Sorry this took so long. I had to read and edit this chapter over a dozen times before it came out right. Literally! I hope everyone had a good time over the holidays.

They hadn't even had a body to bury.

That's what got Bakura the most. How would Yugi continue on through Duat to the weighing of the heart if he had no body to return to, no throat of which to speak out of? Part of the thief wondered if Yugi had just returned to his own world and that the body that he had seen on the battlefield when he had fought Zorc was just some sick joke his mind had played on him. It was a pleasant distraction from the other part that was sure Yugi's soul would wander forever.

That was why he had to do this. He was almost there now to the spot where he and Yugi had first met and he felt deader inside than he had ever been. The ever present flames of rage and madness had vanished with Zorc's defeat.

Bakura shifted the tablet to the other arm. It was the same one that he had seen underneath Yugi's pillow the night before the final battle. He had been hesitant to do something so soft. It had taken him several days to even decide whether he should do this or not. After all, it wasn't as if this would allow Yugi to pass on either way. He didn't have a voice in which to speak his name.

He had found it in Yugi's room and taken it to a priest after his death, hoping that it would have been a spell of some sort and had found out that it was a spell to bring the caster to the past. Bakura had frowned at that. Maybe Yugi had known that he was going back to his time and had wanted a way back? The thief shook his head. He had to rid himself of these delusions. He had learned long ago that clinging to them was almost as dangerous as delivering himself up to the pharaoh's guards after stealing the treasures of the palace.

All told, it took Bakura two days to reach from the palace to the place where Yugi and he had met. He had been granted amnesty for his past misdeeds in return for services rendered which was fine by him. Of course, Bakura would eventually continue with his thieving if only for the rush it brought him.

The midday sun beat down on the back of Bakura's head, reminding him that there was no shade nearby except for the oasis many miles away. Bakura stopped suddenly, his neck prickling like he was being watched. He glanced around and of course saw nothing. Very few people every bothered coming out this far from civilization because there were no resources. And he knew that no one was following him because he would have picked up on it before he had reached the spot that he was looking for.

Bakura knelt in the sand and placed the last vestige of the one person he had cared about in the sand with a sigh. Life seemed so empty now. What was he supposed to do now? He had been driven by the need for revenge for so long that it felt like his work in this life was finished.

"Goodbye,Yugi," he murmured, smoothing the sand over the tablet.

Bakura took a deep breath and stood up. He began to walk with no intentions of turning back. It was time to move on. The wind began to pick up, sending grains of sand skittering across each other, but the thief paid no mind. However he did pay attention and let out a yelp of surprise as something wrapped around both of his wrists from behind and yanked. He fell backwards into a pool of blinding light and down, much farther down than it was to hit the ground.

Bakura halted for a moment and suddenly Ra was over him with hand on his forehead while he hovered in mid... realm he supposed. Or wherever he was.

"For services rendered, Bakura. Thank you," the voice echoed through his very existence but for a moment and then he was drifting.

A dim feeling of falling came with a settlement of something around him that was familiar, but strange. The cold dead weight made him gasp, only to find out that he couldn't. Desperately he tried to move his head, any part of his body, only to find out that he couldn't. Then all of a sudden he felt his heart began to beat and an overwhelming pain throughout his body as his lungs expanded.

Yugi began to breathe. He was dimly aware of his caved ribs snapping back into place sending sharp shots of agony down his body defining his entire existence. A low whine came from between clenched teeth as Yugi passed out.

"A miracle really..."

"The gods must have willed it..."

Pain, the dull ache of wounds beginning to fade and heal encompassed his body. He struggled to open his eyes, but the effort was too much for him.

"B'kura?" he rasped.

A light feminine chuckle of relief came from above his head. His eyes shot open and the blur in the room finally adjusted to the smiling faces of his three closest friends.

Not Bakura then.

"Anzu? Honda? Jounouchi?"

"We're all here," Anzu said. Her voice shook.

Jou favoured him with a smile. "How was the land of the dead, Yuge?"

"I died?" Yugi said blankly, before the memories came rushing back. "But I'm alive. I was given a second chance and - "

Yugi glanced past his friends and around the room. "Where's Bakura?"

"Bakura?" Anzu said. "Who's that?"

"Wait, how - " Yugi stopped himself. "No one. Just someone from a dream I had."

It turned out that Yugi had been in a coma for nearly a year. He had shown normal brain patterns throughout the whole thing. It included patterns of activity showing regular waking sleeping cycles. The doctors were mystified and wanted to study him further. His friends were just thankful.

Yugi was never able to bring himself to go back to Egypt. Where his friends and Bakura once lived, there was only Egypt's modern cities and ruins of what once was. He refused to put himself through that. And with every day that passed, it got a little easier. Well, easier to deal with. After all, Bakura had never been his in the first place.

Yugi sneezed as he continued to scrub down the counter of the old game shop. The place had fallen into disrepair since Yugi had not been home in nearly two years if he counted the time spent in his coma. A pang of guilt went through him at the thought. He brushed it off and continued scrubbing. After that he would have to open the first shipment of games that he had received. Yugi let out a groan at the thought of how much he had to do.

The soft chime of the shop door sounded through the empty room.

"I'm sorry! I actually don't open until tomorrow," he called out from behind the counter.

There was no sound of receding footsteps. Yugi got to his feet and caught sight of the silhouette in the doorway. No way. It was impossible. Yugi pinched himself. Hard. Yet that arrogant swagger and that proud profile was achingly familiar.

"B-Bakura?"

"Y-Yugi?" The thief sounded just as surprised.

"Yeah," Yugi's lips quirked into a smile.

"You're alive? Or am I dead?"

"You're not dead," Yugi said.

Yugi allowed himself to take a few hesitant steps towards the thief before breaking out into a full run. Bakura stepped forward as well and grabbed Yugi by the front of his shirt ignoring the other's yelp of surprise. "Do something so reckless again and this time I'll actually kill you. Do you understand?"

Yugi nodded and stumbled when Bakura suddenly let go of him.

"Where am I?"

"Japan," Yugi said. "My time."

"Your time? Hn. Well I need a new start."

Yugi nodded. "How?"

"Services rendered."

"What?"

"Tch. Nosey as always. I can't tell you more than that."

"Hey!" Yugi saw the thief's expression change. "What is it?"

Bakura turned away. "It's nothing."

"If you're sure," Yugi said.

Bakura sneaked a glance back at Yugi. "I am!"

An awkward silence fell between the two. Yugi found the corner of his shirt and began worrying at a spare thread.

A couple of minutes passed before Bakura spoke. "I'm not angry anymore."

Yugi turned to him with a smile. "I'm glad."

"Tch, you should be," the thief grunted.

Yugi grabbed a cloth and began to scrub down the front counter by the cash register. He knew it was bothering him the moment that Bakura's eye began to twitch. He pretended to be oblivious and just continued to clean. The thief never could handle being ignored. Yugi briefly debated about whether or not to stop when he saw the thief's hands clenching into fists out of the corner of his eye. He quickly decided otherwise, feeling that the other would just tell him what was the matter if he continued.

All at once Bakura stomped over to where Yugi was and slammed his hand down on the aged wood mere centimetres from where Yugi was scrubbing. "Would you stop that already?"

Yugi's eyes were big. "What's wrong?"

"Why are you so nosey anyway? Why must you make what is going on with me your personal business every single time?" Bakura snapped.

"I'm just worried," Yugi protested. "I want to make sure you're okay."

Bakura gritted his teeth. "You can be assured that I am fine."

"Something's bothering you."

"You are," Bakura said.

"Can you let me go then?" Yugi felt his body heating up at the close proximity of the thief.

"No."

"Please?"

"Not until I am done saying what I should have said before."

Bakura reached out and grabbed Yugi by the collar of his shirt to prevent him from sliding away from him.

The thief merely raised an eyebrow at Yugi's flushed face before continuing. "You have followed me everywhere since we first met. You've been nothing but an annoyance. Even when you're not there, you're still in my head. Why won't it stop?"

"Oh," Yugi said as he came to a realization.

"Oh. OH? That's all you can say to that?" Bakura paused for a second and his eyes widened. "Take it off."

"What?"

"I said take it off," Bakura put a hand on his throat. "Whatever sort of shadow spell you have on me."

"Bakura," Yugi said. "The shadow magic's been sealed. I'm not strong enough anymore to do that."

"..." Bakura was silent for a moment. "What are you doing to me then?"

"I'm not doing anything," Yugi said firmly.

Bakura's hand slackened his hold on Yugi's throat.

"What is wrong with me then?" he muttered.

Bakura glanced away and then back to him. Yugi continued to watch him.

"I-"

"Shut up," Bakura replied.

Yugi did so, hoping the thief would decide already. Or at least move. Yugi fought back the urge to squirm. He was a bit too close for comfort.

"Ba-"

Bakura's free hand began to move, roaming up Yugi's side and along his neck to rest at his jaw.

"Out of all the people I know, you annoy me the most," the thief declared suddenly.

Bakura leaned down and kissed him. Yugi kissed back eagerly before they both pulled away.

Bakura let go of Yugi and leaned back on the counter beside him. He allowed his eyes to drift up towards the ceiling. "I think..."

"Yes?" Yugi said.

Bakura glared at him for interrupting. "I lo-like you."

Yugi held in his giggles, knowing that they wouldn't be appreciated. It was tough, though the thief looked like it hurt to admit that much. "I love you too."

"I know," Bakura said.

"I'm ... you know, reopening my grandfather's game shop tomorrow," Yugi said quietly. "If... if you would like to stay."

"Tch, like I have any choice now." But the thief was smiling.

And that's the end. Believe it or not, in my five years of being on this site, this is only the second multichaptered story that I have actually been able to write from beginning to end. I started this about a year ago as a side project to relieve stress and to get rid of an annoying idea that just wouldn't leave me alone. I had a feeling about this one when I started it like I knew I was going to finish it. The Yugioh fandom was my very first one and as such a source of a strange sort of nostalgia for me. Thank you to all those who have reviewed this story over the last several months.

So this is your last chance! Review and tell me what you think! Concrit as always is especially appreciated.