Warm, golden light seemed to endlessly surround him. It was nearly blinding, and yet soothing in a strange way. Where was he? He couldn't help but wonder. One moment he had been strolling along the Nile River. Well, not the Nile River, as he was in his final resting place, but it looked just as he remembered the river to be. He had been on his way to meet Mana and Mahad, the three of them intending to spend the day swimming together and just enjoying each other's company.

"What's going on?" Atem questioned out loud at last.

"Pharaoh," A warm, feminine voice answered. He knew that voice, having heard it once before, right after he defeated Zorc. It belonged to Horakhty, the Creator of Light. "The Gods of Egypt have come to an agreement regarding your future, Pharaoh, sensing the loneliness that still shrouds your heart."

The former Pharaoh of Egypt paused at that, his brow furrowing slightly. Most days, he liked to think he did well at hiding the small hole that always seemed present in his chest. Only Mana and Mahad seemed to be able to sense it, considering they knew him so well. But he was never one to complain, especially not when he was finally where he belonged, not when he had finally returned to the people he had once loved.

"An agreement?" Atem repeats. "Please, explain."

"Three thousand years ago you gave your life for your people to protect them from the Shadow Games," The Creator answered. "You were a new king, barely an adult, when you had your life turned upside down by Thief King Bakura and Zorc. Your selfless choice saved countless lives. When the Millennium Puzzle was solved by Yugi Muto, you gained a new life, only to have that one taken from you as well. Even the Gods are aware how much more you deserve than what you have been given."

"I have no regrets for the choices that I made throughout my life," Atem shakes his head. "No matter how short it was. I know the peace that I have now is the reward for those sacrifices."

"It would be a reward if your soul were truly at peace, Pharaoh," The mystical voice counters. "And it is understandable after all that you have been through that you have not yet found that contentment as others have."

"What are you saying?"

"The Gods of Egypt are offering you a chance to return to the life that you began building with Yugi Muto," The answer sends a jolt through Atem's chest. If his heart still beat, he was certain that it would have skipped a beat. "But you would no longer be trapped within the confines of the Millennium Puzzle and Yugi Muto's body. You would be your own person, free to carve your own path."

A thousand questions seem to flood the Pharaoh's being all at once. A chance to live again? To experience life free of the puzzle and free of the responsibilities of being king? It seemed too good to be true. Surely he didn't deserve that big of a reward for the choices he had made throughout his short life.

"My life, or afterlife, is here, though," Atem knew he couldn't just turn his back on those who had been waiting for him when Yugi had set him free. He couldn't lose Mana again, turn his back on Mahad, who had always sacrificed for him. He finally was reunited with his mother and father, after losing them both so suddenly as a child. "How can I leave one set of friends and family just to return to another?"

"Rest easy, Pharaoh," Atem wasn't sure whether he was finding much comfort in this conversation or not. "We would not offer you this gift without having considered everything needed to ensure you would have your chance at the ideal life. We cannot allow everyone you care for to return with you, however, the ones you call Mana and Mahad will be granted the same reward as you, should you choose to accept this gift."

"I cannot just make this choice for all three of us without discussing it with them first," Atem replies. Could this all be real? One did not simply turn their backs on a gift from the Gods of Egypt themselves, but a choice like this, that did not only affect him, could not be made on his own. He had lived his life as a king making choices for many people on his own. He knew that doing so now was not an option.

"Speak to your friends, Pharaoh," The mystic voice responds. "When you have your answer, you'll know how to find me. Bear in mind, however, that the longer you wait, the more time passes in the realm of the living, and it has already been three years since the Ceremonial Duel. Life in that realm moves faster than it does here. And already so much has changed. It would be wise to decide sooner rather than later."


Atem woke with a start, his breathing ragged. It took him a few moments to orient himself, tremors shaking his body. He jumped again, a soft hand ghosting along his side, "Atem?" Mana's soft voice hoarse with sleep. He drew a slow breath, pinching the bridge of his nose lightly. His own hand moved to rest on top of hers, squeezing gently.

"Sorry, Mana," His own voice slightly hoarse as he lay back down beside her, pulling her close, his fingers beginning to trail lightly along her back. It was late, or early, depending on how you looked at it. It had to be, considering how dark it was outside the window.

"The dream again?" Mana asks, shifting to rest her head on his chest, her eyes slowly closing, a yawn escaping her.

"The memory," Atem corrects. Chills traveled along his spine as he spoke, causing him to tremble once again beneath her. Their room was comfortable, but he was suddenly freezing, a common after-effect of waking up from the memory, he'd figured out after the first few times it occurred.

He feels Mana take a slow, deep breath, before she sat up a little to look at him, a smile on her face. It was hard for him to not smile back when she looked at him like that, the corners of his lips twitching slightly, "Do I need to remind you again that we made the right choice?" She asks him softly.

They hadn't been back in the realm of the living very long, only a few weeks at that point. They were all still adjusting. They were still in Egypt where they had woken up, unceremoniously left near the presence of Marik, Ishizu, and Odion Ishtar, who hadn't hesitated to welcome the three of them into their home and help them to start to adjust to their new lives. The three siblings were kind and generous, helping Atem explain to both Mana and Mahad how people lived in modern times. It was strange to the former pharaoh at times, remembering how he and Marik had originally met, but he was happy to see that the shadow that had once lived within the former tombkeeper had left no lasting effects on his life. He also had a strong suspicion that Marik was involved with someone else who had an unfortunate familiarity with being possessed by an evil spirit, if the phone calls he occasionally overheard were anything to go by.

Despite all of the help from the Ishtar siblings, some days it still didn't seem real, despite the fact that the memory haunted his dreams on a regular basis, and the evidence that it was real was right in front of him. Atem did sometimes feel guilty, wondering if they truly did make the right choice. He found himself lost in thought for a moment before the bed shifted behind him, causing him to tense for a moment before the deep, familiar voice reached his ears, "Everything all right?" Mahad's voice echoed the sleepiness of the other two as his arm wrapped around both Atem and Mana. The former Pharaoh relaxed back with a content sound, pulling Mana with him.

"Everything is fine," Atem nodded, relaxing once again as he found himself sandwiched between his partners, his eyes starting to close.

"Which really means that he's not fine, but he's not ready yet to tell us what's really on his mind," Mana answers, returning to her position with her head on Atem's chest. "But he will eventually, Mahad. Don't worry. We just need to keep reminding him that his days of protecting the world are over. He doesn't need to protect us from anything, especially.

Atem had to give Mana that one. When they'd been returned to the land of the living, all three of them had retained some aspect of the magic they once possessed. He never had to worry about safety around both of them. A deep sigh escapes him as he once again felt a sense of ease passing through his body, his eyes starting to close once more.

"I'm okay," Atem says softly, an arm around Mana, his other fingers finding Mahad's. "I'm right where I'm meant to be."


The weeks passed, turning into three months before any of them truly realized, however, it became clear that Atem was restless. More restless than any of them had initially realized. None of them strayed far from the Ishtar house, but Mana and Mahad often went hours without knowing where Atem was, and at night they often found him outside staring at the stars.

"A-Atem?"

The soft voice broke Atem out of his thoughts late one night as he lay back on the ground in the backyard of the Ishtar house. He didn't sleep much those nights, and some part of him knew that he was worrying both Mana and Mahad, but old habits definitely died hard. He was used to keeping his thoughts to himself, a quality taught to him both by his father and through the years he spent sharing Yugi's body. He had never been a very vocal person to begin with, but even he knew he was close to his breaking point.

The former pharaoh sat up, both his partners in this new life appearing before him, both wearing similar expressions of concern. His gaze shifted to Mana, who had been the one to speak, "Is everything all right?" He asked, watching the former magicians as they sat down opposite him.

Mana shakes her head, glancing uncertainly at Mahad, who gave her hand a gentle, encouraging, squeeze, "I don't know," She admitted softly, her gaze finding Atem's once again. "We don't know. You've been acting… weird lately. Mahad and I have been trying to give you space, Atem, really, we have. We know how strange this has to be for you; it's strange for both of us too. But we're really concerned about you."

Guilt filled Atem's gaze as he listened to Mana. Isolating himself was how he had taught himself to deal with whatever was bothering him throughout the years, both when he was growing up and when he shared Yugi's body. It often did not occur to him that his behavior might be concerning to those around him.

"I'm sorry," He says sincerely, his gaze going from Mana to Mahad and back again. "You're right. I have been acting strange since we came back, haven't I? Probably even moreso in the last few days. I'm sorry for that. It's just…" He hesitated for a moment. No. These were two people that he cared about immensely. Two people who he couldn't just leave behind when he was offered a chance at a new life. He could be open and honest with them both. He owed them that much. "This all still doesn't seem real," He admits softly with a slight shake of his head. "And in my heart I know that it is. But the longer we remain here, the more I feel like we need to be doing more. We were brought back to enjoy our second chance at living, not spend it hiding in Egypt."

"Do you think that you're ready to go back to Domino City?" Mahad asks, his fingers absentmindedly trailing up and down Mana's hand. "We all know that is the eventual goal, but we needed some time to adjust to… all of this."

"I feel like there's something still missing inside me, if that makes sense," Atem admits softly. He had been avoiding bringing up what he was feeling, not wanting to worry Mana and Mahad further, but at the same time he felt guilty for keeping it to himself for so long. "I've felt that way since we've been back, and it just gets stronger the more time passes since that day. There's also times that I feel almost as if someone is calling out to me or speaking to me, but they're not really there."

"Do you have any idea who that might be?" Mahad continues to watch his former king and best friend carefully, curiously, though he had an idea whose voice Atem could be hearing. A look from Mana told him that she felt similarly.

"It's him," Atem nods. "It's always been him. Yugi."

And so preparations to travel to Domino City began. It wasn't easy. None of the three of them had any documentation, considering they had been alive thousands of years earlier. Luckily for all of them, Ishizu had an idea of how to help them.

"There's only one person I know with enough money and influence to possibly help us get papers and passports for all three of you on such short notice," Ishizu informed the three ancient Egyptians one morning as she placed an envelope in front of each of them with their names on them. Atem opened his curiously, two passports and a birth certificate sliding out, along with some other paperwork. The passports bore emblems of Egypt and Japan, though the birth certificate was Egyptian.

"What did it cost you to get Seto Kaiba involved in all of this?" Atem asks, arching a brow as he looked up at Ishizu.

"It's not me that Kaiba has an interest in," Ishizu says pointedly. "He already defeated me in a duel."

A soft scoff escapes Atem's lips. Of course. He should have been able to predict that one. Kaiba is nothing if not completely predictable, "So Kaiba knows that I've returned?"

"He knows only the gist of the situation," Marik explains, having been on the call with Ishizu when his older sister contacted the head of Kaiba Corp. "And we've made sure he handled everything quietly. I'm fairly certain if Yugi and his friends knew the truth, they would have been banging down our front door by now."

As Marik spoke, Atem's gaze unfocused as a sharp pain pierced through his temples. These flashes were becoming stronger, more frequent, the longer he existed. This time the thoughts came accompanied with a flash of a dueling arena, the Silent Swordsman and Silent Magician on the field in front of him.

"Is there a Duel Monsters tournament going on?" Atem asked once his vision cleared again, Mana having moved beside him, her eyes full of concern.

"Actually there is," Marik nodded before he picked up a remote control and turned on the TV. He flipped through a few channels before he landed on a showing of a Duel Monsters match.

The former Pharaoh's eyes went wide as he saw Yugi on one side of the arena, the two monsters he had seen in his vision on the field in front of him, "Yugi…."

"You saw the duel, didn't you?" Mana asks, still watching Atem with the same look of concern in her eyes. The former king nods, drawing a slow breath as he watched Yugi hesitate for a moment before looking around, his confusion apparent for a split second before he called his next attack, "It looks like your theory about the mindlink between you and Yugi reforming might be accurate."

"Incredible," Ishizu muses, watching Atem with the same curiosity that was in Mana's eyes. "Though your souls are no longer linked, it seems as though they still long to have some form of connection between the two of you."

"Maybe it has something to do with our magic coming back to us," Atem shrugged. "Every day more of Mana and Mahad's abilities seem to come back."

"As do yours," Mahad points out, arching a brow in Atem's direction. "You have just as much power as either of us, if not more, whether you want to admit it to yourself or not."

"Tch," Atem shook his head. "That's irrelevant. We can't use our magic here like we used to."

"You know what will happen if we try to suppress who we are, Atem," Mahad points out. "Magicians need an outlet for their magic."

"Magicians, sorcerers, enchantresses, witches, all of them that exist in these times are feared," Atem sighs. "Magic can't be practiced so openly here. You know that."

"And we've been careful since we were resurrected," Mana points out. "But even you have to admit you're feeling the effects of keeping your own power bottled up inside. We can both all but feel it radiating off you."

Atem watched as Yugi continued the duel, cheering as his former partner succeeded in demolishing his opponent. It was another moment before he realized Mana had spoken to him, "Huh?"

Mana exhales deeply through her nose, "Ishizu, how soon can you set up transportation for the three of us to Domino City?" She asks, ignoring Atem for a moment as he had ignored her.

"I'm sure I can find a flight out for the three of you by the end of the week now that the paperwork from Kaiba arrived," Ishizu nods.

"Perfect," Mana nods before she looks up at Mahad, something silently passing between them. "That's more than enough time. We'll be back in two days."

Before Atem could ask what Mana was talking about, she and Mahad both placed a hand on either of Atem's shoulders and the three of them teleported out of the Ishtar household.

The rush of magic had Atem's head spinning as they were transported to what felt like the middle of the desert, his own magic bubbling beneath the surface of his skin in response. When his feet touched the sand, he turned on the two others, his confusion clear on his face, "Umm… care to explain what's going on with the two of you?"

"We've done almost nothing but watch you mope around the Ishtar house for long enough, Atem," Mana shook her head. "It's been months of watching you live without really living. And if we're going to be leaving Egypt soon, the least we could do is enjoy the time we have left here before we truly start living our new lives."

Guilt passed over Atem's face. He knew he had been out of it, but the more Mana and Mahad brought it up, the more he realized he truly hadn't been being fair to either of them. Mana was right. They had come back to live and enjoy life, not just sit around worrying about the future. He drew a slow, deep breath, once again looking up at the sky, sending a silent prayer up to Ra, before he turned ruby irises back on his two partners, "You're right," He nodded, not missing the relief that seemed to pass over Mana's face. "And I'm truly sorry that it's taken me this long to realize it. All of this has filled me with so much uncertainty, when I should have been focusing on the good that was right in front of me."

He turned his attention to Mahad as well before he reached out for both of their hands. When they were young, they had figured out that they were able to link their magic by lowering any mental barriers that they might have had in place and touching the other. As children, the barriers hadn't even existed, but as adults, they all had things they would rather the others not be aware of at times. But Atem was done trying to keep them out. The other two sensed what Atem wanted to do, and both of their faces lit up as they let their mental barriers down.

"Before we leave this place, let's see what we can still do," Atem says with a smirk as magic flooded his veins and their combined energy seemed to light up the sky.


The following two days were a whirlwind of tangled limbs, exchanged kisses, magical outbursts, and more joy than Atem could ever remember experiencing before. Using his magic with Mana and Mahad left him euphoric and drained in the best ways. He felt as though some weight had been lifted off his entire being and he could once again focus on what was truly important to him, and that included the two people who had come back from the afterlife with him. The three of them seemed to fall into a rhythm naturally once their barriers were down. This is how Atem remembered it being between the three of them growing up; how it should have always been. But back then Atem had been a prince, Mahad a priest, and Mana a budding sorceress in her own right. Now, they were carving out a new path for themselves, one which involved them finding their happiness, and that included the three of them finally being able to be together as one.

When they finally returned to the Ishtar house, Marik and Odion both exchanged a look, "Have the three of you slept at all since you left?" Marik asks, looking them up and down. They looked exhausted, but at the same time, the joy between the three was nearly tangible.

"I… think there was some sleep involved," Atem nods, an arm wrapped around Mana's waist. There had definitely been a large tent conjured, along with a bed of sorts that somehow withstood the abuse the three had put it through. "I wouldn't say we ever got eight hours straight at any point, but there were naps. Why do you ask?"

"Aside from you looking like you could use about a week of sleep straight, there have been reports of 'mysterious happenings' occurring in the desert," Odion explains. "Unexplainable bursts of light, rapid weather changes, even reports of possibly a plague or two…."

The three ancient Egyptians exchanged a look before they all burst out laughing, though clearly Marik and Odion did not share their amusement. Mahad, who recovered first, shook his head, "I would apologize, but I think all three of us were a little over excited and got a little out of hand at some points. On the bright side, we should be able to control ourselves better now."

"I certainly hope so," Marik muses. "I don't think any of that will go over well once you get to Domino City."

"Speaking of, has Ishizu managed to get us a flight?" Atem asks, the corners of his lips twitching slightly at the memories of the last two days. It was a little strange to be getting scolded by Marik and his brother, but he didn't really mind.

Marik nods in response, "She did. You leave first thing tomorrow morning, so you better get some rest while you can. Something tells me that the next few days are going to be even more chaotic for the three of you."