You know, ending this reminds me of the first time I ever saw YuGiOh.
Truth is, I was so young that I don't remember. I only remember bits and pieces. The first ever instant of YuGiOh I recall is when Otogi is talking with Yugi and his friends directly after his and Yugi's DDM duel, followed by Jonouchi when goes to get his duel disk, followed by Mai falling on top of him, followed by Bakura turning to shadows (I didn't even recall either Marik's involvement in that whole predicament. Weird, right?) followed by the first ever time Yugi spoke with Yami during their duel with Pegasus.
I don't believe I ever really watched it back then. I do remember liking it. I was six or so.

I recall dad making a comment when he saw Yami and Yugi talk to each other, I wish I could remember what it was.

Anyway …

Enjoy the epilogue. It's the very last part of the puzzle.

The office was warm and homy, peaceful, as if the battle never had occurred. It felt like a deception or a cruel joke. The dead had been buried and the castle was being rebuild, many skilled witches and wizards were restoring the castle to its former glory. Soon only the gravestones would bear witness to the horrors that had occurred. He supposed that it was a good thing that Hogwarts could get itself together, but somehow it felt a bit hypocrite to simply carry on as if nothing had happened.

The gravestones … and the new artifact added to the headmaster's office.

A small group of people had gathered there. McGonagall was holding it, looking at it with something closest to awe in her eyes. The vast majority of the remaining people simply looked grieve stricken.

Draco Malfoy stood with his back against the far wall of the office, next to the door. He had his arms crossed, displaying a bad attitude and was looking at the ground. He was in complete and utter turmoil, not to mention exhausted. He'd fall over any time.

Harry was also there, looking at McGonagall, but he remained silent. He, just like Draco, did not really feel as if he belonged there. The Dumbledore in the portrait nodded at him, as if to say it was okay. Harry simply turned away. Nothing was okay. He had defeated Voldemort, or, if one wanted to be completely accurate, Voldemort had defeated himself. His own curse rebounding on him … again. Bellatrix was also dead, killed by the Egyptian magician. A death accompanied by a lot of joy, just as much joy as the death of Voldemort.

Mahad was talking to McGonagall, Rebecca next to him. Outside three ghosts were waiting. Rebecca had told them they could go ahead, but they had decided to wait for her. Because of their choice Tracey, Dean and Luna had never lost their humanity like Rebecca had in the beginning. They had been rewarded with their sanity and did not need to restore the feeling of being human.

The three of them had decided not to let anyone know of their presence. After all, they had not come to stay. Truth be told, they were having fun. The Shadow Creatures, upon closer acquaintance, were actually kind of amiable, that was if one met the right ones. Like Rebecca had said, they were actually just like humans.

The Witch of the Dark Forest was standing with them, a content smile on her lips. This was beyond anything she could have ever dreamed about. Plague Wolf was chasing Dean who was randomly flying around, always just out of reach. He was laughing heartily. Master Kyonshee was also there, although it was hard to tell what he thought. Luna was petting Feral Imp who was making a very satisfied purring noises.

In the office Rebecca explained. "It's actually pretty simple. At the moment the only thing fueling the shadows are the creatures locked away in them, if those creatures were to disappear the shadows would loose nearly all their power."

"But the shadow creatures are dependent on the shadows. If they are away from them too long they'll fade, that wasn't a sacrifice we'd make", Mahad said with a frown.

"We don't have to", Rebecca replied, "a shadow creature was basically someone's Ka, since they can't sustain themselves without Ba they use the shadows to remain. They can't go to the Dominion since they can't pass through limbo without being a whole soul."

"What are you getting at?" Mahad asked.

"Ghosts, per definition, are only Ba. That's why the ghosts have been disappearing! They have attached themselves to a Ka to become a whole soul again. When they are a complete soul they can pass through limbo. The Kas become independent of the shadows because they now have a Ba to sustain themselves on and when they pass through limbo they get send to the Dominion of the Beasts. Someone who has chosen to become a ghost can never pass on to the afterlife, but neither can a ghost choose to become a ghost again, so logically speaking someone who would do that would be stuck in limbo. That isn't what happens, it wouldn't work out for either the Ka or the ghost. The shadow creatures are almost like drug addicts, the Dominion of the Beasts, although able to sustain a regular Ka, can never give a shadow creature what it needs. Therefore the Ba must go with them."

"Do you mean to say that the ghosts who have disappeared lately have gone with a shadow creature to the Dominion of the Beasts?" Mahad asked dumbfounded.

Rebecca had simply nodded. "Yes, that's exactly what's been happening. Many ghosts have regrets, wishing they had never returned. This is their best shot at some sort of afterlife."

"You are going to do it too?" Mahad asked, already knowing the answer.

Rebecca nodded again. "Of course. I never wanted to become a ghost in the first place. I'm not going alone though, Luna, Tracey and Dean are also coming. They've decided to come back as ghost for this sole reason."

"Do you think … ?"

Rebecca turned around to look at the figure that was standing in the middle of the office. Hands folded, eyes to the ground and tears leaking from his eyes. He had received a spare set of robes to make him look more presentable.

"No. They never asked him. It wouldn't be right", Rebecca said, "Because he would do it while he deserves to be with the rest of them. That's why both you and Mokuba shouldn't either."

The figure hugged himself and looked away.

"I've got to go", Rebecca said and looked at everyone present. She suddenly did not know what to say anymore, she who normally was so talkative. She looked at the object in McGonagall's hands one last time, then left. A pioneer of the Dominion of the Beasts.

The figure standing in the very middle of the room followed her with his eyes as she passed through the door. It would be the last any of them would ever see of Rebecca Hawkins. In doing so his eyes automatically fell upon Draco Malfoy who was still glaring at the ground, merely wishing to get out. He quickly adverted his eyes.

"Are you certain about this?" McGonagall asked once again. She had asked the question at least five times earlier, but the magician did not change his decision.

"Yes. There is not safer place for it than Hogwarts. It should remain here until the right person comes to get it again."

"You think that will happen?" McGonagall asked skeptically.

Mahad nodded. "In time. It might take millenniums, but in time that will happen, it is unavoidable. You must allow it to happen."

McGonagall sighed. She felt bad about this. Once more did she look at the object in her hands. It was not as heavy as it had always looked, neither was it as cold, it was pleasantly warm. Holding it like that it was not at all hard to believe that it was inhabited by a soul.

"I take this is some sort of burial", she said compassionate.

Mahad's expression turned to that of pain. "Yes … I suppose so. He did not have one last time. He did not tell anyone he was going to do it beforehand …"

"Then mustn't you say something? One of you?" McGonagall asked. She had been infuriated by Dumbledore's funeral and she'd made sure that every single one of the people who had died during the battle had receive honorable funerals.

"I want to say something", Harry said and took a sudden step forward. "Seeing as we are treating this as some sort of funeral." He looked at the pale figure in the middle of the room who merely nodded with tears in his eyes, biting his lower lip.

Harry took a deep breath. "The first real recollection of Atem I have is him saving a life. Thinking about it now, a lot of recollections I have of him is him nearly foolishly risking his life to save that of someone else. I can't say I have come across him that often, but I know what he has done and that is enough." Harry took a break, as if not sure what to say. "He told me … death wasn't all that bad. And I know he is right. But … even though we are treating this as a funeral … he can't move on. I recall Professor Muto's reaction when the puzzle was last taken from him and therefore I can only imagine the state of existence he is in now to be one of suffering. I once had the pleasure of meeting Atem's father."

The statement was met with overall shock, but Harry took no notice.

"He told Atem that his time to join the dead would come. I suppose that is the best comfort any of us can get."

Mahad frowned, thinking deeply, but when nobody else said anything he took a step forth. "As the only one present who has known Atem from the start I suppose it is only appropriate for me to say something too." He fell silent, looking at the object in McGonagall's hands. "It has always been my duty to look after Atem, ever since he was born. He was not only a good Pharaoh, he was also a good friend. Seeing that puzzle, created from suffering and knowing that the soul of a truly good person is in there hurts me. Like mr Potter said, we can't find any ease in the knowledge of the afterlife in this case and therefore this is only sad and nothing else. However I too, even though I know it will take millennium, find hope in the knowledge that someone will come for him. Right now the important part is that I and everyone else here knows what kind of person he was, not the malevolent spirit he was made out to be."

"I hated him", a familiar voice said and Mokuba walked in. "In the beginning I really hated him. In my eyes he had made a fool out of my brother and that was unforgivable. I tried to poison him … of course it didn't work, he saw right through me. He was so damn pissed. Then my brother had set up a trap to kill him and his friends. Brother failed too. We were two in a long row of people who have underestimated him and Yugi and their friends."

McGonagall, Harry and Draco were staring at Mokuba with mixed expressions. This was not really what they had been counting on. Had Mokuba not helped them in the fight? Had Mokuba and Seto Kaiba not been Yugi's friends?

"Even though I did that he did save my life and he smashed brother's heart so he could rebuild it again, but properly this time. He punished us, but to save us. It was quite extraordinary. Brother had told me that there was a Yugi that was different, but at the time we didn't know what was going on, even Yugi himself didn't. He promised me my brother would return and he went to great length to ensure that happened. Ever since that point, always when I needed help I went to Yugi and Atem. It really annoyed brother. Atem was the only person brother had any respect for though, even though he kept telling him he should stop believing in fairytales."

Mokuba smirked and folded his hands behind his head. It was pretty weird to imagine not to believe in all these fairytales. Especially now that they had proven so tragic.

"I believed Atem when he told me who he was. My brother just laughed at him. He didn't believe until the very end. Despite that my brother respected him … and that doesn't say a little. I too respected him greatly. I only wish it had gone different that day, everything would have been different."

"Me too", Draco said. That was all he said, just 'me too'.

The figure in the middle of the room did not look at Draco, he couldn't. He had killed the kid's father. That horror was one he would have to carry forever. Draco noticed his demeanor. "I'm not mad at you", the Slytherin bit at him, "I would have done the same." Then Draco marched out, clearly not knowing how to handle the situation.

Ryou looked down, he didn't know what to make of those words. He didn't feel relieved, he was quite sure it only made him feel more miserable. He wished Narcissa had killed him, like she had intended to. He would have been okay with that, the moment he had realized what he had done he had accepted death, welcomed it. He did not want to live with someone else's blood on his hands.

But he hadn't died.

Yugi, too, had known that Narcissa would kill Ryou. Last time it had been Mokuba's quick reaction that had saved his life, this time it had been Yugi's. Without thinking twice Yugi had thrown himself at Ryou, embracing him. The Killing Curse had hit Yugi square in the back just a second later. Yugi Muto had literally died in Ryou's arms, saving the albino's life.

It had been hard to tell who had made use of the distraction first, Voldemort or Harry. Ryou was fairly sure he had been the only person not watching. The only thing that to him had indicated that Harry, somehow, had defeated Voldemort had been the cheers coming from the students.

The cage that had held them back had vanished the same instant Yugi had been hit. Therefore the Death Eaters had had no choice but to put down their weapons. Ryou had not been very attentive, even though sitting among them. To him the only thing that had really mattered had been the person in his arms. He had shifted Yugi in his arms so that he could look at his friend's face. He had already known that Yugi was dead, yet he had whispered: "Yugi? Yugi? Yugi, please?" With pale fingers he had desperately tried to find a sign of life.

Yugi's death had not been any more spectacular or important as that of anyone else and the Hogwartians treated it like just that. They had raised their wands and soon all the Death Eaters were captured. The last one to do a desperate attempt had been Bellatrix who had tried to kill Draco. Mahad had interfered, incinerating her on the spot without a single emotion showing on his face.

Then the magician had taken Yugi's lifeless body out of Ryou's trembling arms. He had gently put Yugi down on the ground and had hugged Ryou, selflessly taking care of the living first. Mahad had always been selfless, placing others before himself, but it had been ages since that personality trait had been allowed to come forth. The two men had together mourned their fallen friends.

"Mister Bakura, do you … ?" McGonagall asked and they all knew what she had intended to ask.

Ryou simply shook his head. No, there was nothing he could say. Not for Atem and not for Yugi.

"Okay", McGonagall sighed and gently placed the puzzle on the shelf next to the sorting hat. "Then until somebody reclaims it, it may rest here."

"Yeah", Ryou sighed and they all looked at the puzzle as it glowed once more, faintly, before the light died out like a final breath exhaled.

So, this is it. As promised; I didn't kill Ryou. Not that I ever intended.

My Ra … I'm going to feel empty now.

Please, I beg of you, since this is the last chapter I humbly ask for your opinions. You have just been presented with over a years work. I hope it was worth it.