Chapter 2

Crimson eyes shot open as he was jolted out of his sleep. His heart thundered in his ears as his mind tried to get a grip on reality. He had not dreamt in centuries and now he dreams of that day.

Why that moment that happened over five thousand years ago?

What did it mean?

The man moved the covers away; swinging his feet over the edge of the bed. He didn't know how long he had slept but judging from the sunlight creeping behind the drawn curtains, it must have been close to noon.

His smaller counterpartmust made sure the light wouldn't come through; knowing that it directly hit his face when the sun rose over the horizon. As he suspected, the other one was gone from the top bunk, the bed neatly made.

Yugi leaving without him knowing proved that something was bothering him internally.

Even a hot shower didn't calm his nerves as he traveled down the narrow staircase to the ground level of the game shop.

"Happy Birthday!" The surprising shouts caused Atem to slam into the wall. All of the familiar faces he dubbed as friends were in the middle of the game shop, grinning madly. The pharaoh couldn't help but smile back.

"Has it been another year already?" Atem laughed when Joey swung his arm around him in a brotherly embraced.

"That's right buddy! It's been three years today since you came back to us!"

It was true, but it seemed like it was yesterday when he found himself lying on the floor in Yugi's room, apparently months after he and Yugi dueled, setting his soul free from the Millennium Puzzle. He woke up in his own body with the Puzzle beside him. They were unsure as to what happened or why, but no one was complaining.

"Hey…is something wrong, man?" Tristen noted the somber look on Atem's face.

"Ah…ah..no. I mean…" He didn't know how to explain.

"Hey. If you don't like the birthday stuff, we can totally nicks it."

"No. It's not that. I actually like celebrating my rebirth."

"Then what is it?" Atem sighed, supposing it would be easier if…

His train of thought was broken when the clatter of the bell rang.

"What are you guys doing here!?" Yugi exclaimed when the Ishtar siblings came inside of the game shop. Atem did not seem as happy as his counterpart as Yugi rushed over to greet them. What were they doing here? They hadn't seen each other in years as they went back to their homeland in Egypt to continue their duties as the tomb keepers of his family.

Ishizu stared at the Pharaoh in awe. She couldn't believe that he was standing in front of her; whole and alive. Deep down in her soul, she knew something had moved in the universe but Marik had convinced her otherwise. Even when his rod had returned to him, he had still said that everything was right, that their mission was completed and Yugi and the others were safe.

Now seeing that her gut instinct was telling her something, she wasn't going to sweep it under the rug.

Not this time.

"I knew something had happened when my Millennium Necklace and Marik's Rod returned to us suddenly a few years ago. I knew….but nothing like this. How?"

"We have no idea. But more importantly, why are you here?" They wouldn't have traveled halfway across the world if it weren't important.

Ishizu exhaled slowly. She wasn't sure where to begin. But the last thing she wanted to do was tell the man that she had possibly failed to protect his family's tombs again.

"Yugi, look!" Tea screeched, startling the woman. "It's your grandfather."

"Turn it up, Joey!"

"Alright, jeez!" Everyone eyes were fixated on the screen.

'In today's news, archaeologists Arthur Hawkins and Solomon Muto have made an astounding Egyptian finding. Inside a small tomb lies an indescribable sarcophagus. No news as to what descendant of royalty lies within, but more details will be coming soon.'

It wasn't the words that caught the pharaoh's attention but the sarcophagus itself. The state that the coffin was in, detailed and distinctive cravings covering it. It was all the confirmation he needed.

A coincidence? Not likely. This was fate.

"Pharaoh…" Ishizu had hoped that she could have broken the news to Atem first. Several days ago she had received news that a crypt had been opened and was believed to have been of the royal family. Her brothers were skeptical at first; it was unmarked and they were more than sure that all the members of the royal family were accounted for. However, something was telling her that maybe they should investigate further; her brother, Marik and Odin said differently, that there was nothing to worry about. Talk of another royal, a Queen, was nothing more than a rumor.

She had let it go until she began to have visions from her past life. She saw glimpses of a young woman whom everyone around seemed to adore and respect. She watched behind the shadows as she was trained by one of the high priest in combat and in magic. She saw how defiant she was; playing by her own rules and not by the ones constructed by society.

She was loud, outspoken, commanding of attention and authority. Ishizu had never seen anyone like her. She moved and talked as if she ran the whole kingdom.

As if she were a queen.

When she had told her brothers of what she had seen, they were leery but knowing their sister, she would not rest until she confirmed her suspicions.

"Why are you all watching that?" The group turned to be greeted by Solomon displaying a look of exhaustion on his face. He dropped the bag in his hand as he walked over to the chair where Joey was sitting. Turned off the T.V.

"Grandpa!" Yugi looked back at the blank screen. "But you were…"

"That was just a recording…." The elder Muto responded. "Six days ago."

"But why are they replaying it?" Tea asked.

His smile brightened the room. "Probably in preparation for the new museum exhibiting opening this weekend." He puffed out his chest in pride.

"Arthur and I found an unmarked tomb not too far from where your kingdom was located, Atem. But we found it odd that there were no record of this tomb anywhere in our literature." He looked over at the Pharaoh. "The group that we were with unearth the tomb and the contents inside."

"So it was you." Ishizu let out a breath; she didn't know whether to be upset or relieved that the people behind opening the Pharaoh's family tomb were one of their own.

As Solomon continued to rely the story of how they had to out maneuvered the booby traps laid out for potential thieves, Atem zoned out; this was destiny, it had to be. It had taken over five thousand years, but now was the time.

"When will the exhibit be open for viewing?" His sister was nearby. After centuries of being apart, they were so close to being reunited.

"This Saturday."

Two days. He could wait two more days.

He barely slept last night, barley ate. All that was rushing through his mind was the thought of his sister, the sister that lost her soul protecting his.

If he hadn't broke his promise to never propose a betrothed without Azula's consent, the Indian prince would have never heard the confession and she and the High Priest could have continued their love affair in peace. It would not have been long before they were ousted, but it may not have ended in Azula's soul being trapped in the Shadow Realm.

He never forgave himself for that night. His soul was trapped in the Millennium Puzzle force him to relive that moment. Wondering from door to door, he'd come across that one door that held those memory. That painful day became an eternal nightmare. Many nights, he had blamed Seto too; he told himself that it was the High Priest's fault for what had happened to Azula. He knew better, he knew the rules; lusting after the Egyptian royal was forbidden.

That was then. Now he had a chance to make things right.

Atem paused at the bottom of the stairs leading to the entrance of the Domino City Museum. The blood rushed in his head, drowning out the traffic of the city. Doubt and anxiety filled his being. What if the sarcophagus that Solomon found was not the one he sought out? Akinadin despised his sister; he may have been spiteful and had her body removed from coffin all together without his knowledge. Even though they had buried her in secret, there was always a rat lurking around feeding his uncle information.

What if… what if…

He jumped slightly when he felt the warmth of Yugi's hand touch his shoulder. He looked down at the familiar face. This young man was the reason that he was able to stand in flesh and blood. Years they spent together, sharing one body; building a bond that they shared. There was a lot he wanted to tell him; a lot that he was too afraid to speak aloud.

"Are you ok?" He let out a breath. Now was not the time for his own personal agenda.

"Yes." He walked up the stairs and made a beeline for the newest exhibit added to the museum.

"Excuse me, Pharaoh." Ishizu move quickly to keep up with Atem. He was moving around the crowd, following the designated markers that would lead them to the Egyptian sections. "I have a few questions that I'm hoping you could answer."

"Yes?" Atem never looked in her direction. Ishizu waited a beat, trying to find the right words without offending him.

"Can you please reveal as to whom would have Mr. Muto found during his excavation?" All of the members of the Pharaoh's family were buried in the family tomb. She had no record of any outside tombs; at least none that would be associated with the Pharaoh.

But her dreams, no, her memories of her past life, proved that her records were wrong.

"I'll let you know once I've seen the sarcophagus for myself." He didn't want to get his hopes up. It was very likely that the sarcophagus found was indeed his sister's; but he needed to be sure.

His heart pounded in his chest once they made it to the other side of the museum. Cold sweat tickled down his back as he made his way through the crowd of patrons. He could see the different artifacts from his time. Vases, jewelry, drapery, clothing encases in glass for preservation with information beside each one.

"Yo, Pharaoh." Atem turned when Tristan called him. The tall brunette stood by an entryway, jerking his thumb inside.

The room was large enough to house two apartments; more artifacts were scattered around the room, displayed in the dimly lit room. Some that he recognized as Azula's belongings. In the middle of the room laid the coffin encased in protective glass.

Immediately, Atem moved towards to inspect it to make sure it was the real thing. The sarcophagus, completely made of gold and alabaster held the insignia of his family. Underneath of it were rows of hieroglyphics, the same ones that Mahod engraved before the burial.

Overcome with emotions, his knees buckled, causing him to collapse on the ground. The memories, the feelings, the pain, all flooded back to him like a wave. He didn't realize how much he had missed his sister until now. He couldn't begin to imagine the pain she was enduring with being in the shadow realm; how much she was suffering.

"Thank you." He looked over his shoulder; it touched him to know that his friends had come to his side to comfort him. "I'm alright."

"You sure, man?" The only time Joey saw break down was when he lost a duel, and that was a rare event in itself.

It didn't help that there were a lot of people staring in their direction, giving them odd looks as the young man sobbed in front of the exhibit. "How about we go out and get some air."

"We have to get her out." Atem demanded once they exited the museum. Azula had suffered long enough. It was now time to set her soul free.

"Woah, woah, man." Joey looked puzzled. "What the hell do you mean 'get her out'? Who is she?"

"Azula, my sister and Queen of Egypt."

"What?!" The news was a shock to everyone. A sister? Atem had a sister and he never spoke of her once.

"My brothers and I have studied your family's history for many years, but…but there's no record of a sibling or of a marriage."

Atem grunted softly. "I'm not surprised. Azula was a disappointment and disgraced the family name. My uncle must have had her named removed from our family ledger." He paused, grinding his teeth slightly as he remembered Akinadin request and then had gone behind his back to do the deed when he refused to do so himself.

"So when you look in the history books, you will find no Queen Azula. You will not find the good works she did to prosper the kingdom to what you know today. You would never see her name, only mine."

"But why? What did she do that was so terrible?"

"Nothing." Atem admitted. "Nothing but live her life the way she wanted to and some people just weren't ok with that. Queen Azula was different from anyone else. She wasn't... how do I say it… she didn't abide by the rules that was laid out for her. She created her own path in life. She was humble, though she was born into royalty; she never wore her jewels or crown, nor wore the finest of silks or sandals unless we had guests. Those close to her would tease that she looked like one of the servants. I think…I know she preferred being a civilian than a Queen.

"She was intelligent, but she wanted to go beyond reading scrolls and books. She wanted to go beyond the kingdom. She wanted to travel, though she was forbidden for her own safety. So she settled for learning magic, though she had to do that in secret as well." He smiled, remembering the fires she had set the first couple of months of training, but she mastered it just like she mastered everything else in her life.

"That doesn't seem at all bad, at least not bad enough to disgrace your family." Yugi defended.

"Yes, but she had a really bad habit of speaking her mind." The group saw the glimmer of admiration in the other's crimson eyes. "I didn't mind it, I was used to it. But my uncle and father weren't fond of it. Especially when she questioned another leader's actions, or worse, opposed him. That estranged a few of our alliances."

"Because she was a woman." Ishizu now understood why Atem said she "disgraced" the family name. If she were a man, there would be no questioning her actions. But for a woman to be so outspoken, royalty or not, was unheard of and they didn't know how to deal with it except to stay away. It amazed her that Atem's kingdom wasn't under siege with such a lack of allegiance from other countries.

"Correct. Because of her involvement with politics and her public disapproval of many leaders that we once had an alliance with began to disassociate themselves from us, even if it had nothing to do with them." He grew silent. The night he had gained trust in India for allegiance, but in return Azula would be his prize. That night was possibly the one thing he regretted in his life.

"Well, all of that sounds great, but we can't just waltz up in there and demand the coffin be turned over to us. They'll kick us out for sure."

Joey was right. They couldn't outright demand the coffin, but maybe the museum officials could be persuaded by Ishizu or even Solomon. That would come later because unfortunately, they were missing one crucial part of the puzzle.

"Kaiba." Atem whispered to himself; the others groaned in protest.

"Nope. Not happening." Yugi saw something in his eyes and he could tell what Atem was thinking. They hadn't seen the Kaiba Brothers in years. There was no need to interact with them.

"He's going to sic the dogs on us." Atem rolled his shoulders. Little did they know, Kaiba had more to do with this than they realized.

"We have to try.

"Yeah, I know! But try telling him that!"

TBC

SMOOCHES!