I hereby disclaim ownership of any element of Yu-gi-oh.

Atem walked through the gateway, leaving one set of friends for another. His tasks in the world were finally complete and he could take his richly deserved rest in the afterlife. Yet he couldn't help but feel sad for leaving the world he had come to know and the companions he had come to love. After being away for so long, could he really re-connect with his Ancient Egyptian roots? Would he be happy here?

His train of thought was interrupted by a loud yet happy scream and a sudden weight on his chest as warm arms encircled his shoulders and prehensile legs wrapped around his midsection. He knew the feeling right away. To be honest, his body remembered it even before he did, back at his palace. Something in his muscles had an ingrained memory of an overly excited girl tackle-hugging him. It got there after a few hundred times. Atem couldn't help but grin. He realized that he'd be hard pressed to stay upset with Mana present. The girl just had a way of making him happy just by being her bubbly self.

The other members of his court looked on. The scene wasn't exactly unusual. Though Mana had been told a thousand times that this sort of thing wasn't to be done to the prince of Egypt, she tended to ignore the warnings, particularly when she got really excited.

"Shall we separate them?" asked Isis.

"Mana has been waiting for this hug for five thousand years." Mahad responded. "I do not think we could make her let go even if we tried."

The others nodded. The afterlife was long. They would all have time to get reacquainted with the Pharaoh. But for this day, he belonged to Mana.

After she satisfied her initial need to just hold Atem (which admittedly took a while), Mana got down from Atem, grasped his hand, and led him away to show him all the best places in afterlife.

Somewhere along the way Atem actually recovered enough to start talking. Though he was happy, he did have a few questions.

"Mana?"

"Yes, Atem?" she answered, prepared to answer anything he had to ask.

"How is it that everyone still looks exactly as they did when I left them? After all, you must have gone on to lead your lives. Shouldn't you look…I don't know, old?"

"Oh. Well, it's actually really simple. Master Mahad is in his current form because that's pretty much how he died. After he became the Dark Magician he stayed in that form just long enough to travel to the future and help you out in that duel you were fighting just now. Then he pretty much went back to the past and ended up here, leaving behind an ordinary Duel Monster. As for the rest of us, our appearance here is defined mostly by what our minds envision. And I guess none of us ever really got over our self-images from when we knew you, you know? I never stopped seeing myself as the naïve, cheerful girl who was your best friend."

"Oh. Thanks. That was…concise."

"Well, after you left I did have to become the greatest mage in all of Egypt. I know about this sort of thing now." Mana smiled.

"Right." Atem answered.

"So you remember me now, right?" Mana asked. She'd been rather upset when she found out that the whole time she was helping her childhood friend he had no real idea who she was.

"Yes. I do." After defeating Zork Atem had regained his memories. Oh yes, he remembered Mana now. The friendly, hyperactive girl who seemed to always be there when he needed her the most. All the time he was trapped in the puzzle he'd always felt something was missing from his life, as if there was some void that even Yugi and his friends couldn't fill. He now realized the thing he was missing was Mana.

And he remembered a few other things about her too. Things that technically speaking shouldn't have been there to remember in the first place. He remembered slowly becoming more than just friends with Mana. He remembered promises whispered and kisses stolen while the grown-ups weren't around. He remembered feeling as if his heart was on fire and his brain was melting, just because she was around.

Yes, you could definitely say he remembered Mana now.

And so it went. It is not exactly common for relationships to form after death, but it can happen. Particularly in the afterlife of Egypt, which always had a rather more liberal approach to this sort of thing than some other paradises. Though Atem had once again regained his status as pharaoh, as all Kings of Egypt did when they finally reached the afterlife, there were no more pressures on him. He could do as he pleased. So as months and years passed and Atem reforged the bonds to his old friends and explored the afterlife and its many glories, he and Mana grew ever closer together, as if to make up for millennia of separation. Other than that things went on rather quietly. Not much happens in the afterlife. Until one day that all changed.

It was early afternoon of sorts. Though the afterlife had no time, only duration, the sun still rose and set, perhaps because that's what the residents thought it should do. It was warm but not hot, since the climate strove to please. Atem and Mana, worn out after a particularly intense chase game, were lying on a hillside. It was covered with lush grass, perfect for laying on. Atem thought that probably wasn't a coincidence. He strongly suspected that if they had wanted a hill covered with gravel instead, they'd have one.

Suddenly the air went all weird. The sky swirled with rainbow colors and the ground shook.

"Atem! What's happening?" demanded Mana.

"I don't know. Hold on!"

Atem closed his eyes and exerted his will. He was a pharaoh, the living avatar of the gods of Egypt. This had certain perks in life. It had others in death. He could influence the very world he now resided on, bend its reality like a plaything. He now reached out with all his will to try and find out what was causing the disturbance and stabilize it if he could. He could feel hundreds of other pharaohs doing the same all around the world. But it seemed their help wasn't needed. Things went back to normal momentarily, though the sky still had an odd tinge to it. Yet he could feel a difference. Something about dimensions…

He opened his eyes and looked to see if Mana was alright. And she was. Indeed, instead of sitting there feeling scared as he half-expected her to, she was in the process of casting a complex spell. As he looked on, her eyes started glowing blue.

"Okay. It looks like…there is something going on back on Earth. It would seem some kid who's your successor in the field of saving the world by fighting off strange beings with Duel Monster Cards and his nemesis have stirred up some sort of a rumpus with dimensions. I think the dimensions might be fusing together. Sort of. Temporarily."

"Oh. Good. If he's my successor, I'm sure he'll handle this." Atem smiled and helped Mana up. "But it occurs to me that this might offer us an opportunity."

"What are you thinking of?" asked Mana. She liked the look on Atem's face. It was the same one he had worn when he suggested using a wind spell and a sail to make a ride down the Nile more enjoyable. That had been fun. By clinging to the remains of the disintegrating raft any way she could, Mana became the first person to discover waterskiing. For about ten seconds, anyway. In any case, this was definitely his 'awesome idea' look.

"Mana, how would you like to visit the modern world?" Atem asked her, his eyes starting to twinkle.

"What? You don't mean?" But even as she said that, her mind was racing ahead. Well, why not? The dimensions were really close together. And they had a powerful mage and a mighty pharaoh. It should be possible. In fact, it was. She even realized just the spell she could use-with a few minor alterations. Yes, that would get them through just fine. Mana began to grin so widely it was amazing her head didn't split in two. Though by means of magic they managed to catch a few glimpses of the world of the living, she never thought she'd get a chance to be back there again. And to see how the world had changed in five thousand years…she just couldn't pass that up.

"Well? Are you up for it?" Atem asked.

"Oh yes." She answered. "Let's."

It only took a few minutes to finish the preparation. Mana was finishing a chant while Atem sat in a meditative pose and focused. As Mana said the last word and pointed her wand, a portal appeared before them. She nudged her friend and they went through.

They came out in Domino City, in an inconspicuous alley. Even this was already exciting to Mana. She'd never seen buildings this high or made out of such materials. She looked up and up and up at the skyscraper across the street, her eyes gradually getting larger.

"Amazing!" she breathed out.

"You think that's amazing? You have a lot to see, Mana. A lot."

"Well, then, let's go!" the girl demanded, and tried to run off. However, the prince casually caught her shoulder, preventing her from making much forward progress.

"Of course, Mana. Just one thing first."

"What?" She demanded.

"Could you arrange for some different clothes? I'm afraid fashion's changed a bit in the last few thousand years."

"Oh. Right. Just a second." She stood back and started chanting an incantation.

"Weave our clothes with magic light
Change their feel, alter their sight
Clothe this pharaoh and this mage
In garb fit for modern age!"

True to the poem, their clothes momentarily lit up. When the flash was over, Atem took stock of the changes. He had shed his royal jewelry in exchange for getting his old outfit back, complete with the blue blazer. However, much more interesting to him was the change in Mana's outfit. Her headdress had turned into a backwards baseball cap, making her look rather tomboyish. Her dress decided to split, changing material and transforming into a short skirt and a simple top. Her belt got a lot slimmer and lighter. Atem decided that Mana looked beautiful in clothes of any era. And also that he didn't get to see her midriff nearly often enough.

"Now can we go?" Mana demanded impatiently.

"Yes, of course. But be careful!" he yelled to her even as she sped down. "And wait for me!"

Though the girl was reluctant to slow down, she did feel that she owed her friend at least that much. When Atem reached her, he took hold of her hand, deciding it would be better to keep a really close eye on her for a while. Mana could be an infinitely useful asset when fighting demons, but she didn't know much about getting around in a modern-day city.

Mana succeeded in dragging Atem out of the alley and only his frantic pulling saved him from being dragged straight out into the street. Mana froze in her tracks as she saw the cars speeding along the road. For a second or so she was scared, but then she realized the cars had people inside them and the people clearly controlled the cars. She decided the cars were probably some sort of enchanted chariots, for lack of another way of thinking about it.

"Oh, wow! They're so fast! Can we ride one?" she asked instantly. Atem just smiled. Anyone else would be freaked out in Mana's position. But she was just looking for ways to have fun.

"Perhaps."

"Are we going to see Yugi?" Mana asked.

Atem paused. It was tempting. Very tempting. But…

"No. I…I can't. We separated for a reason. He has his own life now, and I shouldn't interfere with it."

"But wouldn't he be glad to see you?"

"I'm sure he would. But I don't think he's supposed to."

Mana pouted. This was just like Atem. But it took her several years to convince him that playing hooky from a few of their lessons wasn't a big deal, and she really didn't think she'd have the time to talk him around on this issue. Come to think of it, though, she wasn't entirely sure that she wanted to meet his other friends again either. They seemed nice enough when she met them, but she couldn't help feeling a bit jealous of them. First of all, she vaguely suspected Tea of having some sort of a crush on Atem. In all probability it was nothing and had probably transferred to Yugi by now anyway, but Mana just wasn't comfortable with the idea of anyone other than herself having any sort of romantic feelings for the pharaoh. Not at all. And as for Yugi himself, Mana felt slightly one-upped when it came to being Atem's best friend. A reincarnation of Atem's own self whom he was forced to share a body and a mind with while he was trapped in the puzzle-how was she supposed to compete with that? Did she even have to compete? Probably not, but still, perhaps Atem was right and it really was for the best that they were kept separate.

Atem, meanwhile, was looking over the street in the hopes of coming to a decision on where to go first. Their time in this world was limited, and he wanted to show Mana the best it had to offer.

Rather conveniently, the shop display next to him had a small poster taped to it inviting people to participate in an all-day Duel Monsters themed carnival. Atem smiled. He really couldn't have picked a better day for interdimensional barriers to crumble.

He briefly considered getting a ride, but upon checking his pockets he found Mana's wardrobe change did nothing useful for their financial situation. In other words, he had no money on his person. He supposed Mana could create some if he explained properly or could perhaps find a sample, but he wasn't convinced that this wouldn't technically qualify as counterfeiting. So he was saving that option for a last resort. So instead he merely led Mana across the streets, still holding her hand. She certainly didn't mind, but she was curious.

"Where are we going, Pharaoh?" she asked.

"You'll see."

"Will I like it?"

"Oh, yes." Atem promised. "You'll love it."

"Okay!" she flashed him a big, goofy grin. He was usually pretty good at judging what she would and wouldn't like.

They turned another corner and there it was, splendid with noise and color and towering attractions, crowds of people going industriously back and forth.

"Ooh!" Mana breathed out, awed at the sight of the carnival. She surged forward even faster, making it difficult for Atem to keep up.

As they entered the gate leading to the entertainment area a loudspeaker proclaimed yet another bit of luck for Atem.

"Come one, come all! Face our reigning champions, Red Rover and Leaper, and get a chance at winning two all-day, all-free, all-carnival, skip-to-the-front-of-the-line passes! But beware! Our champions have bested hundreds of people around the globe! So be prepared for a defeat! But nevertheless, try your luck!"

Atem pulled Mana aside and gave her a few whispered instructions, pointing at someone's duel disk and making a few arm gestures. Mana nodded and went around the corner, reappearing with two brand-new duel disks, each holding a deck. She gave one to Atem while putting the other one on herself.

While they stood in the quickly-shrinking line of challengers Atem took the opportunity to assess the playing style of the champions. They turned out to actually be quite good. Leaper was apparently an acrobat and so were his cards. His strategy revolved around a sudden increase in their attack points when they actually started swinging. Red Rover seemed to be a really bad clown, but his cards were pretty good. Particularly devastating was his assortment of carnival booths which slowly but surely drained his opponents' resources. Atem noted that and created a battle plan in his head.

When their turn came Atem and Mana went up on the stage and activated their disks to signal the start of the duel. Atem's deck was similar to his old one, though there were a few minor revisions. For instance, it lacked the Dark Magician Girl, Mana's favorite monster, which resided safely in her deck as a cornerstone of her strategy.

It was a short duel. Good as Leaper and Red Rover were they just weren't in his league and Mana had gotten used to this new mode of dueling very quickly. Within minutes the Dark Magician and the Dark Magician Girl shared the field while staring down the woefully empty side of their opponents.

"Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl, Double Dark Magic Attack!" yelled both Atem and Mana together. Their monsters obeyed, wiping out whatever remained of their opponents' life points.

"Amazing!" the loudspeaker boomed. "It would appear that our champions have been defeated! Very well, come up and claim your prize!"

A few seconds later Atem found himself in the center of the arena ceremoniously taking two golden tickets out of a box lined with red velvet. Suddenly a thought struck him. As far as he knew he was still the King of Games, an internationally recognized figure. What would people think of finding him dueling here?

Mana noticed his worried look and correctly perceived its cause. She discreetly rolled her forefinger and thumb together, letting off a small spark of magic. Oh, she cast a spell of obscurity on him! Atem grew impressed with Mana's forethought. It was a quality she evidently developed after they parted, during the rest of her life. Though she was still largely the same girl he knew, every once in a while she'd present him with a surprise. He loved it.

"Well, it looks like fate is favoring us today, Mana." Atem said as they walked off the stage.

"Is this how you have fun in this time? Is this normal?" Mana questioned.

"Not exactly normal, no. It's more like a festival."

"Well, the festivals have definitely improved, then. Everything's so big and so…bright!"

Atem smiled and led her on, to let her enjoy this day stolen from time. Her reactions were everything he expected. She "ooh"ed and "aah"ed as the Ferris Wheel took them up high, stretching the view of Domino City before them. She screamed her lungs out as the roller coaster took her on the most exhilarating ride of her life. As the cotton candy melted in her mouth, Mana had to undergo the experience of a sugar rush, a development that took her already extreme personality and made her into a bundle of pure energy.

And now the two of them were standing before something so magnificent that in other circumstances Mana might have thought she died and went to heaven, except of course that she already did that and it hadn't been nearly as beautiful as the sight before her.

It was like a house, but instead of wood or stone or even the strange materials this future seemed to hold, it seemed to be made mostly of air, held together only with fabric dyed with colors brighter than any Mana had seen before.

"Atem, I love you." She whispered, still mesmerized by the bouncy house.

"I knew you'd like it."

"Yeah, that too." She answered in a daze. Then she grasped his hand and pulled him forward, almost violently.

When inside, Atem didn't really do much bouncing. Aside from issued of dignity, he had his hands full just dodging Mana's wild flights as she ricocheted off the walls. This was something she was born to do.

Half an hour later, Mana was walking along with Atem, barely able to drag her feet, her famous energy exhausted by one of the most amazing bouncing sessions the world has ever seen. The fact that the ride still remained standing was nothing short of a miracle and would surely earn the manufacturing company quite a few contracts once the videos taken by stunned tourists hit the Internet. But meanwhile Mana was totally exhausted and ready for a tamer ride. And Atem knew just the one.

Getting into a swan-like boat Mana looked at the heart-shaped entrance, totally oblivious to the symbolism or even to what the shape was supposed to represent in the first place. All she knew was that she was being taken for a ride on a channel in the dark and that Atem seemed strangely nervous.

For some reason, she liked where this was going.

As the boat entered the dim tunnel Mana whispered. "This is just like going to the afterlife."

"What?" Atem asked, confused.

"Oh, right, you got to skip that part. You didn't have to ride on Ra's to get to the afterlife. And you didn't have to get your heart weighed against a feather either which, let me tell you, is not a pleasant experience. You know, if you weren't my best friend, I'd be bitter about that."

"But I am your best friend, so it's fine, right?"

"Of course." Mana responded, pulling Atem into a hug.

"Anyway, I think you'll find this is much more fun than the underworld journey."

"Oh? Why? Are there going to be waterfalls?" Mana asked.

"No."

"Then what?"

Instead of explaining Atem simply leaned forward, his lips subtly rearranging themselves…

By the time the boat emerged back into the waning sunlight, the Tunnel of Love displaced the bouncy house as the best ride ever in the recesses of Mana's mind.

For the next few minutes Atem and Mana just wandered the grounds, a comfortable silence between them. Then, suddenly something changed. They both felt it clearly.

"It's time." Atem announced.

"Do we really have to go already?" Mana asked in a disappointed voice.

"You know we do."

"Fine. But when we get back to the afterlife, I want a bouncy house." Mana declared.

"That's fine."

"And cotton candy."

"Yes."

"And a Tunnel of Love."

"Well…I'm not sure. I mean, it's supposed to be special because it's a rare thing. In time the novelty would wear off…"

"I bet I can make sure it doesn't." Mana responded, smiling.

"Very well, then." Atem inclined his head, officially surrendering to any of Mana's requests. They linked hands and a portal opened before them. As they passed through it, their modern clothes faded back into their Ancient Egyptian outfits. But though it didn't seem like it, they certainly carried something of this new age back with them, and the afterlife would never be the same again.