Hello again everyone! So, what's new in my life, well, I suppose I should start with the fact I'm still taking care of my dad's dog and 5 horses. Working with the horses hasn't gotten much easier, but I'm making it work. Their skin is starting to get better and the hair is finally beginning to grow back. I'm also slowly getting the older one, Fancy, to finally stay still for me while I work with her, which I'm very thankful. Other than that, the horses are doing well, so yay. My dad, step mom, and step brother all return either today or Tuesday this week, which I'll be thankful, though setting up for their return is a bit irritating. I have to take their car out to where they'll get back at, plus possibly go get my step mom's small dog. If I do that, I have to go out to their house, get one of their cars, then go get the dog, bring it to their home, then drive myself home again. So much hassle just to do stuff… Moving along, I went to the doctor last week and got a little help, which did nothing for me, so I went back on last Thursday. The doctor checked me out again and said she thinks I have been possibly having bronchial spasms, plus I may or may not have sleep acnea. I'm off to be tested for that one soon, which I may possibly have since both my mother and grandfather (mom's side) has it. Other than all that, I did get to go see Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen on Saturday. There are so many words to describe that moving, but I think one sets it all: awesome! I loved the movie. It was action packed, plus a bit of comedy here and there. My mate even enjoyed it, which surprised me, lol. She thought it would suck, but she changed her tune. If anyone has a chance to go see it, I'd definitely recommend it.

Writing wise, this chapter is in fact the end of Minutes to Midnight. With this story wrapping up, my Illidan and Marie series is complete. There will not be any other stories that relate to this series to be made. Honestly, this series has been a lot of fun to work on over the years. I remember back all those years ago when I finished Tournament of Power, only to have ideas for The Wolves Seal already. I had thought it would end there, but I decided to continue on the series through Yugioh GX with Forgotten Guardians, which is probably my finest work for the series I think. Minutes to Midnight came about after talking with ardee who came up with most of the concept for it. And now, at long last, the end is coming. In a lot of ways, I hate to see this series be put to bed, but at the same time, I feel a lot of happiness knowing that it did so well.

I'm sure a lot of you are pondering what I'll be doing from now on since this series is over and done with. For now, I plan on working on the sequel to my Inuyasha story, Another, entitled Reunion. It'll begin posting today also, just in case anyone wishes to read up on it. I also plan on working on a one-shot for GX called Second Best. That should be out sometime in the next month probably. As for writing more Yugioh or Yugioh GX fics, I don't know. I'm not sure if I will or not. That's just up in the air. I do plan on finishing my Inuyasha stories, plus my one-shot ideas. In essence, I'm far from done writing for those that thought I was going to just walk off into the sunset. Illidan the half demon has plenty of ideas left in his head and they will continue to be cranked out over the years.

And now, for the last time for this series, it's time for the reviews!

Genma no Ou: Lol, yes, Illidan's probably about everywhere after that explosion. The story is wrapping up this chapter, so yeah, everything is winding down. Heh, true, there isn't much more I could do with Illidan dead, though it could focus on Marie or another character. (/Hears yells to end it.\) Fine, spoilsports. But yes, it's almost over. True, I did kind of hate to kill off Illidan, but in the end, I think it'll work out. Thanks for your review!

The Rainwalker: Yeah, I got your email there last week. Sorry I didn't respond. I've been rather busy at work and home, so no time to really respond. Yeah, my Thursday a week ago was pretty bad, but I got over it. Anyways, yeah, Gozaburo's victims revived, only to nearly get blown away, lol. Yep, Illidan sacrificed himself so everyone could get away. I know, the story is kind of ending on a sad note, but there is this chapter to hopefully make things better. Actually, Illidan didn't sacrifice himself in his previous life for Marie. They lived to be rather old, with Marie dying first, only to be followed by Illidan after some time had passed. I'll run through the beginning again, but I don't remember seeing anything out of place last time. Thanks for your review!

The Duelist of Dawn: Yeah, it was a heck of a comeback for Illidan in that duel. Heh, yeah, it did kind of make me think of Yubel and Jaden's duel. Thanks for the review!

Thank you, all three of you, for your reviews. I have truly enjoyed reading each and every one of the reviews I've received on this series since the beginning. I hope that all of you have enjoyed my stories, for I have enjoyed writing them and sharing them with all of you. Thank you once more to everyone who has supported this series and read all of the Illidan and Marie series. It has meant a lot to me. Once more, thank you.

For the last time, I hope you all get to enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 60

"That is what became of your father, Arya…" Yugi quietly said.

Sitting across from the spike haired man on a leather loveseat sat a young woman with mid-back length brown hair that had purple highlights running throughout it, soft chocolate eyes that were filled with tears, and a petit body build. She was dressed in a purple blouse and wore a pair of blue jeans.

Looking at the two men across from her on a matching leather couch, Arya remained silent for a moment while tears ran down her face. At last, she gathered herself up and asked with a touch of anger in her voice "Why didn't Momma tell me any of this?"

Opening and closing his mouth several times, the man wearing a white trench coat that had short brown hair, dark blue eyes that seemed somewhat hard but held softness within them, slowly replied "It was a request that we not speak of your father until you were old enough for us to tell you about him."

"But that's not fair Uncle Seto!" Arya protested. "My own mother hid my father from me for fifteen years of my life! I grew up not knowing the first thing about him other than he was dead, and for what!?"

Sobering a bit, she whimpered out "I didn't even know what kind of man he was. I always pondered what he was like, whether he was a kind and loving man, someone who got my mother pregnant and just left us, if he was abusive or a drunk, or if he even existed. Momma never told me a thing about him, other than he was dead. That's so unfair…"

Moving over and wrapping an arm around the shoulders of the young woman and pulling her against himself, Seto whispered "I know, it wasn't very fair to you, but your mother had her reasons."

"Arya, why don't I try and explain it to you." Yugi spoke up while scooting a bit closer on the couch he sat on. "You see Arya, you may be a bit young to understand this, but when two people fall in love, a special bond is formed between them. It's a bond that binds the two to one another. Some bonds are more special than others. Those bonds are usually between soul-mates."

Pausing for a moment, the spiked haired man slowly added "The bond your mother and father held, it was one of the most special bonds of love that I have ever seen. I'll admit that the love the two of them shared was far stronger than that of Tea and me. It's the kind of love that makes you strive to achieve. The bond the two of them formed five millennia was as strong, if not stronger, than ever in this lifetime. Of course they fought and argued like any couple, but you could tell how deeply in love each of them was with the other. It radiated off of them."

"A bond that strong has only a single weakness. If one of the two is killed, the other will suffer horribly due to the loss of that partner. That is what happened to your mother, Arya. When she lost your father, it gave her a mortal wound to her soul. Without your father, she was no longer complete."

In a quiet, calm voice, Seto spoke up, saying "When we got back from Dark World, your mother was devastated. She had lost the man she had loved with all of her heart and soul, and to lose him was like losing a piece of her own soul. It was too much for her to take and she had a mental breakdown. We waited a few days to see if she would get better, but she didn't."

"She hardly ate anything, never said a thing, and seemed to be lost to the world. Just seeing her like that was hard for all of us. In the end, after three days, I needed to return home, so I decided to take both Marie and yourself home with me so I could look after her."

"When we got back to Domino City, I gave you and your mother a floor within my penthouse. I don't think it mattered to her, since she was really unable to comprehend what was going on around herself. While your mother was like she was, I took it upon myself to take care of you."

Smiling slightly, the brown haired man remarked "You were a handful. I managed to take care of you, somehow."

Returning his expression to bland, Seto added "Six months passed by and your mother had still not recovered. She was deteriorating slowly towards death, and one day, I finally decided enough was enough."

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Standing in an elevator, Seto let out a ragged sigh. His clothing consisted of a black business suit with a red tie and he held a briefcase within his right hand. Reaching up, he loosened the tie around his neck and leaned back against the back wall and slowly slid his eyes shut.

"Damn long meetings that do nothing but go in circles. It only figures that those idiots from that company presenting it's new ideas would have nothing really new to present me. I should just do myself a favor and buy out that crappy company and sell it off, lock, stock, and all."

Once more sighing, he reopened his dark blue eyes just as the elevator reached his penthouse suite. Hearing a familiar ding of the elevator, he stepped out once the doors opened. Walking down the hallway to the front door of his home, he turned the knob and entered, only to hear the sound of a familiar crying baby.

Looking about, he found the source of the cry in the arms of another young man, who had long butt length black hair that was pulled back in a ponytail, violet colored eyes, and wore a blue business suit with a yellow tie. The young man was holding the young child within his arms, rocking her back and forth in an attempt to calm her down.

"Sh, sh, sh, it's alright Arya. Don't cry little girl."

"Mokuba, what are you doing here?" Seto spoke up, earning the younger man's attention.

Giving a brief smile, Mokuba replied "Oh, hey there big brother. It's Tuesday, remember? I always come by today."

Running his free hand through his brown hair, the elder brother nodded, saying "I forgot what day it was. Why isn't Cathleen taking care of Arya?"

Processing the request for a moment, the younger man finally asked "Is that the nanny's name? I keep missing it when I come over so I had no idea. Anyways, she had to leave early due to a doctor's appointment. She was about to call someone else to come take care of Arya while she was gone until you got home, but I showed up and volunteered to take over."

"I see… Why didn't she speak with Marie and see if she would watch her?"

Hesitating for a moment, Mokuba slowly remarked "Seto, you know she's in no condition to really do anything."

"So I've noticed for the last six months. Ever since we've gotten back from Dark World, she's done nothing but mope around in her room and continues to mourn. She needs to let him go."

Sighing at the words of his brother, the younger man shifted the small child in his arms and replied "Seto, this is an age old argument. You have to remember, Marie just lost Illidan and has yet to recover from that loss."

"She'll never recover at this rate, Mokuba." Seto bluntly stated. "If she never tries to move forward, she will forever waste away like she is now. I won't let that happen."

Setting his briefcase down onto the ground, the older brother began trekking towards the stairwell that led to the next floor of the penthouse. Stopping before the stairs, he threw a glance over his shoulder at his younger brother and said "Stay with Arya. I'll be back."

"Seto, please, don't do this to her. She needs more time…"

"To what!?" Seto snapped while turning back towards his brother. "To waste away into nothingness and die because of the sadness in her heart!? I won't stand by idly and let her do that. I've let her have more than enough time to try and move on with her life, and damn it, she will move on. Dwelling on the pain will not help her."

Turning back around, the older brother began ascending the stairs to the second floor of his penthouse. Reaching it, he strolled towards a familiar door and knocked on it. Receiving no answer like always, he entered the room.

The room itself was painted white and had few decorations or pictures within it. The only few pictures that were there was a picture of a brown haired young man with his wife and another of the same couple and a small child in the young woman's arms. Within the room, there was a bed, two dressers, bookshelf, nightstand, a full length mirror, and a rocking chair that looked out the large glass window that was looking out the back wall to the city below.

Sitting in the rocking chair and seemingly oblivious to the entrance of her visitor was a young woman with brown hair, wearing a simple older style yellow kimono. She was sitting completely still, seemingly just staring out the window.

Walking up behind the rocking chair, Seto cleared his throat, asking "Marie?"

Receiving no answer like usual, he growled in irritation and grunted out "Let it go."

"Just leave me be."

Unperturbed by the quiet words of the young woman, the young man moved before her and looked her straight in the eye. Looking into them, he saw a pair of broken brown eyes seemingly filled with endless sadness.

"Marie, mourning his loss forever will not help you. You need to move on."

"Leave me alone, Seto." Marie repeated in a quiet tone.

Reaching out and grabbing her right hand, Seto growled out "Do you think this is really going to help you!? You can sit here and mourn Illidan's loss forever, but it won't bring him back. He's not coming back, Marie!"

Seeing the young woman physically flinch at his words, the young man added "Don't waste his sacrifice. He stayed behind and died so that both Arya and you could live. He wanted the two of you to be happy, I know that for certain within my heart. Never did Illidan want you to suffer as much as you have for the last six months."

Looking back at the young man with anger and tears in her eyes, the young woman stood and venomously snarled out "JUST SHUT UP! IT'S NOT LIKE YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH AND HOW MUCH I'M SUFFERING! YOU, THE MAN WHO KNOWS NOTHING OF LOVE, COULD NEVER UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH PAIN I'M IN! I'M SUFFERING NOW BECAUSE OF THOSE TIES I HAD TO HIM! HOW ON EARTH COULD YOU EVER UNDERSTAND HOW IT FEELS TO LOSE ALL THAT! GET OUT!"

"I'm not leaving."

"I SAID GET OUT!"

Not backing down, Seto responded evenly "It's true, I have no idea what it's like to find the kind of love that you and Illidan shared… But do you honestly think that by slowly killing yourself will ease the pain in your heart? I may not understand the pain you're suffering through, but I do understand the pain of watching a friend of mine slowly dying. Marie, all that Illidan did, he did for you and his daughter. Are you going to waste his sacrifice by leaving this world too and leaving behind your only child to be raised by people who truly aren't her parents?"

Eyes widening a fraction, the young woman looked down at the ground. Reaching out and cupping her cheek and raising her face back to look up at him, the young man calmly said "I don't want to see you suffer this way any longer Marie. Living in the past and suffering from what happened in it is not healthy. You must move forward, but to do that, you must let go of your sadness."

"I don't know how…" Marie miserably whimpered while fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. "I just don't know how to move forward. Everything I do or think about, I remember something from when I was with Illidan, and then, then…"

"It will take time, and most likely, you'll have to live one day at a time." Seto remarked while reaching up and wiping the tears away. "I'm not saying you should forget him altogether. All that I'm saying is you need to put his loss behind you and move forward, if not for your sake, but for Arya's sake. She still needs her mother."

Looking into the dark blue eyes of the brown haired young man before her, Marie suddenly threw herself around him and began sobbing loudly into his right shoulder. A touch shocked at the sudden contact, Seto reached his arms around her and gently stroked her back.

Finally settling after five minutes, the young woman pulled away and reached up to her face and wiped her tears away. "You're right, Seto. Arya needs me, and I need her just as much. I've been a fool…"

"Only a fool would continue down the path you had begun." the young man quipped. Cracking a soft smile, he added "You should go see her."

Nodding mutely, the young woman softly smiled and whispered "Thank you."

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"After that, your mother no longer suffered like she did, but it was clear she would never recover into the person she once was. No, who she is now is but a shadow of her former self when your father once lived. She has made great strides in recovering from the loss of him, but she will most likely never be the same Marie I met over twenty-five years ago."

Absorbing the information the brown haired man had told her, the young woman slowly said "But that still doesn't explain why no one ever mentioned my father to me."

Nodding, Seto replied "Well, my story was building up to that. Your mother slowly recovered over the next few months, but she then called all of her friends and family together one day. In the meeting, she asked that all of us never speak of Illidan in front of you."

"But why!?" Arya protested. "Did she think I would get angry or drown in sadness like her?"

Placing a hand onto the shoulder of his goddaughter, the spike haired duelist sadly smiled and shook his head. "No, your mother wasn't worried about that. The reason she swore all of us into secrecy was to protect herself."

"What do you mean?"

"She did it to protect herself. Remember, losing your father was very painful for her. Marie was afraid that if you asked her about Illidan, she would not be able to handle it and would slip back into the abyss of her pain. To ensure that didn't happen, she swore us all to secrecy so that no one would tell you about your father."

Processing her godfather's words, the young woman quietly mumbled "It's still not fair. She had no right to keep this from me…"

Cutting in, Seto coolly said "Arya, your mother did what she thought was best for you. She also did this so you would grow up with a mother who could be functional and not drop off of the face of the earth in the blink of an eye. She didn't want to ever abandon you in that way, or have you see her like that."

"I guess I understand… Still, it's just that..."

"You're hurt that she hid it from you." Yugi finished.

Receiving a nod of reply from his goddaughter, the spike haired man let out a small sigh and replied "I figured you would be by her actions. Still, you should know, all that she did, she did to try and make it possible to stay with you."

Standing up, the brown haired man walked behind the leather couch and picked up a good sized box that was tied shut with a single pink ribbon. Walking back around, he handed it to the young woman, saying "Your mother wanted us to give you this after explaining everything to you. She said it would help, she hoped."

Looking at the box for a moment, the young woman slowly nodded and took it into her hands. Carefully, she undid the ribbon and pulled the top off of the box. Inside, there was a Duel Disk with a deck within it, plus a card and a letter sitting on top of the Duel Disk. Curious, Arya picked up the letter first and opened it. Unfolding it, she slowly began to read it silently to herself, almost immediately recognizing the handwriting of her mother.

"My dearest daughter, Arya,

I am truly sorry for hiding all signs of your father for the last fifteen years. I know though I say this, it will never change what I did to you. It's because of me that a portion of your heritage was not shown to you. Please don't be too hard on everyone that is our family and friends. I swore them into secrecy and they were only obeying my wishes.

I'm sure you are curious to why I did what I did. Years ago, when I made the decision to swear everyone into secrecy, it seemed to make so much more sense. Looking back now, I realize how wrong I was. The reason I made all of my friends and family take such an oath was for my own selfish desires. I had finally managed to get over the loss of your father, but I was constantly reminded of him.

The most profound remembrance was when both you and I were out when you were still under a year old. We had walked into a toy store where I was going to buy you something for your first birthday when I spotted a stuffed white and gray wolf that had blue eyes. When I saw it, I broke down crying in the middle of the store. Several people came to check on me, but I couldn't do or say anything. An ambulance was called for us and we were taken to a nearby hospital, where Seto managed to catch up with us. After several hours, I finally regained my composure and told him exactly what had happened. That stuffed wolf I had seen, it was the same type of stuffed wolf that your father had given me when we were still dating many years prior. Just seeing it had plunged me back into the sadness in my heart once more. It was then that I realized that just the slightest mention of your father had a great effect on me, so I made my choice then. I decided that I would simply not venture out into public too often, and if and when I did, I would not go to places your father and I had gone to. I also swore all of my friends and family into secrecy so that your father's name would not be mentioned. This was to ensure that nothing would cause me to suddenly have a breakdown once more and that I could always be with you.

In all truthfulness, what I did to you was beyond cruel, and for that, I deeply regret it, but you must understand one thing my precious daughter. The love I had for your father was much deeper and stronger than anything I had ever experienced in either of my lives. He was the reason I could do anything that I put my mind to. Your father was my soul-mate and the one man that I yearned to always be with. I never ventured away from him. He was the one and only one that ever could make me feel happy and like I had a place within the world. When he met his untimely demise, my heart was crushed beyond recognition. Just the sheer loss of your father nearly drove me insane with sorrow. Losing him was like losing a portion of my soul, and to be completely honest, I have yet to ever recover from that. Illidan was my life and the once in a lifetime love that you never forget. I suppose it's just ironic in a way. In our previous lives five millennia ago, it was I that left him behind to live on, and now it is my turn.

I won't lie to you my daughter, some days I wish I had died hand in hand with your father in that dreadful dimension. It was one of my desires to die with him. Your father knew it in the end, and maybe, just maybe that is why he did what he did. He was wise beyond his years and knew that if I had died with him, no one would be left to take care of you. Illidan knew my past and how it was to grow up without parents. In both of our lifetimes, we lost our parents early on. Still, he had no desire to allow that to happen to you, so he saved me. I hated him for taking away my last wish for the longest time, but I came to realize soon enough why he did what he did. He saved me so that both you and I could live on. Illidan always wanted what was best for the two of us. He never wanted either of us to suffer, and looking back, I see that your father had the best of intentions that day. It would have been too painful for him to die knowing that he had not only failed to save himself, but failed to save you from a life of having no parents. That's why he did what he did I believe.

I want you to know one thing for certain. No matter what happens from here on, I want you to know that I love you very much and that I am very proud of you, Arya. For all that you have been through, you continue to keep moving forward, and for that, I am thankful. I know one day, you will find love yourself. I'm sure if you father was still alive, he would grimace at the thought of any boy trying to date you, but I know in the end, he would get over it. Daughter, I am so happy that you have grown to be such a kind hearted young woman. Your attitude and desires remind me so much of your father, and I am constantly reminded by your drive and attitude of how he was. He always found the strength to do the impossible. Illidan always encouraged me to take a chance and to do the impossible, even when all the odds were against me. If it's one thing I learned from him, it is to never give up on those that you love and care about, and to never surrender in the face of insurmountable odds. He was one to never do so, even when faced with the possibility of death as an outcome. It is those traits that I see within you, my beloved daughter, which makes me believe that the darkest sadness can be lifted with just your smile.

Of all the things I have done in my life, my deepest regret was hiding the truth from you. You deserved to know about your father, and for hiding that, I am truly sorry. I don't know if you can, but I ask that you look within your heart to find a way to forgive me. Even if you cannot do so, I understand, but know that I will always love you and be here for you until the end of my days. Also, tonight, when you come home, if you have any questions on your father, or wish to just know what kind of man he was, please just ask. I will tell you all that I can. I owe you that much for certain.

Arya, my precious daughter, I will always love you and be proud of you, no matter the outcome of your life. Just know that I have always tried to shelter you from harm and though I was foolish to hide the truth of your father, know that I only did so to protect you from myself. I never wanted you to see what would become of me if I had plunged back into the deep pool of sadness again. I only pray that you have compassion and accept me for what I am still. I promise, from now on, no more secrets. The time for hiding things is over.

In this box, you find a special birthday present and a card that I had no idea existed till thirteen years ago. It is something I suspect will bring much happiness. I hope that you enjoy the rest of your birthday, and I look forward to seeing you when you return home tonight.

Your loving mother,

Marie"

Folding the letter shut, the young woman couldn't help but realize tears were streaming down her cheeks. Finding a box of tissues before herself, being held by her godfather, she gladly took a few and wiped her tears away. Sniffling, she sadly smiled and whispered "I understand…"

Setting the letter to the side, she reached out and took hold of the card on top of the Duel Disk. Opening it carefully, she pulled out with a puzzled look. On the front of the card, it read "Happy 1st Birthday!" with the image of multi-colored balloons. Frowning, she opened the card only to gasp at the writing within.

"To my wonderful daughter,

I hope you enjoy your first birthday my special little girl. Even though you won't be able to read this since you are still only a one year old, you are growing up fast and will one day be able to. Every day with you is pure bliss. Know that I will always love you and be thinking of you.

Love your father, Illidan"

"That handwriting, it's most definitely not Momma's! Could it really have been his…"

Looking over the shoulder of the young woman, Seto couldn't help but inwardly gasp at the sight of the card. "That's the card she found when she went back to Duel Academy. It was the last thing Illidan left behind."

Glancing up at the brown haired man with tears in her eyes, Arya asked "Is this really my father's handwriting?"

"It is, Arya." Seto confirmed. "Your mother found that about thirteen years ago when she went back to Duel Academy to clean out the home where your parents and you lived shortly before going to Dark World. While there, she came across that birthday card you father had apparently bought for you before all the trouble began at the school. He had a habit of sometimes forgetting things, so he tried to usually do things ahead of time. I guess that was one of those things."

Mutely nodding, the young woman sadly smiled and set the card down with the letter she had read through. Reaching out to the box, she gently pulled the Duel Disk that sat in it out and looked it over, only to find a small label on it reading "Property of Illidan Stormrage." Gasping at the label, the young woman couldn't help but weakly smile while running her fingers over the worn out label. Setting the Duel Disk down, she found in it's deck slot a deck.

Carefully, Arya pulled the deck out and fanned it out in her hands. Staring at the revealed cards, she couldn't help but break down into tears once more. Frowning at the state of his distressed goddaughter, Yugi came up behind her to look at the cards himself, only to let out a shocked gasp.

"Those are…"

"The cards you told me about, that my father had." Arya finished. Sifting through the top four cards, she sadly smiled, saying "These are the Chaos monsters that were once his."

Moving through a few more cards, she suddenly stopped with a frown on her face. Noting this, Seto moved closer to find the reasoning behind her frown. It was due to the card of a dark orange dragon that she had pulled out and looking at closely.

With a frown on her face still, the young woman said "This card, it's Momma's. I recognize it anywhere. Why did she put Tyrant Dragon within my father's deck?"

Still unsure of what to make of the strange card in the deck, she continued to sift through it, finding even more cards that she didn't recognize in the description of her father's deck.

"I see what she did." Yugi commented with a small smile, earning his goddaughter's attention. "Your mother must have taken both her deck and your father's deck and merged the two together to create a new deck for you. It's truly a unique deck, and from what I can tell, the two complement one another rather nicely."

Reaching out for the deck that the young woman had, the brown haired man waited for her to hand it to him. Taking it, he began sifting through the cards and couldn't help but crack a small smirk.

"She took the best of her deck and the best of his deck and meshed them into one. It seems you have a very powerful deck, Arya. It's one I would bet could take on any other deck."

Smiling brightly, Arya asked "Really? Do you think I could possibly join the Pro League?"

"Once you finish up with your schooling, we'll talk about it." Yugi commented with a small smile on his face. Reaching out, he drew the young woman into a hug and kissed the top of her head, saying "We're all very proud of you, Arya."

Blushing a bit, she mumbled in reply "Thanks…"

Releasing his hold, the spike haired young man backed away while the brown haired one moved forward, and in a rare display of emotion, he pulled the young woman into a gentle embrace. Holding on for a few moments, he soon let go and cracked a small smile himself.

"You've grown up so much." Seto remarked.

Once more blushing a bit, Arya replied 'Thanks…"

"Arya, Yoshi is downstairs waiting if you want to go duel her. She brought her deck and Duel Disk with her."

Brightening a bit, the young woman nodded, saying "I would like that."

Gathering up the cards she had been examining, she shuffled them together and placed them into the deck slot of the Duel Disk and proceeded to strap it onto her left arm. Picking up the letter and card she had read, she placed it into the empty box and put the lid back on top of it.

Hesitantly, she asked "Can I leave this here?"

"Of course you can. It'll be here when you get back." the brown haired man stated.

Nodding with a small smile, the young woman began to leave, only to stop at the door and turn back to look at the two men, asking "Aren't you two coming?"

"In a few minutes. Go ahead on down." Yugi assured her.

"Alright, don't take too long slow pokes." Arya playfully teased before leaving the room.

Alone, the two men looked at one another before hearing the sounds of soft footsteps coming towards them. Glancing over their shoulders, the pair saw an older woman with brown hair that was starting to get streaks of silver within it walk into the room. Arriving five feet behind them, she watched the pair turn to face her.

"How did it go?" she softly asked.

Rubbing the back of his head, Yugi weakly smiled, saying "It went better than I figured. She really liked the fact that you gave her Illidan's old Duel Disk and a deck created from cards of both his and your old decks."

"Are you alright with all this, Marie?" Seto asked with concern in his voice.

Softly smiling back, Marie glanced towards the door and quietly responded "I'm fine with it. I think it's time that she knew how much I cared about her father. For fifteen years, that sweet child has had to suffer without any knowledge of her father, other than he died. It wasn't fair to her, but I think she understands a bit now. I only hope she can one day forgive me for that."

Placing a kind hand on her shoulder, Yugi gave her a sympathetic smile and said "She understands, Marie. We're just concerned, will you be alright?"

"I'll be fine. Don't worry, I don't plan to ever slip back into that darkness."

Widening her smile, Marie mentally mumbled "You would be so proud of her, Illidan. I miss you so terribly, but even so, life will continue on. Just know that one day, I'll be with you again, and until then, I will forever cherish the memories we had."

"One day a great love shall be reborn."

Hearing the same words she had heard Illidan speak to her once more, Marie couldn't help but feel tears welling up in her eyes. Sadly smiling, she whispered "One day, we will find one another again love. Until then, I will watch over our daughter and try to live the life you wanted me to."