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Welcome to the recesses of my mind, where the Yu-Gi-Oh story NEVER ends. Welcome to my Yu-Gi-Oh saga :)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh! All credit goes to Kazuki Takahashi.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Return of the Pharaoh

Prologue: A New Threat

The night was dark. The night was young. People strolled throughout the city, never alone, for they were advised to always travel with an escort. It was for their protection, and since the advisors were also their protectors, this rule was never broken. If they followed this one simple rule, they could continue living life normally. This fact was strongly supported whenever the citizens of the city looked up to the star-filled sky and saw the hazy electric-blue aura that outlined the city's impenetrable barrier…

On the city's outskirts, a magnificent tower loomed over the city, a well-acclaimed symbol for hope and safety. The beautiful tower, built 500 years before but still standing tall, was magnificent. The material it was built of made it glow brilliantly, giving off a crystallized bluish color. The locals always marveled at this strange occurrence, but the creators of the tower never revealed the name of the mysterious material. The tower climbed forever into the sky, seeming to never end. But it is not the building that the people loved and adored, but those occupying it…

Deep within the core of the daunting tower, the occupants were all gathered into a large conference room, the heart of the building.

"The time has come…" The man, seemingly in his late thirties, spoke to the others in the room. "We have protected this city for 500 years, despite the huge possibility of the humans revolting against us."

"Yes, but thankfully the citizens of Neo Domino City welcomed our help, despite what we are, Nubaru," a young woman, seemingly in her mid-twenties, replied.

"Yes…" Nubaru murmured, his brow slightly furrowing. "We are thankful, Estena, for the humans' kindness, but due to the great evil that they were oblivious to, we had no choice but to reveal ourselves." Nubaru looked at her, as well as the two others in the council, and they solemnly nodded their heads in agreement.

Turning to look at the individual in the middle of the room, he examined the young lady down on one knee, her head bowed, and the only individual in the room that was not a part of the council. Turning his attention back to its members, Nubaru continued the speech he hoped to never deliver.

"My dear council members, we have fought this great evil for as long as we were able, but because of resources we cannot obtain in this millennium, we shall not be able to hold it off much longer." Pausing to look at the young lady again, still in her bowing stance, he added, "So I believe now is the time to call for… an ancient ally, so to speak."

Estena turned her eyes to Nubaru, surprise but understanding etched across her delicate features. "Yes… but do you believe she is ready?" All members turned to face her, appraising her strength and experience.

"Yes," Nubaru firmly replied. "She's been ready for a long time- she just needed to learn the latest skills. But her destiny in this lifetime has finally come upon us, so the fate of Neo Domino City now rests with her."

Mentioning her fate, Nubaru glanced yet again at the young lady. Knowing that she was the most powerful of their kind, Nubaru suddenly didn't feel that she should be on her knees.

"Arise, young Sorceress. You have more power than the four of us combined, and you are only forced to bow because we are your superiors in this lifetime; we should actually be the ones bowing."

Following orders, the sorceress slowly began to rise until she was standing erect. However, she kept her head bowed slightly, showing her respect. Her long silver hair cascaded about her, stopping just above her lower back. Her silver bangs caressed her forehead, hiding the mysterious eyes that the sorceress owned.

Pleased, Nubaru turned to Estena. "We have discussed what she must do, so explain to her what her duties are."

Nodding slightly, she approached the sorceress. Nubaru dismissed the two voiceless council members, and they quickly disappeared. Apparently, they have no say when it comes to the young sorceress.

"Now Sorceress, you have been with us since your arrival in this world, and we have taught you everything that you needed to know for this millennium. You have an immeasurable depth of knowledge about past millennia, as well, but that still isn't enough to stop this evil."

Stopping momentarily, she placed a hand onto the sorceress' shoulder. Estena watched in awe as the young girl's immense power released a static aura around her, causing her to glow a startling electric-blue.

"So your mission in this life," Estena continued, "is to travel back to the 21st century. From there you will visit the site in Egypt where the nameless Pharaoh crossed over to his final resting place. Afterwards, you will do whatever it takes to get him to agree to helping us."

The sorceress raised a perfectly arched eyebrow, the first physical sign she showed to her own personal thoughts.

"Yes, I know. It is puzzling why we need help from an Egyptian Pharaoh, but I'm sure you have knowledge of his accomplishments."

The sorceress nodded silently at Estena, recalling quite well what she learned of the Not-So-Nameless-Pharaoh. She knew that Pharaoh Atem was the great Egyptian Hero that protected the world from the destructive rule of Zorc Necrophades- twice.

"I thought so. Pharaoh Atem is the missing link that will help us destroy this relenting evil. He plays a major role in helping you defeat it," Estena finished.

The sorceress nodded once more, understanding the fate that she has been awaiting.

The time has come…

"One more thing, my dear Sorceress." Estena turned from her and with a wave of her hand, a vision of a group of human kids lit up the dark conference room.

"There," pointing to the vision, "is the key to the Pharaoh's trust. Befriend them, and there is no way he will refuse." Pointing to a certain human male in the group, Estena added, "This is Yugi Motou. Focus on him the most, because not only is he Pharaoh Atem's reincarnation, he also shared a soul with him, and Yugi is the reason that the Pharaoh defeated Zorc for the second and final time."

The sorceress studied the face and features of the boy. Within a half-second, she had everything memorized: his school uniform; his choke collar; his big lavender eyes; his strange but exotic hairstyle. She admired the five bold points that were nestled on top of his head, black but outlined in a deep red. His blonde bangs finished off his bizarre hair, adding an edgy look to it. However, what puzzled her was the fact that the edgy look was somehow softened… but by what? It may be those eyes, those set in a matured face, that still retained a child-like gleam. After scrutinizing his friends for another half-second, the young sorceress redirected her gaze to Estena.

Sensing she was done, Estena continued. "From what I've told you, I'm quite certain you understand how important Yugi Motou is. That is why he will be your first objective. Gain his trust, and then gain the trust of the other three: Joey Wheeler, Tristan Taylor, and Téa Gardner. Once that is accomplished, you will visit Pharaoh Atem in the afterlife and free him. And no matter how long it takes, do whatever that is needed to complete your mission. We, of course, shall be here if you are in any need of help." Off to the side, Nubaru nodded in agreement.

"Do you understand what is needed of you, young Sorceress?"

The sorceress turned her gaze sharply onto Estena, and Estena felt the full impact of her stare. Those mysterious eyes… the silver bangs swept away and revealed their electric-blue pupils- matching the aura surrounding her.

"Yes," she replied, the first word she's uttered since the meeting began.

"Good," Estena said, quickly recovering and returning to the vision still burning brightly in the room. With another wave of her hand, the vision vanished and in its place a dark, infinite vortex appeared.

"This is a portal to 21st century Domino City. Now since this is the 25th century, their mannerisms will be quite different. So quickly run over their 'lingo' and adapt quickly. One more thing," Estena paused, giving an address to the sorceress, "This is the address of the sorcerers living in that period of time. You shall lodge with them and they will provide you with any extended information that you shall need on the 21st century."

The sorceress nodded, the address already added to her infinite pit of knowledge.

"You shall begin your mission immediately. Earning the trust of the Pharaoh and his friends is the only way we can finally get the answers we've been searching for since you've arrived. If that is all…" Estena stole a glance at Nubaru, "…then you may enter the portal."

"One moment." After running across the room, a blur of black-and-blue, Nubaru planted himself in front of the young sorceress and placed his hands on both of her shoulders. "Your success on this mission determines the fate of Neo Domino City. But because of who you are, we have no doubt that you will succeed. Good luck."

"Thank you," she softly replied before turning to enter the portal.

The time has come…

A/N: This is a re-write of my original prologue. I didn't change much, but I did switch up a few things. The setting of the future is Neo Domino City, not to be confused with the Japanese 5D's Neo Domino City. Like I stated on my profile, I build my fics based off of the English adaptation (but don't worry, no needless editing here haha). Basically, the city is first known as Domino City (original and GX), then New Domino City (5D's- English), and now Neo Domino City (YGORoTP).

This story has a slow start, but plot and character development were needed before I could get down to the nitty-gritty. Please don't let this prologue discourage you from reading. It really does get more interesting.

Let me know your thoughts! Shoot me a message or chat with me on Facebook or Twitter! I love hearing what my readers have to say! And if you love this story, don't forget to share it in your YGO community! (^_^)

Written with Love,

~AtemsDestinee