BAAM!! BAAM!! BAAM!! Safiya tried her best to kick the door down but whatever lock Seto had installed kept the door bolted shut. Frustrated, the young woman leaned up against and heaved heavily.
Seto... The coldness in his eyes... I understand now. Before his past self shattered the Puzzle, he made a wish. Just like Atem, he wanted to find me. He was brought back into this life and began to build his own empire... his own kingdom so that he could be Pharaoh of this land. That's your sole wish, isn't it Seto? You want everything Atem had. She reached down inside her pocket and pulled out the blank card. She could not stay in this room. Seto was on his way to take Atem down and without this card, he would not stand a chance against him. Atem...
There was a rustle coming from behind her. The young woman turned around ready to take on whatever trap Seto left behind for her. She waited until a body rolled from behind the door.
"Mokuba?" Safiya said. "What are you doing here? Does Seto know you're here?"
The young boy looked about the room and put his left index finger to his lips.
"No." Mokuba replied. "And I'm getting you out of here."
"Why?"
The young boy paused at the door. Mokuba sensed that she knew he had been listening behind the door without his brother knowing.
"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" He asked with his back still towards her.
Safiya knew what he was doing. Giving her a second chance to change her mind. To give up the idea of being with Atem... of sacrificing her life to save others. The memories she had made with Seto and Mokuba flooded her mind. Those fond times they shared together touched her deeply. Safiya did not want to die. Her real desire was to have a normal, peaceful life and live to see her children grow. By marrying Seto, that desire would be possible. I am afraid. Is it wrong? Is it wrong to want something as simple as life? But...
She breathed in and replied.
"Yes."
The young boy said nothing and opened the door which led into another room. Safiya looked around the room trying to figure out how she was going to escape. She figured going through the front door would not work because Seto posted two of his security men out front. And the window option was out of the question as well. All of a sudden, her eye was caught on Mokuba climbing upon one of the table chairs and removing the silver grill from the air vent. He turned to face her. That was her ticket out.
*
The hotel complex buzzed with excitement as each awaiting duelist swarmed into the building itching to duel one another and have a shot at being crowned world champion. Many of the participants heard Yugi's arrival and began to spread talk of him possibly entering into the tournament himself. Some of the young novelties wanted to meet this legendary duelist who carried the title King of Games.
Meanwhile, Safiya ran down the hallway breathing heavily as she ducked every possible person who might recognize her. Mokuba had guided her away from the room and into the lower levels of the hotel. They agreed to split up. The young boy would find Seto and stay by his side to prevent suspicions. The young woman ran faster. She had to hurry. She had to get to Atem before Kaiba reaches him. The young woman looked down at her watch. Only thirty minutes left before the opening ceremony which was taking place in the main stadium in the center of the property. In order to get there, Safiya had to pass through the main hub of the convention center. She approached the white balcony railing and looked down at the main floor. She let out a disappointing sigh. There was no way she could walk through the main lobby incognito. Every possible news media was covering the event.
The young woman shook her head. There had to be another way. She looked down at her watch again. Time was running out. She turned around and headed back the other way towards the elevator. There, she spotted Yugi at the end of the hallway. Yugi had locked eyes with her. Safiya could feel her heart slamming against her chest.
"Safiya?" He said. "W-What are you doing here?"
The young woman turned her head to the side. She could not tell him the real reason she was here. Her mind quickly raced to think up of an excuse to not give herself and Kaiba away.
"I'm representing Industrial Illusions in Pegasus' stead." She replied with a wryly smile. "He's currently attending other affairs. I heard you are supposed to be giving a speech to open the tournament."
The young boy jumped back in fear.
"Speech?" He gulped. "No one said anything about a speech."
At that moment, Safiya realized Yugi's fear in public speaking. Back at school, one of the teachers called on Yugi to speak in front of the class. Unfortunately, all did not go as well as Yugi had hoped and ended up stuttering nervously and causing much of the class to laugh at him. Safiya observed the young boy's face to see he was reliving that terrible moment. She quickly asset the situation.
"I'm sure you have nothing to worry about, Yugi." She said. "It's probably just gossip."
Yugi sighed.
"I hope you're right."
"You're very lucky." Safiya said with a smile. "There are so many talented duelists who have traveled from all over the world to compete in one of the grandest championships held to date. They would all be thrilled to see the greatest duelist in the world. You are an inspiration to them."
"I'm sure they would be equally happy to see you as well." Yugi commented. "You are the heiress to one of the most popular gaming industries in the world. Not to mention that you are the daughter of Maximillion Pegasus and Kaiba's fiancée."
Safiya shuddered at his words. It felt strange to hear him say the daughter of the great Pegasus when Yugi knew that she was not biologically his. How she badly wanted to tell Yugi who her real father is and the terrible quest which Atem must complete. And Kaiba's fiancée...The young woman came to a serious note.
"There is something I must give you."
Safiya reached into her purse and pulling out the blank Duel Monsters card.
"Is this a gift from Pegasus?" Yugi asked.
"Y-Yes." Safiya replied hesitantly. "He said you'll need it."
Atem appeared beside Yugi.
"Let me talk to her." Atem begged. "Please, Yugi."
"No. I can't turn you loose." Yugi said trying to hold him back. "Did you forget that I have a reputation to keep as the World Champion? To be seen flirting with Kaiba's fiancée would bring about a scandal. Did you ever stop to think about that?"
"Yugi, please. I need---"
"It's always about you!" He shouted. "It's always 'Pharaoh this' and 'Pharaoh that' but does anyone ever stop to think about me? No! I'm just shoved into the background while I wait in your shadow. It's like I have no identity of my own."
Atem stepped back. Identity. It struck him to the very core of his being. For five thousand years Atem has been searching for his own identity and as part of the curse of the Puzzle, ended up taking an existing identity. Never did Atem think himself a thief. He looked at Yugi whose eyes were on the verge of tears.
"Yugi. I'm sorry." The Pharaoh finally said turning to his side. "In the midst of this storm, I did not stop to consider your feelings. If this is how you feel, then I will obey your wishes. I will banish Safiya from the deepest corners of my mind. I will not allow my selfish actions to interfere with your well-being and safety."
Yugi heard the hurt in his voice. Atem was torn.
"Pharaoh, please." Yugi murmured realizing what he had done. "I-I'm sorry. I guess I'm jealous of you."
The young man slowly turned around.
"W-What?"
"Just for a moment, it seemed like everyone had forgotten about me." Yugi replied sheepishly. "Sure, the Puzzle granted me the power to gain new friends thanks to you but I ended up depending on you so much that I took advantage of you, thus losing myself. Perhaps the one who has been being selfish is me. I guess I was keeping you at bay was because if you do learn your past, you will one day have to return to your resting place and I'll never see you again. To be honest, I don't want you to go. But I made a promise to you to help you and I will." He paused. "And I should be more sensitive to your feelings. What I said was out of anger, jealousy and frustration and for that I am truly sorry."
Atem looked at his friend then turned his head to the side.
"Yugi... I appreciate your honesty and accept your apologies. Know that I don't want to upset you again." Atem said. "If you don't want me to see Safiya, I will honor your wish."
The young boy gave a little chuckle.
"You're lying. I know you like you were my own brother." He said. "Even now, I can feel what you're thinking. I can feel your heart aching to be next to her. Believe me, I know the feeling." He paused a bit again. "Why do you want to talk to her so badly?"
"She's not telling the truth."
"How can you tell?"
"Because I know her." Atem replied with assured steadfastness.
Yugi thought for a moment. He knew Atem was telling the truth and still wanted to desperately talk to her. He looked back up into his purple-magenta eyes. The young boy nearly gasped. He had never seen Atem like this. The Pharaoh waited anxiously for Yugi's reply.
"If I turn you loose, will you promise me that you will restrain yourself?"
Atem nodded again.
"You have my word."
Safiya turned towards the exit near the lobby entrance. She adjusted her clothing before making a step.
"I'm assuming this card must have a special purpose for being created." Came a deep voice from behind her.
The robust tenderness of his baritone voice sent shivers down her spines and stopped her in her tracks. The very voice which made her weak in the knees and sending her heart into orbit. Safiya swallowed before she answered.
"Y-Yes. He expressed the greatest urgency of that card being in your deck and your deck alone." She replied.
"And I must use this card to duel... against him?"
Safiya shuddered at his words. If only he knew who the real sinister evil is. She thought to herself. The young woman could sense the power of the Millennium Puzzle. She could clearly see the twisted maze which reflected the Pharaoh's mind and heart. The same way her mind felt when she was searching for herself. Somewhere in the corridors of the complex maze lay the Spirit of the Millennium Ring waiting in the darkest shadows. So, it's true. If I reveal his true name, Zorc will be resurrected... However, Atem would be free and his spirit would finally rest. He would be himself.
"Just know this card will help you." She finally said. "When the time comes, it's true form will reveal itself to you. Only you can properly wield this card's magic."
Atem looked at the blank card then back at the young woman who averted his gaze.
I know you're hiding something from me, Safiya. Is it something you can't tell me? Safiya looked back. Their eyes locked. I can see it in your eyes. What is preventing you from telling me the truth? Is it Kaiba? No... It's someone else.
"Kaiba is known for sparing no expense." He said as his eyes beheld the silver ring her left hand. "He must truly love you."
"Yes..."
"Are you going to go through with it?" He suddenly asked.
"I-I..."
Atem stepped forward. He could feel his heart leading him.
"Safiya, you..." But then realized he was about to break his promise to Yugi. How he wanted to take her into his arms, caress her cheeks and take her far away from Kaiba. She pressed her lips together out of frustration. How he wanted to kiss those tender sweet lips again. Yet he realized something more pressing was at hand. "He's here, isn't he?"
The question made the young woman nearly give herself away. From the look in his eyes, Safiya knew that Atem had figured it out. Calmly, she regained her ground and responded.
"Just be ready." She replied. "The card I gave you will guide you." The young woman turned on her heels facing the direction of the lobby. Her left thumb twiddled with the silver ring. "I must fulfill my destiny as you must do the same."
Before Atem could get another word out or try to ran after her, Safiya had ran from him and disappeared into the vast crowd in the lobby. He felt his heart twist in pain. Sadly, Atem returned to the Puzzle switching places with Yugi. The young boy now held the card in his hand.
"I don't understand. She didn't even say if this was a monster, spell or trap card." Yugi said to Atem. "I don't plan on dueling anyone."
"Safiya did not come here alone as she tried to lead on." Atem said with his hand folded across his chest. "Kaiba is here. He will challenge us." And this card might hold the key to defeating Kaiba's deck designed specifically to take us down. Safiya, please lend me your strength. Let me see the truth.
*
Yugi nervously approached the podium. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. This proved to be a challenging feat. Yugi would rather duel someone or stand next to Téa than give a public speech. The crowd continued to cheer for him as he awkwardly inched closer to the podium his cheeks flushed with a shade of red. The young man clutched the chains of the Puzzle around his neck. Yugi looked back at his friend and nodded. He could do this.
"Welcome to the Duel Monsters World Championship!" Yugi began. He waited a couple of seconds before opening his mouth. As he looked about, the young man could see the vast majority of interesting faces staring back at him. He was about to panic again when Atem gave him a thumbs up. Yugi looked back at the crowd again to see their smiles. This gave him the confidence he needed to continue. "There are lots of really talented duelists here and I'm excited to be a part of this phenomenal event! All of you who qualified for this year's world championships should be really proud of yourselves. It's not easy to get here. You've all achieved an incredible feat. You're the best duelists in the entire world!"
The crowd cheered loudly. This was going to be the one of the most exciting tournaments the young boy had ever witness.
"A tournament of the best duelists in the world." Or so he thought. Yugi froze. He only knew one person with that strong voice and a sarcastic undertone. Towards the middle of the crowd, a large portion had parted away from one individual who stood out with his famed long newly pressed white trench coat a long black sleeve shirt, pants and combat boots adorned with strappings and silver arm braces. "I knew I'd find you here, Yugi."
Yugi's voice nervously cracked in the mic.
"Oh... hey Kaiba."
"No way!" cried one of the young duelists. "It's Seto Kaiba!"
"The second greatest duelist in the world!" Another one cried. "I wonder why he's here?"
The young man glared at him. That comment ticked Kaiba off just a bit. Yugi knew he was not here for a friendly conversation. And judging from the look on his face, Kaiba was in no mood of small talk. Yugi had to think of something to say before the crowd sensed his nervousness.
"Are you here to see the finals of the world championship?" The young boy asked with a smile.
"Please," Kaiba replied with his arms folded across his broad chest. "I don't care how highly ranked these duelists are. I'm not here for them," He paused. "I'm here for you, Yugi."
Yugi was a bit confused but on his guard. Atem apparition appeared beside him. He could sense what this was about.
"You're here for me?" Yugi asked pointing himself sheepishly. "But why?"
"Because we're going to duel, Yugi." Kaiba said. "You've defeated me before and I want a rematch." He turned to the crowd and cried out to them. "By winning here and now, I will prove to everyone that I am the superior duelist!"
The crowd went wild.
"Yea!" Mokuba shouted from the sidelines. "You tell 'em, big brother!"
"Seto Kaiba dueling Yugi Muto!" Cried one of the duelists. "How awesome would that be?"
"Awe man, this I gotta see!"
"I heard Yugi is the undefeated champion with an unbeatable deck." Another duelist said. "I wonder how Kaiba is going take him down? Maybe he's got new cards? Or he's acquired a new technique!"
The young man laughed.
"That's right." He revealed his new state of the art hi-tech digital duel disk causing the crowd to marvel at his new creation. "I've adjusted my deck and my strategies to take you down. This time, I won't be defeated." Kaiba pointed to his chosen opponent. "Duel me now, Yugi!" A beat. "Or admit you're a coward."
The crowd rustled in anticipation. Behind the scenes, Safiya watched the series of events unfold. How insensitive of Seto! She glanced over at the young boy and sensed the Pharaoh was watching all of this take place. She knew he would never back down from a challenge, especially from Kaiba. It's been their eternal dance since they met back in ancient times and it would continue until the very end of their lives. Safiya returned her gaze to Kaiba who was waiting with a slight smirk on his face. Yugi slowly stepped away from the podium. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his deck and placed it in his duel disk.
"Well, Kaiba." Yugi began as he calmly walked down the steps from the stage towards his challenger causing the crowd to part. "If you wanna duel," A beat. "You've got a duel!"
His Millennium Puzzle began to glow causing the Eye of Anubis to appear on his forehead. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around his shoulders.
"Be careful what you wish for, Kaiba." Came the deep strong voice of the Pharaoh. When the light of the Puzzle faded, the King of Games himself stood in front of the cocky young man. "I won't be defeated easily."
The smirk on Kaiba's face only deepened. He was pleased.
"Hm. I'm counting on it."
Yugi's apparition appeared beside Atem.
"Yugi."
"I'm not sure if we should go through with this." Yugi said concern lacing the tone of his voice. "I don't think Kaiba's here for a friendly duel. Sure, it's the same old 'I want to be number one' bit and I know we can pretty much guess his strategy. No doubt, he'll be counting on his Blue Eyes White Dragon to win but I have a feeling he wants something else besides the god cards."
"He's after me, Yugi." Atem replied softly.
The young man understood.
"No, he's after Safiya." He murmured. "It would explain why she gave us that blank card to help us defeat him and to help you get one step closer to gaining your memories."
"You are partially right." The Pharaoh said. "Look at Kaiba's eyes. He knows about Safiya and myself. Not only is the fate of the world at stake but our hearts are as well. Whoever wins this duel, will fairly win Safiya's heart."
Yugi protested.
"It doesn't seem right for you to take someone else's fiancée. She has a life with him and for that to be uprooted because of the past is just wrong." Yugi said.
Atem could not withhold his emotions any longer.
"I know you can sense in my heart that her being with Kaiba is not right and that the world will be in peril if we don't win this duel. My Safiya leads with her heart. She was the one who taught me to follow my heart. And my heart is telling me to trust in her power and the card she gave us which will give us the strength to defeat Kaiba. I know it will bring me one step closer to my destiny."
He paused and looked back at his friend. Yugi could see there was a different look in the Pharaoh's eyes. Yugi felt a twinge at his heart. He had never seen Atem like this.
"You... really care about her, don't you?"
Atem looked into Yugi's face.
"I love her, Yugi."
Yugi heard the depth in his voice. He was in love with her and would do everything in his power to protect Safiya and everyone else he cared about. It seemed Joey was right. Yugi nodded.
"I understand. I never thought I would ever see this side of you." Yugi said. "You and I are the same. You know I love my grandpa with all my heart and I would risk everything to make sure he was safe. He makes me happy and fills me with a love that protects me. It's the same feeling you have for Safiya and I can see now that you two share a special kind of love that has protected both of you over time. And it's that love that will make everything clear."
Atem could feel the tears coming on the verge of his eyes.
"Yugi."
"You're a friend and brother to me, Pharaoh. And I couldn't have asked for anyone else. I will stand by your side no matter what. And remember that you have the support of Joey, Tristan, Téa and the others. We have all grown to love Safiya over the time she has spent with us. And we would like nothing better than the two of you to be happy. We all love you. Let's do this!"
Atem's duel disk shifted in playing mode along with Kaiba's. They each drew their respected six cards as the crowd around them began to cheer for the legendary match of the world. Atem raised his hand to the sky and declared,
"It's time to duel!"
*
The group of young elite duelist could not believe it. Kaiba and Atem were each able to summon their favorite monster to the field: The Blue Eyes White Dragon and the Dark Magician in their many varied forms. Of course, they were each defeated by one another. After a lengthy battle of unbelievable combinations, special summoning's and perfectly timing spells and trap cards, Kaiba managed to gain the upper hand. He stole one of the Pharaoh's god cards from his deck, the mighty Obelisk the Tormentor, and summoned it the field. Atem quickly countered with his other god card, Slifer the Sky Dragon. Even though both of these incredible gods were powerful, it was Obelisk who proved to be the superior beast. The great warrior roared as Kaiba activated its special ability by tributing his two mighty Blue Eyes for Obelisk's attack to reach infinite. Kaiba laughed. He was about to taste victory at last!
"It's over, Yugi!"
With Obelisk's launched infinite attack, Slifer was no match for the impending on slaughter as well as Atem's life points. However, Atem maintain his cool. It appeared Kaiba forgot about his facedown card.
"It's not over yet, Kaiba." Atem said as his eyes narrowed towards his opponent. Kaiba flinched. "I activate my trap card, Zero Gravity!"
The surprise trap did not phase Kaiba one bit and Obelisk continued his attack. However, Slifer was able to guard Atem's life points and his only defense was gone. The dust cleared. Atem looked up to see the mighty beast standing over Kaiba. The scoreboard stood with Atem at 1800 life points and Kaiba at 600 life point. Kaiba laughed with confidence.
"I end my turn and Obelisk's attack points return to 4000. You're defenseless against my Egyptian god card, Yugi!" He pointed to his opponent's empty field. "Without a god card to defend you, my Obelisk will whip out what's left of your life points on my next turn." He clenched his fist freed right hand signifying his enviable victory. "I am about to prove to everyone, once and for all, that I am the stronger duelist!"
The Pharaoh dropped his playing hand to his side. He had tried everything in his power to prevent Kaiba from gaining his Egyptian god card but failed. His gaze traveled up to the giant beast glowering at him with his piercing blood red eyes. On Kaiba's next turn, the Pharaoh would lose everything.
Yes, Yugi. Stare into the face of defeat. You put up a good fight but this time, you were no match for me. He looked up into the large jumbo television screens. He'd orchestrated this whole parade for Safiya to watch. Back at the suite, Kaiba envisioned his fiancée glued to the screen wandering if Yugi could turn the whole duel around. At this point, it would only take a miracle to win. He had him backed into a corner, trapped. Kaiba tightly held his fists together. He could taste the sweetness of his victory upon his lips. Karina, now do you see? All the talk about magic and having connections to the past has nothing to do with the future. Yugi's faith in the past has put him in this situation. Once I defeat him, you will see that I truly deserve you and I will finally be number one.
"He has a point." Atem looked back at his empty field and at his hand. "I have nothing left on my field and none of the cards in my hand can beat and Egyptian god card."
Safiya, who had been watching behind the scenes, moved up against the wall and heaved a dreaded sigh. Atem needed to draw that card. Was this really the end? Would Kaiba finally succeed in defeating him?
"We can still win this, Pharaoh." Yugi said gently placing his hand upon his best friend's shoulder. "It may not be easy but if we take a chance and believe, in the Heart of the Cards, I'm sure we can win this."
Atem looked over at Yugi and smiled.
"You're right, Yugi! We must never give up!" He closed his eyes and place his hand over his deck to draw his next card. Heart of the Cards, guide me! "I draw!" He could feel the strength of a great power in his hand. Atem looked at the card. Safiya. It was exactly what he needed to turn this match around. "I activate my spell card, The True Name!"
The card appeared face up on the field. This move caused great confusion towards Kaiba and the onlooking crowd.
"The True Name? What in the world is that?"
"This card lets me predict the name of a card on the top of my deck. If I'm wrong, the top card of my deck is sent to the Graveyard and with nothing left to defend me against your Obelisk, I will lose this duel. But if I'm right, about which card is at the top of my deck, the named card is added to my hand and I get to add a Divine Monster from my deck to my hand."
Instantly realizing there was one powerful card left in Atem's deck that could defeat him, Kaiba began to lose his composure.
"D-Divine Monster?" He said as he stepped backwards in disbelief. He had greatly miscalculated. "B-But that means...!"
"The card I name is Monster Reborn!" Atem shouted confidently.
The crowd waited to see if Atem had guessed correctly. Kaiba scoffed confident that his arch-rival had made his final move. There was no way he could pull this off.
"You're going to gamble the outcome of this duel on one single guess?" Kaiba asked.
Atem placed his hand on his deck. The same power returned to him as he pulled out one single card. This was it. The anticipation brought everyone on edge of their seats. Atem looked directly into Kaiba's eyes. Kaiba could feel the knot in his stomach turning.
"I reveal the top card of my deck." He turned the card around to show his opponent. Kaiba's eyes widened in terror. "MONSTER REBORN!!!"
"NO WAY!!!" Yugi created a miracle!
The crowd jumped to their feet, stunted by the outcome of this lucky draw and erupted in a massive deafening cheer. Kaiba could not believe it. With the card in his hand, Atem was able to complete his last strategy. He summoned the necessary monsters to the field and paid tribute to call forth the all-powerful Winged Dragon of Ra. With 9999 attack points and only 1 life point remaining, Kaiba was easily defeated ending the duel. The whole arena interrupted in a thunderous cheer. Every duelist and spectator could not believe what they had witnessed. The Pharaoh still held the undisputed title King of Games. Atem approached his opponent at the opposite end of the field.
"I was so close." Kaiba muttered. "There was no way. I had the perfect strategy and you beat it... again."
"It was a tough battle, Kaiba. No matter how many times I duel against you, you always seem to bring out the best in me. I would never be where I am today without your help."
"Shut-up, Yugi!" Kaiba snapped at him. "I don't want to hear your long-winded friendship-destiny speech. What I'd like to know is how did you get your hands on that card? I know your deck as well as my own and I have never even heard of it."
Atem held up the card towards himself.
"Someone very precious gave this to me. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have won this duel."
Kaiba's eyes widened. He knew whom he was talking about. He whirled around and looking into the vast crowd. He spotted Mokuba coming towards him.
"Seto,"
He knew.
"Where is she?" He growled narrowing his eyes at his little brother with a low and dangerous voice. Mokuba looked down at his shoes with a few tears coming from his eyes. Kaiba could sense his little brother's guilt. A thought struck him. "You didn't..."
Mokuba clenched his fists and turned the other way. Kaiba nearly lost his temper and was about to manhandle his little brother but then realized the real situation was back at the room. Kaiba dashed from the dueling field and entered back into the lobby. He jetted up the stairs, his breath heavy with each foot step. He opened the door from the stairway and ran around two corners before reaching his room at the end of the hallway. The two guards that were standing out front were gone. The young man pulled out the other card key and entered it into the secured door. When the green light indicate he was granted access, Kaiba pushed the door open with his foot. His blue eyes frantically scanned the room. The only sound he heard was the murmur of the T.V. and the hum of the air condition. Something gleamed out of the corner of his right eye. Kaiba saw the opened ring box sitting on a nearby table next to the sofa. Not long after, Mokuba and Atem reached the room. They saw Kaiba standing in the middle of the living room with the velvet ring box in his hand.
"I'm sorry." Mokuba finally said.
Kaiba gritted his teeth and snarled as he slammed his fist against the wall.
"Dammit! It's happened again!" He shouted. "I lost...! I lost the woman I love to him! Why?!"
Suddenly, memories of his past began to flash before his eyes. He could clearly see them in Egypt once again but this time he saw her standing with the Pharaoh.
All I wanted was to have a happy life. To have everything I wanted... including you. I wished to have you...but in the end... He saw the young woman standing by Atem's side fighting against the great shadow before them. In the end, you choose him... even in this life...
"My Pharaoh." Came a woman's voice. "Seto."
Atem and Kaiba both recognized it.
"Safiya, where are you?" Seto demanded.
Safiya appeared before them.
"Safiya, what's going on? Why are you...?" Atem asked trying to make sense of what was going on.
"When you played the True Name, it broke the seal and I was able to unleash my powers once again to help you defeat Kaiba, grant you the key to unlocking the mysteries of your past and to defeat the approaching darkness. Yet the use of this extreme magic, it came... with a price."
"Are you saying...?" His mind was racing. Something like this has happened before. He could see Safiya standing at his side fighting to protect his kingdom. "No...Safiya...!" I'm so close to remembering. I can clearly see you, my Beloved.
The young woman fought back her tears but could not hold them in any longer.
"My time is up."
Kaiba stepped forward.
"How could you—How could you do this to Mokuba...to me...?"
Safiya stepped towards him.
"Seto, before I recovered my shattered memories, I genuinely fell in love with you. That's why it was difficult for me to make the decision to marry you. I knew it would not have been right for the both of us. This has been my fate since my birth."
"In the end, you still chose him over me. Everything has been taken away from me. What's the use of living if I cannot be number one? What is left in this world for me?"
Safiya could see the young priest trembling before her the way he did when they first met at the palace. The depth of his loneliness from his past transferred over into this life. His only way of escaping the past was to build his own kingdom. Safiya could feel the sting in her heart. Her love for Kaiba was true but different than what she felt for Atem.
"Seto," She said as she kissed him gently on the lips. "You love something more than me. Can you not see it?"
Kaiba looked down at his little brother who was now fully in tears.
"Mokuba."
"You have a strong love for your brother but also for those who are less fortunate." Safiya said. "I know you want to forget your childhood nightmares but believe me, you are not Gozaburo. Inside of you is an unbeatable light that has guided you in the right direction. You may have thought it lost because of your stepfather, but it has protected you. You are Seto and always will be to Mokuba, to Yugi and his friends and to me. Remember to always trust in that light and use it to build a bright future for all."
A woman with long bluish-white hair and stunning blue eyes and him in his priest form standing next to Pharaoh Atem appeared before his mind's eye. Kaiba stood astonished. His expression shocked the young woman. He did not argue with his usual reply. Somehow what she said was right. Kaiba willingly accepted it. Safiya turned towards the Pharaoh. Now the tears began to come with full force.
"Safiya." Atem murmured.
"You have a treacherous journey ahead of you, my king." She said. "Once your mind is unlocked, you will begin the final steps to fulfilling your destiny. You will struggle but you must stay true to yourself and not lose yourself to the darkness. Allow the light of love and kindness to guide you and continue to remain strong, steadfast and brave."
"You're slipping away from me." Atem said trying to fight back his own tears.
"When things seem dark, trust in that light and it will reveal all the answers you seek. You have the support of Yugi and his friends behind you. Never forget that you are not alone. You will remember everything, my love. I believe in you." She said with a smile. "Remember there is power in your name."
Visions of Atem's past flashed before his eyes. First, the three Egyptian god cards floated before him. Then, he saw himself as the king of Egypt ruling over his people along with six figures standing beside him. At the end, he could see Safiya and him very clearly sitting together in each other's arms at the lily pool in his mother's garden.
"What's this...?" He said touching his forehead. "I feel as though I am on the verge of remembering... Safiya, my love, please... I just found you. Don't leave me!"
Safiya touched his cheek and looked into his sad magenta-purple eyes. It is the will of Isis. I don't want go but I must leave. She could feel she was losing contact with the living world. The Pharaoh quickly pulled her into an embrace. She held him tightly. Please Isis, allow me one last wish... Safiya did not want Atem to let her go. She nuzzled her cheek against the side of his neck while the Pharaoh buried his face in her lushes black hair. She then titled her head upwards and whispered in his ear.
"I'll be waiting for you on the other side. I love you..."
Atem.
She kissed him. Atem did not hold back. He allowed himself to fall into the endless depths of his passion. Safiya encircled her arms around his neck as Atem pressed her closer to him. He was not going to let her go but she was fading. His hand gently cupped the back of her head. The young woman wept. If only she could tell him everything... Soon, she disappeared to the afterlife. Atem was left standing with tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Safiya."
Mokuba looked back his elder brother only to see Kaiba was trying to hid his tears. Yugi's apparition appeared beside him.
"Pharaoh?"
"She's gone, Yugi."
"You will see her again." Yugi said with a smile. "We must go through the next and final trial together. Let's use the strength Safiya gave us to unlock the mysterious of your past and save the world."
Atem wiped the remainder of his tears and smiled.
"Yes."
Thank you, Safiya. I will see you on the other side, my love.