Author's Note:

So this is an idea I've had floating around in my head for a while now. As with all of my stories, I Seto Freaking Kaiba some stuff and toss in a bit of AU with canon events because I can. I try to stick with canon for big things (i.e. Battle City, Millennium World, etc.), but as far as character reactions and the like, I tend to write it the way I think it should've happened. But you're cool with that if you're taking the time to read my drabbles.

No, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or YGOTAS (for the Seto Freaking Kaiba comment). My stories are generally rated M for safety's sake. I naturally curse like a sailor, so my characters do as well. I also tend to throw in some Yaoi periodically. Sometimes they just write themselves, so to speak, so I rate everything M just in case my fingers start typing faster than my brain comprehends.

That should be about it. So read it, review it (I love it when you do. It's my motivation), and enjoy!

Waking unceremoniously from the steps leading down into what appeared to be a tomb, Ryou stretched his limbs and looked around. He remembered the church. He had been running, but from what? He remembered the moment he felt the spirit overtake him once again; stained glass windows shattering, candles flickering, his screams reaching deaf ears. And that was it. Now he was here. But where was here exactly? He walked tentatively down the crumbling steps, his hand grazing lightly over the cool stone of the walls. He noticed offhandedly that he felt lighter. That was odd.

Reaching the bottom of the steps, he saw his friends gathered around the stone tablet. The eye emblazoned at the top subconsciously caused him to raise a hand to his chest; the Sennen Ring was gone. Did that mean the spirit was gone as well? Maybe that was the lightness he felt. He walked up to the group and listened as they discussed the beginning of the Ceremonial Duel. So this was it; Zorc had been defeated. That meant Bakura was also gone. He was free. He was finally free. Aside from a brief comment here and there, he simply stood back and observed Atem and Yuugi duel each other to decide the Pharaoh's fate.

After quite a bit of back and forth, it was done. Yuugi was victorious; the Pharaoh could finally rest. Ryou knew the moment was bittersweet for both of them. They had been partners, sharing a body quite peacefully for years now. Unlike his relationship with Bakura, Yuugi and Atem cared for each other. They had trusted each other with their lives. Sure, Bakura had kept Ryou out of harm's way for the most part, but that was solely for the sake of having a host body. They were never friends. For Ryou, it was like having an unwanted roommate at best, and an abusive body double at worst. He couldn't fight the pang of jealousy. He had often longed to have that kind of companionship with his yami. Unfortunately, that hadn't been his fate.

Now wasn't the time to dwell on that now, though. It was over. The Pharaoh said his goodbyes, everyone gathered around to hold onto Yuugi's heartbroken form as he tried to put on a brave face for his partner. And then, just like that, it was all over. And then it all went black. Of course Bakura hadn't bothered to eat before all of this started.

Life continued back in Domino City, as if nothing had happened. School resumed, everyone went back to weekend jobs and playful rounds of Duel Monsters (thankfully without the fate of the world hanging in the balance), and ordinary became just that: ordinary. Ryou continued to paint figurines for the handful of dioramas he was perpetually perfecting. He tried to be more social, but he had spent so long attempting to isolate himself that he just couldn't force himself into being a social butterfly. Besides, something in the back of his mind kept telling him that there was more to this story. It was a faint tug, a ghost of a whisper, the fading memory of a dream.

As he sat at his desk in his empty bedroom, held in an equally empty apartment, his pencil tapped lightly on a worksheet that he just couldn't force himself to finish yet. He glanced at the clock; it was 2:13 am. Malik was definitely still awake. It was still "yesterday" in Egypt, and he had most likely just finished his evening meal.

He picked up the phone and dialed his Egyptian friend's number.

"Hello?," came the delicate voice.

"Uh...hey Malik. H-how are you?"

"I'm good. Just finished eating. Is everything alright, Ryou? It must be very late there."

Ryou paused. This was dumb. It was so dumb. But while he was on the phone, his fingers seemed to move of their own accord, pulling up a travel site and booking a plane ticket.

"Um...yeah. Everything's fine. It's fine. I-I'm just..."

"What? You're just...?"

"I'm coming back to Egypt."

It was Malik's turn to pause. Why on earth would Ryou want to come back to a place full of so many bad memories? Sure, he was unconscious for the worst of it, but that didn't mean that being there wouldn't remind him of his torturous yami.

"But why?," Malik asked, certain that nothing good could come out of it.

"I don't really know, Malik. Something is just telling me I need to be there. I keep having dreams, but I can never quite recall them when I wake up. I only ever remember the feeling that I need to go back; that something is missing."

"Well, let me know when you're coming. I'll pick you up and we can figure this out."

"I appreciate it, Malik. Truly. I haven't told anyone else I'm leaving. I'm not even sure they'd notice I was missing. But I don't want them suspicious or anything. I don't think the spirit is back. I just having this overwhelming need to be there. I can't really explain it."

"It's alright. your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you. I'll call before I leave. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Ryou."

A/N: Fairly short intro chapter. The next one will be longer. What does Ryou find in Egypt? What exactly is he dreaming about? Does Malik think his little silver-haired friend has finally gone off the deep end? Continue reading and find out! Don't forget to review!