Thank you for these characters and their stories, Kazuki Takahashi. Requiescat in pace.
Chapter Sixty-Four
If the Garden of Eden was paradise brought to Earth by divinity, Atlantis was only second because she was built entirely by mortals. The kingdom was teeming with life and magic, as if the land, of its own accord, produced the items necessary for the people to live securely. No child understood the true meaning of hunger; instead, every meal was a feast of the highest proportions shared between all the citizens. Meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, and grains of many varieties filled the tables, while wine, water, beer, and olive oil seemed to flow endlessly from within the earth itself, never allowing a cup to run dry.
It was a place where kindness and justice ruled every heart. Any dispute that occurred was taken before the King, who dispensed fair judgement each time. Enmity was quickly forgotten, and neighbors who had been arguing became trusted companions once more. It was nearly unnatural how well the citizens interacted with one another, but each person's desire was to further the greatness of Atlantis and to benefit her citizens. There was no eagerness amongst the people to become the richest or the strongest; even the King could not claim to have the wealthiest estate. It was Atlantis that was the most powerful, and her citizens made her so. Atlantis existed for each person, and each person existed for Atlantis.
Invaders from foreign lands quickly learned to choose other targets for war. Atlantis' army consisted not only of foot soldiers skilled in various weapons and magicians with powerful spells, but also creatures of another realm who'd chosen specific mortals with whom to join their life force. It was a fool's errand to make war on Atlantis; business and trade were always more profitable for outsiders. Those that tried violence were eliminated with astonishing speed and ease, yet Atlantis knew when to stop the campaign. It was not her aspiration to conquer the world, but merely to protect what was hers.
This was the land where I was born. My father Leandros was an ordinary citizen who worked as a stonemason and an architect; he designed and personally built many of the structures throughout Atlantis. Our home was a gift to me from my father, and it was the only home I ever knew. He also served in the army when necessary as the commander of multiple units, and he was well respected by his subordinates. Though time has worn away his full visage and voice, I can still recall the firm callouses on his hands, the gray streaks within his otherwise dark brown hair, and the loving gaze reserved for his only child in his green eyes.
My mother was a mystery to me. My father had hardly mentioned her without prompting, and I soon learned that it caused him pain to speak of her, so I ceased asking. Even the neighbors were unaware of her identity, and I never understood how no one in the kingdom knew who she was or could describe her with any consistency. Soon, the story became that my father had built me from stone and the gods themselves had breathed life into me because of his loyalty to Atlantis. Even as a child, that fable was too far-fetched for me to believe; it was more likely that my mother had perished giving birth to me and my father moved us to a part of the city where our history was unknown. Atlantis was certainly large enough to accomplish such anonymity, especially for one of the plebeian class.
As with every newborn child, my father carried me across the world's boundary into the Dominion of the Beasts, a paradise of monsters parallel to our own, to be selected by one of those creatures as a partner. Together, we defended our homes from the shadows beyond the horizon. Monsters joined with human hosts to keep this darkness at bay, collaborating on everything from daily chores to life-threatening battles. It was mutually beneficial arrangement, and genuine love was fostered between monsters and humans. There were very few monsters who had not had at least one human partner in the 150 summers since the arrangement had been made, and many believed these monsters would always go without choosing a host.
My father stood in the central courtyard of the monsters' kingdom, waiting to see which creature would choose me with the other parents who'd brought their newborns. Though I was too young to have my own memory of the moment, he would tell me later that many monsters encircled us, as if they all wanted to align themselves with me. When the red dragon Slifer appeared, however, the others lowered their heads in respect and retracted their claim upon me, selecting from one of the other children instead. This dragon ruled as one of the many kings of this world, and he had never chosen a human partner before now.
According to my father, Slifer lifted me with his tail from my father's arms and towards his enormous mouths; father feared he would devour me in a single gulp. Instead, when my green eyes met his golden ones, our partnership was formed. Using his smaller mouth, Slifer licked my cheek once before placing me back into my father's arms and disappearing into his kingdom. Those around us were dumbfounded by what they'd just witnessed: the daughter of a common architect and an unknown mother had been claimed by the red dragon as his first partner from the human world.
The Atlantean king himself was overjoyed with the news, requesting that I enter the royal court to learn magic once I could walk. He believed that I must have great potential for powerful magic since the red dragon had chosen me. My father was hesitant to separate himself from me, but then agreed when the king offered a position to him as royal architect as well. Though my father was wary of the king's true intentions, it was a rare honor that he would be a fool to refuse. It would possibly grant me a life better than what my father alone could offer, a risk he had no choice but to take.
I groaned as I awoke from my nap. I had fallen asleep at my desk working on various items for Father as our release date for upcoming games, including Dungeon Dice Monsters, grew closer. We had flown back to Industrial Illusions headquarters in Los Angeles a couple of days ago to finish the paperwork and begin the press conferences. The Battle City Tournament was still fresh in everyone's minds, and Father was eager to ride the coattails of the tournament and reinvigorate the excitement over his products.
Duke Devlin had been here many times already, and he was thrilled at the opportunity to make his game world famous.
Glancing at the clock, which happily read 10:00 PM, I sighed as I realized that Yugi would currently be in his classes at school and unavailable to talk for a few more hours back in Domino. I yawned again and stretched my arms over my head to release the tension in my shoulders before standing up to venture into the kitchen. I could see the light was already on at the end of the hallway as I approached. Father was seated at the dining table reading his comics while Croquet poured him a glass of red wine spritzer. He wasn't supposed to have that after dinner; it gave him nightmares every time, which meant that I'd have my work cut out for me in the morning.
"Father, we've talked about the after-dinner spritzers before."
"I just can't help it, my darling Dria. It's the only drink suitable for reading my beloved Funny Rabbit adventures."
I sighed dramatically, but I couldn't keep the smile off my face. He chuckled in return before tipping the glass to me and raising it to his mouth with his eye closed. With a twirl of my fingers, I laughed when his wine fizzled into water as it touched his lips. His eye reopened in surprise, and he spat out the now clear liquid.
"Alexandria!"
I laughed joyously, having thoroughly enjoyed my prank, and waved my hand again, returning his late-night treat to its normal state. His eye sparkled in delight as he watched the liquid change colors before him, and when he tasted it this time, a contented sigh escaped his mouth as he enjoyed the drink. I sat in the chair next to him as he finished, a cup of hot tea appearing in my hands as my fingertips glowed once more. He watched in amazement before extending his empty glass to me. I laughed at his unspoken request and began to reach towards him.
We the gods of Egypt shall assist you, Pharaoh. Give unto us your complete faith and the knowledge you seek will be yours.
I froze as a voice echoed through my mind, but I didn't have time to process what I'd heard before I collapsed onto the floor in front of my father. My body spasmed uncontrollably as my magic was dragged out from within me, tendrils of black lightning bursting from my chest like wild magic, curling around my body, and then disappearing into the air above me. It was all I could do just to keep the magic from hurting Pegasus, who had dropped to the floor next to me in a panic.
Sacred serpent, drain the power of the Egyptian gods.
The voice echoed in my head again as the seizure stopped and Pegasus cradled me in his arms. My vision was so hazy that I couldn't see more than a few feet, and only Pegasus' signature red suit was clear to me as the world spun rapidly. My ears felt like they were stuffed to the brim with beeswax. I could hear his voice, but I couldn't understand what he was saying because it was so muffled. He gently tapped my cheek before looking behind him, probably ordering Croquet to call for the medical staff. He then picked me up, holding me tightly and securely against his chest, and carried me to my room. I passed out before he laid me in bed.
Pharaoh
I had taken control of our body during school and left around 2:00PM, something I had never done before because I tried to intrude on Yugi's life as little as possible. The Egyptian gods were calling out to me, and I had to figure out why as soon as possible. I needed to regain my lost memories of my time as pharaoh and my life with Dria. The images and writing on Marik's back had looked exactly like the stone tablet in the museum; the answer had to be there, and I couldn't wait any longer to find out. Yugi was concerned about my sudden impatience, but he understood my reasoning.
Tea, Joey, and Tristian had joined us, and together we approached the tablet. It felt like so long ago that we had first seen this carving depicting me as pharaoh. I had learned much in the time since then, but it wasn't enough. I pulled out the Egyptian god cards to stare at them once more, hoping to receive some further guidance as to what I was supposed to do next.
We the gods of Egypt shall assist you, Pharaoh. Give unto us your complete faith and the knowledge you seek will be yours.
The voice coming from the cards had been reaching out to me for a couple of days. I wished Dria had been around to ask if she'd heard the same thing, but she had left with Pegasus to complete some important business deals at their company's headquarters. I hadn't heard from her since then, but she'd promised to work fast and return once they were finished. I desperately wanted to remember everything I had ever known about her. Wouldn't it be a wonderful surprise for her to return and see that I had recovered my lost memories, that I remembered our life together? Perhaps that's what the gods were trying to achieve; they loved her as one of their own and wanted her to be happy once more.
Holding the three cards, I turned their images before the tablet. The Millennium Puzzle on the stone began to glow, but it soon stopped as the entire carving was encased in ice. My hand gripped the cards even more tightly as vines of black lightning burst out from the cards, encircled my hand, and vanished into the air. The muscles in my hand held the cards so firmly that I couldn't release them.
"Yugi! What's going on?"
"I don't know! I feel as if a dark presence is draining the power of the Egyptian god cards."
As the words left my mouth, a vision flashed across my eyes. It was one of Dria, on the floor of her home. Her body was spasming uncontrollably and the same black lightning surrounded her. Her eyes were wild and unfocused, and the muscles in her jaw were clenched as tightly as my hand was around the god cards. Pegasus was beside her, fear written all over his face as he watched his daughter suffer in such a violent way. The vision dissipated as the black lightning vanished.
We heard screaming from outside and quickly left the museum to discover the source. My eyes widened in shock at the scene before us. Duel Monsters were running amok in the city, and it didn't seem like they had originated from a broken Duel Disk. Some of the monsters began attacking people, buildings, and other objects. Others, however, seemed afraid of what had happened and tried to escape from the sight of people as quickly as possible. I recalled the times when Slifer or Kuriboh had appeared beside Dria, and she'd treated them as if they were beloved companions. I'd grown used to the sight of the two of them, but I'd always attributed it to Dria's magic. Did this mean there was someone else like Dria in this world? Someone who was as capable and powerful as her?
We made our way toward Kaiba Corp Headquarters, hoping to get an answer from Kaiba himself about whether his holographic technology was at fault. As we hurried down the street, we soon came upon Rex and Weevil, standing in the middle of the sidewalk with blank stares.
"The age of destruction is here."
"Soon, your souls will be offered to the great beast."
The great beast? What in the world did they mean by that? We left the two of them behind, but their statements continued to echo in my mind. Kaiba's headquarters were overflowing with reporters demanding answers, but to no avail. With more questions now than answers, we returned to Grandpa's shop to wait for more information. Thankfully, the monsters left us alone on the journey back, and even our home was safe from any harm. Dria's words of protection rang in my mind, and I considered that she might have done something to keep this small piece of paradise safe.
Evening came quickly, and we gathered around the television to hear the Kaiba Corp press release about the situation. Yugi had tried calling Dria several times, but she never answered. My heart pounded in my chest as Yugi continued to call and failed to reach her; it wasn't like Dria to ignore a call from us. My concern continued to grow when we didn't receive a call back, either from her, from Pegasus, or from anyone in that large household. The vision I'd had in the museum flashed through my mind again, but I couldn't make any sense of what I'd seen. I tried to maintain focus on what information we could receive to keep my worry at bay.
"So, this monster mess is happening around the world."
"And there's still no word yet from Kaiba."
If the entire world was experiencing this, then Dria had to be involved as well. Perhaps that was why she hadn't answered our phone calls. She would certainly be one I would call upon for help in this situation. These monsters, whether they were her creation or something more, undeniably respected and revered her. My only concern was that if she was involved, it would reveal the secrets of magic that she had so fiercely guarded all these years. She could be in great danger then, and though I would give my life if necessary, I knew I didn't have the power to protect her.
"I can confirm without question that these sightings are unrelated to Kaiba Corp. Our state-of-the-art technology is working perfectly."
With Kaiba's statement, my earlier musings came back to mind. What if the monsters weren't holographic projections, like Slifer and Kuriboh around Dria? She'd hugged and kissed their cheeks numerous times, and they had responded in turn. Slifer had even once licked Yugi's face as well, and though I couldn't feel it personally, it was clear that saliva had been left behind on Yugi's cheek. What prevented these monsters now from being just as real?
"Perhaps the force I felt in the museum somehow triggered the emergence of these creatures, which could mean that these duel monsters are real."
A sudden crash and groan interrupted our conversation. Surrendering control to Yugi, he hurried to the game shop's entrance, where Grandpa had been shoved to the floor. The front door was wide open, as if someone had broken in and caught Grandpa by surprise. Though physically he was fine, he was distraught as he pointed towards the door.
"Yugi, they're gone. Your strongest cards."
We hurried outside to find the thieves, only to come face-to-face with Obelisk, Slifer, and Ra. This was a dangerous situation. Dria wasn't here to pacify these great creatures, and it seemed like she was the only one who could even hope to control them at any point in time. I clenched my fists in anger as I prepared to protect Yugi and our friends with whatever power I could still channel from the Puzzle. Suddenly, we were blinded by bright lights.
"You blokes want those cards back?"
"They serve a new master now, Pharaoh."
Yugi's thoughts echoed mine at the statement from the motorcyclist in the center. How did he know of my existence? It hadn't surprised me that Grandpa had been aware, but he was a historian who'd dedicated his life to the understanding and preservation of Egyptian history. He'd also been the one to uncover the Millennium Puzzle many years ago. It had been a greater surprise that Ishizu Ishtar had known, and she was raised by those who'd sworn to guard my secrets. But why would this thief be aware? We followed the thieves to the top of a skyscraper, where construction had not yet been completed. A fourth individual called out to us from above.
"I'll make this short. I possess something that you want – the 3 Egyptian god cards – and you possess something that I desire – your soul."
A duel was the only way I'd be able to recover the Egyptian god cards. Dria would be distressed if I lost them, and the world would be in danger once again. At first, I thought this would be like every other duel. But then, my opponent played a card I'd never heard of before.
"This card holds more power than all 3 Egyptian gods, and it's as old as time itself – the Seal of Orichalcos! The magic infused within this card existed long before the sands of Ancient Egypt were formed, Pharaoh!"
A green light glowed from my opponent's Duel Disk as an enormous circle surrounded us, its force pushing my friends off their feet. I left my position to tend to them, but a magical barrier prevented me from leaving. I tried activating my own magic from within the Puzzle, but it failed.
"The Orichalcos existed long before your Puzzle. Your toy is useless, and your victory is hopeless."
Fear and anger welled up within me as I began to grasp the situation. This was already more dangerous than the duel with Marik had been. If I lost, this unknown, powerful force would take my soul from me. I'd never regain my lost memories, and my life with Dria would be stolen from me once again. As my opponent further explained the power of this card, my mind began to race as I searched for a way to remove this seal. I had to remain focused if I wanted to win this. Dria would be in great danger if I didn't.
As our duel continued, I realized that the monsters under the power of the Orichalcos bore the seal on their foreheads, and their eyes were bright red. Something about those eyes felt familiar to me, but I couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. It was only when I stared into the glowing red eyes of Obelisk that I understood what I was looking at. The eyes of the god before me were filled with the same anger as Dria's eyes when her temper rose and ran wild. At first, I thought that it had merely been coincidence or her connection to the god cards, but now, I wasn't so sure. What other secrets had she been hiding from me all this time?
Dria
Lady Alexandria! Priestess Tyche! Please, can you hear me?
I heard a voice calling out to me from within the Pendent, but I couldn't recall whose voice it was. No one had called me by the name given by the Temple since Atlantis had fallen. I passed off the voice as a memory, and instead focused on the present day. My body felt weaker than it had in centuries, and it was immediately clear that a portion of my magic was now missing. The presence of the gods was gone too; Slifer didn't respond when I reached out with the magic I had left. What on earth had happened?
I sat up slowly, trying to keep the worst of the headache at bay. As soon as I opened my eyes, I found myself staring face-to-face with some of Father's Toon Monsters. They were overjoyed to see me and tackled me back onto the bed. I screamed in surprise, and my door immediately slammed open.
"Dria! You're awake!"
Pegasus came sprinting inside my room, unperturbed by the monsters who'd surrounded me and were now hugging my neck and arms tightly. He reached over them to kiss my forehead and hug my head against his chest.
"Father, what's going on? Where did these creatures come from?"
Pegasus released my head and stroked my hair for a moment before sitting on the bed and pulling Toon Blue Eyes into his lap to pet the creature. Blue Eyes purred like a kitten under his touch and pushed his head into my father's hand further.
"Duel Monsters have appeared all over the world. Kaiba boy claims that it's not a malfunction in his holographic technology, and the fact that I'm currently petting this dragon can only mean that they're real. But, that doesn't make any sense, does it?"
I averted my gaze from Father at first. It did make sense, but only in an age long past, when the boundary between this world and that of the monsters was open. I could feel Pegasus' eye on me, waiting for my response, but I didn't know what to tell him. I thought that I was the only one who'd survived the destruction of my home. Had I been wrong all these years? But if that were the case, why hadn't the other survivor come to find me? How could it be possible that we never crossed paths through the millenia?
"It does if an ancient evil power has returned, Father. One that destroyed my home and will do the same to this world unless it's stopped."
Father paused in his motions before gently pushing the Toon Blue Eyes off his lap. With one final lick or kiss on my cheek, they all vanished from our presence. Father opened his mouth to continue our conversation, but someone cleared their throat at my door. It was Croquet, and he gave me a small smile when he saw I was awake. I nodded back at him, thankful that he had been at my Father's side when I'd collapsed.
"The video recording you requested is prepared, Mr. Pegasus. We can begin when you're ready."
Pegasus nodded and rose from my bed. He placed another kiss on my forehead as he left, "I'm inviting your friends here to solve this problem. We'll need all the help we can get." I smiled and nodded at his idea, excited to see Yugi and the Pharaoh again, even though our separation had only been for a short time. Father stopped once more at the threshold of my room.
"And Alexandria," he paused to make sure I was listening, "for the duration of their stay, you will not bring any form of Yugi Muoto into this room, or I'll personally deliver him to the one responsible for all this and abandon him. Is that clear?"
I laughed at Pegasus' threat and agreed: no boys allowed in my room, former husbands or otherwise. After Father left, Croquet informed me that Yugi had called multiple times while I was unconscious, but he hadn't left any messages. I tried returning his phone call since it was evening in Domino City, but Grandpa, who'd answered the phone, said he wasn't in the shop. He admitted to me that the Egyptian god cards had been stolen that night, and Yugi had gone after the thieves to retrieve them. My heart clenched in worry at the thought of my dear brothers being in the hands of someone who shouldn't be using them. I asked him to tell Yugi that I would try calling again and would hopefully end our game of phone tag.
After hanging up the phone, I slowly walked over to the windows and looked out over the city. I felt tears of frustration well up in my eyes as I processed the recent information. Slifer, Obelisk, and Ra had been robbed of their power, and the cards themselves stolen away from Yugi. My chest hurt as I recalled the seizure I'd endured as my own power had been taken away as well. The combination of our magic must have reopened the gateways between this world and that of the monsters. Thankfully, I still possessed enough magic to be useful and fight if necessary, but so much had been seized that I could feel the difference in my body. I didn't know where Aristokles currently was, but I was positive that he'd felt the change. I hoped he was safe, wherever he was.
The maids brought me a simple meal before Father returned to check on me. He was leaving the house to make an appearance in the main office and handle any accusations that the monster appearances were our fault, should they arise after Seto's declaration. I wanted to accompany him, but he was adamant about me staying at home and recovering from my seizure. I'd never had one before, and from the terror I saw still lingering in his eye, it was something he never wanted to watch me experience again. To soothe his concerns, I relented and agreed to stay in bed.
Many monsters came to visit me, and thankfully none of them attempted to harm anyone within the perimeter of the house. Nearly all the monsters knew my scent, so they knew the areas that I frequented, and they either stayed away out of respect, maybe even fear, or ventured close to play. I stayed in my room, as I'd promised Father, and the monsters who visited entertained me with various games.
Soon, it was night once more. I tried calling Yugi again, but this time, even Grandpa must have been out of the store. I left a short message apologizing for missing his calls and promising that I'd answer if he wanted to call back. It was frustrating that I couldn't get in touch with him, but based on my earlier conversation with Grandpa, it seemed that he was at least safe.
As I settled into bed, I tested a few spells to see just how much power had been stripped from me. I found that I could still perform my usual magic, but the effort I had to put forth had increased and the duration and power of the spell had decreased. I felt like a novice magician again with how little stamina and strength I now had, but at least I could still use magic. I tried reaching out to Slifer again, then Obelisk and Ra, but none of them responded. I felt frustrated tears gather in my eyes again as loneliness began to creep through my bones. I was desperate for the warmth of my lover and my dragons. I pulled the blankets around me tightly, trying to imagine them beside me. Kuriboh settled into my arms sometime during the night, and it was comforting to feel his soft fur next to me. As I drifted to sleep, a voice echoed in my mind again.
Lady Alexandria! Priestess Tyche! Please, we need you!