Chapter Fifteen

Persistent Emotions

The sunshine struck Mai as strange. She clutched the bag of belongings she had picked up from the hospital. A search of the other rooms told her Joey had already checked out. The other DOMA members were nowhere to be found.

She started towards her apartment. How long had she been out? Felt like months of darkness. The thought of her cat, Elegant, sped up her gait. She passed by televisions, which displayed newscasters babbling about the return of KaibaCorp and fall of DOMA. The CEO Dartz disappeared, sources claimed.

Mai sprinted up the stairs to her apartment. She jiggled the key to open the door faster. The expected scent of a rotting animal was absent from the place, however. Elegant sashayed up to her looking normal as ever.

The place was tidier than Mai had left it. Two bowls of food and three bowls of water rested on the kitchen floor. Mai's brow furrowed. She called, "Kid? Are you there?"

No response. She wandered about the place but found no traces of Rahlin's presence. Something suspicious caught her eye. Her bed had been made and her messy sheets smoothed.

A slip of paper sat on her pillow, and the Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon plushie Mai had bought rested beside it. The note's handwriting was shaky and barely legible. Reminded Mai of a third grader's writing. She squinted as she made out the words:

i will never forget the kindness you shared with me

Mai's arm lowered. She gazed out her bedroom window and mumbled, "Where'd you go, kid?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Torchlight danced the man's shadow on the walls. He threaded his fingers together and observed the object floating before him. A purple diamond levitated in front of an altar laden with stone snakes. The violet, see-through cage was the perfect size to hold the girl suspended within.

Rahlin's body floated as though drifting in water. Firelight shone in the reflection of the man's turquoise and gold eyes. He sneered. "Stupid monster. You stab me in the back not once but twice. I'll not be making that mistake when I try next. Your desires may have changed; mine never will."

He removed the Orichalcos pendant around his neck. The six-pointed star glowed bright green. "I cannot have you leaking the truth. You are connected to this human form, Knight of Destiny. By removing your memories of this experience, you shall return to your state before coming to Domino City."

Dartz cast the pendant towards Rahlin's body. Runes glimmered in a circle around the violet diamond in reaction to his chants. The last word in the ancient language completed the new ritual.

The suspended body twitched its fingers. Its mouth formed a frown. A gentle light drifted from Rahlin into the pendant. Dartz dropped the necklace beside the silver cane on the ground.

He turned his back on Rahlin. "I hope you feel your human vessel rotting from the Spirit World."

Dartz walked away. His foot kicked aside something. His brow lifted as he picked up the half-white, half-black mask. Curious, but he did have many unusual visitors during what was meant to be humanity's last duel. Dartz tossed aside the mask and phased away from the ruins.

Rahlin's body lingered in deathly silence.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

The pharaoh's spirit leaned upon the railing. He imagined the breeze hitting his face. His back faced a row of apartment doors. His partner, Yugi, shifted from foot to foot in front of the last room on the level. Yugi grasped the Millennium Puzzle around his neck and frowned.

"Um, hey, I have an idea!" Yugi said. "How about you ask him?"

"He's your friend, Yugi."

"He's our friend! Aren't you worried about him, too?"

His shoulders caved inward. He watched the ground far below. "I'm not in a chatting mood."

"That's what you've been saying for the last two weeks. You sure you don't want to talk about it?"

To respect the knight's wishes, he said, "I am certain."

Yugi's head drooped. "Bummer. I thought you might talk to Bakura, because he's been acting strange since around the same time you have."

"It couldn't be for the same reason," the pharaoh said. He spun on his heel. "Could it be the Spirit of the Ring?"

"Nah. He hasn't been acting suspicious, just sort of sad."

The pharaoh turned away. "I won't be of any help."

A few deep breaths later, Yugi reached for the door and prepared his bright smile. The door cracked open a few seconds after his knock. Bakura peeked out and, noticing Yugi, swung the door wide. His smile took effort accentuated by the deep shadows beneath his eyes. "Oh! Hello. Would you like to come in? I can make tea."

"No, thanks! I'm here to invite you out instead! Professor Hawkins sent us a note about breakthroughs in his Atlantian studies, so we're headed to the museum to meet up with everyone. Er, that is, I'm headed to the museum. Haha. Ha. A-anyway, want in?"

His focus drifted to the city behind Yugi. Orange and purple followed the sunset behind the skyline. "I suppose I should… leave the house. Give me a moment."

After he shut the door, Yugi gave the pharaoh a big smile. He acknowledged Yugi's success with a nod and said, "Perhaps you can discover what's wrong."

Bakura exited wearing a dark jacket over his typical blue-and-white striped shirt. He allowed Yugi the lead without saying a word. The pharaoh lingered behind the two of them and observed. At the base of the complex's staircase, Yugi made his first attempt: "Ummm. How have you been?"

"So-so."

"Summer not treating you well?"

"Oh, it's been a wonderful summer," he said. "It's simply difficult to accept that all good things must wind to their end."

The pharaoh flinched at the statement. He was glad Yugi's focus was solely on Bakura, who watched the streaks of cloud cover. Yugi asked, "Is it anything you want to talk about?"

"Hm?"

"It seems like something's got you down, is all!"

That smile graced Bakura's face. "I appreciate the thought. I'm not sure I'm quite ready to go in-depth, however."

Yugi glanced back at the pharaoh in a panic. The pharaoh could only shrug his shoulders. Yugi slouched in double defeat. He did not make any more attempts on the walk to the museum.

Spotlights shone on large banners hanging from the rafters advertising the Egyptian and Atlantian exhibits. The pharaoh was not fussed about either of them. He knew the answer to his memories was now accessible with Dartz's – no, Geh's – control over the tablet gone.

After the events of the last duel, however, he had requested some time to recover before showing the restored god cards. He'd had a hard time coming to terms with the fact that victories require sacrifice. Whatever sacrifice he would have to make in Egypt scared him; he had only just recovered his friends and lost one forever.

Yugi's group peered into a display case. He waved and jogged towards them. "Hey, guys! I brought Bakura!"

Téa, Tristan, Duke, Serenity, Joey, and Mai welcomed the duo with a return of Yugi's wave. Bakura took a sudden interest in the tiles beneath his feet. Yugi ran ahead of him and asked, "What are you guys looking at?"

"They have translations for all the exhibits now!" Serenity said.

"Those Atlantians were into some weird stuff," Tristan said. "Salt boats? Whack."

Joey snorted. "Weird as stealin' souls?"

"Can we agree to forget about that whole thing?" Duke said.

"I'll try my damnedest! I'm jus' glad them DOMA freaks disappeared. Er, not includin you, of course, Mai."

"Smooth," she joked. "They at least had the decency to say good-by. All except for… hm. Never mind."

"Yugi Muto! You've made it!" Professor Arthur Hawkins approached the gathered group. Rebecca embraced Yugi and planted a kiss on his cheek. The pharaoh was pleased to see her happiness return after her outburst in the absence of her father and Yugi. "We've made unbelievable breakthroughs thanks to an anonymous donation! I've even deciphered the letter you left me!"

Yugi's brow furrowed. "Letter?"

He and the pharaoh locked eyes. The pharaoh said, "It was an important note. May I read it?"

The two swapped places. He felt Yugi's presence in the Puzzle and offered a prayer of thanks for his partner's respect of privacy. Hawkins handed the pharaoh the letter left behind from the last duel's end.

The Professor said, "It was my easiest work. The donation was a working translation of the Atlantian symbols to English. The tablets here were difficult because some of the symbols are written with different curvatures from the donated journal. The letter you submitted, however, matched the style of the journal."

The pharaoh grasped the corners of the translation. "Do you have any hints as to who made the donation?"

"None. The translations were proved correct very simply, though. Whoever they are will advance our studies into ancient Atlantian culture by leaps and bounds. I wish I had a way to thank them."

The pharaoh shared the Professor's wish. After making sure the others were preoccupied, he peeled open Rahlin's letter.

Hey, Ranue.

I'm writing you because I'm trapping myself into watching the ground instead of the trees again, and you always reminded me to look for the sky. I have a predicament, and I'm wanting to be selfish.

I dreaded living in this world and I dreaded coming back to it. There are too many people. The crowds are suffocating and their stares are irritating as rashes. It could be so much better.

Then there are the images I try to deny. A shared pie when I thought I couldn't find joy. An outstretched hand when I believed I'd never stand again. A rainbow in a world my warped reality said was black and white.

If I give myself away, I know, in the end, it will come down to me facing destruction. That's why I said I want to be selfish. I want to have a duel with those silly comments from the sidelines again. I want to watch a funny movie over glasses of wine again. I want to see the beautiful night lights from a spot in the sky again.

But if I hold back, what I love most about this world – the people in it – will disappear.

As a Knight, it is my duty to do what is right and my honor to uphold it. I haven't let go of my spoiled princess attitude, though. Well! Here I go, being responsible and holding myself accountable for the decisions I made. You taught me well, brother.

The infinite beauty within the diversity of humanity is worth any sacrifice. I make this decision with unrivaled confidence. When I reach the afterlife, I hope to see you there.

My name is Rahlin Orichalcum, and I bid you farewell.

The pharaoh cupped his mouth and folded the letter closed with his other hand. He shouldn't have tried to read it. She had all the closure in the worlds. Her last smile had said as much. Why should he have need for the same?

Why did he?

"E-excuse me!"

The pharaoh immediately held the note against his chest. Bakura hadn't addressed him, though. His focus was squarely on Professor Hawkins and his little black notebook.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Ryo couldn't look away from Rahlin's journal. The pages he and she had scrawled through lay in Professor Hawkins's hands. Ryo asked, "You say the translations are in that journal, yes?"

"I don't believe I've said that, but it is true!"

"Could… could I ask for something to be translated? It's very short, I promise."

Both Yugi and the Professor pinned him with curious eyes. This would be one of the rare occasions where drawing attention didn't matter compared to the purpose. Yugi asked, "How do you have Atlantian writing?"

"It's a silly little thing, I'm sure," Ryo murmured. He retrieved a folded napkin from his jacket pocket. The symbols were written beneath his realistic drawing of a heart; in the corner rested a symbolic heart.

"My, my, that is short!" the Professor said. He flipped open the journal. Ryo caught glimpses of his and Rahlin's writing. To think it was all for this. Hawkins set about matching the runes to words.

Ryo longed to touch the journal. Ever since the disappearance, he started having trouble convincing himself whether all their moments were real or not. He held the napkin and the symbols she wrote close.

They were all he had left.

Hawkins squinted and tapped his pencil against the paper in a eureka gesture. He scanned the words. His smile was the definition of warmth. Ryo's heart outpaced his body. "Did you figure it out?"

"I believe so! Yes, this matches perfectly. The curves of the letters are the same as the translation similar to young Yugi's letter. They could be transplanted over each other and match perfectly! Ah, yes, how sweet. The words translate to 'I love you.'"

He was shaking all over, all over, and he could do nothing about it. Tears cascaded down his cheeks. Yugi reached for him and stopped halfway. "Bakura? What's wrong?"

Ryo snatched the napkin back and sprinted out of the museum. His tears trailed behind him. He thought of where to go and couldn't. His feet carried him anywhere; away from everything.

Needles pricked his chest. Ryo grimaced and sprinted faster. Pointless, he knew, but he couldn't prevent his flight reaction.

He slammed open a wooden door and dashed inside a building. His feet passed rows of pews. The sharp digging into the skin of his abdomen worsened. He screamed, "Please! Please, no, anything but this!"

HOW CAN I RESIST WHEN YOU MAKE IT SO EASY?

Ryo grabbed his temples. The lit candles in the church extinguished. The stabs in his chest intensified. Ryo ground his teeth. Warm, sticky fluid slithered down his stomach. A yellow glow in the shape of a ring appeared below his collarbone. "Stop!"

WHY SHOULD I WHEN YOU'VE CREATED SO MANY MENTAL FRACTURES FOR ME TO CRAWL THROUGH? OH, BUT YOU'RE LUCKY. SHE DIED BEFORE I COULD KILL HER.

A last stream of tears stained his cheeks before the golden ring materialized, and he lost all control.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Splash!

Her body drifted. Rays of sunlight sliced into the water from the surface. She opened her eyes. She fought for air. Saltwater flooded her lungs. She shut her mouth and clawed towards the sun.

Her head broke the surface. Gravity flipped and forced her into freefall. Ripples resounded from where she had nearly drowned. As the whistling wind tore at her wet clothes, her eyes widened in recognition. She was falling from the Spirit World's seasky.

She flipped midair and spread her limbs to slow her descent. Her long hair whipped wildly above her. The patchwork of the land spread far below: the tiny town, the cathedral, the wheat fields, the pavilion. At the edge of the world, azure seasky touched verdant grasslands. Tall spires to the east and west belittled all other objects. The stone tower to her right contained the bell to tell the passing of hours. The glittering, golden gate to her left was a new addition.

A trio of monsters joined her flight. Red-Eyes Black Dragon soared to her right, Blue-Eyes White Dragon nosedived to her left, and Curse of Dragon spearheaded the triangle.

A light blue figure jolted towards her from the ground. A dragon with fairy wings caught her in her arms. Ancient Fairy Dragon carried her over the small town. A group of gathered monsters watched. One waved at her enthusiastically as though in recognition – Dark Magician Girl. She offered a reluctant wave back.

The three dragons broke away. Ancient Fairy Dragon flew towards the sparkling gold in the distance. Bars like a bird cage's pierced the sky. The dragon dropped her in front of the open, front entrance. The rest was locked tight.

"What is this place?" she asked.

"The Gilded Gate," Ancient Fairy Dragon answered. "We were commanded to create this place to lock you away unless you are needed for performing executions. Because you came so close to fulfilling your plan, my supervisor tells me you cannot be allowed pure freedom any longer."

"…Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry, I- I don't know how I got up there. The last thing I remember is sitting at the pavilion near the dragon statues. I feel like I woke up from a dream. When I try to remember the minutiae, they slip away. But I must have done a terrible thing, right?"

The dragon chuckled. A shivering sadness rung through it like the undertones in the faraway bells. "No, knight. No. You did the right thing. I wish it didn't have to be this way. Don't worry. They're waiting for you."

Ancient Fairy Dragon's large paw nudged her towards the entrance. She gulped. The grass gave way to dark dirt. The harmonious tune of the faraway bells reminded her of a funeral dirge. She took a step forward. The gate swung shut behind her and locked.

The barren land went on and on. She stopped at the bottom of a hill and longed for the tall, emerald grasses she left behind. At the thought, the landscape changed. Lush grass sprung from the dirt. She curled her toes into the soft vegetation.

Laughter rung in her ears. She sprinted over the hill to find its source. Her jaw dropped. She ran towards the trio, who stopped their outburst at her approach.

"Hey, hey! Look who made it!" Hermos showed a toothy grin.

"We were beginning to worry," Timaeus said. "Did something keep you?"

She patted their arms to be sure. Timaeus eyed her while Hermos backed away with a fearful glance. Critias gave his typical, cold glare from afar. Tears built in her eyes. "I-it's really you. You guys are back. You're back to yourselves, and you're really here!"

She bawled into the heels of her hands. Critias huffed. "Great. The general turned into a weakling while we were gone."

"Er, you okay?" Hermos asked. "This really ain't like you."

"Stop it with the stupid accent," Critias snapped.

"Hey! I'll have you know I liked my chosen duelist! Maybe I wanna be like him a little bit."

"I didn't think you could be more insufferable," Critias said.

She smiled through her tears. "It's like nothing changed. I'm- I'm so happy!"

"We may not have changed much, but you certainly have," Timaeus said.

"Yeesh. Since when are you happy 'n' sentimental 'n'… anything but hateful 'n' scary, really?"

Critias folded his arms over his chest. "Her time with the humans ruined her."

"So, you have to tell me!" she exclaimed. "How did this happen? How are you back?"

They stared. She stared back. Timaeus broke the silence. "You did this. You saved us."

Her eyebrows scrunched. She pointed to herself. Hermos said, "Yeah, you! What's the matta? You take some head trauma on your way in or somethin?"

She looked to the sky she had fallen from. "Could you tell me what happened?"

"Unfortunately, no," Timaeus said. "We were only present for sparse few moments. I recall images such as bowing to you during a duel in my draconic form. Does that sound familiar?"

She shook her head. Hermos said, "C'mon! Domino City? Joey Wheeler? Seto Kaiba? Yugi Muto?"

"I don't know what any of those words mean," she said.

"Then why are you acting like a blithering fool?" Critias asked.

Her hands folded over her beating heart. "It's hard to explain. I have all this happiness and this special kind of warmth I've never known before. It's kind of a… a giddy, light feeling, I dunno!"

She giggled. Hermos and Timaeus exchanged glances. Critias scoffed and walked away. Hermos grinned, saying, "I'm likin' the new Rain!"

Her smile slacked. The name "Rain" sounded wrong. It belonged to somebody else, she thought, but she had no way to correct him. She was sure she had her own name once. No use. The memory wasn't there.

Whatever. They could call her anything they liked.

"I know you were there," Timaeus said. "You were in Domino City. Perhaps your mind has been tampered with, but emotions have an incredible way of persisting. I know because I felt them even during my cursed time."

"Aw, yeah," Hermos said. "Even my statue self felt so bad about leaving you all alone."

She grinned. "Everything's okay now!"

"This is a nice surprise – I'll dub it the 'Domino Incident,'" Timaeus said. "I expected you to be downcast and solemn, especially considering your former state. I assumed the years would worsen the damage rather than repair it."

Her stare drifted up to the blue sky. The snapshot of a deeper sapphire and pale clouds past the swaying branches of an apple tree filled her mind's eye. Her heart swelled with a sensation of being so, so alive and looking forward to every day. She said, "There are ways to enjoy life even after tragedy."

A tear pricked the corner of her right eye.

She wiped it away; the emotion was nonsensical. If anything, she felt happy to have her friends back. A thought persisted and bothered and protested:

I just wish I could

remember what they are.

End of Under the Apple Tree

A/N: BGM: My Long Forgotten Cloistered Sleep - Yuki Kajiura

I am extraordinarily grateful to RepentMF, my wonderful beta, because nothing would be possible without you

Anyone who supported along the way through comments, favs, follows, PMs, etc. y'all have no idea how much the support helps. Special shoutouts to Ethan K, LeahRose, LilFireFox, Blacktiger, and Wyvernium for always bein' there. I'm doubting myself constantly so having folks showing up and making your presence known like you guys/gals do means everything.

Lastly, thanks to anyone reading! Season 4/DOMA Arc has a special place in my heart despite its flaws. I'm glad you found my take on it and Rahlin's involvement worth reading! If you liked this, you might enjoy my other YGO fics on my profile. Acid Rain's sequel Clear Skies, for example, has Rahlin playing a big role if you want to see more from her

after all, there is always the future. Time Thief here, signing off. Don't forget to take care of yourself!