Chapter 4
While Mokuba and the KaibaCorp scientists prepared Yugi and Kaiba for launch, Aigami and Jounouchi stood in another room, waiting. The entire facility was gleaming metal and cold air conditioning. On one of the walls was a window looking out into the vast, cold space outside, the darkness pierced only occasionally by the light of a few stars. Jounouchi shifted left and right on his feet, and occasionally reached into his pocket to check for his deck. Next to him Aigami fidgeted nervously with his shirt collar and vest, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles.
Jounouchi cracked a fake smile. "I was worried I wouldn't be able to afford the new duel disk, but it looks like I'll get one for free!" He laughed.
Aigami looked at him. "May I ask you a question?"
"Uh, sure."
"Why are you going on this mission? I can hardly believe you're doing it solely to play hero."
"What? Don't you know me by now, Aigami? Didn't I jump off a bridge to save you from those bullies?" Jounouchi asked.
Aigami gave him a look. "I don't know you, and you don't know me. I only exist in your memory because I implanted it in your mind, just like everyone else in Yugi's class. As for those bullies, I did not need your help. I was planning on sending them to an alternate dimension anyway."
"Right…I forgot you did that. Uh, well, someone has to go with Yugi! I can't let my friend go into danger by himself! He needs backup!"
"You are a loyal friend," Aigami commented. "You should take care that your desire to help your friends and your desire to be the hero don't end up causing more harm than good."
"Yeah, I know. So Aigami-kun, do you really think Kaiba managed to get to the afterlife? It seems unbelievable."
"I don't know. If it were anyone else, I would say no, because the Quantum Cube is limited by the person's individual consciousness and thoughts. Even though we trained all our lives, traveling between dimensions is very difficult for the children of the Plana. We can travel to different realms, different planes and different dimensions, but traversing the realm of the living into the realm of the dead or into the domain of the gods? That is beyond the ability of a normal person. However, Seto Kaiba has an astonishing amount of willpower and magic, most of which is untapped. There is a small possibility he actually succeeded."
"It's surprising, the fact that Kaiba was a skeptic of the Millennium Items for so long but he actually has a lot of magic on his own." Jounouchi commented.
Aigami nodded. "It is possible his soul is also linked to the Pharaoh's time, so that could be the source of his magic."
"Yeah, Yugi told me he's the reincarnation of Priest Set, Atem's cousin, the wielder of the Millennium Rod. We saw him when we were in the Memory World," Jounouchi explained.
"The Memory World?" Aigami asked.
"It's kind of complicated," Jounouchi explained. "When Atem was still trying to regain his memories and his name, he had collected the seven Millennium Items and the three Egyptian God Cards to the Domino Museum, where this giant stone tablet was displayed. The carvings show Pharaoh Atem dueling someone that looks like Seto Kaiba, which was Priest Set, his Ancient Egyptian counterpart. They've even got the Dark Magician and the Blue Eyes White Dragon, which is crazy."
"I see. But a stone carving doesn't show you everything."
"Right. Atem's soul, and back then we just thought of him as Yami Yugi, got sucked into the tablet. Our friends from Egypt explained to us that he had gone into the memory world, or back in time to when he was alive as a Pharaoh. We found a way to follow him in, and that's how we got there. Somehow, Kaiba went there too."
"What did you see?" Aigami prompted.
"Well, there was the city I guess, and the palace Atem was in, and all his high priests. They each had a Millennium Item. A lot of them looked familiar to us, like we knew their modern reincarnations."
Suddenly the entire facility shook as the sound of rocket engines roared, drowning out all other sounds. The conversation fell silent as each pondered the information shared and what this could mean.
"So, what are our chances of finding Kaiba? If he really is in the afterlife, can we make it there?" Jounouchi asked.
"I don't know. And if he didn't make it, it will be very hard to find the exact realm or dimension he could be lost in."
Jounouchi groaned. "Maybe it was a bad idea for us to go."
Aigami crossed his arms. "It's a bad idea for any of us to go, but we are the best choices compared to anyone else. I have experience traveling between dimensions, and you and Yugi are friends with Kaiba right? You know him and you might be able to predict what he's thinking. If you know where he would have wanted to go, you can try and get there too."
"Everyone knows where Kaiba wants to go, it's getting there that's the hard part. It's the afterlife! He wants to find Atem."
"There is another possibility," Aigami explained. "Kaiba's mind could have invented what he believes the afterlife should look like and create an illusion of the Pharaoh for him to meet. Like you said, all of you had traveled to the Memory World and seen what ancient Egypt looked like from Atem's memories. Kaiba's mind could have used that to create his own dimension. If that's the case, then it will be very hard for Kaiba to leave."
"Why would it be hard for him to leave though?"
"Because to him, it would be very realistic. Kaiba would believe he succeeded in traveling to the Afterlife. Plus, all of you know the Pharaoh really well, so his mind would also supply him a convincing illusion of the Pharaoh. Only someone who was close to the Pharaoh but wouldn't be tempted by the prospect of the Pharaoh's return would be able to see through the illusion. Finding someone like that would be hard. After all, if you know someone really well, it would be very hard to not miss that person when they're gone. Who wouldn't want our loved ones to return to us?"
"Damn Kaiba, you made a mess." Jounouchi muttered.
"What does the Pharaoh look like?" Aigami asked.
"Um, like Yugi?"
"Exactly like Yugi?"
"It's hard to explain. He's Egyptian, not Japanese, so he doesn't look identical, but somehow, they look…similar? The facial features are similar, but Atem's face is sharper. He's got big eyes but longer eyelashes. I don't know how to explain it better." Jounouchi said sheepishly.
"That's alright, I was just curious. If I run into the Pharaoh, I don't know if I'll be able to tell if he's real or fake. Perhaps the only person who can do it is Yugi," Aigami shrugged.
"I know Yugi misses the Atem too. Doesn't that mean he would also want Atem to return?"
"That's not exactly what I meant," Aigami frowned. "It has to be someone who will not waver. Someone who knows their own thoughts and feelings very well and can stay in control. Someone who believes wholeheartedly that the Pharaoh should stay in the afterlife, no matter how much he misses him. Someone selfless. This would be someone with a lot of inner strength, and I think Yugi has that."
The door opened and Aigami and Jounouchi turned to look at the door. Mokuba poked his head in.
"Yugi just left. We're ready for the two of you." Behind Mokuba they could see employees bringing out two more duel disks and life support cables. Jounouchi took a deep breath and went through the door.
Anzu sat in her empty house alone in a stupor. Across the floor was packing boxes, some filled and sealed, some halfway filled. Her clothes were all strewn across her bed, and her stuff was scattered all over the house. She needed to finish packing. She needed to make a call to the person in New York that was going to help her settle in. She needed to check her American school email account. She needed to set up utilities, and internet, and all the other little things you needed to do when you moved.
But all she could see in her mind was the sight of Yugi smiling at her, telling her not to worry before he turned away. It had been a long time since Anzu felt like this again. She and Honda had been left behind, told to go back to packing, her own life, and not to worry! It's only the lives of her friends. It's only her best and most precious friends, running headlong into danger while Anzu had to stay on the sidelines and hope for the best.
Anzu had forgotten this feeling. There were times when she was a part of the danger too, a part of the adventure, and it wasn't so bad. There were times when she had to watch from the sidelines, but her friends always pulled through and won in the end. There were times before they knew about Atem, who he was, and the shadows of him across Yugi's face used to be frightening. Yes frightening; but thrilling too.
But the best times, the best memories, were when the gang was all together, hanging out, and Anzu had felt like she was on top of the world. Yugi and Atem were invincible. Her friends were invincible. Anzu had never felt so alive than in those moments.
Don't worry, Anzu. I've survived far worse.
Anzu had known Yugi since they were both children in elementary school. She remembered when Yugi first moved to Domino City to live with her grandfather. He was the tiniest kid in the class, and so shy. He was so timid he couldn't look anyone in the eye, and he couldn't talk to anyone either. He just hid in the corner like a little bunny rabbit, shaking and cowering. Anzu had took notice of the new student and just watched him. She watched him hide behind the chairs, but his eyes kept scanning the room, looking eagerly at the students and the toys all around. Anzu noticed his eyes would linger on the games.
That day, Anzu had walked away from her friends until she found a table far away from the other children. She sat down and grabbed a set of puzzle pieces and began playing with them. She waited. When the teacher called for the kids to stop playing, she was disappointed, but she didn't give up. The next day, she did the same thing. She grabbed the same set of puzzle pieces and sat back down at the same spot. A few minutes later, Yugi quietly sat in front of her, tiny hands reaching gently for the puzzle pieces to put them together. From then on, they were friends.
Don't worry, Anzu. I've survived far worse.
Anzu knew Yugi had been through a lot. She been there for most of it. She had watched grow from this timid child into a teenager, and then into a confident adult. She had watched him change under Atem's careful, protective gaze. Yugi had grew, Yugi had transformed, Yugi had overcome challenges and chased his dreams, chased after Atem's footsteps. There was no other word for it. Atem made Yugi bloom.
And then Anzu watched Atem leave and watched the innocent light in Yugi's eyes slowly die away. He always pretended to be fine, always made sure to show the world he could still smile and laugh, and everything was fine. Yugi was strong. Yugi was able to move on. But something in him had died alongside Atem that day, and Anzu didn't know what it was. She doubted Yugi knew either. They had such a unique and unforgettable relationship, and a connection that was so strong, that defied labels, was not a connection that would be shaken by the veil of death. So Yugi's inner light still shined, but it felt different somehow. Less brilliant. Or perhaps he was perfectly normal, and it was only because Anzu was comparing the Yugi of now to the Yugi of before, and only Atem's presence could make Yugi shine like that.
When the KaibaCorp car dropped them off, Yugi and Jounouchi got off too, to say a quick but awkward goodbye. Anzu couldn't help herself, she grabbed Yugi's hands. Yugi smiled and reached out for her other hand.
"Anzu, it's been a long time since we went to the arcade, right?" Yugi asked gently. "After I get back, let's eat together and play DDR after."
"Yugi, please be careful," Anzu said.
"You two, you better come back! I mean it!" Honda pulled Yugi into a bear hug, and then pulled Jounouchi into a hug too. "Jounouchi, take care of Yugi."
"I'll definitely protect him, don't worry!" Jounouchi gave him a thumbs up.
Yugi blushed. "I can take care of myself, Honda-kun!" Yugi protested. Honda ruffled his hair.
"Yeah, but you're always throwing yourself into danger for other people, so someone needs to keep an eye on you," Honda replied. "Keep yourselves safe, both of you."
The KaibaCorp driver was glaring at them, so Yugi and Jounouchi jumped in the car. Yugi gave them an apologetic look. "We'll be back soon, ok? We'll hang out after. Don't worry, Anzu!"
As they drove away, Honda pulled Anzu into a side hug. "Don't worry, Yugi will be fine. He's right, he's survived worse."
"He's always had us or Atem by his side," Anzu said.
"It's ok! Jounouchi will be there. Besides, Atem left because Yugi is strong enough now. He doesn't need Atem anymore, right?" But Anzu remembered the manic look in Kaiba's eyes. He had gone mad with grief, and Yugi had his own ghosts haunting him. It felt like something out there had an inextricable pull on the two of them, drawing them deeper into the darkness like moths to a flame, and Anzu was helpless to do anything other than watch.
Yugi opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the clear blue sky. He could feel the sand shifting underneath his weight as he lay on the ground. He sat up.
The sun's scorching rays hit his body from all angles and Yugi pulled at his shirt collar. He was already sweating. He squinted at the heat waves dancing across the desert floor and scanned the area. He had tried his best to think of Kaiba, to think of Atem, but had it worked? Yugi could still feel the sensation of Kaiba's hands clenched tightly in his own, but the man himself was nowhere to be seen. Yugi could be lost in a random alternate dimension, unconnected to anyone else, and never find his way home again.
Yugi decided to stop thinking before he started panicking. He got up and looked around again. Against the rolling sand dunes, he spotted a couple of straight lines and towering rooftops jutting out from above. It had to be a building. There was nothing else that looked like a human dwelling.
Yugi started walking towards it. As he walked, the environment changed from the hot, relentless desert heat and unending sand dunes to a more fertile land. Yugi suddenly saw trees, and people; crops growing in neat rows next to roads where people walked to and from, and a river nestled deep inside a forest with trees growing on both sides. He kept going.
The forest gave way to bustling street stalls, even busier roads, the sounds of humans speaking to each other, the sounds of people going about their lives. All the while the tiny building Yugi had seen in the desert grew before his eyes, until it was a towering, expansive spectacle. There was no doubt about it. This was Atem's palace.
Yugi walked up the stairs and marched up to the door. Guards stood vigil on both sides of the entrance, but they paid Yugi no mind as he entered. As Yugi continued onwards, no one paid him any attention. Not the guards with their weapons, not the servants with their serving trays, not the important looking people rushing back and forth. Yugi continued on towards the throne room.
He pushed the door open. Yugi suddenly had a flashback to the time he and Atem had their Ceremonial Duel, and the sight of those doors finally opening after Atem said his name. The light had flooded in, blinding him, and all Yugi was able to see was the back of Atem as he slowly walked away. As the doors swung open, Yugi covered his eyes against the bright light pouring out from the ever-increasing gap. All he could see was a silhouette, the back of a man wearing a long, flowing jacket. He stood with his back straight, tall and proud.
"Kaiba-kun!" Yugi yelled in relief. Kaiba turned around in surprise and frowned in confusion.
"Yugi? What are you doing here?" Kaiba asked.
Yugi walked to his side. "Mokuba-kun called us. You've been sleeping for at least a day now, and we're worried about you. How are we going to get back?" He asked.
Kaiba scoffed. "I'm perfectly fine, there's nothing to be worried about. At most I would be unconscious for a few more hours, but I was going to go back soon. All I need to do is finish this duel with the Pharaoh."
Yugi finally turned away from Kaiba to look forward at the throne. On both sides stood the High Priests. They each held their Millennium Item and stood quietly in their places. In front of the throne stood a young man. He wore a gold crown at the base of his wild, pointy hair, and his blue cape billowed impressively on either side of his body. He wore a white tunic, a blue skirt, and ankh earrings hung from his ears. On his chest hung an upside-down pyramid, and the gold had an oily gleam on it.
"Atem," Yugi whispered.
Both duelists wore a duel disk, although Atem sported the one Kaiba gave them for the Battle City tournament. Between the two duelists were the holograms of Dark Magician and the Blue Eyes White Dragon. The two monsters faced each other, and the Blue Eyes White Dragon snarled menacingly.
"Atem, I won't let you escape my grasp before we settle this score. Not even death will keep you from me. Yugi, stand back and watch me defeat the Pharaoh! I'm going to crush him once and for all!" Kaiba said triumphantly. He drew a card and put it in his hand. Yugi waited for him to make his move, but Kaiba didn't do anything. He just stood there.
Yugi walked closer to the throne and looked at Atem and his court. Yugi remembered the conversations he had with Atem and the descriptions the Pharaoh provided about his priests. He could see Isis, Shada, Shimon…but there was no Priest Set, no Priest Karim, and no Priest Mahad. Instead, there was Priest Akhenaten standing on the side where Mahad should be, watching silently. There were also shadowy figures that resembled Jounouchi, Anzu, and Honda, but Yugi couldn't see them clearly. Yugi felt a strange feeling in his gut.
He felt a presence behind him and looked back. Standing in the far corner was a girl with white hair dressed in rags. She watched Kaiba sadly. The strange feeling grew stronger.
"Kaiba-kun? Are you going to duel?" Yugi asked.
"Blue Eyes White Dragon! Attack!" Kaiba commanded. The dragon opened its mouth and white lightning burst forth. The Dark Magician shattered into pieces.
"My turn! I draw!" Atem shouted. "I summon the Dark Magician in attack mode!" The Dark Magician reappeared again.
Yugi ran forward and didn't stop until he was standing in front of Atem. The Pharoah gave no reaction to the sight of Yugi, and there was no expression on his face. He stared resolutely forward, as if all he could see was the duel.
"Atem? Other Me?" Yugi asked.
This time Atem did look at him. "Aibou. I am dueling Kaiba."
"I can see that!" Yugi said awkwardly. "What's happened so far in the duel?"
"Kaiba summoned his Blue Eyes White Dragon, and I summoned the Dark Magician." Atem replied.
"Yugi! We're in the middle of a duel!" Kaiba shouted.
"Atem? Where's Mahad?" Yugi asked. Atem frowned at Yugi. He didn't seem to have an answer. Yugi felt his stomach drop and his heart filled with dread.
"Kaiba-kun, I think something's wrong!"
"Nothing's wrong, what are you talking about? Get out of the way and let us duel!" Kaiba ordered.
"Kaiba-kun, don't you think it's strange? Atem doesn't seem like himself."
"He looks fine to me," Kaiba said defensively.
But the more Yugi looked at Atem, the more wrong it felt. "Other Me?"
"Aibou, stand back and watch. I'm going to crush Kaiba once and for all!" Atem said triumphantly. Yugi closed his eyes.
"Kaiba-kun, this Atem is not real!"
"Yugi, you're deluded!" Kaiba argued.
"No, I'm not. Kaiba-kun, don't you find it strange that Atem can only talk about dueling? He even sounds like you when he talks! This isn't the real Atem, Kaiba-kun! This is a creation of your mind, your memories of Atem!"
"No, you're wrong! Shut up!" Kaiba grabbed Yugi's collar and spun him around.
Yugi grabbed Kaiba's hands before Kaiba could choke him. "I'm not wrong! Kaiba-kun, I understand. I get it. I get that you miss him, and I miss him too. When there are so many emotions involved, I know it's hard to tell the difference. To be honest, even I don't know if I saw the real Atem during my duel with Diva. But this Atem isn't real Kaiba-kun, and you need to snap out of it!"
"You're just jealous he's not paying attention to you!" Kaiba argued. "That you're not more important than my duel with him! That our bond was real!"
"This duel? A duel that can't progress?" Yugi asked. He turned back to Atem.
"Other Me. Other Me!" Yugi shouted. Both Atem and Kaiba turned to look at him. "Other Me, what's your favorite movie?"
Atem seemed taken aback. "Why are you wasting time asking such stupid questions Yugi?" Kaiba called out.
"Other Me, what's your favorite tv show? What's your favorite dish that my mom made? What's your favorite game to play with Grandpa?" Atem didn't answer.
"Yugi, stop!" Kaiba yelled.
Yugi raised his voice even louder. "What was the funniest thing Jounouchi did? What did you do on your date with Anzu? What did you say after Honda took you on a motorcycle ride?"
"Yugi! Get out of the way!" Kaiba shouted in agitation!
"Other Me," Yugi whispered.
Atem smiled at him, and the sight made Yugi's heart hurt so much. "Aibou."
"There was one night where we talked about your memories," Yugi said with a shaking voice. "I told you that I would give you all my memories. What did you tell me that night, Other Me? What did you promise me?"
But Atem didn't answer. He didn't know the answer, because Kaiba didn't know the answer. In Kaiba's mind, Atem could only duel.
Yugi turned back to Kaiba. "If I asked, wouldn't you be able to tell me memories about Mokuba that only the two of you know? A person is not just the memories of a single person, but a collection of experiences, memories, and relationships with multiple people. Every relationship is important, and every memory is important. Kaiba-kun, stop deluding yourself!"
Yugi's tears rolled down his face as he spoke. "Even if it's a beautiful dream, you have to wake up. You can't stay here."
"Other Me!" Yugi shouted. "If you are really the Pharaoh, if you're really Atem, you would know what to say! Otherwise, you're just a fake!"
Everything in existence shattered like the hologram of Dark Magician when Blue Eyes White Dragon attacked, and all went dark. The last thing Yugi knew was falling through the darkness, and the sight of Kaiba's pale and terrified face.
Aigami opened his eyes and saw a pink and purple sky, immediately soothing and intimately comforting to his soul. He sat up and looked with longing at the stone formation Aigami had spent countless years in front of, listening to Master Shadi's lectures. At the thought of him, his heart panged once more.
He knew he was in a dimension created by his mind. Lately, all he wanted to do was to reminisce about the past. He felt a presence next to him and saw his sister Sera. She reached down and offered him a hand. She was too short to pull him up, but he took it gratefully anyway before standing up himself. To his surprise, he wasn't as tall as usual when he straightened up, and his hands were smaller. Diva ran with Sera towards Master Shadi to sit down before he started his lesson.
The rest of the children were already assembled in front of the rocks, so Aigami and Sera headed over to join them. Shadi smiled at him and patted the spot to his left. Aigami sat down. He looked at his worn-out clothes and his ragged shoes, a sight he hadn't seen since he was a child.
"Today we are talking about the Nameless Pharaoh again. Can anyone remind us who the Nameless Pharaoh is?"
Diva raised his hand. "The Nameless Pharaoh was a pharaoh that lived thousands of years ago. He sacrificed his life and his ren to seal a great darkness away, which is why he's the Nameless Pharaoh."
"Good job, Diva." Shadi patted his head gently and Diva felt the warmth of a fatherly touch.
"The history of games can be traced all the way back to Ancient Egypt, 3,000 years ago. Duel Monsters itself was a game created 3,000 years ago by the Nameless Pharaoh and his priests. These ancient games were used to decide the fate of citizens and their kings. These games were called Shadow Games. The Nameless Pharaoh and his priests summoned monsters from the spirits of people and battled them against each other in these Shadow Games by using the Millennium Items, of which there are seven in total."
"Master Shadi has one, the Millennium Key!" Diva said, pointing his little hands at the large golden key hanging around Shadi's neck.
"Exactly. The Millennium Items like my Key granted the Pharaoh immense power, but such power came at a cost. The Millennium Items were created through acts of great evil and killing, which is how the items came to wield such great powers of evil. The Nameless Pharaoh was able to create peace at first by using these items, but soon the powers of darkness grew too strong."
"Why didn't he stop using them, if they were evil?" A kid asked.
"I'm not sure, but I can guess the Pharaoh did not know how the items came about and thus did not know of its dangers. The more the Items were used, the more this darkness grew, until it found an outlet," Shadi explained.
"This evil god was very powerful, more powerful than the Pharaoh and his priests, more powerful than the gods that Pharaoh commanded. Since he could not defeat this darkness, the Nameless Pharaoh had no choice but to sacrifice himself and his ren to seal away the evil, until one day the darkness could be defeated."
"Sera, what did the Egyptians mean when they talk about ren?" Shadi asked.
"There are five parts of the human soul. The ren is the name or legacy of a person," Sera replied.
"Yes, the ren is the name of the person, but also their legacy, their history, their stories. By using his ren as the key and wiping all traces of himself from history, the Nameless Pharaoh ensured that no one would be able to release the darkness until perhaps he himself was reborn, and he recalled his own name. What are the other parts of the human soul?" Shadi asked.
"Other than the ren, there is the sheut or shadow. There is the Ka, which is your life force, which in the Shadow Games was also the spirit born from your soul. There is the ba, which is your personality. The akh is your soul after death, your spirit freed from your physical body."
"Yes, very good. The Egyptians believed a human body and human soul contained many parts. Your Khet was the "physical body," Sah was the "spiritual body," Ren was the "name, identity," Ba or the "personality," Ka or the "double" also known as your spirit monster, Ib was the "heart," Sheut was the "shadow," and Sekhem was the "power, form." Nowadays, we understand parts of these concepts through the game of Duel Monsters, which Pegasus created based on Egyptian culture, particularly stone carvings he saw in his travels throughout Egypt. Your ka is your duel monsters, your ba is the soul of the duelist, your sekhem is your dueling power or your life points. It is likely these stone carvings are a relic from the time of the Nameless Pharaoh's reign, although all traces of his ren were erased."
"That is my job, as the holder of the Millennium Key, and your job as my disciples. We must protect the ren of the Nameless Pharaoh until the rightful owner returns, we must protect the Millennium Items from falling into the wrong hands before the darkness within them can be dispelled, and we must look for the Nameless Pharaoh's reincarnation. Only the Nameless Pharaoh and the chosen vessel of the Pharaoh will be able to defeat this darkness once and for all," Shadi explained.
"Master, where did the Quantum Cube come from?" Diva asked. He willed the cube into existence as he spoke, and it materialized in his hand.
"A good question. This is not one of the seven Millennium Items, but it is an artifact of great power that dates close to the same era as the seven Millennium Items. It is likely that the Nameless Pharaoh had a successor that took over after the Pharaoh fell. It would have been a great sorcerer, and one with amazing intellect and innovation. The Nameless Pharaoh's tomb, the destruction of his ren, all the safeguards and protections to help the Nameless Pharaoh keep the darkness sealed away, all these things must have been accomplished by that person. I believe the Quantum Cube was also created by that person."
Shadi smiled at the children. "One day, the Nameless Pharaoh will return to defeat the great evil. Then he will finally be able to rest in peace. Until then, we will continue our missions."
Diva felt his vision go fuzzy. When his eyes cleared, it was another memory. He was older now, although not as old as he should be. He was sitting with Shadi alone, just the two of them. He remembered now. It was a private lesson, one of many that Shadi did with Diva as he got older. Diva had the Quantum Cube after all. If anything happened to Shadi, it would be Diva's job to lead the children.
"Remember Diva, the Millennium Key is only used to peer into the minds of humans and test them, but you should always avoid harming them, or letting them come to harm. We can punish transgressors and those who only seek to use the Millennium Items for their own greedy, selfish purposes, but our other mission is to also find the vessel of the Pharaoh, the Pharaoh's reincarnation."
Shadi handed Diva the Millennium Key and Diva looked at it carefully. Diva found it weird. Such a powerful object, yet it was so light in his hands. He felt as if he was handed the weight of the world to be put on his shoulders.
"Master, can the Nameless Pharaoh really defeat the darkness? What if he can't?" Diva asked.
"The Nameless Pharaoh will succeed. After all, he alone used his own life and ren to seal away the darkness. There is no doubt he is powerful enough to defeat the darkness as well."
"But what if the Pharaoh isn't reincarnated? Didn't his soul get split into different pieces? What if a part of him is sealed inside the darkness too? How can he be reborn, with an incomplete soul?" Diva asked.
Shadi fell silent. His forehead wrinkled with concentration as he tried to answer Diva's question. "I suppose, we will have to wait and see," Shadi replied.
"Why do we have to wait for the Pharaoh to return before we travel to a new and better world? I don't want to wait! I want to go now!"
"We have a duty, Diva. We owe the Pharaoh for his sacrifice, and for our powers. Once he has defeated the darkness and completed his mission, he will go onto the afterlife. At that time, we can finally rest too and travel to a new dimension. Just remember Diva, so long as the Pharaoh exists in the realm of the living, we cannot travel to a new dimension. As long as his mission is unfinished, ours is too. It is our sworn duty as the tomb keepers and guardians of the Millennium Items."
Diva closed his eyes and felt the familiar shift in dimensions. This time he was ready for it. He felt his body return to normal and smiled. But when he opened his eyes, he was not ready to see Shadi again, dressed just like the day he was killed. Shadi smiled at him and beckoned him closer.
"Diva, what have you been doing these days? Please share with me." Shadi said.
Aigami suddenly remembered what he had tried to do with Yugi and Kaiba, and his courage failed him. "Master Shadi, I'm sorry. My actions went against your teachings, and I am embarrassed as your student." He apologized.
"Please explain yourself."
"Master, you taught us from the beginning about the Millennium Items, the Nameless Pharaoh, and our duties as your disciples; to protect the Items from falling into the wrong hands and help the Nameless Pharaoh return and defeat the darkness he couldn't overcome when he was alive. Since then, I have tirelessly carried out your instructions. I have quietly observed from the shadows all this time and watched the Pharaoh's spirit choose his vessel and recover his memories. I knew when the Pharaoh completed the Ceremonial Duel and traveled to the afterlife. I regularly visit the land of Egypt and the Pharaoh's final resting spot to make sure that no one disturbs the area."
"On one of these visits, I began to notice suspicious looking people in the area. I learned Seto Kaiba was attempting to unearth the Millennium Puzzle in order to resurrect the Pharaoh and drag his spirit out of the afterlife. This would destroy the peace we had all worked for, and as you told us, if the Pharaoh returned, our powers would disappear, and the Plana would be no more. I had to protect the Plana and lead them to the promised land like we promised to."
"Master, I tried to stop Seto Kaiba, but he refused to listen. I…nothing I did helped. Even the vessel of the Pharaoh, Yugi Muto, tried to stop him, but he was adamant on putting the Millennium Puzzle back together and summoning the Nameless Pharaoh's soul back. I dueled Yugi Muto and Seto Kaiba, and I lost. I…I fell to despair, and I lost sight of myself. Of my purposes."
"In the end, I remember Yugi Muto trying to stop me. I remember absorbing the souls of the innocent, their pained and terrified screams. I remember that golden light, and the spirit of the Pharaoh when he reentered his vessel's body. The Pharaoh came back because of me. His work was not done because of me, so he could not rest. I lost us the powers of the Plana Master. I lost us our paradise."
Shadi touched his shoulder gently. "Diva, I do not blame you for what happened. You tried to protect the Items and the Pharaoh's tomb. You never forgot our mission. Even if you faltered at the end, you are only human. I'm still proud of you, Diva."
"Master, it's worse. Seto Kaiba stole the Quantum Cube and used it to create alternate dimensions so he could travel to the afterlife to duel the Pharaoh. Now his life is in danger!"
Shadi made a thoughtful expression. "Interesting. I would not expect anyone to succeed except for Seto Kaiba. The Quantum Cube was likely made by him after all."
"What?"
"Yes. Pharoah Atem chose High Priest Set, wielder of the Millennium Rod, to take the throne after his demise, and to carry out his final wishes. Priest Set was the one who buried the Pharaoh and erased all traces of his ren. I believe he also created the Quantum Cube."
"Why would he do that? Was it also made using the Millennium Tome?"
"The Millennium Tome is a book of evil, and all of its rituals involve sacrificing human lives in exchange for greater powers. No, the Quantum Cube is not a Millennium Item, nor was it made using the Millennium Tome. I don't know why Priest Set could have made the Quantum Cube, but perhaps he believed that he needed to open up all the realms of possibilities in order to help the Pharaoh defeat the evil god."
Shadi ruffled Diva's hair. "Every child of the Plana was a child I sought out for your magical ability. All this time I was searching for the vessel of the Pharaoh. But in the end, the Millennium Puzzle chose its own master. The Pharaoh found his own vessel, found himself. What I did with the Plana was ultimately useless to my final mission," Shadi said fondly.
"I don't regret it, however. I think a part of me wanted to do more than protect the Nameless Pharaoh's legacy and wait for his return. I wanted to use the Millennium Key to begin to create the world the Nameless Pharaoh sought to protect."
Diva could feel the tears running down his face.
"Don't cry, Diva. Although I am dead, the Quantum Cube's existence means every dimension, every possibility, also exists. There are worlds where I am alive, and therefore my existence will linger in your heart. In your memories, your stories, and the shared consciousness of the children of Plana. Just like the Nameless Pharaoh, so long as even a little piece of me remains, I will continue to exist."
Shadi pulled Diva into a hug and then backed away. "It is time to find your friends, Diva. It is time for you to help Yugi Muto with his final mission. The final step of the Nameless Pharaoh's journey. The darkness remains, but so do the pieces of the Pharaoh's soul. Soon, all the pieces will be united, and the Pharaoh's soul will be complete."
"Master, can the Pharaoh save Seto Kaiba? What is that about the pieces of his soul anyway? Isn't he already at peace? The Pharaoh is gone, but there's still Yugi…"
"Do you know the Pharaoh's real name? It is Atem, like the god of the sun. The god Atem created the world out of chaos. From darkness he created light. He is the sun, the rays that warm the earth and chase away the shadows. There was a time in Egyptian history where only the sun god Atem was worshipped."
"You'll see Diva. Soon all the answers to your questions will be revealed. Remember what I said. Remember me," Shadi said.
"Diva, no matter if you call it Atem, Aten, or Ra, the sun is the most powerful god in all of life and existence."