"Are you sure about this, brother?" Ishizu pulled her shawl closer to her, eyes darting around.

Rishid did not reply out loud. He merely nodded his head and picked up their bags.

"But we have already checked so many other towns… What makes you think he will be here?"

"He always wanted to be where the excitement is." Rishid grunted, "I have heard that a great many 'exciting' things are happening in Domino right now."

Ishizu frowned. "But, brother…"

"Would you like to argue, sister, or would you like to find our brother?"

She gave a resigned sigh. "I would like to find our brother."

"That's what I thought."

It was clear there would be no further discussion on the matter. Rishid shouldered one of her bags, checked his grip on one of his own, and marched right out of the airport. With another sigh - this one far more defeated -, Ishizu followed him out.

"What if he has changed his hairstyle and hair color?" She worried quietly to herself, though she knew Rishid could quite easily hear her. "Or he has gone into hiding somewhere?"

There was no reply to her worries, anymore. Rishid had heard all of it many, many times. He had reassured her many more. She doubted he was really as confident of their brother's whereabouts as he pretended to be, now. Three months ago, when they'd begun their search anew, perhaps he had been, but after all the false leads… All the lookalikes…

She just wasn't so sure anymore. How could he be?

Fire nudged Gorbasch. "You see the two Egyptians, yeah?" Gorbasch nodded. "They look like they're lookin' for somebody. The girl's holdin' a picture."

Gorbasch grinned. "Perhaps the boss could help with that…"

"Let's talk to 'em."

Both of them hopped down off the short wall they'd been seated on. Sure, they were off-duty right now, but there was no reason not to get some people in to see the boss on a nice day like this. He'd be in a great mood and they obviously needed some help. And, hey, if it happened that they weren't actually looking for anybody, Fire and Gorbasch could at least be decent human beings and help the poor guy carry their luggage.

They practically cornered the Egyptian visitors, both emulating the pleasant smile their boss had unknowingly taught them.

"Hello there." Gorbasch, as usual, spoke for both of them. "Looking for something or someone, travelers?"

They examined the Bandits with guarded expressions before slowly nodding.

"How could you tell?" Ishizu asked, eventually, pulling her shawl closer to herself and attempting to cover up the glimmering gold necklace she wore.

"You learn to recognize the signs." He chuckled. "We might be able to help you."

"Why would you want to?" She asked suspiciously.

"Mostly because our boss likes it when we're generous and helpful to travelers." Gorbasch shrugged. "And he likes to know the new people coming into the city."

"Who is your boss?" Rishid asked gruffly.

"Ah, the Bandit King."

They had heard many things about the three kings of Domino City, recently. The three leaders of the biggest gangs in the area were some real big shots, from what they had heard. The Pharaoh was a businessman, though no one knew exactly who he was - there were rumors that he resembled the ancient Nameless Pharaoh, however, and that might have been the source of his name. The Phantom King was a complete enigma, to them and to everyone else, and on the rare occasions he was seen, he was always wearing a cloak that obscured his entire visage.

But the Bandit King? Oh, everyone knew he looked like the ancient Thief King. Everyone knew he loved greeting travelers because he wasn't exactly a native himself. Everyone knew how he dressed and how he acted, but no one could actually pick him out in public when he happened to slip on some casual clothing.

Of course, these two working for the Bandit King meant they were gang members. Ishizu wasn't sure if she trusted them from that fact alone - they could very well be attempting to trick them in order to take anything they perceived as valuable.

"Now, now, madam, I can see the wheels turning in your head." Gorbasch grinned. "You need not worry. The Bandit King would have our heads if we robbed travelers. We only take valuables from natives and travelers who have been here for a few years… And who have much more than a pretty gold necklace and earrings."

She almost cursed when she realized they had definitely seen the necklace. She stopped herself, instead saying, "But why should we trust you? If what you say is true and you are gang members, you could be lying about why you wish to help."

"You're very right, madam." His eyes seemed to twinkle. "But we're your best bet to find the one you're looking for."

This was where Fire typically came into the conversation - the same was true this time around. "You could search the whole city by yourselves, or you could come with us to our boss, and we Bandits could look instead. There's a lot more of us and we have connections that you don't."

Ishizu considered it, glancing to Rishid, who merely shrugged at her. She chewed on the inside of her lower lip.

Finally, she sighed. "Very well. Take us to the Bandit King."

The Bandits grinned at her and turned to walk away. "Follow us!"

The Bandit King really did bear a striking resemblance to the Thief King, Ishizu thought. He was shorter, skinnier, and paler, but the last was to be expected. The Thief King had been Egyptian, after all, and immediately upon the Bandit King opening his mouth Ishizu could tell he was English.

"Greetings. Please, do have a seat."

His hair was longer than the Thief King's, as well, she noted as she knelt down on one of the cushions in front of his throne. Rishid followed her lead, both of them bowing their heads. It seemed he took much better care of that long, white hair than the Thief King had, as well.

Their respect seemed to please the Brit, whose pleasant smile widened into a much more genuine grin.

"Fire and Gorbasch tell me that you two are looking for someone, yes?"

"Yes, your Majesty." Ishizu thought it would be best to use high titles - he was a king, after all, and probably expected respect.

"Who, pray tell, might that be?"

"Malik Ishtar." She said without hesitation.

"You're in luck." The Bandit King's eyes narrowed despite the happy lilt. "I happen to know exactly where Malik is."

"Truly?" Rishid blinked at him.

"Truly." He twirled a strand of his hair around a ringed finger, frowning slightly. "Though I must warn you that I can't just tell you where he is. I do not know who you are or why you are looking for Malik, and I would be greatly displeased if it happened that you were looking for him in order to harm him."

There was a silent warning, there. A warning of, "If you want to hurt him, get out of my sight."

"We would never dream of hurting him, your Majesty." Ishizu assured him, clasping her hands in front of her. "It would be most disgraceful."

His eyes narrowed again. "Who are you?"

But she shook her head at him. "Names have power, your Majesty. Surely you know that - we cannot tell just anyone who we are. It would be suicide, if the wrong person heard."

He hummed. "True enough." He finally unwound the strand of hair and puffed out his bottom lip slightly.

For a long moment, he was quiet and Ishizu was worried that maybe that had been the wrong answer. Really, what harm could come of telling the Bandit King their names, she wondered? As long as they did nothing to displease him and they weren't using his information to hurt Malik it really shouldn't matter. She almost spoke up to change her statement, but decided against it.

Even if the Bandit King was trustworthy, who knew whose ears listened in on their conversation.

When he finally spoke again, she was incredibly relieved. The silence had been beginning to get unnerving. And it, paired with the distinctly Egyptian theme of the room they were in, had begun to drudge up memories that were better left buried.

"Very well." The King said, straightening up a bit. "Why do you want to know where Malik is?"

She looked to Rishid. For a moment, they exchanged a silent conversation before he nodded his head. She turned her attention back to the Bandit King, bowed her head, and said, "Because he is our brother, your Majesty."

The Bandit King blinked at her, eyes slowly widening a bit as his eyes flicked over she and her brother. He blinked again, slowly sitting back as he let the information sink in. Was it really possible, he wondered? Surely it was… Malik had once told him that he had siblings, and these two did look incredibly similar to the man…

Perhaps they were, he decided. He could quite easily check.

"Excuse me for a moment." He stood. "I am going to check with him." As he pulled his phone from his coat, he said, "I assure you, I in no way mean to offend you by not believing you, but just as you cannot tell just anyone your identities, I cannot just believe such an admission without distinctive proof."

"I understand completely, your Majesty."

"Thank you. Now if you'll excuse me for a moment…" He ducked behind the curtain near his throne, emerging into a smaller room. He flipped the phone open, pressing the button he'd designated Malik's number too.

"Hello?" It took the man four full rings to answer the phone. "This had better be important, Ryou."

"I assure you, it is." Ryou flipped his hair out of his face. "I have two Egyptian travelers here who are looking for you. They claim to be your siblings."

Malik sucked in a breath. "What are their names?"

"They wouldn't tell me. Said they couldn't tell just anyone who they were."

"Fair enough… Is there a man and a woman?"

"Yes."

"Is the woman wearing a gold necklace with the Eye of Horus design?"

"Yes. And both of them are wearing large gold earrings and some very well executed kohl."

Another breath. "What has the man said to you?"

"Very little."

"It sounds like that's them." Malik sighed. "Any way you could send me a picture?"

"I'll do what I can." He peeked through the curtain, seeing them talking quietly amongst themselves. He made sure they weren't watching him and snapped a quick picture. "Got one. Here."

He heard Malik's phone buzz, which made him chuckle, though he wasn't sure why.

Malik sounded like he was about to hyperventilate, once he'd opened the picture. "That's them." He whispered. "That's them, Ryou."

"Would you like me to go ahead and tell them where to find you?"

"I… Um…" Malik took a deep breath to calm himself. "Yes. Tell them. I'm headed home now."

"Alright, honey. Should I escort them personally or let them wander a bit?"

"If you could bring them here yourself that'd be great, Ryou. I think I'm gonna need to see someone familiar before I can calm down."

"Gotcha. Well, we'll be on our way soon. I'll try to keep it slow so you have time to get home and think."

"Thank you, Ryou."

"Don't mention it."

He let Malik hang up first, perfectly willing to stay on the line with him if he needed it. Usually Malik tried to be strong, but even he had to be weak sometimes. And why wouldn't Ryou want to help him? They were friends, after all - wasn't that what friends did for each other?

It was a strange place for his mind to go, considering the circumstances, but definitely not the strangest it had been to during business.

He stepped out from behind the curtain. "Alright. He's confirmed… And I'll be escorting you to him myself."

"Oh, your Majesty, that's really not necessary…"

"He's asked me to, and I take family matters quite seriously regardless." The Bandit King waved a hand. "Especially when it comes to Malik's long lost siblings."

"You seem to be very close to him…" Rishid noted.

"He's a good friend of mine, yes."

That made Ishizu laugh. "Trust our brother to be good friends with a gang leader, yes?"

"But of course. It is exciting, is it not?"

Yes, they were definitely Malik's siblings if they knew about his typical thrill seeking attitude. Oh, it'd been a long time since Malik had grabbed him or Yugi, exclaiming that he wanted to do something 'exciting'. Seemed being the Phantom King was exciting enough for him - or maybe he was just too tired to do anything 'exciting'.

Then again, the last time they'd gone out and done something exciting together, it had ended in them robbing a convenience store with Joey and Tristan. That was fun. Ryou had picked the locks, Malik had deactivated the alarms, and Joey and Tristan had carried most of the loot. They'd had snacks and sodas for days afterwards. Ryou thought that he might have gained a couple pounds from that.

But that had been years ago. Before Bakura and the others had gone missing.

Ah, yes, that was probably why Malik no longer wanted to go out and do 'exciting' things with his friends. Marik wasn't around to share the experience. Marik just wasn't around. Period. And even Ryou had been able to see how dependant on the other that Malik had been.

"This might surprise you," The Bandit King said as he led them out to his car. "But Malik hasn't been actively seeking excitement for the past few years."

"Maybe being around you is exciting enough." Ishizu suggested.

"Maybe." The Bandit King couldn't help chuckling. "I've been told that I'm… Interesting to be around for long periods of time."

Zen seemed to appear from nowhere, opening the door of the car for Ryou and his charges. He bowed to them.

"Ladies first," The Bandit King insisted. Ishizu bowed her head gratefully and ducked into the car. He motioned for Rishid to follow her, turning to Zen. "Will you be driving us, my dear?"

"If you wish, sir. Where are you headed?"

"To the Phantom King's residence."

Zen nodded. "Very well, sir."

He folded himself into the car as gracefully as he could, making himself comfortable next to his guests. He gave Rishid a smile, allowing his coat, as usual, to fall off of his shoulder. He did his best to hold in the cackle that rose in his throat when Rishid's cheeks turned rosy and he averted his eyes. He was far more conservative than his brother, that was for sure. Perhaps a virgin?

Oh, that was funny.

He decided to spare the Egyptian the embarrassment, however, and didn't bring it up. Instead, he looked to Ishizu, who seemed to be admiring him.

"Pardon me for staring," She said, "I'm afraid I cannot help it."

"It's alright." He assured her. "But what, pray tell, has captured your attention?"

"I'm not entirely sure," She admitted, "But your jewelry is certainly intriguing. Did you have Malik's input on it?"

He smiled. "Yes, actually. It was he and another who informed me that silver was more valuable in ancient Egypt - and I'm a sucker for ancient Egypt."

"Have you ever considered wearing kohl?" She tilted her head slightly.

"I've thought about it. Malik offered to teach me but I'm afraid that ended in an argument due to my rather flippant attitude." He snickered. "As have many other discussions."

"Ah, it's not your flippantness, I assure you." Ishizu shook her head with a smile, "Malik is just argumentative."

"If that isn't the truth, madam, I don't know what is." He chuckled as the car finally came to a stop. "Ah. We're here."

Ishizu and Rishid almost seemed to start buzzing, turning to each other and speaking softly in rather excited Arabic. He caught one or two phrases, but for the most part they spoke too quickly for him to decipher it. He heard, "little brother" and, "will he recognize us?" along with a few other little things - he cursed his rather limited experience with Arabic. Maybe if he spoke it more often he'd be able to understand everything they were saying.

Zen came around to open the door right as Malik peeked out of his front window. Ryou met his eyes, giving a reassuring smile, and walked up the sidewalk to the front door without waiting for his guests. Malik would want to speak to him first - he'd want a little comfort. At least, he thought so.

Turned out, he was right.

Malik threw the front door open and hugged him, whispering in Arabic about how happy he was but how scared he was at the same time. He thanked him for bringing his siblings there, thanked him for coming up to the door first. When he pulled back, he asked him if he looked like he'd been crying.

"No. But you'd better gather yourself quickly, dear."

Malik nodded. "'Inna sawf." He shook his head. "Sorry. I will."

Ryou chuckled. "You didn't need to translate, hon. I speak Arabic, remember?"

"Yes, but I try not to, remember?" Malik stuck his tongue out.

"There's the Malik I know and loathe." Ryou threw an arm over his shoulder and ruffled his platinum blonde hair.

"Oh shut it." He grinned, though his expression faltered for a minute when he noticed Ishizu and Rishid approaching. "'Awh, aliha. 'Annaha haqqana lahum…"

"Yes, it's really them." Ryou gave his shoulders a gentle shake. "Want me to stick around, hon?"

Malik froze, for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "No, it's alright. You can go."

"Alright." He gave another shake to his shoulders, then smiled and headed back to his car. "Have fun, dear!"

"I'll try!" Malik called back shakily, and the last thing Ryou saw before he ducked into the car was Malik tackle-hugging Rishid.

He grinned.

The excited Arabic flowing out of Malik's mouth was almost too much for Rishid and Ishizu to handle as they all threw their arms around each other and collapsed onto the steps in front of his house.

"I missed you." Malik crooned, "I missed you guys so much!"

"We missed you as well, brother." Ishizu buried her face in his hair. "Have you been here all along?"

"Yes, yes this is where I've been."

After a while, they broke away and Malik invited them into his house, where they spent the next few hours swapping stories about the past seven years and drinking tea together.