His life points drop down to zero. The room falls silent and the emotions are high. After what seemed like forever, it has finally happened. There were duels that had high stakes, including saving the world and fulfilling a certain someone's destiny. There were enemies and those who sought to harm the innocent. But in the midst of that, strong bonds were formed. And one in particular, involving a certain pharaoh and teenager is about to come to an end.
The younger boy falls to his knees as tears stream down his face. He did it. He won against the pharaoh. But that would also mean that the pharaoh would return to the afterlife and no longer exist in this world. It was something Yugi and everyone else knew was coming. Nevertheless, every single individual in the room grapples with their own feelings, attempting to engrave every single memory into their mind before Atem transitions to the afterlife.
"Winners shouldn't be on their knees," Atem says as he approaches Yugi and crouches down to him. "Stand up."
"But.." Yugi whimpers, not able to look the pharaoh in the eyes as the tears continue to pour out. "I-I'm too weak. I've always wanted to be strong like you but—"
"You are not weak," Atem places a hand on his shoulder. "You've always had a power that no one else could beat. That is the strength of kindness. And not only that…but you showed great courage when you accepted this Battle Ceremony. I know it was not easy."
"Atem…"
The pharaoh stands up and reaches his hand out to Yugi's, helping his partner stand up as well. On the hieroglyphic engraved door, the large Eye of Wdjat begins to glow.
"What's it doing?" Joey asks with Téa, Tristan and Grandpa Mutou standing by him.
"It is the Eye of Wdjat. It guards the door to the afterlife," Grandpa explains. "And since the duel has concluded, it is probably about to welcome the pharaoh back to the afterlife."
"No…" Téa cries, turning her head away with her eyes closed, not wanting to come to grips with the fact that he is leaving them for good. Even if the pharaoh inhabited the body of Yugi, they all still consider him their friend. And she can't help but think that this all isn't fair. Does he really have to leave?
"This sucks…" Tristan says, wiping away tears of his own. "Why does he have to go? Why can't he—"
"It's something that we have to accept, no matter how hard it may be," Joey says, remaining strong even as his eyes are watery. "Cherish the memories we made and never forget them."
Atem turns his head to the Eye of Wdjat. All he'll need to say is his name and the doors to the afterlife will open. Looking down to the stone slab that contains all of the Millennium Items, he squats down in front of it, his gaze directly on the Millennium Puzzle.
"Atem?" Yugi walks up next to him. "Are you alright?"
Atem places his hand on the puzzle with a look of concentration and determination. "There's one more thing I have to do before I walk through those doors," he says, hoping that he will be able to activate the puzzle one last time. He closes his eyes, saying a prayer within his head.
The room around him suddenly becomes empty as he interacts with the gods. Though no one else is there, he can feel their presence around him in the dark room he is in.
"Your destiny has been fulfilled and you may now join your friends and loved ones in the afterlife," a voice echoes.
"I thank you," Atem says nodding. "But there is a promise that I made with a certain someone and I must keep it."
"The one known as Cairo must remain prisoner of the Shadow Realm for all eternity."
Atem gets down to one knee, bowing his head. "I mean no disrespect in questioning you…but hasn't she suffered enough? Hasn't she shown herself not to be evil? She even did as you asked—bringing back the escaped souls to the shadows," Atem pleads his case. He can feel his body shaking anxiously, wondering what the gods will decide. But he continues in hopes that they will change their minds.
"The real Cairo is kind, brave and selfless. She would put her life on the line for others without question. Someone who is truly evil wouldn't do such a thing," he goes on. "So please…I beg of you…release her soul so that she can finally rest."
He doesn't get a response from the gods and he begins to feel defeated and even more desperate than before. There's no way that he will forgive himself knowing that he let Cairo down. "I am a man of my word and I can't just leave her there while my soul transitions."
He shuts his eyes and slightly raises his voice. "If I have to get her myself, then I will if I am allowed to do so!"
On cue, the Millennium Puzzle begins to glow and so does the Eye of Wdjat on his forehead.
From the outside, Yugi and the others witness the symbol appear on Atem's forehead as well. Putting two and two together, Yugi nods knowingly as Atem appears to be in a trancelike state.
"Good luck, Atem…"
YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO
The ground is cold as it always has been. But she has never been on the ground for this long. Laying on her side, she stares at nothing but the ground beneath her. She partially sees her arm, which has a bunch of scratches. Without looking at the rest of her body, she can feel the multiple injuries she has been inflicted with.
She was able to get away from the angry souls for a minute. But she knows that this moment of peace will not last long. They sensed her fragility, her exhaustion and her weakness in contrast to her regular stoic and stern behavior, leaving the perfect opening.
Going to the world of the living did something to her. It gave her something that she hadn't had in centuries.
Hope.
He promised her he would get her out. The way he said it made her feel that he would fulfill that promise without a doubt. But time in the Shadow Realm, no matter how brief, can seem like years have passed. Doubts had begun to arise in her mind and soon, she found herself wanting to give up.
There's no way after all these years the gods would change their minds.
And the more time she had alone, the more the doubts and negative thoughts grew.
An image of her father, dressed in his modern day clothing consisting of a high school uniform, flashes through her mind. Then it comes to her.
"What are you doing…?" she asks herself as she continues to lie there motionless. "Dad would want you to keep fighting. So…get up." As the laughter of the evil souls draw near, she uses her palms and her knees to hitch herself up, breathing a heavy sigh before chuckling lightly. "I have lost count as to how many rounds this is."
The shadows had grown more violent since being banished to the Shadow Realm for the second time. And all by the daughter of someone they completely despise. The fights seem never ending and it is beginning to take its toll. But she presses on, attempting to stand on her feet. She gets one foot firmly pressed on the ground and she places her elbow on her knee, trying to stand. Unfortunately the more she tries, the more wobbly her feet become. Gritting her teeth and moving the pressure to her core, she does everything she can as the shadows approach. Instead, she exhales and her eyes roll to the back of her head, collapsing to the side.
"You made a huge mistake coming back," the shadows hiss. "We will make sure you cease to exist in this realm."
She can feel the shadows beginning to enclose around her and she doesn't bother opening her eyes. Their presence alone is suffocating and draining. 'What's wrong with me?' she asks herself in her head. 'I can normally beat them with ease. But…I feel…different…What did going into the world of the living do to me? Did it make me weak?'
She thinks back to when she first met up with her father, Joey, Téa and Tristan and saving them from the very first soul. It was the first time she had to think of the lives of others in such a very long time. She had gone there for one reason and one reason only. But as time progressed, she found herself being immersed in their world, helping to save the lives of so many. People that she didn't even know.
Living in the shadows had caused her to suppress her emotions for so long in order to remain strong and not appear weak. But in the world of the living, there were old feelings she had to face. Initially, she had come to grips that she would be in the Shadow Realm for all eternity. She thought she didn't care. At least, that's what she told herself for centuries. But upon seeing her father, that changed it all. Upon reaching his destiny, he would return to the afterlife and be reunited with everyone. His loved ones. His wife. Her mother.
And she wanted to be reunited with them as well. She wanted that so badly.
The shadows begin to snicker. "The door has opened and he has returned. How does it feel?" they ask her. "How does it feel to do all that you can, only for him to disown you in the end? After all you've done, you'll still be a prisoner here…forever!"
The laughter around her grows to the point where it is deafening. She can feel their dark claws on her, enshrouding her in the darkness little by little until only her face is visible.
"He would never…" she mutters between clenched teeth. "My dad would never disown me."
"He would never? Are you sure? He isn't here," they say mockingly.
With her eyes shut, she blocks the tears that threaten to fall as well as their taunts. There's no way he would forget about her. But…what if the gods denied him? What if their decision truly is final, despite his pleas?
"Ah…the doubt truly is setting in," the shadows continue. "You are the disgraced princess of Egypt. Do you truly think he would want anything to do with you? You took innocent lives, caused destruction, turned against your own family. At one point, you nearly killed your own mother. Do you think you are worthy to rest in the Afterlife?"
"Dad…" she whimpers, the tears trickling out, not being able to contain herself anymore.
"It doesn't matter how much you call him…"
"Please…"
"You will be here forever!"
"DAD!" she screams from the top of her lungs over the sounds of the laughter. Her cries echo throughout the whole area and as if it's an official summon, a flash of light shoots down upon her, causing the ground around them to tremble. The shadows cry out in pain, beginning to disperse to avoid touching the light, whereas that same light seems to have no effect on Cairo.
Her eyes flutter open for a brief moment. Her vision is blurry, but there is a figure standing protectively in front of her. As her eyes slowly lift, her heart begins to pound upon realizing who it is. Seeing the back of spiky tricolored hair, he turns his head to look down at her from over his shoulder. He wears the same clothing of the modern world which could only mean one thing. He didn't enter the doors of the afterlife before coming back for her.
He didn't forget about her after all.
His eyes show a mixture of things. Relief that she is alright. Anger as to what has happened to her. And finally, determination to free her. A bright aura surrounds him as he turns his sights back on the shadows who begin to approach him.
"Fools! We will get rid of you both!" the shadows shout, lunging at Atem to Cairo's horror.
She reaches out her hand in attempt to perform a magical barrier, but to no avail. But to her surprise, he doesn't show any hint of fear, despite the amount of shadows coming for him. Instead, the light around him grows even brighter and he calmly outstretches his hand.
"SHADOWS BE GONE!" his voice roars throughout the realm. The light blinds Cairo as she shuts her eyes again, hearing the pain filled screams of the shadows until they are no more.
When she reopens her eyes, her father is crouched down in front of her with his hand placed on her forehead. She slowly feels her strength returning to her until she is finally able to sit up.
Observing her body, she realizes her wounds are gone and then she looks to her father with a look of surprise. "You…came for me?"
He nods. "I made a promise."
"Even after everything you witnessed me do?" she lowers her eyes.
"It wasn't your fault. None of it was your fault."
"But…what if they don't forgive me?" she asks, referring to the priests, including the one she killed, Karim.
"It's going to be alright. You'll see," he assures her as he stands to his feet and helps her up as well. As she gazes up at him, a warm smile appears on his lips and she gasps lightly. He takes her hand and gives it a firm squeeze. "It's time for you to be free."
The light around them grows until...
Atem's eyes shoot open and he pants heavily, taking his hand off the Millennium Puzzle. He looks around, noticing that he is back where he and Yugi had the ceremonial duel. The eye of Wdjat still glows where the door to the afterlife is gradually starting to open.
"Atem?" Yugi asks, going up to him. "Did you do it? Is Cairo…?"
He looks toward the heavy solid doors that will lead him to his final resting place, wondering what waits for him there. Did he truly succeed in freeing her?
As he stands in front of the open doors after saying his good byes, he takes in a deep breath and progresses forward with doubts in his mind. He truly did do everything he possibly could. If he freed her, wouldn't she be right here next to him, walking into the afterlife with him?
"Hey pharaoh!" he hears a voice belonging to Joey yell and he looks over his shoulder. "Say hi to Cairo for us, will ya?"
"Joey…" he says with a surprised expression.
"And tell her thank you, too!" Tristan chimes in.
"We'll always cherish all of the memories!" Téa shouts.
"And we'll never forget you! Both of you!" Yugi exclaims with a smile.
Touched by their words and their confidence that Cairo will in fact be there when he goes to the afterlife, he smiles back, giving them a nod and a thumbs up. As he steps in further, his clothes revert back to his royal clothing and the doors close forever.
YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO
He was welcomed back immediately by his royal court, each of them bowing and then greeting him by his title as 'pharaoh.' The afterlife is nothing like he expected. In fact, it looks exactly as it did when he passed 5,000 years ago. The palace, the village that lies beyond the palace walls—all exist in this world. And not only do they still refer to him as king, but he is still king in the afterlife as well.
Even as they greeted him back and discussed a celebration, two people were noticeably absent. As he gazes over the balcony, he looks for any signs of Mana and Cairo, but to no avail. Instead, he sees Isis and Karim walking side by side in the courtyard with Shimon leading the way in, while Shada talks to a group of servants who are to prepare for the celebration.
'Did I not do enough?'
He walks back into the throne room and immediately pauses when he sees a woman with brown spiky hair jetting partially down her back. She wears a pleated skirt, and a blouse that hangs off her shoulders. She seems oblivious to his presence in the room, so for now he stays silent, admiring her from behind. He is certain that aside from them reuniting, she will wonder about Cairo's whereabouts, just as he is.
"Promise me I'll see you and Cairo again," she said as he began to fade away.
'Mana…'
She finally turns around and her eyes instantly fill with tears upon seeing him. Without a word, he holds out his arms and she runs into his embrace. Caressing the back of her head, he presses his lips to her forehead as she holds him a little tighter.
"So it is true! You are here!" she says sniffling. "I've waited so long…and now…you're here."
They pull away slightly to look at each other in the eyes and he lifts his hand to wipe her tears. "I've missed you too, Mana."
Seeing a hint of sadness in his eyes, she cups his cheek. "Atem…what's wrong?"
"I'm sorry…I tried to do everything I could…" he lowers his eyes. "I did everything in my power to free Cairo from the shadows. But I…" His body begins to tremble and the tears trickle down his cheeks as he becomes overcome with emotion. He expects Mana to be upset at him for not keeping his word. He expects her to pull away from his embrace abruptly and to leave him right there. But instead, he feels her forehead press against his, causing him to gasp lightly. To his surprise, her eyes are closed and her lips are curled into a smile.
"It's alright," she says.
His hands slide up to her shoulders and he creates space between them so that he can look at her directly in the eyes. "But didn't you hear what I just said? Cairo's…"
"…okay."
His mouth goes slightly agape and his eyes go wide, not believing what he just heard. "What?" he asks hesitantly as Mana's smile becomes even bigger. "Tell me, what do you mean? Have you seen her? Is Cairo here?"
Mana shakes her head. "I have not seen her. It's just…this feeling that I have," she replies. "It's a feeling I haven't experienced since before Cairo died."
"You mean…?" Is Mana referring to the fact that she can sense Cairo's presence? All magicians have the ability to do so, but Mana's ability runs deeper than that. In the past, Mana has always been able to sense Cairo with little to no effort, no matter how faint. Is she sensing Cairo now?
"Just give her some time," Mana says to him before winking. "You know our daughter has always been on the shy side."
In that moment, Atem feels some weight being lifted off his shoulders, but not completely. There's no way that Mana could be wrong about this right? Still, he just wants to see for himself. "I hope you're right," he sighs.
YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO
During the festivities that night, Atem politely excuses himself for a few moments, once again finding himself standing on the balcony of his room, staring out into the night sky. He can hear the music beginning to play in the throne room on the opposite side of the palace and the chatter of the guests and priests. But still, there is no sign of her.
"Pardon the intrusion my pharaoh…" he hears a voice belonging to Mahad call from behind him.
"Please…there really is no need for formalities," Atem says, turning around to face him.
"You appear to be stressed. Are you alright?"
"Tell me…You have the ability to sense other sorcerers as well, correct?"
Mahad's eyes widen with a mixture of surprise and alarm. "Why yes. However, the only one I'm sensing right now is Mana's. Should I be concerned?"
Atem shakes his head. "It's fine."
"They are waiting for you."
"I'll be out soon."
Mahad bows his head before leaving Atem alone once more. With a heavy sigh, Atem turns around and begins to walk away from the balcony area. If Mahad couldn't sense her, perhaps Mana was wrong after all. Clenching his fists together briefly, he releases them, beginning to come to terms that Cairo isn't here after all. "I'm sorry…" he whispers to himself. "I did everything I could and yet…"
"You were never fond of huge celebrations," a small voice says and he draws in a breath, placing a hand on his chest. Could it be?
"Cairo?"
Just as he turns around, he sees Cairo levitating on the opposite side of the balcony, wearing a short white pleated skirt that flows as she floats through the wind along with her shoulder length hair and a matching blouse. Golden bands adorn her arms, wrists and ankles, complimenting the crown on her head that is identical to her father's.
"You're really here…" Atem says, taking slow steps toward her. "So does that mean…?"
She smiles warmly, descending to the floor in front of him. "I am free."
He can hardly contain his emotions at this point. Hearing those words come from her fills his eyes with tears. And he can tell that her uttering those words herself has caused Cairo to become emotional as well. "Cairo…"
Letting out a half chuckle, she wipes away a tear that has escaped from her eye. "I assure you these are tears of joy," she sniffles as he kneels down to her, smiling as he wipes a tear of his own.
"Likewise." He holds his arms out, welcoming her into his embrace and squeezing her as tight as he can.
Burying her face into the fabric of his shirt, she takes this moment to fully let the tears fall, hiding them from view. But unbeknownst to her, Atem can feel his shirt becoming drenched in tears and he holds her as tight as he possibly can, allowing her this moment. He can only imagine what is going through her mind right now.
The amount of time she spent in the Shadow Realm, accepting her fate and not having any hopes of getting out until fate happened in its own odd way. If not for the events of the Orichalcos, who knows if she would be here now. He definitely wouldn't have known that she would be trapped in the shadows after their final battle until it was too late.
Pulling away, she wipes any remaining tears, breathing a relieved sigh. The sounds of music from the ongoing festivities fill their ears, bringing them back to what is happening and they both look out toward the balcony.
"Are you going back down there?" Cairo asks.
"I have no choice. But…what about you? You're not staying here are you?"
Cairo reaches her hands up to her hair with a frown. She was hoping upon her arrival to the afterlife that she would somehow revert back to her old self—the innocent girl she used to be before the darkness took over. Her mind briefly flashes to her hair getting slashed shortly after her transformation and she groans. "I think I should sit this one out. I'd probably just ruin the whole mood and cause alarm."
"You're wrong."
"Huh?" She looks up at him with a surprised expression. He extends his hand for her to take. Gazing down, she studies it before returning her gaze to him. "I'm…admittedly afraid of what their reaction will be."
"Trust me," he says and she reluctantly takes his hand. He smiles, "Besides, there is a certain someone who will be extremely happy to see you."
Standing at the entrance to the palace, unbeknownst to everyone else enjoying the festivities, Cairo groans lightly, still feeling unsure. She hides behind her father, twiddling her thumbs with her eyes lowered to the ground. "Dad…I'm scared. There. I said it."
He looks over his shoulder. "It's going to be alright. I promise."
"There you are!" Mana walks over to him, relieved to see him there. "I was starting to get worried after—" Her eyes briefly glow pink all of a sudden before looking downward, seeing a smaller figure hiding behind Atem.
He gives Cairo a light nudge and she slowly reveals herself, causing Mana's heart to race. She knew she had sensed Cairo's faint presence earlier, but it was clear that her daughter was trying hard not to be detected, more than likely due to fear. "Cairo…" The sudden motion of Mana dropping to her knees causes everyone to look her way with concern until they realize why she did it.
Feeling everyone's eyes and shocked expressions now on her, Cairo has this huge urge to hide behind her father again. How will they react? What will they say? Will they be angry after all of the death and destruction she caused when they were living?
Karim looks to the little girl, previously taking the glass of wine that he was about to sip away from his lips. "It's the princess!"
Cairo flinches. She had killed him when the darkness took over. Out of all the reactions, she is dreading his the most. Karim slowly goes up to her and she takes a step back, not knowing what to expect. His expression is as stoic as ever and she can't pinpoint what might be going through his mind. Perhaps he's wondering how she even got here. Or why.
"Fear not," he says, causing her eyes to widen as his face softens. "You are safe here."
"Karim…" Cairo looks away. "Forgive me…"
"The past is the past. And none of it was your fault."
"We all knew that you were possessed by an evil force that you had no control over," Mahad adds, walking over as well.
"Zorc was a ruthless and evil being and would stop at nothing to cause his destruction," Seto says, joining them.
"You were innocent," says Isis.
"And we have long awaited the day that you and your father would join us in the Afterlife," Shimon finishes.
Cairo looks around as they surround her, feeling overcome with emotion once more. Hearing those words means so much more than they could ever possibly know. After so many decades of feeling guilty for her past actions, not knowing if she would ever be able to redeem herself, it feels good to know that everyone doesn't look at her in a negative light despite what happened.
"Cairo," Mana calls out to her softly as her daughter's eyes begin to water. "We all love you. So much."
"Mom…" One of the last people she betrayed was her own mother in an intense battle that almost took her life. Up until now, she didn't know how her mother felt. But here she is, acting as if none of that happened and welcoming her into her arms. Mana holds onto her daughter tightly as tears stream down her cheeks. She was worried that she would never see her little girl again, fearing that she would be banished forever. Gazing up to Atem, he nods without her having to say a thing. She doesn't know how he did it, nor does it matter. She is just grateful that he held true to his word.
Atem crouches down and joins his family and in this very moment, Cairo feels surrounded by an endless amount of love. It has been so long since she been in the presence of both of her parents and as they hold her, she never wants this feeling to end.
After what seems like a brief moment to Cairo, they pull away and Mana brushes her daughter's hair out of her face, not being able to contain her happiness as she smiles at the little girl in front of her. "You tried to hide from me earlier," Mana says teasingly with a smirk.
Cairo blinks, her cheeks turning red. "You mean, you still sensed me even after I tried to conceal myself?"
"You're my daughter. And even though it has been centuries, I still know you like the back of my hand."
"Why didn't you come looking for me?"
"I knew you needed time." Mana replies before chuckles lightly. "It's funny…When I initially sensed you, I thought I was going crazy and I even started to doubt myself." She then looks over to Atem. "But your father kept his promise."
Cairo looks to him as well and smiles. "That he did," she agrees.
"Shall we continue with the celebration?" Shada asks.
Atem nods his head. "Yes. Please proceed."
As the music and dancing continues, Atem and Cairo stand side by side, observing everyone enjoying each other's company, laughing and talking enthusiastically without a care in the world. A smile creeps on Cairo's lips, but big enough for Atem to notice.
"What's on your mind?" he asks.
"I've been fighting all this time in the shadows. And even in Yugi's world I was constantly on edge," she says. "I had forgotten what it feels like to actually be free. Like, actually free."
"How does it feel?"
Her smile grows bigger. "Indescribable." She turns her head to him. "I would not be here if it weren't for you. So thank you."
"And thank you as well," he says, continuing to gaze forward as he thinks back to what they've been through. "For everything." A gasp escapes his lips when he feels her small arms around him and he looks down, seeing her embrace him.
"I love you, dad," she says surprising him even more.
"I love you too, Cairo."
It is a softer side that he has hardly seen from her. A side that she has had to contain all these years to not appear weak. But now she is free, no longer a prisoner to the Shadow Realm. And both of them, along with the ones they love can finally rest in peace.
YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO
AN: And that's the end. Wow. Can't believe I've finally finished this fanfic! I would like to thank everyone who has hung on for the ride. I know some of my updates have been super long, but we all stuck it out! I hope everyone enjoyed this story.
Thank you to all the kind words, reviews and messages and I'm glad you all loved my OC Cairo as much as I do!
I originally planned on making a 'filler' fanfic to this one in a separate story with Anubis as the villain, but ultimately decided against it. However, the story I'm currently writing, "Life's Struggles," has him as the villain as I felt it would be a better fit. Who knows, depending on the reactions, I might make 'filler' that's a one shot or something.
Anyway, lol, leave a review and let me know what you think! Thank you again and see you next time!