Believing in magic was for children and he'd left childish things behind him when his parents died, leaving him to care for his brother. He'd become and adult for Mokuba's sake. Not that he ever regretted it, he would do anything for Mokuba. It just didn't leave much room for fairy tales and make believe.
Yugi's very nature challenged that non-belief and Seto did his best to distance himself from the brat and his "crew." Unfortunately he kept finding himself dragged into whatever mischief the misfits got themselves into.
Finally he had enough and vowed to stay as far away from the group as possible. It was working just fine until Bakura showed up and handed him the Millennium Eye. He had placed it on his desk and stared at it for a long time. He should have just thrown the piece of junk in the trash. But the invitation was too tempting. To find out more about his Blue Eyes, his treasured companion . . .
He argued with himself for a couple days, telling himself how ridiculous this whole thing was and running through all the reasons he should ignore the situation entirely. And then found himself flying to Egypt anyways.
Egypt was weird.
The memory world was weirder.
He kept having to fight the urge to turn around and return to the familiar. If he could even find his way out. But curiosity drove him on and rewarded him when he met that white haired beauty running through the narrow Egyptian allyway.
She had mistaken him for someone else, searching his face with light piercing blue eyes. She said something about being sure they'd meet again someday and had continued her headlong flight.
He called out for her to wait but she didn't hear, so he followed her. The blue eyes and white hair were familiar and tugged at something in his memory but he was unable to grasp exactly what it was. He also couldn't shake the feeling that it was important not to lose track of the girl.
He followed as best he could, through the crowded marketplace and across a short expanse of desert. He was sure he'd lost her when the sand finally opened to reveal a well hidden temple.
He entered the covered pavilion and was immediately lost to memory as the past came to life and played out events from his prior life right before his eyes.
Somewhere in his mind, a block was removed and he was flooded with knowledge of exactly who he was and what had happened. His entire life as an Egyptian priest was open to him and he watched, unable to move, as the woman named Kisara saved his ancient self's life yet again, sacrificing herself in the process.
He felt the magics used as Seth melded her fading life force to her Kaa in a last ditch attempt to preserve her and asked for her help in defeating his father before sealing her in stone. Somewhere in his mind, his dragon keened while she shared his pain at having to witness the heartbreaking scene again.
He continued to follow Seth, watching absently as he finally renounced and destroyed his father with the help of his dragon. He watched as the priest challenged Zorc and lost, nearly loosing his own life in the battle.
Then he saw something that woke him from the numbness. Something from his present life that reminded him that he had a stake in this "game" as well. He saw a small child with an eerie resemblance to Mokuba burned alive by Zorc's fire breath. Suddenly furious he reached out and for the first time in this life, called on the magic that he had always felt lingering just beyond reach. He summoned his Blue Eyes, calling her by name, then sent out a silent plea for help to Seth and Kisara of ancient Egypt. He combined the energies adding them to his dragon's strength and unleashing her strongest form, the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon.
They still lost. He knew they would. The battle didn't last particularly long either. Seto knew there was only one way to destroy the demon but at least they had bought Yugi some time.
Then, suddenly, everything was over. Yugi found Yami's true name and together they defeated Zorc for good. They all returned to the present and prepared to say goodbye to the Pharaoh now that his destiny had been fulfilled.
Atemu stepped through the doors to the otherworld and Seto also said a quiet goodbye to his dragon, knowing that she was supposed to follow. He returned home feeling lost, truly believing that he had finally found his magic, only to have it ripped away.
A/N: waves shyly don't worry, the story isn't ending, it's just berely beginning .
and thankyou, journey maker, for your reviews! it totally makes me feel all warm and fuzzy knowing that someone likes my story! glomps you