Disclaimer: It's not mine. If it was… well a lot of things would be like fanfics ;)

He won.

The danger had passed.

One by one the Items had fallen silent.

The Eye had been first to taste the void of disuse. Not even the Thief King was willing to use it to its full potential.

The Tauk had silenced, its' visions of the future fading.

The Rod was handed over, freely released, its' owner hoping to start a new life, trying to sever ties to his past.

The Scales and Key had been harder, Shadi had become used to their power, but even he would not disobey the Pharaoh's command.

The Ring. The Ring had not been given up easily. The Thief King's Hikari was willing, but the Spirit of the Ring was not so eager to surrender.

And now the Puzzle.

He watched Mou Hitori no Boku. No. He was no longer his other self. The Nameless Pharaoh was nameless no more. He was Pharaoh Atemu. And he remembered.

Violet eyes, usually so bright and innocent found themselves a little cloudy. But that was ridiculous. He was happy for the Spirit of the Puzzle. Mou Hitori No Boku. Atemu. The rest the other deserved was finally to be given.

He had won. Proved he was able to take care of himself. Proved that he too was Yu-Gi-Oh, King of Games. After their separation during the Second War with Atlantis, there had been some doubt of his abilities. But who is to say what half of a whole is responsible for the action?

The Spirit of the Puzzle was leaving, and he had to let him go.

The adventures of the past were already starting to fade from his mind. Slowly they were becoming like the shadows that had created them.

Pegasus. Bandit Keith. Mako. Duke. Espa Roba. Rex Raptor. Weevil Underwood. The Paradox Brothers. The Rare Hunters. The Big 5. Marik's dark.

So many had challenged Yu-Gi-Oh, and fallen.

Oil and water do not mix. Neither had he and the Spirit, not until after a challenge was set to prove both of their worth. On the top of a castle they had duelled. Not only with their opponent, the incarnation who denied even his own self, but themselves.

He would win.

And he would spare their opponent. Sometimes, Mou Hitori no Boku, he would say, winning is not the only thing. There are some things worth more.

But sometimes, winning is everything.

Sometimes winning meant not giving in, believing in yourself, even when it seemed there was no way, the Heart of the Cards could guide you, teach you.

The ka's of their owners lived still, in their new forms they would judge their holder, and if they found one worthy, would obey their master to the ends of the earth and into the shadows.

Yu-Gi-Oh had betrayed their trust once, and had paid for it.

But even as the memories streamed past his thoughts, he watched Atemu. No. He watched Mou Hitori no Boku. His other half. His friend. His …

What was Atemu to him truly? He was not quite sure.

If they had been together longer, or had less trials and challenges along the road, enough time to really get to know each other, perhaps…

The truth dawned on him, in that moment, as he watched the Spirit of the Puzzle depart.

He had won.

But in the winning, he had lost.