I'm so sorry for the long silence, and thank you for the many messages of encouragement. I'm fine, but my life got away from me in a few ways. Anyway, let's get back to the story.

OCs are mine, Yugioh is not, Battousaisgirl16 is a patient beta reader

Enjoy :)

Chapter 86 Separate Ways

A Month Later

"We should tell the Mutos," Nasira informed the assembled family at breakfast.

Kelilia didn't glance up from the notes she'd been checking for Ishizu. "What exactly?"

"Well, you know," Nasira said. "Yami's back, and they'd probably like to know."

Marik grinned. "You mean to tell them the spirit they thought was destroyed appeared on the shore of the Nile in a new body and has been living with us for the past month."

"What's so hard about that?" Nasira asked.

"You were going to say all that over the phone?"

"Computer." she corrected.

Marik shook his head. "Doesn't matter how. Something like this needs to be told face to face."

"And it's his news to tell." Kelilia finally looked up. "He'll tell them in his own time. He doesn't need us to announce his return until he's ready."

Nasira frowned at her plate, pushing around the slices of fruit. She hated to admit they were right; there wasn't an easy way to explain this to anyone, especially the Muto's. She'd be skeptical if she hadn't seen him for herself.

After Yamanu's arrival, he'd been moved to the family compound in Luxor where he'd been sleeping, with short moments of wake where he'd eat before sleeping again, back and forth for a month with the family watching over him. Marik joked he had to make up for the 20 years he missed. In the past week, he'd woken on a regular schedule for the entire day with no prompting on their end and had been acting normal for the most part. For some reason, he'd mainly been reading a lot, not surprising since that was pretty much all he could do.

He hadn't been allowed to leave the property until his identity cards could be 'obtained', which Nasira knew meant they had to bribe one of Marik's contacts to make some forgeries and for Ishizu to use her connections in the government to get him a birth certificate in the system. The only thing besides literary experience they had attempted to do was teach him to ride a motorcycle. It was refreshing to do something different, but biking around the courtyard got mundane after a few days even for the spectators

"Any news on his documents?" Ishizu changed the subject. "You said Achmed would have them done by the time the registry processed his paperwork."

"Then we have plenty of time." Marik caught his sister's look. "What? It is true. Ok ok, I'll check in on Achmed today."

"Take Yamanu with you," Kelilia suggested. "We need an updated photo for the ID."

"We can take it here for free," Marik said.

"But Achmed has better skills."

"And I don't have skills." he teased, leaning in for a kiss.

"In photos, no." Kelilia kissed him back.

"Where is he anyway?" Marik asked. "If he's sleeping again, I'll-"

"Throw water in my face again?" Yamanu, or Yami as preferred entered.

"That was payback for crashing my bike."

"Scratched it."

"Same difference."

Nasira ignored the banter and texted under the table, setting up an appointment with Airi to talk.

Airi didn't get back to Hawkin's place until late in the evening. It was a regular occurrence since she'd started her studies there. She was lucky the professor was willing to let her rent the spare room for free in exchange for tidying up the house. She justified coming in late because then Rebecca would be somewhere else and wouldn't try to rope her in to call Yugi or tell her the latest Duel Monster news. Airi preferred silence. The library was quiet, but her mind was distracted by language and myths in forgotten manuscripts. Here was real life and she didn't want to face her empty void with witnesses. Also, it was the only place she could take her glove off without worrying about stares.

Leaving her bag in its place by the door she entered the kitchen. It was in its normal disarray. The professor was not the most observant when it came to his dishes and Rebecca kept running off to challenge the local nobodies in dueling to test her skills and left everything just as she'd left it that morning. Muttering something about irresponsible college students, Airi began pulling off her fingerless gloves.

The left one was mainly for uniformity but the right was to keep others from touching the golden scars weaving down her arm. They remained bright from her time in the hospital but now had the side effect of when they came into contact with another person's skin it would feel like someone was burning her. It was easier to have the odd accessory than try to explain she couldn't shake hands or jerk away in pain. The fingers were tolerable, but the palm and wrist refused to stop tingling for hours if touched. Thankfully the load of dishes and water weren't an issue.

She barely finished when an alarm went off on her phone. Checking it she remembered Nasira wanted to call tonight. Talking to someone different besides classmates and the Hawkins family would be nice. A pang of guilt played in her mind at the thought Yugi kept wanting to call her, almost nightly, but she kept telling him she wanted to get some rest. They chatted on Sunday nights, but it felt like they kept skirting around the giant hole in their hearts that was the loss of Yami. Neither wanted to bring it up fearing it would hurt the other.

Logging into her laptop she sent a text to Nasira that she was ready for the call. A moment later the Egyptian girl's smiling face came into view.

"Airi I got in!" She held up an official-looking paper but was so excited it was hard to read.

"Got in where?" Airi asked.

"The University of Domino!" Nasira finally put the document close enough to the screen so Air could see the official seal for the college. "I start in a few months!"

"That is so cool, Sira!" Airi grinned. "Pray nothing odd happens while you're there?"

"Hey, I was counting on it." Nasira laughed. "I'll expect you there to help me settle in. I mean, if you're back in time."

Airi kept smiling but her insides made a guilty turn. She wasn't planning on coming back to Domino for a while. She was going to make an excuse to Yugi that she was needed here for the holidays and stay. "Maybe." She lied.

"Enough about me," Nasira said. "How are you?"

"About the same; school and cleaning up after Rebecca." Air switched topics. "The gang has been doing well. Tea's in America for dancing and doing well from what I hear. Yugi keeps me posted on what she's been up to."

Nasira rolled her eyes. "Are they dating yet?"

"Nope, but I'm sure one of them will bring it up sooner or later."

"Better be sooner for our sanity. What about Joey and Tristan?"

"From what Yugi's told me, Tristan is doing well at his dad's factory. Makes several weekend trips up to see Serenity. That's Joey's sister if you didn't know."

"Oh." Nasira grinned. "And what does Joey think about that?"

"So far he puts up with it, but he keeps making up excuses to join them sometimes when he's not in a tournament or something."

"Sounds like siblings. Has he won any yet?"

"He keeps getting in the finals but not in the top bracket. But he keeps going. He's been working at the shop, too. Grandpa's enjoying letting others do the work around the place."

"Isn't Yugi still working there?"

"Yeah, but with his schooling Gramps needs the extra help. Yugi's been doing great, from what he's shown me." Airi's entire personality lightened up when talking about her brother. "You should see his prototypes. He'll create his gaming system any day now."

"He's only in the first semester." Nasira laughed.

"Like that will stop him. I just wish Yami-" she stopped, then continued. "Yami would be proud." She ran her fingers over her arm, tracing the golden marks. It tingled, but not as bad as when others touched them.

Airi could see Nasira fidget. "How's your arm?"

"It's healing," Airi said. "It's kinda a blessing and curse. Keeps others at a distance, but at least I have something to remember him by."

A long pause followed. Airi could tell Nasira was trying to figure out a way to comfort her, but all it did was make Airi angry at herself for making others worry about her all the time. So she changed the subject.

"Kaiba still isn't back yet."

"He left?" Nasira said. "I just thought he was working on a new project."

"He had a score to settle. Mokuba's been running things while he's gone. And a good job, too."

"Sure is." Nasira still looked distracted. "Airi, Yami-"

"Sira, I'm fine." Airi's pent-up frustration let loose before she could stop herself. "It's great not being constantly threatened by soul-snatching demons and jewelry that controls your destiny. I love the fact it's only studying for a test that is threatening my little brother and not dragons. It is a relief. So what if I don't get to see my best friend ever again? I have my life back."

A long silence followed, Airi was sure she could see some of the shadows behind Nasira's shift but dismissed it as bad lighting. She let out a long breath. "Sorry, Sira, I didn't mean to blow up at you like that."

"It's ok," Nasira said. "I know he meant a lot to you."

Airi smiled. The two girls signed off, Airi making an excuse about some papers she hadn't finished. She made sure the app was shut down and the computer closed before burying her face in her hands. Her tears stung her scars but she didn't care. She was glad Yami wasn't able to hear any of those things she said. It would break his heart.

.

Nasira closed her computer before looking up to the doorway of the back veranda. It had been the best reception of the old house but meant others could hear her conversation without difficulty. A lone figure with shoulder-length black hair leaned against the door frame, arms folded, face obscured by shadow.

You heard the last part didn't you?" Nasira said.

The figure didn't respond.

"She's still grieving." Nasira pointed out. "If she knew-"

"No." Yami's voice cracked and he cleared his throat. "She can't know. Either of them."

"That's foolishness." Nasira snapped. "You'll regret not telling them."

"They've moved on. They're safe and well. I'll not disturb that."

"Are you going to stay here forever hiding from your feelings?"

Yami's jaw clenched. "I put Yugi and Airi through so much danger and pain. Their lives are peaceful now. I will not disrupt that." He left her there disappearing into the dark courtyard.

"Yamanu!" Marik called up the stairs the next morning. For some reason, he insisted on using the full name when talking to the former fragment. "Your documents have arrived." Before the spirit had appeared the rest of the family had congregated in the foyer. Unbidden, Marik opened the package. Inside was a file folder with several documents inside.

"Shouldn't you wait for Yamanu before you open those?" Kelilia asked.

"Nah, he won't mind. Besides, I want to make sure they look good." Marik moved some of the paper around, pulling out a small booklet. He opened it and snorted. "Blast it, they got the name wrong."

"What's wrong?"

All looked up to realize Yamanu had entered the room. Even after weeks of him being adopted into the family, it was hard to believe this was the pharaoh or at least his fragment. The new name didn't change one thing. The eyes were still as red as ever. The biggest change was his hair was not standing up in gravity-defying spikes. It was completely black and had grown at a fast rate making it fall more like Marik's. Yamuna usually kept it pulled back with a hair tie to keep it out of his face.

Marik held up the folder he'd just received. "You're identity. They finished it up today, though Achmed messed up your name. I guess he had it backwards or he thought it sounded better."

Nasira glanced at the papers. "Sen? I thought that was supposed to be your middle name.
"It was," Ishizu said. "However, going back and asking for him to redo it now would only anger him and he'd probably make it easy to detect. Is it passable?"

"Of course it is. I got the best." Marik turned back to Yamanu. "Does it work for you?"

Yamanu nodded, looking at his ID picture. "You had to pick one like that?"

"What's wrong with it?"

"I look like a thug."

"You look brooding," Nasira interjected. "Besides, no one's ID picture looks good. That's what makes it look believable."

"And my eyes look red."

"They are red." Marik reminded me. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Yamanu tried handing them back, but Marik shook his head. "Those are all yours. If you're going to leave the house then you'll need those."

"Great Idea!" Nasira ignored the surprised looks from the family as she continued. "I have to go into town this morning and need someone to come with me. What better way to test your new credentials."

Yami didn't look too interested. "My Arabic isn't good yet." He'd only been learning it for the past week and wasn't even barely proficient. Thankfully the Ishtars and Karnaks spoke Ancient Egyptian or he'd have no communication whatsoever.

"But you'll learn better with exposure to it." Nasira pointed out.

"Excellent suggestion," Ishizu added. "It would be good to start somewhere familiar."

"I've never been to Luxor." Yami pointed out.

"You saw it with your friends before. . ." Nasira's voice trailed off.

Yami shook his head. "I honestly don't quite remember everything despite the duels and leaving. It will be nice to experience it all over again."

"Then it's settled." Marik grinned. "Maybe she can get you some new clothes so I can get mine back."

Other than his memories Yami owned little else. Marik had lent him some clothes and he had pitched the less flashy of these, going for black tank tops and linen pants to compete with the heat. That was another thing he'd had to get used to; temperature. Mental memories of scalding deserts and crossing the American West weren't the same as actually being in his own body with no way to retreat to a puzzle or detach from his body for a while to escape to heat.

Though he was sure Nasira wanted to be sure so she'd have an excuse to go shopping with him or something. She usually slipped it in during their Arabic lessons. She said something about how since she was his adopted cousin it was her responsibility to make sure he was taken care of. She seemed more willing to take that responsibility than Kelilia who seemed more reserved about having a grown man suddenly appear in her family.

He looked down at the ID card to give him some time to think over their suggestion. It was wrong. Marik had suggested the middle name Sen in honor of the bank of the Nile he'd appeared on but the person somehow thought Sen Yamanu Ilmatar sounded better. Still, this little card was his chance to leave the house.

It was odd to think he'd get to leave the complex and explore the land spread out before his window. He hadn't left the house since he'd come to live with the Ishtars. Ishizu had insisted it was safer until he could get his paperwork figured out. A new person suddenly appearing out of the banks of the Nile would be hard to explain to any local authorities in the area. It was a nice change from near-death experiences; He hadn't missed those at all, enjoying the view of the Nile and the new experiences such as family dinners and learning modern Arabic.

One of the odd things about him was that he'd lost his knack for duel monsters. He'd insisted on checking if he could still duel. And Marik had wiped the floor with him. After 5 more games Yami finally managed a win, but by the skin of his teeth.

Another odd side effect was he was seeing things. Out of the corner of his eye, he was sure he could see something watching him just out of reach. He wasn't sure if it was his eyes still adjusting or some kind of demon trying to get into his view. It would be nice to get out of the house if nothing else to prove he wasn't crazy.

"We should get going then," he informed the assembled group.

Nasira beamed at her adopted cousin. "Let's go then.

"Wait." Marik disappeared for a moment then returned, handing him a pair of sunglasses. "You'll need these."

"Why?"

"Your eyes will freak out the locals."

Yamanu gave him a look. "Purple eyes aren't normal either."

"They don't make people think of demons. And believe me, superstitions are still strong around here."

Yami accepted the glasses, slipping them on before he followed Nasira outside.

The glasses did help in the blinding desert sun. The day's heat was already beginning as Odion drove them to the shopping district. Only several straggling tourists seemed out while the locals enjoyed the shade of tea houses. Odeon dropped them off outside a street of the modern city that seemed to be made out of modern shops and antique shops. Yami put on what he hoped was a confident face and followed Nasira into the strange world of fashion.

They passed a group of teen girls, probably tourists by their outfits, enjoying a drink on the covered veranda. They stared after them and then started giggling.

"What was that?" Yami asked Nasira.

"They think you're cute."

"Huh? But they can't see. . ." Yami's voice trailed off.

"Get used to it, Yami." Nasira giggled. "You're very visible now, and the gods didn't scrimp on the looks."

Yami could feel his face growing warmer. "I received my face. Nothing special about it."

Nasira stared at him. "Are you kidding me? You have a great set of features. Is that the pharaoh's face? He must have been a looker."

Yami touched his nose. "This is the same. His face was more round than mine."

"Still, he must have been hot."

Desperate to change the subject, Yami asked. "Where are we going exactly?"

"I need some more Western clothes." she pointed down a side street covered with woven tapestries and painted hieroglyphics. "This area is more tourist trap and imports mocked up as 'authentic handmade' though, depending on how long you're planning on staying here you'll need some clothes more suited to the environment. I figured you'd want to tell the Mutos you're back and then you'll need more Japanese-style clothes."

Yami stopped dead in his tracks. "I'm not telling them anything."

"Huh?" Nasira stopped. "You're still not thinking of what she said. Don't you want to go back?"

More than anything, Yami's heart cried, but he said instead. "They already made peace with my death. My coming back will only-"

"Make them super happy." Nasira interrupted. "If you thought they were dead and they were back wouldn't you want to know?"

Yami remained silent.

Nasira looked around. " Just think about it OK?"

Yami nodded. They continued in silence. Until they stopped at a small group of shops. Antiques and authentic scrolls were advertised across the front. The shop opposite seemed to be a small weavers shop.

"Stay here," Nasira said. "I need to check on an order I have. Stay." She indicated the road for emphasis before slipping into the weavers.

With nothing else to do Yami wandered over to the antique dealer's shop. Several tourists were already there and didn't seem to notice the random Egyptian man wandering behind them. The man behind the counter didn't seem to be a native Egyptian but judging by the pinkish tanning his skin had endured many Egyptian summers. Several scrolls were laid out on the counter top and he showed them to the patrons with the flare of having found the rosetta stone.

Yami couldn't understand what he was saying, but from the murmurings of the tourists came thoughts clear in his mind. It confused Yami even more but was distracted by the document on the table. It was a scroll covered with hieroglyphics. Yami frowned at the writing and leaned in.

The Asian couple examining the piece ignored him as they continued to listen to the speech from the shopkeeper in what Yami assumed was broken English. The man in a smart business casual outfit despite the heat pointed at one of the cartouches.

"Nameless Pharaoh," he said. "It must be a scarce find."

"No, it's not," Yami murmured.

He realized the tourists all looked at him. Yami realized in a split second that they had understood him, but he'd understood them. The shop owner realized Yami had said something negative and gave him a look.

"How is it wrong?" the man closest to the scroll asked and again Yami understood him. "The characteristics of a 3000 BC document are all there. See the size of the Osiris next to the other characters. That's a very classic Shadow Dynasty trait."

Yami grinned, more from the ability to communicate than being able to tell them what was wrong. "Except," Yami pointed to the curve of one of the hieroglyphics. "The penmanship is too bold to be that old, and the pen who made this was too refined to make an edge that concise."

"Perhaps it was a good reed pen." the woman next to the man suggested. "What else could discredit it?"

"It's spelled wrong." Yami pointed at a particular passage. "Either this important document was a grocery list or the person replaced the army for bread. It's a nice wall hanging but not authentic grave goods."

The shopkeeper couldn't understand the Japanese but Yami's dispersive tone seemed to have come through loud and clear. He began raging at Yami in Arabic. The only bit Yami understood were the same words Marik had muttered after he'd crashed his motorbike

The tourists looked at each other, not sure if they should be amused or worried about the souring attitude of the shop owner. The man translates the outburst of the angry Egyptian.

"He insists you're tarnishing his integrity."

"Then he better get a better supplier."

"Say, who are you young man?" the woman asked.

Yami hesitated a moment, not sure which name was appropriate to use, but then the shopkeeper backed up, seeing someone behind him. Confused, Yami glanced behind him to find Odion standing there, stern face staring down the shopkeeper. The man uttered 'Ishtar' in an angry whisper before going off again in anger, pointing at Yami and the scroll. Yami wasn't sure how they would get out of this, but the next thing he knew they were outside the shop.

Nasira came out of her shop with a parcel. "Did I miss something?"

"Yami ticked off Mr Cooper."

Nasira rolled her eyes before continuing up the road. "When isn't he ticked off about something?"

Yami and Odion followed close behind and opted to wait outside as she tried on some clothes from a shop.

"Aren't we supposed to help her decide?" Yami asked.

Odion smirked. "We'll be told if she needs us."

They stood in silence for a moment.

"Thanks for the help," Yami said "Why are you out here anyway?"

"To look out for Nasira. And Marik was worried you might find trouble."

"It always seemed to follow me."

"Call it a family trait," Odion said. "I am impressed you could spot something that trivial on a document."

"It's not that big of a deal." Yami dismissed. "I just realized the placement was wrong. And the bread mixup is amateurish. I'm sure anyone with the basic learning of the language would notice it."

"Not many would."

"But don't the families read ancient Egyptian?"

"Yes, but most of the surviving texts were from several generations down when it became necessary to remember the lore and by that point, the language had evolved, not significantly, but enough to be different. I've only seen some examples of that style of writing but they're rare."

Yami frowned as he considered this

"Ishizu might be looking for someone like you." Odion continued.

"For what? I don't even know what she does."

"Antiquities mostly." Odion glanced around. "Mostly make sure the important stuff gets 'lost' in Museum collections and reroute black market operations to keep most things here."

"Then why would she need me?"

"There are a lot more forgeries lately. She might need someone with first-hand knowledge."

Yami considered. "I should probably stay away from a duel-disk for a while, for the world's sake."

"Wise decision." Odion chuckled.

After what felt like an eternity Yami collapsed on his bed in his room. The few clothes Nasira had insisted he get were still wrapped up in a chair but he was fine not looking at another set of shirts again. Who knew shopping would be that exhausting? When the Mutos did it it hadn't seemed that hard. He smiled at the memory of trying to get Yugi to decide what outfit to put on before tricking him on a date with Tea. He slipped into sleep with the memory of Airi against the Egyptian sunset. The exhaustion made the images come unbidden from his memory and his heart leaped at the opportunity to remember. Airi…

He'd dozed off for a moment when there was a tapping on his door. Odion opened it as Yami pushed himself up on his arm.

"There's a gentleman out front wanting to speak to Yami," Odion said.

"I don't know anyone." Yami whipped the sleep out of his eyes.

"He says he met you today. Something about wanting to thank you."

Still confused, Yami followed him down to the foyer. The Japanese tourist from earlier stood in the foyer. He still looked as dapper as ever.

"Ah." the man said in Japanese. "I'm glad my sources were correct." At Yami's confused look, he clarified. "My wife insisted I thank you for helping us not make a hasty purchase." he gave a bow.

"It was nothing, sir." Yami returned the bow with his face reddening. "I was merely making an observation."

"Which saved me quite a bit of embarrassment." the man smiled. "Imagine if I'd show that to any of my knowledgeable friends and they told me I'd bought an ancient grocery list."

Odion excused himself, leaving the two alone. From experience, Yami knew the man wouldn't be too far away.

"Is there something else you'd like to discuss, Mr…?"

"Zendai, Zendai Takashi, of Kaibin Township."

Yami's heart skipped a beat. That was near Domino.

Mr Zendai seeing Yami's expression added. "Yes, it is the same that was in the news recently with the hullabaloo at the duel monsters tournament. I'm personally glad that young Kaiba has been laying low for a while, which might give us all a break from all the craziness."

"I've heard of it," Yami admitted, willing his heart to stop pounding. "I've been around that area."

"Ah, that explains your accent. Were you there for school or a duelist?"

"Duelist, but I didn't get very far."

"Pitty. Seems like a lucrative profession nowadays. Now what were we talking about before?"

"I was merely inquiring Mr Zendai, if there was an ulterior motive to you coming here."

Mr. Zendai chuckled. "You are a bright one. My wife said so before I came over. She did want to thank you, but I do have an offer. I'd like you to come to Japan with me. I've heard of this family's reputation for ancient documents and I'd like my collection to be evaluated. My friend sold it to me and knowing him he was probably deceived by their authenticity."

"Is there someone locally who would be more knowledgeable about these things?" Yami asked.

"There are, but they're in England or everywhere else, and from what I can see you're pretty confident in your assessment, and your cousin seemed very confident in your abilities to the point she said you'd had years of knowledge on the subject."

Yami could picture Ishizu's slight smirk as she said it. He was about to say he didn't have a passport but then stopped remembering the folder of documents Marik had given him. There was a little book at the bottom. It was like the universe was determined not to let him stay here and sulk.

"If you're worried about accommodations, we can figure something out. Nasuki, sorry, Mrs. Zendai would offer our home to you with no fee, but I'm not sure if you have any other more favorable accommodations."

Yami considered. Being in Japan didn't mean he'd been in association with the Mutos. He could just keep it simple. Besides, Airi was still in England. If there was a time to see Japan again it would be now.

"I'm sure we can come to an arrangement, sir." Yami bowed again.

"Excellent mr . . ."

"Ilmitar, but Sen is fine," Yami said. No need to use his old name and alert the Mutos to his presence.

Three Months later

"Ah, Airi, it looks like your friend has decided to rejoin the land of the living." Professor Hawkins said at breakfast.

Airi's heart skipped a beat but her excitement quickly deflated after she realized he was pointing to a headline on the newspaper's front page. 'Kaiba Returns' in bold black letters with a picture of a disinterested Kaiba, with Mokuba waving to the camera with a big grin.

"He went somewhere?" Rebecca slathered more butter onto her morning toast. "I figured he was just on one of his inventing sprees."

"Doesn't say what he's been doing." Pro. Hawkins scanned the article. "It just mentions he hadn't been seen for over 4 months."

4 months? Airi stared out the window. That much time? Yami had been gone that long.

"Aren't you glad your boyfriend is back?" Rebecca asked with all her tact. "I mean, you were getting friendly at the last tournament, especially the ball."

Airi sipped her orange juice and turned back to her notes from the night before.

"Will you ever get out of your head?" Rebecca snapped. "People are talking to you."

Airi continued ignoring her.

Rebecca mumbled something about stuck-up college girls before she turned back to the conversation at hand. "I think Mokuba did a better job at running the company anyway, without his brother."

"Found a new crush have you?" Airi said, still looking at her notes.

"Never." Rebecca snapped. "Yugi is my one true love. But it's a good idea to have a backup, just in case."

Airi rolled her eyes. "You're going to be a joy when you can legally date."

"I'm already a college junior," Rebecca said. "I'll more than-"

"Willing to wait four more years before you can date." Pro. Hawkins interjected.

Rebecca went on a tirade about why she should be able to go out earlier while Airi tuned her out. Inside she did have a twinge of relief that Kaiba was home safe, more for Mokuba's sake than her own. She still hadn't forgiven him for being the reason for Yugi facing Zorc again and Yami's sacrifice. She'd been fine never hearing that name again but she knew that was impossible.

Kaibacorp had expanded again. They'd now sponsor dueling tournaments, while not officiating or participating in any of them. Some speculated they'd be creating training centers to find the next top duelists. Yugi told her in his last call there had been some rumors around the game shop that Mokuba wanted to open a full-on duel academy somewhere in Japan. Something that big would need Seto's approval so that would help with Mokuba's ambitions.

"Oh, before I forget." Pro. Hawkins announced. "I called in some specialists to help evaluate our manuscript collection."

Airi finally looked up. "Something wrong?"

"No, I don't believe so, but most of ours were donated from private collections and I can never be certain if they were duped into buying some second-rate forgeries. Some of the inscriptions seem a bit far-fetched when reading, but then again." he trailed off. All around the table could fill in the blanks. With all the crazy interactions with the realm of duel monsters and other supernatural endeavors, some inscriptions weren't as farfetched as they'd like to believe.

"Who did you get?" Airi finally broke the silence.

"I had a long conversation with your Miss Ishtar. If anyone knew what to do with possibly cursed objects or at least Egyptian forgeries she'd know. She's sending over one of her relatives who is one of the experts on forgeries and ancient manuscripts."

"Anyone I know?"

"I don't think so. She said he was someone from the Karnak side. A Sen Ilmitar. Sound familiar?"

Airi shook her head.

"Anyway, I may need your help on this. You see he doesn't speak English at all."

"Most of them probably don't." Rebecca made a snide remark.

The professor continued without seeming to hear her. "And my ancient Egyptian is rusty. Could you take him around the collection when he gets here?"

"Of course, she will," Rebecca said. "She practically lives at that museum."

Airi ignored the jab.

"I wanted to bring it up now even though it won't be for a while yet. He's helping with a friend of mine's collections."

Airi nodded and excused herself from the table. She thought it was odd that the professor would bring that up if it wasn't going to be relevant for a while, but then he could be just saying it to change the subject from Rebecca's dating.

Before heading to the library for the day, she remembered having some reports she'd promised to give the professor. Now seemed as good a time as ever.

Airi entered Pro Hawkins's office with a typed-up list of findings. "I've compared the tomes to the pictures you've recovered from the dig." she handed her typed-up notes. "I've also attached them to an email I've already sent."

The professor accepted the papers with a nod. "Thank you. Airi do you have a moment? I'd like to have a chat."

"Yes, sir." she was taken aback. He usually just gave her a list of instructions and thanked her for her reports.

"Take a seat please." he motioned to a chair across which had been cleared off from the pile of papers and books it usually held, almost as if he'd preplanned this interaction. Airi sat waiting with a twinge of dread.

Pro. Hawkins removed his glasses and cleaned them with his handkerchief. "Airi, are you enjoying your time here?"

"Yes, of course. I love it here. Is this about my final thesis? I think I have a topic and will send it in next week."

"I have complete confidence in your abilities."

Airi frowned, confused. "Then what's wrong?"

"It seems to me, and this is only an observation, during your time at the American dig site and from your application to the department you are interested in Ancient Egypt and duel monsters."

Airi remained silent.

"So I was surprised when you didn't sign up to join us for an Egypt research trip."

Airi looked at the floor. "I . . . I've been focusing on the Atlantian research. It's a change of pace for me and I'm finding it fascinating."

"I'm not questioning your dedication to the program. I only observe something is keeping you from taking advantage of the opportunities here and I don't want you to waste your time."

Airi nodded, eyes staring at an uneven part of the rug under the professor's desk. He was right; she'd avoided even talking about Egypt ever since she left Japan. She figured burying herself in her studies would help her outrun the void in her chest that had only grown worse since learning Yami was gone entirely. Not in the afterlife, but gone. Forever. She'd told herself that she'd honor his memory by pursuing her life, but everyone around her had commented on how she'd cut herself off. Thinking back to her conversation with Nasira earlier, she had to agree the way she was pushing everything away wasn't going to help her move on with her life.

"If I may make a suggestion." Pro Hawkins interrupted her thoughts. "I have a proposition and I need someone fluent in ancient Egyptian to test credibility, if you'd consider it."

"What is it?"

"The expert I mentioned at breakfast this morning. He's helping one of my friends in Domino currently. All glowing reviews but I'd like an opinion from someone I can trust. I'd like you to interview this expert to see if he's as good as Mr Zendai claims. I'd be appreciative if you'd check his credentials before I use any grant money to hire him for me."

"You're sending me home?"

"For a brief stay. I'm sure you'll be back in no time." he looked at her and she could see his compassion. "From experience, I find it's easier to move on from a loss when there is some closure."

She realized what he was saying. She hadn't given herself time to say goodbye to Yami's memory. Egypt wasn't the right place either. Her best memories of Yami were back home. The place she dreaded going to.

"I'll think about it." Airi rose. "Thank you, sir."

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! review, please. Take care and God bless!