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Description
Atem walked down the corridors in silence. He wanted to be left alone and his advisors could never understand that. The one and only person he considered a friend was dead, murdered by that damn tomb robber. Atem clenched his fists, tears streaming down his cheeks like the Nile overflowing its banks. His heart hurt and his mind reeled with a million questions, none of which could be answered. After some time had passed, Atem finally just collapsed against a stone tablet in tears, questioning Ra why his only friend had to die.

"Mahado does not wish to see you so upset great Pharaoh," came a feminine voice that was as soft and gentle as a summer breeze.

Atem suddenly looked up, feeling angered that even down here he was not completely alone. "How dare you tell me not to be upset! I command you show yourself to me!" he said sternly.

To Atem's surprise, stepping out from within the confinement of the shadows and into the dim light of the torches was a beautiful woman. Long, blonde hair cascaded to the floor in an elaborate braid, her skin was unusually pale for an Egyptian and she wore lilac garments that not only suited her appearance but said that she was some sort of high-ranking official. "Who are you?" questioned the stunned Pharaoh, trying to sound threatening.

The woman smiled and bowed to him. "My name, Great Pharaoh is Sagira, and I am your Priestess of the Tablets."

Atem just stared at her in silence. The Pharaoh had never seen her before, and until this very moment he had no idea such a beauty existed. He had heard stories that there were individuals chosen to protect and watch over the Shadow Realm tablets, but had never seen a priest or priestess of the tablets until this very moment.

Sagira nodded softly to her Pharaoh's stunned silence and simply motioned to the tablet Atem was sitting against. "That tablet is that of the Dark Magician," she explained. "Mahado's soul now resides in that card, great Pharaoh."

Atem stood and looked at the stone tablet he had been leaning against. It was, of course like every other tablet that contained the duel monsters but once the cards were sealed away, he never saw them again. "How can his soul possibly reside in this tablet? He was murdered so suddenly and horribly…," Atem's voice trailed off and he had to look away from Sagira to hide his tears.

Sagira nodded and looked at her Pharaoh, her heart aching for him. "The reason his soul resides in the Dark Magician is because he asked me to."

Atem turned to her again bewildered. "What? Why?" he asked.

"Mahado told me long ago that if anything were to happen to him, his wish was that I seal his soul, if Anubis permitted, into that of the Dark Magician so he could watch over you and protect you, my Pharaoh."

Atem stood in shock, his mouth slightly agape. Sagira smiled tenderly at her Pharaoh. "You do not have to take my word for it, my Pharaoh," she said gently taking his hand. "You can hear directly from Mahado what has transpired."

Sagira placed Atem's hand gently on the stone tablet, which he was surprised to feel a strange warmth radiating from it. Sagira's hand gently covered the Pharaoh's and chanting an incantation, Atem watched in awe as the tablet was surrounded in a wash of bright light and within seconds there stood the Dark Magician, his priest and only friend. Atem stood in disbelief, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. "M..M...Mahado?" he said, unsure that the creature before him was real and not just some illusion.

"Yes Pharaoh, it is I."

Atem ran a hand through his hair; he couldn't believe this was happening. He had just seen Mahado murdered and now, here he stood perfectly fine. Atem took a step back and lost his footing, almost collapsing to the ground if Sagira had not caught him.

"My Pharaoh, are you all right?" she asked worriedly. Atem looked up at the young woman, staring deep into pools of crystal blue that were filled with concern. She made no attempt to look away from him but instead, her eyes never left him.

Mahado smiled and approached Atem, extending a hand to help the bewildered Pharaoh. "I did not think you would be so shocked at my appearance Pharaoh. But, considering what all you have witnessed today, I suppose it is only natural."

Atem nodded, his eyes never leaving Mahado. "Mahado, is it true what this girl has said? That you asked for your soul to be sealed within the Dark Magician?"

Mahado closed his eyes and smiled. "Yes Pharaoh, it is." Reopening his eyes, Mahado looked once again to the young Pharaoh. "I came to Sagira many moons ago and asked her if she would seal my soul within the tablet of the Dark Magician if anything were to happen to me."

Atem stood still, afraid to move lest he should fall over again. "But, why Mahado? Why be confined to the tablet when you can reach the afterlife?"

Mahado looked Atem straight in the eyes, a kind and gentle smile, full of warmth and caring crossing his face. "The only answer I can give you great Pharaoh is simply that I wanted to always be here if you needed me. I vowed to protect and advise you Pharaoh, and that is what I shall do."

Sagira stood in silence, watching the scene before her unfold, her eyes paying special attention to the Pharaoh. It was very rare that Sagira got to see anyone from the palace. With the exception of Mahado and Seth, she virtually had no human contact. She was the priestess of the tablets and as a result was confined to the dark corridors underneath the palace, being shut off from the world outside. It was a lonely life but somehow she had adjusted to it.

"Sagira," Mahado said softly, causing the girl to look up at him. "I do not believe that there is any way I can repay you for such kindness and generosity my dear. I know that you sacrificed a great amount of your energy to make this happen."

Atem looked over at his priestess, the woman giving Mahado a weary but beautiful smile before she bowed lightly to the two men.

"I only did as you requested, Mahado," she said sweetly. "And I am glad that you and Pharaoh are pleased because of it."

Mahado smiled at Sagira's response, giving a light nod to the woman before returning his gaze to Atem. "I am afraid I must leave you now, Pharaoh. But rest assured, anytime you wish to see me just come to Sagira and she shall make it so." Then, as quickly as he had appeared, Mahado vanished before their eyes and returned to the tablet.

Atem stood in silence, his mind consuming all that Mahado had told him, the Pharaoh still obviously in shock.

"Pharaoh?" Sagira asked softly, concern obvious in her voice.

Atem looked at her, his crimson eyes filling with tears of pain, sadness and questions. "By Ra," he choked out before collapsing to the ground in tears. Sagira knelt down beside him and wrapped her arms around his shaking form to comfort him. Normally Atem would have been enraged by such actions but he just couldn't bring himself to be angry. Rather, Atem found himself wrapping his arms around the young girl's waist as he buried his face into her shoulder and sobbed. Sagira ran her fingers lightly through his hair and gently caressed his back. She knew that once the Pharaoh came to his senses he would probably have her killed but, at least for the moment, she knew her Pharaoh needed someone to comfort him, and she felt no regret for her actions.

Description
Atem walked down the corridors in silence. He wanted to be left alone and his advisors could never understand that. The one and only person he considered a friend was dead, murdered by that damn tomb robber. Atem clenched his fists, tears streaming down his cheeks like the Nile overflowing its banks. His heart hurt and his mind reeled with a million questions, none of which could be answered. After some time had passed, Atem finally just collapsed against a stone tablet in tears, questioning Ra why his only friend had to die.

"Mahado does not wish to see you so upset great Pharaoh," came a feminine voice that was as soft and gentle as a summer breeze.

Atem suddenly looked up, feeling angered that even down here he was not completely alone. "How dare you tell me not to be upset! I command you show yourself to me!" he said sternly.

To Atem's surprise, stepping out from within the confinement of the shadows and into the dim light of the torches was a beautiful woman. Long, blonde hair cascaded to the floor in an elaborate braid, her skin was unusually pale for an Egyptian and she wore lilac garments that not only suited her appearance but said that she was some sort of high-ranking official. "Who are you?" questioned the stunned Pharaoh, trying to sound threatening.

The woman smiled and bowed to him. "My name, Great Pharaoh is Sagira, and I am your Priestess of the Tablets."

Atem just stared at her in silence. The Pharaoh had never seen her before, and until this very moment he had no idea such a beauty existed. He had heard stories that there were individuals chosen to protect and watch over the Shadow Realm tablets, but had never seen a priest or priestess of the tablets until this very moment.

Sagira nodded softly to her Pharaoh's stunned silence and simply motioned to the tablet Atem was sitting against. "That tablet is that of the Dark Magician," she explained. "Mahado's soul now resides in that card, great Pharaoh."

Atem stood and looked at the stone tablet he had been leaning against. It was, of course like every other tablet that contained the duel monsters but once the cards were sealed away, he never saw them again. "How can his soul possibly reside in this tablet? He was murdered so suddenly and horribly…," Atem's voice trailed off and he had to look away from Sagira to hide his tears.

Sagira nodded and looked at her Pharaoh, her heart aching for him. "The reason his soul resides in the Dark Magician is because he asked me to."

Atem turned to her again bewildered. "What? Why?" he asked.

"Mahado told me long ago that if anything were to happen to him, his wish was that I seal his soul, if Anubis permitted, into that of the Dark Magician so he could watch over you and protect you, my Pharaoh."

Atem stood in shock, his mouth slightly agape. Sagira smiled tenderly at her Pharaoh. "You do not have to take my word for it, my Pharaoh," she said gently taking his hand. "You can hear directly from Mahado what has transpired."

Sagira placed Atem's hand gently on the stone tablet, which he was surprised to feel a strange warmth radiating from it. Sagira's hand gently covered the Pharaoh's and chanting an incantation, Atem watched in awe as the tablet was surrounded in a wash of bright light and within seconds there stood the Dark Magician, his priest and only friend. Atem stood in disbelief, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. "M..M...Mahado?" he said, unsure that the creature before him was real and not just some illusion.

"Yes Pharaoh, it is I."

Atem ran a hand through his hair; he couldn't believe this was happening. He had just seen Mahado murdered and now, here he stood perfectly fine. Atem took a step back and lost his footing, almost collapsing to the ground if Sagira had not caught him.

"My Pharaoh, are you all right?" she asked worriedly. Atem looked up at the young woman, staring deep into pools of crystal blue that were filled with concern. She made no attempt to look away from him but instead, her eyes never left him.

Mahado smiled and approached Atem, extending a hand to help the bewildered Pharaoh. "I did not think you would be so shocked at my appearance Pharaoh. But, considering what all you have witnessed today, I suppose it is only natural."

Atem nodded, his eyes never leaving Mahado. "Mahado, is it true what this girl has said? That you asked for your soul to be sealed within the Dark Magician?"

Mahado closed his eyes and smiled. "Yes Pharaoh, it is." Reopening his eyes, Mahado looked once again to the young Pharaoh. "I came to Sagira many moons ago and asked her if she would seal my soul within the tablet of the Dark Magician if anything were to happen to me."

Atem stood still, afraid to move lest he should fall over again. "But, why Mahado? Why be confined to the tablet when you can reach the afterlife?"

Mahado looked Atem straight in the eyes, a kind and gentle smile, full of warmth and caring crossing his face. "The only answer I can give you great Pharaoh is simply that I wanted to always be here if you needed me. I vowed to protect and advise you Pharaoh, and that is what I shall do."

Sagira stood in silence, watching the scene before her unfold, her eyes paying special attention to the Pharaoh. It was very rare that Sagira got to see anyone from the palace. With the exception of Mahado and Seth, she virtually had no human contact. She was the priestess of the tablets and as a result was confined to the dark corridors underneath the palace, being shut off from the world outside. It was a lonely life but somehow she had adjusted to it.

"Sagira," Mahado said softly, causing the girl to look up at him. "I do not believe that there is any way I can repay you for such kindness and generosity my dear. I know that you sacrificed a great amount of your energy to make this happen."

Atem looked over at his priestess, the woman giving Mahado a weary but beautiful smile before she bowed lightly to the two men.

"I only did as you requested, Mahado," she said sweetly. "And I am glad that you and Pharaoh are pleased because of it."

Mahado smiled at Sagira's response, giving a light nod to the woman before returning his gaze to Atem. "I am afraid I must leave you now, Pharaoh. But rest assured, anytime you wish to see me just come to Sagira and she shall make it so." Then, as quickly as he had appeared, Mahado vanished before their eyes and returned to the tablet.

Atem stood in silence, his mind consuming all that Mahado had told him, the Pharaoh still obviously in shock.

"Pharaoh?" Sagira asked softly, concern obvious in her voice.

Atem looked at her, his crimson eyes filling with tears of pain, sadness and questions. "By Ra," he choked out before collapsing to the ground in tears. Sagira knelt down beside him and wrapped her arms around his shaking form to comfort him. Normally Atem would have been enraged by such actions but he just couldn't bring himself to be angry. Rather, Atem found himself wrapping his arms around the young girl's waist as he buried his face into her shoulder and sobbed. Sagira ran her fingers lightly through his hair and gently caressed his back. She knew that once the Pharaoh came to his senses he would probably have her killed but, at least for the moment, she knew her Pharaoh needed someone to comfort him, and she felt no regret for her actions.