The Alternative

Chapter Twenty Three

            Yugi's eyes flickered open. In front of him stood Atem.

Atem.

With a pure expression on his face. Light and innocence in his aura.

"Did you save me?" Yugi questioned softly.

"No," Atem smiled sadly, extending his arm to help Yugi up. "You saved yourself. I can't stop the darkness Yugi. I can only be consumed by it. But you, Yugi-- you can fend it off."

Atem nodded past Yugi, causing the younger to turn his head.

Before him laid Bakura, passed out on the ground, jerking occasionally.

"I know who you are," Yugi whispered, tears forming at his eyes. "I know who I am." He sadly turned to look at Bakura. "I know who he is," he gulped. "I remember now."

"By what miracle you have remembered, I do not know, but I am thankful for it," Atem nodded with a smile, crying silently as Yugi stared into his eyes.

"Why didn't you let me do my job? If you had told me, I would have sacrificed myself for you, Atem. For all of our friends back home."

"I couldn't let you go," he looked so lovingly into Yugi's eyes. "I'm stubborn," he chuckled, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"You would bare a life filled with pain and suffering, for me?"

"I would do it all over again, for you."

"But now I'm...now I'm sure that I love you. But...If I bond with you, this reality will disappear, and we will be sent back to Egypt."

"That is what's been happening. That is why your friends and your world here are fading away."

"So, I must be sacrificed," Yugi bowed his head. He turned over to Bakura. "So I can stop the darkness that has possessed the thief king, Aknadin, and many others."

"No."

"No?"

"I told you before, Yugi. I have found a way to save you."

"But how?"

"Come with me. We have much to discuss."

()()()()()()

"That's why you got away with everything in class. Everything everywhere. It's all at your disposal. This world is centered on you."

Atem shrugged softly, the faintest smirk on his face. He stirred some sugar into Yugi's coffee while extending it out to him.

"I suppose." It was all he had to say on the matter.

"And what about Kaiba? All the stories he told me about you...is he really related to Priest Seto?"

"Kaiba was created with a piece of Priest Seto's soul," Atem murmured, as if reflecting on harder times. "He was especially spiteful of me."

"Why?" Yugi questioned. "Wasn't he close with you?"

"Yes, very," Atem assured, taking a sip of his coffee. "However, his closest mentor was consumed by Zorc's darkness. He had disappeared by the time I was exiled into this dimension. I assume he was close to losing his sanity as well, but was able to hold off. This would explain why he is so hateful towards me here. The darkness inside me almost took control of him." Atem sighed in exhaustion. "We all know how much Kaiba treasures his independence and stability. I must have come off as a threat. A reminder to his other life that he would never understand."