Finding Family

As planned, Seto, Mahad, and Joseph kept their secret to themselves and stood by their usual schedules. By night, they went to the outskirts to gather as much information as they could. Most nights, they returned with a few simple wounds. By morning, they would be a little cranky and tired. Sad to say that they hadn't learned anything new. Bakura truly was smart and cunning and wouldn't let any follower of Millennia interfere with his plans. Spying worked in his favor, but not in the favor of the royals.

With Mahad being gone most nights and not doing too well on some days, Mana would practice her spells on her own. It was fun because she could display all that she learned to her friends. When she demonstrated for Mystery, it made Mana sad because the queen couldn't help Mana with her training when she was still carrying her child. But Mystery still had ways of helping without showing Mana her own tactics. Mana still loved Mystery and understood. As much as Mana wanted to become a full-fledged magician, she thought it would be wonderful to have a family of her own. But she wasn't as patient as most of her friends and wouldn't be able to handle the conditions she needed to follow if she was to have children. So she decided it could wait until she had completed her training.

Mana saw Atem and Mystery spending quality time together. Like them, she couldn't wait for the princess to come into the world. Atem was on his knees and had his head against Mystery's stomach to listen to his child. Mystery felt happy with this family bonding. Seeing them this way, Mana wanted to be a part of the bond, so she walked up to her friends. If they were going to be parents and Jirachi was going to be a big brother, then she wanted to be a big sister. And who knows? She could also be a teacher once she would become a full-fledged magician.

She felt a little embarrassed, but she gathered her courage and cleared her throat. Atem stood up and moved aside for her. "Queen Mystery," she sheepishly said. She looked like a little girl with doe eyes and pink cheeks wanting something from her parents. Finally she made her request. "Could I touch your stomach?"

Mystery smiled sweetly and nodded. Mana's smiled brightened up as she placed her hand on Mystery's stomach. She giggled as she felt the baby moving inside.

Mahad found Mana and was about to scold her for being so childish. He had often disapproved of her childish ways and reprimanded her for her lack of respect. He approached her and said firmly, "Mana, you know better than to-" but before he could finish, Mystery took his hand and placed it on her stomach to feel her child. Feeling her, Mahad's feelings had changed. As if all the good feelings were coming to him, he smiled and sighed. Even he started to think about how wonderful things would be in a few weeks from now.

Finally, Mahad put his arm around Mana. "We should be going now. Thank you for sharing this moment with us." Then they both head outside. The both of them actually didn't feel like practicing magic after what happened. They wanted to relax together.

"I can't wait, Master Mahad," Mana told him. "I wish the baby would come sooner. I could help the pharaoh and queen a lot."

"That's true," said Kisara's voice. Mana and Mahad saw her and Freya standing next to them. "And maybe Freya and I should be the ones there for the queen."

Mahad could see how much his friends wanted the bliss to start and how much they wanted to be a part of it. "I'm just as anxious as you girls are about it. Don't worry; we still have several weeks until spring."

Freya clears her throat. "Speaking of spring, that's when Joseph and I decided to get married." Everyone looks at her with happiness about what she just said. "I've been feeling comfortable around here and nothing has happened since I started living here. So I've decided to finally take the next step."

"I've also been feeling the same way and made the same decision," said Kisara. "I'm going to accept Seto's proposal and marry him when spring starts also."

"And will you have children of your own?" Mana asked.

Freya heard Joseph talk about his plans for when they would get married. She told him she wanted to stay close to her friends, but wouldn't mind living in the city to raise a family. Kisara said the same thing to Seto. But their fiancés were loyal to the pharaoh and queen and wanted to remain in the palace. So they agreed that they would stay in the palace and still have their families.

Joseph and Seto saw their friends and decided to join in. "It's wonderful, isn't it?" Joseph asked. "We're all becoming our own person and starting our own lives." He dries his eyes before any tears start falling from them. "I remember when I first met you all. We were the biggest bunch of misfits in the entire kingdom. And now, here we all are ten years later."

Kisara smiles and shakes her head. "Some of us are still misfits."

Mahad smiles as well. "Well, perhaps. But we've all got each other," he says, putting his arm around Mana. Mana lifts her arm and puts her hand over her master's. "And the pharaoh and queen. And we'll have our new princess. The first princess of Egypt to also be the heiress of the Great Goddess Millennia," he boasted. Everyone laughed and cheered. Then they started singing Millennia's lullaby. As the cousins sang, Mana and the boys began playing their instruments. Seto sat next to Mahad and strummed the strings of his guitar while Mahad played his flute. Mana also sat next to her master and began playing her harp while Joseph sat next to her and patted his hands on his drum.

The orphans working in the courtyard approach them to listen to the performance. The audience was made up of Suiguintoh's six little sisters. There was Kanaria, a cunning and clever girl dressed in yellow, sneaky and pushy Suiseiseki and her tomboy twin Souseiseki, the blue-eyed, blonde haired Shinku who was bossy, but a good leader, playful little Hinaichigo, and the one-eyed Kirakishou, who was wise for her age. These six sisters looked up to the pharaoh and queen and their childhood friends as their masters.

Soon a small girl dressed in a purple hooded cloak approached the children and the performers and applauded for them. "That was a wonderful performance," she complemented.

Kisara approaches her and asks, "I'm sorry, but who are you and how did you come here?"

She takes a step forward and introduces herself. "My name is Barasuishou. I heard a small girl named Kirakishou lived here in the palace and I came here looking for her. You see," then she pulls her hood back and reveals her features. "I am her long lost twin sister."

Looking at the small girl, they notice that she looks exactly like Kirakishou, but dressed in purple and with the left side of her face covered up. They assumed she was without a left eye just as Kirakishou was without a right eye. Barasuishou even had wavy white hair like Kirakishou. Barasuishou explains her story and tells the royals, "You see, Mother died after my sister and I were born; leaving Father to raise so many little girls by himself. It was too much for him. As hard as it was, Father separated us and gave me to another family to look after me. My adoptive parents told me of my true parents' deaths and that all my sisters moved into the palace. Since then, I wanted to find and meet all of my sisters; especially Kirakishou."

Kirakishou moves closer to Barasuishou to get a closer look at her. The girls were like mirror images of each other just as the elder twins were to each other. Then Barasuishou starts hugging Kirakishou. "Oh, I'm so happy to be back with my sisters again. I'm back where I belong."

The sisters and the adults are taken in by Barasuishou's story and welcome her among them. Freya and Kisara decide to introduce her to the pharaoh and queen and help her get settled in. Seto and Joseph didn't seem too sure about the matter, however. With all that had been going on in the past few weeks, they couldn't help but feel that the girl was a spy pretending to be a long lost sister. But that was absurd. She was only a child. So they decided to help Barasuishou make herself at home after she met with their majesties.