Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Meskhenet ❯ Pentaware ( Chapter 1 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Meskhenet (Destiny)

Sequel To "At The End Of The Day"

By Karen

Part 1

Pentaware (The Fugitive)

It was the end of the first day of the Battle City tournament… Seto Kaiba smiled to himself as he eyed the God Card in his hand… Obelisk The Tormentor… And soon, the other two God Cards would be in his possession as well… Finally, he would reclaim his title of World Champion of Duel Monsters from Yugi Moto… Finally, he would do honor to the memory of his little brother and make him proud… No longer would he be just the washed up has-been like the rumors going around Domino City said he was…

Suddenly, Kaiba's sleek and normally smooth running limousine screeched to a jerking halt, just in time to avoid hitting a group of boys running across the street…

Ignoring the hasty apology from his limo driver, Seto turned to look out the side window as the boys rushed past… There were at least two or three older teenagers, and it looked like they were trying to corner a small group of younger boys… There were at least four of them, all blue haired and brown eyed and dressed alike(1)… The eldest stepped protectively in front of the three youngest. "Do whatever you want to me, but just leave my little brothers alone!. Please!."

Kaiba studied the look-alike brothers… One had a missing front tooth and clutched a lollypop in his trembling hand… The other carried a baby, to young even to crawl, in a carrying pack on his back… Just children… Still, there were obviously more of them then there were of the bullies…

He could just order the chauffeur to move on… He could leave the boys to take care of themselves… Even with a baby, they could outnumber their tormentors if they tried…

The bullies just sneered and laughed at the elder brother's pleading. "Hey! What fun would that be, trashing only one of you?."

"You're nothing but a phony and a looser, Espa Roba!," the second bully taunted. "And now You're gonna' pay for it!."

"Yeah!. And your wimpy little brothers too!," the third one added.

At this, the first and largest bully shoved Roba out of the way, and seized the younger brother who carried the baby on his back. "What's wrong, psychic boy?. Didn't predict your brothers and you'd be toast if you lost the tournament?." He grabbed the left strap of the baby's carrying bag and it broke in the struggle. The elder brothers looked on, frozen in horror as the baby fell onto the cold hard pavement and began to cry.

That did it!. Kaiba clenched his hands and teeth in anger. There were always things he could ignore and walk away from, but watching a baby get a raw deal wasn't one of them!. Paying no attention to the warning glance of his chauffeur, he slowly opened the limousine door and stepped out, quietly approaching the bullies, who were so wrapped up in tormenting their latest victims they hadn't even noticed him…

"Oh, the baby!. The baby!," the brothers cried, rushing to the crying infant. The next youngest brother gathered him up in his arms while the others surrounded them protectively and the eldest stood in front of them.

"Leave them alone!," he shouted. "It wasn't their fault I cheated in the tournament and lost!. You leave my little brothers alone, or else!."

At this, the group of bullies just laughed. "Or else what, Roba?. Huh?. Or else what?." The leader easily shoved the slighter boy away and began to advance on the younger brothers who were still shielding the crying baby…

Seeing his chance for an entrance, Seto stepped coolly out of the shadows. "Or else you'll have to deal with me!."

The three bullies spun around and gaped in surprise at the sight of the CEO of Kaiba Corp and the holder of the Battle City tournament…

"Seto Kaiba!," the third bully gasped. "What are you doing here?."

Not wanting to dignify that with an answer, Kaiba crossed his arms with a scowl. "When you treat your fellow duelists that way, you dishonor me and the tournament. Besides," he added, "I have very little patience for bullies."(2)

"Oh yeah?. Well, what're you gonna' do about it, moneybags?."

"The same thing as always," Seto smirked. He pointed at the largest of the trio. "I challenge you to a duel, here and now!." Perfect!. This was his first chance to test Obelisk The Tormentor in the tournament!. He had wanted to save it for his upcoming battle with Yugi, but that could wait. These idiots needed to be taught a lesson first!.

The bullies snickered and nudged each other… Seeing them temporarily distracted, their intended victims, the Roba brothers, Espa in the lead, walked quietly past them… Before the three goons even noticed, they had already walked safely past Kaiba with brief but sincere glances of gratitude…

"Hey!," The bullies cried once it had finally sunken in. "They're getting away!."

They moved to go after them, but Seto stood in their way… They stopped… True, he did not appear to be a physical match for them, especially with it being three against one, but the power and reputation he held in this city, not to mention his hardened, nearly emotionless face and cold, ice blue eyes, was more then enough to intimidate them into a standstill…

"None of you are going anywhere until this duel is decided," Kaiba stated. He fixed his steely gaze on the leader. "You play first."

At this, the big leader growled and nodded… He set up his own dueling disk and prepared to play his first card…

Seto smirked, not even bothering to see which card the buffoon had played. Unless it was an Egyptian God Card, he wasn't interested. And he doubted people like this would have so much as one God Card In their decks.

"I only need one card to win this duel." Grinning wickedly, the young CEO drew Obelisk The Tormentor…

**********

The duel was over practically before it even began!. As the limo headed on it's way back to the Kaiba mansion, Seto leaned back in his seat with a satisfied smile. At first, he never would have believed there was a card more powerful then Exodia, but the experiments at Kaiba Corp, as well as this recent little field test, had proved it beyond a doubt!.

Kaiba had to sneer at the memory of those three cowardly morons staring in dumb bewilderment as they watched Obelisk The Tormentor pulverize their best cards!. After this, they would think twice before harassing the Roba brothers, or any other kid again!. He couldn't wait to see the look on Yugi's face when he came face to face with the God Cards!.

Seto clicked open his locket and his face softened as he gazed down at Mokuba's picture… He remembered those times at the orphanage… the countless battles he'd fought to protect his little brother from bullies like that… With a wistful smile, Kaiba closed the locket… He missed Mokuba so much!. If only he could see the Battle City Tournament!. He would have been so proud of his big brother!. And Kaiba would have made him Chief Commissioner of the tournament. Seto chuckled softly, imagining how hilarious his little brother would have looked running around and blowing a whistle, yelling "Violation! Violation!," trying to act all grown up!.

Feeling a little tired from his first day of running the tournament, the young CEO crossed his arms and closed his eyes with a contented sigh… Soon… Soon he would defeat Yugi Moto and reclaim his title… Soon he would be the World Champion of Duel Monsters again… Soon he would win back his little brother's admiration, respect and love…

His arms still crossed in front of him, Kaiba felt his fingers close around the locket as the limousine continued on it's way back home…

**********

Isis Ishtar gracefully and softly walked down the hidden stairway that led to the private exhibit… Her lips were set in a firm line and her brow creased in concern… Kaiba had behaved rudely upon their first meeting, just as she'd expected him to. Years of living in nearly maddening seclusion, with the constant threat of danger hanging over her, had given her endless patience to deal with the likes of him… however, unlike Yugi Moto, or should she say the Pharaoh?, he had been aloof and unaccepting of the knowledge of his past life… Perhaps he was dismayed at the fact that he was once an evil priest in ancient times, but, then again, she'd seen enough of Seto Kaiba to know that he had an evil side, even in this life…

Isis coolly studied the ancient tablet in front of her… It was the tablet that depicted the scene of the battle between the Dark magician and the Blue Eyes White Dragon… Below them, Pharaoh and the evil priest-sorcerer, Set(3), dueled for the fate of Egypt and the entire ancient world… Somehow, if destiny was to play itself out, if the Pharaoh was to save the world from despair again, and if her little brother, Malik, was to be saved from the evil spirit within him, Seto Kaiba must be made to understand his past…

Slowly, the Egyptian woman brought a hand to the millennium item she wore around her neck… The Millennium Torque(4)…The item which gave her the power to see into the future and the past… She had used it in an attempt to convince Kaiba of his and Yugi's role in the fate of the world by showing him images of his past life, but he had still refused to believe…

"Perhaps I should try a different tactic this time," she whispered aloud as an idea came to her... Why merely show the boy his past when the torque could actually take him back to it?(5)…"After all, Seto Kaiba, I did promise you that when all this was over, your life would be forever changed, and you would believe in fate."

As she spoke, the Millennium Torque around her neck began to shine, giving off it's own light and growing brighter and brighter…

**********

He had been having the most wonderful dream… He was eight years old again, and he and his little brother cheered and hooted with childish joy as their father pushed them on the swings in the park… Maybe he and Mokuba had gotten their wish after all, and things were finally back to the way they used to be(6)…

Gozaburo Kaiba… Kaiba Corp… The Big Five… Pegasus… Yugi Moto… Maybe it had all been just a bad nightmare, Seto thought as he and Mokuba hopped off the swings and ran laughing into the loving embrace of their father… Maybe it had never really happened… Maybe he hadn't lost his whole family after all…

Slowly and reluctantly, he let himself wake from the dream and regain his senses… He became aware of a harsh afternoon sun beating down on him and the cool sensation of running water flowing gently around him…

Kaiba struggled to his hands and knees and gazed around him in shock and confusion… He was on a shallow riverbank in what appeared to be some sort of desert area… Nearby, gigantic palm trees swayed gracefully in the light breeze…

The young CEO made an attempt to get to his feet, but was instantly punished by a painful wave of nausea that forced him back down… Breathing heavily, he closed his eyes and rubbed his head until the sick spell wore off… Where was he?, he wondered as he made another attempt to stand up, this time succeeding… What had happened?… The last thing he remembered was nodding off in the back of his limo… Could someone have captured him, knocked him unconscious and left him here?… Some jealous, bitter business rival perhaps?… Pegasus?… The Big Five?… He doubted it though. That pink-clad moron and his treacherous goons hadn't been seen or heard from since the Duelist Kingdom tournament, and the remainder of his business rivals were either to lazy or to cowardly to even think of trying something like that…

Wading up to the grassy shore, Seto grunted to himself in disgust. Once he got back to Domino City, he vowed he'd find the pathetic clowns who did this and sue them from here to kingdom come!.

As soon as he reached the dry part of the bank, he rested his hand against one of the palms, grateful for it's shade... Somehow, he had to find out exactly what was going on and get back to Domino City… There had to be some kind of town or something nearby where he could figure out where he was and how to get back…

After resting a moment and getting his bearings, Kaiba found what looked like an old, foot-worn path leading from the river up a hill-like dune… What he saw made him gasp and his eyes widen in surprise… A modest, but strangely elegant, block-shaped white-washed house stood amidst a grove of palm and fruit trees… In the distance, the young CEO could make out a number of other houses, all done in a similar style, though most were a bit smaller…

"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toto," Seto muttered… Then he frowned as he studied the house and the small town, which looked a fifteen minute walk at the most. There didn't appear to be any cars, telephone poles, or any other signs of decent civilization. As usual, if he wanted something done properly, he was going to have to do it on his own without any help. Silently giving thanks that he kept his cell phone in his coat pocket and not his missing briefcase, he took it out and entered the numbers for his mansion and Kaiba Corp… Nothing… Not even a dial tone!. The river water or the sand must have wrecked it!.

"Dammit!," he cursed, angrily throwing the cell to the ground and watching with sadistic pleasure as it shattered. Here he was, President of one of the most powerful game companies in Japan, soaking wet, no briefcase, no Duel Monsters deck or dueling disk, and stuck in some boiling hot, primitive middle eastern dump in the middle of nowhere with a dead cell phone!. "Ugghh!. What else could go wrong?!."

As if in answer to his question, an enraged female voice sounded nearby… "Set!. You two faced son of a jackal!. You have the nerve to show yourself near my home again!."

Kaiba spun around in astonishment to see a furious young woman, wearing a pure white shift and shawl, approaching him… Something about her appearance made him think of Isis Ishtar… The same dark skin and black hair… The same piercing blue green eyes… and she carried a large wooden staff… But it wasn't her looks that shocked him… It was the fact that she had addressed him in a completely foreign language, which he'd never heard in his life, and yet he had actually been able to understand what she had said!.

"I beg your pardon?," the young CEO crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. "My name is not Set!. Now, if you'll be so good as to tell me where I can find the nearest phone, I'll gladly take my leave of this blasted dung heap!."

The girl glared at him, gripping her staff tightly and brandishing it like a bokken.(7) "You say that's not your name, but I know better, you lying adder!. I'm not letting you harm anyone here ever again!."

Seto scoffed at her audacity. This one was almost as bad as Tea Gardener!. What was next, goody goody speeches and friendship ranting?. "Look!," he snapped irritably. "I don't even know where I am or how I got here!." He then turned and started to walk towards the town. "I just want to get back to Domino. I have no time to play games with underdressed little girls!."

The last thing Kaiba heard before the end of his attacker's staff connected with the back of his head and everything went black was her voice, this time dangerously controlled. "Who said I was playing, Priest Set?."

**********

Slowly, his mind cleared and he came to his senses… The first thing he was aware of was that his wrists and ankles were tied, that and the back of his head, where he had been struck, throbbed and ached like mad...

The young CEO opened his eyes and raised his head from where he sat, propped up against a wall… Kneeling in front of him was a monster!. No, he realized, it was a child, a little girl, not even ten years old yet, but she had been terribly burnt and was wrapped in bandages. Even her eyes were covered. Seto guessed that she must have lost her sight from whatever had happened to her…

Upon hearing him move, she smiled. "Ankh, uza, seneb,"(8) she greeted him in a surprisingly soft, sweet voice. "You're awake now. That's good." She took a cool washcloth, and, after searching with her hands for a moment, gently pressed it against the wound at the back of his head.

"Where am I?…" Kaiba murmured glancing around, becoming more aware of his surroundings... The clean whitewashed room had a number of colorful and well drawn hieroglyphic-like pictures painted on it's walls. There was little furnishing, but he noticed a few items that resembled a bed, a drawer, a chest and a table and chairs. There were good sized boards and hollows carved into the walls to hold oddly shaped bottles, figurines and various other foreign looking objects… "What am I doing here?…"

The girl looked surprised. "Why, don't you remember?. We brought you here after you received that blow to your head."

"I know, but that wasn't what I meant," the young CEO sighed in frustration. "Anyway, feel free to get rid of these ropes at any time." He nodded his head towards the bonds around his ankles and wrists. "Though right now would be nice!."

"I'm very sorry, Priest Set," she offered him a sympathetic smile and gently placed a burnt, course hand on his shoulder. "But we cannot risk setting you free to cause more damage and harm to others."

Seto was about to explain for the second time today that Priest Set was certainly not his name, and that he had no intention of staying in this primitive dump long enough to actually cause any harm, when a disturbingly familiar figure entered the room…

"Mariasha, Miw-sher(9), you shouldn't be in here. You know how dangerous this man is."

Oh no!. He groaned inwardly. It was that lunatic with the staff who'd attacked him earlier!.

"I'm sorry, Nephthys(10)," the little girl answered. "I just wanted to take care of the wound on his head, and he is bound up anyway."

The young woman cast a sharp gaze at Kaiba who merely glared back at her. "Yes, but when the captive is Priest Set, one can never be to careful."

"How many times do I have to tell you people before you get it through your thick skulls?!," the young CEO cried out in exasperation. "My name is not Set!. It's Seto Kaiba!. And I'm not a priest!. I'm practically an atheist for crying out loud!."

The two females frowned in confusion… Obviously, they had no idea what he was talking about…

Finally, the young woman whom the child, Mariasha, had addressed as Nephthys, knelt down by him and studied him carefully for a few moments before speaking… "Don't think your disguises and lies are going to work, Khaibit(11). You forget, I know you better then even Akunadin!."

Seto growled to himself. What was he supposed to do now?. Despite their primitiveness, the ropes were to strong, and he couldn't free himself no matter how long he may work at it…

Then, to his surprise, the little burned girl spoke up in his defense…"I don't think he is lying, you know, Umayma(12)... What if he isn't Priest Set after all?…"

"How can he not be the priest, Asha?," Kaiba's captor answered. "I only know one man who looks like this, even if he is clever in disguising himself, which he isn't."

"I know it's strange," the child tilted her head thoughtfully. "Especially since you told me you've known Priest Set since before you were my age… but… when I touched his face and heard him speak… He doesn't seem at all like the man you described…"

The elder girl seemed to be considering this… Obviously she took her young ward more seriously then most adults did their children… He supposed Asha was her little sister, as Nephthys looked far to young to be the child's mother…

It was then that his captor spotted the card-shaped locket around his neck… She reached out and held it in her hand, examining it… "You would never be without your priest's Ankh, even in disguise… but this is not it… Where did you get this strange talisman?…"

His hands tied, the young CEO couldn't have taken the locket back from her, even though he wanted to. "It was a present…" he answered quietly. Indeed, Mokuba had bought two lockets and pasted half of a favorite childhood photograph in each one... "My little brother gave it to me..." He couldn't remember much before Yugi had landed him in that coma, but the first thing he remembered after waking up was Mokubas relieved embrace and the new locket placed around his neck as a get well present…

She clicked open the locket and gazed down at the tiny child in the picture… "Where is he now?," she asked…

Kaiba bit his lip, shifting his eyes away from hers… "He died… less then two months ago…"

Nephthys frowned in confusion. "That can't be. You never had any brothers, or even sisters for that matter."

"Of course I did!," the young CEO growled, narrowing his eyes. "His name was Mokuba!. He was ten years old. Don't you dare say that he never existed!."

To his surprise, Seto's captor nodded, seemingly convinced by his genuine anger at her insult to his brothers memory… "I have to admit, you're starting to seem less and less like Set… He would never display such emotion, even for a brother… Besides, he would never go anywhere without his precious Millenium Rod."

"And what's the Millenium Rod?," Kaiba demanded. Was it anything like those silly trinkets Yugi, Bakura and Isis all possessed?.

Asha covered her mouth to stifle a chuckle and Nephthys smirked. "Well, that certainly confirms it!. There are now officially two men with the same face in Khemet."(13)

The young CEO frowned… Khemet?… Was that where he was?… He'd never heard of the place before…

The young woman drew a sharpened knife from her dress and Seto flinched… Fortunately, she only wanted to cut his bonds… Once she was finished, Kaiba leaned back against the wall and rubbed his bruised wrists, glad to be able to be free of those ropes…

"So, where are you from, Seto Kaiba?," Nephthys asked as she put away the knife. "You're obviously not Khemetan, though you speak it perfectly."

Asha's face grew sad. "Are you Hittite,"(14) she asked softly.

"No."

"Midianite?... Cannanite?…"(15)

"No!," the young CEO finally snapped irritably. "I'm from Domino City, Japan."

The two females shook their heads in confusion…

"Do… min… oh City?…" Nephthys frowned. She'd never heard of such a place…

"Ja… pan?… Asha shook her head in bewilderment again…

Seto let out an exasperated sigh. "You know?. Japan?. The land of the rising sun?. It's an island."

"Oh," Nephthys nodded. "You mean like Keftiu or Kallistae?."(16)

"Uhhh… I suppose you could say that..." What the hell was she talking about?…

"Well, I'm afraid we don't know exactly how to get to this Domino City of yours, Anu,(17) but you're welcome to stay here for as long as you need."

"What?!," Kaiba shouted in disbelief. "You mean to tell me that not only do you not know where Japan is, but that you have absolutely no means of getting me back?!. No towns with airports?!. No cars?!. Hell! I'd settle even for a run down overcrowded bus!."

Nephthys crossed her arms. "I don't know what you're talking about, but the answer is most definitely no," she answered coolly. "As far as I know, there are no ships or caravans heading to any place by the name of Domino City or Japan. So, this means you have two choices, Seto Kaiba."

"Really?," the young CEO sneered. "And what might they be?."

The young woman looked him steadily in the eyes. "You can either stay here and have work, food and board until you manage to find a way back to your own country, or at least find out what happened to bring you here, or you can leave and try to get back there yourself, but the snakes, scorpions, lions and desert marauders might make that somewhat difficult, not to mention the problem of food and water."

Seto's mouth remained in a firm, stubborn line. "I can take care of myself. I've been in worse situations."

"Really?," Nephthys got to her feet and elegantly smoothed down the skirt of her dress. "Well, if you think you can travel across the entire Eastern Desert and the Red Sea on your own, by all means leave as soon as you wish."

The Eastern Desert?… The Red Sea?… Then did that mean he was in… Egypt?… But how?… Did this have anything to do with the Egyptian God Cards or the Rare Hunters?… Kaiba growled to himself… She had him there, and she knew it… "Like I've said, I've been in much worse situations before," he stated arrogantly. "I could easily get across the desert and the sea if I wanted to, but why waste time and effort?. I'm sure after I've been missing a few days Kaiba Corp will send a team to locate me."

The young woman seemed confused, but she nodded, and the young CEO wondered how he could have completely missed the fact that he was in Egypt until now... It all made sense.. The Nile, the palm trees, and the white linen clothing Nephthys wore, along with the striking black paint around her eyes... He should have realized where he was when he'd noted the similarities between her and Isis...

"Is that so, Pentaware?,"(18) his young captor, who had suddenly become more of a reluctant hostess, asked. "Well then, in that case, Asha and I will leave you to wash, and dispose of those strange, filthy garments of yours."

It was true, Seto's trousers, shirt and coat were soaking and covered in mud from the river bank, but they were the only clothes he had at the moment…

Sensing his distress, Asha spoke up. "I can clean and mend them for you if you want, Seto," she offered.

"Oh… Uhhh… Alright…" Kaiba answered quietly, surprised... How could she have known?… "Are you sure though?… I mean…"

"Oh," the little girl smiled. "You mean this." She touched her bandaged, sightless eyes with her hand. "Don't worry, Nephthys and her parents showed me all around the house and this district when I first got here, so I can find my way around and help with the work."

"Just because one is blind does not mean one is helpless," the lady of the house added with proud smile. She took the child's hand and together they turned to exit the room. "We'll leave you to wash and get settled now, Seto Kaiba."

Once they had gone, the young CEO stood up and brushed his bangs away from his eyes. He made his way over to the window and gazed out at the golden Egyptian afternoon… He wasn't sure what he was doing in this country, or how he had wound up here, but, one way or another, he was going to find out…

**********

The middle east really was backwards!. No electricity, no plumbing, no nothing!. Even in wealthy homes like Nephthys's!.

There was a bathing house of course, but Seto's so-called 'hostess' insisted it was reserved only for the cleanly, civilized woman of the household, and not for filthy male wanderers, so he was resigned to washing the traditional way… in the river…

Well, however primitive these Egyptians were, he couldn't say they weren't at least sanitary, Kaiba thought as he walked into the river until the water reached his shoulder… Bringing out the bar of fragrant smelling soap Asha had given him he began roughly scrubbing his arm until all the dust and grime floated off…

He had just about finished when he spotted Nephthys approaching the river…

"Do you mind?," the young CEO snapped. He had expected at least a certain degree of privacy!.

The young Egyptian woman shrugged. "No."

"It figures," he scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"So rude," Nephthys dramatically put a hand to her heart with a falsely offended tone. "And after I came all the way down here to give you a fresh towel and a new change of clothes. I'm hurt, I really am."

Sure she was!. "Alright then, you can leave them on the bank there."

"No, then they would get wet and dirty like those other strange garments of yours. Just come up here and take them."

"Are you kidding?!. You really are sick!."

She let out an exasperated sigh. "Don't be so immature, Anu. You can't stay in the river the whole rest of your time here."(19)

"Look, where I come from, we're a bit more discrete then this," Seto crossed his arms. "Get Mariasha or somebody to…"

"She's back at the house, helping Mutnodjmet prepare dinner," Nephthys interrupted. "Now come on, enough of this foolishness!. Come out and get your clothes!."

"You could at least have the decency to turn around!," Kaiba snapped irritably.

She sighed. "Alright then, if it will end this ridiculous nonsense. By Eset,(20) you Japanese are strange!." Suddenly, her eyes widened and she pointed to something over his shoulder. "Holy Asar!. Run, Seto!. It's a crocodile!."

The young CEO knew that Egypt's rivers were largely overpopulated by dangerous crocodiles. Without even taking the time to glance behind him, he immediately took off running towards the safety of the shore… but he stopped once he realized his hostess was laughing at him!.

"Hey!," he shouted, furious at her sick prank, but he was relieved that he had stopped in time to still be at least waist deep in the river. "That wasn't fair, Nephthys!."

She raised a high, delicate eyebrow. "And who am I that I should be fair with you, the image of my enemy?."

She had a point, though who this Priest Set was, or what he had ever done to her, he couldn't guess. "Oh, I would so love to hurt you right now, you little hentai!."(21)

"Maybe later, Pentaware," she gave him a dry smile and tossed the towel and clothing to him. Since he was closer now, he was able to catch them. "But first I suggest you dry yourself and get dressed." With that, she turned and headed back up the pathway. "Dinner should be ready very soon if you'd care to join us."

Seto held his new garments and watched in annoyance as she strode confidently, almost gracefully, back to the house… Alright, he had to admit, she was charming… in a stubborn, irritating kind of way(22)…

**********

Kaiba had never felt more ridiculous in his life!. He had expected Nephthys to have at least a fresh shirt and a change of trousers handy, instead he was presented with an odd looking white linen skirt!.

"It's not a skirt," little Mariasha laughed warmly. "It's called a shenti(23) and men wear it all the time in Khemet."

"Lucky me," the young CEO muttered sardonically.

She gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. You'll get used to it." Then, to his surprise, the burned girl reached out and ran her bandaged hand along the front of his face.

"What do you think you're doing?," he demanded.

"Finding where your eyes are," she explained. "For the kohl."(24)

Kohl?… What was that?…

Asha drew a small pot-like jar from beside her. It had a flat bottom, wide rim, tiny mouth, and a flat, disk-shaped lid. "Now, close your eyes, Seto."

Obediently, the young man shut his eyes.

"No, no," the little girl chuckled when she touched his eyes. "Not so tight!. Softly, like you're sleeping."

Seto relaxed his eyelids a little…

"That's better," Mariasha said, and the next moment he felt her finger tracing along his left eye with something that felt cool and wet… When that was done, she then moved on and did the same with the right eye…

"There you go. All finished," the little girl announced. Even though she could not see for herself what she'd done, she was proud of her handiwork.

Kaiba opened his eyes and Mariasha handed him a finely carved silver mirror in the shape of a beautiful woman with outspread wings. "Have a look."

The young CEO gasped at his reflection!. His eyes were outlined completely in black, like the eyes of people in ancient hieroglyphics he'd seen at the museum. "I look like a drag-queen wearing to much eyeliner," he sneered.

At this cold remark, the child bit her lip and turned her head away… "I'm sorry… I must have made a mistake… but I tried my best, honest…," she said sadly…

Seto shook his head with a sigh… He hadn't meant to hurt her feelings… She was only a little girl after all… "I'm sorry, kiddo," he apologized, gently putting a hand on her bandaged shoulder. "It isn't you…It's just…This is all so different from where I come from…"

Asha nodded slowly… "I understand…When I first got here, everything was so strange to me too…"

"It was?." Kaiba tilted his head in surprise. He'd thought the girl had been in Egypt all her life.

"Yes… I'm Hittite…" Asha said softly. "When Nephthys brought me here… after… after I got hurt… the people in town didn't like me very much… because I was an enemy of Khemet… and I was blind and ugly…"

Before he could stop himself, the young CEO fondly tousled the tufts of dark hair that grew out from the bandages. "You're nobody's enemy, kid, and you're anything but ugly."

"Oh, yes I am," she contradicted. "I have terrible scars from my burns, and I must wear bandages and…"

"And you're the first smiling face I've seen since I wound up here," Seto cut her off. "Asha, listen to me. You have burns and scars and bandages because something bad happened to you, but you're not what happens to you. You aren't those scars and burns, and you're not the bandages."

She gave him a grateful smile. "That's what Nephthys and the others here say too."

"Well, she's right," Kaiba stood up and put the mirror back for Asha. "You should listen to her. She knows what she's talking about." Then he smirked. "Hmmm, I can't believe I just said that!."

At that, Asha covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. Then she turned to leave the room. "Dinner should be almost ready by now."

"Alright, I'll be along in a minute, kiddo," the young CEO answered…

Once she had left the room, he studied himself in the larger mirror hanging from the wall… "Pathetic," he muttered, sneering at his reflection. "Just imagine, me, the President of Kaiba Corp parading around in a skirt and wearing eyeliner!."

"Oh, I don't know," came a smooth, cool, feminine voice from behind him. "I think they're very flattering actually."

Startled, the young man spun around to find himself facing yet another Egyptian woman… She wore a long-sleeved white robe and an eye-shaped charm around her neck…

"Isis!," Seto gasped in surprise. What on Earth was she doing here?. He'd thought she was back in Domino City!.

"Hello, Seto Kaiba," she greeted him calmly with a nod. Then, as if reading his thoughts, she added, "I thought I should come and see how you were getting along."

Kaiba clenched his hands in anger. "So, it was you who sent me here!. Why am I not surprised?."

"That's right," Isis answered serenely, fingering the charm around her neck. "I used the power of my Millenium Torque to send you to ancient Egypt."

At this, the young CEO froze in shock!. Ancient Egypt?!. "You mean I've been…?"

"Yes, Seto Kaiba. You have been sent back into your past. I'd say about fifteen-sixty-three BC, two-hundred-and-eighty-three years before the events of Exodus."(25)

"Gee, that would explain the lack of frogs and locusts," he muttered. "Ishtar! I want to be taken back to Domino City right this minute, or else you'd better find an attorney and hope to God he's better then mine!."

The corners of the Egyptian woman's mouth turned up into almost a smile… "I am sorry, Kaiba, but you are not permitted to leave until you have learned to accept and come to terms with your past life, your destiny."

"Uggghhh!!!," Seto nearly smacked his forehead in disbelief. "More of your hocus pocus and mumbo jumbo!. I told you, Isis! I could care less about what happened to me in my past life, and I make my own destiny!."

She shook her head somberly. "Then I suggest you make yourself comfortable. For I'm afraid the longer you refuse to acknowledge your past and your fate, the longer you will have to stay here."

"But that's not fair!. Just because I don't believe any of your silly lectures about fate and destiny is no reason to trap me in this primitive dump!. Look what these people have done to me already!."

Isis fingered her Millenium item again. "You must understand , Kaiba. I told you that both you and Yugi play essential roles in the fate of the future world, and that you would have to face your past."

"Yugi," the young CEO raised an eyebrow. "I take it Mister 'I was a hot-shot Pharaoh in my past life' is here too somewhere?."

"No, unlike you, Yugi accepted the knowledge of his past life, and his great destiny. I did not have to send him into the past. You may find the Pharaoh here though, as well as Priest Set."

Seto growled to himself. Ancient Egyptian versions of himself and Yugi were the last things he wanted to find here!.

As if reading his thoughts again, Isis nodded. "I can see that displeases you. But, Kaiba, if you ever hope to return to Domino City and the present, you must learn to understand and accept your past and your fate, and to do so you must encounter Pharaoh, your greatest opponent, and Priest Set, your past self."

Kaiba shook his head vigorously. This couldn't be happening!. This was like something out of a cheap adventure novel!. "How many times do I have to tell you, Ishtar?!. I don't want anything to do with your magic tricks and fairy tales!. I just want to get back home and reclaim my title from Yugi!."

"Then you'd best get started in understanding your past and your destiny," the Egyptian woman answered as her necklace began shining brighter and brighter.

"Hey!," the young CEO protested, moving towards her. "You can't just leave me here like this!. What am I supposed to do?!."

She shook her head as though he was an unruly child she was disciplining. "Welcome to ancient Egypt, Seto Kaiba," she said before disappearing in a flash of light from the necklace. "You'd best make yourself comfortable. I have a feeling you'll be here for quite some time."

**********

"Well, look who finally decided to grace us with his presence," Nephthys greeted him saucily as he entered the dining room… Like the rest of the estate, it's walls were whitewashed and skillfully painted with scenes of everyday Egyptian life, with exquisite boarders around the top and bottom…

Still out of sorts from his little chat with Isis, Seto growled in response. "Don't start with me."

Unintimidated, the young woman raised an eyebrow. "This is not Japan, Seto Kaiba, and I am not your servant. If anything, you are my guest. Now, seat yourself down, please."

"Sit here! Sit with me!," Asha patted the cushion next to her.

To worn out from the frustration and confusion of this long, hectic day to argue, Kaiba sat himself down on the cushion with a reluctant sigh.

The table was low, similar to a kotatsu(26) and on it was a various assortment of food that he guessed were the most popular and common in ancient Egypt. Roasted slices of beef (27) duck and fowl, cooked vegetables, and very very hard bread.

"Ugghh," the young CEO made a face as he chewed his slice of bread. "What did you put in this, rocks?." He spat the hard crumbs onto his hands and wrinkled his nose in disgust. The bread was full of grit!.(28)

Nephthys shrugged. "Not that I blame you. If you don't like it, noone is forcing you to eat it. But you should try being a little more tactful when people invite you to eat at their homes, Anu."

Seto put the half eaten bread back down on his plate. "Hmmph," he muttered. "Maybe your drinks here are better then your food." He lifted his filled cup and took a sip… It was lumpy, but it tasted somewhat familiar… "Beer?."(29)

"Yes, beer," his reluctant hostess crossed her arms in indignance. "Don't tell me you have a problem with that too?."

"Of course I do!. I'm temperance!."

Asha took a sip of her pomegranate juice. "You should be grateful. Umayma says I can't have beer until I'm at least thirteen."

Stuck in ancient Egypt without his deck, dueling disk or briefcase, no electricity, baths in the filthy river, wearing skirts and eyeliner, and now gritty bread and beer at dinner time?!. Kaiba wearily rubbed his forehead, silently cursing Isis Ishtar for trapping him in this pathetic rip-off of "The Mummy". "I'll just have some water…" he muttered, rubbing his forehead.

**********

Dessert was a full platter of numerous fruits and berries, with a fresh and sweet tasting mixture for dipping them in, but the young CEO hardly even touched it, nor said even two words the whole rest of the time…

Soon the sun, or as Nephthys referred to it, Ra,(30) had begun to set and lower itself into the Nile…The first stars of evening appeared in the darkening sky…

Mariasha announced that it was time for bed, then gave Seto a candle Nephthys had lit and offered to show him to the guest room where he would be staying… The young man agreed and followed her up a stone stairway into yet another clean, whitewashed room (though it was difficult to tell in the flimsy light of the fading evening) with more boarders and hieroglyphics…

"I guess you people don't have such things as toothbrushes, right?," Seto asked, a bit harsher then he meant to.

Asha frowned, though she didn't seem to be offended by his sharp tone. "No, I don't believe so."

He sighed. "It figures." Then, exhausted, he made his way over to the bed and sat down, running a hand through his hair…

The blind girl faced the direction in which she had heard him sit down on the bed and tilted her head thoughtfully… "You miss your home and your family, don't you?."

"No… I… I don't have any family…" Kaiba answered quietly. "Not anymore…"

A sympathetic expression crossed her burnt, bandaged face… "I know… I could sense that…"

The young CEO lifted his head in surprise. "That's impossible. How could you sense something like that?."

"You walked very slowly and quietly," Asha answered with patience. "You didn't talk much, but sometimes you seemed really sad and angry… Nephthys says I was just the same way when I first got here, and I lost my family too."

They were both silent for a moment… then Seto spoke. "So, she's not your big sister then, I take it…"

"No, I'm an orphan. Umayma and her family adopted me."

"I'm an orphan too…" Kaiba replied softly…

The little girl gave him a warm, but sad, kind of smile. "We have that in common then, Seto Kaiba." She then took the warm cup she was holding in her bandaged hands and held it out to him. "Here, drink this. It will help you sleep. You've had a hard time today."

"You don't know the half of it," he sighed again and accepted the drink. "It's not beer, is it, kid?."

"Oh no!," she giggled. "It's a special drink to help you relax. Nephthys' father was Hemu Neter(31) and he showed her how to make it."

"I see…" The young CEO nodded and sipped the drink, if only for politeness' sake… It tasted surprisingly pleasant. Creamy, but not to thick, sweet, but not to bitter…

When he was done, he handed Mariasha the empty cup. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she smiled as she turned to leave the room… then she stopped for a moment… "You know, Seto, it really is very nice here… and you don't have to be sad… I'm sure you'll find a way to get back to this Domino City place…"

Seto looked at her… "Thank's, kiddo," he halfheartedly returned her smile. "I hope so."

"Me too," she gave him a reassuring nod before turning to leave the room again. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, kid…"

After she was gone, he remained sitting on his bed… four long pieces of wood fastened together to make a square, inside which were strong strings plaited together like a kind of mattress. Big, soft cushions were placed on top of it, and were covered by two single linen sheets… Frowning, he blew out his candle… This was nothing like his giant, king sized bed, or his combination bedroom, living-room and washroom back home…

After getting rid of the uncomfortable wooden headrest, Kaiba took one of the cushions to use as a pillow… He lay there awake in the darkness for the next few moments, listening to the unfamiliar sounds of ancient Egypt… The gentle rushing of the Nile… the occasional chirp of a cricket or frog, and the call of a night bird… In the next room, he could hear the sound of flute music, then a soft, sweet voice singing a lullaby in Egyptian… Nephthys must be putting Asha to bed now…

The young man closed his eyes… He remembered his mother and how she would sing him to sleep every night when he was little… Then, after she died, his father would tell Mokuba and him storys at bedtime to comfort them... He blinked and roughly wiped his eyes to prevent tears… Why did everyone have to leave him?… Why did everything have to change?… Why couldn't things have stayed the way they were?...

As the drink gradually started to take effect, his hand instinctively went to his locket… It felt warm and comforting as his fingers closed around the worn metal… He fell asleep still clinging to it, as it was the only familiar thing he had left now…

**********

When she was sure Mariasha was asleep, Nephthys put down her flute and placed it back on the shelf…

After tucking the covers over Asha's bandaged shoulders, and giving her cheek a soft kiss goodnight, the lady of the house quietly left the room and made her way over to where her strange guest who called himself Seto Kaiba slept.. By now, the drink would have put him soundly to sleep, and she could move around his room without worry...

Curious, she studied him as he slept… Strange, he seemed so peaceful and vulnerable at the moment… His face showing nothing of the familiar harshness and slyness… Even Priest Set had not looked like this when he slept… For the first time she began to understand why Asha did not believe he was the high priest, and why she felt no threat from him… in spite of everything… But if this man was not Set, then who was he?…

She turned from Seto to the corner of the room where she saw the clothes he had been wearing earlier, all in a pile on the floor. How uncivilized, she thought as she wrinkled her nose in distaste, but perhaps he had been to tired to do anything about them. Well, he would just have to take care of his own things. She wasn't going to burden little Asha, or poor Si-Amun or Mutnodjmet with him.

Still curious, Nephthys knelt by the pile and looked through the pockets of the dark green trousers… She felt something thin and flat, and pulled it out… There were two rectangular shaped objects, much like the locket Kaiba wore around his neck… On one side they were red, outlined with yellow, and had a black oval shape in the middle… She turned them over to see their other sides… and put a hand to her mouth to stifle a cry of shock and horror!. The first picture was of one of the three most powerful monsters in those wretched Shadow Games, Obelisk The Tormentor!. The next three pictures she did not recognize, they were each of a blue eyed white dragon, but they still resembled the creatures she had seen carved onto the stone dueling tablets, only they were painted on papyrus-like material.(32) How had he gotten these?. Did he even know he had them in his possession?. She doubted that. He would have surely used at least one of them by now if he did…

Nephthys studied the words on the picture of one of the Blue Eyes, but even with her education in reading and writing most of the known languages, she could hardly make them out… There was a word in small print on the bottom left hand side, and next to it was what looked like a number…

Industrial Illusions. Copyrite, 1996

The young woman frowned in confusion… What did the words mean, and what was the number next to it?… Could it be some sort of date?…

Making up her mind to discover the truth about this mysterious fugitive who resembled Priest Set, and who unknowingly carried one of the three most powerful monsters in the Shadow Games, the lady of the house took the cards and tucked all four of them underneath her sash. She would keep them for the time being, to make sure they were not used against her home or this town. They would be invaluable tools to protect the village against the real Set, should he ever come looking for her and Asha here…

She was about to get up to leave, when a woman's voice from behind startled her… "That is a good idea, little sister. If he does not realize he has brought them with him, then you should guard them until he does."

She spun around to see a young Khemetan woman, like herself, standing before her… For a moment, Nephthys thought she was her old friend, Esetnefret... She was beautiful and dressed in a long sleeved white robe with golden jewelry… and around her neck was a painfully familiar object… The Millenium Torque!. What in Asar's name was she doing here with it?. Wasn't she supposed to be back in Waset with the rest of the Per-aa's(33) sem-priests?.(34)

Though Nephthys' training had taught her composure, and to never show any sign of fear or weakness, the stranger must have been able to read the uncertainty and shock in her eyes… "No, no, you mustn't be afraid. I am not Esetnefret, but I mean no harm."

"Who… Who are you?…" the young woman whispered…

The mysterious visitor smiled slightly… "My name is Isis Ishtar. Let's just say I am the one who sent young Seto Kaiba here from the future."

"From the future?!," the lady of the house gasped as she glanced briefly at the sleeping boy. "You mean he is not of this century?."

"No, he is from at least five thousand years ahead of this time. He was brought back here because the fate of the future world is at stake."

Nephthys' hand went to the amulet of Eset around her own neck… "How can that be?…"

"An ancient evil has returned from the past to threaten the world, and the chosen one, who is the reincarnation of Pharoah, must fulfill his destiny and defeat it," Isis explained. "But I fear that unless the one who is the reincarnation of the high priest is made to accept and understand the past as well, this cannot be accomplished. You must help him, Nephthys."

The young woman's eyes widened with the realization… "I knew it," she thought to herself. "I knew that wanderer had something to do with Priest Set. They are one and the same, though Seto Kaiba is obviously the more foolish and idiotic of the two." Nephthys crossed her arms over the front of her shift with a dry smirk. "And how am I to do this?. In case you haven't noticed," she pointed to the sleeping Seto, "That is not a man who can be taught to accept and understand things easily."

Isis looked at Kaiba, who still clutched the locket in his hand… An expression of pity filled her eyes… She remembered how she used to watch over Malik as he slept when they had been children… The boy reminded her of her little brother so(35)… He was even close to the same age… Perhaps that was why she had invited him to the exhibit, why she had explained to him about his past life and shown him those visions before giving him the idea to start the Battle City Tournament, which had been her main objective…"Tell me something I don't know," the elder Ishtar sighed, shaking her head. "But I'm afraid there are limits as to how much the Millenium Torque and I can interfere with the past. You and him will have to find the answers on your own."

Nephthys ran a hand through her bangs. "I was afraid of that," she answered ruefully…

Isis could only offer her an encouraging smile as the Millenium item around her neck began growing brighter and brighter, signaling her departure back into the future... "Good luck, and take care, both of you."

**********

"Seto," came the persistent knocking on the door. "You've gotta' leave now if you're going to make the boat for the big tournament at Duelist Kingdom!."

When he didn't answer, the knocking grew steadily louder. "Seto, open the door!."

The door opened, and Mokuba entered, a look of confusion crossing his face when he saw his big brother leaning over the desk, head slumped in defeat. "Huh?… Seto?…"

"I'm not going, Mokuba," Kaiba answered quietly…

"Not going?!. Why not?."

The young CEO looked at the cards in his hand, then threw them onto the desk in frustration. "There's no point!," he blurted out.

"What do you mean no point?," the little boy demanded.

"Kid," Seto lowered his head and closed his eyes. "I am in no condition to duel anyone."

Still not understanding, Mokuba clenched his small fists. "What are you talking about?. You always say cards are power, and you've got all the strongest cards!."

"Since I lost my duel with Yugi, I don't know what I think anymore… Everything's different… It feels as if I lost a piece of myself that day…"

"But, Seto…," the child's protests weakened. "You're the best… You're the champ…"

Kaiba stood up and picked up one of the duel cards from his desk… "Not since the day I was defeated by Yugi…" He then tossed the card to his little brother. "Here, Mokuba. I'm going away for awhile. I don't know how long I'll be gone. Keep this, it was always your favorite."

Mokuba glanced down at the card, then back at his brother who was already on his way out of the office… "Why?… Why are you leaving?…" He looked almost on the verge of tears…

The young CEO paused… "Because I don't deserve to be your brother…," he wanted to say… "I don't deserve your admiration, or your faith in me."… Instead he tightened his grip on his metal briefcase… "Because I don't know who I am anymore," he answered quietly… Then he turned away… He couldn't bear to see the sadness and disappointment in Mokuba's eyes… "Take care, kid…"

"Seto, don't go!," the little boy cried, but it was to late. Kaiba had already left, closing the door behind him…

"He'll be alright…," Seto tried to reassure himself as he walked further and further from his office. "The staff at Kaiba Corp and the servants at home will take care of him... He wouldn't want a confused loser like me around anyway…"

As he entered the elevator, he bit his lip and blinked to force back the tears that threatened to form in his eyes… He could still hear Mokuba's sobbing from the office…

"Seto!. Seto, come back!. Come back, big brother!. Please, don't leave me alone!.

The small, pleading voice echoed through his mind as he woke up… His eyes flickered open and he groaned to himself… It was that same memory that had replayed itself so often in his dreams, ever since Mokubas death…

Seto bit his lip… If only he had known what would happen… If he hadn't been so thoughtless and blinded by his own selfish worries and problems… He could have taken Mokuba with him… He could have stayed and worked out his problems at home… Then he shook his head and rubbed his eyes… "If"… "Could have"… they were words that could literally drive one completely mad!.

Sighing, Kaiba sat up in bed and studied his surroundings… No, it hadn't been all just a bad dream… That insane woman, Isis Ishtar, really had trapped him in ancient Egypt with that sharp tongued vixen and her burnt rug-rat, not that any of this was Mariasha's fault though. At least she'd been reasonably hospitable and polite…

He got up and slipped on a pair of leather sandals that were by the bed, then washed his face and hands in a basin of water… He tried his best to wash off the khol, but it did little good. The stuff, he would find out later, much to his dismay, was made to stay on for over a week!.

After running a finely carved comb through his short brown hair, the young CEO looked at himself in the mirror and made a disgusted face. He may look at least somewhat presentable by ancient Egyptian standards, but he knew he'd never be able to live it down if anyone from Domino City, especially that yapping, big-mouthed Chihuahua, Joey, saw him looking like this!.

Still out of sorts from yesterday, he made his way out of the room and down the whitewashed hallway… Soon, he heard a voice which sounded like Nephthys' coming from the next room… Curious, he quietly pushed back the linen curtain and peered inside…

His reluctant hostess, dressed in a fresh shift, knelt before what looked like a small gold and silver statue of a beautiful, winged woman, the same one he'd seen carved into the mirror earlier.

Her back still to him, Nephthys raised her arms and spread them apart… She raised her head and whispered what sounded like some kind of prayer, though he was to far away to hear it properly and couldn't tell…

Once she had finished, she remained kneeling before the statue… "Good morning, Seto Kaiba," the young woman greeted him without so much as turning her head… "Did you sleep well?."

Seto's back stiffened and he let out a grunt of surprise, but never the less, he kept his face expressionless… "Alright, considering," he answered.

She turned and gave him a knowing smile. "I'm glad to hear that."

"How did you know I was there?," Kaiba wanted to know.

Chuckling, Nephthys got to her feet and gestured towards the statue. "Why, my Goddess, Eset, Mut-Netjer,(36) told me," she answered teasingly.

"You're some sort of priestess then?," the young CEO asked, growing even more curious, in spite of himself.

"That I am," she answered. "A priestess of Eset, but I prefer to worship privately, on my own."

On her own?. The young man tilted his head. "So, I take it you abandoned the priesthood then?…"

At this, her hands clenched and her eyes narrowed… "You assume to much, Pentaware. I most certainly did not abandon the priesthood!. It was the priesthood that abandoned me!."

"Oh," he mouthed the word quietly, unsure of what else to say. He'd assumed she was some sort of Egyptian hakaizou,(37) like Anji from "Rurouni Kenshin",(38) but obviously she had not renounced her beliefs, whatever they were. Seto neither knew or cared much about the religions of long dead civilizations anyway.

Finally, Nephthys sighed and shook her head. "Forgive me, I forgot… You are not him, so you could not possibly have known…" Her voice trailed off as she shifted her gaze to the opened window… "Breakfast should be ready by now, Anu. You may help yourself if you like. Asha is there too. I'll be down soon."

Kaiba shrugged his shoulders slightly. "Alright," then he turned and headed down the stairs for where he remembered the dining area was… Nephthys was strange, he thought. Probably even stranger then both Yugi and Isis put together!.

**********

To his surprise, Nephthys and Mariasha were already waiting for him in the dining area…

"Good morning, Seto!," the little girl greeted him when she heard him enter.

He nodded. "Morning, kid," then he turned to his hostess. "How in the world did you get down here before me?. I didn't see any other doors to the kitchen."

Nephthys smiled and raised a glass of pomegranate juice to her lips. "There are doors, and doors."

At this, Asha giggled and the young CEO sat himself down on the cushion with a "Hmmph."

Breakfast, which consisted of mainly fruit, bread, milk and juice, passed in peace and silence…

"Umayma," Asha finally spoke up after finishing her meal. "May I go outside now and play with Khu and Kiya the garden?."

Nephthys smiled and nodded. Of the few household servants, the girl liked best to play with Si-Amun and Mutnodjmet's two little granddaughters. They in turn adored her, paying no mind to either her blindness or her burns. "Of course, Miw-Sher, but please make sure to stay together, and don't go anywhere alone far from the house."

She laughed. "Don't worry," she assured her foster mother as she got up and left. "We'll stay close to the house." And with that, she trotted outside to greet the new day…

Soon, Si-Amun and Mutnodjmet, a comfortable and friendly looking elderly couple who tended to the grounds and the home, entered to clear away the breakfast plates and to offer more pomegranate juice, which Nephthys accepted.

Already, Seto couldn't help but notice just how… familiar his hostess was with her staff. She disliked them to address her as 'My lady', and instead insisted on being called by her own name. She talked with them as though they were friends, and even helped them with their tasks!.

"Hmm," Kaiba commented. "I thought slaves were supposed to be on the bottom of the ancient Egyptian social structure?."

Nephthys, having finished helping Mutnodjmet wash the dishes, sat back down at the table and took another sip from her glass. "Nonsense!. Everyone who works here is paid, and free to stay or leave as they please. There are no slaves in this household, nor will there ever be," she answered curtly, narrowing her eyes at him. "Si-Amun and Mutnodjmet have been like second parents to me since my childhood, but I assume where you come from, you chain your staff and beat them if they make even the most minor error?."

"Well, I certainly don't treat them like they're my best friends!," the young CEO snapped indignantly.

She smirked. "I see… Speaking of that, I was most pleased to meet a dear friend of yours the other night. What was her name?… Isis Ishtar?…"

At this, Seto nearly dropped his glass!. "What?!," he gasped. "You mean you've actually met that destiny ranting lunatic?!."

"Indeed, and we had a most interesting conversation too."

Kaiba leaned back and crossed his arms with a dry smile. "Whatever she told you about me, it's not true."

"Really," she tilted her head knowingly. "Then I suppose it's not true that you are the reincarnation of Priest Set, and that Isis sent you here to encounter your past life?."

The young CEO's eyes widened and he blinked, confirming it…

Nephthys nodded. "Mmm, I thought so. It looks like I have my work cut out for me then."

"So, what's your point, Kitsune?,"(39) he demanded. She was up to something, he could feel it!.

"We've gotten off to a bad start, haven't we?". The lady of the house sighed, putting her glass back down on the table. "Kaiba, it is essential that we understand each other. Only with my help can you possibly hope to escape the precarious situation in which you find yourself." There was no telling what might happen if Set ever found out that his future incarnation was here, and with his own versions of Obelisk The Tormentor and a blue eyed white dragon no less!.

In response, Seto turned from her with a disbelieving scoff and reached for an apple from the bowl on the table…

Offended by this rude, ignorant gesture, Nephthys crossed her own arms and leaned against the table with a smirk. "I wouldn't bite into that if I were you, it may be poisoned. Have you had it tasted?."

Kaiba smirked back at her, realizing the game she was playing. "At least it'll be a way out of the precarious situation in which I find myself," he mocked. Then he stood up and headed for the doorway. "I think I'll join the kids in the garden, if you don't mind."

Nephthys got up herself and watched from the doorway as her reluctant guest headed around the main house to where Asha was helping Khu and Kiya tend the flower beds…

"Take care, Seto Kaiba," she thought to herself. "If you really are whom Isis says you are, these next few days may be extremely difficult for you."(40)

**********

Later that day, Nephthys decided that the best way for Seto to understand Egypt was for him to familiarize himself with the surroundings, so she insisted he accompany her and Mariasha to the market in town along the Nile river…

It was a busy afternoon and the marketplace was alive with pedestrians and the cries of the vendors as they shouted out their merchandise, fruits and vegetables, fish, sugared fruits and candies, toys, clothing, scrolls of papyrus and who knew what else. All this, combined with the reed boats, floating contently up and down river, created a strange, but somehow exotic atmosphere, though mildly menacing, seemed all the more intoxicating and exciting because of it…

"Umayma, may I go listen to the street performers back there?," Asha asked once they'd gotten the main items they would need.

Nephthys nodded hesitantly... Only during this past month had the little girl been able to master her way around the village and gain enough courage to move around the busy place on her own... "Alright then, Miw-sher. Just be careful."

As Seto watched the Mariasha trot back to listen to her street performers, he had to admit he was impressed. There weren't many children who could have survived what she'd been through and still have such trust in the world and enthusiasm for life. How did she manage it?.

"That one," he could hear Nephthys murmur to herself. "That one, I swear, she's braver then I am. It's a miracle she's come this far in only two years."

Kaiba continued walking through the market alongside her… Finally, he spoke. "She tells me she's not your little sister," he said, for the sake of making conversation.

"No," the lady of the house shook her head. "Nor my daughter, but my child."

"An orphan?."

The young woman nodded… "Yes… because of an attack on a Hittite village… Poor kitten, you would barely have recognized her then, back when we first brought her here."

So, that was how it had happened… "Who…?" he started… "Who burned her?," he'd intended to ask, but he stopped himself for some reason…

Never the less, Nephthys could tell what he meant… "Whom do you think?," she answered coolly, resting her gaze on him…

At this revelation, the young CEO stopped in his tracks. "What?!," he gasped. That couldn't be true!. The business world required one to be ruthless, but he would never do something like that! Not even in his former life! He was sure of it!.

"You are not responsible for what your past incarnation does," the young woman said, not unkindly, once she saw the look on his face. "And you needn't worry, I won't tell the child."

Seto nodded slowly, his mouth set in a frown. "I know… I just can't believe it though…"

Nephthys studied the boy as they continued to make their way through the riverside market… As much as she disliked to admit it to herself, this young wanderer was quite different from what he was in his past life… In spite of his arrogance and bravado, there was a lost, unsure expression in his eyes that she had never before seen in Priest Set's… It confused her somewhat…

Just then, a familiar, friendly voice distracted her from her thoughts… "Milady Nephthys! Hello!."

"Good day, Nakhti," she smiled, greeting her old friend. His family, who came from a long line of fishermen, had lived in this area as long as hers had, and friends they had been ever since.

Nakhti?… Seto stared at the tall, well muscled fisherman… He looked familiar… Where had he seen him before?… Then he remembered! One of the contestants for the Battle City tournament had been an ocean duelist, as well as a fisherman!.

"Mako Tsunami!,"(41) he crossed his arms and tilted his head in surprise. "What in the world are you doing here?." With his calf length shenti, and an Egyptian fish shaped charm around his neck(42) he looked as though he'd always lived and belonged in ancient Egypt. "Aren't you supposed to be running in the Battle City Tournament?."

At this, the young fisherman shook his head in confusion. Mako Tsunami?. Battle City?. What was this stranger with Nephthys talking about?. "Afraid you're mistaken there. I'm Nakhti, and on my way to the river to fish is what I'm doing here. I don't know anything about this Battle City, or whatever you call it. Is it like the City of the Dead?."(43)

Nephthys covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a laugh, and Kaiba nearly smacked his forehead in dismay at his own cluelessness. Why hadn't he realized it before?. If Yugi was the reincarnation of the Pharoah, and If he was supposed to be the reincarnation of that priest- sorcerer, then Mako Tsunami must be the reincarnation of this ancient fisherman!.

"So, are you going out to sea again this year?," the lady of the house spoke up, trying to spare her guest some embarrassment.

"Mmm hmm," Nakhti answered eagerly. It had been only two years or so ago he'd been considered acceptable to take charge of a sailing vessel, and he savored every moment at sea. "Won't be long now!. As soon as the flood waters come and I don't have my work here to worry about, I'm off to brave the high seas!."

Nephthys nodded. Her friend was lucky to be a fisherman by trade and not a farmer, otherwise he'd probably be stuck working on one of the Per-aa's egocentric building projects.(44)

**********

Not long afterwards, after Nakhti had gone back to the river and his daily task of fishing from his reed boat, the young CEO and his hostess were on their way back to the spot where the street performers were, where Asha had promised to meet them…

"Why did you call that man Mako Tsunami?," Nephthys asked.

He shrugged his shoulders slightly. "He just looks like someone I've seen before, a contestant in my dueling tournament."

"Dueling tournament?… As in the Shadow games?…" She really wasn't surprised though. Why else would he have had those papyrus sheets with the monsters on them?.

"If that's what Duel Monsters is called here, then yes. And I'm World Champion," Seto answered. "Or at least I was," he added bitterly.

Nephthys thoughtfully brushed a few stray bangs behind her ear. "It must have been a very skilled duelist who defeated you then."

"Yes," he replied. "He was." Then he blinked in surprise when he realized that he actually believed it!.

"What's your favorite monster?. Mine is the Mystical Elf."

"The Blue Eyes White Dragon," Kaiba answered decisively. Even though Isis had thoughtlessly spirited him away to ancient Egypt without his dueling deck, that card had become even more important to him now then it ever was, as it was one of the few things he had left of Mokuba… He had never forgotten their first night at Kaiba Mansion… Gozaburo had ordered all of his and Mokuba's toys and games taken away, but his clever, sweet little brother had managed to smuggle some dueling cards to him, and among these was a drawing he had made of the Blue Eyes White Dragon… The then ten year old Seto had vowed to himself to get that rare card someday(45)…

Nephthys nodded... The Blue Eyes White Dragon... That was the creature she had seen on the cards last night… She wondered if Kaiba would ever realize that he had brought three of them with him, along with Obolisk The Tormentor, and that she now held all of them…

"So, you're into dueling too?," the young CEO asked.

She shook her head. "No. As a matter of fact, I detest the game. Much to violent and barbaric for a priestess of Eset. Give me Senet or Hounds and Jackals any day."(46)

"Really?," he looked at her curiously. "Could have fooled me. You seem to know an awful lot about it."

"Ahhh, but that is when you truly hate something, when you know to much about it," the lady of the house answered with a bitter smile.

Seto had to agree. "Hmm… That, I'm all to familiar with."

Nephthys nodded slowly… Perhaps she and this young wanderer from the future had more in common then either of them cared to admit…

"Umayma!, Seto!," Mariasha's voice came suddenly from nearby, distracting her from her thoughts. "Where are you?!."

From the way she was calling, it sounded like and emergency. Nephthys and Seto both hurried over to the little girl and the lady of the house gently put her hands on her shoulders. "What is it, Miw-sher, is something wrong?."

Asha, who had been running the whole way, had to take a moment to catch her breath before speaking. "It's the cat at the granary, the one bought from the temple of Bastet(47) to keep the rats and mice out of the storage."

"Is she sick?," her adoptive mother asked, concerned. Tahemet was a fierce rat-catcher, but she was always affectionate and gentle with people.

"No, but she gave birth to kittens only a week or so ago, and now she has no more milk to give them!." The bandages over Asha's burnt, sightless eyes grew wet with tears. "Please, Umayma, we have to save them!."

Nephthys gently took the little girl's face and cupped it in her hands. "Yes, we must, and we will. Don't worry, little one. There's more then enough milk back at the house to feed them and Tahemet."

Kaiba crossed his arms and made a face. "Kittens?. All this crying and whining over a bunch of pathetic, worthless kittens?!. You two must be going senile!."

At those cold words, Mariasha put a hand to her mouth with a horrified gasp, and Nephthys shot him a glare that would have torn him to pieces if looks could kill!.(48) "Noone is forcing you to come, Pentaware," she said coolly.

"Hmmph, but I may as well, Kitsune," he answered aloofly. After all, Nephthys and Asha were the only people he actually knew in this backwards world. If he hoped to survive, then he needed them to help him get his bearings.

"Then you can stop your childish complaining," the lady of the house snapped as she began to walk faster, heading in the direction of the granary. "Come along now."

**********

In almost no time at all, Nephthys and her group had reached the granary and claimed Tahemet and her kittens, after explaining the situation... Once they got the family of cats back to the villa, she and Asha set immediately to work feeding the mother and her hungry babies, spooning milk into their tiny mouths, until content, full and exhausted, they all settled down to relax in the comfortable bed Nephthys had made for them out of a woven reed basket and a few soft, freshly cleaned linen towels…

"Come on, kid," Seto called behind his shoulder from the dinner table later that evening. "Those little runts aren't going anywhere, and your dinner's getting cold."

Mariasha reached out and lovingly patted the mother's soft head before gently stroking one of the kittens with her first three fingers. "I don't mind. I can miss dinner for this."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. What was it with girls and kittens?. "Don't be silly," he answered, getting up and standing beside where she sat near the litter. "Those puny little furballs aren't worth breaking routine for."

The little girl smiled sadly. "You really don't like animals, do you."

"Not really. Sorry to disappoint you, kiddo." He answered bluntly. "Anyway, where I come from, a cat's just another flea hotel. They aren't even included in our zodiac."(49)

"Oh, that's very sad," she tilted her head with a thoughtful frown. This Japan, or wherever it was that Seto had come from, must be quite a filthy, rodent infested place if they did not respect cats, or their goddess.

The young CEO just shrugged. "Have you thought of any names for them?," he asked, though he scarcely cared weather she named them or not.

"Yes, but they're not very original," Asha answered. She reached down again and petted the first two, a black one and the golden yellow colored one. "This one is Bastet, after the cat goddess, and that one is Sekhmet, after the lioness goddess."

Hmm, interesting names. They didn't seem so unoriginal to him, but then again, he wasn't familiar with ancient Egyptian deities.

Asha turned to him again. "What about the others?," she asked. "What will you name them?."

At this Seto almost laughed. She wanted him to name the rest of her little monsters?. "I don't think so, kiddo. I'm not much good at naming pets. I never had any."

"Oh, come on now," the little girl chuckled. "I'll bet you can think of some good names if you tried."

Well… Wondering for just about the thousandth time why he bothered to humor this kid, Kaiba tried to recall names of anime characters he and Mokuba used to like when they were little… Their father, Ichiro, used to own and work at a store that specialized in anime, manga and even games, and he would sometimes bring the things he didn't sell home to give to them… "Hmm… Kyou?, Artimis?, Meowth?,"(50) he suggested, eyeing the little ginger, white and gray colored kittens.

Asha smiled. "Those are wonderful names!."

"Hmm, not really," he shrugged… Then he noticed the last and smallest kitten… "So, what should we name this last little pipsqueak?."

The child explored the box with her hands until she found the tiny animal… "He's so furry and soft," she said admiringly. "What color is he?."

"Brown, dark brown, almost black," the young CEO answered. Then he smirked. "He looks like a weak, ridiculous little Kuribo."

"Oh! You know about the dueling tablets?."

"I guess you could say that," he answered dryly... A frown played about his features... He remembered how Yugi had outfoxed him by using that pathetic card, and would have won their duel because of it if he hadn't made that last desperate move… Seto regretted having to cheat like that in order to win, but he'd do it again if it would only bring Mokuba back…

Mariasha smiled again. "I think you just found the perfect name for this little one," she announced, bringing him out of his thoughts. "Kuribo!."

At this, he had to chuckle, though to anyone else it would have sounded more like a scoff. "Well, I have to admit, it suits the scruffy little beggar."

It was then Nephthys entered the room with a tray in her hands. "Time for dessert," she announced.

Dessert turned out to be a platter of exotic fruits and berries, along with the sweet tasting mixture, almost like chocolate, for dipping them. As an extra special treat, in honor of the kitten's recovery, Mutnodjmet had taken the time to make sweet, rich cakes, made of fruit and honey. To drink, there was wine and fruit juice.

"So, Seto Kaiba," the lady of the house asked as she finished off her slice of cake. "Tell me, what is this Mako Tsunami back in Japan like?." Ever since her guest had explained that her friend, Nakhti, would be reincarnated in the future, he had had her curious.

"Hmm, well I don't know that much about him except what I've read on his profile… but he's a fisherman by trade, just like Nakhti, ever since his father went missing in a storm at sea. That's why he duels, to honor his father and build up a reputation so he can find him."

Asha tilted her head, frowning. "That's so sad." She knew how it must feel, losing beloved parents... She hoped she would never lose Nephthys in the same way…

Kaiba just shrugged. "He's a delusional idiot. He knows his father's never coming back, but he still clings to that childish dream. Anyway, why is Mako looking for him?. It should be the other way around. If he cared anything about his only son, he would have found him after that storm."

"Come now, Seto," Nephthys leaned against the table slightly, giving him a reproachful look. "If it were my father lost at sea, I know I wouldn't ever give up hope of finding him, and I'd search the world over to bring him back. Wouldn't you, if it were your father?."

At this, the young man stiffened, his mouth set in a firm line… "Hmmph! No!." He leaned away from the table and crossed his arms. It had never occurred to him to think of them in that light. Fathers, parents, were either tyrants who made you stay at your desk and forced you to study twenty-four-seven, holding you with a leather strap around your neck, while threatening to beat you with a riding crop(51)… or they were liars who promised to love you and always be there for you, then turned around and died on you, leaving you and your little brother scared and alone in the world…

Asha looked surprised and Nephthys sipped her wine thoughtfully… "I take it you haven't had very many good experiences with family life then."

"What family life?," the young CEO scoffed. After losing first his parents, then his little brother, he had no family left. "That's practically a foreign word to me, Kitsune."

"It would be, wouldn't it, Khaibit?," Nephthys muttered under her breath.

"What was that?." Seto raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh, nothing," she gave her reluctant guest an innocent smile before taking another sip of her wine.

**********

"Where is the new bud?," the little girl asked eagerly. It would be summer soon, and the first roses of the season were something she always looked forward to, even though she could never see them…

Seto took her bandaged arm, and, so she would not prick herself on the rosebush's thorns, gently guided her burnt hand to where the new rosebud was growing... "Here it is, can you feel it?."

Mariasha smiled as she gently fingered the tiny green growth. "Yes!. There will be even more soon!," she answered delightedly. "By summer they'll be blooming, and this whole garden will smell like paradise!."

"Hmm," he nodded. "I have to admit, this is a nice place." As much as Nephthys aggravated him, she did have exceptionally good taste. "Though it's practically a hovel compared to the Kaiba Mansion."

Once again, instead of being offended, Asha chuckled. "Heh! You sure boast allot, don't you?."

At this, Kaiba crossed his arms with a smirk. "Hmmph, I'm not boasting, kid, just stating a fact."

The child sighed and nodded… then she changed the subject… "I'd love to go to Japan and visit your mansion someday."

"Would you now?. Well, that might be a little difficult, kiddo. I don't even know when I'll be able to go back there."

"Well, maybe that means you can stay long enough for the autumn festival!," Asha said cheerfully.

"Hmm, we'll see." He was going to add that he didn't like festivals or parties all that much, and that he doubted he would go, even if he was still here by then, but he bit his lip and stopped himself… Why?. Maybe it was a guilt thing… After all, from what he'd been told, his past self was responsible for the terrible things that had happened to this girl… Or maybe it was because she made him think of Mokuba and himself at her age… They too had been burned, but in a different way…

It was then he felt the small, rough bandaged hand in his… "Don't worry, Seto," the little girl smiled. "When I first got here, Umayma and her parents said they'd take care of me, so now I'll take care of you until it's time for you to go back! Okay?."

As she spoke, the stars began to appear one by one in the darkening desert sky… Soon, the fireflies came out and began darting through the grass and the flower bushes…

A rueful smile played about the young CEO's features… He reached down and gently brushed Asha's bangs away from her sightless, bandaged eyes… "Don't make promises you can't keep, kiddo."

Next

(1) Yes, I decided I'd give those adorable Roba babies a little cameo in my story. Next to Seto and Mokuba, they're my favorite characters in the show!.

(2) Since these stories are intended to explore what might have happened if Mokuba had died by the end of the Duelist Kingdom series, I decided to use little snippets of dialogue and similar situations from Battle City.

(3) "Instigator of confusion", or "Destroyer". In the manga, the priest was called Seto, like his future incarnation, but I prefer Setekh or Set, after the Egyptian God of evil and chaos.

(4) Although this story follows the English dub version of the series, I decided to use the original Japanese name for the Millenium Necklace, the Millenium Torque. Also, I preferred the original name, Malik, to the English dubbed Marik, so that will be used in the story too.

(5) I don't know weather the Millenium Torque can actually send one back thousands of years, like a time machine, but seeing as Isis used it to show Seto visions of his ancient past, I'm assuming that it can, so just bear with me here, okay?.

(6) For those of you who have seen the earlier episodes in the Noah Arc, you may recognize the whole concept with Seto and Mokuba's father taking them to the park and pushing them on the swings.

(7) A wooden practice sword used in Japanese Kenjutsu or Kendo.

(8) The traditional Egyptian motto and greeting, "Life, health, well being".

(9) "Little cat" or "Kitten", Asha's pet name.

(10) "Lady Of The House". According to Egyptian mythology, the sister of Asar/Osiris, Eset/Isis and Set, as well as Set's consort and wife. She also bore Anpu/Anubis, jakel headed underworld gaurdian, with Asar. Her actual Egyptian name was Nebthet, but I prefer the Greek spelling and pronunciation. Oddly enough, her's will be the only name I write in the Greek style. The other names, I'll be using the Egyptian spelling and pronounciation throughout the story.

(11) A blood sucking shadow (Nephthys isn't very nice, is she?)

(12) "Little mother", Asha's nickname for Nephthys.

(13) "Black land", what the Egyptians called Egypt, because of the mud deposited by the annual flooding of the Nile.

(14) Enemies of Egypt until the battle of Kadesh who populated the areas which are now Anatolia, Turkey and northern Syria. I noticed that these people seem to get a pretty bad rep in both the ancient Egyptian and Hebrew texts, so I decided to show them in a more sympathetic and human light through this little blind, burned girl, Mariasha.

(15) From Midian and Caanan, modern day Arabia and Isreal.

(16) Crete and Santorini.

(17) A wanderer.

(18) The fugitive.

(19) For anyone who may be bothered by this, or any other future references to nudity, it was actually quite common in ancient Egypt due to the climate and social system (Most slaves and younger children generally wore very little in the way of clothing)

(20) The main Egyptian Goddess, wife of Asar/Osiris, God of the underworld and afterlife, and mother of Heru/Horus, King of the Gods, more commonly known by her Greek name, Isis.

(21) Sicko or pervert. In actuality, ancient Egyptian women enjoyed more liberties then their ancient Greek, Roman or even Hebrew counterparts. In fact, to a conservative, modern day Japanese businessman like Kaiba, they would be considered quite shameless!.

(22) I just couldn't resist that line from "Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimmaron"!. Hope Dreamworks doesn't mind!.

(23) A calf-length Egyptian kilt.

(24) Black colored eye paint worn by both men and women in ancient Egypt. Usually made from soot or lead and believed to protect the eyes from the harsh sun.

(25) According to the plot of the English TV series, the decisive battle between the Pharaoh and the priest-sorcerer took place around five thousand years ago, which would be about two hundred and eighty three years before 1280 BC, the time historians calculate the events of the Biblical Exodus took place.

(26) Traditional, low-set Japanese table.

(27) Beef was actually very rare and expensive in ancient Egypt. Most often, only the wealthy could afford it.

(28) Because it was grounded by stones, ancient Egyptian bread was often hard and gritty. Today mummies have been discovered with worn down teeth, due to eating it their whole lives.

(29) Beer was actually a common and popular beverage in ancient Egypt, though lumpier, as it was made from mostly bread, grain, water, and sometimes things like spices and dates. it probably tasted somewhat different too.

(30) The Egyptian sun God and main deity

(31) First physician priest.

(32) Ancient Egyptians made their paper from the materials of the papyrus reeds, but most commonly, stone tablets, or pieces of broken pottery were used to write on, as papyrus took a long time to make.

(33) In ancient Egypt the king was considered so important that he was not referred to directly, and instead referred to and addressed as "Per-aa" meaning "Palace" or "Great house". The word Pharaoh comes from the Hebrew language.

(34) The first rung of priesthood.

(35) Interesting fact. It appears from the manga that Isis and Malik's father was not only the holder of the Millenium Eye in his past life in ancient Egypt, but Priest Set's father!. This would make Isis and Malik indivertedly related to Seto!.

(36) "Mother of the Gods", Eset's title.

(37) A fallen Buddhist priest or monk, who has broken his vows and renounced his faith.

(38) I'm not sure if Seto would like "Rurouni Kenshin", or if he even bothers watching anime on TV, but since "Rurouni Kenshin" is one of my favorite animes, I thought I'd put in a little reference to it.

(39) 'Fox', this is also a nod to Megumi Takani from "Rurouni Kenshin", AKA The Fox Lady!. Nephthys is starting to remind me more and more of Megumi as this story progresses!.

(40) If you enjoy the classics, you may notice that this entire scene was something of a nod to "Cleopatra". Eat your heart out, Rex Harrison and Elizabeth Taylor!. LOL!.

(41) I found myself taking rather a liking to the character of Mako Tsunami. An excellent duelist, and an even better sport, I thought he, or at least his past self, should have a little cameo in the story!.

(42) In ancient Egypt, some of the most popular pieces of jewelry were charms shaped like fish, as they were believed to protect one from drowning in the Nile.

(43) From Egypt's dawn to the demise of the Pharaonic culture, the City of the Dead, or Saqqara, was the burial place for the elite living and working in Memphis, one of Egypt's capitals.

(44) In ancient Egypt, most building projects were done during the annual flooding of the Nile, when there was no need for farmers to worry about their soil or crops, so they could be called upon to work.

(45) Another reference to Seto and Mokuba's flashbacks in later episodes of the Noah Arc.

(46) Two popular board games that, unlike the origins of Duel Monsters, really were played by the ancient Egyptians!. Of course, neither of them had anything to do with magic or monsters. And who came up with all that nonsense about the ancient Egyptians playing games for every other reason but fun anyway?. Senet is actually believed to be the ancestor of our modern Backgammon or Ludo.

(47) Egyptian sun goddess, represented in the form of a cat.

(48) Because of the goddess, Bastet, cats were considered to be special, sacred animals in ancient Egypt. It was blasphemy to harm one, or even to insult one!.

(49) According to the teachings of Buddhism, the cat was said to have been the only animal to reject the Buddha's teachings, and therefore was not blessed by him as he died, and left out of the zodiac. Almost the exact opposite from ancient Egyptian beliefs!.

(50) Three cat oriented characters from the animes "Fruits Basket", "Sailor Moon" and "Pokemon", but you probably already knew that!.

(51) This was actually shown in a flashback in the manga!. Poor poor Seto!.