Alverna: Chapter 12. The last chapter.

Bakura: Aw man! Already?

Ryou: It was nice being a main character while it lasted.

Malik: Easy for you to say.

Marik: Agreed.

Alverna: Knock it off. I don't own Yugioh or The Lion King 2. Enjoy the last chapter.

Chapter 12

"Malik… now!" Anzu hissed, sick of the mushy sight of Ryou and Atemu getting all 'family'.

"No, Anzu!" Malik replied firmly as he walked over to Atemu's side, turning to face Anzu. "Ryou and Bakura are right. Enough."

Some of Anzu's other sphinxes look shocked at the proclamation. Anzu however, grinned madly. Very madly.

"If you will not fight... then you will die as well." Anzu chuckled, before panicking as her whole pride leaves her and stand with Atemu, Ryou, and Bakura. "Where are you going? Get back here!"

"Let it go, Anzu." Atemu ordered. "It's time to put the past behind us."

"I'll never let it go!" Anzu snarled, despite standing alone.

Cracking diverted Atemu's attention as more logs pile up in the river, forming a dam.

"This is for you, Aknadin!" Anzu whispered to herself.

Anzu roared as he leapt at Atemu, but was caught by Ryou in mid-flight, making the two roll over the edge of the canyon.

"Ryou!" Atemu shouted as he saw his son disappear, leading the group that looked over the edge of the canyon at the tumbling pair.

"Ryou!" Bakura called, changing to his human form in his horror, as he watched the two sphinxes tumble down further.

"Ryou!" Atemu called again as he jumped down the slope, trying to reach his son.

As they fell even further, Ryou and Anzu separated, each managing to catch holds on the ledge. Ryou was above Anzu, who was hanging by her front paws above the canyon floor.

"Hold on, Ryou!" Yugi called, his fear jumping as the dam of logs breaks, making the river swell to many times its normal flow. "Atemu, the river!"

Atemu growled as he saw the water fill the canyon, and quickly leapt from rock face to rock face, his wing still injured from the attack the previous day.

Anzu hung precariously from the canyon wall, Ryou, in human form, was above on a small ledge.

"Anzu, give me your paw!" Ryou instructed as he extended his hand.

With a growl, Anzu swiped her claws at Ryou, who pulled back. Anzu slipped further down with a scared glance at the tumbling water and logs below.

"Anzu, come on..." Ryou coaxed as she kept slipping. "I'll help you..."

But it was too late. Anzu slid further down the rock wall, scrabbling for traction on the rock, but was unable to climb up, and fell back-first into the churning water below. The water and logs carry her under, and the flow in the canyon gradually subsides.

Bakura looked down where his mother fell, closed his eyes, and let out a sigh as Joey placed a hand on his shoulder, much like after the rhino stampede.

"Ryou." Atemu said softly behind his son.

"Father." Ryou whispered as he took his father's hand. "I tried..."

Climbing back to the top, Yugi, in human form, was the first one to greet them.

"Ryou." Yugi whispered as he embraced his son in a hug.

"Wow!" Mokuba said as gave Ryou a brief hug. "That was really brave!"

"You can say that again." Joey agreed as he hugged Ryou as well.

Ryou smiled as he pulled out of the hug, and approach Bakura.

"Bakura." Ryou whispered as he walked into Bakura's arms.

"Oh, Ryou." Bakura sighed as he held Ryou tightly.

"Bakura…" Atemu said, getting the younger sphinx's attention. "I was wrong. You belong here."

"Yes!" Ryou cheered as he jumped onto Bakura's back from behind.

"Let's go home." Atemu sighed as he turned to the ex-outlanders. "All of us."

Roughly a year later, a few new facts had been discovered.

First, was that Malik was really Isis and Mahad's son. He had been kidnapped right after his birth, and the palace worker had said Malik had been a stillborn, so he was never looked for by his parents. And he was happily mated to Marik, who pulled pranks around the palace with Bakura from time to time.

Second, Yugi and Joey had both been pregnant. Yugi gave birth to a boy he and Atemu had named Timaeus. Joey gave birth to twin boys he and Seth had named Critias and Hermos.

However, today was a special day. Ryou and Bakura, whose scar had healed rather nicely, had become mates, blessed by Pegasus, who apparently thought a blessing was shaking his staff over the couple.

"I love moments like this." Joey sighed as he held Hermos.

"Yeah..." Mokuba sighed as he held Critias.

Atemu and Yugi, who passed Timaeus to Mana, lead the way out of the throne room, he members of the court bowing as Ryou and Bakura followed. Both couples make their way to the balcony where all of Egypt came to hear announcements. It was there that Atemu and Ryou had been presented by Pegasus after their births, and also where Atemu had proclaimed himself as pharaoh after upsuring his uncle.

Changing to their lion forms, Atemu roared, followed by Bakura, and finally all four roar together, with the pride answering.

The clouds part and the group is illuminated by a sunbeam. As the breeze blew past, Atemu heard a familiar voice from the clouds.

"Well done, my son." Aknankanon whispered on the wind.

Atemu smiled as his father's spirit circles around him. Pegasus nodded and smiled as the prediction Aknankanon had made after Ryou's birth came into completion.

"We are one."

THE END

Alverna: I loved this story!

Yugi: And PandaEars96, we're not doing The Lion King 1 1/2.

Atemu: We've only seen it once, and really don't see how we can tie it all in with Joey, Seth, and Mokuba. You can try if you want, but Alverna's not going to do it.

Alverna: Please review anyway!