Another chapter. Hope you enjoy! It's not the longest, but, well, anywayz. Be sure to read the bottom, kay? Kay.

Footsteps echoing down alabaster halls, rushing, running, hiding. Swishing black hair, fine, fair skin, fear set into dark eyes. Clacking, jingling jewelry, finest silk gown, wary brows.

Golden light flashing against murals, hieroglyphs adorning walls, stone statues of gods that are feared. The scent of the nile, the sand in the air, the great stone columns of a massive, powerful palace set above a proud, prospering city.

A gasp for air, tired legs, tight muscles. Fear reeking, jewelry shining, the doors are flung open.

There she stands. Pain, anger, fear, dispair…

"Pharaoh!" She falls to her knees, bowing, the emotion not able to be hidden in her voice.

The sun just barely peeks over the horizon, casting the barest glint of light against the pyramids.

With a rough gasp he awakes. He shudders.

* * *

Yami scrubbed at the dishes. He had taken to cleaning a lot lately. For some reason the cleaning eased his mind. Perhaps it was the lack thereof in his former life.

He hadn't slept well the previous night…not like he had lately anyway, but he was even more tired than usual. Because even when he had slept last night he hadn't rested. The dream was too bad.

He had come home late the previous night, and Yugi didn't address any more what he wanted so desperately to. Perhaps his try earlier that evening at getting Yami to open up failed so miserably he decided to give up completely.

Nevertheless, no matter what reason had kept questions from arising, Yami was grateful for the silence that no longer was painful, no longer nagged and bit at him.

He picked up a pan and the water within sloshed against his abdomen. He cursed under his breath. The only excuse for that mistake—that is, not even seeing the contents of the pan—was that he wasn't thinking straight anymore. It was the truth, and he'd prefer to deny it, even to himself.

Yugi was out with Mai at present. He had kept it quiet; his being with her, but Yami didn't care. Nothing was going to change, nothing should… and it was hit fault in the first place.

Yami had made breakfast—eggs with cheese and bacon, as Yugi, though kind, wasn't the biggest fan of Egyptian food—and sent him on his way, with the best of luck for a good afternoon.

He had then started cleaning the kitchen.

After that, he had turned to re-organizing much of the gameshop. He had all day, didn't he? And so he was sitting amidst the shop, cards stacked, piled, in boxes, rubber-banded, and sometimes just stacked themselves, around him, when Bakura walked in.

He had thought it would be the annoying kid again—will the King of Games think about selling his own Dark Magician? How thick was he?—but instead a silver-haired, jean-jacket wearing Bakura approached him.

"Yami?"

"No, Yugi." Bakura laughed. "He's not here right now, Ryou. Can I give him a message?" Bakura shrugged.

"I just came by to see him. Will he be gone all day? Never mind, it's not even important." But instead of leaving like Yami expected, the wealthy kid just sat down near the counter as if he wanted to talk to Yami now.

"What's it like?" Bakura asked after a few moments of staring at Yami. "I mean, you're…I've only been on Yugi's side." He then said, sounding less in awe. "I've been the host body…but what's it like to be a Yami?" Yami had to think of this for several moments, but it only took a split second to decide whether he was going to answer Bakura or not.

"It's hard." Was all he said at first. "I'm not the real person here, if that makes sense. I'm the re-incarnated soul who has a past life…but I can only remember certain aspects of it. I remember my life growing up mostly, my position as Pharaoh, most of my memories that involve that. I remember playing Duel Monsters back then, with the giant stone tablets, the awesome, terrifying power…but I've saved the world, apparently, and I remember nothing of that."

Bakura nodded, and for several moments they just looked at each other, as if by their very vision they could gain a greater understanding of the other.

"What is it like?" Yami now turned the question to Bakura, and he smiled while he formed his words.

"Scary." Yami lifted a brow, listening intently. "There's this other person inside you, and while you love that person, it's weird, scary. It's…consuming. They're always with you, always inside you. There's nothing you can hide, nothing is a secret, and they know everything about you, but you know nothing of them. And that's all you want, is to know what they feel, know about them…feel them as they feel you."

* * *

Yami had never truly realized the unfairness of the situation before. He had never really thought about it. They shared a body, it was weird, but they were both stuck with it. But it wasn't fair…one of the two received so much more.

Bakura had said, later in that conversation, that he could sense feelings, emotions, catch glimpses of memories…

Yugi had been desperate to understand his Yami. That was all he had wanted, needed, and Yami had shut him out. But Yugi couldn't shut Yami off. Ever.

And then he felt bad for Yugi. Yugi who had felt the pain, seen, caught glimpses of the memories…

He shut his eyes hard. He didn't want to think about it.

It was then that he heard the door open, and he closed the internet site he was looking at in anticipation.

Yugi's footsteps came into the computer room, and Yami's eyes locked onto Yugi's, and for once in his life understanding what it was like in his shoes, even in its smallest form.

"I'm sorry." Was all Yami said, and Yugi smiled faintly. "I can't imagine what it's like for you. Thank you so much for…for everything you've done for me, Yugi." Yugi sat down in a nearby chair, his messenger bag sliding off his shoulder and dropped softly to the floor.

"Hey, no problem, Yami." He smiled, but it was slow, nervous. "What…" He continued after a moment. "What made you think about this?"

"Bakura came over for you today. He…we talked about Yami's and their hosts. I got to see his perspective…I—he let me understand what it's like for you." Yugi nodded as if he was thinking of it. Thinking of what it was like.

"I feel for your pain, Yugi. Your frustration, your hurt…but I can't tell you what happened to me…who I—" He swallowed. "Who I loved. Not yet." Again the King of Games nodded, looking intently upon the Pharaoh. "But I promise when I'm ready that I will. You will be the first to know."

Yugi, his little boy innocence gleaming, his eyes happy, threw himself into Yami's arms, hugging him like there was no tomorrow.

"I love you, Yami." He said. "We were forced together like this…but I wouldn't change anything. Never." Yami gave Yugi a squeeze before they both pulled back.

And they looked a curious scene, both on the floor, talking face-to-face.

"I will just ask you one question, Yami." Yugi asked sincerely. "I've seen glimpses of her walking down hallways, or out by a river. What was her name, Yami? I've wanted so desperately to know ever since I first saw one of your memories of her."

Yami took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh.

"Sahirah." He breathed, despair in his eyes.

* * *

The days that followed were relaxed. Yami noticed that while Yugi and Mai should be spending a lot of time together due to the absence of their being together, Yugi was spending most of his days with Yami.

They were re-discovering each other. Learning things about each other through speech rather than assuming and catching glimpses of the others soul.

They discovered that they were good friends and enjoyed each other's company, not just because they had been forced together—literally—but because they actually did.

It was a good time for the both of them, and they settled into a routine of friendship that was sincere. They cared for each other, almost like brothers now, and both wouldn't ever complain.

* * *

Several weeks later, after receiving a message from Yugi to meet him at Pizza Pizzaz, Yami walked down the street in a district known as the food district. Titled after the fact that most of the teenagers around ate there, and that there were seemingly countless restaurants.

Pizza Pizzaz was just ahead, and he crossed the streets hurriedly, hands in his pockets, eyes darting here and there, taking in the traffic.

He pushed open the door and was pleasantly surprised to see the whole gang present. But then he noticed that Yugi, Mai, Bakura, Tristan, Téa, Joey, Duke, and even Seto Kaiba were standing under a massive Happy Birthday, Yami! banner.

In a split second he recalled one of the long conversations between himself and Yugi, this one time where he—stupidly, whiningly—said he was sad he didn't know when his birthday even was.

"We thought today was as good as any!" Yugi cheered, but Yami was still looking around in amazement.

"So," Mai began, stepping into the front of the group. "we have officially declared the 18th as your birthday! Not to mention you were born at 8:52am." She grinned from ear-to-ear, and everyone cheered.

"We love you, Yami!" And she gave him a great big hug. "And now, since Joey's been whining for half an hour—let's get to the cake!" And she turned around and started slicing. Joey was the first to dive into a piece.

Yami pulled Yugi aside.

"Thank you." Was all he said, but Yugi grasped every meaning that was behind it.

As Yami watched everyone chow down on cake, as he received every present—everyone brought one—he had never felt so loved before. His previous life was nearly a void to him, and if there wasn't severe pain at some of the memories, he would imagine they were someone else's.

But the memories that counted were happening right now. Here at Pizza Pizazz, with his friends, with Yugi.

He had never been as happy as he was now. Not even ruling a powerful nation, not saving the world as he had come to know he had. No, he was happiest now, seeing his friends, Yugi, and watching Joey and Mai fight over if he could have yet another slice of cake or not.

The End

Thank you to everyone who's read the story! I hope you like it. I never thought a Yugi/Mai pairing would get such response! Even if there were some surprising twists. :) There's kind of a continuation to this story if you would care to call it that, that you're welcome to enjoy. (no pressure! hehe.) It's called Sahirah. I would hope that fans of this would enjoy that as well. The story id number is: 1772998. It's more of a romance/drama, but I hope ya'll will check it out. Anyway, again I hope you enjoyed this story very much, it's been great for me, something I've come to treasure. Hey, and leave me with some great ending reviews, eh? lol. Love to all of you, and if you have a beef, want to say hey, or want to comment at the last chapter, my IM is hopeofpandora138, and my emails on my profile page. Thanks again to all of you—muah!

- Acky