A Memory Away
"Bring out the heart!" the commanding voice boomed in the large room. A moment later, a hooded servant entered carrying a papyrus mat, and on top, was a human heart. He walked to the front of the room where, sitting on a table, was a large scale. It was balanced for now, for nothing was on it, but that was all about to change. The servant bowed as he handed the mat and its cargo to the only person standing behind it. The large man's face was covered with that of a jackal. However, in this case, it was his actual head. Anubis, god of the dead, took the mat and placed it on the table. The servant bowed again, and walked out of the room. He passed a young, silver-haired teen that stood in the center, awaiting his fate. The thief watched in silence through red, narrowed eyes. He already knew what was going to happen, and unless the feather Anubis had just placed on the scale was made of stone, there was no stopping it.
"Bakura!" Anubis barked, glaring down at him. He didn't answer, but looked defiantly up at the god speaking to him.
"I will now judge the purity of your soul." Anubis continued. "This scale represents the balance of good and evil, the feather being good. If your heart is lighter than the feather, then you yourself are good, and you may walk on to the afterlife. However," He paused and smiled, eyes flashing. "If your heart is heavier, you have failed. It will be clear that you are evil and will be forever condemned to the Shadow Realm." His grin widened as he picked up the heart.
The spectators had been completely silent and Bakura had almost forgotten about them, until one let out an apprehensive gasp. He glanced over quickly and immediately wished he hadn't. Unlike Anubis, most everyone here was in favor of watching people move on to the afterlife. And judging by the disappointment on their faces, he made a pretty good guess that they wouldn't get their way this time. Bakura looked back at the scales, and sure enough, his heart had forced its side to the table.
"Bakura," the pleasure in Anubis's voice was clear. "You are a sinner. You will not walk on in the afterlife, but are now sentenced to eternity in the Shadow Realm!"
A portal to the Shadow Realm opened behind Bakura. Glaring one last time at Anubis, he walked calmly toward it. The Shadow Realm he didn't have a problem with- he had been there many times before- it was the eternity part he wasn't looking forward to. Suddenly, an idea struck him.
"One moment, Bakura," Bakura stopped as Anubis continued. "Don't you have anything to say before you are banished?"
"Yes, I do," he turned so he could address everyone in the room. "I promise I will have my revenge!"
"How?" Anubis sneered. "You'll be in the Shadow Realm."
"With this," Bakura pulled out the Millennium Ring from under his cloak.
Anubis's eyes widened with shock.
"I shall lock my spirit away, until one day someone releases me!" Bakura yelled triumphantly.
"Get him!" Anubis snarled, but it was too late. By the time he and the servants got there, there was nothing left but the Millennium Ring.
Furious, Anubis picked it up and snarled, "That little runt got me. He knew I wouldn't be able to do anything to a Millennium Item." He growled and threw the Item to one of the servants, "Put that back where it belongs."
"What shall we do about Bakura?" a lone voice spoke up from the crowd.
"We wait," he barked back. "We wait until he is released again into this world. Then we'll catch him."
"Bakura?" Ryou's voice was filled with concern. "Bakura?" he repeated.
Bakura bolted upright on the bed. His eyes were wide with fear and confusion. He looked unseeing past Ryou.
"Are you okay?" Ryou continued his questioning. "I heard you yelling in your sleep."
"Huh? Oh, yeah," Bakura answered half-heartedly. That happened awhile ago, he tried to reassure himself. And now I'm free and I have Ryou here with me. He never wanted to go back into the Millennium Ring nor the Shadow Realm again. The loneliness had been unbearable.
"Are you sure you're okay" Ryou pressed on. "Do you want to talk about it?" The look on Bakura's face was scaring him. He was used to his yami being confident and brave. Terror was something he never showed.
Ryou studied Bakura for a moment. As realization crept back into his eyes, they again grew cold and fathomless. However, Ryou noticed something new there, too. Light? Yes, there was warmth in his gaze now as he looked at Ryou. Whatever happened in his dream must have changed him. Ryou couldn't help but smile and hug Bakura. A little confused by his hikari's sudden joy, he embraced him back.
"I wanted to thank you, Ryou," Bakura whispered in his ear.
Taken aback by the comment, Ryou stopped hugging and asked, "Why? It's you I should be thanking. You've saved me in more ways than I can count."
Bakura looked down at his hands. Ryou had to strain to hear what he said.
"It was you who saved me, Ryou. Without you, I don't know what I would have done. My life had no meaning; not in Egypt, not in those long millennia in which I waited. Unlike the pharaoh, I had no destiny."
Ryou was still bewildered.
"That's why I'm thanking you. Without you, my life is worthless. You-" Bakura's words were cut off by a kiss on the lips. Bakura was shocked by the forcefulness, but then closed his eyes and leaned into it. They sat there like that for a while, before Ryou broke away, panting slightly.
"You're welcome," Ryou said softly.
Bakura smiled mischievously and pinned Ryou down to the bed with another long kiss.