A/N: The next chapter aka the second to last chapter of this fic. I have to say this chapter was really really hard to write. It was probably a worse challenge than the last one. :sigh: Oh well. It had to be written for the plot the progress.

Disclaimer: I still don't own Yu-gi-oh.

Chapter 7

Shinjite

"We're going to Egypt," Yuugi muttered meekly… he looked so exhausted. His other said nothing as he faded away from the realm of the living to his 'dark' realm.

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The heat of summer intoxicated Yuugi. He let out a light groan… moaning in the heat. He brushed back his blonde bangs. His other hand fidgeted at the duffle bag upon his lap. The sound of Domino's crazy Saturday traffic, the hustle and bustle of people wandering around with no aim, no purpose in life. The times when he was once part of that mindlessness seemed so far away now for Yuugi. He wondered if he would ever… be normal again.

The leathery taxi seat rubbed into his flesh. He scratched at an itch on the back of his neck. The taxi rolled on. The cab driver was humming a sixty's song. The windows were rolled down. The hot wind touched his skin.

"Departure or arrival?" the gruff cab driver questioned. His voice was deep and booming.

"Departure." Yuugi choked back on his word as Domino Airport came into view. He saw a plane cruise overhead. It seemed like just seconds later he handed a handful of bills to the cab driver and walked through the sliding doors. The automatic voices filled the room… the monotone computer lady that shouldn't be so happy. The boy drew out his ticket. His memory failed him. He could barely remember where he was going much less which airline he had purchased the ticket from.

"Yuugi!"

Startled, the boy turned around. His eyes widened. "Jounouchi-kun… Honda-kun… Anzu… Kaiba-kun. What… what are you guys doing here?" There standing just a feet from him were his friends. They each had a travel bag in their hands. Kaiba currently had his arms wrapped suggestively around Jounouchi's waist.

"Man Yuugi. What were you thinking leaving us here? I thought we were friends," Jounouchi scolded. He repositioned Kaiba's arm before walking over to Yuugi.

"We are Jounouchi-kun. That's why I didn't tell you guys. I… I didn't want you guys to worry. It's mine and mou hitori no boku's affairs."

"Man Yuugi. Not worrying us." Jounouchi shook his head. He brushed back a loose bang from Yuugi's forehead. "It is our affairs. You… no… the both of you guys are our friends, and that makes it all the more our affairs."

"Exactly Yuugi." Anzu added. She lightly drew the boy into a firm grasp.

Yuugi's eyes suddenly grew watery. As he looked up shyly at his friends who now surrounded him, he suddenly knew. He may never be normal again. He may not know how the future would play out, but he did know one thing. He would always have friends. "Arigotou minna."

"To Egypt?" Jounouchi questioned.

Yuugi nodded. He rubbed his eyes. "Yeah, to Egypt."

"Aibou."

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The sun was setting upon the land of the kings as the plane carrying the accursed king, Yuugi, and their friends landed on Cairo's landing strip. The trip was a long and tedious one, one that carried them to a land far different from the one they had left behind.

"Aibou."

"Ne, mou hitori no boku?"

"I… arigotou koi."

"Mou hitori no boku, you don't have to thank me. Really you don't," Yuugi muttered. He brushed back his bangs, and lightly shivered in the dark realm… his lover's realm.

"Yes I do, aibou. Most people wouldn't do what you have done for me… coming to Egypt, so I may learn my past. Most people would have forgotten or brushed aside Isis's words as nothing." The other paused. He bit his lips before looking up at Yuugi's amethyst eyes… brimming with tears. "And I think… I think I would have too if I were in your position."

"Then I guess… I'm just foolish," Yuugi muttered. He said nothing else, and his love understood. The young king simply held the boy… longer than he should have.

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"Yuugi-kun!"

"Malik-kun, Isis-san," Yuugi acknowledged. He saw the young woman and her kid brother who had changed his life.

"Welcome to the Land of the Kings: Yuugi, Namonaki Pharaoh, Seto, Katsuya, Anzu and Hiroto," Isis acknowledge, and each noticed how she called them not by their familiar names but their given names. "My brothers and I are very glad that you all decided to come. There is much to do before we take you to the ritual site, so the Pharaoh may regain his memories."

Yuugi simply nodded. He rubbed the back of his foot against his other leg, a little uncomfortable. Now, finally reaching Egypt; it all felt so surreal.

And thus the small group of friends followed Isis and Malik out of Cairo's international airport. There waiting outside was Rishad draped in his normal blue cloak. He was standing beside a large jeep that could easily fit them all in. As each passed their bags to Rishad to store for the trip to the Nile, Anzu called out. "Matte."

"Ne?" Yuugi asked. He looked up, a little disorientated.

"I… I have something for Mou hitori no Yuugi." Anzu started… she seemed surprised that she herself had spoken up. She dug into the purse and produced a small package wrapped in brown paper. Shyly, she placed it in Yuugi's hands. The boy looked up perplexed before understanding. He prepared himself to change places with his love.

"Aibou, no. W… why don't you open the gift for me? I… I feel a little uncomfortable right now."

"Are you okay?" The boy asked… worried, afraid that coming to Egypt was a mistake.

"I guess it's a little startling that this place is actually real. I guess it's strange to be back in a place where you were once known to have ruled… to know that you ruled a real place… not make believe."

"Or… is… it," Yuugi muttered a little embarrassed. "To know… you had a real physical place in this world?"

"Yeah, maybe… Aibou."

Yuugi said nothing more as he opened Anzu's gift. By then they were already situated in the jeep… traveling to the river's edge. There, much to Yuugi's surprise was a small silver necklace. A strange small rectangle piece was attached to the chain. The boy fingered it wordlessly while he felt his other's skin hitch.

"It… it's a cartouche."

"It's a cartouche, Yuugi. I found it at a gift shop in Cairo's airport. It's known to be the keeper of one's name. I… I just thought, since mou hitori no Yuugi lost his name. Maybe, maybe if he craved it on this… then he'll never forget it again."

"Anzu… arigotou." Yuugi muttered, too stunned to say anything else. Whether it was because his love had recognized what it was, or simply because Anzu had mentioned their goal yet again, to discover the name and memories of his love.

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One hour later they arrived at the Nile. There docked at the harbor was a small ferry. It was big enough to fit them all and give them each a separate bedroom.

"This is the boat that will take us to ritual site. We should be there in four days if the weather allows."

"The irony."

"What is mou hitori no boku?"

"Taking a ferry to the water's edge, ancient Egyptians used to cart their dead kings in boats and send them off in the Nile. It was said, the Nile lead to the land of Orisis, the God of the Underworld, to be judged by Anubis for worth."

"Mou…"

"Hmm… aibou?"

"You… you remember. You know!"

The other simply looked away forlorn. "I don't know if it's that aibou. It's just so strange, being back here again. From what Isis said, the land of my birth. Maybe to finally know, I really do belong in this world."

"But you do." Yuugi cried.

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The ferry ride to the ritual site was a silent and somber one. Anzu spent the days away from her friends and in the comfort of Isis, for once in a long time she felt the impact of another woman in her life. Something she seemed to have forgotten after she forsaken her old friends for Yuugi. Kaiba and Jounouchi spent the days in their room… from what their friends expected… in the arms of each other. Honda spent the days with Malik and Rishad, and the others believed engrossed in alcoholic binges.

Only Yuugi felt the days sweeping past him… suffocating him.

"Koi."

"Ne mou hitori no boku?" Yuugi lazily drew a mock picture on the banister of the boat. He glazed longingly at his love.

"We're almost there."

"Yeah."

"Aibou… I just want to say… thank you."

"Thank you?" Yuugi looked up, confused.

"Yeah. I want to thank you for… opening my heart. Giving me shelter in your body. Giving me your life. Giving me your love… trusting me. Something I know… most people would never do. You taught me to love. You taught me to forgive. You taught humanity. I can never… repay you for that. I… I just want to say… no matter what happens. I will always love you, and if the gods deny us our love in this life time. I swear aibou… I swear to the gods, to destiny itself… that even if it takes a thousand years… I will find you again."

"Mou hitori no boku… I… I want you so badly." Tears cascaded down the young boy's amethyst eyes, and slowly they slipped away into that dark realm where the two young lovers… ruined by time and events clung to each other desperately.

"And I want you aibou. I just wish we could be together in your world… in reality…"

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On the last night of the voyage, the nameless pharaoh had gone to his dark realm early to rest. Yuugi understood his other's feelings, for they had agreed. The last night before they had to face their destiny; they would not sleep together. For they both knew, if they did… they might never want to awake or leave the dark realm.

Yuugi had walked out onto the deck after a light dinner in his room. The desert winds felt refreshing and calm. Suddenly, it felt so right. The sands around him, the pyramids in the distance, and the walls of the Valley of the Kings to his left. He brushed back a piece of his bangs.

"Yuugi."

The young boy turned around… surprised. There stood Jounouchi. The boy looked as if he had been perspiring heavily.

"Jounouchi-kun! I thought you would be with Kaiba-kun."

"Yeah, Seto." The blonde looked far away into the distance before standing next to Yuugi on the deck. "I would have never imagined that Seto and I would ever be together."

"Yeah," Yuugi giggled. "Me either, but now that I look back. How could you guys not have?"

"Yeah," Jounocuhi muttered. "I never imagined our lives to turn out like this, Yuugi. When we were little, and I first met you, Honda, Anzu and Seto, I had a set image for all of us. I always expected that Seto would marry some rich girl… some future movie star from Tokyo. I imagined Honda with some pretty girl who could stand his pride. You and Anzu… an item by now… the most talked about and cutest couple in Domino High. And me, I always thought I would fall for a girl."

Yuugi blushed. "Really, Jounouchi-kun? I never knew I had left such an impression on you when we first."

Even Jounouchi had to blush at that remark, for both boys knew. When they had first met in elementary, they had not been friends… in fact nobody back then would have ever believed in a decade Yuugi and Jounouchi would ever become friends. Jounouchi was the macho boy. The one, who always got into fights, was part of a gang, and "bullied" people. While Yuugi was the quiet and queer boy, the one rivaled Kaiba in grades and brains. The boy everyone believed despise sports and was always being picked on.

"Yeah. You really did Yuugi, maybe that's why I always tried to make you into a man."

"I don't think you succeeded very well though Jounouchi-kun," Yuugi muttered.

"Nah, you make a fine man. Like I told you a long time ago, you are Mutou Yuugi, one in a trillion. You may hate fighting, but you have a true heart. You trust everyone even me and Seto. I think that makes a man."

"Jounouchi-kun," Yuugi sighed flexing his wrist, "when did you get so philosophical?"

"Learned from the best."

Yuugi pouted lightly nudging Jounouchi's side before stumping over.

"Whatcha thinking about?"

"Ne?"

The blonde turned and stared at his best friend, and Jounouchi knew. No matter what happened when they arrived at the site the next day. The two of them would always be best of friends. "Surely you're thinking about something. What with the trials by the gods coming up."

Yuugi sighed. He deeply exhaled and began to draw on the rails. "I think I want to pick up art when we get back."

"Waa!"

"Just kidding." Yuugi chuckled. "Mou hitori no boku says I can't draw. I think he's right."

"That's…"

"Mean of him to say?"

"Yeah."

"He's honest. He's always and forever will be honest."

"And arrogant. I know he hates Seto."

"Jounouchi-kun."

"Yuugi you know it's true."

"Fine, bad start I think. Kaiba-kun's great. He's the right person for you."

"Yuugi."

"Well it is true. You two balance each other out."

"Just like you and the other Yuugi you know."

Yuugi merely nodded. He brushed back a piece of his blonde bang, staring forlornly into the sea. It was many minutes later that Yuugi finally spoke again. "Jounouchi-kun."

"Ne Yuugi?"

"You're right. I've been thinking. I've been thinking a lot about these last three years all summer since Isis-san and Malik-kun told us about… everything. I've been trying to imagine "normality" again. You think life will ever be normal again?"