Epilogue
"Oh man," Joey declared as everyone relaxed in the dining room of the Boston hotel, "I never wanna repeat that kind of experience again!"
"Neither do I," Mai said firmly.
Rex stayed silent, having listened to them relay the tale of what had happened several days ago two or three times now. He wasn't sure whether he was upset or happy that he'd been left out of the major action, but at any rate, he was glad to be out of the hospital.
Alyson grinned. "We finally found our relatives here in Boston," she declared. "Grandma and I are gonna go live with them!"
"Well, that's great," Yugi said sincerely.
"It's gonna be kinda lonely without you around, kid," Joey remarked, leaning back on the soft couch at the back of the room where they all were.
"Yeah . . . I'm gonna miss you guys!" Alyson declared.
Ishizu rubbed Marik's arm. "I am so very thankful that you were spared, my brother," she said softly.
Marik smiled, leaning against her. He was glad as well. And he was also glad that Seto had survived. He couldn't stand to think of poor Mokuba being without his brother.
Oreo meowed loudly, announcing her arrival with a turkey drumstick.
Yami Bakura looked at her disapprovingly. "CAT!!" he growled.
Oreo simply ignored him and crawled between him and Bakura to eat her prize.
"So what's going to happen with you, Mako?" Téa wanted to know.
Mako smiled. "Martin thinks he may know where my father is. I'm going to travel with him to look."
Everyone expressed their hopes and prayers that he would be successful in his venture.
"What about those pirates?" Mokuba spoke up from where he was curled up next to Seto. "Are they still running free?"
"They are."
The Middle Eastern man was suddenly sitting in a nearby chair, previously unannounced—as usual.
"The most deadly evil since the beginning of the year has been defeated," the stranger went on, "but trouble still lurks in the shadows. The pirates must be rounded up before they can find any more ancient prophecies." He stood up slowly. "And it falls to me to go after them."
"But who the heck are you, man?!" Joey wanted to know. "You've been helping us all through this crazy caper, but you never once introduced yourself!" He crossed his arms. "I kinda like to know who's helpin' us out here."
"I am an ally," was the reply. "That is really all you need to know." He turned away, allowing Ishizu to get a clear look at his eyes before he did. The woman's own eyes widened, but she said nothing.
"Before I depart," he said now, "I will escort Alyson and Mrs. Perkins to their new residence."
Alyson grinned happily.
****
Everyone stayed in Boston for another day or two, catching up on all the sights and just having a good time, free of mystery-solving and loved ones nearly crossing the veil.
"It's been awesome," Téa smiled. "What do you want to do now, Yugi?" They were all standing outside Alyson's new home, preparing to go in and say goodbye before leaving on one of Seto's private jets.
"Well," Yugi said, "I'd really like to go home. We've been gone so long and had so many hair-raising experiences. . . . Now I think I just want to go home to my own bed for a while."
Joey grinned. "Hey, now you're talkin'!" he said. "It's falltime now! I wanna show Serenity all the autumn leaves back in Domino City. You'd like that, wouldn't you, sis?"
Serenity smiled. "I'd love it, Joey," she told him happily.
"Then it's settled," Joey said. "Homeward bound!"
****
Inside the home, Alyson gave Shadi a last hug.
"You're gonna come back and visit, aren't you?" she said accusingly.
"Yes," he assured her. "I will come."
"You'd better come before so long this time!" she scolded.
Shadi chuckled. "I had better," he agreed, straightening up.
Slowly Alyson reached out and handed him the Ankh. "You're gonna take this back now, aren't you?" she said softly.
The man nodded, taking it from her. "You took very good care of it, Alyson," he told her. "I knew you would." He turned to the door. "Ah, your friends are here," he said, seeing Yugi and the others coming up the walkway.
Alyson grinned, but looked sad. "Yeah, they're here to say goodbye. They're leaving now, too. Everyone's leaving!"
"They will come back," Shadi said. "And you will make friends here in Boston." Carefully he placed the Ankh around his neck and again pulled the veil up over the lower half of his face. It still wasn't safe to let everyone know that he was still alive, but he was certain that Ishizu—andYugi—would keep his secret.
After saying his last goodbyes to Alyson, the mysterious man walked downstairs and past Yugi and the others. Only Yugi and Ishizu saw him, however, as he was utilizing the power of his Millennium Item again and making himself invisible to all except them.
Yugi stared, his eyes as wide as Ishizu's had been. He dared not speak aloud, but he smiled happily.
Ishizu stared as well and then murmured what sounded like "Goodbye" in Egyptian.
"What is it, sister?" Marik asked curiously.
Ishizu smiled secretively. "An old friend," she said simply, placing an arm around each of the brothers she loved so dearly.
"Oh man," Joey declared as everyone relaxed in the dining room of the Boston hotel, "I never wanna repeat that kind of experience again!"
"Neither do I," Mai said firmly.
Rex stayed silent, having listened to them relay the tale of what had happened several days ago two or three times now. He wasn't sure whether he was upset or happy that he'd been left out of the major action, but at any rate, he was glad to be out of the hospital.
Alyson grinned. "We finally found our relatives here in Boston," she declared. "Grandma and I are gonna go live with them!"
"Well, that's great," Yugi said sincerely.
"It's gonna be kinda lonely without you around, kid," Joey remarked, leaning back on the soft couch at the back of the room where they all were.
"Yeah . . . I'm gonna miss you guys!" Alyson declared.
Ishizu rubbed Marik's arm. "I am so very thankful that you were spared, my brother," she said softly.
Marik smiled, leaning against her. He was glad as well. And he was also glad that Seto had survived. He couldn't stand to think of poor Mokuba being without his brother.
Oreo meowed loudly, announcing her arrival with a turkey drumstick.
Yami Bakura looked at her disapprovingly. "CAT!!" he growled.
Oreo simply ignored him and crawled between him and Bakura to eat her prize.
"So what's going to happen with you, Mako?" Téa wanted to know.
Mako smiled. "Martin thinks he may know where my father is. I'm going to travel with him to look."
Everyone expressed their hopes and prayers that he would be successful in his venture.
"What about those pirates?" Mokuba spoke up from where he was curled up next to Seto. "Are they still running free?"
"They are."
The Middle Eastern man was suddenly sitting in a nearby chair, previously unannounced—as usual.
"The most deadly evil since the beginning of the year has been defeated," the stranger went on, "but trouble still lurks in the shadows. The pirates must be rounded up before they can find any more ancient prophecies." He stood up slowly. "And it falls to me to go after them."
"But who the heck are you, man?!" Joey wanted to know. "You've been helping us all through this crazy caper, but you never once introduced yourself!" He crossed his arms. "I kinda like to know who's helpin' us out here."
"I am an ally," was the reply. "That is really all you need to know." He turned away, allowing Ishizu to get a clear look at his eyes before he did. The woman's own eyes widened, but she said nothing.
"Before I depart," he said now, "I will escort Alyson and Mrs. Perkins to their new residence."
Alyson grinned happily.
****
Everyone stayed in Boston for another day or two, catching up on all the sights and just having a good time, free of mystery-solving and loved ones nearly crossing the veil.
"It's been awesome," Téa smiled. "What do you want to do now, Yugi?" They were all standing outside Alyson's new home, preparing to go in and say goodbye before leaving on one of Seto's private jets.
"Well," Yugi said, "I'd really like to go home. We've been gone so long and had so many hair-raising experiences. . . . Now I think I just want to go home to my own bed for a while."
Joey grinned. "Hey, now you're talkin'!" he said. "It's falltime now! I wanna show Serenity all the autumn leaves back in Domino City. You'd like that, wouldn't you, sis?"
Serenity smiled. "I'd love it, Joey," she told him happily.
"Then it's settled," Joey said. "Homeward bound!"
****
Inside the home, Alyson gave Shadi a last hug.
"You're gonna come back and visit, aren't you?" she said accusingly.
"Yes," he assured her. "I will come."
"You'd better come before so long this time!" she scolded.
Shadi chuckled. "I had better," he agreed, straightening up.
Slowly Alyson reached out and handed him the Ankh. "You're gonna take this back now, aren't you?" she said softly.
The man nodded, taking it from her. "You took very good care of it, Alyson," he told her. "I knew you would." He turned to the door. "Ah, your friends are here," he said, seeing Yugi and the others coming up the walkway.
Alyson grinned, but looked sad. "Yeah, they're here to say goodbye. They're leaving now, too. Everyone's leaving!"
"They will come back," Shadi said. "And you will make friends here in Boston." Carefully he placed the Ankh around his neck and again pulled the veil up over the lower half of his face. It still wasn't safe to let everyone know that he was still alive, but he was certain that Ishizu—andYugi—would keep his secret.
After saying his last goodbyes to Alyson, the mysterious man walked downstairs and past Yugi and the others. Only Yugi and Ishizu saw him, however, as he was utilizing the power of his Millennium Item again and making himself invisible to all except them.
Yugi stared, his eyes as wide as Ishizu's had been. He dared not speak aloud, but he smiled happily.
Ishizu stared as well and then murmured what sounded like "Goodbye" in Egyptian.
"What is it, sister?" Marik asked curiously.
Ishizu smiled secretively. "An old friend," she said simply, placing an arm around each of the brothers she loved so dearly.