Author's Preface:
*inhales*
*exhales*
Okay, I need to start out by apologizing to you all. As I'm writing this, there are 115 of you following this story, a number that has me absolutely floored. You people are fantastic and I'm humbly honored that you all liked my fic that much, and I can't believe that you're still following this story. So I want to start this by letting you all know that you are wonderful and I appreciate every single one of you, and I have to apologize to all 115 of you.
Why am I apologizing? Yes, it's been two years, but I'm updating now, aren't I?
Well, no. I'm not updating. This isn't a new chapter, and I'm so so so sorry for that - it's a send off. This isn't an update so much as it's a sad and loving "good-bye for now" to this fic of mine.
I started the first version of this fic in 2014 and wrote steadily on it for just under a year. Then I stepped back from it, decided I hated it, and started this fic instead a month later, in 2015, and continued updating it until two years ago, in December of 2017.
I don't know what happened. This fic was my baby, and the one thing I was working the hardest on for the longest time. But something happened in late 2017, and it's kept with me, and I no longer have the motivation or desire to work on this fic.
Since the last time I update this story two years ago, I keep opening the document and staring at it. Every two weeks or so, I come back to it. I stare at it, and it stares back; neither one of us makes the first move. I peck out a sentence, or a word here and there, and I inevitably end up closing the document without adding to the story at all.
Maybe it's me. Maybe I've changed. Maybe my interests have changed. I don't know what it is. But I have to face the fact that I can't write anymore of this fic - I don't know how, and it makes me sad.
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But, enough of this talk. You folks didn't come here to listen to me make excuses (if you did, you should check out my blog), you came to see what happens next in this story. So, I'll tell you what happens next...
Below, you'll find the entire rest of the fic document. The story outline for the remaining chapters, plot points, notes on the characters, and a handful of drafted scenes.
Maybe, just maybe, someday I'll come back and give this story another go. But it won't be in the near future, and I thought you all were at least entitled to see the ending, even in it's unfinished form.
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Chapter 12:
chapter opening and scene excerpts:
[Yuugi is stopped by a very desperate seeming Kaiba, who insists that she duel him. Kaiba is actually being controlled by Shadow Magus, but Yuugi doesn't know that.]
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Anzu sighed, the sound filled with both anger and concern. "Yuugi. I think we need to get better control over that sister of yours. It's one thing when she just wanders off on her own at home, or when you both wander off together, but it's an entirely different thing for her to be alone in a strange place."
"I know." Yuugi bit her lip. Logically, she knew she shouldn't be too worried about Ryou, since the other girl was generally pretty good at taking care of herself, but she couldn't help herself. She didn't know if she had it in her to forgive herself if anything happened to Ryou.
She watched Atem fiddle with his necklace, the pedant somehow glowing under his touch. According to the others, their strange new friend had somehow used the necklace to find her and Ryou earlier, though no one could tell her how. Jou thought it was witchcraft, but that was the only explanation any of them had come up with.
Walking over to the Egyptian, Yuugi tilted her head down, so that her eyes were level with the mysterious pendant, and stared at the golden glow that illuminated both the pendant and Atem's cupped hands around it. "How does it work?"
"Magic," Atem answered. She would have thought he was joking if his voice wasn't so serious. "It's called the Sennon Puzzle. It performs tasks by magic, fueled by spirits."
"S-spirits?" Jou's voice repeated from a few feet away. "That means 'ghosts,' right?"
Honda hit the back of Jou's head. "Be quiet, dummy!"
Yuugi ignored both of them. This was much more interesting anyway. "What kind of tasks?"
"The Puzzle can be used for a variety of different things that the bearer wishes." The boy stopped talking for a moment, his brow furrowed. "Its real purpose it to be used as a container, but it also reacts to the souls of people. But, to be honest, actually locating people is not something the Puzzle can normally do. It's original design was to act like a container."
Lifting his eyes, he studied her for a moment. "Although... It found you."
"Spirits? Container?!" Jou's whispers were full of fear and discomfort. "Ghost box!"
"Shut up, stupid! He's just making it up."
"There's no such thing as ghosts, Jou. Or magic!"
Yuugi continued to ignore her friends, leaning closer to study the pendant. "A container?"
Atem frowned. "It's made from old magic, and is... hard to explain. Let's just say it resonates with people's souls. It's connected to my soul, as I'm the current bearer, but it has also connected to my father and my cousin, and it resonates strongly with those who are close to those it connects to. You, Yuugi, are the first exception to this rule, which makes me wonder why the Puzzle chose to resonate with you."
He flashed a quick smile, his voice somewhere between serious and joking. "Perhaps we're similar enough that the Puzzle mistook your soul for mine."
"It's an interesting idea," Yuugi admitted. She became aware of the various looks of concern and disbelief on the faces of Anzu, Jou, and Honda, but she decided not to care about their opinions at the moment. "So, if this 'Sennon Puzzle' resonates with the bearer, people close to them, and me for some reason... Do you think I could use it to find Ryou?"
"Well..." The Egyptian considered for a moment. "I don't normally like to let others handle the Puzzle, but-"
"Yuugi!"
Whatever Atem was going to say got cut off just then by the sudden appearance of a familiar face, he and Yuugi and the other three all swiveling their heads to look at the newcomer.
Yuugi blinked in slight confusion. "... Kaiba-kun?"
It was indeed Seto Kaiba who stood in front of them, but something seemed off about him. His eyes seemed to stare off into space, refusing to focus on her even while he directed his speech at her.
He stopped to think for a moment, as though he couldn't remember how to speak Japanese. "You need... No, I need you..."
"… What?" Yuugi sputtered, taking a step back.
After a few moments, Kaiba seemed to find the words he was looking for, his glassy eyes slowly moving to focus on her. "Duel me."
Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.
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Kaiba lurched forward, his long arms and legs moving strangely slow.
Maybe it was because she and Ryou had watched just one too many horror movies during that movie marathon last week, but something about the way Kaiba was moving reminded Yuugi of a zombie, or maybe a living puppet.
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[continued outline and notes]
Yuugi vs. Kaiba. We learn that Kaiba is attracted to Yuugi but can't get past his own dispositions against her.
Atem watches the duel with the others. He is surprised when he senses shadow magic from this "Kow-bah" boy, and when it seems somewhat familiar, but he can't quite place it. It reminds him of Set's magic, in a way, and Bekhura's in another.
Shadow Magus watches the duel through the eyes of the boy he's controlling. Because they don't quite fit together and don't always get along, Aknadin and Anubis break apart slightly, just enough to hold a conversation. Anubis wants to destroy everything, to collide the heavens with the earth. Aknadin wants to see his son on the throne, and he doesn't care who he has to hurt to see it happen.
When Kaiba loses the duel to Yuugi, Shadow Magus angrily seals him into a card.
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Chapter 13:
Atem is concerned about the shadow magic he saw at play with the duel with Kaiba. Like Bekhura, he realizes that "the door of darkness has been opened," but he can't quite pinpoint the source of it.
Aknadin thinks about how much those two [Kaiba] brothers failed him and he heads back to the castle, where he encounters a waiting Mahad, Mahna, and Kisara. With help from Anubis, Akunadin seals all their souls into their own respective cards – the Dark Magician, the Dark Magician Girl, and the Blue Eyes White Dragon.
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Atem asks Yugi why Kaiba calls her a "freak" during their duel, and she wants to explain but feels like she can't. She has her reasons, and is afraid of being judged by her new friend.
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[scene excerpt]
Yuuri stared at Atem for a minute, just wondering. Wondering how he might respond to learning her secret.
Finally, she looked away. "I can't. I'm sorry."
To her surprise, Atem took her hand in his own, giving it a comforting squeeze. When she looked back, he was smiling.
"I understand, Yuugi. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."
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Chapter 14:
Ryou talks to Namu while Bekhura and Malik duel each other for fun, and quickly realizes that Namu is a girl under her bindings and such. She doesn't make any assumptions, but she does suggest more comfortable ways that the other could bind with, surprising Namu. Namu admits that her name is actually Marika and that she is a girl, but she doesn't want that spreading around or anything.
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[scene excerpt]
[Marika:] "How do you know so much about this sort of thing anyway?"
Ryou shrugged, thinking about those evenings spent with her father and Yuugi's mother and grandfather, pouring over books and articles about gender transitioning, and how determined Kangan [Mrs. Mutou] was that they should understand exactly what they would be signing up for before joining the two families together.
"I've done a lot of reading," she finally answered, leaving it at that.
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Set searches for his wife and cousins, concerned when he doesn't find them. Pegasus stays with him, watching and listening intently. Working together, Set and Isis use the necklace to find the souls of Kisara, Mahad, and Mahna. Unable to find them, the two former rulers of Egypt [former pharaoh Set and former queen Isis] try to get information out of Shadow Magus, who tells them that he killed the others. Isis is horrified. Pegasus tries to console Set.
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cast's weapons:
Atem – Puzzle.
Bekhura (living fusion/child of Zorc the Dark One and the thief Dorobo) – Ring.
Malik – Rod.
Isis – Necklace.
Mahad – magic staff.
Mana – spell book and wand.
Shadah – Key.
Karim – Scales.
Set – switchblade, knowledge of shadow magic.
Kisara – dragon.
Hassahn - literally a being of magic
Akunadin and Anubis (Shadow Magus) – Eye.
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Chapter 15:
Isis, Karim, Shadah, Hassahn, and Set worry about the others and set out in search of Atem, Bekhura, Malik, and Akunadin. The necklace is behaving oddly, its sight being clouded by darkness, and the scales and the key aren't much help.
Otogi is tag team dueling with Rebecca against Mai and Vivian. Akunadin appears, using the Eye to see into their minds and controls them like puppets, gleaning information from both Otogi and Mai and then sending the four of them to find and destroy Atem and the others.
The chapter ends with Atem realizing the source of the magic he's feeling – Shadow Magus!
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Chapter 16:
Set thinks about his father and the past, feeling very grim. He is concerned with the idea that Anubis is possessing and manipulating his father. Pegasus pulls up in a jeep, grinning and announcing that he's going to help the Egyptians. After all, did they really think he would want to miss out on a magical adventure like this? Set smiles at this, glad to know that they have a friend.
[Pegasus rolling up in an army-looking jeep, with hunting rifles on the racks, basically yelling at the Egyptian courtiers: "Get in, losers. We're going demon hunting!"]
Yuugi, Atem, and the others meet up with Ryou, Namu, Malik, and Bekhura. When they are together, Bekhura and Malik realize that their Items are behaving oddly, and Atem tells them that he noticed it in the puzzle awhile back. He explains to them that Yuugi's friend Kaiba held a shadow duel with them and has his soul sealed into a card.
They are interrupted by the appearance of Mai, the first mind-slave to find them, who has brought Rex Raptor with her.
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Chapter 17:
"Mai" orders Rex to duel against Atem, but Jou jumps in instead.
Jou. vs. Rex, ending with Jou winning the Red Eyes Black Dragon and Rex being sealed into a card because he lost the game.
Meanwhile, Malik tries to use the Rod to probe "Mai's" mind, only to find himself repelled by someone with more powerful magic than he has.
Atem uses the powers of the puzzle on her, forcing her spirit into control once again, pushing and shoving against the control of the other in her mind. The result is Mai becoming comatose. Atem recognizes the presence, telling Bekhura and Malik that Akunadin is back.
Yuugi and the others are alarmed to learn that their new friends have magic powers.
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Chapter 18:
The Necklace alerts Isis to the Pharaoh's location, and the rest of the court head in that direction.
Yuugi and the others are still very concerned over this new revelation, and they feel somewhat betrayed, as if they were tricked or lied to.
They try to care for Mai, but realize that they don't have the proper medical equipment to do so.
Ryou suggests they find one of Pegasus's employees/guards, though Malik finds it easier to control the guard's mind a bit and suggest taking Mai back to the castle for medical care than to explain the situation.
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Chapter 19:
Akunadin himself arrives on the scene, chastising his nephews for being so predictable. He says that, since they used their shadow magic, it was easy to trace them, their location lighting up like a beacon for any other magic users to find.
Aknadin comes across Yuugi for the first time and laughs at her, accusing her of "pretending to be something that [she's] not" and calling her a "messed up miserable little boy."
Atem challenges his uncle to a duel, calling him a coward, but is horrified when Akunadin holds up some of the cards in his deck, among them are the recognizable Kisara, Mahad, Mahna, Kaiba, Mokuba.
Atem and the others attack Shadow Magus, but he immediately seals away the souls of Atem and Malik, saying that he has all of the power of the Dark One.
Bekhura argues that he is the Dark One himself, and cannot be beaten by the very powers that his past self gave to Akunadin, to which Akunadin retorts that he's just as much Thief as he is Zorc and the Thief can be beaten easily. Bekhura is subjected to mental images of the Kul Elna massacre and is turned into sand while he is distracted. The Ring and the Rod are sent away, and the Puzzle is broken into pieces.
Yuugi and the others watch this entire event from their hiding places, horrified.
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Chapter 20:
Otogi, Vivian, and Rebecca appear, obeying Akunadin and preparing to duel Yuugi and the others in the form of a shadow duel. Yuugi cries over the loss of her friend but promises to defeat them, as do the equally upset Ryou and Namu, who also announces that her name is Marika.
Anzu, Honda, and Jou gather up the pieces of the puzzle. They are interrupted by the arrival of Set and the others in Pegasus's jeep, who initially perceive the teens as a threat.
Atem is trapped in the dark, his very personality being stripped away from him. The only solid thought he can keep in his mind is an image of Yuugi's face and the faint sound of her voice. He can't even remember her name.
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Chapter 21:
Anzu, Honda, and Jou all hold their hands up as the unknown Egyptians start to attack them, summoning monsters out of the air, seemingly. Pegasus manages to get between the Japanese kids and the Egyptian adults, acting as a translator and managing to explain that these children seem to be friends with Atem, Bekhura, and Malik.
Yuugi, Ryou, and Marika duel against the controlled Otogi, Vivian, and Rebecca.
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Chapter 22:
Akunadin uses the Eye to reach into the minds of his victims [Atem, Malik, and Bekhura], seeing just how lost in the darkness they each are. Encouraged by Anubis, he goes after the piece of the shadows that make up Bekhura's consciousness, trying to separate the Thief from Zorc, wishing to merge himself with Zorc to increase his power. His attempts do not go well, though they are successful.
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Chapter 23:
After defeating the others in their duel (and their souls being subsequently sealed into cards), Yuugi goes back to see what the others are up to. She asks if she can try to put the puzzle back together when Isis explains that their souls are bound to their items and that Atem, Malik, and Bekhura may return if their items were reawakened. The group agrees to break into three groups – Yuugi, Jou, Anzu, Pegasus; Ryou, Honda, Set, Hassahn; Marika, Isis, Shadah, Karim.
Akunadin forcefully merges with Zorc, leaving the Thief alone in the darkness.
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Chapter 24:
Ishizu and Odion, like the rest of the duelists on the island, are very confused and worried about everyone's safety. They find the Rod (or the rod finds them) and they talk about how Ishizu and Marika are descended from a line of Pharaohs, and that the rod belonged to one of their ancestors, according to family legend.
Things have gotten a lot darker and a lot scarier on the island, very much concerning Set. And it isn't long before Akunadin makes his presence known. Laughingly, Akunadin gloats to Set about how close he is to ultimate power, throwing the Ring at him.
While Set wonders why his father seems so sure of himself and why he seems more powerful, he gives the Ring to Ryou, assuming that her connection with Bekhura will awaken the Ring. While Ryou does awaken the ring, it isn't Bekhura that comes out – instead, it's the Thief, Dorobo, who seems confused and feels as though a part of him is missing.
Set is horrified when he realizes that Akunadin has merged with Zorc.
As Yuugi puts more pieces of the puzzle together, she feels that it's getting easier. As if Atem is somehow in her mind, helping to guide her.
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Chapter 25:
Set tells Hassahn to take Honda and rejoin with Yuugi's group, promising that he, Ryou, and the thief will be fine. Ryou talks with Dorobo, not judging him but understanding the comfort he gets from the darkness.
Anzu worries about Yuugi, who's all consumed with putting the puzzle back together to the point where food and rest have no meaning to her. She and Jou ask Pegasus for more details about what's going on, and he agrees, telling them what he knows.
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[scene excerpt]
Ryou watched as the thief dug his teeth into a piece of meat, tearing it off with a savageness she hadn't expected.
"Do you know if Bekhura eats like you?"
Dorobo stared at her, seemingly perplexed by the question, his eyes shifting over her face to gauge her reasoning. His face split into a grin. "Why? Do you like it?"
He reached towards her, gripping her jaw tightly and tilting her face back. "Do you like me, girlie?"
Set moved to act instantly, taking handfuls of the thief's hair and pulling him back, forcing him to let go of Ryou.
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Chapter 26:
Pegasus talks to Anzu, Jou, and Honda about how everything began, basically going back over the prologue. He talks a bit more about what he was doing in Egypt, and about what happened after he awoke the ancient souls in the crypt.
(Atem had challenged Pegasus to a shadow game, during which his mind and Pegasus's mind met directly, and he realized that Pegasus had no ill intentions. Shadi is reborn as Hassahn, who tells his Pharaoh that Pegasus was only waking him up as he was meant to. After some discussion, Pegasus decides to take the newly-alive again Egyptians home with him to his island, where they will be safe from prying eyes until they are ready to go back into the world.)
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Chapter 27:
Marika runs into Ishizu and Odion, and they have a short conversation about why she ran away from home to begin with.
Isis speaks with Ishizu, explaining about their bloodline and about her brother.
Ishizu lets Marika have the Rod and she is able to awaken it, summoning Malik back from the shadows. He greets her as Namu and is surprised when she kisses him, though not as surprised as he is to realize that he is a she. Marika tells him dryly that 'yes, she is a girl and her name is Marika. Is that going to be a problem?' Malik only laughs and asks if they don't have any butt for him to kick.
(Malik asked pointedly if she is a 'she,' to which Marika responds with '… I'm not sure. Sometimes I feel like a 'she,' and sometimes like a 'he.')
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Chapter 28:
With things becoming darker and eerier on the island and in the waters close to it, Pegasus announces that the competition is officially called off and sends his employees in jeeps to round up the remaining duelists on the island. Anzu, Jou, and Honda agree to take care of any people who are injured.
Jou contemplates the unconscious Mai, feeling bad for her out of respect.
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Chapter 29:
Marika, Malik, Isis, Ishizu, Odion, Karim, and Shadah are picked up along with other duelists and are brought back to the castle.
Marika and Malik rush to rejoin their friends, finding a very focused Yuugi mostly done with the puzzle.
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Chapter 30:
Yuugi triumphantly finishes the puzzle and awakens it. Atem tells her that it was only the faint memory of her face that kept him from going completely mad, the light of her soul keeping the darkness of his mind at bay. He calls her "Horahkti," and, when she asks who that is, he tells her that she'll know soon enough.
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[scene excerpt]
[Atem's] lips were pressed against hers, moving against her and both soothing and enticing her at the same time.
He pulled away from her slowly, moving to press their foreheads together, both of them breathing heavily from their kiss.
Yuugi froze in her feet, forcing Atem to stop as well. Her grip on his hand tightened, hoping she wasn't making a bad decision.
"... Yuugi?"
"I want to tell you. I want to tell you why Kaiba calls me a 'freak,' and why that monster called me 'a boy,' and why my father left us"
Taking a deep breathe, she started at the beginning. "I was born a boy, but I wasn't comfortable being a boy. I wasn't happy. So I tried being a girl instead, and... I like being a girl. I like who I am now."
Atem listened carefully, smiling brightly to her when she was done. He stepped closer to her and planted a quick, gentle kiss to her lips. "Thank you for telling me, Yuugi."
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Atem uses the powers of the puzzle to release all of the spirits of their friends from the cards. Otogi finally gets to meet Pegasus, who immediately takes a liking to the boy and takes him on as an apprentice. Otogi is delighted.
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Chapter 31:
Having found himself taking care of the comatose Mai, Jou is soon joined by Anzu, Honda, Otogi, Kaiba, Mokuba, Rex, Vivian, and Rebecca, and Ishizu and Odion. They are instructed to stay in the sick room until further notice, the royal court giving them no choice.
Meanwhile, out on the castle grounds, Atem, Yuugi, Malik, Marika, and other members of the court approach Shadow Magus.
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Chapter 32:
Atem summons Osiris, Ra, and Obelisk and fuses them together to form Horahkti, a goddess of light, to battle against Shadow Magus (Akunadin/Zorc). The battle is close, with neither side giving way, until Set arrives on the scene with Ryou and the thief in tow.
Concerned for his master, Dorobo calls out to Zorc, apologizing for not staying by the dark's side (referring to Akunadin's forcing them apart) and begging for the darkness to overtake him again. Zorc listens to his pet's prayers and angrily abandons Akunadin, retaking Dorobo. All is silent for a second before Bekhura rises again, rejoining the Pharaoh and his court. Akunadin falls to the ground unconscious.
Anubis is defeated, Horahkti smirking as she obliterates him before ascending to the heavens, promising that Ma'at will deliver swift judgment on his soul.
Set speaks up on behalf of his father, asking that he not be judged too harshly. He's not the best man, but he's still Set's father, and Set can't help caring about him.
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[scene excerpts]
"You- you don't have to fuse with him again, do you?!" Malik's voice sounded pained.
Dorobo turned to look at the younger male, his face cast in shadows. Smiling gently, he took Malik into his arms, lightly kissing his lips.
"You're a great kid, Malik. But I'm an awful person. Perhaps, in another life, you and I..." he shook his head, backing away into the hovering blackness. "Sorry, but I belong to Zorc. He is my master and my god, now and forever."
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Dorobo's smile grew as the waves of darkness assaulted his body, slamming down upon him and completely overtaking him, entering him and smothering him with shadows. Sounds of pure pleasure and joy fell from his lips, rising to fill the eerie silence of the room.
"Oh for the love of Allah..." Malik felt Marika tense up beside him. Turning to look at her, he could see that she was just as uncomfortable as he felt. "This is literally the most disgusting thing I've ever had to be a witness to."
That one girl—Anzu-was actually cringing. "Are they having sex?"
"No. They're merging into one being again."
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"Bekhura?" Ryou's eyes were literally sparkling.
Smiling, Bekhura grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her hungrily.
"Did you miss me, my Khonsu?" he murmured, nuzzling comfortably against her shoulder.
"More than you'll ever know."
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[someone] "Bekhura?! You're a -"
"- A fusion between a petty thief, who loves nothing more than bringing destruction to the world that abandoned him, and a dark god who was cast from the Heavens millenia ago?" He grinned. "I am. And it feels great!"
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(Author's Note: The words "Bakura?! You're a-" "'A fusion?'" is literally meant to be a Steven Universe reference, since I was still watching that show at the time when I wrote this and it seemed... relevant?)
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Chapter 33:
Time lapses. When all is well again, Pegasus's boats begin taking people back home, everyone receiving a small compensation prize.
Marika gets on the boat with her siblings, but Malik goes with her, causing her to complain (but not really) about him.
Malik is actually encouraged to do this by Isis, who admits that she's been married before but never fell in love, and she wants her little brother to be happy.
(When she was young, Isis was arranged to marry a man for political reasons; she didn't have a real relationship with her first husband, and she didn't feel terribly sad when he died; she mostly used his wealth and position as a means of escaping her father's influence, and then later as a means of whisking her little brother as far away from the Thief as she could. Later on, Isis would marry the newly appointed Pharaoh Set, also for political reasons, and they would manage to produce a child - their son, Prince Abidos.)
Mai wakes up, much to Jou's excitement.
Yuugi wonders how she's going to separate Ryou from Bekhura to go home, since the two have become so close. Meanwhile, Ryou has the same discussion with Bekhura. Ultimately, Ryou and Yuugi tell Bekhura and Atem how much they're going to miss them, and Atem kisses Yuugi on the cheek, calling her his Harahkti and guiding light.
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[scene excerpt]
"I guess this is 'good-bye,' then…" Ryou's voice trailed off. She turned away, her bangs shifting to cover her eyes.
Separating from Bekhura… hurt. She'd only known the godling for a few days, but those days felt like a lifetime. And losing him like this… it felt like her soul was being torn in half.
"… I never even got to tell you about the Cheshire cat…"
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[scene excerpt]
"So... We're going home now?" Marika tried not to look too dejected, but she couldn't help feeling that she failed.
Ishizu gave her sister a sad sort of smile. "What's wrong? Has it really been that awful at home?" She held up a hand before Marika could answer. "No, nevermind, I know the answer. I know it's been rough on you – I've been rough on you – but I promise, things will be different now."
Marika's eyes widened. "... Really?"
"Really."
"Besides," Odion added, tussling Marika's hair. "We've been planning some lifestyle changes, and we'll be needing your help with them."
"...? What sort of changes?"
"Well, we were talking about moving." ... "To America."
Marika's eyebrows shot up. "America?!"
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[scene excerpt]
Marika suddenly made a 180 degree turn on her heels, yelling loudly. "MALIK!"
"Yes?" He hoped his voice didn't betray him by sounding too hopeful.
"GET YOUR USELESS BUTT ON THIS BOAT RIGHT NOW OR SO HELP ME I'LL CARRY YOU MYSELF!"
Malik grinned widely. Turning to Isis, he shared a final hug with the sister who had done so much for him, then he turned back and took a running leap at the boat, almost landing on top of Marika. "I thought you'd never ask!"
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Chapter 34:
A week later, Anzu sits alone in the school courtyard, eating her bento and thinking over everything that happened last week. It's almost overwhelming to her mind. Kaiba comes along and sits with her, a similar look on his face. They just look at each other in silence, understanding one another more deeply than either one thought possible.
Jou hops a train to visit Shizuka. Honda walks his dog. All of them are deep in thought.
Kaiba agrees to come visit Kame Game Shop with the other three (after Anzu twists his arm) and they and Mokuba see some mysterious figures on the way there. The five rush to the shop, concerned, trying to warn Yuugi and Ryou, but the other figures announce their presence too soon.
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Chapter 35:
Curious, Yuugi and Ryou turn towards the door, crying out in delight when they see their Egyptian friends. Atem and Bekhura stand in the door, looking just as happy. Pegasus sits outside in his car with his driver, watching quietly and smiling.
Atem says that he's found a place in this era after all – with Yuugi.
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Author's Final Note:
Once again, I'm sorry I couldn't give you guys a proper story ending, but I hoped you liked the bare bones of it all the same.
To clarify some things: Yuugi was meant to be a transgirl in this story. It was just an idea that I had that I wanted to play around with, but without making it the focal point of a story. Its subtly brought up from time to time, because it's a part of her identity and she can't completely avoid it, but it's not the main focus of her character arc. Her arc was that she was a shy girl who deals with bullies around every corner, but gains more and more confidence with each passing day, and she just so happens to meet her soulmate along the way.
Seto Kaiba has a lot of conflicting feelings about Yuugi in this AU. Basically, he met her when she broke all of his public gaming records, and he immediately hates her and admires her, developing a crush on her. He learns through his resources that she is trans, and, viewing her as basically a boy who wears skirts and lies, he becomes disgusted with her. These mixed feelings cause him to lash out at her so aggressively (that and he's just very violent by nature, made that way by his abusive foster father, but you guys already know about that part).
Atem doesn't care about Yuugi's gender - he's literally in love with Yuugi's soul, and whatever body it's connected to. As long as Yuugi is happy with herself, then he's happy with her.
Ryou's father and Yuugi's mother have a practical marriage: Mr. Bakura recognized that his daughter needed a family, and Mrs. Mutou needed money; the two parents care very much about their daughters, and that's the main drive of their pieced-together family.
Bekhura really is a creature made from Zorc and the Thief fusing together, and he exists as both of them at once, as well as his own person. (Again, I was watching Steve Universe at the time...)
Zorc and Anubis are brothers in this AU (no, I don't remember why I decided that). But, while Bekhura has his own personality and is essentially Zorc's son with the Thief, Anubis and Aknadin are still themselves and are just sharing headspace as Shadow Magus.
Marika really only thinks of herself as female, but, because of her upbringing, she associates concepts of freedom and choice with being male. While I played with the idea of her being much more firmly nonbinary/genderfluid, I never quite committed to it.
Malik is mentally ill on some level, as well as just having been a very hormonal, lonely, lovestruck boy in the past. He's followed by his own trauma everywhere, and it has a strong affect on his thoughts and behaviors.
... Pegasus, Set, and Kisara are my favorite secondary characters. That is all.
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If you enjoyed this, please let me know. I appreciate every Review I receive, and I'm open to any praise, criticisms, or even neutral comments you may have. And if you don't have anything to say, that's fine and I totally get that.
Thank you all so much for all the Reviews, Follows, Favorites, and love that you've given this story over the years, and I'm sorry I couldn't do better by you.
I wish you all the best in 2020, and maybe I'll see some of you in another story.