You know it, I know it, and we've all been expecting it… Don't worry; I'll definitely surprise you with the fourth!

December 27, 2006

Oh... and if you are normally a fast reader, take this one a little slower. There is a lot said in a short amount of space. Just think as you read. Thanks!

The Five People You Meet in Heaven

by Pearl of the Dark Age

The Third Person

Again the blinding white light burned out his retinas painlessly. It seems that pain can't be felt… wherever I am. He still did not understand where exactly he was, since he could not think in anything but three dimensions. He at least understood that the appearance of this place could be altered by will. He began to wonder if it were possible for him to alter it to his desires. Just as this thought had passed through, the light faded again to reveal an oasis surrounded by a vast sea of sand. I'm in the middle of nowhere! He blinked in the bright sun, definitely feeling a sinking sense of grief. "Oh, this can't be good…" he muttered to himself.

"I take it you were expecting me," a familiar voice said behind him.

And why are they always behind me? he wondered bitterly. He turned around to face the former pharaoh of Egypt and his lifelong rival, Atem. "You were actually the second person I expected after meeting Hayanari," Seto informed. "Sorry to disappoint you, but you won't be surprising me."

Atem shrugged. "Then I suppose you know what I'm going to tell you, huh?"

"Yeah, power of friendship and all that nonsense," Seto replied immediately. "No, wait… You also going to say something about how you influenced my life by being my rival, right?"

"You catch on quick," Atem said dryly. "Yes, I was the measuring stick by-"

"Ha ha ha ha!" Seto burst into laughter. "I'm a helluva lot taller than you are, your highness! Always have been!"

Atem's ruby eyes twitched in annoyance. He grounded his teeth and continued, "I didn't mean it literally, idiot!" Seto stopped laughing instantly and glared. "I meant that you always measured your abilities in comparison to mine! You always sought to defeat me in a duel to define your own self-worth."

"So, you're saying that I wasted my time?" Seto rhetorically asked.

"Well, you never got your victory, but does that mean your worth is inferior to mine?" Atem inquired, regaining his patience.

"Hmph!" was all that he received in reply.

This conversation won't be going anywhere… Atem thought to himself. He could tell by experience that Seto understood, but was reluctant to voice it. He cleared his throat and elaborated anyways, "I did more than set a standard for you. I was the one who redirected you on the right path. When we first met, you were on the verge of evil-"

"Please don't be so dramatic," Seto complained.

"Do you remember the penalty game you played?" he asked pointedly. "If it weren't for that, you would never had found your heart again. You talked previously of your love for Mokuba, but even that would have been lost had you continued to live as you did. Once you pieced back together the puzzle of your heart, you were a good person again…" and he added under his breath, "… somewhat."

"And does this have something to do with the 'potential' that man mentioned?" Seto queried, refusing to name him.

"Uh…" Atem's eyes shifted into space for a moment and then back onto the CEO. "Uh, not exactly, but you're getting warmer…" He grinned sheepishly for a second; then his face resumed its usual serious expression. "That does, however, lead me to my second point…"

"You aren't going to tell me what the 'potential' thing is all about, are you?"

"Well, part of it…" Atem explained. "Let me continue. You always derided friendship. To you having a friend meant that you became dependent upon another person, which in your mind was a form of weakness. In fact, you were weak because of this thinking. You couldn't be in a relationship – romantic or platonic – with another person for fear of dependence. You became weak that way."

Seto shook his head in disagreement. "I am not weak for being independent."

"Let me finish, smart ass," Atem snapped. "Because you could not conceive that in a true, loving relationship that you are independent of the person you're with while depending upon them."

"That's a contradiction," the brunette immediately stated.

"That's because you don't understand how it works," came the reply. "You never invested in any relationship other than the one with your brother and those for business aims. You are still 'you' in your relationship with your brother. You are still independent, but you depended upon Mokuba to be there. What would have become of you if something had happened to him?" Atem stopped to let this sink in, then continued, "Now do you understand?"

"He's my brother," Seto started, "I… I…" His hands fell to his side in amazement.

"It's funny that you can't escape Truth after death," Atem mused, more to himself than to anyone in particular. He addressed Seto directly, "Immature love says 'I love you because I need you.' Mature love says, 'I need you because I love you.' (a/n) You never grasped this concept. Whether it is friendship, brotherly love, or romantic love, you never grasped the Truth. Only now that you are dead do you understand. Unfortunately, this fate awaits many, many people…"

Seto's entire body began to shake. He could not speak in reply. He lost his usual, fortified composure and sank to his knees, uncontrollably. It was obvious to his company that he finally understood. Atem closed his eyes in compassion, waiting for Seto to recover. For a very long moment, the proud CEO could not speak. He knew the Truth now. He did not have to say so. His eyes widened as a thought occured to him. "Will I…" he began, swallowing several times before continuing, "will I spend the rest of eternity alone?"

Atem opened his eyes again, the crimson red irises locked onto Seto's deep blue ones. He answered firmly, "That's for you to decide. The choice is yours, Kaiba. You can still meet your potential."

Author's Note: Quoted from "The Art of Loving," by Erich Fromm.

I think it is more than obvious just how much Atem and Yugi had shaped Seto's life. As I said somewhere earlier, Yugi isn't dead yet, and Atem has been for 3,000 years. Atem's appearance is that of the pharaoh, implied by the name use. I didn't go into the detail I could have, in spite of the fact that we all know how much Yami can ramble on sometimes. I wanted to be more concise, and I hope you don't feel short-changed.