this moment in time. There was danger just outside of the door, and she'd be damned if she let it in! Jou and Shizuka were here, and while Jou could handle himself, Shizuka was already half-blind, and this wouldn't help the situation.

The door finally burst open and a dark claw flew in, going for Jounouchi. Mako grabbed it and pulled then flung, finding that the beast was indeed like something from a nightmare.

Youma… the word came into her mind and Jou struck the held being. The being tried to attack Mako but she flung it again against the far wall and moved back to ensure Shizuka was okay while Jou covered, standing between the two and the monster.

"Come on, Shizuka. We need to get out of here," Mako said. Shizuka moved with her, her eyes on the monster, or what she could see of it while Jou covered their escape.

The monster hissed as it stood up, then once more attacked.

The next stone slab cause both Rei and Kaiba to start. There, two people facing each other and said to be fighting, was the Pharaoh, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Yugi, and the evil priest, who obviously was Kaiba, above him the Blue Eyes White Dragon.

"That couldn't have--how…" Kaiba was at a loss for words when he suddenly felt himself jerk. That odd feeling from before, when he and Mokuba had called forth the Blue Eyes to deal with the youma in his office, was back, only he could almost place it elsewhere. It wasn't Mokuba…but someone else had called forth the third and last Blue Eyes.

Rei touched his arm and turned to Isis. "You know what's happened to the others and with the Shadow Realm. It's being opened again."

Isis nodded. "My Millennium Torque sees the future and some of the past. This happened before, but it is changing now. I cannot predict fully what will come to pass, other then that which was in the past will appear and…" she blinked, then held her hand out to Rei. "Onegai. This is the only way for you to see truly what may happen. You have the power to see into the future as well as I do, perhaps even more so. Onegai, Hino Rei, Kasei no Senshi."

Rei swallowed and nodded, moving to touch Isis' hand as the Torque glowed brightly.

Perhaps it was their connection as brother and sister, or even their anger that the other was attacked, or worry for the other as well as Mako which did it, but suddenly a dark spot opened behind Shizuka and from there came two roars.

Mako turned and her eyes went wide as a beautiful pale dragon with blue eyes and a slightly larger black dragon with blood-red eyes came forward. The blue one hovered over Shizuka, glaring at the suddenly hesitating monster that had attacked them. The black one wasted no time in hissing and jumping forward and Jounouchi glared at the monster then saw the monster disappear into the dark dragon's jaws. He turned and looked at it, nearly fainting but somehow calm about it as the dragon looked him over then disappeared, the blue one shortly behind it.

As the light went back to normal, Jou was the first to say anything.

"Okay…what just happened?"

Yugi felt his head go up as Yami appeared beside him. Another portal was opened into the Shadow Realm. It felt familiar somehow.

"Jounouchi," Yugi whispered. "It was him, I know it. I wonder if Mako remembered who she was."

Luna, who had lifted her head when Yugi sat up, shook her head. "I would have felt it. But I'm worried. The powers of the Senshi are not showing themselves, and it seems like they've lost them. But how will they gain them back?"

"Has this happened before?" Yugi asked.

"Once…when the Dead Moon was attacking, the Senshi had to look within themselves to find their new power. From that, Sailor Moon during the final battle became Eternal Sailor Moon, thus far her most powerful incarnation. However, if what they say is true, then what we saw in the future has changed."

What did you see?

"In the future, Sailor Moon has lost most of her power as a Senshi, becoming Neo-Queen Serenity. The one who has the new title of Sailor Moon is her daughter, Chibiusa."

"Which is why she has the other ginzuishou…it's one from the future," Yugi now understood, "So…what's going to happen? Something is coming here, something terrible. I wish I knew more."

"Hai," Luna nodded, "so do I."

Bakura rose from his spot and held his chest, where the Millennium Ring was threatening to dig into his chest again. Despite what most might think, he did have some control and was able to keep it, forcing his other side to at least speak to him in his mind.

That was someone using the Shadow Realm, and I know full well it's not that spirit of the Puzzle! Let me out!

"No," Bakura gasped, gaining control and shoving the spirit back a little so he could stand up straight. "Look, we'll go to Yugi-tachi and find out what's wrong. Lately in school some odd things have been happening, and I'm worried about them. They're my friends, and in case you want to have to find me and work your way up again I suggest you cooperate for once."

There was a pause and then a chuckle. Little Bakura's gaining a spine now. Fine, I'll behave, but only until I figure out what's going on. Don't expect me to do much after that.

"Behaving for a little while was all I asked for. Thank you."

Don't thank me. This is something I'm doing for my own gain.

Bakura smiled and nodded. "I know. But thank you anyway."

He could have sworn that the spirit of his Millennium Item disappeared while muttering about Bakura's too-sweet nature. Truth be told, the spirit had been happy about having another Millennium Item, but when Bakura had found out he had threatened to either toss it or give it to Yugi if the spirit had not behaved more often. Sometimes he would even leave the Millennium Ring off for a week, just to 'punish' the spirit, or when he did wear it for whatever reason he would never use it or allow him to be used for any reason. This had greatly pissed the spirit off enough that he had once thrown Bakura into his spirit room and then went off for a quick night on the town. When Bakura had wandered into the spirit's soul room and looked around, the spirit had found himself in need of explaining a hell of a lot, but Bakura had allowed him time to digest that Bakura not only had that much power but also that he seemed to understand. Bakura told him specifically that if he dueled Yugi, then he was fine with that. If he used the Shadow Realm on people he didn't know who attacked him first, okay, it was self-defense. But he couldn't continually use Bakura for anything else. The flip side was that Bakura kept him safe from Yugi's other side, who had as much of a vendetta against the tomb-robber spirit as the Ring's spirit had against the Puzzle's spirit, and also helped him out with understanding the new world he found himself in.

Bakura also considered asking Yugi how he maintained his connection with the spirit, but decided against it, as it might get Yugi worried and asking about the Ring again.

With a determination that this time he wouldn't back down and he had to find out what was going on, Bakura walked out and towards the Kame Game Shop.