Six months passed in a flash. Kaiba worked himself to death to make everything possible for Yami's comeback. He would barely sleep nor eat. Seto was living out of pure determination to bring his lover back to the world of the living.

Mokuba couldn't help but feel worried to death over his big brother's situation. He was also shaken up and depressed by Yami's... Atem's... death, of sorts. It happened too fast and hit them too hard without notice. Mokie couldn't help but be angry. He didn't know what happened to Yami, but... what could be so awful and make him busy enough so he wouldn't warn his family about having to go away FOREVER? Mokuba couldn't understand.

He wasn't able to rule out the possibility of Yami outright wanting to go away... and being too afraid to tell them about it before leaving.

A "surprise!" of really, REALLY bad taste.

He felt awful for considering that, but it... was a possibility. Seto was persistent, though. He believed that the nerd herd had outright murdered Atem and send him into the afterlife, but. They just wouldn't do something like that. They were too happy go lucky, too friendship driven to do something so awful. Without Yami's consent, that is...

Mokuba shook his head fiercely, trying to get rid of the thoughts. With Yami's consent or not, Seto was going to bring him back. And they'd interrogate EVERYTHING out of their beloved ghost once that happened.

"Mokuba, how is the excavation going?" Kaiba's tired, heavy voice broke Mokie from his thoughts.

He jumped on his seat at his brother's voice. Grabbing his tablet with clumsy hands, he pulled up all the information he currently had. Since his big bro had installed "surveillance" cameras for duelists' "safety" during tournaments all over the city... they had complete control over everyone's lives. It was almost scary to Mokuba, but he couldn't deny how empowering this was.

They kept track of everything that got in and everything that went out. His brother had even found an anomaly in their data and they discovered about some guy named Aigami and how he was out for the Puzzle pieces... with a degree of antecedence that scared even them.

"Ah! We've got roughly eight pieces from the ruins this week. Way more than we were expecting to get! They're all intact, which is pretty impressive. And the ones that got scratched or crushed are currently being restored up and send to the space station."

That goddamn place. Seto would spend so much of his time there, it was rare that they would see each other at all in several weeks.

"These are wonderful news." Kaiba sounded outright relieved even through the virtual messaging. Mokuba's lips turned into a thin line. He was suffering so much.

"The Puzzle is almost completely build. With these eight pieces, we're only missing two. Yami... Atem is closer than ever." The emotion in Seto's voice was so raw and tangible that Mokie wanted to scream.

"Yeah... yeah. That's true, Nii-sama. He'll be back soon, I'm sure." The younger Kaiba's words felt empty even for himself... but he could feel his brother's smile through the next voice message.

"Thank you, Mokuba. I'm going to check on the building chamber. See you soon."

" 'See you soon'? You say that every time." Mokuba thought bitterly. He sighed, hoping that Kaiba would actually come down the tower for once... he build that thing only so the Puzzle would be reconstructed in zero gravity. In the flashiest way possible so Atem would come back in a blast.

He loved him so much. Mokuba could barely wrap his head around it.

Deciding that it was something not worth thinking about for now... the younger Kaiba leaned his head on the table and closed his eyes, tired.

The Puzzle pieces floated in a soothing pace inside the glass tube, being moved around by tiny robot arms. The computer was trying every single combination possible to solve the Puzzle... and Seto could already see the familiar figure of an upside down pyramid inside the glass.

The middle piece was fit in the Puzzle with a soft, tender movement. Deep, dense blue eyes stared at the tube. He swallowed dry.

There was so little left. So damn little. The hole in the beautiful golden piece pained the deepest parts of his heart. He couldn't wait to fill it up and get his own soul back together.

Getting the Puzzle pieces was way more difficult than he first thought it would be. Some ancient bullshit was getting in the way again. More specifically, some young kids from the lineage of one of the priests. He didn't doubt that his "ancient self" was the one to screw things up for him in the present once again.

Things eventually got so out of hand that he had to start a tournament of three to get his Puzzle pieces back. He was going to fight both Yugi and the yellow-eyed kid for their Puzzle pieces.

The golden artifact felt weirdly warm against his hand, and he was sure that Yami was inside. He held it affectionately, almost as if he was holding a living thing. It was soon going to house his lover, so he had to be careful with it.

That Aigami kid with dark blue hair... He was annoying to no end. Refusing to give up on his puzzle piece because he would lose his magic powers or something. Why he thought that Kaiba would care was beyond him.

Seto just wanted to settle things and go back to build the goddamn Puzzle. He wanted Atem back. He wanted to see Yami again. Why was Yugi fighting him back so much? Didn't he also want to see his precious friend?

Kaiba felt his heart jump to his throat. Yugi stopped their duel in the middle and pulled the Puzzle piece out of his pocket... What….? What was he going to do with it?

The CEO widened his eyes when Yugi approached him, hands reaching out for the Puzzle.

Kaiba hesitated, instinctively holding the Puzzle closer to his body. But as he saw Yugi's eyes, he felt like he could give it to him. Yami was very fond of this kid, so Kaiba was sure that he could trust Yugi to not end his plan.

Even so, Kaiba eyed the smaller boy with anxiety as he held Yami's soul on his hands.

Blue eyes widened even more as Yugi began to assemble the Puzzle right in front of him.

Excitement ran through the CEO's body, and he stared at the broken artifact as if his life depended on it.

"YES!" He screamed internally. "Yes, finally!"

Atem was on his way…

The pure excitement and happiness running through his veins soon started to wear down after Yugi fit the last puzzle piece in with a soft 'click'...

….and nothing happened.

Kaiba wasn't sure of what he was expecting. Maybe a familiar shadow to grow from the Puzzle and terrify everyone in the stadium? Or for Yugi to be possessed in the exact same moment the Puzzle was assembled? Even Yami falling from the skies in a ray of light would have been more appropriate than this... utter silence.

He swallowed dry, feeling sweat drops falling across his face. Something was gripping his heart hard, and it was hard to breathe. Yugi's large purple eyes were looking at him with something so similar to pity that it made Kaiba want to throw up.

He knew that his eyes were shining with tears, and that aggravated him to no end. Yami didn't come back. But. He had to come back. What happened? Why was this happening to him? He just wanted Yami back, Yami was the only thing that he swore that he would never lose…

The pain was getting harder and harder to bear as he remembered all of his promises to protect and care for the spirit... the way that Yami protected him throughout his entire childhood. The promises the ghost had for him. The way that Yami always brandished the KC symbol with pride around his neck.

He was still giving out shaky breaths when Aigami got up once again. This time the boy formed an amalgamation with his cube monsters. Fighting like this was hard, with his heart beating painfully inside his chest. Yugi was worried about him for some reason, but the only thing Kaiba could think about... was how he would find a way to bring Atem back regardless. That should've worked… It should have.

Swallowing his doubts, he realized that Aigami was about to turn Yugi's lifepoints to zero.

Every single time Yami ever sneaked out to make Yugi company and to be with him flashed through his mind.

He used a magic card to save the boy's life in the exact same moment, and felt his soul being torn out of his body as an result.

Yugi was beside him in an instant, yelling questions on why, why he had done something like that?!

Seto couldn't answer properly, the pressure all around him was too much. His body was giving out, disappearing into thin air as he muttered the words...

"For him. The Pharaoh."

He sounded heavy and tired. Calling Yami by his title felt weird, but right at the same time.

"Bring him back Yugi." The CEO whispered. His vision was turning black... The last thing he saw before diving into non-existence was Yugi. Him tightening his grip on the deck he and Yami had build together.

Gentle warmth was consuming his body with tenderness. It was a great contrast with the cold despair he was feeling just seconds ago. He couldn't pin point what exactly was making him feel like this... but as he started to analyze where the heck he was, he could perceive seas and seas of yellow as far as his eyes could see. The same shade of yellow that always adorned Yami's eyes. His entire body was enveloped by it, as if the golden sea was softly pushing him back to reality. It was so warm and gentle, Kaiba felt like he could submerge his entire self in it and stay there forever.

Why did this feel…. So much like Atem?

The blackness around him started to dissolve and give place to light. He could see a silhouette of the real world, of the duel that was still going on between Yugi and Aigami. They were still facing each other, locked in a fiery combat.

Kaiba saw as a beacon of light descended from the skies and hit Yugi right on the head. Golden fire consumed his body and Seto felt his heart skip a beat.

That fire…

Flashes of the past passed through his mind. The fiery eye on Yami's forehead whenever he was enraged, the golden acid that dripped from the ghost's mouth.

Seto did his best to suppress his waves of nostalgia and excitement as the fire took form... turning into a familiar shape.

Atem.

Kaiba cursed at his inability to get out of the golden sea and burst back into reality, back where Yami was. He was so enraged at how slowly the ocean was moving, almost as if it was keeping him from getting there in time. Was this some curse from the priest once again?!

No… it couldn't be.

But it sure did feel like it. He was being forced to watch Yami defeating the evil force with a single move, with some priest's help. The guy reminded him a LOT of the Dark Magician, and... it was good to know that Atem used to have at least one decent priest during his lifetime.

The powerful Pharaoh had an exchange with Yugi before taking the Puzzle away with him. Seto could feel his entire body freezing at the sight, and tears burning on the back of his eyes. All of his work, all those investments in putting the Puzzle back together, and Yami was just... going to take it away forever? What the fuck?

The golden waters around him wrapped his body in warmth, reassuring and protecting. He knew that he was lost in a void, and that the sea was definitely some part of Atem's soul trying to bring him back. Was Yami trying to reassure him that things would be okay, regardless of if he had the Puzzle or not? But... how could that even be?

The slow, calming movements of the water were pulling him into a forced sleep. He tried to remain awake as far as humanly possible, but the warmth in this ocean worked like magic. He couldn't keep himself from closing his eyes…

When he woke up, things looked very different and much brighter. There were tiny golden particles everywhere... falling from the skies, travelling through the wind. The only hint he had that Atem had indeed been here, other than the fact that he was still alive, of course.

His entire body was still a bit numb, but he felt a weird mix of happiness and despair clouding his heart.

Yami had been here. He was right all along, death was nothing but the act of a soul travelling to another dimension. Atem was living proof for the phenomenon. The satisfaction of being right was consuming Seto's chest.

But at the same time…

He didn't get to see his Pharaoh at all. Only barely, while he was trapped in the dark void. And he was sure that didn't count. For him, it definitely didn't.

He had to find a way to get to Yami again. He had to.

With a painful, heavy feeling of emptiness in his stomach, Kaiba got up from the floor where he had woken up. His hand touched something right besides him. The CEO almost jumped when he saw Aigami's Millennium Item, the Cube, resting there. What?!Atem had taken the Puzzle, but not the Cube? This thing was ten times more dangerous than the Puzzle could ever be!

Realization hit Kaiba like a truck.

Did Yami… Atem… want him to use the cube to find him?

A burning feeling of happiness ran through Seto's entire body. He grabbed the Cube in a tight grip, hiding it in his cloak. There was a chance for him to bring Yami back. He could do it.

He was so consumed with happiness that he didn't even mind talking to the nerd herd. They were all gleaming with joy as well, especially when Yugi told them about how he talked with Atem. About how he was doing well in the afterlife. Kaiba couldn't help but smile through the entire conversation. Even when Yugi asked if he was going to go and try to find Atem once again.

With a smirk, the only thing he said was that, even though Yugi had a bond with Atem-

"I also have mine." Kaiba muttered, blue eyes shining with excitement.

"I'm going to find him using that bond. I'm going to see him again."

Yugi sighed, but smiled at him. He had been trying to stop Kaiba all this time... trying to convince him that death was eternal and that the world of the dead was unreachable for the living, but. Kaiba proved him otherwise with Atem's comeback. He had nothing to say to him right now. Except...

"Good luck." He exclaimed as the CEO walked away. Kaiba stopped on his tracks.

Yugi knew that he used to hate the Kaiba Corporation CEO to no end. Especially after he found out that the kid had stolen his precious Puzzle. But. Now he understood that even without the Puzzle, he was able to survive and to make friends, all without any help. Jounouchi had been his best friend for years now, and his help was more than enough to shape him in the person he was now.

Closing his eyes, Yugi remembered Yami... Atem. His last words, the day he agreed to pass through the doors of the Afterlife. Yami had been one of the best friends he ever had. And he was still bitter against Kaiba for the way he took Yami away from him. It was understandable, though. Yami was a pillar, someone you could lean on and support yourself with. He was gentle and protective, everything Yugi needed back when he was bullied in school, but...

If everything he heard about Kaiba's past from Mokuba was true... maybe the young CEO needed Yami by his side more than he himself could ever need.

"Are you sure that this is safe, Nii-sama...?" Mokuba muttered, trying to suppress the shivers in his voice.

Kaiba didn't answer, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath.

The pod wasn't as comfortable as he would like, cold and devoid of any cushioning, but it was okay. It would serve his purpose, and he was going to arrive where he needed to.

His heavy breathing created warm white clouds on the glass in front of him. That's how tight the pod was. It felt like a coffin, a coffin of coldness and iron.

Bright, determined blue eyes looked to the side, to were the Cube was. Right beside the pod. It was going to send him to the dimension he wanted, he just had to give himself the right pull.

"Nii-sama...?"

Seto's eyes clamped shut. He knew that his little brother wanted reassurance, wanted to be sure that he would come back alive, but. He didn't really know himself, and in Kaiba's mind, it was a hundred times worse to lie about a situation like this.

He ignored Mokuba's pleading eyes as he activated the machine.

"Mokuba... take care of our company while I'm gone."

"N-Nii-sama..." Mokuba had his hand right above the 'abort' button, ready to turn off the energy in case anything happened. He hated it when his brother did this. So much. He knew that lies were harmful, but. Hearing from his brother's mouth that there was a possibility that he wouldn't... come back was much better than this forced, awful silence.

"Please come back, Nii-sama..." He forced out regardless as his brother disappeared into the space elevator's tether.

Kaiba had his eyes tightly shut, but he could still see the glows passing through his closed eyes. Alternating between darkness and the artificial lights from the tether. It was almost hypnotic.

Numbness started to consume him from the tips of his fingers and went up his arm. Seto dared to open his eyes and felt his breath get stuck inside his chest. He could see his own blood vessels, his skin had turned into a thin see-through layer of tiny cubes.

Forcing himself to not throw up, the CEO shut his eyes once again. His body was shaking as numbness and heat consumed his entire body.

When his body returned from being numb to the core, the first thing Kaiba did was feel around the pod. He messed around for some minutes until he finally managed to open the glass ceiling.

A fresh, spicy scent filled his nostrils and he slowly forced his eyes open, covering his face right after.

The sun was scalding the land and the sand made everything worse by absorbing the heat. Kaiba had a hard time pulling himself out of the pod- the metal was burning to the touch.

When he found a way to stand up comfortably, the CEO scanned the area. As he realized that this was a huge desert, his heart tightened at the thought that he may have gone to the wrong place.

But he saw a glimpse of gold in the horizon... an enormous palace, he could see that much.

Excitement began to bubble in his stomach and he didn't waste time heading to the place. It was a long walk indeed, but he felt like it was the biggest one he ever had to bear in his life.

Towering statues of Ra guarded the entrance to the temple. It was so big that Seto almost felt mesmerized, but he was too focused to waste time in something like that.

None of the guards paid him any attention, and for a moment he wondered if anyone could see him at all. He was pretty sure that his steps echoed across the palace once he entered the Throne Room, though.

Gold bathed the walls, the furniture, the statues... the paintings on the tall columns that held up the ceiling. Everything was golden, and jewelry adorned each one of the guards in front of this land's King.

He was sitting above all on the tall Throne of pure gold... Hands resting on the armrests that had carved lion heads on each side. Red eyes gleaming with happiness that melted Kaiba to the core.

The CEO didn't say anything- he didn't need to. Just pulling out his Duel Disk was enough to send... Atem a message, and the king got up from his place above everyone so he could join his partner on the lower ground.

Seto observed each tiny detail with great care. The way that Atem's cape undulated on the air, the gold glimmering against his skin. It was tanned, a beautiful bronze tone that, for Kaiba's huge surprise, fit perfectly with him. Even better than the pretty pale he used to wear back when he possessed Yugi.

His eyes and hair were oh, so much more crimson that Kaiba felt like he could drown in them.

Those eyes, even though completely different from the warm, calming shade of yellow that Yami used to have... still had the same gentle and protective look. The tiny, lithe body wasn't nearly as intimidating as the dark dripping monster he still saw in his dreams, but. It inspired the same certainty of safety, the same feeling that he was dealing with something... someone completely different from the ordinary.

And as Atem approached him and opened a huge, delighted smile... Seto realized that he still did it in the same stupid way he had during all these years.

"Aibou."

Kaiba couldn't help but feel emotional, and he threw Atem's duel disk- the white and pink one that had been made especially for him- onto his chest to hide from his embarrassment.

The Pharaoh simply laughed at him in such a carefree manner that Kaiba felt a bit dumb for worrying.

"Shall we start the duel?"

Kaiba's head snapped up immediately. It was the first time he had heard Yami's voice. At least without it sounding completely otherworldly or phantasmagorical. It was soft and silky like linen, and he gawked in surprise.

"That's what I came for." Seto answered in a husky tone. Lies. He had so much to ask, so much to force out of his beloved partner, he had so much he wanted to know about the two days he was gone.

He knew, though. That a duel was going to speak more and more loudly than he ever could.

He was absolutely right. That battle confirmed everything he knew and taught him a lot about what he didn't know about his Pharaoh.

Atem won.

It's not like Kaiba didn't expect it. Actually that was what he had been waiting for. Atem winning meant that Atem wasn't ready to throw the towel just yet. Atem wasn't ready to put down his sword, to stop fighting.

It wasn't his time just yet.

They left the battle field, ignoring all the widened eyes following Yami's steps. Kaiba assumed that they couldn't see him. So Atem fighting against some invisible enemy... must have been a terrifying sight indeed.

But no one dared to stop them, and they soon arrived at the Bathing Rooms. Yami looked at him, a soft red hue tainting his cheeks.

"I assume that you're tired after the long trip. Please allow yourself to relax here, those pools have been build on top of thermals, they should be nice and warm." The Pharaoh wasn't looking at him, busying himself with searching for towels and soaps.

Kaiba stared at him hungrily as he pulled off his clothes. Atem avoided his aibou's eyes, swallowing dry.

It was only when the sounds of Seto getting in the water reached him that he dared to lift his head.

Seto let out a deep, satisfied sigh. The water was warm and clear, he could feel the stress from these six months melting away. He pulled his head back and was surprised to find a soft pillow to rest on. The pool had a comfortable conical shape with no edges, so his neck didn't hurt a bit.

Bright blue eyes searched for Yami, thankful for how hospitable and careful he was being. The Pharaoh was sitting beside him, legs moving around in the water.

"Atem." He called. The name still sounded so weird, but... right.

The former spirit took some time to answer. When he did, he let out a startled sigh and approached his aibou.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm still not completely used to my name."

"It's okay." Kaiba replied nonchalantly. "The name fits you, though. The God of Light, huh? It's a far shot away from 'Yami', heh."

Atem couldn't help but turn redder at the compliment.

"Ah, well... I like 'Yami' a lot too. It sounds nice, despise what it means."

"I also like 'Darkness' and it used to fit, but I'd rather give you due respect and use that powerful name of yours. It was way too hard to get for me not to use it."

"Aibou..." The Pharaoh muttered, a watery smile spreading on his face.

"Thank you."

They spend some time in a relaxed silence until Kaiba couldn't help but break it.

"You didn't come here in purpose, did you...?"

Seto could hear Atem's breath getting caught up inside his chest.

Perturbed red eyes stared holes into pale skin.

"How did you...?" The Pharaoh muttered in a desperate tone. As Kaiba kept staring at him for more answers, he couldn't help but sigh.

"Yugi and the others didn't know. They send me away with the purest of intentions, I swear."

These words were able to relax Kaiba for a second, but the worried eyes came back in a flash. Even if the nerd herd didn't murder Atem away, he was still forced to leave against his will. Who...?

Flashes of the person who kept him from helping his ghost in the first place rushed through his mind.

"That priest." Kaiba said with so much venom that Atem shivered besides him. His spirit seemed shy about the subject, but he nodded, confirming Kaiba's fears.

"He was extremely… convincing… Seth." Atem muttered, avoiding Seto's eyes.

Kaiba grasped his shoulders, forcing him to look up.

"What did he do to you?!" The CEO forced out, awful memories from his coma springing up…

The Pharaoh still refused to look at him, but. He started to whisper some explanations that Kaiba had to bend down to hear.

"Seth is the Pharaoh that came after me, and my cousin. He saw me die. In the past, back when we had to fight for the fate of Egypt and our people."

Yami's voice turned so low that Kaiba was unable to hear anything else, so he pulled his lover in a warm embrace.

"If you need to tell me about your past so I can understand, so be it. I know that I've always kept you from it, that I was always awful whenever you mentioned it, but… I didn't want to lose you. In the end, keeping you from learning what you had to learn ended up tearing you away from me. And I was left without a clue of how to get you back."

The CEO took a deep breath and buried his nose on the soft hair of his Pharaoh's neck. Atem was weakly returning the hug, getting comfortable on Kaiba's lap. He listened to everything his lover had to say as he cooled down. He hoped that he'd relax enough to tell Seto about what happened without giving him any wrong ideas.

Seto wasn't done with his own confessions though.

"I've always been like this. Since the first time I realized that you weren't immortal, that I could really lose you in a blink of an eye, back in the orphanage... I just. I swore that I wouldn't let anything or anyone take you away from me. You were so important to me, you were my safety and my comfort. When I realized that something as simple as you learning your name... or your past, would make you want to go away I just. Tried to keep you as blind as I possibly could, and… I'm so sorry."

Kaiba sounded so tired.

"Yugi too, and the herd of nerds. I could see them only as something that would drive you away and I couldn't have that. I'm sorry that I kept you from having happy moments with other people. They aren't nearly as bad as I thought they were. I was just… so scared."

"But please. Tell me. Tell me everything that made you go away and take this weight out of my chest. We shouldn't keep anything from each other any longer. Let's come clear and decide whatever we'll do next with care. I need it. Please."

The business man could feel a tired sigh against his chest. Both of them had gone through so damn much.

"I'll tell you everything, aibou."

"That's all I want."

With some last deep breaths to relax, Atem started.

"I was born a good time after Seth first saw the world. Roughly five years, if I'm not mistaken. During that time, my uncle was certain that Seth was the one going to inherit the throne. He couldn't do that himself because he was already very old."

Atem began to play with his fingers as he kept going…

"Then my father had me. My uncle was livid, because not only him but the entire Court thought that dad was infertile. I never knew during my time there, but my uncle has always hated me since the first time he laid his eyes on me."

"Both him and Seth are useless bastards, then. Like father like son."

"Gods, no! Seth was an wonderful ally. Extremely loyal and powerful, I could always count on him for everything. I can't say that my trip to the memory world enlightened me about how my childhood was like, but... from what I've heard from everyone in the palace, he used to live in the poorest parts of the village outside. I was the one to bring him in as a priest in training and we became inseparable since then."

"Oh. I didn't... know about any of that. From the vision we had, I thought that all he did was betray you so he could get to the throne. He was really awful and violent there."

"That wasn't… him. He was being influenced by an evil entity, and that entity controlled everything he did and said."

"You DO know what being influenced means, right? It means that he considered the possibility of killing you as plausible and correct. Even if just a little bit." Kaiba spat out, tightening his grip on Atem's body.

Atem nodded, lips turning into a thin line.

"It's because… there was a girl. Seth liked her a lot, even if they had met a short while ago. Because of everything with the God of Darkness trying to eradicate Egypt, Bakura trying to avenge his village by murdering me, and... just everything that was happening, the girl ended up dead helping him. That nearly made him go insane, and. Of course that the fault was going to fall on my shoulders even if unconsciously, because I'm the Pharaoh. My father's actions brought Egypt into misery... and even if it wasn't his intent nor mine, someone had to be faulted for it. Someone had to be punished. And Seth didn't hesitate into blaming me to get relief from the pain."

"A girl." Kaiba snorted, seeming more and more bitter each minute. Yami forced himself to go on, sweating at his own words.

"He was understandably enraged. Being possessed was everything needed to set him on a rampage."

"He killed you." Seto stated the obvious, trying to keep the venom out of his voice without success.

To his surprise, Atem smiled and shook his head.

"No, he didn't get that far. Seth regained his own self and we managed to join forces to fight against the God of Darkness but. My body couldn't stand it anymore. I knew that we were going to lose, and locked every single part of my soul in the Puzzle. Seth... he didn't know that my ace card involved absolutely destroying everything... every possibility I had of having a happy Afterlife. I guess that he thought... We always got into a lot of trouble back when we were kids. And back then, I always found a way to get out of these situations without hurting anyone. I guess that he thought that this time would be the same... and even though I was indeed able to summon the Goddess of Light to fight the Darkness away, in the first time around I was just... too weak. It would have been fruitless."

Feeling Atem tremble against him, Seto couldn't help but hug him tighter. He couldn't begin to imagine how awful spending an eternity inside the Puzzle must've been.

"I don't think that I'll ever forget the look in Seth's face as he realized what I was doing. It still haunts me to this day, and has always been unconsciously there, even back in the Puzzle. He was just... so terrified. And when I fell back to the ground and he was holding me close, he was begging for me not to go. It was the worst experience for the both of us."

Kaiba kept silent as his Pharaoh looked down, sighing.

"I couldn't stop it, though. It was the only choice I had. I'm not sure about what happened after I closed my eyes for good, but… I remember his cries. I remember him resting his head against mine and saying that I wasn't allowed to go because I was all he had left and I wanted to stay so badly, but..." The Pharaoh cut himself as his throat tightened and he fought back several sobs.

"I'm sorry. I'm rambling a whole lot."

"Don't worry about it. I should see if you can get some therapy after all of this, though. Being haunted by your own death can't be healthy."

Atem laughed, and it was the prettiest sound Kaiba heard in over a year.

"Thank you, aibou. But I should keep going. You want to know why I ended up here."

Seto nodded faintly.

"Then you should know that the Tablet of Memories absorbing my soul was Seth's plan all along."

"WHAT?! HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT SO CALMLY?!"

"He wanted to help. He told me, that after my death, everything he did was relentlessly search ways to save my condemned soul. He carved the Tablet of Memories meaning every word in it. It has been infused with a large array of spells so it could live through the hardships of time. So it could transport me to the World of Memories. So I could remember my name, defeat Zorc and get peace in death. He did that because he wanted to give me a second chance at our most important fight. He did that because he wanted to see me again."

Kaiba was speechless.

"He was the one who started the family of Tomb Keepers. He was the one who assigned people to look after the Items. The one who enchanted them to look after our vessels... he was supposed to find and possess you, and I was supposed to find and possess Yugi. We were going to do that together, and he had promised himself that I wouldn't get hurt on his sight. But that spell backfired, and not only the Rod didn't make it in your hands, the Puzzle never made it to Yugi either. At least not for long enough."

Kaiba was relieved to see that Atem was smiling as he said those words. No resentments on that regard, even if he knew that his Pharaoh adored Yugi to no end.

"And besides all of that, Bakura ended up being the one finding a proper vessel. He gave us a lot of trouble in the Millennium World, too. I thought that he had died back in Battle City, but he is the most persistent guy I know. He's probably still trapped inside the Ring somewhere on Earth, but he'll make his way here one way or another. I just hope that seeing his family will calm his desire for revenge down instead of fueling it."

Seto nodded, trying not to seem scared at the thought of Bakura cornering Atem in the Afterlife. He was still buried six feet underground on Earth though, he didn't need to worry about that. It would be nothing but paranoia.

"After I recovered my name and a swallow amount of memories... nothing but enough to enlighten me a bit about my past, I was ready to leave the museum once and for all and get to you, aibou. But. Seth wouldn't allow me. He was in complete despair when he found out that I wasn't going to stay with him. And... He told me so much about how things used to be, and about how much he needed me in his life and when I told him about you, he just... snapped."

"He said that he put you in a coma so you wouldn't interfere... and that he wasn't going to free you unless I went to the Afterlife to rest with him. I just. I had no choice, aibou."

Kaiba gripped Atem so tightly that it hurt, and the smaller male let out a whimper.

"Where is that bastard." Kaiba forced out. He was shivering with pure hatred. The fears and anxieties from the six months Atem was away burned inside him. This was all because of that damn priest. This was all his fault.

"Seto." Atem muttered in such a soft, comforting voice that Kaiba remembered how to breathe.

"I told him that you'd never stay away from me for long. And I refused all his advances. He is a wonderful person, he had just missed me and was doing everything on his power to get me back. Please don't be mad at him. I'm all yours, I'll always be."

Kaiba scoffed on Atem's neck, anger still bubbling inside him. The words calmed down his fears, though, and he was able to focus once again.

"Atem…"

"Even if his spells backfired, even if not everything went along with his plan, Seth still tried. He still brought some relief to the first hundred years I spend inside the Puzzle. Even when I was exhausted after walking eternally through the same halls, I could still hear him. The songs, the incense. Burning torches, warm linen and enchantments spoken in a long lost language. It was everything that kept me from going insane." The Pharaoh took a deep breath and pulled himself away from Kaiba. He smiled.

"He reminds me of you. Trying to give all sorts of reasons for me not to leave, then breaking the rules of the universe so he could have me back."

Seto snorted at that statement.

"If he wanted you to stay so badly he should never have created me. I'm not going to back off until you come back with me."

Atem's smile turned duller.

"I'm not sure if I can, Seto. I don't exactly belong in the world of the living anymore. Even if you somehow restored my body, even if you managed to convince the Gods to let me go... I'd have to be registered as a sixteen year old, I'd have to learn how to eat, how to act, how to be a proper citizen. I retain no basic knowledge of how to live and behave in your world, aibou. My time has long passed."

"I don't care. We'll find a way." Kaiba insisted, eyes burning with resolution.

Atem couldn't help but giggle and rest his head on the CEO's chest. That was his aibou. Even back in the orphanage, when Seto made his mind about something there was no holding him back. The kid was going to find a way to defy the Gods and give him new life, the Pharaoh was sure.

"What do you have in mind…?" Yami asked, face still buried in his aibou's chest.

"Ishizu and her sorcery plus my technology and science. We'll figure something out for sure."

The Pharaoh couldn't help a watery smile from spreading across his face.

"I'm sure you will, aibou. I'm sure you will."

When the day finally came, Kaiba couldn't be more nervous. Ishizu said that it would work, and that her little brother was helping her, which… wasn't very comforting. Malik could bring Yami back blind just to fuck with him for all Kaiba knew.

But they seemed to be focused and determined to do everything right. Kaiba had his excavation team clean up the tomb. Now they could walk inside without stumbling upon broken pieces of rock. Atem's resting place was nothing shorter than beautiful. The decorated walls lost their colors long ago, but the scriptures and the drawings stayed... and the echoes of the past traveled through them. It send shivers down Kaiba's spine. Especially when he managed to spot anything related to Duel Monsters in the walls.

He was still looking around the magnificent pillars and halls when Ishizu called out to him. He turned his head and took a deep breath.

They were in the same room where the Ceremonial Duel had taken place. The enormous doors in front of him, those stone doors with the Eyes that used to decorate Yami's forehead. They were the same ones that Atem went through after he was defeated. This was the place where he had laid down his sword. This was…

"Kaiba-san." Ishizu called once again. "We're going to start without you."

"I'm here." Seto forced out, approaching the huge ritual circle. The drawings Ishizu had put on the ground were shining brightly in the dimly lit tomb.

He and Malik stood in opposing sides of the circle as she walked in, standing in the middle. She was holding a carefully fold package that Kaiba didn't notice until now. Unfolding it, she revealed it to be an extremely old artifact- a papyrus of sorts. It had drawings in every inch of it's paper, and... given that Kaiba was recognizing some of the writings, that scroll must be a-

"Book of the Dead? Isn't that a book to help lost souls find their way to the Afterlife?" Kaiba thought to himself, heart beating loudly inside his chest. What was Ishizu planning to do with that? How could something like a Book of the Dead help to bring Atem back? Those used to be customized for each individual who died, so it probably won't even be effective if it isn't Atem's personal book…

The CEO felt his breath get caught up on his chest as Ishizu turned the Book upside down. The drawings glowed under her feet. Seto could catch a glimpse of what was written on the scroll and his blood pressure raised in an instant. He was able to recognize the name "Seth" in the midst of the hieroglyphs. She was using the priest's book. Of course. Atem's name couldn't have been written in a scroll for himself, so Seth took providence to help him out with his own Book.

Kaiba snapped away from his thoughts when he realized that Ishizu was pulling the fragile foils of paper apart... splitting them in half. That was definitely a very valuable piece, so what the hell? Was there something inside?

Leaning closer, he saw something golden between the decaying paper. A page made of pure gold hidden under Seth's scroll. What a sly bastard… he had really planned everything.

Ishizu ran her hand through the hieroglyphs on the golden sheet before reading them out loud. Her voice filled the empty halls, and the drawings under their feet started to glow more and more. Seto felt weirdly tired, and the feeling only intensified along with the chanting. His vision soon filled with black dots and dizziness took over. As he stumbled to keep upright, he noticed that Malik wasn't looking any better. The Egyptian seemed to be about to throw up, holding himself up by leaning against the wall. His tanned skin was unusually pale and his eyes were glassy and unfocused.

Whatever was happening with him must be happening to Malik, too. He felt like he was going to pass out…

The feeling was so awful that even when the entire circle glowed in a beautiful blue light... everything that Kaiba was able to do was knell down. His mind was going numb…

The blue from the drawings slowly started to travel towards the door. Magical lines through the floor tiles. Painting every single engraving they passed through. As they arrived to the door, the Eyes also joined the glowing, and the entire temple was bathed in light.

Seto was breathing in heavy pants, but he couldn't take his eyes away from the sight in front of him. The doors… They were opening. Blinding white light flooded the place. Was Atem… going to come out?

His heart was jumping so hard inside his chest that Seto was afraid that he was going to fall down right there and now. But. He could see that silhouette far away in the whiteness. It was approaching, and unwanted tears wound up on the back of his eyes.

He finally saw him. After all this time. He was more beautiful than ever. So... so different than from when he was a ghost. So different from when he was nothing more than a dark monster that crawled through the walls.

There was nothing dark about him now.

...it was like he irradiated his own light. As if he was a small sun with a skin of flames, slender body and fiery eyes.

The king was approaching. Through the marble doors. Outside the world of the deceased. When Atem stepped out, it was as if he had to suddenly get used to the weight of being alive once again. The fire consuming his skin died off with his permission to wander back to the Afterlife. It was hard to see Yami inside the glowing red eyes. It was hard to see the shadowy, gluey form in that beautiful, tanned body.

It hurt.

Yet... he was so glad for him. He was so glad that Atem was finally free. The fear of losing his beloved ghost had disappeared, because he now knew that even though he saw Yami as his for a long time... Atem belonged to no one.

He barely saw his beloved king approaching...

"I'm here, Kaiba. And I'm not going anywhere. Ever again" The former pharaoh muttered against his ear. He sounded tired. He sounded broken. And yet...

He sounded... happy?

Those huge red eyes were looking up at him, filled with love and relief. As if he genuinely never wanted to leave. He couldn't understand. After all he had done, Atem should've wanted to stay miles away from him...

He should've wanted to forget that they had ever met. Go live his life like he was finally allowed to after thousands and thousands of years. But still...

Kaiba hugged Atem's warm, living body tightly. He dug his nose in the soft hair and sighed as all the horrible happenings in their lives flashed before his eyes. He wanted to cry out of relief, now that he knew that Atem would certainly be by his side forever. That he wouldn't spend the rest of his days alone like Gozaburo once told him he would. Even though... they were both broken. Even though they couldn't be fixed.

They have gone through several years of pain and distress that would never go away. But in the end, he finally had Atem by his side. He finally was able to kiss the soft skin and he knew that Atem would feel it. To know that the issue with Atem's past was finished... know that both Zorc and Gozaburo were no more...

He finally knew that Atem was here, that he would stay.

And he couldn't have been more happy any other way.

This fic was a hell of a ride, I hope you all enjoyed it! It was a great experience to me, and I hope I'll be able to write more in a more organized way from now on! Thank you all who read it so far, I wouldn't have made it without you!