"Umi, NO!" Atem called as she stepped toward the edge of the abyss.
Seto ran after her, but he fell as Obelisk rose from the ground before him. He scurried away from the power of the God, a power he could do nothing to stop. His White Dragon, His Kisara swooped down at the beast that blocked his path. She was dwarfed by his immense size, and flew around blasting the God like a mosquito might buzz around a human. But the attacks were utterly useless. Umi was now blocked from his vision as the Gods converged upon her.
And then they shattered into shards of light.
Seto threw his arm over his eyes in the brightness. But when he was able to look once more, the light had coalesced into a molten river beneath Umi's feet.
Umi herself had been transformed, and the Gods stood by her side, now beings of light where they had once been shrouded in shadows, corrupted by the darkness. As Umi closed the distance to Akefia and Neferet, she seemed to glow more brightly. Shimmering, multi-colored bird wings sprouted from her back, like the wings he had so often seen adorn the Goddesses. Her clothing turned from white to golden and she seemed to be possessed once more by the spirit of Isis, the Goddess Queen who created the throne of Egypt.
Seto stood transfixed as the rest of the priests joined him. Their guarding spirits backed them. Atem stood next to him.
"She's... She's." He stammered.
"She's opening a path." Mahad said as he watched.
The Gods faded, but she was no less radiant as she stepped toward the darkness that had consumed Neferet.
Golden wings embraced Neferet as Umi touched her and drew her into an embrace.
"You are a child of the Gods, Neferet. No power can hold you forever. No darkness can smother your light completely." Umi said, or thought, she could not tell which. All she knew was that tears wet Neferet's face. "You taught me this, Neferet, but now it seems I need to remind you." As the two women held each other, Neferet faded into light that spiralled into the heavens. As the light fell away from Umi's being, she felt a rush of gratitude. She looked skyward to see a sparrowhawk flying off into the distance. A noise much closer than the cry of the hawk drew her eyes to the man before her.
"You." spat the vessel of darkness as he grabbed at her. "You were to be my victory, but..." His narrowed eyes searched her face. Umi's heart raced and threatened to burst out of her chest. "But you..." He took her by the throat, squeezing. Umi heard her name called from across the darkness.
"I am not longer your incubator. I will never carry your vessel." She choked out in a rough whisper.
A flash of white passed behind him and he cried out in pain as he released the hold he had on her throat. Suddenly, Umi was airborne, held gently in the talons of the great white beast that had stopped him from killing her. Higher they flew, well out of the reach of the darkness stretching from the chasm below.
Umi sighed as the priests and pharaoh came into view. Relief washed over her, but was quickly squashed as a force jerked the dragon's talons from her shoulders and she was sent careening into the brother that was not her brother. She shook off her disorientation as Atem steadied her.
"No!" Seto screamed. His face was a sheet as pale as the dragon that was now struggling against a creature of pure darkness. A dark shadow loomed next to Bakura and reached out to the white dragon, holding her wings in the vice like mouth on its appendage. The dragon's cries as she struggled echoed off the ruined buildings, but she went down fighting until the last. Seto raced to the edge of the pit and was about to dive into the darkness as Atem pulled him back from the edge.
"Let me go!" He struggled against the arms that held him.
"Seto, stop! Remember your promise!" Atem held fast, dragging the taller man away from the darkness that had consumed the brilliant white dragon. Umi placed her hand on the priest's arm and looked into his red-rimmed eyes filled with unshed tears. He recovered himself as he met her gaze. He nodded as she took his hand.
"I'll cover our retreat." Atem stood his ground against the darkness that rose against him, facing down the beast's gnashing teeth as Obelisk rose once more. This time, the God did not vanish but stood firm against the darkness along his master.
Umi and Seto ran through the town, seeking the edge of the shadows and a return to the light. The rest of the priest-guardians were close behind them and Atem followed as the darkness seemed to swell out to meet him.
They broke through the darkness and stepped into the light as if they had thrown back a heavy curtain. The light was blinding and the sun was high. It beat down on the sand. They gasped in the heat and light as they slipped from the oppressive darkness.
Umi hugged Seto as the light hit them.
"I'm sorry." She wiped tears from his cheeks. He collapsed against her, sobbing. She stroked his back. "I'm so sorry, Seto."
"I do not think he will follow us into the light." Atem said once he had broken through the dark barrier.
Seto turned and glared at him.
"Tell me again why I am here, Pharaoh?" His stare was dangerous as he pulled away from Umi's comfort in a vengeful rage. He grabbed Atem by the shoulders. "Tell me again why I ever do anything you ask me? Every time I cross paths with you I lose someone I love. So tell me why I should not just put an end to you now."
Atem was wide-eyed as Seto shook him.
"I cannot, Seto. I am sorry. I am sorry for everything. But I need you, the kingdom needs you."
Seto spat at him and threw him to the ground. He grabbed Umi's hand as he turned to leave. Wordlessly, he helped her mount one of the camels and sat behind her.
"Seto!" Atem called. If looks could kill, the hatred in Seto's eyes would have impaled Atem in that moment.
"I am not doing this for you. I promised him that I would protect her."
Umi looked back at Atem as Seto turned the camel to the capital. The pharaoh stood, his head drooped as they rode off.
Seto pushed the camel at a breakneck speed for some time before slowing their pace.
"She is gone for good now, is she not?" he asked quietly from behind her. Umi stiffened as he bent his head so that it touched hers. "Neferet is really gone. Kisara as well. The darkness consumed them both."
"No." Umi said firmly. "It wasn't the darkness. Neferet finally found the release that had been eluding her for five thousand years. She went in light and love to the world beyond."
Seto sniffed from behind her and straightened.
"And Kisara... She went to the darkness to protect me, to protect us. Her spirit and sacrifice will never be forgotten."
"But she will never again walk this earth. She will never be born again, will she?"
"I don't know. I may have inherited Neferet's power to channel the Gods' will, but they are as inscrutable to me as they are to anyone. But Kisara will never be truly forgotten. I will never forget her sacrifice."
He pulled her against him, burying his face in her hair.
"Thank you."
She leaned against him, letting him grieve for his lost loves. He felt warm against her, so like her own Seto. He felt more like hers the longer his arms were wrapped around her. She wondered what the difference between them truly was, or if there was no difference. She turned to look in his eyes and felt the pain that he had hidden there, much like what she saw in his counterpart after their first kiss. She kissed his cheek, feeling the same electric shock course through her that felt at her Seto's touch. Her soul seemed to sing as he brushed her hair from her face.
"You really are her." He stared into her eyes and she felt herself drowning, as she had the first time her Seto had gazed at her so intently. His kiss was gentle, just as her Seto's kiss had been. So surprisingly gentle, despite the rage and anger that warred within him. It was a secret meant only for her, or for Neferet. Umi felt that she could be happy with him, almost as happy as she was with her own Seto, but there was still a grain of unease within her.
"No. I'm not." She laid a gentle hand on his chest, setting the barrier between them. "I am not her, Seto. I wish I could be, but the memories that come to your mind when you see me are memories of her. They are memories that I do not share."
"I know. I just, I hoped that maybe I would finally have the chance to be happy."
"You deserve to be, but I can't be the one to do that for you. And you can't let this drive a wedge into your friendship. I have a feeling that it was not Atem's fault"
"I know. but it is one incredible coincidence." He nodded and sighed. Movement on the horizon caught his eye. "What's that?"
A troop of horses galloped across the sand and stopped before the lone camel. The riders dismounted awkwardly, as if riding was an uncommon experience. Only one of the four riders seemed to have any skill whatsoever, and even he seemed uncomfortable with the beast..
Umi sighed, smiling as she recognized her brother's friends and her lover. Seto held her tightly against him for a brief moment more.
"He's going to be a tough one to love, Umi." His voice was breathy in her ear. "Believe me, I know." He slipped his hand from her belly as his eyes met those of his double. He could see confusion and anger flashing across the face of his doppleganger. But his face quickly changed as Umi slid off the tall beast and launched herself at him. They fell to the ground in a tight embrace and Seto could see the relief wash over them both. He turned his red-cheeked gaze from the lovers as they kissed and wept and back to the inky black spot that sat on the horizon. He dismounted the camel as the rest of the visitors from another world approached. The two males looked at the lovers in various stages of shock. The young woman however paid them no mind.
"Where is everyone else?" she asked as she approached him. Like his Neferet and Umi both, this young woman was far more assertive and demanding than that to which he was accustomed. Her eyes were blue as well, nearly as blue as Kisara's. He was startled by the same determination that was set on her face.
"They were supposed to be right behind me." Seto said after a moment collecting himself. He was seeing his lost lovers in every new face, he realized, and that could not be healthy. As he turned once again to the horizon, a plume of dust bisected the dark spot. Squinting, Seto could see a caravan hurrying towards them. "There." He pointed to the cloud of sand rising in the sky, growing closer. "They are coming."
"Where's Yugi?" the shorter of the two young men asked.
"Atem was holding the rear with the God Obelisk. He was covering our escape."
The trio from the other world looked at each other in concern.
"Covering escape?" The taller one asked.
"Oh, Yugi." The young woman's voice was panicked.
"Obelisk? So he was able to summon the god?" His double asked as he and Umi approached with intertwined hands.
"Yes." Seto watched as the cloud grew larger and the caravan came closer.
"Neferet?" Kaiba asked, his eyes drawing to Umi.
"She's gone." Seto answered. His voice was bitter in his throat as he turned away from the casual touches between Umi and his other self. Kaiba kissed the back of Umi's hand and then pulled away from her. He crossed his arms over his chest.
"I'm sorry." he said as the priest met his eyes once more.
Joey murmured something from the peanut gallery that neither could make out, but they both turned to him with the same glare.
"Nothing." Joey said quickly when met with the intensity of the double stare.
Sand swirled around them as the caravan came to a halt. Atem was unconscious with Mahad riding behind him.
"Yugi!" Tea called as the camel knelt and Atem was lowered to the ground.
The young pharaoh waved off hands which offered assistance as he stepped on to the sand and swayed.
"I will be fine." The young pharaoh glared at his friend the priest briefly before he realized that his friends from the other world were there waiting for him.
"Yugi!" Tea threw her arms around him making him stumble backward slightly from her momentum.
"Tea."
She stepped back and apologized as she brushed her hair behind her ear.
"Joey, Tristan. Thank you for being here."
"What happened Yugi?" Tristan asked as he hugged his friend.
Atem smiled at their use of his name from the other world.
"He's too strong. How is he so strong?" Atem looked around for answers from all of his friends now gathered together. A snort from the back of the gathered crowd caught his attention.
"Too strong? You're complaining that he is too strong. Unbelievable."
"Kaiba?"
"Since when do you quit because someone set insurmountable odds before you?" Kaiba pushed his way through to look down upon the pharaoh. "I don't care who you think you are, or what you call yourself, but you do not quit. You never quit, you never surrender and you are going to turn your ass around and go back there and take that psychopath down. Because that is what you do, Yugi."
"But he's already destroyed Obelisk and Osiris as we were trying to escape. He's also taken down the White Dragon. Even without Neferet, he has grown too strong."
The sound of the slap was muffled in the wind, but the pain of Kaiba's hand across his cheek stung Atem. The entire group stared in shock for a moment before simultaneously bursting out in protest. But Kaiba did not listen nor did he care what the others had to say. He grabbed Atem by the collar of his cloak and pulled the shorter man to him. Kaiba's eyes burned threateningly as he spoke in a harsh, unforgiving whisper.
"We are only here because you and Bakura felt the need to play out some bizarre fantasy world that Umi and I got roped into. If I could figure out a way to leave with her right now, I would, and I wouldn't give a flying fuck what happened to you. The only reason I'm not working on that right now is because losing you would devastate Umi. So you better fucking man up and do what it was you came here to do." He pushed Atem away. "Or are you not the person I thought you were?" Kaiba stood there, eyes locked with the young pharaoh, his arms crossed, his posture challenging Atem. "Burn the past, Pharaoh. Make your own destiny." He turned and walked back to Umi at the edge of the crowd.
"Burn the past." Atem quoted back under his breath as he chewed on his thumb. He looked up at Kaiba's retreating back and then searched for his own version of the surly young man. As he looked at the faces gathered around him, he noticed an absence for the first time.
"Where is Aknadin?"
"He has been missing since we reached the pit, my pharaoh." Mahad told him.
" Did anyone see where he went?"
The priests looked at each other in confusion.
"My Pharaoh, there was so much occupying our attention that he seems to have slipped away. Perhaps he got lost in the ruins?" Isis suggested.
"Unlikely," said another priest. "He was present when the items were first created. He knows that village as well as Akefia does."
"He was there as well?" Atem looked at the older man first in shock and then in realization. "Of course he was. He was my father's personal conduit to the Gods and the games. It only makes sense that he would have had a hand in creating the most powerful magical items in my father's arsenal. So where did he go?" Atem began pacing as he chewed on his thumbnail again.
"What does it matter?" Joey asked. "He's just one man. Sure he had a Millennium Item, but he can't summon the Gods like you can."
"What if he turns against me, Joey? He has powerful magic."
"If he stands against you," Kaiba called from the edge of the group. "Strike him down."
Atem noticed that Kaiba's double stiffened at the mention of striking down the old priest.
"How can you be so heartless?" the ancient doppelganger spat.
"If it is what needs to be done, there is no point in hesitating." Kaiba retorted.
"It does not matter." Atem stood between the pair. "I know what I need to do. There is only one thing that could possibly withstand Akefia's monster of darkness."
"The Servant of Ra." The pharaoh's most trusted magician met Atem's eyes. "Only the light of the Sun can burn away such darkness."
"No." Umi's voice cut through the crowd. "There's a force that is even more powerful, but it is a force that is nearly impossible to control. That's why only the three Gods are ever mentioned, or ever summoned. But this force can defeat him."
"What is this power?" one of the priests that Umi did not know asked. She looked at him, trying to read his dark eyes, but she could gain no insight on the man and did not want to risk trusting him. She pulled her not-brother aside, toward his friends.
"Isis told me about it." She stared.
Atem looked over at the priestess.
"Not her, the other Isis." Umi explained. "The three Gods, they aren't really the Gods."
"Everyone knows that. They are just the Servants of the Gods. It is easier to simply call them the Gods though."
"Right. Well, they can be used to call forth a true God."
"What? Is that what you did? Why you were glowing?"
Umi shook her head.
"That was the power of Ma'at working through me."
"Oh."
"Atem, you will not be able to save Egypt. You will stop him, this I believe. But the damage to the Kingdom is extensive. And you will likely sacrifice yourself to stop the spread of the darkness, to halt Chaos. But you can use the power of the Gods to turn the wheel."
He turned from her and chewed on his thumb.
"Did Ma'at and Isis show this to you?"
"You already know it to be the truth. Your dynasty was dying."
"Neferet could not give me an heir. She was barren."
"Neferet was pregnant when you sent her to the darkness."
"What?" He looked over his shoulder at her. His shock turned to realization. "But it was not my child."
Umi shook her head.
"No."
"I should have never been born. The prophecies were right about, but my father chose to ignore them."
"But you had to be born. You are the only one who can stop this."
"Burn the past." he quoted. Umi's eyebrows rose as he muttered to himself. "Kaiba told me that. Clear out the old to make way for something new. But the past is the foundation upon which the future is built."
"And sometimes that future is built on ruins. Turn the wheel, Atem."
He looked at the crowd gathered around him. They had devolved into their own quiet conversations, plotting and planning the assault on their own. Some looked to him expectantly, as if waiting for him to know what to do. Others smiled encouragingly, offering him their own strength. He turned back to her with determination written on his face.
"How?"
"When the three Servants are gathered together, Horakhty-Ra can be called to defend this land and her people. As the Sun rises, under Horakhty's command, so too will Egypt rise from this darkness."
"But how do I summon him?"
"You will know when it is time. Other than that, I can't say."
Atem nodded.
"When the darkness has been defeated, the door between worlds will open once more. So you must be victorious, Atem, or your friends, myself, and Yugi will be stuck here forever. And frankly, I don't think Egypt could survive two Setos for very long."
They looked at where the seeming twins were locked in a heated discussion.
"You are probably correct." He smiled as he met her eyes once more. "Though it has been interesting to see them together. I wonder how stubborn Kaiba is going to be about his belief in all of this when it is over."
"I'm sure he will rationalize it away somehow."
Atem kissed her quickly on her cheek.
"Thank you. I will not fail." He squeezed her hand before turning back to his priests. He looked at the group which seemed to have shrunk in number once more. "Where's Shada and Kalim?"
The rest of the priests looked around for the missing pair, but they could not be found.
Umi pulled Kaiba away from his argument with the priest.
"You kissed him? Why did you kiss him?" Her Seto asked. His eyes were wide and his lip trembled slightly. She shook her head before pulling his face to hers. She stared into his eyes as their noses touched.
"I didn't. He kissed me."
Kaiba tried to look back at his double, but Umi's hand on his cheek forced him to keep his gaze on her. She held his eyes for a long moment, trying to fight the urge to pull him to the sand on top of her. His vulnerability, his jealousy made her ache for him. She wanted him. And from the way his eyes dilated, the rough pattern to his breathing, and the way he licked his lips unconsciously, she knew he was wondering exactly how far he could go before she told him to stop.
"Fuck it." she muttered, as she pressed her lips into his. His hands were at her waist in an instant, pulling her up and against him. She clasped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist as he straightened. She moaned as he squeezed her thighs as he supported her weight on his arms. He chuckled against her lips at the reaction.
"Oh for... Get a fucking room!" Joey called from across the crowd.
Umi pulled away from his kiss breathless. Her fingers stroked through the hair at the back of his neck as she looked at him.
"I missed you." he said, shifting her weight on his arms.
"I was gone less than twenty-four hours."
"Too long." He kissed her quickly before putting her back down. Her hands slid down his arms as she settled on the shifting sand in front of him. He captured her hands in his when they met and brought her knuckles to his lips. "But I guess I'll just have to wait longer." He played the melodramatic role, putting one hand to his forehead and fluttering his eyelids. Umi laughed out loud at his act.
"Come on, Goofball." She pulled him back to the rest of the group that had tightened around the pharaoh.
"But seriously, why did you kiss him?"
"Because I missed you. And I forgot for a moment that he wasn't you."
"Could they have gone back?" Tristan asked the obvious question.
"They saw what we are up against. I do not see why they would go off alone." Mahad explained.
"And this is Kalim and Shada. They are not the kind to rush off to face such odds alone. They are far too cautious." Isis added, looking pointedly at the young pharaoh.
"And yet they are not here." Atem looked at the black scar against the otherwise flawless sky. "There was no where else for them to go. They are not cowards either. I do not believe they fled."
Umi squeezed Kaiba's hand as she stood next to him.
"We have to go back." She said as she felt Kaiba's hand tighten on hers.
Atem nodded once before he mounted one of the horses and took off for the inky spot on the horizon.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Joey said as he tried to mount one of the horses. Mahad put his hand on the eager blond boy.
"Maybe you should take one of the camels?"
When Atem entered the darkness once more, he quickly found Shada and Kalim laying broken on the ground. They were stripped of the golden items they had once guarded.
"What happened?" Atem gripped Shada's hand as the older man coughed.
"He came out of nowhere, as soon as we approached. His ka is too strong."
"It is alright, my friend. I will stop him."
"He took our items. They will make him even more powerful." Shada coughed as his lungs filled with fluid. As he fought a spasm, the rest of the group broke through the dark barrier and gathered around their fallen comarades. He gripped the pharaoh's hand more tightly and tried to sit up. "My Pharaoh, when it is time, you must rest. You will need all of your strength for what is to come." His voice was a wet whisper as he choked out his final words.
"It is time for your rest now, my friend. Fear not for your ba. We will emerge victorious and will see them set properly on the path to the afterlife." Atem said with a confidence that he did not feel. But what Umi had said was true. He knew it deep in his heart, and he knew what he had to do. He stood and turned to the center of the village and the pit from which the darkness was creeping across the land.
"Seto," Atem called to his chosen successor, but both of the men with the name looked at him. "Remember your promise." The pharaoh's eyes were hard, cold as he looked at his friend. The priest nodded as they continued to where the darkness was waiting. A golden light-the souls of the departed- flew into the sky as they left.
The priests split from the pharaoh in an attempt to flank the master of the darkness, but as they moved through the ruins the priests were attacked one by one. As the Pharaoh approached the pit, the golden glow from the Millennium Items illuminated the other side of the abyss. Atem and his friends faced not only the Thief King, but also the old priest.
"Father." Seto said in disgust.
"Son, you can still join me. We can usher in a new age for Egypt together." Aknadin offered.
"My answer is still the same, Father. My loyalty is to the throne."
"Then you can die with your friends." Akefia said, his eyes burned like smoldering coals as he stretched out it hand and ordered his guardian ka to attack. The monster seemed to be made of shadow and ash but it loomed above them all like an even blacker smear against the shadowed sky. Instinctively, Seto called for the dragon that had always protected him before he remembered the last time his faithful guardian had tussled with this beast. He was as shocked as anyone to see the flash of white as the dragon appeared.
"Kisara." he whispered awe-struck as she attacked the darkness head on. Beautiful, he thought, so taken with the sight that he did not see the movement off to the side or his father's attack as the old man grabbed his son and tumbled with him into the pit. Seto only had time to bring up the golden rod that he had earned through his service to the pharaoh before his father's knife struck his heart.
"You were supposed to be my greatest glory, Seto. The golden prince. The savior of all. I will give you one last chance. Join us, take your rightful place as pharaoh, or die."
Seto saw his father speaking, but all he could hear was the sound of Kisara's voice crying out in pain as the monster ripped into her spirit. He watched in horror as the beast took hold of her throat and pinned her wings, sending her spiralling out of the sky. He heard his father sneer before blacking out.
A winged woman appeared from one side of the chasm and sent a whirlwind at the beast now pinning the dragon to the ground, drawing its attention. The dark creature left its prey to chase the new ka, and the priestess who summoned it.
"Isis, No!" Atem called as the woman sprinted down an alleyway, hoping to hide from the darkness.
From the other side of the chasm, Mahad called forth his own ka to attack the monster. The beast, warring within itself over which prey to pursue, disintegrated into shadows and dust. The white dragon lay, barely breathing, on the ground. She turned her blue eyes to Kaiba, looking for her lover.
"Blue-eyes." Kaiba walked toward the beast steadily as his heart pounded like a timpani in his chest. He touched the nose of the creature and then laid his head against her scales. "Rest now, my friend. I'm sure he will be fine." The dragon blinked her large eyes slowly. A sound like a loud purr emanated from her before she grew transparent-like the spirit she was and shattered into shards of light that swirled through the sky, surrounding Kaiba, and then disappearing.
The old priest rose from the pit gripping the golden rod tightly in his fist. He jabbed the end of it into the ground as the thief looked on.
"And now we have four." Akefia called above the chaos.
Atem looked at the items arrayed on the opposite side of the pit. They had the Key, Scales, Eye, and now Rod. He needed to do something, to call forth the Gods and summon Horakhty. But every time he tried, the words seemed to die in his throat. The monster rose once more and attacked Mahad directly. The attack was so swift that he could barely stand afterwards. Mahad looked at his friend standing on the edge of indecision. He mouthed something and his ka sprang forth. As he fell to his knees, he muttered something else that Atem could not here over the triumphant roaring of Akefia's ka. A brilliant flash of light sprang out of Mahad and latched onto his ka spirit.
"Mahad!" Atem cried, paralyzed as his friend fell to the earth. In his place, his spirit stood, transformed. It was no longer just his ka, but it was more, like Seto's white dragon. The spirit had been made more powerful by Mahad's death. The spirit of the magician stood firm against the shadow beast, but soon retreated under the unrelenting onslaught brought forth by Akefia's rage. As the magician's strength wavered, Atem called to his teacher, his constant companion, his friend. The magician retreated to the pharaoh's side, standing guard, ever faithful. The beast pulled Mahad's body to its master.
"Make that five." Akefia sneered as he slipped the ring Mahad had once worn over his head. "Welcome home, my friend."
"It should be enough." The old priest said. "I will begin." Aknadin stood among the artifacts chanting an incantation. As his words filled the air, the items glowed-the five surrounding him and the sixth around Atem's neck as well. In the distance, a woman screamed before a shadow returned with a glowing object which it placed at the old priest's feet.
Umi ran up to Atem.
"Now! You must do it now!" She grabbed his arm, trying to bring him back from his grief.
A dark shape was rising from the pit, darker and more sinister than anything Atem had ever experienced before.
"Come Zorc, God of Darkness and Lord of Chaos." Akefia called as Aknadin continued his incantation. "Seek your revenge on those who had cast you out as I take my revenge on their servants. Too long the world has suffered under the yolk of Order. Come now and bring the freedom of Chaos with you!"
The dark form continued to rise until it towered above all things. The already inky sky became as dark as a tomb. Only the glow of the Items gave any illumination. In their faint glow, a form could be seen crawling out of the pit.
"Look!" Joey pointed at the edge where the fallen priest scurried over the edge with great effort and slowly stood. Seto brushed himself off and straightened his robes before closing in on the pharaoh with his long stride.
Umi was imploring Atem to call the Gods before the darkness consumed them all when Seto grabbed the pharaoh by the throat and lifted him off of the ground.
"Seto, stop!" Umi cried as she tried to pull at the priest. The man who had been so open and vulnerable with her only hours before scoffed at her attempts. When she looked at him, his eyes had gone black and burned like embers in a fire. He pushed her to the ground before turning his attention back to the pharaoh. Kaiba, seeing Umi fall took off at a sprint to her side and to confront his other self. Joey reached the priest first and punched him in the jaw. The sudden impact made the priest drop Atem, who fell, coughing, to his knees.
"Don't you dare touch Yugi." Joey's voice held a dangerous timbre as he prepared himself for retaliation. Tristan tackled the priest from behind and sent him sprawling across the sand.
"Was that really necessary?" Kaiba asked as he helped Umi up. Joey shrugged.
"It felt good. Kinda wish it was you, though." Joey met Kaiba's intense stare as the taller man scoffed at him.
"I'd never give you the opening."
"Oh geez." Umi rolled her eyes, but she felt that something had shifted between the two since she last saw them together. She knelt next to her brother that wasn't her brother. "Yugi?" She asked as the familiar sense of her twin touched her mind briefly.
"I cannot do it, Umi."
"You can. You have to."
Atem shook his head.
"Mahad, Isis, Shada, the others. Even Seto's turned against me."
"But you aren't alone, Yugi." Joey placed a hand on Atem's shoulder. Tea took his hand.
"We have your back and we will never let you fall. Remember?" She held her hand out. Joey did the same. "We are always connected, always united."
Tristan placed his hand in the circle as Umi backed away.
"We will always be here with you," he said. "Through thick and thin."
"Thank you." Atem looked at each of their faces in turn, drawing strength from them all. He took a deep breath and steadied himself as he called forth the Gods one by one to meet the darkness facing them.
Kaiba squated, sitting back on his heels as he watched his doppleganger sit up.
"You know, as often as I had wanted to strangle him, I never actually acted on it." Kaiba noted as Seto's once again clear blue eyes met his.
"I do not know what came over me. All of a sudden, I was filled with so much anger. It was like all of the pain I had ever experienced came crashing down on me at once."
"And you snapped."
Seto hung his head in shame.
"I'm supposed to be stronger than that."
Kaiba felt a mirthless laugh erupt from his throat.
"Yeah." He looked at his double and then turned his attention to the small knot of people surrounding the pharaoh. He glanced back at his double to see him also staring at the group.
"He's about to do it, isn't he? Call the Gods? Summon the Creator?"
"You know more about this then you let on."
"It was my duty. I trained as a priest for years, I read, I studied. I even learned that which was forbidden, which is why I was shocked when Umi suggested summoning Horakhty. No one was to know about her. But I guess desperate times require desperate actions"
"Why was it forbidden?" Kaiba asked, his curious nature getting the better of him.
"I am not certain. I only know that it was feared."
They watched as Umi put her hands on the pharaoh's shoulders. Gold and silver light seemed to swirl around them, though tendrils of light twisted around the outstretched hands in the center of the circle. The light seemed to knot tightly around the hands binding them further together. Wind howled and the earth shook as one by one the Servants of the Gods appeared once more. First, Obelisk, the Servant of Set, rose from the ground to face the towering darkness that was Zorc. Even Obelisk's great mass was dwarfed by the long dormant God of Darkness. Then Osiris' Sky Dragon circled through the sky, bringing thunder and lightning with him. Finally, Ra's Winged Dragon blazed like the sun across the shadowed sky, raining fire upon the Lord of Chaos. The three godly beasts surrounded the dark lord, but even their combined might could not withstand the pull of the darkness. With each touch of the dark god's hands, the Gods started to petrify, turning to stone before the overwhelming might of Chaos.
The light around Umi swirled higher until it spiraled completely into the sky and disappeared. As the light faded to a point in the inky heavens, Zorc grabbed hold of Obelisk, completely turning him to stone. A pinpoint of light gleamed above Atem in the sky and seemed to grow larger as Osiris was petrified. The light settled before the young pharaoh and formed a cartouche. Atem's eyes grew wide as he read what was written within.
The small silver pendant was inscribed with various symbols, like those he had seen carved into the stone tablet that had prompted him to start upon this quest. Unlike those other inscriptions, the symbols on the pendant made perfect sense.
"Serfkatem?' he read as the symbols embedded themselves into his mind awakening memories that even Neferet's guidance had not been able to unlock. He plucked the item from where it hovered before him and felt a surge of power. The name struck him deep within his heart. He knew it was important and he felt a sense of wholeness as the word echoed through his mind. It was his true name, or at least part of it. He hoped that it would be enough. He walked towards the petrified Gods, his friends parting ways to allow him passage. He held the silver charm before him.
"God of Creation, hear my plea. I bid you come forth as I offer these three servants as tribute. Obelisk, servant of Set, the Sky Dragon of Osiris, the Winged Dragon of Ra, give yourselves to the God of Creation as an offering during out most desperate hour." The petrified Gods began to glow from within. Light shattered the stone that encased them as they transformed into beings of pure golden light. They merged into one, as Atem continued.
"I ask you, Horakhty, answer my call. I am Serfkatem, Pharaoh of the Two Kingdoms, son of Akhenamkhanen. I call you." His voice shook as he watched the ball of light glow and pulse. He willed for something, anything to happen.
The ball seemed to solidify and then took shape into the form of a winged woman that towered above the landscape. She was at least as tall as the Dark God Zorc, but her brilliance filled the sky, blasting through the inky blackness that had settled over the ruins. The Goddess faced the Destroyer. She summoned a staff of pure light that parried and struck at his blows. He tried to evade, but her aim was true. Each strike seared him.
Zorc turned to those who had summoned him, those who, even now were shouting conflicting commands at the God of Darkness. He scooped the thief and the old priest in each of his hands and lifted them to his face. His demented, skull-like grin seemed to widen his face. He opened his mouth and drew the life of the two men within him in an attempt to strengthen himself against the Goddess' onslaught. He turned to face his attacker once more, ordering his dragon to ravage the Goddess as he tried to strike her with lightning. She pinned the monstrous appendage with her staff of light, impaling it through the head, which sent his blast flying off target. The lightning bolt struck a building nearby and disintegrated it.
Horakhty used her wings to summon a wind that swirled sand and rubble into the air. Pebbles and rocks pelted Zorc as the winds whipped around him. She used her staff which had been driven deep into the ground, to channel the light of creation from her into the dark god. Like the godly servants before, Horakhty's light seeped through the cracks within Zorc's form, creating narrow beams of light that shot out of him at every angle. As the light grew, the fissures within the darkness also grew until the light completely overcame the darkness that was Zorc, shattering him from the inside out.
As the light faded, the Dark One was gone. In his place, the great scar that had been inflicted upon the village so many years ago by the creation of the Millennium Items remained. As did the bodies of the lives that Zorc absorbed to strengthen his power. The Millennium Items laid in a perfect array, embedded in a tablet that was now visible in the light. The tablet held spots for seven items, but only six were filled, Atem noted as he approached. The God of Creation lingered as he looked at the disaster that had been wrought on that day.
"Pharaoh." The Goddess' voice was rich and multilayered, like listening to an orchestra. "You have found that which you seek. The end of your time is coming. But you will be ready when it does come. Look to your friends." She gestured to all of the individuals remaining. "Those both present, those who have fallen, and those who will be by your side as time marches on. It is because of them that you were able to create a miracle. Because of them, you found the last piece."
And with that statement, the God-Creator of Light faded into nothingness.
"Did we do it?" Joey asked after a long, reverent silence.
Atem looked at the charm laying in his hand.
"Yes. I think we did." He ran his thumb over the inscribed surface. He walked around the tablet within which the Items had been placed. They each still had their faint glow of power about them as he touched them one by one, remembering those who had given their lives because of them. He took the Item from around his neck and began to place it in the center of the tablet.
"Are you sure that is wise?" Seto asked from his elbow.
"No." Atem held the pyramid so that it hovered above the spot meant for it. He held it out to Seto. "Take it."
The priest reluctantly relieved the pharaoh of the pendant puzzle.
"It is your responsibility now."
Seto looked at the golden object in his hands and then back to where Atem was standing only to see nothing but sand, ruins, and the dark scar of their father's sins. Everyone had vanished.
A/N: Hi everyone reading this! First, thank you for taking the time out of your day to do so. You could be doing so many other things, but you have chosen to spend it here. So thanks! Second, since you are here, would you mind helping me out? I would love a review of this or other chapters (or even other pieces if you would rather). Because of my schedule right now, I have little time to write, so things have come in fits and starts. I would especially love any feedback on areas where the continuity seems wonky or the flow is confusing or off. Also if there are any places that jump out at you as off or confusing, please let me know so I can mark them for review when I get into the nitty gritty of editing this monster. Third, I feel that we are coming to an end here, so thank you for reading once more and I hope you enjoy the rest of the ride.