A/N: No, I haven't given up on Reflection or anything like that. The plot bunnies in my head have been reproducing lately, and I won't be able to write Reflection at all until I get at least one of them out. I can't really say that I've had this problem before... Oh well, please review, and enjoy the story.

I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters. The plot is my own though.


With Love
Prologue


The only way that the room could have been any quieter was if the few occupants of the room suddenly dies, effectively getting rid of their quiet breathing. Not that the topic of death would have been a welcome one, if one of them had brought it up, not now at least. Maybe they would be able to joke about death in a couple of years from now, the same time that they would be able to look back at this without bursting into tears. The first back to school after what happened had been bad enough, especially when Yugi had burst out crying when he saw the empty desk in the classroom. That wasn't even mentioning any of the small things that everyone had noticed throughout the day.

Sadly enough, that had only been a couple of days ago now. The funeral had been a week ago with close to a hundred people showing up to it, surprising for their school. Nobody had even dared to mention Bakura's not too sudden disappearance or that the last time anyone had seen him had been at the funeral. Not even Bakura was able to miss it, in the end.

Now, most of their small group of friends was gathered in the same room, with the only exceptions being Bakura and one other who was only alive in everyone's thoughts. A book with an envelope sitting on top was on the coffee table, and not one of them was able to tear their eyes away from it for even a second. This small book meant so much right now.

"I can start, if you guys want. Then we'll just go 'round in a circle, takin' turns," one of the blondes suggested, picking up the envelope.

He wasn't stopped by anyone as he opened it up, their eyes now glued to him. To go with the main letter was another, smaller envelope inside of it. This one was a bit different from the other one though, it was personally addressed to Bakura. Nothing was said as the letter was put to the side, and the blonde began to read.


Hi everyone,

I know that it's been a little while. I don't know if Amane gave this to you early or maybe none of you were able to build up the courage to read this until now, so it may have even been years since I saw you for the last time. You guys probably weren't too happy with me once you figured out that I was actually lying about getting better. Don't worry about it too much, because you weren't the only ones that I was lying to. The doctors also thought that I was feeling better. Only Amane and Bakura knew the truth about that.

I would love to say that I have absolutely no regrets about anything that I did, but I would be lying once again. Of course, I regret things. I regret not telling my mother that I loved her before she left for work that fatal morning. And not getting to do the things that I really wanted to do like finish high school, and have a proper relationship. Even the small things like not teasing Jono one last time, or not setting up another movie night.

I know that all of you were completely shocked when I told you that I only had a week left, but I can't truthfully say that I was surprised when I found out. I had seen it coming for a little while, the feeling of being eaten alive from this disease had almost consumed me whole not too long ago. That's why I'm writing this. Well, that and to give you the journal.

As most of you know, Yugi gave me the journal back on Christmas in 2005, almost a whole 3 years ago. He had told me to write down everything bad that happened to me so that I could let it all out, and just vent about it all, so I didn't look so depressed all of the time. However, I found that I wasn't just writing about the bad things that happened to me but the good things too. Practically the whole last year of my life is recorded in this thing and I'd very much appreciate it if you read it, just once. Then give it to Bakura, along with the other envelope in this letter.

Please don't be too sad about me leaving this last time, because I'm sure that there's something after this life. After all, the thought of a life after this one is what keeps people sane.

With Love,
Ryou Bakura
(Written by Amane)